Blog/Reading Questions:
What is your reaction to the 10 Big Shifts in Education? Which shift(s) will be easier and harder for your to integrate in your future teaching/classroom? Please explain.
Our ever-changing relationship with the internet will constantly influence the way we use technology in our classrooms. The 10 Big Shifts truly emphasize this change and how as teachers, we should understand this relationship. I will probably use this new knowledge of the Big Shifts when I add strategies to use technology to enhance my units, lessons etc. Inevitably, it is reality that this changing relationship will define the way we teach in the future.
I think the Big Shifts # 4, 8 & 9 will greatly influence my teaching.
Teaching is Conversation, Not Lecture # 4
"Ideas are presented as the starting point for dialogue, not the ending point" (Siemens, 2002)(Richardson 2010). In the English Language Arts classroom dialogue is the key to developing understanding and inspiration.
Writing is no longer limited to Text: #8
In my classroom I will have to focus some projects to include writing in the planning BUT focus more on media projects to incorporate learning. Students can 'write' in "audio and video, in digital photographs, and even in code such as JavaScript, we can publish all of it easily for extended audiences." (Richardson 2010).
Mastery is the Product, Not the Test # 9
Because of technology, assessment in the English classroom will change for the better I believe. For example, in my podcast I describe a class project that incorporates the students understanding of Latin American Authors into collaborative Myspace/Facebook pages that demonstrate their knowledge. Normally, I might give a quiz to assess their understanding of the importance of authors social context or culture and how that might influence the writing we analyze in class. Because of technology, I am able to assess this in a different manner. Consequently, in a manner that connects with students interests and youth culture. Technology allows us to master content area information in a challenging yet engaging way.
Grand Canyon
Me and my friend Sayer on our 7 mile hike through the Grand Canyon!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
EDCI 5825 Video Editing Project Reflection
Video Editing Project - 'Hellen Degeneres' Show: CyberBullying
What would you do differently if you could do it all over again? Are these changes based on feedback that you may have received from friends, peers, family members, etc? I would definitely work with music clips that worked more parallel to my clips. I loved adding the music to the video. Also, I would possibly make the slides all look a similar way instead of playing around with effects. Because I was afraid of time, I cut a lot out, in retrospect I wish that was not the first action I took when creating the video. These are changes that I decided when viewing my work. One of my girlfriends suggested the music should fade out!
What is your reaction to the video recording/editing process? Please discuss any positive and negative reactions.
Positive: Excellent project, fun, engaging and it is definitely something I would like to work into my units or lesson plans in the future!
Negative: For some reason, I felt that I did not have enough time to truly explore the application and every time I had ideas it either took to long to figure out a way to accomplish or was impossible for me to find the solution. I have a few things I did not get to try!
Do you think it would be possible to have students in your current/future classroom create a movie? Do you (will you) have the resources, time, and skills necessary to include such a project in your classroom? Please explain.
Absolutely! This is definitely something that I would love to incorporate in my classroom. I am not sure if I will have the resources but there are other ways to have students create videos for projects that I could research. Students could create videos that took their scene performance one step further. Or they could perform songs, poetry or other creative writing and put that into a video to share with classmates. That is the great thing about technology - applications are usually social and foster collaboration skills. I believe this activity would be very engaging for most students and a great way to bring youth culture into the classroom.
Did you learn anything new from the video editing/recording process? Please explain.
Well, I had never used imovie before, so - everything was new! Creating a project from scratch (to be graded on was a little daunting!) but I learned so much. I truly had fun and all of the hard work that I put into it really paid off I think! I can't wait to share it with my group and see what they think. This was my favorite project :)
What would you do differently if you could do it all over again? Are these changes based on feedback that you may have received from friends, peers, family members, etc? I would definitely work with music clips that worked more parallel to my clips. I loved adding the music to the video. Also, I would possibly make the slides all look a similar way instead of playing around with effects. Because I was afraid of time, I cut a lot out, in retrospect I wish that was not the first action I took when creating the video. These are changes that I decided when viewing my work. One of my girlfriends suggested the music should fade out!
What is your reaction to the video recording/editing process? Please discuss any positive and negative reactions.
Positive: Excellent project, fun, engaging and it is definitely something I would like to work into my units or lesson plans in the future!
Negative: For some reason, I felt that I did not have enough time to truly explore the application and every time I had ideas it either took to long to figure out a way to accomplish or was impossible for me to find the solution. I have a few things I did not get to try!
Do you think it would be possible to have students in your current/future classroom create a movie? Do you (will you) have the resources, time, and skills necessary to include such a project in your classroom? Please explain.
Absolutely! This is definitely something that I would love to incorporate in my classroom. I am not sure if I will have the resources but there are other ways to have students create videos for projects that I could research. Students could create videos that took their scene performance one step further. Or they could perform songs, poetry or other creative writing and put that into a video to share with classmates. That is the great thing about technology - applications are usually social and foster collaboration skills. I believe this activity would be very engaging for most students and a great way to bring youth culture into the classroom.
Did you learn anything new from the video editing/recording process? Please explain.
Well, I had never used imovie before, so - everything was new! Creating a project from scratch (to be graded on was a little daunting!) but I learned so much. I truly had fun and all of the hard work that I put into it really paid off I think! I can't wait to share it with my group and see what they think. This was my favorite project :)
EDCI 5825 Wiki Final Integration Project Reflection
MsAsWorldLit Wiki
Do you plan on using your classroom blog/wiki in your future classroom? If so, what types of modifications do you envision? Please explain.
Yes absolutely! The more elements that I created and used on my Wiki (Final Integration Project) the more I realized how useful that will be in my classroom. It is truly important that students have a home-base to view work and find resources. The least it does, is strengthen the classroom community and develops a stronger teacher/learner mutual enhancement. It depends on what access my future students will have to technology of course, but I think that if possible I would like to include pages that students can edit or create themselves, in addition, a page for parents so they might be involved more in their students classroom experience.
Do you plan on having your students create their own blogs/wikis in your future classroom? If so, please explain.
I am not sure about this honestly. This Wiki project was very intimidating to me and it took a while to become familiar enough with the tool to be creative. I would not want my students to feel this frustration - like their creativity was road-blocked so to speak. But if I could find a way to incorporate Blogging in my classroom - students could work with creating their own blogs, I would definitely use Blogging because I think it is closer to the social-networking tools that students might already be familiar with.
Discuss the quality and appropriateness of what you have learned and created this semester.
Once I became familiar with the Wiki tool I really let loose creatively! It was so much fun to utilize skills that I had already mastered, works from other classes and just projects in general that I am very proud of, and incorporating them into my Wiki. It sounds dramatic to say but I will truly incorporate most of it when I become a teacher. For example, Power Point Presentations can be used as a guide in the English Classroom to focus students on objectives and goals for the day. Wikispaces can provide a home base for students, SmartBoard can help ELL, Diverse learners, Auditory and Visual learners classroom activities, online activities can foster application skills and help students relate to material, podcasts and internet workshops incorporate valuable technology skills. Each instance of technology can be used in my classroom, and when I have the opportunity to do so, I plan to implement them.
Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology
In the beginning of this course I truly felt overwhelmed by the amount of technology we would be diving into, however the structure of the class allowed us, as students, to learn, work with, play with and develop our own skills when implementing. Technology is the perfect link between classroom management, content, context and the 'Big Ideas' we aspire our future students to learn. I have learned as long as technology is used in an organized fashion, my classroom can truly be enhanced and an interactive place for learning. Now that I am more familiar with exploring technology I believe that I will certainly explore more in the future.
.
Do you plan on using your classroom blog/wiki in your future classroom? If so, what types of modifications do you envision? Please explain.
Yes absolutely! The more elements that I created and used on my Wiki (Final Integration Project) the more I realized how useful that will be in my classroom. It is truly important that students have a home-base to view work and find resources. The least it does, is strengthen the classroom community and develops a stronger teacher/learner mutual enhancement. It depends on what access my future students will have to technology of course, but I think that if possible I would like to include pages that students can edit or create themselves, in addition, a page for parents so they might be involved more in their students classroom experience.
Do you plan on having your students create their own blogs/wikis in your future classroom? If so, please explain.
I am not sure about this honestly. This Wiki project was very intimidating to me and it took a while to become familiar enough with the tool to be creative. I would not want my students to feel this frustration - like their creativity was road-blocked so to speak. But if I could find a way to incorporate Blogging in my classroom - students could work with creating their own blogs, I would definitely use Blogging because I think it is closer to the social-networking tools that students might already be familiar with.
Discuss the quality and appropriateness of what you have learned and created this semester.
Once I became familiar with the Wiki tool I really let loose creatively! It was so much fun to utilize skills that I had already mastered, works from other classes and just projects in general that I am very proud of, and incorporating them into my Wiki. It sounds dramatic to say but I will truly incorporate most of it when I become a teacher. For example, Power Point Presentations can be used as a guide in the English Classroom to focus students on objectives and goals for the day. Wikispaces can provide a home base for students, SmartBoard can help ELL, Diverse learners, Auditory and Visual learners classroom activities, online activities can foster application skills and help students relate to material, podcasts and internet workshops incorporate valuable technology skills. Each instance of technology can be used in my classroom, and when I have the opportunity to do so, I plan to implement them.
Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology
In the beginning of this course I truly felt overwhelmed by the amount of technology we would be diving into, however the structure of the class allowed us, as students, to learn, work with, play with and develop our own skills when implementing. Technology is the perfect link between classroom management, content, context and the 'Big Ideas' we aspire our future students to learn. I have learned as long as technology is used in an organized fashion, my classroom can truly be enhanced and an interactive place for learning. Now that I am more familiar with exploring technology I believe that I will certainly explore more in the future.
.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
EDCI 5825 Week 5 Web site Reflection
SITE:
Amanda's English Language Arts Classroom
REFLECTION:
What is your reaction to the entire web development process? Please describe any positive and negative reactions.
Positive reactions
- I have never created a website of my own (besides a social networking site) so this was a completely new experience for me that I enjoyed very much.
- I will definitely use a website like this in my future classroom and I believe it is important to do so.
- As we were new to this online activity, our class really worked together exploring.
- The Weebly site is user-friendly and allows for creativity that some sites block.
- When we were first exposed to the different ways to use technology and online activities I wasn't sure how to incorporate all of them - but I believe that having a class website with links to sites like Diigo, Ning or others would provide a 'home-base' for students to access the different tools for classroom activities and assignments.
- Using a site like Weebly would truly engage students more to the classroom community and the material exploration as well.
Negative reactions:
- Navigating the MacBook and Weebly exploration at the same time was frustrating at times
- I had many ideas and was only able to work with a few of them - but I plan to explore further!
What was involved in the process of developing your site? What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome those obstacles? What successes did you encounter?
I explored tools and options first - playing around with ideas. Then I tried to imagine what students should see on the first day of school or right before then. I wanted the site to be welcoming, and definitely NOT overwhelming with information - so I kept it simple for now. As I have more experience with students, classroom setting and the teaching process I will develop the site to meet student and classroom needs. Obstacles were frustrating at times -> I had some difficulty with dragging and dropping elements exactly where I wanted them, getting links to work, creating a layout that was visually satisfying to me with my limited knowledge of site tools. I asked classmates for help and did some research at the Weebly Support Site. Overall I believe I had success with the site. I feel proud of my accomplishment and what I have learned. There is a part of me that wishes I could have done more but I think that feeling will go away when I have more time to explore and manage my creation!
Will you continue to build on/update this site after this course ends? Why/Why not? Please explain.
As I stated before, I plan to use a site like this one day in my classroom to provide a 'home-base' of sorts for my students to access tools, homework, online activities and more from one focused place. Our students will be much more information literate as the as time passes and I think a class website could be a way to make online activities and classroom activities more aligned with their interests and learning styles. I have already shared my site on Facebook for friends and teachers to comment on. So we will see...
What errors/issues did you find when you tested your web site for 508 compliance? Based on those errors/issues, what changes would you make to your site?
Example (1) [
508 (C)] [WCAG 2.1 (1)] The use of color must not be a single method for indicating important information on a web page 1
Description. Manual check. Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
Response: I would check appropriate standards and use a different design template or manually change items to meet standards for color.
Example (2)
[508 (J)] Flicker rate must be in the specified limits 5
Description. Manual check. Page shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. Check gif images and objects, applets, embed elements.
Response: I would check gif images etc to change flicker effect to lower standard Hzs.
Example (3)
[508 (B)] [WCAG 1.4 (1)] Multimedia presentation and its equivalent alternatives must be synchronized 1
Description. Manual check. For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation.
Response: I would change the auditory or caption descriptions of the visual track to match the presentation.
Amanda's English Language Arts Classroom
REFLECTION:
What is your reaction to the entire web development process? Please describe any positive and negative reactions.
Positive reactions
- I have never created a website of my own (besides a social networking site) so this was a completely new experience for me that I enjoyed very much.
- I will definitely use a website like this in my future classroom and I believe it is important to do so.
- As we were new to this online activity, our class really worked together exploring.
- The Weebly site is user-friendly and allows for creativity that some sites block.
- When we were first exposed to the different ways to use technology and online activities I wasn't sure how to incorporate all of them - but I believe that having a class website with links to sites like Diigo, Ning or others would provide a 'home-base' for students to access the different tools for classroom activities and assignments.
- Using a site like Weebly would truly engage students more to the classroom community and the material exploration as well.
Negative reactions:
- Navigating the MacBook and Weebly exploration at the same time was frustrating at times
- I had many ideas and was only able to work with a few of them - but I plan to explore further!
What was involved in the process of developing your site? What obstacles did you encounter? How did you overcome those obstacles? What successes did you encounter?
I explored tools and options first - playing around with ideas. Then I tried to imagine what students should see on the first day of school or right before then. I wanted the site to be welcoming, and definitely NOT overwhelming with information - so I kept it simple for now. As I have more experience with students, classroom setting and the teaching process I will develop the site to meet student and classroom needs. Obstacles were frustrating at times -> I had some difficulty with dragging and dropping elements exactly where I wanted them, getting links to work, creating a layout that was visually satisfying to me with my limited knowledge of site tools. I asked classmates for help and did some research at the Weebly Support Site. Overall I believe I had success with the site. I feel proud of my accomplishment and what I have learned. There is a part of me that wishes I could have done more but I think that feeling will go away when I have more time to explore and manage my creation!
Will you continue to build on/update this site after this course ends? Why/Why not? Please explain.
As I stated before, I plan to use a site like this one day in my classroom to provide a 'home-base' of sorts for my students to access tools, homework, online activities and more from one focused place. Our students will be much more information literate as the as time passes and I think a class website could be a way to make online activities and classroom activities more aligned with their interests and learning styles. I have already shared my site on Facebook for friends and teachers to comment on. So we will see...
What errors/issues did you find when you tested your web site for 508 compliance? Based on those errors/issues, what changes would you make to your site?
Example (1) [
508 (C)] [WCAG 2.1 (1)] The use of color must not be a single method for indicating important information on a web page 1
Description. Manual check. Ensure that all information conveyed with color is also available without color, for example from context or markup.
Response: I would check appropriate standards and use a different design template or manually change items to meet standards for color.
Example (2)
[508 (J)] Flicker rate must be in the specified limits 5
Description. Manual check. Page shall be designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker with a frequency greater than 2 Hz and lower than 55 Hz. Check gif images and objects, applets, embed elements.
Response: I would check gif images etc to change flicker effect to lower standard Hzs.
Example (3)
[508 (B)] [WCAG 1.4 (1)] Multimedia presentation and its equivalent alternatives must be synchronized 1
Description. Manual check. For any time-based multimedia presentation (e.g., a movie or animation), synchronize equivalent alternatives (e.g., captions or auditory descriptions of the visual track) with the presentation.
Response: I would change the auditory or caption descriptions of the visual track to match the presentation.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
EDCI 5825 Week 5 Power Point Reflection
Brief description of the lesson/topic presented on the PowerPoint
The lesson plan I created covers Magical Realism, which is a specific genre of literature. The lesson plan is experimental so I played with the Concept Attainment scaffolding to see what might happen. The students explore their own personal definitions of Magical Realism before they research the author - Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his contributions to the Magical Realism genre. (Students will also listen to Columbian music for a cultural feel (experimental idea). In addition, students will study other prominent authors such as: Pablo Neruda, Nilo Cruz and Lin-Manuel Miranda. After they research Don Marquez and the others, they will create their own MYSPACE/FACEBOOK pages 'as an author' The assignment encompasses a number of tasks that are required for instance:
• Add a picture
• Create/fill out bio/info page
• Create/fill out Interests page
• Create a status
• Write on another ‘authors’ (classmates) page
• Birthday
And then optional/extra credit choices like:
- Music/playlist
• Google Map
• Back round or friend list
• Add famous quotes
• Video
The objective would be that students get a real understanding of these authors from a different perspective. The goal of the assignment would be that students discover their own understanding of 'voice' and a perspective of the 'author's voice', as well as a solid back round of events, places and social contexts that may have contributed to the author's writing - as they comment on each other's pages and write their own material to express the information they have learned. Once I learn more about how to use these social-networking sites I would like to better this lesson plan and see if it helps to make the assignment and material more engaging for students.
Brief description of the features used in your PowerPoint. Did you use any "challenge" features? Why/Why not.
Did you learn anything new in the process?
I used the required components as well as some special features that weren't around for my use 6 years ago in the office I worked in NYC!!! Features like for example: SmartArt graphics, Effects for images and content, and sound/music. It truly made the PPt more interactive I believe. I had a lot of fun doing it. Especially experimenting with things like, Custom Animation, where you could make the text of the PPt come alive! All of these were features that I had never had the chance to work with and I was very pleased with how much PPt has changed and become such a wonderful tool.
How can a lesson be enhanced with Presentation Software (e.g. PowerPoint, Google Docs Presentation software, etc.)
I think there is an assumption out there that PowerPoint etc are boring lecture tools that are used in businesses or classrooms but it is quite the contrary. With all of the animation and 'action' tools visual learners and auditory learners might be more stimulated and motivated to participate. I think it could intrinsically motivate students to be more creative in their approach to certain projects or PowerPoint projects of their own because the wide range of tools and options would parallel with their interests and the ever-changing youth culture :)
I really had a lot of fun with this assignment!
Cheers for now,
AA :)
The lesson plan I created covers Magical Realism, which is a specific genre of literature. The lesson plan is experimental so I played with the Concept Attainment scaffolding to see what might happen. The students explore their own personal definitions of Magical Realism before they research the author - Gabriel Garcia Marquez and his contributions to the Magical Realism genre. (Students will also listen to Columbian music for a cultural feel (experimental idea). In addition, students will study other prominent authors such as: Pablo Neruda, Nilo Cruz and Lin-Manuel Miranda. After they research Don Marquez and the others, they will create their own MYSPACE/FACEBOOK pages 'as an author' The assignment encompasses a number of tasks that are required for instance:
• Add a picture
• Create/fill out bio/info page
• Create/fill out Interests page
• Create a status
• Write on another ‘authors’ (classmates) page
• Birthday
And then optional/extra credit choices like:
- Music/playlist
• Google Map
• Back round or friend list
• Add famous quotes
• Video
The objective would be that students get a real understanding of these authors from a different perspective. The goal of the assignment would be that students discover their own understanding of 'voice' and a perspective of the 'author's voice', as well as a solid back round of events, places and social contexts that may have contributed to the author's writing - as they comment on each other's pages and write their own material to express the information they have learned. Once I learn more about how to use these social-networking sites I would like to better this lesson plan and see if it helps to make the assignment and material more engaging for students.
Brief description of the features used in your PowerPoint. Did you use any "challenge" features? Why/Why not.
Did you learn anything new in the process?
I used the required components as well as some special features that weren't around for my use 6 years ago in the office I worked in NYC!!! Features like for example: SmartArt graphics, Effects for images and content, and sound/music. It truly made the PPt more interactive I believe. I had a lot of fun doing it. Especially experimenting with things like, Custom Animation, where you could make the text of the PPt come alive! All of these were features that I had never had the chance to work with and I was very pleased with how much PPt has changed and become such a wonderful tool.
How can a lesson be enhanced with Presentation Software (e.g. PowerPoint, Google Docs Presentation software, etc.)
I think there is an assumption out there that PowerPoint etc are boring lecture tools that are used in businesses or classrooms but it is quite the contrary. With all of the animation and 'action' tools visual learners and auditory learners might be more stimulated and motivated to participate. I think it could intrinsically motivate students to be more creative in their approach to certain projects or PowerPoint projects of their own because the wide range of tools and options would parallel with their interests and the ever-changing youth culture :)
I really had a lot of fun with this assignment!
Cheers for now,
AA :)
EDCI 5825 Week 5 Reading Reflection Qs
1. Should all teachers be encouraged to create online activities for students within traditional classrooms? Please explain.
I think that all teachers should be encouraged to create online activities for students within traditional classrooms if the resources are available to their students. I think it might be a good idea for the teacher to assess the learning styles or needs in her classroom before adjusting online activities to her pupils as well. An interesting perspective on this as well from the readings is when the VHS Head Mr. Droste discussed the fact that although you may incorporate online activities in your classroom it does not mean that all activities must be based off of this teaching style: "It doesn't all have to be Internet based. It could be, 'Go out and interview somebody. Come back. Share with us what the interview is.' A lot of what we are trying to do is have these courses act as springboards away from the machines..." (November 2010 86). I think that if online activities are used to foster cognition because students are adapt to learning this way then it can be a dynamic and wonderful addition to any classroom. One fact that I thought was interesting was the fact that Scotland is building the leading online resource for K-12, a nationwide learning platform called GLOW. This will links all schools together for the benefit of sharing resources. I think this is an incredible concept! Nowadays, using online learning in the classroom is as easy as a click away to the website MOODLE, which makes design and delivery of online courses more accessible. With tools like this there is a window of opportunity for teachers that need more experience creating the online activities for their students as well.
One critical issue that I believe was very well discussed in the reading is the fact that some students would feel more comfortable expressing themselves online. This is an interesting point and perspective I do not share as I am from a generation where email was impressive! One student (Ruth Williams) quoted states that: "I like being anonymous" (November 2010). I feel though that grading based on online activities is a topic I would need more insight to as a pre-service teacher. Some students may feel comfortable expressing themselves anonymously but not publicly, like, for example, in a blog setting. In addition I believe that when using online activities teachers should make sure that students feel comfortable with assignments and protect their online safety and more importantly, their Emotional safety when using online activities no matter what.
2. Envision the role of social networking in 21st century learning environments. Write a brief description of this vision.
As a teacher, I think it would be important first to establish a clear definition of how social networking would be used in learning environments for the simple reason that there are two kinds of possible uses as defined in the reading. In a study based on people's participation in a "new media ecology' research noted that: "A key finding in the study was this: our kids are using social technologies in teo important ways. First, they engage in what the report calls "friendship-based-ways" [...] but the other way that youth are beginning to connect using these tools is more compelling. That is, kids are using social networks to "explore interests and find information that goes beyond what they have access to at school or in their local community" (Richardson 2010). That said, I believe that using social networking with scaffolded approaches to content area could definitely be incorporated with online activities and learning in a positive way! In addition when using sites like Facebook, assignments should be clearly explained to students, for example the fact that the online activity will be "internet-based" and not "friendship-based" (Richardson 2010). One idea I was brainstorming about for my Unit Plan in Cory's class was having the students create Myspace/Facebook pages that represented profiles (based on other research and class tutorials) of prominent authors studied. Some parts of the assignment would be required for example: Picture, bio, posting on another classmate's 'Author Page' and 'friending' other 'Authors' as well. Students would however be greatly encouraged to incorporate creative ideas to demonstrate their new knowledge and cognitive development as well as EQs if they can master, for example, the writing style of Pablo Neruda through poetry posted to their pages. Other optional requirements might entail using music from the the culture of the author, quotes, back round and especially linking to social media tools like, Delicious bookmarks, Twitter account, Flickr photos, and even Youtube! I think there is a lot I could do to develop this assignment in a way that engages students and makes them feel like their personal interests and youth culture are being addressed :) P.S My English Content Area teacher Ms. Sue Pet is already using Ning, which was also mentioned in the reading and seems really neat!
That's all for now, cheers, AA
I think that all teachers should be encouraged to create online activities for students within traditional classrooms if the resources are available to their students. I think it might be a good idea for the teacher to assess the learning styles or needs in her classroom before adjusting online activities to her pupils as well. An interesting perspective on this as well from the readings is when the VHS Head Mr. Droste discussed the fact that although you may incorporate online activities in your classroom it does not mean that all activities must be based off of this teaching style: "It doesn't all have to be Internet based. It could be, 'Go out and interview somebody. Come back. Share with us what the interview is.' A lot of what we are trying to do is have these courses act as springboards away from the machines..." (November 2010 86). I think that if online activities are used to foster cognition because students are adapt to learning this way then it can be a dynamic and wonderful addition to any classroom. One fact that I thought was interesting was the fact that Scotland is building the leading online resource for K-12, a nationwide learning platform called GLOW. This will links all schools together for the benefit of sharing resources. I think this is an incredible concept! Nowadays, using online learning in the classroom is as easy as a click away to the website MOODLE, which makes design and delivery of online courses more accessible. With tools like this there is a window of opportunity for teachers that need more experience creating the online activities for their students as well.
One critical issue that I believe was very well discussed in the reading is the fact that some students would feel more comfortable expressing themselves online. This is an interesting point and perspective I do not share as I am from a generation where email was impressive! One student (Ruth Williams) quoted states that: "I like being anonymous" (November 2010). I feel though that grading based on online activities is a topic I would need more insight to as a pre-service teacher. Some students may feel comfortable expressing themselves anonymously but not publicly, like, for example, in a blog setting. In addition I believe that when using online activities teachers should make sure that students feel comfortable with assignments and protect their online safety and more importantly, their Emotional safety when using online activities no matter what.
2. Envision the role of social networking in 21st century learning environments. Write a brief description of this vision.
As a teacher, I think it would be important first to establish a clear definition of how social networking would be used in learning environments for the simple reason that there are two kinds of possible uses as defined in the reading. In a study based on people's participation in a "new media ecology' research noted that: "A key finding in the study was this: our kids are using social technologies in teo important ways. First, they engage in what the report calls "friendship-based-ways" [...] but the other way that youth are beginning to connect using these tools is more compelling. That is, kids are using social networks to "explore interests and find information that goes beyond what they have access to at school or in their local community" (Richardson 2010). That said, I believe that using social networking with scaffolded approaches to content area could definitely be incorporated with online activities and learning in a positive way! In addition when using sites like Facebook, assignments should be clearly explained to students, for example the fact that the online activity will be "internet-based" and not "friendship-based" (Richardson 2010). One idea I was brainstorming about for my Unit Plan in Cory's class was having the students create Myspace/Facebook pages that represented profiles (based on other research and class tutorials) of prominent authors studied. Some parts of the assignment would be required for example: Picture, bio, posting on another classmate's 'Author Page' and 'friending' other 'Authors' as well. Students would however be greatly encouraged to incorporate creative ideas to demonstrate their new knowledge and cognitive development as well as EQs if they can master, for example, the writing style of Pablo Neruda through poetry posted to their pages. Other optional requirements might entail using music from the the culture of the author, quotes, back round and especially linking to social media tools like, Delicious bookmarks, Twitter account, Flickr photos, and even Youtube! I think there is a lot I could do to develop this assignment in a way that engages students and makes them feel like their personal interests and youth culture are being addressed :) P.S My English Content Area teacher Ms. Sue Pet is already using Ning, which was also mentioned in the reading and seems really neat!
That's all for now, cheers, AA
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
LEARNING THEORIES [EDCI5065] WEEK 5 T2P
T2P Hypothesis Week 5:
If students are having trouble meeting learning skill objectives, then teachers should analyze their approach and use a Heuristic to find a solution, because most often it is the teacher who can create a more engaging, appropriate lesson to help students reacher higher critical literacy levels.
Case study hypothesis:
If AP students have high content 'IQ' but fail to understand the importance of group work, then teachers should develop FUN, scaffolded, emotionally supported group work projects in a low-stakes environment, because, students with a 'won't do' attitude can succeed in an environment with low or no stakes (and no grades) due to their EQ levels.
~ With the absence of extrinsic rewards students will be intrinsically motivated to succeed in the their group tasks, thus enhancing their individual EQs as well.
Today was a very interesting class. In the beginning when we worked in our pairs with creating our own Heuristics - I definitely had to push harder to find a "rule of thumb" that could be put to test on any conundruums that we may run into as teachers. Luckily, my partner Mo and I had some clear similarities in the videos we chose and the hypothesis we created. When creating our road-map, we investigated many Key Questions that would be important to the Initial Stage of our class Heuristic. Guided inquiry led us to map out further stages. I am proud of the results though it definitely was a struggle to get there. Here is a brief example of our class Heuristic: Initial Stage: Observe as participant & formulate preliminary hypothesis, Middle Stage: Ask myself as a teacher, 'Is this a problem I need to attend to?" If YES, then begin to research, collect data & consult experts for help pinpointing important data for growing hypothesis, Final Stage: Formulate a path to test initial solution to conundruum, Evaluate important moral/political implications & short/long term effects. Align solution with pedagogical goals and test while revising as needed. Throughout experience -> reassess goals as necessary. The final group work session with the case studies truly re-affirmed my understanding of todays lesson. Our group worked with Ms. Elizabeth Rhodes's case and we hypothesized that if she created fun, scaffolded, emotionally supportive group work sessions in a low-stakes environment, her students would successfully learn the group working skills she knows will benefit them throughout their lives. In addition, by using this solution, for example, a team Jeopardy game, the children would not be so afraid of failure and as their confidence in themselves, and each other grows, so will their EQs. I believe that the most important Big Idea I got from today is that in most cases the teacher can be held responsible for issues in the classroom and consequently, we as teachers only truly have control over ourselves, so as teachers we must search inside ourselves for the answers, destroy our biases, collect data and test solutions to work those conundruums one at a time.
T2P WEEK 3 Response:
New hypothesis: If the teacher can make a lesson challenge the EQs of the students, then they will learn through intrinsic motivation, because Hot Cognition makes learning engaging.
Pedagogical Practice: In the English classroom students will have the opportunity to respond creatively to works studied. This environment allows students to reflect on the material but also its relevance to them and their lives in general. Mr. Duncan-Andrade speaks to this frequently regarding Critical Pedagogy. For example, if students are exposed to writing they have not been exposed to before that although different in style or time period aligns with emotional stages they are on the verge of understanding the result would be that students personal perspectives grow from this challenge if you bridge the gap in their critical thinking regarding the material. In Duncan-Andrade's research he found that students new what music touched them but when he showed them how to analyze other elements of the songs they listened to, they found deeper ways to enjoy the music and thus realized there are many angles at which a person can tackle any material, be it artwork, music or film etc...to find deeper meaning.
For a specific example of this I would say if my students were reading a play from Shakespeare, say Twelfth Night and were having trouble with the language I might break it down for them with character analysis/emotions - I would ask them to respond to what the characters were going through in the plot. Did they ever feel like they had to be or act like someone else to get by? How did that make them feel? How might others feel about that 'public' personality? What kind of pressure does that put on a person? (main character Viola does this literally in the play) Through guided inquiry and their responses I would ask them to respond, in diaries or reflective essays and challenge them to take it to a deeper level. Then after my assessment of their answers to questions, class discussion and the essays see if they could create their own scenes or skits to portray their feelings based on memories that impacted them. (Fitting in, high pressure scenarios, competitive situations, times with friends, family or approaching something un-known and alone etc..) - To see if they can relate memories and emotions to the characters in the play, to feel what they might be going through. To emphasize empathy and further the essential understanding that writers, even Shakespeare write (wrote!) about everyday emotions we all feel and struggle with. I think that would make the material more engaging. It would also help the students critically analyze the work through emotions they understand.
AND if that didn't quite go as planned I would help them analyze the play and then take them to see it live! Because Shakespeare is supposed to be seen anyway! :)
If students are having trouble meeting learning skill objectives, then teachers should analyze their approach and use a Heuristic to find a solution, because most often it is the teacher who can create a more engaging, appropriate lesson to help students reacher higher critical literacy levels.
Case study hypothesis:
If AP students have high content 'IQ' but fail to understand the importance of group work, then teachers should develop FUN, scaffolded, emotionally supported group work projects in a low-stakes environment, because, students with a 'won't do' attitude can succeed in an environment with low or no stakes (and no grades) due to their EQ levels.
~ With the absence of extrinsic rewards students will be intrinsically motivated to succeed in the their group tasks, thus enhancing their individual EQs as well.
Today was a very interesting class. In the beginning when we worked in our pairs with creating our own Heuristics - I definitely had to push harder to find a "rule of thumb" that could be put to test on any conundruums that we may run into as teachers. Luckily, my partner Mo and I had some clear similarities in the videos we chose and the hypothesis we created. When creating our road-map, we investigated many Key Questions that would be important to the Initial Stage of our class Heuristic. Guided inquiry led us to map out further stages. I am proud of the results though it definitely was a struggle to get there. Here is a brief example of our class Heuristic: Initial Stage: Observe as participant & formulate preliminary hypothesis, Middle Stage: Ask myself as a teacher, 'Is this a problem I need to attend to?" If YES, then begin to research, collect data & consult experts for help pinpointing important data for growing hypothesis, Final Stage: Formulate a path to test initial solution to conundruum, Evaluate important moral/political implications & short/long term effects. Align solution with pedagogical goals and test while revising as needed. Throughout experience -> reassess goals as necessary. The final group work session with the case studies truly re-affirmed my understanding of todays lesson. Our group worked with Ms. Elizabeth Rhodes's case and we hypothesized that if she created fun, scaffolded, emotionally supportive group work sessions in a low-stakes environment, her students would successfully learn the group working skills she knows will benefit them throughout their lives. In addition, by using this solution, for example, a team Jeopardy game, the children would not be so afraid of failure and as their confidence in themselves, and each other grows, so will their EQs. I believe that the most important Big Idea I got from today is that in most cases the teacher can be held responsible for issues in the classroom and consequently, we as teachers only truly have control over ourselves, so as teachers we must search inside ourselves for the answers, destroy our biases, collect data and test solutions to work those conundruums one at a time.
T2P WEEK 3 Response:
New hypothesis: If the teacher can make a lesson challenge the EQs of the students, then they will learn through intrinsic motivation, because Hot Cognition makes learning engaging.
Pedagogical Practice: In the English classroom students will have the opportunity to respond creatively to works studied. This environment allows students to reflect on the material but also its relevance to them and their lives in general. Mr. Duncan-Andrade speaks to this frequently regarding Critical Pedagogy. For example, if students are exposed to writing they have not been exposed to before that although different in style or time period aligns with emotional stages they are on the verge of understanding the result would be that students personal perspectives grow from this challenge if you bridge the gap in their critical thinking regarding the material. In Duncan-Andrade's research he found that students new what music touched them but when he showed them how to analyze other elements of the songs they listened to, they found deeper ways to enjoy the music and thus realized there are many angles at which a person can tackle any material, be it artwork, music or film etc...to find deeper meaning.
For a specific example of this I would say if my students were reading a play from Shakespeare, say Twelfth Night and were having trouble with the language I might break it down for them with character analysis/emotions - I would ask them to respond to what the characters were going through in the plot. Did they ever feel like they had to be or act like someone else to get by? How did that make them feel? How might others feel about that 'public' personality? What kind of pressure does that put on a person? (main character Viola does this literally in the play) Through guided inquiry and their responses I would ask them to respond, in diaries or reflective essays and challenge them to take it to a deeper level. Then after my assessment of their answers to questions, class discussion and the essays see if they could create their own scenes or skits to portray their feelings based on memories that impacted them. (Fitting in, high pressure scenarios, competitive situations, times with friends, family or approaching something un-known and alone etc..) - To see if they can relate memories and emotions to the characters in the play, to feel what they might be going through. To emphasize empathy and further the essential understanding that writers, even Shakespeare write (wrote!) about everyday emotions we all feel and struggle with. I think that would make the material more engaging. It would also help the students critically analyze the work through emotions they understand.
AND if that didn't quite go as planned I would help them analyze the play and then take them to see it live! Because Shakespeare is supposed to be seen anyway! :)
Monday, June 28, 2010
LEARNING THEORIES [EDCI5065] WEEK 5 T2P
Level 7 T2P Hypothesis: A) “Keep Your Head Up”
Youtube Video: Young Women United
If the classroom does not provide students with safety and basic human needs, then students will search elsewhere within their social environment for protection because students seek emotional affinity. (Strength in numbers)
For example, in the video “Who We Be,” five female students describe their encounters in school that drive them to seek safety in numbers within a group which they describe as a, “Circle of Strength.” Their growing understanding of a woman’s identity in their town of Albuquerque, NM - though at first based on their own experiences - blooms to encompass and question the identity of women in society. The personal experience of these women brought them together, in a group that speaks out against violence and ill treatment of women. In many cases the school environment was the setting for sexual harassment. The following examples illuminate the issues that forced these women to seek refuge in each other. But keep in mind, that instead of stopping there, these women went on to conduct research that fueled their growing understanding that to survive is to fight against the injustice by standing together. One example from the video is a girl named Sheila, and she tells of a teacher that sexually harassed her in the school setting, she responded to her teacher, Mr. Pena: “Don’t ever touch my ass like that again…Cuz you’re not supposed to be touching me like that, and I just walked away.” Another example from one of the students is from a girl named Keyna, she says, “Guys treat women like shit, like a sex object, and use them for whatever they want.” The student named Charlie mentions that she is hyper-aware of the segregation and separation of students based on their skin color. And finally another student in the group tells of the research the group conducted about “women of all races and all faces” – here she describes that no matter what, all the women describe the same feelings of physical abuse, low self-esteem, drug abuse and the notion that women are pushed out of positions where they could succeed based on their gender in this male dominated society. This is a national issue. Their collective ability inspired them to create a community group in which they collaborated to collect data on how women, other than themselves were being treated, and how they felt about it. In this particular case, the students were teaching themselves emotional intelligence levels that some other students may never achieve. Their social environment lacking basic needs fosters this understanding at a very young age. As a teacher, I must be aware of the social environment that my students are a part of, but I must also provide a safe environment where they can question that same environment. How can students be motivated to learn if their basic needs for safety are not met? (Maslow’s Hierarchy) More importantly, teachers can not always assume that their EQ is at a higher level than the student because in many cases the students life experiences have forced them to mature long before a student of their same age, in an environment where basic needs are met – ever has to. Mr. Duncan-Andrade studied the fact that awareness of youth culture is very important to make classroom material relevant. As a teacher, it is my moral responsibility to care for my students enough to find out if their safety is threatened and I must stand beside them in questioning this. I must help make who they are as people and classroom material relevant to where they want to fit into society. While this goal scares me, it reminds me that to start, I must provide a space where students can talk about these ethical issues to share and develop their voice. And through this process I must be a constant ‘bridge’ to help them bond together in strength so that their collective voices may be heard.
Level 7 T2P Hypothesis: (B) “Nostalgic Regretful Feeling”
Youtube Video: High School
If a student’s prior knowledge builds on top of prior learning then their emotional intelligence grows because a supportive social environment fosters their learning.
When watching this particular video I couldn’t help but think that children who have their basic needs met tend to be more susceptible to distractions. But they don’t deserve that hypothesis. I tried to dig deeper to find some evidence in the video. The video is described by the author “as a scrapbook of sorts to explain the hidden truths in American Public High School.” As I watched the film it seemed to be to more emotional assumptions based on similar/typical/generalized personal experiences of adolescents in a certain social context. The most interesting thing though was the comments posted by other youtube.com users in response to this video. The first example from data collected is from a high school student (darcylikesbeanies) in Australia who writes, “This made me sad. :( Even though I'm Australian and we do things differently, I can see those stages clearly in our High School lives.” And the second was by a student in the U.S (6524 Dancer) who writes, “Thank God! Someone says the truth!” How could I, as a pre-service teacher ignore the evidence when clearly there are students out their who empathized with this video. I remembered these videos are through the eyes of the students. Students are hyper-aware of their surroundings on a level that us teachers can only strive to understand. Social context. In this case, the secondary school level is when students begin to understand that there are hidden truths that exist. They build on knowledge and questions answered each year of high school, from freshman year all the way to senior year. But, because the students who created this film (and I am speculating here) had their basic needs met, they were able to concern themselves with other learning experiences. For example the video author notes that Freshman seek attention, then sophomores worry about fitting into functioning school society, juniors worry about sexuality and stress while seniors put all of that together to worry about what the future holds and who they are in society. Are not all of these things (in many contexts of course) something that every person feels as a member of society? Every person worries about getting attention for his or her basic needs or gaining, keeping, losing their income status. And everyone seeks to know with what group they can belong to and how that group functions within society as a whole. Children grow into adults who worry about the same things in a continuous cycle. In this case, school environment mirrors society and the mysteries of existence that it holds. The way that students analyze their school environment will therefore greatly impact the rest of their lives. Students that have basic needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy) met in school environments are able to analyze these social scenarios and how they fit into certain institutions. After looking at the responses on the video and challenging my pre-service teacher perspective - I realized that there is a good possibility that High School is a sort of training ground for the society structure students will become a part of. And I will be a part of this structure. Even with out knowing it students and teachers alike are building on their prior-knowledge, picking it apart and forming hypothesis that come up again and again (baggage) in situations throughout their experience as growing adults. Lessons learned in these phases of development will stay with students (and teachers) throughout their lives. The part that impacted me the most in this video data was the very last statement, “[seniors] …start to realize how different life will be in September, start to sort of appreciate the things they were sick of, start worrying about money, start missing friends before they are gone, wish they’d tried harder, wished they’d dressed better, wished they’d made more friends, wished they hadn’t hated so much, wished this nostalgic-regretful feeling would go away – start to notice this nostalgic-regretful feeling in adults.” I am going to go ahead and make an educated guess that although not everyone cares about ‘what they wear’ they have experienced that ‘nostalgic-regretful feeling” about something or some point in their life. As a teacher I think the data suggests that students (& their EQ) are aware of the Big Picture but that the teacher can help navigate these feelings to a clearer understanding for each individual and to support their changing perspectives.
Level 7 T2P Hypothesis: (C) “My Teachers”
Youtube Video 1: Is Anybody Listening?
“A testament by Village Academy High School students on the economic crisis”
AND
Youtube Video 2: Youth Voices
If there is a mutual enhancement/teacher-student relationship in place, students have a better chance at navigating their social environment, because a teacher can promote social justice.
I chose to put these two videos next to each other because they deal with similar data. Students in these particular social contexts greatly relied on their teachers for support and help in their personal lives. This is a responsibility that is realized but not always fulfilled. In the first video, Is Anybody Listening? Students describe how the economy has affected their families and therefore their education. Each student is extremely emotionally affected by their parent’s struggles, specifically – job loss. One student (Evelyn) tells us that because her parents could no longer afford to keep the family home (which was part of their personal ‘American Dream’) they had to move in with relatives. Now their living condition is twelve people in a one-room house. As the students attempt to describe their stories a common theme is apparent – students can’t focus in school when their social environment is emotionally volatile. One student (Maritssa says, “I can see [my mom] struggling … I want to help her but she tells me to focus on school. But, I can’t focus on school when I know she is struggling.” Their teacher Michael Steinmann (Village Academy High School, Pomona, CA) asked them in class one day how they all were doing – and their response inspired him to make this video. He stated that some students described situations where there was no food in the house and that their families were separating. He finished though; with the comment though that by strengthening community bonds good things were possible. Clearly he felt a responsibility. While reading the responses below this video I noticed a notation that President Obama met these students and spoke to their situation during his Presidential Address. As a teacher I can understand that sometimes my students will need me to make that extra push for them. Mr. Steinman did just that. He raised community awareness and national awareness that could have otherwise gone unnoticed. Not every teacher has to take this action; I want to be the kind of teacher who would know how to do so in the best way appropriate.
The second video also deals with a mutual enhancement/teacher – student relationship but through the eyes of an individual named Eric who attends 9th grade in Southern California. Eric describes his father’s health conditions, his extremely hard physical labor, ‘young gangster’ -controlled school environment and his teachers who guide him through it all. He tells us that, “Some of the teachers, they help me out, like Mr. Felix, he never gave up on me […] he was dyslexic and he did it too.” It is apparent that Eric trusts Mr. Felix. He looks to him not for answers, but for navigation. They mutually respect each other, trust each other, and because of this trust Eric takes his teachers help and uses it in a positive way in this life. Another teacher that Eric mentions helps him fill out his job applications. It is evident that the teachers in his life go outside the typical job description to help Eric. Or do they? Perhaps society calls for this kind of caring relationship. Teachers have to be willing to give students a chance to succeed at the student’s definition of success. Eric closes with perhaps one of the most powerful moments in the whole collective 25 videos. He says, “We are not all fuckups, just try to help us out, we like to keep to ourselves but try to figure out what’s wrong with us.” I would love to end this commentary with a happy ending for Eric but there is no ending. Eric may or may not go on to the Army and he may find the means to help his family but no matter what the teachers in his life have impacted him. As a teacher it will be my responsibility to act when because of political implications, a student’s situation is threatened. Eric is like any other high school boy in many ways, but I think the role of the teacher is to make the student know that they are not alone. I won’t be able to solve every problem but I will try to be there for them in the way they need me. I will take the time to get to know them and learn from them, so that I will in turn help them and help their peers. It is the student’s choice essentially, what path they desire to take, but it is mine to show them the bricks that make up that path, and all the other paths they have to chose from.
****
To close, here are some of the words I wrote down while finding similarities in all of the twenty-five videos (some are just emotions) and they made me understand (or at least remember!) some of the things students feel in the difficult high school years - something that we should all keep in mind as we enter the field...
~ VOICE. LONELINESS. CHANGE. RESPONSIBILITY. CHANCE. RESPECT. FEAR. QUESTIONS. HOPE. ~
Youtube Video: Young Women United
If the classroom does not provide students with safety and basic human needs, then students will search elsewhere within their social environment for protection because students seek emotional affinity. (Strength in numbers)
For example, in the video “Who We Be,” five female students describe their encounters in school that drive them to seek safety in numbers within a group which they describe as a, “Circle of Strength.” Their growing understanding of a woman’s identity in their town of Albuquerque, NM - though at first based on their own experiences - blooms to encompass and question the identity of women in society. The personal experience of these women brought them together, in a group that speaks out against violence and ill treatment of women. In many cases the school environment was the setting for sexual harassment. The following examples illuminate the issues that forced these women to seek refuge in each other. But keep in mind, that instead of stopping there, these women went on to conduct research that fueled their growing understanding that to survive is to fight against the injustice by standing together. One example from the video is a girl named Sheila, and she tells of a teacher that sexually harassed her in the school setting, she responded to her teacher, Mr. Pena: “Don’t ever touch my ass like that again…Cuz you’re not supposed to be touching me like that, and I just walked away.” Another example from one of the students is from a girl named Keyna, she says, “Guys treat women like shit, like a sex object, and use them for whatever they want.” The student named Charlie mentions that she is hyper-aware of the segregation and separation of students based on their skin color. And finally another student in the group tells of the research the group conducted about “women of all races and all faces” – here she describes that no matter what, all the women describe the same feelings of physical abuse, low self-esteem, drug abuse and the notion that women are pushed out of positions where they could succeed based on their gender in this male dominated society. This is a national issue. Their collective ability inspired them to create a community group in which they collaborated to collect data on how women, other than themselves were being treated, and how they felt about it. In this particular case, the students were teaching themselves emotional intelligence levels that some other students may never achieve. Their social environment lacking basic needs fosters this understanding at a very young age. As a teacher, I must be aware of the social environment that my students are a part of, but I must also provide a safe environment where they can question that same environment. How can students be motivated to learn if their basic needs for safety are not met? (Maslow’s Hierarchy) More importantly, teachers can not always assume that their EQ is at a higher level than the student because in many cases the students life experiences have forced them to mature long before a student of their same age, in an environment where basic needs are met – ever has to. Mr. Duncan-Andrade studied the fact that awareness of youth culture is very important to make classroom material relevant. As a teacher, it is my moral responsibility to care for my students enough to find out if their safety is threatened and I must stand beside them in questioning this. I must help make who they are as people and classroom material relevant to where they want to fit into society. While this goal scares me, it reminds me that to start, I must provide a space where students can talk about these ethical issues to share and develop their voice. And through this process I must be a constant ‘bridge’ to help them bond together in strength so that their collective voices may be heard.
Level 7 T2P Hypothesis: (B) “Nostalgic Regretful Feeling”
Youtube Video: High School
If a student’s prior knowledge builds on top of prior learning then their emotional intelligence grows because a supportive social environment fosters their learning.
When watching this particular video I couldn’t help but think that children who have their basic needs met tend to be more susceptible to distractions. But they don’t deserve that hypothesis. I tried to dig deeper to find some evidence in the video. The video is described by the author “as a scrapbook of sorts to explain the hidden truths in American Public High School.” As I watched the film it seemed to be to more emotional assumptions based on similar/typical/generalized personal experiences of adolescents in a certain social context. The most interesting thing though was the comments posted by other youtube.com users in response to this video. The first example from data collected is from a high school student (darcylikesbeanies) in Australia who writes, “This made me sad. :( Even though I'm Australian and we do things differently, I can see those stages clearly in our High School lives.” And the second was by a student in the U.S (6524 Dancer) who writes, “Thank God! Someone says the truth!” How could I, as a pre-service teacher ignore the evidence when clearly there are students out their who empathized with this video. I remembered these videos are through the eyes of the students. Students are hyper-aware of their surroundings on a level that us teachers can only strive to understand. Social context. In this case, the secondary school level is when students begin to understand that there are hidden truths that exist. They build on knowledge and questions answered each year of high school, from freshman year all the way to senior year. But, because the students who created this film (and I am speculating here) had their basic needs met, they were able to concern themselves with other learning experiences. For example the video author notes that Freshman seek attention, then sophomores worry about fitting into functioning school society, juniors worry about sexuality and stress while seniors put all of that together to worry about what the future holds and who they are in society. Are not all of these things (in many contexts of course) something that every person feels as a member of society? Every person worries about getting attention for his or her basic needs or gaining, keeping, losing their income status. And everyone seeks to know with what group they can belong to and how that group functions within society as a whole. Children grow into adults who worry about the same things in a continuous cycle. In this case, school environment mirrors society and the mysteries of existence that it holds. The way that students analyze their school environment will therefore greatly impact the rest of their lives. Students that have basic needs (Maslow’s Hierarchy) met in school environments are able to analyze these social scenarios and how they fit into certain institutions. After looking at the responses on the video and challenging my pre-service teacher perspective - I realized that there is a good possibility that High School is a sort of training ground for the society structure students will become a part of. And I will be a part of this structure. Even with out knowing it students and teachers alike are building on their prior-knowledge, picking it apart and forming hypothesis that come up again and again (baggage) in situations throughout their experience as growing adults. Lessons learned in these phases of development will stay with students (and teachers) throughout their lives. The part that impacted me the most in this video data was the very last statement, “[seniors] …start to realize how different life will be in September, start to sort of appreciate the things they were sick of, start worrying about money, start missing friends before they are gone, wish they’d tried harder, wished they’d dressed better, wished they’d made more friends, wished they hadn’t hated so much, wished this nostalgic-regretful feeling would go away – start to notice this nostalgic-regretful feeling in adults.” I am going to go ahead and make an educated guess that although not everyone cares about ‘what they wear’ they have experienced that ‘nostalgic-regretful feeling” about something or some point in their life. As a teacher I think the data suggests that students (& their EQ) are aware of the Big Picture but that the teacher can help navigate these feelings to a clearer understanding for each individual and to support their changing perspectives.
Level 7 T2P Hypothesis: (C) “My Teachers”
Youtube Video 1: Is Anybody Listening?
“A testament by Village Academy High School students on the economic crisis”
AND
Youtube Video 2: Youth Voices
If there is a mutual enhancement/teacher-student relationship in place, students have a better chance at navigating their social environment, because a teacher can promote social justice.
I chose to put these two videos next to each other because they deal with similar data. Students in these particular social contexts greatly relied on their teachers for support and help in their personal lives. This is a responsibility that is realized but not always fulfilled. In the first video, Is Anybody Listening? Students describe how the economy has affected their families and therefore their education. Each student is extremely emotionally affected by their parent’s struggles, specifically – job loss. One student (Evelyn) tells us that because her parents could no longer afford to keep the family home (which was part of their personal ‘American Dream’) they had to move in with relatives. Now their living condition is twelve people in a one-room house. As the students attempt to describe their stories a common theme is apparent – students can’t focus in school when their social environment is emotionally volatile. One student (Maritssa says, “I can see [my mom] struggling … I want to help her but she tells me to focus on school. But, I can’t focus on school when I know she is struggling.” Their teacher Michael Steinmann (Village Academy High School, Pomona, CA) asked them in class one day how they all were doing – and their response inspired him to make this video. He stated that some students described situations where there was no food in the house and that their families were separating. He finished though; with the comment though that by strengthening community bonds good things were possible. Clearly he felt a responsibility. While reading the responses below this video I noticed a notation that President Obama met these students and spoke to their situation during his Presidential Address. As a teacher I can understand that sometimes my students will need me to make that extra push for them. Mr. Steinman did just that. He raised community awareness and national awareness that could have otherwise gone unnoticed. Not every teacher has to take this action; I want to be the kind of teacher who would know how to do so in the best way appropriate.
The second video also deals with a mutual enhancement/teacher – student relationship but through the eyes of an individual named Eric who attends 9th grade in Southern California. Eric describes his father’s health conditions, his extremely hard physical labor, ‘young gangster’ -controlled school environment and his teachers who guide him through it all. He tells us that, “Some of the teachers, they help me out, like Mr. Felix, he never gave up on me […] he was dyslexic and he did it too.” It is apparent that Eric trusts Mr. Felix. He looks to him not for answers, but for navigation. They mutually respect each other, trust each other, and because of this trust Eric takes his teachers help and uses it in a positive way in this life. Another teacher that Eric mentions helps him fill out his job applications. It is evident that the teachers in his life go outside the typical job description to help Eric. Or do they? Perhaps society calls for this kind of caring relationship. Teachers have to be willing to give students a chance to succeed at the student’s definition of success. Eric closes with perhaps one of the most powerful moments in the whole collective 25 videos. He says, “We are not all fuckups, just try to help us out, we like to keep to ourselves but try to figure out what’s wrong with us.” I would love to end this commentary with a happy ending for Eric but there is no ending. Eric may or may not go on to the Army and he may find the means to help his family but no matter what the teachers in his life have impacted him. As a teacher it will be my responsibility to act when because of political implications, a student’s situation is threatened. Eric is like any other high school boy in many ways, but I think the role of the teacher is to make the student know that they are not alone. I won’t be able to solve every problem but I will try to be there for them in the way they need me. I will take the time to get to know them and learn from them, so that I will in turn help them and help their peers. It is the student’s choice essentially, what path they desire to take, but it is mine to show them the bricks that make up that path, and all the other paths they have to chose from.
****
To close, here are some of the words I wrote down while finding similarities in all of the twenty-five videos (some are just emotions) and they made me understand (or at least remember!) some of the things students feel in the difficult high school years - something that we should all keep in mind as we enter the field...
~ VOICE. LONELINESS. CHANGE. RESPONSIBILITY. CHANCE. RESPECT. FEAR. QUESTIONS. HOPE. ~
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
EDCI 5825 Week 4 Reading Reflection Qs
What is the right balance between giving students freedom to explore the Web for research and providing them with structure and guidance?
There definitely seems to be a certain balance - like most work in the classroom setting when it comes to students and their use of the web. I am afraid I am going to have to agree with Ms. Lee Ann Potter when she notes that students should be provided with guided and focused search scaffolding: "...Nor should we be sending our students to the Web and then simply saying, "Go." (November 2010. 72). Students need to understand that searching for material, sources and other information on the Web is a skill in itself- a skill in fact that I may not have ever learned quite as successfully as my future students will b/c I grew up when the Internet was not being widely used for projects in high school. By the time it was used I was already in college where there was a sort of 'fend for yourself' result. The chapter touches on this during the section regarding Database Search Skills. For example, exploring different search results by using the key word aircraft OR airplane. (November 2010) In this section of the chapter the discussion lends itself to the fact that sometimes it is OK for the teacher to take a step back and let searches fail to demonstrate the power of the aforementioned skill: "Feeling the frustration of continued failed searches and then finding success can be very empowering for students" (November 2010. 73). I think I could definitely use this skill in the English Literature classroom - perhaps to even take it to another level by creating search games all with the goal of studying the power of words. Even with all of the technology access at our fingertips - words & language and the ability to manipulate them are an ever important discovery for students and teachers alike.
What is the role of the teacher in helping students to make meaning of primary source material?
In addition to what I spoke to above I think that the teacher is sort of an 'empty vessel' in which whatever changing technology tools out there must float into and then the teacher can manipulate them for class purposes. The teacher can take sites like the Digital Classroom of the National Archives to develop lesson plans that truly incorporate primary sources. Then students can create their work based off of these amazing sources that would never have been available to students years ago. It is simply amazing. Not only do students understand the research & discovery elements of using primary sources but they also discover amazing new perspectives they might not have had access to before, for example: "students value the skills of the historian - asking important questions, seeking clues, constructing hypothesis, and presenting to authentic audiences" (November 2010. 66). My favorite example though was discussed in the book when the teacher used material from the digital classroom with the book Little House on the Prairie and found the actual census records of her family. Fantastic. Totally interactive, engaging and a worthwhile endeavor for any student -> Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
How can teachers use Podcasting and/or multimedia tools to promote collaborative learning?
Teachers can incorporate the projects above with Podcasting which would be very cool but the book also discusses some other ideas. In the classroom setting students and teachers alike can view many Podcasts for resources or learning/lesson activities but perhaps the coolest thing about them is that students and teachers alike can create their own. Some sites that may already come to mind are Youtube.com and Google Video but there are a vast number of other technology examples to use with Podcasts in the classroom as well like: itunes and Garageband to name a few. Projects utilizing these tools can for the most part be creative group projects but I think I would like to provide the opportunity to do individual projects as well and the good news is I can with all of these tools. Another way teachers can promote collaborative learning is by visiting the website Education Podcast Network to view directories of podcasts for the classroom. I checked out the English Language Arts link and found a ton of really cool examples using Shakespeare that I would love to incorporate into my Internet Workshop somehow. Students are so attuned to using video, watching video and playing video games in the present age that I think there is something truly special about adapting our lessons to the technology interests of our students and Podcasting is a great way to do that while they collaborate together to make amazing things!
See you all in class ~ aa
There definitely seems to be a certain balance - like most work in the classroom setting when it comes to students and their use of the web. I am afraid I am going to have to agree with Ms. Lee Ann Potter when she notes that students should be provided with guided and focused search scaffolding: "...Nor should we be sending our students to the Web and then simply saying, "Go." (November 2010. 72). Students need to understand that searching for material, sources and other information on the Web is a skill in itself- a skill in fact that I may not have ever learned quite as successfully as my future students will b/c I grew up when the Internet was not being widely used for projects in high school. By the time it was used I was already in college where there was a sort of 'fend for yourself' result. The chapter touches on this during the section regarding Database Search Skills. For example, exploring different search results by using the key word aircraft OR airplane. (November 2010) In this section of the chapter the discussion lends itself to the fact that sometimes it is OK for the teacher to take a step back and let searches fail to demonstrate the power of the aforementioned skill: "Feeling the frustration of continued failed searches and then finding success can be very empowering for students" (November 2010. 73). I think I could definitely use this skill in the English Literature classroom - perhaps to even take it to another level by creating search games all with the goal of studying the power of words. Even with all of the technology access at our fingertips - words & language and the ability to manipulate them are an ever important discovery for students and teachers alike.
What is the role of the teacher in helping students to make meaning of primary source material?
In addition to what I spoke to above I think that the teacher is sort of an 'empty vessel' in which whatever changing technology tools out there must float into and then the teacher can manipulate them for class purposes. The teacher can take sites like the Digital Classroom of the National Archives to develop lesson plans that truly incorporate primary sources. Then students can create their work based off of these amazing sources that would never have been available to students years ago. It is simply amazing. Not only do students understand the research & discovery elements of using primary sources but they also discover amazing new perspectives they might not have had access to before, for example: "students value the skills of the historian - asking important questions, seeking clues, constructing hypothesis, and presenting to authentic audiences" (November 2010. 66). My favorite example though was discussed in the book when the teacher used material from the digital classroom with the book Little House on the Prairie and found the actual census records of her family. Fantastic. Totally interactive, engaging and a worthwhile endeavor for any student -> Little House in the Census: Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder.
How can teachers use Podcasting and/or multimedia tools to promote collaborative learning?
Teachers can incorporate the projects above with Podcasting which would be very cool but the book also discusses some other ideas. In the classroom setting students and teachers alike can view many Podcasts for resources or learning/lesson activities but perhaps the coolest thing about them is that students and teachers alike can create their own. Some sites that may already come to mind are Youtube.com and Google Video but there are a vast number of other technology examples to use with Podcasts in the classroom as well like: itunes and Garageband to name a few. Projects utilizing these tools can for the most part be creative group projects but I think I would like to provide the opportunity to do individual projects as well and the good news is I can with all of these tools. Another way teachers can promote collaborative learning is by visiting the website Education Podcast Network to view directories of podcasts for the classroom. I checked out the English Language Arts link and found a ton of really cool examples using Shakespeare that I would love to incorporate into my Internet Workshop somehow. Students are so attuned to using video, watching video and playing video games in the present age that I think there is something truly special about adapting our lessons to the technology interests of our students and Podcasting is a great way to do that while they collaborate together to make amazing things!
See you all in class ~ aa
Critical Web Resource Evaluation
What feedback on your Internet Workshop did you receive from your two group members online?
The feedback from my group was very helpful so thank you guys! They suggested that instead of or in addition to my handout with the agenda and web evaluation Cornell University link (from our class WIKI) - I should include a handout that gives specific directions on how to use mapping as a backup to what students will learn during the tutorial. This way students would have a guide in their hand while evaluating the sites. They also suggested that I create an additional rubric for my own purposes to evaluate the group work with the MAPing as well as with the Shakespeare Death Mask Creative project. Overall I received positive feedback regarding the clear objectives & goals for my lesson as well as the creativity of using the MAPing portion in a two part lesson with a creative project. They thought the Death Mask Story (which is true!) was really creepy but fun for high school students! :) Go and see for yourselves: Shakespeare's Death Mask
Will you use the Internet Workshop, or use a revised version of the Internet Workshop in your future classroom? Please explain.
In retrospect I would definitely take their advice and create a handout with specific MAPing points to follow. However I am 50/50 on the teachers rubric. I like the idea that the students evaluate their own and each others work. I think my assessment will be ongoing throughout the lesson and perhaps guided by questions and sitting with/brainstorming with the students throughout.
Briefly summarize your group's discussion of the statement, "Students will become victims of the expansive dark side of the Internet unless we teach the critical thinking necessary to make meaning out of the overwhelming and potentially manipulative amount of information that is now available and growing every day" (November, 2010, p.27).
All three of us agreed (while staring at the really cool ichat back round images - one of our members was in Paris at the time ;) that the internet can be a very distracting and dangerous place for young children. ANYONE can create a website so researching authors etc are basic skills that will help students be more aware of the information they are getting out there as well as provide them with skills they can use throughout their lives in school and beyond. Also, technology is always changing, so with new things happening almost everyday it seems it is easy for students to be manipulated without the right knowledge and skills - students can learn that THEY are in control of what they chose to do while using technology in general. This is a valuable life skill as well -> "Always make your own decisions, have your own personal standards - be in control of the choices you make. "
See everyone in class ~ aa
The feedback from my group was very helpful so thank you guys! They suggested that instead of or in addition to my handout with the agenda and web evaluation Cornell University link (from our class WIKI) - I should include a handout that gives specific directions on how to use mapping as a backup to what students will learn during the tutorial. This way students would have a guide in their hand while evaluating the sites. They also suggested that I create an additional rubric for my own purposes to evaluate the group work with the MAPing as well as with the Shakespeare Death Mask Creative project. Overall I received positive feedback regarding the clear objectives & goals for my lesson as well as the creativity of using the MAPing portion in a two part lesson with a creative project. They thought the Death Mask Story (which is true!) was really creepy but fun for high school students! :) Go and see for yourselves: Shakespeare's Death Mask
Will you use the Internet Workshop, or use a revised version of the Internet Workshop in your future classroom? Please explain.
In retrospect I would definitely take their advice and create a handout with specific MAPing points to follow. However I am 50/50 on the teachers rubric. I like the idea that the students evaluate their own and each others work. I think my assessment will be ongoing throughout the lesson and perhaps guided by questions and sitting with/brainstorming with the students throughout.
Briefly summarize your group's discussion of the statement, "Students will become victims of the expansive dark side of the Internet unless we teach the critical thinking necessary to make meaning out of the overwhelming and potentially manipulative amount of information that is now available and growing every day" (November, 2010, p.27).
All three of us agreed (while staring at the really cool ichat back round images - one of our members was in Paris at the time ;) that the internet can be a very distracting and dangerous place for young children. ANYONE can create a website so researching authors etc are basic skills that will help students be more aware of the information they are getting out there as well as provide them with skills they can use throughout their lives in school and beyond. Also, technology is always changing, so with new things happening almost everyday it seems it is easy for students to be manipulated without the right knowledge and skills - students can learn that THEY are in control of what they chose to do while using technology in general. This is a valuable life skill as well -> "Always make your own decisions, have your own personal standards - be in control of the choices you make. "
See everyone in class ~ aa
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
ED PSYCH T2P Week 4
Week 4 T2P Hypothesis:
If a teacher is faced with a "Won't Do' student, then the teacher should create a caring environment for the student and try to make material more relevant to them, because the student may be dealing with EQ issues that prevent them from engaging in the task.
To be honest, I had trouble connecting the dots today. I know that Helms's Theory dealt with stages of development regarding Racism and in particular White Racial Identity. But as far as making connections between all the amazing things we read about Mr. Duncan - Andrade, finding resources that discussed this theory and how it might exactly effect the student - I was lost. We had some trouble finding sources online and then asked GNA for help. We ended up using Eric's Case Study. That was helpful. But Eric's case study is not a real case with many details or evidence and I felt like we were speculating rather than forming a true hypothesis.
I felt really inspired and empowered when I read Mr. Duncan-Andrade's work this past week and I scribbled all over the pages of my book with thoughts and ideas! Early on in the class I felt confident in our discussion of the different theorists. Especially when we discussed Andrade, his research, and his theories of the teacher as a 'navigator' or 'bridge' between the canonical literature and the student. In addition, that a teacher should make material relevant to the student/youth culture and enforcing Critical Pedagogy. I was able to tie the reading into the work of Paulo Freire's as well. His work is just amazing - these are ideas and theories that I was never exposed to before. I want to know more! In class today I could tie in the Big 3 (Dan Pink video) with topics of discussion like the "Can't Do's & the Won't Do's and I truly began to connect the theories of Andrade's work with elements like Hot Cognition and EQ, that I want to be a part of my pedagogy one day.
I guess I was so inspired that I really hit rock bottom when the presentation part of the class started. I still feel unsure about Helms's Theory, in fact there are many things that I don't think I completely understand/agree with as well.
We also attempted to do a Constructivist Lesson plan which I am not quite sure worked? Perhaps if anyone reads this they could provide feedback? Our group worked great together gathering sources and answering the data questions. But the lesson did not play out quite as we had imagined it I think and I want to know why?
The last thing is the Big Idea that I took from class today. And that is our discussion about stealing money from the bank 'Robin Hood Style' for Johnny's case. J/k hahaha! ;)
I really enjoyed our discussion about the changing information landscape that our students are experiencing, regarding technology and how people learn with technology. One of the elements discussed was Cognitive - Offloading, which is when we let technology do things for us, e.g. Cell phone numbers are stored by our phones and most of us probably do not have them memorized. This discussion helped my growing understanding of the possible perspectives of my future high school students! The fact that students are learning differently and processing information differently is going to impact our teaching in an extensive way. (things have changed so much since we were little tots :)
In addition, we discussed the idea of letting students explore interests they love in high school and what impact that might have on a student's motivation (pretty neat!) However, per that conversation I think seeing the video would help me understand this concept more. With my limited understanding of this video at this moment in time, I don't fully understand how letting children explore artwork in the same capacity as Math or Science in high school will foster their skills for the 'real world.' I do understand how it could assist in their cognitive development and literacy but in the big picture there are not many careers in the Arts either. At least in my experience to date, sadly, Art programs seem to get 'the short end of the stick' - forgive my expression. I would feel guilty encouraging a student to pursue a career in the Arts unless they had a minor (college level) as a sort of back up plan. And please understand, I am a student of the Arts myself so I by no means demean the importance of Art or the study of Art. (So you might go to school for it but when you graduate you work in a restaurant?) I have many friends who are still trying to make it as artists in New York. For example: even in this program setting, scholarships were offered for Science I believe? And I am not aware of any for Language Arts etc... (just thinking out loud here- I have a limited perspective regarding these issues so I am open for debate!)
That said, I think it is unclear what Education actually is in this country - is it to filter people into certain fields of study and then jobs or is it used as social reform tool to maintain class systems and structure, or both? Is it a tool for Social Justice? Or is it a tool for children to become who they really want to be as members of society? Learning about the history of Education in this country has got me asking this before I even feel like I can analyze certain theories or create my own pedagogy and become a teacher.
Sorry - guess I got a little ornery today - I should have brought a better lunch :)
Till next time guys! ~aa
If a teacher is faced with a "Won't Do' student, then the teacher should create a caring environment for the student and try to make material more relevant to them, because the student may be dealing with EQ issues that prevent them from engaging in the task.
To be honest, I had trouble connecting the dots today. I know that Helms's Theory dealt with stages of development regarding Racism and in particular White Racial Identity. But as far as making connections between all the amazing things we read about Mr. Duncan - Andrade, finding resources that discussed this theory and how it might exactly effect the student - I was lost. We had some trouble finding sources online and then asked GNA for help. We ended up using Eric's Case Study. That was helpful. But Eric's case study is not a real case with many details or evidence and I felt like we were speculating rather than forming a true hypothesis.
I felt really inspired and empowered when I read Mr. Duncan-Andrade's work this past week and I scribbled all over the pages of my book with thoughts and ideas! Early on in the class I felt confident in our discussion of the different theorists. Especially when we discussed Andrade, his research, and his theories of the teacher as a 'navigator' or 'bridge' between the canonical literature and the student. In addition, that a teacher should make material relevant to the student/youth culture and enforcing Critical Pedagogy. I was able to tie the reading into the work of Paulo Freire's as well. His work is just amazing - these are ideas and theories that I was never exposed to before. I want to know more! In class today I could tie in the Big 3 (Dan Pink video) with topics of discussion like the "Can't Do's & the Won't Do's and I truly began to connect the theories of Andrade's work with elements like Hot Cognition and EQ, that I want to be a part of my pedagogy one day.
I guess I was so inspired that I really hit rock bottom when the presentation part of the class started. I still feel unsure about Helms's Theory, in fact there are many things that I don't think I completely understand/agree with as well.
We also attempted to do a Constructivist Lesson plan which I am not quite sure worked? Perhaps if anyone reads this they could provide feedback? Our group worked great together gathering sources and answering the data questions. But the lesson did not play out quite as we had imagined it I think and I want to know why?
The last thing is the Big Idea that I took from class today. And that is our discussion about stealing money from the bank 'Robin Hood Style' for Johnny's case. J/k hahaha! ;)
I really enjoyed our discussion about the changing information landscape that our students are experiencing, regarding technology and how people learn with technology. One of the elements discussed was Cognitive - Offloading, which is when we let technology do things for us, e.g. Cell phone numbers are stored by our phones and most of us probably do not have them memorized. This discussion helped my growing understanding of the possible perspectives of my future high school students! The fact that students are learning differently and processing information differently is going to impact our teaching in an extensive way. (things have changed so much since we were little tots :)
In addition, we discussed the idea of letting students explore interests they love in high school and what impact that might have on a student's motivation (pretty neat!) However, per that conversation I think seeing the video would help me understand this concept more. With my limited understanding of this video at this moment in time, I don't fully understand how letting children explore artwork in the same capacity as Math or Science in high school will foster their skills for the 'real world.' I do understand how it could assist in their cognitive development and literacy but in the big picture there are not many careers in the Arts either. At least in my experience to date, sadly, Art programs seem to get 'the short end of the stick' - forgive my expression. I would feel guilty encouraging a student to pursue a career in the Arts unless they had a minor (college level) as a sort of back up plan. And please understand, I am a student of the Arts myself so I by no means demean the importance of Art or the study of Art. (So you might go to school for it but when you graduate you work in a restaurant?) I have many friends who are still trying to make it as artists in New York. For example: even in this program setting, scholarships were offered for Science I believe? And I am not aware of any for Language Arts etc... (just thinking out loud here- I have a limited perspective regarding these issues so I am open for debate!)
That said, I think it is unclear what Education actually is in this country - is it to filter people into certain fields of study and then jobs or is it used as social reform tool to maintain class systems and structure, or both? Is it a tool for Social Justice? Or is it a tool for children to become who they really want to be as members of society? Learning about the history of Education in this country has got me asking this before I even feel like I can analyze certain theories or create my own pedagogy and become a teacher.
Sorry - guess I got a little ornery today - I should have brought a better lunch :)
Till next time guys! ~aa
Thursday, June 17, 2010
EDCI 5825 Week 3 MicroSuite Project - Google Form Feedback
Positive and negative reactions to the creation of your groups' instructional screencast materials.
Group Excel: Positive reactions:
- Clear informative direction & content
- Spoke clearly with good pacing
- Data in Basic & Advanced was congruent but skills changed
- Evidence of thought and time management in our product & planning
- Clear objectives
- Ending with Advanced skill of graphing data was a great way to wrap up skills learned
- Extra note: that 'mistakes are ok!' moment enforces humor in the classroom :)
Negative reactions:
- Remove background desktop image
- Advanced portion would have been easier to view in one video
- Re-record section with 'mistakes'
- Make advanced section more advanced skills
- AM/PM in data times
- Enforce clearer steps in the average tutorial
Provide a brief summary of the feedback that you received on the Google Form. Was this feedback helpful? Why/Why not? Please explain.
- Feedback was helpful - that our objective was clear & relevant to student learning was very helpful or that perhaps there are other advanced skills that could have been addressed. Positive feedback was great because it reinforced that our objectives were met. Negative feedback was mostly time management issues.
Were the screencasts that were created by the other groups' useful/helpful for your teaching/learning? Would you use them in your future classroom? Why/Why not?
VERY HELPFUL! I actually used the Power Point instruction to create lesson plan for Cory's class :) For the most part everyone met objectives.
What students might benefit from the use of screencasts? Please explain.
Students can learn time management, group work skills as well as publishing content on the Web - which creates an autonomous classroom environment.
Would you consider using screencasts in your future classroom? Why/Why not? Please explain.
I would consider using Screencasts as a lesson plan and as a reference in my classroom - they are a great strategy for enforcing prior-knowledge and application as well as applying group work skills.
Group Excel: Positive reactions:
- Clear informative direction & content
- Spoke clearly with good pacing
- Data in Basic & Advanced was congruent but skills changed
- Evidence of thought and time management in our product & planning
- Clear objectives
- Ending with Advanced skill of graphing data was a great way to wrap up skills learned
- Extra note: that 'mistakes are ok!' moment enforces humor in the classroom :)
Negative reactions:
- Remove background desktop image
- Advanced portion would have been easier to view in one video
- Re-record section with 'mistakes'
- Make advanced section more advanced skills
- AM/PM in data times
- Enforce clearer steps in the average tutorial
Provide a brief summary of the feedback that you received on the Google Form. Was this feedback helpful? Why/Why not? Please explain.
- Feedback was helpful - that our objective was clear & relevant to student learning was very helpful or that perhaps there are other advanced skills that could have been addressed. Positive feedback was great because it reinforced that our objectives were met. Negative feedback was mostly time management issues.
Were the screencasts that were created by the other groups' useful/helpful for your teaching/learning? Would you use them in your future classroom? Why/Why not?
VERY HELPFUL! I actually used the Power Point instruction to create lesson plan for Cory's class :) For the most part everyone met objectives.
What students might benefit from the use of screencasts? Please explain.
Students can learn time management, group work skills as well as publishing content on the Web - which creates an autonomous classroom environment.
Would you consider using screencasts in your future classroom? Why/Why not? Please explain.
I would consider using Screencasts as a lesson plan and as a reference in my classroom - they are a great strategy for enforcing prior-knowledge and application as well as applying group work skills.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
EDCI 5825 Week 3
Now that there is unlimited potential to celebrate the work of students with their communities, what is the best way to mange this opportunity?
There are many opportunities to share students work with their classroom and social communities, but perhaps my favorite example was the use of Web. "The Web represents an audience extraordinaire. It is virtually limitless and allows for connections to Peace Corps Volunteers in developing countries, to the local senior citizen's center, and millions of others in between" (November, 2010, pg. 43). Like that quote, I agree that increasing the audience to students work can definitely benefit classroom work and foster skills if used in a safe and pro-active way. In addition, by allowing different formatting of feedback and creating an autonomous environment, students use self-directed learning techniques which in turn - nurtures a student's 'Mastery' (Competency) and Purpose (Dan Pink video - GNA WIKI). This process truly magnifies the opportunities technology provides for the classroom. A specific example of using the Web as a tool to post student's work is the Class Blog or Wiki. Other examples are using Skype in the classroom (chat/video documentaries) or emailing (cultural exchanges). I have been using Skype for many years to talk with friends around the globe, but this is the first time I have noted this specific use.
Link: THE WORLDWIDE CLASSROOM
How can we create authentic work and relationships for our students to give them a deeper meaning in relation to complex issues such as globalization and cultural sensitivity?
This task is truly an important responsibility of the teacher. Without meaningful work and 'Big Idea' schema, the results will most likely be fruitless. However, if technology is used in a creative/congruent way, student's can expand their perspective on classwork and in a social context globally. This would definitely be a goal of mine in the English Content Area. Because my subject deals so much with Humanities I feel a certain responsibility to make sure that my students are aware of the 'global' communities they are and will become a part of. "We can start teaching students how to utilize communication technologies effectively from the early primary grades through high school and beyond to create partnerships between students within their city, their country, or even the world" (November, 2010, pg 34). There is an excellent example of this used in the classroom setting in our text: through a real-time videoconferencing class lesson a student from the U.S was surprised to find that upon 'meeting' his classmate (conferencing from Puerto Rico) she did not match his limited understanding of the Hispanic culture or stereotype of what he had in mind. (November 2010) They were able to carry out their task involving language skills but there was another lesson learned that day. Technology can expand our student's minds to awareness of cultural 'etiquette' or sensitivity. There is also an example of how technology can create awareness of globalization. This instance is not a wholly positive example because there are still a few kinks to work out in the prep. Based on a mock- United Nations scenario students posed a question to students in Israel. Students were sadly not prepared when the Israeli students responded to their question - "Will there be peace?" with... "Peace depends on water rights." (November 2010). Even mistakes with technology can lead to learning experiences.
What are the emerging collaborative relationships for teachers?
(November 2010) Colleen is having motivational issues and her teacher notes that she has a relative with a physical disability. The teacher invites a social worker from their community to come and speak to Colleen's class about a problem they need help with. The awareness of services for clients was abundant but the facility had no way to provide access to them. Colleen was hooked instantly based on her emotional intelligence of the issue surrounding her family member. Colleen created a database for the greater Boston area that provided lists of all the services available to the community. In this instance, teacher, student and technology 'collaborated' in a relationship that was beneficial to them as well as their communities.
There are many opportunities to share students work with their classroom and social communities, but perhaps my favorite example was the use of Web. "The Web represents an audience extraordinaire. It is virtually limitless and allows for connections to Peace Corps Volunteers in developing countries, to the local senior citizen's center, and millions of others in between" (November, 2010, pg. 43). Like that quote, I agree that increasing the audience to students work can definitely benefit classroom work and foster skills if used in a safe and pro-active way. In addition, by allowing different formatting of feedback and creating an autonomous environment, students use self-directed learning techniques which in turn - nurtures a student's 'Mastery' (Competency) and Purpose (Dan Pink video - GNA WIKI). This process truly magnifies the opportunities technology provides for the classroom. A specific example of using the Web as a tool to post student's work is the Class Blog or Wiki. Other examples are using Skype in the classroom (chat/video documentaries) or emailing (cultural exchanges). I have been using Skype for many years to talk with friends around the globe, but this is the first time I have noted this specific use.
Link: THE WORLDWIDE CLASSROOM
How can we create authentic work and relationships for our students to give them a deeper meaning in relation to complex issues such as globalization and cultural sensitivity?
This task is truly an important responsibility of the teacher. Without meaningful work and 'Big Idea' schema, the results will most likely be fruitless. However, if technology is used in a creative/congruent way, student's can expand their perspective on classwork and in a social context globally. This would definitely be a goal of mine in the English Content Area. Because my subject deals so much with Humanities I feel a certain responsibility to make sure that my students are aware of the 'global' communities they are and will become a part of. "We can start teaching students how to utilize communication technologies effectively from the early primary grades through high school and beyond to create partnerships between students within their city, their country, or even the world" (November, 2010, pg 34). There is an excellent example of this used in the classroom setting in our text: through a real-time videoconferencing class lesson a student from the U.S was surprised to find that upon 'meeting' his classmate (conferencing from Puerto Rico) she did not match his limited understanding of the Hispanic culture or stereotype of what he had in mind. (November 2010) They were able to carry out their task involving language skills but there was another lesson learned that day. Technology can expand our student's minds to awareness of cultural 'etiquette' or sensitivity. There is also an example of how technology can create awareness of globalization. This instance is not a wholly positive example because there are still a few kinks to work out in the prep. Based on a mock- United Nations scenario students posed a question to students in Israel. Students were sadly not prepared when the Israeli students responded to their question - "Will there be peace?" with... "Peace depends on water rights." (November 2010). Even mistakes with technology can lead to learning experiences.
What are the emerging collaborative relationships for teachers?
(November 2010) Colleen is having motivational issues and her teacher notes that she has a relative with a physical disability. The teacher invites a social worker from their community to come and speak to Colleen's class about a problem they need help with. The awareness of services for clients was abundant but the facility had no way to provide access to them. Colleen was hooked instantly based on her emotional intelligence of the issue surrounding her family member. Colleen created a database for the greater Boston area that provided lists of all the services available to the community. In this instance, teacher, student and technology 'collaborated' in a relationship that was beneficial to them as well as their communities.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
T2P Week3
Hypothesis:
If there is congruency on learning objectives between teacher and student, then students will be motivated and the classroom will be a autonomous learning environment, because students will have a say in their cognitive development.
Class was tough today - not sure if it because of outside factors or inside factors but I have this feeling like no matter what I do - I don't have enough time!
I definitely took a lot away from todays class though. The biggest thing I took away from today was the idea that if a teacher sets clear objectives for their students, they can teach students to know what competency 'feels' like. This idea blew me away because it is such a huge life skill - to know what it means to be competent. Our drive to succeed is completely built off of this plain and simple feeling! And it plays a big part in the motivation and emotion of the students we teach. Because learning is based so much off of emotion, social context and the BIG 3 I think that throughout our lives, learning anything happens the same way. I also plan to use the BIG 3 (Autonomy, Competency, Relatedness) as scaffolding for my students learning as well. We do, however have to be careful with self-directed learning. I think it is truly difficult to make it work, and I believe it will take a lot of experience. Here are some words that remind me of tangible feelings I want my students to feel like they have: Choice, self-ruling and Independence.
The last thing that I really felt inspired about today was our discussion about Emotional Intelligence and Hot Cognition. I think that I have always been a very emotional person and I have studied human emotion. Those two things make me very 'in tune' with how other people feel. I am also aware of social and behavioral patterns. I want my background with these emotions and behaviors, my knowledge of them, to help me with my future students. I want to build on this skill and apply it to my teaching. I would love for everyone to feel confident and exactly where they want to be.
I guess that's it for now.
See you soon, aa
If there is congruency on learning objectives between teacher and student, then students will be motivated and the classroom will be a autonomous learning environment, because students will have a say in their cognitive development.
Class was tough today - not sure if it because of outside factors or inside factors but I have this feeling like no matter what I do - I don't have enough time!
I definitely took a lot away from todays class though. The biggest thing I took away from today was the idea that if a teacher sets clear objectives for their students, they can teach students to know what competency 'feels' like. This idea blew me away because it is such a huge life skill - to know what it means to be competent. Our drive to succeed is completely built off of this plain and simple feeling! And it plays a big part in the motivation and emotion of the students we teach. Because learning is based so much off of emotion, social context and the BIG 3 I think that throughout our lives, learning anything happens the same way. I also plan to use the BIG 3 (Autonomy, Competency, Relatedness) as scaffolding for my students learning as well. We do, however have to be careful with self-directed learning. I think it is truly difficult to make it work, and I believe it will take a lot of experience. Here are some words that remind me of tangible feelings I want my students to feel like they have: Choice, self-ruling and Independence.
The last thing that I really felt inspired about today was our discussion about Emotional Intelligence and Hot Cognition. I think that I have always been a very emotional person and I have studied human emotion. Those two things make me very 'in tune' with how other people feel. I am also aware of social and behavioral patterns. I want my background with these emotions and behaviors, my knowledge of them, to help me with my future students. I want to build on this skill and apply it to my teaching. I would love for everyone to feel confident and exactly where they want to be.
I guess that's it for now.
See you soon, aa
Self Determination Theory (Case Study)
- The interaction between Vicki's pedagogy and her students was incredibly positive and creative. She empowered her students. And in return they empowered her by teaching her new things as well. This is an excellent example of a powerful, successful learning environment. Vicki thought 'outside the box' and connected her students, and their new knowledge with the World - literally. Her pedagogy was to inspire learning by using her students interests to fuel their own cognitive development in regards to set tasks. In this way, students felt confident in their learning and therefore, excelled above and beyond. It sounds like one of Vicki's biggest goals was - through teaching a new skill, or understanding of technology tasks - students would ultimately open their eyes and minds to a new perspective. This perspective could be varied, but I would speculate that it involved other children learning the same things in another culture, or country and then collaborating with each other to solidify what they learned. Two wonderful experiences.
- Vicki used two powerful strategies to do the above which were both tied her goals of the the students learning, researching and sharing. The students experience throughout tied into what we have been learning about Autonomy, competency and relatedness. The first example is when Vicki mentioned that she paid attention to her students interests to fuel her class lessons and pedagogy - by doing this, she developed a child-centered-learning activity. The students could teach their own peers in a way that they wanted to (in teams). The students exercised choice and independence (autonomy). Through this process students felt competent by sharing what they learned with children in other classrooms and through this related to others that they might not have felt any connection to before. I also think that this case study would work with Dan Pink's theory about 'Purpose'. Student's feel their own learning process, feel confident in it and then feel the same confidence to share with other children which inspires purpose. The second example is when she asks the students to look up words and find the definition of terms etc. This way the students use self-directed learning activities (autonomy). Students feel confident that they can teach themselves - which is an excellent life skill (competence). They also become connected to the other students in the class by sharing their definitions which will naturally vary in understanding (relatedness). All the while Vicki is encouraging - Self - learned - Literacy. The students explore their own learning and develop their skills through research which also open the doors to new perspectives. Both of these examples are geared with the students emotional perspective (age level, interests, social skills) and these things help to motivate intrinsically and extrinsically. Students were so internally inspired they learned a new skill with their Avatars that they in turn taught Vicki. They were extrinsically motivated by the opportunity to teach their own class and as well travel to another country to collaborate with other students on what they learned over-all. Amazing.
- Dear Vicki @coolcatteacher.com, Have any of your student's come back to you at a later time to explain their experience from their perspective? And were there any negative things that happened during this experience (or others) that you learned from that helped you develop your pedagogy? Or any 'Red Flags' that if we wanted to model some things after you - we should keep an eye out for? Thank you!
- Vicki used two powerful strategies to do the above which were both tied her goals of the the students learning, researching and sharing. The students experience throughout tied into what we have been learning about Autonomy, competency and relatedness. The first example is when Vicki mentioned that she paid attention to her students interests to fuel her class lessons and pedagogy - by doing this, she developed a child-centered-learning activity. The students could teach their own peers in a way that they wanted to (in teams). The students exercised choice and independence (autonomy). Through this process students felt competent by sharing what they learned with children in other classrooms and through this related to others that they might not have felt any connection to before. I also think that this case study would work with Dan Pink's theory about 'Purpose'. Student's feel their own learning process, feel confident in it and then feel the same confidence to share with other children which inspires purpose. The second example is when she asks the students to look up words and find the definition of terms etc. This way the students use self-directed learning activities (autonomy). Students feel confident that they can teach themselves - which is an excellent life skill (competence). They also become connected to the other students in the class by sharing their definitions which will naturally vary in understanding (relatedness). All the while Vicki is encouraging - Self - learned - Literacy. The students explore their own learning and develop their skills through research which also open the doors to new perspectives. Both of these examples are geared with the students emotional perspective (age level, interests, social skills) and these things help to motivate intrinsically and extrinsically. Students were so internally inspired they learned a new skill with their Avatars that they in turn taught Vicki. They were extrinsically motivated by the opportunity to teach their own class and as well travel to another country to collaborate with other students on what they learned over-all. Amazing.
- Dear Vicki @coolcatteacher.com, Have any of your student's come back to you at a later time to explain their experience from their perspective? And were there any negative things that happened during this experience (or others) that you learned from that helped you develop your pedagogy? Or any 'Red Flags' that if we wanted to model some things after you - we should keep an eye out for? Thank you!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tech Class - Blog/Reading Questions 3
The are a few similarities between: Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest.
1. Student centered
2. Collaboration
3. Student Inquiry
4. Students learn about technology with peer support
5. As technology advances workshops etc will keep students current with the technology around them and promote new inquiry
1. Student centered
2. Collaboration
3. Student Inquiry
4. Students learn about technology with peer support
5. As technology advances workshops etc will keep students current with the technology around them and promote new inquiry
Tech Class - Blog/Reading Questions 2
2. Using - MAPing the Internet Concept - from Empowering the Students with Technology - teachers can evaluate sites like Wikipedia. It is a public site and therefore anyone author can edit the information. Because of this the source would not be a reliable research site.
Tech Class - Blog/Reading Questions 1
1. Technology is constantly changing therefore information literacy means that an individual has to pick up on key concepts that they can apply to any new technology. This way, every time there is a new product the individual will have a jumping off point to use the new technology. For example: ipods have been around for years now but Apple constantly comes out with new and better versions of the same product – this is typically how technology develops. In this case a person would have to know how to unlock the ipod, use the touch-scroll button and basic features of the ipod in order to use it. As the ipod has evolved these basics have typically stayed the same so one could use their previous knowledge to use the updated versions successfully. Of course, this is a very basic example but I do believe it translate to even more advanced technology. There are patterns that an individual must pick up and apply to all technology. This may be a skill that has to be taught first as well. For example: I am part of the cell phone generation but my parents are not and have difficulty navigating where as I can pick up any phone and figure out its tools in a brief amount of time. I had to show my mom that when she got her second cell phone there were things that were very similar to her previous phone. And I noticed that she was able to start using basic things like texting at a much more advanced rate than when she first got a cell phone. I believe this basic theory could be useful for teachers that need to be information literate.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
GNA HW - Source 1
GNA
Write # 2
Source (1)
GRAMMAR AS ART - STRATEGY 1 weblink
NODEN ARTICLE (Scroll down to PDF labelled NODEN)
1. Grammar as an Art
How good teachers teach (2)
The Writer as an Artist - Basic Brush Strokes
Noden Article description:
This strategy is part of many regarding Noden's creation and theory- it truly inspires me as a pre-service teacher. I believe that it is the teacher's job to find a way to inspire learning in students by using innovative approaches. In this article Noden discusses a beautiful way to approach teaching an otherwise 'stale' tool of the English language - grammar. ‘Grammar as Art’ is not only an extended metaphor but it also perfectly displays how thinking outside the box can bring new teaching techniques to students that learn in as many diverse ways as they are diverse themselves. Noden looks at teaching grammar as the paintbrush to writing in general. Instead of steps to memorize, they are tools to create. Enjoy my vote for - How "good teachers" teach - 'Basic Brush Strokes'
Write # 2
Source (1)
GRAMMAR AS ART - STRATEGY 1 weblink
NODEN ARTICLE (Scroll down to PDF labelled NODEN)
1. Grammar as an Art
How good teachers teach (2)
The Writer as an Artist - Basic Brush Strokes
Noden Article description:
This strategy is part of many regarding Noden's creation and theory- it truly inspires me as a pre-service teacher. I believe that it is the teacher's job to find a way to inspire learning in students by using innovative approaches. In this article Noden discusses a beautiful way to approach teaching an otherwise 'stale' tool of the English language - grammar. ‘Grammar as Art’ is not only an extended metaphor but it also perfectly displays how thinking outside the box can bring new teaching techniques to students that learn in as many diverse ways as they are diverse themselves. Noden looks at teaching grammar as the paintbrush to writing in general. Instead of steps to memorize, they are tools to create. Enjoy my vote for - How "good teachers" teach - 'Basic Brush Strokes'
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