After my last entry, in which I bid you all adieu, I forgot I would need to reflect on our final class! As my students would say, "Oopsies!"
I was, in a word, awed by what everyone created as their final projects. Many of them gave me such great ideas for future projects.
As I discussed in class last night, it was not just the technology use that impressed me, but the overall creativity that was shown. It brings me right back to Sir Ted Robinson, whose video on Creativity I have touted throughout this blog and on my web site. Children need to be inspired, engaged, and motivated to learn and this cannot happen without creative teaching. Yet, as we also discussed last night, creativity in teaching seems to be lacking, with many culprits pointed to such as older teachers, lack of technology, lack of time, etc. I still maintain it does not have to be that way! Look at what our class produced. It was a cornucopia of creativity! Even if we find that it is difficult to implement larger scale projects in the classroom, that should not sap our creativity in designing lessons that are engaging and authentic. I so rarely see this and it disturbs me greatly. Is it a product of the system? Will I, too, become one of these by-the-(dullest) book type teachers? Is teaching creatively or differently frowned upon?
In an earlier blog I talked a lot about how one should present new ideas in their classroom and, ultimately, to the school at large. It must be done humbly, with enthusiasm, and with the message to other teachers that they, too, can do this and that you will help them! Teachers, I have found, are usually sensitive and easily threatened. We, new teachers, must employ the most diplomatic of skills in introducing new ideas if we want to affect true change. We must cast aside ownership and temporary accolades in favor of the big picture. In short, we must collaborate with fellow teachers and make everyone feel that they had a part in whatever endeavor we are trying to push forward. And, never forget, how intimidated and terrified we felt when we began this class--that's exactly how these other teachers are feeling. Always keep that in mind!
In closing, I, again, want to say thank you for all I've learned and a special thanks to certain people in our class who took the time to help, advise, and support me throughout this journey. You all kept me going and your kindness and words of encouragement touched me more than you could know. It's a reminder of how very important encouragement is when one is trying to accomplish something difficult. I know that all of you who reached out to me will do the same for your students and that makes me so happy-as it will your students!
So, for the second, and final, time...GOODBYE and GOOD LUCK!
Tuesday, May 8, 2007
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Not Only Survived, But Thrived!!
I am done! I have completed all my work! Now what?? I have been in such a work groove from this class that I can't imagine not living and breathing by the WebCT! Yet, I am looking forward to a break as I am completely and utterly wiped out from this last go round of work!
As you know from my last entry, I was having a terrible time coming up with a CP idea. Then, like with most good ideas, lightening struck, and I came up with Earth Day as the focal point of my plan. There is so much excellent information available on this topic, especially geared toward kids.
As you know from my last entry, I was having a terrible time coming up with a CP idea. Then, like with most good ideas, lightening struck, and I came up with Earth Day as the focal point of my plan. There is so much excellent information available on this topic, especially geared toward kids.
I designed a Treasure Hunt and a Collaborative Project. I did both because while I was working on my TH, I came across this fantastic site for kids called "Recycle City". I immediately saw its potential as a small group collaborative project. Since I was almost done with my TH, I told myself to forget about Recycle City, but I couldn't! It was just too perfect! So, that's how I ended up doing both--which, along with my lesson plan, I envision as part of a mini unit on Earth Day--with the TH being done first and Recycle City as a culminating project.
I am thrilled with the result, especially as I have never done anything like this before. For my Lesson Plan, I chose to focus on landfills and how long garbage lasts before it decomposes. This is is a fun, interesting, and important topic that can touch on several curriculum areas, depending on how you design the lesson.
Ah, writing the lesson! What a nightmare. This is not easy to do when you've never written one before. Where to begin...how about the standards? My lesson incorporates several curriculum areas and the time I spent looking for the appropriate standards, both national and state, and then adding performance indicators to each one, was unbelievable. Who writes these things?? Why are they so confusing? Or, is it just me?? I almost changed my lesson just to end the pain of figuring out so many different standards but, instead, I stuck it out and finally got it together to the best of my ability. Here's the question? Will it always be that difficult to align standards to my lessons, especially when the lesson is multidisciplinary, as this one was? Or, does it get easier with time? Please, someone, tell me it gets easier!
One thing I think would help tremendously would be to put all the standards together by grade, instead of by subject. I've already decided that once I get hired and know what grade I'm teaching, I will cut and paste all the standards together just for my grade so I don't have to pour through 13 other grade levels to find what I need. Does that make sense to anyone else? As for the rest of the lesson plan, I bet Tolstoy wrote "War and Peace" in less time than it took me to write my lesson plan. However, after all the blood, sweat, and tears, I am thrilled with the final product!
Yes-as you can see, I designed my CP in PB Wiki. I did this mainly because it worked very well with the collaborative component of my CP...but, as you all remember, this is NOT an easy format to work in. I spent a lot of unnecessary time working around the wackiness of Wiki. In addition, PB Wiki was having a lot of "hiccups" while I was working in it--leaving me unable to do anything for hours at a time! While I love the idea of wiki, I remain less than thrilled with the mechanics. Ah, well. Live and learn! I remain hopeful that Wiki will improve over time, making it as easy to work in as Word.
I have had a wonderful experience in this class. I recently looked at my first blog entry, which documented my utter terror and lack of confidence, and I felt such pride at what I've accomplished. Am I a digital native? No, but I'm a really competent digital immigrant, who is no longer afraid of technology--and that's really the key. I actually look forward to learning new technology now because I know I can master it. That was my biggest stumbling block and that is what this class taught me--that I can learn it, usually just by trying it! This was a profound lesson for me and one that I will pass on to my students when they feel they "can't get it"--whether "it" is reading, math, science, or technology, whatever. The same way I share with students my difficulties in math, that I have to work harder to understand it, I will share my victory in learning technology. Kids are really inspired by adult struggles in learning. They seem to believe that we (especially teachers) understand everything and never have to work at anything. I love sharing my learning struggles and my victories with students. I really believe it inspires them to try a little harder, not give up so easily, not feel incapable. So, this class came at a wonderful time for me. It reminded me of what it feels like to be a student and, more importantly, what it feels like to be a student who "doesn't get it". Maybe all teachers should, periodically, be put in a difficult learning situation. It is a humbling reminder of what many of our students face everyday and would, ideally, make us better teachers...
Children Learn What They Live By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.
Copyright © 1972 by Dorothy Law Nolte
THANK YOU AND GOODBYE!
Saturday, April 21, 2007
TICK, TOCK, TICK, TOCK...
I am feeling a wee bit under pressure as the due date for the CP draws near. You see, I have not yet taken Methods, therefore I have not yet written a MSMC lesson plan! I deliberately chose to take Methods as my last course so it would be fresh in my mind before I started teaching--now I'm not so sure this was a good idea! So, you can just imagine the time it's going to take me to pull this off--and that's not even counting the web component! I cannot seem to get started. I sit here, frozen, waiting for a great burst of inspiration to strike me, but I am still waiting!! And the clock is still ticking! Thankfully, I have my own personal Techno Genie, Tara, to help me. Tara has assured me, (repeatedly) that I can do this--even without having taken Methods, and she has promised to help me once I get an idea of what I want to do. Being in elementary ed gives one so many options. Right now, I wish I was in the secondary English program, which would narrow my choices considerably! Knowing that I was going to have to work extra hard on the CP, I tried to get all the other assignments done early, which I did! As promised in my last blog, here is my TwT final essay on Project, Problem, and Inquiry-Based Learning. I started this paper feeling very unclear about the differences between these three and now I feel like an expert. Hopefully, you will, too, after reading it! EssayonPBLProblemInquiry-BasedLearni.pdf
My other personal favorite! This site makes being a "life-long learner" possible and easy! PdPoint provides teachers (and administrators) with ongoing, systemic professional development that is focused on technology integration, quality teaching and sound pedagogy. The beauty of pdPoint is that it offers a variety of methods (classes, workshops, books) that you can learn from at your own pace. It also provides you with incredibly comprehensive, and easy to use, management and reporting tools. And you know that if I think it's easy to use, then it truly is!
Moving on to the RGE Assignment...I don't know about you, but I had a terrible experience trying to use the rubric generator sites! I spent a ridiculous number of hours to trying to create rubrics using Rubistar and Tech4Learning’s rubric generator sites. (Teachnology’s site looked really good, but required a $30 access membership, which I declined, since I was already mightily frustrated with the free sites).
Despite my repeated efforts, I was not making any progress and, while trying to work with these rubric generators, all I could think is “Why am I doing this when I know I can custom create my own rubric, in Word, within minutes?”
Which is precisely what I did!
I honestly don’t know if my problems with the rubric generator sites were due to my lack of understanding or inferior instructions. All I know is that none worked easily or effectively. I kept losing work or, if it was still there, I could not find it. I could not customize anything to my liking, and could not work on the entire rubric at once, just bits and pieces that were not even in the viewable mode. This was a nightmare for me. I am a very visual learner. I like everything in front of me, including the tools I need, and I like to see changes instantly and as they will appear in my final version. From this experience, I do not plan to ever use a rubric generator. I don’t even see the point. The generators are not any different than creating a table in Word, they’re just more complicated and inflexible! As for the rubric examples, most looked like regular Word documents. And, to find an existing rubric, from the thousands listed, would take more time to search and review than to make your own. Am I missing the point here? This was a time consuming, frustrating, and ultimately, unrewarding experience for me. How about you??? Leave me a comment on your experience and let me know, was this my problem or the rubric generator's problem?
Despite my repeated efforts, I was not making any progress and, while trying to work with these rubric generators, all I could think is “Why am I doing this when I know I can custom create my own rubric, in Word, within minutes?”
Which is precisely what I did!
I honestly don’t know if my problems with the rubric generator sites were due to my lack of understanding or inferior instructions. All I know is that none worked easily or effectively. I kept losing work or, if it was still there, I could not find it. I could not customize anything to my liking, and could not work on the entire rubric at once, just bits and pieces that were not even in the viewable mode. This was a nightmare for me. I am a very visual learner. I like everything in front of me, including the tools I need, and I like to see changes instantly and as they will appear in my final version. From this experience, I do not plan to ever use a rubric generator. I don’t even see the point. The generators are not any different than creating a table in Word, they’re just more complicated and inflexible! As for the rubric examples, most looked like regular Word documents. And, to find an existing rubric, from the thousands listed, would take more time to search and review than to make your own. Am I missing the point here? This was a time consuming, frustrating, and ultimately, unrewarding experience for me. How about you??? Leave me a comment on your experience and let me know, was this my problem or the rubric generator's problem?
Moving on to Technology and Professional Development, I was especially impressed with Tapped In, Teacher's Domain, and pdpoint.
Tapped In's virtual buildings in a 2.0 environment provides educators with a wealth of resource and support services, such as: learning communities to share strategies, resources and support, participation in topical discussions,opportunities to conduct learning projects with colleagues and students, a Job Bank, and an email/message system in which conversation transcripts are automatically e-mailed and messages are saved for users who are not logged in.
Teachers' Domain has partnered with PBS TeacherLine to offer a special collection of Teachers' Domain professional development courses in Physical, Life, and Earth Sciences for elementary, middle school, and high school educators. I love this site! It is filled with wonderful lesson plans and technology resources that students will, both, respond to and learn from.
pdPoint
http://www.pdpoint.com/My other personal favorite! This site makes being a "life-long learner" possible and easy! PdPoint provides teachers (and administrators) with ongoing, systemic professional development that is focused on technology integration, quality teaching and sound pedagogy. The beauty of pdPoint is that it offers a variety of methods (classes, workshops, books) that you can learn from at your own pace. It also provides you with incredibly comprehensive, and easy to use, management and reporting tools. And you know that if I think it's easy to use, then it truly is!
That's it for today! I intend to write one final blog after I've finished my CP...now, I must go and pray for inspiration!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Coming Into The Final Stretch!
It's hard to believe that we only have a few weeks of class left. I am working on my final essay and then I have to begin my Curriculum Project. Yikes, where did the time go???
TwT Essay
I am doing my essay on Project Based Learning: its association with problem and inquiry-based learning and the reality of incorporating these methods in the classroom. While I support the theory of these methods, it is indisputable that they are time consuming and challenging to create and manage. Hence, my paper. I am going to explore how these methods have been utilized in classrooms and examine the feasibility of the average teacher incorporating them within the confines of time, standards, and curriculum requirements. Bottom line: Is it all a lot of rhetoric or can it really be done? How do you do it? How frequently? What's the most effective way for both the teacher and the students? Which method is best/easiest/least time consuming?, what if you have very little available technology?. . . I picked this topic because I really want to know the answer to these questions and it wouldn't surprise me if others wanted these answers, as well! If you are one of them, you will find the link to my essay here on my blog, and on my web page, as soon as I have finished writing it!
Collaboration Project
I was recently working on my web site when I suddenly realized the magnitude of what I've accomplished in TwT. I was beside myself with panic when I first set up that site. I was literally shaking! Then, just a few days ago, there I was, inserting clip art, music, links and color, just to dress it up, when it hit me how easily I was doing all this and how much fun I was having. I felt so proud and, at the same time, so grateful that I didn't give up, didn't just learn enough to get by but, instead, learned more than I ever dreamed and, in doing so, learned to love and respect technology! Who would've thought??? Thank you Dr. S. and MSMC! Without this class I would have remained a terrified digital immigrant and a less effective teacher.
I'll be honest, this class is the most demanding and challenging one I've taken...and all I have left is Methods (which I already know is akin to this class, but at least I'll be prepared!!). What made this class doable for me was the friendship and support system I developed with Tara (Techno Genies). We helped each other, whined to each other, and supported each other week in and week out (and sometimes day in and day out!). All I can say is "Thank God for Tara, her brains, her teaching experience, her common sense, her humor, and her innate kindness."
Until next time...
TwT Essay
I am doing my essay on Project Based Learning: its association with problem and inquiry-based learning and the reality of incorporating these methods in the classroom. While I support the theory of these methods, it is indisputable that they are time consuming and challenging to create and manage. Hence, my paper. I am going to explore how these methods have been utilized in classrooms and examine the feasibility of the average teacher incorporating them within the confines of time, standards, and curriculum requirements. Bottom line: Is it all a lot of rhetoric or can it really be done? How do you do it? How frequently? What's the most effective way for both the teacher and the students? Which method is best/easiest/least time consuming?, what if you have very little available technology?. . . I picked this topic because I really want to know the answer to these questions and it wouldn't surprise me if others wanted these answers, as well! If you are one of them, you will find the link to my essay here on my blog, and on my web page, as soon as I have finished writing it!
Collaboration Project
My group, the Technological Terrors, did our collaboration project on the 1950's and 60's for an 8th grade class. We have not always been the best collaborators but, this time, we somehow managed to get our act together and really work effectively as a group without any notable problems. This was a fun project, though it was a little challenging for me in that our activities were geared for 8th graders whereas all my content work at MSMC has been geared to the elementary grade level. My collaboration activity was a history/ELA assignment titled, "A Look Back in Time". My idea was to have the students interview someone who remembered life during the 1950's and 60's, to gain a first-hand, authentic understanding of what life was like during those decades.
While I provided a list of possible interview topics, I gave students the option of creating their own. Students had to cover at least 5 topics and had to interview at least 2 people, preferably more and preferably of different ages, to gain different perspectives. They were instructed to take their topics over the 2 decades, asking if it stayed the same from the 50's to the 60's, or, if it changed, and in what way. This would enable them to see the evolution of certain things from one decade to the next, i.e., cost of living, entertainment (music/TV), politics, education, fashion, war, etc.
I was born on the last day of 1955, so I, theoretically, could answer these questions for a student. I would love to see their faces when I told them that:
I had only black and white TV with just 5 channels when I was a child; that there were no seat belts in cars; none of the technology they take for granted existed; that a milkman used to deliver milk to our door; that my school lunch cost a quarter; that girls were not allowed to wear pants to school until 1968, when I was in middle school, after students protested and won; that I remember being in 2nd grade when JFK was assassinated and we were sent home from school and everyone, everywhere, was crying; that I remember the first time The Beatles appeared on U.S. television and the entire country went crazy; when Vietnam became the first war to be televised, causing a massive uprising and sparking disagreement among Americans, not unlike the Iraq war today; when war protests erupted across the country and college campuses turned into battle zones; the advent of the women's rights movement; and when the civil rights movement evolved into the Black Panther Party and peace turned to violence...the list goes on and on. What I think is most important for students to realize is that this didn't happen in the dark ages, but only 40-50 years ago!
The students have to enter their interview data online, via the interactive time line, then print it out and post it on our time line wall. This way all students can read each other's results. Finally, the students have to pick one thing they learned, that surprised them the most, and share it in an oral presentation.
I really enjoyed this assignment and hope that my students would also!
Ah, Progress!
I was recently working on my web site when I suddenly realized the magnitude of what I've accomplished in TwT. I was beside myself with panic when I first set up that site. I was literally shaking! Then, just a few days ago, there I was, inserting clip art, music, links and color, just to dress it up, when it hit me how easily I was doing all this and how much fun I was having. I felt so proud and, at the same time, so grateful that I didn't give up, didn't just learn enough to get by but, instead, learned more than I ever dreamed and, in doing so, learned to love and respect technology! Who would've thought??? Thank you Dr. S. and MSMC! Without this class I would have remained a terrified digital immigrant and a less effective teacher.
I'll be honest, this class is the most demanding and challenging one I've taken...and all I have left is Methods (which I already know is akin to this class, but at least I'll be prepared!!). What made this class doable for me was the friendship and support system I developed with Tara (Techno Genies). We helped each other, whined to each other, and supported each other week in and week out (and sometimes day in and day out!). All I can say is "Thank God for Tara, her brains, her teaching experience, her common sense, her humor, and her innate kindness."
Until next time...
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Who's In Charge Here???
I remember, not so long ago, when my computer was something I didn't use everyday and never thought about when I wasn't on it. My computer was just a tool that served at my command for researching and writing a paper, playing a game of free cell, making a list, getting my mail, listening to itunes. It served me well for these functions, generally did what it was supposed to do, and left me alone. Back then, my computer knew who was the boss, knew that I was in charge of it. What the heck happened??? Somehow, this little marvel of modern technology has me serving at its altar almost 24/7. And, the rare times I am not bowed before its screen, I am thinking about it! It's no longer, "My name is Kerry and I am a digital immigrant". Now it's, "My name is Kerry and I am a digital immigrant computer addict". My computer is running me! Can you believe it? I, who only 9 weeks ago thought I would never survive this class, am now not only surviving, but thriving! Perhaps, thriving too much--as I can't seem to stay away from the computer! It all started with the midterm ppt reflection. I had never done a ppt before so I was a wee bit freaked out. Then, while finding links for our group TH, I found one on ppt. It was a tutorial designed mainly for students and, also, for digital immigrant teachers, like myself.
(PPT Tutorial Site Link: http://www.actden.com/pp/index.htm )
I didn't even have to go through the whole thing. I viewed enough to feel confident to get started. Next thing I knew I was creating my reflection ppt. It wasn't until I started playing with the design (color, fonts, clip art) that I began to become obsessed. I was like a kid at a carnival. "I want to try this, and that, and that, and this...". I was still somewhat under control at this point. It was the discovery of animation that was the cause of my downfall. I was completely and utterly hooked on the whole design aspect. I wanted to call people and offer to do their ppts for them! Right after I finished my reflection ppt, I started on my Change Project ppt for Nature of Schools. I had been dreading this since it was assigned in February, hoping I'd be able to learn enough to type some text in the appropriate places without it taking me forever and a day. How time and a little experience changes one's perspective! I was so happy to have this ppt to do after my reflections were finished. I didn't have to go through immediate withdrawal! It wasn't until I was at the tweaking stage of my Change Project that I realized I had run out of ppts to do! Panic time! Need to create something, preferably that incorporates text with colors, design, art, and animation! Wait a minute...HA4, the one I wasn't going to do because it involved ppt and I can't do ppt...well, that was then-this is now! I can do ppt. In fact, I can't not do ppt! The discovery that I had another fix was such a relief. I loved doing the HA4. It was truly fun and it left me filled with ideas of presenting/introducing lessons using ppt.
I showed my HA4 to my 9 year old son, Adam, and asked what he thought. "Mom, this is awesome. How come my teachers don't ever do this?" followed by, "Do some kids really get to do these presentations on the computer in school?" "Not in your school, not from what I've seen", I answered. Then he said the magic words, "Can you show me how to do this?" Oh, music to my ears! I could teach my son! I forgot that he is a digital immigrant. Within 10 minutes he was flying solo and telling me he didn't need any more help! But, here's the important thing--he loved it and wanted to know why his teachers never use it and why the students can't use it to type reports. On the rare occasion he is required to type something in school, it is always in Word. PPT is such a better venue for kids. The boxes, alone, make it more kid friendly as opposed to staring at a big blank white screen. Adam's question is a valid one...why don't more teachers in his school use ppt for presentations and for student work??? I know that many teachers would say they don't use it for lessons because they don't have the technology available in the classroom. Only a few rooms in my school have smart board technology. However, that doesn't mean you can't use it at all! Take the HA4 I did introducing myself and my students assignment. If I couldn't show it on a big screen, then I would just gather them around one of the classroom computers and I would present it there. Maybe not as big an impact, but my son saw it on the small screen and it still excited him. As for students using ppt, there is no reason why they shouldn't and my class will definitely use it--especially, now that I'm the ppt queen!
Following my ppt frenzy, I realized that I had to create a wiki. A what?? I went online and researched this funny word, going first to wikipedia. I killed two birds with one stone; I now know what a wiki is and what wikipedia is and where it got its name! I have long relied on wikipedia for information, never knowing that the information could be supplied by anyone and their brother (mother, father, sister, friend, boss, . . .)! It always sounds so professional and accurate. Interestingly, a few days later I read a magazine article crediting some college professor for much of the information posted. Whew! That was a relief! Anyway, I found creating my wiki to be easy and fun--almost as good as doing a ppt! I think I was so confident and excited from my ppt success, that I approached the wiki with more of an open mind than I would have before. PBWiki was easy to use, but I did have trouble formatting some of my clip art. Not sure why this was, especially since it was only problematic with certain pieces. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed creating my wiki. I am looking forward to seeing everyone else's wiki's and "leaving editing evidence" of my visit! Please visit my wiki at the link below. The password is pressure
http://underpressure.pbwiki.com/FrontPage
As I mentioned in a previous blog, my Change Project for Nature of Schools involves bringing podcasting technology to the school in which I substitute and which my son attends. I prepared an equipment and cost proposal which I presented to the school principal. In addition to audio, I included video podcasting in the proposal, which requires a video camera and video editing software. It increased the cost by approximately $1,200-$1,500 . I figured that we could always drop down to just audio podcasting, but I wanted the principal to understand the enormity of the return she'd realize from that additional $1,500 expenditure. Video podcasting opens up a whole other world of technology to the students (and teachers!). Digital video is such an integral part of the digital native's world. Video podcasting would allow them to experiment with filming and with digital video editing. In addition, having both would enable more classes to use podcasting simultaneously, with one class using the audio equipment, while another used the video. The principal was familiar with audio podcasts but had never thought of the video component. Bottom line, she loved it and agreed to put in a proposal to the district tech department if I would put together a power point outlining the educational theory, research, and teaching/learning applications of this technology. Did she say power point??? You can't imagine how wonderful it felt to be able to say, "Yes! I can put together a wonderful power point presentation for you!" and really mean it! Can you imagine if she had asked me this a month ago, or even 2 weeks ago? I would have freaked. Anyway, I am thrilled that podcast technology may be coming to this school. I had this really cool idea that if I end up working there I would have my students do a take off on the old radio serials. I would actually use technology to teach them what it was like when there was very little technology, when people would gather around the radio, every week, to listen to what was akin to an audio soap opera. The students could create a story line and write and record monthly installments. I think it could be so much fun and help them develop strong communication and writing skills since the scripts would have to be written to be heard only. They would also develop skills in acting and directing. Will it happen? I'll let you know. But for now, I can dream!
Treasure Hunt
Our group TH was on Integrating Technology in the Classroom. We found many wonderful websites. The hard part was narrowing them down! Thanks to the extra efforts of Joe and Michelle, our TH was a huge success!
Data Sets and Online Tools
- Technology integration takes time…for teachers to learn and embrace, for schools to support, for curriculum designers to incorporate.
- Even with the power of technology today, people-to people connections and face-to-face communication are still central to learning.
- Meaningful discussion skills cannot be developed online.
- Technological resources need to be brought into the classroom where students can engage in discussions that help them observe and learn the nuances of discussion that are impossible to acquire over the Internet.
- Teachers must establish effective discussions in the classroom by giving students access to technological data and resources that can be manipulated by students and then discussed and referred to in face-to-face discussions.
Example of bringing tech data into classroom to teach discussion:
Raw Data, a Web page teachers and students can use to find interesting and useful educational facts for learning and discussion. One North Carolina teacher used the Raw Data page to teach middle school and high school students about the science of waves while helping them learn such computer skills as keyboarding, database utilization, and spreadsheet creation.
Once skills are developed, students can participate in effective on-line exchanges.
There are a number of online tools that can be added to your curriculum to help students develop or test their own hypotheses about a given topic: Lunch Savings Calculator, Universal Currency Converter, Sun Rise/Set Calendar, WebCams, and Graphing Tools are just a few.
If you need to reach me, contact my computer as it is now in charge of me! Until next time...
Friday, March 2, 2007
We Are the Agents of Change
Digital media in the classroom…I am amazed at the range of tools and applications available today. It is hard to fathom that many schools are already using these on a daily basis, while others, like mine, have none of this technology and, in fact, barely use computers. I was especially struck by Will Richardson’s blog posting regarding what we, as educators, need to “unlearn” in order to meet the needs of students in this digital age. What he suggests is intriguing; educators not as transmitters of information but as connectors to information; classrooms and curriculum not as deliverables, but as extensions; and learning not as an event itself, but as a continual process. Richardson acknowledges that education change is slow and he recognizes the inherent fears that many teachers feel about technology. His advice to educators, to start by becoming a different learner, is sound and doable for anyone. This struck a chord with me because it made me realize that many teachers really do have a tendency to get complacent with a curriculum and style of teaching. And, it’s understandable. This is a very demanding job. But, Richardson is right that teachers must stay students and life long learners. I believe the changes he talks about will occur as more digital natives enter the field of teaching. However, I think it is the administrators who will have to affect true change in the culture of their schools. They will have to support the digital native teachers as they step outside the box and try new things. They will have to encourage others to follow this lead, while providing the tools and training necessary to make it happen. This will ultimately require digital natives in positions of authority and that is what will take some time.
Richardson did inspire me to start thinking how I could implement connectivism and technology into my classroom. Assuming I stay in the Title 1 district that I sub in, this will be a challenge. But, I have begun to realize that in order to affect change one must start somewhere, however small. Here is what I've come up as a start:
A few teachers in my school do have smart boards. I would definitely want one and I would use it for lessons, web access, and applicable software programs. I will teach my students how to use it. The ones in my school are basically “hands off” to the students. Mine will be hands on. In fact, the first time I used one last year it was the 3rd grade students who told me what to do from having observed their teacher-so I think they can handle it!
My class will also have a web site, not one designed and run by me, but one collaboratively created and maintained by my students. WebQuests and Treasure Hunts will be ongoing activities. When work is done in my class, I won’t tell my students to read a book, I’ll tell them to work on their webquest! Remember, you don't even have to design one if time or fear are stopping you. There are hundreds of brilliant webquests on line that you can use in your classroom--so there is really no reason not to being this! And digital storytelling—I love this! And DigiTales is a great site. (http://www.digitales.us/resources/seven_steps.php) Even if you can’t actually make a film, it has individual elements that you can still use effectively.
Speaking of films, I would also bring in my video camera and camera stand. I did this when my son was in first grade and I was subbing in his class. It was at the end of the year and I had the idea that the class could make a little “goodbye” film for their teacher. The kids all came up with what they wanted to say and they each took turns filming each other and, at the end, they got into a big group (their idea!) and yelled out “Goodbye”. I put this on a cassette, including all the mistakes and do-overs because they were so funny, and the kids gave it to their teacher on the last day of school. She loved it! Do you know, when I see or sub for kids from that class, who are now in 4th grade, they still ask when I will bring in the camera again! They loved it!
This is just a start, but it’s a start! All of these things are easily doable and can be built upon. Better yet, I think it will make teaching easier. I so fear teaching math because I see the kids now and they are all over the place in terms of learning style, comprehension and ability. Then I think about the many math SW programs I could use with varying techniques on the same subject, and I feel excited and invincible! And for students who have computers and internet access at home, I will give them fun learning websites they can visit to increase their skills in areas where needed—something not one of my son’s teachers has ever done in his 5 years in school. That’s really sad (and inexcusable) when you think about it.
In keeping with Sir Ken Roberston's plea, in his podcast on TEDTALKS, that we stop educating from the "waist up" and educate the "whole" being, I will incorporate yoga into my classroom--at the very least, the breathing and relaxation elements. Done correctly and consistently, I believe that yoga can have a positive impact on anger, lethargy, depression, and hyperactivity. Better yet, it is a lifetime tool. For those who missed this video podcast, I strongly urge you to watch it. Robinson is witty, engaging, and most of all, right on target regarding education!
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=ken_robinson
Perhaps the most important thing I plan to do is to share my technological hits and misses with other teachers. I have observed that some teachers like to hoard their special talents and knowledge, making it seem that only they can do this. Then, there are other teachers who believe they can’t do something (like technology), and become jealous of the others who can, and more steadfast in their resistance to it. Not me! I will encourage anyone who is interested by showing them how easy it is. I will appreciate their fears, slowness, and need for repeated instruction—because I am the same way. I will share anything I’ve bought, learned, or created with anyone who wants it. That is how you begin to change a culture! And that is how, little by little, person by person, technology, integration literacy, and web 2.0 will start making their way into all of our schools. We are the agents of change. How we handle this knowledge and convey it to others, will determine its success.
Digital natives need to understand how daunting technology is to digital immigrants and to less experienced digital natives. They tend to speak fast and in jargon that is Greek to the less experienced. And they tend to expect those they’re instructing to “get it” immediately. Patience and repetition are key—otherwise we will scare off those who are willing to try. It is not unlike what Ken Robinson said in his podcast about how we teach children that “mistakes are bad”. This not only kills creativity as Sir Robinson believes, it also kills desire and motivation. So, please, all of you wonderfully talented digital natives that are going out into the educational world, be as patient with the adults you are instructing as you are with your students—know that it may be tedious, frustrating, and slow going. But, know that if you don't scare them off, it will make all the difference in the world!
Moving on to inquiry based learning:
The best information was on the YouthLearn site.
Richardson did inspire me to start thinking how I could implement connectivism and technology into my classroom. Assuming I stay in the Title 1 district that I sub in, this will be a challenge. But, I have begun to realize that in order to affect change one must start somewhere, however small. Here is what I've come up as a start:
A few teachers in my school do have smart boards. I would definitely want one and I would use it for lessons, web access, and applicable software programs. I will teach my students how to use it. The ones in my school are basically “hands off” to the students. Mine will be hands on. In fact, the first time I used one last year it was the 3rd grade students who told me what to do from having observed their teacher-so I think they can handle it!
My class will also have a web site, not one designed and run by me, but one collaboratively created and maintained by my students. WebQuests and Treasure Hunts will be ongoing activities. When work is done in my class, I won’t tell my students to read a book, I’ll tell them to work on their webquest! Remember, you don't even have to design one if time or fear are stopping you. There are hundreds of brilliant webquests on line that you can use in your classroom--so there is really no reason not to being this! And digital storytelling—I love this! And DigiTales is a great site. (http://www.digitales.us/resources/seven_steps.php) Even if you can’t actually make a film, it has individual elements that you can still use effectively.
Speaking of films, I would also bring in my video camera and camera stand. I did this when my son was in first grade and I was subbing in his class. It was at the end of the year and I had the idea that the class could make a little “goodbye” film for their teacher. The kids all came up with what they wanted to say and they each took turns filming each other and, at the end, they got into a big group (their idea!) and yelled out “Goodbye”. I put this on a cassette, including all the mistakes and do-overs because they were so funny, and the kids gave it to their teacher on the last day of school. She loved it! Do you know, when I see or sub for kids from that class, who are now in 4th grade, they still ask when I will bring in the camera again! They loved it!
This is just a start, but it’s a start! All of these things are easily doable and can be built upon. Better yet, I think it will make teaching easier. I so fear teaching math because I see the kids now and they are all over the place in terms of learning style, comprehension and ability. Then I think about the many math SW programs I could use with varying techniques on the same subject, and I feel excited and invincible! And for students who have computers and internet access at home, I will give them fun learning websites they can visit to increase their skills in areas where needed—something not one of my son’s teachers has ever done in his 5 years in school. That’s really sad (and inexcusable) when you think about it.
In keeping with Sir Ken Roberston's plea, in his podcast on TEDTALKS, that we stop educating from the "waist up" and educate the "whole" being, I will incorporate yoga into my classroom--at the very least, the breathing and relaxation elements. Done correctly and consistently, I believe that yoga can have a positive impact on anger, lethargy, depression, and hyperactivity. Better yet, it is a lifetime tool. For those who missed this video podcast, I strongly urge you to watch it. Robinson is witty, engaging, and most of all, right on target regarding education!
http://www.ted.com/tedtalks/tedtalksplayer.cfm?key=ken_robinson
Perhaps the most important thing I plan to do is to share my technological hits and misses with other teachers. I have observed that some teachers like to hoard their special talents and knowledge, making it seem that only they can do this. Then, there are other teachers who believe they can’t do something (like technology), and become jealous of the others who can, and more steadfast in their resistance to it. Not me! I will encourage anyone who is interested by showing them how easy it is. I will appreciate their fears, slowness, and need for repeated instruction—because I am the same way. I will share anything I’ve bought, learned, or created with anyone who wants it. That is how you begin to change a culture! And that is how, little by little, person by person, technology, integration literacy, and web 2.0 will start making their way into all of our schools. We are the agents of change. How we handle this knowledge and convey it to others, will determine its success.
Digital natives need to understand how daunting technology is to digital immigrants and to less experienced digital natives. They tend to speak fast and in jargon that is Greek to the less experienced. And they tend to expect those they’re instructing to “get it” immediately. Patience and repetition are key—otherwise we will scare off those who are willing to try. It is not unlike what Ken Robinson said in his podcast about how we teach children that “mistakes are bad”. This not only kills creativity as Sir Robinson believes, it also kills desire and motivation. So, please, all of you wonderfully talented digital natives that are going out into the educational world, be as patient with the adults you are instructing as you are with your students—know that it may be tedious, frustrating, and slow going. But, know that if you don't scare them off, it will make all the difference in the world!
Moving on to inquiry based learning:
The best information was on the YouthLearn site.
This site communicates inquiry-based learning/teaching in clear, understandable, and usable terms. I was especially impressed with their statement:
It may be that traditional education will start becoming more and more like inquiry-based learning over time. Why? Because an inquiry-based approach is more web-like in how students pursue knowledge, as opposed to the linear, vertical and compartmentalized structure of traditional education. As the web-like Internet increasingly permeates society and education, the traditional structures will have to adapt to the forms of the new media.
This is completely in line with everything we are learning in this class. In addition, this site has other great links, including one on How to Create an Inquiry-based Project, and another excellent one on Teaching About and With Technology. Here is some of my favorite advice from this link:
Always integrate technology into your larger learning goals, not the other way around
When you do find kids who know a little more, are a bit more adventurous, or are more engaged by a technology, use them!
Trust the kids. Model thoroughly, then trust them!
Never explain things too deeply—you want to give the kids plenty of room to explore. Remember, your goal is not to create PowerPoint experts, it's to teach core curriculum skills and help kids understand the many communication, research, and creativity tools they have at their disposal. Good critical thinking is more important than technological excellence.
WebQuests & Treasure Hunts:
This quote, from Education World, regarding the effectiveness of constructivist technology learning, (i.e. webquests, treasure hunts) says it all:
"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand." Confucius
The internet abounds with webquests--including info on why to use them and how to create them. Two excellent sites are:
http://www.bernardsboe.com/wams/academics/isaacs/webquests/index.html
http://webquest.org/search/
Until next time...
Saturday, February 17, 2007
Still A Digital Immigrant But Getting Better...
I am amazed at the progress I am making. Understand that my steps, to a digital native, and even to many immigrants, are baby steps. But, to me, they are wondrous! I now know how to attach a file (it’s so easy!) and I successfully used clip art for the first time. The clip art was tough for me, but I was determined to add it to our group AUP. After an hour of frustration, I got braver…and smarter! I was so worried about messing up my original document that it made me very cautious with the clip art. Then, eureka—the light bulb went on! I copied my document to a new file, so I would have a copy to experiment on without worrying about my original. Then I took my clip art and faced the task bar with determination. What are all these things?? One at a time I tried them. Wow—this is really cool. I can do almost anything with this picture and, using edit, I can undo anything (that’s always good to know for someone like me!). After a few tries, I had it! My group AUP looked great! I’m so glad I didn’t give up on the clip art earlier when it was driving me crazy.
One thing I am really learning from this class is not to be so afraid of the computer. I go investigating all over now and have discovered some really neat options I was never aware of before. For example, I didn’t know that I could set my printer to print only in black & white to save on color ink when color isn’t necessary, that I can set it to print the last page first so that it comes out in ready order, and that I can set it to print draft quality (again, saving ink) when it’s just for my reference and the actual printing quality isn’t important. I did all these things and only wished that I had known all this before. But, again, better late than never!
Another shot to my confidence came when I was contacted by another classmate who is in a different group. We share another class together and she called me because she didn’t understand CutePDFWriter, how it worked, how to download it, etc. I had already set it up and used it, so I was able to explain how it worked and why she needed it and, then, I actually walked her through the entire download and installation—me! Can you believe it?? I was so thrilled to be able to help someone, as I always feel as if everyone is helping me. My new found confidence even caused me to change the copy on my web page to reflect my emerging optimism. I hope that, by May, my web page portrays a digital immigrant who can walk in a digital native’s shoes!
I completed my web site evaluation form and was very happy with the end result. It’s for a third grade class but could be used in grades 1-6, as well. Since evaluating a web site can be somewhat subjective, I set up mine so that each web site in our class would be evaluated by two different students. These students would then have to meet and compare their results. If they differed radically, they would have to revisit the web site, together, and defend/explain their rating and see if they can reach agreement. This makes it a more engaged exercise and calls upon higher levels of thinking in presenting their positions. Anyone wishing to view my web site evaluation form can visit my web page, where it is located under Assignments.
Our February 5th group meeting went well, with everybody contributing to each topic. We had some confusion over whether the readings were to be done prior to the class or during it, but that has now been resolved with the input of Dr.S. Maria Pavco directed us to a wonderful site technology integration site at http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/. It is a veritable goldmine of ideas, lesson plans, projects, games, resources, webquests, virtually everything a teacher needs to integrate technology.
The class readings for week 5 were wonderful, especially Steven McGriff’s Portfolio. He had such excellent information on learning theories and models. His definition of a descriptive theory (internal thinking process) versus a prescriptive theory (external application) was a relief to me. I had always found the descriptive theory somewhat difficult to translate into actual teaching models. As he states, a descriptive theory describes what’s going on “inside the learner’s head when learning occurs” but does not, by itself, facilitate learning. Having an instructional-design theory, in combination with the learning theory, does facilitate learning and it does so in a wholly constructivist and engaged manner. According to McGriff, “the key to understanding instructional systems design is to recognize the focus is on the learner, not the teacher. Learning is king, teaching is the supporting role.” To that, I say, "Amen"!
Within his information on constructivism, McGriff talked about contextualism, whose supporters advocate authentic learning and authentic assessment, the latter meaning that testing should be integrated into the task, not a separate activity. I completely agree with this, even though I rarely see it in action. I have always had problems with separate, one size fits all tests. To me, they do not fairly represent knowledge gained for every student. They represent the abilities of those who do well on standardized, paper and pencil tests.
And some of these tests! My son has brought home exams, over the years, that were so poorly worded, that had no “white” space to work out answers even though the directions demanded that the student “show your work”, that used examples/stories that were so unauthentic, that, basically, went against everything I was taught in my Assessment and Evaluation course here at MSMC. If one must give a separate test, at least make it as doable as possible—even if it means redesigning it yourself. My son’s tests and quizzes are all taken from a book and copied. This is plain laziness. No teacher can honestly look at some of these sheets and not see the problems with them. But, maybe they are required to use these workbook pages? That would be awful. I must look into this and see what’s what. However, getting back to the idea of integrated assessment, this is, I believe, the best measure of learning because, done correctly, it should measure knowledge in more than one way.
Another interesting point raised under contextualism was that some contextualists believe that “certain types of problems should not be simplified for novice learners, rather they should be presented in their full complexity early in the learning process. This is to avoid giving learners the false impression that these kinds of problems are simple and easily solved”. This was a really interesting point to ponder. We are so geared, today, toward making our kids/students believe that everything is simple and easy, that they are “smart”, that they can do anything.
This is, interestingly, right in line with the cover story in the February 19th issue of New York Magazine, titled, “Praise is Dangerous”. It talks about the inverse power of praise, how our present trend of labeling kids as “smart” has been proven to cause underperformance in students. The researcher, psychologist Carol Dweck, found that children praised for their effort, as opposed to their intelligence, were more willing to take on harder tasks and exhibited persistence and tenacity in their efforts to solve these tasks. Those praised for their intelligence gave up when presented with tasks requiring more effort. This was an eye opening study, for me. It described my own son! Then, while reading McGriff, I see a small reference to Weiner’s attribution theory which sounded similar to Dweck’s findings. I looked up Weiner and found that his attribution theory has been used to explain the difference in motivation between high and low achievers and does share certain characteristics with Dweck’s research. This is such critical information for parents and teachers—it deserves a good chunk of a professional development day! What’s most important about Dweck’s findings is that the problem is a fixable one—all it takes is knowledge of this problem, a desire to change it and a strong commitment to behavior modification on the part of parents and/or teachers. I know that I am going to be applying it, from now on, at home and in school. I’m also going to be sharing it with other parents and teachers. Hopefully, it will also find its way into the MSMC education curriculum.
Moving on…I loved the Jasper series, under the Assure Model. And, it used that new favorite word of mine that I learned from McGriff—contextualized! I think students would flock to this type of learning. It encompasses everything needed for an engaged constructivist activity. Even better, it provides for personal, student created follow ups that build on the knowledge base acquired from the Jasper adventure. Who could ask for anything more?
I also liked the content of the Classworks reading and math instruction. Any program that offers a variety of learning modalities (visual, auditory, tactile/kinesthetic), combined with authenticity and technology is worth further investigation.
ISTE/NETS: According to the IsteNETS site, our educational system must produce technology capable kids. Parents want it, employers want it, communities want it, the nation wants it! In that case, I’d better learn it! Only, here’s what I perceive to be the problem. It’s the same thing I’ve mentioned in the past. Engaged, constructivist, student centered, technology integrated learning requires a whole new mind set that has to start at the federal and state levels before it can become reality at the district/school level. All we new teachers entering the field, filled with all this new knowledge, usually find that we are unable to implement these new ideas due to federal and state mandates that simply don’t provide the time or support to create this type of learning environment. I ask, yet again, what is the answer? For all of us entering the field, there are others leaving, in droves, for this very reason. I have been looking at my substitute experiences and trying to figure out, if this were my classroom, where and how, could I facilitate this type of true student centered learning? The answer is not many places and not very often. The speed with which teachers are expected to complete the required curriculum, in each subject, is dizzying. Long term, discovery learning? Not in the current world. It is so frustrating. And technology integration? This is so low on the totem pole in a Title 1 district. One area where I know I can make a difference is in simple differentiated learning. Even that is rare in my school. Math, for the most part, is taught one way and one way only. Being weak in math, myself, I am especially sensitive to the fact that people learn math in a wide variety of ways. Prior to admission to MSMC, I was required to take Math for Elementary Education at Orange Community College. I was so over my head but I had a wonderful teacher who, among other things, taught us that there is no one right way to reach an answer in math—there are numerous ways, some short, some longer, but the main thing is to reach the answer. No one had ever said this to me before. It changed my entire perspective on math. I grew to love it. It became an adventure, a challenge! Math is still hard for me but, now, I really like it and I can convey that enthusiasm to my students. Further, I am open to different ways of learning (and modeling) a curriculum. I don’t generally like to believe that there is only one way to do anything. This limits the mind! I will always try to present a variety of exploratory options for my students—otherwise, they will never be able to teach me anything new and help me shape future lessons! When you think about it, students can be a teacher’s greatest resource in lesson design. I say, let them lead…or, to repeat Steven McGriff’s view (because it does bear repeating),
One thing I am really learning from this class is not to be so afraid of the computer. I go investigating all over now and have discovered some really neat options I was never aware of before. For example, I didn’t know that I could set my printer to print only in black & white to save on color ink when color isn’t necessary, that I can set it to print the last page first so that it comes out in ready order, and that I can set it to print draft quality (again, saving ink) when it’s just for my reference and the actual printing quality isn’t important. I did all these things and only wished that I had known all this before. But, again, better late than never!
Another shot to my confidence came when I was contacted by another classmate who is in a different group. We share another class together and she called me because she didn’t understand CutePDFWriter, how it worked, how to download it, etc. I had already set it up and used it, so I was able to explain how it worked and why she needed it and, then, I actually walked her through the entire download and installation—me! Can you believe it?? I was so thrilled to be able to help someone, as I always feel as if everyone is helping me. My new found confidence even caused me to change the copy on my web page to reflect my emerging optimism. I hope that, by May, my web page portrays a digital immigrant who can walk in a digital native’s shoes!
I completed my web site evaluation form and was very happy with the end result. It’s for a third grade class but could be used in grades 1-6, as well. Since evaluating a web site can be somewhat subjective, I set up mine so that each web site in our class would be evaluated by two different students. These students would then have to meet and compare their results. If they differed radically, they would have to revisit the web site, together, and defend/explain their rating and see if they can reach agreement. This makes it a more engaged exercise and calls upon higher levels of thinking in presenting their positions. Anyone wishing to view my web site evaluation form can visit my web page, where it is located under Assignments.
Our February 5th group meeting went well, with everybody contributing to each topic. We had some confusion over whether the readings were to be done prior to the class or during it, but that has now been resolved with the input of Dr.S. Maria Pavco directed us to a wonderful site technology integration site at http://its.leesummit.k12.mo.us/. It is a veritable goldmine of ideas, lesson plans, projects, games, resources, webquests, virtually everything a teacher needs to integrate technology.
The class readings for week 5 were wonderful, especially Steven McGriff’s Portfolio. He had such excellent information on learning theories and models. His definition of a descriptive theory (internal thinking process) versus a prescriptive theory (external application) was a relief to me. I had always found the descriptive theory somewhat difficult to translate into actual teaching models. As he states, a descriptive theory describes what’s going on “inside the learner’s head when learning occurs” but does not, by itself, facilitate learning. Having an instructional-design theory, in combination with the learning theory, does facilitate learning and it does so in a wholly constructivist and engaged manner. According to McGriff, “the key to understanding instructional systems design is to recognize the focus is on the learner, not the teacher. Learning is king, teaching is the supporting role.” To that, I say, "Amen"!
Within his information on constructivism, McGriff talked about contextualism, whose supporters advocate authentic learning and authentic assessment, the latter meaning that testing should be integrated into the task, not a separate activity. I completely agree with this, even though I rarely see it in action. I have always had problems with separate, one size fits all tests. To me, they do not fairly represent knowledge gained for every student. They represent the abilities of those who do well on standardized, paper and pencil tests.
And some of these tests! My son has brought home exams, over the years, that were so poorly worded, that had no “white” space to work out answers even though the directions demanded that the student “show your work”, that used examples/stories that were so unauthentic, that, basically, went against everything I was taught in my Assessment and Evaluation course here at MSMC. If one must give a separate test, at least make it as doable as possible—even if it means redesigning it yourself. My son’s tests and quizzes are all taken from a book and copied. This is plain laziness. No teacher can honestly look at some of these sheets and not see the problems with them. But, maybe they are required to use these workbook pages? That would be awful. I must look into this and see what’s what. However, getting back to the idea of integrated assessment, this is, I believe, the best measure of learning because, done correctly, it should measure knowledge in more than one way.
Another interesting point raised under contextualism was that some contextualists believe that “certain types of problems should not be simplified for novice learners, rather they should be presented in their full complexity early in the learning process. This is to avoid giving learners the false impression that these kinds of problems are simple and easily solved”. This was a really interesting point to ponder. We are so geared, today, toward making our kids/students believe that everything is simple and easy, that they are “smart”, that they can do anything.
This is, interestingly, right in line with the cover story in the February 19th issue of New York Magazine, titled, “Praise is Dangerous”. It talks about the inverse power of praise, how our present trend of labeling kids as “smart” has been proven to cause underperformance in students. The researcher, psychologist Carol Dweck, found that children praised for their effort, as opposed to their intelligence, were more willing to take on harder tasks and exhibited persistence and tenacity in their efforts to solve these tasks. Those praised for their intelligence gave up when presented with tasks requiring more effort. This was an eye opening study, for me. It described my own son! Then, while reading McGriff, I see a small reference to Weiner’s attribution theory which sounded similar to Dweck’s findings. I looked up Weiner and found that his attribution theory has been used to explain the difference in motivation between high and low achievers and does share certain characteristics with Dweck’s research. This is such critical information for parents and teachers—it deserves a good chunk of a professional development day! What’s most important about Dweck’s findings is that the problem is a fixable one—all it takes is knowledge of this problem, a desire to change it and a strong commitment to behavior modification on the part of parents and/or teachers. I know that I am going to be applying it, from now on, at home and in school. I’m also going to be sharing it with other parents and teachers. Hopefully, it will also find its way into the MSMC education curriculum.
Moving on…I loved the Jasper series, under the Assure Model. And, it used that new favorite word of mine that I learned from McGriff—contextualized! I think students would flock to this type of learning. It encompasses everything needed for an engaged constructivist activity. Even better, it provides for personal, student created follow ups that build on the knowledge base acquired from the Jasper adventure. Who could ask for anything more?
I also liked the content of the Classworks reading and math instruction. Any program that offers a variety of learning modalities (visual, auditory, tactile/kinesthetic), combined with authenticity and technology is worth further investigation.
ISTE/NETS: According to the IsteNETS site, our educational system must produce technology capable kids. Parents want it, employers want it, communities want it, the nation wants it! In that case, I’d better learn it! Only, here’s what I perceive to be the problem. It’s the same thing I’ve mentioned in the past. Engaged, constructivist, student centered, technology integrated learning requires a whole new mind set that has to start at the federal and state levels before it can become reality at the district/school level. All we new teachers entering the field, filled with all this new knowledge, usually find that we are unable to implement these new ideas due to federal and state mandates that simply don’t provide the time or support to create this type of learning environment. I ask, yet again, what is the answer? For all of us entering the field, there are others leaving, in droves, for this very reason. I have been looking at my substitute experiences and trying to figure out, if this were my classroom, where and how, could I facilitate this type of true student centered learning? The answer is not many places and not very often. The speed with which teachers are expected to complete the required curriculum, in each subject, is dizzying. Long term, discovery learning? Not in the current world. It is so frustrating. And technology integration? This is so low on the totem pole in a Title 1 district. One area where I know I can make a difference is in simple differentiated learning. Even that is rare in my school. Math, for the most part, is taught one way and one way only. Being weak in math, myself, I am especially sensitive to the fact that people learn math in a wide variety of ways. Prior to admission to MSMC, I was required to take Math for Elementary Education at Orange Community College. I was so over my head but I had a wonderful teacher who, among other things, taught us that there is no one right way to reach an answer in math—there are numerous ways, some short, some longer, but the main thing is to reach the answer. No one had ever said this to me before. It changed my entire perspective on math. I grew to love it. It became an adventure, a challenge! Math is still hard for me but, now, I really like it and I can convey that enthusiasm to my students. Further, I am open to different ways of learning (and modeling) a curriculum. I don’t generally like to believe that there is only one way to do anything. This limits the mind! I will always try to present a variety of exploratory options for my students—otherwise, they will never be able to teach me anything new and help me shape future lessons! When you think about it, students can be a teacher’s greatest resource in lesson design. I say, let them lead…or, to repeat Steven McGriff’s view (because it does bear repeating),
“the key to understanding instructional systems design is to recognize the focus is on the learner, not the teacher. Learning is king, teaching is the supporting role.”
Until next time...
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