Sunday, November 24, 2013

Project #12


PLN Project #2 Final Report

Lost GenerationDeveloping a Personal Learning Network is something every professional must do. Whether you're a Musician, Teacher, or Business person, everyone has a network of the their peers and colleagues that they work with and learn from. In developing my own Personal Learning Network I have found that I have grown personally, as well as intellectually. Scholars have always had a Personal Learning Network. The Personal Learning Network may sound official, but that doesn't mean it has to be, or should be, boring. Take the Lost Generation for example. The Lost Generation was a group of writers in the 1920's who all shared a common mentor and learned and critiqued each other. The result was some of the best writing in history. The same attitude and vivacity should be expressed in groups of scholars, artists, and business people of today.

As a future History teacher, I have tried to develop my Personal Learning Network with teachers who now work in the field, or particular professors at South that have had an influence on me. In addition, one's peers should also make up one's PLN. Often, my group of friends and I critique each others' writing. The PLN should be something you carry with you, not turn on and off.

Social media has provided a new way for intellectuals and professionals to network with each other. Most people don't use Facebook or Twitter for intellectual reasons, but if used in such a way they can be an amazing resource. If connected with one's PLN over social networking sites, one can constantly have access to shared sources, links, and academic discussions. Many of the people in my PLN don't use social media, however, with Twitter I can follow Politicians, Teachers, and Academic Magazines and Journals. This provides me with a great resource that I can access any time on my phone.

Overall, developing my Personal Learning Network has allowed me to grow as a professional and intellectual. One of the greatest things about technology is the ability to share. Now, professionals can share ideas more effectively and creatively than ever before.
Twitter Developing Personal Learning Network
 

C4T #4 Summary

Educator Joe Sowash fully supports technological innovation in education. The blog posts I read and commented on by Mr. Sowash fully reflected these beliefs. In one blog, Mr. Sowash detailed his experiences planning the 2013 MiGoogle Conference. The MiGoogle conference is a large convention of 600 people to showcase Google tools and new teaching styles using these tools. Sessions on Project Based Learning were held and new versions of applications such as Google Drive were showcased. Mr. Sowash also had success engaging the whole community in the convention, bringing in local sponsors.

In my comment to Mr. Sowash I shared my recognition of his belief in the importance of technology in education. In addition, I made sure to commend him on his success organizing the MiGoogle event. The second blog post I commented on advocated the use of Google Chrome and gave suggestions on shortcuts and syncing methods. These suggestions range from Tab and Bookmark syncing methods to auto loading pages one visits every time one gets on Chrome. In my comment, I shared that most people prefer to use Chrome, so there is a consensus that is a good browser. In addition, I shared in my comment that the suggestions he gave were good things to know for any Chrome user.

You can view Mr. Sowash's blog here

C4K November

The C4K assignments for November varied from very early age students to older students. The diversity of age made reading and commenting on the blog posts much more enjoyable, as most C4K assignments have been for younger students. The younger students I commented on had grammatical issues. As usual, I made sure to remind them that using proper grammar is essential for one's credibility. The students showed a real effort in their blogs. Some of the C4K teachers were allowing their younger students to blog about what they enjoy. One student did a Google Presentation on Horror Movies.

One blog post I was assigned, however, was for a high school student. This student did an in depth analysis of voter prejudice in today's society and its historical implications. This post showed just how effective blogging can be for older students as well. This student exhibited competence in her writing, understanding, and argument. It was one of the best blog posts I've ever read. Younger students blogged about their class activities and their own. Blogging seems to be an effective learning method for students if you make it fun for them and allow them to put their selves into it.

When Harry Met Sally

Blog Assignment #14

How can teachers help students develop critical thinking skills, in addition to technological literacy, to prepare them for success in our Post-Modern, technologically advanced world?
 
“With school turning out more runners, jumpers, racers, tinkerers, grabbers, snatchers, fliers, and swimmers instead of examiners, critics, knowers, and imaginative creators, the word 'intellectual,' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be.” - Ray Bradbury (Fahrenheit 451)

Ray Bradbury's bleak vision of a world where books are burned by the masses may have been a little overstretched in comparison to reality. Still, the image of books being burned and regarded as useless paints a powerful image in one's head and draws an interesting parallel to today's society in which paper books are coming to be considered more and more obsolete. More so, society's shift to prefer students to study Mathematics and Science to achieve capital gain, rather than Humanities subjects which inspire critical thinking leads us to question what is the role of critical thinking in modern society and how should our students be prepared to fit that role. With technology's role being so prevalent in society, developing critical thinking skills in students is more important than ever. Students should be inspired to develop critical thinking skills by implementing and using technology together, thus preparing them not only for achieving in the world around them, but for understanding it as well.
 
Critical thinking is at the basis of all Human intellectual development. If Humankind ceases to critically think, it ceases to create. Some argue that focusing on Math and Science subjects, instead of Humanities will better prepare students for success in the modern world. This view is not completely unfounded, but students will be missing a major part of their intellectual development if they do not learn to critically think, read, and write. After all, it was man's ability to creatively and critically think that designed Apple products, understood the Laws of Physics, and came up with internet programs such as Google.
 
Technology is a tool that students should use to develop critical thinking skills. After all, what better way to analyze current events, literature, and scientific developments than with Laptops, iPads, and Smart Phones? What could be a better way to collaborate and share ideas than Google Drive? Essays and articles can be written and shared within minutes of their finding or writing. Technology shouldn't push critical thinking aside; it should inspire it.
 
 
The answer lies in developing projects that encourage critical thinking, but use technology. Both technology and critical thinking are skills that are necessary for success in our modern world. By encouraging that they be used together in the classroom, teachers will be preparing students for using the two together for the rest of their lives. Students should be encouraged to use relevant technological media and programs for making videos, sharing ideas, and networking. This will not only give them practical experience using technology, but also make their ideas come to life and give them a basis for critically thinking.
 
By incorporating projects that encourage critical thinking, but use technology, students will not only be prepared for success in our modern world, but also be able to understand and share ideas in it. Some people argue technology is making critical thinking obsolete. I think it's just pushing it a step further.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Blog Assignment #13

Jose Antonio Abreu
The El Sistema Music Revolution
Lance Wilkinson
Degas


In his TED Talks presentation, Jose Antonio Abreu shares a powerful message on how Music can invigorate the lives of students and instill a desire to learn and succeed within them. Most of Mr. Abreu’s opinions on how Music should be instilled in students’ lives applies to general education as well. Mr. Abreu is the founder of the El Sistema Music Revolution, a Youth Orchestra program in Venezuela. This orchestra program instills a passion for music in students of all economic backgrounds, taking care to make sure every student that applies himself or herself has the same accessibility to perform as any other student.


A key aspect of the El Sistema program is that everyone’s dreams should be realized. By showing students that they have a chance to do great things, the El Sistema program invigorates their lives with a desire to succeed and learn. At first, the El Sistema program did not have an excess of supplies; however, limited resources does not mean that standards should be limited. By belief in his students, Mr. Abreu and his students developed the El Sistema program into one of the greatest Youth Orchestra programs in the world.


Funding for Fine Arts is always at risk. Mr. Abreu promotes the opinion that Musical training develops not only self-confidence and inspires purpose, but also teaches interdependence and cooperation. These are 21st century skills that not only apply to Music, but to Education in general as well. Mr. Abreu also emphasizes that everyone should have access to Musical programs; not just the elite. This concept applies to Education as well. Every student deserves a quality education, not just those who are privileged enough to have one.


Mr. Abreu showed that the El Sistema program affected individuals at Personal, Familial, and Community-Based levels. An engaging Education program should also reach students at each of these levels. Mr. Abreu stated: “The worst thing about poverty is the lack of identification.” Engaging Music and Educational programs give these students the confidence and skills they need to identify themselves. Finally, as Mr. Abreu stated, Music and Education should be put at the service of society. A good Educational or Music program can change a student’s life. As Mr. Abreu said, and this statement can be applied to a good Educational program as well: “The spirit of music overcomes the spirit of material poverty.”
 
Shane Koyczan: To This Day...for the bullied and beautiful by Erin Crane
I honestly cannot describe Shane Koyczan’s poetry video about being bullied. The way he used his poetry to perfectly convey what kids go through in schools was breathtaking. Shane started off talking about the way his decisions would get shot down as a kid. Decisions like “What do you want to be when you grow up?” “What do you want to make of yourself?”. He would answer honestly and be told he either could not do it or needed to aim higher. They didn’t want to know what he wanted to be, they wanted to tell him what not to be!

 
He moved on to talk about the titles and nicknames he was labeled by his peers. Some purposely hurtful, some not. Children don’t always see that the words they use hurt other people (adults have this problem too). He talked about how the name “porkchop” leaves him no longer able to eat the food, and another little girl called dog for her early childhood still doesn’t see herself as beautiful. Words are scarring.

 
He started bringing in the way he kept self-motivated after these things. A boy adamant on calling him “Yogi Bear” demanded he do his homework. Shane did it, but with all incorrect answers. The boy was confused as to why he received a 0 on the paper that Shane got a 28/30 on. Shane responded with “smarter than the average bear…”! He used his brains to outsmart them. A great example to fight violence with nonviolence.

 
Listening to him go through his bullying trials in school, turning it into poetry, I was shown a boy who made his bad circumstances into greatness. He chose to take those experiences and use them to better himself. This gave me insight into how “just words” can truly affect people’s lives and ways that I hope, as a teacher, I can help students to shape it into something beneficial.
 
Turning Trash Into Toys for Learning by Wesley Etheridge



In the video, Turning Trash Into Toys for Learning, Arvind Gupta discusses how imagination can turn the simplest toys into learning tools. Gupta's story is interesting. He's went to school in India to become an engineer in the early 1970's. However, at the age of 24 he realized he wasn't born to make trucks. He found his passion when he joined a village science program. In the small village he moved to, he realized he enjoyed creating toys much more than creating trucks.

 
Gupta enjoyed taking trash and making toys out of it. One of his first creations was simply made of cycle valve tube with sticks inside. This created all kinds of shapes. With this simple "toy" he was able to teach children about angles and shapes, but the greatest part about this toy according to Arvind Gupta was its flimsiness. This allowed the students to use their imagination and creative abilities to experiment with all sorts of shapes and sizes. For example, the children could create little houses with these shapes. Every one of Arvind Gupta's toys were interesting to me, but the one that interested me the most was the motor he made from a 5cent battery. Imagination is a key for learning anything and Gupta's toys enhance every students imagination.

 
It was great to see how trash could be used to teach. I love the way Gupta feels about students breaking toys. He says, "The best thing a child can do with a toy is break it." Gupta shows that the only thing that can limit our teaching is lack of imagination. Also, his experiences show that children can learn on their own through just about anything. There's no doubt that Gupta is a firm believer of project based learning, and after his personal experiences how can you blame him. I agree with Gupta, imagination can lead to unlimited learning.

 

Sunday, November 10, 2013

Blog Assignment #12

Degas Collaborative Blog Post: What Can We Learn From Ken Robinson?


Changing Education Paradigms



In the first video Ken Robinson opened our eyes to the injustice that is taking place thanks to the current system of education. Ken states that todays education system was designed for another time period. The current education system was created in the intellectual culture of the enlightenment and in the economic circumstances of the industrial revolution and you can see evidence of it through every aspect of the system. Schools are like factory lines. Ringing bells have conditioned students to know when to change class, schools have separate sections for each individual subject, and students are classified by their age instead of their academic level. A result of the system is we have "smart" people and "non smart" people, or at least thats how people are viewed. The consequence of this has been many brilliant people questioning their intelligence. ADHD has risen with the growth of standardized testing and Ken Robinson doesn't believe it's a coincidence. Sure some people may have ADHD, but is there really anything wrong with students being outgoing and energetic? We agree with Robinson that the issue is boring teaching. In the book Breakpoint and Beyond we see that the more a student is "educated" the more their capacity for divergent thinking decreases. If we really care about our students we have to change. Change may be scary, but it beats the burden of staying the same.


How to Escape Education's Death Valley



In the second video we learn that Death Valley isn't dead, it's dormant. Underneath the surface there is potential. Ken Robinson gives us a tremendous amount of advice that can lead American schools out of the "Death Valley" they are currently in. The three things that are important for human flourishing are the keys to improving the culture of education. The first thing is we must remember that human beings are naturally different and diverse. Ken Robinson is quick to point out that No Child Left Behind (NCLB) is irony at it's best. Education under NCLB is based on conformity when it should be based on diversity. Students are diverse and they prosper best under a broad curriculum. The second thing that is important is curiosity. Our job as teachers is really easy if we can spark curiosity. Once curiosity is sparked children are natural learners. Great teachers mentor, stimulate, provoke, and engage their students. Ultimately, education is about learning. The whole point of being a teacher is getting students to learn. If our future students don't learn it's our fault. In our current culture, teachers are more concerned with test results than curiosity. Testing has a role in education, but it shouldn't dominate education. The infatuation with test results could be the biggest problem with our current system of education. The third key to human flourishing is creativity. Human life is inherently creative. Imagination and creativity is a unique trait of human beings. It's our role as educators to awaken these powers in our students. The problem is in our current culture of education students are becoming standardized. Everyone of us who will become teachers has the ability to change this culture of education. The question is do we care? If we do care about our students we will break away from the current system.


How Schools Kill Creativity



In the final video Ken Robinson discusses some issues he has with the current culture of education dealing with student's creativity. Robinson states that creativity is just as important as literacy. The problem is schools are instilling fear in students. Students are so afraid of being wrong that they get in a quite bubble. People who are afraid of being wrong will never come up with anything original. Children naturally aren't frightened of being wrong, but after years of schooling this capacity is diminished. We have to change this by creating an atmosphere where students can be who they are. Sir Ken Robinson also asks why certain subjects (like Math) are treated with higher regard than others (like dance). Not every student is going to be a college professor. Intelligence is diverse, dynamic, and distinct. In todays society a degree in a popular course of study doesn't equate to a job anymore. We must rethink the way we educate. We must consider the whole being of a student, not just certain areas.   


Project #15 PBL Plan #3

                                                                         Cultural Collages

A good understanding of History includes an understanding of Culture. The culture of the 1960’s in the U.S. was a culture of radical change. Students will be assigned to groups and given Primary Documents to analyze Historical events that affected the culture of the U.S. at this time. Students will then be given free reign to search the internet for videos, music, journal articles, pictures, art, ect. from the time period to further their research and understanding. The group will collaboratively write an essay (3-5) pages on the culture of the 60’s and the Historical events that influenced these cultural trends. Finally, each group will use the pictures, videos, music, and art they find during their research to create either a Virtual Collage (Power Point Presentation) or a traditional poster Collage. Groups will present the Thesis of their papers, as well as their collages, during presentations the following week.

Project Overview: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1-bRRBYiSrSZkJZdDVfZ3p2SjA/edit?usp=sharing

Project Calendar: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1-bRRBYiSrSOEJTUHF3V3ptU1U/edit?usp=sharing

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Smartboard Presentation Part A - Project #12


C4T #3

English teacher and writer Mary Worrell makes some extremely important points about English and writing in the 21st century in her Blog. In her post "The Purpose of the English Major", Ms. Worrell presents and reflects on a New York Times article "The Decline and Fall of the English Major". This article presents the view that students are drifting further and further away from Humanities subjects, though Humanities subjects encourage critical thinking and clear, competent, writing. The article and Worrell present the view that Humanities encourage not only practical writing skills, but a competency of the world around you and the ability to reflect on that world. The Humanities' practical value is writing and critical thinking, but it's intrinsic value lies in one's appreciation of literature and a competency of the world around the self.

The Decline and Fall of the English Major: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/23/opinion/sunday/the-decline-and-fall-of-the-english-major.html?smid=tw-share&_r=1&

Lost GenerationIn her Blog "Building Experiences to Mine", Ms. Worrell elaborates on the need for teachers to find time to engage in study of their subject themselves. Worrell contends that teachers get so caught up in teaching, they forget to pursue their own subjects. Worrell also stated that she learned more in College from one on one help with the T.A.'s than she did in "a crowded lecture hall". In my comments to Ms. Worrell I reflected my belief in the intrinsic, as well as the practical value of Humanities. I also supported Worrell's belief that teachers should find time to pursue study in their field. Overall, I found my opinions to be very similar to Ms. Worrell's. It was immensely encouraging to read a teacher's blog that I have so much common ground with.

Ms. Worrell's Blog: http://www.seemaryteach.com/

Interview Movie - Project #10



Interview with Mr. Gurley
Faith Academy

Note: Sorry about the Sweet Tea cup obstruction! Classic Mr. Gurley!

C4K Assignments - October

One of the main things I've noticed while doing C4K assignments is that most students aren't proofreading their blog posts. Most of my comments involve encouraging students to keep blogging, but also pointing out grammatical errors they need to fix. Blogging is an extremely important medium for students to learn with, but most students' blog posts are only a few sentences in length.

However, I think it is extremely important for students to blog because it increases their learning network and gets them excited. One student, Liku, seemed to have put a good bit of work into a graph in his blog. Another had to imagine she was a character in a book and had to write from that character's point of view. It's amazing to see how much kids learn and interact with each other from blogging. C4K assignments not only benefit C4K students, but us as well as we can clearly see how blogging is having a positive effect on students' learning process.

When commenting on a C4K student named Jack's blog, I made sure to tell him grammar is important when blogging because everyone can see your work! Overall C4K not only benefits the younger students' but us as well. After all, we're all students. Blogging just connects us to a more intricate and advanced learning network.


Great Pumpkin

Blog Assignment #11

                            Reflection on Kathy Cassidy's Use of Technology in the Classroom

If anyone has proven technology's usefulness in the classroom, it's Kathy Cassidy. Ms. Cassidy of Moose Jaw, Canada employs every kind of technology from Skype to video games in her classroom. The results are astounding.

Ms. Cassidy's students genuinely seem to enjoy school and learning. Students even remarked that they preferred blogging over other mediums of communicating their ideas. The students' writing improved as a result of blogging and their communication skills grew more vast by using Skype. According to Ms. Cassidy, the students love technology in the classroom because it's a "part of their world".

For Ms. Cassidy and her students educations is about "always pushing the envelope and asking about new things". Ms. Cassidy's Thesis for implementing technology in the classroom rests not only on student's ability to learn for themselves, but for the ability to collaborate and learn with other people online as well.

Technology in the ClassroomMs. Cassidy stated: "Find a way that works for you to keep in touch with technology". She goes on to state that denying students of technology in school would be handicapping them. Ms. Cassidy also is a strong advocate of the personal learning network. Though not extremely into social networking herself, Ms. Cassidy employs Twitter due to its expansive nature. Ms. Cassidy states that Twitter provides important links and allows access to a personal learning network that can answer questions one may have.

In addition to technology, the 21st century classroom must have Collaboration. Ms. Cassidy stated: "Collaboration is not cheating". Collaboration is an extremely important skill that is becoming more prevalent in our modern world. Preparing students for collaboration will be preparing them for a healthy professional life. Employing technology in the classroom teaches students another important skill, filtering information. In the Information Age, filtering information is more important than ever.

Overall I feel that Ms. Cassidy is an amazing example of how technological implication in the classroom can help students develop more. In my classroom I plan on employing technological mediums such as Skype, ITunes U, among others. Technology is always evolving, therefore so must Education.












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