Good ideas and quotes for teaching, learning, and writing papers.

Learning between grownups and kids should be reciprical.

"If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together." -African proverb

Don’t hope you will, know you will.

"Any teacher that can be replaced by technology--should be." --Arthur C. Clarke
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." -Margaret Mead

"You must lend an ear today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow."-Adora Svitak

Kids need opportunities to lead and succeed.

Possibilities do not go backward, they go forward.

There are questions and problems with the people we used to believe were always right. Be skeptical, ask questions, demand proof, demand evidence, dont take anything for granted. BUT when you do get proof, take it for some truth, remember it. We need to link causation with correlation.

When you start down the road where belief and magic replace science and evidence you end up in a place you dont want to be.

Science is not a company, country, or idea. It is a process.

Block Microteaching Materials

Prezi

     http://prezi.com/gm3tiecyop-u/helium-hula-hoops/

Eye of the Tiger

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cf45I1ZI__w 

Grown up version

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwpTj_Z9v-c

Kid version

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CdJTfGiRCI&NR=1 

EXIT Slip and Discussion notes

EXIT
The secondary education system transformation is based on 3 Rs. Relevant, relationships, rigor (high rigor = high expectations and effort).

These are 3 great visions to shoot for to improve the Edu system.



CH 10 Presentation
(+)
Jigsaw strategy- make sure to tell the students "we are going to use the jigsaw activity". This will help them to understand/ remember it for the next time we use it. so that way we dont have to re-explain it next time. give it a name.
        2 group switching strategy

Explicit directions BEFORE letting students free.

(-)
Uhms
Verbal elaboration on each group's summary. Unnecessary because the written summaries already covered it!

Technology Issue Podcast

http://www.archive.org/details/ContemporaryTechIssuePodcast

The process of podcasting was really helpful to experience. Once it is established in my memory of how to do it, it will make for a very quick cool tool to use and have my students use.
The first idea that comes to mind for using this in my science classroom would be to have the students create an exciting PSA highlighting an environmental issue or informing citizens about specific legislation that would help or hurt goals to improve the environment.

Im glad that I was forced to do this project!

Screencast Symbaloo.com

http://screencast.com/t/vicO7bq1wt

Post a link screencast on your blog AND post a reflection for this course task:

* How much effort did you exert preparing for the screencast?
* How does creating and sharing a screencast with your peers impact your future teaching?

I prepared for this screencast by first using it for a while. I wanted to get comfortable with it before trying to explain it's SWOT. I prepared a rough outline for what i wanted to say. Also before making the cool tools screencast i explored Jing/Screencast.com on a bunch of other things. I prepared a few screen image captures to use in my screencast video to make things for faster for me.
The screencast requirement has helped me in a few ways. It introduced the topic to me, i had ever really known much about it before. I learned how easy it can be and how useful it can be to create reusable tutorials. These tutorials can be created by both students and teachers for the use by students and teachers. If not for the screencast project i would probably have never learned about Symbaloo either.
I want to use screencasting in the future for creating tutorials, adding spark to presentations, and allowing students to showcast their work in a unique way.

Exit Slip 11-11 and Class notes

EXIT SLIP 11-11-10
I thought it was interesting to ponder whether I will be a teacher that will fit the mold of the traditional school teacher or if I will be an earth shaker that challenges the system with new ideas. This class sets us up to be mild earth shakers,but there is research that argues for both sides.
I think taht it is important for there to be some challengers in the system. Just like our government, the republicans, democrates, judicial branch, legislative branch, an executive branch are all put in place to create a series of checks and balances. So too should the educational system.

NOTES
Discussion +,-
+POS
Using scribbling (online tool) was good. normally we would use this in a non-face to face way to communicate. in this class we are next to eachother, but there are goo ways to use the tool when face to face is an option. It allows quite people to enter the conversation, lessens the effect of conversation domination.

5 words or less summary. Great. it separates the nice to know and the need to know.

-NEG
They forgot a student in the group lists.
Their online tool didnt work, BUT they did have a quick backup plan.

Rethinking Chapter 9

Rethinking Technology Chapter 9 | What does it all mean?
The chapter begins with the quote, “The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed.” – William Gibson. I think this is a great way to think about technology because many feel uneasy about the big changes that we will face “converting” to technology. The conversion has already happened, just not everywhere. Tech enthusiasts need to step up and help others to update their systems. The technology herd is only as strong as its weakest link. When I thought about the quote I came up with a good way to relate. When a chocolate chip pancake has all of the chips condensed in one spot, the rest of the pancake is still a chocolate chip pancake.
For the first time children are becoming more knowledgeable than their parents involving a tool important to society as a whole. They are really smart with in navigating through society’s technological way of life.
There has been a lot of research done about whether or not video games have positive or adverse affects on children. Some feel that video games are a waste of time and actually spoil their educational skills. Other reports show that videogames have immensely helped them to develop their ability to process information and solve problems in an imaginary digital world. Could this help them later on in their lives due to the fact that the internet is an imaginary digital world? It is possible that tomorrow’s work world is being shaped by the gaming world of today. Students interests can often be linked to online communities and online communities are often used by businesses and employers. It is not imperative for students to play video games to receive experience in participating in digital communities, but it is one way to do it. Many of the video games are available with online interaction with other gamers.
The way students practice their reading skills has changed faces. I do not think they read many hard copy books as they did before but they do still read. It is amazing how much information is processed through reading when you consider text messages, emails, blogs, instant messaging, facebook, and other everyday digital tools.
Peer culture and population culture are changing, but are they changing for better or worse? Advertisers have been able to rake in on this group of teen age consumers. Many of the appealing products they offer can be very distracting to a teenager’s education. Some teachers and parents are trying to avoid this. Changing the current way that young students identify themselves, and with others, might be a good thing.
Traditional schools may resist the technological transformation but they will have to compete with the new types of technology driven schools. The government is very attracted to giving funding to the new type of schools. Enthusiasts may be sad to see a lack of giant changes and innovations. What they really should focus on, and be happy for, is how many opportunities that are available to improve existing structures in current school systems.

BWP Chapter 10 | What it all means.

BWP Chapter 10 | What it all means.
The technology revolution is causing the sea of information to continue to grow quickly. The combination of new material, old material, and pre-internet information being scanned and digitized is creating a comprehensive source of info. With so many new sources of information, teachers need to extensively teach students how to become editors/skeptics of online content.

Most of the tools found on the net and the new programs allow/encourage collaboration. This is good because the workplace is doing this too. We must help students prepare for their futures.

I need to show students how to obtain, store, organize, and recall information. The sea of knowledge is growing. That does not mean that our brains will automatically begin growing too. Students will be expected to take in a lot of information and that information will be useless if they are not able to access it when it really counts. I will model use of various tools like Delicious, so that way they can keep an organized collection of material they have learned/ viewed before.

This newest way of education and life-long learning will absolutely require learners to share information and collaborate to synthesis new wholes. Making connections will be vital! These connections will be important because it will help students with their research and to prepare for their future.

Students used to not able to access information outside of school as easily as they can now. In many ways this can be good because it allows students to learn more of what they want and be excited to do it out of class. On the other hand, what if some students just plain don’t like to learn and are not interested what so ever in learning more than they are directly exposed to in the classroom? It is not fair of me to expect them to keep up like the other students who are excelling through extracurricular studying.

Most of the noted “shifts” are directly tied to each other. To sum up shifts 2-5 I could say, teachers and learners alike will need to connect with many others, 24/7, where ever they are because this will provide the best opportunity for constructing meaningful collaborative knowledge. Wherever, whenever, however, together with whomever!

It is amazing how for so long we have felt that the best education came from countless worksheets to be handed out, completed, returned and thrown away. For the fraction of knowledge actually retained in one’s memory after the paper hits the trashcan, we should be working to complete tasks that add to the world around us. Do something that really matters, something will still be evident long after the paper would have hit the trashcan.

I think that the most important idea of this entire book is that teachers need to be good models. Teachers need to model the different tools available to students and they need to model how important collaboration can be. Students have become smarter than the teachers when it comes to working with technology. Instead of constantly focusing on content, teachers will need to demonstrate methods to get to content. Teachers need to be more like coaches that will guide students to appropriate, effective, educational used of these technological tools. One of my favorite quotes is, “Its not about the destination, its about the journey!” That could not be more true when considering the changing roles of teachers in the classrooms. I think that teachers will become much like travel agents. Think about it, when someone is interested in visiting a specific destination but they don’t know the best way to get there or what to expect when they get there, they consult a professional for help. The travel agent is normally not an expert about the specific destination, and probably has never even been there before, but they are experts on the tools to guide you to the right choices. So if we allow the students to become generally interested in a topic of their choice we can help them get there, even if we are not experts ourselves on that specific content.

Exit Slip Thu 11-4-2010

Exit Slip

TEXT: make sure that the text on the screen is visible for twice as long as it takes you to read it. Rule for Any media project you ever do.
I really liked the article Jeff Shared about the Minnesota school that had completely revamped their classroom style. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=15322289


In-Class Notes

TEXT: make sure that the text on the screen is visible for twice as long as it takes you to read it. Rule for Any media project you ever do.

IRlo ideas, intruct them to "pay close attention to the phases of the moon" After that have some interactive quiz questions. then replay phases but make them fill some in.

Tech Inquiry Wiki- no more than 2 different fonts. make it attractive, not ugly!
Use the Yes Test on each item.
APA Correct?
do not put "retrieved from database... blabh blah blah" take it out.
2 paragraphs per source? Paragraph is at LEAST 3 sentences.
PODCAST!= MAC + Garage band!

Rethinking Chapter 8

Rethinking Technology Chapter 8 | How schools can cope with new technologies.
Driving Factors of education through technology: Customization of material by providing learners with personalized ways to access information and support along the way. Interaction between computers and users. The computer can quickly give performance feedback to the user. Learner control which puts the student in charge of what they are learning. They can follow a path of information in almost any direction that appeals to them. Students feel a sense of proud ownership because it was their choice instead of someone else’s.
The recent trend of standardized testing and uniform accountability pushes for all classrooms to teach similar material. With technology becoming increasingly popular with students of all ages, how can technologies customization, interaction, and learner control mesh with standardized curriculum? There is going to need to be a compromise somewhere performance-based assessment, new curriculum design, and the new approaches of the digital world.
Performance Based Assessments
Certifications: Academic skills such as passing an exam on English competency for a specific grade level. Once the exam requirements are met, the student can move on to the next level. Generic skills like resource allocation and working with others. Technical Skills such as the certification needed to become a mechanic.
The problem with these skills is that many students may not know the path they want to take in education. Maybe these routes are too specialized. The book argues that students will feel more proud of their ownership over their education. I think that they are more able to become interested in the topics due to their feeling of control, but will that lead to self guidance? I feel that many students would become lost in the sea of following a specific path. Also, they could become certified in a bunch of things that they are interested in but will that combination mean anything to an employer? What if I were to just take a whole bunch of random college classes that were interesting to me but didn’t really mesh in the big picture of a degree. I could argue that I got strait A’s in all of the classes but the employer may not respect that background because I didn’t complete a degree. If the students are able to choose when they want to take the tests, what if the students just never take them. Of course this means that they do not get to advance, and that it should be part of their overarching intrinsic motivation. But will this cause more kids to fail that just have not quite developed that sense of motivation?
New Curriculum Design
Currently student’s age fits to the curricula. Students of the same age are not necessarily of the same mental learning ability. Possibly if the curriculum was fit to the interest of the student, age would not be as much of a problem. Maybe some students would be given the chance to excel in an interest curriculum quicker than if it were based on age.
Possibly work as an apprentice type relationship. Stages 1 – 4. Where 1’s are introductory, 1’s work with 3’s, 2’s work with 4’s, 3’s mentor 1’s and 4’s mentor 2’s. Once they become teenagers they have many options. The state would pay up to a certain amount of certifications no matter what age the learner completed them at. These mixed age classes would be made up of students who picked to be in them, helping to alleviate motivation problems. This is great because it helps answer the “when are we gunna use this” question because they already know how they will.

New approaches in a digital world
Education policy is swinging away from uniqueness and creativity. I really like the idea of bringing AP classes to poorer schools through the use of teleconferencing.

BWP Chapter 9

Chapter 9 BWP | Social Networks: Facebook, Ning, Connections and Communities.
1. Ch. 9 of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts (131-146); post a reflection to your reflective learning blog:
- How does this reading impact your thinking about technology's role in teaching and learning?
- What will you do differently as a future teacher as a direct result of this new thinking?

The use of these social networks has created an explosion of “Self-directed, peer based learning” that is not often excercised in the school scene. Just as the general theme of this book has been, the self directedness allows people to learn what they want to learn. There are a couple different variations of these sites. Mainly they're friendship based and/or interest based. I normally use Facebook for its friendship based appeal. I am literate with Facebook, so it would be familiar if I wanted to give it a try with an educational application.

Facebook and Ning are potentially useful to educators because they allow the teacher to personalize information to fit a student’s specific interest using a tool that students are already generally interested in.

Whether I use these tools or not in the classroom, I need to understand them. Even if I don't use them in the classroom, understanding how to use these social tools can help me to better mentor my students. I think that young teachers will generally have no problem with being able to relate to the students uses of facebook. The older teachers who do not explore facebook may not be able to.

If educational social pages are done appropriately, students can become very interested in them. Most students use, like, know, and are comfortable with these tools.

Ning is a site that I have not used. It offers opportunities that are a little bit more school friendly. The book gives many examples of how it has been successful in the classroom. Ning users are able to create their own networks either publically or completely private. It is important for me to get used to it before inviting people to my network. Along with educational assets it can be part of a good way to show an example of responsible use of social sites.
The BWP book warns to NEVER ADD APPS because then your site becomes more cluttered with outside garbage and is less school friendly.