Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Skype Interview
I am sorry about the glitch in the Introduction.
My interview was with Mr. John Langley, a high school teacher at Pleasant Plains High School, IL.
Blog Trinaest
Sages and Lunatics- Recovering What We Lost in Factory Education
By John Spencer
This was my first time reading anything on a Kindle. Mind you, I don't actually have a Kindle, but I do have a Cloud Reader- basically the same thing. I didn't like it much. I noticed numerous spelling and grammar errors, and there are no page numbers. The reader gives you a percent and number out of 3 thousand and something, but if you go back and forth, the passage you were searching for may be found on a different number. Therefore, any direct quotations from the book cannot be cited correctly, only given by the chapter. Also, I like to note and write on my books. This book, without a doubt would have been covered in thoughts, reactions, doodles, ideas, and whatever else stood out to me. It makes the book easier to read a second time and take home points, well, easier to take out and take home.
Although this project was due 11/20-27, I thought it would be better to actually finish the book (which I did today, 11/28) and turn submit it a day late than complete the analysis yesterday and search for the information on Google.
In the fourteenth chapter, Mr. Spencer gives bulleted points of the main ideas included in the book, mainly what can and should be improved in the current educational system. However, I believe that the points not only cheapen the book, but demonstrate what Mr. Spencer is trying to avoid throughout his stories- a systematic, bottled up, boxed up, bulleted, hamburger helper, "favorites CD," factory, mechanized, assembly line steps to creating a more authentic way to educate students. Authenticity essentially sums up Mr. Spencer's goal for the entire book, along with his approach to education. Sages and Lunatics is a compilation of Mr. Spencer's, a junior high history teacher in Arizona, memories and thoughts throughout his first few years of teaching. The emphasis Mr. Spencer places on relationships with students and other teachers is apparent throughout the book. He gets the majority of the inspiration found in the book from certain students, colleagues: "Brad the Philosopher," "St. John," "Quinn the Business Bohemian," and "Javier the Hippie;" Jesus, and Socrates.
Brad the Philosopher claims in chapter 9 that "Jesus told stories that were exciting and violent and Socrates asked questions that were offensive and off-beat." Mr. Spencer's main approach is metaphors, the same as the public debates and parables told by these past revolutionaries. The title is debunked between the first and third chapters of the book. Mr. Spencer's despair stems from his philosophy rooted in the factory-education metaphor. A factory is uniform, standardized, based on memorization, formulas, and data, a process. It is like the Titanic- a scientific process, isolated from the community, and only focused on the outcome. However, to turn this system around it takes a multi-faceted teacher. A teacher who is both a sage and a lunatic.
The sage is a Ghandi who listens, is rational, and peacefully reforms the system from the inside through relationships. However, Mr. Spencer also points out that it is the pure sages that end up conforming to the system. On the other hand, one cannot be a pure radical for obvious, psychological, surface reasons. The lunatic is the bull horn man, shouting on the street about hell and damnation, God's anger and how no one will ever be good enough, about the need for forgiveness and change. He is "A person who society views as insane, because insanity has become the cultural norm." He is the only hope to see change in the factory, even if it is small, even if it only affects a few people. He takes the road less travelled and it makes all the difference, although it cannot be seen or measured, for students, faculty, parents, and the community alike. A 100% Mr. Spencer Sage would not let his students focus on deep questions, service projects, murals, and documentaries, but a 100% Mr. Spencer Lunatic would not have the reason to still focus on state and test standards- building concrete knowledge to advance in school.
Other meaningful notes and thoughts gathered from Sages and Lunatics:
Ch 1
Spencer's Main Goal: to look beyond facts, steps, and formulas to find what makes educating "successful," engaging, lasting, and authentic.
Ch 2
Silverscreen teachers= fireworks (bright, attention getting, temporary)
Meaningful teachers= campfire ("silent warmth and creating a place where we could share our story together;" "genuinely impacts a small number of people for a longer period of time")
Brad the Philosopher:
-to Americans, our jobs define who we are. why is it not the opposite? focus on teaching as a vocation, not a career
- Professor / Professional: those whoshare profess their core beliefs in the hope to do something with meaning
Goal of education:" to learn an identity"
St. John: A Special Education teacher. Be like him. Learn not to just hear, but to listen. Not to look, but to see.
Quinn the Business Bohemian: the guitar hero way vs. the authentic way of making music; the fallacy you are doing the real thing
Ch 3
Javier the Hippie- my favorite "character:"
-"they create a model and then they try to fit others into it rather than letting it grow organically. And they do it because they are scared of what might happen if something different fails. It's pride, but it's also good intentions. That's what makes it so hard. Some of the nicest people are involved in ruining education and they don't even know it."
Ch 5
Assertion that gaining students' trust is more important than any reward system
Ch 6
What do you want tobe become when you grow up?
Goal of education: to get a better job
- to produce moral citizens to go out and make a difference
> assumes we live in a progressive society that is always improving
-to make one more ethical
> many of al-Qaeda, Nazi Party, Bolshevik Revolutionaries and the Apartheid in S. Africa all had higher education
> many of the greatest revolutions were led by the poor and uneducated
-to lead to a larger world view and help with the acquisition of wisdom
-to become educado
-"to gain wisdom in order to love people well"
Ch 7
Our history and any other textbooks are safe- racially, politically, etc. They all favor the white people, the "heroes"
Ch 9
Did "educate" come from educere: to draw out ("to tap into a person's intrinsic motivation")
or educare: to nurture, provide, and train
or both.
Ch 10
Mr. Spencer listens to Sufjan Stevens! He wants to teach by Sufjan's living philosophy and its manifestation in his music!!
Ch 11
How did text, IM, email, and skype become verbs?
Teachers using technology for the class's entertainment. SO TRUE
Technology is not a tool. A tool denotes physical work, effort, and hands-on problem solving
*Humans shape technology, but it also shapes us*
Utmost, is a loss of community.
In a technology based class, the teacher becomes the facilitator, not an educator.
"We have to go on vacations to see nature." How sad.
Ch 13
comparing students to record- not able to skip over the bad songs, but also not able to repeat the good ones.
- No "favorites CDs"
or American Idol Contestants vying for even the smallest ounce of attention
By John Spencer
This was my first time reading anything on a Kindle. Mind you, I don't actually have a Kindle, but I do have a Cloud Reader- basically the same thing. I didn't like it much. I noticed numerous spelling and grammar errors, and there are no page numbers. The reader gives you a percent and number out of 3 thousand and something, but if you go back and forth, the passage you were searching for may be found on a different number. Therefore, any direct quotations from the book cannot be cited correctly, only given by the chapter. Also, I like to note and write on my books. This book, without a doubt would have been covered in thoughts, reactions, doodles, ideas, and whatever else stood out to me. It makes the book easier to read a second time and take home points, well, easier to take out and take home.
Although this project was due 11/20-27, I thought it would be better to actually finish the book (which I did today, 11/28) and turn submit it a day late than complete the analysis yesterday and search for the information on Google.
In the fourteenth chapter, Mr. Spencer gives bulleted points of the main ideas included in the book, mainly what can and should be improved in the current educational system. However, I believe that the points not only cheapen the book, but demonstrate what Mr. Spencer is trying to avoid throughout his stories- a systematic, bottled up, boxed up, bulleted, hamburger helper, "favorites CD," factory, mechanized, assembly line steps to creating a more authentic way to educate students. Authenticity essentially sums up Mr. Spencer's goal for the entire book, along with his approach to education. Sages and Lunatics is a compilation of Mr. Spencer's, a junior high history teacher in Arizona, memories and thoughts throughout his first few years of teaching. The emphasis Mr. Spencer places on relationships with students and other teachers is apparent throughout the book. He gets the majority of the inspiration found in the book from certain students, colleagues: "Brad the Philosopher," "St. John," "Quinn the Business Bohemian," and "Javier the Hippie;" Jesus, and Socrates.
Brad the Philosopher claims in chapter 9 that "Jesus told stories that were exciting and violent and Socrates asked questions that were offensive and off-beat." Mr. Spencer's main approach is metaphors, the same as the public debates and parables told by these past revolutionaries. The title is debunked between the first and third chapters of the book. Mr. Spencer's despair stems from his philosophy rooted in the factory-education metaphor. A factory is uniform, standardized, based on memorization, formulas, and data, a process. It is like the Titanic- a scientific process, isolated from the community, and only focused on the outcome. However, to turn this system around it takes a multi-faceted teacher. A teacher who is both a sage and a lunatic.
The sage is a Ghandi who listens, is rational, and peacefully reforms the system from the inside through relationships. However, Mr. Spencer also points out that it is the pure sages that end up conforming to the system. On the other hand, one cannot be a pure radical for obvious, psychological, surface reasons. The lunatic is the bull horn man, shouting on the street about hell and damnation, God's anger and how no one will ever be good enough, about the need for forgiveness and change. He is "A person who society views as insane, because insanity has become the cultural norm." He is the only hope to see change in the factory, even if it is small, even if it only affects a few people. He takes the road less travelled and it makes all the difference, although it cannot be seen or measured, for students, faculty, parents, and the community alike. A 100% Mr. Spencer Sage would not let his students focus on deep questions, service projects, murals, and documentaries, but a 100% Mr. Spencer Lunatic would not have the reason to still focus on state and test standards- building concrete knowledge to advance in school.
Other meaningful notes and thoughts gathered from Sages and Lunatics:
Ch 1
Spencer's Main Goal: to look beyond facts, steps, and formulas to find what makes educating "successful," engaging, lasting, and authentic.
Ch 2
Silverscreen teachers= fireworks (bright, attention getting, temporary)
Meaningful teachers= campfire ("silent warmth and creating a place where we could share our story together;" "genuinely impacts a small number of people for a longer period of time")
Brad the Philosopher:
-to Americans, our jobs define who we are. why is it not the opposite? focus on teaching as a vocation, not a career
- Professor / Professional: those who
Goal of education:" to learn an identity"
St. John: A Special Education teacher. Be like him. Learn not to just hear, but to listen. Not to look, but to see.
Quinn the Business Bohemian: the guitar hero way vs. the authentic way of making music; the fallacy you are doing the real thing
Ch 3
Javier the Hippie- my favorite "character:"
-"they create a model and then they try to fit others into it rather than letting it grow organically. And they do it because they are scared of what might happen if something different fails. It's pride, but it's also good intentions. That's what makes it so hard. Some of the nicest people are involved in ruining education and they don't even know it."
Ch 5
Assertion that gaining students' trust is more important than any reward system
Ch 6
What do you want to
Goal of education: to get a better job
> assumes we live in a progressive society that is always improving
-to make one more ethical
> many of al-Qaeda, Nazi Party, Bolshevik Revolutionaries and the Apartheid in S. Africa all had higher education
> many of the greatest revolutions were led by the poor and uneducated
-to lead to a larger world view and help with the acquisition of wisdom
-to become educado
-"to gain wisdom in order to love people well"
Ch 7
Our history and any other textbooks are safe- racially, politically, etc. They all favor the white people, the "heroes"
Ch 9
Did "educate" come from educere: to draw out ("to tap into a person's intrinsic motivation")
or educare: to nurture, provide, and train
or both.
Ch 10
Mr. Spencer listens to Sufjan Stevens! He wants to teach by Sufjan's living philosophy and its manifestation in his music!!
Ch 11
How did text, IM, email, and skype become verbs?
Teachers using technology for the class's entertainment. SO TRUE
Technology is not a tool. A tool denotes physical work, effort, and hands-on problem solving
*Humans shape technology, but it also shapes us*
Utmost, is a loss of community.
In a technology based class, the teacher becomes the facilitator, not an educator.
"We have to go on vacations to see nature." How sad.
Ch 13
comparing students to record- not able to skip over the bad songs, but also not able to repeat the good ones.
- No "favorites CDs"
or American Idol Contestants vying for even the smallest ounce of attention
Metaphorically Speaking
Some things are just too big to understand. Whether it is the meaning of life or explaining a computer program to a grandmother, straightforward explanations do not always suffice. Metaphors are used in everyday conversation, but most commonly recognized in literature. It is using a simple, comprehendible object/ action to represent something more meaningful. Metaphors are like similes, which compare two things using "like" or "as," but in a metaphor, the second of the two things is usually something deeper. An author would not say a house of crystal is "like" the fragility of life and what separates him/her from being a part of the outside world, but leave readers to assume. Imagine. (Example from "Yo en el Fondo del Mar- Alfonsina Storni). Metaphors are essential in poetry because there is no room for eloquence and explanation in poetry. A metaphor can evoke emotions and ideas that describing a situation cannot. Also, even if an author has an intended meaning for a metaphor, readers can interpret it countless different ways, whether for a class assignment or to actually make it relevant to his/her own life and how it should be lived.
Metaphors are also used in history and science to describe events and processes that are no longer relevant in our time. People in the United States are not able to sympathize with victims of the Pakistan Flood unless the comparison is made to a event like Hurricane Katrina. No one actually knows what happened when the Hun's conquered millions of miles and people, so historians must compare it to what they know and see in the world today. Similarly, metaphors are essential for occurrences out of our reach. I just learned about black holes in my astronomy class, but no one or thing has ever been in (and more importantly back out of) a black hole, so astronomers must compare it to what they can measure, like canyons on earth to measure how light acts when an object is falling into a black hole.
Metaphors are also used for events that should or cannot be described, such as death and life. Upon a person's death, 99 out of 100 times someone will say that he/she has gone to a "better place," but what does that actually mean? "Life is like a box of chocolates." Someone's "soul-" if it's there or gone, in life or death, or if it is in 7 different horcruxes. Metaphors give more meaning, feeling, imagination, and creativity to someone/event/thing/idea than any sequence of words.
Metaphors are also used in history and science to describe events and processes that are no longer relevant in our time. People in the United States are not able to sympathize with victims of the Pakistan Flood unless the comparison is made to a event like Hurricane Katrina. No one actually knows what happened when the Hun's conquered millions of miles and people, so historians must compare it to what they know and see in the world today. Similarly, metaphors are essential for occurrences out of our reach. I just learned about black holes in my astronomy class, but no one or thing has ever been in (and more importantly back out of) a black hole, so astronomers must compare it to what they can measure, like canyons on earth to measure how light acts when an object is falling into a black hole.
Metaphors are also used for events that should or cannot be described, such as death and life. Upon a person's death, 99 out of 100 times someone will say that he/she has gone to a "better place," but what does that actually mean? "Life is like a box of chocolates." Someone's "soul-" if it's there or gone, in life or death, or if it is in 7 different horcruxes. Metaphors give more meaning, feeling, imagination, and creativity to someone/event/thing/idea than any sequence of words.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Blog OneTwo(ThreeFourFive)
This proposed blog post will propose homework not only for the students, but also for Dr. Strange (current current events, well, won't be current by next year!)
Blog Post 12:
Events and movements are happening in the world that affect the teaching world, but the connection is rarely made between the event and the teachers. Everyone knows what the OccupyWallStreet movement is, but how is it related to you as a teacher?
Read this article about how teachers are getting involved and the movement's influence on education.
Explore this resource from the New York Times learning network.
Write a post about: how current events (in general, but using OccupyWallStreet as an example) are beneficial in the classroom; how you think the OccupyWallStreet movement is actually affecting the education system, if at all; and create a lesson (different than the New York Times example) to teach your students about the movement.
The website where the first link came from is completely and overly fascinating in itself. I would advise everyone, not only for the class, to explore it and add it to your PLN!
For example, this article relates directly to what we have been learning in EDM310!
Blog Post 12:
Events and movements are happening in the world that affect the teaching world, but the connection is rarely made between the event and the teachers. Everyone knows what the OccupyWallStreet movement is, but how is it related to you as a teacher?
Read this article about how teachers are getting involved and the movement's influence on education.
Explore this resource from the New York Times learning network.
Write a post about: how current events (in general, but using OccupyWallStreet as an example) are beneficial in the classroom; how you think the OccupyWallStreet movement is actually affecting the education system, if at all; and create a lesson (different than the New York Times example) to teach your students about the movement.
The website where the first link came from is completely and overly fascinating in itself. I would advise everyone, not only for the class, to explore it and add it to your PLN!
For example, this article relates directly to what we have been learning in EDM310!
Mrs. Yollis' Magnificent Blog
Mrs. Yollis has incorporated so many projects and aspects into her blog, it is difficult to find everything! Some of the widgets on the right hand side are interesting. Personally, I like the joke of the day, but also, it was really neat to see myself and my activities come up on her Live Activity Feed. I saw a comment somewhere along the way from one of her past students now in junior high that her Blogging elective class (who would've thought that would ever exist!) use Mrs. Yollis' blog as a template for their own and for ideas of widgets to download.
Mrs. Yollis also seems like a fascinating person. Because of her hard work and diligence toward teaching, she has gotten the opportunity to see and attend some incredible things- like the Google conference. And, she got to talk with National Geographic (obviously my favorite magazine) and their educational programs. Jealous! Also, she shares my love of traveling. I hope to maybe speak with her sometime about her teaching experience in Spain because I, too, hope to teach overseas in a few years. I have taken many Spanish courses, ( I also translated her blog into Spanish for the entire time I was exploring!) and have been curious of the difference of teaching/being in Spain versus South America.
A few things that stood out to me in particular were her 365- A photo a day section. I have always wanted to do that, but I guess it would be a lot easier if you had an entire class to help you out! In addition, her global connections in general are amazing (especially her close relations to the school in Australia) but the collaboration in the Ugandan Global Project stood out the most. Schools from China, Australia, and California got together to raise money for a school in Uganda. I am sure through that project, the students were able to learn an enormous amount about each of the different countries involved ( for example, each school posted about their currency and how it compares to the other countries).
Such interesting ideas. Lots to think about and consider for my own classroom!
Mrs. Yollis also seems like a fascinating person. Because of her hard work and diligence toward teaching, she has gotten the opportunity to see and attend some incredible things- like the Google conference. And, she got to talk with National Geographic (obviously my favorite magazine) and their educational programs. Jealous! Also, she shares my love of traveling. I hope to maybe speak with her sometime about her teaching experience in Spain because I, too, hope to teach overseas in a few years. I have taken many Spanish courses, ( I also translated her blog into Spanish for the entire time I was exploring!) and have been curious of the difference of teaching/being in Spain versus South America.
A few things that stood out to me in particular were her 365- A photo a day section. I have always wanted to do that, but I guess it would be a lot easier if you had an entire class to help you out! In addition, her global connections in general are amazing (especially her close relations to the school in Australia) but the collaboration in the Ugandan Global Project stood out the most. Schools from China, Australia, and California got together to raise money for a school in Uganda. I am sure through that project, the students were able to learn an enormous amount about each of the different countries involved ( for example, each school posted about their currency and how it compares to the other countries).
Such interesting ideas. Lots to think about and consider for my own classroom!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Blog Eleven Eleven Eleven
I cannot get over the fact that those students will graduate in 2025. That really truly blows my mind.
Ms. Cassidy definitely sounds like an extremely creative and inspiring teacher. Her kids are cute, which I think would make teaching them easier. Also harder, because with me, they could get by with a lot more with a good puppy face. I still have not really decided how I feel about her ideas for blogs in the classroom. I think that I will try to find something similar in my own classroom, for a few reasons. 1. I think that kids get really excited if they can see that people all over the world get to see what they can do. They get attention, and THEY'RE FAMOUS! 1 1/2. I also think that children would benefit a world if they can give and receive feedback from other students and adults all over the world (using Wiki) to answer their own questions and classroom work. 2. I think that it is so very helpful that the students can check up on their own work and parents can see what is going on in the class if it is all online. No more forgotten flyers, homework, or books left at school. Because I hope to work in a low-income, rural area, Ms. Cassidy has inspired me that grants and federal funding can be earned with a little knowledge and a lot of motivation. She is a neat lady. I think that her students will learn that anything is possible, how to use technology responsibly, and how to find their own resources, through their own learning and exploring.
I am also really glad that Ms. Cassidy said she doesn't use technology much personally. Or something she is particularly interested in for herself. She cares more about the students and preparing them for their own lives. I think this is how it should be.
Ms. Cassidy definitely sounds like an extremely creative and inspiring teacher. Her kids are cute, which I think would make teaching them easier. Also harder, because with me, they could get by with a lot more with a good puppy face. I still have not really decided how I feel about her ideas for blogs in the classroom. I think that I will try to find something similar in my own classroom, for a few reasons. 1. I think that kids get really excited if they can see that people all over the world get to see what they can do. They get attention, and THEY'RE FAMOUS! 1 1/2. I also think that children would benefit a world if they can give and receive feedback from other students and adults all over the world (using Wiki) to answer their own questions and classroom work. 2. I think that it is so very helpful that the students can check up on their own work and parents can see what is going on in the class if it is all online. No more forgotten flyers, homework, or books left at school. Because I hope to work in a low-income, rural area, Ms. Cassidy has inspired me that grants and federal funding can be earned with a little knowledge and a lot of motivation. She is a neat lady. I think that her students will learn that anything is possible, how to use technology responsibly, and how to find their own resources, through their own learning and exploring.
I am also really glad that Ms. Cassidy said she doesn't use technology much personally. Or something she is particularly interested in for herself. She cares more about the students and preparing them for their own lives. I think this is how it should be.
Cee for Kay- October
October 23 My Comment of Sergio's blog post on "Mood and Setting" in Mrs. C's Grade 8 6th Hour Class:
Hi Sergio! I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a class for future teachers called EDM310. I really like your blog! I think my favorite quote you have posted is the one by Michael Jordan, but the sharks are very neat as well! I thought this post was very suspenseful, even though it was short. I really liked your description of the sky. Keep up the good work!
October 30 My Comment on Vivienne's blog post in Room 17 Year 6 Pt England School's blog about albatrosses' predators.
Vivienne, that was so interesting!
I did not know much about albatrosses before. I am a college student in Alabama, so I have definitely never seen one either! It sounds like rangers have an important role in protecting the birds all throughout their lifecycle. You did a very nice job as well using Google presentations! Keep up the good work!
November 6 I posted on Mr. McClung's Classroom blog. It was a very short post about how his students were finishing learning about the Renaissance and the Age of Great Monarchs. Which is ironic- I just finished learning the same things in my history class! There was also a really neat diagram his students made relating learning and enjoyment. It was just too bad I could not really read it.
Hi Sergio! I am a student at the University of South Alabama in a class for future teachers called EDM310. I really like your blog! I think my favorite quote you have posted is the one by Michael Jordan, but the sharks are very neat as well! I thought this post was very suspenseful, even though it was short. I really liked your description of the sky. Keep up the good work!
October 30 My Comment on Vivienne's blog post in Room 17 Year 6 Pt England School's blog about albatrosses' predators.
Vivienne, that was so interesting!
I did not know much about albatrosses before. I am a college student in Alabama, so I have definitely never seen one either! It sounds like rangers have an important role in protecting the birds all throughout their lifecycle. You did a very nice job as well using Google presentations! Keep up the good work!
November 6 I posted on Mr. McClung's Classroom blog. It was a very short post about how his students were finishing learning about the Renaissance and the Age of Great Monarchs. Which is ironic- I just finished learning the same things in my history class! There was also a really neat diagram his students made relating learning and enjoyment. It was just too bad I could not really read it.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Si Por Ti Tres.
The Principal's Principles
Post Number 1:
My Comment:
Mr. Bernia,
I am a Student at the University of South Alabama studying to be a Special Education teacher. I really enjoyed your post for that reason, knowing that leadership and addressing bullying in that context will be essential for my students. Also, I was just talking to my 9 and 12 year old cousins yesterday about bullying, so I can see how all of the little different initiatives your school is taking would be very helpful to a lot of students!
Defining the line between stepping back while others incorporate their own ideas and removing yourself from the situation has always been something I need work on as a leader. Sometimes it seems like it's either "all in" or "let them work, and maybe I'll just jump back in at the end." It is definitely an important lesson to remember as I begin teaching, and for any other leadership role in life, so Thank You!
Post Number 2:
Mr. Bernia's post began with a quote, outlining the importance of teachers as the deciding factor of the environment in their classroom. He followed by noting his realized importance to teachers, faculty, and students in his school and how important it is to be an authoritative figure with the ability to correct, but also have compassion- not forgetting their humanity.
My Comment:
Mr. Bernia,
I really enjoyed this post. As I am looking forward to my future career as a teacher, I can imagine that it can be very difficult for you as a principal (and will be for me as a teacher as well) not to get caught up in what you are doing and the whole scheme of things, forgetting the little things, teachers as people, and students as children. The last line in the poem, “a child humanized or de-humanized” stood out to me in particular. My wish is to teach solely special education, so I think this line will have tremendous meaning later to me, my students, and how they are treated by the world (school) around them. Thank you for your inspiring and thought provoking…thoughts? I hope that you keep up your positive outlook and great influence on your school!
Post Number 1:
My Comment:
Mr. Bernia,
I am a Student at the University of South Alabama studying to be a Special Education teacher. I really enjoyed your post for that reason, knowing that leadership and addressing bullying in that context will be essential for my students. Also, I was just talking to my 9 and 12 year old cousins yesterday about bullying, so I can see how all of the little different initiatives your school is taking would be very helpful to a lot of students!
Defining the line between stepping back while others incorporate their own ideas and removing yourself from the situation has always been something I need work on as a leader. Sometimes it seems like it's either "all in" or "let them work, and maybe I'll just jump back in at the end." It is definitely an important lesson to remember as I begin teaching, and for any other leadership role in life, so Thank You!
Post Number 2:
Mr. Bernia's post began with a quote, outlining the importance of teachers as the deciding factor of the environment in their classroom. He followed by noting his realized importance to teachers, faculty, and students in his school and how important it is to be an authoritative figure with the ability to correct, but also have compassion- not forgetting their humanity.
My Comment:
Mr. Bernia,
I really enjoyed this post. As I am looking forward to my future career as a teacher, I can imagine that it can be very difficult for you as a principal (and will be for me as a teacher as well) not to get caught up in what you are doing and the whole scheme of things, forgetting the little things, teachers as people, and students as children. The last line in the poem, “a child humanized or de-humanized” stood out to me in particular. My wish is to teach solely special education, so I think this line will have tremendous meaning later to me, my students, and how they are treated by the world (school) around them. Thank you for your inspiring and thought provoking…thoughts? I hope that you keep up your positive outlook and great influence on your school!
Blog Juu (+)
Do you Teach or Do you Educate?
Before watching this video, I had never really thought about the difference between teaching and educating. Truthfully, I had assumed that "teaching" was going to be the better of the two options they presented. But, I guess the dictionary knows best. After watching the video, I still do not really see the flaws in "teaching." The definitions the video presented use the words explain, encourage, induce, and cause learning and understanding. Although they are not as eccentric or action driven as "illuminate, inspire, enlighten, or empower," I believe that the qualities of teaching are an essential basis for educating.
I really liked the quote in the video, "Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave." Although, truthfully, I do not really understand it. So, maybe just because it is thought provoking. As a result of my own thought and experience, I would argue that education makes a people easy to drive, but the rest extremely difficult. I was talking to a friend yesterday about a documentary she had seen involving prostitution and the sex slave trade all over Asia and Europe. She told me about the organizations trying to save these girls, and give them an education, but their current lives have led them to believe that education will not help them or bring them more money or honor. They are easier to lead and govern because they do not know any different.
According to the video, I intend to educate AND teach because I believe that my role is to lead the way for my students to create and be creative ("educate"), but first I must give them the tools to understand and learn how to get there ("teaching").
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
Mr. Spencer's blog is incredibly, fascinatingly metaphorical. It would prove very difficult to interpret his postings and deem another's analysis wrong. In that context, rather than technology, I believe Mr. Spencer's direction is towards the attitude of learning. In "Don't let them take the pencils home," Gertrude's argument of education is that it should be solely informationally based. After all, better test scores get the schools more funding and the children a better chance of receiving scholarships and getting in to college- the image and indicator of success, right?
I appreciate how Tom emphasizes low-income areas and parents. If the opportunities are not readily available in an area, and classrooms don't have Smartboards and Macs for every student to take home, let alone textbooks from the century, libraries, or science labs, they don't know any different. Tom notes how these students in low-income areas think pencils are for entertainment. If someone has never been shown an effective way to approach learning or use a computer for educational purposes, I do not think a school system could expect any different. I pointed out in an earlier blog post for the iSchool Initiative the likeliness that students would use their iTouches to play games and for entertainment while the teacher is teaching- this is what Tom is talking about.
The parent aspect Tom points out, I believe, is the most important target to changing attitudes about education. If school systems do not teach the parents as well as the students about new initiatives and programs, they are of no help to their students. I remember time again where I would ask my mother for help on a school project, and she would help!, but it would not be on the track the teacher wanted us to take, therefore, it was wrong. Also, if parents were never interested in school, attended college, or were engaged in the idea of learning at all, it is most difficult to pass those traits, in a positive sense, down to their children. I think Tom realizes this.
The passage from Spencer's post, "Are Pencils Making Us Narcissistic?" stood out to me in particular:
""Look, I see your point. Maybe we have that conversation with kids. Maybe we ask them if they feel the pressure to perform when they have a larger audience. And maybe that's the issue. Maybe we keep saying 'audience' rather than 'community,' and so our words are framing our mindset," Mr. Brown adds.
Narcissists aren't always the loudest ones out there and loud people aren't always narcissists. My father had a strong voice. He spoke up loudly in defense of the one-room schoolhouse when the town considered closing it down and letting students walk a few more mile to go the opposite direction. When we moved to the city, he wrote letters to the editor regarding worker's rights and factory conditions. He wrote letters to friends throughout his informal social network, sharing stories about our family. But his voice was humble. It was earthy.
The issue isn't the technology we use, but the tone of voice that matters."
It's all about addressing the children and why they think a certain way, not about what the school is or isn't doing wrong. The people that are going to make change about attitudes towards learning are not necessarily the principals or faculty as a whole. It could take someone as simple as a single teacher, one person from the community, or another student for other students to change themselves. The last line of the passage seems to emphasize my interpretation of Tom addressing attitudes toward learning rather than solely technology. It is not what is being taught, "but the tone of voice that matters."
Before watching this video, I had never really thought about the difference between teaching and educating. Truthfully, I had assumed that "teaching" was going to be the better of the two options they presented. But, I guess the dictionary knows best. After watching the video, I still do not really see the flaws in "teaching." The definitions the video presented use the words explain, encourage, induce, and cause learning and understanding. Although they are not as eccentric or action driven as "illuminate, inspire, enlighten, or empower," I believe that the qualities of teaching are an essential basis for educating.
I really liked the quote in the video, "Education makes a people easy to lead, but difficult to drive; easy to govern, but impossible to enslave." Although, truthfully, I do not really understand it. So, maybe just because it is thought provoking. As a result of my own thought and experience, I would argue that education makes a people easy to drive, but the rest extremely difficult. I was talking to a friend yesterday about a documentary she had seen involving prostitution and the sex slave trade all over Asia and Europe. She told me about the organizations trying to save these girls, and give them an education, but their current lives have led them to believe that education will not help them or bring them more money or honor. They are easier to lead and govern because they do not know any different.
According to the video, I intend to educate AND teach because I believe that my role is to lead the way for my students to create and be creative ("educate"), but first I must give them the tools to understand and learn how to get there ("teaching").
Don't Let Them Take Pencils Home
Mr. Spencer's blog is incredibly, fascinatingly metaphorical. It would prove very difficult to interpret his postings and deem another's analysis wrong. In that context, rather than technology, I believe Mr. Spencer's direction is towards the attitude of learning. In "Don't let them take the pencils home," Gertrude's argument of education is that it should be solely informationally based. After all, better test scores get the schools more funding and the children a better chance of receiving scholarships and getting in to college- the image and indicator of success, right?
I appreciate how Tom emphasizes low-income areas and parents. If the opportunities are not readily available in an area, and classrooms don't have Smartboards and Macs for every student to take home, let alone textbooks from the century, libraries, or science labs, they don't know any different. Tom notes how these students in low-income areas think pencils are for entertainment. If someone has never been shown an effective way to approach learning or use a computer for educational purposes, I do not think a school system could expect any different. I pointed out in an earlier blog post for the iSchool Initiative the likeliness that students would use their iTouches to play games and for entertainment while the teacher is teaching- this is what Tom is talking about.
The parent aspect Tom points out, I believe, is the most important target to changing attitudes about education. If school systems do not teach the parents as well as the students about new initiatives and programs, they are of no help to their students. I remember time again where I would ask my mother for help on a school project, and she would help!, but it would not be on the track the teacher wanted us to take, therefore, it was wrong. Also, if parents were never interested in school, attended college, or were engaged in the idea of learning at all, it is most difficult to pass those traits, in a positive sense, down to their children. I think Tom realizes this.
The passage from Spencer's post, "Are Pencils Making Us Narcissistic?" stood out to me in particular:
""Look, I see your point. Maybe we have that conversation with kids. Maybe we ask them if they feel the pressure to perform when they have a larger audience. And maybe that's the issue. Maybe we keep saying 'audience' rather than 'community,' and so our words are framing our mindset," Mr. Brown adds.
Narcissists aren't always the loudest ones out there and loud people aren't always narcissists. My father had a strong voice. He spoke up loudly in defense of the one-room schoolhouse when the town considered closing it down and letting students walk a few more mile to go the opposite direction. When we moved to the city, he wrote letters to the editor regarding worker's rights and factory conditions. He wrote letters to friends throughout his informal social network, sharing stories about our family. But his voice was humble. It was earthy.
The issue isn't the technology we use, but the tone of voice that matters."
It's all about addressing the children and why they think a certain way, not about what the school is or isn't doing wrong. The people that are going to make change about attitudes towards learning are not necessarily the principals or faculty as a whole. It could take someone as simple as a single teacher, one person from the community, or another student for other students to change themselves. The last line of the passage seems to emphasize my interpretation of Tom addressing attitudes toward learning rather than solely technology. It is not what is being taught, "but the tone of voice that matters."
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Blog Nein
Mr. McClung Lessons Learned 2008-2009
It seems quite obvious that anyone's first year of teaching will be a tremendous learning experience and will turn many expectations upside down. However, I think it is a rare teacher that takes the time to realize, put down in writing, and reflect on just what those expectations were and how they've changed. Thus, I really enjoyed Mr. McClung's synapsis of his first year of teaching. I think his first point of being more worried about pleasing administration and meeting requirements is a worry that I, too, will have. Not only his reminder of staying "audience-driven" will be very important, but I think it also connects extremely well with his further point of actually listening to the students. Rather than stressing the importance of using technology or diminishing experienced teachers for not knowing how to use certain computer programs, I am grateful for his suggestion just to try it out, and not be afraid.
Mr. McClung Lessons Learned 2010-2011
McClung's first point, "Know Who Your Boss Is," is almost identical to his first point two years previous. Not a surprise, but it helped me to realize that however meaningful these lessons learned are, they are just as easy to forget and fall back into old ways of doing things. I have experienced McClung's second point of optimism and not expecting others to be as excited and flexible about change in my life. At UAB, my advisors were not willing to help me incorporate my honors program, study abroad, or the possibility; this summer, after canceling the Special Education program, nor advisors, directors, or deans were willing to put in the effort to work anything out so that I could stay in Birmingham. I can also see how McClung's situation is more difficult than it may sound.
It only takes so long for a light in a room of darkness to be dimmed.
However, I really hope that Mr. McClung, myself, and all enthusiastic, unique teachers can retain their confidence and never forget the difference they are making.
It seems quite obvious that anyone's first year of teaching will be a tremendous learning experience and will turn many expectations upside down. However, I think it is a rare teacher that takes the time to realize, put down in writing, and reflect on just what those expectations were and how they've changed. Thus, I really enjoyed Mr. McClung's synapsis of his first year of teaching. I think his first point of being more worried about pleasing administration and meeting requirements is a worry that I, too, will have. Not only his reminder of staying "audience-driven" will be very important, but I think it also connects extremely well with his further point of actually listening to the students. Rather than stressing the importance of using technology or diminishing experienced teachers for not knowing how to use certain computer programs, I am grateful for his suggestion just to try it out, and not be afraid.
Mr. McClung Lessons Learned 2010-2011
McClung's first point, "Know Who Your Boss Is," is almost identical to his first point two years previous. Not a surprise, but it helped me to realize that however meaningful these lessons learned are, they are just as easy to forget and fall back into old ways of doing things. I have experienced McClung's second point of optimism and not expecting others to be as excited and flexible about change in my life. At UAB, my advisors were not willing to help me incorporate my honors program, study abroad, or the possibility; this summer, after canceling the Special Education program, nor advisors, directors, or deans were willing to put in the effort to work anything out so that I could stay in Birmingham. I can also see how McClung's situation is more difficult than it may sound.
It only takes so long for a light in a room of darkness to be dimmed.
However, I really hope that Mr. McClung, myself, and all enthusiastic, unique teachers can retain their confidence and never forget the difference they are making.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Blog Ate
Richard Miller- This is How We Dream
The idea behind Miller's video is fascinating. As a student in Western Civilizations 1500-Present, I cannot help but compare his philosophy to the Enlightenment in the 18th Century. Just perhaps in a little bit different context. The "digital environment."
In the Part 1 I liked how he added sound clips and resources from many different sources all over the website. It makes his point much more reachable to a wider audience. If everything can be found in one location on a certain topic, and interesting, people will be much more likely to read it and look deeper than just pictures. Miller shows how easy it can be to not only bring information together but connect it. The amount of time and research he put into making the video is very evident, showing in the overall quality of the video.
I had never really thought of the whole technology-learning idea of moving from a print based to moving image based learning environment. It kind of makes the plan a little more appealing to me, although I admit I will never let go of my books and paper. And I am one of the biggest environmentalists I know, so the whole saving trees/paper isn't a productive counterpoint. It saves endless electricity, eyesight problems, arthritis, and headaches. However, I do agree with Miller in his philosophy that "ideas don't belong to us individually, but as a culture." And there is no arguing that technology has made our world leagues smaller and learning globally as easy as talking to a neighbor. It is the most popular and quickest way of getting ideas to a greater population. Although I believe that there is no other way to know a different culture/way of life than going to that far off country and living and forming relationships with the people there, I cannot argue that technology has made means of getting there and knowing what/who to see once you get there easier than previous generations could have imagined. I'll close with Miller's quote because I think Enlightenment thinkers from the 18th Century and today know exactly what he means when he says, "how could we not be interested in this attempt to make sense at the world we live in?" Even though reason can only take us so far and our brains can only hold so much knowledge, it is the experience of learning that makes all the difference.
Carly Pugh Blog Post #12
I do not think there is any question that this would be an effective assignment for this class. It allows students to evaluate themselves as future educators but also reflect upon why he/she thinks that way. It focuses on creativity. However, it also causes students to review what we have already seen in the class (#8) and build off of it. It may take a little more time to put together, but if the student does not only google key words and use the #1 match, I think it would be very effective from the viewpoint of the EDM310 syllabus.
The Chipper Series was a video done by an EDM310 student, starring Dr. Strange (as himself, of course) to show the benefits of overcoming challenging course work and sticking with a class, or in Chipper's case, school in general. Procrastinating and taking short cuts left her jobless on multiple occasions, even from jobs anybody should be able to maintain. The plot was a little outrageous and I did not particularly agree with the point of 'stay in school or you'll be jobless, poor, and dumb.' But nevertheless, maybe some people need that reminder, no matter how ridiculous.
EDM for Dummies was a "book" advertisement for people extremely frustrated with the class. I think the idea might be useful, but mainly only for students who give up on trying to learn for themselves, and expect the teacher to show them everything (like Chipper said!).
I really cannot think of any videos I would like to create. I'm truthfully not sure what it is supposed to be about. I think I would like for it to be about exploring, nature, and the faces and beauty in our community. Maybe something like this...
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I am a complete supporter of the claim made that children learn so much more from their experiences and environment than from a school. Looking at my past, I think I have learned more from community service and what a woman calls a "community system" than from anything in school. Children need to learn what is useful in living in our society, not only traditional school subjects. However, I do not believe that this means we need to get rid of these subjects altogether. I also like how every contributor in the video stresses the need for a new learning environment, namely one that is more globally based, but nearly none use the word "technology" anywhere. Yes! At least referring to technology as only computer-based... but if they did refer to it, it was focused towards changing methods and ideology.
Instead of new computer programs and blah
blah
blah
children need to learn to be creative and really, how to learn and develop a desire for knowledge on their own. In all truth, I guess that's why I hate school (although I love learning more than everyone I know, except my grandpa).
And being on the computer (mostly due to edm)
...but only because I could be out in the world learningggg so much more from real people instead.
Greatest endearing to the man who says the way our schools should be means the "Death of education, but it is the dawn of learning."
The idea behind Miller's video is fascinating. As a student in Western Civilizations 1500-Present, I cannot help but compare his philosophy to the Enlightenment in the 18th Century. Just perhaps in a little bit different context. The "digital environment."
In the Part 1 I liked how he added sound clips and resources from many different sources all over the website. It makes his point much more reachable to a wider audience. If everything can be found in one location on a certain topic, and interesting, people will be much more likely to read it and look deeper than just pictures. Miller shows how easy it can be to not only bring information together but connect it. The amount of time and research he put into making the video is very evident, showing in the overall quality of the video.
I had never really thought of the whole technology-learning idea of moving from a print based to moving image based learning environment. It kind of makes the plan a little more appealing to me, although I admit I will never let go of my books and paper. And I am one of the biggest environmentalists I know, so the whole saving trees/paper isn't a productive counterpoint. It saves endless electricity, eyesight problems, arthritis, and headaches. However, I do agree with Miller in his philosophy that "ideas don't belong to us individually, but as a culture." And there is no arguing that technology has made our world leagues smaller and learning globally as easy as talking to a neighbor. It is the most popular and quickest way of getting ideas to a greater population. Although I believe that there is no other way to know a different culture/way of life than going to that far off country and living and forming relationships with the people there, I cannot argue that technology has made means of getting there and knowing what/who to see once you get there easier than previous generations could have imagined. I'll close with Miller's quote because I think Enlightenment thinkers from the 18th Century and today know exactly what he means when he says, "how could we not be interested in this attempt to make sense at the world we live in?" Even though reason can only take us so far and our brains can only hold so much knowledge, it is the experience of learning that makes all the difference.
Carly Pugh Blog Post #12
I do not think there is any question that this would be an effective assignment for this class. It allows students to evaluate themselves as future educators but also reflect upon why he/she thinks that way. It focuses on creativity. However, it also causes students to review what we have already seen in the class (#8) and build off of it. It may take a little more time to put together, but if the student does not only google key words and use the #1 match, I think it would be very effective from the viewpoint of the EDM310 syllabus.
The Chipper Series was a video done by an EDM310 student, starring Dr. Strange (as himself, of course) to show the benefits of overcoming challenging course work and sticking with a class, or in Chipper's case, school in general. Procrastinating and taking short cuts left her jobless on multiple occasions, even from jobs anybody should be able to maintain. The plot was a little outrageous and I did not particularly agree with the point of 'stay in school or you'll be jobless, poor, and dumb.' But nevertheless, maybe some people need that reminder, no matter how ridiculous.
EDM for Dummies was a "book" advertisement for people extremely frustrated with the class. I think the idea might be useful, but mainly only for students who give up on trying to learn for themselves, and expect the teacher to show them everything (like Chipper said!).
I really cannot think of any videos I would like to create. I'm truthfully not sure what it is supposed to be about. I think I would like for it to be about exploring, nature, and the faces and beauty in our community. Maybe something like this...
LEARN from Rick Mereki on Vimeo.
Learn to Change, Change to Learn
I am a complete supporter of the claim made that children learn so much more from their experiences and environment than from a school. Looking at my past, I think I have learned more from community service and what a woman calls a "community system" than from anything in school. Children need to learn what is useful in living in our society, not only traditional school subjects. However, I do not believe that this means we need to get rid of these subjects altogether. I also like how every contributor in the video stresses the need for a new learning environment, namely one that is more globally based, but nearly none use the word "technology" anywhere. Yes! At least referring to technology as only computer-based... but if they did refer to it, it was focused towards changing methods and ideology.
Instead of new computer programs and blah
blah
blah
children need to learn to be creative and really, how to learn and develop a desire for knowledge on their own. In all truth, I guess that's why I hate school (although I love learning more than everyone I know, except my grandpa).
And being on the computer (mostly due to edm)
...but only because I could be out in the world learningggg so much more from real people instead.
Greatest endearing to the man who says the way our schools should be means the "Death of education, but it is the dawn of learning."
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
PLN Progress
I have chosen to use Symbaloo to organize my PLN. I have kept a few of the default bookmarks, such as Google's mail, translate, maps, and images; a few online shopping bookmarks; sports; news; and the social networking sites I use. Next, I began to add tools we have used in the class: YouTube, Wordle, Delicious, Blogger, and TimeToaster. I have added videos we watched for blog posts: Sir Ken Robinson, 29 Ways to Stay Creative, Learn (both from C4T assignments), and How to Be a Teacher in the 21st Century. I have added related topics from my C4T and K projects, mainly GoodReads.com. Also, I have added the teachers I was assigned to for C4T: WhatEdSaid, PonderingPaige, and InquireWithin and am beginning to use them to network and find other teachers with similar teaching philosophies.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
Blog Sheva
Randy Pausch: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams
I really admire Pausch's communication skills. He has great ideas and knows how to present them in an intriguing way. His personal stories also add a lot to the lecture. I watched this lecture in my AP Psychology class in high school, but I did not realize how much I had forgotten. I think that Pausch's story, although inspirational, got blown out of proportion. Not everyone who finds out they are going to die is in denial and pessimistic, and Randy Pausch is not the only person who has made a positive impact on the lives of others because of his diagnosis.
Setting aside his pride, I think his ploy of presenting his lecture as a parallel of fulfilling childhood dreams is very relatable. His enthusiasm (an important idea he notes!) also lets listeners realize that dreams don't have to disappear just because we grow up. A similar point I sometimes struggle with is having specific dreams. But then again, following the wind also has its benefits. Especially when you consider the quote he incorporates, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." Oh boy have I learned this moving 700 miles away from my parents to go to college and thought it would be easy.
I guess then, it wouldn't be much of a surprise that my favorite suggestion Pausch presents is for freedom. Not only allowing breaking of the mold, but the forming of new molds future generations can learn to break. Freedom is not easy to harness, but the results are always worth it. I spent many, many an afternoon last year looking over Birmingham from the top of Red Mountain wondering where my dreams could take me, why they brought me to a city as ugly as Birmingham (luckily that mindset changed), and just how far freedom could take me. I will admit, running away crossed my mind more than once. Who knows where to. Just away. To be free.
I can't agree more with Pausch's pleading to be full of life. I heard a quote the other day that said "everyone dies, but not everyone lives." I think Pausch understands this, and had role models in his mentors, parents, and students to show him how. I hope the tigger in me is apparent and my inability to be content.
Truthfulness
Respecting authority, while being able to question it
Loyalty
and Humility
are also qualities Pausch brought up that are so important to me.
To me, one's ability to be sincere and authentic are the real keys to happiness, success, and sharing life with others.
I really admire Pausch's communication skills. He has great ideas and knows how to present them in an intriguing way. His personal stories also add a lot to the lecture. I watched this lecture in my AP Psychology class in high school, but I did not realize how much I had forgotten. I think that Pausch's story, although inspirational, got blown out of proportion. Not everyone who finds out they are going to die is in denial and pessimistic, and Randy Pausch is not the only person who has made a positive impact on the lives of others because of his diagnosis.
Setting aside his pride, I think his ploy of presenting his lecture as a parallel of fulfilling childhood dreams is very relatable. His enthusiasm (an important idea he notes!) also lets listeners realize that dreams don't have to disappear just because we grow up. A similar point I sometimes struggle with is having specific dreams. But then again, following the wind also has its benefits. Especially when you consider the quote he incorporates, "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." Oh boy have I learned this moving 700 miles away from my parents to go to college and thought it would be easy.
I guess then, it wouldn't be much of a surprise that my favorite suggestion Pausch presents is for freedom. Not only allowing breaking of the mold, but the forming of new molds future generations can learn to break. Freedom is not easy to harness, but the results are always worth it. I spent many, many an afternoon last year looking over Birmingham from the top of Red Mountain wondering where my dreams could take me, why they brought me to a city as ugly as Birmingham (luckily that mindset changed), and just how far freedom could take me. I will admit, running away crossed my mind more than once. Who knows where to. Just away. To be free.
I can't agree more with Pausch's pleading to be full of life. I heard a quote the other day that said "everyone dies, but not everyone lives." I think Pausch understands this, and had role models in his mentors, parents, and students to show him how. I hope the tigger in me is apparent and my inability to be content.
Truthfulness
Respecting authority, while being able to question it
Loyalty
and Humility
are also qualities Pausch brought up that are so important to me.
To me, one's ability to be sincere and authentic are the real keys to happiness, success, and sharing life with others.
Sea Fore Tea Too
Pondering Paige
Paige Baggett is an assistant professor at USA in the education department. This Blog, entitled "Pondering MOTIVATION: Incentives? Cash Rewards for Learning?" presents a news report on the idea of paying children (anywhere from 1st grade to high school) for passing a standardized test. All to help the school look good through achieving high test scores. Students in the Ohio school mentioned can get up to $100 on one test. However, many of the faculty are only able to work part time, including the principal, and the school cannot afford adequate books, science labs, and more. What an example to use.
My Comment: I will admit, my first reaction to the idea was "how unfair!'; i could have easily gotten thousands of dollars by the time I graduated high school (between standardized tests and AP scores)! However, after watching further, I can not even begin to see the reasoning behind this idea.
The kids are only memorizing what they need for the test. Ask them a week later, and it will be a foreign concept once again. Their scores go down when the money is not dangling in front of their faces, and the school itself does not even have money to pay the faculty or have adequate supplies. Money would not be a necessary go-to if the teachers had materials to effectively engage students to learn.
However, if a wealthy businessman wanted to give all of his money to 9 year old children, why not put it into a college fund, inspiring them to continue to do well. The benefits of teaching elementary school children to expect money for doing well ($100, not even something like $10 or $20!) and become so money-hungry that all motivation disappears when the incentive is no longer offered. I think I can stand waiting to see how these children will expect to be spoon fed even when they grow to be adults.
29 Ways to Stay Creative - July 5, 2011
I think the video and title are quite self-explanatory. I really liked all of the suggestions too; perhaps I will write them down as a reminder!
My Comment: I thought this video was fantastic! I really like that they titled it ways to "stay" creative rather than "be" creative because I believe that you cannot actually teach someone that. Perhaps that is why one of my goals in teaching is to allow my students freedom to be authentic in their learning. I like all of the ideas, but I had never thought of #23 (reading a page of the dictionary)!
Paige Baggett is an assistant professor at USA in the education department. This Blog, entitled "Pondering MOTIVATION: Incentives? Cash Rewards for Learning?" presents a news report on the idea of paying children (anywhere from 1st grade to high school) for passing a standardized test. All to help the school look good through achieving high test scores. Students in the Ohio school mentioned can get up to $100 on one test. However, many of the faculty are only able to work part time, including the principal, and the school cannot afford adequate books, science labs, and more. What an example to use.
My Comment: I will admit, my first reaction to the idea was "how unfair!'; i could have easily gotten thousands of dollars by the time I graduated high school (between standardized tests and AP scores)! However, after watching further, I can not even begin to see the reasoning behind this idea.
The kids are only memorizing what they need for the test. Ask them a week later, and it will be a foreign concept once again. Their scores go down when the money is not dangling in front of their faces, and the school itself does not even have money to pay the faculty or have adequate supplies. Money would not be a necessary go-to if the teachers had materials to effectively engage students to learn.
However, if a wealthy businessman wanted to give all of his money to 9 year old children, why not put it into a college fund, inspiring them to continue to do well. The benefits of teaching elementary school children to expect money for doing well ($100, not even something like $10 or $20!) and become so money-hungry that all motivation disappears when the incentive is no longer offered. I think I can stand waiting to see how these children will expect to be spoon fed even when they grow to be adults.
29 Ways to Stay Creative - July 5, 2011
I think the video and title are quite self-explanatory. I really liked all of the suggestions too; perhaps I will write them down as a reminder!
My Comment: I thought this video was fantastic! I really like that they titled it ways to "stay" creative rather than "be" creative because I believe that you cannot actually teach someone that. Perhaps that is why one of my goals in teaching is to allow my students freedom to be authentic in their learning. I like all of the ideas, but I had never thought of #23 (reading a page of the dictionary)!
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Blog Seis
Connectivism believes that learning occurs as a result of many social networks and diverse ties. I believe that this idea is beneficial in so many more areas of life than through Delicious and GoogleScholar. These are helpful tools for projects and discovering knowledge for one's own benefit, but should not encompass the entire class. The class described in the video is a high school class. So, I do not even see why the question of needing a teacher is even introduced. Perhaps if it was a college class. It's called an online class. However, I do not know many 15-18 year olds that could make that many connections by themselves. Not in my high school. Not in any other high school I've heard of. My librarian tried introducing us to Delicious, we thought it was a joke (and a good excuse to get out of class to play in the computer lab!) and we used academic journals in my Psychology class to write a 10 page research paper, so it is not as if we were not shown these resources.
I think it would merely be the problem of motivation. Nearly every student, high school or college, will only do the minimum amount of work necessary to finish a project or make an A. Why would someone look into all of these different sites if just one has the answers to the questions you are looking for? Maybe I'm wrong. Lazy. Or just efficient.
A teacher can show how to build the network and differentiate between good/bad information, but it is the job of the student to take that farther. Regardless, the teacher has to be there to keep students on track, provide checkpoints, and answer questions. They could provide side assignments so that the students could use the information they have been finding along the way. Isn't this "research" and "social networking" usually called homework anyway? Sorry to burst any bubbles, but I do not think this would be effective in a middle school classroom. The tools may be helpful in a student's career and future projects, but only if the resources truly interest them. And if they write down the passwords to the million networking sites.
A 7th Graders PLE
It is interesting to see how all of these networking sites are actually put to use. I like the resources Evernote and symbaloo the student suggests. I agree with her assessment that it gives the student more freedom, because as she said, she can do her work how and when she wants. It allows the student to be creative in putting the projects together and to be proud of their work. I think this process could be very beneficial in a classroom. One question, how is this an effective science class if all they do is blog, research, and make online posters? Experiments? Hands-on learning? Maybe in high school I guess....
How to do it, when to do it.
I had a leopard gecko. It bit my finger once.
I think it would merely be the problem of motivation. Nearly every student, high school or college, will only do the minimum amount of work necessary to finish a project or make an A. Why would someone look into all of these different sites if just one has the answers to the questions you are looking for? Maybe I'm wrong. Lazy. Or just efficient.
A teacher can show how to build the network and differentiate between good/bad information, but it is the job of the student to take that farther. Regardless, the teacher has to be there to keep students on track, provide checkpoints, and answer questions. They could provide side assignments so that the students could use the information they have been finding along the way. Isn't this "research" and "social networking" usually called homework anyway? Sorry to burst any bubbles, but I do not think this would be effective in a middle school classroom. The tools may be helpful in a student's career and future projects, but only if the resources truly interest them. And if they write down the passwords to the million networking sites.
A 7th Graders PLE
It is interesting to see how all of these networking sites are actually put to use. I like the resources Evernote and symbaloo the student suggests. I agree with her assessment that it gives the student more freedom, because as she said, she can do her work how and when she wants. It allows the student to be creative in putting the projects together and to be proud of their work. I think this process could be very beneficial in a classroom. One question, how is this an effective science class if all they do is blog, research, and make online posters? Experiments? Hands-on learning? Maybe in high school I guess....
How to do it, when to do it.
I had a leopard gecko. It bit my finger once.
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