Saturday, September 6, 2014
New School Year, but Old Technology!
Another school year begins! This year I am teaching seventh grade Language Arts as well as Social Studies for grades 6, 7, and 8. I'm hoping to incorporate even more videos and digital content this year, although our school's technology is aging and slow, kind of like me. We could really use some iPads or Chrome Books that would make it easier to use online content during class, rather than trying to use the school computer lab's old Dell desktops. It's hard to say if our school's server would even support iPads, but a teacher can still dream, right?
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Edmodo a Useful Way to Connect Students
My quest to learn new ways of strengthening our classroom community continues! Another teacher recently introduced me to Edmodo. Although I had heard that students enjoyed using it, I had never checked into it myself until this teacher added me to his classroom's Edmodo account as a way to "try it out." For years, I had been posting things on our classroom website, but it wasn't as interactive between students as Edmodo is.
The students can chat with each other about assignment requirements, ask questions, share information about school activities, etc. This helps to create an atmosphere of support and encouragement between peers, as opposed to contentious competitiveness, both inside and outside the classroom. Now that school is out, they are still chatting about the World Cup scores, their summer vacations, and family activities.
This is a great way for students to keep in touch over the summer in a "safe" way--each user gets an email whenever a user posts something, so there is no danger of "cyberbullying" on this site. If a student ever posts anything improper, which is highly unlikely, the teacher can discuss it with them immediately, and if necessary, block them from using the site.
Edmodo is yet another way to keep students connected to your classroom activities, but most importantly, to each other!
The students can chat with each other about assignment requirements, ask questions, share information about school activities, etc. This helps to create an atmosphere of support and encouragement between peers, as opposed to contentious competitiveness, both inside and outside the classroom. Now that school is out, they are still chatting about the World Cup scores, their summer vacations, and family activities.
This is a great way for students to keep in touch over the summer in a "safe" way--each user gets an email whenever a user posts something, so there is no danger of "cyberbullying" on this site. If a student ever posts anything improper, which is highly unlikely, the teacher can discuss it with them immediately, and if necessary, block them from using the site.
Edmodo is yet another way to keep students connected to your classroom activities, but most importantly, to each other!
Monday, May 19, 2014
I'm learning new tools, but I still like to hang on to some of the old ones...
Keep a Back Up--Glitches Happen!
Call me old-fashioned, but as much as I love using technology in my classroom, I still like some of the "old-school" ways just as much. Case in point: Glitches!
Today one of my colleagues was not able to access his on-line grade book during a conference with a parent when the server went down. This was a big problem, since the teacher doesn't keep any paper records. The parent was not able to view the updated grades while in conference with the teacher, which irritated the parent and wasted everyone's time. I still believe it's a good idea to keep a hand-written record, in addition to the on-line record, just in case!
Classroom Presentations:
The quest to build my repertoire of technology tools for the classroom continues!
I have learned that another great way to have students create presentations is Haiku Deck, which is an iPad app. It allows students to add vibrant visuals and text to create simple, interesting slideshows. It has been useful for creating visual representations of vocabulary words and summarizing lessons in Social Studies. Although I wouldn't want to have students using their iPads for the entire day, I am beginning to see more value in this useful tool.
I'm still getting used to Prezi. I'm not an expert, by any means, and so far, I still prefer Power Point for its simple, straightforward format. Prezi still makes me dizzy! I guess I still need more practice!
Each time we use a high-tech "cool tool," I still like to show students the "low tech" version as well. Some of them actually prefer creating semantic maps on posters or flap books to display on our bulletin board continuously, rather than using an on-line tool.
Research Papers:
What about plagiarism?
When students are working on research papers, they enjoy keeping track of their findings on a Google Doc. They create a table divided into three parts: The main idea and key details in the far left column, important reflections or inferences as to how it relates to their thesis are recorded in the middle column, and the far right column is to keep track of the source citation.
This system works well for students who are able to remain on task and are not tempted to "copy and paste" everything they find. Some students won't even bother reading it--they just hoard information, even if it is not necessarily relevant. Therefore, until students have mastered the research process and can be trusted, it still may be a good idea to use the old note card method. Students write one major piece of information per note card by paraphrasing information. They must include a reference to a particular source using a numbering system, page numbers, etc.
I have found that this old-school method is still useful to help students stay organized, avoid plagiarism, and create subcategories.
It's good to have choices in all that we do...
Call me old-fashioned, but as much as I love using technology in my classroom, I still like some of the "old-school" ways just as much. Case in point: Glitches!
Today one of my colleagues was not able to access his on-line grade book during a conference with a parent when the server went down. This was a big problem, since the teacher doesn't keep any paper records. The parent was not able to view the updated grades while in conference with the teacher, which irritated the parent and wasted everyone's time. I still believe it's a good idea to keep a hand-written record, in addition to the on-line record, just in case!
Classroom Presentations:
The quest to build my repertoire of technology tools for the classroom continues!
I have learned that another great way to have students create presentations is Haiku Deck, which is an iPad app. It allows students to add vibrant visuals and text to create simple, interesting slideshows. It has been useful for creating visual representations of vocabulary words and summarizing lessons in Social Studies. Although I wouldn't want to have students using their iPads for the entire day, I am beginning to see more value in this useful tool.
I'm still getting used to Prezi. I'm not an expert, by any means, and so far, I still prefer Power Point for its simple, straightforward format. Prezi still makes me dizzy! I guess I still need more practice!
Each time we use a high-tech "cool tool," I still like to show students the "low tech" version as well. Some of them actually prefer creating semantic maps on posters or flap books to display on our bulletin board continuously, rather than using an on-line tool.
Research Papers:
What about plagiarism?
When students are working on research papers, they enjoy keeping track of their findings on a Google Doc. They create a table divided into three parts: The main idea and key details in the far left column, important reflections or inferences as to how it relates to their thesis are recorded in the middle column, and the far right column is to keep track of the source citation.
This system works well for students who are able to remain on task and are not tempted to "copy and paste" everything they find. Some students won't even bother reading it--they just hoard information, even if it is not necessarily relevant. Therefore, until students have mastered the research process and can be trusted, it still may be a good idea to use the old note card method. Students write one major piece of information per note card by paraphrasing information. They must include a reference to a particular source using a numbering system, page numbers, etc.
I have found that this old-school method is still useful to help students stay organized, avoid plagiarism, and create subcategories.
It's good to have choices in all that we do...
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Sir Ken Robinson's Take on Education
Robinson's Lecture
British educator Ken Robinson's 2006 TED Talk brings to light the "real" goals of education: To produce more academicians and to feed our industrialist society. He poses a very bleak outlook on the public educational system in general, but mainly focuses on the idea that schools have killed creativity and self-expression in students.
He points out that educators are pressed with the task of educating tomorrow's leaders and preparing them for what lies ahead in the future, even though "we have absolutely no idea how the future will play out." His main premise is that education in its current form has completely erased students' motivation and creativity, despite the fact that the "children have an extraordinary capacity for creativity," and that "all children have tremendous talent, but we squander it" by immersing them in a system of competition and rigidity.
The public education system, he believes, has a strict hierarchy of subjects, placing math and science at the top, then languages, then social sciences, then humanities, and finally, the creative arts such as music, art, drama, and dance, are at the bottom. Any student who shows an interest in the arts but a lack of interest in other areas is deemed an unsuccessful student. The system places the most "useful" subjects at the top, and there is a continuous "protracted process of preparing students for university entrances," whether or not the degrees they earn serve any purpose. In such a system, "there is only one right answer" and "mistakes are the worst thing in the world." Students who fail to conform to this system see themselves as unworthy and may struggle with issues of self-worth for the rest of their lives. He contends, "Our educational system has mined students' minds the way we have strip-mined the earth."
Reflection
I agree with Robinson that our schools have become overly competitive, hierarchical institutions in which relatively few students will be considered "successful," and everyone else is just average or below, despite whatever talents they may possess. This is just a reflection of what society has always valued: The acumen to make money, get ahead, beat the competition, be leader of the pack, etc. This seems to be the way of the world--those who control the scarce resources and have "all the answers" will retain all the power. I doubt that this will ever change, but we can change our response to it. Students can be taught that, even if the world operates this way, they can retain a circle of influence within their own environment, and seek their own higher purpose, beyond the pursuit of wealth, status, and power if they so choose. To do this, we must continue to inform them of their options beyond just "getting into a top-notch university." It seems that getting high SAT test scores and collecting college acceptance letters has become a competitive sport, mainly for parents. If we place more emphasis on learning actual information rather than on test scores, students would feel less discouraged and more empowered to continue learning.
British educator Ken Robinson's 2006 TED Talk brings to light the "real" goals of education: To produce more academicians and to feed our industrialist society. He poses a very bleak outlook on the public educational system in general, but mainly focuses on the idea that schools have killed creativity and self-expression in students.
He points out that educators are pressed with the task of educating tomorrow's leaders and preparing them for what lies ahead in the future, even though "we have absolutely no idea how the future will play out." His main premise is that education in its current form has completely erased students' motivation and creativity, despite the fact that the "children have an extraordinary capacity for creativity," and that "all children have tremendous talent, but we squander it" by immersing them in a system of competition and rigidity.
The public education system, he believes, has a strict hierarchy of subjects, placing math and science at the top, then languages, then social sciences, then humanities, and finally, the creative arts such as music, art, drama, and dance, are at the bottom. Any student who shows an interest in the arts but a lack of interest in other areas is deemed an unsuccessful student. The system places the most "useful" subjects at the top, and there is a continuous "protracted process of preparing students for university entrances," whether or not the degrees they earn serve any purpose. In such a system, "there is only one right answer" and "mistakes are the worst thing in the world." Students who fail to conform to this system see themselves as unworthy and may struggle with issues of self-worth for the rest of their lives. He contends, "Our educational system has mined students' minds the way we have strip-mined the earth."
Reflection
I agree with Robinson that our schools have become overly competitive, hierarchical institutions in which relatively few students will be considered "successful," and everyone else is just average or below, despite whatever talents they may possess. This is just a reflection of what society has always valued: The acumen to make money, get ahead, beat the competition, be leader of the pack, etc. This seems to be the way of the world--those who control the scarce resources and have "all the answers" will retain all the power. I doubt that this will ever change, but we can change our response to it. Students can be taught that, even if the world operates this way, they can retain a circle of influence within their own environment, and seek their own higher purpose, beyond the pursuit of wealth, status, and power if they so choose. To do this, we must continue to inform them of their options beyond just "getting into a top-notch university." It seems that getting high SAT test scores and collecting college acceptance letters has become a competitive sport, mainly for parents. If we place more emphasis on learning actual information rather than on test scores, students would feel less discouraged and more empowered to continue learning.
John Miller's Approach to Learning Using Minecraft and Blogs
Miller's Approach
John Miller, an innovative seventh grade history teacher, loves to motivate his students with technology. He sees technology as an essential part of instruction in today's classrooms to teach real-world skills, hold students' interest in academic content, and to encourage their creativity.
Miller believes that students have tuned out of education because teachers have lost sight of what makes students interested in learning. He sees technology as the solution, since most of his students are regular users of on-line content, whether as a learning resource, or for entertainment.
"We have to go where they are if we want them to learn," Miller said. "It's a bit of a challenge for us older folks, but the payoff is tremendous."
One of the ways he "brings 'em in" is through blogging. Now that the blogging platforms have become more user-friendly, he says it is easy for teachers and students to communicate back and forth, whether at school or from home. He suggests using Kidblogs or Edublogs as great resources, both of which use the Wordpress platform.
Miller said he "loves blogging with students" and regularly uses it as an outlet for their work. He puts them through "blogging bootcamp" at the beginning of the year so that they will "learn the ropes" that will keep them engaged all year.
"Blogging changes the way you look at your students, and it changes the way students look at the world," Miller said.
Miller also is an avid user of Mine Craft. Not only is he a regular player, he's found a way to use it as a great resource to motivate his students about history.
"Minecraft gets kids into a virtual world where they build their own creative worlds, and demonstrate what they have learned," he said. Miller uses the site as a source for quest-based learning in which students apply their knowledge of the concepts they have learned to create historical worlds.
Miller said the benefits of using Minecraft in the classroom are many. It teaches students to "follow the parameters of the game, be creative to survive under difficult circumstances, and develop patience through challenges," he said.
Reflection on Miller's Approach
As a teacher, I am glad to know that there is yet another way to pique students' interest in learning difficult, and sometimes dry, content. As I continue to learn from educators such as Miller, I am becoming increasingly motivated to incorporate more technology into my classroom "bag of tricks." I can definitely see the benefits of encouraging students to blog--especially for those students who are very reluctant to share their ideas out loud during classroom discussions. However, I'm not much of a "gamer," and I don't think Mine Craft is something that I'd use as part of a lesson. I don't think I have the interest or patience to learn all the ins-and-outs of the program. However, I do admire Miller's enthusiasm to try new things in class, and I have real respect for someone who is so dedicated to motivating his students to learn content that they may have otherwise ignored.
John Miller, an innovative seventh grade history teacher, loves to motivate his students with technology. He sees technology as an essential part of instruction in today's classrooms to teach real-world skills, hold students' interest in academic content, and to encourage their creativity.
Miller believes that students have tuned out of education because teachers have lost sight of what makes students interested in learning. He sees technology as the solution, since most of his students are regular users of on-line content, whether as a learning resource, or for entertainment.
"We have to go where they are if we want them to learn," Miller said. "It's a bit of a challenge for us older folks, but the payoff is tremendous."
One of the ways he "brings 'em in" is through blogging. Now that the blogging platforms have become more user-friendly, he says it is easy for teachers and students to communicate back and forth, whether at school or from home. He suggests using Kidblogs or Edublogs as great resources, both of which use the Wordpress platform.
Miller said he "loves blogging with students" and regularly uses it as an outlet for their work. He puts them through "blogging bootcamp" at the beginning of the year so that they will "learn the ropes" that will keep them engaged all year.
"Blogging changes the way you look at your students, and it changes the way students look at the world," Miller said.
Miller also is an avid user of Mine Craft. Not only is he a regular player, he's found a way to use it as a great resource to motivate his students about history.
"Minecraft gets kids into a virtual world where they build their own creative worlds, and demonstrate what they have learned," he said. Miller uses the site as a source for quest-based learning in which students apply their knowledge of the concepts they have learned to create historical worlds.
Miller said the benefits of using Minecraft in the classroom are many. It teaches students to "follow the parameters of the game, be creative to survive under difficult circumstances, and develop patience through challenges," he said.
Reflection on Miller's Approach
As a teacher, I am glad to know that there is yet another way to pique students' interest in learning difficult, and sometimes dry, content. As I continue to learn from educators such as Miller, I am becoming increasingly motivated to incorporate more technology into my classroom "bag of tricks." I can definitely see the benefits of encouraging students to blog--especially for those students who are very reluctant to share their ideas out loud during classroom discussions. However, I'm not much of a "gamer," and I don't think Mine Craft is something that I'd use as part of a lesson. I don't think I have the interest or patience to learn all the ins-and-outs of the program. However, I do admire Miller's enthusiasm to try new things in class, and I have real respect for someone who is so dedicated to motivating his students to learn content that they may have otherwise ignored.
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