K-
I knew a lot about technology in general. I've always been very comfortable with it and loved to use computers and the internet. I also have taken a SMARTboard class.
W-
How can I use technology to make my classroom better, instead of just putting my lessons on the internet?
What is global education?
L-
This class really changed my idea of technology in the classroom. Last quarter I took a class on assessment and the teacher used the metaphor of creating a "Disney World" system of assessment. From the moment you walk into Disney they collect data on everything that you do, and you don't notice because everything is so seamless. I really feel like this applies to technology as well. I had thought that you use technology in certain ways. Over this course, I learned that if it is just part of everything in a subtle way, you can make your classroom more efficient and effective. You can also give them new experiences, like collaborating with other classrooms; or enhance existing lessons, like letting them collaborate on notes while watching a video or presentation. Possibly the biggest thing I learned is the importance of blogging. We did a lot of blogging in this class, so I started talking to high school teachers about their experiences with students blogging. I was amazed by the results that teachers have gotten from their students, simply by having them blog instead of writing papers.
I also learned what going global can do for your classroom. Its an amazing way to expand your classroom and give your students an opportunity to really practice some business skills. I think it will also increase the accountability of the students in their projects because they aren't just working with their friends, they are responsible to other students as well.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Week 9- Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha - Find a Pecha Kucha you like and post to your blog. Why was this interesting? Do they have a place in education? Thoughts??
Firstly, Pecha Kucha is awesome. I absolutely hate powerpoint, mostly because it is more often than not used inappropriately. No matter how many videos we see, people just cannot use powerpoint. Pecha Kucha, in my opinion, is the answer to a lot of our powerpoint problems. The slides automatically change every 20 seconds, and you only get 20 of them. Pecha Kucha has many uses in education. Instead of having students do a powerpoint presentation in your class, have them do a Pecha Kucha presentation. They won't have to worry about length or content, they know exactly how much time they have, and you won't have to worry about some students talking for 20 minutes and not getting to everyone during a class period or two.
http://pecha-kucha.org/presentations/269
That is the link to a Pecha Kucha named Ramendan. Naturally, I took a website full of incredibly useful and informationally sound presentations, and chose to link to the one about a fake holiday in honor of Ramen Noodles. Firstly, this guy is hilarious and I love people that are ridiculous. Secondly, I also love ramen and think this is a fantastic idea. Thirdly, I want my students to do something like this in a marketing class.
Marketing is no longer limited to print ads or tv spots. Marketing happens in so many ways, with social networking, online presence, and things like contest and games becoming ever more effective. When I do a marketing unit with my students, they will have to design their own marketing campaign as one of the major projects. In the past, I have heard that most students do the same things (print ad, tv spot, radio ad, etc.). If my students are to be truly successful, they need to know how to do guerilla marketing, or create and online presence. I want my students to each do something like ramendan for their product. It is fun, goofy, creative, and will get youth/young adults involved in consuming the product.
Yay for Ramendan!
Firstly, Pecha Kucha is awesome. I absolutely hate powerpoint, mostly because it is more often than not used inappropriately. No matter how many videos we see, people just cannot use powerpoint. Pecha Kucha, in my opinion, is the answer to a lot of our powerpoint problems. The slides automatically change every 20 seconds, and you only get 20 of them. Pecha Kucha has many uses in education. Instead of having students do a powerpoint presentation in your class, have them do a Pecha Kucha presentation. They won't have to worry about length or content, they know exactly how much time they have, and you won't have to worry about some students talking for 20 minutes and not getting to everyone during a class period or two.
http://pecha-kucha.org/presentations/269
That is the link to a Pecha Kucha named Ramendan. Naturally, I took a website full of incredibly useful and informationally sound presentations, and chose to link to the one about a fake holiday in honor of Ramen Noodles. Firstly, this guy is hilarious and I love people that are ridiculous. Secondly, I also love ramen and think this is a fantastic idea. Thirdly, I want my students to do something like this in a marketing class.
Marketing is no longer limited to print ads or tv spots. Marketing happens in so many ways, with social networking, online presence, and things like contest and games becoming ever more effective. When I do a marketing unit with my students, they will have to design their own marketing campaign as one of the major projects. In the past, I have heard that most students do the same things (print ad, tv spot, radio ad, etc.). If my students are to be truly successful, they need to know how to do guerilla marketing, or create and online presence. I want my students to each do something like ramendan for their product. It is fun, goofy, creative, and will get youth/young adults involved in consuming the product.
Yay for Ramendan!
Week 9- New Media Literacies
Your thoughts/understanding about New Media Literacies... Do they fit in your content area? Yes, No, Why not or how? Do they fit in education in general? etc...
In general, New Media literacies fit into every single content area that I can think of. Even elective high school courses like art and music now rely on New Media Literacies. Students are downloading sheet music, creating deviantart accounts, sharing their content and absorbing other people's through the web. To navigate the new world created by Web 2.0, people need to have the new set of skills known as new media literacies. The same skills that are required to do these things will make our students successful in the workplace. One of the videos shown this week listed the following skills and new media literacies:
Judgement, transmedia navigation, negotiation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, distributed cognition, visualization, multitasking and play. Play is defined as experimenting with your surroundings as a form of problem solving. This is in my opinion one of the most important skills that our students can have. The American workforce is not about manufacturing anymore. We are a nation of entrepreneurs, problem solvers, creative thinkers, and innovators. Whether you are finding a new tool to help your company be more efficient, or solving problems in your small business, having the skill of play allows you to problem solve. I see this problem when trying to teach my parents or grandparents how to do something on the computer. They are afraid to touch anything because they will "break it." As a result, they don't learn new software or see out new technology well. They are dependent upon other people (like their children or grandchildren) to bring them new tools.
My content area is Business Education, which is all about real world business problems. This is one content area where new media literacies are so important. The business world is essentially constant problem solving.Whether you have your own start-up, or work in an office, your job is to solve problems to make the company work better or run smoother. In most jobs, no one holds your hand and says do steps 1,2,3,4 and then you have fixed the problem. I worked in construction management for a summer and I was constantly asked to meet deadlines while staying in budget, prepare reports for the next weeks staff meeting and solve little problems that came up along the way. How I did that was up to me, I just needed to get it done. In my opinion, teaching our students skills like play and judgement is more important than having them be able to recite the "P's of marketing."
In general, New Media literacies fit into every single content area that I can think of. Even elective high school courses like art and music now rely on New Media Literacies. Students are downloading sheet music, creating deviantart accounts, sharing their content and absorbing other people's through the web. To navigate the new world created by Web 2.0, people need to have the new set of skills known as new media literacies. The same skills that are required to do these things will make our students successful in the workplace. One of the videos shown this week listed the following skills and new media literacies:
Judgement, transmedia navigation, negotiation, simulation, collective intelligence, performance, distributed cognition, visualization, multitasking and play. Play is defined as experimenting with your surroundings as a form of problem solving. This is in my opinion one of the most important skills that our students can have. The American workforce is not about manufacturing anymore. We are a nation of entrepreneurs, problem solvers, creative thinkers, and innovators. Whether you are finding a new tool to help your company be more efficient, or solving problems in your small business, having the skill of play allows you to problem solve. I see this problem when trying to teach my parents or grandparents how to do something on the computer. They are afraid to touch anything because they will "break it." As a result, they don't learn new software or see out new technology well. They are dependent upon other people (like their children or grandchildren) to bring them new tools.
My content area is Business Education, which is all about real world business problems. This is one content area where new media literacies are so important. The business world is essentially constant problem solving.Whether you have your own start-up, or work in an office, your job is to solve problems to make the company work better or run smoother. In most jobs, no one holds your hand and says do steps 1,2,3,4 and then you have fixed the problem. I worked in construction management for a summer and I was constantly asked to meet deadlines while staying in budget, prepare reports for the next weeks staff meeting and solve little problems that came up along the way. How I did that was up to me, I just needed to get it done. In my opinion, teaching our students skills like play and judgement is more important than having them be able to recite the "P's of marketing."
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Week 8- Article Review #2
Overview
I read A Technological Reinvention of the Textbook: A Wikibooks Project.
This was an amazing article about a university who is doing what I wish every school would do: using technology to enhance their class. There is a teacher preparation program at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia. In one of the classes in that program, the professor started a project where the students would write their own textbook on a wiki.
The article opens by telling us what is wrong with the traditional textbook model: outdated information, limitation of perspective, they are a passive medium, and their limitations. It goes on to say that the time it takes to research, edit and publish a textbook means that some of them are outdated even before they hit the shelves. ODU attempted to solve these issues by having the 300 students in a Cultural Foundations of Education course write their own textbook. In doing so they researched online, read sections of many other textbooks, conducted interviews, made videos, and anything else that they thought should be included to enhance the information.
Throughout the process, this project has changed to address concerns, adding a peer review portion, and incorporating exemplars from previous semesters. Public policy students at the college have even conducted surveys between this course and other courses that use a textbook and found that students who write their own do “at least as well” as those who read a traditional textbook.
The wikibooks idea is becoming very popular as many educators begins to ask questions surrounding students writing their own textbooks:
Should they?
Can they?
Relate to Course Objectives
This course has many goals and objectives. It attempts to teach us how to use technology effectively and how to utilize it in the classroom. It also educates us about digital citizenship, using technology to teach cultural awareness, how to respond to the ever changing world of the web. One of the biggest things that it teaches is to shift our thinking. Most students enter the classroom thinking that you can add technology to your lesson plan. This class teaches a shift in thinking so that you leave thinking about the world as your classroom and that the technology is your lesson plan.
How does this impact my teaching?
I think that at the high school level, this might be difficult to do. The scope and depth of a project required to a textbook mixed with the smaller class sizes make it less of a reality. But I do think that there is potential to change how we use textbooks in the classroom. I have never been a fan of textbooks and have often made the case that the information is so outdated they are of little use in a business classroom. While my students may not be able to completely create their own textbook, this article really got me thinking about how I can shift their attention to online tools, and how I can have them create their own products instead of reading the thoughts of others.
Reflection
One of the things that the article says is that as the world changes “it becomes less important for students to know, memorize, or recall information, and more important for then to be able to find, sort, analyze, share, discuss, critique, and create information.” This is one of the many things that we have been discussing in our class. Our students aren’t prepared for the real world, and our reliance on the old teaching model and textbooks may be a big part of that.
The wikibooks project was also another idea for a project to do in my classes. I love projects, and the idea of my class being project-centered. While I may not have enough time to create a whole textbook with my students, I love the idea of having them create their own guides or crib sheets of information instead of reading it from a book.
I read A Technological Reinvention of the Textbook: A Wikibooks Project.
This was an amazing article about a university who is doing what I wish every school would do: using technology to enhance their class. There is a teacher preparation program at the Old Dominion University in Norfolk Virginia. In one of the classes in that program, the professor started a project where the students would write their own textbook on a wiki.
The article opens by telling us what is wrong with the traditional textbook model: outdated information, limitation of perspective, they are a passive medium, and their limitations. It goes on to say that the time it takes to research, edit and publish a textbook means that some of them are outdated even before they hit the shelves. ODU attempted to solve these issues by having the 300 students in a Cultural Foundations of Education course write their own textbook. In doing so they researched online, read sections of many other textbooks, conducted interviews, made videos, and anything else that they thought should be included to enhance the information.
Throughout the process, this project has changed to address concerns, adding a peer review portion, and incorporating exemplars from previous semesters. Public policy students at the college have even conducted surveys between this course and other courses that use a textbook and found that students who write their own do “at least as well” as those who read a traditional textbook.
The wikibooks idea is becoming very popular as many educators begins to ask questions surrounding students writing their own textbooks:
Should they?
Can they?
Relate to Course Objectives
This course has many goals and objectives. It attempts to teach us how to use technology effectively and how to utilize it in the classroom. It also educates us about digital citizenship, using technology to teach cultural awareness, how to respond to the ever changing world of the web. One of the biggest things that it teaches is to shift our thinking. Most students enter the classroom thinking that you can add technology to your lesson plan. This class teaches a shift in thinking so that you leave thinking about the world as your classroom and that the technology is your lesson plan.
How does this impact my teaching?
I think that at the high school level, this might be difficult to do. The scope and depth of a project required to a textbook mixed with the smaller class sizes make it less of a reality. But I do think that there is potential to change how we use textbooks in the classroom. I have never been a fan of textbooks and have often made the case that the information is so outdated they are of little use in a business classroom. While my students may not be able to completely create their own textbook, this article really got me thinking about how I can shift their attention to online tools, and how I can have them create their own products instead of reading the thoughts of others.
Reflection
One of the things that the article says is that as the world changes “it becomes less important for students to know, memorize, or recall information, and more important for then to be able to find, sort, analyze, share, discuss, critique, and create information.” This is one of the many things that we have been discussing in our class. Our students aren’t prepared for the real world, and our reliance on the old teaching model and textbooks may be a big part of that.
The wikibooks project was also another idea for a project to do in my classes. I love projects, and the idea of my class being project-centered. While I may not have enough time to create a whole textbook with my students, I love the idea of having them create their own guides or crib sheets of information instead of reading it from a book.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Week 6- Article Review #1
Overview
I read Staking the Claim for the "T" in STEM by Todd Kelley.
This article is about government initiatives like STEM and MST and how they affect our schools. The article open by talking about the different between multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education. Multidisciplinary is when people from many different disciplines come together to work on different pieces of a project. For instance, students from different grades working on students council. Interdisciplinary is when you actually combine different kinds of knowledge in what you are doing. The article then goes on to talk about the MST(math, science, technology) movement and how vocational education began. It talks about how different programs market themselves in order to gain funding through grants targeted at specific types of programs.
The article then goes on to talk about the new STEM initiative (science, technology, engineering, math) and how important those areas are. It also talks about how STEM teachers will be in high demand over the next decade and teacher preparation programs need to redesign themselves to meet that need.
The article then discussed project-based learning and how it aids children’s test scores. It then discussed STEM’s role in project-based learning and how technology factors into that. The article also addresses how STEM works with No Child Left Behind, and what is being done to improve school performance.
I read Staking the Claim for the "T" in STEM by Todd Kelley.
This article is about government initiatives like STEM and MST and how they affect our schools. The article open by talking about the different between multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary education. Multidisciplinary is when people from many different disciplines come together to work on different pieces of a project. For instance, students from different grades working on students council. Interdisciplinary is when you actually combine different kinds of knowledge in what you are doing. The article then goes on to talk about the MST(math, science, technology) movement and how vocational education began. It talks about how different programs market themselves in order to gain funding through grants targeted at specific types of programs.
The article then goes on to talk about the new STEM initiative (science, technology, engineering, math) and how important those areas are. It also talks about how STEM teachers will be in high demand over the next decade and teacher preparation programs need to redesign themselves to meet that need.
The article then discussed project-based learning and how it aids children’s test scores. It then discussed STEM’s role in project-based learning and how technology factors into that. The article also addresses how STEM works with No Child Left Behind, and what is being done to improve school performance.
Here are a couple of great STEM links if you don't know anything about it:
Video: Entire STEM School
Relate to Course Objectives
This course has many goals and objectives. It attempts to teach us how to use technology effectively and how to utilize it in the classroom. It also educates us about digital citizenship, using technology to teach cultural awareness, how to respond to the ever changing world of the web. One of the biggest things that it teaches is to shift our thinking. Most students enter the classroom thinking that you can add technology to your lesson plan. This class teaches a shift in thinking so that you leave thinking about the world as your classroom and that the technology is your lesson plan.
This article was an extension of all of these things. STEM is a great initiative that is in part designed to provide schools with money for technology education. The article further brings awareness to the need for us to utilize technology and even suggests some ways to do that.
How does this impact my teaching?/Reflection
I currently work in an after school program that was just recently approved to receive a STEM grant. Four “specialists” were chose to head each of the areas of STEM in our school. I was chosen to be the M(math) specialist for the school. It was helpful to learn more about the intentions of the program, and how other people are making the most of their STEM money. We have spent the last few months gathering information about what the students are interested in to see what to focus on. I was even part of a trip where we took 80 students to the Boston Museum of science to look at all the different exhibits and get some ideas for lesson planning. However, this article really makes a case for using technology in each of the other 3 STEM areas in order to really teach technology. It definitely gave me some lesson plan ideas.
Relate to Course Objectives
This course has many goals and objectives. It attempts to teach us how to use technology effectively and how to utilize it in the classroom. It also educates us about digital citizenship, using technology to teach cultural awareness, how to respond to the ever changing world of the web. One of the biggest things that it teaches is to shift our thinking. Most students enter the classroom thinking that you can add technology to your lesson plan. This class teaches a shift in thinking so that you leave thinking about the world as your classroom and that the technology is your lesson plan.
This article was an extension of all of these things. STEM is a great initiative that is in part designed to provide schools with money for technology education. The article further brings awareness to the need for us to utilize technology and even suggests some ways to do that.
How does this impact my teaching?/Reflection
I currently work in an after school program that was just recently approved to receive a STEM grant. Four “specialists” were chose to head each of the areas of STEM in our school. I was chosen to be the M(math) specialist for the school. It was helpful to learn more about the intentions of the program, and how other people are making the most of their STEM money. We have spent the last few months gathering information about what the students are interested in to see what to focus on. I was even part of a trip where we took 80 students to the Boston Museum of science to look at all the different exhibits and get some ideas for lesson planning. However, this article really makes a case for using technology in each of the other 3 STEM areas in order to really teach technology. It definitely gave me some lesson plan ideas.
STEM is becoming popular enough that lots of websites and resources are emerging to help teachers who are part of STEM. PBS Teachers has launched a STEM resources site tht is actually really good!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Week 4- NETS Standards
You are in charge of ensuring all of the NETS standards are met within your school and this week you must meet with teachers to explain what it means to be a good "digital citizen". By using resources you have discovered through your research, the PBS Frontline videos, short video clips you have come across, explain how you would "teach" your fellow teachers about digital citizenship so that they are better prepared to teach about it within their own classes before they begin any type of digital project.
I'm a little behind on my blog posts, so let me catch up.
I think that everyone recognizes the value of digital citizenship, the problem is execution. Teachers have a lot on their plate, and if you give them this information and then tell them to go make materials"xyz" to teach digital citizenship, it won't happen. They will just end up reminding the students to be good digital citizens right before they hand out computers.
I think the best method would be to create a pack of "Digital Citizenship for Dummies" for each teacher. Give them a short video to show students, a powerpoint or handout, talk notes/crib sheet, and a handout for students. Teach them all about digital citizenship, but give them everything they need to teach it. They will appreciate that you're not just dumping it on them. Some of them may not think the materials are they way they would like them, but most will be happy to have them. They can take these and already have a digital citizenship lesson plan complete.
I would also get the school involved by adding digital citizenship to the student handbook, having a student led assembly on digital citizenship, and putting up goofy posters about it (ie and Uncle Sam poster where he wants YOU to be a good digital citizen).
I'm a little behind on my blog posts, so let me catch up.
I think that everyone recognizes the value of digital citizenship, the problem is execution. Teachers have a lot on their plate, and if you give them this information and then tell them to go make materials"xyz" to teach digital citizenship, it won't happen. They will just end up reminding the students to be good digital citizens right before they hand out computers.
I think the best method would be to create a pack of "Digital Citizenship for Dummies" for each teacher. Give them a short video to show students, a powerpoint or handout, talk notes/crib sheet, and a handout for students. Teach them all about digital citizenship, but give them everything they need to teach it. They will appreciate that you're not just dumping it on them. Some of them may not think the materials are they way they would like them, but most will be happy to have them. They can take these and already have a digital citizenship lesson plan complete.
I would also get the school involved by adding digital citizenship to the student handbook, having a student led assembly on digital citizenship, and putting up goofy posters about it (ie and Uncle Sam poster where he wants YOU to be a good digital citizen).
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Week 3- #2 Digital Citizenship
Digital Citizenship is a broad topic with many different branches, yet it is part of the NETS standards that we include it in our curriculum. How can we ensure we are touching on all of the facets of digital citizenship prior to introducing a digital technology project in the classroom? What makes a good digital citizen?
Hopefully, students are learning about digital citizenship from the moment they first touch a computer. Ideally, we would only be doing a "refresher course" for our students when we introduce a digital technology project. However, with everything that we do, we do a diagnostic assessment to find out where our students are at. I suggest doing that here as well. We can quickly fill in any gaps they have and then proceed. Most students have computer as part of their "specials" rotation throughout elementary school. In this time they learn to word process and navigate on a computer. Can DC be incorporated into this as well? If the students are hearing this information at every level, it will become second nature to them-like the english language, or addition.
I wanted to also bring something kind of fun to the class. A UK company called Think You Know created a cartoon series about digital citizenship aimed at elementary school students. Its a relateable way to talk to young students about how to behave online.
Hector's World
In addition to the cartoon videos, the site has lots of stuff for lesson plans or activities and is designed as a sort of "One stop shop" for introducing digital citizenship. Another part of the Think You Know website has resources for teachers, including actitives on DC for ages 4-16.
DC Resources
Hopefully, students are learning about digital citizenship from the moment they first touch a computer. Ideally, we would only be doing a "refresher course" for our students when we introduce a digital technology project. However, with everything that we do, we do a diagnostic assessment to find out where our students are at. I suggest doing that here as well. We can quickly fill in any gaps they have and then proceed. Most students have computer as part of their "specials" rotation throughout elementary school. In this time they learn to word process and navigate on a computer. Can DC be incorporated into this as well? If the students are hearing this information at every level, it will become second nature to them-like the english language, or addition.
I wanted to also bring something kind of fun to the class. A UK company called Think You Know created a cartoon series about digital citizenship aimed at elementary school students. Its a relateable way to talk to young students about how to behave online.
Hector's World
In addition to the cartoon videos, the site has lots of stuff for lesson plans or activities and is designed as a sort of "One stop shop" for introducing digital citizenship. Another part of the Think You Know website has resources for teachers, including actitives on DC for ages 4-16.
DC Resources
Week 3- #1 Intellectual Property and Creative Rights
Why is intellectual property and creative rights an important topic for students?
One of the things that we have talked about in my classes is the hidden curriculum in our classrooms. If we do a lot of competitive activities, we are sending the message that winning is good. If we do a lot of collaborative or team supportive work, we send the message that teamwork is good. Other activities like dividing teams up as "girls vs boys" also sends hidden messages. One of the most important pieces of hidden curriculum in our classroom is social etiquette. We have classroom rules for reasons like safety and fairness, but one of our jobs is also to teach our students to have behavior that is socially acceptable. This includes that they should not swear in public, or wear clothing that is revealing. We are in a sense conditioning them or grooming them for the workforce. While everyone has a different comfort level with this practice, we all do it to some extent. We also teach our students not to steal, and to respect others. In my opinion, intellectual property and creative rights are just the next extension of teaching respect and honesty. We are applying the same concepts to a new arena: the digital world.
Online, there is this anonymity that often gets people into trouble. People can be whoever they want to be because the internet is anonymous, no one can see you. In mild cases students post things online they would not say in real life. Most of our students will not steal and do not mean to be dishonest. However online, they may not apply the same moral code. It is our job to teach them to do that. They need to understand that just because they can "right click, save as..." doesn't mean that they don't need to say who really created that picture/video. "Give credit where credit is due," is something that we have long taught and should continue to teach. While we teach the students that once something is on the internet it can never be taken back, we need to also teach them that just because it is on the internet doesn't mean that no one owns it.
As you were discussing this week with making a cd of a song, students need to understand that just because they can, doesn't mean they should.
One of the things that we have talked about in my classes is the hidden curriculum in our classrooms. If we do a lot of competitive activities, we are sending the message that winning is good. If we do a lot of collaborative or team supportive work, we send the message that teamwork is good. Other activities like dividing teams up as "girls vs boys" also sends hidden messages. One of the most important pieces of hidden curriculum in our classroom is social etiquette. We have classroom rules for reasons like safety and fairness, but one of our jobs is also to teach our students to have behavior that is socially acceptable. This includes that they should not swear in public, or wear clothing that is revealing. We are in a sense conditioning them or grooming them for the workforce. While everyone has a different comfort level with this practice, we all do it to some extent. We also teach our students not to steal, and to respect others. In my opinion, intellectual property and creative rights are just the next extension of teaching respect and honesty. We are applying the same concepts to a new arena: the digital world.
Online, there is this anonymity that often gets people into trouble. People can be whoever they want to be because the internet is anonymous, no one can see you. In mild cases students post things online they would not say in real life. Most of our students will not steal and do not mean to be dishonest. However online, they may not apply the same moral code. It is our job to teach them to do that. They need to understand that just because they can "right click, save as..." doesn't mean that they don't need to say who really created that picture/video. "Give credit where credit is due," is something that we have long taught and should continue to teach. While we teach the students that once something is on the internet it can never be taken back, we need to also teach them that just because it is on the internet doesn't mean that no one owns it.
As you were discussing this week with making a cd of a song, students need to understand that just because they can, doesn't mean they should.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Week 2- #2
Return to Sender
In my opinion, we need to use technology in smart, effective ways. For instance, actually have the students compose Memos and E-mails to one another. Teach them netiquette and digital citizenship and then have them go do it. Teach them to use technology for a purpose other than talking to their friends. We also need to revamp our classrooms. Students need to be seated at tables (not desks) that encourage collaboration. They need opportunities to practice using technology and writing daily. By the time they leave high school, these things should be as natural as breathing to them.
We also need to give them room to self discover. Technology is changing so quickly that something we teach them to use may be obsolete in a couple of years. While teaching them to use technology we need to teach them to explore technology so that they feel comfortable picking up a new program or tool and playing with it until they learn to use it. They need to be empowered while they are educated.
- "Schools were barely using technology, much less developing the tech skills needed of those entering the workforce"
- "Even if all students mastered core academic subjects, they would still be woefully under prepared"
- "Labor force are woefully devoid of the skills that companies need"
- "Schools need to fuse the three R's with the four C's: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity while also making room for problem solving and innovation."
- "The future workforce is here and it is ill-prepared"
- Teamwork, Critical Thinking, Communication
- 70% of participants cite deficiencies in professionalism and work ethic
- 72% of HS graduates are viewed as deficient in basic English writing skills
- HS graduates are strong in: information technology, team work, and diversity
In my opinion, we need to use technology in smart, effective ways. For instance, actually have the students compose Memos and E-mails to one another. Teach them netiquette and digital citizenship and then have them go do it. Teach them to use technology for a purpose other than talking to their friends. We also need to revamp our classrooms. Students need to be seated at tables (not desks) that encourage collaboration. They need opportunities to practice using technology and writing daily. By the time they leave high school, these things should be as natural as breathing to them.
We also need to give them room to self discover. Technology is changing so quickly that something we teach them to use may be obsolete in a couple of years. While teaching them to use technology we need to teach them to explore technology so that they feel comfortable picking up a new program or tool and playing with it until they learn to use it. They need to be empowered while they are educated.
Week 2- #1 Investing in Technology
I have the opportunity to interact with teachers every day and this is the most common thing that I hear from them. I think that there is a "Sabertooth Curriculum" issue. I don't know if anyone has every read it(link is below) but basically it is a satire on education. It is about a "caveman" era school where they teach fish grabbing with bare hands, horse-clubbing, sabertooth tiger scaring with fire. Then the water gets muddy so they can't see the fish, and the horses and tigers migrate because of the ice age.A man suggested that they start learning to fish with nets and to hunt with spears, etc. The school tells him there isn't time to teach that and the original 3 lessons. Even though the 3 original lessons are useless now, they continue to teach them and assert that there isn't enough time to teach everything.
While that is an exaggeration of our schools today, it definitely applies. We need to look at what we are doing just because "we've always done it" and also start to see what parts of our classes and curriculum we can make more efficient. In my past, efficiency has frequently meant incorporating technology. I think instead of having the focus of what is being added, we need to focus on what is going to benefit our kids the most, and teach that. After all, we stopped teaching the slide rule because the calculator was invented.
I do think that technology is an investment in both time and money, but it is an investment that has great returns. It may take you a while to design new lesson plans, or get trained on technology, but it saves you so much time in the long run that it is worth it. And it does cost a lot of money, but I can't show you a teacher that would rather have new textbooks than more technology. Yet, that is what we are given many times. Technology is a worthwhile investment that we can't afford not to make. The article below, Tech's Greatest Potential, discusses how the UK is embracing technology in the fullest way. I only wish we had this approach.
Sabertooth Curriculum
Tech's "Greatest Potential"
While that is an exaggeration of our schools today, it definitely applies. We need to look at what we are doing just because "we've always done it" and also start to see what parts of our classes and curriculum we can make more efficient. In my past, efficiency has frequently meant incorporating technology. I think instead of having the focus of what is being added, we need to focus on what is going to benefit our kids the most, and teach that. After all, we stopped teaching the slide rule because the calculator was invented.
I do think that technology is an investment in both time and money, but it is an investment that has great returns. It may take you a while to design new lesson plans, or get trained on technology, but it saves you so much time in the long run that it is worth it. And it does cost a lot of money, but I can't show you a teacher that would rather have new textbooks than more technology. Yet, that is what we are given many times. Technology is a worthwhile investment that we can't afford not to make. The article below, Tech's Greatest Potential, discusses how the UK is embracing technology in the fullest way. I only wish we had this approach.
Sabertooth Curriculum
Tech's "Greatest Potential"
Friday, June 17, 2011
Week 1- #2 Reasoning for Technological Incorporation
What is the general purpose and reasoning behind incorporating global projects, education, and collaboration into the classroom?
In my opinion, we do this because it adds to our classroom. It makes us more efficient teachers, and helps our students to be better prepared for the real world. Technology enhances our instruction by taking the focus of our instruction from theory to practice. Instead of my students reading a book about balance sheets and income statements, they get a computer and make their own. They get the opportunity to practice things they will do in the real world in a safe environment.
Global projects also allow us to bring up to date information into the classroom. If you think about the lag time between events and when they are in our textbooks (research papers take years, and then are selected for the book, then it is edited, published, distributed, and often multiple editions of the book are bought, schools use the books or years, etc.), the information isn't relevant when we present it to the students. There are global education initiatives happening where student use real relevant info and data to learn. And collaborating through technology allows them to start practicing what is actually occurring in the workforce.
In my opinion, we do this because it adds to our classroom. It makes us more efficient teachers, and helps our students to be better prepared for the real world. Technology enhances our instruction by taking the focus of our instruction from theory to practice. Instead of my students reading a book about balance sheets and income statements, they get a computer and make their own. They get the opportunity to practice things they will do in the real world in a safe environment.
Global projects also allow us to bring up to date information into the classroom. If you think about the lag time between events and when they are in our textbooks (research papers take years, and then are selected for the book, then it is edited, published, distributed, and often multiple editions of the book are bought, schools use the books or years, etc.), the information isn't relevant when we present it to the students. There are global education initiatives happening where student use real relevant info and data to learn. And collaborating through technology allows them to start practicing what is actually occurring in the workforce.
Week 1- #1 The 10 Flatteners
http://mitworld.mit.edu/video/266/
Flatteners:
1. 11-9-89 The berlin wall coming down/Windows coming up(windows 3.0)- End to separate Eastern and Western policies. Single Flat Plane
2. 8-9-95 Netscape goes public, internet comes alive, dotcom bubble starts
3. Workflow All the software/standards that let work happen (Microsoft Office, etc.) people are able to work together on more things than ever before. Genesis moment of flattening- increased collaboration
4. Y2K Outsourcing- global collaboration
5. China Join WTO- Off shoring (move factories off shore)
6. Open sourcing, new collaboration, Linux operating system, Firefox( produced by a kid at Stanford and a kid in New Zealand)
7. Supply Chaining- what Walmart does- having a global supply chain
8. In sourcing- what UPS does- UPS does all of the work for companies like Nike and Toshiba. They transport the product but also do the work when the product gets to where its going (Papa Johns Delivery)
9. Informing- Google.
10. Steroids- File sharing, VOIP. Turbo charging the forms of collaboration, can do them anywhere, anytime.
Three Convergences:
1. 2000- All 10 flatteners converge. The flat world created.
2. Horizontalizing Ourselves. We are all learning to adapt to the flat world.
3. China, India, and Former Soviet Empire. all open up. We add 3 billion people to global workforce.
Are we living in a flat world?
When I first opened the video link I was like "holy cow, an hour and fifteeen minutes, there is now way I'm watching this whole thing." And about 5 minutes into it I was enthralled and didn't even notice
how long it had been on until it was over. I was a business major in undergrad, and am a Business Education major now, so this was right up my ally. I knew that a lot of this was happening, but this was a really great to see globalization in a different light. I was always trained to look at how globalization will affect my business some day, but this video shows how it affects us as individuals.
I think that our world is flattening. It isn't necessarily flat yet, but it definitely isn't round. I think that the world becomes more flat each and every day, but that it really varies by person. I feel like in so many ways our schools are participating in the digital revolution that is happening. So while parts of the world are very flat, our schools are not connected to it. When I was in school if our teachers wanted to show us a video they had to go check the VHS out of the library, and wheel down the TV/VHS cart. Today, I can grab my iPad pull up the video and plug it in to my projector or SMARTboard. I can bring them a video that was made with the newest information (even made that day) so that their education involves the newest and best information out there.
Flatteners:
1. 11-9-89 The berlin wall coming down/Windows coming up(windows 3.0)- End to separate Eastern and Western policies. Single Flat Plane
2. 8-9-95 Netscape goes public, internet comes alive, dotcom bubble starts
3. Workflow All the software/standards that let work happen (Microsoft Office, etc.) people are able to work together on more things than ever before. Genesis moment of flattening- increased collaboration
4. Y2K Outsourcing- global collaboration
5. China Join WTO- Off shoring (move factories off shore)
6. Open sourcing, new collaboration, Linux operating system, Firefox( produced by a kid at Stanford and a kid in New Zealand)
7. Supply Chaining- what Walmart does- having a global supply chain
8. In sourcing- what UPS does- UPS does all of the work for companies like Nike and Toshiba. They transport the product but also do the work when the product gets to where its going (Papa Johns Delivery)
9. Informing- Google.
10. Steroids- File sharing, VOIP. Turbo charging the forms of collaboration, can do them anywhere, anytime.
Three Convergences:
1. 2000- All 10 flatteners converge. The flat world created.
2. Horizontalizing Ourselves. We are all learning to adapt to the flat world.
3. China, India, and Former Soviet Empire. all open up. We add 3 billion people to global workforce.
Are we living in a flat world?
When I first opened the video link I was like "holy cow, an hour and fifteeen minutes, there is now way I'm watching this whole thing." And about 5 minutes into it I was enthralled and didn't even notice
how long it had been on until it was over. I was a business major in undergrad, and am a Business Education major now, so this was right up my ally. I knew that a lot of this was happening, but this was a really great to see globalization in a different light. I was always trained to look at how globalization will affect my business some day, but this video shows how it affects us as individuals.
I think that our world is flattening. It isn't necessarily flat yet, but it definitely isn't round. I think that the world becomes more flat each and every day, but that it really varies by person. I feel like in so many ways our schools are participating in the digital revolution that is happening. So while parts of the world are very flat, our schools are not connected to it. When I was in school if our teachers wanted to show us a video they had to go check the VHS out of the library, and wheel down the TV/VHS cart. Today, I can grab my iPad pull up the video and plug it in to my projector or SMARTboard. I can bring them a video that was made with the newest information (even made that day) so that their education involves the newest and best information out there.
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