Looking back on the week and the influence of technology in my classroom, it is not to the level it could be. There are many components that could play into this for my students, their lack of technology at home, my lack of knowledge when it comes different components of technology. In one article I read one thing that resonates with me is if students are not using the internet to think critically and work collaboratively than we are just using technology to the teach the same way through a different medium. The goal now is how to I move away from that and use technology for other things. Reading others blogs it became clear how technology is being used in their classroom and with their students. It was interesting to compare my students level of technology use compared to Shauna's class. My students are still very much into the paper and pencil despite the effort to get them away from it, while Shauna's students love technology.
There was a common theme of comments and other blogs of technology and teaching. Nicole makes a great comment in her blog about how her son teaches her about Minecraft while she teaches him how to teach. I think this is a wonderful thought. Teaching doesn't just come to students they have to see it being modeled for them. Gary also made excellent comments about teaching and technology. This idea was about students learning what is a good "teacher" through technology and what is a bad "teacher". Through all this talk about technology we need to remember there are still people out there who will not be good teachers for students. After this week it is clear that I need to examine how to better use of technology in my classroom. I want my students to learn how to think critically and work collaborative and technology is a great way to do that.
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Saturday, February 22, 2014
#etlead differinces in classroom cultures
"Everything and everyone around us can be seen as a resource for learning"-Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown
In some ways the current classroom environment that I teach in is very similar to the classroom environment that I grew up in. Thinking back on the on my educational experiences computers were present in the classroom, but they were not used to the power they are used today. I look at the technology that students are exposed to in the classroom today, but are we using it to it's full potential? In the classroom environment my students work in are surrounded by technology in and outside of the classroom, but as I think about how we use the technology it is not used to its full potential.
Looking at the overall use of technology and the way students gain information in the current learning environment it is not used past the basic uses. Research, educational activities, but thinking about the power of technology at the way it can be used their is way more that can be done with technology. Students still learn in a very traditional way-where the teacher presents the information and students are assessed on their comprehension of the material the teachers has presented. We all know the power technology can have in the classroom, but how do you change the classroom culture to use the internet in a more critical and as a learning environment when students are resident to something different?
Although I may not see a huge difference in the classroom cultures and the way students obtain information, I see how we need to give students a chance to explore and discover their own learning. The most powerful component of the technology and the shift in classroom cultures, which I feel I need to harness more, is the community and collaboration students can build. Alan November looks at the ever changing culture of the classroom and the use of technology. He discusses the difference between "automating" and "informating". With automating we just technology on top of what we already do. "We have kids write a five paragraph essay with a $2,000 pencils in word processing lab. Instead he states when need to use technology to help inform students. If there is not a shift to this we will not shift to a new culture of learning, but continue to have the same classroom environment in a different format.
Through the research and work with serious games, the new knowledge of games like Minecraft, reading of both Teach Like a Pirate and A New Culture of Learning we can see the technology as more than just a search engine. Technology allows students to work collaborative, explore things they may never get a chance to be exposed to, use critical thinking skills to solve real world problems, and allows students to connect and learn from people outside their classroom. Both the videos and the text examine the powers of the new culture of learning.
Watching the video on how the game of Minecraft amazes me how a simple game can have such a powerful impact on students education, thinking strategies, and connection to the overall world. Both Norman, John, and all used this game to connect to worlds outside of their own. I found this to be one of the most powerful components of technology. My students have began to talk more about Drakkart made a valuable connection to the world we grew up in and the world children are growing up in now. He state, "Minecraft is not just a simple game but a huge sandbox that enables you to play legos virtually but allows you to do different things. The connection to legos was wonderful, but with technology it takes legos to a whole new level. Technology, and Minecraft specifically, has allowed students to understand concepts in a larger picture than just the classroom environment.
Along with the videos the text book also showed the power of community building and working collectivity with the use of technology. Thomas and Brown state, "teaching-based approach focuses on teaching us about the world, while the new culture of learning focuses on learning through engagement within the world." As part of the new culture of learning students take charge of their own learning. "It takes place without books, without teachers, and without classroom, and it requires environments that are bounded yet provide complete free of action within those boundaries." Students gain insight to different concepts through their own exploration and discussions with others. One of the most powerful things that was said in the text about how technology was used was what Sam took had nothing to do with the building aspects of the game but, how to communicate with people. He says not to be mean and comment on something good when you see it. He states, "The game does not just teach programming: it cultivates citizenship." As a teacher this is what I want my students to be young citizens in this world over anything else.
Creating A New Culture of Teaching and Learning- Alan November-November Learning.com
http://novemberlearning.com/wp/assets/creating-a-new-culture-of-teaching-and-learning.pdf
A New Culture of Learning-Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change-Douglass Thomas and John Seely Brown
Drakkart-Why Minecraft Inspires Me http://uasleadership.wordpress.com/site-map/week-six-overview/
In some ways the current classroom environment that I teach in is very similar to the classroom environment that I grew up in. Thinking back on the on my educational experiences computers were present in the classroom, but they were not used to the power they are used today. I look at the technology that students are exposed to in the classroom today, but are we using it to it's full potential? In the classroom environment my students work in are surrounded by technology in and outside of the classroom, but as I think about how we use the technology it is not used to its full potential.
Looking at the overall use of technology and the way students gain information in the current learning environment it is not used past the basic uses. Research, educational activities, but thinking about the power of technology at the way it can be used their is way more that can be done with technology. Students still learn in a very traditional way-where the teacher presents the information and students are assessed on their comprehension of the material the teachers has presented. We all know the power technology can have in the classroom, but how do you change the classroom culture to use the internet in a more critical and as a learning environment when students are resident to something different?
Although I may not see a huge difference in the classroom cultures and the way students obtain information, I see how we need to give students a chance to explore and discover their own learning. The most powerful component of the technology and the shift in classroom cultures, which I feel I need to harness more, is the community and collaboration students can build. Alan November looks at the ever changing culture of the classroom and the use of technology. He discusses the difference between "automating" and "informating". With automating we just technology on top of what we already do. "We have kids write a five paragraph essay with a $2,000 pencils in word processing lab. Instead he states when need to use technology to help inform students. If there is not a shift to this we will not shift to a new culture of learning, but continue to have the same classroom environment in a different format.
Through the research and work with serious games, the new knowledge of games like Minecraft, reading of both Teach Like a Pirate and A New Culture of Learning we can see the technology as more than just a search engine. Technology allows students to work collaborative, explore things they may never get a chance to be exposed to, use critical thinking skills to solve real world problems, and allows students to connect and learn from people outside their classroom. Both the videos and the text examine the powers of the new culture of learning.
Watching the video on how the game of Minecraft amazes me how a simple game can have such a powerful impact on students education, thinking strategies, and connection to the overall world. Both Norman, John, and all used this game to connect to worlds outside of their own. I found this to be one of the most powerful components of technology. My students have began to talk more about Drakkart made a valuable connection to the world we grew up in and the world children are growing up in now. He state, "Minecraft is not just a simple game but a huge sandbox that enables you to play legos virtually but allows you to do different things. The connection to legos was wonderful, but with technology it takes legos to a whole new level. Technology, and Minecraft specifically, has allowed students to understand concepts in a larger picture than just the classroom environment.
Along with the videos the text book also showed the power of community building and working collectivity with the use of technology. Thomas and Brown state, "teaching-based approach focuses on teaching us about the world, while the new culture of learning focuses on learning through engagement within the world." As part of the new culture of learning students take charge of their own learning. "It takes place without books, without teachers, and without classroom, and it requires environments that are bounded yet provide complete free of action within those boundaries." Students gain insight to different concepts through their own exploration and discussions with others. One of the most powerful things that was said in the text about how technology was used was what Sam took had nothing to do with the building aspects of the game but, how to communicate with people. He says not to be mean and comment on something good when you see it. He states, "The game does not just teach programming: it cultivates citizenship." As a teacher this is what I want my students to be young citizens in this world over anything else.
Creating A New Culture of Teaching and Learning- Alan November-November Learning.com
http://novemberlearning.com/wp/assets/creating-a-new-culture-of-teaching-and-learning.pdf
A New Culture of Learning-Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change-Douglass Thomas and John Seely Brown
Drakkart-Why Minecraft Inspires Me http://uasleadership.wordpress.com/site-map/week-six-overview/
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Week Five Reflection
I am enjoying the opportunity to explore innovative ways to teach. We all know that we are capable of being innovative teachers and creating experiences in our classroom. These past two weeks have allowed me to examine the way I teach in my classroom and look into new ways to engage all of my students. Through reading all the other blogs their are endless ways to be innovative in the classroom. Sara L and I discussed the power of project based learning and the benefit of it in the classroom. I really like the ideas of project based learning and trying to find a way to incorporate them into the classroom. I really enjoyed what Donna said about not giving up on something so easily. We don't want our students to do this with challenging work, so as teachers we should practice what we want our students to do. If we try an innovative lesson and it seems to be failing we should not give up on it right away. And lastly Tiffany made a wonderful statement of how we are teaching students how to think not what to think. This reminded me the research I had done on Montessori schools. The idea of students learning through their own questioning taps into their natural ability to be inquisitive. With all of this I wonder how to make it work in my classroom, through out the years students have been told what to do and learn and culturally my students are not always comfortable speaking up or explaining what they did.
Friday, February 14, 2014
How to maintain excellence as we innovate?
What does it mean to innovate? To be innovative mean to introduce new
methods, ideas, or thinking. When we we are innovative we tap into the
passion we have for a given topic or our over all passion for
teaching. Teachers are naturally innovative, we all take the time to
find what works best for our students. There will never be a time when a
teacher has a class where every students learns the same exact way and
was at the same ability level.
There are several ways to be innovative and still maintain excellence. If we take the time to get to know our students and their learning styles our innovation will also result in excellence. If we create an amazing lesson but does not meet the needs of our students, will it be excellent? Probably not since the students will not be able to relate to it. "An innovative educator is very uncomfortable with doing business as usual, especially when it yields no result. So they go to work brainstorming ways to make things better." I believe that if we are meeting the needs of our students we can innovative with excellence.
Rachelle Wooten suggests that there are seven characteristics of an innovative teacher:
Innovative teachers are also inquisitive and learners themselves. Education is every changing field and innovative teachers are constantly researching what will work best for their students. They are always asking questions and refining the classroom experiences based off the needs of their students.
Thomas Markham (2013) discusses the ever changing world we live in and how there is a need to be innovative in more then just education. He gives tens ways to help students become innovative themselves by creating a dynamic learning environment. He discusses ways such and using Project Base Learning, and teaching concepts not just facts. "Innovation is mightily discouraged by our system of assessment, which rewards the mastery of known information." (Markham) I am not sure I fully agree with the statement he makes. I believe it to be true but if we are teaching students using innovative strategies that match their needs we can provide them with the tools they need to be successful on all of these assessments. By teaching with excellence and using innovative strategies we are providing students more chances of being successful.
David Burgess-Teach Like a Pirate
http://teachamazing.com/7-characteristics-of-an-innovative-educator/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/04/10-ways-to-teach-innovation/
There are several ways to be innovative and still maintain excellence. If we take the time to get to know our students and their learning styles our innovation will also result in excellence. If we create an amazing lesson but does not meet the needs of our students, will it be excellent? Probably not since the students will not be able to relate to it. "An innovative educator is very uncomfortable with doing business as usual, especially when it yields no result. So they go to work brainstorming ways to make things better." I believe that if we are meeting the needs of our students we can innovative with excellence.
Rachelle Wooten suggests that there are seven characteristics of an innovative teacher:
- Reflective
- Learners themselves
- Creative
- Connected
- Collaborative
- Inquisitive
- Principled
Innovative teachers are also inquisitive and learners themselves. Education is every changing field and innovative teachers are constantly researching what will work best for their students. They are always asking questions and refining the classroom experiences based off the needs of their students.
Thomas Markham (2013) discusses the ever changing world we live in and how there is a need to be innovative in more then just education. He gives tens ways to help students become innovative themselves by creating a dynamic learning environment. He discusses ways such and using Project Base Learning, and teaching concepts not just facts. "Innovation is mightily discouraged by our system of assessment, which rewards the mastery of known information." (Markham) I am not sure I fully agree with the statement he makes. I believe it to be true but if we are teaching students using innovative strategies that match their needs we can provide them with the tools they need to be successful on all of these assessments. By teaching with excellence and using innovative strategies we are providing students more chances of being successful.
David Burgess-Teach Like a Pirate
http://teachamazing.com/7-characteristics-of-an-innovative-educator/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innovation
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/04/10-ways-to-teach-innovation/
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Week 4 Reflection
This week we worked in our groups creating a rubric for students and teachers. The goal as my part in the process was to monitor the work of the students to make sure that their ideas were present in the teacher rubrics. I was really impressed with the work the students had done, all the groups had done a fantastic job analyzing different serious games. I think that their ideas are very present and the teacher rubric reflects the work they have done so far.
The second part of this week looked at the book Teach Like a Pirate and student engagement. I believe reading other people's blogs that we are all very passionate about creating engaging lessons. I was skeptical of the twitter hour in the beginning of the course, but I have found it to be the most beneficial part of this course. It gives us all a chance to bounce ideas off of each other and share thoughts with each other. It is a time not wasted and it is where I get many ideas. I look forward to trying new things in my classroom to get my students engage and active in their learning.
The second part of this week looked at the book Teach Like a Pirate and student engagement. I believe reading other people's blogs that we are all very passionate about creating engaging lessons. I was skeptical of the twitter hour in the beginning of the course, but I have found it to be the most beneficial part of this course. It gives us all a chance to bounce ideas off of each other and share thoughts with each other. It is a time not wasted and it is where I get many ideas. I look forward to trying new things in my classroom to get my students engage and active in their learning.
Friday, February 7, 2014
#etlead keeping students engaged
It is the goal of every teacher to create lessons and activities that suck students in and keep all of them actively participating through the whole activity. We all know that in reality that is not always going to happen and some lessons we think are going to be amazing may flop. As teachers knowing our students can help create some very active and engaging lessons. Engagement is not just about one lesson but creating an engaging classroom where students are always excited for the next thing.
When I first think about engaging lesson I think of lessons that are interactive, students are "glued" to the lesson, they want to learn more on their own, and they are activities students constantly talk about. As a student the engaging lessons are the ones I still remember to this day, the teachers that kept the classroom engaging are the ones that inspired me to be a teacher.
What are the components of an engaging lesson and how do we as teachers attempt to make all of our lessons engaging? I think there is an endless list of ways to keep a lesson engaged. Teach Like a Pirate does an excellent job of breaking it down of what needs to be present for not only an engaging lesson, but an engaging classroom. David Burgess looks at passion, we all are passionate about something and students can see that we can become more then just a talking head in front of the classroom. Students need to feel comfortable in the classroom, we need to create a community were everyone feels safe. I thing I really like the Burgess says is that we need "swim" with our students. As teachers we need to immerse ourselves into our lessons, students can tell when we are not following immersed and will act as we do. "When a teacher is passionate about his or her subject matter, this enthusiasm is often infectious. If a teacher is bored, the students will sense it. If the teacher is learning along with the children, exploring and discovering, students will notice this, too." (Gazin)
I think that being innovative plays a huge role in creating an engaging classroom. "Cookie cutter" lessons don't work for every student. As teachers it is important to take some creative liberty when we create a lesson or activity. It is key to get to know your students and know what potential issues you may have with an activity. An innovative lesson gets students thinking and taps into higher level of questioning. They also get students moving and active in the learning process it's not just the teacher talking and students listening.
When we have an engaging activity that can completely flop because there is not enough structure or balance. Engaged classes can be active but structured as well, so like to call this controlled chaos. Students need to now the rule, and what is expected of them. If the expectations are clearly laid out and students are aware of them the chances of pure chaos are limited.
This week made me think about my classroom and the level of engagement of my students. I fell as if I could talk forever on how to make a lesson engaging. I look at my students and the activities in my classroom. This is by far the most challenging year and most challenging group of students. I have students who are hesitant to try new things and are not confident in their learning, but as their teacher it is my job to find that one thing that gets them excited and ready to try new things. After reading the text I have a new sense of excitement to find new ways to engage my students and get all of them on board with trying new things!
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/engaging-students-keep-them-edge-their-seats
http://www.learningkeys.org/EducatorTips/TheSecretofEngagingandMotivatingStudents/tabid/277/Default.aspx
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-school-turnaround-student-engagement-tips
Teach Like a Pirate David Burgess
When I first think about engaging lesson I think of lessons that are interactive, students are "glued" to the lesson, they want to learn more on their own, and they are activities students constantly talk about. As a student the engaging lessons are the ones I still remember to this day, the teachers that kept the classroom engaging are the ones that inspired me to be a teacher.
What are the components of an engaging lesson and how do we as teachers attempt to make all of our lessons engaging? I think there is an endless list of ways to keep a lesson engaged. Teach Like a Pirate does an excellent job of breaking it down of what needs to be present for not only an engaging lesson, but an engaging classroom. David Burgess looks at passion, we all are passionate about something and students can see that we can become more then just a talking head in front of the classroom. Students need to feel comfortable in the classroom, we need to create a community were everyone feels safe. I thing I really like the Burgess says is that we need "swim" with our students. As teachers we need to immerse ourselves into our lessons, students can tell when we are not following immersed and will act as we do. "When a teacher is passionate about his or her subject matter, this enthusiasm is often infectious. If a teacher is bored, the students will sense it. If the teacher is learning along with the children, exploring and discovering, students will notice this, too." (Gazin)
I think that being innovative plays a huge role in creating an engaging classroom. "Cookie cutter" lessons don't work for every student. As teachers it is important to take some creative liberty when we create a lesson or activity. It is key to get to know your students and know what potential issues you may have with an activity. An innovative lesson gets students thinking and taps into higher level of questioning. They also get students moving and active in the learning process it's not just the teacher talking and students listening.
When we have an engaging activity that can completely flop because there is not enough structure or balance. Engaged classes can be active but structured as well, so like to call this controlled chaos. Students need to now the rule, and what is expected of them. If the expectations are clearly laid out and students are aware of them the chances of pure chaos are limited.
This week made me think about my classroom and the level of engagement of my students. I fell as if I could talk forever on how to make a lesson engaging. I look at my students and the activities in my classroom. This is by far the most challenging year and most challenging group of students. I have students who are hesitant to try new things and are not confident in their learning, but as their teacher it is my job to find that one thing that gets them excited and ready to try new things. After reading the text I have a new sense of excitement to find new ways to engage my students and get all of them on board with trying new things!
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/engaging-students-keep-them-edge-their-seats
http://www.learningkeys.org/EducatorTips/TheSecretofEngagingandMotivatingStudents/tabid/277/Default.aspx
http://www.edutopia.org/stw-school-turnaround-student-engagement-tips
Teach Like a Pirate David Burgess
Sunday, February 2, 2014
#etlead evaluation tool reflection
I think this has been the interesting component of the serious games. There are tons of serious games out there that are useful and can meet the objectives of the class. When creating the evaluation tool to find the game that will be most useful it can be one of the more challenging things to do. When it seems you have something that would work great another idea comes along to change your thinking. The evaluation tool was created using the components we felt the most important in a serious game. Like any other rubric the scoring guide needed to be created. I believe that the evaluation tool created could be used by anybody. One component I find beneficial is the use of percentages, these make the evaluation of a game consistent and not based off "personal opinion".
I think the most enlightening part of the week was the twitter hour on Thursday. I thought there was a good evaluation tool created by the group, but questions (awesome questions at that) were made me think about the evaluation tool and how it would be used. I believe that the evaluation tool is a good evaluation and can be used by anyone, but looking at the components one person alone could not evaluate all of the tool fully. I really enjoyed the comments made amount having students use the evaluation tool to see if a serious game is worth playing. Not only can students test the collaboration component, there will be a wider opinion on the game. Plus this is one less time consuming thing a teacher has to do! It was kind of like an ah-ha moment this week.
I think the most enlightening part of the week was the twitter hour on Thursday. I thought there was a good evaluation tool created by the group, but questions (awesome questions at that) were made me think about the evaluation tool and how it would be used. I believe that the evaluation tool is a good evaluation and can be used by anyone, but looking at the components one person alone could not evaluate all of the tool fully. I really enjoyed the comments made amount having students use the evaluation tool to see if a serious game is worth playing. Not only can students test the collaboration component, there will be a wider opinion on the game. Plus this is one less time consuming thing a teacher has to do! It was kind of like an ah-ha moment this week.
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