I want to have the resources that Brian Crosby has and wished my teachers had lessons like that when I was in Elementary School! He is obviously a teacher praised by students, parents, fellow teachers and people that he doesn't even know, like myself. I would like to think I am innovative and am always trying to find new ways to teach things, but resources are scarce and time is always escaping me.
I hope every kid out there has at least one teacher experience like the ones Mr. Crosby gives his kids!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Week 9 - tool kit
I believe schools should unlock the tool kit! I can actually relate to Antero Garcia when he says "Sooner or later someone is going to expect my students to be able to quickly and effortlessly post to a blog, add to a wiki, or collaborate via some sort of social-networking protocol. And once again, my school will have failed to prepare them for such a task." (see my last post)
If we want our students to be productive in our society, these are the tools they will need to be familiar with. If schools approach this the right way, with the correct monitoring, it can be hugely successful. we can help the future generation with digital citizenship and guide them safely, instead of throwing them to the wolves to learn it on their own.
This kind of reminds me of my Sexual Education Class. You want me to teach abstinence..... which is great, but not necessarily the trend already happening. Why cant I teach them how to protect themselves and be honest about the whole situation? This is why the teenage pregnancy rate in SC is so terrible. We do not prepare these kids with the necessary tools.
With the right vision, training, support and technology we can prepare the future generations correctly.
If we want our students to be productive in our society, these are the tools they will need to be familiar with. If schools approach this the right way, with the correct monitoring, it can be hugely successful. we can help the future generation with digital citizenship and guide them safely, instead of throwing them to the wolves to learn it on their own.
This kind of reminds me of my Sexual Education Class. You want me to teach abstinence..... which is great, but not necessarily the trend already happening. Why cant I teach them how to protect themselves and be honest about the whole situation? This is why the teenage pregnancy rate in SC is so terrible. We do not prepare these kids with the necessary tools.
With the right vision, training, support and technology we can prepare the future generations correctly.
Week 9 - Chapter 8 Thoughts.
I know that chapter 8 is about systematic issues, but it made me think more about the issues my students are going to face when they move on to high school. This year was rough for our school. we were sent into a temporary facility because our loan had not gone through and our new building was not ready. We have little to No technology for our teachers and even less for our students. These kids have been dis-serviced. I believe in our school, i believe in our charter, but we just plain had a bad year! These kids will be blown away by their peers coming in from other schools. It is not fair to them.
They do not know what an electronic portfolio is. They havent been exposed to a computer lab this academic year. As the book was talking about authentic assessments, I could only imagine our students reactions to these foreign words and concepts.
We as a staff are deeply saddened by our current condition and have gone to the board in an attempt to be heard. We demanded to be moved into a better location to start our year off right next year. We demanded technology in our classrooms. We demanded the best for our students. We cant even think about systematic issues with no system to run on. Sorry for venting, it was a rough meeting last night. Our charter is up for renewal and the district is on our backs. It is a scary place to be in an economy like ours.
They do not know what an electronic portfolio is. They havent been exposed to a computer lab this academic year. As the book was talking about authentic assessments, I could only imagine our students reactions to these foreign words and concepts.
We as a staff are deeply saddened by our current condition and have gone to the board in an attempt to be heard. We demanded to be moved into a better location to start our year off right next year. We demanded technology in our classrooms. We demanded the best for our students. We cant even think about systematic issues with no system to run on. Sorry for venting, it was a rough meeting last night. Our charter is up for renewal and the district is on our backs. It is a scary place to be in an economy like ours.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Week 6 - Thoughts on Chapter 3
Chapter 3 was a fun read for me, and I do not like to read! These tools are literally breaking down the walls that once limited our students working only during the school hours. I also enjoyed reading about Jeff Utecht, who we got to do a live Skype segment with.
I really like the example for bookmarking on page 59. That really gave me a look into why bookmarking online is a better route for our students, and for us! I am a "specials" teach and lack the ability to stay in one room. I was using my personal laptop, which was helpful for bookmarking, but now I am using the teachers computers in their room and see the benefits of accessing my bookmarks from any computer.
Unfortunately, at the moment, our school is stuck in a temporary site that lacks the technology for me to be able to implement this with my students. I look forward to next year in our new building, where this may be a better possibility!
I really like the example for bookmarking on page 59. That really gave me a look into why bookmarking online is a better route for our students, and for us! I am a "specials" teach and lack the ability to stay in one room. I was using my personal laptop, which was helpful for bookmarking, but now I am using the teachers computers in their room and see the benefits of accessing my bookmarks from any computer.
Unfortunately, at the moment, our school is stuck in a temporary site that lacks the technology for me to be able to implement this with my students. I look forward to next year in our new building, where this may be a better possibility!
Friday, May 13, 2011
Podcast - flat stanley
Saturday, May 7, 2011
week 8 - Skype
The skype call didnt happen this week, but I did skype one of my classmates to ask if he knew anything about the skype call, which he did not either.
Instead I am writing about the struggles with collaboration. I often dread the group projects that are assigned, whether the class be online or in the classroom. I am a team player, and athlete, and a coach and yet I dread working as a team. Why? The main reason is that I am super busy ALL the time. I am not complaining, I like it that way, but it does make me a bad partner because I do not have a lot of flexibility in my schedule. I work three jobs and go to graduate school. If that weren't enough, I also play adult volleyball and do races. Next weekend I will be running in a mud run for the humane society.
It is nice to have new opinions and ideas to ponder. That part is interesting and can help to create something great. That is the positive side of collaborating. For me, the negative feelings and stress out weighs the positive! There is always the chance that you will have that one know-it-all who just will not consider your thoughts and feelings..... welcome to the real world!
Instead I am writing about the struggles with collaboration. I often dread the group projects that are assigned, whether the class be online or in the classroom. I am a team player, and athlete, and a coach and yet I dread working as a team. Why? The main reason is that I am super busy ALL the time. I am not complaining, I like it that way, but it does make me a bad partner because I do not have a lot of flexibility in my schedule. I work three jobs and go to graduate school. If that weren't enough, I also play adult volleyball and do races. Next weekend I will be running in a mud run for the humane society.
It is nice to have new opinions and ideas to ponder. That part is interesting and can help to create something great. That is the positive side of collaborating. For me, the negative feelings and stress out weighs the positive! There is always the chance that you will have that one know-it-all who just will not consider your thoughts and feelings..... welcome to the real world!
Week 8 - Connectivism and constructivism
They say that Connectivism is a learning theory for the digital age. Learning has changed over the last several decades. The theories of behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism provide an effect view of learning in many environments. They fall short, however, when learning moves into informal, networked, technology-enabled arena.
George Siemens is a theorist on learning in a digitally based society. In his article, A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, he says:
“One of the most persuasive factors is the shrinking half-life of knowledge. The “half-life of knowledge” is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete. Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD). To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”
I thought this paragraph was very interesting. I had to go back and read it a second time. It sounds similar to buying a computer/camera/camcorder and the fact that it is obsolete before you even get it home to unpack it.
I often wonder if there will ever be a generation not afraid to embrace change. Ultimately that is what it comes down to. Are we ready to transition our teaching/school system into this digital age that we have found ourselves in? Some of us are ready and willing, but some will never be willing. I know a third grade teacher who only uses the computer in her room to put her grades in online, which we have to do, otherwise she wouldn't use it at all. She had the opportunity for a mimio and turned it down. Will she ever be open to the digital age? Probably not.
While I remain hopeful, in my optimistic mindset, the truth is, I am afraid school systems are not catching up quick enough. I know it is a process, but by the time we think we are getting better, we are just further behind.
George Siemens is a theorist on learning in a digitally based society. In his article, A Learning Theory for the Digital Age, he says:
“One of the most persuasive factors is the shrinking half-life of knowledge. The “half-life of knowledge” is the time span from when knowledge is gained to when it becomes obsolete. Half of what is known today was not known 10 years ago. The amount of knowledge in the world has doubled in the past 10 years and is doubling every 18 months according to the American Society of Training and Documentation (ASTD). To combat the shrinking half-life of knowledge, organizations have been forced to develop new methods of deploying instruction.”
I thought this paragraph was very interesting. I had to go back and read it a second time. It sounds similar to buying a computer/camera/camcorder and the fact that it is obsolete before you even get it home to unpack it.
I often wonder if there will ever be a generation not afraid to embrace change. Ultimately that is what it comes down to. Are we ready to transition our teaching/school system into this digital age that we have found ourselves in? Some of us are ready and willing, but some will never be willing. I know a third grade teacher who only uses the computer in her room to put her grades in online, which we have to do, otherwise she wouldn't use it at all. She had the opportunity for a mimio and turned it down. Will she ever be open to the digital age? Probably not.
While I remain hopeful, in my optimistic mindset, the truth is, I am afraid school systems are not catching up quick enough. I know it is a process, but by the time we think we are getting better, we are just further behind.
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