Wiki

This assignment definitely required a lot of time and energy... Although I only have myself to blame for not spacing it out more :). When talking with some of my peers, we thought maybe this should have been a requirement for the A contract, but the more I thought about it, I realized it was great that it was part of the C contract. Not as many people would have attempted the A contract had this been apart of it because it does seem like a very daunting task at first. I'm really glad in the end for having done this assignment because it showed me a lot of information I might not have otherwise found. I discovered a lot of different resources that will be beneficial to me when I'm a teacher and its great that I took the time to find it sooner rather than later.

Exit Slip #13

Desired Classroom Activity...
If teaching a sixth grade classroom, I would incorporate technology in a variety of ways. First, of course, I would have a HUGE interactive whiteboard (hopefully they'll be making big ones by the time I start teaching, and they also wouldn't be affected if more than one person was working on the whiteboard). This would be used for daily learning. All of my students would have their own personal laptop on which all of their classwork, interests and projects would be on. They would be theirs for the entire school year. By doing this I'm not only preparing my students for the modes of technology they will be working with in the real world, but also have everyone on the same playing field regarding their learning. And finally, I would have a class wiki in which to keep all students informed, as well as their parents. This way, parents are able to see exactly what is taking place every day in their child's life and see how they are doing in school. Parents will then be able to review this information and then find the different ways to contact me should they have any questions or concerns.

Class Ideas...
IWB
Video Streaming
Blogging
Scratch-making games
Epals-collaborative learning
Simulations/virtual labs
Online whiteboarding
Course Website/portal
Podcasting
1:1 Initiative
Wiki
Screencasting
Delicious-social bookmarking

We discussed Dr. Boyer's teaching philosophy (constructivism). After hearing it, it makes so much sense to me on why his teaching methods are as effective as they are. We won't learn anything if we aren't given the chance to DO IT. 

Changes in my Thinking...
My entire perception on how technology can be used as changed. I thought incorporating technology into the classroom meant using a computer. Shocking I know. This class has taught me so much. I really couldn't believe it was possible for me to be able to do all of the assignment (A contract). I'm actually really proud of myself and all I accomplished. It showed me how beneficial technology in the classroom can really be.

PSA Reflection

This assignment was really fun! I worked with a great group so it made the whole process of creating our PSA very enjoyable. It did require us to all exert a great amount of energy into this project. We first had to decide what we wanted to do and how to make up an effective PSA. We needed to look up statistics and related information. We then had to think about what we wanted our core message to be, and how it would flow through the announcement. Filming required all of us knowing what to say and how to say it. Editing was a group effort because none of us have really worked with Live Movie Maker before so it was quite an experience. Overall, I really liked doing this assignment, even if it's daunting at first. :)

Exit Slip #12

Notes from Video
Technology has revolutionized how teaching takes place. Moved away from books and handouts and instead had the students use computers (laptops) in place of these. Use blogs in order to keep both students and parents informed on what's taking place in class. Has an interactive white board within the class for more hands on learning. Helps students practice life long learning. Participate in online collaborative projects to work and connect with other students from around the world.

...

Took awhile to debrief about what we learned from the video. We discussed what we could do before, what we couldn't, and what we could do better as a result of using this technology within our own classrooms. We then did a jigsaw activity with the class about 7 brilliant and 7 stupid things teachers do with technology. It was nice doing it this way because we were able to learn about each of the different topics with only being responsible to first know about only one thing.

Exit Slip #11

We had the final group facilitate our discussion today. They used the jigsaw method of discussion which was really interesting and beneficial to see in action. We then did our standard debriefing about the group. This book really made me realize how our current education system needs some changing in order to better prepare our future students for the world that awaits them. With the ever increasing use of technology, schools are still slow to change their attitudes towards its use in the classroom. We then did a media search for the rest of the class period. It was a great activity since it showed how quickly we can actually find resources to add to our delicious accounts.

Rethink: Chapter 10

This chapter was great because it looked at all the main areas that we have to be considerate of when "rethinking" education in a technology world; how to learn, how to motivate, what's important to learn, career choices, the transitions between learning and work, educational leadership, and the government's role in education. The authors' also included their own vision for the future, what they hoped their book would inspire. I'm not going to lie, reading this last chapter intimidated me a lot because of the thought of all these changes that could be taking place in the next 10 or so years (who knows when, really). But it got me to thinking, as scared of all these changes as I am, it's what our future students need. Not even as teachers, but as members of our society, what we're doing now isn't meant for us, it's meant for the next generation. This chapter has really taught me that I need to not be as concerned as to what I'm comfortable with but to do what's best for the future generation.

I think it's a good time for me to be going through college right now; current teachers might struggle with this transition, thinking that if something's not broken, why fix it? But the truth is, something is broken. It broke my heart to know that only 14% of students with a C average will graduate from college. We know that nowadays, you pretty much need a college education to make real money; we need to help our students to get there. But they need to help themselves as well. I believe that students with a C average are more than capable of achieving good grades, but what we are teaching isn't applicable to them. We need to let them be in control of their learning, but with us there to offer them support and guidance when need be. They can't do everything on their own yet, that's why they are still in school. But we need to have more faith in them then we generally do. We need let them make some decisions for themselves. I think we'd find ourselves quite surprised that they can be greater then we give them credit for.

Exit Slip #10

We took care of some housekeeping briefly and then listened to the group facilitate our discussion on Rethinking: Chapter 9. They did a good job. They tried to incorporate Scrib-link into our discussion, but unfortunately it wasn't loading. So they quickly had us get into the groups we were supposed to orignially discuss our question with. We then discussed about our homework that's due for next week. We then had the rest of the class to either work here or leave.

Podcast Reflection

The podcast itself wasn't too difficult to do, once I understood how to work Audacity. I encountered difficulty when adding my music and sound effects and turned to the lynda.com tutorials for help, but they didn't really give me the answers I was looking for so I just fiddled around and figured it out on my own. I think the hardest part for me wasn't putting the sound effects in, it was finding ones that were appropriate and free online. I also did my podcast in stages so that way I wasn't overwhelmed when I didn't understand something; I'd just come back to it later. Overall, I think I exerted a great deal of effort into this assignment and am very proud of the work I did. It might have been due to my computer's microphone or that I wasn't speaking loudly, but my sound waves weren't incredibly high or noticeable on Audacity, which made editing a bit of a challenge. But, all the more reason to be proud when it came out the way that I wanted it to.

Rethink: Chapter 9

Throughout reading this book, the bottom line is there is a shift in where learning is taking place. My eyes are confidently open to the ways in which we can use technology both in and outside the classroom to promote and sustain a learning environment. There were some things in this chapter that I read that I don't necessarily agree with. I understand that children are going to play video games and that the right ones can promote deeper learning and I think parents should all at least try to be actively interested in their child's interests. But I don't think that instead of reading a book, you should go play video games with your child. I'm not saying that you can't do that, I think that's great. But I don't advocate doing something like playing a video game in replacement of reading with your child. And I know everyone has their own individual interests, but I don't think students, especially young ones, are going to go and network with people from all around the world about dinosaurs and create these amazing MUVEs. I don't know. Maybe they can and I'm just skeptical about it since I've never seen anything like that done before, but it just seems a little crazy to me.

I feel that as a future educator, I just need to keep my eyes open to what works best for my students. Learning is not longer black and white... There's a lot of gray area. I feel that the best way to serve my students is to just be open to what they really need. Times are changing, and if you can't get the job done, a school will find someone who will. In my future classroom, I hope to find a unique balance between both technology and the regular school. With the school system changing, we need to be ready for it. Taking a class like this shows me all the different ways that I can connect my students to a network outside of our classroom. Information like this can truly benefit all educators as it keeps them up to date with what to do. I'm not saying that every single time a new technology comes out that it must immediately be up and running in your class, but it really helps to be aware with what our students are using and how to relate to them.

BWP: Chapter 10 & Epilogue

This final chapter was really telling us not only what to expect in the future, but what we as educators must do to prepare. I really appreciated the "major shifts" headings as some information I had forgotten that was near the start of the book. This chapter was a great indicator of what changes we can anticipate for our future teaching positions. One of the shifts that really stuck a chord with me was "Many, Many Teachers and 24/7 Learning". I think originally I might have been inclined to see students relying upon other teachers for deeper knowledge might have left me feeling like I was somehow failing my students, that I wasn't able to provide for them as I should have. But, while teachers are knowledgeable, there are a seldom few who would deem themselves experts in everything. It's great that students are able to turn to the internet to enhance and continue their learning when their curiosity must be satisfied. Plus, while my students might network and connect with teachers from around the world on their educational journey, I too might find myself building relationships with students from other schools to better serve them. I think I need to stop worrying so much that I need to be the person with all the answers. I know if there's something I don't know, I turn to the internet; as should my students.

I really liked the Epilogue at the end of this book. Throughout reading, I was able to get a pretty good understanding of all the different tools and technology available for our use, but I wasn't entirely sure how someone like me would make use of them on a daily basis. It was incredibly helpful to have a brief scenario given to allow me to understand how I might one day use similar technologies when I'm a teacher. Truth be told, I sort of expected many of these technologies would be pretty time consuming, but it only took Tom McHale about 45 minutes to do all that he wanted. This book has really been a huge help into not only what I want my students to use, but what I want to use as well.

Exit Slip #9

We took care of housekeeping for the day. The presenters for Chapter 9 facilitated our discussion for today. Dr. Boyer then showed us an article of a charter school where approximately 124 students go to school in a one room school house where each student has their individual office desk to work on their projects. They are required to take the same standardized and state tests that students from public schools do and are required to meet the same requirements, which I wasn't really aware of. I thought this was really neat because I wasn't always 100% aware of what took place in a charter school. We then debriefed on the positives and deltas of the presentation. The group did super well and had a great concept (Venn diagram), but it got a little bit sloppy when having to write on it. Dr. Boyer then shared different tricks and tips to help us for our final iRLO project. We then discussed what we needed to do for our technology inquiry wiki. there's definitely a lot of things to focus on.

Rethink: Chapter 8

In this chapter, there was great discussion about three main components; customization, interaction, and learner control. These are all incredibly important factors as far as technology based learning is concerned. Technology is able to offer students to customize not only what they are learning, but how they are learning it. Many technology tools offer a wide range of interaction, which is greatly beneficial to the students' learning processes. And instead of the teacher being in charge of what the student is to learn, the student is able to decide for themselves. I feel that having students have more responsibility for their education in turn allows them to be successful. These three components tie into three main ways that schools can cope with technology; performance based assessment, new curriculum designs, and new approaches to equity in a digital world. As a teacher, I feel it is our right to find what works best for each individual student and allow them to pursue that. However, we do need to be mindful of what standards are set by both the state and school district and work within those confines. While reading the "new curriculum designs" portion of this chapter, I was a little hesitant to whether I agreed with the authors' ideas or not. And I know that it says that we're supposed to trust teenagers to choose their own paths, but I just don't agree with that. I don't care how be good of preparation you do, teenagers at 14 and 15 aren't really thinking about their long term or life time goals. Teenagers are still children. They don't need constant hand holding but they do need guidance.

As stated numerous times, this world is changing, and we need to be ready for it. I found while reading this chapter that their are plenty of ideas proposed that I don't necessarily agree with. But the point of education is to constantly evolve into a better practice for the betterment of our students. Just because I don't agree with something doesn't mean it won't be effective, and if it is something that is expected by our standards then there's really no other option but to comply. The point of the matter is, we are living in a time where the way we might have learned is different from the way our future students can learn, and we need to be prepared to make accommodations. There's nothing wrong with holding onto personal beliefs and ideas, as long as we are open to what is truly best for our students.

Screencast Reflection

http://screencast.com/t/gvCC3xvHX

Preparing for this screencast definitely required some effort. Not only did I have to spend time exploring and figuring out my cool tool, I then had to think about the SWOT analysis. I wrote my entire script for my screencast in order to refrain from audible pauses (uhm's and likes), which required time to do as well. I think I probably recorded my screencast at least 5-6 times before I was satisfied. The firm 5 minute time limit was sort of hard to work within, since I know I rushed at the end to talk about my final thoughts. But I knew I probably wouldn't be able to do another screencast as well and with as few errors as my final one so I left it.

Doing a screencast was actually kind of fun. I think it's good practice to share a project like this with our peers now to prepare us for working with our future colleagues. I think it also helps us learning how to speak professionally, since we want to set a good example for our students. 

BWP: Chapter 9

This reading really taught me that social networking sites are far more useful and innovative than many of us give them credit for. By using social networking sites as a way to expand our horizons and connect with others who have similar interests from around the world, we are able to better prepare our students for what's out there. There's an occurring trend that students take more pride in their work when they are publishing it for others to see who are genuinely interested, not just their teacher. Social networking sites allow students to put their ideas out there and not only have others comment on them, but allow a deeper knowledge to grow for our students. Plenty of what our students will learn can come from the outside of the classroom. By incorporating social networking sites, we are not only having our students work with a tool that they are more than familiar with, but we are having them use it in an academic sense. However, because a vast majority of schools have social networking sites like Facebook blocked, using sites like Ning is a great alternative. While some teachers are able to find success in fighting for the right to use Facebook within their classroom, others have yet to do so.

As a teacher, I don't think I would even try to fight for the use of Facebook in my classroom. As a user myself, I would want to try to keep that specific site as one where students are able to keep in contact with their friends. I would more than likely try a different site, such as Ning, to still get the same effect but in a more school friendly approach. While it did state in the reading that Ning isn't perfect, I feel that that's okay. As an educator, it is up to me to work out the problems that may arise by using such technology. I really like that the author always states that prior to using any of these tools within the classroom, we should use them first. Clearly I would want to experiment with and explore a site like Ning by myself prior to introducing it into my classroom. By doing this, I could discover some perks that I might not have even known about before, or I might even discover that this isn't necessarily the site for my students and want to explore and find a different one to use.

Exit Slip #8

We facilitated the discussion today for our class on Rethinking Chapter. We needed to watch our "uhms" and to make sure our directions were clear, but overall we did really well. I'm proud that we thought of a unique idea of how to have our peers communicate with one another. Because of the weird class layout, we weren't always able to see everybody very well but all in all I think we did a good job.

After debriefing, we looked at webinars. I've heard about them before but I never really knew how they worked. They actually seem like an incredibly useful tool. It's something that I think would make online classes much more enjoyable and interactive then they tend to be. We then discussed our podcasting assignment. We can look at articles for inspiration to discuss but they have to relate to students who are PK-12, not older. Dr. Boyer told us how beneficial it will be to use to have a script written up in order to do our podcasts (and screen casts) and to not just "wing it" when we do the recording. We then went over the homework for the next week. Some of the items aren't due for awhile but I think I'll try to get them done anyways. It's going to be a busy weekend. :)

Rethink: Chapter 7

I felt like this chapter was another chapter that was just tying everything together that we've been reading about. It really told you what can be lost and gained by the use of technology both within and out of the educational sphere. One of the points that struck a chord with me was that because of all this educational technology, there will be less competition with the schools. I just don't believe this to be true. There will always be something to divide people from one another. I'm not saying this is right or how it should be, just simply stating how things are. There will always be people who are more wealthy than others, who will always be able to afford the next, up and coming form of technology to assist their child to be the very best. Middle to lower class families can't always afford the newest of everything. But I feel that not having access to technology doesn't mean that you can't be as educated, if not more educated, than those who have all of these resources available at their fingertips.

As a future teacher, I'm well aware the impact and role technology plays in students lives... I'm living it right now. But I want to make sure that I do my very best to make sure all of my students learn to their fullest potential, with or without technology. This is not to say that I won't have my students do countless projects within my classroom that incorporate all the benefits of technology, but I don't think I'll be expecting my students to work outside of the school with these types of tools. My mom is a teacher back at home and she told me that a little less than half of the students are on the reduced/free lunch program. If parents aren't able to afford lunch for their children, I certainly won't expect them to afford owning a computer. I feel that as educators, we need to be increasingly aware of our surroundings, and that depending on where we work, incorporating technology can be an easy and common occurrence or something far and few. We need to recognize the confines we are working with and work within them. All students deserve a great education, regardless of what their parents can afford, and it's up to us to give it to them.

BWP: Chapter 8

Prior to this reading, I had heard of podcasts but I wasn't entirely sure how they worked or what their purpose was. This chapter helped me see the benefits of using this technology within the classroom. Especially for those with learning impairments or those who are more auditory learners, it would be a great tool to implement to accommodate these types of students. Screencasting is great because in an age where technology is playing an increasingly popular role within the schools, you are able to show students just what to do. I can see screencasting being used in such a way that allows my students to watch the screencast on a project and then come see me if they need any additional help. I feel that this also goes along the line of having the students take responsibility for their education; they are taught something and if they feel that they still don't understand, it is up to them to seek out the teacher's help. I feel that the teacher is still teaching, but instead of wasting time going over things that a screencast could cover, students are asking questions about things they genuinely don't understand. As far as live streaming goes, I can see how it can give students a very hands on learning experience. However, the teacher who filmed his class everyday... I don't think I would ever do something like that. I feel that too often both adults and children alike try to put on a show when they know someone could be closely watching them (for better or worse, I suppose) but all the same, I think it is something I would use as an educational tool, but not instill it in my classroom the way some other teachers have.

One of the core things I anticipate doing when I'm a future teacher as a result of this reading is pay attention to what my individual students need to better their learning. Some might need a podcast, while others won't care for it at all, and that's okay. Other students might really put forth their best work knowing it will be published (video casting) while others might want to watch something and then have the opportunity to actively engage in a discussion about the topic. I feel that to be the best teacher I can, I need to have each student try each of these options for a period of time and then allow them to pick what works best for them. They could switch it up every assignment or they might prefer to stick with one way of doing things; but the important thing is that it is a decision they made that they benefit the most from.

Exit Slip #7

Today in class we listened to a group facilitate a discussion about Rethinking Chapter 6. They did a really good job dividing up the class into discussion groups and by designating places throughout the room for us to go. They set a really high bar for the rest of the semester. I'm really excited to present next week. Dr. Boyer then went over different tips using the SMARTboard. It was a great help because there were quite a few things that I didn't know how to do. Even if it doesn't pertain to my specific IWB lesson, it's helpful to know how to do it in the future. I didn't know how to lock words so that they can still move yet not be edited. And I learned how to make clones of something that I want my students to drag across the SMARTboard. We learned to pay great attention to the coloring of our backgrounds and text. We also learned how we shouldn't include more than roughly 36 words per slide when creating presentations.

I think I might meet with Dr. Boyer to help me make some changes to my IWB. If not that, for sure with my Scratch lesson. Dr. Boyer discussed how he was on Skype and how we are able to reach him that way if office hours or email doesn't always work. Before we left today we did a mid-semester course evaluation.

iRLO Reflection

The iRLO assignment was challenging. It definitely wasn't something that you could just throw together. It took time to just explore and figure out how things get pieced together. I feel that people who didn't really experience that great of difficulty probably have a more computational mindset. I look at things and see them for what they are, not always how they function. This assignment was good because it caused me to think in a different way than I normally would've. After looking at some of the other assignments after I had posted mine, I felt like mine was maybe not as "cool" as everyone else's, but it still required effort from me in order to get it to work, which made me proud. I'm looking forward to seeing what critiques my peers give me in order to better my iRLO and perhaps get some more help.

Rethink: Chapter 6

This chapter really helped me understand the overall shift from where education started and to where it is now. The other chapters were building up to this and I felt like this chapter was just tying everything together and helped me understand everything prior to this a lot more. This reading has led me to believe that education isn't points on a line but rather a continuum, things are constantly evolving and changing. But sometimes this change is happening so slowly we don't ever realize it until way after the fact. The three phases that were highlighted in "Rethinking" took a long time to get to the way they were. As a future teacher I wonder what types of trials and tribulations lie ahead of me my first year teaching, my 5th year, my 25th... Will the greatest amount of good for the most amount of people keep changing? And if so, what will I do to stay caught up? What if this technological shift does have an ever increasing amount of students being home schooled or being involved in distance/online education? If we're individualizing instruction (which I have no arguments with) and allowing students to pick the topics that interest them or that will enhance their career choice, I feel like we're going back to the ways of apprenticeships in some sense.

From this reading, I feel that the best I can do is to keep an open mind to the world around me. Not every one thing is suited for every one person and this holds true in education. Not every student will learn best in a regular classroom set up with the general curriculum, while others can greatly excel at it. I feel also that too much individualization without precedent might allow students to "slack off" or only want to learn about subjects the they find interesting. I'm not saying you can't further your knowledge about a particular topic, but if I had my choice I wouldn't really have to deal with science unless it involved looking at animals. There are some things that we have an obligation to teach our students and I just hope that we don't completely veer away from that.