Sunday, February 24, 2008

EDC 665 - Week 8 Blog

In your ARP, are your learners engaged in their learning? Why or why not?

My students are engaged in their learning through my Action Research Project. As a matter of fact, it is entirely designed around their learning and make their experiences connect to information they have learned in class.

My students are given "scavenger hunts" with their partners for my cycle #2 and are sent to explore areas of the Internet. Most of the questions are to be found out by researching and many are open-ended. The great thing about them researching is that it relates entirely to what they are learning, or have learned in class.

I've also noticed that many of my students haven't been given the tools to be good researchers before. They've never figured out how to find interesting information online that is not drab like a textbook. I am hoping that given their inherent curiosity for learning, that they may not be turned off by textbooks and discoveries when they can find very cool things just by researching. I also want them to see that it can be done by them... even at 9-11 years of age.

I've recently sent them on discoveries (my hands off, I walk around to make sure content is appropriate on screens and answer questions both partners cannot figure out together) to solve math problems using Google, decrease search results by doing advanced searches on volcanoes, narrowing down their resources by searching Google images to find out information, cracking the code on true and fake websites, and the list continues. They've even been using del.icio.us and have recently begun using our class blog to blog about their learning, comment, and show others great things they have discovered.

My hope in the future is to get them involved in webquests and become experlike novices of researching on the web!

So far... it's all hands on. I love it!

Saturday, February 23, 2008

Mentoring Movie -- The Princess Diaries

Upon recommendation, I just watched The Princess Diaries for the first time. I was told it would be a great mentoring film to use as my example for Paul's class.

As I was watching, I was under the impression that although the Queen (Julie Andrews) would be an obvious mentor for Mia (Anne Hathaway), I believe her best friend Lilly (Heather Matarazzo) and the security guard and the Queen's love interest Joe (Hector Elizando) make better mentors. I do believe that the Queen had some mentoring moments... but Mia and Joe stand out more vividly as mentors.

Lilly spends time expressing to Mia that she could make a difference by being a princess rather than giving up. Lilly's main expression to Mia was that of voice. Lilly was a "hippie" child who wanted to make a difference in the world but felt her voice was weak. She encouraged her friend Mia, and Mia supported Lilly.

Joe quoted Eleanor Roosevelt in saying, "No one can make you feel inferior unless you consent" -- to Mia when she felt embarrassed and upset about her new look and her friend Lilly's jealous remarks. Joe also encouraged Mia often and commented on her being fit for her princess role.

Mia counted on these two individuals and also made them proud and respected them throughout the movie. The queen became more of a mentor and less of a coach toward the middle of the movie. Initially, the Queen was more of a coach. The day she finally allowed the dual mentorship to take place was when she cancelled her appointments to allow "her granddaughter to show her around San Francisco." At that point, the Queen learned from Mia how to remember being young and carefree and how not to take herself so seriously. The first royal dinner was a complete mess but Mia managed to brush it off and her grandmother began to see her as an individual who was a lot like herself. The culminating mentor moment was when both women made each other proud: At the International Ball, the queen was proud of her granddaughter despite her attire, and Mia was understanding and grateful for her grandmother's help and love.

Some may say that Mia's father may have also been an inspirational mentor in addition to her mother, Caroline Goodall (Helen).

EDC 639 -- Mentoring Journal -- Mid-February

Mentoring is going great. I spent a bit of time at lunch with my mentee recently and we discussed a couple options:

She is concerned with how parents may treat her in this transition to a more affluent area school. We discussed options of creating a website, keeping her parents up-to-date via email and making sure there is a clear line of communication despite her nervousness. It is important that the lines are open. We also talked about what we think (we aren't sure) of the grading program at her new school site. Some options are now moving toward all grades being available online and parents have access to them whenever they would like. This possibility could clear up some concerns that she is having. A school just about a mile away from her school uses this system!

Additionally, she discussed her concern with teaching styles within her department. Some are very traditional and she comes from a school that is in a lower-income area where students have a hard time "getting into" math. She has lots of bells and whistles and is very animated. Recently she went in to observe and noticed that the teachers at her new school are not as colorful. Her concern is less about their styles and more about how she can stress the importance of math being interesting, important, and fun at the same time.

We talked about her recent math family night at her school and how successful that was.

As for me, we discussed my options with the upcoming school year, position cuts in teaching, and the prospect of me being a substitute. We also discussed the option of me having a position but the adjustments that would need to be made adding 2.5 students to the already daunting class sizes.

I look forward to more mentoring time soon!

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Comment Response -- Technology

Brandy wrote...After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.

Gary said...
What leads you to this conclusion?

Last semester our EDC 664 class had a discussion about whether technology could be something other than an electronic-like item. During our class discussion, we came to reason that although a spoken/written language is not electronic and does not require power as our stereotypical definition of technology may, it is still a tool we use to assist us in communication.

If we view technology as more than just a plug-in machine, we can see on a broader scale that technology is simply a tool to produce more/better/more efficient successes.

Computers, automobiles, GPS systems, word processors, editing software, etc. all allow us to take what we already do (research, commute, navigate, script, revise) and make it better and more efficient.

Language has done that very same thing for us but has not required we insert batteries or charge when the battery becomes low. To this, I conclude that technologies can be defined another way... as a means to change the way we do certain things. Our outcome has improved (we hope) with the use of this "technology."

Monday, February 18, 2008

EDC 665 -- Book of Choice -- update #2

I completed the rest of the Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts... book and was somewhat lost with RSS feeds, but found some of the information valuable.

Since I am a novice to podcasting, I appreciated the reading on that area of technology and hope to use it eventually. As a matter of fact, I vaguely remember reading that podcasts were the technology of the next semester classes... so I may be required to make one! (I hope so)

For our group meeting to make decisions about our project for my EDC 665 class, Todd, Jessica, Rita, and myself decided to use Skype voice chat. With voice Skype, Todd said he has a software that allows him to record the conversation for later review. In essence, this is a podcast. In the book, it mentions downloadable software called www.powergramo.com. I am considering this software because I already have Skype.

Audacity is another piece of software to use. I also learned a bit about flickr and how to annotate a photo as a learning experience for students. I would like to learn more about screencasting, of which the book also covers, but I feel like I have to get podcasting down before I use podcasting with video.

I am impressed with the number of teenage kids who are masters at podcasting and all things digital. Although podcasting does not tie into my ARP, I would love to learn the trade and be able to teach future students or understand their love for the technology.

Maybe I should start by buying an MP3 player.

EDC 665 - Week 7 Blog

For your ARP, how did you select the technologies that you are utilizing? How have your learners responded thus far?

For my ARP, I selected the Internet in general as the main technology I am using. In teaching fourth grade, I realized that many of my students were intrigued with the Internet, but were not wise in using it. When asked if they knew even the most simple things about web browsers, and search engines, many had little to tell me about why they chose the technology they did other than to play a few video games and "google" topics of interest.

With a wide range of students in my classroom at all levels of understanding, I made the decision to teach them to be more conscious Internet consumers and show them the WHY of what they are using.

After having Gary Stager as a professor last semester, I was also taught that technology is essentially anything that is assisting you to fulfill a need. Given this definition, I am also using student pair groupings to encourage students to work together with a common mind and goal to "solve" the "problems" I give them.

So far, they have only visited the computer lab at our school once but they are enjoying it and learning a lot. I spoke to a few students after our last Wednesday's session and they were really enthused about what they were learning. This Wednesday will be another visit.

More updates to come! I have another fun day planned for them this week that includes using Google to solve math problems, using Google images to research and using advanced google searches to find factual information and weed out information that may be incorrect.

I am hoping to make my students great (and smart) consumers of the technology they already use (but don't fully understand).

Saturday, February 16, 2008

EDC 665 -- Book of Choice -- update #1

I am currently 2/3 done with my book of choice for Melissa's class. The book is by Will Richardson and is titled Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Webtools for Classrooms. Jessica and I selected the same book because our backgrounds and ARP's are similar.

At first, I read reviews about the book and was a bit apprehensive because a couple people commented that the information provided was "nothing innovative" and information they already knew how to do. Well, given that I am relatively new to using these tools (although I know a bit about each one), I really was looking for ways to incorporate what I, an adult, use at home with my students (fourth graders) in the classroom.

The first 50 pages or so are devoted to Will's accounts of blogs. He speaks in great lengths about ideas for blog use within the classroom and hits on the richness of using blogs to teach writing (of which I had a bit of an "aha" moment given that I love writing and have a background in that, as does the author. I wasn't too impressed with the blog information, but appreciated the links to other popular education blog sites. I was also not as impressed with the blog section because I recently did my own online research on blogs for my ARP and just learned all of the first 50 pages from reading other people's blogs to learn how to create my own. I then set up a blog and added my entire class of 31 kids to it at learnerblogs.org. If I had read the book a week prior, I would have had more to highlight.

I then learned quite a bit about wikis. I understand the use and all, but really appreciated the real-life accounts from actual educators who use wikis for group projects with kids, etc. I did feel a bit outcasted given the majority of examples are from the high school perspective. I learned a couple cool things about wikipedia and how they have wikirecipes and wikitravel ---of which I love both ideas. The wikirecipes is for people to share their favorites. Wikitravel is used to update on best travel deals.

Back to education... I leared about PBwiki of which I've only heard Margaret mention a few times in class. I might play around with one and set one up during the third phase of my ARP.

Finally, I ended today's reading with learning about RSS feeds. This is something I have struggled with, but also don't know how applicable the feed is for my students as we use the blog site. Given their age (9-11) and their conservative parents, I selected an education blog site that allows me to add only the kids I want and it is password protected. I think for now, that is all I am comfortable with. It didn't require any RSS feeds but just me using my blog to add users.

The final, really cool thing I learned was about RSS feeding of information I would like. For example, I could subscribe to all the RSS feeds out there about "global warming California"...etc. I could also subscribe to feeds from my favorite news sources so I no longer have to go to my favorites and run down the list everyday.

I am looking forward to learning about podcasting (if there is anything new to learn). Fun fact: Alan November was mentioned under good blogs sites. We just met him at FETC. It's cool to place the education connection.

Monday, February 11, 2008

EDC 665 - Week 6 Blog

As learners, we are often focused on completing assessment activities successfully as opposed to acquiring the outcomes indicated by the course- why is this? Describe a learning experience where either you have combated this learner tendency or you felt a teacher handled this well.

This might be the most applicable blog to date. As a student/learner (for the majority of my life) and now teacher, I have struggled with this aspect of the "hurry up and finish" mentality. As I am writing this, I wonder if I am giving enough thought and time to this posting as not to finish for finishing's sake.

As a student, I always felt a threat to complete before everyone else for the reason that I am competitive. But moreso, I wanted my teachers and professors to feel validated as they have students who take their teaching seriously and want to contribute. I also admit a sense of arrogance to completing first as I know this is the way to shape others' responses and "set the bar" so-to-speak. Finally, I am also the type to like to see a clean slate and not mull over things too long. I don't like seeing 10 assignments left to finish but enjoy "knocking them out" one-by-one.

This blog is perfect to add that I recently posted a blog under the name "zeros are heroes" (or something to that affect). I am sure if you scroll down it will appear... this posting explained my OCD issue with seeing zeros rather than seeing many postings to read. I climbed Mt. Whitney last year with my fiance and our two friends and was asked to be in the back because I lead the group too quickly and would have run us out of energy going too quickly. I'm also a pretty strong type A. (no laughing Brent, Todd, of Greg who give me plenty of crap for this...)

All this to say... I don't know where I picked this up. I see my students rushing often and not putting thought into everything they do. I encourage them to take a few breaths and mull over their thoughts to fully formulate what they want to expand on. I wouldn't consider myself the best role model for this behavior but know this struggle is something I live with everyday. I watch fellow hardworking classmates put a lot of thought into their work and wonder if I should slow things down a bit.

If I were to take a guess of why people are this way, I would say that everyone likes to be validated and the compulsive nature that pushes us to achieve the "assignment" as opposed to seeing the greater outcome is a way of checking a box. With so many "outcomes" to fulfill, I think as learners we settle for some lost outcomes and some gained, as long as we can save face with others seeing our completions. ?!? Looking forward to hearing some others' responses to this... I am struggling!

Saturday, February 2, 2008

EDC 665 - Week 5 Blog

Identify a standard that impacts your local environment or practice. Reflect on the value of the standard and its intended affect on student learning.

I am a bit unclear about whether this "standard" needs to be a content standard or whether it is the literal interpretation of the word standard as a set of rules or ways expected of being achieved...

I will answer the question in both manners.

I teach 4th grade and use state standards to guide my teaching of content. My students obviously are taught more than the standards give, but I do use them as a guideline to teach. In addition, our textbooks are aligned to state and national standards. In 4th grade math, I teach a high, gifted group of students. Currently, we are finishing up a unit on fractions and moving on to their relationship with decimals. A standard I am recently addressing is:

1.5 Explain different interpretations of fractions, for example, parts of a whole, parts of a set, and division of whole numbers by whole numbers; explain equivalents of fractions.

I see enormous value in teaching this particular standard, but really in teaching all of the standards. The reason is because I know my students will be using this material in their daily lives (I am a fan of Ms. Foster's grocery store wisdom -- saving money in the grocery store... how to compare ounces and get the best deals) and I often use life examples to illustrate the point among other manipulatives, etc. In addition, students will see this material in upcoming grade levels, in college, and beyond. I feel it is my duty to expose them to the content they will need to pass the tests (sadly) to get into college and create successful life opportunities for themselves. Although 4th grade grade is not significant grade wise, I feel that my job is to prepare them with as much as I can so the rest of their schooling is made simpler for them and one less thing to have to force into "learning" later.

Answering this question from the other perspective, a standard I use in my daily environment/workplace is this: Work amicably with other teachers as peers to create better learning environments and ultimately better learning opportunites for students that achieves success.

Our school/district recently went to a PLC model ---professional learning communities, out 45 minutes early/week for teacher collaboration to ultimately raise student achievement. Not necessarily student test scores, but achievement in all areas. We want our students to be successful. This is absolutely valuable. As professionals, we should see value in our students always achieving higher than they did yesterday. Not in a manner that pressures or hinders learning, but that teachers and staff commit themselves to constantly working on their end to better the opportunities for students to fulfill their own standards at an above optimal level. Being a teacher who is simply "okay" with status quo is not acceptable for students.