It is hard to believe that 15 weeks of class are done. Its even harder to believe that we have already completed more than 15 weeks of the school year. THere will only be about 3 weeks until the end of the semester when we get back from Christmas break. This year is just flying by.
As I begin my final reflections on our class, I believe it is also important to thing about where each of us started and where we hoped to travel during the course. I am the team geek already. Computers and technology are a part of most of the things I am involved with each day. But there are always new challenges and new student needs out there to be met. I took this class not so much to improve my skills as a way of seeing what else was out there and how others were applying it. I wanted some new tricks to put into my toolbag.
With that goal in mind, the class was both a success and a little bit of a let down. The material for class was great and I did pick up some new tools and web-based applications that I can use to support my school and my students. But my second hope was that the class would give me the opportunity to interact with other techies and classroom teachers to see what they were doing and how they were meeting student needs. This course has been offered as a summer option at my school, but I passed on it because I was hoping to interact with teachers from other schools. My classmates were great and it was fun talking to them, but most were not in the classroom yet or were not strong in technology. I did learn from my peers, but did not pick up as many peer insights as I had hoped. So in some ways, my hunt for peer insights continues.There is a lot of good technology out there, we just have to find it and discover effective ways to use it to meet our students needs.
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Google Earth: Just too much fun!
I have been using Google Earth in the classroom for a little over three years now. FOr someone who loves geography, this is an application that is pure trouble. As I begin planning my lesson, I find myself off exploring things that have nothing to do with the lesson I am planning to teach. Often I see something that leads to another interesting point. Before I realize it, hours have slipped by and I am still playing. Its as much fun to check out places you have been as it is to look at places you have never seen. I have literally spent hours arguing with other teachers about when the last time the school was scanned based on lines in the parking lot and which cars were or were not in the lot at the time.
Bringing the lesson to life in the classroom with students is just as distracting. I have learned that it is best to always plan a Google Earth play day before using the tool for the first time in a lesson. Once students see the maps projected onto the whiteboard, the fun begins. I always start in space and fly into our school. As I rotate the perspective so that the view is into our class window.... I can always count on at least half of the class turning to see if the camera is hanging in the air outside. They know its not, but they can not help looking. Soon after that come the inevitable requests to see their houses. So students take turns coming up to put in their addresses and watch the view fly to their houses to.
Eventually we get to the planned lesson. And their are so many that Google Earth can support. In my classes we have checked out rollercoasters and amusement parks for our science lessons on motion or gone to see places described in books we were reading. This is one application that is only limited by the imagination of the user. But be careful. Its so much fun that everyone might forget that they are learning.
Bringing the lesson to life in the classroom with students is just as distracting. I have learned that it is best to always plan a Google Earth play day before using the tool for the first time in a lesson. Once students see the maps projected onto the whiteboard, the fun begins. I always start in space and fly into our school. As I rotate the perspective so that the view is into our class window.... I can always count on at least half of the class turning to see if the camera is hanging in the air outside. They know its not, but they can not help looking. Soon after that come the inevitable requests to see their houses. So students take turns coming up to put in their addresses and watch the view fly to their houses to.
Eventually we get to the planned lesson. And their are so many that Google Earth can support. In my classes we have checked out rollercoasters and amusement parks for our science lessons on motion or gone to see places described in books we were reading. This is one application that is only limited by the imagination of the user. But be careful. Its so much fun that everyone might forget that they are learning.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Educational Philosohy of the Month
As I have worked on my own educational philosophy over the past week, I have spent a bit of time reviewing different web sites and blogs to get a feel for what other teachers say and think about education. The themes and models seem endless and they seem to change so quickly. During my 21 years as a software engineer, I thought I was used to being in an environment where everyone was looking at the latest piece of technology. Those of us who had been in the development field often referred to the new tools and toys as silver bullets. Everyone was looking for the perfect tool to slay the evil programming problem. But unlike the movies, the old engineers realized that there were no silver bullets. It was all about hard work, discipline, and a bit of flexibility in the way we think and approach a problem. There was never going to be a programming language or software tool that would solve everybodies problems. But there were ways to use the existing tools and some of the new ones more effectively to solve problems. It is what made a good engineer valuable and the rest of the players just programmers or hacks.
During the last 8 years of my engineering career, I began teaching college classes at night. As adjunct faculty, I was somewhat isolated from the politics of the college. Teaching philosophies and the latest teaching fads were not something that night school teachers had to deal with more than once a semester at semi-annual training sessions. One just had to keep the student critiques in the right range and you could teach as you thought best. But after I retired from my technology career and began to take classes for my teaching license, I began to be exposed to many different educational silver bullets. Each education class and professor I had followed a different "method" for the best way to reach students. After first, I assumed this was just a good way to expose us to different concepts. But then I began to teach.
I teach at a middle school and over the 6 years that I have been at this school, we have had 5 different school or district philosophies. Each has had something to offer, but before we could really make the new one work we were off exploring a new way to slay poor standardized test scores. The programs we used just fell be the wayside. Whats a teacher to do but follow along. Unfortunately, some just quite trying and pay lip service to whatever current approach is being forced on them. I oftern wonder whether there would be nearly as many approaches if a disertation was not required for most Doctorate degrees. If we eliminated the need to come up with a new silver bullet to get a degree, would highly educated teachers spend more time learning to use the tools we have already discovered. That's not to say new ideas are all bad, but sometimes its nice to have an expert at something we know trying to help a student who is having trouble learning.
I am not sure if it is politically correct to reference someone else's Blog while writting your own, but I did find one that seemed to be searching for the same goal as my own. David Truss asked the question in his own educational philosophy (http://pairadimes.davidtruss.com/statement-of-educational-philosophy/), "I wonder how much of what I have written is ‘universal’ and how much of it is a product of being stuck in the current bureaucratic-age based paradigm?" I think its important to ask why we believe as we do. Is it what we were told to believe, a rut we are stuck in, or something we are passionate about. We all need to remember the first line of David's philosophy, "The goal of education is to enrich the lives of students..." because if it is not all about the students, then its time to leave the classroom.
During the last 8 years of my engineering career, I began teaching college classes at night. As adjunct faculty, I was somewhat isolated from the politics of the college. Teaching philosophies and the latest teaching fads were not something that night school teachers had to deal with more than once a semester at semi-annual training sessions. One just had to keep the student critiques in the right range and you could teach as you thought best. But after I retired from my technology career and began to take classes for my teaching license, I began to be exposed to many different educational silver bullets. Each education class and professor I had followed a different "method" for the best way to reach students. After first, I assumed this was just a good way to expose us to different concepts. But then I began to teach.
I teach at a middle school and over the 6 years that I have been at this school, we have had 5 different school or district philosophies. Each has had something to offer, but before we could really make the new one work we were off exploring a new way to slay poor standardized test scores. The programs we used just fell be the wayside. Whats a teacher to do but follow along. Unfortunately, some just quite trying and pay lip service to whatever current approach is being forced on them. I oftern wonder whether there would be nearly as many approaches if a disertation was not required for most Doctorate degrees. If we eliminated the need to come up with a new silver bullet to get a degree, would highly educated teachers spend more time learning to use the tools we have already discovered. That's not to say new ideas are all bad, but sometimes its nice to have an expert at something we know trying to help a student who is having trouble learning.
I am not sure if it is politically correct to reference someone else's Blog while writting your own, but I did find one that seemed to be searching for the same goal as my own. David Truss asked the question in his own educational philosophy (http://pairadimes.davidtruss.com/statement-of-educational-philosophy/), "I wonder how much of what I have written is ‘universal’ and how much of it is a product of being stuck in the current bureaucratic-age based paradigm?" I think its important to ask why we believe as we do. Is it what we were told to believe, a rut we are stuck in, or something we are passionate about. We all need to remember the first line of David's philosophy, "The goal of education is to enrich the lives of students..." because if it is not all about the students, then its time to leave the classroom.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The Good Parts of Technology
This may be one of the easiest writting assignments of the course. Technology has enriched my life by allowing me to overcome many of the limitations imposed by my blindness. The list of benefits is so long that its hard to summarize. I don't have to worry about going to the library as I can download digital books from the Library of Congress to play on my digital player. I can pull movies from Netflix over the internet which means that I don't have to find a ride to the movie rental store. Information and research that I would normally have to get to a library for is available at my desk. I can communicate and stay in touch with people simple by sitting at my computer. Shopping, hobbies, travel planning.... everything I need is a few keystrokes away. For many people, especially youth; this might be see as a retreat away from personal interactions. But for people with disabilities, this is often the only way to overcome being trapped in a house with nothing to do. Even my coursework to keep my teaching license can be done at home. Without the advances in technology, cab fare would cost me more than the course itself.
Maybe the biggest advantage is the emotional and psychological one. Sometimes the disability makes on feel trapped and very isolated. It can still be too quiet alone in the house, but there is an ability to reach out. And that provides some relief to the trapped feelings. Its hard to explain to someone who has the ability to go where they want when they want to.
As a teacher, my favorite uses of technology are the ones that I use to support my special education students. Technology allows me to help them succeed and learn. Students who can not write two sentences can use the computer to prepare movies and presentations to their classmates that show they have learned. My students record their voices over pictures that draw and scan or download or even take with a camera or camcorder. These pieces of technology combine into a project that they can feel pride in persenting to their classmates. For many of these students, the feelings of success are a new experience. I have technology that allows me to scan books or web sites and have them read to students who can not read. Again, my students feel included for the first time. They do not have to be embarassed that they can not read the hard chapter book that the rest of the class is reading. They can sit at the computer and have everything read to them. We are even experimenting with speach to text with some students. As in my personal life, technology can be the key to overcoming limitations. Its a good feeling.
Maybe the biggest advantage is the emotional and psychological one. Sometimes the disability makes on feel trapped and very isolated. It can still be too quiet alone in the house, but there is an ability to reach out. And that provides some relief to the trapped feelings. Its hard to explain to someone who has the ability to go where they want when they want to.
As a teacher, my favorite uses of technology are the ones that I use to support my special education students. Technology allows me to help them succeed and learn. Students who can not write two sentences can use the computer to prepare movies and presentations to their classmates that show they have learned. My students record their voices over pictures that draw and scan or download or even take with a camera or camcorder. These pieces of technology combine into a project that they can feel pride in persenting to their classmates. For many of these students, the feelings of success are a new experience. I have technology that allows me to scan books or web sites and have them read to students who can not read. Again, my students feel included for the first time. They do not have to be embarassed that they can not read the hard chapter book that the rest of the class is reading. They can sit at the computer and have everything read to them. We are even experimenting with speach to text with some students. As in my personal life, technology can be the key to overcoming limitations. Its a good feeling.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Video Blogging and our Youth
As part of this weeks assignment, I checked out two new video blogging sites VLOG Central (formally VBLOG Central) and VOBBO. I also looked at some of the VBLOG out on YouTube. This is a technology that is obviously immensely popular. As someone who has never really enjoyed being in front of the camera, it is a capability that I do not see the appeal of. But it is obviously there especially with our youth. From a personal perspective of having been in the military, I see a wonderful tool that could be used to link families to loved once far away. I know my son in Iraq is a big user of Skype and I occasionally borrow a friends netbook to video conference with my son... but that is really more of a communication tool that video blogging. I watched over 50 videos this week and some were very intertaining and fun while some were just silly (Cherry Popping and extreme fruit violence) and others were of very questionable content. This is definitely a technology with pluses and minuses.
On the positive side, I see an ability for students to express themselves when other forms of communication are difficult. Students who can not write a good paper can sit sometimes sit and talk to the camera to express themselves and to show what they have learned. Video responses give teachers an additional way to assess what students have learned and they provide students with a feeling of success that they were able to complete an assignment.
But this new technology comes with a great risk that it will be used in an inappropriate manner by our children. The children of 2009 have a different moral view of what is right and wrong that is more often influenced my thier peers that by the adults of their world. This new technology is one that requires we somehow teach our children how to use it properly. It is sad, but in many cases our children are doing more harm to themselves than the worst pedophiles. There is a growing base of stories about children and young adults using cell phone cameras and other video devices to take inappropriate pictures of themselves to share with friends. Once sent, these pictures are no longer under control and they often have very negative consequences. There are also a growing number of adult websites that provide similar capabilities to YouTube. I may be old fashioned, but somehow we need to teach our youth how to use these technologies in an appropriate manner that does not place them at risk. This children and young adults may think its okay today; and maybe they can avoid embarassment now, but there will come a time when they are adults with families of their own that these video exploits will come back to haunt them. Data on the internet lives forever. I do not know the solution to the problem, but somehow we need to put some thought into what technology we make available to our children before it can be misused.
On the positive side, I see an ability for students to express themselves when other forms of communication are difficult. Students who can not write a good paper can sit sometimes sit and talk to the camera to express themselves and to show what they have learned. Video responses give teachers an additional way to assess what students have learned and they provide students with a feeling of success that they were able to complete an assignment.
But this new technology comes with a great risk that it will be used in an inappropriate manner by our children. The children of 2009 have a different moral view of what is right and wrong that is more often influenced my thier peers that by the adults of their world. This new technology is one that requires we somehow teach our children how to use it properly. It is sad, but in many cases our children are doing more harm to themselves than the worst pedophiles. There is a growing base of stories about children and young adults using cell phone cameras and other video devices to take inappropriate pictures of themselves to share with friends. Once sent, these pictures are no longer under control and they often have very negative consequences. There are also a growing number of adult websites that provide similar capabilities to YouTube. I may be old fashioned, but somehow we need to teach our youth how to use these technologies in an appropriate manner that does not place them at risk. This children and young adults may think its okay today; and maybe they can avoid embarassment now, but there will come a time when they are adults with families of their own that these video exploits will come back to haunt them. Data on the internet lives forever. I do not know the solution to the problem, but somehow we need to put some thought into what technology we make available to our children before it can be misused.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
Dr Ken Robinson's monolog on Ted.com is a rather interesting and often funny response to education, but it is also in many ways an unfair representation of today's educational system. I admit to laughing at times, but I also found myself being insulted at times. In the end, I wasn't sure if I was more amused or insulted.
Our educational system (at least in this country) has made many strides in the last 15 years. Recognition of multiple intelligences is just one of them. The system has begun to look at new ways of supporting learning and learning styles. In fact, if you wait a day or less.... a new paper will be published with a new way to teach children. In many ways, I feel that the system as gone too far in trying to find new and innovative ways to teach. The focus on fundamental skills in math and reading has been lost to the idea of kinder and less threatening learning. Reciting math facts and/or spelling in front of the class is now considered to stressful for fragil egos and so the skills work has been dropped from our curriculum. With these changes, out country's education system has lost it superiority in the world. Maybe we need to reconsider going back to the basics. We can still use the things we have learned about teaching, but without forgetting the hard lessons we learned along the way. I do not believe that stressing basic skills development damages creativity. The US did it for decades and managed to land on the moon. Creativity can remain despite structured learning.
There were two pieces of the video that I found very insightful though. The first was the comment that young children are often willing to try even if they do not know the answer. They are not afraid to be wrong. Trying and failing is still allowed. That is soemthing I think schools need to teach our students more carefully. It is okay to make mistakes as long as you are trying. If we teach our children its bad to make a mistake then they may be afraid to try. Smoe of our greatest achievements have involved failure. It was okay to fail 10,00 times to make a light bulb as long as Edison kept trying until he got 1 right.
The second note that I really like was the comment about how we treat kids with different learning styles or disabilities today. The idea that one of the world's greatest dancers might have been medicated and told to relax is scary, but all to often the easiest solution. Kids need to be understood and accepted as they are. Then we can learn to teach who they are. My experience is that most of who they are is what the adults in their life have created. True issues are issues our society has created in the child. Sometimes its a genius we do not recognize that a parent has nurtured and sometimes its a disability that adults have instilled. Sometimes its just who the child is. Understand it first, then maybe we can understand how best to teach the child. And maybe all it takes is dance school.
Our educational system (at least in this country) has made many strides in the last 15 years. Recognition of multiple intelligences is just one of them. The system has begun to look at new ways of supporting learning and learning styles. In fact, if you wait a day or less.... a new paper will be published with a new way to teach children. In many ways, I feel that the system as gone too far in trying to find new and innovative ways to teach. The focus on fundamental skills in math and reading has been lost to the idea of kinder and less threatening learning. Reciting math facts and/or spelling in front of the class is now considered to stressful for fragil egos and so the skills work has been dropped from our curriculum. With these changes, out country's education system has lost it superiority in the world. Maybe we need to reconsider going back to the basics. We can still use the things we have learned about teaching, but without forgetting the hard lessons we learned along the way. I do not believe that stressing basic skills development damages creativity. The US did it for decades and managed to land on the moon. Creativity can remain despite structured learning.
There were two pieces of the video that I found very insightful though. The first was the comment that young children are often willing to try even if they do not know the answer. They are not afraid to be wrong. Trying and failing is still allowed. That is soemthing I think schools need to teach our students more carefully. It is okay to make mistakes as long as you are trying. If we teach our children its bad to make a mistake then they may be afraid to try. Smoe of our greatest achievements have involved failure. It was okay to fail 10,00 times to make a light bulb as long as Edison kept trying until he got 1 right.
The second note that I really like was the comment about how we treat kids with different learning styles or disabilities today. The idea that one of the world's greatest dancers might have been medicated and told to relax is scary, but all to often the easiest solution. Kids need to be understood and accepted as they are. Then we can learn to teach who they are. My experience is that most of who they are is what the adults in their life have created. True issues are issues our society has created in the child. Sometimes its a genius we do not recognize that a parent has nurtured and sometimes its a disability that adults have instilled. Sometimes its just who the child is. Understand it first, then maybe we can understand how best to teach the child. And maybe all it takes is dance school.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Death by PowerPoint
PowerPoint presentations are not one of my favorite tools in the classroom. At least not for use as the teacher. They can be okay as a way for students to share the results of their own research or labs.... but even then there are better and more capable tools for the student to use. So I really do not have any educational horror or wonder stories to share. Just a little structured noted taking which seems a great way to allow students to copy down important notes.
In my first career in the US Air Force, PowerPoint and presentations were a way of life. Careers lived and died by the briefings that people gave before the Generals. It was often sad to think that you could do a better job and still not be recognized for it simply because the guy briefing before you had some better tricks in his presentation that caught the General's attention. But it was a fact of life.
The two most painful uses of Powerpoint that used to drive me crazy were often related. First was the 1 gigabit slide. The graphics and pictures on a single slide were so large that the slide takes forever to load. Back in the old days.... if you were lucky the powerslide would crash the computer and you could end that particular briefing quickly and painlessly. The second painful presentation trick was often related, too much animation. I can see my boss standing at the podium to shis day. The slide would begin with a map. An Airplane would fly across the screen and deposite an icon on the map. Ships would cross the ocean and drop more icons on the map. The whole process of building this one piece of information took 15 minutes to say something that could have been said in 15 seconds. Anybody besides me want to leave before the next slide starts? And by the way... there are 10 more after that one.
In my first career in the US Air Force, PowerPoint and presentations were a way of life. Careers lived and died by the briefings that people gave before the Generals. It was often sad to think that you could do a better job and still not be recognized for it simply because the guy briefing before you had some better tricks in his presentation that caught the General's attention. But it was a fact of life.
The two most painful uses of Powerpoint that used to drive me crazy were often related. First was the 1 gigabit slide. The graphics and pictures on a single slide were so large that the slide takes forever to load. Back in the old days.... if you were lucky the powerslide would crash the computer and you could end that particular briefing quickly and painlessly. The second painful presentation trick was often related, too much animation. I can see my boss standing at the podium to shis day. The slide would begin with a map. An Airplane would fly across the screen and deposite an icon on the map. Ships would cross the ocean and drop more icons on the map. The whole process of building this one piece of information took 15 minutes to say something that could have been said in 15 seconds. Anybody besides me want to leave before the next slide starts? And by the way... there are 10 more after that one.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The New World Order of Hans Rosling
This was such an incredible video that I can't describe all the ways that I enjoyed it. Hans Rosling is a very rare man. Having worked in the world of data analysis and online databases, it is rare to find someone that intelligent and skilled who can also give an interesting briefing. I have known some brilliant data analysts... but someone has to wake you up for the important points in the briefings. This was exciting and the way the data was used was so interesting.
From the perspective of a social studies teacher, it was so interesting to see a view of the world that wasn't just about the "Have's" and "Have Not's". The world order has changed and is continuing to change. Its refreshing to see someone talk about the new world order with current data that supports current conclusions. Our world needs more information like this so that people can understand what is happening. Maybe if there were more people showing this level of information in an understandable way, at least part of the third world might stop blaming the USA for all their woes.
From an educational perspective, I am a little more leary of what I saw in the video. But I still like the idea of making information more available to students and those who want to learn. If tools can be developed to export that information in an understandable fashion, it can only imporve the learning of our students.
On the other hand, I am somewhat trained in data analysis. I took several classes in this area to support the database work I did for my degrees. I know enough to know that this can be a dangerous tool that can lead to many bad decisions. True data analysis and database management means you have to have an understanding of how data is related and how to normalize the data. You have to have a fair bit of math under your belt to understand the error inherent in the data. Without a very strong background, the average data consumer will not be able to analyze the data correctly to be able to make GOOD decisions. To draw a bad analogy, this is like putting a loaded weapon in the hands of a 3-year old. I have seen corporate executives with trained IT support pull the wrong data to make decisions that destroyed product lines. I have seen school administrators take standardized test (NECAP) data and make recommendations that do not even address the student shortfalls. Before turning powerful databases and analysis tools over to anyone that wants to use them, as IT professionals we need to educate the people on how to use the tools and understand the results.
From the perspective of a social studies teacher, it was so interesting to see a view of the world that wasn't just about the "Have's" and "Have Not's". The world order has changed and is continuing to change. Its refreshing to see someone talk about the new world order with current data that supports current conclusions. Our world needs more information like this so that people can understand what is happening. Maybe if there were more people showing this level of information in an understandable way, at least part of the third world might stop blaming the USA for all their woes.
From an educational perspective, I am a little more leary of what I saw in the video. But I still like the idea of making information more available to students and those who want to learn. If tools can be developed to export that information in an understandable fashion, it can only imporve the learning of our students.
On the other hand, I am somewhat trained in data analysis. I took several classes in this area to support the database work I did for my degrees. I know enough to know that this can be a dangerous tool that can lead to many bad decisions. True data analysis and database management means you have to have an understanding of how data is related and how to normalize the data. You have to have a fair bit of math under your belt to understand the error inherent in the data. Without a very strong background, the average data consumer will not be able to analyze the data correctly to be able to make GOOD decisions. To draw a bad analogy, this is like putting a loaded weapon in the hands of a 3-year old. I have seen corporate executives with trained IT support pull the wrong data to make decisions that destroyed product lines. I have seen school administrators take standardized test (NECAP) data and make recommendations that do not even address the student shortfalls. Before turning powerful databases and analysis tools over to anyone that wants to use them, as IT professionals we need to educate the people on how to use the tools and understand the results.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Challenging Students and Ourselves with Bloom's Taxonomy
Bloom's Taxonomy and the ideas it presents for education are not a new concept to me. In fact, it was an old concept that I had somewhat pushed aside as old news. I understood the basics of the different levels of learning and had moved on to some of the more recent educational raves such as the 9 learning styles, etc. What did surprise me was that Bloom's now encompasses 3 different realms of learning. I knew the cognative levels and felt comfortable with them. The addition of the Affective (Feelings) and Psycho-Motor (physical) models is something new for me at least and something that I would like to look into further as I grow as an educator. I think that these are a huge addition to Bloom's model, and may be the stepping point for addressing students with other learning styles.
Blooms is designed to help us challenge our students but I also recognize that it challenges us as teachers even more. It is easier to prepare lessons that simply address Knowledge, Understanding, or even Application. Moving into higher realms is a lot more work. When you add in the need for differentiated instruction, basic skills work, and multiple intelligences; it is often far to easy to remain at the lower levels of learning. I find that even when I get to the higher levels of learning, I tend to find a spot that I am comfortable with and tend to teach from that realm. I am big on synthesis. I like my students to be able to take information from multiple sources and or views and use those sources to create an opinion or view that is their own. Again this is a comfort zone way of teaching for me. This is a process that I am comfortable with and one that I find I can easily write lessons to challenge my students. But there are other goals and skills that they need to learn.
I guess my last thought for today is that one of the other challenges we face as educators is which model for improving education we are going to follow. I have been at the middle school for almost 6 years now. In that time we have had 4 educational focuses each trying to meed student needs a different way. By the time we start to get a handle on one way to do things better, we are off tackling something different. Its not like the ideas are exclusive... but you only have so much time to rework lessons each time you teach them. As a software engineer, I understood rapid changes in technology and development tools. But teaching and reaching students is more that swapping in a faster set of hardware or a new programming language. To use an old software phrase, maybe its time for the world of education to stop looking for the "Silver Bullet" to slay our problems. Maybe its time to just take the time to really implement what we know. But then how would people revolutionize teaching and make a name for themselves.
Blooms is designed to help us challenge our students but I also recognize that it challenges us as teachers even more. It is easier to prepare lessons that simply address Knowledge, Understanding, or even Application. Moving into higher realms is a lot more work. When you add in the need for differentiated instruction, basic skills work, and multiple intelligences; it is often far to easy to remain at the lower levels of learning. I find that even when I get to the higher levels of learning, I tend to find a spot that I am comfortable with and tend to teach from that realm. I am big on synthesis. I like my students to be able to take information from multiple sources and or views and use those sources to create an opinion or view that is their own. Again this is a comfort zone way of teaching for me. This is a process that I am comfortable with and one that I find I can easily write lessons to challenge my students. But there are other goals and skills that they need to learn.
I guess my last thought for today is that one of the other challenges we face as educators is which model for improving education we are going to follow. I have been at the middle school for almost 6 years now. In that time we have had 4 educational focuses each trying to meed student needs a different way. By the time we start to get a handle on one way to do things better, we are off tackling something different. Its not like the ideas are exclusive... but you only have so much time to rework lessons each time you teach them. As a software engineer, I understood rapid changes in technology and development tools. But teaching and reaching students is more that swapping in a faster set of hardware or a new programming language. To use an old software phrase, maybe its time for the world of education to stop looking for the "Silver Bullet" to slay our problems. Maybe its time to just take the time to really implement what we know. But then how would people revolutionize teaching and make a name for themselves.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Reflection on Dr. Bernie Dodge video - WebQuest: the Pitfalls
Dr Dodge's short discussion has some excellent points to make. I agree that one of the first questions that needs to be asked is whether or not this is an appropriate subject for a webquest. Many of the quests found online are nothing more than activities meant to keep students busy digging up and spitting back facts that they could easily find in their textbooks. Its a shame that the webquest is often a tool used to give a teacher a break from teaching for a day.
I was most impressed by Dr Dodge's development of his own three level taxonomy. I liked the words he used for the highest levels of learning: "Create, Predict, Decide." If you can get students to that level, it is a really useful experience. I do not agree that that is the only learning objectives that are good uses for a webquest though. I also would like to see the idea of synthesis listed as a higher learning objective. Students are often bombarded with information from all sides. It is important to teach them to bring different sources together to form a deeper understanding that may not exist in their sources.
The one topic that I disagreed with was Dr Dodge's ascertion that you know you have done well when each student has a different response. I see this as a valid perception with older, more mature students. As a college professor and possibly as a high school teacher, you can hope for that time of intellectual growth. My experience is that most middle school students are not to that point in their ability to learn. They are still focused on their being a right and wrong answer. SOme of my best simulation and role playing lesson end with reflections where students have to oportunity to show insight beyond the simple role they played. I am usually thrilled if 4-5 of my hundred plus students actually go beyond telling me what happened to explaining why. It doesn't mean whe don't try but I think its important to understand where in the learning curve students are.
I was most impressed by Dr Dodge's development of his own three level taxonomy. I liked the words he used for the highest levels of learning: "Create, Predict, Decide." If you can get students to that level, it is a really useful experience. I do not agree that that is the only learning objectives that are good uses for a webquest though. I also would like to see the idea of synthesis listed as a higher learning objective. Students are often bombarded with information from all sides. It is important to teach them to bring different sources together to form a deeper understanding that may not exist in their sources.
The one topic that I disagreed with was Dr Dodge's ascertion that you know you have done well when each student has a different response. I see this as a valid perception with older, more mature students. As a college professor and possibly as a high school teacher, you can hope for that time of intellectual growth. My experience is that most middle school students are not to that point in their ability to learn. They are still focused on their being a right and wrong answer. SOme of my best simulation and role playing lesson end with reflections where students have to oportunity to show insight beyond the simple role they played. I am usually thrilled if 4-5 of my hundred plus students actually go beyond telling me what happened to explaining why. It doesn't mean whe don't try but I think its important to understand where in the learning curve students are.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Ease of Teaching the Internet
The Internet is such a great tool. The information and resources rival even the best libraries I have ever visited. I love maps and the maps that are available to use with my students with a quick click are amazing. Scanned copies of battlefield maps to copies of maps used by Christopher Columbus with anotations made by him or his crew. It is simple amazing. And if you do not have time to make your own lesson.... sites like The Center for Teaching History with Technology have tons of material just waiting for someone to come get it. If your interested, take a look at their site at http://thwt.org/webqueststhinkquests.html
This week's entry is supposed to be about creating a webquest. The hardest part of the Webquest is eliminating sources. The data is everywhere and the hardest part for me was cutting the information back to a reasonable amount of sites. I have to admit to being a technology junkie though. I seem to have a knack for internet searches and finding the right combination of keywords to seach for. I am sure thats not true for everyone though.
The other challenging part of the webquest is often getting the students to take the information they find and process that information into more than just a set of facts that they put on the paper. My time in special education has really helped me with that process. And often its a lot easier that most people think. The first step is often to simply ask for something other than words. This serves two goals as an educator. First, you can allow students to use other learning styles and/or multiple intelligences. The second is that the student has to understand more of the material they read to translate that information into a drawing or map or artifact. I find this works well for my high needs students and the other students in the classroom. And belief it or not, sometimes they even have fun.
This week's entry is supposed to be about creating a webquest. The hardest part of the Webquest is eliminating sources. The data is everywhere and the hardest part for me was cutting the information back to a reasonable amount of sites. I have to admit to being a technology junkie though. I seem to have a knack for internet searches and finding the right combination of keywords to seach for. I am sure thats not true for everyone though.
The other challenging part of the webquest is often getting the students to take the information they find and process that information into more than just a set of facts that they put on the paper. My time in special education has really helped me with that process. And often its a lot easier that most people think. The first step is often to simply ask for something other than words. This serves two goals as an educator. First, you can allow students to use other learning styles and/or multiple intelligences. The second is that the student has to understand more of the material they read to translate that information into a drawing or map or artifact. I find this works well for my high needs students and the other students in the classroom. And belief it or not, sometimes they even have fun.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Open Submission Web SItes
Although web sites like Creative Commons have some very positive aspects to what they try to bring to bring to the internet, there is a very ugly side to their existence. It is not the fault of Creative Commons, but it is the reality of a site where people can post material of their own choosing. A significant number of the ads and the submissions that are not appropriate for use in the school environment. My first time in to Creative Commons, I saw advertisements for topics ranging from penis enlargement to online dating. No matter how good the core content is, exposure to such unrestricted material means that I can not bring sites of this type into my classroom to use with my students.
I also had concerns with the content of some of the submissions that I found on the site. Again, the concern is not with Creative Commons, but with the content of the pieces being submitted. There is no way that the site can be opened to my students. I realize the site can still be used by me to download pieces to use in class, but the downloads would have to be done at home as the site would never meet the use policies of my school district. I also do not want to be responsible for the approval of different pieces that get used.
I do wonder that Creative Commons does not have a policy on what is acceptable. Many sites like United Streaming and even Facebook have some fairly serious penalties with respect to the acceptability of content. For my purposes as an educator, I prefer to stick to sites that I know to contain student friendly content. The things that the internet community considers to be acceptable online do not meet my standards as an educator.
I also had concerns with the content of some of the submissions that I found on the site. Again, the concern is not with Creative Commons, but with the content of the pieces being submitted. There is no way that the site can be opened to my students. I realize the site can still be used by me to download pieces to use in class, but the downloads would have to be done at home as the site would never meet the use policies of my school district. I also do not want to be responsible for the approval of different pieces that get used.
I do wonder that Creative Commons does not have a policy on what is acceptable. Many sites like United Streaming and even Facebook have some fairly serious penalties with respect to the acceptability of content. For my purposes as an educator, I prefer to stick to sites that I know to contain student friendly content. The things that the internet community considers to be acceptable online do not meet my standards as an educator.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
New Paradigm for Copyrights at Creative Commons
I decided to break my post for the week into two separate pieces. Although not original, I will refer to these posts as the Good and the Ugly of Creative Commons. I would like to start with the Good though as the intent of Creative Commons is incredible. Data rights and copyright issues have always been an issue for me. In my Air Force career, we always had to be sure who retained what rights to software and what licenses were valid or not valid. In my teaching profession, the battle is even tougher. Student plagiarism is minor compared to the constant battle over what is legal to bring into the classroom to use with students. Even harder are the copyright battles over digitizing materials for students with disabilities. It’s often confusing to know what you really have the right to access. Even my hobby of genealogy is overrun with questions of data rights. How someone can own the rights to information about my family seems ridiculous. But the issues are there.
There are two aspects to Creative Commons that I am really impressed with. The first is the idea of a data sharing warehouse. Information is only useful if it can be shared in a meaningful way. I like the idea of putting information out for anyone to use. Whether its music, art, lesson plans, or information for hobbies… it only benefits people if they can get access to it. And this access tells you exactly what you can do with the information files.
The second aspect that I really appreciate is the ability to share information and still maintain your authorship. Most of the materials and really good lessons that I develop are lessons that I love to share. But it’s nice to keep your name on the really good pieces so people know your work. There is nothing wrong with a little pride of authorship. Creative Commons gives you the ability to share information and specify what people can do with your work. It gives you a feeling of safety that you can put your good work out without loosing control.
I give Creative Commons a hearty congrats on a great idea.
There are two aspects to Creative Commons that I am really impressed with. The first is the idea of a data sharing warehouse. Information is only useful if it can be shared in a meaningful way. I like the idea of putting information out for anyone to use. Whether its music, art, lesson plans, or information for hobbies… it only benefits people if they can get access to it. And this access tells you exactly what you can do with the information files.
The second aspect that I really appreciate is the ability to share information and still maintain your authorship. Most of the materials and really good lessons that I develop are lessons that I love to share. But it’s nice to keep your name on the really good pieces so people know your work. There is nothing wrong with a little pride of authorship. Creative Commons gives you the ability to share information and specify what people can do with your work. It gives you a feeling of safety that you can put your good work out without loosing control.
I give Creative Commons a hearty congrats on a great idea.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Week 3 and the New Web Sites
It has been some time since I last created a web site. My days of supporting play by mail games and their web sites go back over 15 years. I always found that HTML was fun to work in, but it was not for just anyone. The new tools available today make things much easier. Although I do have a facebook account, I really have not put much effort into designing my wall or controlling the layout. I use it to communicate. The other webpage that I currently maintain is a family tree site on Ancestry.com. I like the site and the tools, but the application is very specialized. My one big complaint is that the tools are changed and moved around the screen. It frustrates users to know end to find a tool missing or moved that we have been using for a year or more.
My experiences this week made me realize just how far the computer industry has come. Web pages used to be something only programmers and engineers developed. With tools like Google and Yola, anyone can create web pages. Not necessarily good ones, but usable pages. The advantage of these new pages is more than just making design more accessible. It also gives the people using the pages the opportunity to name or label their information with names that are meaningful to them. I can remember the many fights with my own engineering teams to get them to go out and learn the customers language and to use that language in our code. Now the customer doesn't need us or our nonsense variable names. Maybe thats not such a bad thing.
My experiences this week made me realize just how far the computer industry has come. Web pages used to be something only programmers and engineers developed. With tools like Google and Yola, anyone can create web pages. Not necessarily good ones, but usable pages. The advantage of these new pages is more than just making design more accessible. It also gives the people using the pages the opportunity to name or label their information with names that are meaningful to them. I can remember the many fights with my own engineering teams to get them to go out and learn the customers language and to use that language in our code. Now the customer doesn't need us or our nonsense variable names. Maybe thats not such a bad thing.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
The Next 5000 Days by Kevin Kelly
Kevin Kelly presents and interesting and in some ways frightening view of the internet and where it is going. I have watched the video three times now and I am still not sure how I want to respond to his discussion. He begins with a short history of the first 5000 days and his discussion is very accurate. The growth and expansion of the World Wide Web (WWW) is truely remarkable.
Its in Kevin's description of the next 5000 days that I begin to have my concerns. The levels of data integration and the capacity to hot link from one data element to the next are a reality. These innovations are happening as we speak. Kevin extrapolates this integration to a concept of the "One Machine" where all computer screens are viewing into a single large computer. To me this brings back to many visions of the book 1984, where big brother is looking over our shoulder at all times. Kevin takes his analogy a step further and begins to apply a level of artificial intelligence to the "One Machine" where it begins to monitor and predict our needs. As an IT professional, I spent 21 years fighting the concerns that computers were taking over our lives and that people were becoming little more than numbers.
It is true that automation as provided quicker access and easier viewing of our lives, but there are still controls in place to protect the rights and privacy of the individual. I just do not see the inevitability of the world where computers monitor our lives that closely and as a race we become totally dependent on the computer and the internet. It is a useful tool and one that I enjoy using, but it is something I can do without.
I may have taken this one element to seriously, but Kenin Kelly's words bothered me. Maybe its just a fear that if we do not teach our youth to guard their freedom and individuality, they may someday let the "One Machine" be in charge.
Its in Kevin's description of the next 5000 days that I begin to have my concerns. The levels of data integration and the capacity to hot link from one data element to the next are a reality. These innovations are happening as we speak. Kevin extrapolates this integration to a concept of the "One Machine" where all computer screens are viewing into a single large computer. To me this brings back to many visions of the book 1984, where big brother is looking over our shoulder at all times. Kevin takes his analogy a step further and begins to apply a level of artificial intelligence to the "One Machine" where it begins to monitor and predict our needs. As an IT professional, I spent 21 years fighting the concerns that computers were taking over our lives and that people were becoming little more than numbers.
It is true that automation as provided quicker access and easier viewing of our lives, but there are still controls in place to protect the rights and privacy of the individual. I just do not see the inevitability of the world where computers monitor our lives that closely and as a race we become totally dependent on the computer and the internet. It is a useful tool and one that I enjoy using, but it is something I can do without.
I may have taken this one element to seriously, but Kenin Kelly's words bothered me. Maybe its just a fear that if we do not teach our youth to guard their freedom and individuality, they may someday let the "One Machine" be in charge.
Monday, September 14, 2009
The INternet Detective Tutorial
This was an interesting training source. FOr my own personal information, it was information that I try to teach my own students in school. Unfortunately, it is definitely above the level of my middle school students. I can see its use in high school or early college though.
Again I was concerned with the way the training was designed. It was very difficuly to read even with magnifiaction. The pop ups for the quiz questions are not something that an visually impaired person would always catch. But they were better than the ones for the blackboard.
Again I was concerned with the way the training was designed. It was very difficuly to read even with magnifiaction. The pop ups for the quiz questions are not something that an visually impaired person would always catch. But they were better than the ones for the blackboard.
Taking the Blackboard Tutorial
Finally took the On-line Blackboard Tutorial. It was interesting, but painfully slow compared to the classroom version that I took several years ago before taking my first online class. My only real ah-ha was that someone could develop an automated course that was so difficult to navigate. The screens shots included in the course were microscopic. Without Zoomtext, I would not have been able to complete the course. The test had its own challenges. Finding the popups was not fun. I did not realize the little screens were there at first. This one was not designed for the visually impaired. Grin. Ah well.
My other feedback on the tutorial is that it is painful repetition for those of use who have taken multiple courses so far. I almost missed doing the assignment because I thought I already had credit for the tutorial. But it is done and in before Monday night. All is good in the world.
My other feedback on the tutorial is that it is painful repetition for those of use who have taken multiple courses so far. I almost missed doing the assignment because I thought I already had credit for the tutorial. But it is done and in before Monday night. All is good in the world.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Lost Capabilty over the Summer
Today was another day of frustration on the technology front. We worked very hard last year to build up a capability to scan books for students with disabilities. All the hours of work that went into the field guide to scanning is now water under the bridge. The district let a new contract for copiers and replaced all the machines. The new machines were not tied to the the online mailboxes so we can not scan files and save them.
So now we wait for the tech team to figure out how to link the new machines and then I get to do an emergency rewrite of the scanning instructions to identify all the changed controls on the new machines. Such joy.
So now we wait for the tech team to figure out how to link the new machines and then I get to do an emergency rewrite of the scanning instructions to identify all the changed controls on the new machines. Such joy.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
The School Year is underway
The students have arrived and the new house schedules are complicated even for the adults. Not sure how the kids are figuring it all out. As with every year, the network is a mess and we will be lucky to be able to use most of our computers until week 2. But at least the lab was up and running. I began the year teaching the staff how to do initial Speech to Text training. My team mate and I trained 21 staff member how to configure the microphone and to launch the Speech to Text software. Watching them all try to read into the headsets and teach the software to understand their voices was entertaining. Discussing with them how to do the same process with students who can not even read the passages was even more rewarding.
We have come up with some interesting plans though. We hope to use the most common word lists and build up a usable speech dictionary for each student. We won't know how well the plan works for a couple months... but I will post the results as we see them happen.
Larry
We have come up with some interesting plans though. We hope to use the most common word lists and build up a usable speech dictionary for each student. We won't know how well the plan works for a couple months... but I will post the results as we see them happen.
Larry
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Educational Blogging
I am preparing for my Information Technology in the Classroom course. Week 1 assignment was to creat a Blog space. One more set of tools to explore. Then again, we are looking to create several blogs for the middle school to communicate with parents and staff. So this should be a good experiment and self training session.
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