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.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
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.
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