Week 8 Reflection (EDUC 6711)

I have learned a lot from this class. I know that seems to be endless rhetoric when you reach the end of many WONDERFUL classes offered within our Walden program, but this one has taken the cake thus far. I have learned immensely about things that I have never been aware of and that are so easy to access and use.

In my initial week's assignment regarding our personal theory of learning, I mentioned that I involve more of the applications within the Social Learning theory because many of my lessons are driven by student participation through such activities as discussions and utilizing one another to take part in the group's learning. I still feel that way and value the purpose of discussion and interpersonal relationships. However, after this class, I am eager to incorporate many new, enriching components to liven up the occasionally dull discussions that so many introverts dread and extroverts relish in.

Such activities that involve using a smart board or projector for taking students through a virtual field trip is one technological tool that I grew interest in due to the fact that I am a social studies teacher. Once introduced to Amy Petitgout's 8th grade social studies class in New Jersey (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008), I began to think of endless amounts of topics that I could incorporate such a wonderful classroom tool. Making time lines and re-enacting certain historical stories have a tendency to end up in Dullville and gradually lose student interest. When done right and given adequate planning, my students would love such an activity and almost wouldn't even realize that they would be accomplishing the same tasks as they were before when they were bored.

Another technological tool that I definitely intend on purchasing and implementing within the next school year is Voice Thread (http://www.voicethread.com). This is right up my students alley. Most of my students are ridiculously proficient in social networking realms (texting, Facebook, myspace, etc...). Voice Thread (http://www.voicethread.com) provides students with similar networking features and can accommodate a vast amount of educational purpose. I like to think that my chosen technological tools can be used to help solve our "boredom crisis" in our Social Studies wing. This leads me to my long term goals.

As I said above, we have an issue in my social studies department. I am the youngest teacher in our department by nearly 13 years. Of the ten social studies teachers on staff in our building, 8-9 lecture daily and have a weekly quiz of some sort and move each lesson, chapter by chapter, section by section. I understand that certain subjects require following curriculum that is provided by the state (ours is the OGT = Ohio Graduation Tests). However, using these tools would not only provide useful information to the students, but it would be relevant. Whether we like it or not, technology is a bear that is never going to hibernate again. Why not educate our students and prepare them for a life that they will be experiencing and provide them with skills that are needed for this time of day? My first long term goal will be to teach a full year without using a textbook (aside from a resource for certain research). Unfortunately, there will be days that we will not be able to access our computer lab of 30 (shared by nearly 1300 students and faculty daily). Aside from using textbooks for research, I intend on creating a curriculum without the dependency of a textbook written through someone else's perspective. I intend on teaching my students how to challenge what is presented to them and not accept the first thing they hear or read as the ultimate truth. I intend on doing so by incorporating technology.

I know that I have whined many times about my current lack of technology and I apologize. When I do that, I am venting because our administrators in charge present to the community that our technology is competitive and we are "cutting edge" when everyone that is behind the scenes knows that is completely a lie. Politics. Ugghh. Did I mention that I was a social studies teacher? My next long term goal is to apply for grants or some other means of financing for technology in our school, specifically our social studies department. There are many fortunate, successful companies that are willing to donate certain items that they may no longer need but are extremely resourceful in the classroom. Then we could have our vocational schools, or students that are capable, help restore or revamp the computers or tools to the teacher's needs and increase their resources. I tell my seniors that they need to apply for as many scholarships and grants as possible. It is free money and they are not going to hunt you down to give you their hard earned money. Why can't that same principle apply to me and my current situation? I know that I am amped up now as a result of this class but I don't mind. It actually serves as proof that I learned much about this class and was thankful to have been enrolled in it.

Dr. Orey (Laureate Education, Inc.,) had a great quote that I will always remember and use to prove a point when he said that we learned more when we went through student teaching or began our first teaching assignment than we did preparing to be a teacher. Students don't want to be talked to for hours on end in an environment that is dull, uninviting and uninspiring. They want to be challenged and pushed. They may not admit it, but when engaged in an effective learning environment that is safe and involves student centered lessons, they are usually active participants. It is my lifelong goal as an educator to work as hard as I can to not only establish and create such an environment but to never be complacent. thanks for reading this.

kevin

Voice Thread

http://voicethread.com/#e531003

Here is the link to my Voice Thread. I simply found a few photos of my school and students and posed a simple question: why doesn't our district keep up with technology and teaching strategies like they do with our facilities? I was able to find a photo of our school from nearly 50 years ago. I used that to pose the question. To most of you, the photograph is simply a bunch of farmland with a few random sporting fields and one building. Now, there is a large complex and all of that land is accounted for. However, lessons that were taught in that building some time ago used strategies and methodologies that are still used today. Are today's students the same as that some 50 years ago? C'mon.

I also found a picture of our students during a Washington D.C. trip in front of the White House. I found this relevant because our federal government intends on including Education as one of the priorities in this economic restructuring and the White House is where our President will make and maybe sign some key legislation regarding such issues. I am re missed that I waited a little too long to divulge into learning about Voice Thread. This was a crazy last week of school for me and while it does feel good to be close to done, I feel as though I have created a mediocre Voice Thread as a sacrifice. Thanks for reading and till next week...

Social Learning Theories (week 5 app)

I really enjoy examples of real life scenarios to help further understand a concept or topic. Dr. Orey used a medical student as an example of how inert knowledge or Situated cognition is something that social learning theories attempt to resolve. He said that a medical student studies medicine for three years but has to take up a residency to learn how to apply those lessons learned in a real world setting. He uses this example to catapult the concept that social learning theories are intended to contextualize information and bridge what is being learned and how best to apply it. The jigsaw strategy that he mentioned was one that I have used before. I love that strategy and the kids generally respond well when I adequately prepare for it.

I understood social learning theories as teaching the whole thing and not breaking it up into parts. The difference between constructivism and social constructivism is that it utilizes other people (esp. through conversations and discussions). I definitely agree that social learning is how we primarily construct meaning. How and why did most of us adopt english as our primary language? Did we decide that was what we wanted to speak? No. At such a young age, we need that knowledgeable other that Dr. Orey mentions in his descriptions of ZPD (zone of proximal development). I agree that many of us conceptualize our own ideologies and belief systems as we grow older and mature. However, primarily we definitely learn through others.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program eight. Social Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Constructionist / Constructivist Learning Theories (week 4 app)

I always get frustrated when I see these examples that are published. I realize that they are like the wonderful sumptuous sandwich on advertisements that never look like what you buy and I acknowledge why they are used as examples for others to see. However, I would like to see something that is relevant to most teaching situations. I teach at a very middle of the road district with adequate community support (funding). While we are not the best and most up to date district, we definitely are not at the bottom. These classrooms all are equipped with top of the line technology and it seems that all of them have unlimited resources where funding is not a problem. I want to see someone teach one of those magical lessons without a computer but still be considered integrating technology. Sorry, venting again. Focus...

The example on page 213 of the book was one that I found relevant because I am a social studies teacher and gravitate to those topics. The teacher, Mr. McDivitt conducted an experiment where he used a website with an instructive game on it as a teaching tool and in another class, with the same topic, used more traditional methods. According to his experiment, BIG SURPRISE...the class that were given the computers and adequate resources not only recorded better test scores, but they seemed to enjoy learning more. Who wouldn't? Would you rather do this class online from the seat in your home in perhaps your pajamas or at a college campus in a lecture with an overhead and a monotoned professor?

The relevancy is that in his class where he played the online game, he was requiring them to be an active learner and build something. Each student took on the role of a country leader and made certain decisions that were required to achieve their country's goals. The idea behind this class being more productive as opposed to the traditional classroom was that as they were building and creating something, the students were making assimilations and accomodations in order to reach equilibration. Dr. Orey mentions that these three along with schema are the building blocks for Constructionism.

Week 3 Blog Assn

There was a lot of good information in this week's DVD with Dr. Orey leading the way for both sections. The second one about the virtual field trip entitled "Spotlight on Technology" was a lot more of just watching the lesson unfold in its entirety as opposed to "Cognitive Learning Theories" where Dr. Orey sat and spoke more. I enjoyed the point that Dr. Orey made regarding forgetting information after it has been stored in the long-term memory. He said that you don't forget the information itself, but rather, the connection; how to get to that information in the long-term memory. That made sense to me and he made another good point when he mentioned that it should be the goal of educators to get students to store as much information into that long-term memory as possible.

What bothers me the most is that both classrooms used in the DVD as examples were fully equipped with top of the line equipment / technology and one even had teacher aides. This is in now way accurate to the school that I teach at. If we are lucky, we can sign out a projector on a limited basis. One lady had walls lined with computers, a laptop, a top of the line smart board and even a sexy cart to set the laptop on. I was jealous that all of her desks matched and didn't have permanent carvings in them. One year, if all of my students were present for fifth bell, three students had to sit on the ground. Can you imagine? Pathetic.

What was I supposed to be discussing? Damn. Sorry. Hard for me to avoid the inaccuracy of their published DVD examples of a classroom to that of my own. I enjoyed Paivio's dual coding theory and agree that people tend to remember images much better than text. I am constantly saying "I may remember them when I see them" or something to that regards. Dr. Orey mentions that this theory also correlates smell and other senses with both the image and some type of label (code). One of the best things that I can paraphrase from Dr. Orey this week is when he stated that images were some of the most powerful tools a teacher can use in their classroom (Laureate Education, 2008).


Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program six. Spotlight on Technology [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Behaviorism in Practice (week 2 assn)

Within the two chapters that we had to read, I was very much uninspired. Most of the examples used were all elementary based and in districts that had more than ample resources. One of the schools I read about had 5th grade students with personal laptops. I teach seniors in a very rural, underfinanced district that still has Windows 98 and 2000 operating systems in the one computer lab (20 computers) shared by 1300 students and nearly 80 teachers. I had to get that out, sorry.

In regards to our assignment this week, all of the examples that I read about in Ch. 8 & Ch. 10 definitely correlate with many of the behaviorist theories covered thus far. For example, the rubric created by Ms. Powell, a 5th grade teacher, exemplifies operant conditioning. By having them complete an effort rubric via spreadsheet reinforces what behaviors Ms. Powell would like her students to do again. One of the central themes is that activity is important and that learning is best accomplished when the learner is active rather than passive. The fact that Ms. Powell does this over the course of a four-week unit portrays another key element to behaviorism regarding frequency, or practicing. Regular practice, especially in different contexts, is required for skills to be acquired and for learning to take place.

I would be interested to know the time that was put into creating this four-week unit that I used for an example above. I am also curious to know of what resources these particular 5th graders have readily available for them. I am extremely envious of schools that have certain technological priorities in place. I am very frustrated with my district and the administrators that run them because they don't equip their (my) students with the same quality of equipment that is in their offices, but expect them to create the same quality material with limited resources. Am I rambling? Sorry. Thanks for reading my post and I hope your end of the year is pleasant!!!

Week 8 Reflection

This is a final blog posting for EDUC 6710: Understanding the impact of technology on Education, work and society. Below are some questions and in italics are my responses. I enjoyed this course and all that was learned from it. I hope to incorporate many new ideas and activities to help enrich my classroom environment and make it more conducive to student success.

• In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?
  

It has allowed me to realize the truth behind the fact that integrating powerpoints on an overhead and simply regurgitating the same methods as done traditionally only compounds the problem and is not "integrating technology." This course has allowed me to realize the power of Web 2.0 or the Read, Write Web. I feel comfortable informing my fellow colleagues on certain lessons that were learned or how to incorporate activities using podcasts, blogs, etc...

• In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?
  

It has confirmed some theories of mine and has also opened my mind to others. I have always been against "teaching to a test" or many of the basic theories that are now outdated. I have always been a proponent to more interactive methods but our district lacks the resources to accommodate many of those needs. Although that is partly an excuse, it also has some legitimacy. I was not aware of such terms as digital native and what not. I have also been more prone to accept the fact that kids don't retain much with many of the methods that were used in schools during my grandparents era. Times have changed but our schools are stuck in neutral. This has motivated me to do better and not just be another wave that crashes in to the shore.

• In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?
  

I definitely challenge my students more. We are going to do a blog activity and incorporate it into our next unit. Although we are currently doing things that this class renders "outdated" and less effective, I intend on doing more interactive lessons that students will benefit more from and will require them to be more proactive in the learning process. I am not a huge fan of me telling them stuff and them merely listening and expect to retain the information on some random assessment. I like the idea that assignments they complete now (generally speaking) are typically geared for a small audience and are often thrown away or discarded shortly after. What I have learned from this course is that integrating technology into not only my class, but in other realms, will force students to use the internet for purposeful learning and require them to be a more integral part in their own education and have a more "hands-on" approach. It is also more interesting. I believe that inherently, kids want to learn and do the right thing. The system, as it is designed today, is not allowing them to keep up with the technological curve that is so constantly evolving.

• In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?
  

I can continue to read such great books as that of Will Richardson or the many articles that were cited in our course. I can simply refuse to be complacent. I have compiled a decent amount of respectful blogs and/or wikis that I am certain will only get better with more dedication and time. By simply reading through other people's ideas and activities will allow me to grow as an educator. Trying new things with my students and taking risks will allow me to increase student achievement. Most teachers, including myself, have succumbed themselves to sticking with what they are most comfortable with and are tentative about trusting their students being on the internet or doing activities that are more technologically based.

• Set two long-tem goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?

1. Never be complacent and have everything geared around what is best for ALL students. With the help of this course, I have found that as a new teacher, I have been guilty of spending less time on lesson planning than is what's needed. I haven't properly prepared myself and that in turn will have an adverse effect on my students. This is the complete opposite of what should be taking place. I should be spending whatever is necessary to better prepare my students for a world filled with interaction, technology and thinking outside of the box. Basically, I need to spend more time lesson planning and keeping everything kid - centered. I can do this by being more diligent with my allocation of time. I have allowed outside factors to affect my time needed for lesson planning. I should have a block of time weekly, or even daily that is never messed with as with that of a normal routine like eating or sleeping. This will always be a goal of mine.

2. Making instruction more student / learner driven. While this is a radically different approach than most of my colleagues in our district, I intend on doing what's right. If that means I have to sacrifice more time lesson planning, so be it. If that means I have to completely trash my previous plans and start from scratch, so be it. I want my students to not only enjoy what they are doing, but to make it relevant to what they'll be doing 5, 10 or 20 years from now. I am not simply referring to skills related to the workplace, but social skills and life skills that go beyond a textbook. Helping my students understand the impact and necessity of working with other people to accomplish a goal or simply conversing in a respectful, yet insightful discussion. I intend on accomplishing this goal by spending more time lesson planning and by taking more risks. Part of the reason why I have been so bland with my curriculum was because i was unwilling to take risks and try new things. Teaching with technology that I am not exactly comfortable with is an intimidating thing and one that requires a decent amount of time. I intend on putting in that time necessary for me to become proficient.

Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course?

Not many of my answers have changed after completing this course. I am thankful for all of the lessons that I have learned and greatful for the many people that helped in this class including my professor and classmates.