Finally,
One final post to wrap up the class.
I am pretty satisfied with how my GAME plan worked out. I did get some real world applications involved in my classroom. The applications used a lot of different technologies. It all went really well.
My collaboration fell apart. I realize now that I was going about it all wrong. I was trying to bite off more than I could chew! I was picturing all kinds of live chats and Skype interviews. Really, I needed more emails and just regular correspondence. I think that I will eventually get in some collaboration going, but right now, I am going to focus on what is going right. So, I have learned a lot about how to incorporate real world applications and how they will fit into my units. Thus, the impact that the GAME plan had on my practice is an increase in the amount of real-world applications that I will be using. I plan on doing one in each of the courses that I teach this year.
I also think that I have learned how easy it is to use a form of technology in some aspect of my teaching. Whether it is in the body of the lesson or whether it is in the assessment, technology can be used. That will be the immediate change in my practice. Technology will start to work its way into my units with the applications.
Thanks for a great course everyone!
Tyler Winner
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Week 7 Reflection on the GAME Plan
Hey everyone. One final look at our GAME plans to see how they worked and to see what we have learned.
I have to say that I am glad that we learned about this process. I can't say that it was easy to have something new about the plan every week. I think the main thing I learned was that the G of the GAME plan (Goals) is the most important part. We have to set goals every year to get something new accomplished. It becomes too easy to just rest on what we have previously done in this profession. We have seen it in ourselves and in our colleagues. The ruts can become very deep. This is why we have to set (and write down) new goals every year to challenge ourselves and get a new tool, method, or strategy. Writing down goals is key to good teaching.
Having the goals about collaboration and real world applications made me really aware about the lack of these two aspects in my teaching. These are two things that I always planned to put into my teaching. When I was in my undergrad, I was all about these and other types of non-lecture teaching. But, the day to day grind got me hooked back on lecture. I have to STOP! It was great to work on this shift. I have already done two projects that use math applications, and they worked wonderfully.
When I looked at the NETS standards, they just look like a bunch of goals. They are all things that we aspire to do. If we do the teacher standards, then we will accomplish the student standards as well. When I compare them, the two sets are inseparable. One will follow the other. So, again I think that it is all about goals. If we as teachers set ourselves high tech goals, our students will have no choice but to accomplish student tech goals.
Agree?
Tyler
I have to say that I am glad that we learned about this process. I can't say that it was easy to have something new about the plan every week. I think the main thing I learned was that the G of the GAME plan (Goals) is the most important part. We have to set goals every year to get something new accomplished. It becomes too easy to just rest on what we have previously done in this profession. We have seen it in ourselves and in our colleagues. The ruts can become very deep. This is why we have to set (and write down) new goals every year to challenge ourselves and get a new tool, method, or strategy. Writing down goals is key to good teaching.
Having the goals about collaboration and real world applications made me really aware about the lack of these two aspects in my teaching. These are two things that I always planned to put into my teaching. When I was in my undergrad, I was all about these and other types of non-lecture teaching. But, the day to day grind got me hooked back on lecture. I have to STOP! It was great to work on this shift. I have already done two projects that use math applications, and they worked wonderfully.
When I looked at the NETS standards, they just look like a bunch of goals. They are all things that we aspire to do. If we do the teacher standards, then we will accomplish the student standards as well. When I compare them, the two sets are inseparable. One will follow the other. So, again I think that it is all about goals. If we as teachers set ourselves high tech goals, our students will have no choice but to accomplish student tech goals.
Agree?
Tyler
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Week 6 Wrap up!
Thanks for all of the comments folks!
I am glad that I am not alone when it comes to the lecture problem. I will work to get some variation into my lessons right away. Good luck everyone with the final two weeks. See you on the discussion boards!
Tyler
I am glad that I am not alone when it comes to the lecture problem. I will work to get some variation into my lessons right away. Good luck everyone with the final two weeks. See you on the discussion boards!
Tyler
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Week 6 GAME Update
Hey everyone,
Sometimes I think that it is hard to come up with something new (events) on our GAME plans every week. But, I think that I have come up with some new conclusions about my GAME plan.
What have I learned so far from my GAME Plan that I can apply to my practice?
I think that the one thing that I have learned is that students like real world applications and technology better than the normal pen and paper notes. I have to keep that in mind when I plan my new lessons and units next year.
What new goals do I have and what goals am I still working for?
I am still working on my goal of collaboration. It is hard to do. The effort needed and the teamwork that is needed is immense if I cannot get on the web. If you haven't been following my issues, I have one of the worst web filters in the history of web filters. So, I have been looking "in house" and the response has been less than perfect. So, I am continuing on a crusade at district office to let up on this craziness. I figure that if I fight that good fight, I can get things better in the long run. That is my new goal. Taking down the Filter!
What learning approaches will I try next time to improve my learning?
I will try more problem based learning. But, I will also try anything that gets me out of lecturing. I get tire of lecturing so much. We are only half way through the 2nd nine weeks in my school and I am already all lectured out. I have to work on this. I will not make it through my career if I have to lecture this much. Getting student centered lessons written will take a long time, but it is worth it!
This is where I am sitting with my GAME plan. Can't wait to see how yours' are going!
Tyler
Sometimes I think that it is hard to come up with something new (events) on our GAME plans every week. But, I think that I have come up with some new conclusions about my GAME plan.
What have I learned so far from my GAME Plan that I can apply to my practice?
I think that the one thing that I have learned is that students like real world applications and technology better than the normal pen and paper notes. I have to keep that in mind when I plan my new lessons and units next year.
What new goals do I have and what goals am I still working for?
I am still working on my goal of collaboration. It is hard to do. The effort needed and the teamwork that is needed is immense if I cannot get on the web. If you haven't been following my issues, I have one of the worst web filters in the history of web filters. So, I have been looking "in house" and the response has been less than perfect. So, I am continuing on a crusade at district office to let up on this craziness. I figure that if I fight that good fight, I can get things better in the long run. That is my new goal. Taking down the Filter!
What learning approaches will I try next time to improve my learning?
I will try more problem based learning. But, I will also try anything that gets me out of lecturing. I get tire of lecturing so much. We are only half way through the 2nd nine weeks in my school and I am already all lectured out. I have to work on this. I will not make it through my career if I have to lecture this much. Getting student centered lessons written will take a long time, but it is worth it!
This is where I am sitting with my GAME plan. Can't wait to see how yours' are going!
Tyler
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Week 5 and still going...
Hey everybody, I am getting a little behind on all of the stuff for this class! I hope that everyone else is coping better than I am!
As I look at my GAME plan, I am pretty happy about everything that is going on. Again, my two goals are to work on my collaboration in many different media and to try to get my students real world scenarios and problems to work with while they are learning. I have really nailed one of my goals out of the park.
How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals? I have done one assignment for my students where they have written a paper on a real world application and they have used and infused all different types of technology! I have started looking through these papers, (I have a lot of grading to do) and they look spectacular. So, my actions have been really effective in meeting my second goal.
What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice? I have learned a lot about making real world assignment. These projects and problems are all over the place and they are not as hard to find as I thought. Many tech sites have problems that their products/software are great at solving. I just need to look around a little more and I can use them to teach or assess!
What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen? I still have to learn about collaborating with my colleagues. I thought that I found some great teachers to collaborate with, but some of my connections have fallen through. I still have some good leads, but timing is going to make this very hard. I am worried that I am going to lose all of my potential teammates as the year gets even busier. My new question is, where do you find collaboration partners?
How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs? I am going to lower amount of out-of-classroom collaboration and just focus on the student to student in-classroom collaboration. I am going to use the resources that I have in my control and stop looking elsewhere. I think that it is more beneficial to use in-house collaboration 3 or 4 times a year rather than fight to get one out-of-classroom session. So, I am going to get some kind of collaboration in any way I can!
Hope your plans are going well!
Tyler
As I look at my GAME plan, I am pretty happy about everything that is going on. Again, my two goals are to work on my collaboration in many different media and to try to get my students real world scenarios and problems to work with while they are learning. I have really nailed one of my goals out of the park.
How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals? I have done one assignment for my students where they have written a paper on a real world application and they have used and infused all different types of technology! I have started looking through these papers, (I have a lot of grading to do) and they look spectacular. So, my actions have been really effective in meeting my second goal.
What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice? I have learned a lot about making real world assignment. These projects and problems are all over the place and they are not as hard to find as I thought. Many tech sites have problems that their products/software are great at solving. I just need to look around a little more and I can use them to teach or assess!
What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen? I still have to learn about collaborating with my colleagues. I thought that I found some great teachers to collaborate with, but some of my connections have fallen through. I still have some good leads, but timing is going to make this very hard. I am worried that I am going to lose all of my potential teammates as the year gets even busier. My new question is, where do you find collaboration partners?
How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs? I am going to lower amount of out-of-classroom collaboration and just focus on the student to student in-classroom collaboration. I am going to use the resources that I have in my control and stop looking elsewhere. I think that it is more beneficial to use in-house collaboration 3 or 4 times a year rather than fight to get one out-of-classroom session. So, I am going to get some kind of collaboration in any way I can!
Hope your plans are going well!
Tyler
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Week #4 the GAME continues
Hey Everyone, Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you are with your loved ones and don't have to do too much with the Class this week! I know that I am headed home Friday to see Mom. Hope you all get to see your loved ones as well!
As for my game plan, I am making some progress. I am working on my collaboration in many different media and I am trying to get my students real world scenarios and problems to work with while they are learning. Those were my two main goals.
Let me address the questions brought up to us this week in the prompt. First, am I finding the resources that I need. For the most part, yes. I have found some great science teachers who are willing to do some collaboration this year! This was a big problem at first because the web filter at my school will not allow for video or hardly any pictures. I tried to get this loosened, but I was essentially told that fighting this would be a losing battle. So I had to go with an in-building collaboration and I found some teachers. This is invaluable! So I am finding what I need. The real world problems that I also want to start working on have been easy to find/design, so I am good on that front as well.
To the question of If I need to modify my action plan, I don't see any big modifications right now. My online collaboration is looking grim, but I do not want to take it out yet because I am holding on to hope that I will get some clearance on the web sometime this year. When that will be, I am not sure. I just can't give up on that yet.
We are also being asked, what we have learned so far. I have learned that setting these projects up take a TON of time. It will be great next year when I have a lot more of the ground work laid ahead of time, but the first time through is brutal. I have also learned that other teachers are excited about what I am trying to do. They are waiting to see how it works out. Hopefully it goes well and I can get them on board.
And when it comes to new questions. I have to say that I don't have any yet. All of the questions I have about time frames, logistics, student opinion, etc., I had from the beginning. I am sure that I will come up with some more soon, but I am honestly dealing with the same questions that I had from the start.
I am excited to hear how everyone else's GAME plans are going. See you on the blogs!
Tyler
As for my game plan, I am making some progress. I am working on my collaboration in many different media and I am trying to get my students real world scenarios and problems to work with while they are learning. Those were my two main goals.
Let me address the questions brought up to us this week in the prompt. First, am I finding the resources that I need. For the most part, yes. I have found some great science teachers who are willing to do some collaboration this year! This was a big problem at first because the web filter at my school will not allow for video or hardly any pictures. I tried to get this loosened, but I was essentially told that fighting this would be a losing battle. So I had to go with an in-building collaboration and I found some teachers. This is invaluable! So I am finding what I need. The real world problems that I also want to start working on have been easy to find/design, so I am good on that front as well.
To the question of If I need to modify my action plan, I don't see any big modifications right now. My online collaboration is looking grim, but I do not want to take it out yet because I am holding on to hope that I will get some clearance on the web sometime this year. When that will be, I am not sure. I just can't give up on that yet.
We are also being asked, what we have learned so far. I have learned that setting these projects up take a TON of time. It will be great next year when I have a lot more of the ground work laid ahead of time, but the first time through is brutal. I have also learned that other teachers are excited about what I am trying to do. They are waiting to see how it works out. Hopefully it goes well and I can get them on board.
And when it comes to new questions. I have to say that I don't have any yet. All of the questions I have about time frames, logistics, student opinion, etc., I had from the beginning. I am sure that I will come up with some more soon, but I am honestly dealing with the same questions that I had from the start.
I am excited to hear how everyone else's GAME plans are going. See you on the blogs!
Tyler
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Week 3 wrap up
I am glad to see that all of our GAME plans are going.
I am going to work on getting that Internet filter down and getting some collaboration time. I was glad to hear that some schools work that time into that work week. I think that I could push for something like that. I am sorry to hear that the collaboration time is not going well for some of you. Try to turn it around. Show your colleagues how valuable that time really is!
I am going to work on getting that Internet filter down and getting some collaboration time. I was glad to hear that some schools work that time into that work week. I think that I could push for something like that. I am sorry to hear that the collaboration time is not going well for some of you. Try to turn it around. Show your colleagues how valuable that time really is!
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Week Three, The resources needed
When I look at this GAME, I am wondering if I bit off more than I can chew!
But I know that it will be worth it if I can pull it off. Again, my GAME plan is to work on collaborating (teachers with teachers and students with students in real and virtual environments) and getting real world applications of math.
So far, I have assigned one real world application to my Pre-Calc students. They have 2 weeks to work through this and use equations and series to model an infection in the body. However, when I set it up, I made it an individual assignment so it won't work in both of my goals. I have given them multiple technology tools and I am working hard on it.
But, on Collaboration, I have a lot of work to do. Right now, I am collaborating with the teachers who teach the same courses as I do, but I am not working outside of this little bubble that I find myself in. To get out of this bubble, I need better Internet access. Right now, my school filter blocks anything that that isn't text! It is ridiculous. No video, rarely a picture, no audio...it is stupid. I have to get some more access to get to the good stuff.
Secondly, I need some meeting time with all of the science and other teachers. I would like some common planning time. To do planning with teachers, I need to know when the Psych teachers are teaching stats, when the physics teachers are teaching vectors, and so on. So, some inter department planning is a great thing, but rarely do I get any of it!
So, to collaborate, I have to find an easier filter on the Internet, or find a willing partner in my school. Once I find that, I will be good to go. Some other resources will be needed, I am sure. But I won't know until I get to that point.
But I am working on it!
Can't wait to see how you guys are doing,
Tyler
But I know that it will be worth it if I can pull it off. Again, my GAME plan is to work on collaborating (teachers with teachers and students with students in real and virtual environments) and getting real world applications of math.
So far, I have assigned one real world application to my Pre-Calc students. They have 2 weeks to work through this and use equations and series to model an infection in the body. However, when I set it up, I made it an individual assignment so it won't work in both of my goals. I have given them multiple technology tools and I am working hard on it.
But, on Collaboration, I have a lot of work to do. Right now, I am collaborating with the teachers who teach the same courses as I do, but I am not working outside of this little bubble that I find myself in. To get out of this bubble, I need better Internet access. Right now, my school filter blocks anything that that isn't text! It is ridiculous. No video, rarely a picture, no audio...it is stupid. I have to get some more access to get to the good stuff.
Secondly, I need some meeting time with all of the science and other teachers. I would like some common planning time. To do planning with teachers, I need to know when the Psych teachers are teaching stats, when the physics teachers are teaching vectors, and so on. So, some inter department planning is a great thing, but rarely do I get any of it!
So, to collaborate, I have to find an easier filter on the Internet, or find a willing partner in my school. Once I find that, I will be good to go. Some other resources will be needed, I am sure. But I won't know until I get to that point.
But I am working on it!
Can't wait to see how you guys are doing,
Tyler
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Week two wrap up
One quarter of the way through the class already? Wow!
I just wanted to say thanks to Heather and Susanna for commenting on the Blog. To answer your questions, Heather, I am trying the applications with my upper level juniors right now. They are amazing mathematicians so I am starting with modeling logistics and viral particles in an infected person. And no, it is not swine flu based, it is purely an imaginary disease that I made up.
Susanna, I only have Juniors and Seniors right now. So I am afraid that it could be hard to find some connecting content right now!
I am glad that you both like my GAME plan. Susanna, I agree that it is hard to get people to do the extra work. But I will beg! Heather, I like your website, and I am sad that your teachers never got you any real world math exposure. I will try to make sure that none of my students have that fate!
See you all next week!
Tyler
I just wanted to say thanks to Heather and Susanna for commenting on the Blog. To answer your questions, Heather, I am trying the applications with my upper level juniors right now. They are amazing mathematicians so I am starting with modeling logistics and viral particles in an infected person. And no, it is not swine flu based, it is purely an imaginary disease that I made up.
Susanna, I only have Juniors and Seniors right now. So I am afraid that it could be hard to find some connecting content right now!
I am glad that you both like my GAME plan. Susanna, I agree that it is hard to get people to do the extra work. But I will beg! Heather, I like your website, and I am sad that your teachers never got you any real world math exposure. I will try to make sure that none of my students have that fate!
See you all next week!
Tyler
Thursday, November 12, 2009
My GAME plan for the NETS-T
Hi everyone and Welcome to my blog:
I keep it pretty casual around here, but still try to make some good points about the Prompt for each week. The Picture I have up for my profile is with my little first born Leo. He is now 4.5 months and growing like a weed.
But let's get down to business. When I took a look at the NETS-T page, (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf),
I really have concerns in two standards. These two are both under #1 Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity.
The first is letter B: Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. This is something that is the essence of the math that I teach. The idea that math has all kind of real world applications. And, now with the Internet, I have access to all kinds of real world applications and projects that are going on across the entire globe. Yet, I spend a lot of my time teaching solving methods out of a text book.
The second is letter D: Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. I have a great science department and other great math teachers in my school. But, I have not done one collaborative project in the 3 year that I have been teaching. It is so difficult to get the time to get together and show students how adults collaborate and give them good examples upon which they can model their own behavior.
So, here is my GAME plan.
Goals: Once a semester I will have a project that applies some of the methods we have studied. I will incorporate technology tools like the Internet and software that people would use in the workplace. This way, students get some experience with tools that they will be using someday. Also, I plan for one of these application projects to be collaborative, where the students either build an online showcase of group work, work with students from another class in the school, or compare results in a virtual meeting with another class somewhere in the world. This way I can address both of the standards that worry me.
Actions: First, I will work on my collaboration. I need to schedule meetings with the other willing teachers in my building and also try to look on the net for online forums to meet teachers who need to partner up. Then, I will take what I find and write it into my content schedule so that it has a maximum impact on my students.
Monitor: I will check weekly that I have worked towards my goal of creating a collaborative learning environment that is applying the content that they have learned. I will need to make sure that I work on this planning for at least an hour a week until the planning is done.
Evaluate: After I get the new lessons in and taught, I will still keep looking to add more of the collaborative and application lessons. If not add, just replace to keep the ideas new and fresh. I also have to make sure that the lessons are beneficial, and not just fulfilling my goal of technology for technology's sake.
Let me know what you think of my GAME plan. I can't wait to read some of yours!
Tyler
I keep it pretty casual around here, but still try to make some good points about the Prompt for each week. The Picture I have up for my profile is with my little first born Leo. He is now 4.5 months and growing like a weed.
But let's get down to business. When I took a look at the NETS-T page, (http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf),
I really have concerns in two standards. These two are both under #1 Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity.
The first is letter B: Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. This is something that is the essence of the math that I teach. The idea that math has all kind of real world applications. And, now with the Internet, I have access to all kinds of real world applications and projects that are going on across the entire globe. Yet, I spend a lot of my time teaching solving methods out of a text book.
The second is letter D: Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments. I have a great science department and other great math teachers in my school. But, I have not done one collaborative project in the 3 year that I have been teaching. It is so difficult to get the time to get together and show students how adults collaborate and give them good examples upon which they can model their own behavior.
So, here is my GAME plan.
Goals: Once a semester I will have a project that applies some of the methods we have studied. I will incorporate technology tools like the Internet and software that people would use in the workplace. This way, students get some experience with tools that they will be using someday. Also, I plan for one of these application projects to be collaborative, where the students either build an online showcase of group work, work with students from another class in the school, or compare results in a virtual meeting with another class somewhere in the world. This way I can address both of the standards that worry me.
Actions: First, I will work on my collaboration. I need to schedule meetings with the other willing teachers in my building and also try to look on the net for online forums to meet teachers who need to partner up. Then, I will take what I find and write it into my content schedule so that it has a maximum impact on my students.
Monitor: I will check weekly that I have worked towards my goal of creating a collaborative learning environment that is applying the content that they have learned. I will need to make sure that I work on this planning for at least an hour a week until the planning is done.
Evaluate: After I get the new lessons in and taught, I will still keep looking to add more of the collaborative and application lessons. If not add, just replace to keep the ideas new and fresh. I also have to make sure that the lessons are beneficial, and not just fulfilling my goal of technology for technology's sake.
Let me know what you think of my GAME plan. I can't wait to read some of yours!
Tyler
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Reflection on Bridging Learing Theory
The final week of reflection is always exciting. I get to see all that I have learned and wrap up another class on the way to a Master's Degree. Fun Stuff!
As I look back on the first paper that I wrote for this class, I really don't think that I have changed that much. Rather I think that this class has reinforced some of my basic beliefs about students and learning. Students learn in many ways, and I don't think that I will ever be in just one camp when it comes to a learning theory. I believe that the Behaviorist have it right when it come to actions. Students learn from experiencing consequences and reinforcements. The evidence for that is solid. I can't argue with it. But that is all about how students act. When it comes to what students think, I am still a cognitivist. Students have to map, organize and file all of the information that comes there way. Their minds are not simply video recorders, their minds are much more powerful and complex objects. The ideas presented in this course about dual coding and concept mapping all make too much sense to ignore! The only real changes that I can say I will make when it comes to my view on learning theory is the addition of social learning and constructivism. The evidence and thoughts provided by Dr. Orey really make sense. I never realized how much of an influence the people around us make when it comes to how we view the world. The "more knowledgeable other" is a sound idea, and I will look to that whole theory as I start to plan lessons.
The immediate change that I am going to make in my own instructional practice is an important one. I am going to do everything I can to get the students be active in their learning. I rely to much on the passive form of lecture. I would say that 90% of my teaching is lecture and examples. It is no wonder that my students shut down at the end of the year. It has to be extremely boring! I am going to make sure now that whenever I plan a lesson, I am going to first ask myself how I can make this an active process.
Two tools that I am going to use to accomplish the aforementioned change are the Voice Threads and Concept maps. When I was working with those tools, I was fully involved. They were fun to use, and they were not hard to integrate into lesson plans. I already have two lessons that I am envisioning for this upcoming school year. They will be great tools to have in the tool belt.
There are two long-term goals that I have for my instructional practice. First, I want to stay up with the newest forms of technology. To do this, I plan on attending all of the professional development that is offered to me. I also will take the time to search the Internet for the newest trends on the Blogs and teacher sponsored sites.
My second goal is to be as students centered as possible. This goes along with my immediate change that I want to make, but I want to make sure that this is a change that will last! I actually want to get very good at it and share it with my colleagues. I eventually want to have a position where part of my job will be advocating technology and all of its great uses to my building.
It has been a fun class and I am looking forward to the second half of the Master's Program. 5 down, 5 to go!
Tyler
As I look back on the first paper that I wrote for this class, I really don't think that I have changed that much. Rather I think that this class has reinforced some of my basic beliefs about students and learning. Students learn in many ways, and I don't think that I will ever be in just one camp when it comes to a learning theory. I believe that the Behaviorist have it right when it come to actions. Students learn from experiencing consequences and reinforcements. The evidence for that is solid. I can't argue with it. But that is all about how students act. When it comes to what students think, I am still a cognitivist. Students have to map, organize and file all of the information that comes there way. Their minds are not simply video recorders, their minds are much more powerful and complex objects. The ideas presented in this course about dual coding and concept mapping all make too much sense to ignore! The only real changes that I can say I will make when it comes to my view on learning theory is the addition of social learning and constructivism. The evidence and thoughts provided by Dr. Orey really make sense. I never realized how much of an influence the people around us make when it comes to how we view the world. The "more knowledgeable other" is a sound idea, and I will look to that whole theory as I start to plan lessons.
The immediate change that I am going to make in my own instructional practice is an important one. I am going to do everything I can to get the students be active in their learning. I rely to much on the passive form of lecture. I would say that 90% of my teaching is lecture and examples. It is no wonder that my students shut down at the end of the year. It has to be extremely boring! I am going to make sure now that whenever I plan a lesson, I am going to first ask myself how I can make this an active process.
Two tools that I am going to use to accomplish the aforementioned change are the Voice Threads and Concept maps. When I was working with those tools, I was fully involved. They were fun to use, and they were not hard to integrate into lesson plans. I already have two lessons that I am envisioning for this upcoming school year. They will be great tools to have in the tool belt.
There are two long-term goals that I have for my instructional practice. First, I want to stay up with the newest forms of technology. To do this, I plan on attending all of the professional development that is offered to me. I also will take the time to search the Internet for the newest trends on the Blogs and teacher sponsored sites.
My second goal is to be as students centered as possible. This goes along with my immediate change that I want to make, but I want to make sure that this is a change that will last! I actually want to get very good at it and share it with my colleagues. I eventually want to have a position where part of my job will be advocating technology and all of its great uses to my building.
It has been a fun class and I am looking forward to the second half of the Master's Program. 5 down, 5 to go!
Tyler
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Wrap up for Week 5
Thanks to everyone who commented on the Voice Thread and Thanks Leilani for the comment on the blog.
I will take your advice on trying to get students there on time. Consistency will be the key.
Leilani, the veteran teachers are still my MKO in my building. They will be for some time.
See you all next week as we get through another new piece of technology,
Tyler
I will take your advice on trying to get students there on time. Consistency will be the key.
Leilani, the veteran teachers are still my MKO in my building. They will be for some time.
See you all next week as we get through another new piece of technology,
Tyler
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Can You Socialize Too Much?
Hey everyone,
Week 5 huh? Where is the summer going? Well I hope everyone is having a good one.
I also hope that my students never read this blog because if they see me say that socializing leads to learning, I will never get them to shut up! Ha!
All jokes aside though, lets get down to brass tacks on this week's prompt. How do the learning resources this week match up with the idea of social learning? Pretty well I feel.
Social learning boils down to the idea of all students being an apprentice. I always think about how in my summer job, I learned how to pour concrete while working construction. I never read a book about it or took a test, I just followed around the guys who knew (or who looked like they knew) what they were doing and they helped me by answering questions and yelling at me when I screwed up. They were the "more knowledgeable others" and I learned.
I feel that the Voice threads definitely have the potential to follow this concept. I love the idea of posting difficult math problems and having student get on and leave comments about how to start the problem, difficulties with the problem, or potentially becoming a source of help for others. They can take turns being the experts that help each other move through the zones of proximal development.
Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) have a lot of ideas that seem to really jive with social learning because they allow students to work with each other as they create. If I had a science classroom and we were growing plants, I would definitely find (online) a classroom in another climate and try to compare data about how certain plants grow. I love the idea of collaborating on ePALS!
These authors also bring up awesome ideas about collaborative calendars and collaborative website creation that are all about learning socially. When Dr. Orey discussed the idea of a Jigsaw method in the DVD this week, I thought about how much fun it would be to take the information discovered by the students in Jigsaw groups and have them build a wiki or website together to share with others.
These resources this week are right on. I am starting to write down ideas for the school year already and I still have 5 weeks till the year starts!
Tyler
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Week 5 huh? Where is the summer going? Well I hope everyone is having a good one.
I also hope that my students never read this blog because if they see me say that socializing leads to learning, I will never get them to shut up! Ha!
All jokes aside though, lets get down to brass tacks on this week's prompt. How do the learning resources this week match up with the idea of social learning? Pretty well I feel.
Social learning boils down to the idea of all students being an apprentice. I always think about how in my summer job, I learned how to pour concrete while working construction. I never read a book about it or took a test, I just followed around the guys who knew (or who looked like they knew) what they were doing and they helped me by answering questions and yelling at me when I screwed up. They were the "more knowledgeable others" and I learned.
I feel that the Voice threads definitely have the potential to follow this concept. I love the idea of posting difficult math problems and having student get on and leave comments about how to start the problem, difficulties with the problem, or potentially becoming a source of help for others. They can take turns being the experts that help each other move through the zones of proximal development.
Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) have a lot of ideas that seem to really jive with social learning because they allow students to work with each other as they create. If I had a science classroom and we were growing plants, I would definitely find (online) a classroom in another climate and try to compare data about how certain plants grow. I love the idea of collaborating on ePALS!
These authors also bring up awesome ideas about collaborative calendars and collaborative website creation that are all about learning socially. When Dr. Orey discussed the idea of a Jigsaw method in the DVD this week, I thought about how much fun it would be to take the information discovered by the students in Jigsaw groups and have them build a wiki or website together to share with others.
These resources this week are right on. I am starting to write down ideas for the school year already and I still have 5 weeks till the year starts!
Tyler
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Week 4 wrap up
I would like to again thank everyone who commented on the blog this week. I am glad that you all enjoyed it.
I have been taking time to play with my newborn son and I can't wait to watch him learn as he grows. I wish I could fast forward with him and start using some of these ideas!
I am sure he will grow up fast enough!
Tyler
I have been taking time to play with my newborn son and I can't wait to watch him learn as he grows. I wish I could fast forward with him and start using some of these ideas!
I am sure he will grow up fast enough!
Tyler
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Caution...Constructionist Ahead
Week 4 and we are rolling ahead.
I love the ideas in constructionism. We learn when we try to construct things. The reason is that building is an active process. You have to think, hypothesize, try, rebuild, and invest mental energy when you are constructing something. It is a great theory.
I guess I have to talk about the prompt for this week though. How do the ideas presented in 11th chapter of the text by Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) correlate with the ideas of constructionism. Well it all comes down to how information is learned. Instead of the teacher giving all of the details about a subject and then testing on it, students get involved in projects and learn about the ins and outs, main ideas, and small details while playing around.
The interactive spreadsheets in the text allow students to put in data, build graphs, and analyze data. Instead of the teacher lecturing about interest, the students experience interest. They build their own realities and assimilate that into their own understandings. It is pure constructivism. It is the same way the students experience part of WWII in the gaming example in the book. They build their own understanding about the causes of the war by playing the the factors that caused it.
I know that this program was under my grade level, but I also love the program tha NASA put out about designing a planet "Astroventure." I had to play around with it until I got a planet to hold human life. I just played around with different factors until it happened and I learned about some astronomy terms. It was fun, and I build knowledge.
Anything that we give to students that has a potential to let them be creative, let them learn, and let them explore is great. I think that exploration is something that lacks in today's education. Everything is layed out, and the students feel that they have no wiggle room to learn. If we give them a little freedom in some constructivist lessons, I think that they will engage.
It will be fun.
Let me know what you guys think,
Tyler
I love the ideas in constructionism. We learn when we try to construct things. The reason is that building is an active process. You have to think, hypothesize, try, rebuild, and invest mental energy when you are constructing something. It is a great theory.
I guess I have to talk about the prompt for this week though. How do the ideas presented in 11th chapter of the text by Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) correlate with the ideas of constructionism. Well it all comes down to how information is learned. Instead of the teacher giving all of the details about a subject and then testing on it, students get involved in projects and learn about the ins and outs, main ideas, and small details while playing around.
The interactive spreadsheets in the text allow students to put in data, build graphs, and analyze data. Instead of the teacher lecturing about interest, the students experience interest. They build their own realities and assimilate that into their own understandings. It is pure constructivism. It is the same way the students experience part of WWII in the gaming example in the book. They build their own understanding about the causes of the war by playing the the factors that caused it.
I know that this program was under my grade level, but I also love the program tha NASA put out about designing a planet "Astroventure." I had to play around with it until I got a planet to hold human life. I just played around with different factors until it happened and I learned about some astronomy terms. It was fun, and I build knowledge.
Anything that we give to students that has a potential to let them be creative, let them learn, and let them explore is great. I think that exploration is something that lacks in today's education. Everything is layed out, and the students feel that they have no wiggle room to learn. If we give them a little freedom in some constructivist lessons, I think that they will engage.
It will be fun.
Let me know what you guys think,
Tyler
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Week 3 Wrap up
I'd like to thank all of those who commented on my blog this week.
To answer some questions, I do have a smart board and the interactive nature of it will make my concept mapping all the more interactive.
I think that the main point of this week was about making connections. Whether it is connecting info to past experience through a virtual tour or connecting ideas in a concept map, connections mean learning to a cognitivist teacher. We have to make connections with our kids so they can make their own connections.
It was a good week. Let's keep it up!
Tyler
To answer some questions, I do have a smart board and the interactive nature of it will make my concept mapping all the more interactive.
I think that the main point of this week was about making connections. Whether it is connecting info to past experience through a virtual tour or connecting ideas in a concept map, connections mean learning to a cognitivist teacher. We have to make connections with our kids so they can make their own connections.
It was a good week. Let's keep it up!
Tyler
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
The Cognitive Theory...think about it!
This week, the cognitive theory is in the forefront. I personally love the cognitive theory because it is the one after which I model my own learning. When I learn about a topic, I always try to fit it into my own network of thoughts. I ask myself how does this new information agree or disagree with what I already know. I try use the dual coding method mentioned in the DVD to help remember new or hard to remember item. I am a cognitivist.
So this week is much more enjoyable compared to the behaviorist ideas.
The instructional methods this week were great in my opinion. I have already thought of about 4 different lessons that I am going to change this upcoming year. The first tool is the concept mapping. I teach high school math so I am always trying to teach students about abstract concepts. This is hard to do with just words and notes. It is no wonder that students get lost in math do to the jargon, syntax, symbols and theory. Any method that would help students get a concrete image would be a great help in teaching math. This is why I am going to bring my students down to the computer lab for heavy note days and we are going to take them on concept mapping software so that they will have a better chance of staying active and actually understanding notes instead of just copying notes.
The virtual field trips also sound like a great idea. When I was playing around with the ones provided I saw a lot of valuable trips on many topics. The math applications were a little scarce, but I can see how a social studies teachers could use these on an endless amount of topics. These trips seem like they would be great for creating those "episodic memories" that our resources were so big on. I feel like some great long-lasting educational memories would be created using these field trips. Plus, when funds are low, it is a great way to get kids to the sources without breaking the bank.
The note taking strategies, summarizing strategies, and many other concepts in this weeks resources help teachers put the learning back into the students' hands. They make the students take an active part in the education. Students can't simply write down and hear information once. Instead, students have to analyze and summarize information as they learn it. This should help with retention and make long-lasting memories that students can always use.
Tyler
So this week is much more enjoyable compared to the behaviorist ideas.
The instructional methods this week were great in my opinion. I have already thought of about 4 different lessons that I am going to change this upcoming year. The first tool is the concept mapping. I teach high school math so I am always trying to teach students about abstract concepts. This is hard to do with just words and notes. It is no wonder that students get lost in math do to the jargon, syntax, symbols and theory. Any method that would help students get a concrete image would be a great help in teaching math. This is why I am going to bring my students down to the computer lab for heavy note days and we are going to take them on concept mapping software so that they will have a better chance of staying active and actually understanding notes instead of just copying notes.
The virtual field trips also sound like a great idea. When I was playing around with the ones provided I saw a lot of valuable trips on many topics. The math applications were a little scarce, but I can see how a social studies teachers could use these on an endless amount of topics. These trips seem like they would be great for creating those "episodic memories" that our resources were so big on. I feel like some great long-lasting educational memories would be created using these field trips. Plus, when funds are low, it is a great way to get kids to the sources without breaking the bank.
The note taking strategies, summarizing strategies, and many other concepts in this weeks resources help teachers put the learning back into the students' hands. They make the students take an active part in the education. Students can't simply write down and hear information once. Instead, students have to analyze and summarize information as they learn it. This should help with retention and make long-lasting memories that students can always use.
Tyler
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Summary of Week 2
I would like to thank everyone who commented on my blog for week 2. I think that it was a good week for analyzing why we give homework and why students may or may not do certain assignments. Hopefully by using this weeks tools among others, we may be able to get more work out of our students.
See you all next week!
Tyler
See you all next week!
Tyler
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Love Affair between Technology and Behaviorists
Hey everyone,
Let's take a look at this week's resources! Our task is to give our thoughts on how the two chapters in the class text correlate to the ideas in behaviorism.
Here are my thoughts. These two chapter to me give teachers advice on how to get homework and true effort out of our students. I will be the first to say that I have a pretty poor track record when it comes to getting real work out of my students. I think that this is a real issue in high school math because student who get the material easily don't feel the need to do homework at all, and students who struggle often give up before they even start to try. In my two year of teaching, I have failed to make much of a dent in either group.
However, this weeks readings ask me to approach homework a little bit differently and I like the idea. Instead of just giving homework and asking/hoping/praying for students to do it, perhaps I can use the principles of behaviorism to get some work out of my pupils.
Case in point, let us look at Chapter 8: Reinforcing Effort. The authors make the statement that students don't always recognize the value of effort. I could not agree more! I had a quote up in my room this year that said "Effort is worth more than perceived ability." But students just don't get the idea that if they give a true effort, they can succeed. This chapter recommends that teachers can have students keep and plot data in spreadsheets about their effort vs. their success on assessments. In this method, the idea is that students will see that effort leads to success, not luck or mercy from the teacher. This method links effort and grades. It makes the grades a reinforcement of effort, and thus, behaviorist would say that conditioning occurs. I like this idea and think that it could possibly work. I might try this, but the time needed might take up too much instructional time.
Chapter 10: Homework and Practice gives some great recommendations on getting students to see the value in homework. It too focuses on showing students the value in homework. To many times homework has little immediate affect on the student, so they do not put in the effort. This chapter advises teachers to have clear policies, always comment on assigned homework, and tell the students what the homework is meant to do. In clarifying homework this way, teachers show students that homework is import and meaningful and that not doing it will have negative consequences. The chapter also give some great technology ideas that will make homework more meaningful, fun, clear, and interactive.
So, if your students don't always do theirs homework, maybe some good old-fashion conditioning is what they need. I guess some students will never see the intrinsic value in practicing skills in homework. Teachers will have to dangle carrots and slap wrists with rulers no matter how advanced we get!
Don't give up hopes though folks. If Pavlov can make dogs' mouths water with a bell, we should be able to get middle schoolers to do their homework somehow! Maybe technology can help.
Tyler
Let's take a look at this week's resources! Our task is to give our thoughts on how the two chapters in the class text correlate to the ideas in behaviorism.
Here are my thoughts. These two chapter to me give teachers advice on how to get homework and true effort out of our students. I will be the first to say that I have a pretty poor track record when it comes to getting real work out of my students. I think that this is a real issue in high school math because student who get the material easily don't feel the need to do homework at all, and students who struggle often give up before they even start to try. In my two year of teaching, I have failed to make much of a dent in either group.
However, this weeks readings ask me to approach homework a little bit differently and I like the idea. Instead of just giving homework and asking/hoping/praying for students to do it, perhaps I can use the principles of behaviorism to get some work out of my pupils.
Case in point, let us look at Chapter 8: Reinforcing Effort. The authors make the statement that students don't always recognize the value of effort. I could not agree more! I had a quote up in my room this year that said "Effort is worth more than perceived ability." But students just don't get the idea that if they give a true effort, they can succeed. This chapter recommends that teachers can have students keep and plot data in spreadsheets about their effort vs. their success on assessments. In this method, the idea is that students will see that effort leads to success, not luck or mercy from the teacher. This method links effort and grades. It makes the grades a reinforcement of effort, and thus, behaviorist would say that conditioning occurs. I like this idea and think that it could possibly work. I might try this, but the time needed might take up too much instructional time.
Chapter 10: Homework and Practice gives some great recommendations on getting students to see the value in homework. It too focuses on showing students the value in homework. To many times homework has little immediate affect on the student, so they do not put in the effort. This chapter advises teachers to have clear policies, always comment on assigned homework, and tell the students what the homework is meant to do. In clarifying homework this way, teachers show students that homework is import and meaningful and that not doing it will have negative consequences. The chapter also give some great technology ideas that will make homework more meaningful, fun, clear, and interactive.
So, if your students don't always do theirs homework, maybe some good old-fashion conditioning is what they need. I guess some students will never see the intrinsic value in practicing skills in homework. Teachers will have to dangle carrots and slap wrists with rulers no matter how advanced we get!
Don't give up hopes though folks. If Pavlov can make dogs' mouths water with a bell, we should be able to get middle schoolers to do their homework somehow! Maybe technology can help.
Tyler
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Opener For New Class
Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to say welcome to all of those and test out the new blog. Hope to be talking to you soon!
Tyler
Just wanted to say welcome to all of those and test out the new blog. Hope to be talking to you soon!
Tyler
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Final Comments
Here we are, coming down to the end of my first technology class. What an experience! I never thought that I would ever be on a blog, but here I am putting on my 5th posting. I have done a wiki page, podcast, and other great tech items. So, I would like to reflect how this experience has changed the way I approach teaching.
This course has definitely helped me to develop my tech skills for teaching. I had always thought of myself as an "old school" teacher. I was taught in a traditional way and that was just fine with me. I loved to just get down and dirty with a pencil (wooden) and paper and work through some math. But students are not like me, they need some more stimulation with their instruction. This class has given me many different options to do this. This course has shown me the different ways to involve students in the learning process. My new skills with wikis, blogs, and the like will allow me to revamp my lessons. I can't wait to employ my new skills which I have developed in this class.
I believe that this class has also changed my view on how my students learn and their learning processes. Are students' minds some how different because they are digital natives, I don't know. But, I do know that students are coming into school with a different set of skills. They are multi-taskers. They have an incredible ability to take in media, and they have a much better grasp of technology. Teachers have to tap into these skill when teaching today's students. I have to keep the students busy. I cannot drone on with lecture. I must give the students as many opportunities to learn as possible.
And that leads me to how I have changed the orientation of my classroom. I have started to change it from a teacher-centered to a student-centered classroom. This is difficult to do because I have to tap into my students' natural inquiry. And, that inquiry is hard to find, especially in a math class. I have to some how get the students moving in the right direction and them keep them rolling in math. Honestly, this will be a big challenge for me, but this class has shown me the importance of a student-centered classroom, and I hope that I can accomplish this someday soon.
This class has also shown me the need to keep up with the changing technology field. This is how I will continue to expand my knowledge, which should help my students. I need to always be looking to find the next best thing that will help my students learn. I need to be on the cutting edge of the technological advances. This will also help me teach some of my other colleagues some tools to help them.
I have two main long-term goals when it comes to technology. My first goal is to have an outstanding website for each of my classes every year. I want it to have links everywhere. I want all of my notes loaded onto it. I want it all! This will greatly change the dynamic of my class for the better.
My other goal is to be a leader in technology policy and implementation in my school and district. I am currently on the technology committee for the district and I would like to be a fixture on it for a long time. I also want to lead some professional development on technology. I want to help other teachers learn the advantages that I have learned in this class.
Well, there it is. I hope that others have enjoyed the class as much as I have.
It's been fun!
Tyler
This course has definitely helped me to develop my tech skills for teaching. I had always thought of myself as an "old school" teacher. I was taught in a traditional way and that was just fine with me. I loved to just get down and dirty with a pencil (wooden) and paper and work through some math. But students are not like me, they need some more stimulation with their instruction. This class has given me many different options to do this. This course has shown me the different ways to involve students in the learning process. My new skills with wikis, blogs, and the like will allow me to revamp my lessons. I can't wait to employ my new skills which I have developed in this class.
I believe that this class has also changed my view on how my students learn and their learning processes. Are students' minds some how different because they are digital natives, I don't know. But, I do know that students are coming into school with a different set of skills. They are multi-taskers. They have an incredible ability to take in media, and they have a much better grasp of technology. Teachers have to tap into these skill when teaching today's students. I have to keep the students busy. I cannot drone on with lecture. I must give the students as many opportunities to learn as possible.
And that leads me to how I have changed the orientation of my classroom. I have started to change it from a teacher-centered to a student-centered classroom. This is difficult to do because I have to tap into my students' natural inquiry. And, that inquiry is hard to find, especially in a math class. I have to some how get the students moving in the right direction and them keep them rolling in math. Honestly, this will be a big challenge for me, but this class has shown me the importance of a student-centered classroom, and I hope that I can accomplish this someday soon.
This class has also shown me the need to keep up with the changing technology field. This is how I will continue to expand my knowledge, which should help my students. I need to always be looking to find the next best thing that will help my students learn. I need to be on the cutting edge of the technological advances. This will also help me teach some of my other colleagues some tools to help them.
I have two main long-term goals when it comes to technology. My first goal is to have an outstanding website for each of my classes every year. I want it to have links everywhere. I want all of my notes loaded onto it. I want it all! This will greatly change the dynamic of my class for the better.
My other goal is to be a leader in technology policy and implementation in my school and district. I am currently on the technology committee for the district and I would like to be a fixture on it for a long time. I also want to lead some professional development on technology. I want to help other teachers learn the advantages that I have learned in this class.
Well, there it is. I hope that others have enjoyed the class as much as I have.
It's been fun!
Tyler
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Hello Class,
Here is a link to a teacher tube video that I put together rather than a podcast. I have Notebook 10 from Smart Technologies and they have a video recording program that works great. So, I thought that you might like to have some graphs along with my boring monotone voice:
The link is:
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9f75d1bb84ea4bed6423
Enjoy!
Tyler
Here is a link to a teacher tube video that I put together rather than a podcast. I have Notebook 10 from Smart Technologies and they have a video recording program that works great. So, I thought that you might like to have some graphs along with my boring monotone voice:
The link is:
http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=9f75d1bb84ea4bed6423
Enjoy!
Tyler
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Hey everyone,
I hope everyone is doing well. I feel that I am running on empty this time of year. The days are getting longer, but I still can't find time to get everything done!
But, you didn't tune in to hear about my schedule, you want to know about what I think about the site The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Well...I will tell you.
I think that this site has the right idea. First, let me tell you that I am impressed with the list of partners on the site. Companies like Cisco, Dell, Intel, and Apple are all partners in this partnership. So, I think that the people involved in this site are legitimate. I believe that everyone involved has a stake in preparing students/future workers for working in the 21st Century.
I also think that the skills and core subjects that the site lists are on target. Learning and Innovation, Life and Career, Core subjects and Media/Technology skills are all important skills that our students need. The site also gives ideas for standards, assessments, learning environments, and professional development opportunities that can help teachers get their classrooms into the 21st Century mode.
But, as a teacher I did not find this very user friendly. Perhaps if I subscribed to the site, I would get some better information, but everything I saw was an overview of the program. I looked at some of the online resources, but I don't think that they were organized very well. Plus, some of them very not helpful at all.
So, this site has the right idea, but that is all it is, an idea. As a teacher, I not impressed or inspired to get into the 21st Century skills way of teaching. I have seen other sites with standards for technology that have been much more user friendly. If they cater more to teachers, then I think that I would get on board, but not quite yet.
Here is another site that I think might be just as, if not more helpful.
http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
Let me know what you think!
Tyler
I hope everyone is doing well. I feel that I am running on empty this time of year. The days are getting longer, but I still can't find time to get everything done!
But, you didn't tune in to hear about my schedule, you want to know about what I think about the site The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Well...I will tell you.
I think that this site has the right idea. First, let me tell you that I am impressed with the list of partners on the site. Companies like Cisco, Dell, Intel, and Apple are all partners in this partnership. So, I think that the people involved in this site are legitimate. I believe that everyone involved has a stake in preparing students/future workers for working in the 21st Century.
I also think that the skills and core subjects that the site lists are on target. Learning and Innovation, Life and Career, Core subjects and Media/Technology skills are all important skills that our students need. The site also gives ideas for standards, assessments, learning environments, and professional development opportunities that can help teachers get their classrooms into the 21st Century mode.
But, as a teacher I did not find this very user friendly. Perhaps if I subscribed to the site, I would get some better information, but everything I saw was an overview of the program. I looked at some of the online resources, but I don't think that they were organized very well. Plus, some of them very not helpful at all.
So, this site has the right idea, but that is all it is, an idea. As a teacher, I not impressed or inspired to get into the 21st Century skills way of teaching. I have seen other sites with standards for technology that have been much more user friendly. If they cater more to teachers, then I think that I would get on board, but not quite yet.
Here is another site that I think might be just as, if not more helpful.
http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS
Let me know what you think!
Tyler
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Response to comments
Hey everyone,
I would like to thank you all for your thoughtful comments on my Blog posting. I am taking into consideration all of your great ideas. I really enjoyed the idea of having students help build and maintain the blog. Also, the idea of using class notes to first start the blog so that there is not so much work to get it off of the ground is great.
As to the idea of parents participating on the blog, I wonder how differently the parent would use the blog versus the students. I think that they would use it to check the assignments and the like, but I still think that email should be the main form of communication between the parent and the teacher. The blog is not confidential, so nothing confidential should be put on the blog. It should be general information and help.
Thanks again everyone. Great posts and I will see you next week!
Tyler
I would like to thank you all for your thoughtful comments on my Blog posting. I am taking into consideration all of your great ideas. I really enjoyed the idea of having students help build and maintain the blog. Also, the idea of using class notes to first start the blog so that there is not so much work to get it off of the ground is great.
As to the idea of parents participating on the blog, I wonder how differently the parent would use the blog versus the students. I think that they would use it to check the assignments and the like, but I still think that email should be the main form of communication between the parent and the teacher. The blog is not confidential, so nothing confidential should be put on the blog. It should be general information and help.
Thanks again everyone. Great posts and I will see you next week!
Tyler
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
How can this blog help me teach?
Bogging Huh? Well, it sounds like a great idea, but how is it really going to help?
I have a few ideas that I am going to throw out there. I teach high school mathematics, 10th and 11th grade Geometry and Algebra II. So, the idea of writing or journal prompts doesn't really appeal to me. It seems that kind of thing is better left to the Social Studies and Language Arts classes of the world. Math is a different kind of animal. Here is what I have thought of so far:
1st Idea: Absent work/Make up work.
I always seem to have 4 or 5 students every year how have a propensity to miss long stretches of school. Whether it is mono, or the flu, or the "My parents are taking our family to Hong Kong for two weeks" excuse, something always keeps these kids out of school. But they always come back asking the most annoying of all questions, "What did I miss?" Oh, I hate that question. This is where I feel the blog can help. I can post the homework assignments, dates of test, what will be one the tests, electronic copies of the worksheets and reviews. Students could have access to all class materials right from home. They can lay in bed with Strep Throat or Pink Eye and print off their own worksheets to do! They can keep up with the class from home. And just think about this! If I can transfer all of my notes to PowerPoint or word, they can get all of the notes too. Perhaps I could even get a textbook with an online version. I could just throw the link on the blog and they might never need to come to school ever again. Hey, maybe I could teach from home too.....Just a thought.
2nd Idea: Differentiating instruction
I have a lot of knuckle-head students who have no note taking skills even as a high school junior or senior. I also have a lot of students who are bored out of their minds because I go over the most simple of examples time after time. The blog might allow me too give extra help to the struggling kids and challenge the excelling ones at the same time. For those struggling students, I could post some tutorials that I could make on PowerPoint or even a video on a media player. I could also give a link to other helpful sites on the web that they can visit for extra help! It could really help them a lot when they sit down and their mind goes blank when they try to do their homework. For those bright students, I could post some of the challenging problems that I can never get to in class. There are so many great application problems that build links for students between math topics and also build link between math and other subjects. I could post these problems on the site and they could be extra credit problems. So whether it is helping the bottom of the class or unleashing the hounds at the top of the class, this blog could give some of the additional, differentiated information that I want to get to in class.
3rd Idea: Parent Communication
This one might be pretty obvious, but parents could ask me any questions about upcoming tests, current grades, time I might be available to help theirs kids or get together for a conference. I always had aspirations of sending home a quarterly newsletter to all of my parents. I could save the paper and just post it on the blog (students would never get the letters home anyway).
These are a few ideas. They probably aren't the most original ideas, but our resources mentioned how technology is meant to fulfill our needs as a society, and these ideas would definitely fulfill some of my needs.
Let me know what you all think!
Tyler (Blogging my Life away) Winner
I have a few ideas that I am going to throw out there. I teach high school mathematics, 10th and 11th grade Geometry and Algebra II. So, the idea of writing or journal prompts doesn't really appeal to me. It seems that kind of thing is better left to the Social Studies and Language Arts classes of the world. Math is a different kind of animal. Here is what I have thought of so far:
1st Idea: Absent work/Make up work.
I always seem to have 4 or 5 students every year how have a propensity to miss long stretches of school. Whether it is mono, or the flu, or the "My parents are taking our family to Hong Kong for two weeks" excuse, something always keeps these kids out of school. But they always come back asking the most annoying of all questions, "What did I miss?" Oh, I hate that question. This is where I feel the blog can help. I can post the homework assignments, dates of test, what will be one the tests, electronic copies of the worksheets and reviews. Students could have access to all class materials right from home. They can lay in bed with Strep Throat or Pink Eye and print off their own worksheets to do! They can keep up with the class from home. And just think about this! If I can transfer all of my notes to PowerPoint or word, they can get all of the notes too. Perhaps I could even get a textbook with an online version. I could just throw the link on the blog and they might never need to come to school ever again. Hey, maybe I could teach from home too.....Just a thought.
2nd Idea: Differentiating instruction
I have a lot of knuckle-head students who have no note taking skills even as a high school junior or senior. I also have a lot of students who are bored out of their minds because I go over the most simple of examples time after time. The blog might allow me too give extra help to the struggling kids and challenge the excelling ones at the same time. For those struggling students, I could post some tutorials that I could make on PowerPoint or even a video on a media player. I could also give a link to other helpful sites on the web that they can visit for extra help! It could really help them a lot when they sit down and their mind goes blank when they try to do their homework. For those bright students, I could post some of the challenging problems that I can never get to in class. There are so many great application problems that build links for students between math topics and also build link between math and other subjects. I could post these problems on the site and they could be extra credit problems. So whether it is helping the bottom of the class or unleashing the hounds at the top of the class, this blog could give some of the additional, differentiated information that I want to get to in class.
3rd Idea: Parent Communication
This one might be pretty obvious, but parents could ask me any questions about upcoming tests, current grades, time I might be available to help theirs kids or get together for a conference. I always had aspirations of sending home a quarterly newsletter to all of my parents. I could save the paper and just post it on the blog (students would never get the letters home anyway).
These are a few ideas. They probably aren't the most original ideas, but our resources mentioned how technology is meant to fulfill our needs as a society, and these ideas would definitely fulfill some of my needs.
Let me know what you all think!
Tyler (Blogging my Life away) Winner
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Start up!
This is the first blog post on what will be a very educational blog for both myself and any of my possible readers.
Good luck to as us all as we try to tackle technology.
Good luck to as us all as we try to tackle technology.
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