So here we are Chapter 5 and my reflections...
1. How can I get students to ask questions about the research they are conducting?
It all depends on the kinds of questions that need to be asked and what the research is all about. This is all critical thinking starting with the most basic of questions, "Why is this important for me to know?" So say we were doing a project on the 2012 Presidential Election, definately an important event that affects everyone. My students would start off creating questions for themselves such as, "What does each candidate stand for and what issues are important to me?" This can also be done with the local elections for the students to learn about how governments decisions affect society, and at the neighborhood level, the students could also come up with questions for the various candidates. This is a case where the research and analysis effects the students and possibly even the school. Not only would this help students ask questions on their research, but an educational environment based on this project would also come to fruition. One that could involve the entire school and the community. Developing a research project and objectives is difficult, especially when trying to create an environment where the student that learning is necessary (De Marzio, Grinberg and Laverty 2006)
2. How can I teach my students to solve problems?
I found a strategy for problem solving at Teachervision.com and it has a list of steps to take.
1. Understand the problem. I would present the material to the students and identify the problem that they are to solve. During this step I would make sure that they understand why this is important to them and how it'll help in their education. Also on how it relates to the subject I'm teaching.
2. Describe any barriers. What this would entail is what is creating the problem and what is and can prevent it from being solved. For example, would the results be biased or inaccurate?
3. Identify various solutions. This would be where the class will research the problem and possible solutions that have been presented for it. They would discuss and determine which solutions are plausible and which ones are not. The students would be engaged in classroom discussions after doing their research on the computers. After they decide what solutions to put into play, they then test each idea.
4. Try out a solution. What I would do in my class would to divide them all into groups and assign them the various solutions that were decided upon. They would then test them out either through experiments or scenario's, and then report on their results. During this stage, the students would also discuss why a solution worked or didn't work, or what could have made one better than the other.
5. Evaluate the results. During this period, the students would then present their findings and compare results with the various solutions that were attempted. They would then decide upon what solution came up with the best results and then report on it. "The key consideration for this portion of the problem solving process is not how to present the findings, but rather what to present." (Lowther and Morrison 2010).
3. I've never used an inquiry-based approach, much less computers-so how is a teacher supposed to do both of these at one time?
An inquiry based approach is what I plan on using at all times when I become a teacher, it's essentially the Socratic Method where the students are as engaged with the material along with the teacher. The use of computers allow this method to be used easier, because in a traditional classroom the teacher is the sole source of information where the students listen and retain that information (Educational Broadcasting Sytem 2004). Years ago before computers were first used as an educational tool, the main source of information for the students was the teachers and whatever books were around on their subject material. Yet the students most likely assumed the teachers read all those books, so therefore knew the subject material inside and out. The advantage of having so much information at one's disposal on the computer is that it is a nearly limitless amount of information and knowledge that the students can grasp. Therefore when a teacher presents a problem or an objective the pupil can then inquire on the subject material with the teacher's guidance. This is a major advantage compared to the traditional teacher-centered classroom because the students not only gain knowledge but they also learn to use it and develop life skills. Therefore they gain wisdom, which is quite possibly the highest achievement a teacher can accomplish with his/her students.
Bibliography:
1. Morrison, G. and Lowther, D. (2010) Integrating Computer Technology into the Classroom: Skills for the 21st Century. (4th Edition, page 140). Pearson
2. Laverty, M., De Marzio, M. and Grinberg, J. (2006) Common Questions and Disparate Voices: A Philosophical Conversation on Education. (Custom Edition for Montclair State University page 51) Pearson.
3. Fredericks, A. (2005) The Complete Idiot's Guide to Success as a Teacher. Penguin Group
https://www.teachervision.com/problem-solving/teaching-methods/48451.html
4. Thirteen.org (2004) Workshop: Inquiry Based Learning. Educational Broadcasting System
http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Yes I know, I've been lazy...
Yesterday in school, some of students in the class I was subbing for was doing a project on heroin. I guess because of the recent death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman. Now the teacher had a bulletin board with him on it the word genius was used to describe him. I thought "Hmm, if he was a genius, then shouldn't he have known the effects of heroin before he overdosed?" I know this is a naive question, but I seriously can't understand why the word "genius" was put next to "drug addict." So it got me thinking about the various actors and musicians who died of drug overdose. So I asked them if they ever heard of Kurt Cobain, Layne Staley, or even Chris Farley? They said no to each and every one of them, I was somewhat shocked I might add. So here's some stuff I grew up watching and listening to. ENJOY!!!
Alice in Chains, Down in a Hole. RIP Layne Staley (1967-2002)
Nirvana, Where Did You Sleep Last Night? RIP Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
And of course, the sad clown himself, Chris Farley. (1964-1997)
IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!
Alice in Chains, Down in a Hole. RIP Layne Staley (1967-2002)
Nirvana, Where Did You Sleep Last Night? RIP Kurt Cobain (1967-1994)
And of course, the sad clown himself, Chris Farley. (1964-1997)
IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!
Lessons of Chapter 2
1. How do I plan an integrated lesson that will work with my students?
With every curriculum and lesson plan, the teacher needs to think of what will and will not work with their students. The "NteQ Model" (Morrison and Lowther, 2010) provides a guideline as to how to setup an integrated lesson plan. I guess it would all depend on the subject material as to how I would setup a lesson plan to integrate technology skills, therefore the teacher has to plan ahead to determine when technology is a useful part of the lesson. Being a History major, I've had to do a number of research papers and projects, which inevitably resulted in extensive use of computers to locate proper sources for my topic. I would use technology in a curriculum to be used as a source of information or to assist in locating sources. Jstor is a great site that many universities use to publish various articles and thesis writings from professors and grad students alike, it's basically an online library that has material on almost every topic. I would use this as a way to teach my students how to organize and compare sources based on the writers perspectives. This would also be a great way to educate them on figuring out whether or not a source is actually credible. One could also use the internet to post your entire lesson plan and schedule on a site where your students can easily access it.
2. Why do I need objectives to help with my planning and lesson development?
When creating a lesson plan or a curriculum, I would assume that the teacher has a goal in mind as well as objectives in order to reach that goal. When talking to students about history, they always ask me, "Why do I need to know this?" It's a valid question that educators need to ask themselves before setting the standards and developing a classroom goal. "Although students come into classrooms with their own achievement goals, their goals also are influenced by teachers’ goals." (Brem, Duggan, and Hussman 2005). What this means is that the teacher provides motivation to students who would possibly only do mediocre work, so the teacher tries to set a goal for the students.
3. How can I encourage my students to engage in the processing of information?
This is a tricky question for me, because it's hard to get students to process historical information and facts. History can be taught by not being purely Sophist, so the teacher has to be creative when using the Socratic Method when discussing the Civil War (De Marzio, Grinberg, and Laverty 2006). It's boring to pour over countless diagrams and information that seems pointless to some people. Technology can help with this, because a student can look up specific information by simply typing it in.
4. Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?
No, a lesson plan should be flexible and quite frankly it has to be just in case something in schedule changes (snow day) or even when the class is having a hard time with a certain aspect of a topic. A lesson can still be taught while integrating technology; the teacher could decide to do a Powerpoint presentation at the last minute and still cover what was planned. I do believe that this does have an issue with teachers relying on the computer to provide the lesson. Computers are not to be used to provide education, they are an educational tool (Lowther and Morrison, 2010).
5. What is the relationship between objectives and computer functions?
The relationship between objectives and computer functions all depends on what the lesson plan has created. There could be some classes that'll be more computer based to do research, word-processing, or presentations whereas others may be more traditional. It really is up to the instructor on how he/she wants their students to use technology in regards to educational purposes.
6. Can you use a computer for every objective or lesson?
This question reminds me of the movie "The Matrix," because the characters could learn anything and everything off of the supercomputer. I remember one scene where the woman had to learn how to fly a helicopter, so the operator loaded a disc into her, for lack of a better word, brain and literally uploaded all the information on the chopper. Can it be done? I believe it could, but I also feel that it would take away from mental stimulation and traditional classrooom experience. Students and teachers can communicate via the internet, but that takes away from having a full on eye-to-eye conversation where you can read someone's emotion or see their reaction upon learning something valuable. One school I sub at in Dare County seems to base its entire curriculum on Apex Learning which is mostly on the computer. I don't know the reason why, maybe it's to help these students learn at a more comfortable pace, but in my opinion it takes away the teacher's role. If a teacher becomes less involved with the actual instruction of the student, then their purpose as a mentor or a role model is diminished, because the student is getting their information from a screen instead of from human interaction. To me this degrades the classroom setting, and it is something that I hope never fully comes to pass.
Bibliography:
1. Morrison, G., & Lowther, D. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom: skills for the 21st century . (4th Edition ed., p. 30, Chapter 2). Pearson.
2. Laverty, M., De Marzio, D. & Grinberg, J. (2006). Common Questions & Disparate Voices: A Philosophical Conversation on Education. (Custom Edition for Montclair State University) Pearson
3. Husman, J., Brem, S. & Duggan, M.A. (2005). Student Goal Orientation and Formative Assessment. Academic Exchange Quarterly 2005, University of Arizona.
http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/5oct3047l5.htm
With every curriculum and lesson plan, the teacher needs to think of what will and will not work with their students. The "NteQ Model" (Morrison and Lowther, 2010) provides a guideline as to how to setup an integrated lesson plan. I guess it would all depend on the subject material as to how I would setup a lesson plan to integrate technology skills, therefore the teacher has to plan ahead to determine when technology is a useful part of the lesson. Being a History major, I've had to do a number of research papers and projects, which inevitably resulted in extensive use of computers to locate proper sources for my topic. I would use technology in a curriculum to be used as a source of information or to assist in locating sources. Jstor is a great site that many universities use to publish various articles and thesis writings from professors and grad students alike, it's basically an online library that has material on almost every topic. I would use this as a way to teach my students how to organize and compare sources based on the writers perspectives. This would also be a great way to educate them on figuring out whether or not a source is actually credible. One could also use the internet to post your entire lesson plan and schedule on a site where your students can easily access it.
2. Why do I need objectives to help with my planning and lesson development?
When creating a lesson plan or a curriculum, I would assume that the teacher has a goal in mind as well as objectives in order to reach that goal. When talking to students about history, they always ask me, "Why do I need to know this?" It's a valid question that educators need to ask themselves before setting the standards and developing a classroom goal. "Although students come into classrooms with their own achievement goals, their goals also are influenced by teachers’ goals." (Brem, Duggan, and Hussman 2005). What this means is that the teacher provides motivation to students who would possibly only do mediocre work, so the teacher tries to set a goal for the students.
3. How can I encourage my students to engage in the processing of information?
This is a tricky question for me, because it's hard to get students to process historical information and facts. History can be taught by not being purely Sophist, so the teacher has to be creative when using the Socratic Method when discussing the Civil War (De Marzio, Grinberg, and Laverty 2006). It's boring to pour over countless diagrams and information that seems pointless to some people. Technology can help with this, because a student can look up specific information by simply typing it in.
4. Do I have to use a different lesson plan when I want my students to use computers?
No, a lesson plan should be flexible and quite frankly it has to be just in case something in schedule changes (snow day) or even when the class is having a hard time with a certain aspect of a topic. A lesson can still be taught while integrating technology; the teacher could decide to do a Powerpoint presentation at the last minute and still cover what was planned. I do believe that this does have an issue with teachers relying on the computer to provide the lesson. Computers are not to be used to provide education, they are an educational tool (Lowther and Morrison, 2010).
5. What is the relationship between objectives and computer functions?
The relationship between objectives and computer functions all depends on what the lesson plan has created. There could be some classes that'll be more computer based to do research, word-processing, or presentations whereas others may be more traditional. It really is up to the instructor on how he/she wants their students to use technology in regards to educational purposes.
6. Can you use a computer for every objective or lesson?
This question reminds me of the movie "The Matrix," because the characters could learn anything and everything off of the supercomputer. I remember one scene where the woman had to learn how to fly a helicopter, so the operator loaded a disc into her, for lack of a better word, brain and literally uploaded all the information on the chopper. Can it be done? I believe it could, but I also feel that it would take away from mental stimulation and traditional classrooom experience. Students and teachers can communicate via the internet, but that takes away from having a full on eye-to-eye conversation where you can read someone's emotion or see their reaction upon learning something valuable. One school I sub at in Dare County seems to base its entire curriculum on Apex Learning which is mostly on the computer. I don't know the reason why, maybe it's to help these students learn at a more comfortable pace, but in my opinion it takes away the teacher's role. If a teacher becomes less involved with the actual instruction of the student, then their purpose as a mentor or a role model is diminished, because the student is getting their information from a screen instead of from human interaction. To me this degrades the classroom setting, and it is something that I hope never fully comes to pass.
Bibliography:
1. Morrison, G., & Lowther, D. (2010). Integrating computer technology into the classroom: skills for the 21st century . (4th Edition ed., p. 30, Chapter 2). Pearson.
2. Laverty, M., De Marzio, D. & Grinberg, J. (2006). Common Questions & Disparate Voices: A Philosophical Conversation on Education. (Custom Edition for Montclair State University) Pearson
3. Husman, J., Brem, S. & Duggan, M.A. (2005). Student Goal Orientation and Formative Assessment. Academic Exchange Quarterly 2005, University of Arizona.
http://www.rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/5oct3047l5.htm
Friday, February 7, 2014
Lesson's from a comic.
Growing up, I was always a huge fan of Calvin and Hobbes, but who isn't? The best way for me to describe Calvin is by comparing him to Holden Caulfield from J.D. Salinger's, The Catcher in the Rye. There is a big difference in age between Calvin and Holden, but when you consider their personalities, they are eerily similar. Calvin is only 6 years old, but he's incredibly smart for his age and full of life. He hasn't quite realized what the real world is all about, because most of the comics he's in are written through his perspective of reality. Whereas, Mr. Caulfield is a coming of age 16 year old, who's been kicked out of several colleges. It's not that he wasn't a smart person, it was almost as if he refused to jump on the bandwagon, and become an ordinary successful person. He may be portrayed as very cynical, but what if he's just another young man who's lost his innocence by being exposed to what real life is all about? Would it be wrong to consider that perhaps his during childhood, he was very "Calvinesque?" It really is hard not to speculate this, considering that there really is no concrete evidence to support this claim. Holden was created long before Bill Watterson sketched up the first Calvin and Hobbes strip.
Anyways, my point with all this is their reaction to education, Holden refused to do well in school because he wasn't exactly sure why he was doing it, like what was the purpose of it? Calvin had the same approach, but most people speculate that it was mainly due to the fact that he was bored with school and that they weren't doing anything to mentally stimulate him. As if they were going at too slow of a pace for him. Now the tragedy of this is that this does occur everyday in our modern school system. A few months ago, I received my substitute teacher's certification for the state of North Carolina, with the goal to ultimately receive my full certification. Now I've only had 2 sub days since being approved, so I know I don't have much in the way of experience. Yet I have taken several courses on education, and there was one class I took that stood out to me. It was Educational Philosophy, my professor was Dr. Tyson Lewis, who was probably about early to mid 30's when I took this class, so he was relatively young to have a PHD. The reason why this class affected me so much was because we didn't just talk about how to educate a student, we looked at multiple methods on how to effectively educate a child. We went as far back as Socrates all the way to Michel Foucault with his Panopticon theory. We discussed all methods, their pro's and con's, and how they would interact with our modern society. Now every teaching method has it's positive aspects, like Rousseau, teaching a child based on necessity and their willingness to learn.
The main lesson I got out of this class was that every child learns in their own unique way, and that many teachers throughout history have developed methods to address the pupils needs. My first sub call was at one of the smaller schools in the county (I will not post the name of any school that I have been to, nor will I give out teacher's names). These kids were 7th grade to high school seniors, and they needed more of a one on one approach or even a slower pace to learn the required material. Now this school has a reputation for having horrible students behavior wise, but what school doesn't? This rumor causes disparity amongst the community, and the school has a hard time finding substitutes who are willing to work there. This was my first "teaching" experience, and I honestly found the students to be wonderful. Sure, they needed some extra guidance, they weren't challenged in any way, they just need the motivation to do the work. And someone has to be willing to give them that extra attention. Same thing happened today, I got called in to sub at one of the local middle schools, and it was for a student mentor. So I accompanied this student to all her classes throughout the day. She was a very smart person, she just had no interest in any of the classes. Yet she's a talented artist, so she spends most of her time in class doodling. Why should a teacher try and hinder a natural talent? If she needs one on one education, then let her learn the material her way. Have her illustrate something that relates to a history lesson, or science, etc. Could Calvin's teacher have used a similar approach with him? Allow him to learn his own way? Figure out how to apply a lesson to something that interests him. Try to expand that imagination he has to include the course material. Try to relate Magellan's expeditions to Spaceman Spiff's explorations.
I know this is easier said than done, but a teacher who strictly sticks to a curriculum is going to have a hard time keeping his/her students interested. The best teacher's I've had were the one's who tried to get through to the kids, who were interested in their hobbies.
Anyways, my point with all this is their reaction to education, Holden refused to do well in school because he wasn't exactly sure why he was doing it, like what was the purpose of it? Calvin had the same approach, but most people speculate that it was mainly due to the fact that he was bored with school and that they weren't doing anything to mentally stimulate him. As if they were going at too slow of a pace for him. Now the tragedy of this is that this does occur everyday in our modern school system. A few months ago, I received my substitute teacher's certification for the state of North Carolina, with the goal to ultimately receive my full certification. Now I've only had 2 sub days since being approved, so I know I don't have much in the way of experience. Yet I have taken several courses on education, and there was one class I took that stood out to me. It was Educational Philosophy, my professor was Dr. Tyson Lewis, who was probably about early to mid 30's when I took this class, so he was relatively young to have a PHD. The reason why this class affected me so much was because we didn't just talk about how to educate a student, we looked at multiple methods on how to effectively educate a child. We went as far back as Socrates all the way to Michel Foucault with his Panopticon theory. We discussed all methods, their pro's and con's, and how they would interact with our modern society. Now every teaching method has it's positive aspects, like Rousseau, teaching a child based on necessity and their willingness to learn.
The main lesson I got out of this class was that every child learns in their own unique way, and that many teachers throughout history have developed methods to address the pupils needs. My first sub call was at one of the smaller schools in the county (I will not post the name of any school that I have been to, nor will I give out teacher's names). These kids were 7th grade to high school seniors, and they needed more of a one on one approach or even a slower pace to learn the required material. Now this school has a reputation for having horrible students behavior wise, but what school doesn't? This rumor causes disparity amongst the community, and the school has a hard time finding substitutes who are willing to work there. This was my first "teaching" experience, and I honestly found the students to be wonderful. Sure, they needed some extra guidance, they weren't challenged in any way, they just need the motivation to do the work. And someone has to be willing to give them that extra attention. Same thing happened today, I got called in to sub at one of the local middle schools, and it was for a student mentor. So I accompanied this student to all her classes throughout the day. She was a very smart person, she just had no interest in any of the classes. Yet she's a talented artist, so she spends most of her time in class doodling. Why should a teacher try and hinder a natural talent? If she needs one on one education, then let her learn the material her way. Have her illustrate something that relates to a history lesson, or science, etc. Could Calvin's teacher have used a similar approach with him? Allow him to learn his own way? Figure out how to apply a lesson to something that interests him. Try to expand that imagination he has to include the course material. Try to relate Magellan's expeditions to Spaceman Spiff's explorations.
I know this is easier said than done, but a teacher who strictly sticks to a curriculum is going to have a hard time keeping his/her students interested. The best teacher's I've had were the one's who tried to get through to the kids, who were interested in their hobbies.
Monday, February 3, 2014
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 basically gave us the layout of current technology that was being widely used in the classroom and everyday life. It was an important chapter because it gave an insight as to the pro's and cons of every instrument. One question that was brought up, is it important to learn about different technology tools when they're constantly changing? Absolutely, especially with how every year something gets updated or a completely new item comes out. With the advent of mobile technology, vast amounts of information became readily available to people. When wireless internet became affordable and easily accessible to people, internet access skyrocketed in all sectors. This is a great benefit to education, because now a student will have unlimited access to information relatable to the current topic they're working on. So it became important for everybody to understand wireless connection and the potential it has. I'll admit, I love my laptop computer and easily mobile it can be. I haven't been sold on tablets yet, because they can be limited as to what you can do with them. Sure, they may be easier to carry around, but when it comes to word processing, it doesn't quite fit the bill for me.
Desktop computers do have more powerful hardware than mobile devices, and there's no time limit on a battery running low or even risking a laptop overheating. Desktops, I believe, are more practical when it comes to serious functions, such as graphic design and photo-shop. Laptops have become more powerful over the past 10 years, but you can't upgrade their hardware like you can a desktop. With a desktop you can add more memory or a better graphics card, but with a laptop, you're limited to what it came with. Also cost efficiency, laptops end up costing more than desktops because they're specially designed to be mobile. The hardware is physically smaller to make it portable, which makes the prices higher and more expensive to get service done to it. Whereas with a desktop, you can get more for your money, because the hardware isn't designed to be mobile. Also, you damage a laptops monitor, you can't replace it. You have to buy a whole new unit. So cost-wise, laptops are much more expensive.
Obviously before purchasing new computers or pieces of equipment, one has to determine what it is they will be used for and if they will be able to perform those tasks sufficiently. For example, PDA's are great mobile devices, but there's only so much they can do. They can get internet access, and limited word processing, but are they effective in helping a student complete a project? PDA's are indeed cheaper than laptops, but students will be able to work on projects much easier and be able to multitask with a mobile PC.
Technology has its pro's and cons, more than what the book lists. It is up to the school system to determine whether or not a piece of technology will benefit the children's educational process. Unfortunately, a lot of school systems are behind technologically, so many children are not developing the necessary computer skills needed in our Digital Age. Hopefully as time progresses, these items will become more affordable and readily available for these schools so every child can learn these valuable skills.
Desktop computers do have more powerful hardware than mobile devices, and there's no time limit on a battery running low or even risking a laptop overheating. Desktops, I believe, are more practical when it comes to serious functions, such as graphic design and photo-shop. Laptops have become more powerful over the past 10 years, but you can't upgrade their hardware like you can a desktop. With a desktop you can add more memory or a better graphics card, but with a laptop, you're limited to what it came with. Also cost efficiency, laptops end up costing more than desktops because they're specially designed to be mobile. The hardware is physically smaller to make it portable, which makes the prices higher and more expensive to get service done to it. Whereas with a desktop, you can get more for your money, because the hardware isn't designed to be mobile. Also, you damage a laptops monitor, you can't replace it. You have to buy a whole new unit. So cost-wise, laptops are much more expensive.
Obviously before purchasing new computers or pieces of equipment, one has to determine what it is they will be used for and if they will be able to perform those tasks sufficiently. For example, PDA's are great mobile devices, but there's only so much they can do. They can get internet access, and limited word processing, but are they effective in helping a student complete a project? PDA's are indeed cheaper than laptops, but students will be able to work on projects much easier and be able to multitask with a mobile PC.
Technology has its pro's and cons, more than what the book lists. It is up to the school system to determine whether or not a piece of technology will benefit the children's educational process. Unfortunately, a lot of school systems are behind technologically, so many children are not developing the necessary computer skills needed in our Digital Age. Hopefully as time progresses, these items will become more affordable and readily available for these schools so every child can learn these valuable skills.
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