Blind Ambition

This is a short film addressing the achievement gaps of students with disabilities. In this case we looked into the important role of braille in education for the blind.

Journal 10: Making History by Esther Shein

     This article documents three teachers experiences using collaborative, technology-infused, project-based learning projects.  Each noticed that sometimes paper/book based learning is limited in terms of engaging students. Each wanted to engage their students in a fun and creative way in order to really spark their interest in the subject matter.  They chose interactive, hands-on, real life simulations in order to get their students involved and excited. The technology used in project-based learning is not meant to substitute traditional methods, but to take them further; to process and really put concepts and principals into action.  Before using any project technology, a thorough lesson is presented.  Because today's kids have grown up in a technological world, they relate and respond well to techno based projects. It's really fun for them, which of course enhances the learning experience.  

     Collaboration is key.  Each teacher had their students work in groups and was amazed at how thorough a job the kids did. This occurred because they were using creative tools which sparked their interest in things not necessarily outlined in the assignment, yet information that is a vital compliment to the subject matter. An example was when middle schoolers made a podcast based on an event from WWII. Each person on the team had a role, they brainstormed, collected video and audio clips (provided by the teacher) as well as background information to understand their event.  Her students were amazed at what they learned, some of which they had not learned in traditional history books. Another plus when using technology in collaborating on a project is if a member of the team is sick, they can still communicate and possibly participate in the project from home. In other words, the assignment is not held up because the cameraman is home with a cold!

     Hands on experience is also a very important part of the learning process. One high school teacher had a difficult time exciting her students with a paper based simulation activity which would teach her students how to run a business.  She had no success getting her students involved.  She found a program which simulated business situations.  The students worked in two teams running multi-million dollar corporations.  They had to do everything involved in running a business: marketing, manufacturing, financing projects etc.  At the end of the semester a mock boardroom meeting was held and the students came dressed as business people and gave a PowerPoint presentation displaying their results. They learned how to analyze their strategies and each member of the team was held directly accountable for their decision in running the company.  She, too, was surprised at what came out of the projects and how integrated the material had become, even in casual conversations, and how well her students worked together.

    Am I going to use this in my class? Absolutely.  This article really excited me. I love to see kids enjoy what they are learning. They are so creative, and come up with really incredible insights. I think these types of projects build a strong team class culture, enhance esteem when they see the results of their efforts and really allows all types of learners to digest material thoroughly....and not painfully!  What is the best way to structure a techno project based activity?  First the material must be presented in class, read, discussed. The project is then introduced conceptually to students.  Whatever software or web-based material is going to be used is introduced and "played with" so that the students are comfortable with it and know what it offers.  A rubric is handed out detailing the steps of the assignment.  Teams/groups are picked.  The groups have ample time to brainstorm and create. The groups present their projects....and all is well and fun. 

Journal 9: Avoiding the 5 Most Common Mistakes in Using Blogs with Students by Ruth Reynard, Ph.D.

     The first thing that struck me about this article is that by having students create their own blogs, you encourage them to actually own use their minds for something other than repeating verbatim, information learned in class.  The reason this strikes me is because when I went to Grad School at San Jose State, I noticed how afraid the students were of not following exactly what they thought was being asked of them.  My professors had to push them to form their own opinions of the materials being presented.  Having students start to feel the power and freedom of being able to agree, disagree, form a conclusion and see how a concept may apply to life outside of class is such a powerful way of getting students to integrate information. It also makes them feel as though their opinions are valued.

     This article basically laid out points on how teachers should structure the use of a blog and how to decide whether or not it's the appropriate tool to use in class.  My experience working with children and teens has made me a very strong advocate of well laid out, clear structure as well as the ability for the student to make choices.....limited choices..... based on the structure!  Without clear guidelines for usage and reasons why this is a "cool" way to do the lesson, students may get discouraged and not participate. 

      Structured lesson plans are required so that students are presented with the objectives of the lesson i.e. analysis of material, synthesis, new ideas, and real life applications.  Students should be given an ample amount of time in class to research and  prepare the material they will eventually post.  THEN, they post. Step by step.  The teacher should, as the students post blogs, comment on the posts so that there's a structured procession throughout the lesson. 

     The guidelines for grading student's blogs need to be clearly defined in rubrics so that students know what they're being assessed on.  If the grading parameters are not clearly defined, some students will become discouraged and not participate. 

     Finally, the instructor must be sure that blogging is the correct tool for the academic goal.  Blogs are individual publications, they are not interactive, therefore the students can not have an on-line debate or discussion.

     My questions are: What are the most important contributions that I would make to my students by using this tool in class?  I would love to help instill pride in their own voices.  Creativity regarding how one views certain lessons.  I think it would raise self-esteem and enrich a lesson tremendously.   

What's the fallback?  I would need to be prepared and willing to spend a lot of extra time reading and responding to each blog, but I could do it from any computer so that would be handy.

     

Journal 6a-Inspiration/ review

I like this program very much.  It is easy to follow and a great tool for outlining projects.  I enjoyed the fact that it is so simple to change/add/delete facts. I like the fact that images can be added to demonstrate a point. Another nice feature is that you can link it to websites that are relevant to your subject matter.  When teaching, I could follow the diagram and to demonstrate or to go further into detail, I would click on the link and we could navigate the attached web site.  I would incorporate this program into many types of lessons.  I would use the tree function to dissect characters in stories or plays. I would use it to outline stories and then perhaps compare and contrast two of them based on the diagrams. I would use this tool for outlining steps in projects to be completed in an orderly fashion. It could be a great tool in history lessons!

Most definitely benefitting visual learners.  I did not need to use Atomic Learning for this program, which indicates how easy it is to use!

Journal 6B-I Movie and review

I found i Movie to be fairly complicated and time consuming; especially the sound track application and editing.  That was a nightmare.  None the less, it was fun to use.  Seems like a contradiction but it's not.  The effects are fun to play with and match up.  It's very creative and unique to each user.  I think kids could behave a great time researching topics and accessing images from the web to make a movie.  They'd have a lot of fun creating personal statements with regard to assigned subject matter.  It would integrate learning styles nicely, as students would pick a topic, gather data from the internet and draw out a storyboard/presentation goal, perhaps with an outline.  i Movie could be used as a collaborative activity building cooperation/negotiation skills.  It would also help kids cope with frustration and anxiety, as the soundtrack application is a monster!!  as a teaching tool/aid, I personally would need a bit of practice, because I am quite the technophobe....BUT, I am an artist and a great believer in delivering a memorable message.  I would greatly enjoy making movies to help express academic goals and generate conversation, debate and perhaps a few laughs.  A good "spoon full of sugar" so to speak....for issues like.....geometry.  Naturally, being the techno non-geek that I am, I used Atomic learning and thought it was "the bomb", pun intended.  LOVE IT!  It took me through with care and baby steps.  I didn't have time to use it when I created my movie in class, but got a chance to check it out later.  Great site.

Journal 8: A " fantastic Super" Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Dlivide By Diane Curtis

     My first observation when reading this article is that this school has a savvy grant writer!  How fantastic to have been given wireless laptops, computers in every room, a wonderful array of software and internet access devices to loan to families who do not own a computer.  I like the fact that the grant was contingent on using a "power to learn" approach which addresses the fact that kids learn differently, and taylors various learning plans to address this.

     I'm also a big fan of having a transparent classroom.  I like the fact that Eveleigh has created a web page outlining the days activities for parents.  Parental involvement is a vital component to a students success in class.  I also like that this web page not only informs parents as to what's going on in the classroom, it also provides parents with learning resources on the web.  This is a great way for parents to be involved with their kids learning and have fun doing it!  Another thing that I really like is that teachers, parents and administrators easily converse using e-mail and parents know what is expected of their children by reading e-mailed homework assignments.  AlthoughI still think that it's important for  students to have a homework folder or planner to bring home so that they are directly accountable.

     Lastly, I like the way that the school fosters an environment of professionalism, collaboration and mentoring.  Providing teachers with an office boosts moral and helps with organization and expediency.  Collaboration is important!  I've worked with many teachers who've bemoaned the time and effort required to "recreate the wheel".  I've suggested central curriculum storage for use by all.  It just makes sense.  Even more so to do it digitally.  I also like that the ones who spend more time generating curriculum are paid more.  I have seen the benefits of mentoring.  At Mesa Elementary in Boulder CO a new second grade teacher was paired with a "seasoned" teacher as her mentor. Their classrooms were joined by a common door.  The new teacher went to her mentor often, sometimes during class, for help in teaching a lesson or how to properly finish a project. 

     My first question is: What do you do if you teach in an underfunded district which does not have these resources and  the faculty and administration were in favor of having it?   This article opened my eyes to the power of grant writing.  That is a muscle I would exercise. Second question:  Is this a viable model considering all the "old school" teachers (many schools I've worked or subbed in had a lot of teachers over 50 who admitted to being techno-phobes)?  My answer is yes, but only by clearly stressing the benefit of how ultimately it would make teaching easier and more effectively engage students.  I think that implimentation at an "old school mentality" school would also require some "techie" mentors who would provide extensive support and inservices. 

     

Journal 7: Wiki (web 2.0 tool review)

Wiki is a piece of server software that allows users to freely create and edit Web page content.  It has hyperlinks imbedded within the text to lead users to more detailed information or the source of a piece of information.  It is an easy, collaborative tool.  Anyone can edit it, add to it etc., which is good news for those of us who value simplicity.  Wikipedia is written collaboratively by volunteers from around the world and is one of the largest reference web sites. Every day tens of thousands of people edit and create thousands of new articles to augment the knowledge held by the Wikipedia encyclopedia. I had never heard of this before.  I knew about Wikipedia, but not the source.  When we went to San Marcos' Wiki I was floored at the resources available. There is a reference book called The Wiki Way which gives lots information on how to create a space. I went to Wikispace where you can create and find different Wikis.  There is one called  CodeBlue listing websites dealing with the body systems, targeting six graders. Super fun resource. I am definitely going to use this tool as a resource for lesson plans.

 I read quite a few  comments by educators about the Wiki and was suprised to find that they are having their students create them and evaluate each other's work.  The educators used this technique with groups of students as a  collaborative classroom activity.  They said that they enjoyed the fact that they could see how the groups went about solving or presenting a problem/piece of information.  What's really nice is that the teachers who were unsure, yet wanted to create a Wiki for a class project, had a place to go to ask other, more experienced teachers how to implement it. Really good support forum.  I had no idea all of this existed!