I started with an idea about how really creative teachers hook their students when presenting lesson plan activities. I continued the thought with a PowToon that would introduce the activity like mission, so chose the "Mission Impossible" PowToon template. I gathered the students in the room shut down the lights and presented the following:
The Powtoon itself was not sufficient to fully describe the activity, yet it provided a sense of excitement that got the students thinking about what they were going to be doing... I think mostly from the familiar theme music. The "zero tolerance" statement at the end drew several chuckles from the students that were really paying attention... to the point that I had to rewind, so everyone could be in on the joke. This simple clip seemingly opened the creative thoughts of the students without presenting them my input on what it might look like, so when they started their research for designs they weren't looking to replicate what they saw... they were looking for what they had in their mind.
As for the post assignment I wanted the pre-service teacher students to embed their created PowToon of awesomeness in their blog and then explain why they created the Powtoon and what lesson activity it was going to introduce. In this technology interaction I knew that many of the students had possibly never created a PowToon and many of them did Not have a Blog, which made this assignment, what I thought to be a good challenge. Knowing that there would be many questions, but more importantly, I thought it would offer the pre-service teacher students a chance to interact with the technology tools in a low risk situation with plenty of time to, if needed, to watch tutorials. And as pre-service teachers, I also knew, that this might provide them a glimpse of what it might be like to not know how to do something or at least struggle to some extent, which should serve them when faced with students that are struggling in their future classrooms. I also did Not include a grading rubric because that was going to be part of the follow-up homework assignment. A way, in which, they would have a first hand interaction in to why it's important for student to know what the grading expectations are for the assignment. The main criteria for grading the main assignment was as follows:
#1. Did the student successfully create a blog spot? Yes or No
#2. Did the student create a PowToon? Yes or No
#3. Did the student embed the PowToon in the Blog post? Yes or No
#4. Did the student submit the Blog Post link successfully in LiveText? Yes or No
If the answer was yes to all 4 questions then the student received full credit.
There were many struggles that I did Not anticipate like misunderstandings in the assignment directions. I also felt that many students dedicated or allotted a certain amount of time to complete the task and if it required more time then they really weren't prepared to struggle with the assignment any longer. I also felt that in many cases if I didn't or was unable to answer their questions within a minute or two then they lost interest in completing the assignment... or would have rather just been told "it's okay just submit what have." This led me to the realization that when planning lesson activities you must in some ways pre-teach the technology tools to most of the students because they are for the most part unwilling to interact with the content and teach themselves. The tricky part is what do you do with the students that either already know how or readily accept the challenge of self-learning. It is also quite tricky to figure out just how detailed you need to be when covering the technology tools. I find that many students have a limited understanding of basic technology concepts, which proves to be the barrier to understanding more complex operations. This also leads to a bit of cultural bias, in that due to age, millennial's are unfairly judged as knowing more about technology than they actually do, and I think I may be guilty of some of that bias thinking.
............Welcome to Rafe's Random Rants
Friday, October 26, 2018
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Padlet Wall: Technology in the Classroom
The following is a Padlet wall for you add your thoughts about using technology in the classroom. Please feel free to follow the link to this Padlet and add your thoughts. Please include your name and some sort of visual meaning to enhance your ideas / thoughts.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
Saturday, July 23, 2016
The Final Part: Understanding Change means Changing
In reading the final section of "Digital Literacies" I found myself running this reoccurring thought through my mind. A thought that I should preface with a short bit of background information, while I'm no stranger to education I am what many would call a rookie educator. I am in no way offended by this moniker, but take exception when the monikers implies a certain lack of knowledge... as if to say..."your too new to education and do not yet know how things are done," which is in my opinion part of the problem that many new educators face. Instead of the seasoned veterans embracing the excitement, enthusiasm, and possibilities of a new educator they only seek to indoctrinate them in the ways of the "old guard" (likely the same way it was done to them), which helps to perpetuate the status quo, not change the process or recognize new literacies as valuable. Now to the thought... the hardest thing for a system to do is change, because in recognizing the need to change may also force you into realizing that what you are doing either isn't working or has failed to perform in the manner you need it to and since most educators were educated in a system that punishes you for failure then admitting that you have failed means punishment is coming. Yet another reason to do away with grades. The greatest catalyst for changing your approach to accomplishing a task is recognizing that what you are doing is not working (and there is valuable learning in failure when you aren't punished or shamed). Though Not specifically expounded upon in the case study of "Kathryn" it seemed to me that the clothing store owner didn't immediately seize the possibilities that Kathryn was excitedly telling her about... like as a way to reach new customers, stay connected with current customers, and in general potentially grow the business by keeping abreast of trends. I keep hearing those words of discouragement... "just wait till you've taught a few years you'll see" or "that sounds good, but in the real world of teaching you don't have time for activities like that CSOs are more important" as if to say, there is no room to really connect with learners and then connect them to learning.
The section opens with the idea that changing means change, which likely means adopting a new approach and a new way of thinking about the education process, in a word pedagogy. Or another way to say this would be that all learners (and teachers) need to better understand their approach to learning and the value in learning in unexpected ways. Case in point, the four case studies of chapter seven didn't recognize or acknowledge the literacy they possessed in working with various technology tools because it didn't fit with the preconceived or adopted definition of being proficient in using that technology. Yet, they did use it to accomplish their intended goals even if those goals were just remaining connected to family via an electronic source, a use that some might not value. It seems likely that a connection between Joanne and Holly could be made back to Caitlyn, from the previous reading, in that they themselves did Not ascribe validity to their use of technology. In the case of Caitlyn she learned that the school system didn't value her self constructed interactions and it seems plausible that the four case studies presented in chapter seven learned that too, as evidenced by Holly's assertion, "I'm not a geek."
Another theme that is starting to appear is the ways in which schools, as a whole and separate, are integrating technology. It seems to me that the BYOD could instantly solve the lack of access to the 1to1 computing problem that many districts face. It would further solve the issue about what type of device is better for school use in that the individual would bring what they are currently using instead of having to use a different device that may not have all the update and familiar apps that the user is accustom to using.
In chapter eight the look at student-teachers specifically and their ability to use and create a "digital portrait" as an assignment. While the degree of proficiency varied among the student-teachers in ability to use technology tools an unexpected outcome to the assignment emerged as something that needed closer examination... multi-literacies, which has its roots into the multicultural learning experiences that is unique to every learner. This work by Kerin has the ability to turn this unexpected outcome into a teachable moment for new teachers, so when they have a group of students turn a future assessment into something completely different than expected they will be able to recognize its value, for both the learners and the teacher. This also plants the idea that assigning a multimodal project is really like a customized modification for every learner in that the individual will create in a media that they feel comfortable using and may through "low stakes - low risk" consequences try a new media as a form of growth.
In Chapter nine Leander introduces us to the 4-Rs, resistance, replacement, return, and remediation as the common stance for understanding "new literacies" versus "old literacies." In this chapter I found that in many ways the following question... why are we still arguing about semantics? In that literacy means what? What does literacy mean? the definition seems quite clear and yet here we are stuck discussing old versus new as if you only need one or the other. How can anyone function in a complete and authentic way without being fully literate in their own culture and customs? I pose that question from a POV that doesn't impose or judge what being fully literate means to different cultures as if to say in order to be fully literate one must possess proficient skills in reading, writing, and keyboarding. Because if you were born and raised in the Borneo rain-forest, as were your parents, and you had no access to books or computers then being fully literate has a different meaning. I guess what I'm trying to say is educators need to start recognizing more the value in the diversity of learning experiences and stop judging different as "good" or "bad" but just different. The other "big picture" item I took away from chapter nine was the idea that when creating a visual story the creator create subtle or overt nuances with transitions, which "parallels" the connection I use when teaching students how to interpret political cartoons, there are now errant markings or accidental images there creator purposely placed every pen stroke. Ironically, that's exactly what can be said by writing, visual media, comics, movies etc... literacy is multimodal all the time even if the multi is only in the mind of the creator.
I've opted for a note card confessional in lieu of an illuminated text on digital literacy: by Jeremy Blauser
I felt compelled to add this as another way to think about and accept new and changing literacies.
The section opens with the idea that changing means change, which likely means adopting a new approach and a new way of thinking about the education process, in a word pedagogy. Or another way to say this would be that all learners (and teachers) need to better understand their approach to learning and the value in learning in unexpected ways. Case in point, the four case studies of chapter seven didn't recognize or acknowledge the literacy they possessed in working with various technology tools because it didn't fit with the preconceived or adopted definition of being proficient in using that technology. Yet, they did use it to accomplish their intended goals even if those goals were just remaining connected to family via an electronic source, a use that some might not value. It seems likely that a connection between Joanne and Holly could be made back to Caitlyn, from the previous reading, in that they themselves did Not ascribe validity to their use of technology. In the case of Caitlyn she learned that the school system didn't value her self constructed interactions and it seems plausible that the four case studies presented in chapter seven learned that too, as evidenced by Holly's assertion, "I'm not a geek."
Another theme that is starting to appear is the ways in which schools, as a whole and separate, are integrating technology. It seems to me that the BYOD could instantly solve the lack of access to the 1to1 computing problem that many districts face. It would further solve the issue about what type of device is better for school use in that the individual would bring what they are currently using instead of having to use a different device that may not have all the update and familiar apps that the user is accustom to using.
In chapter eight the look at student-teachers specifically and their ability to use and create a "digital portrait" as an assignment. While the degree of proficiency varied among the student-teachers in ability to use technology tools an unexpected outcome to the assignment emerged as something that needed closer examination... multi-literacies, which has its roots into the multicultural learning experiences that is unique to every learner. This work by Kerin has the ability to turn this unexpected outcome into a teachable moment for new teachers, so when they have a group of students turn a future assessment into something completely different than expected they will be able to recognize its value, for both the learners and the teacher. This also plants the idea that assigning a multimodal project is really like a customized modification for every learner in that the individual will create in a media that they feel comfortable using and may through "low stakes - low risk" consequences try a new media as a form of growth.
In Chapter nine Leander introduces us to the 4-Rs, resistance, replacement, return, and remediation as the common stance for understanding "new literacies" versus "old literacies." In this chapter I found that in many ways the following question... why are we still arguing about semantics? In that literacy means what? What does literacy mean? the definition seems quite clear and yet here we are stuck discussing old versus new as if you only need one or the other. How can anyone function in a complete and authentic way without being fully literate in their own culture and customs? I pose that question from a POV that doesn't impose or judge what being fully literate means to different cultures as if to say in order to be fully literate one must possess proficient skills in reading, writing, and keyboarding. Because if you were born and raised in the Borneo rain-forest, as were your parents, and you had no access to books or computers then being fully literate has a different meaning. I guess what I'm trying to say is educators need to start recognizing more the value in the diversity of learning experiences and stop judging different as "good" or "bad" but just different. The other "big picture" item I took away from chapter nine was the idea that when creating a visual story the creator create subtle or overt nuances with transitions, which "parallels" the connection I use when teaching students how to interpret political cartoons, there are now errant markings or accidental images there creator purposely placed every pen stroke. Ironically, that's exactly what can be said by writing, visual media, comics, movies etc... literacy is multimodal all the time even if the multi is only in the mind of the creator.
I've opted for a note card confessional in lieu of an illuminated text on digital literacy: by Jeremy Blauser
I felt compelled to add this as another way to think about and accept new and changing literacies.
Sunday, July 17, 2016
Case Study: Digital Natives; The Beginning
When Thinking about the digital natives and the time they spend in the various venues are generally for a purpose that is deeper than obvious to understand.The terms below are an effort to give a comprehensive definition to those terms. In many cases the expectation of learning can be overt or subtle and many would contend that in many cases learning occurs that is not readily recognized as such or deemed valuable. For example in the "Game Design Class" we read about the experience of a teen playing Sid Meier's "Pirates" in which no expectation of learning, beyond the scope of the game, were expected and yet during a specific social studies class the teen was able to recall vast amounts of information regarding colonization, ships, trading, and the countries involved with exact and fine details. The teen returned to the game a changed individual and the teacher was forced to recognize that "useless" gaming may in fact have educational merits. In the categories listed below the the reader can infer the level of commitment, the expectation of learning, as well as the level of interest of the participant, understanding the there can and is a fluid shift from one to the other based on varied factors. It should also be noted that these categories also exist in F2F interactions as well and I would assert that the online or digital interactions serve as a place to practice or model other interactions. It would also be fair to note that the language or register people use in these interactions also changes and must be learned by the participants. I always find it somewhat ironic when I hear a digital immigrant talk about the shortcuts and language of texting as if it is something so foreign and idiotic, yet the acronyms of their day are readily received as second nature... RADAR and LASER come to mind... "I know right???" LMAO
Hanging Out:It would generally appear that Sam places gaming in this category, which seems to follow the idea that he has no real interest or has not yet found a game that he is interested in taking to a deeper level.
Messing Around: While all teens are seemingly interested in social media it's fair to say the primary function of social media for Sam is to stay current on events... locally, regionally, and globally. I also think he very easily shifts from "Hanging Out" to "Geeking Out" depending on the factors or events that are trending and if its a topic that truly interests him then he would be "Geeking Out."
Geeking Out: Only because I know more about some of Sam's accomplishments than discussed in the interview it's easy for me to place his desire to write and create stories as the dominant area of interest.
Schooling: Sam's schooling has been quite diverse over the course of his life. He was born in Guatemala and spent the first few years of his life in Arizona. His pre-school years were spent in Connecticut in a parent founded Montessori type day-care. His elementary through early middle school was also in the New Haven, Connecticut School system. He started 8th grade in the Louisville, Kentucky school system and will be starting his Junior year in high school this new school term. He has had many opportunities outside the formal school term in the way of a variety of summer camps. Both of his parents have a PhD and many of his grandparents as well as aunts and uncles have college degrees, which in a way emphasize the importance of education and learning.
Much of my formal case study will incorporate the ideas presented in the case studies mentioned in "Deconstructing" and "Digital Literacies" as they might relate to Sam and his educational experiences.
Hanging Out:It would generally appear that Sam places gaming in this category, which seems to follow the idea that he has no real interest or has not yet found a game that he is interested in taking to a deeper level.
Messing Around: While all teens are seemingly interested in social media it's fair to say the primary function of social media for Sam is to stay current on events... locally, regionally, and globally. I also think he very easily shifts from "Hanging Out" to "Geeking Out" depending on the factors or events that are trending and if its a topic that truly interests him then he would be "Geeking Out."
Geeking Out: Only because I know more about some of Sam's accomplishments than discussed in the interview it's easy for me to place his desire to write and create stories as the dominant area of interest.
Schooling: Sam's schooling has been quite diverse over the course of his life. He was born in Guatemala and spent the first few years of his life in Arizona. His pre-school years were spent in Connecticut in a parent founded Montessori type day-care. His elementary through early middle school was also in the New Haven, Connecticut School system. He started 8th grade in the Louisville, Kentucky school system and will be starting his Junior year in high school this new school term. He has had many opportunities outside the formal school term in the way of a variety of summer camps. Both of his parents have a PhD and many of his grandparents as well as aunts and uncles have college degrees, which in a way emphasize the importance of education and learning.
Much of my formal case study will incorporate the ideas presented in the case studies mentioned in "Deconstructing" and "Digital Literacies" as they might relate to Sam and his educational experiences.
Saturday, July 16, 2016
Digital Definitions: What is Text?
I really like the opening to Part B, takes a historic perspective as it relates to text and technology, especially how it connects learning to development. I find individuals that can see the change in front of them with such accuracy and certainty that they want help prepare others for those impending changes that they not only speak out, they try to help implement the changes (of course from their POV). Neil Postman was in a way a great "revelator," and as an educator tried to help educators prepare for the future by shifting their focus to the dynamic changes that technology brings to everyday life and what he thought those changes would mean to society and the classroom learner. In his somewhat skeptical way Postman talks about the impact and implications technology could have on learning. I found a great PBS interview to share his views as they also relate to the historic perspective of literacy. I would also recommend reading his book... "The End of Education" as way to expand your own thinking about the "New Aged Learner" in the classroom. Just keep in mind this was written 1995 and his primary focus was the impact of TV and visual media in general, a topic that we have been exploring in depth this semester. Note: I don't necessarily agree with all of Postman's views, but all of them make me think!
The End of Education: By Neil Postman
When considering the ideas of wikis and MOOCs as examples of how access to information and learning is changing the educational model as a whole... I'm reminded of why this is such a great time to be in education. Yet, there seems to be so much resistance to change that the unknown gets labeled bad and unreliable... there are still educators that believe Wikipedia is bad unreliable research source and while I don't think its the only source students should use I do think it's a good place start, especially if you use some of their references to explore a topic deeper. It should be noted the most trusted names in encyclopedias, "Oxford" and "Britannica" are on equal footing as Wikipedia when it relates to accuracy, all are about 87% and mainly do to the changing world and new discoveries, NOT bad entries. Many of the uses in technology that are implemented in my classes primarily deal with access and creating media on different websites or apps, like using Padlet as a place to develop and post project ideas that allow the entire class to comment and create... from the Padlet wall to the presentation creation site like Emaze, Presi, or PowerPoint, with research and instruction built in to scaffold the learners that need it, but not wasting the time of the learners that do Not.
My Illuminated Text:
"The moral panic about new communicative practices does not bode well for the teacher for the teacher wishing to work wieth online text production in her classroom. "
The End of Education: By Neil Postman
When considering the ideas of wikis and MOOCs as examples of how access to information and learning is changing the educational model as a whole... I'm reminded of why this is such a great time to be in education. Yet, there seems to be so much resistance to change that the unknown gets labeled bad and unreliable... there are still educators that believe Wikipedia is bad unreliable research source and while I don't think its the only source students should use I do think it's a good place start, especially if you use some of their references to explore a topic deeper. It should be noted the most trusted names in encyclopedias, "Oxford" and "Britannica" are on equal footing as Wikipedia when it relates to accuracy, all are about 87% and mainly do to the changing world and new discoveries, NOT bad entries. Many of the uses in technology that are implemented in my classes primarily deal with access and creating media on different websites or apps, like using Padlet as a place to develop and post project ideas that allow the entire class to comment and create... from the Padlet wall to the presentation creation site like Emaze, Presi, or PowerPoint, with research and instruction built in to scaffold the learners that need it, but not wasting the time of the learners that do Not.
My Illuminated Text:
"The moral panic about new communicative practices does not bode well for the teacher for the teacher wishing to work wieth online text production in her classroom. "
Interview With a Native
The Digital Native I interviewed is a 16 year-old male, Sam, that will be starting his junior year in high school. He is a well adjusted teenager from an upper-middle class family. He started preschool by age 2 in a Montessori like day care, and entered the Connecticut school system before transferring to the Kentucky school system for 7th grade middle school. Sam is the oldest of three children, a younger brother and the younger sister all of school age and four years apart in age. It would be fair to note that Sam is now slightly above the average height of his peers, but was easily taller than ten through fourteen year-old boys, which caused unknown adults to assign greater "age appropriate" responsibility on him than should have been. A ten year-old that looks 16 is still only ten developmentally and socially. I conducted the interview via Facetime, rather than just a phone call, so I could assess non-verbal cues as well. The interview duration was about 23 minutes.
Do you have a computer / iPod /MP3 player / Wii / Xbox etc....? Yes, I have a Mac Airbook, iPhone, Wii, and access to 3 different iPad s of differing generations
What kinds of things do you use the computer/phone/iPad etc for? Mostly social media and looking up information. I listen to some music, but not constantly. I also like to check out breaking news stories...Do you have a special News app? Not really it's the one already on the iPhone. I also use my iPhone to text and check social media for messages... Do you use speech to text when creating or answering messages? No... Why? it never gets it right and auto correct is hard enough sometimes.
What is your favorite thing to do on the computer? I really just like typing... What do you mean? Well, I like writing stuff like ideas for plays or short stories... Do you actually type or do you just use two fingers? I learned how to type using both hands, but I usually just use a couple of fingers...Like texting? sort of
How did you learn to do that? My dad taught me a lot of the basics, but I really just learned more by doing it.
What are some other things you use the computer for? School work and presentations like power point and stuff... Do you take your computer to school? Yes... Can you access the internet at school? Yes, but it's really slow... Do you log on as a guest or a user? a guest, so when I really need to look something up I use my iPhone as a "hotspot" ... Would you like to use your computer at school more? Yes, I really like the online textbooks and would like to use it more for notes
What is your favorite game? Why? I don't really play too many games... Really? Yes really, sometimes I play a game called "color switch" it used to be popular... So no massive online games like WoW? No...Why? I don't have time because of the other things I do, like Walden theater.
Do you know other people who do this? My friends and I might play sometimes, but not together, it's not that kind of game.
How would you like to use the computer at school? Like I said, I like to use my computer for the online textbooks. I wish all my classes had online textbooks.
Anything else you would like to tell me? No, not really... I guess I think the schools should give us an iPad to use for the year... Would you rather use your own computer if you had better WiFi? Yes, maybe... Do you think the school should ask you to use your computer and if you don't have one they will then give you an iPad? No, I don't think so...Why? because that wouldn't be fair to students that don't have a computer.
Are you allowed to use your phone for class work during class? No... Do you think you should be allowed to use your phone during class? Yes, but only for school work during class unless you can listen to music while you work.
Do you have a computer / iPod /MP3 player / Wii / Xbox etc....? Yes, I have a Mac Airbook, iPhone, Wii, and access to 3 different iPad s of differing generations
What kinds of things do you use the computer/phone/iPad etc for? Mostly social media and looking up information. I listen to some music, but not constantly. I also like to check out breaking news stories...Do you have a special News app? Not really it's the one already on the iPhone. I also use my iPhone to text and check social media for messages... Do you use speech to text when creating or answering messages? No... Why? it never gets it right and auto correct is hard enough sometimes.
What is your favorite thing to do on the computer? I really just like typing... What do you mean? Well, I like writing stuff like ideas for plays or short stories... Do you actually type or do you just use two fingers? I learned how to type using both hands, but I usually just use a couple of fingers...Like texting? sort of
How did you learn to do that? My dad taught me a lot of the basics, but I really just learned more by doing it.
What are some other things you use the computer for? School work and presentations like power point and stuff... Do you take your computer to school? Yes... Can you access the internet at school? Yes, but it's really slow... Do you log on as a guest or a user? a guest, so when I really need to look something up I use my iPhone as a "hotspot" ... Would you like to use your computer at school more? Yes, I really like the online textbooks and would like to use it more for notes
What is your favorite game? Why? I don't really play too many games... Really? Yes really, sometimes I play a game called "color switch" it used to be popular... So no massive online games like WoW? No...Why? I don't have time because of the other things I do, like Walden theater.
Do you know other people who do this? My friends and I might play sometimes, but not together, it's not that kind of game.
How would you like to use the computer at school? Like I said, I like to use my computer for the online textbooks. I wish all my classes had online textbooks.
Anything else you would like to tell me? No, not really... I guess I think the schools should give us an iPad to use for the year... Would you rather use your own computer if you had better WiFi? Yes, maybe... Do you think the school should ask you to use your computer and if you don't have one they will then give you an iPad? No, I don't think so...Why? because that wouldn't be fair to students that don't have a computer.
Are you allowed to use your phone for class work during class? No... Do you think you should be allowed to use your phone during class? Yes, but only for school work during class unless you can listen to music while you work.
My post interview comments and reflection, as well as follow-up with Sam's father center around the idea of fairness Sam pointed out when asked about being required to bring your own device if you have one. I will likely explore this in greater detail when writing the full case study
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