............Welcome to Rafe's Random Rants
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Artfully Intelligent Design
Artfully Intelligent Design is a concept that combines function and aesthetics. A ThinkQuest competition winner is Fusion of Form and Function takes an in depth look at the "Art We Live In." For centuries we, as a people, have not been satisfied with simple functional shelters and have sought elaborate ways to embellish the structure's facade or embellish the structural supports themselves. I would design lessons in my classroom to address many different questions... why? what? how? when? are the easy questions and then start with more abstract questions of purpose? choice of media? did it accomplish its goal? how does it influence today's art? culture? architecture? The class would also explore how some structures built solely from a functional perspective became iconic art. The main focus is not just appreciation of the ideas of art form and functionality, but also the awesome creative power within "man" and the tools and technology "he" used to create, in his time period.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Teaching is an Art Form
Teaching is an Art form... not like a form of art, but an art form. Artist create through many different forms of media. The very definition of artist is...somebody who does something skillfully and creatively, that is exactly what I mean when I say, "teaching is an art form." When teachers engage students in their learning environment with guided, goal directed, and meaningful activities the learning process is transformed into an art form and not just memorizing rote facts for a test or quiz. Thus the teacher is an Artist, skillfully and creatively unlocking the mysteries of learning.
This link to "Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders" is good look into the ideology of "best practices."
I chose this blog out of the four possible to choose from because of the title, you never know what the students in your class will go on to do in life, so as a teacher, you must prepare them, ALL of them. Then I read the article and was somewhat surprised by the content, as if there was going to be some secret formula for teaching and preparing students. The article begins by the author explaining that she didn't want to be the "boring" teacher and recognized that students may not have learned all they could have. Then she became an Expeditionary Learning (EL) teacher and now the lessons were designed to prepare learners for the future by having them learn and practice problem solving now.
Some of the greatest problems learners face are verbal skills (reading, writing, vocabulary), especially in content areas that seem to speak and write in a different language. Science is one of the content areas that has a very distinct set of vocabulary terms and style for writing (reporting) your results. This teacher used a variety of approaches to literacy instruction to ensure the different learning styles of her students would be met. In a way the methods she used were in fact a formula for success. This teacher also realized the "Common Core State Standards" were not a deterrence to student achievement, but a tool to guide her toward student achievement. The literacy focus enabled the students to not only become better readers, but also helped them to shift from persuasive writing to report writing. Recognizing the need to make shifts in styles, like report writing in science, helps students to make the connection to style shifts and vocabulary context in other areas. Having muliple frames of reference can enable students to approach problem solving from muliple ponts of view and that's how you prepare the leaders of tomorrow.
This link to "Preparing Tomorrow's Leaders" is good look into the ideology of "best practices."
I chose this blog out of the four possible to choose from because of the title, you never know what the students in your class will go on to do in life, so as a teacher, you must prepare them, ALL of them. Then I read the article and was somewhat surprised by the content, as if there was going to be some secret formula for teaching and preparing students. The article begins by the author explaining that she didn't want to be the "boring" teacher and recognized that students may not have learned all they could have. Then she became an Expeditionary Learning (EL) teacher and now the lessons were designed to prepare learners for the future by having them learn and practice problem solving now.
Some of the greatest problems learners face are verbal skills (reading, writing, vocabulary), especially in content areas that seem to speak and write in a different language. Science is one of the content areas that has a very distinct set of vocabulary terms and style for writing (reporting) your results. This teacher used a variety of approaches to literacy instruction to ensure the different learning styles of her students would be met. In a way the methods she used were in fact a formula for success. This teacher also realized the "Common Core State Standards" were not a deterrence to student achievement, but a tool to guide her toward student achievement. The literacy focus enabled the students to not only become better readers, but also helped them to shift from persuasive writing to report writing. Recognizing the need to make shifts in styles, like report writing in science, helps students to make the connection to style shifts and vocabulary context in other areas. Having muliple frames of reference can enable students to approach problem solving from muliple ponts of view and that's how you prepare the leaders of tomorrow.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Wordle Fun...A Change in Perspective
Wordles are a great way to change your perspective about a subject or idea because it forces you to view it differently. Big words, little words, words that are horizontal and words that are vertical and they are generally out of order too. The big words are the ones that are either the most important or used the most, and they get smaller, down to the least used or unimportant. We did a Wordle as a group in class and was posted by a groupmate HERE or click here to view the Wordle below
I think this Wordle really brings things into perspective for a lot of reasons, the "central word group" is focused on "Content Importance," but look closer and what you begin to notice is the word "students" is somewhat removed, "left out," an even closer inspection reveals that "flexibility and responsiveness " are barely readable. Students must be the main focus, content must be delivered with flexibility and responsiveness to student needs, if maximum student potential is going to be realized.
I think this Wordle really brings things into perspective for a lot of reasons, the "central word group" is focused on "Content Importance," but look closer and what you begin to notice is the word "students" is somewhat removed, "left out," an even closer inspection reveals that "flexibility and responsiveness " are barely readable. Students must be the main focus, content must be delivered with flexibility and responsiveness to student needs, if maximum student potential is going to be realized.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Culturally Speaking...So to Speak?
Understanding the difference between an accent, dialect, language is not always an easy task. Well, most of the time an accent is easy to detect, yet most people are probably unfamiliar with the origins of the dialect that provides the foundation for the accent. Click Here to follow a link to an example accents. In listening to these variations of basically the same greeting you can phonetically follow the emphasis on different syllables providing the accent, the sequence of the words provide the basis for the grammar structure (a dialect / language).
The first question of this reflection deals with the relationship between language, literacy, and power. To answer this question, I think you first need to identify the context in which the relationship will be defined. That is to say from the context of the “elite,” where status was established at birth the answer would be different from that of someone born into “poverty.” From the elite viewpoint there is no real disparity because this class has determined what language, SAE (Standard American English) and what is considered proficiency in literacy. This can and has led to stereotyping solely based on the way you speak, "I knew she was ignorant as soon as she opened her mouth!" (Purcell-Gates, 2002) For further evidence of this View this Link an ongoing study being done by Professor John Baugh of Stanford University. What I learned was more about judgment and the necessity to remain judgment free when you encounter people that have a different cultural or ethnic background than you. I also found it very intriguing the subtle yet distinct differences between language and dialect.
Question two, Cultural Difference or Deficit? When teaching I will try to embrace the cultural difference and empower students to find their voice, translate their voice to words, and then offer them choices to better articulate their voice to a variety of audiences. Once I learned how to perform a "readability study" on text, I began performing a "readability" on everything I write, to ensure the writing meets the target audience. This works both ways (higher or lower grade level) and is a simple tool to employ. By first allowing students to understand a need to alter their word choices depending on setting (code switching) instead of constant correcting and negativity toward their "home" language (cultural deficit) increases their achievement in both verbal and written skills.
Question three, overcoming a cultural deficit attitude can be difficult, since our behavior is largely based on experiences from our own cultural socialization. A teacher can overcome their deficit attitude (if they have one, I do not) by doing an "ethnographic study" of the the area they are teaching. This study will give you greater insight into the community and the culture of those that live there; enabling you to devise learning goals based the data collected. In the case of Moll's study in an Arizona community he remarked, " We believe that a meaning-centered model ... allows bilingual students to take full advantage of their first language abilities, and to surpass the limits set by their more limited knowledge of their second language." (Gonzales, Greenberg & Velex, 1994). This points to shift from cultural deficit (English only) to cultural difference (embracing native language) to lead student learning and achievement.
Question four, strategies for increasing verbal and written skills. 1. Practice: students need to practice writing down the words they speak, exactly the way they speak, (a visual cue) instead of the words in their "head" 2. Preparing to give oral reports / speech: writing down the report / speech information...reading aloud to small groups, revising, word choice, natural vs. SAE, identifying desired outcomes and target audience (NCTE,2008). 3. Building vocabulary: "code switching" at its essence is really just increased vocabulary and word choice combined depending on target audience (Epstein & Herring-Harris, 2011)
The Fifth question asks how creating a digital story relates to the overall understanding of culturally responsive teaching. This is very simple on many levels and complex and abstract on others, first the simple, everyone has a learning history that is rooted in their culture, I will call this their primary lens. The complex, as we mature and grow in our learning our lens becomes more refined, hopefully we will have learned along the way that its okay to have more than one lens, so we add, wide-angle, long-range, micro-range, various light filters... this process of viewing things from different perspectives can be life altering. The digital story making process incorporates many different learning styles and also is presented in such a way that different learners can understand and learn. In the development stage the author can manipulate the text, the picture, animation on text and slides, sequence, color, speed, and most important music. There is evidence to support that listening to music and learning to play a musical instrument increases cognitive pathways exponentially (Piro, 2012). This connection to visual and auditory senses creates a greater chance for Long Term Memory permanence (McDevitt, 2010)
Resources:
McDevitt, T. M. (2010). Child Development and
Education. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education Inc.
The first question of this reflection deals with the relationship between language, literacy, and power. To answer this question, I think you first need to identify the context in which the relationship will be defined. That is to say from the context of the “elite,” where status was established at birth the answer would be different from that of someone born into “poverty.” From the elite viewpoint there is no real disparity because this class has determined what language, SAE (Standard American English) and what is considered proficiency in literacy. This can and has led to stereotyping solely based on the way you speak, "I knew she was ignorant as soon as she opened her mouth!" (Purcell-Gates, 2002) For further evidence of this View this Link an ongoing study being done by Professor John Baugh of Stanford University. What I learned was more about judgment and the necessity to remain judgment free when you encounter people that have a different cultural or ethnic background than you. I also found it very intriguing the subtle yet distinct differences between language and dialect.
Question two, Cultural Difference or Deficit? When teaching I will try to embrace the cultural difference and empower students to find their voice, translate their voice to words, and then offer them choices to better articulate their voice to a variety of audiences. Once I learned how to perform a "readability study" on text, I began performing a "readability" on everything I write, to ensure the writing meets the target audience. This works both ways (higher or lower grade level) and is a simple tool to employ. By first allowing students to understand a need to alter their word choices depending on setting (code switching) instead of constant correcting and negativity toward their "home" language (cultural deficit) increases their achievement in both verbal and written skills.
Question three, overcoming a cultural deficit attitude can be difficult, since our behavior is largely based on experiences from our own cultural socialization. A teacher can overcome their deficit attitude (if they have one, I do not) by doing an "ethnographic study" of the the area they are teaching. This study will give you greater insight into the community and the culture of those that live there; enabling you to devise learning goals based the data collected. In the case of Moll's study in an Arizona community he remarked, " We believe that a meaning-centered model ... allows bilingual students to take full advantage of their first language abilities, and to surpass the limits set by their more limited knowledge of their second language." (Gonzales, Greenberg & Velex, 1994). This points to shift from cultural deficit (English only) to cultural difference (embracing native language) to lead student learning and achievement.
Question four, strategies for increasing verbal and written skills. 1. Practice: students need to practice writing down the words they speak, exactly the way they speak, (a visual cue) instead of the words in their "head" 2. Preparing to give oral reports / speech: writing down the report / speech information...reading aloud to small groups, revising, word choice, natural vs. SAE, identifying desired outcomes and target audience (NCTE,2008). 3. Building vocabulary: "code switching" at its essence is really just increased vocabulary and word choice combined depending on target audience (Epstein & Herring-Harris, 2011)
The Fifth question asks how creating a digital story relates to the overall understanding of culturally responsive teaching. This is very simple on many levels and complex and abstract on others, first the simple, everyone has a learning history that is rooted in their culture, I will call this their primary lens. The complex, as we mature and grow in our learning our lens becomes more refined, hopefully we will have learned along the way that its okay to have more than one lens, so we add, wide-angle, long-range, micro-range, various light filters... this process of viewing things from different perspectives can be life altering. The digital story making process incorporates many different learning styles and also is presented in such a way that different learners can understand and learn. In the development stage the author can manipulate the text, the picture, animation on text and slides, sequence, color, speed, and most important music. There is evidence to support that listening to music and learning to play a musical instrument increases cognitive pathways exponentially (Piro, 2012). This connection to visual and auditory senses creates a greater chance for Long Term Memory permanence (McDevitt, 2010)
Resources:
Epstein, P. & Herring-Harris, L (2011).Honoring Dialect and
increasing Student Performance in Standard English.
Retrieved October 12, 2012: http://www.nwp.org/cs/public/print/resource/3655
Gonzalez, N., Greenberg, J. & Velez, C. Thanks Funds
of Knowledge: A Look at Luis Moll's Research Into Hidden Family Resources.
CITYSCHOOLS, 1 (1), 19-21, 1994.
Piro, J. (August 1,
2010 ). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal
development of children and young people. International Journal of Music
Education , 269-289.
National Council of
Teachers of English (2008). National Council of Beliefs About Writing.
Retrieved October 12, 2012: http://www.ncte.org/positions/statements/writingbeliefs
Purcell-Gates, V. (2002). “...As soon as she opened her mouth!” In L. Delpit & J.K. Dowdy (Eds.), The skin that we
speak: An anthology of essays on language, culture and power.
Monday, February 4, 2013
The Rest of the Story
Paul Harvey was a great radio voice that was a staple on the airwaves delivering the news (page by page) and wonderful story filled with intrigue and mystery called the "the Rest of the Story." I use to sit on the edge of my seat (usually my car or truck seat) waiting to learn a new tidbit from history or a biographical note that was passed over in English or social studies class. His voice was filled with thundering kindness, gentle and commanding, with a certain twang that sounded like a refined "country-boy." Since we have been studying dialects and the connotations assigned them, either "good or bad" depending upon the speaker, I have been reading, reflecting, and researching the etiology of cultural languages. It wasn't until SuperBowl XLVII was almost over that I was pleasantly reminded of Paul Harvey and story he told (that Dodge used for an ad) about a Farmer. So God Made a Farmer This reminded me so much of my family heritage, my grandfather purchased and or took over his "father's" farm, his uncle's farm, and purchased other farms to increase his farm. His sons and daughters now or did have a portion of his farm to farm, and their children are in line to farm that same ground or pass it along to people that are farming. This story never mentions the monetary gain a farmer receives, because most farmers do what they love, subsist, and put any profit into buying land or machinery so they can... that's right do more Farming! I remember my days on the farm making hay, building fence, clearing brush, feeding, and so much more... there was always something to do and even more that needed done. I learned from all these experiences, especially operating tractors, it was from this I new I wanted to become a heavy equipment operator (the bigger the better) and that is what I set my sites on to do (and did). Listen to Paul Harvey's story and thank a farmer for the food on your table and if you are a farmer, Thank You!
I am From...a Digital Story
The digital story Where I am From was a wonderful activity that led me down memory lane. In this journey of assembling pictures and matching them to text that was generated from a poem template, which produced the post "Where I am From," led to the creation of my digital story. I chose pictures that spoke to my heart, I searched for music that spoke to my heritage, and I found words from reflecting on my life journey thus far with an eye on the future. I love telling stories that fill people with laughter, I love sharing stories that offer insight, but most of all I love just sharing stories about my experiences and life. I hope you find some inspiration in you own story from me sharing my story.
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