Topics for Today:
1. Downloads
2. This I Believe
Today's class went by fast. It was nice to explore and learn about a few different organizational tools. I have mentioned before that I like to save bookmarks, and two of the tools allow me to do that across computers. My tool was Skype, which was a good tool to explain because my group members already knew so much about it. We had more time to focus on how Skype could be used in different classrooms. I liked Evernote better than Diigo, and I liked Dropbox the least, but then I used Dropbox to back up a few of my files and I realized I might use it more than I thought. I liked the idea of having handouts for our group members, but my group found that the time to "teach" each other was too long for our teaching purposes.
Next week is the last week of our summer term here in the MAC program. The program is flying by, and final assignments are almost behind us. The "This I Believe" podcast is the final project for our technology class, but I am not quite sure what I believe yet. I know I want to incorporate technology into my future classroom somehow, but I am not sure what my school will have resource wise, and I am not sure what technology will be appropriate for my future classes. I have some thinking to do on this subject. Does anyone have any initial thoughts? My initial thoughts are to start with a general belief that technology is useful and ubiquitous in our society. I am thinking about teaching with technology as a necessary skill we should be helping students acquire. I am not sure what this thinking will lead to, but I have a couple days. Good luck on our last week, fellow MACers!
Friday, July 27, 2012
Monday, July 23, 2012
Day 3 Reflection
Topics for Today:
1. Games (again)
2. Weebly
Before class we watched a cool Ted Talk and read about how games might have some interesting components useful in education. Then in class we found out that one teacher (a past MACer) was using Angry Birds to teach his students about Parametric Equations. Angry Birds is not going to lead to solving our world's problems, but it did seem like a cool way to reward students and maybe keep some of them interested in math. I would have enjoyed talking about how kids respond to educational games, but it was exciting to see a teacher using video games in an educational way. It was also cool to see a teacher trying something new without having to face obstacles from administration or students, but I think it has a lot to do with the kind of school our guest worked at.
We also played a kind of game where we had to decode a story about an airplane. I really liked the discussion that happened after this activity. I think by dividing the class into the cohorts was a good idea because it gives more people a chance to participate. The decoding also helped to understand how some struggling readers try to comprehend a selection of reading I might give as an English teacher.
The second part of class was devoted to creating a website portfolio. It was interesting to build a website from a template, but until I have a more concrete understanding of what my end portfolio is supposed to look like I can't go further with my website. Weebly, the website builder we used, was user friendly and free which was great.
I am enjoying learning about all the different technological resources, and even though I don't see uses for all of the resources yet, I am still filing them away for later.
1. Games (again)
2. Weebly
Before class we watched a cool Ted Talk and read about how games might have some interesting components useful in education. Then in class we found out that one teacher (a past MACer) was using Angry Birds to teach his students about Parametric Equations. Angry Birds is not going to lead to solving our world's problems, but it did seem like a cool way to reward students and maybe keep some of them interested in math. I would have enjoyed talking about how kids respond to educational games, but it was exciting to see a teacher using video games in an educational way. It was also cool to see a teacher trying something new without having to face obstacles from administration or students, but I think it has a lot to do with the kind of school our guest worked at.
We also played a kind of game where we had to decode a story about an airplane. I really liked the discussion that happened after this activity. I think by dividing the class into the cohorts was a good idea because it gives more people a chance to participate. The decoding also helped to understand how some struggling readers try to comprehend a selection of reading I might give as an English teacher.
The second part of class was devoted to creating a website portfolio. It was interesting to build a website from a template, but until I have a more concrete understanding of what my end portfolio is supposed to look like I can't go further with my website. Weebly, the website builder we used, was user friendly and free which was great.
I am enjoying learning about all the different technological resources, and even though I don't see uses for all of the resources yet, I am still filing them away for later.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Gaming for Change
Topics for Today
1. GAMES!
I'm a gamer. I play Boggle, Monopoly, Bar Trivia, Capture the Flag, softball and many other kinds of games with my friends and family. These are not the kinds of games that are being talked about in our readings for Technology class. Video games and online games, like World of Warcraft are the kind of games that Jane McGonigal talks about in her Ted Talk. One reason I love Ted Talks, is that there is a seemingly infinite amount of topics that are covered. Jane comes on the stage and starts talking about how we as a society need to play video games more. This goes against what I thought and what I have heard other teachers say. However, I was almost convinced after that 20 minute talk. Not just because she mentions "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, but also because she told a fascinating story about Lydians and how dice games saved their civilization. While I am still skeptical, I do think we can learn a lot from games. Towards the end of the Ted Talk I started to disagree with her theories, but I would like to learn more.
When I started thinking about how games could change the world I thought of competition. I don't think we use competition effectively. We compete in sports and I think it drives people to practice more. Couldn't we compete for social justice? Couldn't we compete to see who could build the most schools? I think the answer in "no" we don't value those things or they don't make for "good TV". And I think that when I have seen attempts at "social just competitions" it always looks forced or not well thought out. We are a society of baggage, our history has blemishes (understatement) that can't (in my opinion) be fixed with games. On an individual level, healthy competition is awesome. I want to be better than I was or I want to be as good as _______. Maybe we can change the framework of competition overtime. Maybe in our classrooms we can use language like "practice" and "fundamentals" to talk about kindness, or being a global citizen, or striving for social justice. These are areas of our life that need fundamentals and practice to be successful. Maybe the games that Jane talks about will be useful to the children of today because they would be life long learners of social change. For me, I think about her games like I think about fire drills, the sense of urgency isn't there, but it is useful practice.
I think games have given me lots of skills. I like competition, I don't mind losing, but I always play to win. I learned about teamwork, quick thinking, critical thinking, and strategy. All of these things have helped me and will continue to help me in the future. There are definite skills that come from video games too, and I am optimistic about the evolution of games, maybe they will change the world.
1. GAMES!
I'm a gamer. I play Boggle, Monopoly, Bar Trivia, Capture the Flag, softball and many other kinds of games with my friends and family. These are not the kinds of games that are being talked about in our readings for Technology class. Video games and online games, like World of Warcraft are the kind of games that Jane McGonigal talks about in her Ted Talk. One reason I love Ted Talks, is that there is a seemingly infinite amount of topics that are covered. Jane comes on the stage and starts talking about how we as a society need to play video games more. This goes against what I thought and what I have heard other teachers say. However, I was almost convinced after that 20 minute talk. Not just because she mentions "The Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell, but also because she told a fascinating story about Lydians and how dice games saved their civilization. While I am still skeptical, I do think we can learn a lot from games. Towards the end of the Ted Talk I started to disagree with her theories, but I would like to learn more.
When I started thinking about how games could change the world I thought of competition. I don't think we use competition effectively. We compete in sports and I think it drives people to practice more. Couldn't we compete for social justice? Couldn't we compete to see who could build the most schools? I think the answer in "no" we don't value those things or they don't make for "good TV". And I think that when I have seen attempts at "social just competitions" it always looks forced or not well thought out. We are a society of baggage, our history has blemishes (understatement) that can't (in my opinion) be fixed with games. On an individual level, healthy competition is awesome. I want to be better than I was or I want to be as good as _______. Maybe we can change the framework of competition overtime. Maybe in our classrooms we can use language like "practice" and "fundamentals" to talk about kindness, or being a global citizen, or striving for social justice. These are areas of our life that need fundamentals and practice to be successful. Maybe the games that Jane talks about will be useful to the children of today because they would be life long learners of social change. For me, I think about her games like I think about fire drills, the sense of urgency isn't there, but it is useful practice.
I think games have given me lots of skills. I like competition, I don't mind losing, but I always play to win. I learned about teamwork, quick thinking, critical thinking, and strategy. All of these things have helped me and will continue to help me in the future. There are definite skills that come from video games too, and I am optimistic about the evolution of games, maybe they will change the world.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Day 2 Reflection
Topics for Today
1. Visitors
2. Consumption vs. Creation
3. Podcasts
There were many visitors in class today. The students that we only saw for a few minutes and the librarians that helped us create a lesson plan. One of the best things about this program is the connections we have the opportunity to make. Not only do we have the opportunity to connect with our focal students (and others), our fellow cohorts, and professors, but we also get to meet special guests. Today's special guests were Michigan librarians that opened my eyes to the many resources available. The Michigan eLibrary, popplet.com, and freetech4teachers.com are all bookmarked on my computer waiting to be used. My list of bookmarks show that I enjoy finding and saving interesting/useful websites, but one woman can only find so much. I love finding out what people read online. The Internet is so big, sometimes I feel like I am missing valuable information because I am not on the right sites.
Collaborating on a lesson plan was a fun experience, but it was hard to make sure everyone was on the same page. Technology helped us with that problem though, we created a Google Document making everyone literally on the same page. It was exciting to create a lesson plan using backward design, but it made me realize how far I still have to go.
One of things I took away from class was the idea of consumption vs. creation. We all consume and create very differently and I think technology is unique in its ability to widen our nets. Podcasts can be used to record directions and procedures and then played to a student that would benefit from the ability to pause and rewind directions. Before podcasts were CD and tape players. I would bet that some teachers took the time to record directions and procedures for their students if they needed it, but before that? I know there are other skeptics in the house that aren't sure where technology fits within their teaching, but I think I just found one way it can be very useful for me. Creating is the highest cognitive dimension in the revised Bloom's Taxonomy and based on its place of importance, I don't think using technology is the only way to create. However, using technology to create goes back to our first class. We talked about the excitement technology can cause and the ownership that students might feel.
I certainly saw the excitement when we created our podcasts today. There were questions and concerns about creating practice podcasts, but once we started I saw a flurry of movement and smiles on the faces of my cohorts. I haven't had a chance to listen to them all, but the some of the names are intriguing. The Aviary interface was user friendly and suppressed some of my fears about the "This I Believe" podcast we have to create at the end of the summer (which is rapidly approaching). This has been my experience with technology so far in this program. First I freak out because technology is overwhelming, but then I find it manageable because I am a capable woman. We are all capable and I hope my fellow cohort members feel capable even when tasks seem daunting!
1. Visitors
2. Consumption vs. Creation
3. Podcasts
There were many visitors in class today. The students that we only saw for a few minutes and the librarians that helped us create a lesson plan. One of the best things about this program is the connections we have the opportunity to make. Not only do we have the opportunity to connect with our focal students (and others), our fellow cohorts, and professors, but we also get to meet special guests. Today's special guests were Michigan librarians that opened my eyes to the many resources available. The Michigan eLibrary, popplet.com, and freetech4teachers.com are all bookmarked on my computer waiting to be used. My list of bookmarks show that I enjoy finding and saving interesting/useful websites, but one woman can only find so much. I love finding out what people read online. The Internet is so big, sometimes I feel like I am missing valuable information because I am not on the right sites.
Collaborating on a lesson plan was a fun experience, but it was hard to make sure everyone was on the same page. Technology helped us with that problem though, we created a Google Document making everyone literally on the same page. It was exciting to create a lesson plan using backward design, but it made me realize how far I still have to go.
One of things I took away from class was the idea of consumption vs. creation. We all consume and create very differently and I think technology is unique in its ability to widen our nets. Podcasts can be used to record directions and procedures and then played to a student that would benefit from the ability to pause and rewind directions. Before podcasts were CD and tape players. I would bet that some teachers took the time to record directions and procedures for their students if they needed it, but before that? I know there are other skeptics in the house that aren't sure where technology fits within their teaching, but I think I just found one way it can be very useful for me. Creating is the highest cognitive dimension in the revised Bloom's Taxonomy and based on its place of importance, I don't think using technology is the only way to create. However, using technology to create goes back to our first class. We talked about the excitement technology can cause and the ownership that students might feel.
I certainly saw the excitement when we created our podcasts today. There were questions and concerns about creating practice podcasts, but once we started I saw a flurry of movement and smiles on the faces of my cohorts. I haven't had a chance to listen to them all, but the some of the names are intriguing. The Aviary interface was user friendly and suppressed some of my fears about the "This I Believe" podcast we have to create at the end of the summer (which is rapidly approaching). This has been my experience with technology so far in this program. First I freak out because technology is overwhelming, but then I find it manageable because I am a capable woman. We are all capable and I hope my fellow cohort members feel capable even when tasks seem daunting!
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Soda Ban Lesson Plan
Topics for Today:
1. Soda Ban Lesson Plan
2. Reflecting on Plan
Objective: Students will write an argumentative essay, taking a stand on the NY soda ban.
Materials:
1. Soda Ban Article (hard copies for students)
2. Two sizes of soda cups
3. Paper, writing supplies
Common Core Standard Addressed: w.6.1: Write an arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
*Assessment: This would probably take more time than just one class period, so the ultimate assessment would be the essay itself and I would have to create a rubric for that assessment, but I did not do that for this assignment*
- I would write some words on the board to help facilitate our discussion or to make sure the students knew what was meant by each:
- I would break the lesson up into a discussion portion and a writing portion. For the discussion I would have prior reading questions and post reading questions.
Prior Reading Questions:
1. What are laws?
2. Do you think laws protect us or hold us back?
3. Do you think laws are fair? or Have there ever been unfair laws?
4. Who gets to make the laws?
5. What are some consequences to breaking the law?
- Then I would pass out the Soda Ban article and we would read it as a class (or I would read it to them).
Post Reading Questions:
1. What does the law say?
2. Who drinks soda? (informal closed eye poll)
3. Is soda good for you? (I might show the two cup sizes at this point to illustrate the differences)
4. Why do you think they would make this law?
5. Does this law protect us or hold us back? or Do you think this law is fair?
- Then I would remind them about some prior discussion about argumentative essays. (This would be something we had practiced, but not recently)
- After discussing what an argumentative essay looks like I would go back to the article.
- I would write the question on the board: Do you think the NY Soda Ban is a fair law?
- As a class we might share some opinions and I would ask the students to look for evidence in the text and think of evidence from some other source to support their opinions. Then I would leave the rest of the class for brainstorming and drafting the essay.
This might be a two-day project where the next day is focused on proofreading, peer editing, and publishing the final copy (and turning it in).
I think the students would have strong opinions about the soda ban and this would help them articulate their opinions and then practice supporting opinions with evidence.
Reflection:
It took me a long time to nail down a lesson plan, but I am happy with the result. I think this lesson would be suitable for 6th graders, which is the grade the common core standard is assigned to. This lesson would have to come after already introducing argumentative essays because it would be too much new knowledge if I was introducing the format too. It also be more effective if it takes place in the middle of the year so that students feel comfortable sharing their ideas in a group discussion.
I am excited to read the other lesson plans for this article, it will be interesting to see the different approaches.
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