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 eLibrarypopplet.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!

7 comments:

  1. I thought it was interesting the way you brought up the notion of create on the taxonomy in relation to podcasts. I'm curious though--what kinds of things do you think you could have your students create using podcasts? At the level of create in the taxonomy they need to be making something original, rather than just regurgitating information, so having students create a podcast in which they summarized an article, for example, wouldn't be create. Right? Please don't get me wrong--I really like the way that you're trying to think about podcasts to engage students in high level thinking, but I can't think of an example. I would love to hear some of your ideas (so I can steal them!).

    I love that I can see the journey you are taking in terms of technology. This gives me hope! I'm definitely on this same journey, but right now I'm still in the I'm-overwhelmed-because-there's-too-much-stuff stage.

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    1. You are definitely correct that regurgitating information is not create. When I first read your comment, I wasn't sure if I had any ideas of what they would create, but then I started thinking about some of the possibilities mentioned in class. The students could create an interview of a fictional character and they could try to answer based on what they read, but I think it is still creating. If I am wrong on that example my next thought is to have students write a play. I have seen cool 24 hour theaters where participants write, direct, and act a new play in 24 hours. If my class learned about drama or we were reading lots of plays in a unit maybe the final project could be to use elements from what they learned to create a scene or short play. It might even make it easier (for them) to act it out because they wouldn't be up in front of their classmates, they could really go all out and be silly or dramatic or use different voices. I am still working out how all this would apply, but maybe something along these lines. Thanks for asking questions to make me think! I really like how on your blog you engage readers with questions to think about!

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  2. I know how you feel when it comes to "being on the right site". When someone mentions a site that is exactly something I would be interested in, I wonder how I never stumbled on it. I also will add it to my bookmarks. Noticing all of the useful and intriguing sites, blogs, and forums is sometimes overwhelming, but I like all of the available information. Meeting the media specialists/librarians was a lot of fun because when we enter our first year of teaching, these people are going to be great resources for us. Having them sit with us while planning a lesson really brought their roles to life.

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  3. I love the connection you draw between the taxonomy and our tech course! Even though we've explored the ideas of student ownership and creativity in regards to assignments technology affords us, I had not once considered, "Wow, this is such an easy way to get my students to engage in higher order thinking!" But that is exactly what I thought as I read your blog. However, Alyssa is right at pointing out that just because students are "creating" a podcast doesn't mean they are designing or inventing something entirely novel but I'm with you that technology is a great outlet for students' creativity.

    Oh, and I can't end this comment without a round of applause for being a capable woman! I loved reading that comment. And that you extended it to all of us. Daunting is a good word to describe the challenges that lie on the road ahead but we all have to remember (and remind one another) that we are capable individuals. And what a great message to send to students!

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  4. Commenting on your comment...

    "Collaborating on a lesson plan was a fun experience, but it was hard to make sure everyone was on the same page."

    I perceive that this will be our biggest obstacle as teachers to performing this kind of exercise in the field....getting everyone to agree.

    For me, I am not an outspoken person. I have a lot of opinions, but I am not one to speak out much in a group of three or more.

    I come from the engineering world at Chrysler where we had this same problem. It is the age old problem of "Too many cooks in the kitchen."

    I think the only way to help this out is you have to have a facilitator. When you have five people working on a project (especially five real smart ones) you get a lot of great, and in our case diverse, ideas. How do you decide which is the best? Probably can't use all of them because it would be too much content at one time....so what to do?

    Hard to say right now...

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    1. I agree this will be a big obstacle. I am not very outspoken either, and your idea of having a facilitator is a good one. Who will be that facilitator when we are actually teaching, a department chair? a principal? Someone else? Too many cooks in the kitchen usually means poor quality food or at least a disjointed menu. I wonder how this problem is addressed. Maybe someone else has more insight, but it is definitely one of my concerns or questions I hope to have answered by next year.

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  5. "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."

    Yay! A teaching with tech win! Our group also got off to a rocky start, but we didn't think to use Google docs to corral the multitude of great ideas that got bounced off the cubby walls. However, our librarian recommended so many resources that our ideas were easily supported with technology and we were inspired to carry out our lesson plan with specificity and focus.

    And yes, when it comes to teaching with technology, we all seem to have many miles to go, and it seems the journey will never end. When it comes to learning how to be teachers though, I prefer to think that we are all more than halfway there, we just need to recognize the steps and refine our "moves" as we continue towards our goal.

    Great Post!

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