Reflection~"Who is that girl I see? Staring there back at me..."

Reflect on what you have learned in the class and how you will use it professionally as both a lifelong learner and an instructional systems professional:

                 The Instructional Systems program has provided me with such a wide variety of experiences, but EME6414 has been one of the best opportunities so far.  I cannot begin to express how daunting, challenging, frustrating, fulfilling, and fantastic it has been learning about Web2.0 tools.  One tool would lead to the next site and the next idea, etc...I am not an expert on any one tool, but now I have ideas and room to grow.  I have learned that anyone can feel confident contributing in an on line academic environment.  Just the mere sharing of ideas is richer when a variety of voices are heard.  Working in reading research, we are always looking for new ways of designing professional developments for teachers (and others).   Part of my overall plan is to help create a tool for teachers that will allow for differentiated instruction.

                Some of the tools I had used prior to this class, but I have now learned  to value them in different ways.  I have spent hours and hours on more new tools than I can count!  I now believe that it is not as difficult to keep up with blogging and extending networks of 'friends' if you just set up realistic expectations of time/what you hope to accomplish during that time.  The amount of talent and experience in the eme6414 group is dizzying.  I was constantly impressed by the constant flow of ideas.  Dr.Dennen is easily one of the best professors at FSU;  a talent I hope stays at the school for a long time (as I have seen so many transient professors).  I really wish this course was all summer long as I feel it would have given me more time to grown and develop the sites I created.   I am proud of the work I have done and hope that I can incorporate them into my studies as a natural extension of my learning process.

Conferences, Workshops, Events...Tis the Season!

Google’s Got Its Own Lean In, Teams With Politico And Tory Burch For “Women Rule”        

Women Rule is a new programming and event series to recognize female leaders and bring them together to give advice to women in politics and business. The joint partnership between politics blog Politico, Google, and women’s support network The Tory Burch Foundation will produce an online media hub and four-part event series in Washington, D.C., that explore the challenges female leaders face.

I think this looks really interesting.  I am going to make a 'new school year resolution' this year to attend more conferences and workshops (both virtual and f2f).  FSU offers so many unique opportunities that I haven't even taken advantage of and I wouldn't even have to leave town!  I think as part of this blog (or my PLN) I am going to add a calendar for some of these events around Florida.   Anyone know of any conferences they plan on attending?

Social Learning Platforms

"No more pencils, No more BOOKS,
no more teachers' dirty looks..."


I saw a lot of articles today about grockit, but I thought this was a particularly good one...


http://techcrunch.com/2013/07/31/grockit-sells-social-learning-platform-to-kaplan-goes-all-in-on-learnist-a-pinterest-for-education/

It will be interesting to see how this effects gamification in test prep. 

Anyway, this got me thinking about something slightly unrelated:

How long until there are no books at school?  I know there are some school districts in Florida in which every teacher has an ipad (compliments of the district) and I think some schools/classes are similarly enabled, but I am not aware of any districts in Florida that have gone completely digital.  I'm curious what the cost/benefit analysis has shown, I may have to look into this and repost :) 

Fun Resource for Teachers

 

 

Check out Edcanvas and

start the year off with creativity!

 

 

 

 

 

Student assignments

Web quests, project-based learning and class presentation

          

Flipped classroom

Easily gather and annotate online resources

          

1:1 environments

Share content using just one link

          

Dynamic presentation

Make your class come alive with rich multimedia

How do you judge the value of expertise on the Web? 

Does it differ from your notion of expertise in face-to-face settings?

In both environments, we have the opportunity to obtain an individual’s background and areas of expertise.  On the Web, many experts who were before all but unapproachable, or unavailable, in the past has made it easier to obtain credible information that would have taken ages to ascertain.  For example, a Harvard professor that does work that I find inspirational and informative would not have been available to me unless I sat in on his lecture.  Now, I can view it on line.  Information that may be delivered by a credible source in a face to face environment may be correct, but may also be antiquated.  I find it is easier to access more timely information on the Web.  Sites like Academia and Research Gate, amongst others, provide research and opinions from experts all over the world.  I don't think that seeing these individuals 'live and in the flesh' makes their knowledge and perspective any more or less credible.  The onus is on the reader to  determine the value of the expertise.

What do you think?

Children: Learn Computer Skills, Unlearn Racism

 

  "In the 21st century, the ability to communicate and work with people from different racial and ethnic groups will be as essential as computer skills. The United States is already one of the most diverse societies in the world. Our children will inherit an even more diverse society. We need to help them learn to live and work closely with people whose race, religion, or culture may be different from their own."

 

http://www.civilrights.org/publications/reports/talking_to_our_children/

 

 

My mind has been preoccupied this week with the release of the movie Fruitvale Station (which was released on Friday).  The movie was written by Ryan Coogler (his first feature film) and is about Oscar Grant, a young man who was killed by a Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer in Oakland, California.  It chronicles the last day of his life.  It is a tragic story of racism, emotion, and a culture of violence.  It is also a moving tribute to the life of Oscar Grant and those who love him.  The film won awards at both the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.  It is showing in my area at both Tallahassee movie theaters (yes, all two of them!)

 

My question is this:  how will we (or future generations) ever be able to experience all of the wondrous capabilities of sharing and collaborating online (or otherwise) if we limit those with whom we will communicate?

So, what do you want to talk about?

 

Happy Summer!

 

I recently just 'promoted' my blog a little bit, just for kicks...

 

If you are visiting this site, welcome! 

 If you have anything in particular that you'd like to talk about (specifically instructional systems, design, reading, cognitive psychology, educational neuroscience, Common Core etc...), let me know by leaving a comment. 

Even if you just want to talk about current events or 'what not', it's all good.  Someone mentioned that they want to discuss reading across the content areas,

so I think that may be next up!  Thanks for stopping by :) 

 

Louisiana Will Test 3- and 4-Year Olds

               Louisiana will test large numbers of preschool children this fall to determine their academic readiness.  If they are found to be not ready, it is not clear who will be held accountable: Their teachers? Their families?  “The goal, they say, is to create a grading system like the current School Performance Score reports for public elementary and secondary schools, which are ranked for student performance on standardized tests and progress made from year to year.  “But whether pre-schools will be rewarded for academic progress, or sanctioned for lack of it, like elementary and secondary schools are, remains to be seen.”  John White says that testing toddlers will promote equity.

               This was also from Diane Ravitch's blog, but I couldn't help myself.  I just don't know what to think about this...my husband and I went out tonight looking for lots to build a house.  In the twenty minute car ride, this was the conversation with my four and five year old sons:

"Dad, I want a new pet.  Can we go to the pet store and get a horse?"
(Other son)  "You don't want a horse, then you and mommy would have to clean up poop."
"Mom, do turtles poop?"
"Yes son, everyone poops."
"Moose?  Does a moose poop?"
"I have a pile of crumbs."
"Mom, do you know that in ancient times, before swimming pools, people swam in lakes?"
"Mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom mom....

So, what I guess I need to know, is if they plan on doing this in Florida, should I start working with them on analogies? the essay section?

Why Did the U.S. Department of Education Abandon Student Privacy Rights?

From Diane Ravitch's blog:

               In 2009 and again in 2011, the U.S. Department of Education changed the regulations in the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), making it easier for third parties to gain access to private information about students.  The DOE is being sued by the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) on behalf of student privacy.  “EPIC is challenging recent changes to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) that allow the release of student records for non-academic purposes and undercut parental consent provisions.”  At bottom, this is about Arne Duncan’s desire to clear the way for inBloom, the $100 million Gates-Carnegie-Murdoch project to collect personal student data and make it available to vendors for commercial uses.

              I was aware of this change in 2009 based on the role I played in my former school district.  I wondered at the time why it was not more widely publicized.  At the time, I was told the only information that was collected was student/parent names and addresses.  Isn't that enough?   I don't know if she is correct about this being a part of a sinister 'plan' on the part of Arne Duncan and company, but I have a major problem with the access of student records distributed to anyone without parental consent.  Arguments were actually presented today in Federal District Court. 

Does Dr.Dennen like The Simpsons?

This sign generator allows users to create clip art by creating signs out of preexisting sign templates.  They are fun to make and easy to download.  Since my other blogs have been so long lately, I thought I'd throw in this little tidbit of fun :)

Sign Generator was listed as one of thirteen free web tools for students and teachers.  The link to the article is here:
 
http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/07/13-free-web-tools-students-and-teachers-should-know-about/

Yes, I'm saying Produsage is a bit like Graffiti

How do issues such as authorship, copyright and open access impact your desire, ability and willingness to engage in produsage, both personally and professionally? 

I view produsage as synonymous with collaboration.

Take this crazy analogy...I once taught at a high school where graffiti was rampant in the restrooms. All over the walls, doors, and stalls you would find out who was in love, who was 'so hot', and a variety of other expletives that I won't repeat here...If you were a 'lurker' (like most of us were) you would read the comments but never contribute.  But if you did...if you were brave enough to say "Mr.Brook's class sux!" or whatever, you expected that it would be seen by others.  You didn't think that this was your own private stall and no one else would see your thoughts.  You were, in a sense, communicating and collaborating with nameless, faceless others.  That being said, if you don't want to actively participate or are worried about the sanctity of your professional or personal thoughts you probably shouldn't be a "produser" outside of limited access environments. 

However, there is something additional to keep in mind.  Don't believe everything you read.  I, for one, loved Mr.Brook's class and I did not think "For a good time, call the Principal" was a wise idea...

 Shirky said in 'Here Comes Everybody:  The Power of Organizing Without Organizations':

                    "Mass amateurization has created a filtering problem vastly larger than we had with traditional media, so much larger, in fact, that many of the old solutions are simply broken.  The brute economic logic of allowing anyone to create anything and make it available to anyone creates a staggering volume of new material, every day, that no group of professionals will be adequate to filter the material...The expansion of social media means that the only working system is publish-then-filer."  He goes on to say..."The expansion of social media means that the only working system is publish-then-filter (Shirky, 2008).
 This publish-then-filter system certainly applies here;  whether an individual decides to 'take' authorship or not is no guarantee that their material is worth reading.

 

*ps-yes, I know graffiti is vandalism and a crime punishable by something, probably, and produsage is not.  Whatever. 

 

Technology is a Tool, Not a Learning Outcome.

 

               I think a lot of times technology tools, like teaching strategies, are misunderstood and misused.  I remember visiting a teacher's classroom where she was having the students create avatars of the characters from the Carl Hiaasen novel "Hoot".  They were clever, creative, and the kids were having a good time designing them but what exactly were they learning?  How to create an avatar?  What the characters looked like?  How well spent was that time?  It's interesting to think about the intended outcomes...



 

 

 

teachingquality.org

Does Online Learning Hinder Student Performance?

               I came across this article last week and it has caused me to think a lot about on-line learning, moocs, and virtual instruction.  How ready are secondary students for this type of environment;  especially students with learning disabilities?  Almost every day I receive a banner ad on my home page for the company K12 Education.  I have never home-schooled my kids and all three are in a school they love and don't intend to leave.  A lot of what I love about their current school is that engage in a wide range of hands on projects and emphasize individualized instruction. 

               This project at Stanford suggests that instead of independent reading or watching a video, students learn best through kinesthetic (tactile) learning.  I was been under the impression that we all have our preferred styles (visual, auditory, verbal, kinesthetic).  I've always considered myself a visual learner.  Is distance learning too distant?  Too passive? 

               In any case, because I am also interested in neuroscience, this article was particularly interesting to me.

"Studying a particular lesson, the Stanford researchers showed that when the order was reversed, students’ performances improved substantially.  While the study has broad implications about how best to employ interactive learning technologies, it also focuses specifically on the teaching of neuroscience and underscores the effectiveness of a new interactive tabletop learning environment, called BrainExplorer, which was developed by Stanford GSE researchers to enhance neuroscience instruction."

Here is the link to the article by David Plotnikoff if you are interested in reading the whole article:

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/07/before-reading-or-watching-videos-students-should-first-experiment/

Professors' Facebook Content Affects Students' Perceptions and Expectations

           This article caught my eye and even though we are in the heart of the summer, I thought it was interesting to take a look at how 'public' personas may effect enrollment decisions.  If you've ever been on ratemyprofessors just to see other student reactions, this article may interest you.  (The citation is at the end of the blog.)  I think seeing professors in photos with their children is certainly harmless enough.  However, I do research professors before taking their class.  I may not start by searching for a Facebook page, but it is certainly on the list...

Here are two excerpts from the study:

"Overall, our data suggest that given only limited information on a Facebook profile, students formed judgments about professors. However, our participants did not differ in their reported willingness to take a course with these teachers. One possible explanation is that participants do not typically use Facebook as an academic resource¹⁵; thus, in this somewhat abstract situation, students did not translate the information to the context of course planning. Students are much more likely to use Facebook for entertainment.³ The majority of our participants did not have professors as Facebook friends and disagreed that they look for professor profiles on Facebook. This finding matches previous research¹⁶ and provides support for the argument that course planning is not a motive for students' use of Facebook."

"As King et al.⁷ argue, the importance of addressing teacher use of Facebook cannot be understated. Students currently do not appear to rely on Facebook for academic purposes. However, Facebook is a rapidly evolving medium. As professors utilize Facebook as a means to stay technologically relevant to their students, they need to monitor what they self-disclose. Our data demonstrate that students form perceptions about the classroom environment and about their professors based on the specific details disclosed in professors' Facebook profiles."

 

Professors' Facebook Content Affects Students' Perceptions and Expectations                    
Merry J. Sleigh, Aimee W. Smith, and Jason Laboe. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking.  

Using Shelfari in the Classroom (or at Home) !

 

Shelfari is a "collection tracker service that lets you list the books you own, see what others are reading, gather recommendations, and share opinions."  Brought to you by Amazon.  Of course, they also have a pretty decent blog.  Here are some ways that you could incorporate produsage into your secondary classroom using Shelfari:

1. There are groups to join (like book clubs).  There are clubs for individual grades at individual schools.  There are groups for first year high school teachers!  You can follow people that enjoy reading similar genres, and an active feed of reviewers.  Encourage students to select meaningful reviews and then create their own so that they get into the habit of becoming site contributors.

2. Students can get excited about saving books they've read and books they want to read to their virtual bookshelf.

3. Have students create a "Read Me Museum" where students take a multisensory and multimedia approach to the old fashioned book report.  Use books in a series or "If you liked X, you'll love Y..." to promote continued reading.  Post these ideas in your group thread.

4.  Establish a book sharing program so that books that are purchased can become a part of the classroom library or maybe even a classroom 'wish list'.  I wrote two different grants for books when I was a high school teacher and received $500 both times for books for our classroom.

5.  Students can read, write and edit plot summaries, popular quotes, and character descriptions from their favorite stories.  This helps them interact with the text, even when the reading is complete.

Differentiating Instruction with Technology

  
  

 
          I found this article on edutopia that I thought may be of use to teachers (especially for you, Mike :)  It is on using technology to differentiate instruction, specifically at the elementary school level.  I have experience at the secondary level and found that by collaborating in professional learning communities, teachers have a greater chance of embedding lasting changes into their lessons and access to more resources.  I think one of the reasons this school experienced such a great transformation is because all were involved:  from principal to students.  It became a part of their culture.


http://www.edutopia.org/stw-differentiated-instruction-technology-elementary

Investing in STEM Education

"93 percent of employers believe there's a gap between "existing and desired skill levels" among their IT staff, particularly in such areas as security/cybersecurity, network infrastructure and Big Data."

Since I spent the past six weeks studying Big Data, this article caught my eye!  I think it is worth a read.  In addition, CPALMS has instructional resources that include Florida's Next Generation Science Standards.  It's a site that keeps getting better all the time!  I know that this summer STEM summer camps were offered to foster children in our area.  Hopefully, the investment in STEM education will bridge the skills gap and create future employment opportunities for these children.


http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2013/07/investing-stem-education-can-bridge-it-skills-gap 

Resource:  Gary J. Beach is publisher emeritus of CIO magazine and author of  The U.S. Technology Skills Gap: What Every Technology Executive Must Know to Save America's Future.

Produsage: Production and Usage for Creative Collaboration

How might the concept of produsage be applied in your life?
(personal and/or professional)   

Are you already a produser?    If yes, what do you use?      If no, why not?

My personal produsage involves sites like Tripadvisor, Amazon, LinkedIn groups, Facebook, Facebook communities, Yelp, Urban Spoon, and others…I mainly use these at the point that I need them and for a limited time, so in that regard they are learner driven.

I actively use a variety of sites for my work in research.  Blogs, Research Gate, and other library resources prove very useful and collaborative.  I have also participated in networks such as Blackboard, Wikis, PD360, Google Docs, Dropbox, GotoMeeting, and MOOCs.  I am a regular produser of these systems and generally need them for extended periods of time.  These generally start off as teacher/supervisor driven!

 

I would welcome any ideas of other useful tools that you use!


http://www.slideshare.net/Snurb/teaching-the-produsers-preparing-students-for-userled-content-production

Mind, Brain, and Education...What's this About?

If you have any interest in the neuroscience of how we learn, than you may have already come across the work of Kurt Fischer.  Director for the Mind, Brain, and Education program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Dr. Fischer studies cognitive and emotional development and learning from birth through adulthood, combining analysis of the commonalities across people with the diversity of pathways of learning and development. His work focuses on the organization of behavior and the ways it changes, especially with development, learning, emotion, and culture.  I am pretty much fascinated with all of his research. 

I know he recently published research on Piaget, so if that is of interest to you than you may want to check it out.  I think I found it on ResearchGate.  What I personally hope to continue studying is aggression and reading comprehension in adolescent readers.  There has been some research done, but there is still much to be learned...

PS-If this topic is of interest to you, check out the term 'neuromyths'...I think you will find the research interesting as it applies to K12 education.

 

 



Web 2.0 Technologies and Social Media

If you are in the field of K-12 education, here are some questions that I will answer for you and if you are reading this blog,  I am hoping to get your feedback as well!

What have been your prior experiences with social media and Web 2.0 technologies?

I have used Blackboard in classes I have taught and webinars for working with school districts.  I have never blogged before this one and I have only used Facebook and Twitter for personal/social interactions.

Do you consider yourself a leader or follower in this realm, or something else altogether?

While I would not consider myself a leader in the world of technology, my experiences with data driven instruction and local and state benchmark assessments have made me comfortable with certain programs and sharing capabilities.

What would you like to learn about Web 2.0 Technologies and Social Media?

I would like to learn more about interfacing between applications and integrating Web 2.0 in the classroom and at the district level (mainly in curriculum development and collaboration).  I am also curious about MOOCs, but I have not had the time!

Please share your thoughts and ideas!

What Makes a Teacher Effective?

Highly Effective, Value Added, Marzano...these were all words that were not a part of most teachers' vernacular ten...even five (!) years ago...What makes a teacher effective?   This article is an easy read  http://www.ncate.org/LinkClick.aspx?fileticket=JFRrmWqa1jU%3d&tabid=361 and offered up some ideas that I hadn't thought of in the past. 

One skill that I think is critical to classroom success is the ability to differentiate instruction.  In a few weeks I will be writing an article that I will post here that I think covers the essential elements of differentiating for students.  My brother is going to be working at the American University in Dubai for the next two years.  One of the classes he will be teaching to graduate students is on this very topic.  Utilizing technology (Web 2.0) to facilitate this process is another important aspect of being an effective teacher.  If you find any additional resources on this subject, feel free to link here!

The Myth of Multitasking...and Students

My son always wants to listen to his iPhone...in the car, before going to sleep, all the time.  During the school year we had a recurring disagreement over the ability of students to multitask while doing homework.  I think this article sheds a lot of light on the basic inability to multitask.  In essence, there is no such thing...you may do two activities simultaneously, but multitasking is a myth.  The article states that students should be encouraged to give their full and complete attention to their classwork.  Facebooking, texting, watching tv all at once are all activities in which students may derive pleasure.  But, does this condition students to multitask?  I know during my graduate classes I can often be found trying to read over case studies while watching episodes of "Chopped".  Usually, this is not done very successfully until I turn off the television. 

Daniel Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia.  He has a terrific web site and publishes a lot of interesting articles.  This is one of his older articles that I found particularly relevant to this topic.  Let me know what you think!

Technology Changed How Students Think?
Have Technology and Multitasking Rewired How Students Learn?
http://www.danielwillingham.com/articles.html

Summertime...and the living is easy

My summer has been filled with the beach...Common Core writing...the pool...parcc test specs...and a lot of hours logged on a laptop.  It is hard to spend the time necessary to concentrate with little ones tugging at my leg to go outside and play in the sunshine.  Time is not my friend right now. 

One of my greatest inspirations, Nelson Mandela, is most likely spending his final hours on Earth.   Here is one of his statements on education that particularly speaks to me:

          "Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farmworkers can become the president of a great nation. It is what we make out of what we have, not what we are given, that separates one person from another."

I recently had to explain the Common Core to someone outside of education.  To put it simply, I said that the standards are like the skeleton, but the instructor brings the body, the mind, the heart to the instruction.   One cannot exist with only the skeleton.  I don't want an instructor to regurgitate standards or 'teach to the test'.  I also don't want a teacher who only 'teaches from the heart' .  Teachers may be 'given' standards but it is what they 'make' out of the resources they have and who they have before them that separates a good teacher from a great teacher.  I taught students who went to exceptional universities and are accomplished in their fields and I have taught students who are now in prison.  It is for those students that we must all keep trying.  We must all keep learning and trying. 

An area of study in which I hope to concentrate on next is aggression in adolescents and the effects on reading comprehension.  I will likely be posting articles and resources on that topic soon.  I also hope to include resources for the Common Core and general education articles.