Friday, July 20, 2012
Common Core Use in the Classroom
Common Core use in my classroom hopefully won't be a big change. One of the things I enjoy doing is the Illinois History Fair project that is made for the Common Core. The only problem is that is an option in my class, it is not required. I requrie students to do 4 book reports the entire year. I am thinking of maybe giving them more options like PPT, video, group work projects to do. Also, I would like to integrate maybe mini-history fair projects into my classroom. All in all, anything that pushes me away from the strait lecture way to more hands on is a good thing.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
The Future of Education
Wow! We just had a discussion on the future of education in our technology classroom and I could have seriously banged my head against the wall. First, I think all elementary teachers are awesome and I mean no ill will towards them.
During this discussion of getting students to be more creative, it wasn't long before many of the elementary teachers started saying stuff like, "but we have to have them quiet", or "they still need to be told what to do". I have no idea what goes on in elementary so take my opinion of someone who is definitively uniformed about elementary but I have no assigned seats in my class but my students sit in the same seats every day all four quarters. In fact, when someone does move into someone else's seat they get mad and say why are you in my seat. They have been zombiefied. I hate when I see elementary teachers in the hallway and their students are all in a strait line and the kids have their hands behind their back. Ugh....Pink Floyd was right - all we are is just another brick in the wall. I want my kids to be taught by an exceptional teacher who comes to school with mismatched cloths and as unstructured as possible.
During this discussion of getting students to be more creative, it wasn't long before many of the elementary teachers started saying stuff like, "but we have to have them quiet", or "they still need to be told what to do". I have no idea what goes on in elementary so take my opinion of someone who is definitively uniformed about elementary but I have no assigned seats in my class but my students sit in the same seats every day all four quarters. In fact, when someone does move into someone else's seat they get mad and say why are you in my seat. They have been zombiefied. I hate when I see elementary teachers in the hallway and their students are all in a strait line and the kids have their hands behind their back. Ugh....Pink Floyd was right - all we are is just another brick in the wall. I want my kids to be taught by an exceptional teacher who comes to school with mismatched cloths and as unstructured as possible.
NETS standards
I picked these 5 out of the 6 because they are the ones that I do well in my class.
I. knowing the technology
- This is important because the teacher has to have a good grasp on the technology they are using in their class
- The question is how hard will it be to keep up with the technology and how is training going to be carried out? Who pays for it, time issues, it is going to be tough.
II. Plan and Design technology laced lessons
- I picked this because this is fun for me - creating "cool" lessons, or lessons I hope are cool is fun. Its important as the lessons have to be good and be able to engage the students.
III. Using the technology to create learning environments for the students and to foster creativity is probably the hardest. I was trained on lecturing, now I am a technology teacher and a history teacher together. It is tough.
V. Applying the Technology
- Here teachers have to keep applying the technology and to keep up on it. It is kinda 1-3 all combined. You have to use it. It is kinda like the three steps of dieting, you have to eat well, exercise, and step three is to continue to keep doing steps one and two. After you have learned the technology, made the plans and then used them, you have to keep doing it. Might be the toughest.
VI. Ethics
- Teachers have to teach students ethical ways to use technology. Especially since we are the ones teaching them how to use it. It needs to be safe and healthy.
The one I skipped was assessment and evaluation - it is so hard to do that. I have rubrics but most are so objectionable that it is hard. Joe's idea of "badges" is a pretty good idea.
I. knowing the technology
- This is important because the teacher has to have a good grasp on the technology they are using in their class
- The question is how hard will it be to keep up with the technology and how is training going to be carried out? Who pays for it, time issues, it is going to be tough.
II. Plan and Design technology laced lessons
- I picked this because this is fun for me - creating "cool" lessons, or lessons I hope are cool is fun. Its important as the lessons have to be good and be able to engage the students.
III. Using the technology to create learning environments for the students and to foster creativity is probably the hardest. I was trained on lecturing, now I am a technology teacher and a history teacher together. It is tough.
V. Applying the Technology
- Here teachers have to keep applying the technology and to keep up on it. It is kinda 1-3 all combined. You have to use it. It is kinda like the three steps of dieting, you have to eat well, exercise, and step three is to continue to keep doing steps one and two. After you have learned the technology, made the plans and then used them, you have to keep doing it. Might be the toughest.
VI. Ethics
- Teachers have to teach students ethical ways to use technology. Especially since we are the ones teaching them how to use it. It needs to be safe and healthy.
The one I skipped was assessment and evaluation - it is so hard to do that. I have rubrics but most are so objectionable that it is hard. Joe's idea of "badges" is a pretty good idea.
Thoughts on Common Core
I am ready to accept Common Core technology. Many of the things that the common core wants to do for social studies I am doing already with the Illinois History Fair projects so it is not a huge change for me. Maybe that is why I am ready to accept it. Things that I need to add are data collecting and concept mapping. The biggest thing is teaching Historical Literature. I feel I need to go learn how to teach literature now to teach history.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Technology and the Common Core
First, reading the first assignment on Learning Management Systems was just an informative article from Wikipedia. I did understand most of it especially cbt's and collaborative learning stuff. One thing that it did mention that I like was the more LMS's do the more average users use it less. That really struck a cord with me as I remember back to the earlier days of PowerPoint when i would do make presentations with tons of bells and whistles. Now I hardly use any.
One of the things in the second article that I found interesting was that 95% of colleges use LMS and online/blended learning but in the K-12 setting it is going nowhere. I wonder why that it is? Anyone? Anyone? (sorry, bad joke). Another thing is if some are offered for free, and others cost, why are we paying? It seems the ones that cost money have more bells and whistles and according to the first article, that was not the best. Using free software like moodle and blackboard would seem to be the way to go. I like the last comment that roughly said LMS can be the central hub if it empowers teachers, parents are involved, and students can effectively use it. Doesn't that sound like education through out its history? What has changed?
The third article was excellent as it brought up many of the problems with implementing LMS's in school. The responses to why LMS's were not used much were the same I think when it comes to using technology. Technical issues and poor training. When we first got a mobile computer lab with wireless labtops, it took 15 minutes of class just to get them all working, then after the instruction, there was no time to use them. Three day computer work ended up as a 2 week unit that was not real effective. Other things that it mentioned was that the teachers felt monitored. Call me crazy but I wish I was monitored more that I am now. I think administrators should be in classrooms more, learning what there teachers do and understanding that so it is easier and efficient to be able to get us resources when we need it. I always invite my princapal to participate on an online discussion. So if he was monitoring the discussion, that would actually be good. Crazy......
Lastly, the article mentioned mistrust between content verses the teaching and learning. I don't really buy that as a new thing. Ever since the test became more inportant then teaching, that has started. Why should technology get the blame now? Many of will agree, "just get out of my way and let me teach" would probably still be the best.
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