I can't believe this course is already finished and I'll be in the classroom for my internship this month!
When we started the course and were told our final evaluation was to create a unit, I was honestly worried...six weeks didn't seem like enough time. Fortunately, I was wrong. Learning about Backwards Design made planning my unit easier, because I always had to have the end in mind to make sure the means were always justified. Working through each phase so intently has helped me see what it really takes to thoughtfully integrate subjects and construct authentic Social Studies units. Now that I have done that, I am not so nervous to create units in my own classroom.
I personally enjoyed and learned so much from our class trips to the North Carolina Museums of History and Art. The experiences made me seriously think like an educator and how I could use the resources offered from those places, and the community at large, with my own students. I loved seeing the features and exhibits and thinking about what I would want my students to see and interact with in and out of the classroom.
Looking at my previous posts related to Social Studies, I am beginning to pull different pieces together of my personal teaching philosophy. First, I am a planner who likes to know what and how I am going to present material to students. I know how to go with the flow, but I also know that failing to plan can be a plan for failure. Next, this course has increased my comfort level with the idea of integrating the curriculum. As my post on this topic says, I was not sure where to start. Now I know and the unit plan has helped me to see that it is not as challenging as I thought it would be. Another post was my point of view on history. As I look at that, I want my students to know that while biases exist, there are ways to learn about the same topic from different perspectives and that history is important from every side of the story. The post about reward systems had me investigate what I deem as appropriate rewards for students. While I do want to acknowledge students for a job well done, I do not want them to think they have to get something every time they do something.
The bottom line: This course has shown me where I have been and where I am going as a teacher. I see that as the program is winding down, I am becoming more cognizant of myself and the decisions I will be making as I enter the classroom. As it says on Harry's golden snitch, "I Open at the Close".
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Monday, July 29, 2013
Rewards
What are your thoughts on reward systems? What have you seen in your field experiences? What have you considered for your own classroom use?
I think reward systems are useful and necessary for elementary school students. They seem to enjoy working for something tangible that is not for a grade. I like that they are versatile and can be used for students individually or as a class. In my field experiences, I have seen school-wide incentives for individual students like Blazer Bucks at Banks Road Elementary and Honey Money at Smith Elementary. This is awarded by teachers and the students can cash them in for prizes/rewards in their classrooms. Also at Banks, classes can earn Compass Coins that are displayed in the hallway and when they fill their board, can earn rewards as a class. Some of those rewards are popcorn parties and extra recess. In the classrooms, I have seen more of an individual student approach for rewards. I have seen pickle parties (for those who have finished work), free tech time, homework passes, and special days for the class (i.e. pajama day).
Based on my experiences, I would utilize the system put in place by the school, but vary the rewards to what would best suit the environment of my classroom. I like rewards that are cost effective (or free) like homework passes and tech time. I would focus on positive student behavior and be cautious that my rewards are not heading to the area of bribery. I want students to do well because they want to and know what is expected of them; not because they will get something in return.
The bottom line: Students like rewards and they can be effective when utilized appropriately. We do have to be careful that students are not just working for the carat, they need to do well because they have high expectations of themselves, not because they want a prize.
I think reward systems are useful and necessary for elementary school students. They seem to enjoy working for something tangible that is not for a grade. I like that they are versatile and can be used for students individually or as a class. In my field experiences, I have seen school-wide incentives for individual students like Blazer Bucks at Banks Road Elementary and Honey Money at Smith Elementary. This is awarded by teachers and the students can cash them in for prizes/rewards in their classrooms. Also at Banks, classes can earn Compass Coins that are displayed in the hallway and when they fill their board, can earn rewards as a class. Some of those rewards are popcorn parties and extra recess. In the classrooms, I have seen more of an individual student approach for rewards. I have seen pickle parties (for those who have finished work), free tech time, homework passes, and special days for the class (i.e. pajama day).
Based on my experiences, I would utilize the system put in place by the school, but vary the rewards to what would best suit the environment of my classroom. I like rewards that are cost effective (or free) like homework passes and tech time. I would focus on positive student behavior and be cautious that my rewards are not heading to the area of bribery. I want students to do well because they want to and know what is expected of them; not because they will get something in return.
The bottom line: Students like rewards and they can be effective when utilized appropriately. We do have to be careful that students are not just working for the carat, they need to do well because they have high expectations of themselves, not because they want a prize.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Self-Efficacy
Discuss self-efficacy. In what areas do you have a high degree of self-efficacy? What do you think contributed to this (experiences, people, opportunities, failures, etc.)?
I think of self-efficacy as when a person can produce an expected outcome successfully on their own. In the realm of Social Studies, self-efficacy is about teachers effectively presenting material to students. For students, it means feeling and being capable in the work they are doing in all subject areas.
I think I have a high degree of self-efficacy in work and when things change. I think I plan effectively and adapt to changes well. Things that I believe contributed to to this are people, opportunities and experiences I have had. People in my life have propelled me forward to know that I can be successful in what I do as long as I plan my work and work my plan. The most particular experiences that have contributed to my personal effectiveness have been through my time as a camp counselor. I have had to change activities at the drop of a hat, entertain a group that cannot go outside due to rain, and the list goes on. Sometimes I was unsuccessful. Through those failures, I learned to reflect on what I did and could do better the next time to be more effective. Having experiences where I had the opportunity to prove I could do something well contributed to my self-efficacy because I was really proving this to myself. Others knowing I could be successful was just a bonus.
I think of self-efficacy as when a person can produce an expected outcome successfully on their own. In the realm of Social Studies, self-efficacy is about teachers effectively presenting material to students. For students, it means feeling and being capable in the work they are doing in all subject areas.
I think I have a high degree of self-efficacy in work and when things change. I think I plan effectively and adapt to changes well. Things that I believe contributed to to this are people, opportunities and experiences I have had. People in my life have propelled me forward to know that I can be successful in what I do as long as I plan my work and work my plan. The most particular experiences that have contributed to my personal effectiveness have been through my time as a camp counselor. I have had to change activities at the drop of a hat, entertain a group that cannot go outside due to rain, and the list goes on. Sometimes I was unsuccessful. Through those failures, I learned to reflect on what I did and could do better the next time to be more effective. Having experiences where I had the opportunity to prove I could do something well contributed to my self-efficacy because I was really proving this to myself. Others knowing I could be successful was just a bonus.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Hook, Link, and Think
Hook Lesson Rationale
The objective of my hook lesson is for the students to create a strong definition of what culture is through their eyes and in their own words. I chose to hook them in this way so they have control of the way they see the word culture. Using a dictionary is great, but I think they will have a better connection if they tussle with their thoughts to create a definition. We would start the lesson with the question: what do you think of when you hear the word culture?". From there we would move into a read-aloud of the What is Culture? by Bobbie Kalman and discuss different examples of cultural characteristics of the groups in the community, region, and even the classroom culture. Students will work in collaborative groups to brainstorm and develop definitions and examples with thinking clouds. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students would come together and combine all of their thinking clouds to create a class definition of culture. This should get them excited to further investigate the cultures represented in the community and region, because they would be investigating based on the definition they created. This hook lesson would be used as a form of pre-assessment to see the students' original thoughts and ideas on the unit topic and how they work collaboratively with their classmates.
The objective of my hook lesson is for the students to create a strong definition of what culture is through their eyes and in their own words. I chose to hook them in this way so they have control of the way they see the word culture. Using a dictionary is great, but I think they will have a better connection if they tussle with their thoughts to create a definition. We would start the lesson with the question: what do you think of when you hear the word culture?". From there we would move into a read-aloud of the What is Culture? by Bobbie Kalman and discuss different examples of cultural characteristics of the groups in the community, region, and even the classroom culture. Students will work in collaborative groups to brainstorm and develop definitions and examples with thinking clouds. At the conclusion of the lesson, the students would come together and combine all of their thinking clouds to create a class definition of culture. This should get them excited to further investigate the cultures represented in the community and region, because they would be investigating based on the definition they created. This hook lesson would be used as a form of pre-assessment to see the students' original thoughts and ideas on the unit topic and how they work collaboratively with their classmates.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
POV on History
What are your reactions or experiences with point of view, perspectives, biases in history? How will you assist a child with disabilities or an English as a Second Language (ESL) learner in your classroom?
Is there a particular point of view, perspective, and bias in history education in the US? Yes there is. As a person of non-European descent, I have seen this first hand. I remember having to learn all about history from the majority's perspective with other cultural perspectives peppered in when appropriate. Meaning, we would learn about other cultures, but only around certain times of the year (think Black history in February). Looking at textbooks, the dominant culture had the majority of the book with other cultures only taking up at most a few chapters. Luckily, I learned more about my culture at home through books and family, which I hope is still being done for students today. I think that these biases and perspectives in history education are inadvertently teaching children of different backgrounds that their culture and history is not very important, which is a disservice to everyone. Students need to know that even though their culture is different and not talked about much in a textbook, it is still important because it is a part of who they are as an individual.
To assist and support ESL students and those with disabilities in my classroom, I would first do my research to learn more about their disability or native background. I want ALL students to feel comfortable to be who they are in my classroom and with their classmates. Learning more would help me eliminate my possible preconceived biases which I could pass on to the rest of the class. I would encourage those students to educate the class about themselves and their disability or where they come from to build a sense of community among the students. For the school work aspect, I would adjust assignments and assessments as necessary so they can be successful. I would have more than just textbooks available in the classroom so they can have access to other perspectives and point of views on history and other subjects. I would assess myself, what I am doing, and my classroom to be sure that I am doing everything I can to support students as they learn and achieve.
The bottom line(yes, I brought it back): Biases exist in history and students need to know the story from different perspectives and points of view, not just the one written in a textbook. ESL students and those with disabilities need to feel welcomed in the classroom and this could be the best way to assist them, to let them know they belong.
Is there a particular point of view, perspective, and bias in history education in the US? Yes there is. As a person of non-European descent, I have seen this first hand. I remember having to learn all about history from the majority's perspective with other cultural perspectives peppered in when appropriate. Meaning, we would learn about other cultures, but only around certain times of the year (think Black history in February). Looking at textbooks, the dominant culture had the majority of the book with other cultures only taking up at most a few chapters. Luckily, I learned more about my culture at home through books and family, which I hope is still being done for students today. I think that these biases and perspectives in history education are inadvertently teaching children of different backgrounds that their culture and history is not very important, which is a disservice to everyone. Students need to know that even though their culture is different and not talked about much in a textbook, it is still important because it is a part of who they are as an individual.
To assist and support ESL students and those with disabilities in my classroom, I would first do my research to learn more about their disability or native background. I want ALL students to feel comfortable to be who they are in my classroom and with their classmates. Learning more would help me eliminate my possible preconceived biases which I could pass on to the rest of the class. I would encourage those students to educate the class about themselves and their disability or where they come from to build a sense of community among the students. For the school work aspect, I would adjust assignments and assessments as necessary so they can be successful. I would have more than just textbooks available in the classroom so they can have access to other perspectives and point of views on history and other subjects. I would assess myself, what I am doing, and my classroom to be sure that I am doing everything I can to support students as they learn and achieve.
The bottom line(yes, I brought it back): Biases exist in history and students need to know the story from different perspectives and points of view, not just the one written in a textbook. ESL students and those with disabilities need to feel welcomed in the classroom and this could be the best way to assist them, to let them know they belong.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Integrated Curriculum
The main concern I have with integrating the curriculum is where to start, by that I mean which subject(s) to integrate first. I would want it to be a smooth transition for me and appropriate for my students. My next concern is timing. With so much to do as a teacher already, I am worried that I will not have enough time up front to plan for integration successfully. I am sure that once I start, it will be easier for me to integrate the curriculum as I gain more experience as a teacher.
I think the reason we are not seeing this more often in schools is standardized testing. The pressure of success on teachers and students has led us to teach to the test and hanging non-tested subjects out to dry. As I said, teachers have a lot on their plates already, and time is not on their side. I believe they feel overwhelmed and adding more might worry them. I think they may not receiving training on how to integrate curriculum like we are right now, so they may be reluctant to do so in their own classrooms.
I would advocate for non-tested subjects by using the Common Core because it lends itself to integration. In working with the standards, integrating other subjects seems like a natural fit and makes time in return. Another way I would advocate for these subjects, particularly social studies, is to inform others that I am teaching future leaders of our country and just because they are not being tested on the material does not mean they should not learn about it.
I think the reason we are not seeing this more often in schools is standardized testing. The pressure of success on teachers and students has led us to teach to the test and hanging non-tested subjects out to dry. As I said, teachers have a lot on their plates already, and time is not on their side. I believe they feel overwhelmed and adding more might worry them. I think they may not receiving training on how to integrate curriculum like we are right now, so they may be reluctant to do so in their own classrooms.
I would advocate for non-tested subjects by using the Common Core because it lends itself to integration. In working with the standards, integrating other subjects seems like a natural fit and makes time in return. Another way I would advocate for these subjects, particularly social studies, is to inform others that I am teaching future leaders of our country and just because they are not being tested on the material does not mean they should not learn about it.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Social Studies Lessons
What are the attributes of meaningful, well-planned social studies lessons?
When I think of what it takes for social studies lessons to be meaningful, my mind goes to the end result. Since we learned about Backward Design in class last week, I think this is pretty important for social studies because we are being intentional in what we do and present to students. One of our textbooks described it this way:
"Backward design may be thought of, in other words, as purposeful task analysis: Given a worthy task to be accomplished, how do we best get everyone equipped?" (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p.19).
By knowing where we want students to end up, lessons and assessments can be better planned to help them get there. Planning in this way is another attribute to meaningful social studies lessons because teachers are not losing sight of the objectives. Learning experiences have to be authentic and intentional enough to meet the end results, yet captivate student interest. Interdisciplinary instruction is an attribute of social studies lessons because this is a subject that plays well with others. In social studies, there are opportunities to incorporate ELA, math, and even science. Since the school day is already busy enough, integration is the best way to insure students are getting the social studies (and arts) instruction they need.
When I think of what it takes for social studies lessons to be meaningful, my mind goes to the end result. Since we learned about Backward Design in class last week, I think this is pretty important for social studies because we are being intentional in what we do and present to students. One of our textbooks described it this way:
"Backward design may be thought of, in other words, as purposeful task analysis: Given a worthy task to be accomplished, how do we best get everyone equipped?" (Wiggins and McTighe, 2005, p.19).
By knowing where we want students to end up, lessons and assessments can be better planned to help them get there. Planning in this way is another attribute to meaningful social studies lessons because teachers are not losing sight of the objectives. Learning experiences have to be authentic and intentional enough to meet the end results, yet captivate student interest. Interdisciplinary instruction is an attribute of social studies lessons because this is a subject that plays well with others. In social studies, there are opportunities to incorporate ELA, math, and even science. Since the school day is already busy enough, integration is the best way to insure students are getting the social studies (and arts) instruction they need.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
New Week, New Subject
Now that I am in the second of my summer semesters, my blog will change gears to focus on Social Studies and the Arts. I think it will be a nice change for me to write about something different.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Looking Back, Yet Moving Forward
As I reread my past posts, I can see how I am developing as a teacher. I have changed form someone who mostly used technology for school and socially into someone who knows ways to utilize technology to aid me professionally. Each project and assignment has brought something different to the table and I had the opportunity to learn from experts in the field and my colleagues.
Some of the highlights of our assignments and what I learned:
Bonk Presentation - for my particular chapter, I learned that free is not as free as we think it is.
My BLOG - I learned how a blog helps to communicate with others easily and a way to keep parents and students informed of what's going on in my classroom. I learned the basic ins and outs of blogging and about RSS feeds.
Infographic - I learned how to use Glogster! I now consider it a way to visually present information and focus on the main ideas. I could see students using an infographic for numerous assignments across all subjects.
Webliography - I learned how important it is for teachers to work together to research different web resources and that in educating each other, we are working smarter. There are many, many amazing resources out there (some for free) that teachers can use in and out of the classroom. Some of them were: IPEVO, Three Ring, Educreations, Toontastic
SMARTboard lesson - I can actually use the SMARTboard (thanks Dr. Gleason!). I learned to really work with the interactive technology and ways to incorporate it into regular classroom instruction. By filming and editing the lesson, I learned more about iMovie and loading videos on YouTube. By working with my colleagues as a student in their lesson videos, I learned about our different teaching styles and ways I could use their ideas to help make myself a better teacher.
Flat Classroom Proposal - I learned about the Flat Classroom Project and what it takes to write and pitch a proposal. Through collaborating with my colleagues to develop and present our project, I learned that going in for a pitch as a team is great because there is a built in support system for the idea. I also learned to think about your project from all angles you can think of and then some, because the administration can ask anything! This project and proposal made me think about innovative ways to incorporate technology and 21st century skills in the classroom. I thought about how I would want to connect students to other students across the country and world for them to see that we are not so different after all.
Thinking about the work I have done in this short amount of time, I want to use what I have learned as I move forward into the next set of classes in the program and leading up to my student teaching internship.
The bottom line: I have learned so much about technology and education through this course. As I think about my future as an educator and the future of technology in education, I am reminded of a pretty famous quote from Walt Disney:
"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We KEEP MOVING FORWARD, opening up new doors and doing new things because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
Some of the highlights of our assignments and what I learned:
Bonk Presentation - for my particular chapter, I learned that free is not as free as we think it is.
My BLOG - I learned how a blog helps to communicate with others easily and a way to keep parents and students informed of what's going on in my classroom. I learned the basic ins and outs of blogging and about RSS feeds.
Infographic - I learned how to use Glogster! I now consider it a way to visually present information and focus on the main ideas. I could see students using an infographic for numerous assignments across all subjects.
Webliography - I learned how important it is for teachers to work together to research different web resources and that in educating each other, we are working smarter. There are many, many amazing resources out there (some for free) that teachers can use in and out of the classroom. Some of them were: IPEVO, Three Ring, Educreations, Toontastic
SMARTboard lesson - I can actually use the SMARTboard (thanks Dr. Gleason!). I learned to really work with the interactive technology and ways to incorporate it into regular classroom instruction. By filming and editing the lesson, I learned more about iMovie and loading videos on YouTube. By working with my colleagues as a student in their lesson videos, I learned about our different teaching styles and ways I could use their ideas to help make myself a better teacher.
Flat Classroom Proposal - I learned about the Flat Classroom Project and what it takes to write and pitch a proposal. Through collaborating with my colleagues to develop and present our project, I learned that going in for a pitch as a team is great because there is a built in support system for the idea. I also learned to think about your project from all angles you can think of and then some, because the administration can ask anything! This project and proposal made me think about innovative ways to incorporate technology and 21st century skills in the classroom. I thought about how I would want to connect students to other students across the country and world for them to see that we are not so different after all.
Thinking about the work I have done in this short amount of time, I want to use what I have learned as I move forward into the next set of classes in the program and leading up to my student teaching internship.
The bottom line: I have learned so much about technology and education through this course. As I think about my future as an educator and the future of technology in education, I am reminded of a pretty famous quote from Walt Disney:
"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long. We KEEP MOVING FORWARD, opening up new doors and doing new things because we're curious...and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."
Friday, June 14, 2013
Teachers Teaching Teachers
This week (and some of last week) we had the opportunity to teach each other about the different technological resources we individually researched. Then we posted all of our reviews on the class wikispace.
I really enjoyed learning from my classmates, we all saved one another a LOT of time because this would have been a massive amount of research if we looked at each source on our own. While every source presented was useful in one way or another, there was one that stopped me in my technological tracks.
The resource that really had my attention was IPEVO. A colleague showed us how it works and I was sold. I felt like a kid who gets this particular magazine in the mail around the holidays:
And like those precious children, I only had three words for IPEVO... I WANT IT!
The reason I thought this was because I saw so many uses for it in my future classroom and I saw time being saved. Time would be saved because this thing is portable and wireless and connects with the iPad.
So, what is IPEVO?
It is a wireless, portable document camera! The best thing is the price, schools can actually afford to buy more than one. When my colleague shared this tidbit about cost with us, I wondered how many school have them presently. As she moved around and projected things from different areas in the room, I realized IPEVO can help teachers move through their classrooms during instruction and not be chained to the front (because the stationary document camera is there). Students can also present their work without having to be in front of the class, helping reduce those public speaking jitters.
Visiting IPEVO's blog, I learned about different ways it can be used in the classroom (for numerous subjects) and read some teacher's opinions of the product. Their opinions were positive; mainly liking the ease of use, portability, and cost. Even educational big wig Kathy Schrock [see her March 3 post] is on board with this advancement in technology.
The bottom line:Teachers need to teach other teachers about what it out there and how it can effectively support our students and ourselves. Without my class' Wikispace and research, I would most likely be behind the curve when it comes to technology and other resources in education. So, thanks Heidi for teaching this teacher about something I definitely plan on using one day.
*and thanks to all of my other colleagues, I definitely learned from your presentations too!*
To see an in depth review, visit http://themindofachildblog.blogspot.com
I really enjoyed learning from my classmates, we all saved one another a LOT of time because this would have been a massive amount of research if we looked at each source on our own. While every source presented was useful in one way or another, there was one that stopped me in my technological tracks.
The resource that really had my attention was IPEVO. A colleague showed us how it works and I was sold. I felt like a kid who gets this particular magazine in the mail around the holidays:
 |
| picture from emmasage.blogspot.com |
And like those precious children, I only had three words for IPEVO... I WANT IT!
The reason I thought this was because I saw so many uses for it in my future classroom and I saw time being saved. Time would be saved because this thing is portable and wireless and connects with the iPad.
So, what is IPEVO?
 |
| picture from www.ipevo.com |
It is a wireless, portable document camera! The best thing is the price, schools can actually afford to buy more than one. When my colleague shared this tidbit about cost with us, I wondered how many school have them presently. As she moved around and projected things from different areas in the room, I realized IPEVO can help teachers move through their classrooms during instruction and not be chained to the front (because the stationary document camera is there). Students can also present their work without having to be in front of the class, helping reduce those public speaking jitters.
Visiting IPEVO's blog, I learned about different ways it can be used in the classroom (for numerous subjects) and read some teacher's opinions of the product. Their opinions were positive; mainly liking the ease of use, portability, and cost. Even educational big wig Kathy Schrock [see her March 3 post] is on board with this advancement in technology.
The bottom line:Teachers need to teach other teachers about what it out there and how it can effectively support our students and ourselves. Without my class' Wikispace and research, I would most likely be behind the curve when it comes to technology and other resources in education. So, thanks Heidi for teaching this teacher about something I definitely plan on using one day.
*and thanks to all of my other colleagues, I definitely learned from your presentations too!*
To see an in depth review, visit http://themindofachildblog.blogspot.com
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Flipping That Doesn't Flop
Dr. Lodge McCammon and Katie Gimbar came to campus and taught us about flipping classrooms. This concept was explained as a way to incorporate technology in the classroom and increase efficiency in content delivery. I did find some reasons why flipping is beneficial for teachers, students, and parents. All are explained in the video below:
This video (above) did a good job explaining the basics, but most of us in class wanted to know how this would work in an elementary classroom. Our presenters told us about Hillburn Academy STEM Elementary School, a school in the area working with this idea of flipping the classroom. I wanted answers and found some from a teacher at that school, Ms. Munafo. In her video (below), she is explaining flipping to parents but I think this will help us as pre-service teachers understand the ways this works.
The bottom line: I think this could be a good thing because teachers are working smarter, not harder. I definitely see the benefits for all involved. I would want to do this after having more experience in the classroom, that way, when I do flip, I don't flop.
To learn more, visit http://fizz.fi.ncsu.edu and watch their videos on YouTube (just search flipped classroom)
*all videos from www.youtube.com*
This video (above) did a good job explaining the basics, but most of us in class wanted to know how this would work in an elementary classroom. Our presenters told us about Hillburn Academy STEM Elementary School, a school in the area working with this idea of flipping the classroom. I wanted answers and found some from a teacher at that school, Ms. Munafo. In her video (below), she is explaining flipping to parents but I think this will help us as pre-service teachers understand the ways this works.
The bottom line: I think this could be a good thing because teachers are working smarter, not harder. I definitely see the benefits for all involved. I would want to do this after having more experience in the classroom, that way, when I do flip, I don't flop.
To learn more, visit http://fizz.fi.ncsu.edu and watch their videos on YouTube (just search flipped classroom)
*all videos from www.youtube.com*
Friday, May 31, 2013
I Think Therefore iMovie
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| picture from apple.com |
For a group project I had this week, I used iMovie for the first time to edit something shot on an iPad.
First things first, Apple's products amaze me!
The movie was filmed by simply selecting the video option in the camera on the iPad. This will be great for students because the screen is massive (to an elementary school student) and there are less buttons to press, unlike the video cameras from years before.
Now to iMovie:
To get the movie on my macbook, I just had to plug the iPad into the USB port. Then the products did the rest. Your mac identifies the iPad immediately then you can select what is imported into iMovie. After the movie is downloaded, then editing can happen. The screen you work with looks like this:
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| picture from apple.com |
Here is a picture of the same screen with labels:
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| picture from sentra.ischool.utexas.edu |
The Help menu takes you through everything from importing to adding themes and background music.
At first, editing is a little challenging and frustrating because you have to be exact. I suggest watching your movie a few times so you can see precisely where you may want to cut scenes. If you do cut something you didn't want to, selecting Edit then Undo puts it back for you. The original import is still available. When you pick what is to be cut out, a yellow box will appear around each frame (or section of a frame) and can be moved until all to be cut is selected. Then you select Delete and that part of your movie is gone. The scenes that are left seamlessly come together and your product looks amazing.
The bottom line: iMovie is pretty awesome! Once you get the hang of things, it is very easy to use. I have a feeling we are going to see it more in schools and students using it to work on projects. What a way to differentiate an assignment for different types of learners!
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
America, we need to step up our game
Last week, Dr. Curtis Bonk came to Meredith College (my school) to speak to us educators, or future educators in my case, about technology and his 2009 book, The World is Open. This is one of our textbooks in the course I'm blogging for. The talk was a little on the long side, but I did learn something about our country's relationship with technology in the classroom.
America is behind on technology legislation in education.
When Dr. Bonk said this, I wasn't entirely sure it was true. When reading his book, I came across a quote he used from an article by Wallis and Steptoe:
"American schools aren't exactly frozen in time, but considering the pace of change in other areas of life, our public schools tend to feel like throwbacks. Kids spend too much of the day as their great-grandparents once did: sitting in rows, listening to teachers lecture, scribbling out notes by hand, reading from textbooks that are out of date by the time they are printed. A yawning chasm (with emphasis on yawning) separates the world inside the schoolhouse from the world outside." (Bonk, 2009).
As harsh as that sounds, there is some truth to it. Here we are, the United States, the place where people flock to have better lives, and we are behind in something that will definitely be needed in the future. Something that is needed by the most important and valuable people who inhabit this country, our children. We have to prepare students for the world and its many changes. Effective technology in the classroom is a way for us to do that. Technology in the classroom will help us all develop into 21st century learners.
The bottom line: I’m not taking a side, I just see where both Dr. Bonk and our education system are coming from. We all want what is best for every student and to provide them with the education and technology they need to function in the 21st century. It's not going to be easy, but in order for us (teachers and the public) to do that, give our students the winning education they deserve, we have to step up our game.
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America is behind on technology legislation in education.
When Dr. Bonk said this, I wasn't entirely sure it was true. When reading his book, I came across a quote he used from an article by Wallis and Steptoe:
"American schools aren't exactly frozen in time, but considering the pace of change in other areas of life, our public schools tend to feel like throwbacks. Kids spend too much of the day as their great-grandparents once did: sitting in rows, listening to teachers lecture, scribbling out notes by hand, reading from textbooks that are out of date by the time they are printed. A yawning chasm (with emphasis on yawning) separates the world inside the schoolhouse from the world outside." (Bonk, 2009).
As harsh as that sounds, there is some truth to it. Here we are, the United States, the place where people flock to have better lives, and we are behind in something that will definitely be needed in the future. Something that is needed by the most important and valuable people who inhabit this country, our children. We have to prepare students for the world and its many changes. Effective technology in the classroom is a way for us to do that. Technology in the classroom will help us all develop into 21st century learners.
As I thought about the classrooms I have been in recently, I noticed that the quote is not completely accurate. The students actually sit in groups and learn from each other, not just the teacher. The students work and learn cooperatively, no longer is learning passive. Then I thought about access and how only having a class set of iPads for an entire school is not enough. This may be why we are behind in technology compared to other places. We are a country wanting equality for our students and maybe we won't advance until we can provide the same technological educational opportunities for ALL students. We also have these little things called laws, but I digress.
The bottom line: I’m not taking a side, I just see where both Dr. Bonk and our education system are coming from. We all want what is best for every student and to provide them with the education and technology they need to function in the 21st century. It's not going to be easy, but in order for us (teachers and the public) to do that, give our students the winning education they deserve, we have to step up our game.
You might want to read these:
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
21 is more than a card game
21 is a very important number for lots of reasons. In education today, it's all about students learning 21st century skills. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is the initiative that is giving students the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in our constantly changing digital society. The Partnership for 21st Century Skills advocates for integration of core subjects with the interdisciplinary themes of: global awareness; financial, economic, business, and entrepreneurial literacy; civic literacy; health literacy; and environmental literacy. It also includes the learning and innovation skills of: creativity and innovation; critical thinking and problem solving; communication and collaboration. Through the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, students increase their skills with information, media, and technology along with the life and career skills they will use long after completing their K-12 education.
This idea of 21st century skills is seen in other education models and standards, such as TPACK and NETS.
First, let's talk about TPACK. This acronym stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and is about what knowledge teachers need to have to teach with technology effectively. The model shows that a teacher's technological, content, and pedagogical knowledge have to come together to successfully prepare students for the 21st century. Basically, if we want students to have 21st century skills, teachers need to have them too.
Now onto NETS or National Educational Technology Standards. For teachers (left), the standards are similar to TPACK but more about evaluating the skills and knowledge educators need to teach, work, and learn. For students (right), some of the standards are familiar because they are seen in the Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
The bottom line: the world is changing to be more technological. As teachers, we have to do all we can to prepare students for what they will encounter in their lives and careers when they leave the classroom.
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| picture from: www.tpack.org |
This idea of 21st century skills is seen in other education models and standards, such as TPACK and NETS.
First, let's talk about TPACK. This acronym stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge and is about what knowledge teachers need to have to teach with technology effectively. The model shows that a teacher's technological, content, and pedagogical knowledge have to come together to successfully prepare students for the 21st century. Basically, if we want students to have 21st century skills, teachers need to have them too.
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| picture from www.iste.org |
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| picture from www.iste.org |
The bottom line: the world is changing to be more technological. As teachers, we have to do all we can to prepare students for what they will encounter in their lives and careers when they leave the classroom.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Newbie
Ok...I've never created a blog before in my life, so this is an attempt at something new. In a graduate course I am taking, we are learning about technology in the K-12 classroom, and of course blogging is something we are learning about. I'll be posting (hopefully frequently) about what we're doing in class to prepare for our future classrooms. So, come along as I wade through the web in this blog!
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