Teaching Students Problem Solving Skills

Students need to be taught problem solving skills so that they have something to use when encountering a problem. Without these skills it is easy to react to the problem rather than taking action to fix it. Once there is a reaction of frustration or anxiety it is very difficult to think clearly enough to effectively solve the problem. If you teach students steps to solve a problem, as suggested in The Big 6 article, they can calmly go through the steps to solve the issue. Teaching the steps allows students to feel as though they have some control over the outcome. They may not know what they need to do but there is a starting point. Problem solving is essential in the classroom but it is also a beneficial skill for students to use in real life!

The Computer Delusion

The core of the issue discussed in "The Computer Delusion" is that of balance. As a society we seem to go from one extreme to the other without thinking about the importance of balance. Yes, we are in an age where technology offers endless possibilities and kids need to know how to use it in order to function successfully. However, this does not mean that we should embrace technology at the exclusion of other important topics in schools. Why not incorporate technology in topics such as the arts and history? With all the tools available on computers this is completely plausible. Computers should be used to enhance educational concepts that exist outside of the technological realm. As educators we need to find a gray area that allows this to happen rather than choosing between the black and white. We also need to revisit how we use technology in our classes. Yes, technology can enhance many lessons and assignments but that does not mean that we have to use it for everything in our classrooms. Sometimes it is more effective to use more traditional methods and that should be perfectly acceptable. Additionally, students should not be stuck in front of a computer all day long to the point of complaining of sore eyes and wrist pain, as mentioned in the article. Just because technology is cutting edge does not mean students should be isolated from other resources. If we only use technology and computers in our classes then students will lose out many other kinds of knowledge that students of the past acquired. The goal is to produce students that know what students of old knew and more and this will not be accomplished by forcing students to use only one resource in their learning. The key here is balance. We must recognize that we have an incredible resource in computers and technology that continues to offer new capabilities. However, we must also remember what other methods in education are effective outside of technology and find ways to combine the two for an optimum educational experience for our students.

The Digital Divide

The digital divide clearly exists. The focus is on making sure that schools have access to technology without regard for quality. It reminds me of the logic put forth when students who are lower SES or special needs complain of inequality in education. They are brushed off and reminded that they have been provided with the same material that the wealthier/regular ed students have access to. The assumption is that this implies equality. Just because lower SES districts have computers does not mean that the quality of technology education is equal
to its wealthier counterparts.

It is not the presence of the tools but how they are used which is crucial to learning outcomes. Therefore, it makes sense that to start students must have access but that they must also have trained educators teaching them how to use it. This does not mean simply teaching kids how to use computers or software. Instead it requires teaching students to use them for educational purposes that have meaningful value. Projects that evoke creativity, allow for individuality and connect kids to issues of importance to them and their communities.

We cannot simply ensure only physical access to technology. This must be followed up with equal access to effective instruction that teaches basic use and builds on that to create further learning. This can be done with professional development for teachers that focuses on two elements. The first, ensuring that teachers know the basics in using software and technology. The second, exposing educators to ways of using the technology creatively and effectively for learning. The goal being to immerse technology into curriculum the same way that other elements already exist within it. Without assisting teachers, they are left to figure out this fairly new aspect of education on their own. With all that is required of educators today, this hardly seems fair or effective.

Nonlinear Powerpoint

Using nonlinear powerpoint was fun! I enjoyed being able to tinker around with the fonts, designs and clipart options. The ability to link within the presentation allows for interaction and in turn makes them more interesting.

In classrooms this would be a great tool. You could create quizzes for students to take or assign them to make a quiz as review. As kids create the presentations they would be reviewing the material while using their creative skills. Teachers could also use the quiz templates to obtain information about what kids know about a topic before embarking on a new unit. A follow up quiz could be given by the end of the unit to measure learning in comparison to the initial questionnaire. Additionally, teachers could poll students for information on how they are doing with a project or the course in general as a check in mechanism. Students that may not feel comfortable voicing concerns or confusion might be more comfortable using something like this to express them.

Wiki Reflection

Wiki is a useful site to use with students because it allows them to share their work with each other. In posting on the web the information they share can also be accessed and used by other people as a resource. One of the issues in using wiki pages would be that students have the ability to edit over each other's work. This could occur accidently or intentionally. In either case, it ruins a student's work. Lastly, some of the information posted to the class wiki may be inaccurate.

In looking at our class wiki page I decided that I like the idea of using blogs in the classroom. Blogs will allow kids to reflect on what is going on in the class and to personalize their work with pictures and links. They can be used in a variety of subjects in school and teachers could provide feedback on the blog for students. One drawback would be that comments are public and so criticism could be viewed by whoever accesses the blog. However, this could be worked around given that using blogs could still be effective and educational.

Reflections on MD 400 so far...

I have found the new programs I have been exposed to in this class to be very interesting and can't wait to use them in my classroom. Taking this course has been a refreshing change in the graduate program for me. Normally, we spend lots of time reading and discussing educational concepts. In this course it has been nice to learn something that is more hands on. I have gotten comfortable and accustomed to using computers for daily purposes and it has been interesting to be challenged by using new programs on it. I like experimenting with the different software to find out how to do certain tasks with it. Playing around with photos, fonts and colors is fun and the best way to learn the new programs we have been introduced to. Thus far I have enjoyed the course and have learned a lot. I'm a little overwhelmed by the idea of the visual essay but figure that I will find my way as we go along.

Response to David Warlick "Flat World, Flat Web, Flat Classrooms"

The metaphor of the child as an octopus is a startlingly true concept with regards to education today. The world changes and people resist change out of fear because it is in a sense unknown. We continue to teach kids by using old methods simply because it has been our own experience in school and we have no other reference point to draw upon.

We assume that kids are kids and so there isn't a significant difference between children from twenty years ago and today. When viewed logically this is completely false. Kids are a product of many things but in part they are products of the environment they grew up in. Growing up with technology means that kids today will be different than kids of yesteryear. Just a few days ago a couple of the kids in my preschool class were playing with a computer program. They figured out how to record their voices and play it back and were laughing hysterically at the playbacks. Us teachers didn't know the program had that capability and obviously never instructed the kids on how to use it. They found it and without being able to read yet, were able to figure out how to make it work. I was fascinated!

Teachers need to overcome their own fear about not being the know it all of the classroom. They need to accept that they can learn from their students and still be good teachers. Educators also have to recognize that children of today are different and the technology that is so much a part of their lives cannot be ignored in the school setting. Instead it needs to be embraced so that kids will be interested in learning and can flourish in a school setting, using more of what they know to learn more.

Teachers also have a responsibility to get to know some of what their students know how to do. In doing so they will be able to better understand and relate to their students. Additionally, teachers could then incorporate that technology into lessons to better suit the kids they are teaching. Lastly, in getting to know what is out there, teachers are aware of and can avoid issues regarding using different kinds of technology. The more educators that take the time to do this will help move education and society along to becoming more technologically savvy. Change happens and it is important to accept it and become a part of it so that teachers remain connected to their students and the everchanging society we live in.

Technology in MD 400 and UDL

The technology that we have been taught through this course definitely falls under what UDL stands for. Different kinds of students benefit in a variety of ways but so does the teacher in the classroom that incorporates these kinds of programs.

Students with special needs can have differentiated instruction that uses technology to make learning easier and success attainable. Regular ed students also benefit by having a wide array of options at their fingertips. Students can pick and choose from various programs or types of media when creating work. This increases the chance that they will have a vested interest in their work but will also allow them to shine in whatever their strengths may be.

Teachers benefit from using technology because it provides them with a mixed bag of tricks when approaching learning. They no longer have to stick with paper and pencil or textbook but can use a variety of other technological resources. This creates opportunities for interactive learning. Providing students with more freedom in how they produce work creates happier students and extends the possibilities. Teachers may find themselves with students producing work that they hadn't thought possible. This makes for a more interesting and effective career as an educator.

I fully intend on incorporating the technology from this course in my classroom. I feel it is important to have a variety of resources available for students so that I can better suit their different learning styles. With that comes the responsibility to learn about the programs available and the issues that may arise in using them within my class. Still, I feel the responsibility is worthwhile given the gains students and teachers can make in using the technology that continues to emerge.

Inspiration!

I have created my first web with the program Inspiration :) Click for larger view!

Inquiry Based Learning

I am sure I used inquiry based learning as a student often, but cannot remember many examples. However, one of my english teachers in middle school would use an inquiry based learning actvity called KWL charts that we would fill out before and after a new unit. We were asked to answer two questions prior to the start of the unit: what do I know? and what do I want to know? At the end of the unit we were asked to answer the last question, what did I learn? This made us aware of what we already knew as well as gave us the power to decided specific things we wanted to learn. The last part made us aware of what learning had occurred over the course of our participating in the unit and reminded us of the things we had wanted to learn so that we could measure whether or not we satisified our own interests. Since I have yet to be a teacher I have not used inquiry based learning as an educator but I plan to. The concept of inquiry based learning allows for more creativity for educators and students. Teachers may find themselves being led by students in a direction they hadn't thought to take which expands on the learning process. I agree that inquiry based learning allows students to have some control over what they are learning and to experience the process and be aware of it. There is none of this kind of awareness when students are continuously asked to memorize without reason. Memorization does not often ensure that students will come away with lasting knowledge. Even if they do somehow retain information through memorization, I still feel that it is less effective because the process of memorziation does not cultivate understanding. In essence, a student may memorize their times tables and know what four times four is, but not understand what that really means or how the concept of mulitiplication is used in real life situations. Where is the use in that? While inquiry based learning requires more from the teacher in regards to creativity and flexibility, in the long run it makes for a more effective classroom.

Copyright and Education

With the increasing use of technology comes gray areas of copyright law. It seems that as a society we are able to create new technologies faster than we are able to make laws on their proper use. When using books for research papers you cite sources but now you can borrow all kinds of material. Video and audio clips, writings and pictures are now more accessible than they ever were before. This opens up our possibilities as educators and makes for more creative and exciting teaching. However, it appears that we haven't yet gotten a handle on copyright in regards to these new uses. As teachers we have a responsibility to learn the current protcol for borrowing and using all kinds of elements from the web so that we are able to educate our students in how they should be properly used. There is a need for workshops and professional development to educate teachers on the laws of copyright so that they are aware of what is legal and what is not. In knowing the law, teachers are then able to implement technology without worry of copyright regulations because they are fully aware of the rules involved. It is only when teachers are well educated on the topic that students will become well versed and comfortable using new technnology appropriately.

Picture Post!

First, meet my cats Dot and Sammy. They love to sleep but they don't often snooze close to one another and so I snapped this photo! Second, is a photo of the lobby ceiling in the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas. There are 2,000 hand blown glass flowers done by Dale Chihuly, it's gorgeous. Lastly, a photo from Marginal Way in Ogunquit Maine. I have spent many family vacations here and love to go back as often as I can!

Moosearoo

Today was my first experience experimenting with photoshop.  I have played around with photo editing before but never to this extent nor with layering.  Interesting tool that makes pretty much any picture possible!

Focal point standard for English

CT English Standards 9 through 12
For this class I would like to focus on standard 2e. which states that students will "Maintain a multimedia portfolio which, along with providing a means for collecting their work, provides opportunities for student reflection and teacher/student dialogue regarding the students’ creative processes." I feel that this standard fits in nicely with the idea of using technology to further understanding of literature as well as cultivates discussions between students and teachers. Multimedia portfolios could be created around a single book the class is reading that incorporates manipulated photos, youtube videos, refective blogs and communication as a class or on a one to one basis. Students could also create this kind of assignment with books that they have read on their own or in groups. Asking kids to create a multimedia portfolio allows them to work with their own strengths and interests and helps make the results eclectic and interesting for the teacher and other students to view. Lastly, the portfolios would be a finished product that kids could share with their parents or friends and provides them with something to build on if they so desire.

Response to USA Today article on teens and learning with audio

Many people resist incorporating this kind of technology into the classroom but I feel it is an important thing to do.  Students today have access to and interest in ipods, computers and cellphones outside of school and know how to use them.  I feel it is important to include these kinds of technologies in the classroom when they can be used for educational purposes.  I believe it is important to take into account what kids have grown up with and what they know how to use in order to most effectively teach them.  Additionally, Ipods are another way to help students who have a learning style that is auditory in nature.  Technology on the whole opens up a whole range of options for differentiating instruction that teachers have a responsibility to explore.