Areil Owens'article, "Mapping Student Minds", shows a brilliant application of technology in the classroom. Her teaching strategy incorporated factors that would not only be engaging to students but also inspire them to synthesis and make connections in their learning. Using knowledge she and a colleague learned at the Aquatic Outreach Institute, she introduced her sixth grade students to the scientific observation of Pine Creek in Walnut, CA, over time. They collected water samples, observed indigenous and non native vegetation and collected trash. Besides the two class field trips to the site, she added an after school option for further trips to the site.The students had record and enter data regarding the health of the creek over time. Students also used data available to them through WISE, which is a Web based Inquiry Science Environment hosted and maintained by Berkley. The time factor was introduced in order to provide the connection that the creek was a dynamic situation instead of a one time source of data creating a static observation in the students' minds. The students created causal maps, forming links between what factors contributed to the health of the creek, and what detracted from the health of the creek and surrounding organisms. A causal map is a wonderful tool for explaining the web like dynamic that exists between things. The causal map was developed by Dr Eric Baumgartner in order to "make thinking audible". By providing a visual cause and effect diagram, students can think and explain what those relationships explain. It lies between a concept map and a system model, and therefore is an accessible tool for students because it explains more than just a concept but does not require all the specific measurements of an actual model. Many factors effect biomes and the causal map provides a visual model of how each factor has a positive or negative effect on the big picture.
There were so many benefits to this project in terms of providing a hands on activity that modeled serious scientific research that is investigated by the EPA. Students really "got it" form the discussions they had about where to place water treatment facilities to what would be allowable content levels for the different things they found existing in the creek.
Q? If I wanted to emulate this curriculum for my students what else would be "selling points"?
Besides the interactive field trip opportunity it provides, this process stimulates all types of learning styles because of it's wholistic approach to learning. If you have very bright students who have already accumulated a great deal of scientific inquiry, they can pursue deeper issues or create more intense studies of the creek water. For students with less experience, there are always aspects to observation they can tackle. All kids enjoy the water so there is an instant connection to splashing around, collecting and playing in shallow water.
Q?How will I know if my students are learning?
Students' causal maps will provide you with a good assessment of the types of concepts they learned. Also students will self correct inappropriate data and observations as they make corrections over the duration of the project. finally their synthesis will push them to make links on their own-and some of their ideas and reasoning may even surprise you!
Friday, June 26, 2009
journal#5
In Sherri Turkle's article, "Can You Hear Me Now?", she brings up some compelling issues about our technologically tethered society. After spending time observing professionals at a convention,children and teens, and everyday people, she has concluded that we are loosing our sense of self and self reflection due to our concept of our virtual/digital self. We are what we do as related to the technology we own. We are what we own by virtue of our technology becoming an extension of our bodily selves. We have become what our technology enables us to do. Reality barely exists, moreover, as the children at the natural history museum in the article pointed out, they could care less if a live tortoise was at the museum or a robotic one. The craving for real emotional, face to face intimate connection has gone to virtual connection without facial expression or touch.
Terkle points to five areas where there is a significant loss of awareness. Because of the multitude of software available to us for creating virtual situations from gaming to creating a dream home to alternate personalities who can meet virtual others, get married etc., we are loosing touch with who we are in the hoop of this realm, walking the earth in this present time. If we look at indigenous cultures all over the earth, one thing they have in common for a healthy and successful society is interpersonal relationships. Not only is that intimacy between people understanding eachother on a deep level important, but the significance of honoring and respecting each individual, their talents and contributions to the group as a whole, allows the individual a sense of belonging and inclusion. We have lost our sense of value because our "belonging" has become a virtual belonging. To relate that to NETS-S,the classroom community can help to pull students back to belonging in the present in the here and now by engaging them in real-life situations and discussions.
The other areas Turkle points to are our lack of time due to the encroachment of technology, when in fact it is suppose to save time. The tethered adolescent who cannot rely on her/himself because the cell phone is just a rescue away. The fact that we have become masterful at self presentation and we find virtual validation a fair trade off to violation of 360 degree observation by strangers and the government.Finally, we cannot seem to be fully present for anything in our lives because we suffer from "split attention" syndrome. I was totally stressed out reading this article and it is the precise reason why I refuse to own a cell phone. I also think it makes clear why we always feel so "Busy" and there is no time to catch your breathe reflect and calm down; it becomes sensory overload.
Q? We are at such an exciting time in technology, why shouldn't we use all these things available to us?
Well, if this article doesn't change your mind, I think that there is a place for technology; however it has to be modified in how much we utilize it and how we prioritize where it fits into our lives. As a society we think if some is good, more is better-that is why we have so many addictions. It starts in a lot deeper place than why we use technology to the extreme. We have so many issues that young people and adults are facing-but most all of the surface issues of poverty, racism, abuse etc all go back to that feeling of needing to have placement in the continuum of existence. Where do I belong? How am I accepted, from the family unit on out it is like concentric circles rippling out from the person to family and on out to society as a whole. We do not insure that the individual's needs are being met, therefore the individual has to look beyond themselves for something fulfilling. At my son's old high school, Mr Win, the mathematics teacher spoke at graduation saying,remember, you will be spending most of your time with yourself. If you do not like who you are, you will be spending most of your time with someone you do not like. Perhaps we could have a more balanced relationship with technology if we enjoyed our own company more.
Q?what is the role then of technology in the classroom?
Because of our fascination with technology, I think it should play a significant role in the classroom. Without including technology, many students would become disengaged with learning, especially since they are digital natives. It would be akin to not acknowledging someone's culture. By setting up discussion boards, foe example, students who are not participating in daily in class discussions have an opportunity to express themselves. Then the teacher who has pulled them on board with the virtual discussion can pull them into classroom discussion by bringing up the salient points they had posted on line. Technology can be included within specific learning parameters.
Terkle points to five areas where there is a significant loss of awareness. Because of the multitude of software available to us for creating virtual situations from gaming to creating a dream home to alternate personalities who can meet virtual others, get married etc., we are loosing touch with who we are in the hoop of this realm, walking the earth in this present time. If we look at indigenous cultures all over the earth, one thing they have in common for a healthy and successful society is interpersonal relationships. Not only is that intimacy between people understanding eachother on a deep level important, but the significance of honoring and respecting each individual, their talents and contributions to the group as a whole, allows the individual a sense of belonging and inclusion. We have lost our sense of value because our "belonging" has become a virtual belonging. To relate that to NETS-S,the classroom community can help to pull students back to belonging in the present in the here and now by engaging them in real-life situations and discussions.
The other areas Turkle points to are our lack of time due to the encroachment of technology, when in fact it is suppose to save time. The tethered adolescent who cannot rely on her/himself because the cell phone is just a rescue away. The fact that we have become masterful at self presentation and we find virtual validation a fair trade off to violation of 360 degree observation by strangers and the government.Finally, we cannot seem to be fully present for anything in our lives because we suffer from "split attention" syndrome. I was totally stressed out reading this article and it is the precise reason why I refuse to own a cell phone. I also think it makes clear why we always feel so "Busy" and there is no time to catch your breathe reflect and calm down; it becomes sensory overload.
Q? We are at such an exciting time in technology, why shouldn't we use all these things available to us?
Well, if this article doesn't change your mind, I think that there is a place for technology; however it has to be modified in how much we utilize it and how we prioritize where it fits into our lives. As a society we think if some is good, more is better-that is why we have so many addictions. It starts in a lot deeper place than why we use technology to the extreme. We have so many issues that young people and adults are facing-but most all of the surface issues of poverty, racism, abuse etc all go back to that feeling of needing to have placement in the continuum of existence. Where do I belong? How am I accepted, from the family unit on out it is like concentric circles rippling out from the person to family and on out to society as a whole. We do not insure that the individual's needs are being met, therefore the individual has to look beyond themselves for something fulfilling. At my son's old high school, Mr Win, the mathematics teacher spoke at graduation saying,remember, you will be spending most of your time with yourself. If you do not like who you are, you will be spending most of your time with someone you do not like. Perhaps we could have a more balanced relationship with technology if we enjoyed our own company more.
Q?what is the role then of technology in the classroom?
Because of our fascination with technology, I think it should play a significant role in the classroom. Without including technology, many students would become disengaged with learning, especially since they are digital natives. It would be akin to not acknowledging someone's culture. By setting up discussion boards, foe example, students who are not participating in daily in class discussions have an opportunity to express themselves. Then the teacher who has pulled them on board with the virtual discussion can pull them into classroom discussion by bringing up the salient points they had posted on line. Technology can be included within specific learning parameters.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Journal 4
Tami Noorzay
EDU422Jour#4
“In Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog”, Patricia Deubel makes clear that parameters must be set in advance for a classroom blog so that both the teacher, and subsequently, the students are aware of what the intention of the blog is. By establishing a safe environment for the class blog and outlining the standards and goals of the blog, the teacher gains clarity. By asking one question each week, reminding the students of the frequency and due dates of their posts as well as their response timeframe to other’s posts, and their code of ethics, the teacher has provided a good foundation for the class. Students are then able to weave their discussions and stay relatively on topic.
The most promising aspect of such a blog is its accessibility to students who don’t normally participate in class discussions for whatever reasons. Additionally, it gives all students an opportunity to share more fully than class time allows, or to bring up thoughts that may have occurred at a later time. Most of all, class blogs help build community and allow sharing from the privacy of the computer screen, which, these days seems to be the only place people interact on a very personal level.
EDU422Jour#4
“In Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instructional Blog”, Patricia Deubel makes clear that parameters must be set in advance for a classroom blog so that both the teacher, and subsequently, the students are aware of what the intention of the blog is. By establishing a safe environment for the class blog and outlining the standards and goals of the blog, the teacher gains clarity. By asking one question each week, reminding the students of the frequency and due dates of their posts as well as their response timeframe to other’s posts, and their code of ethics, the teacher has provided a good foundation for the class. Students are then able to weave their discussions and stay relatively on topic.
The most promising aspect of such a blog is its accessibility to students who don’t normally participate in class discussions for whatever reasons. Additionally, it gives all students an opportunity to share more fully than class time allows, or to bring up thoughts that may have occurred at a later time. Most of all, class blogs help build community and allow sharing from the privacy of the computer screen, which, these days seems to be the only place people interact on a very personal level.
Journal 3
In “Too Cool for School? No Way!”, P. Mishra and M. Koehler wonder how technology should be re-purposed for school. How technology can fit into that space between pedagogical knowledge and how it can be taught. It seems that there are many good fits. For example, DJ software was brought up in the article as an excellent resource for a math/music overlap. By creating a math lesson around using the performance art of DJ-ing, I think that students would be very motivated to tackle the project. Not only is it a contemporary format, but any style of music could be selected from Latin to Bollywood, hip- hop to classical, thus providing equity in the classroom and acknowledging the multi-cultural aspects of the student body.
The main issues would be safety on the internet, good digital citizenship, and teacher monitoring of progress and original work. If teachers are able to address these issues, the use of technology based projects not only belong in school, but I believe, will be the way of the future.
The main issues would be safety on the internet, good digital citizenship, and teacher monitoring of progress and original work. If teachers are able to address these issues, the use of technology based projects not only belong in school, but I believe, will be the way of the future.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Journal entry #2
A sense of belonging is one of the major contributors in keeping students in school. If they feel included then they can be successful. By participating in meaningful work with their peers and sharing their learning using web 2.0 students and teachers are participating in the "learning landscapes" described by Jim Klein in his article,"Social Networking for the K-12 Set". The article explains that the Saugus Union School District has set up a safe technological learning environment to eliminate social and geographic boundaries between student, teachers and their peers and colleges.
Q?How do you know this mode of learning is successful?
In the Saugus School District, they saw a noticeable gain in standardized test scores amongst their students who were participating in this style of interactive learning. Not only that, but there was also a gain in fluency as well as overall standard of work. When students are provided with sophisticated mediums as well as a forum of like minded learners to interact with, the quality of their work improves.
Q?What standards does this meet?
By establishing technology driven work groups,blogging tools including sophisticated editing programs, secure storage and sharing sites, and RSS and pod casting capabilities, students and teachers embraced Web 2.0. With this comes work that is founded on the NET/S and NETS/T. The work is creative, collaborative and profoundly rooted in critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. It opens the door to digital citizenship and the type of evaluative thinking that grows out of processing large amounts of information. Finally, for the teacher, it provides a vehicle for professional growth and leadership. For the student, such opportunities allow them to practice technological concepts, Web 2.0, and trouble shoot. Once again the internet both delivers the world into the classroom while exporting ideas out to the world.
Q?How do you know this mode of learning is successful?
In the Saugus School District, they saw a noticeable gain in standardized test scores amongst their students who were participating in this style of interactive learning. Not only that, but there was also a gain in fluency as well as overall standard of work. When students are provided with sophisticated mediums as well as a forum of like minded learners to interact with, the quality of their work improves.
Q?What standards does this meet?
By establishing technology driven work groups,blogging tools including sophisticated editing programs, secure storage and sharing sites, and RSS and pod casting capabilities, students and teachers embraced Web 2.0. With this comes work that is founded on the NET/S and NETS/T. The work is creative, collaborative and profoundly rooted in critical thinking, problem solving and decision making. It opens the door to digital citizenship and the type of evaluative thinking that grows out of processing large amounts of information. Finally, for the teacher, it provides a vehicle for professional growth and leadership. For the student, such opportunities allow them to practice technological concepts, Web 2.0, and trouble shoot. Once again the internet both delivers the world into the classroom while exporting ideas out to the world.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
L&L Google article
Tami Noorzay
Edu422
Journal entry#1
Your Google Guide…Johnson,D. LL2007,#34,#8
Most everyone who uses the internet has had some form of “googling” experience; however, not everyone googles effectively. Google itself has tutorials available for navigating more successfully. There are some simple hints provided by Mr. Johnson in his article, ”Your Google Guide: learning and Leading With Technology”, that would help everyone in their searches. For example, knowing three or four facts about your topic will help you interpret your results. After receiving your search, you can eliminate sites based on descriptions and tags if you are equipped with these facts. Also, it is helpful to know that sites are ordered based on number of links from other sites, as well as if the site has sponsored or non sponsored links.
Q? Why can’t I sometimes find my information even when I have googled a simple topic?”
Sometimes we are lazy. Google is a very effective and rapid research tool when used properly. First, begin all of your searches properly. If you are looking for images or academic publications or maps, then start there instead of a general search. Second, use the advance search option to create a more customized inquiry. Finally, be aware of clarity in the words you choose to help match tags up with your topic(s). And it never hurt to as your search in the form of a question instead of just a phrase or word.
Q? I don’t understand why some sites which seem to be bigger or more to my topic will not come up in the first place slot on my google results?
Sites are ordered in your results based on the number of links to that site. The more links the higher up they appear on the results page. However, there also exist sponsored and unsponsored links. If a link is sponsored, then they are paying big bucks to jockey for position on that upper portion of the results you just searched for. Sponsored links are noted as such, however, for those who care to take the time to read, just as paid advertizing is noted as paid advertizing and not an editorial.
Monday, June 1, 2009
My technological background runs deep into the depths of late night emails and much child rearing. Growing up DOS in the dinosaur ages keeps me wondering how my children can manage their online time with so much finesse.
Having volunteered endless hours in the classroom, I have always had a passion for sharing my experiences and talents with students from plants to platties, paint to pastel. I have taught preschool through middle school for many years, mostly in the arts, and hope to persue a single subject credential in the sciences, specifically, biology.
Since my technological background has been spartan, I am looking forward to marrying technology with what I create in the classroom. After looking over the syllabus, I thing I will have wonderful tools with which to create lesson plans. I also look forward to creating technology based projects for my students to pursue.
Having volunteered endless hours in the classroom, I have always had a passion for sharing my experiences and talents with students from plants to platties, paint to pastel. I have taught preschool through middle school for many years, mostly in the arts, and hope to persue a single subject credential in the sciences, specifically, biology.
Since my technological background has been spartan, I am looking forward to marrying technology with what I create in the classroom. After looking over the syllabus, I thing I will have wonderful tools with which to create lesson plans. I also look forward to creating technology based projects for my students to pursue.
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