I recently implemented a professional development at my school on how to create a podcast using the Apple application Garageband. This blog entry will be a reflection on how it went, and also a couple of ideas for making the PD better in the future.
I have to say I feel like the PD on creating a podcast with Garageband went pretty well. I feel like I did a good job with having all the materials needed for the PD easily available for all those who participated. I think having them all online was very helpful. I will have to be sure and do this in the future. The class seemed to be very interested in the subject and seemed to remain pretty attentive during the explanations.
A couple of things that I think I might change about my PD are:
1. Less time on the Keynote slides
I had a little keynote slide show where I discussed a little bit about the benefits of pod-casting in the classroom, as well as some activities that can be used with pod-casting. This seemed like a great idea, and I think it would be depending on how long the PD actually is. However, I had a limited amount of time so I feel I spent to much time on those things.
2. More time for the students to explore
Because of all my jabbering, I felt that the students didn't get enough time to explore some of the concepts about Garageband that I was showing them. In the future I will be sure and a lot more time for exploration and application.
3. Less talking and more demonstration
Sometimes I need to just STOP TALKING!! Sometimes I feel the need to explain every little detail when really I could just demonstrate more and be more effective.
I think if I keep these few things in mind for the next time I give the Professional Development that it will flow a little bit better, and hopefully be more successful. All that being said, I feel that overall it was a pretty good PD.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
My opinoin on a definition of Professional Development
I was recently asked to give my thoughts on a particular definition of what professional development is. Below is the website that the definition came from:
http://www.nsdc.org/standfor/definition.cfm
This is part of that definition:
"PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT— The term “professional development” means a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement --"
I would have to say that I agree with the majority of this definition. If professional development was actually based off the definition above then I think we as educators would be just fine. The problem is that somewhere between this definition and setting up the actual PD a couple of things usually get overlooked. The biggest one that pops out at my at first glance, is the word "sustained". Most the PD that I have ever be to is what I like to call a "one and done". Meaning, you go to a training on something you've never done before, and you have yourself a swell time learning about this or that, and at the end of the day your slowly starting to grasp the concepts and then the training is over. You get up, have the presenter sign your CPDU form so you can get credit for taking the training. You walk out of the room leaving most of the knowledge that received in the room you just came from. There very rarely is another training on the same subject, or any kind of follow up what so ever. If people where to take the word "sustained" in this definition seriously, teachers might actually get to retain some information they learned and actually apply it to their classrooms. If there was perhaps more than one training, or maybe even follow up training days it would make it much more of a possibility. I've never really understood how people expect you to really be able to grasp some difficult software program in a two hour training, or some new educational tool. That just doesn't seem right. I mean.... Teachers spend more time than that preparing lesson plans.
The definition itself is okay. In my opinion you can write whatever definition you want to, but it's the implementation of the definition that really matters.
http://www.nsdc.org/standfor/definition.cfm
This is part of that definition:
"PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT— The term “professional development” means a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers’ and principals’ effectiveness in raising student achievement --"
I would have to say that I agree with the majority of this definition. If professional development was actually based off the definition above then I think we as educators would be just fine. The problem is that somewhere between this definition and setting up the actual PD a couple of things usually get overlooked. The biggest one that pops out at my at first glance, is the word "sustained". Most the PD that I have ever be to is what I like to call a "one and done". Meaning, you go to a training on something you've never done before, and you have yourself a swell time learning about this or that, and at the end of the day your slowly starting to grasp the concepts and then the training is over. You get up, have the presenter sign your CPDU form so you can get credit for taking the training. You walk out of the room leaving most of the knowledge that received in the room you just came from. There very rarely is another training on the same subject, or any kind of follow up what so ever. If people where to take the word "sustained" in this definition seriously, teachers might actually get to retain some information they learned and actually apply it to their classrooms. If there was perhaps more than one training, or maybe even follow up training days it would make it much more of a possibility. I've never really understood how people expect you to really be able to grasp some difficult software program in a two hour training, or some new educational tool. That just doesn't seem right. I mean.... Teachers spend more time than that preparing lesson plans.
The definition itself is okay. In my opinion you can write whatever definition you want to, but it's the implementation of the definition that really matters.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
What do you consider the most important aspects of 21st Century Literacy?
21st Century Literacy has many aspects. I think we have come to a very important time in history when it comes to literacy. I think for the first time in history technology has changed the way we define what it means to be literate. It is no longer enough to just know how to read and write with a pencil and paper. In fact, I sometimes go days without using a pencil. I am constantly on my computer typing away. I'm creating documents, sending emails, sending instant messages while I'm working, sending text messages from my phone etc.....These are just some of the things that go into being literate.
All of that being said, to me one of the components of literacy that I think is coming to the forefront of conversation would have to be social literacy. Our lives, and our students lives, are so soaked in information on a daily basis that it becomes more and more of a challenge to maintain privacy (like the gentleman said in the posted video). This comes to mind because I was thinking of my day today. I spent a lot of time on the laptop today creating things for work, doing assignments for school, and staying in contact with people in my social life all at the same time. At one point I was writing a blog, creating a spreadsheet, checking the scores to a bball game, instant messaging a friend over seas, and answering text messages all at the same time. This got me thinking.
What happened to the days when you used to sit down to do something and you did it without any interruptions from technology? For me, it's been a while, and to be honest I start to feel weird if I don't have access to all those things. I feel as teachers it is important to teach students now when it is appropriate to use technology and when it is necessary to turn it off and not be disturbed. It is also important to teach them about social privacy. In other words, it is not necessary to tell the whole world what your doing every five seconds. For one thing privacy is important. It helps build self-thought and also self-awareness, which by the way, many of our students and just people in general lack these days. There are so many important components to 21st century literacy but we must not forget the most important component of all..........choice.
Resources on the subject:
http://edtechlife.com/?cat=41
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm
All of that being said, to me one of the components of literacy that I think is coming to the forefront of conversation would have to be social literacy. Our lives, and our students lives, are so soaked in information on a daily basis that it becomes more and more of a challenge to maintain privacy (like the gentleman said in the posted video). This comes to mind because I was thinking of my day today. I spent a lot of time on the laptop today creating things for work, doing assignments for school, and staying in contact with people in my social life all at the same time. At one point I was writing a blog, creating a spreadsheet, checking the scores to a bball game, instant messaging a friend over seas, and answering text messages all at the same time. This got me thinking.
What happened to the days when you used to sit down to do something and you did it without any interruptions from technology? For me, it's been a while, and to be honest I start to feel weird if I don't have access to all those things. I feel as teachers it is important to teach students now when it is appropriate to use technology and when it is necessary to turn it off and not be disturbed. It is also important to teach them about social privacy. In other words, it is not necessary to tell the whole world what your doing every five seconds. For one thing privacy is important. It helps build self-thought and also self-awareness, which by the way, many of our students and just people in general lack these days. There are so many important components to 21st century literacy but we must not forget the most important component of all..........choice.
Resources on the subject:
http://edtechlife.com/?cat=41
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy
http://www.21stcenturyschools.com/What_is_21st_Century_Education.htm
What was the last GREAT professional development you attended and why?
I go to countless amounts of professional development every year, and to be honest, most of them are TERRIBLE. I have found that many times they are a little self-indulgent. Meaning the presenter is not really there to help you out in the classroom, but more so to show off their accomplishments. However, they haven't all been bad. I once had a great PD at Apple on iMovie.
The reason it was so great, in my opinion was because of the amount of hands on training we received on the software program itself. Also, because the entire PD was presented in the same way an actual lesson would be presented. So instead of some self-indulgent person up there with a power point the PD was presented as a lesson as if we were the students. Which in this case we so happened to be. The great thing about this approach though is that it allows you to see first hand the benefits of actually using it in a classroom setting with students. I can't tell you how many PD's I have been in where there was some sort of a product or tool pitched without any clue as to how it would be implemented into each teachers classroom.
To me a good PD is one that is relevant. What makes it relevant? It is relevant to me as a teacher when it is laid out in such a way that I can tell right away that it will somehow benefit my students. OR, it has to make my job easier so I have more time to focus on my students and deal with some issues I might not get to without it. This Apple PD on iMovie did both of those things. It was presented in a way in which I FELT COMFORTABLE TO IMPLEMENT IT IN MY CLASS RIGHT AWAY! That is why it was the best professional development I have been to in a long time.
Some resources on the subject:
http://serc.carleton.edu/teacherprep/inservice/ProgramTips.html
http://allwhowonder.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/what-makes-good-staff-development/
http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/category/blog-story-tags/professional-development
The reason it was so great, in my opinion was because of the amount of hands on training we received on the software program itself. Also, because the entire PD was presented in the same way an actual lesson would be presented. So instead of some self-indulgent person up there with a power point the PD was presented as a lesson as if we were the students. Which in this case we so happened to be. The great thing about this approach though is that it allows you to see first hand the benefits of actually using it in a classroom setting with students. I can't tell you how many PD's I have been in where there was some sort of a product or tool pitched without any clue as to how it would be implemented into each teachers classroom.
To me a good PD is one that is relevant. What makes it relevant? It is relevant to me as a teacher when it is laid out in such a way that I can tell right away that it will somehow benefit my students. OR, it has to make my job easier so I have more time to focus on my students and deal with some issues I might not get to without it. This Apple PD on iMovie did both of those things. It was presented in a way in which I FELT COMFORTABLE TO IMPLEMENT IT IN MY CLASS RIGHT AWAY! That is why it was the best professional development I have been to in a long time.
Some resources on the subject:
http://serc.carleton.edu/teacherprep/inservice/ProgramTips.html
http://allwhowonder.wordpress.com/2009/01/16/what-makes-good-staff-development/
http://www.publicschoolinsights.org/category/blog-story-tags/professional-development
My experience of creating and implementing a problem-based lesson.
So I just did a problem-based lesson plan with one of my colleagues from my TIE cohort program for National Louis. We called the project "A Octopus'Garden", because it involved creating a little underwater world with the programing world called EToys. The creating of the lesson plan was not as difficult as the actual implementation of the lesson. Etoys itself is a sort of self-contained program, therefor the keyboard shortcuts we all know and love are non-existent. The program takes some exploration before you can just jump right in and ask students to create something. We found that there was more prior knowledge of some of the basics of the program needed in order for the students to feel comfortable and really get all that they needed out of the lesson. There was also a few minor glitches in some of our directions for the project in part because of the strangeness of the program itself. This of course meant that we spent most of our time helping students try to figure out the little discrepancies of Etoys.
In a more ideal situation the lesson would have been given after a couple days of going through some of the tutorials in EToys to have the students better prepared for the actual lesson instead of struggling through the program. Also, the idea came to me that this lesson could be split up into two lessons so that there is less to do in one sitting. Overall though, I thought the lesson was a success and it seemed to spark interest in the students for some programing basics.
In a more ideal situation the lesson would have been given after a couple days of going through some of the tutorials in EToys to have the students better prepared for the actual lesson instead of struggling through the program. Also, the idea came to me that this lesson could be split up into two lessons so that there is less to do in one sitting. Overall though, I thought the lesson was a success and it seemed to spark interest in the students for some programing basics.
What is the best way to get others at your schools to use more technology in their teaching and the students' learning?
What is the best way to get others at your schools to use more technology in their teaching and the students' learning? Well, If I knew the answer to that my job would be a lot easier. There are so many different ways to try to get teachers into using technology. One of them is throwing different ideas at them until you see that little gleam in their eye and know you have found something they are interested in. That can be time consuming and some what tedious though, and you may lose your sanity before that happens.
Another way is to find out what kind of projects the teachers are already doing in the classroom and try to show them how the could use technology to help create those projects. More often then not, teachers find that the technology offers something to the students projects that they didn't have before. Then they are usually hooked on something new that they didn't use before. That is one of the best ways I have found.
However, the absolute best way to try and spread the joy technological bliss for me is by pure example. I try to incorporate technology in everything I do throughout the day. If I'm in a meeting I'm using my laptop to take notes, and if it's really important I'm using garageband to record it. If someone has a question that needs answered I whip out my laptop and head to google and other sources. If someone tells me about an event or date I pull out my iPhone and put it in my calendar. If I'm doing a PD I am using the LCD projector to project whatever creation I have made using a new form of software or website. I have found that by doing things like this teachers are often curious and ask me how to do this or that. Then the conversation is opened up to discuss how they could implement different technology into their curriculum for the students.
Another way is to find out what kind of projects the teachers are already doing in the classroom and try to show them how the could use technology to help create those projects. More often then not, teachers find that the technology offers something to the students projects that they didn't have before. Then they are usually hooked on something new that they didn't use before. That is one of the best ways I have found.
However, the absolute best way to try and spread the joy technological bliss for me is by pure example. I try to incorporate technology in everything I do throughout the day. If I'm in a meeting I'm using my laptop to take notes, and if it's really important I'm using garageband to record it. If someone has a question that needs answered I whip out my laptop and head to google and other sources. If someone tells me about an event or date I pull out my iPhone and put it in my calendar. If I'm doing a PD I am using the LCD projector to project whatever creation I have made using a new form of software or website. I have found that by doing things like this teachers are often curious and ask me how to do this or that. Then the conversation is opened up to discuss how they could implement different technology into their curriculum for the students.
The use of computer games as educational tools
I was recently asked to contribute to the debate about the use of computer games as educational tools. It didn't take me to long to decide what my position would be. Especially since I come from the first generation of video and computer gaming. When thinking about the question I can't help but remember my first memory of gaming. I remember playing pong, and then I remember my aunt getting a Atari. I would sit there and play "Pitfall" or "pac-man" for hours!! I thought it was the greatest thing ever. Plus, it was difficult. It was a challenge. I wanted so bad to get to the next level that I would sacrifice a gorgeous day outside to achieve next level bliss. I remember my Dad hating it. He just didn't understand the infatuation, yet he still didn't know how to work the VCR, and had to ask me to turn it on every time he wanted to watch a movie. The whole time not realizing that the gaming was making me more comfortable with how to use technology.
I find my old recollections of my memories to be much like how some teachers feel about gaming in school, versus how the students feel about gaming. Teachers are often afraid that the students are just having fun or not really getting anything from what they are doing. A waste of time and brain power. Meanwhile.....The students are counting the minutes till they can get back home and play the latest version of Madden football on their Playstation 3. We are living in a time where it would be foolish for us to ignore the effects that gaming can have on our students learning.
If anything one of gaming's greatest qualities is grabbing the students attention. Believe me teachers, that 1991 VHS movie you still have of the planets......it's not going to do the trick. We have to take student interest in gaming seriously and figure out ways to incorporate it into some of our problem based learning activities. If there is anything I've learned about students it's they are only going to pay attention to you if they find you or something about you interesting. Gaming is a great way to tap into our students interest and to discuss problems and solutions.
Some resources on the subject:
http://www.futureofeducation.com/forum/topics/computer-games-as-educational
http://www.articlesbase.com/computer-games-articles/educational-computer-games-as-effective-learning-tools-904236.html
http://seayj.people.cofc.edu/cb/simgames.html?referrer=webcluster&
I find my old recollections of my memories to be much like how some teachers feel about gaming in school, versus how the students feel about gaming. Teachers are often afraid that the students are just having fun or not really getting anything from what they are doing. A waste of time and brain power. Meanwhile.....The students are counting the minutes till they can get back home and play the latest version of Madden football on their Playstation 3. We are living in a time where it would be foolish for us to ignore the effects that gaming can have on our students learning.
If anything one of gaming's greatest qualities is grabbing the students attention. Believe me teachers, that 1991 VHS movie you still have of the planets......it's not going to do the trick. We have to take student interest in gaming seriously and figure out ways to incorporate it into some of our problem based learning activities. If there is anything I've learned about students it's they are only going to pay attention to you if they find you or something about you interesting. Gaming is a great way to tap into our students interest and to discuss problems and solutions.
Some resources on the subject:
http://www.futureofeducation.com/forum/topics/computer-games-as-educational
http://www.articlesbase.com/computer-games-articles/educational-computer-games-as-effective-learning-tools-904236.html
http://seayj.people.cofc.edu/cb/simgames.html?referrer=webcluster&
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Essential Questions
The questions below are my first try at some Essential Questions for my Technology in Education courses at National Louis University.
Who are you?
What do you think she is thinking?
What makes a good artist?
Is this good music?
How long will he live?
When will it all end?
How do you love someone?
How do you know you love someone?
What is the meaning of life?
Is it all worth it?
Can I really make a difference?
What is the point?
Is there a God?
Does he really care?
Why does he let bad things happen?
What happens when we die?
Do dogs go to heaven?
Do the good really die young?
Why are some people luckier than others?
Why do people seek out the companionship of others?
These are my first tries so be gentle.
Who are you?
What do you think she is thinking?
What makes a good artist?
Is this good music?
How long will he live?
When will it all end?
How do you love someone?
How do you know you love someone?
What is the meaning of life?
Is it all worth it?
Can I really make a difference?
What is the point?
Is there a God?
Does he really care?
Why does he let bad things happen?
What happens when we die?
Do dogs go to heaven?
Do the good really die young?
Why are some people luckier than others?
Why do people seek out the companionship of others?
These are my first tries so be gentle.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
The evaluation of students' use of technology tools.
Upon looking at the scaling rubric provided by my professor at NLU, two important thoughts come to mind. 1. How do you seriously evaluate a student's work using a set of numbers and specific criteria. I will not be speaking for any of my colleagues I'm sure, but in my own personal opinion this is a very difficult thing to do, and there are always certain students who you can not grade using Bloom's WHATEVER! Everybody in the education world now is all about rubrics, test, and the next big educational philosopher. Here is my question..... What happened to personal attention and mentor ship? To me the the assessment of a student's work is plain and simple. It's the final product. Did the student do what I asked them to do and how did they go about making that happen? These are things that cannot be measured, correctly anyway, with the use of a rubric or test. It can only truly be a meaningful educational experience for the student if there is a very real feeling of one on one mentor ship. Meaning this, the teacher demonstrates how to properly do things. They break it down into how they themselves would go about finishing a project. Then they guide the student through the creation progress. They must be careful not to crush the creativity of a student because more than likely the student will come up with their own solutions to a problem. This is what we want as educators! To teach the students HOW to learn. Not to make them memorize the way we would do things, but rather teach them how to come up with there own solutions through trial and error. This is how real life works.
2.Why is everyone so worried about giving students a number that represents there success. I know it may seem like I'm on a soap box here, but what are we really teaching our students. That you need to do this or that to get a good grade, or score? Or, that projects and problems are solved with careful thinking planning and are not ever finished just because you got a B on it. There used to be a sense of pride and responsibility in doing a good job at anything. Getting it as perfect as you can and taking the time necessary to do so. Many times are students are thinking to themselves.... Well, I only have to do this and this to get a decent grade. Where as in the past, there was more time spent on the small details of a project instead of the Final product. I can't help but be afraid that with all the rubrics, and standardized testing that we are raising a generation of ROBOTS! "Do as we tell you, or you will not PASS!" That's enough to scare anyone into not thinking for themselves!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/04/eveningnews/main1472010.shtml
http://www.gallup.com/poll/19552/testing-testing-schools-too-much.aspx
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED430052&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED430052
2.Why is everyone so worried about giving students a number that represents there success. I know it may seem like I'm on a soap box here, but what are we really teaching our students. That you need to do this or that to get a good grade, or score? Or, that projects and problems are solved with careful thinking planning and are not ever finished just because you got a B on it. There used to be a sense of pride and responsibility in doing a good job at anything. Getting it as perfect as you can and taking the time necessary to do so. Many times are students are thinking to themselves.... Well, I only have to do this and this to get a decent grade. Where as in the past, there was more time spent on the small details of a project instead of the Final product. I can't help but be afraid that with all the rubrics, and standardized testing that we are raising a generation of ROBOTS! "Do as we tell you, or you will not PASS!" That's enough to scare anyone into not thinking for themselves!
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/04/04/eveningnews/main1472010.shtml
http://www.gallup.com/poll/19552/testing-testing-schools-too-much.aspx
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED430052&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED430052
Monday, January 25, 2010
Tech Skills Integration
Many times as a technology teacher I have found myself trying to justify the teaching of technology skills (Typing, Software Instruction, etc.) as separate entities from everyday lessons in the classroom. I do believe that there is a time and place for both integration and stand alone technology lessons, but maybe it's because I teach at a elementary school that I find the need to have more lessons on the technology itself. I have found that some of the teachers at my school are quick to say things like type this document up in a word document. Now, this might seem like a no brainer to the teacher because they feel like they are teaching their students how to use technology as a tool to help them with their work. Then, they get every body's word documents and look with horror as their students have created documents with strange fonts, font size, improper titles and headings, and no paragraph indention. Not to mention that the students pecked it out with one finger and it took them twice as long to complete their document because they have never developed any typing skills. I have come to find that when teaching elementary age students you can never assume that students know how to use certain technology we take for granted properly. It is necessary to show students how to use any tool. You wouldn't give a table saw to a 10 year old and say, "cut this piece of wood. Make sure it's a clean cut because you only get one chance!" Although this may not seem like the same thing as telling a child to type up a word document, but in many ways it is the same. We are asking our students to create a quality product with a tool they have never been trained on. Which means we are setting them up for failure from the beginning. Same as the table saw we are also putting them in danger because we are allowing them the opportunity to develop bad habits they can follow them into high school and beyond. I should know. I still peck around the keyboard with two or three fingers because I was never trained with proper typing skills. So this blog, will take me longer than someone who has received the proper typing training. At the same time we have to be careful to not implement any technology skills into lessons because then students have a hard time understanding that technology is a seriously helpful tool for learning. It is a fine line we walk as educators, but as with the table saw you wouldn't want to teach your students how to cut a piece of wood just for the sake of cutting it. We have to teach that it is a means to an end. We want to show that by having the proper training with tech skills we create something that has meaning and use. Then our students can take that table saw and use it to express their creativity in a proper way.
http://www.libraryinstruction.com/info-tech.html
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/technology/front_tech.htm
http://www.gmu.edu/resources/facstaff/part-time/strategy.html
http://www.libraryinstruction.com/info-tech.html
http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/technology/front_tech.htm
http://www.gmu.edu/resources/facstaff/part-time/strategy.html
My last Awful PD
In my most recent technology cohort class the question was posed to me, "What was my last awful professional development, and why was it so awful?" I immediately laughed to myself because I knew exactly when it was. That same day of course. HA! The same day my professor asked me that question I had attend a CPS Tech Tuesday training on the use of iPods in the classroom. Before I got to the PD I was very exciting about learning something new I could show my teachers and the teacher I had brought with me to the training. What I was hoping for was maybe some new ideas on lessons and teaching strategies that my primary teachers could actually use. I had hyped it up to the 2nd grade teacher I had brought with me, and boy was that a mistake. The ALL DAY LONG PD was basically spent on showing us how to use a iPod. Okay, now I understand that working an iPod might be difficult for some but seriously, COME ON PEOPLE! This is the year 2010! The number of the people that have had no experience with an iPod in this PD was probably 1 out of 50. The entire PD was spent on how to work the different features of the new video iPod. There were no teaching strategies talked about. No real outline for lesson plans. No ideas offered on how to manage the use of iPods in the classroom, or anything of that nature. In fact, some of the best ideas from the PD came from the teachers that were there to learn from the presenter. It made me realize how important it is to think about the PD you are going to give thoroughly, as well as the audience that you are trying to target. It seems to me that PD is best when the presenter has a very specific implementation idea that they want to discuss with the trainees. Anything other than that is just worthless. Then again that's just my opinion.
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