Since we are all no longer in a class which requires blogging, I have been struggling to define my audience. It used to be classmates and (importantly) a teacher...
At this point I guess I am writing mainly to myself just to try to keep up "blogging." Perhaps I can write about other peoples' blogs...
I think this will also become a bit of a journal recording some thoughts and events that occur during my weekly volunteering at Fairview.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Teacher's Tips
Early this morning I've been reading through Melissa Kelly's exhaustive list of tips for teachers. She has lists of everything from strategies for the beginning of the year to discipline matters to tips from veteran teachers. I was a little stand-offish just based on first impressions (this is an ask.com compliation) but Ms. Kelly sure has some ideas that get the brain exercising.
Ideas I found helpful include:
*Check out the classroom equipment before school starts...you don't want to flip on the overhead only to find a burned out bulb while your students wait, and wait, and wait...
This is the kind of thing I would be inclined to overlook.
*"You talk to fast." Most of us new teachers need to slow down. I think we all try to get too much information in, we feel like we're going toooooo slow, we may be boring the students...et al et al. But in this capacity, quality over quantity!
*Become friendly with the person that arranges substitutes...I remember my father (who just recently retired after eons of teaching high school auto/construction) mentioning how he bought the secretary a gift basket at the beginning of the year to win some favor when calling in "sick." Clever.
*Kelly's entire list to make my life easier at first is invaluable. Some of her ideas may seem obvious (learning students' names quickly; have lesson plans for the first week, have an icebreaker for the first day) but many are very, very helpful (be your own best substitute: there's nothing wrong with a little seatwork once in a while).
* Kelly's main page, Teaching 101, is tabbed with topics that will continue to be helpful when it really comes time to design class rules, handling stress, etc. For now these types of readings are helping me reiforce what I already believe works while opening my mind to some new ideas. All of this will be put into practice in about two weeks, when school starts. Since leaving the school district as an employee, I've been volunteering two days a week at my neighborhood school, Fairview (a wonderful place). These ideas and tips will also help me fine tune and reshape, where necessary, my philosophy of teaching.
I think some of these lists we've examined through our class readings are the kind worth printing out. Sometimes all it takes to boost your energy or motivation is a light list of tips that refesh and remind you that you're not the only one out there. Ms. Kelly even includes a list of the top inspirational books and movies for teachers!
Ideas I found helpful include:
*Check out the classroom equipment before school starts...you don't want to flip on the overhead only to find a burned out bulb while your students wait, and wait, and wait...
This is the kind of thing I would be inclined to overlook.
*"You talk to fast." Most of us new teachers need to slow down. I think we all try to get too much information in, we feel like we're going toooooo slow, we may be boring the students...et al et al. But in this capacity, quality over quantity!
*Become friendly with the person that arranges substitutes...I remember my father (who just recently retired after eons of teaching high school auto/construction) mentioning how he bought the secretary a gift basket at the beginning of the year to win some favor when calling in "sick." Clever.
*Kelly's entire list to make my life easier at first is invaluable. Some of her ideas may seem obvious (learning students' names quickly; have lesson plans for the first week, have an icebreaker for the first day) but many are very, very helpful (be your own best substitute: there's nothing wrong with a little seatwork once in a while).
* Kelly's main page, Teaching 101, is tabbed with topics that will continue to be helpful when it really comes time to design class rules, handling stress, etc. For now these types of readings are helping me reiforce what I already believe works while opening my mind to some new ideas. All of this will be put into practice in about two weeks, when school starts. Since leaving the school district as an employee, I've been volunteering two days a week at my neighborhood school, Fairview (a wonderful place). These ideas and tips will also help me fine tune and reshape, where necessary, my philosophy of teaching.
I think some of these lists we've examined through our class readings are the kind worth printing out. Sometimes all it takes to boost your energy or motivation is a light list of tips that refesh and remind you that you're not the only one out there. Ms. Kelly even includes a list of the top inspirational books and movies for teachers!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Teaching with Technology...or teaching the same old way just with a computer!
Our major qwest over the past four weeks was to learn about technology. Not just any technology, but the programs and internet resources and tools that could help us become more organized, more effective, more interesting teachers and people.
I was fascinated by what we discovered. Many of us were frustrated because the learning curve was quite high. We were most of us in uncharted waters.
What interests me at this point is why this is the case for so many teachers. Aren't we supposed to be living in the age of technology? I often think of how the teachers with whom I've worked in the past would react to a professional development program about teaching with technology (they would be horrified, stubborn, resistant, all but a few). I began to wonder if I was the only one who thought most teachers are WAAAAAAAAY behind...even lacking....in this area.
I discovered I am not. Whole research has been done on this very topic, and what it has revealed is that teachers have not integrated technology into the classroom effectively at all.
Our reading on teaching with technology provided many insights on why teachers, as a whole, have been so resistant to really delving into what's out there. I really appreciated Nancy Salvato's reminder to us that the goal of schools is to ensure everyone has equal access to learning opportunities; schools, therefore, must provide the same tools and information across all socio-economic levels and that means technology!!
"Teachers have a responsibility to learn how to use computers and other devices so as not to put their students at a disadvantage," says Salvato, and I couldn't agree more. What a great way to remind ourselves to keep pushing to really learn and integrate all these new technologies. Aren't we all here to do the best we can for these future generations? Salvato brought up reasons many of us have been resistant to change: fear & dislike of change;
feeling intimidated by computers; resistant to taking advantage of technology in everyday life, and on and on. But I think we just need to get over it and move on. In order to do so, however, teachers need help...
As Les Foltos argued in our reading, "If we expect teachers to use technology in ways that enrich and enhance student achievement, we must provide them with the professional development they need to develop the confidence and skills to apply technology, and an understanding of how technology supports standards-based education."
A start to such understanding came in some more reading, in which Hooper and Reiber pointed out that we wouldn't expect doctors or dentists to be using the same technology they did 50 years ago, but that most teachers would feel perfectly comfortable in a classroom back in 1960 because not much has really changed! The authors provide an excellent education for teachers on the difference between idea and product technologies. Without good idea technology and effort by the part of teachers, product technologies like computers are really not effective. So the issue is not getting more computers, but teaching teachers how to best use them.
Some of the lingering thoughts I have on this issue is how do teachers get ahold of some of this great and wonderful professional development we need? Administrators, school boards, district offices and the general old public really all have to get behind teachers in this area. There are just so many fingers in the cookie jar here that getting everyone on board is a major challenge. So what might help? Bargaining? Grant-writing by individual teachers? Peer learning/coaching to avoid everyone else? Just being the squeaky wheel?
I was fascinated by what we discovered. Many of us were frustrated because the learning curve was quite high. We were most of us in uncharted waters.
What interests me at this point is why this is the case for so many teachers. Aren't we supposed to be living in the age of technology? I often think of how the teachers with whom I've worked in the past would react to a professional development program about teaching with technology (they would be horrified, stubborn, resistant, all but a few). I began to wonder if I was the only one who thought most teachers are WAAAAAAAAY behind...even lacking....in this area.
I discovered I am not. Whole research has been done on this very topic, and what it has revealed is that teachers have not integrated technology into the classroom effectively at all.
Our reading on teaching with technology provided many insights on why teachers, as a whole, have been so resistant to really delving into what's out there. I really appreciated Nancy Salvato's reminder to us that the goal of schools is to ensure everyone has equal access to learning opportunities; schools, therefore, must provide the same tools and information across all socio-economic levels and that means technology!!
"Teachers have a responsibility to learn how to use computers and other devices so as not to put their students at a disadvantage," says Salvato, and I couldn't agree more. What a great way to remind ourselves to keep pushing to really learn and integrate all these new technologies. Aren't we all here to do the best we can for these future generations? Salvato brought up reasons many of us have been resistant to change: fear & dislike of change;
feeling intimidated by computers; resistant to taking advantage of technology in everyday life, and on and on. But I think we just need to get over it and move on. In order to do so, however, teachers need help...
As Les Foltos argued in our reading, "If we expect teachers to use technology in ways that enrich and enhance student achievement, we must provide them with the professional development they need to develop the confidence and skills to apply technology, and an understanding of how technology supports standards-based education."
A start to such understanding came in some more reading, in which Hooper and Reiber pointed out that we wouldn't expect doctors or dentists to be using the same technology they did 50 years ago, but that most teachers would feel perfectly comfortable in a classroom back in 1960 because not much has really changed! The authors provide an excellent education for teachers on the difference between idea and product technologies. Without good idea technology and effort by the part of teachers, product technologies like computers are really not effective. So the issue is not getting more computers, but teaching teachers how to best use them.
Some of the lingering thoughts I have on this issue is how do teachers get ahold of some of this great and wonderful professional development we need? Administrators, school boards, district offices and the general old public really all have to get behind teachers in this area. There are just so many fingers in the cookie jar here that getting everyone on board is a major challenge. So what might help? Bargaining? Grant-writing by individual teachers? Peer learning/coaching to avoid everyone else? Just being the squeaky wheel?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
firefighters
Really saddened to learn some of the firefighters that passed last 
week were SOU students. Took me back to the summer of 1999 when I worked with the Winema Hotshots...amazing how dangerous it is...but so fun...so different...
week were SOU students. Took me back to the summer of 1999 when I worked with the Winema Hotshots...amazing how dangerous it is...but so fun...so different...Many thoughts are 
with the families of those lost....
with the families of those lost....This was us back then...
Philosophy of Teaching
A reflective philosophy of teaching should really be a work in progress...something that the teacher continually examines and refines over the years. I wonder how many teachers in our district have a written statement of philosophy on hand?
I was lucky to take a year's worth of teacher prep classes through Concordia and I've written and rewritten my philosophy of teaching (I wonder how to link it here??). Through our required readings, I've examined some great guides to refining this philosophy. I found the CRLT's rubric extra helpful because it explicitly defines what you should have in your statement, as well as an idea of how detailed you should be. I also found that the U of Saskatchewan's learning center for teachers essentially walked you through creating your statement (very, very, very helpful). I've read many examples of teachers' statements and I liked how some are more informal than others.
Some examples are very scholarly; I believe teachers should approach this project as a scholarly exercise, but I think really lending your personal touch helps readers view it as your own philosophy (rather than just another boring essay). Overall, I think a statement of philosophy should really include what you thinks works, what you really believe in, and what you actually do in the classroom as opposed to a recitiation of what you think employers or parents would want to read.
Gabriela Montell offers some practical tips for creating your philosophy that I plan to use by bringing my statement out of storage and reviewing to see if I have too many pages, if I have made any empty statements, and if I have really adopted a tone of humility.
I think your classroom blog or website is a perfect place to link your teaching philosophy. That way parents, administrators and other teachers can read about your beliefs and practices...another great step in creating more transparency in the classroom.
Last litte note on teachers' statements: I think it's great and wonderful and easy for us students to craft a philosophy (especially if we have some experience in the classroom) but I think it will be a challenge to continually reflect over the years. Once you get into a routine, it's difficult to critically examine yourself and your work and who has time to sit around reflecting and crafting and writing philosophies? Of course, however, it's essential to do such reflecting in order to grow and keep up on your game.
I think maintaining a blog would give you an advantage when it comes time to rewrite and rexamine your philosophy, because it's a place you can delve into teaching issues and practices and beliefs...and a place to read others' practices and beliefs to incorporate into your own.
I was lucky to take a year's worth of teacher prep classes through Concordia and I've written and rewritten my philosophy of teaching (I wonder how to link it here??). Through our required readings, I've examined some great guides to refining this philosophy. I found the CRLT's rubric extra helpful because it explicitly defines what you should have in your statement, as well as an idea of how detailed you should be. I also found that the U of Saskatchewan's learning center for teachers essentially walked you through creating your statement (very, very, very helpful). I've read many examples of teachers' statements and I liked how some are more informal than others.
Some examples are very scholarly; I believe teachers should approach this project as a scholarly exercise, but I think really lending your personal touch helps readers view it as your own philosophy (rather than just another boring essay). Overall, I think a statement of philosophy should really include what you thinks works, what you really believe in, and what you actually do in the classroom as opposed to a recitiation of what you think employers or parents would want to read.
Gabriela Montell offers some practical tips for creating your philosophy that I plan to use by bringing my statement out of storage and reviewing to see if I have too many pages, if I have made any empty statements, and if I have really adopted a tone of humility.
I think your classroom blog or website is a perfect place to link your teaching philosophy. That way parents, administrators and other teachers can read about your beliefs and practices...another great step in creating more transparency in the classroom.
Last litte note on teachers' statements: I think it's great and wonderful and easy for us students to craft a philosophy (especially if we have some experience in the classroom) but I think it will be a challenge to continually reflect over the years. Once you get into a routine, it's difficult to critically examine yourself and your work and who has time to sit around reflecting and crafting and writing philosophies? Of course, however, it's essential to do such reflecting in order to grow and keep up on your game.
I think maintaining a blog would give you an advantage when it comes time to rewrite and rexamine your philosophy, because it's a place you can delve into teaching issues and practices and beliefs...and a place to read others' practices and beliefs to incorporate into your own.
Monday, August 11, 2008
power point
I am going to have to have a Melissa moment here and express my frustration at technology. You would think the newest version of Microsoft would include PowerPoint, but I can't find it (just got a new computer this spring...can only find PowerPoint Viewer, but that doesn't let you create power points) and so went to download a free trial version. Estimated time to download was 27 HOURS!! So far this morning the plan was just to finish up what I started in class last week. One hour in and no progress at all. So giving up and will just have to finish by coming early to class and hammering it out. I am not going to sit at the computer and fight with it all morning when there is laundry, dishes, watering, cleaning, organizing, et al to finish on my day off.
How all this relates to our future profession is what is a teacher to do if she desires to utilize her technology training but lacks the necessary equipment? I assume most teachers have decent computers, but do most classrooms have computer projectors (so the power point could be projected for the kids to see?) In my 5 years experience classrooms were not equipped with such. As my classmates have mentioned, most teachers don't have time to jump through all these hoops to use extra technology. Most teachers with whom I have worked keep everything in good old fashioned file folders.
I am open to making the best use of what we are learning but in the face of 27-hour downloading times I am looking in other directions!
How all this relates to our future profession is what is a teacher to do if she desires to utilize her technology training but lacks the necessary equipment? I assume most teachers have decent computers, but do most classrooms have computer projectors (so the power point could be projected for the kids to see?) In my 5 years experience classrooms were not equipped with such. As my classmates have mentioned, most teachers don't have time to jump through all these hoops to use extra technology. Most teachers with whom I have worked keep everything in good old fashioned file folders.
I am open to making the best use of what we are learning but in the face of 27-hour downloading times I am looking in other directions!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
to blog or not to blog...
Our class has really been struggling with the whole idea of blogging as teachers. I've been trying to look through some other professional blogs in order to get a better grasp on the possibilities. In the meantime, here's my list of the benefits and detractions that go along with keeping a professional blog (as a teacher).
Overall I feel the benefits and possibilities for professional growth, communication with parents and interaction with colleagues far outweigh the detractions...
Benefits of keeping a teacher's or classroom blog:
*The #1 most valuable aspect is increased possibility of communication with parents and students. This applies no matter what grade level you teach. Any way you can reach more parents and involve them with what you're doing is valuable. I looked over my neighborhood school's website and saw how an interactive blog could provide all the same information plus so much more. We struggle every year to involve more parents because it benefits the kids' learning to have parents and teachers on the same page.
*Along the same thread, making what we're doing in the classroom more transparent to parents and the community is a benefit to keeping a blog. We as teachers want to diffuse the myth of the "black box" and keeping a blog is a great way to let everyone know just what the class is doing, your philosophy of teaching, etc. Along the same lines are the benefits of showing a little of yourself: by adding a personal touch you can create a more comfortable relationship with parents.
* A huge benefit of blogging, and of reading blogs, is increased professional growth and development. Personal and professionl reflection leads to growth. Blogging is a great way to reflect and think about what is working in your classroom and what needs improvement. Reading other professional blogs keeps you updated on new ideas and can refresh a tired mind.
The possibilities for peer learning and teaching are endless in this medium.
* The ability to tap into other online resources through your blog is invaluable. This applies to you as the teacher, your colleagues, parents and students. Your blog could be the place they go to get links to parents resources, learning studies, online libraries, and more.
Some detractions and roadblocks on which I've been reflecting:
*The broadband gap: the lack of a functional internet connection to all parents is a problem if you are trying to reach them through your blog. I personally really struggle with blog reading and frustration because I have a very slow internet connection. I end up spending WAY to much time trying to load pages and then just give up because I'm running late, etc. In my neighborhood school (many low SES families here) a teacher's blog may not reach everyone for whom it's intended.
*The fine line between teacher/friend can be blurred through the blog process.
* Some districts or administrators may impose certain restrictions on teachers' blogs. See this great essay about this topic for more.
* Time spent maintaining your blog could detract from time developing face-to-face relationships with peers and parents or could detract from peer/professional development. I think as a teacher I would set a specific block of time each week for blogging so I could manage this issue and keep a balance between online and face-to-face interaction.
Once again, the benefits of starting and updating your classroom blog FAR outweigh any detractions of doing so. I feel many of the negative issues about which our class has been worried are manageable and that as teachers, we have control over what we are doing. That means if we really believe in keeping a blog, we can make it happen and make it very successful.
The more we examine and model other successful blogs or websites the better prepared we will be to host our own. I personally will be going for it!
Overall I feel the benefits and possibilities for professional growth, communication with parents and interaction with colleagues far outweigh the detractions...
Benefits of keeping a teacher's or classroom blog:
*The #1 most valuable aspect is increased possibility of communication with parents and students. This applies no matter what grade level you teach. Any way you can reach more parents and involve them with what you're doing is valuable. I looked over my neighborhood school's website and saw how an interactive blog could provide all the same information plus so much more. We struggle every year to involve more parents because it benefits the kids' learning to have parents and teachers on the same page.
*Along the same thread, making what we're doing in the classroom more transparent to parents and the community is a benefit to keeping a blog. We as teachers want to diffuse the myth of the "black box" and keeping a blog is a great way to let everyone know just what the class is doing, your philosophy of teaching, etc. Along the same lines are the benefits of showing a little of yourself: by adding a personal touch you can create a more comfortable relationship with parents.
* A huge benefit of blogging, and of reading blogs, is increased professional growth and development. Personal and professionl reflection leads to growth. Blogging is a great way to reflect and think about what is working in your classroom and what needs improvement. Reading other professional blogs keeps you updated on new ideas and can refresh a tired mind.
The possibilities for peer learning and teaching are endless in this medium.
* The ability to tap into other online resources through your blog is invaluable. This applies to you as the teacher, your colleagues, parents and students. Your blog could be the place they go to get links to parents resources, learning studies, online libraries, and more.
Some detractions and roadblocks on which I've been reflecting:
*The broadband gap: the lack of a functional internet connection to all parents is a problem if you are trying to reach them through your blog. I personally really struggle with blog reading and frustration because I have a very slow internet connection. I end up spending WAY to much time trying to load pages and then just give up because I'm running late, etc. In my neighborhood school (many low SES families here) a teacher's blog may not reach everyone for whom it's intended.
*The fine line between teacher/friend can be blurred through the blog process.
* Some districts or administrators may impose certain restrictions on teachers' blogs. See this great essay about this topic for more.
* Time spent maintaining your blog could detract from time developing face-to-face relationships with peers and parents or could detract from peer/professional development. I think as a teacher I would set a specific block of time each week for blogging so I could manage this issue and keep a balance between online and face-to-face interaction.
Once again, the benefits of starting and updating your classroom blog FAR outweigh any detractions of doing so. I feel many of the negative issues about which our class has been worried are manageable and that as teachers, we have control over what we are doing. That means if we really believe in keeping a blog, we can make it happen and make it very successful.
The more we examine and model other successful blogs or websites the better prepared we will be to host our own. I personally will be going for it!
Saturday, July 26, 2008
multiple intelligence...more thoughts on a great topic
Like many of my peers, I have had lots of experience with Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligence. One of the best ways to understand MI theory is to take a MI test yourself and identify your own strengths and weaknesses. I am strong in the visual/spatial intelligence but weak in math/logic. It is important for me to know and understand my intelligences so that I can make the most out of learning experiences by adjusting and adapting. It is vital, utterly important, totally necessary, for teachers to understand and incorporate this theory in the classroom--even though it defeats a major aspect of current education, the standards & accountability movement!
Some questions I am pondering are:
~How does MI relate to NCLB and standards?
~What is the best balance between using learning centers and exploration & direct instruction and memorization?
~How to avoid improper & inappropriate labelling while still providing necessary & appropriate recognition of exceptional learners?
~How to encourage & develop each child's strengths/weaknesses while still imparting the importance of performance & adaptability (outside of one's comfort zone) in our American society? (We value independence, competition, determination, self-sufficiency--these are not necessarily compatible with each multiple intelligence. Children, however, should also learn to be critical thinkers & be able to recognize when they may need to adapt to get the most out of the situation. There is something to be said for memorizing your multiplication table.)
~What are the most effective & fair methods of assessment? Using MI theory, teachers teach and assess differently based on individual intellectual strengths and weaknesses. I feel it would be an overwhelming challenge to assess every student according to his own strengths/weaknesses, although I know there are some helpful rubrics which can be effective. I think rubrics incorporating assessments in all the intelligences would be helpful for both teacher and student. Students should be able to see areas in which they can improve/be aware of their strengths/weaknesses. But students do need some "real life" assessments as well...it can't be all "fru-fru la la, everyone is special in their own way."
I feel very confident that I can properly incorporate MI theory in my classroom. I have worked in classrooms that use learning centers and they are very effective for reaching many intelligences. I really appreciated Concept to Classroom's implementation section on MI. This is a wonderful resource for new teachers who have little experience setting up and using learning centers. WOW! It's just such a great resource, and everything's all in one place. I think all educators should do professional development using this workshop!! I do not believe incorporating MI theory, on a large or small scale, is impractical, as some critics say, because I have seen it in action even in large, overcrowded classrooms with children in all ability levels and backgrounds.
I think we could talk about this theory for hours!
Some questions I am pondering are:
~How does MI relate to NCLB and standards?
~What is the best balance between using learning centers and exploration & direct instruction and memorization?
~How to avoid improper & inappropriate labelling while still providing necessary & appropriate recognition of exceptional learners?
~How to encourage & develop each child's strengths/weaknesses while still imparting the importance of performance & adaptability (outside of one's comfort zone) in our American society? (We value independence, competition, determination, self-sufficiency--these are not necessarily compatible with each multiple intelligence. Children, however, should also learn to be critical thinkers & be able to recognize when they may need to adapt to get the most out of the situation. There is something to be said for memorizing your multiplication table.)
~What are the most effective & fair methods of assessment? Using MI theory, teachers teach and assess differently based on individual intellectual strengths and weaknesses. I feel it would be an overwhelming challenge to assess every student according to his own strengths/weaknesses, although I know there are some helpful rubrics which can be effective. I think rubrics incorporating assessments in all the intelligences would be helpful for both teacher and student. Students should be able to see areas in which they can improve/be aware of their strengths/weaknesses. But students do need some "real life" assessments as well...it can't be all "fru-fru la la, everyone is special in their own way."
I feel very confident that I can properly incorporate MI theory in my classroom. I have worked in classrooms that use learning centers and they are very effective for reaching many intelligences. I really appreciated Concept to Classroom's implementation section on MI. This is a wonderful resource for new teachers who have little experience setting up and using learning centers. WOW! It's just such a great resource, and everything's all in one place. I think all educators should do professional development using this workshop!! I do not believe incorporating MI theory, on a large or small scale, is impractical, as some critics say, because I have seen it in action even in large, overcrowded classrooms with children in all ability levels and backgrounds.
I think we could talk about this theory for hours!
VLIB and planet PDF
I greatly appreciated the PDF tutorial and discussion on planet PDF regarding the creation and storage of PDFs, just because it was interesting to think about major corporations or the government losing very important information just because of improper storage! Plus it was just weird to think about long term storage of internet documents. Very relevant to our future...but not too relevant to using this in the classroom...so onwards...
In the classroom being able to access online books and PDFs would be helpful anytime you needed to reference a title (but perhaps didn't need the entire book or have time to run to the library) and it would be great for accessing such info during class discussions, when you needed the info on the spot. Or perhaps you just wanted to print a paragraph out of a story to use for a writing topic...you could just click and print. Very effecient.
I also think this website would be helpful for professional development and teacher education...
The VILB website is a huge resource. The possibilities for classroom application are endless. The aspect of this resource I most appreciated was access to real research. It seems like many of the sites we regularly access are not giving us real research as opposed to newspaper articles, opinions, et. al. The VLIB resource provides so much factual information. For example, if my students were doing country or state reports, I could use the VLIB to find the best factual information sites (such as census reports and government information) and give the list to my students. That way my students are using factual information rather than just googling "Oregon population" and using the first thing they find. This resource is invaluable, because as we all know, not everything on the internet is true (no!?! really??!!). The VLIB is not as user friendly as some sites, but with plenty of exploration I believe it will be a very, very helpful resource for any number of classroom projects.
In the classroom being able to access online books and PDFs would be helpful anytime you needed to reference a title (but perhaps didn't need the entire book or have time to run to the library) and it would be great for accessing such info during class discussions, when you needed the info on the spot. Or perhaps you just wanted to print a paragraph out of a story to use for a writing topic...you could just click and print. Very effecient.
I also think this website would be helpful for professional development and teacher education...
The VILB website is a huge resource. The possibilities for classroom application are endless. The aspect of this resource I most appreciated was access to real research. It seems like many of the sites we regularly access are not giving us real research as opposed to newspaper articles, opinions, et. al. The VLIB resource provides so much factual information. For example, if my students were doing country or state reports, I could use the VLIB to find the best factual information sites (such as census reports and government information) and give the list to my students. That way my students are using factual information rather than just googling "Oregon population" and using the first thing they find. This resource is invaluable, because as we all know, not everything on the internet is true (no!?! really??!!). The VLIB is not as user friendly as some sites, but with plenty of exploration I believe it will be a very, very helpful resource for any number of classroom projects.
emotions & learning
One of our recommended readings, The Emotional Basis of Learning, by Norboru Kobayashi, MD, sparked a flame that has been just a flicker lately. While I was attending UO and teaching preschool, I was extremely interested in Robert Slywester's research on the brain and how emotions affect learning. Dr. Slywester is an Emeritus Professor of Education at UO and his research on how stress affects the brain (and thus, learning) is fascinating. But since leaving college, my reading and research on this topic has ground to a halt.
Fortunately Dr. Dunleavy chose an article on this very topic and I hope we can delve into this issue together online (since it's probably not going to come up in class).
The overall issue of debate is nature vs. nurture, a topic with which I'm sure we're all familiar. Dr. Kobayashi's argument in The Emotional Basis of Learning is that a "positive and emotionally rich environment is not a luxury but actually a necessity for better education." I couldn't agree more.
What Dr. Slywester has discovered is that the brain cannot absorb new knowledge and create connections when the person is experiencing stress. In my mind I relate his studies to Maslov's hierarchy of needs, in which basic needs must be met before critical thinking and self awareness can occur. I'm fascincated by how the studies of brain development, stress, and emotions relate to learning, and how this research can positively affect our teaching.
I live and work in a very low SES neighborhood, and our elementary school has extremely high turnover rates along with many other problems that go hand-in-hand with low SES. Some parents here have restraining orders; kids come to school without having breakfast or without jackets; kids leave school all of a sudden without saying goodbye or even cleaning out their desk. In this atmosphere, learning is sometimes the very last thing on their minds. In fact, according to the aforementioned research, learning is impossible when stresses like these are present.
As teachers, then, how do we overcome (work with? work around? eliminate? ignore?) such barriers to thinking and learning? I believe a thorough knowledge of how the brain & body systems work and respond to stress is the first step for teachers. Research on brain function and learning should be required in professional development for teachers on a continual basis (as such research grows and evolves). Why don't states and disticts fund this kind of development currently? I believe there is still too much public controversy over nature vs. nurture. Some people do not accept the idea that students CAN overcome a poor headstart by having access to a nurturing, loving environment.
In the classroom I've seen teachers dealing with this issue by providing the emotional support and nurturing that's missing in the home. This is a HUGE challenge. It is extremely difficult to give that much of yourself to every student, year after year. According to research, however, it is essential that we do just that.
Check out these links for interesting & additional info:
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/sylwester3.htm
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS286&q=author:%22Sylwester%22+intitle:%22A+Biological+Brain+in+a+Cultural+Classroom:+Enhancing+...%22+&um=1&ie=UTF-8&oi=scholarr
Fortunately Dr. Dunleavy chose an article on this very topic and I hope we can delve into this issue together online (since it's probably not going to come up in class).
The overall issue of debate is nature vs. nurture, a topic with which I'm sure we're all familiar. Dr. Kobayashi's argument in The Emotional Basis of Learning is that a "positive and emotionally rich environment is not a luxury but actually a necessity for better education." I couldn't agree more.
What Dr. Slywester has discovered is that the brain cannot absorb new knowledge and create connections when the person is experiencing stress. In my mind I relate his studies to Maslov's hierarchy of needs, in which basic needs must be met before critical thinking and self awareness can occur. I'm fascincated by how the studies of brain development, stress, and emotions relate to learning, and how this research can positively affect our teaching.
I live and work in a very low SES neighborhood, and our elementary school has extremely high turnover rates along with many other problems that go hand-in-hand with low SES. Some parents here have restraining orders; kids come to school without having breakfast or without jackets; kids leave school all of a sudden without saying goodbye or even cleaning out their desk. In this atmosphere, learning is sometimes the very last thing on their minds. In fact, according to the aforementioned research, learning is impossible when stresses like these are present.
As teachers, then, how do we overcome (work with? work around? eliminate? ignore?) such barriers to thinking and learning? I believe a thorough knowledge of how the brain & body systems work and respond to stress is the first step for teachers. Research on brain function and learning should be required in professional development for teachers on a continual basis (as such research grows and evolves). Why don't states and disticts fund this kind of development currently? I believe there is still too much public controversy over nature vs. nurture. Some people do not accept the idea that students CAN overcome a poor headstart by having access to a nurturing, loving environment.
In the classroom I've seen teachers dealing with this issue by providing the emotional support and nurturing that's missing in the home. This is a HUGE challenge. It is extremely difficult to give that much of yourself to every student, year after year. According to research, however, it is essential that we do just that.
Check out these links for interesting & additional info:
http://www.newhorizons.org/neuro/sylwester3.htm
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&rlz=1G1GGLQ_ENUS286&q=author:%22Sylwester%22+intitle:%22A+Biological+Brain+in+a+Cultural+Classroom:+Enhancing+...%22+&um=1&ie=UTF-8&oi=scholarr
learning to...make the blog more interesting!
We are all working hard in class to learn how to upload images to our blogs. Everyone seems frustrated but I think once we get the hang of it, it will help us all get more out of using blogs. Here is a view of my igoogle page. I chose some graphics, three fun things like the national geographic picture of the day, and the NY Times headlines. As I mentioned, I added a tab for education. It has provided some good links for education news, such as NCLB and other current issues. In the future I am going to add a new tab for education research, because I am interested in sites I can use to make my teaching more effective.
Looking more at this igoogle page, I am brainstorming some more ways I can use this in the class. For example, I can use the quote of the day in the class to stimulate thinking or even for a daily writing exercise...or use the picture of the day for art or critical thinking or just class discussion. This would also be a great way to check daily news updates to use in the classroom as well as in union discussions, colleague interaction, etc. I'm sure even more ideas will come with increased familiarity and use, so that is exciting.
Friday, July 25, 2008
initial thoughts...online ed resources furl & igoogle
with a week's worth of exploring some online educational resources under my belt, i've come to some initial conclusions & thoughts about these resources:
*FURL is a great resource for teachers or any other professional. so far i've been investigating the issue of teacher merit pay, and using furl i've been able to weed out insignificant articles and save relevant ones. this is helping me develop a more comprehensive view of the issue. that way, once i am working as a teacher, i will have solid ground on which to stand as we navigate through this issue (it's currently an issue in oregon and will probably continue to be so when we graduate).
*IGOOGLE is interesting and i have had mixed success using all of the components. i am not too familiar with using spreadsheets, etc and got somewhat lost in cyperspace when navigating to those tools.
the overall issues i am working to overcome using this technology are:
*moving past newspaper articles and insignificant topics and delving deeper into actual research articles for improving teaching: i've had lots of luck with igoogle and furl keeping up with current education issues and news topics, but not so with real research or discussion of methods, lessons, etc. i know they are out there and i'm confident i will find them as we move forward with the class.
*time dedication to exploring these resources: i believe increased familiarity will come with increased use, and thus will follow increased relevance as i more effeciently navigate through the bs and get to the real good stuff. but as a teacher i wonder what the prinicpal would think if he/she always saw me just sitting on the internet during my prep time. i believe with more practice i could incorporate a positive balance between internet researching, maintaining a classroom blog or website, and completing other prep tasks in the classroom.
*reliance on online resources squelching my own creativity: i worry that if every time i need to do a lesson, knowing that i could probably find a wonderful idea online, i would rely too much on these resources to the expense of my own creativity. or, in the same train of thought, how to balance time online using these resources with time spent working in person with collegues to brainstorm and create new programs together. i feel like with limited time it will take a real balancing act and dedication to get quality results from online resources while simultaneously maintaining personal creativity and positive peer/coteaching relationships.
*FURL is a great resource for teachers or any other professional. so far i've been investigating the issue of teacher merit pay, and using furl i've been able to weed out insignificant articles and save relevant ones. this is helping me develop a more comprehensive view of the issue. that way, once i am working as a teacher, i will have solid ground on which to stand as we navigate through this issue (it's currently an issue in oregon and will probably continue to be so when we graduate).
*IGOOGLE is interesting and i have had mixed success using all of the components. i am not too familiar with using spreadsheets, etc and got somewhat lost in cyperspace when navigating to those tools.
the overall issues i am working to overcome using this technology are:
*moving past newspaper articles and insignificant topics and delving deeper into actual research articles for improving teaching: i've had lots of luck with igoogle and furl keeping up with current education issues and news topics, but not so with real research or discussion of methods, lessons, etc. i know they are out there and i'm confident i will find them as we move forward with the class.
*time dedication to exploring these resources: i believe increased familiarity will come with increased use, and thus will follow increased relevance as i more effeciently navigate through the bs and get to the real good stuff. but as a teacher i wonder what the prinicpal would think if he/she always saw me just sitting on the internet during my prep time. i believe with more practice i could incorporate a positive balance between internet researching, maintaining a classroom blog or website, and completing other prep tasks in the classroom.
*reliance on online resources squelching my own creativity: i worry that if every time i need to do a lesson, knowing that i could probably find a wonderful idea online, i would rely too much on these resources to the expense of my own creativity. or, in the same train of thought, how to balance time online using these resources with time spent working in person with collegues to brainstorm and create new programs together. i feel like with limited time it will take a real balancing act and dedication to get quality results from online resources while simultaneously maintaining personal creativity and positive peer/coteaching relationships.
Monday, July 21, 2008
the Burn...not educationally relevant but still very incredible
what happened was:
went to saturday session of class and got out a little early. decided to hurry to medford to see if old navy had swimsuit on sale for little one at home. no luck so bought gas and headed home over hwy 140.
it was hot. my old piece of lovable junk started to overheat. mind you, it was not overheating. the needle was just inching its way up towards the red zone. so being the normal person i am, i pulled over to let it cool off. i, like millions of people the world over, popped the hood to take a look.
unlike millions of people the world over, i had the misfortune of standing directly in front of a (unbeknownst to me) broken radiator. it boiled, it became pressurized, and it exploded.
directly onto me.
i screamed, i ran, i panicked. the hot, steaming, burning anti-freeze burned the living daylights out of me.
luckily for me some lovely, wonderful, saintly folk pulled over to help. they drove me to lake of the woods where i showered off the yucky, sticky, hot radiator fluid. then i really started to panic. the skin was peeling and blistering.
i wound up in the ER and was treated for first and second degree burns over 3% of my body. not 30%, but still a percent! yikes.
we had our final presentation the following monday (only 1 day away!) so i got a ride back over to ashland and tried to overcome and shine. the rest of the week continued to go downhill as i could not sleep, dress, walk, clean, shower, et al.
so thanks everyone for the support. it definitely feels good to vent. and just keep in mind when your car starts to overheat...
went to saturday session of class and got out a little early. decided to hurry to medford to see if old navy had swimsuit on sale for little one at home. no luck so bought gas and headed home over hwy 140.
it was hot. my old piece of lovable junk started to overheat. mind you, it was not overheating. the needle was just inching its way up towards the red zone. so being the normal person i am, i pulled over to let it cool off. i, like millions of people the world over, popped the hood to take a look.
unlike millions of people the world over, i had the misfortune of standing directly in front of a (unbeknownst to me) broken radiator. it boiled, it became pressurized, and it exploded.
directly onto me.
i screamed, i ran, i panicked. the hot, steaming, burning anti-freeze burned the living daylights out of me.
luckily for me some lovely, wonderful, saintly folk pulled over to help. they drove me to lake of the woods where i showered off the yucky, sticky, hot radiator fluid. then i really started to panic. the skin was peeling and blistering.
i wound up in the ER and was treated for first and second degree burns over 3% of my body. not 30%, but still a percent! yikes.
we had our final presentation the following monday (only 1 day away!) so i got a ride back over to ashland and tried to overcome and shine. the rest of the week continued to go downhill as i could not sleep, dress, walk, clean, shower, et al.
so thanks everyone for the support. it definitely feels good to vent. and just keep in mind when your car starts to overheat...
creating igoogle...feeling traitorish
we are now creating our igoogle during our first class session. the first thing i did was look at the art, in order to design my own "theme." but how can it be my own when i chose it out of a list?
regardless, it still made me feel "unique" by adding the beautiful colors. i can see why people like to do such a thing: having your own igoogle somehow makes you feel... connected? unique? intellectual? hip?
then i added a tab. i chose "education" since that is why we are all here. WOW. all of a sudden a million links to education related sites appeared on my igoogle. (are you supposed to call it "my igoogle?")
i really can't believe how many are out there. it makes me feel slightly overwhelmed, like perhaps i am missing something REALLY IMPORTANT.
next i added "gadgets." jokes of the day! confucius quotes of the day! the NY Times! i haven't been up to date on reading the NY times every day since college (5 years ago). my own klamath falls weather! there are pages upon pages of gadgets.
i would never get any work done if i checked my igoogle everyday. what do people do all day long at work? play on igoogle? i can see how it would eat up...no, GOBBLE, precious time out my day that i need to spend interacting with my coworkers and customers, connecting with my family, and reading a real book!
i also can't believe it. i tried to read my confucius quote of the day: it was sponsored by an advertisment! unbelievable. no, very believable. so i will just have to delete poor old confucius.
i am very wary of this igoogle. it's the same reason i cancelled my myspace account: would i rather spend time on the computer or with people? maybe i am missing out on REALLY IMPORTANT things. but maybe i am not.
the only caveat is that the purpose of this is to gain more knowledge and access to resources to help me become a better teacher. so maybe i really need to focus on this and later i will learn to filter the junk. here we go, just me and my igoogle!!
regardless, it still made me feel "unique" by adding the beautiful colors. i can see why people like to do such a thing: having your own igoogle somehow makes you feel... connected? unique? intellectual? hip?
then i added a tab. i chose "education" since that is why we are all here. WOW. all of a sudden a million links to education related sites appeared on my igoogle. (are you supposed to call it "my igoogle?")
i really can't believe how many are out there. it makes me feel slightly overwhelmed, like perhaps i am missing something REALLY IMPORTANT.
next i added "gadgets." jokes of the day! confucius quotes of the day! the NY Times! i haven't been up to date on reading the NY times every day since college (5 years ago). my own klamath falls weather! there are pages upon pages of gadgets.
i would never get any work done if i checked my igoogle everyday. what do people do all day long at work? play on igoogle? i can see how it would eat up...no, GOBBLE, precious time out my day that i need to spend interacting with my coworkers and customers, connecting with my family, and reading a real book!
i also can't believe it. i tried to read my confucius quote of the day: it was sponsored by an advertisment! unbelievable. no, very believable. so i will just have to delete poor old confucius.
i am very wary of this igoogle. it's the same reason i cancelled my myspace account: would i rather spend time on the computer or with people? maybe i am missing out on REALLY IMPORTANT things. but maybe i am not.
the only caveat is that the purpose of this is to gain more knowledge and access to resources to help me become a better teacher. so maybe i really need to focus on this and later i will learn to filter the junk. here we go, just me and my igoogle!!
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