Did you know?

FRIT 7235

     After viewing the Youtube video "Did You Know?," I had a lot of "wow" moments and a lot more "humph" moments. By this, I mean that I was amazed by some of the facts and really taken aback by others. However, I also found the information to be a little dated. One statistic that really made this apparent was the one regarding super-computer abilities. As of 2007, a supercomputer was estimated to be able to out-think the human brain within 6 years...That would be last year. It is amazing to think that we have made it so far. I can remember back to 2006 without much trouble and all the advancements we have made are mind-blowing. Also, the lack of mention of Facebook dated the project. Myspace is ancient compared to Facebook and Facebook makes Myspace looks like child's play.
     In preparing students for the 21st century, we need to be able to assist our kids with more than just how to navigate from page to page and type efficiently. Our students need to know about internet safety, threats, and security. They need to be aware of the permanence of data on the internet and the consequences of actions--especially considering cyber-bullying. Students need to be more self-aware and pay close attention to their actions. Based on the speed at which things are advancing, there is no telling what technology will be like in 10 years--5, even! Just think about the implications that Samsung phones' abilities have--eye tracking, fingerprint reading, voice recognition, and more. What about Google Glass? The ability to wear glasses that do more than we ever imagined computers would do. Our major responsibility should be to educate students how to be responsible, appropriate, and educated users. The focus on skills will only go so far if our students do now know how to be responsible users. We must attempt to be at the forefront of technology.
     Using technology in the classroom can be tricky and there are a lot of safety nets that need to be in place, but it can be done. We simply need the training for the safe and appropriate use of technology in the classroom--whether that be BYOD programs or school-sponsered programs. Teachers who do not use technology may still be excellent teachers, but they may not be performing at their peak ability and they may not be reaching the children in the most effective ways. Students are so accustomed to technology that it is mostly second-nature to them. Although, you may be surprised to find that many students have not been taught how to use technology by somebody who has the know-how. Many of them have discovered how to do things by experimenting and finding out on their own. It is pretty incredible the things they have learned to do. Just imagine what they would be able to do were they trained and taught more effective and efficient ways of using technology--beyond basic computer programs, but on into mobile devices and personal technology. The future could be very bright...or very dark.

Inquiry Learning and a Mini-Lesson

Create a definition of inquiry learning that is meaningful and personal. Easier said than done! Brainstorming the mini-lesson came naturally, since I'm constantly developing lessons on the go as things change. But, coming up with a definition for inquiry learning took a good bit of effort! So, here is the definition I created, feel free to skip over it and just check out my graphic.

Inquiry learning is based on the idea that students need to be in control of their own learning. Students need to to ask questions and develop their own knowledge. Without knowledge, students cannot learn effectively and will be forced to regurgitate pointless information. The difference between meaningful learning and rote memorization is the concept of knowledge. Knowledge is knowing something in a context that allows you to apply it to the world around you. As teachers, we should be able to create an environment that promotes creativity and understanding for different learner types. Students crave understanding, whether they know it or not and they are constantly searching for answers. We as teachers should be able to help them ask those questions and find the answers for themselves. If that requires that we use technology and let the kids do their own thing, so be it. Students should be able to use the world around the, one filled with technology, to find answers on their own. Too often are students given what they want without having to work for it. How are children going to learn anything if they don't have to provide any effort or work in order to get the answers to their questions? In today's world, students are surrounded by technology and should be allowed to use that technology to obtain the answers for their burning questions. Teachers should be able to provide the student with the tools and guide them, as a map would, to their destination.

My full graphic cloud

In order to make this mini-lesson work for my class, I am going to go with something that I will be covering following the CRCT. I love teaching my poetry unit and the students have loved it each year. My poetry unit is always very involved, so the students have a say and can control an aspect of their learning. This allows them to ask questions and discover things they didn't know they wanted to know.

-Authenticity is one of the most important in my mind. If a student doesn't have an authentic connection or care about the topic. What good is going over the material going to do? The student will simply toss the information from their brain when it is no longer applicable--usually after the test. In order to keep the lesson authentic, I want to incorporate music. What better way to get through to the youth than through music?!

-Deep Understanding follows authenticity as it should. How do you make sure the students have a deep understanding of the concepts? Make it applicable and then make it interesting and hands-on. Keep the students involved in their own learning! Through the use of music, figurative language, and imagery, the students should have no problems keeping up and locking this information deep in their knowledge banks.

-Performances of Understanding comes in the form of group-work for my students. They love to challenge each other and see who can win or be better than the others. Well, whatever works, right? I can pit the students against each other when it comes to poetry. They all want to be rappers on the side anyway. So, why not have a requirement of certain poetic elements: form, figurative language, imagery, rhyme scheme, rhythm, etc. Then, have the students judge the work of their peers.

-Assessment can be done in the form of peer or teacher based rubrics. I will probably attempt to combine the two: have a percentage come from the peers (who are often times more harsh than I), a percentage come from a self-assessment, and then finish with my own assessment of their understanding.

-Technology can be incorporated by using YouTube, Podcasts, and music software. The students can create videos to go with their poems, slideshows with the lyrics, or a presentation using twitter or instagram feeds.

-Connecting with experts can be done using interviews with authors, poets, and local musicians. The more likely of the group is the local musicians.

-Success isn't guaranteed, but it never is. The students need to know that they won't always succeed, but that to fail is to come that much closer to succeeding. In order to get this point across, I will need to establish a rule regarding the appropriate presentation of materials for school.

-Ethical citizenship will come into play when the students have to prove that they did not "steal" someone else's lyrics or poetry and present it as their own. They will need to cite sources, provide evidence, and be able to guide others to their muses.

A look back...not too far back, though.

Turns out, I have not been able to keep up with my learning goals as I had originally intended. I have found that the responsibilities of being a teacher are getting in the way of my graduate work. That is not to say that my responsibilities as a teacher are inconvenient, but it is difficult to make time for everything going on. Because of my lack of available time: I have not kept up with my Feedly as intended, I have not completed assignments on time, and now my time spent planning for teaching is suffering. On the other hand, I have been able to keep up with my PLN and expand my Professional Network. My PLN is staying updated and looks better and better everyday! My network of professionals and organizations is growing and I am pulling more resources and ideas from it every day! Sadly, I feel that I may not be as prepared for the responsibilities assigned to me as I originally thought. This is my fourth semester of graduate school and it has been my most difficult; which is really disappointing because I actually enjoy the topics and materials more this semester than the past 2 semesters. But, with the extreme situations going on at my school, I am having to prioritize and my studies are suffering. As often seems to be the case with this class, my feelings go right along with the assignments.

I am having to develop my own growth mindset because of the challenges I am facing. Do I decide to sacrifice one area for another? Yes. Does that mean I completely abandon one and focus fully on the other, essentially giving up? No! I am challenging myself to do better and learn more. Though my graduate work is suffering, my attempts and ideas in the classroom are getting better. I am able to be a more creative teacher and provide the students with new challenges. But, as I said above, my time to plan these things is lacking. As such, they don't always have a smooth take-off and landing. Making these mistakes in both my school and my schooling is discouraging, but they allow me to learn more about myself and my abilities. It is quite the eye-opener. So, to anyone reading, keep the faith. In order to grow and become better, we have to struggle, trip, and fall before we can pick ourselves back up and be better than we were. Learn your limitations and push them to the brink. Be a better person than you were yesterday!

An additional note. I think I need to add a new goal just to make things even more complicated. I need to make a point to spend a few minutes each day working on my goals for this class. I have attempted to make time for my personal goals, my teaching goals, my life goals, but I need to add a time-slot for this class as well. Here's hoping.

On Letting Go

Not only is my title a favorite song title of mine, it is quite appropriate for this week's discussion and reflection. Dr. Wiggins' article could not have come to me at a more convenient time. My school is attempting to shy away from the lecture model--or at least, they want us to stop using it--and I have been selected as the perfect candidate for testing. It would seem that I am the most open-minded educator at my school and am therefore the best option for trying out new methods of teaching. I just finished some LDC training, I'm attempting to incorporate the Khan Academy in my math class, and I've been signed up for this FIP thing that is catching on.

But, back to Dr. Wiggins: his blog talks about taking the responsibility off the teacher and letting the students practice useful methods of learning. In one of my other classes, I am developing my Key Assessment based on this exact concept. I want students to take responsibility for their learning so that the time spent in class can be problem solving and real-world application. In life, bosses and supervisors are not going to walk you through a problem, they expect you to be independent. So, why should we continue to baby students all the way through the 12th grade? We are not helping them by doing so, we are, in fact, hindering their ability to judge their own limits and preventing them for learning how to discover!

I have come across a similar method as described in Dr. Wiggins' blog regarding how students should approach learning. He reference autonomy and the ability to make decisions based on prior experiences. I recently acquired a motorcycle and my license. Well, the manual describes a method for crash avoidance called SEE: Seek, Evaluate, Execute. You have to seek out potential threats, evaluate your movements and those of the people around you, and execute a plan to avoid any negative situations. Well, based on your prior knowledge and experiences--wrecks, tickets, being on the other side of the road--you can use that knowledge to make an assessment. Then, when you have made it through the situation alive, you can reflect on how it went and what you could have done differently. It is no different in the classroom. You have to figure out what the teacher was trying to say, decide how to use it, and then see if it works.

As teachers we need to think more from the students side--if we can. They need to be prepared for this high-stakes test and they need to be prepared for life. However, the students and teachers are all so comfortable with the traditional lecture method, that stepping outside of this box is a bit messy. The students flounder, the teacher doesn't know what to do to help the students by not directly helping the students, the administration is unhappy because they cannot see immediate results when and where they want them. This is supposed to be a gradual thing. Students will not be ready to take matters into their own hands after a day, a week, a month, or maybe even a year! But, the more often the students are able to practice the independent, non-guided method, the more effective it will become later on. We all want the classroom of the future, but we want it given to us without having to do the work--just like our students. Well, it's time to commit to the cause. Do the research, learn the methods, share the experience, and get on with letting go.

Are we slaves to the Google Machine?

So, this week's lesson was all about information searching and credibility. Many of the sources focused on Google tools and search strategies. I found it amazing that many of the strategies and tools listed were not common knowledge! I thought everyone knew how to include specific information, use Google Image searches, and use Google maps to do more than look at people doing stupid things and creep on friend's houses.

In truth, I am a slave to the Google machine. If i want to know something, I Google it. When's the game this weekend? Google. What's the square root of 72,356? Google. My bisabuela just told some guy who was being rude to "Carajo! Besa mi culo, pendejo!" What does that mean? I can't even spell it. I just Google spanish terms and get the spelling close. Warning: that's not a nice phrase. That really did happen, too. I didn't know what she said, so I Googled it and learned that my innocent little grandmother is potty-mouth. I don't tend to google whole questions, like many of my students do and I am pretty efficient at finding my answers, but I don't venture away from Google. As some of the articles said, people don't trust something they are not familiar with. I never use Bing, I rarely use Ask.com, I do use Wikipedia for quick reference items. If I had more than my computer in the classroom, I may do the Google A Day Challenge to help my students become better researchers. Although, I suppose I could challenge them to do the GADC using their phones. Since they love competition, I could do it on my phone and they on theirs. That could work.

Lastly, I liked the satisfy and suffice phrase that Debbie Abilock used in her article, "True--or not." For her, Satisfice was an answer that worked and would work just fine. But, to me satisfice was an answer that satisfied and sacrificed. It worked and satisfied my need for an answer, but I was sacrificing the truth for something that would do well-enough. I think many of us and our students do this. We live in the age of right now, so we want our answers now and we don't really care whether the information is accurate or not.

Assignment #2: Reflections on sources

In reflecting on the 4 sources given, there are a few commonalities. But first, I'd like to bring up my thoughts and feelings after taking a look. Honestly, the articles made me feel a bit exhausted. Brian Alexander's article referred to his schedule of "info-wrangling..."

This part is a bit of a rant, so, feel free to skip ahead...

He mentioned that he attempts to do most of his wrangling before noon. Most days, by noon, I'm as worn out as I can be. I've taught 4 full classes and driven an hour just to get to work. I suppose I could have time for podcasts on my drive, but I would not have time to keep up with the RSS feeds. With all the hats I wear, I teach, I have meetings for at least an hour after school. 5 o'clock PM is my first real break of the day. If I don't have to help coach basketball until 6 or later, I can drive home. By the time I get home, it is time to cook and prepare for the next work day. Then, graduate work gets taken care of. By that time, I'm looking at 10 o'clock. Working an RSS feed as large as Mr. Alexander's would be near impossible for me. My size RSS feed could be handled in the 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there that I find during the day. But, honestly, I don't have time to keep up with the social media that I actually want to keep up with. I like the idea of a PLN, but it seems like it will be hard to maintain.

Sorry for ranting, back to the topic at hand....

The sources given all refer to using "new" ways of teaching to keep things interesting and effective. One article, "Creating Classrooms We Need..." mentioned 8 ways to make your classroom more effective and up-to-date with a coming pedagogical renaissance, as it were. We are shifting to an inquiry based learning environment in many schools across America, which is great... except that the children are not yet prepared for it. Things will be tough until inquiry based learning is started in the lower schools and then continued into the upper. I attempt many of the strategies mentioned in the article and most fail, but some are working--slowly but surely.

Karen Lirenman's "The Journey..." was an interesting read about digital literacy vs. digital fluency. I really liked her analogy to speaking another language and being able to think in another language--which is a hard enough thing to do alone. Like her, many of us are attempting to use more technology in the classroom, but like she wrote: it's not so much about the tool as it is about the use of what you have. My school does not have the tools and most of the kids do not have access to the tools, but with some ingenuity, I can make it work. I've been experimenting with a website called Celly. Cel.ly allows me to text students and them to text me without anyone needing to give away their personal information. I can group students based on classes and they can chat with each other. It has a lot of potential. But, many of the parents and some of the admins are against my using it. There are "too many complications that could arise." So, I'm trying to work through the barriers using what I have.

The Infowhelm video was pretty interesting; lots of facts I did not know. But, the questions in the end are questions I work to answer and get the students involved in all the time. Again though, the students aren't interested in that. They are so accustomed to rote learning, that they can't question and find for themselves. They think they want to be told and given the answers, which may be true. Life is so immediate and right-now that the students don't want to have to work to get the answers. They want to be given what they want without the work involved.

It's tough out there. Hopefully, this class can help me get my head around all of it and make some sense of those 500+ Exabytes of information!

Assignment #1: Re-introduce and Learning Goals

Hey readers, here's what'll be in this post:
1) A quick reminder of who I am.
2) My learning goals for this class.

First off, I'm Richard S. Arenal-Mullen II. I am in my second year of teaching English and math. I graduated from Georgia Southern University with a B.S. in middle grades education. I won teacher of the year this year and am wearing hats on top of hats on top of hats at my school.

On to my learning goals!

For this class, I hope to be able to maintain my PLN, now that I know what one is. My school is working to create something like a PLN with all the faculty. It is mostly in its infant stage at this point; people still working out the kinks, mostly a loose social network using Google as a foundation.  So, I hope that with the creation of a PLN I can help my school develop a better network of professionals and ideas.
I also hope that this class will help me stay on top of all things educational. I had attempted to start a professional network, as it were, a little while ago. But, it never got off the ground and I never remembered to keep it updated. Using this PLN, I can attempt to incorporate more up-to-date educational materials.
Lastly, I hope that through this class, I can extend my professional network. If I am able to extend my personal network, I can gain new ideas and lessons for use in the classroom.

I suppose that's about it for this post.