Our final project: Teaching in the 21st Century
The team:
Denise Ambrose - project manager
Herbert Baker - technicial
Mary Hitt - technical writer

Ted Talk YouTube and Copyright

For this assignment, I needed to watch Margaret Stewart: How YouTube Thinks About Copyright
and provide 3 things I learned, 2 things I agree or disagree with, and 1 question.

3 Things I Learned:

• YouTube performs copyright checks on each video uploaded to their site, which translates into approximately 100 years of video each day. This astonishing amount is compared to millions of reference files already in YouTube.

• Most content owners allow a copy to be uploaded because its generally a good marketing practice - more exposure.

• YouTube describes its site as a creative ecosystem in which amateurs, large corporate studios and everything in between benefit from each other by borrowing content, building on it, recreating it etc. This is how all parties involved can benefit from something going 'viral'.

2 Things I Agree with:

• All parties involved can benefit when something goes viral - including the amateurs. I love the fact that we can all put out great works; that it is no longer the realm of movie and music celebrities. It is a great opportunity for some to give their careers a boost!

• I agree with their system of checking for potential violations and allowing the content owner to set their policies and have the final say. 

Which segues nicely into my question: Will the grayness over video copyright issues ever become clearer? I don't see how it can...but who knows what options are out there, or will be in the future.

It seems especially messy when copyright issues have to be sorted for mash ups!

 

When I become a teacher

Digital storytelling reflection

Digital storytelling could be a powerful tool in the 21st century classroom. As a future science teacher, I can see this being an innovative way for my students to present research analyses as well as instructional videos - an example that comes to mind immediately is a lab safety video created by the outgoing class for the next semester newbies.

According to The Digital World of Storytelling by Jason Ohler, this could be a great tool for educators "...to enhance students' skills in critical thinking, expository writing and media literacy". Rather than submit a report on, say, lightwaves, students could collaborate to come up with a story line about 'Photon Man'. In addition to reporting their research on light waves, this would be a more engaging way to strengthen their writing skills. This form of media also helps students develop their oratory skills, something which becomes increasingly important in the closely connected global workforce.

I also like the fact that this type of project teaches students (and teachers alike) about media literacy.
Ohler states that, "Digital stories provide powerful media literacy learning opportunities because students are involved in the creation and analysis of the media in which they are immersed.". This helps students see how powerfully persuasive today's electronic culture can be.

This is a wonderful way to combine creativity and imagination with factual content and data analyses.

Here is a high school student's digital storytelling project called Following Today

It is not the science oriented type of stories that would be found in my classroom however, it is still a good one. A personal reflection following the Sandy Hook tragedy, a powerful combination of images, music and her words. This is an excellent exercise in written and oral storytelling as well as the persuasive power of digital media.

Webquest: Gas Laws & Reflection

Webquest: Gas Laws
Partner in this project: Jonathan Mitchell


The article, "The Learning Power of Webquests" was used for the following reflection.

This Webquest project was exciting and informative as, once again, I see the multitude of ways the internet can be harnessed in the classroom to change the very way subjects are taught! I love the idea of Learner-Centered Professional Development which, according to the reading, states that, "When teachers facilitate well-designed WebQuests, they gain in-process professional development, moving them toward learning-centered practice. As they internalize and share their experiences, we all benefit."

This type of setting teaches me to focus on my students' learning and how best to engage them rather than focusing on rote memory that does little to inspire the learners, as well as myself.

The three characteristics that I believe my Webquest speaks to are:

• Scaffolded Learning Structure: "...WebQuests aren’t anything new except that they provide a way to integrate sound learning strategies with effective use of the Web." 

  My webquest, Gas Laws, encourages effective use of the web through researching articles, web pages, videos, images etc. and keeping notes in a blog rather than a paper notebook. This provides a richer, more dynamic format in that my students can link everything they've researched in addition to integrating apps and using their creativity to design a applicable site. This also provides an excellent mechanism for homework submissions - everything is on record in one place and, hopefully, in order.

• Individual Expertise: :...WebQuests support differentiation of content and process and give teachers the flexibility to vary final products and classroom routines as needed."

Gas Laws incorporates the use of role play in which students imagine themselves to be aliens studying a human biologic process. They are viewing the lungs from an outside perspective, as if studying a new creature for the first time. How do they go about their task? How do they teach their scientific colleagues about this process, considering they don't know how it works either. Changing their perspective in this way could encourage new questions and a more novel approach to the research.

• Transformative Group Process: "A quick litmus test for the WebQuest’s group process is to ask two questions. First, we ask, Could the answer be copied and pasted? If the answer is no, then we ask, Does the task require students to make something new out of what they have learned?"

Every article, webpage, video the students research for Gas Laws requires some form of feedback, typically a summary in their own words, however, the summary is a lot more involved than it sounds. Students are encouraged to use images, create pictures, incorporate apps or anything else they can find to aid in their summaries. This is more than just a regurgitation of concepts in that they find and use applicable tools and compile the information in their own personalized way.

Finally, the partners collaborate on a final product they will use to "teach" others about what they have learned.

A Rubric for Evaluating WebQuests

The WebQuest format can be applied to a variety of teaching situations. If you take advantage of all the possibilities inherent in the format, your students will have a rich and powerful experience. This rubric will help you pinpoint the ways in which your WebQuest isn't doing everything it could do. If a page seems to fall between categories, feel free to score it with in-between points.

(This refers to the WebQuest page itself, not the external resources linked to it.)

Beginning	Developing	Accomplished	Score
Overall Aesthetics (This refers to the WebQuest page itself, not the external resources linked to it.)
Overall Visual Appeal	0 points There are few or no graphic elements. No variation in layout or typography. OR Color is garish and/or typographic variations are overused and legibility suffers. Background interferes with the readability.	2 points Graphic elements sometimes, but not always, contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. There is some variation in type size, color, and layout.	4 points Appropriate and thematic graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Differences in type size and/or color are used well and consistently.  See Fine Points Checklist.	2. The graphics and fonts can be improved.  The colors clash pretty bad.
Navigation & Flow	0 points Getting through the lesson is confusing and unconventional. Pages can't be found easily and/or the way back isn't clear.	2 points There are a few places where the learner can get lost and not know where to go next.	4 points Navigation is seamless. It is always clear to the learner what all the pieces are and how to get to them.	2. no division of tasks. clear steps provided.
Mechanical Aspects	0 points There are more than 5 broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	1 point There are some broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	2 points No mechanical problems noted.  See Fine Points Checklist.	1. 1 broken link, could use a table to convey info better.
Introduction
Motivational Effectiveness of Introduction	0 points The introduction is purely factual, with no appeal to relevance or social importance OR The scenario posed is transparently bogus and doesn't respect the media literacy of today's learners.	1 point The introduction relates somewhat to the learner's interests and/or describes a compelling question or problem.	2 points The introduction draws the reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's interests or goals and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or problem.	1. It relates but doesn't draw the learner in. Talks more about web research than project focus.
Cognitive Effectiveness of the Introduction	0 points The introduction doesn't prepare the reader for what is to come, or build on what the learner already knows.	1 point The introduction makes some reference to learner's prior knowledge and previews to some extent what the lesson is about.	2 points The introduction builds on learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about.	1. Not sure how to tell prior knowledge but it does give preview on lesson
Task (The task is the end result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting there.)
Connection of Task to Standards	0 points The task is not related to standards.	2 point The task is referenced to standards but is not clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.	4 points The task is referenced to standards and is clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.	3. The goals are fairly clear and standard is referenced in intro.
Cognitive Level of the Task	0 points Task requires simply comprehending or retelling of information found on web pages and answering factual questions.	3 points Task is doable but is limited in its significance to students' lives. The task requires analysis of information and/or putting together information from several sources.	6 points Task is doable and engaging, and elicits thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension. The task requires synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a position, and/or going beyond the data given and making a generalization or creative product. See WebQuest Taskonomy.	4. students present research but will also create a word problem
Process (The process is the step-by-step description of how students will accomplish the task.)
Clarity of Process	0 points Process is not clearly stated. Students would not know exactly what they were supposed to do just from reading this.	2 points Some directions are given, but there is missing information. Students might be confused.	4 points Every step is clearly stated. Most students would know exactly where they are at each step of the process and know what to do next.	4. very clear steps to follow
Scaffolding of Process	0 points The process lacks strategies and organizational tools needed for students to gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are of little significance to one another and/or to the accomplishment of the task.	3 points Strategies and organizational tools embedded in the process are insufficient to ensure that all students will gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Some of the activities do not relate specifically to the accomplishment of the task.	6 points The process provides students coming in at different entry levels with strategies and organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are clearly related and designed to take the students from basic knowledge to higher level thinking. Checks for understanding are built in to assess whether students are getting it. See: Process Guides A Taxonomy of Information Patterns Language Arts Standards and Technology WebQuest Enhancement Tools Reception, Transformation & ProductionScaffolds	5. quizzes and Q/A after each step in the process. One part asks learner to draw a diagram
Richness of Process	0 points Few steps, no separate roles assigned.	1 points Some separate tasks or roles assigned. More complex activities required.	2 points Different roles are assigned to help students understand different perspectives and/or share responsibility in accomplishing the task.	1. group project, no assigned roles
Resources (Note: you should evaluate all resources linked to the page, even if they are in sections other than the Process block. Also note that books, video and other off-line resources can and should be used where appropriate.)
Relevance & Quantity of Resources	0 points Resources provided are not sufficient for students to accomplish the task. OR There are too many resources for learners to look at in a reasonable time.	2 point There is some connection between the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Some resources don't add anything new.	4 points There is a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Every resource carries its weight.	2. resources there but mostly reading. could have vid or pics to help understand
Quality of Resources	0 points Links are mundane. They lead to information that could be found in a classroom encyclopedia.	2 points Some links carry information not ordinarily found in a classroom.	4 points Links make excellent use of the Web's timeliness and colorfulness. Varied resources provide enough meaningful information for students to think deeply.	0. links are mundane. Needs spice.
Evaluation
Clarity of Evaluation Criteria	0 points Criteria for success are not described.	3 points Criteria for success are at least partially described.	6 points Criteria for success are clearly stated in the form of a rubric. Criteria include qualitative as well as quantitative descriptors. The evaluation instrument clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish the task. See Creating a Rubric.	6. rubric is clear on point scheme
Total Score				32/50

Webquest being evaluated:
http://questgarden.com/05/60/0/051020151227/conclusion.htm


Applicable CSO located under Science, Chemistry:

SC.S.C.2 Content of Science

Students will demonstrate knowledge, understanding and applications of scientific facts, concepts, principles, theories and models as delineated in the objectives. demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationships among physics, chemistry, biology, earth/environmental science and astronomy. apply knowledge, understanding and skills of science subject matter/concepts to daily life experiences.

WebQuest

Your Role

___Efficiency Expert

_X__Affiliator

___Altitudinist

___Technophile

Your Impressions

WebQuest	Strengths	Weaknesses
Gorillas	Guiding questions and charts for student and groups to follow	Possibly a little more group activity, overall seemed good
Shakespeare	very organized. each member of the group had clear tasks	could let students choose some of their own links to research
Earthquake	I like that it included an individual and group reflection of the project	doesn't specify division of tasks clearly
Foreign Country	i like the idea of a contest, a group contest would be best	no collaboration, a group project would have been a richer learning experience
Waves & Sound	looks like a good project overall and could be easily tweaked to allow group learning	no collaboration, a group project would have been a richer learning experience

Bernie Dodge, Department of Educational Technology, SDSU

My impressions:
I liked the Shakespeare and Gorilla Webquests the best because there was good collaboration among the students. The tasks were organized and each person had a clear role.

The two I liked the least were the Foreign Country and Waves and Sound because there was no student collaboration at all. These were geared toward individual learning.

Group impressions:
We liked Shakespeare and Foreign Country. They each had different elements that could be tweaked however both were more well rounded than the others.
Shakespeare - was not good from an efficiency standpoint because there was just too much involved, and redundant. If there were less projects to do, it would be a great project overall.
Foreign Country - was good from most standpoints except there was no student collaboration. If it were tweaked to add group participation, this would also be a great overall project.

We didn't like Waves and Sound because it was like a textbook, there was no collaboration and aside from some good images, the content was boring.

We also didn't like Earthquake. It was somewhat ok for each of us, kind of lukewarm to it.

Prezi presents: History of Life on Earth

Story Bird Collaboration

Storybird collaboration with I.P.  My Big Dream

ISTE.NETS.T standard 3b: Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

This project was a great opportunity to showcase iste.nets 3b in that we each worked in collaboration with a middle school student to tell a story using Storybird, a global hub of readers, writers and artists of all ages. It is a site where one can find beautiful artwork, share stories and do what we did - collaborate on creating your own stories
Our Storybird collaboration was an exercise in creativity and innovation in that we worked with each other's ideas on how to shape the story and find meaningful artwork to help in the telling of our tale.

Although I did not have to opportunity to complete the project in collaboration with my partner, I can see how useful this program would be in the classroom. This is yet another way to develop 21st century skills through an exciting and challenging project which will engage students in active learning.

These kinds of activities are essential to help students prepare for the 21st century workplace in that technology encourages the formation of global collaboration efforts as our world becomes more and more connected. Students in school need to start learning the necessary skills of teamwork, which is considered one of the most important applied skills according to Technology Enhanced Collaborative Learning Cisco System 2009.

In addition to preparing for the workplace, collaborative work is much more conducive to learning than traditional, individual settings.
"The most recent comprehensive reviews of research to date on collaboration were conducted in the late 1990s. Those reviews consistently reported findings that collaboration was a more effective learning strategy than traditional didactic teaching."

In my own experiences I have found this to be true. Group projects are more thorough, interesting and often challenge the members in their own positions. We learn about various ways to solve problems and there is usually something new that can be learned from each experience.

Google Apps Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: History of Life on Earth

Applicable CSO: 7th grade Science

SC.S.7.2 Content of Science	Students will apply knowledge, understanding and skills of the science subject matter/concepts to daily life experiences.

Learning objective: 

students will collaborate to create a Google calendar showing the history of life on Earth that includes links to background information of the events and summarizing that time period.

Reflection: Scratch, a 21st century learning tool

What is Scratch?
Scratch is an interactive programming environment developed at MIT Media Lab by the Lifelong Kindergarten research group.

How it supports 21st century Learning
According to Learning with Scratch - 21st Century Learning Skills, this environment teaches the users: information and communication skills, thinking and problem solving skills, and interpersonal and self directional skills.

This type of programming environment, a user friendly game design interface, inspires learning in a new and creative way that is attractive to students. In addition to playing an online game, they have the opportunity to actually design and create a game around a particular subject.

My Reflection on Scratch
I think this program is a great tool to use because students have to use a variety of skills to put their game together: they need to build the codes themselves which will require research, planning, knowledge of subject matter, creativity and the possibility of collaboration in team assignments. In the process, as stated by Andreas Monroy-Hernandez and Mitchel Resnick in Empowering Kids to Create and Share Programmable Media, "they not only learn important math and computer science concepts, but they also develop important learning skills: creative thinking, effective communication, critical analysis, systematic experimentation, iterative design, and continual learning".

• Describe how using Scratch with students helps you as a teacher address the ISTE NETS-T Standards 1a:
• promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

My reflection above describes how Scratch helps to address Standard 1a however, an additional powerful feature of Scratch that also applies is the user's ability to build on what other users have created. This feature allows the students to use their inventiveness and innovative thinking to either improve on an existing program or take it in a completely new direction while still giving credit to the original designer.

Game Example
Here is a game I found in Scratch called Lost in Chemistry. I'm still practicing my gaming skills so I haven't conquered it yet, however it is an excellent example of how useful Scratch can be in a given content area.

Find a CS0  (If you are social studies use the Next Generation CSO’s)and explain how the SCRATCH project might be evidence of student engagement with understanding of the content presented in the CSO.

Here is an excerpt of the Conceptual Chemistry CSO:
 Students will engage in active inquiries, investigations and hands-on activities for a minimum of 50% of the instructional time to develop conceptual understanding and research laboratory skills as they evaluate the academic requirements and prepare for occupational opportunities in biology, chemistry, engineering, and technology. Safety instruction is integrated into all activities. 

Lost in Chemistry could be used as evidence of student engagement with understanding under the conceptual chemistry CSO in that the goal of the game is to get through 'Chemistry land' without touching anything relating to chemistry thus it reinforces chemistry concepts, chemical formulas and molecules to be memorized, to name a few goals. There are also special chemical weapons that can be used to neutralize certain threats, which strengthens student knowledge of acid/base reactions.

Learning to create with Scratch

Scratch is an interactive program developed by the Lifelong Kindergarten research group at the MIT media lab. It provides an easy to use programming format to create your own stories, games and animations - and share/collaborate with others!

It looks like it would be fun to use in the classroom because it provides an easy way to build and make use of our creativity in a digital environment.

My first masterpiece: I call it,  "The Tutorial"

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is an example of iste.nets.t standard 3c: Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.

It is also relevant to standard 3d: Model and facilitate effective use of current and
emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research
and learning.

Video conferencing provides a much more flexible way to communicate with my students, their parents or my peers in that we need not be physically present to discuss topics. This is an excellent example of using 21st century media to overcome potential obstacles such as travelling distances, coordinating varied work schedules and bad weather.

An example of this would be my vacation to Hawaii. I'm a volunteer tutor and would still like to keep in touch with one of my learners, should she need any assistance. We set up a Google account, including the hangout option, on the facility computer so that I am available if needed.


Here is a brief youtube example of video conferencing at a school in Texas. I particularly liked the ending in which they talk about connecting to students in other countries as well as other facilities like the Smithsonian Institute. This is a powerful learning tool that will help enrich the learning experiences of our students, and ourselves.

My reflection: video games and learning

Assignment: How do these videos change or influence your thinking about games and learning in school? Include an online source that supports the use of video games in school

I provided 2 online sources supporting video games in schools: jointhecteam.com & edutopia.org.

Jointhecteam is a site that primarily focuses on creativity and understanding copyright rules. Although its emphasis is on understanding/teaching the fundamentals of intellectual property, it does include links to other technology centered websites such as Edutopia and sample lesson plans on integrating technologies in the classroom.

Edutopia is a site we commonly see in our instructional technology class. It's primary focus is to provide educators with opportunities and suggestions to integrate digital media and technologies in the classroom.


These videos helped to reinforce the changes I have already been making in my thinking toward the inclusion of video games in the 21st century classroom. Each video provided fresh insight into their potential learning power which is such a terrific concept, rather than following conventional wisdom to dismiss video games as strictly a leisure activity. A claim from each video that resonates with this position include:

• Video 1 - experiment: after approximately 10 hours of staggered gaming, a subject was able to perform better at spatial manipulation tasks...even up to 5 months later!  That's the kind of improvement and retention rate I would love to see in my students!

• Video 2 - The world is moving faster and becoming more interconnected as technology plays a larger role in our lives. An instructor, Ananth Pai, found that including video games in a curriculum he designed increased his students math and reading levels significantly in 18 months. The students thought learning was fun. Compelling results!

• Video 3 - a great possibility: no more formal assessments! Tests are awful, nobody likes them. What an intriguing idea to incorporate gaming concepts, such as immediate feedback thus the student takes on a more active and responsible role for their learning in a fun environment that will build the very skills we want to instill!    

Again, one of the statements in video 2 that really resonated with me was that we as teachers (and parents) need to enter the game, become one with it, understand it...because it is the future and it is how we can best connect with our kids and prepare them for tomorrow's world!

Earlier this semester, I became interested in the gaming/learning connection and actually purchased a game, Skyrim. I am not a gamer, but I wanted to experience it for that very reason I mention above. It was put aside due to my other tasks but I am motivated to try again...at least an hour a day.

Action Video Games: to play or not to play

The Assignment: Watch 3 video clips on gaming and do a short writeup

Video 1: Your Brain On Video Games

Major argument presented: Contrary to conventional wisdom, action video games are not necessarily bad for brain health. They can be a powerful tool for maintaining/increasing brain plasticity, learning, attention and vision.

Claims based on research data show that gamers are actually better than non-gamers in the following areas:

• better vision in 2 ways: resolving small details and distinguishing various shades of gray
• focusing their attention.  2 examples: can resolve cognitive conflicts faster and they are able to track a higher number of objects thus they could be more aware of their surroundings than non-gamers.
• multi-tasking - gamers are able to swiftly switch between tasks. Non-gamers that multi-task between different forms of multimedia did not perform as well as they expected they would.

Video 2: Gabe Zicherman - Gamification

Major argument presented: Gamification is here and it is the future of our world. Fundamentally, it is a continuous learning process that is being applied in a variety of ways, and its a good thing.

Gamification - The process of using game thinking and game mechanics to engage audiences to solve problems.

The claims:

• The Flynn Effect - IQs have been increasing since the 1990's, about the time video gaming started becoming popular. Coincidence?
• 5 things to do to make you smarter: seek novelty, challenge yourself, think creatively, do things the hard way and network. This is the basic pattern in today's video games.
• gamification is already being incorporated into our world and it will continue to become more and more enmeshed. ex. gaming concepts are being incorporated into today's hybrid cars to help drivers become eco-conscious.

I like the speakers prescription for helping to make our kids awesome: get into the game with them. Become one with the game, understand it because it is the future.

Video 3: Big Thinkers: Katie Salen on Learning with Games

How does playing or designing video games support the development of 21st century skills?

• develop skills in collaboration, team building, problem solving, explore new ways of doing/being in a forgiving environment to fail in - taking risks in games is ok.
• provides reachable challenges
• helps kids think about who is on the other end of the game. Thinking outside of themselves and how they're interacting with others
• kids know the game environment is designed for them to be successful
• provides community support (peers)
• provides assessment through constant feedback so the player will know how to improve 

On Learning Styles

This blog posting is fairly detailed and encompasses a variety of projects, assignments and reflections on Learning Styles and Multiple Intelligences.  Included:

• Picasso Head drawing using Multiple Intelligence assessment and a brief description
• A teaching example using Nature Intelligence
• Claims identified in the Learning Styles Don't Exist and MI Theory videos
• My reflection on learning styles 

Nature Intelligence

I tested highest for Nature Intelligence, which is the major theme in my picasso drawing. The two other intelligences were Self and Logic. Self is shown in closed eyes, symbolizing reflection. The geometric body is a representation of logic. 

Unfortunately, I did not notice that Body Movement and Social were also ranked at the same level as logic so I'm either very balanced or very confused!

According to the assessment, a couple of ways to use my nature intelligence include:

• gardening 
• hiking

Both of these are already on my list of most favorite things to do!!

Here is an example of a teacher incorporating geocaching (Nature Intelligence) into science labs.
This teacher's original intent was to use GPS (and mobile GIS) technology in her geology lessons however, due to the versatility of these units, she also began to develop biology and chemistry lab applications, such as tree identification and stream health testing. I believe this is an excellent way to improve student learning because it incorporates new technologies that can be taken into the field to collect data. Students will have the opportunity to report and interpret their findings, which will keep them engaged in the scientific process and encourage life-long learning.



Videos and Their Claims

Identify a claim that makes the most sense to me re. why learning styles don't exist

Claim: Although it is true that different people have different preferences for receiving and retaining information, it is not true that optimal learning requires adherence to learning style theory. The nature of the content is what determines how it is to be presented to students. Incorporating a variety of instruction methods is good to peak interest and solidify concepts, but there is no evidence to support differentiating instruction to accommodate different learning styles.


Identify a claim that makes the most sense to me re. MI theory 

Claim: The 'One size fits all' conventional style of teaching does not work for true learning (retention of knowledge outside of school). Individuals have multiple intelligence styles therefore a variety of methods should be used in the classroom to engage all students. A paradigm shift is needed in how we approach the education process to make learning more productive.

Reflection on Learning Styles

As a teacher, I think it is important to know the preferred learning styles of my students because it will help me to engage them individually as well as present concepts is a richer, more balanced format. I do not believe students should be segregated or taught exclusively according to their learning style preferences, as some researchers suggest. Students should not be pigeonholed as we are all capable of learning under almost any style, no matter what our preference is (Clark, 2000).

Knowledge of my students' learning styles complements the approach of a content driven lesson presentation. I would use this approach to teach lessons in multiple ways when possible, for example, including videos, lab work, field work, lectures/readings, and group activities. Teaching a concept using multiple modalities reaches all students and helps to reinforce the ideas being presented. University Professor Howard E. Pashler states, "Some concepts are best taught through hands on work, some are best taught through lectures and some are best taught through group discussions." (as cited in Glenn, 2009)


References:
Clark, D. (2000, May 9). Big dog and little dog's performance juxtaposition. Retrieved from http://nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles.html

Glenn, D. (2009, December 15). Chronicle of higher eduacation. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to-/49497/

video notes and claims

Identify a claim that makes the most sense to me re why learning styles don't exist

Video notes
different people, different ways of learning
recall visual memories when thinking of pictures
recall sounds of people's voices
movement - remember an experience

visual learner, auditory learner. scientifically true people have difference preferences of receiving information
theory - explain or predict phenomena. experiment performed: visual learners - learn better from pictures
auditory learning - learn better from hearing
results don't prove above. hearing things or seeing things (experiment) taught descriptions, not meanings. in reality when asking someone to remember words, asking them to remember meaning. teachers want students to learn meaning, not descriptions.

Claim: Although it is true that different people have different preferences for receiving and retaining information, it is not true that optimal learning requires adherence to learning style theory. The nature of the content is what determines how it is to be presented to students. Incorporating a variety of instruction methods is good to peak interest and solidify concepts, but there is no evidence to support differentiating instruction to accommodate different learning styles.


Identify a claim that makes the most sense to me re MI theory 

sudents don't retain what they learn. needs to recreate data in own mind, interpretation to remember it
theory developed - human beings have different kinds of intellectual strengths: think logical, spatially, actively. our education system not fair to different ways of thinking.
everything can be taught, understood more than one way: variety of resources to learn/teach productively
science ex.: school priorities should be learn to think scientifically, not detail subject matter because it takes time to develop. instead of content based, choose something they're interested in and set about solving the problem: set up experiments, hypotheses, develop scientific method.
students not getting knowledge can actually use

assessments wrong. make expectations explicit then provide feedback. students internalize and learn from it, less and less feedback will be needed. student based vs. current teacher based system.  instead of traditional testing,  need variety of ways to demonstrate knowledge, not strictly traditional testing...addresses multiple forms of learning

Claim: The 'One size fits all' conventional style of teaching does not work for true learning (retention of knowledge outside of school). Individuals have multiple intelligence styles therefore a variety of methods should be used in the classroom to engage all students. A paradigm shift is needed in how we approach the education process to make learning more productive.

Philosophy Quote and Magazine Cover

Love this quote!

To me, this is about the limitless possibilities of a curious and imaginative mind. Our world, and beyond, is full of mysteries waiting to be discovered, beauty to be appreciated and universal truths to be learned! 
Caution: this does not apply to a zombie horde breaking into my house at 2am



The Mission: Create a magazine cover showing myself as Teacher Of The Year. Requirements: 3 headlines, 2 pictures, barcode, date and price. Focus on ideas relevant to my teaching style and what future students could expect to see in my classroom.


Mission Complete. Hope you like it ~

Concept: "Science Review" is a quarterly magazine marketed primarily to High School Science educators.

Lesson Plan in Content Area Activity

The lesson plan I chose for this activity is Adding Creativity to Science Inquiry

The iste.nets.t standard I believe this addresses:

2a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that
incorporate digital tools and resources to promote
student learning and creativity

This lesson style involves the student actively engaging in the learning process because they would develop their own questions, research and design their experiments accordingly and finally, create a video of their work. I would initially discuss the topic and be available to help guide their work however, they would be developing and strengthening a variety of skills individually and collaboratively, including working with digital media for research and presentation, critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.

Photo Analysis activity

Activity #2
In a blog posting: Download the photo that gives you the most confidence in President Obama’s leadership abilities. Explain your choice by connecting what you you see and read in the caption (connotation)  in the picture with what you feel (denotation). Then answer the questions.

Of the two photos, this is the picture that would give me the most confidence in President Obama's leadership abilities because he is portrayed as an active participant in the briefing. He looks like he is in charge and speaking with authority. The caption reinforces this idea by saying he is meeting with the incident commander rather than passively being updated, as is portrayed in the other picture.

WHAT DO YOU SEE? (Observations) Nonverbal gestures (arms, hands, fingers) Facial expression (head, eyes, mouth) Body language (distances, code matching) People (age, gender, ethnicity) Clothing (type, color) Background (objects, setting) Camera angle

What does it mean? Consider the following questions: Is the photograph posed or spontaneous? What message is this photograph trying to convey? What questions does this photograph raise? What if a new caption was written? Write one. Does the new caption change the way the photo was viewed?

1. The photo appears to be spontaneous because it was taken at a briefing and the president is in the middle of discussing/explaining something.
2. The message I get is that the president is in control and things are progressing. The pictures in the background say that he is knowledgeable of and involved in the containment/clean up process, which is organized and moving forward. Both he and the official overseeing the efforts look calm and concerned. The president's casual, professional clothing style adds to the calm and in control look. 
3. This picture makes me wonder why the official in charge is not doing the speaking. Seeing the president doing the talking in this snapshot politicizes the disaster for me. I would prefer to see the person actually overseeing operations do the speaking with the president actively listening.
4. See image below with my new caption.

my suggested caption : Say what? President draws criticism from top official when he declares the Gulf Coast off limits to everyone forever in response to the Deepwater Horizon fiasco..

The new caption changes the dynamic between the president and Thad Allen as well as the the audience's opinion of the president. Adm. Allen is now looking toward the president in subtle surprise over the announcement, his gestures appear closed, guarded, as if he doesn't want to disagree with the Commander in Chief in public view but does not agree with what is being said.

The president is causing shock around the country because he looks so serious when making an irrational, blanket statement.

Think Aloud Presentation

Think Aloud Reflection Assignment:

iste.nets.t standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning
and Creativity
C:  Promote student reflection using collaborative
tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual
understanding and thinking, planning, and
creative processes


I find the Think Aloud project helps to address the first standard of iste.nets.t:, specifically 1c. This project was an interesting example of providing a creative way to help students develop their data research and information literacy skills, which is very necessary in today’s digital environment, working in a collaborative setting or alone. Through this process, I would be able to guide my students research using media such as Jing to help them sift through the overabundance of information. They can work together using media such as slideshare to put together presentations based on their findings. It is a new and innovative way to engage students in the use of digital media, which is already such a large aspect of their lives.

Information Literacy Part 2: 

My responses are blue.

My reference article for the Q/A below is "Let's stick to the facts when discussing gun control"

Bias is when a statement reflects a partiality, preference, or prejudice for or against a person, object, or idea. Much of what you read and hear expresses a bias. Bias is when a writer or speaker uses a selection of facts, choice of words, and the quality and tone of description, to convey a particular feeling or attitude. Its purpose is to convey a certain attitude or point of view toward the subject. As you read or listen to biased materials, keep the following questions in mind:

• What facts has the author omitted?

• What additional information is necessary?
• This article should have included links to other sources regarding the Saddam Hussein claims as well as links to Obama's proposal or government page that lays out the facts of his proposal.

• What words create positive or negative impressions? My article examples are negative toward the more extreme elements of the pro-gun position.
• 'frenzy of almost true facts', 'hideous misinformation campaigns', 'not even remotely', 'red-faced vein bulging histrionics and threats'

• What impression would I have if different words had been used?
• I disagree with the pro gun control position so I would be more willing to listen to what the author has to say without feeling defensive if the tone were more neutral. That said, the article was not as vitriolic as others out there.

Biased information tries to change your mind, how you think. Being aware of bias and knowing how to identify, analyze, and assimilate biased information properly is a skill to be treasured. It puts you in charge of how you think instead of the print and media world. (Cuesta College Critically Evaluating the Logic and Validity of Information)

What are some indicators of bias on a web page?

• The language of the document is often extreme; statements have all or nothing connotations.
• The argument appeals more to the emotions than to logic.
• Things are worded with the intent to oversimplify or over generalize.
• The author wishes to present a limited view of the topic.

Questions to keep in mind as you seek indicators of bias:

• What is the author's political point of view?
• I am unable to find anything specifically stating this author's political affiliation however, in reviewing some of his other pieces, I would say he's a democrat.
• What does the author stand to gain?
• His piece rally's the pro gun control movement as well as attempts to persuade those that may be undecided.
• Who is paying for the website? DallasNews.com
• Does the author present alternate points of view?
• If so, are those views presented objectively, or with scorn
• The author does not present an alternate point of view. This piece was written to address what he perceives as emotional, irrational arguments that have no factual support. There is definitely some scorn.

Website Analysis

Here is the article I used for my website analysis.

Website Analysis Assignment