There was one link that I immediately knew I would like to use in the future. The Knowing Poe website is an excellent resource that I would utilize if Poe were in the curriculum. I did a bit of exploring on the site and was very impressed with its extensive amount of content. There was an interactive game that taught me the various speculations about how Poe died (alcoholism, rabies, foul play, "congestion of the brain?"). I learned something from my brief foray into the content of the website, so I feel confident that my students would learn something too. The "It'll Be the Death of Me" game was reminiscent of a Choose Your Own Adventure book, which made it fun and educational at the same time. The site contained information about different points-of-view that Poe used in his writing, as well as an interactive timeline detailing Poe's life. The website also is a source for some of Poe's work that students can read online. I did not have time to go through all of the excellent interactive games and other fun resources on this website, but I would definitely like to use it in a future classroom. I was very impressed with this website.
The second website that I feel I may use in the future is Thinkfinity because it seemed like a user-friendly search engine for lesson plans. When I am low on creativity, I would like to use this website for some lesson plan inspiration. I ran a simple search on "Jane Eyre" to pique my curiosity, and received a handful of excellent lesson plans. Another search for "Anne Frank" yielded a lesson plan that involved blogging from the point of view of Anne Frank. The lesson plan acknowledged how previous teachers taught the book - either as a historical document or as a literary work, and the plan encouraged students to think of it in both ways. So I will most likely use this resource in the future as it provides comprehensive lesson plans.
References
Knowing Poe. (2002). Retrieved June 27, 2011 from http://knowingpoe.thinkport.org/default_flash.asp
Thinkfinity. (2010). Retrieved June 27, 2011 from http://www.thinkfinity.org
Monday, June 27, 2011
Week 5 T2P
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| Akiane, Blossom Stage, 2007 |
If teachers can inspire students to complete projects that tap into their intrinsic motivation and emotions, then the students will have a more fulfilling learning experience than they would if the motivation was purely extrinsic. This is because when a student completes a project that involves higher order thinking (in other words, activities that require higher levels on Bloom's Taxonomy) with the sole motive to get a good grade, they narrow their focus. I believe that motivation and emotion should play large roles in learning. A tunnel-visioned view of learning eliminates possibilities for more complete learning experiences. That said, I believe that a "complete learning experience" involves some sort of emotional connection, or "hot cognition."
Intrinsic motivation is a force much stronger than extrinsic motivation in terms of higher-order thinking. Sugata Mitra's theory of learning suggests that students learn best in a "playground-like" atmosphere where they can naturally seek out fellow students with whom they learn best. I believe that Mitra's theory of learning relates to intrinsic motivation in that it relies on a student's innate desire to learn. This desire is what propels the learning process because it gives students a fulfilling feeling of pride in their work. Students gain emotional connection to a learning experience when they feel they have an active part in its unfolding. This is an intrinsic motivation (emotional fulfillment), so teachers must create projects and learning experiences where students can have an emotional attachment.
A Good Teacher...
A good teacher cares about his or her students by becoming familiar with their particular learning processes. This teacher understands that students come from a variety of cultural backgrounds, and the teacher should create a learning environment where these backgrounds do not impede the learning process. A good teacher creates space for students to learn. I do not mean this in a physical sense; rather, the teacher uses as little limitations as possible for their students. A good teacher understands that the fewer extrinsic motivations a student has, the more enriching the learning process is. Of course there must be some limitation, but a student should never feel entrapped by the question of, "Will I get a good grade, or not?" By constantly questioning whether or not the student will get a good grade, the student narrows his or her vision of "How to get there," there being the A grade. A good teacher must make grades as imperceptible as possible to the student. A good teacher constantly stretches the minds of his or her students. A good teacher should be like a personal trainer of the student mind, on the sidelines of the learning process and simultaneously nudging students to use their minds to their full capabilities. However, the good teacher should view the learning process as an event in which they can take part. There is always something more to be learned, and by expressing an avid desire to learn more, the teacher demonstrates to students that learning is boundless. The goal in mind is to create a desire in students to always learn more without a narrow-minded approach.
Revised T2P
If students and the teacher participate in a reflective round-robin discussion based on material the teacher and students observed together, then both the teacher and the students will be able to have an engaging, opinion-driven conversation to reflect upon the material. The conversation should begin with a question that engages the student's critical thinking skills, and then the teacher should bounce the reactions back to other students. Since all of the students are expected to participate, it will be necessary for them to come up with ways to voice their opinions about the material. It is especially engaging for the students towards the end of the round-robin circle, because the answers they had prepared will most likely be articulated by earlier students. However, it will also keep the teacher on his or her toes to quickly pose opinion-generating questions of students.
According to Freire and Vicki Davis, teachers and students can almost share a position in the role of learning. The learning process should be ongoing for not only students, but also teachers, and the two parties should stimulate understanding by posing questions that cause critical thinking.
This relates back to my moral beliefs that teachers and students learn together. In this round-robin exercise, the teacher is acting as a "personal trainer" to the student's minds. Everyone's mind is in the game, teacher included. The job of the teacher is to pose questions based on student responses that will cause the students to think. The job of the students is to answer the questions to the best of their ability. Though the questions may be difficult, they are stretching the student's mind. Morally, the teacher should not position themselves in a role that suggests dictatorship to the students. Instead, the teacher should bring themselves to the most equal level in comparison to the student. This creates a level of comfort for students that opens up the door to new dimensions of learning. The fewer boundaries there are, the more likely a student is going to explore.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Technology for Students with Impairments: The Possibilites are Endless!
There are a great variety of technological tools that students with various impairments can use to aid in their learning experience. The field of technology continues to grow in ways that I never could have imagined. Technology is useful for exploring the world around us, connecting with others, and broadening the horizons of our intellect. As technology continues to make these exciting leaps and bounds, I anticipate that the tools for students with impairments will continue to become broader as well. Technology should be an enhancement to everyone's learning experiences because the possibilities it provides are seemingly endless.
For a student with an hearing impairment, visual aids are a wonderful alternative to providing learning experiences. Since these students may not be able to hear in-class lessons (or completely rely on lip-reading) I would recommend the use of the internet to gather more information. A class wiki is a wonderful way to post information that all students may need, hearing impaired or not. Schrum and Levin (2009) detail virtual field-trips in their book. This is a fun and interactive way for students with hearing impairments to learn about places around the world without having to rely on their ears. I would eventually like to try to use one of these virtual field-trips in my English class to demonstrate specific time periods of books (the world of Dickens, for example).
A student with low-vision may need their lessons supplemented by tools that they can hear or touch. The DAISY talking books are helpful for those who cannot read books comfortably. The Kindle and other e-readers are wonderful ways to store thousands of books, but they have been criticized for not attending to the needs of blind or low-vision readers. I would also recommend the use of Podcasts for students with low vision. There are thousands of podcasts that can supplement the in-classroom lessons I may give.
In the case of a student with a broken right arm I would recommend the speech recognition software for writing purposes (if they are right-handed). This way, students can simply speak into a microphone, and the computer will "translate" the speech and type it for the student. This will eliminate the struggle the student may have with pen-to-paper writing.
A student with autism may benefit from educational videos found on TeacherTube. I know that some people with autism feel uncomfortable with face-to-face communication, so if they can learn from videos of people instructing then it would be a good alternative. Autistic children also enjoy electronic games, according to my basic understanding. That being said, there are many educational games that these students can simultaneously learn from and enjoy.
Although all of the technological methods studied in our reading were most likely designed for students with impairments, I think that I could easily use them for ALL of my students in the future.
Resources
Schrum, L. & Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Collaborative Online Projects
I.) Interactive Class Wiki Page for Peer Editing
I think that the Internet will be a great tool to utilize in my future classroom. One way that I would like to use it is to create a Wiki page for my classroom. On this Wiki, students will be able to post rough drafts of their papers for student critiquing. While I don't think students should edit the actual text of the paper themselves, I would encourage them to place online "sticky notes" on the corresponding area of concern. This Wiki will also contain a collection of links to valid websites that I would encourage my students to look at. Another great idea for the future English teacher, found on an informational website about Wikis, is: "A teacher could post words for students to expand into definitions" (EdTechTecacher, 2011). A simple list of vocabulary words can be included, and perhaps each student can be responsible for defining the word and using it in a sentence each week. The end product will be a list of words with accurate definitions and examples that each student contributed to.
II.) What Would Mr. Rochester Blog About?
I think a fun project for students to collaborate together on would be creating a blog from the point of view of a character in a novel we read. I would ask students to make at least 5 blog posts from the perspective of a character who is not the main character (in other words - the same story from another character's eyes). So, for example we could read Mr. Rochester's blog ("Why did Jane leave me at the alter?!"). I would also ask students to place YouTube videos, pictures, or audio that might be relevant to the character's life. I think it's a fun and creative way to interpret literature. This activity is a good Synthesis exercise, from Bloom's Taxonomy. In order to re-write the story, the students must first have a firm understanding of what happened. I would encourage multiple students to work together to do this, probably in groups of 2 or 3.
References
EdTechTecacher. (2011). Wikis. Retrieved from here
I think that the Internet will be a great tool to utilize in my future classroom. One way that I would like to use it is to create a Wiki page for my classroom. On this Wiki, students will be able to post rough drafts of their papers for student critiquing. While I don't think students should edit the actual text of the paper themselves, I would encourage them to place online "sticky notes" on the corresponding area of concern. This Wiki will also contain a collection of links to valid websites that I would encourage my students to look at. Another great idea for the future English teacher, found on an informational website about Wikis, is: "A teacher could post words for students to expand into definitions" (EdTechTecacher, 2011). A simple list of vocabulary words can be included, and perhaps each student can be responsible for defining the word and using it in a sentence each week. The end product will be a list of words with accurate definitions and examples that each student contributed to.
II.) What Would Mr. Rochester Blog About?
I think a fun project for students to collaborate together on would be creating a blog from the point of view of a character in a novel we read. I would ask students to make at least 5 blog posts from the perspective of a character who is not the main character (in other words - the same story from another character's eyes). So, for example we could read Mr. Rochester's blog ("Why did Jane leave me at the alter?!"). I would also ask students to place YouTube videos, pictures, or audio that might be relevant to the character's life. I think it's a fun and creative way to interpret literature. This activity is a good Synthesis exercise, from Bloom's Taxonomy. In order to re-write the story, the students must first have a firm understanding of what happened. I would encourage multiple students to work together to do this, probably in groups of 2 or 3.
References
EdTechTecacher. (2011). Wikis. Retrieved from here
Monday, June 13, 2011
T2P Week 3 & 4
June 13, 2011 T2P
If students can engage in a teacher-monitored discourse about curricular content, then learning will occur because students will be able to consider their peers' opinions and either solidify or adapt their own opinions to their peers'. [Jean Piaget theorized that students reach a stage where critical thinking is possible after age 11, and teacher-monitored, healthy dispute can exercise the critical thinking muscles of the students [evidence].One exercise that I thought was interesting today in class was the Triad group exercise. We broke into the pre-determined groups to discuss the theorist that we all researched (Piaget, in this case). This was a bit uncomfortable to me because there were some heated discussions about what everyone took from the research. It seemed to me that everyone was getting a bit upset, and stepping on one another's toes. At this point, I noticed that GNA intervened and directed us into an environment where we could successfully hear everyone's points-of-view. After everyone put their ideas onto the table, another group member (who was not a participant in the argument) suggested a new metaphor. It was a great metaphor, and we all agreed that it was "perfect" for the situation. So, through a sticky disagreement, we came to one metaphor (or understanding of the theory) that we all agreed on. It almost seemed as if the rough patch was completely necessary in order to get to the end product.
I know that head-butting will occur in my future classrooms, as it's impossible for everybody to have the same opinion all the time. In some ways, I believe this is a good thing! Each participant had a reason for being so passionate about their stance. By ensuring that everyone's opinion was heard, GNA made fairness possible. I was not an active participant in the discussion about the metaphor, but listening to it enlightened me to my own perspective.
In the future, I would like to have students discuss their opinions in a safe environment. I don't think it will be easy to inspire them to discuss their opinions, since many people are more reserved (like me). However, I believe that everyone has an opinion somewhere deep down. I would like to engage students in activities that bring these opinions to light. For my specific case, these opinions will involve literary works. Literature is an excellent source from which one can derive opinions. I believe that this is because literature can be interpreted in an infinite number of ways. If each student can have their own opinion about the literature, then it can open up a Pandora's box of differing perspectives.
June 20, 2011 T2P
If teachers and students nurture a peer-like relationship, rather than a hierarchical leader-over-controlled-learner relationship, then students can have an autonomous learning experience because they can be aware of the breadth of the learning experience when they can be an active participant in it. [Evidence] Vicki Davis does not believe that a teacher should always know everything, and therefore she and her students partake in a mutually-enhancing learning process. While a teacher must play the role of a facilitator, Davis attempts to almost eliminate the dichotomy between student-and-teacher when it comes to gaining knowledge. Student adopts the role of teacher and simultaneous learner, which gives them a sense of being autonomous, but still part of a collective relatedness to his or her peers. June 20, 2011 T2P, part II
If students and the teacher participate in a reflective round-robin discussion based on material the teacher and students observed together, then both the teacher and the students will be able to have an engaging, opinion-driven conversation to reflect upon the material. The conversation should begin with a question that engages the student's critical thinking skills, and then the teacher should bounce the reactions back to other students. Since all of the students are expected to participate, it will be necessary for them to come up with ways to voice their opinions about the material. It is especially engaging for the students towards the end of the round-robin circle, because the answers they had prepared will most likely be articulated by earlier students. However, it will also keep the teacher on his or her toes to quickly pose opinion-generating questions of students. According to Freire and Vicki Davis, teachers and students can almost share a position in the role of learning. The learning process should be ongoing for not only students, but also teachers, and the two parties should stimulate understanding by posing questions that cause critical thinking.Related Links for Today's Class
Week 3 Learning Theorists - 1
Explain why "consistency is key" within Skinner's work and Behavioral Learning.
This was labeled as a Q2, but I think it's more of an Analysis question. It asks me to "explain" why "consistency is key," so therefore I have to analyze the statement and apply it to Skinner's work.
I think that consistency is key because if the teacher does not maintain consistency, the learner will become confused and not understand the lesson. The schedules of reinforcement must remain consistent. The repetition is the reason the person learned the lesson in the first place, if we are in keeping with Skinner's theory.
How many ways can you use scaffolding to help students learn?
This is listed as a Q5, and I agree that this is correct. It asks me to think logically about what scaffolding is and apply it to a situation that may occur in real life.
I don't really understand this question. I interpreted scaffolding as being only one method to help students learn. Scaffolding provides the building blocks that help students "step up" into intelligence. I see them as steps on a staircase, with ultimate understanding being the top step. I suppose one could incorporate different kinds of activities for students who are at varying levels of development.
What are some considerations you need to make when planning a lesson for your students?
This is listed as a Q6. It definitely is a synthesis question, since it asks about a situation that may be used in real life. It is the synthesis of all of the information I learned about theories and ways of learning, and then applying it to a hypothetical situation.
One must consider the student's stage of development, when dealing with the Piagetian theories. Also the time it takes for a student to learn something, if applying the Skinner theories. Some students take longer to learn a lesson than others. Vygotsky is similar to Piaget. He would argue that students should incorporate hands-on learning.
This was labeled as a Q2, but I think it's more of an Analysis question. It asks me to "explain" why "consistency is key," so therefore I have to analyze the statement and apply it to Skinner's work.
I think that consistency is key because if the teacher does not maintain consistency, the learner will become confused and not understand the lesson. The schedules of reinforcement must remain consistent. The repetition is the reason the person learned the lesson in the first place, if we are in keeping with Skinner's theory.
How many ways can you use scaffolding to help students learn?
This is listed as a Q5, and I agree that this is correct. It asks me to think logically about what scaffolding is and apply it to a situation that may occur in real life.
I don't really understand this question. I interpreted scaffolding as being only one method to help students learn. Scaffolding provides the building blocks that help students "step up" into intelligence. I see them as steps on a staircase, with ultimate understanding being the top step. I suppose one could incorporate different kinds of activities for students who are at varying levels of development.
What are some considerations you need to make when planning a lesson for your students?
This is listed as a Q6. It definitely is a synthesis question, since it asks about a situation that may be used in real life. It is the synthesis of all of the information I learned about theories and ways of learning, and then applying it to a hypothetical situation.
One must consider the student's stage of development, when dealing with the Piagetian theories. Also the time it takes for a student to learn something, if applying the Skinner theories. Some students take longer to learn a lesson than others. Vygotsky is similar to Piaget. He would argue that students should incorporate hands-on learning.
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