Monday, August 16, 2010
August 16, 2010: Summer Institute
What have you learned from your inquiry over the past 4 semesters?
I have learned that I should expect the unexpected in terms of my field studies. When I started to investigate Dragon Naturally speaking and how it would help my students I found that there were an immense amount of skills that my student had to have in order to use that software (with all of its limitations) successfully. One of the skills that he seemed to have an abundant amount of patience with the program…a quality that I always thought I had plenty of until I started to try to set up DNS. However, my student patiently waited through every fumble commenting how much better the program was this year than in previous years. It made me reflect on how difficult it must be for students who have learning differences. How would I react in their situation..clearly I didn’t have the same amount of patience. Perhaps I would be upset like many of students who I see. Therefore, as I have reflected before, the importance of scaffolding learning in order to support my students through various educational activities is never to be undervalued.
How have you supported your inquiry with research?
For each inquiry I have read copious amounts of articles. I have always found it useful to frame my thoughts around others opinions and research around each topic I was curious about.
I have also conducted my own research within each inquiry attempting to answer my own big questions.
What additional research would help to inform your practice?
The times where I find that I have made the most gains in knowledge within the program have been where I have been interested in acquiring knowledge about a specific topic and have spent an enormous amount of time reading about my topic. The other times I have learned a lot in a shorter amount of time has been through the collaboration with others. I have learned a lot about new software and also how to manage the software I am already aware of. Therefore, I would appreciate more collaborative learning, especially if the groups were organized randomly thereby giving us more opportunity to learn from all others within the group.
How has your use of technology evolved over the program?
When I came into the program I had a limited knowledge of technology. I was able to use my email, access the district web server, and I had some understanding of social media in that I had my own Facebook account. I would usually open a window at a time. I did not know how to navigate tabs nor manage multi-windows. Needless to say I have learned how to manage these tools. I have also set up a blog, learned to use various tools such as Shutterfly (to create photo albums), learned the basics of rss feeds, how to use youtube and jing more in-depth, discovered the benefits of yelp, investigated collaborative tools such as wikis, delicious, webspirtation etc.
However, I was deathly afraid to use technology within my classroom, always preferring to give hands on or pencil and paper tasks. However, when I started the program I was eager to incorporate all new kinds of technology into my teaching practice because I was being exposed to it through the program within mini-lessons. I was able to borrow a smart board and used it for a semester within my class. The kids were all very excited to use it and sad to see it leave. I learned to use Dragon Naturally Speaking with one of my students, explored Inspiration, investigated using spell checkers with my ESL students to help improve spelling and comprehension of written work, and looked into
What are you still curious about?
I am curious how I will be able to keep up my connections to learning about new technology after this program is over. I would like to find ways to connect to educators in a way that I can handle (i.e. to not be over whelmed at the amount of technology or the level at which it is presented). I like having my peers at my school to bounce ideas off of but now I will have to make those connections beyond my personal reach.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Crap Detection...Digital Native Skill Sets
In Howard Rheingold’s voice-thread he speaks a lot about the inter-relationship between skills (or illiteracies), personal trust networks and web tools to seek credibility on-line. He quotes a line by Hemmingway that, "Every man should have a built-in automatic crap detector operating inside him." What he claims is most important in today’s on-line world of mass information is the ability for people to detect whether a site or piece of information is credible. He uses the Martin Luther site example as one that aims to deceive its audience. I have seen teachers use this site as a teaching tool before. I am always amazed at how easily students believe what is written on-line; as if it were start from the Encyclopedia Britannica. How quickly did we move from a generation of students use to only searching for information in our public library, to one that sees that process as a waste of time? In a flash!
I agree with Rheingold that there is an urgency to teach young students the importance of crap detection. As much as the web has tried to assist with search and credibility; it is still in the rudimentary stages. I hope, like what Rheingold had alluded to, that one day there will be more plug-ins and web tools to assist on-line users with detecting crap on-line. I know that for myself I am guilty, like the children, of going on-line and for the most part not being the best detective that I know I can be. In terms of my teaching practice, this voice-thread was a good reminder of what I need to be aware of, and that it is important to pass this skill set onto a generation born into a wireless internet world.
I appreciated the Howard Rheingold’s on-line article. While I was watching the voice-thread I kept thinking how informative it would be to teach us how to be good detectives instead of just relaying the importance of being one. The article had more in-depth information to that extent. For example, I didn’t even think that my delicious account could be used as one layer of credibility detection. For my own professional research I was interested in how to detect crap on-line, and therefore the article was most informative.
I agree with Rheingold that there is an urgency to teach young students the importance of crap detection. As much as the web has tried to assist with search and credibility; it is still in the rudimentary stages. I hope, like what Rheingold had alluded to, that one day there will be more plug-ins and web tools to assist on-line users with detecting crap on-line. I know that for myself I am guilty, like the children, of going on-line and for the most part not being the best detective that I know I can be. In terms of my teaching practice, this voice-thread was a good reminder of what I need to be aware of, and that it is important to pass this skill set onto a generation born into a wireless internet world.
I appreciated the Howard Rheingold’s on-line article. While I was watching the voice-thread I kept thinking how informative it would be to teach us how to be good detectives instead of just relaying the importance of being one. The article had more in-depth information to that extent. For example, I didn’t even think that my delicious account could be used as one layer of credibility detection. For my own professional research I was interested in how to detect crap on-line, and therefore the article was most informative.
Personal Network
Personal Network: The Who and How's of My Personal Network
http://alekstaylor.wikispaces.com/Personal_Network
http://alekstaylor.wikispaces.com/Personal_Network
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Connectivism...Socialism Repackaged?
As I watched the voice-threads posted on networking and connectivism by George Siemens and Stephen Downes I somehow couldn’t help but to be reminded of the Na’vi people’s attachment to their Hometree in the movie “Avatar”. For the few people who haven’t seen James Cameron’s huge blockbuster, the blue Na’vi creatures living on Pandoran share a collective consciousness through their bio-botanical neural network embodied within the Hometree. The movie Avatar does a good job of making this network seem as magical and spiritual as the idea of connectivism by Siemens. Connecting with others, because as humans we have the need to express our thoughts and connect with other people, now on our own technological-neural network the web 2.0, appears like a beautiful idea. I believe many socialists had similar ideas.
On the web, long gone is the dictator filling our minds with what is doctrine disguised as knowledge. Rather the collective minds of the masses hold the key to true enlightenment. Sarcism detected? The idea that connectivism is the key to learning in the future, to staying current in our professions, to serving organizations better, etc. does not hold true in practice in the real world. (Pandoran world’s excluded).
For instance, in Stephen Downes’ second voice-thread on “Connectivism and Organizations” he gives an example of how an apartment building is built now and how it will be built with connectivism in the future. In the future, instead of having one all powerful project manager there will be equal partners, or sub-contractors as he refers to them, organizing, hiring and coming into existence for the sole purpose to accomplishing the goal. The idea of one powerful leader is enough to turn most off but, who is there to ensure continuity across the project? To guarantee standardization? Who has the final say on the vision? Who is to be held accountable when things don’t go as planned? Who should have the answers? If you have built a home or have had sub-contractors work for you, you know the importance of a project manager. There are no real ramifications without any higher power to be accountable to. A central managing body is not to be discredited.
How does this fit into educational theory? Duckworth spoke of the benefits of constructivism –in that learning is a human construction. Connectivism seems to follow a similar line of thinking. However, it attempts to show how its benefits business, education etc. Connectivism is Constructivism’s ugly twin sister.
In the classroom students do learn from each other. They do construct learning from shared experiences. However, the teacher needs to facilitate these experiences and parents etc. want concrete evidence to support that learning is happening. Therefore, they will seek out the project manager…teacher to find answers to the questions they have about their child’s learning, to give them evidence of a plan or vision, to be accountable when things don’t go as planned etc.
How do I think connectivism relates to my own learning on-line? “Language gives birth to our thoughts”, according to Vygotsky. So as humans we have a desire to express and create ourselves in social spaces. However, what happens when the principals of connectivism are applied to the web? It is open to anyone to participate; they can contribute whatever they please to whomever. How does one find the nugget of enlightenment one seeks in a sea of over-information, trifle, and invalidity? Google and other search engines have become our project manager’s on-line; filtering and prioritizing information for us. If what we know is so fleeting, then it becomes important to stay in touch with most credible people in their respective fields. Is Google nescesarily making the best choice for us? Yet, there it is, because we need it in this sea of over-information. We need the project manager.
On the web, long gone is the dictator filling our minds with what is doctrine disguised as knowledge. Rather the collective minds of the masses hold the key to true enlightenment. Sarcism detected? The idea that connectivism is the key to learning in the future, to staying current in our professions, to serving organizations better, etc. does not hold true in practice in the real world. (Pandoran world’s excluded).
For instance, in Stephen Downes’ second voice-thread on “Connectivism and Organizations” he gives an example of how an apartment building is built now and how it will be built with connectivism in the future. In the future, instead of having one all powerful project manager there will be equal partners, or sub-contractors as he refers to them, organizing, hiring and coming into existence for the sole purpose to accomplishing the goal. The idea of one powerful leader is enough to turn most off but, who is there to ensure continuity across the project? To guarantee standardization? Who has the final say on the vision? Who is to be held accountable when things don’t go as planned? Who should have the answers? If you have built a home or have had sub-contractors work for you, you know the importance of a project manager. There are no real ramifications without any higher power to be accountable to. A central managing body is not to be discredited.
How does this fit into educational theory? Duckworth spoke of the benefits of constructivism –in that learning is a human construction. Connectivism seems to follow a similar line of thinking. However, it attempts to show how its benefits business, education etc. Connectivism is Constructivism’s ugly twin sister.
In the classroom students do learn from each other. They do construct learning from shared experiences. However, the teacher needs to facilitate these experiences and parents etc. want concrete evidence to support that learning is happening. Therefore, they will seek out the project manager…teacher to find answers to the questions they have about their child’s learning, to give them evidence of a plan or vision, to be accountable when things don’t go as planned etc.
How do I think connectivism relates to my own learning on-line? “Language gives birth to our thoughts”, according to Vygotsky. So as humans we have a desire to express and create ourselves in social spaces. However, what happens when the principals of connectivism are applied to the web? It is open to anyone to participate; they can contribute whatever they please to whomever. How does one find the nugget of enlightenment one seeks in a sea of over-information, trifle, and invalidity? Google and other search engines have become our project manager’s on-line; filtering and prioritizing information for us. If what we know is so fleeting, then it becomes important to stay in touch with most credible people in their respective fields. Is Google nescesarily making the best choice for us? Yet, there it is, because we need it in this sea of over-information. We need the project manager.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Personal Dictionary: A Digital Artifact
Describing the Data: My digital artifact is a piece of student work, a student’s personal dictionary to be exact started on an Excel spreadsheet.
My students were asked to create personal dictionaries in their ESL class. We started out by including words from their everyday use that they spell incorrectly. They then included about 30 words that I gave them which included words that were commonly spelled incorrectly. After that we placed in words that we might want to spell correctly associated with our theme of study. Currently we are studying the play “Fiddler on the Roof” for an upcoming ESL field trip. Therefore, most students not knowing the word fiddler included that word into their dictionary.
Making sense of the data: I really wanted to look at students' spelling/communication skills as the way it is being taught in my school right now is not working for my students. It has always bothered me that I always feel a little helpless in helping them with this. I wanted to search for a solution for at least some of my students who do not progress with traditional approaches to the teaching of spelling. I thought that using a personal dictionary might be a good solution. Yet, I have recently questioned starting the personal dictionaries on Excel, as I feel that this may not be the best use of technology. Why did I choose Excel? Excel does not have an automatic spell check feature, and therefore as some of the students are including words and spelling them incorrectly without the spell check warning I fear that they will learn how to spell them incorrectly. My partner, in class, has also noticed that in the data the student spelled parallel, paraalel. I have selected this piece because it is from a lower leveled ESL student, and these are the students that I am attempting to target the most in improving their communication skills.
Interpretation and Implication: I am starting to wonder if using a notebook type personal dictionary might be just as useful for some of my students. Notebook type personal dictionaries are portable, and very tangible. Whereas, the Excel spreadsheet is lacking in these areas it definitely makes up for in other ways. The reason I wanted my students to start out using Excel is because they are older. I wanted them to have a document saved to their district files that they could use not only throughout middle school but into high school too, if they so chose. Some of them are not going to find this useful beyond our use, and I recognize this. These are my students who are already somewhat apt readers and spellers. One student in particular that I am thinking of, is having a difficult time finding words to add into her personal dictionary. There is another challenge with her…How do I make this meaningful for her? It has still become useful, as her being an ESL student, we are including newer vocabulary words that she comes across for her. I think that personal dictionaries are useful tools, but at the middle school level, how do I get the students to buy into this idea when some of them clearly associate it with a younger age level?
My students were asked to create personal dictionaries in their ESL class. We started out by including words from their everyday use that they spell incorrectly. They then included about 30 words that I gave them which included words that were commonly spelled incorrectly. After that we placed in words that we might want to spell correctly associated with our theme of study. Currently we are studying the play “Fiddler on the Roof” for an upcoming ESL field trip. Therefore, most students not knowing the word fiddler included that word into their dictionary.
Making sense of the data: I really wanted to look at students' spelling/communication skills as the way it is being taught in my school right now is not working for my students. It has always bothered me that I always feel a little helpless in helping them with this. I wanted to search for a solution for at least some of my students who do not progress with traditional approaches to the teaching of spelling. I thought that using a personal dictionary might be a good solution. Yet, I have recently questioned starting the personal dictionaries on Excel, as I feel that this may not be the best use of technology. Why did I choose Excel? Excel does not have an automatic spell check feature, and therefore as some of the students are including words and spelling them incorrectly without the spell check warning I fear that they will learn how to spell them incorrectly. My partner, in class, has also noticed that in the data the student spelled parallel, paraalel. I have selected this piece because it is from a lower leveled ESL student, and these are the students that I am attempting to target the most in improving their communication skills.
Interpretation and Implication: I am starting to wonder if using a notebook type personal dictionary might be just as useful for some of my students. Notebook type personal dictionaries are portable, and very tangible. Whereas, the Excel spreadsheet is lacking in these areas it definitely makes up for in other ways. The reason I wanted my students to start out using Excel is because they are older. I wanted them to have a document saved to their district files that they could use not only throughout middle school but into high school too, if they so chose. Some of them are not going to find this useful beyond our use, and I recognize this. These are my students who are already somewhat apt readers and spellers. One student in particular that I am thinking of, is having a difficult time finding words to add into her personal dictionary. There is another challenge with her…How do I make this meaningful for her? It has still become useful, as her being an ESL student, we are including newer vocabulary words that she comes across for her. I think that personal dictionaries are useful tools, but at the middle school level, how do I get the students to buy into this idea when some of them clearly associate it with a younger age level?
Good Spellers Need Only Apply
As a Student Services teacher I have seen many students with learning disabilities struggle with their written communication because, they have not mastered many of the early sight words, and they tend to not do very well with in-class traditional approaches to the teaching of spelling. I have often wondered if these traditional approaches even work with kids who do not have learning disabilities as I do not feel that the transfer of the spelling skill tends to happen. I do agree with Scheuermann, in her article titled "The Personal Spelling Dictionary: An Adaptive Approach to Reducing the Spelling Hurdle in Written Language"that spelling to some extent is an important skill to master. Whether a student types an email or hand writes a job application in the future, there is an element of judgment that is passed upon poor spelling skills; usually the association is made to one’s level of education and overall intelligence. I feel that it is unfortunate that teachers start to use spelling as a criterion in their evaluation of written student work as early as grade four. Proper spelling needs to be encouraged, especially as it impedes overall communication, however, student work should be mainly be assessed for information, and ideas.
Many teachers, for fear of the dreaded weekly rote spelling lists, have adopted the philosophy that students will learn the rules of spelling when they are developmentally ready and do not formally teach spelling. However, this philosophy has proven to be detrimental to many students as it simply does not work. Many students then come into middle school with a lack of basic sight word knowledge, and once invented spelling has been ingrained for such a long period of time it is difficult to replace with proper spelling skills. Spelling still needs to be taught. However, it needs to be taught in such a way that is engaging for the student, it is seen as a real life application of a skill, and it is a personal process for the student. I agree with Scheuermann that the personal dictionary is able to fulfill on these criteria. However, Scheuermann advises teachers to laminate the pages of the dictionary and use medical tape and other methods to create the words so that they can easily be removed. I do not think that the personal dictionary has to be as involved. It could simply be a note book with penciled in words. Then when the student wishes to remove a mastered word they can erase it. Or better yet, if I were doing this with notebooks with my students I would have them place a sticker next to a mastered word to show off their accomplishments. I may have my students do this on the Excel document that they are using. However, I don’t think they have been using it for a long enough time period yet. Scheuermann does not have much faith in electronic spellcheckers. I was starting to feel that my Excel personal dictionary was little more than an electronic spellchecker as I was reading this article. In that it had some of the same pitfalls: not easily portable, not accessible at home etc. However, as I further reflected on this concept I believe that there are significant differences. If a student creates an Excel personal dictionary and saves it to a flash-stick it becomes very portable and useable for the student. It is always then with them, and they do not necessarily have to look up each word every time. Also, as Scheuermann says, we can include punctuation/capitalization rules into the Excel document. My goal is to have them improve upon their spelling skills, and I think that we are that one step closer.
Many teachers, for fear of the dreaded weekly rote spelling lists, have adopted the philosophy that students will learn the rules of spelling when they are developmentally ready and do not formally teach spelling. However, this philosophy has proven to be detrimental to many students as it simply does not work. Many students then come into middle school with a lack of basic sight word knowledge, and once invented spelling has been ingrained for such a long period of time it is difficult to replace with proper spelling skills. Spelling still needs to be taught. However, it needs to be taught in such a way that is engaging for the student, it is seen as a real life application of a skill, and it is a personal process for the student. I agree with Scheuermann that the personal dictionary is able to fulfill on these criteria. However, Scheuermann advises teachers to laminate the pages of the dictionary and use medical tape and other methods to create the words so that they can easily be removed. I do not think that the personal dictionary has to be as involved. It could simply be a note book with penciled in words. Then when the student wishes to remove a mastered word they can erase it. Or better yet, if I were doing this with notebooks with my students I would have them place a sticker next to a mastered word to show off their accomplishments. I may have my students do this on the Excel document that they are using. However, I don’t think they have been using it for a long enough time period yet. Scheuermann does not have much faith in electronic spellcheckers. I was starting to feel that my Excel personal dictionary was little more than an electronic spellchecker as I was reading this article. In that it had some of the same pitfalls: not easily portable, not accessible at home etc. However, as I further reflected on this concept I believe that there are significant differences. If a student creates an Excel personal dictionary and saves it to a flash-stick it becomes very portable and useable for the student. It is always then with them, and they do not necessarily have to look up each word every time. Also, as Scheuermann says, we can include punctuation/capitalization rules into the Excel document. My goal is to have them improve upon their spelling skills, and I think that we are that one step closer.
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