Sunday, June 28, 2009

Journal #6 Mapping Student Minds

The article, Mapping Students Minds, summarizes the experiences of a California middle school science teacher, Ariel Owen, who enhanced the learning experience of her students by studying a local creek using actual as well as virtual field trips. In their work, students were put together as teams and help to monitor the condition of the stream over time. Most importantly, the information they gathered allowed them to create a causal map, one that allowed them to observe and define cause and effect relationships.

1. Is this tool useful in all classroom settings, such as Social Science?

It seems that the observation element of the causal map suggests that this kind of learning experience is geared toward a science classroom. Nevertheless, I don't see why students wouldn't be able to map out causal elements in a World History classroom, for say, the spread of a plague and its effect on population, economic production and urbanization.

2. Is this model of learning useful for all students?

Ms. Owen suggested in her article that her gifted students seemed to benefit more from the experience. Therefore, perhaps an AP classroom setting is the most effective time to employ this kind of teaching. I do wonder, however, if it would make any difference if students worked individually instead of in pairs as she had them. The pairs basically sparred for their ideas about causation and effect. This clearly is the comfort zone of the more gifted kids. More normal kids might thrive more if not in the shadow of a more confident peer.

Journal #5 Can You Hear Me Now?

Wow, Sherry Turkle's article is a bulls-eye. Though her primary target isn't really the Verizon Guy with the thick glasses, the metaphor of the Verizon commercial (Can you hear me now) as representing our attempts to connect using technology---and yet really connecting less---summarizes the underlying argument of her article. Most of us recognize the benefits of technology more readily than the possible costs; specifically in how human interaction and personal reflection, in their natural forms, are relegated to obsolescence.

1. What can be done to ensure children are not ensconced in a virtual world where human interaction without the benefit of technology is totally absent?

Turkle points to the problem of children becoming so dependent ("tethered") on electronic connectedness that at times their independence is stymied. Anyone who has recently visited a Jamba Juice or other such place that teenagers frequent can't help but notice that every teenager in the shop has a cell phone in hand, and that every 30 seconds or so they anxiously glance at their phone to see if they have been texted. It is, as Turtle suggested, as if being connected electronically demonstrates identity, worth and certainly status.

As adults, parents or future teachers, we need to think of ways to ensure children learn to connect at least as well with their actual voices and body language, and can reflect on a deeper level. Most important is to model moderation. If we are unable to ignore a phone, a beep, or a chime during a face-to-face conversation, how can we expect children not to develop the "always on" attitude? Additionally, perhaps it would be a helpful idea for families to designate one "off" day a week, where all of the electronics get turned off, and everyone is forced to communicate the old-fashioned way.

2. The idea of multi-tasking as a mindset has grown in the last few decades. Is this a good thing?

I think it is misplaced. I believe this has more to do with the elevation of the business world in popular culture than with technology. Some CEOs are treated like rock-stars and their language has also been given a boost. "Multi-tasker", a buzz word for human resources departments everywhere, is almost obligatory on all resumes. But while computer might multi-task well, I don't believe most people do. This ties into Turkle's point about the increasing inability of people to reflect deeply. The pressure to multi-task means juggling superficial thoughts which inhibits thinking on a deeper, more singular level.

Friday, June 19, 2009

Journal #4 Moderating and Ethics

Journal #4
Moderating and Ethics for the Classroom Instruction Blog
Patricia Deubel, Ph.D.
1. Does a Classroom Blog offer advantages not available through the regular classroom modalities?
As Patricia Deubel nicely pointed out, it does. Most importantly, a classroom blog offers the opportunity to draw out the voices of classroom members who are seldom or never heard from. Everyone knows that in all classrooms, there are always a few dominate voices that are heard and who “monopolize the airwaves,” while other less assertive personalities go unheard. A blog is, in a sense, a more democratic way for the classroom to participate since you can’t really drown someone out with your keyboard! In the digital age, a powerful keystroke can be the equalizer to the powerful voice.
2. How can a Blog help a teacher to model digital citizenship?
Again, Deubel has provided a wealth of wisdom in this regard. By creating a gated environment and monitoring a posted code of ethics for the blog, a teacher can teach ethical principles that can have further use for students as digital citizens (Anyone who has attempted to respond to a newspaper blog regarding a controversial subject knows fully how desperately wanting digital behavior can be). Students can learn about the balance between free expression and decency toward others. They can learn about limits, self-control, truth, accuracy and respect for others.

Journal #3 Too Cool For School? No Way!

Journal #3
Too Cool for School? No Way!
Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler are clearly strong proponents of incorporating the latest technologies---including Web 2.0---into the classroom. They discuss people’s conception of technology and their initial discomfort with technology that is new to them. But they also suggest that incorporating new technology is not as simple as it seems. For much of the article, they attempt to construct an appropriate model of pedagogical theory that includes technology. They suggest several alternative search engines for the educational environment such as Viewzi and Clusty.
1. Is incorporating new technology as difficult as the author’s suggest?
Mishra and Koehler are trained theorists and appear to have a strong interest in the modeling aspect of pedagogy and technology. I think their fondness for creating new acronyms tends to over complicate the situation a bit. While it may be true that some technologies were not developed specifically for classroom application, that does not mean that a “specific kind of knowledge” is required to use them in the classroom. Application should be relatively straight-forward and not made to seem daunting.
2. Are many teachers intimidated by the new technology?
I believe they are. That is why it is important to offer teachers who are not yet comfortable with the technology classes such as the one I am taking. But I think a number of teachers are also concerned about Web content and what may be lurking a click away from a child’s fingers.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Journal Entry #1 Your Google Guide

Doug Johnson describes how it is often the case that students and teachers use Google to perform searches, and yet they often are not aware of the more effective search techniques available that can increase their success and productivity searching on the Web.

In my own case, I would have to be included among those who Google, but not being fully aware of the most effective tools for doing so. Although I was already aware of entering multiple search terms, I was not familiar with the full significance of using "operators". I had no idea, for instance, that adding a minus sign (-) in the search field is an effective way of paring down a large content area.

It seems that it would be very worth while for schools to allocate time in there curriculum to address this specific need. Assuming that a school already has Internet capable computers available to students, there should not be additional cost to have the school librarian or technology person walk students through the various search tools available to them.

Journal Entry #2: Social Networking in K-12

Klein's point that the new tools of social networking are limited to "islands" within large district that are "Balkanized" is well taken. As to why this is the case, however, he suggests that a significant reason for this is, perhaps, money. My own research of this, based on the annual surveys of the California Department of Education, do not support this conclusion, however. Some schools, even with modern computers and Internet access, are opting not to allow their students to utilize available social networking tools (Mira Mesa High School, for instance). Since creating blog and wiki accounts are essentially free, the cost of doing so cannot be the reason for this.
Interestingly, Klein goes on and makes exactly this point. He describes how it is possible to create a vibrant social networking community at a K-12 school that is essentially cost free (assuming you already have a good IT guy at the district like Klein). He describes the various open source systems and software that can be used and made safe and secure for a school district's use. And I visited the school district site Klein is responsible for and it is certainly very good and worthy of emulation. Yet I also noticed that even as good as his site is, many of the teachers at his district are still not taking advantage of it. This suggests that the other problem then may simply be that too many teachers are either not literate in the use of the Web 2.0 world, or that there is a prevalence of luddism---an unwillingness to move along at the pace that technology can allow us.

Monday, June 1, 2009

All Aboard

My computer technology background consists more of hands-on experience rather than classroom-based instruction. In the Navy, I learned to use "afloat" intelligence systems for tracking both friendly and hostile ships, planes and other platforms or units of interest. This included learning to use computers to help correlate disparate bits of information and create the most realistic "picture" of the existing battlefield environment. As a Congressional Aide, I learned more traditional computer programs, including office-based software. While assisting constituents, I gained extensive experience using case management programs.
I have not been accepted into the Single Subject Program for Social Science, but I intend to reapply at the next opportunity. I spent three years teaching courses in the Navy. These courses typically ran from one to two weeks and were geared toward junior personnel who tended to be in their twenties. I have volunteered in my son's grade school classes, which has definitely given me a healthy respect for what teachers accomplishing in the younger grade levels.
I have a Master of Arts in U.S History from Claremont Graduate University. My goal in this class is to develop skills for technologically-based social science lessons that go beyond Power Point presentations. I want to share with kids in a way that really captures their attention.

Valkyrie as History vs. Entertainment

"Walkyrie," recently debuted on the Big screen, not as a Wagnerian Opera, but as a historically-based drama of