http://bigthink.com/blogs/dangerously-irrelevant
This is a blog link that our superintendent sent us today. We have an extremely block internet at our school, so closed that they can not access KWWL because it is labeled entertainment. Drives me crazy. But, we keep getting these links and articles about open access and using technology in our classrooms. I agree with that to the utmost extent but am a little confused why we get one message but act in the opposite. Maybe he is leading up to a change in the next year or so when we go to the 1 to 1 program.
All of that aside, the blog is awesome and poses some really good questions for teachers and administrators to think about. How are we going to prepare our students for the real world of technology? If we are not using in our classroom the technology that they will be expected to use in their jobs are we really doing our job? Can we continue to run our schools on the same educational foundations that have been used for decades or are we going to change with the current times and truly prepare our students for what is to come?
These are the questions that lead me to the masters program in instructional technology. I want to be prepared for when schools realize that they are out of date and need to take the plunge into the techno world that we live in. We can not continue to ignor the world around us we need to be a part of it. The video is a little dry but he makes a good point, we need to update our schools and we need to do it very soon.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
3-30-11 aha
We watched the TED talk with Chimamanda Adichie last week. I have been thinking about it ever since. I really liked her idea of a "single story", it is so true of people in general. We form our opinions from what we see and from our own experiences and that is what creates that story. I don't think she was saying that is all a bad thing, but just to keep in mind that it is only one piece of a very large tapestry. We need to keep our minds open to more stories to add to our collection. In some ways it explains our ignorance, does not excuse it but does put it in to a new perspective. People are not always bias on purpose they have just never had the chance to hear other stories. When your view of the world starts to expand only then do you really begin to realize how limited it had been and only then will you start to work to hear more than the one story. I grew up in a small town but was close enough to Iowa City that I had a chance to see a little more than the small town story. I loved to go and sit in downtown Iowa City and just watch people. There were people from all over the world and I could see the different clothing and hear many different languages. It was an awesome experience. I was also lucky to have a mother that valued a good story so we were always hearing stories from different cultures, we went to the library often. And yet when I went to college I was still amazed at how much I did not know.
Monday, March 28, 2011
http://blog.timesunion.com/marshall/files/2011/03/tritop.jpg
Disturbing to say the least, this article and picture are about stores selling push-up bikini tops to children as young as 7 years old. JUST SO WRONG!!
I said it in class when we were discussing the sexualiztion of young girls in ads that the clothing that is sold for young kids is very inappropriate for children that are not yet teens. I do not want my 4 year old child to look like a slutty teenager. I didn't even allow my teens to dress in the type of clothing that is out there for little girls. It is just so scary that people promote this by purchasing this type of clothing for their young girls, where is their head. Why do they not see what they are doing to their children.
No matter how much we complain and contact these companies it doesn't seem to change what they are offering up out there. I am so ready for people to join in the opposition of this and stop buying this crap for their kids. What is more important that you think you have dressed your child to be popular and fashionable or that you allow your children to BE children.
I am done ranting now. Thanks for listening, I feel much better now that I have let it all out.
Disturbing to say the least, this article and picture are about stores selling push-up bikini tops to children as young as 7 years old. JUST SO WRONG!!
I said it in class when we were discussing the sexualiztion of young girls in ads that the clothing that is sold for young kids is very inappropriate for children that are not yet teens. I do not want my 4 year old child to look like a slutty teenager. I didn't even allow my teens to dress in the type of clothing that is out there for little girls. It is just so scary that people promote this by purchasing this type of clothing for their young girls, where is their head. Why do they not see what they are doing to their children.
No matter how much we complain and contact these companies it doesn't seem to change what they are offering up out there. I am so ready for people to join in the opposition of this and stop buying this crap for their kids. What is more important that you think you have dressed your child to be popular and fashionable or that you allow your children to BE children.
I am done ranting now. Thanks for listening, I feel much better now that I have let it all out.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/displaying-student-testing-data-ethical-elena-aguilar
This was a blog post that my daughter sent to me. She believes that it is ok to post the scores because students should know that it is not ok to fail math. Of course this is coming from a student who always found math to be easy and was on the math team in junior high and high school. Her and I do not see eye to eye on this point.
I personally liked the idea of having the kids set goals and then posting their progress toward their goal. No one has to know what their goal is just that they are making progress toward that end. Which to me is what school and differentiated instruction is all about. I don't think that their scores should be posted in the classroom with their names beside them for all to see. Humiliation for failure is not a good thing for an elementary or really any student. Showing whole class progress like the chart pictured might be ok but believe me the studetns always know who is at the top and who is at the bottom.
With so much focus on student scores and showing that you are improving the test scores in the classroom I can see where some of this thought comes from but I don't think that this is the way to go about motivating kids to do better. Teaching them goal setting and helping them to feel successful and to feel personal accomplishment is so much more important then the end score on a test. It is ok to fail sometimes as long as you don't dwell on it and get stuck in that failure. You need to learn from failure, look at why you failed and then learn how to improve. With that said, I go back to posting test scores in the classroom, how is that supposed to help them learn and improve if they are embarassed and humiliated in front of their peers.
I would be interested to hear everyone elses feelings on this, am I right or should children's test scores with their names next to them be posted in their classrooms or even on the classroom door for all to see?
This was a blog post that my daughter sent to me. She believes that it is ok to post the scores because students should know that it is not ok to fail math. Of course this is coming from a student who always found math to be easy and was on the math team in junior high and high school. Her and I do not see eye to eye on this point.
I personally liked the idea of having the kids set goals and then posting their progress toward their goal. No one has to know what their goal is just that they are making progress toward that end. Which to me is what school and differentiated instruction is all about. I don't think that their scores should be posted in the classroom with their names beside them for all to see. Humiliation for failure is not a good thing for an elementary or really any student. Showing whole class progress like the chart pictured might be ok but believe me the studetns always know who is at the top and who is at the bottom.
With so much focus on student scores and showing that you are improving the test scores in the classroom I can see where some of this thought comes from but I don't think that this is the way to go about motivating kids to do better. Teaching them goal setting and helping them to feel successful and to feel personal accomplishment is so much more important then the end score on a test. It is ok to fail sometimes as long as you don't dwell on it and get stuck in that failure. You need to learn from failure, look at why you failed and then learn how to improve. With that said, I go back to posting test scores in the classroom, how is that supposed to help them learn and improve if they are embarassed and humiliated in front of their peers.
I would be interested to hear everyone elses feelings on this, am I right or should children's test scores with their names next to them be posted in their classrooms or even on the classroom door for all to see?
Monday, March 21, 2011
social networks in the classroom - aha moment
This is a short video of students from Van Meter talking about how they use social networking sites in their education. I found it extremely interesting that these are just 8th grade students and the things that they have done in school. They are lucky to have a teacher with vision and a school that allows these sites to be used in the classroom. We do allow our students to use skype but on a very limited basis and YouTube is completely blocked from them. As I have researched different topics in this course I have found so many things on the internet that would be so cool to use in the classroom if only the students were allowed to have access to it. Many teachers do not even let have their phones in their classrooms. If they see them they take them away and here is a teacher that is encourageing her students to use twitter, YouTube, Facebook and Skype to communicate with other students all over the world and even to talk to authors and people in fields of study that her students are exploring. This is just really awesome and I wish that we were seeing more of it in our school instead of trying to keep the outside world away from the students.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Visual Literacy Links
http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/visual.htm
http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/index.html
These were a couple of site I found that give some really great ideas of how to incorporate technology into the classroom. The digital camera ideas are awesome. He has some ideas that I hadn't ever considered. If you are going to be a classroom teacher you could ask family and friends to donate their old digital cameras when they upgrade. For the classroom purposes most older cameras still offer enough functions to serve their purpose and you have nothing invested so if they become damaged you are out very little. Taking photos is something most kids love to do and it makes them look at the world through a different perspective. I have these sites bookmarked on my computer and plan to find a way to use at least one of the ideas in my second grade reading class yet this year. If I get it done before class ends I will post the results of the project.
http://www.zardec.net.au/keith/index.html
These were a couple of site I found that give some really great ideas of how to incorporate technology into the classroom. The digital camera ideas are awesome. He has some ideas that I hadn't ever considered. If you are going to be a classroom teacher you could ask family and friends to donate their old digital cameras when they upgrade. For the classroom purposes most older cameras still offer enough functions to serve their purpose and you have nothing invested so if they become damaged you are out very little. Taking photos is something most kids love to do and it makes them look at the world through a different perspective. I have these sites bookmarked on my computer and plan to find a way to use at least one of the ideas in my second grade reading class yet this year. If I get it done before class ends I will post the results of the project.
Monday, March 14, 2011
In my search for information on ethics and morals in advertising I found several lectures and even one video on a workshop for lawyers to teach them how to eithically make profound claims about how they are the best have won the most cases in their commercials.
But a lot of what I found were the banned ads, the first one has runs on the premise of inuendo, which is of course inappropriate but I still found to be amusing. The second one was so over the top I was amazed anyone even made it to where it had to be banned. The message is an important one but they turned it into a big joke. It is supposed to be funny but missed the mark and hit stupidity instead. There one also one for eyeglasses that I couldn't even bring my self to add here. That one made me wonder why anyone would even agree to act in the commercial.
I found one comment under the videos to be especially appropriate: We skip the ads when we watch TV shows and then look for the to watch on youtube. it is a good point. We all hate commercials but then watch the superbowl just to see the commercials or the following day we look for them on the internet. We search for certain ones to watch or to show our friends. But over allin my search for information on the morals and ethics in advertising, I found more satire on the topic than actual information. Interesting.
March 14, aha moment
My husband and I were watching television the other night and a commercial came on and the guy was on the couch, he has a cold and he is whining becasue he can't reach the remote. My husband looks up and says why do they always make men act so helpless when they are sick? He was annoyed by the commercial and how it portrayed men. This brought me back to our conversations after we watched Killing me Softly. Many thought that men were not as bothered or harmed as much by their portrayal in the media as women. I believe they are. The image of them being helpless or stupid sends a negative message and creates a negative stereotype. I don't know if this started so that woman could be made to look stronger and break the stereo type that they are the weaker sex. I would ask how does going in the opposite direction and to an extreme to make a point any better than the stereo type that already existed. It is almost as if the stupid male has taken the place of the dumb blonde.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
UP!! In real life!
This is just awesome, I had to post it.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20040371-1.html
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20040371-1.html
Monday, March 7, 2011
children's creativity
There seems to be the idea out there that children are losing their creativity. I can see where this may be true with some children when they are so over scheduled that they don't ever have a chance to be a kid.
When I came home from class tonight I found my daughters drawings and paintings on the table and the living room looked like a tornado had gone through. She was in the bathtub with a clear plastic bucket over her head pretending to be a spaceman going into outer space, because it was dark outside and you can see outerspace. She is a funny kid and is very creative. I love to watch her play and listen to her as she is making her dolls talk. I wish I could video tape it but everytime I get the camera out she turns into super ham and I can't just get her playing.
I believe if we give kids toys that allow them to be creative, like blocks, dolls, trucks, and art supplies they will use that creative spirit that is in all children. But if we schedule every minute of their day and never allow them to make a mess than we stifle that natural creativity. Video games and such are OK and can be very educational but we need to mix in the toys that require kids to think on their own.
When I came home from class tonight I found my daughters drawings and paintings on the table and the living room looked like a tornado had gone through. She was in the bathtub with a clear plastic bucket over her head pretending to be a spaceman going into outer space, because it was dark outside and you can see outerspace. She is a funny kid and is very creative. I love to watch her play and listen to her as she is making her dolls talk. I wish I could video tape it but everytime I get the camera out she turns into super ham and I can't just get her playing.
I believe if we give kids toys that allow them to be creative, like blocks, dolls, trucks, and art supplies they will use that creative spirit that is in all children. But if we schedule every minute of their day and never allow them to make a mess than we stifle that natural creativity. Video games and such are OK and can be very educational but we need to mix in the toys that require kids to think on their own.
Cool way to teach a mini lesson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIGqBb3iZPo
This guy does some really cool little science and engineering lessons on videos. He explains them in terms that make sense and then shows you at the same time. The visuals make the video awesome. I have learned some very interesting little tidbits of science from The Engineer Guy.
This guy does some really cool little science and engineering lessons on videos. He explains them in terms that make sense and then shows you at the same time. The visuals make the video awesome. I have learned some very interesting little tidbits of science from The Engineer Guy.
March 7, 2011 AHA Moment
Last week I had the unique opportunity to be on the other side of hiring a teacher. I was reading and sorting resumes and cover letters and was amazed at the difference in quality of the 9 applicants. My major AHA moment came when someone help up a cover letter that had no paragraph breaks on the entire page of the letter. He commented, "I don't even want to attempt to read this, I am tempted to just put it aside and not even look at it." I had to agree it was very difficult to read but it also ended up being one of our top choices to interview. If we had been looking at a pile of 100 or more applicants I am sure this person would have just been put aside and not even considered.
That old saying of first impressions is so true. When I went home that evening I went through my cover letter with a fine toothed comb to find any errors at all, because every little error was noticed on these letters and resumes. I also made sure that my cover letter gave a good impression of the kind of teacher that I am and not just a repeat of the same information that is on my resume.
The comments made by others and my own thoughts as I read through these application materials was an eye opener. I will be reviewing all of my application materials to be sure that they are all current, proper format, no mistakes and not only my letter and resume but all of my packet materials. I was in awe of the impact of this first visual impression on how we made our decisions on who to interview. We did read through all nine but I am sure if we had been looking at a bigger pool of applicants some very fine people would have been passed over because of how they presented them selves on paper.
Next week I will be sitting on the other side of the interview table and I am looking forward to what I can learn to help me the next time I am in the hot seat. This is an awesome experience and I hope it will help me in my own job search. Now I am off to ask for updated letters of reference from my principal and superintendent.
That old saying of first impressions is so true. When I went home that evening I went through my cover letter with a fine toothed comb to find any errors at all, because every little error was noticed on these letters and resumes. I also made sure that my cover letter gave a good impression of the kind of teacher that I am and not just a repeat of the same information that is on my resume.
The comments made by others and my own thoughts as I read through these application materials was an eye opener. I will be reviewing all of my application materials to be sure that they are all current, proper format, no mistakes and not only my letter and resume but all of my packet materials. I was in awe of the impact of this first visual impression on how we made our decisions on who to interview. We did read through all nine but I am sure if we had been looking at a bigger pool of applicants some very fine people would have been passed over because of how they presented them selves on paper.
Next week I will be sitting on the other side of the interview table and I am looking forward to what I can learn to help me the next time I am in the hot seat. This is an awesome experience and I hope it will help me in my own job search. Now I am off to ask for updated letters of reference from my principal and superintendent.
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