Unit Ideas

Here is a list of the websites I’ve found so far that relate to our unit:

Simile lesson plan: http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/07-1/lesson001.shtml

Descriptive Writing/Art lesson plan:http://www.education-world.com/a_tsl/archives/07-1/lesson004.shtml

Some symbolism ideas: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070530142157AAXJVrv

Color symbolism: http://www.princetonol.com/groups/iad/lessons/middle/color2.htm

Cultural Symbols: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/06/g68/symbols.html

Reflection for 11/1

Trick or Treat!

When we attend class, I will probably be coming down from a week-long sugar high. And, to top it off, I was at a workshop all day today – and have another day long workshop stint planned for Thursday. Maybe I should make some good points in this reflection, since I may be useless by the time Thursday afternoon rolls around.

To start, I am feeling a little more positive than last week. I suspect bloggin’ my feelings out may have helped. (I also suspect that the ten pounds of Halloween candy lurking on every counter has significantly helped my mood while have having the opposite effect on my waistline.) I think I am at the point now where I just have to do what I can, and always be willing to improve my teaching practices.

Cynthia – Your comments on last week’s reflection entry made me feel much better, too. It’s nice to know I’m not alone in my frustration. It’s also nice to hear that UD is one of those teaching components that gets easier to implement over time and practice.

In other news… I was really glad to work with my group last week and start to hammer out our objectives. We have tried several times to meet outside of Thursday’s class, but we are all so busy that we only find a few minutes at lunch to really collaborate. So, having a uninterrupted block of time to work together was priceless. I think we now have an idea of what we want the kids to be able to do – it is just wording the objectives (and making them measurable) that we need to focus on. That is sometimes a challenge.

Issue: We are a planning to do a reading/writing unit. Determining quantifiable objectives that makes sense and are not arbitrary has proved to be easier-said-than-done. For example, one of our desired outcomes is for the kids to be able to “create an introduction that catches a reader’s attention”. I am stuck on how to quantify the idea of “interest-catching”. I suppose this could be quite subjective. However, determining exactly how to define “interest-catching” is beyond me. I suppose if I were hard-pressed to encapsulate that idea – I would say it uses descriptive language, one of our five story-starting methods (opening with a questions, phrase explosion, etc.), and relates to the topic at hand. Will we limit the students if we specify the terminology so rigidly? I don’t want to have the kids become writing-robots, but rather, I want them to use the tools we’ll be giving them and enhance their own writing styles. Any advice?

Issue: Is there a master list of all UD technologies for teaching available? There seems to be so many powerful tools – but fitting the right ones into the right lessons is a tall order. This may be more of a problem for us now than it will be down the line. I think the more we learn about UD, the more ideas we amass. But in the meantime, is there a site I could visit to inspire our group?

Otherwise, I think we are working our way into the right direction. I look forward to sharing out work with the other groups in the class. I hope that they, and our Fearless Professor, will be able to help us sort through our confusion. It was very helpful to listen to the process and outcomes of the 5th grade group last week.

Another quick note… (Sorry about the jumbled information discussed in this blog entry.)… I am feeling better about RTI. I have done some research lately and looked into the successes some western states (Colorado & Oregon among them) are having after the implementation of RTI. I am also glad that our district will not have to reinvent the wheel and can adopt and adapt a working model from another district that has already done the footwork. Here are a couple of interesting sites I found with a wealth of information on RTI:

http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdesped/RTI.asp

http://www.ode.state.or.us/search/page/?id=315

I also found this site, which seems to offer a technological information collection method to help school districts track RTI data:

http://www.autoskill.com/intervention/access_rti_wp.php

I’m sure there are many other CBM-like programs out there. I think technology may be our best friend in the implementation of RTI – and in the interventions we propose for kids in need of assistance.

See you Thursday night!

Article: What is a Wiki?

Article 4: What is the role of emerging technologies (think Facebook, iPhones, videogaming, and online learning) in K-12 education?

YouTube: pb wiki-What is a Wiki? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmByB0sIPog

Pre-viewing note: Yippee! I am finally going to learn what a Wiki is!

Post viewing notes: Ok. Now I know a little about Wikis. I guess I knew they were an online collaboration tool designed more for groups than for individuals, unlike blogs which seems to be geared more toward one person’s thought-sharing. I like the idea of a class being able to build and discover an idea together electronically. I also heard one of the contributors say a Wiki is “quick-y”, meaning that you can put all of your content – including hyperlinks, definitions, etc. – onto the page so that the entire idea is located in one place – rather then on various sheets of paper or across many computer screens. It was also great to hear that Wikis are pretty easy to build and use – I imagine they are similar to blogs in that they require some set-up originally, but are easy to maintain once they are operational.

Issues…

Are posts “approve-able” before they are public? Can teachers moderate the posts and check relevance and appropriateness before the entire class views the post?

Are Wikis private or open to any web lurker?

Does the technology run smoothly? Will the websites get bogged down if 22 kids in one classroom are online simultaneously?

Overall, this seems more appropriate for my classroom use than a blog would be – but I haven’t really investigated the Wiki-phenomenon enough yet to be sure of that answer. More to learn…

Article: CNN – What is Podcasting?

Article 3: What is the role of emerging technologies (think Facebook, iPhones, videogaming, and online learning) in K-12 education?

YouTube: CNN Video: What is Podcasting? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM5lXOFD4Zg&mode=related&search=

The video talked briefly about how you Podcast, which was helpful. My impression is that you record yourself (audio or video or both), then use a program (the clip mentions something called “i-podder”) to upload your program to the internet. Then, listeners visit the designated website and download the clip. Finally, listeners can view/hear the podcast at their leisure. It seems to work just like i-tunes or other mp3 sites. I also assume that you can download podcasts onto your computer and listen to them with that device – instead of an mp3 player (although, I’m not completely sure of this).

I like the way the clip wrapped up with this quote: “Podcasting is something like ham radios were… talking to the void to see if anyone can hear you”. It is true that blogs and podcasts seems to allow anyone with a computer and an Internet connection a voice in the world. Whether each individual has something worth listening to is up for debate. I wonder what the far-reaching implications will be for our society when this technology becomes as second-nature to us as television and microwaves. I hope the masses use these technology-driven public forums for good, not evil.

Article: Podcast PSA

Article 2: What is the role of emerging technologies (think Facebook, iPhones, videogaming, and online learning) in K-12 education?

YouTube: Podcast PSA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FP5jltqfZSE

That was a cool PSA. Very snappy tune playing in the background! It was also interesting to read about the possibilities for education when you Podcast. I was really amazed at the applications – from watching comedy to leadership training. I have seen a few Podcasts in my time, but am now interested to check out some of the sites mentioned on the video – and learn more. I would also like to try to make Podcast… My hope is to be able to attach a Podcast to one of these blog entries before the end of the course. (In the meantime, I’ve got a lot to learn!

Article: The Future of Web Conferencing in Education

Article 1: What is the role of emerging technologies (think Facebook, iPhones, videogaming, and online learning) in K-12 education?

YouTube: The Future of Web Conferencing in Education http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGFdRjrakc4  

I agree with  Mr. Martellacci about the need to bring digital information presentation into the classroom for the “digital natives”. I also think that these sort of technologies will be commonplace in school in the not-so-distant future.

One interesting application that Mr. Martellacci mentioned was “polling”. All I can think of is the polling systems used on today’s game shows to “ask the audience”, etc. I think it would be so incredible to have the kids become equipped with these hand-held devices. Imagine the usefulness of this technology! You could instantly check for understanding in any lesson. In seconds, all kids could have a voice in the classroom – and each teacher could have a quick snapshot of student information attainment. I wonder if this technology is available to schools at all – or how expensive it would be to have it available. (I’m sure it would be quite pricey!)  This is something I would definitely add to “The Classroom of the Future”.

Article: Science of Learning Part II: Pre-Existing Knowledge

Article 4: What do we know about how kids learn – with or without technology?

National Center for Technology Innovation. (2003, March). Science of Learning Part II: Pre-Existing Knowledge. Retrieved January 21, 2005, from http://www.nationaltechcenter.org/resources/documents/SOLPart2PDF.pdf (Adobe Reader required)

I studied cognition quite a bit in college. We learned a lot about the value of activating prior knowledge when you are learning new concepts. Every prior experience has an impact on how a student is able to learn and remember new knowledge and skills. Finding a way to tap into these past experiences and use them to bring about enhanced learning opportunities is essential for students to have a grasp on brand new concepts. I generally try to do this through discussion and “reflection in writing” techniques in my classroom just before or during a lesson of new material. Kids seem to do well when I am able to make logical connections between past experiences/current interests and the lesson subject matter.

One way that the authors suggest teachers assess prior knowledge is using a method called Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM). We have been talking about this at length in my “Response to Intervention” PLC. We have been looking at this tool as means to assess student progress as they work through a system of interventions. It is interesting that the authors of this article suggest using it for the purpose of assessing previous learning. As I was reading, I was thinking that it may be useful to use the CBM for all students – not just those in the RTI progress. If CMB became an instructional tool for us, it would be easy to collect data on kids in the RTI process. It also seems like CBM is a quick and easy way to have specific and frequent feedback on all students which can be used to plan more appropriate lessons to meet the needs of learners.

Article: Principles of Backward Design

Article 3: What do we know about how kids learn – with or without technology?

School Education Division. (2004). Principles of backward Design. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from http://www.ltag.education.tas.gov.au/planning/models/princbackdesign.htm

This is a very useful website. I plan to revisit it when we start the real work of our unit.

Just a note: When I was an undergraduate, we learned how to plan with a Backward Design framework. We never learned another way. I think this is why “newer” teachers are less-resistant to the idea of starting with desired outcomes. Not to say that these “newer” teachers are never tempted to do a unit/lesson without considering the larger picture. I think it’s just a real advantage for me that this method has become the expected routine – and it has become much more of a second-nature process.

What this can lead to enhanced collaboration across the “pay scale”. Newer teachers can share their know-how on the planning method, while more seasoned teachers can share their vast knowledge of curriculum methods, materials, and assessment techniques. Planning across levels of teacher experience can bring about better lesson that have clear outcomes for more kids.

Reflection for 10/25: When did I get so cynical?

Dear Dr. Phil,

(Oh wait, wrong blog.)

Ok. So, I’m feeling like a real negative Nancy lately. I used to be really optimistic about all things educational. In the last year or so, however, I’ve begun to feel a a little discouraged and disgruntled. I think it stems from the feeling that I am trying my very best to paddle, but the boat keeps going in circles. It doesn’t seem to matter how much time/attention I give to teaching. Whether I dedicate that time toward working with students… giving feedback on assignments… collaborating with teammates… or planning. I can work for four or five hours a night after the kids go home, and the next day, I’m back buried under the pile of correcting, data, and new programming to integrate. I guess I’m a little disillusioned. Maybe this stems from the fact that I spend the majority of my time at work doing assignments I never even knew teachers were expected to do – before I become one myself.

In any rate, I know I need an attitude readjustment, a refocus, or a vacation. (Maybe all three!) I know what’s most important – connecting with my students and helping each one make academic and personal progress. I somehow need to see past the muck and mire to the real goal. How to do this, I haven’t yet figured.

I know this may not be a discussion solely about UBD or UD, but I think it all connects back. There are so many lessons I want to plan integrating the teaching principles of UBD and the accessibility of UD. I just need to find a way to make these tasks a priority – and I would say that this course is helping me move in that direction. Every time we read an article, I am reminded of being an optimistic college student learning about ideas like UBD, UB, and MI – so eager to have my own classroom where those ideas would be as routine as lunch counts and attendance.

In any rate, I haven’t given up yet. I know there’s a light in the tunnel – however dim it looks right now. I hope that we will learn some strategies (and dare I say, shortcuts) to help make UD a near-effortless component of my teaching.

Sorry about the rant. I have to say, just writing this all down has made me feel better.  I guess the good news is that I know where I am going – it’s just the means to get there that is a little fuzzy.  I think I’m jumping out of the boat for tonight. Until next time…

Article : Recognizing Neglected Strengths

Article 2: What do we know about how kids learn – with or without technology?

Sternberg, R.J. (2006, September). Recognizing neglected strengths. Educational Leadership, 64(1), 30-35.

“Many students have strengths that are unrecognized and neglected in traditional schooling” write Sternberg.

This is so true of most classrooms. First of all, it is very difficult to assess what skills kids have. This is a challenge for most teachers. For example, when I first came to GNG, I was pretty naive about the make-up of the population and the overall culture of the community. My second year teaching, we took our team to Hunter Safety Camp and my eyes were immediately opened. The kids on our team were very informed about hunting (boys AND girls), orienteering, and wilderness skills. The kids thrived in an outdoor classroom with hands-on, nature-related learning experiences. I imagine my students are vastly different from those in an urban setting. Most likely, a learning experience like this one – although it may enlighten them – would not capitalize on the prior knowledge and strenghts of “city slickers”. (I say this with a grin, as I was born and partially brought up in the city and can remember my own initial reaction to the week at camp!)

Another hurdle, once you are able to identify the skills the kids have, is to craft learning engagements that tap into those skills and interests. I think that most educational programming (I am thinking Connected Math, reading anthologies, etc.) is now being created with activities and problem sets that somehow integrate what adults think kids know about and/or are interested in at any given grade level. Making the problems ones that kids can relate to and will be applicable to their lives, hopefully hooks kids and then makes their learning practical. I think that these programs are better received than the older less-kid-centered versions; however, they can also come across as trying-to-hard to reach their given audience.

In any rate, the message here is clear. Teach to students’ strengths – see better results. I think this goes along well with the last article on Multiple Intelligences. Teaching to students areas of greater knowledge/skills will help them to learn information. The challenge here is to find away to teach to 22 students’ superior intelligences all at once. Diversification of teaching methods is suggested by the authors to combat this scenario. (I’m not sure it’s that easy, well, unless we move to a 10 hour school day!