Reflect on the interview with Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay and post a blog entry that shares an idea you have implemented, or recently discovered, that fosters collaboration and helps to develop students’ respectful and ethical minds.
Mr. Juliani's interview with Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay on the "Flat Classroom" was very enlightening and it shows what students with respectful and ethical minds can do! I have heard of the flat classroom in another course for the Instructional Media program, but this is the first time I have seen this video and I believe I have a greater understanding of collaboration and the benefits of reaching out beyond one's comfort zone. The 'Flat Classroom' is a framework set up by Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay that helps students engage the mind and discover new ideas and perspectives. This framework includes projects that are researched and completed with students from around the world.
Vicki Davis mentioned how students today need to know how to collaborate and to troubleshooting. During any collaboration, you are going to run into roadblocks or speed bumps. Troubleshooting these problems creates an opportunity, according to Vicki Davis, to think at a higher level. When you are troubleshooting a problem with a student across the world, it can add even more difficulty. It might be more difficult to troubleshoot or find common ground with someone so different from yourself, but in the end, it is worth it. The student has the opportunity to learn from the other person. Each student brings unique strengths and perspectives to the table. Troubleshooting problems increases communication and you understanding of the other person. Vicki Davis stated, "Students are the greatest textbooks out there.. it is our job as teachers to open them!"(Juliani, 2013). The Flat Classroom encourages students to collaborate respectfully and to work with each other to create a unique solution.
In my classroom, I have been slow to implement projects that feature collaboration. I am only in my 4th year teaching and in previous years, I always was pressured to 'get the curriculum done'. Like Julie stated in the video, projects that feature collaboration is a journey and requires a commitment of time and resources. I used to think I simply didn't have time to do anything like this. I quickly noticed, just like Gardner that, "students take keen note of how teachers treat one another, how they treat other adults and how they treat students--particularly those who come from a non-majority group" (Gardner 2007). Students look to us to teach and model respectful minds and it is up to us as educators to develop lessons and projects that foster the respectful mind. Currently, I am working with a new project with my 8th grade US History Class. They are examining Nathaniel Bacon and his role on history. One of the elements of this project is to determine whether he was a hero or traitor. As a group, the students looked over some primary and secondary sources for information. They had to organize their information that they gathered and share it with their group. They then were do discuss whether or not Bacon was a hero... or a traitor. As I suspected, those who were a little more rebellious, thought he was a traitor, and those who were rule followers, thought he was a traitor. They also had to support their reasoning with facts. The students tended to really enjoy this assignment because they were in control of their own thoughts. They were allowed to freely decided on what they believed about the situation. There was no 'wrong' answer. I was pleasantly surprised about how well my student's respected each other's opinions. Of course, there were a few students who decided to name call and degrade another's opinion. I used this as a learning opportunity. I talked to the student about how it feels to be degraded based on their opinion. Many of them believed it was ok because it was done to them. After talking to the student about being respectful and modeling how to approach someone with a different opinion, they usually turned around and was able to be respectful, but still argue their points. "A truly respectful individual offers the benefit of the doubt to all human beings" (Gardner 2007). I stated to the students that their own opinion might not be valued or heard if they continue to view other's opinions as being 'stupid'. I told them if they wanted to also be heard and taken seriously, they will need to model respectful behavior. Being respectful doesn't mean being complacent. I want my students to think on their own, be able to draw their on conclusions and have the ability to respectfully present their arguments and back it up with facts. I also witnessed students agree to disagree and merit other people's different arguments. "Rather than ignoring differences, being inflamed by them, or seeking to annihilate them through love or hate, I call on human beings to accept the differences, learn to live with them, and value those who belong to other cohorts" (Gardner, 2007) I was surprised on how well they did with the project. I realized that I need to give my 8th graders more credit! Not only did they learn the material and the effects of one man on history, but they also developed stronger skills in respectful collaboration. I can't wait to try something similar later in the year.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Juliani, A. (2013, March 11). Flattening Classrooms and Engaging Minds with Global Education: An
Interview with Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay [Blog post]. Retrieved from Education is my Life
website: http://educationismylife.com/flattening-classrooms-and-engaging-minds-with-global-education-an-interview-with-vicki-davis-and-julie-lindsay/
Thursday, November 28, 2013
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Project #2: Spotlight on Strategies
What instructional goal/challenge does your SOS address?
What additional value does the integration of digital media bring to your idea in terms of students’ understanding of the concept or topic?
"In our global, wired society, creativity is sought after, cultivated, praised. Corporate visionary John Seely Brown has quipped that, in a world of tomorrow, people will say, "I create; therefore I am""(Gardner, 2007). Creativity has and always should be a part of school and higher level thinking. Today, students express this creativity in terms of using social media sites like vine, facebook, snapchat and instagram. These programs can record and edit videos and pictures. Students love using these websites to create unique videos and pictures. They, in a way, identify with what they create. Their creations represent who they are. They use social media sites to express themselves using creativity. It is time teachers used this knowledge to increase students understanding to a topic. Students have changed drastically over the past 10 years and it is time teachers learned to change along with the students. As teachers, we should adapt the student's 21st century skills to the classroom. It will not only challenge the students, but using digital media will produce unique and creative products. These products will be drastically different from normal posters or book reports and, in my opinion, will produce a greater understanding of the topic and concept.
Digital media will increase a student's motivation to learn. They enjoy using technology and feel comfortable using it to express themselves. "The creator stands out in terms of temperament, personality and stance. She is perennially dissatisfied with current work, current standards, current questions, current answers. She strikes out in unfamiliar directions and enjoys-- or at least accepts - being different from the pack" (Gardner, 2007). They love to be innovative and create something new and unique.... they no longer want to just write a report, they want to film a movie, write a musical, or create any other unique product that sets them apart from the pack.
Allowing students to develop their creative side will also help them later in life. Businesses aren't looking for someone who can just write a report, they also are always looking for people with fresh new ideas. These 21st century learners can have a huge impact on innovation. "Those corporations that do not embrace innovation, will almost inevitably be muscles out by those who do" (Gardner, 2007).
Creative students can be some of the most dissatisfied with school. They do not like to fit into a mold and be just another student. They feel that schools don't cultivate their creativity and allow them to express themselves. "There is a reason why so many famous creators hated or dropped out of school-- they did not like marching to someone else's tune (and, in return, the authorities disliked their idiosyncratic marching patterns" (Gardner, 2007). I believe that creative students can learn the material/topic/concept, they just need to do it in a different way. Teachers need to accept that not all students learn the same way! Digital Media opens up countless doors for creative people can learn on their own terms. Digital media can also help those who are not so easily creative to develop new skills.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
- CC.8.5.6-8.B: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
- CC.8.5.6-8.D: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
- CC.8.6.6-8.C: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
- CC.8.6.6-8.G: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
What additional value does the integration of digital media bring to your idea in terms of students’ understanding of the concept or topic?
"In our global, wired society, creativity is sought after, cultivated, praised. Corporate visionary John Seely Brown has quipped that, in a world of tomorrow, people will say, "I create; therefore I am""(Gardner, 2007). Creativity has and always should be a part of school and higher level thinking. Today, students express this creativity in terms of using social media sites like vine, facebook, snapchat and instagram. These programs can record and edit videos and pictures. Students love using these websites to create unique videos and pictures. They, in a way, identify with what they create. Their creations represent who they are. They use social media sites to express themselves using creativity. It is time teachers used this knowledge to increase students understanding to a topic. Students have changed drastically over the past 10 years and it is time teachers learned to change along with the students. As teachers, we should adapt the student's 21st century skills to the classroom. It will not only challenge the students, but using digital media will produce unique and creative products. These products will be drastically different from normal posters or book reports and, in my opinion, will produce a greater understanding of the topic and concept.
Digital media will increase a student's motivation to learn. They enjoy using technology and feel comfortable using it to express themselves. "The creator stands out in terms of temperament, personality and stance. She is perennially dissatisfied with current work, current standards, current questions, current answers. She strikes out in unfamiliar directions and enjoys-- or at least accepts - being different from the pack" (Gardner, 2007). They love to be innovative and create something new and unique.... they no longer want to just write a report, they want to film a movie, write a musical, or create any other unique product that sets them apart from the pack.
Allowing students to develop their creative side will also help them later in life. Businesses aren't looking for someone who can just write a report, they also are always looking for people with fresh new ideas. These 21st century learners can have a huge impact on innovation. "Those corporations that do not embrace innovation, will almost inevitably be muscles out by those who do" (Gardner, 2007).
Creative students can be some of the most dissatisfied with school. They do not like to fit into a mold and be just another student. They feel that schools don't cultivate their creativity and allow them to express themselves. "There is a reason why so many famous creators hated or dropped out of school-- they did not like marching to someone else's tune (and, in return, the authorities disliked their idiosyncratic marching patterns" (Gardner, 2007). I believe that creative students can learn the material/topic/concept, they just need to do it in a different way. Teachers need to accept that not all students learn the same way! Digital Media opens up countless doors for creative people can learn on their own terms. Digital media can also help those who are not so easily creative to develop new skills.
Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Creativity in the Classroom
Have a discussion with one or more of your students about the role of creativity in the classroom. What do they really value currently and/or what would they change about their learning environment when it comes to digital media and technology supporting creativity?
I had a very interesting conversation with a student about creativity in the classroom. It was really hard to get him to speak his mind. He was scared of offending any of his teachers! I told him this would be completely anonymous and he doesn't have to mention teacher's names. One of the biggest things he mentioned is how much focus there is on grades and testing and how little there is on creativity. He said that as long as you get good grades, teachers don't really care about creativity. He even had trouble defining creativity. He believed that as a whole, there wasn't much creativity, but it depended on the teachers. Some teachers were better than infusing creativity than others. He told me that some students really aren't willing to take a risk and try to be creative in some classes. It is hard in an environment they aren't comfortable taking risks in. I asked him what would make him comfortable taking those creative risks. He told me having access to ipads, and laptops would help. He told me he is just more comfortable creating new things on technology. That technology, like iPads, are his comfort zone. He talked about various apps on the iPad that you can create and edit videos, pictures and even one where you can create your own video games. We spent a great deal of time talking about minecraft and how much freedom you have on that video game to create your own world... and then destroy it! Every day after school, my school runs a math lab. It is a time students can get help with their math homework and develop stronger math skills. The math lab teacher wrote a grant last year and was able to get 5 iPads. This student mentioned how much help those iPads helped him develop stronger math skills. He told me he wishes every class had a set to use!
Another point that stuck out to me is that the student also mentioned that he wishes his teachers also would take the creative leap. He believes some were so stuck in their ways that they would refuse to embrace technology. He also mentioned that teachers could also help by being more supportive when students make mistakes. He said that sometimes students are afraid to take risks and be viewed as having the wrong answer. He said a way to be supportive is to instead of always looking for just the right answer, the teachers should have more discussions and collaboration to get the right answer. He believes that all schools (and teachers) care about is the correct answer, not the process that they reached the answer. Students today are social, and thrive when they are allowed to collaborate. The student told me if more teachers were willing to allow discussion and collaboration, students would feel more comfortable taking the creative leap. He also mentioned how important to him it was for the teachers to encourage taking these leaps, and it would help him if teachers expressed that it was ok to take risks even if the end product missed the mark. He said we as teachers, should encourage students to take that leap of faith and attempt a new idea.
My interview with this student really confirmed things I had already knew. Creativity, to this generation, can be supported through collaborative technology. Technology and digital media have always been a part of their lives. They feel more comfortable with an iPad, then they do with a marker and crayons. It is time teachers changed with the times, and it is also time districts invested more money to increase student access to technology. I wish I had access to iPads every day!
I had a very interesting conversation with a student about creativity in the classroom. It was really hard to get him to speak his mind. He was scared of offending any of his teachers! I told him this would be completely anonymous and he doesn't have to mention teacher's names. One of the biggest things he mentioned is how much focus there is on grades and testing and how little there is on creativity. He said that as long as you get good grades, teachers don't really care about creativity. He even had trouble defining creativity. He believed that as a whole, there wasn't much creativity, but it depended on the teachers. Some teachers were better than infusing creativity than others. He told me that some students really aren't willing to take a risk and try to be creative in some classes. It is hard in an environment they aren't comfortable taking risks in. I asked him what would make him comfortable taking those creative risks. He told me having access to ipads, and laptops would help. He told me he is just more comfortable creating new things on technology. That technology, like iPads, are his comfort zone. He talked about various apps on the iPad that you can create and edit videos, pictures and even one where you can create your own video games. We spent a great deal of time talking about minecraft and how much freedom you have on that video game to create your own world... and then destroy it! Every day after school, my school runs a math lab. It is a time students can get help with their math homework and develop stronger math skills. The math lab teacher wrote a grant last year and was able to get 5 iPads. This student mentioned how much help those iPads helped him develop stronger math skills. He told me he wishes every class had a set to use!
Another point that stuck out to me is that the student also mentioned that he wishes his teachers also would take the creative leap. He believes some were so stuck in their ways that they would refuse to embrace technology. He also mentioned that teachers could also help by being more supportive when students make mistakes. He said that sometimes students are afraid to take risks and be viewed as having the wrong answer. He said a way to be supportive is to instead of always looking for just the right answer, the teachers should have more discussions and collaboration to get the right answer. He believes that all schools (and teachers) care about is the correct answer, not the process that they reached the answer. Students today are social, and thrive when they are allowed to collaborate. The student told me if more teachers were willing to allow discussion and collaboration, students would feel more comfortable taking the creative leap. He also mentioned how important to him it was for the teachers to encourage taking these leaps, and it would help him if teachers expressed that it was ok to take risks even if the end product missed the mark. He said we as teachers, should encourage students to take that leap of faith and attempt a new idea.
My interview with this student really confirmed things I had already knew. Creativity, to this generation, can be supported through collaborative technology. Technology and digital media have always been a part of their lives. They feel more comfortable with an iPad, then they do with a marker and crayons. It is time teachers changed with the times, and it is also time districts invested more money to increase student access to technology. I wish I had access to iPads every day!
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Week 5 Discussion: Pew Research and Digital Media use outside the classroom
Reflect upon the Pew research and think about how your students connect with each other outside of the classroom walls and the content they create and share. How can we apply this understanding to our instruction in light of the potential challenges and risks?
Personally, this research has confirmed many things that I already knew about the habits of teenagers and young adults in relation to digital media. What I am really curious to see though, is another study done today. I really would like to see data on the usage of websites like instagram, vine, and snapchat. I still hear about facebook in my classroom, but there always seems to be a new social networking website that students use to share information. Not only do they use various websites to share pictures, and videos, but they LOVE to use them.
Teenagers are very social creatures. They seem to relish in interaction and collaboration. Teens today are digital natives. They have literally never been disconnected. According to the Pew Research, 75% of teens have a cell phone and 93% percent of teens go online. "More so than for their elders, the internet is a central and indispensable element in the lives of American teens and young adults." (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010). Teens read their news online, they play games online, they communicate online, and they create pictures and videos. Their lives are centered around digital media. Social media is not only how teens communicate with each other, but also where their creativity can flourish.
This dependence on digital media has its positives and negatives. One the positive front, these students express their creativity with each other using digital media. They take pictures, edit them and post them all on their phones. I have seem some amazing videos and pictures that students have created. With the increase of social media, has come the increase of cyber bullying. Digital media, especially social media, has provided an avenue for teens to hide behind a username and bully other teens.
Some teachers see these negatives and decide to eliminate digital and social media from their classroom. I do not believe this should be the answer. We should teach responsible use of these resources and apply their strengths in online collaboration and creation to our classroom. There is always a risk to using social media, but doesn't everything that is worthwhile have a risk? To shut out this resource because one student will abuse it isn't fair to the majority of them that will. As a teacher, you must set clear expectations with technology usage, and monitor and enforce your guidelines. More often than not, the students will respect the boundaries. Every day, I hear student talk about the pictures they have taken and edited and put on instagram. Some of them show me their latest picture of their dog and how they added wording and effects to make the picture better. I hear about the videos they create using Vine. Some of them are really neat and creative. I think instead of shutting this resource out of our classrooms, we should embrace it!
One way I apply this is to allow them to collaborate online using edmodo. I wasn't sure how the students would react to edmodo but they LOVED it! I heard several exclaim, "its like facebook... BUT FOR SCHOOL." They loved the ability to collaborate with their group members and me online using this website. I set up clear expectations and guidelines for the use of edmodo in my classroom, and the success I have had with the website has outweighed the possible negatives. The students become excited to learn and create great finished products. I had group of students use edmodo to collaborate on a project they completed using the game mindcraft. They created a digital West and played through their hardships on the Oregon Trail. They recorded the game play and posted it to edmodo. Not only did they learn they content, they were proud of what they created.
Gardner states, "In our global, wired society, creativity is sought after, cultivated and praised..."(Gardner, 2007). In what ways do you integrate digital collaboration and creativity in your classroom? What are some of the obstacles that you had to overcome in its integration?
Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults [PDF]. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/
Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults
Personally, this research has confirmed many things that I already knew about the habits of teenagers and young adults in relation to digital media. What I am really curious to see though, is another study done today. I really would like to see data on the usage of websites like instagram, vine, and snapchat. I still hear about facebook in my classroom, but there always seems to be a new social networking website that students use to share information. Not only do they use various websites to share pictures, and videos, but they LOVE to use them.
Teenagers are very social creatures. They seem to relish in interaction and collaboration. Teens today are digital natives. They have literally never been disconnected. According to the Pew Research, 75% of teens have a cell phone and 93% percent of teens go online. "More so than for their elders, the internet is a central and indispensable element in the lives of American teens and young adults." (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith, & Zickuhr, 2010). Teens read their news online, they play games online, they communicate online, and they create pictures and videos. Their lives are centered around digital media. Social media is not only how teens communicate with each other, but also where their creativity can flourish.
This dependence on digital media has its positives and negatives. One the positive front, these students express their creativity with each other using digital media. They take pictures, edit them and post them all on their phones. I have seem some amazing videos and pictures that students have created. With the increase of social media, has come the increase of cyber bullying. Digital media, especially social media, has provided an avenue for teens to hide behind a username and bully other teens.
Some teachers see these negatives and decide to eliminate digital and social media from their classroom. I do not believe this should be the answer. We should teach responsible use of these resources and apply their strengths in online collaboration and creation to our classroom. There is always a risk to using social media, but doesn't everything that is worthwhile have a risk? To shut out this resource because one student will abuse it isn't fair to the majority of them that will. As a teacher, you must set clear expectations with technology usage, and monitor and enforce your guidelines. More often than not, the students will respect the boundaries. Every day, I hear student talk about the pictures they have taken and edited and put on instagram. Some of them show me their latest picture of their dog and how they added wording and effects to make the picture better. I hear about the videos they create using Vine. Some of them are really neat and creative. I think instead of shutting this resource out of our classrooms, we should embrace it!
One way I apply this is to allow them to collaborate online using edmodo. I wasn't sure how the students would react to edmodo but they LOVED it! I heard several exclaim, "its like facebook... BUT FOR SCHOOL." They loved the ability to collaborate with their group members and me online using this website. I set up clear expectations and guidelines for the use of edmodo in my classroom, and the success I have had with the website has outweighed the possible negatives. The students become excited to learn and create great finished products. I had group of students use edmodo to collaborate on a project they completed using the game mindcraft. They created a digital West and played through their hardships on the Oregon Trail. They recorded the game play and posted it to edmodo. Not only did they learn they content, they were proud of what they created.
Gardner states, "In our global, wired society, creativity is sought after, cultivated and praised..."(Gardner, 2007). In what ways do you integrate digital collaboration and creativity in your classroom? What are some of the obstacles that you had to overcome in its integration?
Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Lenhart, A., Purcell, K., Smith, A., & Zickuhr, K. (2010). Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults [PDF]. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from http://pewinternet.org/
Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Do Schools Kill Creativitiy?
"Do schools kill creativity? How can you use digital media to bring creativity alive in your classroom?"
I don't think schools kill creativity, I think education policy does. Students and teachers would run a school a lot differently then they are run now. As I watched the Sir Ken Robinson clip, I couldn't help but agree with everything he said. We are grooming student's education according to that hierarchy. Math and English are at the top and music/art are at the bottom. When I was in school, I used to have band every day plus one band lesson a week. Today, the band in my school meets once per 6 day cycle, so does chorus. I think that is absolutely horrible. If a student doesn't score appropriately, they are pulled from one of their electives and placed in a remediation for either math or writing. I teach history. As a core subject, I am probably the lowest on hierarchy. Part of me likes this. I am still a core subject, so I get to see the students everyday, but I am not high enough on the hierarchy to be tested. I do believe that this allows me to be a little more flexible with curriculum and integrate creativity into my classroom. I have always had the battle between time, creativity and finishing the curriculum. I choose the higher level thinking route. I don't want my students to just regurgitate dates, names and events. I can just tell them why the Revolutionary War was important, but I want them to figure that out on their own terms. I want them to see the world through the eyes of John Smith. I want them to be in his shoes building Jamestown and avoiding the mistakes made in the past. This is one of my favorite projects... I have the students rebuild Jamestown in order for it to be successful. They are to come up with a sketch of the new Jamestown and come up with a plan of government. As they are working on the project, I always circulate the room and pose questions that make them think. Every year I am amazed at their creativity and how they used it to solve the problems and create a successful colony. Here are some projects that blew me away!
I am so proud with what my students have created. They enjoy making the new Jamestown and the love explaining and creating something new. Sir Robinson said that students will take a chance. "If they don't know, they will have a go!" In the 8th grade, some students still have this. They really aren't afraid to make a mistake. I love seeing their light bulbs go off in class. With that being said, I am also seeing some students who just want to know what they need to for the test. I hate being asked, "Is this going to be on the test??" That is all some students care about. Its all our educational system has taught them. They are taught to memorize information, spit them out on a test, and score well. Sir Robinson is right when he said that we educate the creativity out of our students. They are taught making mistakes is wrong and undesired. That isn't true! Mistakes sometimes lead to the solution. If a child isn't willing to try because they are afraid of making a mistake, then our education system truly has failed our kids. This leads me to the next quote by Sir Ken Robinson.
http://etalks.me/blog/?p=88
Being original and creative are important aspects to higher level thinking. In order to reach that goal, students must be willing to take that leap of faith that they will reach that final answer. They must invest time and their hard work in order to be original. "All of us fail, and -- because they are bold and ambitious -- creators fail the most frequently and, often, most dramatically. Only a person who is willing to pick herself up and 'try an try again' is likely to forge creative achievements" (Gardner 2007). All teachers know and understand this yet we are forced to teach to the test and remove creativity from our students lives. Standardized testing and data mining has driven our school system to produce robots that can spit out the answer to a math problem or ace the PSSAs but they can't solve a problem with their original thoughts and creative minds. I truly believe that higher level thinking is strongly tied to creativity. Like Ken Robinson stated, "intelligence is dynamic... some people need to move to think!!" A standardized test does not measure intelligence.
There are many ways digital media can be used in the classroom to help spark creativity. I just learned that there is a program on our computers at school called google sketchup. I was thinking that next year I could have them use google sketch up, if they desire, to rebuild their Jamestown. In December, I am having my students create a "historybook" page using PowerPoint. They are going to be creating this page based on facebook on an important historical figure. I also think collaboration can spark creativity as group members work together to solve a problem. I have used Edmodo in the past to allow students to collaborate and create an original Revolutionary War Newspaper. I have learned a great deal from this master's program about different tools to use. I could have my students create movie poster about an important event and have the other students analyze the poster and determine which event it is. I can have them create a PSA or short video using animoto. They can create a unique and original Prezi on a subject. Students could create a podcast and create a news report on an historical time period. Digital media can really open some creative doors for students. I have had students create short movies and plays based on an historical theme or event. Project Based Learning really lends itself to technology and creativity. Students could use any digital media they need to solve a problem or answer an essential question. The possibilities really excite me! Using digital media, students can create an original and creative product. No two students will create the same project. Originality shows intelligence, not getting the most correct answers on a standardized test.
Gardner, Howard. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Sir Ken Robinson, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
I don't think schools kill creativity, I think education policy does. Students and teachers would run a school a lot differently then they are run now. As I watched the Sir Ken Robinson clip, I couldn't help but agree with everything he said. We are grooming student's education according to that hierarchy. Math and English are at the top and music/art are at the bottom. When I was in school, I used to have band every day plus one band lesson a week. Today, the band in my school meets once per 6 day cycle, so does chorus. I think that is absolutely horrible. If a student doesn't score appropriately, they are pulled from one of their electives and placed in a remediation for either math or writing. I teach history. As a core subject, I am probably the lowest on hierarchy. Part of me likes this. I am still a core subject, so I get to see the students everyday, but I am not high enough on the hierarchy to be tested. I do believe that this allows me to be a little more flexible with curriculum and integrate creativity into my classroom. I have always had the battle between time, creativity and finishing the curriculum. I choose the higher level thinking route. I don't want my students to just regurgitate dates, names and events. I can just tell them why the Revolutionary War was important, but I want them to figure that out on their own terms. I want them to see the world through the eyes of John Smith. I want them to be in his shoes building Jamestown and avoiding the mistakes made in the past. This is one of my favorite projects... I have the students rebuild Jamestown in order for it to be successful. They are to come up with a sketch of the new Jamestown and come up with a plan of government. As they are working on the project, I always circulate the room and pose questions that make them think. Every year I am amazed at their creativity and how they used it to solve the problems and create a successful colony. Here are some projects that blew me away!
I am so proud with what my students have created. They enjoy making the new Jamestown and the love explaining and creating something new. Sir Robinson said that students will take a chance. "If they don't know, they will have a go!" In the 8th grade, some students still have this. They really aren't afraid to make a mistake. I love seeing their light bulbs go off in class. With that being said, I am also seeing some students who just want to know what they need to for the test. I hate being asked, "Is this going to be on the test??" That is all some students care about. Its all our educational system has taught them. They are taught to memorize information, spit them out on a test, and score well. Sir Robinson is right when he said that we educate the creativity out of our students. They are taught making mistakes is wrong and undesired. That isn't true! Mistakes sometimes lead to the solution. If a child isn't willing to try because they are afraid of making a mistake, then our education system truly has failed our kids. This leads me to the next quote by Sir Ken Robinson.
http://etalks.me/blog/?p=88
Being original and creative are important aspects to higher level thinking. In order to reach that goal, students must be willing to take that leap of faith that they will reach that final answer. They must invest time and their hard work in order to be original. "All of us fail, and -- because they are bold and ambitious -- creators fail the most frequently and, often, most dramatically. Only a person who is willing to pick herself up and 'try an try again' is likely to forge creative achievements" (Gardner 2007). All teachers know and understand this yet we are forced to teach to the test and remove creativity from our students lives. Standardized testing and data mining has driven our school system to produce robots that can spit out the answer to a math problem or ace the PSSAs but they can't solve a problem with their original thoughts and creative minds. I truly believe that higher level thinking is strongly tied to creativity. Like Ken Robinson stated, "intelligence is dynamic... some people need to move to think!!" A standardized test does not measure intelligence.
There are many ways digital media can be used in the classroom to help spark creativity. I just learned that there is a program on our computers at school called google sketchup. I was thinking that next year I could have them use google sketch up, if they desire, to rebuild their Jamestown. In December, I am having my students create a "historybook" page using PowerPoint. They are going to be creating this page based on facebook on an important historical figure. I also think collaboration can spark creativity as group members work together to solve a problem. I have used Edmodo in the past to allow students to collaborate and create an original Revolutionary War Newspaper. I have learned a great deal from this master's program about different tools to use. I could have my students create movie poster about an important event and have the other students analyze the poster and determine which event it is. I can have them create a PSA or short video using animoto. They can create a unique and original Prezi on a subject. Students could create a podcast and create a news report on an historical time period. Digital media can really open some creative doors for students. I have had students create short movies and plays based on an historical theme or event. Project Based Learning really lends itself to technology and creativity. Students could use any digital media they need to solve a problem or answer an essential question. The possibilities really excite me! Using digital media, students can create an original and creative product. No two students will create the same project. Originality shows intelligence, not getting the most correct answers on a standardized test.
Gardner, Howard. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Sir Ken Robinson, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Project #1:Media-infused Presentation. Spies of the American Revolution Prezi
In what practical ways can a media-infused presentation like the one you created help foster the development of both the disciplined and synthesizing minds?
The Disciplined Mind
Media infused presentations, like the on I created, can help foster disciplined thinking. Throughout this presentation, I have modeled and fostered many of the steps of creating a disciplined mind according to Howard Gartner. The first step is to identify important topics and concepts within a topic. Throughout this presentation, I have broken the topic down into their important elements. Within each element, there is an activity were I have the students further analyze a topic and pull out important conclusions and information.
The next step is to spend a long period of time on the topic. Gardner states, “If it is worth studying, it is worth studying deeply, over a significant amount of time…” (Gardner 2007). This presentation is not meant to take 15 minutes. It might be small in the amount of slides but there are various activities and discussions that need to take place in order for the students to pull the important information out of the topic. As a teacher, I will allow the students the correct amount of time to work through the sources and analyze them completely. It is also important to approach the topic in a variety of ways. This refers back to multiple intelligences. Some students might learn better using a specific method. Some students might learn more visually, auditory or kinesthetically. This presentation incorporates group activities creating a cypher, images, audio, and videos. I made sure to appeal to all intelligences to maximize the learning and development of the disciplined mind. Lastly, it is important to be able to measure or assess “performance of understanding” (Gardner, 2007). Throughout the presentation, I have activities that incorporate different sources and allow the students to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic by analyzing a spy and their importance to history. It is also important for the disciplined mind to practice their skills. In this presentation, they practice their skills with interpreting primary and secondary sources, and applying them to the importance of the historical event/person to the course of American history.
The Synthesizing Mind
The synthesizing mind is all about making information connect. “Syntheses require us to put together elements that were originally discrete or disparate” (Gardner, 2007). Synthesizing minds bring different topics together and connect their purposes and meanings. This presentation also helps develop the synthesizing mind. This presentation brings together different individuals and events that were important to the American Revolution. In doing so, we begin to connect those individuals to the greater purpose of understanding the American Revolution.
The presentation starts of with a goal. The goal was to allow the students to investigate the role of Spies in the American Revolution and determine the role of spies during the revolution. This is an example of modeling. It shows the students that everything you do needs to have a goal. Every lesson has a goal and objective, so should their assignments. It shows them they can set goals in all aspects of their lives. The students also have a starting point. In every activity, I give the students a list of directions to follow. This gives the students a starting point and also a method or means to approach the activity. I am providing a model on how to approach analyzing sources. This practice will allow the students to develop a synthesizing mind. The activities in my presentation also allow the students to bring all of the information together that they have learned and make a final judgment or interpretation. The students will play the jury to the fate of Benedict Arnold, create a ‘spy letter’ about an important event, and also writing a final reflection that will allow them to explain the impact the spies had on American History. The students will be synthesizing all of the information, and creating a final analysis and product.
References:
Gardner, Howard. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Citations for Presentation- Also include on first slide of presentation.
The Disciplined Mind
Media infused presentations, like the on I created, can help foster disciplined thinking. Throughout this presentation, I have modeled and fostered many of the steps of creating a disciplined mind according to Howard Gartner. The first step is to identify important topics and concepts within a topic. Throughout this presentation, I have broken the topic down into their important elements. Within each element, there is an activity were I have the students further analyze a topic and pull out important conclusions and information.
The next step is to spend a long period of time on the topic. Gardner states, “If it is worth studying, it is worth studying deeply, over a significant amount of time…” (Gardner 2007). This presentation is not meant to take 15 minutes. It might be small in the amount of slides but there are various activities and discussions that need to take place in order for the students to pull the important information out of the topic. As a teacher, I will allow the students the correct amount of time to work through the sources and analyze them completely. It is also important to approach the topic in a variety of ways. This refers back to multiple intelligences. Some students might learn better using a specific method. Some students might learn more visually, auditory or kinesthetically. This presentation incorporates group activities creating a cypher, images, audio, and videos. I made sure to appeal to all intelligences to maximize the learning and development of the disciplined mind. Lastly, it is important to be able to measure or assess “performance of understanding” (Gardner, 2007). Throughout the presentation, I have activities that incorporate different sources and allow the students to demonstrate their knowledge of the topic by analyzing a spy and their importance to history. It is also important for the disciplined mind to practice their skills. In this presentation, they practice their skills with interpreting primary and secondary sources, and applying them to the importance of the historical event/person to the course of American history.
The Synthesizing Mind
The synthesizing mind is all about making information connect. “Syntheses require us to put together elements that were originally discrete or disparate” (Gardner, 2007). Synthesizing minds bring different topics together and connect their purposes and meanings. This presentation also helps develop the synthesizing mind. This presentation brings together different individuals and events that were important to the American Revolution. In doing so, we begin to connect those individuals to the greater purpose of understanding the American Revolution.
The presentation starts of with a goal. The goal was to allow the students to investigate the role of Spies in the American Revolution and determine the role of spies during the revolution. This is an example of modeling. It shows the students that everything you do needs to have a goal. Every lesson has a goal and objective, so should their assignments. It shows them they can set goals in all aspects of their lives. The students also have a starting point. In every activity, I give the students a list of directions to follow. This gives the students a starting point and also a method or means to approach the activity. I am providing a model on how to approach analyzing sources. This practice will allow the students to develop a synthesizing mind. The activities in my presentation also allow the students to bring all of the information together that they have learned and make a final judgment or interpretation. The students will play the jury to the fate of Benedict Arnold, create a ‘spy letter’ about an important event, and also writing a final reflection that will allow them to explain the impact the spies had on American History. The students will be synthesizing all of the information, and creating a final analysis and product.
References:
Gardner, Howard. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Citations for Presentation- Also include on first slide of presentation.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Blog on the Synthesizing Mind: eduClipper
eduClipper is a great curating site that allows you to 'clip' websites and organize them into different clips and clipboard. At first, it reminded me of pinterest. It is a more educational friendly pinterest. I haven't been able to explore all of its features, but you can search the clips that have already been posted or you can create your own. There is also a collaboration feature where multiple users can work together on a specific clipboard. This can be used for teachers to gather websites for professional development, or to gather acceptable resources for students to use for a project or research paper. Students could also clip the websites themselves to use later. The website also reminds me of diigo.com, albeit a more jazzed up version. I like the user interface of eduClipper. It was visually stimulating, and I like how there is a website preview on the clip. This website is definitly a great resource to bring different websites together on the same page.
I spend a great deal of time teaching the American Revolution each year. I decided to curate this information so I could use it later on this year when I teach the Revolution unit.
Pennsylvania Navy Rev War Infographic- I thought this was neat and I could use this to show how Pennsylvania was involved in the revolutionary war..
American Revolution Infographic- An infographic that illustrates various important facts about the American Revolution.
Revolutionary War Videos history.com- This is a collection of short video clips from the history channel. I love (and own) many of these programs but this website has them organized into clips on the specific topics.
History.com American Revolution Resource website- This history.com webpage lists various documents and articles on topics relating to the Revolution.
Revolutionary War Images- Collection of images that date back to the Revolutionary Period. These images are also great for teaching how to interpret and use primary sources
Revolutionary War Primary Sources by the Smithsonian. This lists various diaries, letters and documents that date back to the Revolutionary period. They can be used to teach the perspective of the various soldiers and founding fathers. (Also great for the Common Core)
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