EDIM 513: Inquiry Based Learning Final Reflection

What have you learned? What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? How will you implement inquiry-based instruction into your classroom?

I have always been a teacher that consistently and constantly questions my students.  I want to be a teacher that teaches my students HOW to think, not WHAT to think. This class has given me more tools and knowledge in order to do so effectively.  I want my students to be critical thinkers and leave my class with the process skills needed to be successful for the rest of their lives.

The biggest thing I got out of this class is the differences between facts and concepts and taking those and developing non-investigable and investigable questions. I had no idea these existed prior to this course, but I am glad I learned what they were!  I also am glad I learned how to teach my students to develop a non-investigatable question to an investigable one. This class hasn't changed me from a non-questioning teacher to a questioning one, but it has changed my skill level in questioning. I know much more now about questioning than I did before I took this class.

I am going to use more formative assessments to check for prior knowledge before a class.  I am planning on using a pretest for my 9th Grade English class to assess what they know about literary devices. This will help me plan what to focus on for the short story units as well as the rest of the year.  I am going to start developing activities and lessons that follow the 5E model.  I find that this model is effective in teaching my students critical thinking skills. I have also learned how to use Google Docs more effectively for questioning as well as new tools like www.pollanywhere.com.

I leave this class with more tools in my teaching tool belt and I am grateful for my new understanding and knowledge regarding Inquiry-Based Learning.

EDIM 513: Unit Plan

Inquiry Based Learning Unit Plan

Here is the link to my completed Inquiry Based Learning Unit Plan

Week 6 Reflection

Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry-based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?

This week, I don't think anything changed in my perspective, but my thoughts have most definitely expanded.  They expanded by developing my own lesson based on the 5E's, and also exploring my peer's lessons.  I received many useful tools that I can use in my own classroom.  I learned about new Web 2.0 tools, and ways to use the tools that I may not have thought off before.  I think one thing our profession does right is collaboration.  Professionals sometimes do not want to share what they have developed.  Teachers, I have found, are so willing to share their ideas.  It really is something unique to our profession.

The 5E's was a great way to structure a lesson.  I thought it was going to be more difficult, but I found as I was exploring this lesson style, I realized that I already do many of these. Some I do on a daily basis like a journal entry to engage students and some I mix in and out of my lessons. I can't wait to incorporate these more into my lessons.

When I started this Unit Plan, I had decided to fall back on my crutch and do a History Lesson.  I am FAR more knowledgeable in this subject as I am in English.  Last year was my first year teaching English.  I decided not to do that and to challenge myself by doing an English lesson.  I am glad I did because I am leaving this class with more tools to help me understand my own English curriculum better.

I do not have any burning questions, just looking forward to completing the rest of my unit plan!

Week 5 Inquiry Based Learning Reflection

Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry-based learning have developed over the past few weeks. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?

I have to say I have grown a ton the past few weeks.  I thought I had a handle on Inquiry-Based Learning.  When I got to week 4, I realized I was wrong.  Week 4 was probably the most frustrating and challenging weeks in this class, if not in the program so far. At first glance, the assignments seemed pretty easy.  Identify concepts and facts.  Seems simple! WRONG! Some of them were easier than others, but I was constantly second guessing myself and the more I thought about it, the more frustrating I got.  I ended up going with my gut.  As I started to read everyone's responses, I realized that it really did have to do with people's perspective and understanding of the content.  What might be a fact to someone, might be a concept to other people. The grade level of the student might also be important. Once I got this, the unit was a little easier.  Non-investigatable and investigatable questions still were a little confusing and I hard time with my English Unit at first.  After a bit of thought, I just went with what I was thinking and it turned out I did just fine :)  Prior to this unit, I had no clue that there were non-investigatable and investigatable questions.  I am glad I know now and I plan to adjust my units at school. Inquiry based learning is a lot more complex then just asking quesitons.

Web 2.0 websites are not new to me.  I thank the Web 2.0 class and the rest of this masters for that.  I am toward the end of the degree and I am thankful for the experience I have had.  I enjoyed seeing where the websites came into inquiry-based learning. There are a ton of valuable Web 2.0 websites that can be used by students in their investigations of questions. I enjoyed learning about new websites like 280slides.com and revisiting old favorites like prezi, slideshare, and animoto.

There really isn't any burning questions that I still have.  I just look forward to discovering what is next in inquiry based learning.

Week 3 Reflection Blog

What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?

My thoughts of inquiry based learning has greatly developed over the past few weeks.  My perspective is hard to put into words.  After everything I have read the last few weeks, I think I deep down knew already but I didn't fully understand.  I also discovered that sometimes, I feel that the structure of our school system sometimes doesn't support this type of learning.  I would LOVE to do inquiry based learning more often.  I noticed while writing the paper last week that SKILLS are needed for college and the work force, not necessarily content knowledge.  I have talked to friends of mine that teach at the college level and one of the things that I hear from them are that the students entering college, just don't have the skills to be successful at their level.  They don't know how to be responsible or communicate effectively.  I feel like a failure as a high school teacher at that point.  I know it isn't me necessarily but I understand that something in the public education system needs to be fixed. 

Students need to develop important skills in high school, but the time needed to do more of it just isn't there. I tell my friends that I don't even get to teach much until October because of the amount of testing I need to do in September.  Between SLO pre tests, CDT testing, AR Testing, and GRADE testing, my students are completely burned out and this testing goes on and off though out the school year.  There are numerous disruptions that teachers have to deal with on a regular basis. (SURPRISE ASSEMBLY!!!). It is very difficult for me to plan for these lessons and when I need to get XYZ done before the final, it proves difficult.  Even though it is difficult, I learned that I HAVE to attempt a few well thought out, inquiry based learning lessons for each unit and try to do the best that I can with it.  I naturally include questioning through out my lessons, but I would love to do more lessons that are more student lead. Students have much more authentic learning when they are free to conduct their own investigations and figure out the answers themselves.  

Reading the reports on the skills needed for this Century and watching the inquiry based lessons really opened my eyes to HOW important these skills are.  I am going to do my best to incorporate longer inquiry based lessons into my units. I just wish I had more planning time and classroom time to do it more effectively.  My burning question is how to incorporate more of inquiry based lessons without sacrificing curriculum. 

Intro to Inquiry Based Learning

Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?

Prior to beginning this course, I assumed that 'Inquiry Based Learning' referred to learning based on questioning.  I have learned over the past week that there is much more to inquiry based learning than just questioning.  I have learned that is a process... it isn't simply questioning.  It involved questioning, investigating, creating knowledge, discussion and reflection (CITES and GSLIS at the University of Illinois, 2010). Each part of inquiry based learning leads to the next step in the process. I have learned that ideally that the student should be at the center of the learning in an inquiry based classroom.  I know that I have a hard time not just telling the students the answer, but in inquiry based learning, the teacher should step back and let the student come to their own conclusion.  The teacher's role is to support and facilitate the steps in the inquiry process. I also like how dynamic the process is.  I could give the same line of questioning to all 5 of my classes, and each class (or student) could come up with their own answer  or perspective to the same question.

I also believe that students learn the best when they are given responsibility over their own learning.  Having students in the driver seat of their own learning allows them not only to learn the targeted content, but learn important problem solving and critical thinking skills that they will need throughout life.  Issues and problems come up all the time in life.  Instead of these students looking for someone to just tell them the answer, they will be able to come up with solutions and answers for themselves.  School isn't just about teaching content, it is also teaching fundamental life skills.  May students these days will just ask what the correct answer is... it is our job as educators to not give in to this and challenge them to think for themselves. 

I like how inquiry based learning acknowledges and supports the fact that there is on 'one-sized fits all' model for education.  It also supports differentiating our instruction.  What works for one class, might not work for another.  And that difference is expected and welcomed.  It is the teacher's job to create a structured environment for the student to be responsible for their own learning.

My perspective of inquiry based learning has expanded... not necessarily changed.  I use questioning in my lessons all the time. This week has reaffirmed that I am on the right track. I would like to know how to get my students more independent and responsible for their own learning. I sometimes get frustrated (and they do too).  I hear all the time "Why don't you just tell me what I need to know" or "Is this going to be on the test?". I want to get my 9th graders from just memorizing information to becoming critical thinking young adults.   With some it is easy, but there are some that will always try to take the easy way out.  I would like more tools in my tool belt to deal with these students. 

CITES and GSLIS at the University of Illinois. (2010, October 27). Inquiry Page. Retrieved June 23, 2015, from Inquiry Page: Learning begins with questions: http://www.cii.illinois.edu/InquiryPage/index.html

Role of Play in Creativity, Empathy and Learning

Motivation

Motivation is not only vital in a student's success in the classroom, but also in the teacher's ability to teach.  When I look back at my schooling, the teachers I remember were the teachers that loved their jobs.  I remember them because they had a passion for school, and a passion for really TEACHING their students. Simply put, they enjoyed their jobs. They were the teachers that just 'got me'.  I think student motivation isn't just based on what is inside the student, it is also is based on what is inside the student's teacher. Rebecca Saxe mentioned all people are equipped to 'read each other's minds' (Saxe, 2009)  Some are better equipped than others.  I believe the best teachers out there have the ability to understand our students and what they are thinking.  If we are able to understand what the students are thinking (an 8th grade mind is a scary and confusing place to be), we can better provide for our various students.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi had some really great inside to pure enjoyment.  He referred to this pure enjoyment as the ‘FLOW’ (2004).   Flow is a term that Csikszentmihalyi used to describe the feeling anyone gets when they truly forget the world and immerse themselves in joy.  He had found no matter the person or their profession, they describe their happiness very similarly (Csikszentmihalyi, 2004)  . He also mentioned that under these conditions, people usually perform MUCH better than those who are extrinsically motivated by money.  He had discovered that material wealth does NOT create happiness (Csikszentmihalyi, 2004).  This relates to education greatly.  The reward of getting a good grade does not motivate students. Daniel Pink also touched upon this in his TED talk. He mentions extrinsic motivators like bonuses and commission rarely work for anything other than narrow and specific tasks (Pink, 2009).  This is also the case with grades.  The promise of a good grade does NOT motivate the student to actually learn. Pink goes on to state that the higher the reward, the less the subject’s desire is to complete the task. I have seen this in the classroom.  I used to threatened to grade something in order for kids to complete the assignment.  This didn’t work with a large number of my students. I have learned from this and created assignments where the students have a choice.  My results from those assignments are usually much better.  Pink’s description of google and their innovative days.  The workers at google are given a period of time to ‘do what they wanted’ while at work. Many of the workers created some of the most popular aspects of google (Pink, 2009). This just shows that when students are able to pursue what makes them happy, they are more successful. Pink then goes on to state how business (and education) operate goes against the science that is out there on motivation (Pink, 2009). Alfie Kohn agrees with Pink.  He states that the more you reward a student, the more they lose interest.  He believes we have a failure to understand motivation (Kohn, 2009). I think the focus is too much on test scores and grades, and little attention is given to a student’s enjoyment of learning. Fostering an environment that allows students to enjoy learning can help students stay motivated.

As a history teacher, it is really hard for me to intrinsically motivate a student that has no interest in history.  I try to make the subject as enjoyable as possible.  I love it more when I am teaching and the whole class is captivated than when they all get good grades on a test. I have found that they can better recall my historical performances than specific dates and facts that they had to memorize. They can recall it better because they enjoyed my animated teaching style.  Csikszentmihalyi states that  “the concentration of the flow experience -- together with clear goals and immediate feedback -- provides order to consciousness, including the enjoyable condition of psychic negenthropy” (Csikszentmihalyi, 2006).  He believes that true happiness is comprised of various aspects.  These aspects include clear goals, and immediate feedback (Csikszentmihalyi, 2006 ).  As teachers, we can provide this structure that allows students to be happy.  Students want to understand their goals in the lesson and also provide support and immediate feedback.  As the teacher, I can provide this for them! I am generally a very happy person in the classroom. I can see enjoyment in their eyes when I praise them, and mean it.  There have been several times this year when myself and the students were so into a lesson, we were both surprised when the bell rung.  I often hear, ‘Man this period went fast!’  After reading Csikszentmihalyi’s thoughts on happiness, this made me smile. Csikszentmihalyi describes flow as an “experience that, when it lasts, one is able to forget all the unpleasantness aspects of life” (Csikszentmihalyi, 2006). I realized that my students were ‘in the flow’.  I see this on occasion, but I would like to see it more with my students.  The assignments this week will help me get there!

Mindsight is a skill that is vital to a successful teacher.  Knowing what each individual student needs, helps them to learn.  Providing every student with the same standard and the same path to get there greatly hinders learning. I think our school system has gone down the wrong road by requiring ALL students travel the same path to meet an arbitrary measure of ‘high standard’.  What is one student’s high standard, might not be anothers.  I think it is silly to measure all students the same.  Our students don’t think alike, and don’t have the same set of skills. Why should we expect them to take the same test, and have the same measure of ‘success?’ Not only do we expect students to all meet the same standard, we also force the same methods to a goal on them. I don’t think it should matter HOW they get there, just that they do! I know that there is a vast difference between my students.  I have high level, 8th grade Algebra II students that will end up being accepted to Harvard, and students that are struggling to understand a text on a 3rd grade level.  I recently used a metaphor in my classroom.  I described the American Patriots in the Revolution to a festering sore on a leg of the British. I had some that were able to get this instantly, I also saw a handful of very confused faces.. Patriots? United States? Festering sore?  Once the metaphor was explained, most of the students understood where I was getting at. Each student ended up understanding the comparison, just some needed an extra push.  Honestly, watching their light bulbs go off was priceless.  Each student has a varying toolbox of skills.  If the toolboxes are not equal why should we expect them to reach their standards the same way? Each child’s brain is different, and presents different skills and weaknesses.  It is our job as teachers to understand what they need and to provide them with opportunity and support to get them there.  I think understanding our students, provides teachers with the ability to motivate their students.  If we can tap into that mind, we can unlock what they enjoy doing and their intrinsic motivation.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (Presenter). (2004, February). Flow, the secret to happiness. Lecture presented

   at TED 2004, Montery, California.

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2006). From flow: The psychology of optimal experience. In G. Marcus (Ed.),

   The Norton Psychology Reader (pp. 210-222). New York, NY: W.W. Norton and Company. (Original

   work published 1990).

Kohn, A. (2009, January). It's bad news if students are motivated to get A's [Video file]. Retrieved

   from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQt-ZI58wpw

Pink, D. (Presenter). (2009, July). The puzzle of motivation. Lecture presented at TEDGlobal2009,

   Oxford, England.

Saxe, R. (Presenter). (2009, July). How we read each other's minds. Lecture presented at TEDGlobal2009, in Oxford England.

The Role of Empathy Voicethread

Vision and the Brain

  Honestly, this was one of my favorite ‘units’ in the EDIM program.  I find the brain and vision extremely interesting.  I can now admit that I too, was one of those educators that didn’t completely understand how vision and brains work. I think I had this unit really opened my eyes about the workings of our brains and how sometimes our eyes can fool us. I knew that there were paintings and ‘tricks’ that would make you think something that wasn’t there.  I really did not think too much into these optical illusions. As I read the Hoffman’s article, I realized that our minds always try to gain meaning from what we see (Hoffman, 2006).  We want what we see to make sense.. if it does not, we invent or construct something that does. The optical illusions in the book were neat to look at, but the one that got me was the turning chaplin mask (rayOman, 2006).  My mind KNEW that I was looking at the inside of a mask and still my vision and mind constructed a face out of the inside of the mask.  I really didn’t expect that to happen. This just goes to show you that we always try to find meaning in what we see. “The ripple, the magic square, and the devil’s triangle -- are simple demonstrations of your visual intelligence and its genius to construct” (Hoffman, 2006).  I think finding or constructing meaning is one of the main characteristics of being human. Our natural need to explore, discover and innovate. We ask questions, we find answers and create solutions. Our superpower as humans is that our brain isn’t perfect. We always have room to grow.  My students are always astonished when I say I learn every day and they will too. I explain that I learn from each of them, and our brains are never ‘full’.

     According to Nancy Kanwisher, each part of our brain could potentially have a specific function.  She already believes she has identified parts of the brain that processes faces, body parts and spatial environments (Kanwisher, 2006).  I believe that this shows that specific functions can be related to a specific part of the brain.  Even though our brains are not perfect, they are amazing, adaptable machines. I saw that in the videos of the split brain patients.  Prior to this course, I had never heard of this happening, and I of course, did not understand how or why this procedure took place.  I was astonished to see what the experiments confirmed/discovered.  I found it really interesting that the subject could not speak the name of the object that flashed on his left side, but he could draw it.  This shows that language is found in the left hemisphere of the brain. (Neuroslicer, 2007).

     Bjarke Ingles’ designs show how humans are not perfect.  In his presentation, he goes over how he and his design team work.  It is trial and error and ever evolvolving.  Some designs don’t work and they sometimes try out several, if not more, designs till they find something that works. He described the design process as a tree (Ingles, 2009). New ideas come from what didn’t work in the last stage. What didn't work in one situation could work in a later situation! That is why Ingles keeps all of his designs, no matter what (Ingles, 2009). If our brains were ‘perfect’ there would be no need for 2nd tries.  We as humans wouldn’t have the needs to innovate and we would be satisfied with the status quo.  Our brains are great BECAUSE they are not perfect! Computers can be considered to have perfect computation skills, but according to Donald D. Hoffman, our fastest supercomputers can’t compare to the creative geniuses we are as humans (Hoffman, 2006).  Our imperfections allow us to be creative! Each one of us can create unique solutions to problems.  Bjarke Ingles used his creativity to create an apartment and parking complex that was unlike any other, but also provided the functions of a simple apartment/parking complex (Ingles, 2009). Creativity and designing is something we all do. “ Design in its simplest form is the activity of creating solutions. Design is something that everyone does every day” (Pink, 2006).

     Another thing that I got out of this week’s readings and assignments is much more appreciation for my vision.  I have a condition where holes have developed in the back of my retinas.  These tears can cause a retinal detachment.  If I lived in another time, I would have most likely would have been blind by now.  Thankfully, preventative surgery has saved my eye sight.  I appreciate it so much more now!  I also enjoyed the color blind section of the assignment.  It showed me what it was like to see through different lenses.  My brother is color blind, so it was interesting to be able to see a few things like he sees them.  I think understanding the brain can also create empathy and the understanding that someone might see a certain situation much differently than you.  I think this can easily be brought into education.  I always try to be as empathetic and understanding as I can, and I think it is a skill that I should model for my students.  “Everything you experience by sight is your construction” (Hoffman 2006)  We as teachers, students and humans, construct our own meaning out of what we see.

References

Hoffman, D. D. (2006). From visual intelligence: How we create what we see. In G. Marcus (Ed.), The Norton Psychology Reader (pp. 81-90). New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company.

Ingels, B. (Presenter). (2009, July). 3 warp-speed architecture tales. Address presented at TED Global 2009.

Kanwisher, N. (Presenter). (2006, April). The brain basis of human vision. Lecture presented at MIT World Series Soap Box, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, MA.

Neuroslicer. (2007, April 18). Split brain behavioral experiments [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMLzP1VCANo

Pink, D. H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right brainers will rule the future. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

rayOman. (2006, May 16). Charlie Chaplin optic illusion [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbKw0_v2clo&feature=PlayList&p=EC2F485A28AF5A1D&index=6

A Whole New Mind Initial Reaction.

My initial gut reaction to the cover of Daniel H Pink’s book was negative. I have always considered myself a very left brained, logical brain. Throughout my life, I had been under the assumption that you are either left brained or right brained. That’s it. When I saw the cover, I initially thought to myself, “Oh here we go, Right brainers are sooo much better than people like me!” As I picked up the book, I was expecting ‘left brain’ people like me were going to get bashed. I was pleasantly surprised! As I read the assignments out of this book, I caught myself wanting to read more! I felt myself agreeing with Pink, and making lots of notes in the margins. Usually with classroom readings, I really have to concentrate to read it, because a lot of time, I am not all that interested or motivated to read it. This book however, was fantastic. I saw myself agreeing, and thinking to myself, “Oh wow, he’s right!!” I knew most of the information that he wrote about, but he organized it in a way that really made me understand what he meant by “Right brainers will rule the future.” I had a prejudice that you were either right or left brained. As Pink explained his reasoning, I completely understood AND related to it.   Relating to it was the LAST thing I expected.

     From Pink, I learned that we, as a society, are exiting the ‘Information Age,’ and entering the ‘Conceptual Age’ (Pink, 2006). This was all very new to me. Even if it was new to me, I understood it completely. I loved that he included the chart on page 49 that illustrated the different ages of man. Being a history teacher, this comparison between the ages really stood out to me. I also learned that the goal of every person to be to utilize both sides of their brains. Pink explained both sides of the brain and their functions so well. I really did ‘get it.’ I learned that in order to be successful in the conceptual age, one must learn to utilize both sides. If you are just L-Brained, you are great at analyzing information and logical thinking, but there is no ability to innovate. The ability to change, and adapt comes from the right side of the brain. In order to stand out in today’s society, you need both skills: The ability to gather information, and the ability to use that information to be innovative.

       I have always seen myself strictly as a L-Brained individual. Change and anything artistic scares me. I have always been jealous of people that could sing and draw. Pink quoted Betty Edwards as saying, “Drawing is not really very difficult. Seeing is the problem” (Pink 2006, pg 15). This took me also by surprise. I can’t draw a straight line with a ruler. I don’t have an ounce of drawing skill in my repertoire. I always struggled in artistic classes. As I thought about Edward’s quote, I thought to myself, well I’ve tried drawing, I just can’t see like artistic people can. I have a hard time translating a subject, to a drawing on paper. I then I asked myself if I express my creativity in any other way. I do. I love taking photos. To me, they tell a story. I have to say, that being a teacher has helped me cope with the fear of change. In some ways, teaching has also helped me overcome it.  You HAVE to have some level of creativity to be a teacher. Things rarely go as planned and a teacher has to have the ability to adapt. I appreciate art and find meaning in it. I encourage my students to think outside the box, and they always rise to the occasion. I find myself also being very creative in my lesson planning. As my knowledge of my subject reaches a mastery level, I find myself being more creative with how I present the information. This also aligns with Pink’s thoughts. We now have an abundance of information and knowledge. Knowledge and literacy are no longer scarce. Now, we focus on how to create something new from this knowledge I am much more creative than I thought.

I absolutely loved Pink’s inclusion of a designer toilet scrubber. I laughed out loud. Pink states that “in the age of abundance, appealing to the rational, logical and functional needs is woefully insufficient” (Pink 2006, pg 34). We no longer want a functional toilet scrubber; we also want one that is pretty. An abundance of products allows us to focus on our emotional and spiritual needs instead of a means to an end. Being a social studies teacher, the part of the book that talked about the effect of outsourcing has on our economy was really interesting. I always knew that there is cheaper labor overseas and that because communication is so easy (Pink 2006). These two things make outsourcing labor very easy to do for companies. Outsourcing jobs makes me nervous because it has such a negative impact on our economy.  This made me think that it might be time for the US to innovate again. We need to create jobs that help foster the ‘conceptual age’ instead of clinging on to the ‘information age.’ All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book. I found myself also agreeing with a lot of what Pink had to say! I am interested to see how our country adapts to the new Conceptual Age.

Pink, D. H. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right brainers will rule the future. New York, NY: Riverhead Books.

Project #3: Digital Board: Glogster and the Bill of Rights

How can you use the Discovery Education Board Builder and/or Glogster in your classroom this school year to provide students the opportunity to develop their respectful and ethical minds?

Glogster/Discovery Education Board Builder can be used in the classroom in a variety of ways. It can be used as an instructional tool or you can have the students create a board on a topic all on their own. When I teach the Bill or Rights and the Constitution, I can use this for my students to learn why the Bill of Rights were developed, what inspired them and the debate over their adoption. The assessment summarizes the whole board and also allows the students to inject their own opinion and defend it.  This helps develop their ethical and respectful minds.  They learn how to defend AND support their own opinion with facts.  Being able to defend an opinion in a respectful way, gives students a skill they can use in the future.  Very few people respect someone who defends their opinions in a non respectful way. "A truly respectful individual offers the benefit of the doubt to all human beings" (Gardner, 2007).  Students that develop a respectful mind will be able to earn the respect of those around them.  They are able to express themselves appropriately, while also respecting the views of others.  Glogs can properly illustrate different points and perspectives for the students to examine.

On the other side, students can create their own digital boards using Discovery Education's Boardbuilder or Glogster.  They can easily express their on opinions on these boards.  They can organize their supporting facts in anyway they desire. They are again learning how to form an opinion and support their opinion using digital media.  They could also do this by writing a persuasive essay but the use of digital media ads a bit of flair to the lesson.  They can use pictures, images, websites, and videos as supporting sources and organize them in a creative way. Being able to organize and defend their own unique perspective, will allow students to properly respect another's opinion.  This does not mean they will casually accept any other perspective, but they can at least respect that someone else might think differently then them.  The only way to develop this mind is to allow students to express and defend their own opinions to everyone else, no matter their perspectives. " 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" (Garnder, 2007). Digital media allows students to explore other perspectives as well as express their own. 

History is a great subject to use digital boards.  History is full of different perspectives and ideas. Political campaigns, 2 sides of a war, and debates over the passage of a bill are some examples of ideas that can be explored using digital media like Glogster. To teach history correctly, I have to present both sides of any argument or conflict.  Having an understanding of the multiple perspectives in an historical event is the only way gain full understanding of a topic. "I believe that these human-inflicted topics should be taught in light of a range of perspectives" (Gardner, 2007). History also plays a role in creating active citizens.  Learning our nation's history can allow students to respect our country and the role they should play in its continued development. One of my goals as a history teacher is to create well rounded citizens that understand the United States of America.  A student's interactions with their teachers and their peers are some of the most influential relationships in the student's life.  "They are in the presences of teachers more than in the company of parents; they are surrounded by schoolmates more than by siblings or children in the neighborhood. Formal educational institutions play a key role in determining whether an individual is proceeding on the road to wood work and active citizenship" (Gardner, 2007). In developing the ethical and respectful minds, we as educators can create well rounded individuals and citizens.  Digital media, like Glogster, can help students develop these minds. They can create unique boards that express their opinions respectfully. They can compare and contrast different perspectives on an event or topic and express their own thoughts. Glogster is a great (and fun) way for students to express themselves.

My Bill of Rights Glog




Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.
Glog Works Cited Link

Vlog on developing minds...

The first time I recorded this blog, it was over 5 minutes... opps... re-wrote the script and got it down to 2:25 with transitions. Sorry if it is a little over!

Gardner, H. (2007). Five Minds for the Future. Boston: Harvard Business School Press.

Respectful and Ethical Minds

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/ 

Project #2: Spotlight on Strategies

What instructional goal/challenge does your SOS address? 

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.

The Pennsylvania Core standards emphasize the use of primary and secondary sources in history.  In this project, students can use both sources to complete the facebook profile.  They can take a look at quotes and pictures regarding a historical figure and also look at secondary sources to complete the project. This project also requires the writing of short summaries of important events and to organize everything in a cohesive and ordered product.  The goal and challenge of this product is to take various events, people, dates and create a product that organizes a historical figure's life and impact using digital media.

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.

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!

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

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?"

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.