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
Sunday, November 17, 2013
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)
Sunday, October 27, 2013
Digital Media: Movie Poster using BIG HUGE LABS
This is a project I am going to do with my class. I thought it was extremely fun to do and my students would love it too! I would probably give my students an historical event or an important person. They would be required to create a movie poster and include: The date of the event, an image relating to the event, an important vocabulary word in the title or taglines, and the names of important people in the production credits.
I could even use this image in my instruction. I would ask the students to identify the event in the poster. I would them have them explain how they knew it was the event. They would identify each part of the poster and how that person was important to the event.
I have also got to say... I love the website that allowed me to create this! It is called bighugelabs.com. You can use it to create movie posters, magazine covers and motivational posters. They can all be used for student projects and for instruction. I can't wait to use this website in my class.
IRC, (2005). The Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770. [Image]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
What is Text?
According to dictionary.com, text is "the actual wording of anything written or printed." Text has evolved 10 fold in the past 20 years. It wasn't to long ago when college applications or even essays and term papers had to be written or typed on a typewriter. It was very difficult to change text. If you made a mistake, you would have to crumple the page and toss it in the trash. Now, text has taken a new meaning. It can be changed and manipulated. As different types of media has been opened to us, text has changed its definition. It can been seen in more places than just letters, diaries, books and newspapers. The digital form of text can been seen everywhere. The digital form of text not only allows the communication of information, but it also now can be used for collaboration and can now be edited and changed. In writing this post I have made several mistakes. Instead of having to take a piece of paper out of my typewriter, all I have to do is hit the backspace key. Text is important because it helps with communication and the spreading of knowledge. As a history teacher, I teach the importance of the printing press and how it impacted the Renaissance, exploration and the spreading of knowledge. I believe that the evolution of text into a digital media can have the same impact on history. Learning is now easier. Creating new ideas is easier. The access to knowledge is now limitless.
Monday, October 21, 2013
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