As part of the ITS program at George Mason University, I designed a telecollaborative learning project called "Letters of War". The project is written for use with Web 1.0 tools - email and HTML web pages.
There are many primary source documents available for just about any role in many of the wars in the last two centuries. In this project, Teachers can have their class play the roles of families at home connected to someone away at war - a child, a spouse, a mother, a father. The war-side role will be played by subject matter experts – e.g. re-enactors, professors, museum curators, etc. Students will play the home-side roles. Roles will be paired together through the project so that opposing roles correspond throughout the war or battle. The level of research and tracking throughout the war may differ depending on the grade level and detail required by the curriculum. Students will discover what each role experienced, such as, what part they played in the war efforts, what they experienced throughout the war or battle, what daily life was like, what they felt, the equipment used, the strategies of war, specifics about a particular battle, maybe even what happened when they got home from war.
Once registered in the project, Students will navigate to the website and then to the info page about the role they will playing. There they will find a picture of the person, the basics about that individual – their name, where they’re from, how they’re related to the person they will be corresponding with, etc. As they correspond with their individual, they will find out much more about the role they are corresponding with as well as the role they are currently impersonating. Students will need to find out as much about the military person with whom they are corresponding, without directly asking questions like an interview. They will then assemble that information into a narrative that will turn into a short biography about the military person that will be posted to the site, complete with pictures and written from the point of view of the individual the students impersonated.
For example, a student assumes the role of Mary Todd Lincoln. This student will converse with a professional playing the role of Abraham Lincoln. When the biography is written by the student, it will be about Abraham Lincoln from the point of view of Mary Todd Lincoln.
All communication is done through the project website in an email like fashion so it can be monitored. Once the biography is written, it is submitted to be posted on a standard web page. Web 2.0 tools could make this that much more exciting. Students could still do the correspondence, but perhaps do it through blog entries, then build their biography on a Wiki page as they experience the correspondence. Depending on the people being impersonated and the re-enactors willingness to do this, they could create audio files that students could listen to. If this project were to expand to more modern wars, video could even be incorporated where appropriate. Vietnam would be perfect for a video project because it was the first war fought in the living rooms of the American people via television.
Letters of War through Web 1.0 was great, but Letters of War through Web 2.0 could be SO much better.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Digital Video Editing in the Classroom
Video editing used to be quite specialized, but technological advances have now put the tools and software within reach of anyone who wants to take advantage of them. I've heard teachers mention that it's a lot of work to teach the process of planning, shooting, and editing video footage. Does it require a bit more instructional time, yes. But, it's so much more fun (and probably more effective) than giving a multiple choice test.
I have a good friend who took the time to teach his middle school students about the conflicts in Africa, show them the film "Hotel Rwanda" and give them the opportunity to assume the roles of the different groups involve in the conflict. Within each role, the students explored the values, concerns and culture important to that role. They then recorded a monolog set to pictures from the film using digital video editing techniques in iMovie. These monologs were set up in a gallery walk format for the students (and several staff members) to view. Through the gallery walk, students were able to learn about other points of view within the conflict - and since they were learning from eachother, they were experiencing a form of social constructivism through the creation of the monologs and the gallery walk.
I also know a teacher that runs the exemplary project program at a local middle school. His whole world revolves around video production. He works with teachers to integrate video into curriculum. If I remember right, he helped a HILT classroom to develop an "About America" series which looked at history, culture, customs, and other things. I think he helped a health class develop PSAs about Alcohol, Drugs, etc. as a culminating activity.
Under both of these teachers, students truly showed just how much of the content they learned through application. The possibilities for digital video editing are endless and the students are almost always 100% engaged and the results are usually pleasantly surprising.
I have a good friend who took the time to teach his middle school students about the conflicts in Africa, show them the film "Hotel Rwanda" and give them the opportunity to assume the roles of the different groups involve in the conflict. Within each role, the students explored the values, concerns and culture important to that role. They then recorded a monolog set to pictures from the film using digital video editing techniques in iMovie. These monologs were set up in a gallery walk format for the students (and several staff members) to view. Through the gallery walk, students were able to learn about other points of view within the conflict - and since they were learning from eachother, they were experiencing a form of social constructivism through the creation of the monologs and the gallery walk.
I also know a teacher that runs the exemplary project program at a local middle school. His whole world revolves around video production. He works with teachers to integrate video into curriculum. If I remember right, he helped a HILT classroom to develop an "About America" series which looked at history, culture, customs, and other things. I think he helped a health class develop PSAs about Alcohol, Drugs, etc. as a culminating activity.
Under both of these teachers, students truly showed just how much of the content they learned through application. The possibilities for digital video editing are endless and the students are almost always 100% engaged and the results are usually pleasantly surprising.
Authentic Assessments, Standardized Tests, Training and Common Sense.
Throughout my graduate program, I've experienced many authentic assessments from the point of view of the student. I've written many lesson plans that used authentic assessments from the point of view of the teacher.
I took many standardized test throughout my k-12 career. I think I was in 8th grade when the first SOL test was given in 1998, but prior to that, there was some other test - I just don't remember what it was called. I didn't think much of it because it was ridiculously easy to me...but then I've always been good at choosing A, B, C or D, mostly because I had teachers that taught good test-taking skills (making educated guesses versus just closing your eyes and circling one).
I have been certified as a "Total Trainer" by The Training Clinic based out of California. As a last step in the certification program, I had to complete an authentic assessment (I had to design a training program to address a problem, them implement it). I've also been certified as a "Performance Consultant" which also required an authentic assessment prior to getting certified. In the process of getting certified, we were asked if we (the trainers) ever gave assessments at the end of our workshops or courses. Our answer was of course, a resounding "no."
I have taught several workshops that used authentic learning experiences and have used an "overall challenge" that enabled participants to show what they've learned, and "publish" it - whether it be online or via a participant-led mini-lesson at the end of class. These "Overall Challenges" were essentially authentic assessments of what they learned earlier in the workshop. Sometimes I provided a rubric, sometimes, a reflection and some feedback. With most participants that authentic learning experience/authentic assessment provided an opportunity to solidify thought processes and concepts taught.
Some of our trainers have tried giving multiple choice tests, and the participants simply look at us and say "really?!" They then get super stressed and forget what they've learned and the whole exercise seems pointless.
What does this mean for the classroom? I feel like standardized tests that offer 4 or 5 choices per question don't really measure a student's understanding of a concept. They do stress everyone out (students, teachers and parents), they do create additional curriculum for teachers to cover (read test-taking skills), they do create a one-size-fits-all approach to learning, they do tend to make teachers feel like they have to teach to the test, they do focus on memorization as well as several other not-so-great things.
Standardized tests do not focus on understanding or application. Standardized tests do not focus on preparing our students for the real world. Standardized tests do not truly measure a students grasp on a concept, or thought process, or their ability to see the "big picture". Authentic assessments do.
As a student, a trainer, a performance consultant, a techie, and an educator I realize that standardized tests seem to be a necessary evil, but I'm amazed at the number of decisions that seem to be made based on test scores, when the tests don't seem to truly measure student learning.
Maybe I'm oversimplifying things, but it seems to me that the true measurement of student learning is (or at least should be) through application of concepts.
I'll get off my soap box for now. Thoughts?
I took many standardized test throughout my k-12 career. I think I was in 8th grade when the first SOL test was given in 1998, but prior to that, there was some other test - I just don't remember what it was called. I didn't think much of it because it was ridiculously easy to me...but then I've always been good at choosing A, B, C or D, mostly because I had teachers that taught good test-taking skills (making educated guesses versus just closing your eyes and circling one).
I have been certified as a "Total Trainer" by The Training Clinic based out of California. As a last step in the certification program, I had to complete an authentic assessment (I had to design a training program to address a problem, them implement it). I've also been certified as a "Performance Consultant" which also required an authentic assessment prior to getting certified. In the process of getting certified, we were asked if we (the trainers) ever gave assessments at the end of our workshops or courses. Our answer was of course, a resounding "no."
I have taught several workshops that used authentic learning experiences and have used an "overall challenge" that enabled participants to show what they've learned, and "publish" it - whether it be online or via a participant-led mini-lesson at the end of class. These "Overall Challenges" were essentially authentic assessments of what they learned earlier in the workshop. Sometimes I provided a rubric, sometimes, a reflection and some feedback. With most participants that authentic learning experience/authentic assessment provided an opportunity to solidify thought processes and concepts taught.
Some of our trainers have tried giving multiple choice tests, and the participants simply look at us and say "really?!" They then get super stressed and forget what they've learned and the whole exercise seems pointless.
What does this mean for the classroom? I feel like standardized tests that offer 4 or 5 choices per question don't really measure a student's understanding of a concept. They do stress everyone out (students, teachers and parents), they do create additional curriculum for teachers to cover (read test-taking skills), they do create a one-size-fits-all approach to learning, they do tend to make teachers feel like they have to teach to the test, they do focus on memorization as well as several other not-so-great things.
Standardized tests do not focus on understanding or application. Standardized tests do not focus on preparing our students for the real world. Standardized tests do not truly measure a students grasp on a concept, or thought process, or their ability to see the "big picture". Authentic assessments do.
As a student, a trainer, a performance consultant, a techie, and an educator I realize that standardized tests seem to be a necessary evil, but I'm amazed at the number of decisions that seem to be made based on test scores, when the tests don't seem to truly measure student learning.
Maybe I'm oversimplifying things, but it seems to me that the true measurement of student learning is (or at least should be) through application of concepts.
I'll get off my soap box for now. Thoughts?
Social Media and Social Networking - is it appropriate in Education?
I feel like Social Media and Social Networking is something that needs to be introduced to students much like Television. Students need to be taught about Social Media and Social Networking. Tom Standage's The Victorian Internet was written about the dawning of the telegraph and can be compared to the dawning of the internet. It can actually be compared to any new technology and/or system being implemented.
One of the things covered in Standage's book was that everyone blindly sees the good things about a new technology and fails to notice it's pitfalls. No one seems to want to acknowledge the things that can be exploited about the new technology until someone actually tries to do it. Nor do they necessarily see the impact this technology will have on other systems in society.
When Television first came out, it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. As TV became more widespread, we saw more and more exploitation. We had to teach our kids how to view television and recognize the exploitations. The same goes for social media and social networking. We need to teach our students how to use, view, and otherwise conduct themselves on social media and social networking sites. They will inevitably use social networking at some point, so why not teach them how to do it right?
We can set up environments that simulate a real-world social networking site - for example a closed Google+ environment, Edmodo, or something similar - so that students can experiment in a safe, controlled/monitored environment. Students can use these to learn not only from the teacher, but also from each other. As I talked about in my blog entry on podcasts, these social networking sites can give students a way to publish what they've learned in a creative way that can serve as an alternative assessment.
Since students can publish "publicly" within this controlled environment, they're adding to the collective knowledge of their peers. By having access to this collective of knowledge, no one student has to know everything. It creates a collaborative learning environment that Vygotsky calls "Social Constructivism". In other words, as students interact with one another and under guidance from a teacher, they are in the process of reaching (or possibly already in) the "Zone of Proximal Development" where real learning takes place.
I think that given the social nature of learning, the need for authentic assessments, and the need to teach our students how to be good citizens in online environments, it is important to incorporate Social Media and Social Networking into our curriculum.
One of the things covered in Standage's book was that everyone blindly sees the good things about a new technology and fails to notice it's pitfalls. No one seems to want to acknowledge the things that can be exploited about the new technology until someone actually tries to do it. Nor do they necessarily see the impact this technology will have on other systems in society.
When Television first came out, it was the greatest thing since sliced bread. As TV became more widespread, we saw more and more exploitation. We had to teach our kids how to view television and recognize the exploitations. The same goes for social media and social networking. We need to teach our students how to use, view, and otherwise conduct themselves on social media and social networking sites. They will inevitably use social networking at some point, so why not teach them how to do it right?
We can set up environments that simulate a real-world social networking site - for example a closed Google+ environment, Edmodo, or something similar - so that students can experiment in a safe, controlled/monitored environment. Students can use these to learn not only from the teacher, but also from each other. As I talked about in my blog entry on podcasts, these social networking sites can give students a way to publish what they've learned in a creative way that can serve as an alternative assessment.
Since students can publish "publicly" within this controlled environment, they're adding to the collective knowledge of their peers. By having access to this collective of knowledge, no one student has to know everything. It creates a collaborative learning environment that Vygotsky calls "Social Constructivism". In other words, as students interact with one another and under guidance from a teacher, they are in the process of reaching (or possibly already in) the "Zone of Proximal Development" where real learning takes place.
I think that given the social nature of learning, the need for authentic assessments, and the need to teach our students how to be good citizens in online environments, it is important to incorporate Social Media and Social Networking into our curriculum.
Podcasts?
Podcasts are kind of like the old-time radio series, but you have more control. You download it, listen to it, maybe replay it. You can download one episode, or all available episodes. They're a great way to get information out to listeners. The episodes can be engaging (some not so much) and they can be almost any length.
In a classroom the possibilities are endless. In reality, students could create podcasts on just about anything they are studying. They could create podcasts about each stop on their travels along the silk road, the oregon trail, a journey through the amazon. They could create podcasts on mathematical theories, or a chapter by chapter analysis of Wuthering Heights or Their Eyes Were Watching God.
The best way for a student to show that they've learned content is for them to teach it. This is true not just at the k12 level, but for students of any age. We use this concept for other trainers that I work with. We know we really know our product/content when we can teach it and answer questions effectively.
Podcasts give students the opportunity to showcase what they've learned and make it available to others, be it students, staff, faculty or the world. Podcasts are super easy to record, edit and produce and don't require much in the way of special equipment or software. Ultimately podcasts can be used as an alternative assessment because it can show how well they have learned their content while giving them a real-world experience.
In a classroom the possibilities are endless. In reality, students could create podcasts on just about anything they are studying. They could create podcasts about each stop on their travels along the silk road, the oregon trail, a journey through the amazon. They could create podcasts on mathematical theories, or a chapter by chapter analysis of Wuthering Heights or Their Eyes Were Watching God.
The best way for a student to show that they've learned content is for them to teach it. This is true not just at the k12 level, but for students of any age. We use this concept for other trainers that I work with. We know we really know our product/content when we can teach it and answer questions effectively.
Podcasts give students the opportunity to showcase what they've learned and make it available to others, be it students, staff, faculty or the world. Podcasts are super easy to record, edit and produce and don't require much in the way of special equipment or software. Ultimately podcasts can be used as an alternative assessment because it can show how well they have learned their content while giving them a real-world experience.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
What Education is REALLY About!
So I said blogging just wasn't my thing...but I find it's a great way to share stories and experiences as I'm about to do below:
It's late February and my roommate still hasn't paid his rent for this month. He plops down on the couch and announces that he'll pay February and March together at the end of the month...then he plans on moving out before April. "Where are you going?" I say "and what are you going to do?"
His response..."anywhere but here...and join the 'Teach for America' program." "But," he says, "the only problem with 'Teach for America' is that you end up in poor performing schools and I would rather be in an affluent school.
For those of you who have heard me talk about my roommate, you probably already have an idea of how this is going to turn out. I think it was actually an interesting conversation. I've paraphrased some things and omitted some offensive language, but the rest of the conversation basically went something like this:
His tirade went on for a while. Needless to say I was actually angry for days after this conversation, though I find it laughable now (I'm pretty sure he is still angry). I could not believe his ignorance. He went on to say that he wanted to teach because the money is good, science is black and white, he thought it would be easy and he was sure he was good at it (after all he was a substitute teacher).
I love working in poorly performing schools - I attended one and have worked in several after that. I have seen the amazing things teachers do in their classrooms to reach their students. Teaching is anything but easy, it takes drive and passion, especially since compensation leaves something to be desired. All of the fantastic teachers that I've had or have worked with are not in it for the money - they're teaching because they feel a commitment towards the students and a passion for shaping the next generations. This is what being an educator is all about.
I wish him well in his endeavors and hope that when he realizes he has a very naive view on the world, he reflects on how much he has learned. I hope that IF he gets a job teaching, he has a fantastic mentor in a STEM school or a school that has adopted problem-based learning models and he is open-minded enough to LEARN from them. :-)
But, all this started me thinking, how does a school handle a teacher like him? Will they even hire someone with a "philosophy" like his? What can he do to make students more engaged in an earth-space course? What do science and math teachers do in their classrooms? What are the possibilities? What are the benefits of teaching in a low socio-economic school? What are the benefits of teaching in an affluent school? How do parents challenge teachers? What justifications do they ask for? How do you handle parents in these situations?
Is this blog part rant, absolutely. However, I also am curious to see what others thoughts are...especially in relation to the questions I've asked...especially since I'm not a K12 classroom teacher.
It's late February and my roommate still hasn't paid his rent for this month. He plops down on the couch and announces that he'll pay February and March together at the end of the month...then he plans on moving out before April. "Where are you going?" I say "and what are you going to do?"
His response..."anywhere but here...and join the 'Teach for America' program." "But," he says, "the only problem with 'Teach for America' is that you end up in poor performing schools and I would rather be in an affluent school.
For those of you who have heard me talk about my roommate, you probably already have an idea of how this is going to turn out. I think it was actually an interesting conversation. I've paraphrased some things and omitted some offensive language, but the rest of the conversation basically went something like this:
Me: Why?
Him: Kids are better.
Me: Maybe, but you need to worry more about the parents.
Him: I can handle the parents. If Johnny has a "D" then I just show the parents his grade, and show them everyone elses grade and explain that if I'm a [crappy] teacher 'why are most students doing well?' and they (the parents) should have a conversation with their student instead of me.
Me: What if they question your instructional objectives, the assignment itself, your grading methods, etc? What about SPED students and those with 504 accomodations?
Him: It's not that complicated. Numbers don't lie, the grades speak for themselves. Plus, it's science. Science and Math are black and white. You read the text, learn the vocabulary and take the test. You either know the material or you don't. At the end of the year, you either pass the SOL or you don't.
Me: Things are changing, many schools don't teach like that anymore. What if you end up in a school that's adopted a problem-based learning model or a STEM school?
Him: That's stupid. You can do that with subjects like english and social studies because they're not real subjects. You wouldn't teach a science and math class like that. Students read, come to class, listen to the lecture, pay attention to the PowerPoints and do the homework. Newtonian physics hasn't changed in the last several hundred years and neither has most math. Its been taught the same way for the last hundred years. It's not that hard.
Me: Things are changing.
Him: No they're not. All you've ever taught is technology. I've been a substitute teacher, I know what I'm talking about.
Me: Actually I've never been a K12 teacher.
Him: Well then you definitely don't know what you're talking about. Teaching at the college level is different than K12.
Me: I've never taught at the collegiate level either. I'm in a Masters of Education program (meaning I'm taking classes, not teaching them), and I'm pretty sure that my classmates (many of whom have 10+ years of K12 classroom experience) believe that science and math can (and should) be taught in new innovative ways.
Him: You don't have a clue about the real world. I feel like you're arguing just for the sake of arguing. You're just trying to make me feel like I would be an awful teacher. That's rude and inconsiderate...
His tirade went on for a while. Needless to say I was actually angry for days after this conversation, though I find it laughable now (I'm pretty sure he is still angry). I could not believe his ignorance. He went on to say that he wanted to teach because the money is good, science is black and white, he thought it would be easy and he was sure he was good at it (after all he was a substitute teacher).
I love working in poorly performing schools - I attended one and have worked in several after that. I have seen the amazing things teachers do in their classrooms to reach their students. Teaching is anything but easy, it takes drive and passion, especially since compensation leaves something to be desired. All of the fantastic teachers that I've had or have worked with are not in it for the money - they're teaching because they feel a commitment towards the students and a passion for shaping the next generations. This is what being an educator is all about.
I wish him well in his endeavors and hope that when he realizes he has a very naive view on the world, he reflects on how much he has learned. I hope that IF he gets a job teaching, he has a fantastic mentor in a STEM school or a school that has adopted problem-based learning models and he is open-minded enough to LEARN from them. :-)
But, all this started me thinking, how does a school handle a teacher like him? Will they even hire someone with a "philosophy" like his? What can he do to make students more engaged in an earth-space course? What do science and math teachers do in their classrooms? What are the possibilities? What are the benefits of teaching in a low socio-economic school? What are the benefits of teaching in an affluent school? How do parents challenge teachers? What justifications do they ask for? How do you handle parents in these situations?
Is this blog part rant, absolutely. However, I also am curious to see what others thoughts are...especially in relation to the questions I've asked...especially since I'm not a K12 classroom teacher.
Monday, February 17, 2014
Notes about Wikis
All through my undergrad I heard all about Wikipedia and how it was a horrible source of information for research projects and papers. I wasn't told that it was a good place to start, I was told to avoid it altogether because it was an unreliable source. I can see now that while Wikipedia may not be the best source of information, it IS a great starting point for research, especially if you don't know a whole lot about what you are researching. That was the extent of my knowledge of "wikis," period.
I frequently have heard ITRTs mention to teachers that a Wiki is a fabulous collaboration tool. The teachers thought it was great, but me, not wanting to sound dumb, didn't ask. I wish I had.
The fact that it allows multiple people to contribute to a wiki page is fantastic for the classroom. I can see uses for it in almost any subject (yes, even physical science and math - I'll talk about this later). I can even see a use for it with the rollout of our new Student Information System (SIS). I think it would be awesome for us to put up a series of Wiki pages that allowed teachers to share instructions, or tips and tricks, to using the system. The TSS could post resources (both print and video) and teachers and staff could contribute to those instructions. We could use it to keep staff up to date on upgrades, new features...possibly even a forum to suggest new enhancements.
Perhaps as the department culture shifts with this next re-organization, we can shift how we exchange information with teachers and staff.
I frequently have heard ITRTs mention to teachers that a Wiki is a fabulous collaboration tool. The teachers thought it was great, but me, not wanting to sound dumb, didn't ask. I wish I had.
The fact that it allows multiple people to contribute to a wiki page is fantastic for the classroom. I can see uses for it in almost any subject (yes, even physical science and math - I'll talk about this later). I can even see a use for it with the rollout of our new Student Information System (SIS). I think it would be awesome for us to put up a series of Wiki pages that allowed teachers to share instructions, or tips and tricks, to using the system. The TSS could post resources (both print and video) and teachers and staff could contribute to those instructions. We could use it to keep staff up to date on upgrades, new features...possibly even a forum to suggest new enhancements.
Perhaps as the department culture shifts with this next re-organization, we can shift how we exchange information with teachers and staff.
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