In the classroom soon!

Tomorrow morning I'll start my fall field experience in a 6th grade class. Can't wait! I'll spend this week working with the teacher to set up the classroom and get ready for the kids, who start next week. All the volunteer work I've done has been for preschool through 5tgh grade, so this is the one age I haven't worked with yet. This will be a great education for me!

On getting riled up about public school

I just read an interesting article advocating for the public school system and more or less against private schools, and realized that this exact dichotomy has been on my mind a lot. I'm a product of the California public schools, through the university level, and I'm currently a graduate student at a public university in Oregon. My children, the ones who are old enough, attend a public school. It's imperfect but worthwhile. We've exercised our district-approved right to choose their school, and have never regretted it. It's not our neighborhood school, and the commute is the one thing that bothers me about sending them there, but it's a small town and the drive is actually only about six minutes long and we walk or bike when weather permits. We chose this school initially because they offered a bilingual immersion program; this has been amended a bit over the years, but Spanish is still being offered for fourth graders and up, which I certainly appreciate. They also have a full time music teacher and the most culturally diverse population in the district. I don't think my kids would be exposed the variety of experiences and socioeconomic realities anywhere else in town, and I see this as a valuable attribute that private schools, at least the ones in my community which are all expensive and religious (neither of which would describe me!), can't offer. I'm finding that I just really believe deep down that though there are plenty of challenges, our public schools are not broken and that with enough enthusiastic involvement from teachers, parents, and other citizens the schools can be vibrant and inspirational centers of our communities.

Pardon my accent; your new country is charming.

In his two part essay Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, Marc Prensky offers some valuable insights into neuroscience, contemporary technology and media culture, and education. The youth of today are the natives, having grown up immersed in high tech devices and media of all kinds. Reading this, I immediately began to try to place myself along this divide. I’m 36, and came to computer literacy much later than the natives, well after college. But if I’m an immigrant, it’s with what would be called a mild “digital immigrant accent” (Prensky 2001). My first inclination is generally to look for answers online, for example, and I’ve never printed an email. But I’ve also sent one text message in my life; I’ve just never had the need. So I’m speaking with a slight accent, in a world where the standards of pronunciation are evolving. If I don’t seek out and embrace new developments, especially as a teacher, what seems slight in 2008 will be a speech impediment before I know it (but not before my students do!).

The ISTE’s NETS for teachers and students (iste.org 2007), outlines standards with which teachers should comply, and which align nicely with the assertion that educators must embrace technology and learn to use it to engage their students who are already tech savvy in order not to lose their attention altogether. “Their attention spans are not short… for anything… that actually interests them” (Prensky 2001). All of the NETS standards are relevant in one way or another to this argument, but some especially salient ones for teachers are:

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Teachers design, (and) develop authentic learning experiences…incorporating contemporary tools and resources… (a): Teachers design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.”

(c): Teachers customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership: Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and… (demonstrate) the effective use of digital tools and resources.

(d): Teachers contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community.

(www.iste.org 2007)

While teachers are addressing their own skills, attitudes, and values through these standards, the ISTE is also recommending holding students to high but achievable standards. Some especially relevant NETS standards for students are:

2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

(a): Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

(b): Students communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

6. Technology Operations and Concepts: Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

(a) Students understand and use technology systems.

(d) Students transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

(www.iste.org 2007)

As nostalgic as any of us, whether veteran teacher or novice may wish to be regarding the schools and society of a few decades ago, this genie simply can’t be put back in its bottle. Computers, ipods, cell phones, and video games are a fact of life. The internet will be an ever changing, ever present entity in our lives and should be that in the classroom as well. Not to teach through contemporary technology shortchanges students who have less access and bores those who have more.

references:

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants, from On the Horizon. NCB University Press, Vol. 9

International Society for Technology in Education, NETS for Students 2007. www.iste.org

The Purpose of School: an Investment in Human Capital

In order for large numbers of humans to coexist, culture and agreed upon societal norms must develop. For the successful perpetuation of a set of societal standards and practices, we must share this knowledge with children so that they will mature in the manner we generally prefer and will be able to participate in our society. Education, therefore, is indoctrination. The purpose of schools is redefined by different peoples at different times, depending on what that culture sees as its needs. In the beginning of the twenty-first century, we largely see schools as serving both individuals and society: the individual is equipped for future productivity, and that productivity is seen as beneficial to the social order.
Shepherding young people into participation in the ongoing experiment that is American society requires agreement and a system. Though this is a pluralistic society, necessitating a diversity of educational approaches overall, we can agree on enough to formulate coherent curricula and standards. While it could easily be called un-American to treat children (or any citizens) as cogs in a wheel, cooperation and consensus are undeniably important and helpful. This view of the purpose of schooling has been described as human capital, creating “economic benefits for the society as a whole through greater productivity and for individuals through greater earnings” (Tyack, 1976). It is noteworthy that

“…Economic growth closely depends on the synergies between new knowledge and human capital, which is why large increases in education and training have accompanied major advances in technological knowledge in all countries that have achieved significant economic growth.” (Becker, 2002)

It is not necessarily only formal schooling that contributes to human capital; informal or on-the-job training, and even medical care are also seen by economists as investments in this resource (Becker, 2002). Education, though, is by far the greatest of these predictors of future economic success of the individual.
In addition to the benefit of education to individuals, “the wealth of a nation is embodied in its people and…only an educated people can adopt new technologies” (Goldin, 2008). After all, the whole is roughly the sum of its parts; if a nation’s people are its parts, individual enhancement benefits the group similarly. These benefits are not necessarily only economic, but the more esoteric advantages probably correlate to economic measurements. Satisfaction, contentment, and perception of heightened quality of life surely increase with increased education for most people. In some cases this is purely because of the increased comfort provided by higher economic status, but personal fulfillment can be measurably beneficial to the individual and therefore to group stability and productivity. A stronger nation made up of educated citizens is a worthy purpose for modern schooling, for reasons relating to both economics and personal satisfaction.
References:
Tyack, D. (1976). Ways of seeing: an essay on the history of compulsory schooling. Harvard Educational Review, 46 (3), 355-389.
Becker, G. (2002). Human capital. Concise Encyclopedia of Economics, retrieved August 2, 2008 from http://www.econlib.org/library/Enc/HumanCapital.html.
Goldin, C. (2008). The human capital century. Education Next, Hoover Institution, retrieved August 2, 2008 from http://www.hoover.org/publications/ednext/3355201.html.

Getting a Headache: thinking about the problems of inner city schools

Reflection on Boys of Baraka

Watching The Boys of Baraka was eye-opening. While the dire situation in America’s inner city schools is not news, it is something that many of us, even when dealing with the school system in general, don’t see very much. I was touched by so many moments in the film: heartbreaking scenes of parents separated from their children, kids shouldering awful burdens, whole communities turned into wastelands. Watching these shell-shocked boys venturing bravely out to the other side of the world was inspiring. These children knew exactly what was in store for them if they stayed in Baltimore, and of course it wasn’t pretty. Their courage in trying out such totally unfamiliar territory as a foreign boarding school put a lump in my throat.

Aside from the emotional aspects of this subject, I was also left contemplating the plight of our poorest urban schools, and was pleased to find some bright notes in researching the film updates. Because the home and community environment these students live in is at least as much of a problem as is their school, a new solution is being tried out now which looks very promising in the wake of the closing of the Kenyan school. The SEED Foundation is now operating a co-ed public boarding school in Washington DC, and a second campus in Maryland is opening this fall. Feasibility studies are going on for opening more campuses around the country. This organization focuses on urban youth in grades 6-12, who would benefit from a rigorous academic environment and a removal from their troubled homes in the inner city. The DC campus has been running since 1998 and reports that 97% of its graduates go on to college. In a community where just convincing kids to even bother entering high school can be difficult, let alone graduate, this school’s program is exciting. In addition to its academic credibility, I see a couple of elements of the SEED schools as beneficial. It is co-ed, meaning that more students are eligible and can take advantage of the resource, and for more years than at the Baraka School. Also, the campuses are relatively local to their students’ home communities, so family involvement is possible and highly encouraged. This ongoing connection with positive elements of students’ lives strikes me as healthy for both the kids and their families.

As we saw with the Baraka School, relocating at-risk students is a valuable tool for turning around their worldviews and getting them on track academically. For those students who remain in the conventional public school, clearly more must be done to facilitate learning and ensure safety. What is this “more” that is needed, though? Frankly, I don’t know. Obviously money is a factor, but throwing cash at an institution that is in such chaos that resources are likely to be squandered by the recipients is not reasonable. Some scenes in The Boys of Baraka suggest that this would be the case: kids hollering and carrying on, ignoring a teacher’s calls for order, fighting and spinning around on office chairs instead of having a conversation with an advisor. And ultimately, though the responsibility for children’s behavior rests on themselves, it’s not really their fault that things have broken so far down. Trapped in chaotic and dangerous circumstances everywhere they go, misbehavior and detachment from responsibility are pretty much inevitable. Those who stay on track and graduate from high school are applauded because they are noteworthy exceptions and because everyone knows what extreme dedication it takes in those circumstances, and therefore how uncommon it is. Exposure to a wider world, whether it’s through travel to Kenya or crossing the county to attend boarding school, is more than enriching for kids from the inner city. It could be life saving.

Clear and to the Point: aligning Power Point design and presentation with NETS Standards for Teachers

Chapter 1 of Clear and to the Point (S. Kosslyn, 2007) outlines eight basic principles for successful PowerPoint presentations, many of which align with the ISTE NETS Standards for Teachers . The basic premise of the chapter is that by being cognizant of simple elements of human psychology we can avoid common pitfalls in the design of Power Point presentations, thereby streamlining the learning process for the audience. Following are the relevant standards and design/psychology principles.

Standard 1, part a: “Teachers promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.” I will be teaching at the elementary level, where the use of Power Point is still somewhat innovative in and of itself. Regardless of authorization level, a teacher who uses this medium as outlined in this chapter will be exhibiting inventiveness and creativity.

Standard 2, part b: “Teachers develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.” While all eight of the principles outlined in the chapter relate to this standard, the principles of Relevance and Appropriate Knowledge are especially related. When the presentation is customized for the knowledge level of its audience (a classroom of students), they will be easily able to be active participants, simply because they will be able to follow the lecture.

Standard 3, part c: “Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.” Simply put, a clear, concise, and well designed presentation, whether it’s for students or colleagues, will accomplish this standard. Designing the bones of the slide show according to Kosslyn’s principles is a straightforward way to be sure that your message is not obscured or misunderstood.

Standard 4, part b: “Teachers address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.” Conscientious use of design elements in a Power Point presentation, such as perceptual organization or compatibility will ensure that the lesson addresses the needs of all learners.

It seems to me that many of the principles outlined in this chapter are relevant to teaching in general, regardless of the medium. Assessing the audience before the presentation is vital; the teacher must understand what the students already know, and must provide just the right amount of information to be engaging without either boring or confusing the class. The basic design elements covered in this chapter are also very helpful; keeping relevant information easily accessible by the audience will obviously make for a successful presentation.

Claymation Movie: NETS Technology Standards for Students

In our recent claymation exercise, we went through a three step process: first we decided as a group what our topic would be; next we collaborated in Cmap to create storyboard plans for our movies; finally, we created the stop motion movies using digital cameras and modeling clay, stitching it all together in Quick Time. We packed quite a bit of learning and experience into a short time! My group created a kindergarten safety lesson: how to tie your shoes. A number of standards from the ISTE’s NETS for students were realized in this assignment.

Standard 1, parts a, b, and c: “Students apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes… create original works as a means of personal or group expression …(and) use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.” In our project, the information that the movie expressed (re. shoelaces and the importance of keeping them tied) was already well known to us. We used a series of technological processes to generate a new product (the movie itself) by applying this knowledge. Our original work was the movie, and we used it to express our vision of how best to inform young children about this basic safety principle. The Cmap file we created served as a model for the final product we created, which was of course much more complex than the Cmap itself.

Standard 2, parts a, and d: “Students interact, collaborate, and publish with peers… employing a variety of digital environments and media… and contribute to project teams to produce original words or solve problems.” Through the group format of this project we accomplished the interaction and collaboration required by standard 2, and we published our original, digital final product after using multiple media (Cmap, modeling clay, digital camera, and Quicktime).

Standard 4, parts a, b, and d: “Students identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation…plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project…(and) use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.” In the original group meeting, we had to discuss options for the subject matter of our movie and arrive at a consensus; our decision was based on a reading of the Oregon Department of Education’s standards for injury prevention under health education (HE.03.IP.01 and HE.03.IP.02) and an understanding of the skills needed by young children (particularly kindergarteners). While the overall system we would use to produce this movie was outlined for us, we did plan and manage the particulars of the claymation itself in consultation as a group.

Finally, we experienced elements of Standard 6, parts a, c, and d: “Students understand and use technology systems… troubleshoot systems and applications… (and) transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.” We entered this project with foundational computer knowledge which built on to learn new software applications. In the post production phase, some troubleshooting was necessary, and our movie was eventually successfully saved in three sizes on the university’s server.

This was, despite some sticky situations in the computer lab, a successful project which made full use of the NETS Standards for Students.

The project begins...

I'm off and running on this great madcap adventure called Becoming A Teacher! Graduate studies at Southern Oregon University began two weeks ago, and though a lot is being squeezed into this short summer session (as much work as a regular length term in only four weeks), it's doable as long as I don't spend too much time on other stuff. Like my kids, the family's online business, the renovation of a rental house we're working on, bathing, you know. While I'm a bit sleep deprived right now, I think it's under control.
So far, I have to say that I'm pleased with the direction my courses are taking. The curriculum design we're working on is pleasantly difficult. That sounds weird, but what I mean is that while it takes a lot of effort and a different way of looking at the material, it's fascinating to me to get into the methodologies behind unit planning. Even when dealing with the youngest children, it's complex.

And, I'm also happy to report that so far my suspicion seems to be correct: that the five years of elementary classroom volunteering I've put in have given me a pretty good idea of what I'm getting myself into, and so far I still feel prepared! Let's see how I rate that after the "September Experience": a month long practicum in an elementary classroom. Looking forward to it!