Wicked Problem

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This was a collaborative project which included Jon Gere, LaShawn Hanes, Alexis Miller and myself.

From  The Future of Education:

The 2013 NMC Horizon Project Summit Communiqué 

“Rethink what it means to teach, and reinvent everything about teaching.

All of our notions about teaching were developed for eras in which the oral tradition was the main way that knowledge was transmitted from one generation to the next. Libraries existed, but only the very lucky few had access to the kinds of resources that virtually all of us take for granted today. When most any practical question can be answered in microseconds via the network, and in most cases, with a variety of perspectives and viewpoints which also included —what is the role of the venerated teacher? What are the defining attributes of the teachers we need to help the next generations build on (or fix) the work we did? What can and should be the key competencies of a teacher? We know we need education overall to be more experiential and more hands – on. We need to be emphasizing good choices, and ethical decisions. Learning must be global, and more based in the realities of the world as it is. It should be more authentic. What we do not know is how to prepare people to be successful with these very different kinds of skills, and that makes this a wicked problem.”

  We understood that education has been modeled after the “factory” mentality.  That is, our schools were set up like factories where students’ unifying thread was their date of birth.  Along with mass production came mass education and a “one-size-fits all” approach.  Our wicked problem of “Rethinking Teaching” for the 21st century encompassed four components:

  • Best instructional practices
  • Connectedness of learning in their relationships with teacher and other classmates
  • Intrinsic Motivation
  • Student’s role in their own learning

Please take a look at our Voicethread for a further analysis of these four components.

http://voicethread.com/?#u3827105.b4735761.i24164859

According to the Charlotte Danielson’s MET (Measures of Effective Teaching) report, more effective teachers have better results with their students.  One component of a highly effective teacher lies in her ability to create a culture of learning in her classroom and to establish a rapport of respect.  Danielson defines this as:

  • Classroom interactions among the teacher and individual students are highly respectful, reflecting genuine warmth and caring and sensitivity to students as individuals. (Connected relationships)

  • Students exhibit respect for the teacher and contribute to high levels of civil interaction between all members of the class. The net result of interactions is that of connections with students as individuals.(Students’ role in their own learning)

  • The classroom culture is a cognitively vibrant place, characterized by a shared belief in the importance of learning. The teacher conveys high expectations for learning by all students and insists on hard work. (Best Teaching Practices)

  • Students assume responsibility for high quality by initiating improvements, making revisions, adding detail, and/or helping peers. (Intrinsic Motivation)

(Danielson,https://framework.wikispaces.hcpss.org)

To sum things up, it takes a very skilled teacher to establish rapport and create a culture of learning in his/her classroom.  It is a special brand of “magic” that the teacher creates to engage the learner, motivate and make learning soar!  Teachers are the difference.  If teachers take these four components that we have discussed and utilize what we know in each other these areas, we can make a difference in education and solve this wicked problem.  It will not happen overnight and it will be a lot of hard work but it is possible to change the face of education if we all work together towards the same goal.  As referred to by James Gee it takes “Grit . . . an invented term that means perseverance and passion of the sort necessary for the ‘persistence past failure’ through long hours of practice.”

Sources:

Danielson, C. (n.d.). The Danielson Group. Research on the Framework for Teaching. Retrieved from http://www.danielsongroup.org/article.aspx?page=fftresearch

Gee, J. P. (n.d.). The anti-education era: Creating smarter students through digital learning.

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2013-Horizon-Project-Summit-Communique.pdf. (n.d.).

Network Learning Project #4

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The purpose of this post is to restate my learning goal and to provide a video demonstration of the skills that I have attained over the course of my MAET class in drawing.  My learning goal was to learn how to draw and more specifically, how to draw faces in proportion.  I wanted to spend time just drawing anything but the bulk of my practice centered around drawing faces.

The sources I used were drawing forums, tutorials and You Tube videos.

I also made a slideshow with my new mac showcasing all of the drawings that I have done!

Sources:

Brookes, M. (n.d.). Monart. Monart. Retrieved from http://monart.com/

Drawing and Painting for Kids – Resources for Moms . (n.d.). Drawing For Kids. Retrieved from http://www.drawingforkidsinfo.com/firstlesson/

Drawspace: Now everyone can draw. (n.d.). Drawspace: Now Everyone Can Draw. Retrieved from http://www.drawspace.com/

EasyDrawingTutorials. (n.d.). Home. Retrieved from http://www.easydrawingtutorials.com/

Sketching a Face- Basic Proportions. (2007, March 02). YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1618qH7KojU

Van’t Hul, J. (n.d.). The Artful Parent. ‘The Artful Parent’ Retrieved from http://www.artfulparent.com/

How to Draw a Face. (n.d.). WikiHow. Retrieved from http://www.wikihow.com/Draw-a-Face

[CQ] + [PQ] > IQ

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The purpose of this post was to a) define how I bring passion and curiosity to my work as an educator and b) show how I use technology to instill  passion and curiosity in my students.

http://voicethread.com/?#e4753699

I believe that Thomas Friedman was on the right track when he developed his idea of Curiosity Quotient + Passions Quotient > Intelligence Quotient.

“The winners will be those with more P.Q. and C.Q. to leverage all the new digital tools to not just find a job, but to invent one or reinvent one, and to not just learn but to relearn for a lifetime. . .Give me the kid with a passion to learn and a curiosity to discover and I will take him or her over the less passionate kid with a huge I.Q. every day of the week.” (Friedman, 2013)

The other ingredient he is missing, is collaboration and the active involvement of the learner in his learning community by invested connected relationships with like-minded people.  That is not to say, like-minded as in everyone thinking the same way.  To be clear, I am referring to people who are connected because they have a similar desire to learn and support each other in that passion and drive to attain a new understanding.  We need teachers who model this lifelong journey of learning and who do not shy away from making mistakes and learning from them!

In my classroom, I try, first of all, to establish that connected community of learners through a social-emotional framework called “Conscious Discipline” .

http://consciousdiscipline.com/Default.asp

I try to use critical thinking routines in my class through Visible Thinking strategies.

http://www.old-pz.gse.harvard.edu/vt/VisibleThinking_html_files/VisibleThinking1.html

and finally, I use technology to compliment whatever we are learning.  This next year will be very interesting as I try to implement all that I have learned from my MAET classes!

Sources:

[CQ]+[PQ] IQ*. (n.d.). Explo.org. Retrieved from Explo.org/liv/exploringeducation/thomasfriedman

Friedman, T. (2013, January 29). It’s The PQ and CQ as Much as the IQ. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html?_r=0

Thomas, A. M. (2012, September). Engaging Students in STEM Classroom Through Making. Edutopia.

Maker #3 Assessment & Evaluation

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http://business.time.com/2013/05/09/assessing-the-creative-spark/

I found this website with many interesting facts about creativity in the workplace.  It is a great place to start when we consider the necessity for students to explore their own creativity as they get prepared one day to put their skills to the test in whatever professional field they may choose.

I do see myself implementing the ideas that I have learned  in regard to Maker Education.   I am not sure that I would use the Raspberry Pi, per se, but I feel strongly about the Maker Education concept.    I can see utilizing the Pi when we do our unit on “Magnets and Electricity”  and or/ “Squishy Circuits”.  The constraints of the Pi seemed cumbersome at best for a fourth grade classroom and in my research, I have found that it is best suited for older students (around 14 years of age).  However,  I feel that when students create, they are utilizing many higher order thinking skills.  I feel that they will give you much more by doing this type of engaging work than what they are traditionally exposed to.  Oftentimes, they far exceed our expectations when given this type of learning situation.  As Anne Marie Thomas said in her article entitled “Engaging Students in STEM Classroom Through Making”, “Making is about empowering students to see that they can bring their ideas to life, and create new things.  I strongly believe that we are all makers at heart, and that every new project incorporates new learning opportunities.” (Thomas, 2012)  To illustrate this point even further, I have a video of two of my former students as they began to make sense of the science concepts in mixtures and solutions.  After discussing an analogy that helped her understand what was going on, this student took it upon herself to create a video explaining how molecules are dissolved in two different examples.  Take a look.

I really liked this rubric from Grant Wiggins,

Click to access creative.pdf

it seems as though teachers need some kind of structure with which to evaluate. This gives a good beginning model for just that.  In addition to this, the preceding  two videos are examples of “maker” philosophy in that my two students took it upon themselves to develop and create these videos without much instruction from me, might I add.  This was a really good connection for me in how technology combined with pedagogy and context can really solidify the learning.  These videos were done prior to my MAET experience.  These girls masterfully used two very ordinary ways to construct their learning about mixtures and solutions.  It was so powerful because everyone can tuck these images away in their minds and they are so concrete!

As far as evaluating the effectiveness of this lesson, it was clear that the students had a deeper understanding of dissolving molecules and that they could represent this using everyday materials showed me that they understood.  But, to go a step further, we used this as a teaching point for other students in their understanding.  The girls became a “producer” of knowledge and understanding, not just a “consumer”.  According to Susan M.  Brookhart in her article “Assessing Creativity” (Educational Leadership, 2013),

“Creativity is a simple concept that can be difficult to get your head around. In its most basic sense, creative means “original and of high quality” (Perkins, 1981, p. 6). . . What does it look like when schoolwork is original and of high quality? Probably the foremost characteristic of creative students is that they put things together in new ways (Brookhart, 2010). For example, while writing a poem about a sunset, a student who observes that moment when the sunset looks very much like a sunrise and makes the connection to other endings that can also foreshadow beginnings is more creative than a student who describes that moment as ‘red and fiery.'”  The connections that my students made between dissolving substances and a suitcase full of clothing reminds me of these connections that are made and put together in new, original ways.  For a more in depth look at creativity and assessing it in your students refer to:  http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb13/vol70/num05/Assessing-Creativity.aspx

Sources:

Brookhart, S. M. (n.d.). Membership. Educational Leadership:Creativity Now!:Assessing Creativity. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb13/vol70/num05/Assessing-Creativity.aspx

Kluger, J. (2013, May 9). Assessing the Creative Spark. Business Money Assessing the Creative Spark Comments. Retrieved from http://business.time.com/2013/05/09/assessing-the-creative-spark/

Wiggins, G. (2012, February 3). Granted, and…. Granted and. Retrieved from http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/on-assessing-for-creativity-yes-you-can-and-yes-you-should/

Technology Survey Report

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I am very fortunate to work in a building where technology is seen as a necessary tool for student achievement.  Because of this and the vision of our principal, we have been able to add 30 ipads on a cart for all to use.  As people become more proficient, I think one of the biggest complaints might be that there are not enough ipads for a K-5 building.  Regardless, here are some of the trends I noticed from the technology survey:

  • There seems to be a need to have PD on setting up classroom blogs and websites
  • How to put the responsibility of technology in the hands of the kids and make them more independent with this.
  • There is a great need for PD but also time in which to “play” with new technologies in conjunction with technical support.
  • Those surveyed  feel “fairly comfortable” to “very comfortable” with technology.
  • Many are using things like GoogleDocs, Keynote, IMovie, Prezi, Powerpoint and BYOD

I have noticed that most people use the technology afforded to them.  Things like use of Smartboards, iPads and the  computer lab.  My question is, how many people are using things like the web 2.0 tools we have learned in our class as a part of their lessons?  I think there are a couple of people on our staff doing this but the majority of the people are using the technology in the best way that they can.  It is clear that more training and PD support is necessary.  I feel that before this technology class that I was integrating technology in my lessons.  Now I realize that I was “using technology” but I was not necessarily integrating the technology within the lessons.  Things like creating Animoto videos or Voicethreads, I had no idea about.  I used Google Docs but that was really the extend of any collaborative technology in my repertoire.  I used what I knew, just like teachers have been doing for years.

I think that the person who responded to the survey in learning how to make the kids more independent with the technology is on the right track.  It goes along with the idea of making kids “producers” of technology rather than “consumers”.  In addition to this, in light of my last post about ADHD and technology, I feel that most teachers do not utilize the technology in ways to benefit our most challenged learners.  I think that teachers are so busy going about the business of teaching that this area is one in which more exploration is needed for the benefit of all students.  If teachers are using technology in this way, perhaps they are only using it for individuals rather than looking at in in the terms that we have learned about in our Universal Design Lesson.  In addition to this, it is important to remember the TPACK framework.

Sources:

The history of technology in education. (2011, October 03). YouTube. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s

PLN Network update

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The novelty of learning to draw has worn off!  I found myself dreading the practice sessions.  I think this is because, I was not satisfied with my practice.  I decided that I needed to put a little more “fun” into this learning and so I switched gears into learning how to draw simpler things like Hello Kitty and Spongebob Squarepants.  I started to research how to teach young children to draw because I feel that students lose that desire around fourth grade.  They decide that they are “not artistic” or “cannot draw”.  I think that creativity starts with the idea of “What if . . .”  so this self-doubt of not being able to do something is quite dangerous, indeed!  As I was watching the “Learning andFailure” wicked problem Voicethread on Youtube http://youtu.be/TcKSYpcIVyM, I remember seeing this image:


I was reminded that I was letting the  fear of not succeeding the first time get in my way of practicing.  I was reminded of the days in my childhood where I would do anything NOT to have to practice my piano.  It had become a drudgery.  As I searched the internet for forums, I came across this site:
I started looking for the “fun” again which would help me through my learning block.  I learned that it is important to start looking at the things that we draw by breaking them down into geometric shapes.  Then I went on the tutorials forum from this website and looked for some things that I could have some success with.  The first thing I drew was “Hello Kitty” and then “Spongebob”.  As funny as this sounds, I needed something that I could actually feel success with in order to continue practicing.
The other thing I have learned is that I do not have to draw things perfect the first time around.  This is a much more forgiving attitude than what I started with.  I have learned to make friends with my eraser!  It is perfectly o.k. to start with a rough sketch, erase what you don’t like and then come back later to fill in the details.  Sounds a lot like the process of learning.  Approximate, try, refine, synthesize!
Sources:
Blog – Quote. (n.d.). Move Beyond Know No Limits. Retrieved from http://www.movebeyond.net/quotes

ADHD As A Special Learning Need & Technology

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http://http://youtu.be/KKqyvAQHb7w

 

Every year, I have a student that is either diagnosed as ADHD or undiagnosed and that child poses some curious questions as to how best to meet his/her needs.  Children who are Learning Disabled/Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity may exhibit the following characteristics according to Leons and Gobbo,

“Students with AD/HD are likely to exhibit difficulties in a number of areas related to executive functioning, such as planning, organizing, maintaining focus, and following through on tasks. Moreover, students with AD/HD typically struggle with tasks that require active working memory (Barkley, 1997). In the foreign language classroom, this often results in uneven focus and problems studying independently and consistently, i.e., doing the key work of building competency through out-of-class practice.” (Leons, et.al., p. 43) “In spite of their strong cognitive potential, environmental demands are often a poor match for their learning difficulties.” (Leons, et.al, p. 44)  Therefore, AD/HD students could benefit from goal setting technology as well as supports built into the learning such as text-to-read or Dragon Naturally Speaking software.  This assistive software allows the user to write by using text-to-speech.  In our Universal Design Learning module, we learned that “The burden of adaptation should be put on curricula, not the learner.”  Yet, this is precisely what happens with students who have learning barriers.  Typically, general education teachers feel absolved of the responsibility of teaching a child with needs like this stating that it is the special education teacher’s responsibility or justifying that there isn’t enough time to devote all of his/her attention to the child with special needs.  This is not an option.  If a child is in a teacher’s class (special education or general education) it is that teacher’s obligation and responsibility to meet that student’s needs.

 Some technology that could assist in this area include:

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readwrite-for-google-docs/inoeonmfapjbbkmdafoankkfajkcphgd

p://www.collegeathome.com/blog/2008/06/10/100-helpful-web-tools-for-every-kind-of-learner/

Both of these web 2.0 tools allow the learner to have text-to-speech reading and an embedded talking dictionary.  This is very important because as Leons, Herbert, and Gobbo illustrate, “AD/HD students have difficulty in spelling and reading alongside weak memory, attention and phonological processing.”

     McKinley and Stormont in their article “The School Supports Checklist:  Identifying Support Needs and Barriers For Children With ADHD” claim that “Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder are at significant risk for experiencing failure in school.” (McKinley and Stormont, p. 14)  Traditional methods work in opposition to the way that these students learn.  Therefore it is necessary to adjust the curriculum tools to fit the needs of the learner.

Furthermore, Voicethread is an excellent tool to utilize speech and collaboration for students with ADHD.”Important ingredients for learning success in school include the ability to engage and sustain attention, participate actively, maintain high levels of motivation, and complete assigned tasks. Yet many students at risk and students with disabilities experience difficulties in these areas. For example, students with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a learning disability (LD) often struggle with attending in class and completing assignments (Lerner & Johns, 2009). Moreover, students with emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) often demonstrate low levels of school or task engagement and show little motivation for learning (Lerner & Johns, 2009). Active learning is important for learning success (Lerner & Johns, 2009); yet, educators often consider students at risk or those with disabilities ‘passive learners.’ ” (Brunvand and Byrd, p. 29)  Voicethread is engaging and motivating.  It also helps students to be more independent as they are working through an assignment.  The beauty of a tool like Voicethread is that it is so flexible.  Students can work collaboratively, in small groups, or individually at school or at home.  It’s versatility is shown by the fact that it can be used in virtually any subject and in any environment where a computer is available!

This link will provide student profiles of how Voicethread can benefit students with ADHD.

Click to access JTECVoiceThread.pdf

Voicethread is a win-win in so many ways.  Students with ADHD can work on a single task at a time and eliminate unneeded distractions.  They can work individually or with a small group.  The student is given the opportunity to respond in writing or by speech (ADHD children oftentimes have difficulties in spelling and reading)  Students with ADHD oftentimes have difficulty with working memory but Voicethread would allow the student to refer back to what was learned without relying on either short or long term memory.  The research that supports this idea is from the Foreign Language Annals:  “Students with ADHD are likely to have difficulty with executive functioning (planning, organizing, maintaining focus and following through on tasks. Students with learning disabilities oftentimes have weaknesses in language areas, memory (short and long term) and difficulties in spelling and reading.” (Leons, et. al., p.44)  In addition, Martinussen and Major support this idea in their text “Working memory Weakness in Students With ADHD Implications For Instruction”

“Working memory has been defined as ‘a limited capacity system allowing the temporary storage and manipulation of information necessary for such complex cognitive tasks as comprehension, learning, and reasoning” (Baddeley, 2000, p. 418). For example, when composing a text, the author must keep in mind the overall goals for the text (e.g., the audience) while generating ideas, thinking of how to spell words, and monitoring the text for errors.” (Martinussen & Major, p.69).  By alleviating the need for an ADHD student to “hold information in their heads” Voicethread allows them to put their ideas down immediately and use recorded audio so that the student does not struggle through writing responses.

Web 2.0 tools are just starting to hit the teaching scene and it is exciting to see what benefits they will employ for all of our students!

Sources:

Brunvand, & Byrd. (n.d.). Using Voicethread To Promote Learning Engagement and Success For All Students.

Leons, E., Herbert, C., & Gobbo, K. (2009). Students With Learning Disabilities and AD/HD in the Foreign Language Classroom: Supporting Students and Instructors. Foreign Language Annals, 42(1), 42-54.

Martinussen, R., & Major, A. (n.d.). Working memory Weakness In Students With ADHD Implications for Instruction. doi: 0.1080/00405841.2011.534943

McKinley, & Stormont. (2008). The School Supports Identifying Support Needs and Barriers for Children With ADHD. Teaching Exceptional Children, 41(2).

 You Tube. (n.d.). Retrieved July 18, 2013, from http://youtu.be/KKqyvAQHb7w

Maker #2 Revised Using UDL Framework

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Maker Activity #2 (Part 1)

http://http://www.bespokesoftware.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/raspberry_pi_pie.jpeg

 

Activity:

Students will be working together to create terrariums or windowfarms for a unit on Terrestrial Environments in our Science Foss Kit program.

 

Objective:  Students will set up a terrarium and learn what environmental factors play a role in the success or failure of the environment.  They will demonstrate knowledge about preferred environmental factors and range of tolerance as it related to light, water, and temperature.

 

1.  Students will watch a video of how to put the Raspberry Pi together and get it up and running.

2.  Students will have access to written directions as well to put the Pi together.  They will have access to diagrams and work collaboratively in groups of 3-4 students.

3.  Once students get the Raspberry Pi up and running, they will go to the Windowfarms website to research and learn about hydroponic systems.  Students will then design and create their own terrarium or Windowfarm.  Students will have choice in this area of how and what to construct their environment from.

http://http://media.npr.org/assets/artslife/arts/2010/04/windowfarm/farm_custom-2a86023b839fde19ab5b5cdd1b444eed2eceb533-s6-c30.jpg

http://http://media.treehugger.com/assets/images/2011/10/window-farm-jose-de-la-o-2.jpg

4.  Students will also research using the Pi what types of conditions must be present for plants to germinate and grow.

5.  Students will create a voicethread of their knowledge about what plants need so that the entire group may benefit from the “brilliance of their work”.

6.  Students will write in a blog about the process of learning that they will be going through.  Lab notebooks can be kept to keep track of observations but students must represent their thinking in digital format such as a voicethread, animoto, padlet, etc. (again students choice of how to digitally represent the learning.)

7.  Much like the Windowfarm community, I would like the class to offer strategies and success/failure stories.  In doing this unit before, students have learned things like how important location and precise measurement of water are.  This unit is inquiry based in that we really pay attention to the questions that arise and try to find answers that help us to make sense of our learning.  Students learn from the successes/failures of other groups and incorporate that into their learning.

8.  Students could start a class padlet of vocabulary and terms that we have come across during the unit including terms that are puzzling to them. (Self-populating dictionary)

 

Relevancy/Big Essential Question:  How does this unit of study benefit us as people?  Feeding people has always been a relevant question for all of us.  Healthy eating is not always an option for some depending on where they live and their economic status.  Fresh fruits and vegetables are often expensive.  Students could have a way to grow their own or this idea could be used in a more global sense of taking food to developing nations or remote places that are not conducive to growing.  This activity has the potential to grow in a variety of ways.  Students could start a mini-greenhouse at their school.  They could sell plants for fundraisers.  The possible outgrowths of this project are endless!

(Part 2)

In thinking about the process of imposing the UDL framework on my maker activity, it is clear that I had no idea what I was doing the first time around!   My maker activity was a good idea in theory but that was just it.  I seemed to rely heavily on the theory but really had no practical way of bringing that idea to a lesson that could be used.  I feel that I am closer to that with this lesson in the fact that I am using several of the components on the template for UDL framework.  Things such as:  providing multiple means for representation (in both comprehension of the process and in sharing students’ learning with the community), providing multiple means of communication, providing multiple means of engagement which are grounded in student choice and collaboration and finally, developing a rubric that shows depth of understanding with the students as co-authors of this assessment instrument.  I think that this time around, I paid greater attention to engaging more modalities for students.  I tried to scaffold and be mindful of the visual, auditory and kinesthetic learner.  I tried to provide choice and collaboration to increase motivation and engagement.

In reviewing Hobbs’ list of five core competencies, I feel that I planned for each.

1.  Access:  Use of media texts and technology tools were provided for.

2.  Analyze:  Critical thinking skills were used based upon success/failures of each of the groups.  This was needed and important information for students to compare/contrast the results of their terrariums/windowfarms.  In essence, it was creating a closer forum or a physical forum of learning in our classroom but having the “expert” Windowfarm forum just a click away.

3.  Create:  Students had multiple opportunities to create in a variety of ways (physically, digitally, cognitively and creatively)

4.  Reflect:  Students had the opportunity to reflect on their own learning, their groups learning and the learning of the entire class through their blog.

5.  Act:  This speaks more to the global challenge of providing food.  I think that this project has the capacity to go further and have students start thinking about the contribution that they could make to their community once they master growing with a Windowfarm.  This Act piece can be thought of on a global scale such as I just described or on a much smaller level by thinking about the logistics and problems that arose while doing this type of project in the classroom.  Students start to collaborate across groups to share what has worked with them and what has not.

In learning about UDL framework,  I am reminded of:  “The burden of adaptation should be put on curricula, not the learner.”  I feel that I have revamped this lesson in many important ways for the learner to be supported, engaged, challenged and to be the center of the learning!

Sources:

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L. & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.).(2000).  how people learn:  Brain, mind, experience, and school.  Washington, D.C.:  National Academy Press.

Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy:  Connecting culture and classroom.  Thousand, Oaks, CA:  Corwin/Sage.

Wicked Problem Research

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Rethink what it means to teach, and reinvent everything about teaching.

“All of our notions about teaching were developed for eras in which the oral tradition was the main way that knowledge was transmitted from one generation to the next. Libraries existed, but only the very lucky few had access to the kinds of resources that virtually all of us take for granted today. When most any practical question can be answered in microseconds via the network, and in most cases, with a variety of perspectives and viewpoints also included —

what is the role of the venerated teacher? What are the defining attributes of the teachers we need to help the next generations build on (or fix) the work we did? What can and should be the key competencies of a teacher? We know we need education overall to be more experiential and more hands – on. We need to be emphasizing good choices, and ethical decisions. Learning must be global, and more based in the realities of the world as it is. It should be more authentic. What we do not know is how to prepare people to be successful with these very different kinds of skills, and that makes this a wicked problem. ” (NMC) My partners Jon, Alexis and I are rethinking the role of the venerated teacher.  The NMC report states, “The role of educator continues to change due to vast resources accessible to students.” (NMC, p. 8)  Students can get at whatever information they need whenever and wherever they need it.  It also goes on to say, “The demand for personalized learning is not adequately supported by current technology or practices. The increasing demand for education that is customized to each student’s unique needs is driving the development of new technologies that provide more learner choice and control and allow for differentiated instruction.” (NMC, p. 10)  As technology has changed so dramatically, we have a teaching force that is “caught in the middle”.  They are caught in the middle of learning these new technologies and completely changing the way that they teach.  This definitely sets the scene for a wicked problem, indeed!

Jon researched best teaching practices.  Below is a summary of his findings:

Jon-best teaching practices (gradual release of learning EX; stepping

away while monitoring, routines well established.

 

Munro, C. R. (2005). “Best practices” in teaching and learning: Challenging current paradigms and redefining their role in education. College Quarterly, 8(3), 8. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/61861733?accountid=12598

Summary:

 

           This article raises the question does the current practices of teaching connect learners with their learning outcomes in this always changing landscape, how do we address the vast amount of diverse learners when the standard curriculum practices might not be meeting the of the learners, and how do we deal with these different circumstances, constraints, and limitations?  With a shift in learning contexts it is believed that answers will start to emerge.  It is suggested that new paradigms that prioritize strategies that help educators identify, respond, and reflect on student learning and engagement would help teachers make more well informed decisions.   Seeing and responding to the needs is deeply connected to analysis, and with that the distance of gaps and the interventions needed to bridge become clearer.  Assessing these help create a learner profile where performance standards can be started, with these the teacher can start to deliver higher caliber classes with content that connects to various learners.  This will excite and engage the learner.  Feedback is another important component; here students can voice their understanding or lack thereof.  With this teachers can adapt and change lessons, but this feedback should not be something that happens at the end of a project or lesson, it needs to be done throughout so that the changes being made affect the learner then, not later.  This opens up in-class dialog where students start to engage in reflective process, helping them grow as learners.  Teachers must also go through reflective process in order to critically assess their effectiveness.  This should not be a solitary reflection, but one that is shared with colleagues so that an educational community is created and nurtured.   Doing these will result in improved best practices and help develop and sustain teaching excellence.

Lee, C., & Picanco, K. E. (2013). Accommodating diversity by analyzing practices of teaching (ADAPT). Teacher Education and Special Education, 36(2), 132-144. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1361829158?accountid=1259

Summary:


This article’s goal is to recognize, research, and reflect on various successful teaching methods that improve student achievement and performance.  Movements like No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) press teachers to look into research based teaching methods, but there is little support and assistance implemented between practices to help get others started. After researching 4 levels of learning were established, acquisition, proficiency, maintenance, and generalization.  When a student works through these they start at having the new topic introduced to them, after mastery of the basics students enter a discovery and repeat phase, after that student starts to retain knowledge, then finishes with being able to apply knowledge to other various situations.  These phases help teachers gauge where students are at in their learning, and by analyzing these practices it helps modify and find better suited practices and teaching methods.  These methods are strategically used as ‘tools’ to improve the fundamental focus of student learning.  With these practices teachers can design lessons that cater and guide different learning types and levels, peer to peer assistance, give students multiple avenues to express what they have learned, and provide students with both visual and verbal examples and explanations.  With this students are less likely to fall behind.  With all this teachers can start to be provided with useful frameworks to guide their instructional practices, which is the current method AD supports.

http://search.proquest.com/eric/docview/1361829158/13F151EB57150907C1B/21?accountid=12598

full txt here at http://tes.sagepub.com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/content/36/2/132.full.pdf+html

 

Mahiri, J. (2004). At last: Researching teaching practices: “talking the talk” versus “walking the walk”. Research in the Teaching of English, 38(4), 467-471. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/62071833?accountid=12598

Summary:

 

           In this article Jabari Mahiri informs and reflects on a curricular implementation created by her and some other colleagues, this lead to Mahiri discovering that connections between understanding and implementing educational ideas can be better acted upon through research meshing with actions. Mahiri’s research work, which is based on Gee’s ideas, focused on increases in student achievement through reflections, multi-modal approaches, student accountability, and goal setting.  Improvements and interventions were successful, but challenges were face daily.  Mahiri connected the new curriculum’s success to the teacher also being the designer and researcher.  This experience granted a better understanding that both teachers and researchers had to “walk the walk” and “talk the talk” in order to successfully implement dramatic positive change to student learning.  Along with successes, both Mahiri and students did frequent reflections in order to keep constant and make the changes happen when they were needed.  Because of this relationships were made with students which gave insight to combining research and teaching in order to become a more successful in changing education.

http://search.proquest.com/eric/docview/62071833/13F151EB57150907C1B/46?accountid=12598

full txt here at http://www.jstor.org.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/stable/pdfplus/40171691.pdf

I researched  classroom climate, connections, relationships and collaborative strategies (both

between student to teacher, s to s, and teacher to teacher)

 

http://search.proquest.com/eric/docview/61872174/13F152B6770879CC78/4?accountid=12598

full txt at http://www.ifets.info/journals/8_3/15.pdf

Interesting article on teacher knowledge sharing (more for PD?)

Klem, A. M., and J. P. Connell. “Relationships Matter: Linking Teacher Support To Student Engagement and Achievement.” Journal of School Health 74.7 (n.d.): n. pag. Web.

Summary:  This article breaks down some key components that contribute to students’ academic success.  They include:

  • high standards for academic learning and conduct

  • meaningful and engaging pedagogy and curriculum

  • personalized learning environments

  • clear sense of structure, behavioral engagement

  • student engagement is a “robust indicator” in school with improved performance (regardless of socioeconomic status).

In this study, elementary students reporting high levels of engagement were 44% more likely to do well and 23% less likely to do poorly on performance and attendance index.  Middle schoolers were 75% more likely to do well on achievement and attendance index.

Conclusion: Either teacher support or a focus on learning and high expectations leads to improved levels of engagement or achievement; however the combination of the two far exceeds the outcomes associated with either one individually.


Phillipio, K. (2012, November 01). “You’re Trying to Know Me”: Students from Nondominant Groups Respond to Teacher Personalism – Springer.”You’re Trying to Know Me”: Students from Nondominant Groups Respond to Teacher Personalism – Springer. doi: DOI

full txt at http://www.ifets.info/journals/8_3/15.pdf

Interesting article on teacher knowledge sharing (more for PD?)

Summary:  This study was conducted in an urban area and showed that teacher personalism has the potential to deliver support but also to bring about tension.  Bill Gates (2005)  asserted that “Student-teacher relationships support academic support.”

Scholars have found that teacher support boosted academic performance and that students who received teacher support and had a good relationship with their teachers outperformed their peers in GPA, attendance and persistence to graduation.  Those that encountered teacher support with poor achievement before improved their achievement levels as a result of their relationship with a teacher.  Teacher support also found to moderate negative effect of neighborhood violence on academic achievement.  Nieto p. 32 goes on to say engage in relationships with teachers.  They were:

*Culturally responsive pedagogy

*Teacher caring

*Relational trust in schools

There were some students who did not respond well to teacher support but it was found that they had major distrust in school as an institution, etc.

 

Hoffman, L.L., Hutchinson, C.J., Reiss, E. (2009). On improving school climate: Reducing reliance on rewards and punishment. International Journal of Whole Schooling, 5(1).

“Haynes, Emmons & Ben-Avie (1997) suggested 15 key components of a healthy, supportive school climate: achievement motivation, collaborative decision making, equity and fairness, general school climate, order and discipline, parent involvement, school-community relations, staff dedication to student learning, staff expectations, leadership, school building, sharing of resources, caring and sensitivity, student interpersonal relations, student-teacher relations. For these 15 supportive components to exist all members (administrators, teachers, parents, staff and students) of the school must possess a set of cooperative values that calls for shared power, a set of social and emotional skills that facilitate healthy interpersonal interactions, and self-regulation and conflict resolution skills to handle disagreements. These social competence skills are rarely taught in teacher preparation programs. Whether a teacher possesses these skills or not would be determined by how they were parented, past relationships, and media diet.”  This study is one that determines the efficacy of teaching teachers emotional intelligence and thereby teaching their students emotional intelligence through the Conscious Discipline model.

   The rewards/punishment extrinsic motivation can cause other problems and should be reduced. “There is a growing body of scientifically-based research supporting the strong impact that enhanced social and emotional behaviors can have on success in school. This research is so strong that a 17-state partnership created a document entitled “Findings from the National School Readiness Indicators Initiative.”Basically this study shows that teaching teachers about emotional intelligence directly impacts their students and the need to eliminate rewards/punishments and move to a classroom where mistakes are viewed as opportunities to learn.

parents, staff and students) of the school must possess a set of cooperative values that calls for shared power, a set of social and emotional skills that facilitate healthy interpersonal interactions,

 

Sanchez Fowler, Laura T., et al. “The Association between Externalizing Behavior Problems, Teacher-Student Relationship Quality, and Academic Performance in Young Urban Learners.” Behavioral Disorders 33.3 (2008): 167-83. ProQuest. Web. 6 July 2013.

This study showed school bonding as attachment, commitment, involvement and belief.  Within attachment two subcategories emerged:  positive school experiences and student/teacher relationships.  More authoritative and controlling teachers had lower quality relationships with aggressive students.  Positive teacher/student relationships affected minority youth more significantly than Caucasian students.

 

Alexis researched intrinsic motivation.

 

Barlow, T. (2008). Web 2.0: Creating a classroom without walls. Teaching Science, 54(1), 46-48. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/207242059?accountid=12598

 

Summary:

 

Tim Barlow, a science teacher, reflects on his journey of using technology to increase the intrinsic motivation of his students.  He discusses why his first blog failed and how he changed his next blog to be successful.  After realizing the success of his blog and the interest level in science of his students Tim Barlow then began creating podcasts for his students.  This article is a great ready for any teachers interested in incorporating technology in their classrooms.  It is written from the perspective of somebody in the classroom – and it shows his failures along with his successes.

 

Key points about the article:

 

– needs to be relevant to students

– engaging

– give students choices

– “students are engaged in the content because it is relevant, current, and real world”

– “…by embracing technological tools, such as weblogs and podcasts, that are used routinely by your digital native students I have been able to reach them beyond the usual confines of a classroom.”

– “by giving students a choice about what they wanted to research they held ownership of their learning and this motivated them to achieve”

– “Students made their own learning decisions and extended themselves as a result”

– “After all, intrinsic motivation has been long recognised by educational psychologists as being associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students”

 

Ediger, M. (2001). Reading: Intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/62283770?accountid=12598

 

Summary:

 

This article compares what extrinsic and intrinsic motivation look like in a reading classroom.  It does not state that one form is better than another.  It provides ten examples of intrinsic motivation strategies and ten examples of extrinsic motivation strategies.  It states that most teachers will use a combination of both.  One thing to recognize that embedded within all of the intrinsic strategies was the power of choice for the students.  There was choice not only in the learning but also in the assessment.

 

Bartholomew, B. (2007). Why we can’t always get what we want. Phi Delta Kappan, 88(8), 593-598. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/218520642?accountid=12598

 

Summary:

 

This article by Barbara Bartholomew explains what intrinsic motivation is, how intrinsic motivation can be achieved, and why it is lacking in many classrooms.  Barbara Bartholomew recognizes the lack of training and education on motivation for both pre-service teachers and current teachers.  All teachers in the classroom recognize the importance of motivation but often do not know to properly and effectively motivate their students – they are never taught to do so.  She also shows the impact of standardized tests on motivation, specifically the motivation on the teachers to be risk takers in their classrooms.  She provides eight rules to creating a classroom where intrinsic motivation rules.  This article is insightful, eye opening, and empowering.  It uses real world examples to supplement the content.

As we approach this wicked problem, we seem to becoming up with more questions than when we started.  This is a far-reaching problem but I feel that we are getting to the heart of the matter with our perspective subject areas.  We have started an informative Voicethread and are well on our way to addressing this wicked problem!  We have discussed doing some candid, short interviews with real people and what they identify as something that helped them to bond with a teacher.  Our plan to rethink teaching starts with the teacher herself in the belief that all students can and will learn.

Source:

Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S.,Cummins, M., Estrada, V., Freeman, A., and Ludgate, H. (2013). NMC Horizon Report: 2013 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

“IPhone 5 Docks, Oblong Pizzas, and Craigslist Thumbnails.” Lifehacker. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 July 2013.

Reflection on UDL 21st Century Lesson Plan

by

images

    The first thing that I took into consideration was that the reading of this story needed to be accessible to all.  In the past, I would have read the story to my class but in reviewing the UDL guidelines, I decided that allowing the students to listen and watch the story would engage more of their senses and appeal to both the visual and auditory learner.  The discussion of the story and main themes will require that all learners engage in a “Think-Pair-Share”.  This type of discussion structure allows the “safety” of conversing with a classmate (somewhat informally) but for those who are not comfortable offering contributions in the whole group, this type of structure encourages risk taking and scaffolding.  When we use this type of structure, we then ask partners to share something that they felt important about what their partner said to the group at large.  Again, asking partners to share their co-worker’s thought takes the pressure off the individual but also validates the co-worker’s response as it is worthy of sharing.  The creation of their understanding puts the learner as central and provides them many choices as far as what they will use to represent their thinking thus increasing engagement and motivation.

    “As you recall, Bransford, Brown and Cocking (2000, p. 23-25) suggest that (a) schools and classrooms be learner centered, (b) that instruction focus on knowing what but mostly on understanding why and how to organize what is learned in meaningful ways, (c) that formative assessments be designed to emphasize students’ learning processes, and (d) that classroom norms be developed to encourage collaboration and the development of ‘intellectual comraderie and attitudes toward learning that build a sense of community’ (p. 25)”.  This lesson focuses on going deeper into the story A Bad Case of Stripes by digging deeper into different perspectives and the theme of the story.  In addition to this, students must create a visual representation of what their synthesized understanding of the story is in a meaningful way to share with the rest of our learning community.  Collaboration is evident in the “Think, Pair, Share” discussions and in large group discussions.  In addition to this, students will work collaboratively in pairs to apply their technology skills to create.

    According to Hobbs, I considered the following things while planning this lesson:

1. Access: Students had access to both the traditional form of the text and media text as read through the Screen Actors Guild.  They also were involved in a process of self-expression in choosing what and who to “Step Inside” from the story.

2. Choice:  Students are given many choices with the type of digital tools they are to use to represent their understanding, and again with whom they choose to represent in the story.

3. Students multiple perspectives are valued:  By using the Visible Thinking Routine of “Step Inside”  students are encouraged to choose what they will represent from the story.  This is a very open ended activity with no “right” or “wrong” answer.  The “essential” question that would transfer over to the student’s life is represented in the theme of this story and that is the theme of “Fitting in”  or “Being Yourself”.   As they explore other perspectives, they also get to move beyond their own thinking, thus broadening their own ideas and perspectives.

4.  At the end of the lesson, there will be an opportunity for students to share and blog about what they have learned.  This allows for students to reflect on their process of learning and what they learned as a result of working with others.  In essence, how their thinking changed from the beginning (from their individual thinking) to the end (when they combined ideas with partners and/or the entire group . . . how did thinking change?)

 

   The second thing that I considered in this lesson is  the time that students get to “play” with the different forms of technology and deciding upon that which they feel will best represent their learning.  This is an important feature that cannot be ignored.  Thomas and Brown go on to say, “Much of what makes play powerful as a tool for learning is our ability to engage in experimentation. All systems of play are, at base, learning systems. They are ways of engaging in complicated negotiations of meaning, interaction, and competition, not only for entertainment, but also for creating meaning.” (p. 97)  It is through the engagement of play that an understanding occurs and with that an elaboration of the original concept or idea.

    Finally, when I consider the overall value of this lesson, I am reminded of what Thomas Friedman of “The New York Times” writes about Tony Wagner’s comment:

“The capacity to innovate — the ability to solve problems creatively or bring new possibilities to life — and skills like critical thinking, communication and collaboration are far more important than academic knowledge. As one executive told me, ‘We can teach new hires the content, and we will have to because it continues to change, but we can’t teach them how to think — to ask the right questions — and to take initiative.’ ”  This lesson is littered with all of what he speaks.  Innovation, creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and play.  It is a recipe for success!

 

Sources:

Friedman, T. L. (2013, March 30). Need A Job? Invent It. The New York Times.

Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand, Oaks, CA: Corwin/Sage.

 Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky: CreateSpace?.