Weekly Reading #10

In a video from ISTE Vision News, the keynote speaker, Yong Zhao, discusses the topic of global, creative, and entrepreneurial skills as it relates to education.  The main argument being made by the speaker is that there is too much focus on test scores which, in his words, “do not reflect your teaching ability, your students’ future, or your schools quality” (Zhao, 2012).  There needs to be a shift is the way we view our school systems.  As a society, we want employable skills for our youth, and I think this often leads to conformity and, in turn, kills the creativity of students.  Dr. Yong Zhao contends that school programs and curriculum needs to enhance human talents and strengths rather than trying to fix deficits that exist in our students.

I have always questioned the way that the education system measures success among students.  Yong Zhao’s argument about too much focus begin placed on testing is right on the mark, as far as I am concerned.  I have known individuals who do poorly on standardized exams such as the ACT and SAT, but do incredibly well in both their college adventure and career. 

While reading the conclusion of the text, some connections between the text and Dr. Yong Zhao become clear.   Dr. Zhao says that educators need to find out what matters in the terms of what is important to build a curriculum for students in the technology age.  This creates a problem.  “It is problematic to develop a standardized set of benchmarks to measure kid’s levels of new media and technical literacy” because media changes quickly and is driven by so many different practices of participation (Ito, 2010).  Education needs to put the students in the driver’s seat, so to speak.  When we allow more real-life, interest driven, and self-directed learning to take place, we are allowing true learning to occur.  “We should value diversity rather than standardization” (Ito, 2010).

References

Ito, M. (2010).  Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media.

Zhao, Y. (Writer) (2012). Iste 2012 tuewsday keynote feasturing yong zhao [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKXeNKsjoMI

Weekly Reading 9

1.How do educators in youth media programs differ from the orientation of classroom teachers in terms of preparing students for using digital media for work related purposes?

I liked the comment in the text about new media learning being validated by the expectation that it will transfer to job-relevant skills in the future (page 298).  I agree with this.  Educators in youth media programs tend to focus on collaboration and creation.  I also think there is less focus laced on there being a right and wrong.  Students are encouraged to think outside the box.  In the regular classroom, I think that there is too much focus on there being a right and wrong answer and structure, for lack of a better word.

2. With some important exceptions, how are lower income youth marginalized from using digital media in ways that might provide them with economic empowerment?

I think it all come down to access.  Economic status plays a role in almost every aspect of life, including the use of technology.  In my experience, lower income families have goals that pertain more to mere survival.  Often (not always) my lower-income students do not have the support of families.  They are often just wondering where the next meal is going to come from.  More of them do not have the access to technology that higher-income students do.  Many of them have to get jobs in high school to merely survive and help take care of the family. 

3. In 2005 the CEO of IBM announced that if we wanted know what business leadership looks like in the 21 century look at what is going on in MMORPG's. After reading Box 7.4 does this make sense? Are you impressed by the levels of commitment and collaboration it takes players to be successful in these games? Do you have new respect for gamers?
 It does make sense to me to look at what is going on in MMORPG's to find leadership.  I am extremely impressed with the level of commitment and collaboration that it takes to successful in these types of games.  I do, and always have, a deep respect for gamers and the commitment that they show.  I have actually got to see my own sons (and their friends) play this type of game - talking on headsets, listening to others comments, and changing strategies to succeed.  I have watched many epic battles to get through a stage.  While watching, I could definitely see, and pick out, the leaders as well as the grunts and doers with a common goal of success in mind.  Just like in the real world, we need them all to succeed.  Some of the ones that I never would have pegged as the leaders were actually the best leaders and the same goes with the strategists.

4. How do school need to change to become learning environments that cultivate the same kind of enthusiasm and commitment from young people like NeoPets did for Eddie? How can digital media play a role in the creation of these kinds of environments?
Assignments in classrooms need to be more relevant to real life situations.  Students need to know that what they are doing is important and relevant to them.  Using digital media to create learning environments is a great place to start.  There are many sites that already have such games that are engaging and relevant.  As teachers, we need to find those and use them. 

Product Created in WebQuest

The technologies that I used for my WebQuest are Animoto and VoiceThread.  The WebQuest dictates that the students contribute to two different VoiceThreads throughout the lesson and that they create a service announcement using Animoto.  The following are links to the VoiceThreads used and the service announcement that I created as an example for students.



Make a video of your own at Animoto.


VoiceThread1

VoiceThread2

My WebQuest - FINALLY

I chose to create a WebQuest that I could try out in my own classroom.  I teach second grade and do a unit on recycling around Earth Day every year.  I think that it is terribly important to teach our kids to take care of the planet that we live on.  Check out my WebQuest and let me know how to improve it.

WebQuest Modifications

In my previous post, I linked you to a Google document with the evaluation of my chosen WebQuest using the rubric.  I realize now that I did not link you to the actual WebQuest.  Sorry!  Like I said before, my brain has turned to mush.  Here is the WebQuest.  I hope you enjoy it.

The WebQuest that I chose is age appropriate for the grade level that it was designed for.  I loved the color scheme, the images used, and the introduction is a real attention getter. The task assigned is for students to work together and create a story from the point of view of the food that is being digested.  Each group will focus on a specific area of digestion and then the class would decide on which parts to use to create the best story possible.  To enable a better understanding of each area of digestion, I would add some links that described each area and its responsibility to digestion in more detail.

The main problem with the WebQuest is that it did not include technology accept for the students working through the site itself.  Incorporating technology to this WebQuest would be easy.  Since students are creating a story, I would have them do it digitally with FlipBook or Digital Storyteller.  I think the students would enjoy animating their story.  The creator also has students writing down the three most important things that they learn from their research each day.  It would be great to have students post the important things in a Voicethread so they could see what their classmates have to add. 

Weekly Reading 8

1.  What impressed you most about young people's engagement with creative productions?  What impresses me the most is that they just seem to inherently know how to do it already.  I was talking to my friend the other day and her second grader came running into the room.  He was very excited and kept repeating, "they want me to save and share with everybody".  She was a bit concerned so we went to see what he was talking about.  He had actually made a comic strip using Cartoon Network and it was ready to be shared, and it was awesome.  He said that nobody had taught him, he just knew.  It's just like Inertia in our text book (Page 253).  He made  films and just seemed to learn to edit.

2.  What concerns do have about young people posting content online?  My biggest concern today is that they will post something that is inappropriate or do/say something that is considered to be cyber-bullying.  I am constantly hearing about teens being involved in cyber-bullying.  Teens often do not realize that things they do as a teen can have negative affects on them later in life.

3.  Do you think that most school policy toward student use of the Internet is reactionary or a necessary evil?  Unfortunately, I think that school policy toward Internet use is a necessary evil.  With that being said, I think that many of the policies in place are over the top and that there are too many restrictions.  There have been numerous times when I have tried to use something that I created or learned in one of my classes and can't get there because of all of the restrictions.  Its very frustrating.  On the other hand, the school is responsible for the students and should protect them from certain content.  When my son and I were working on his 4th grade WV book (at home), there were certain requirements of Washington D.C.that needed to be included.  We conducted a Google search for the Whitehouse.  Let me tell you, the difference that .com and .org make is substantial.   It would have been nice to have had a few restrictions.

4.  How might teachers' capitalize on student's interest in creative production with digital media?  First, I think that teachers need to be actively involved with keeping up with the creative production media that's available to our youth (I have lots of homework to do to get there, and even more to stay there).  Lessons and activities need to utilize these technologies.  Teachers need to create more open-ended, student centered projects that allow students to truly show off their talents with technology.   


5.  Link to an online lesson plan, article, blog post video or podcast that is an example of student engagement in creative production with digital media for school related purposes?

I found this video and think it is interesting.  Let me know what you think?

Finding a WebQuest - Part 2

I found a nice WebQuest about digestion created for K-2.  For some reason I could not get the rubic embedded.  I think my brain is mush!  I decided to create a Google document including the rubric with my comments and just the link.  I hope it works.

The Altitudinist - Step 1

The Altitudinist wants to know  that there are real thinkers in the classroom.  There has been an outcry to raise test scores and to challenge students to analyze and synthesize information and for them to then be able to apply skills that they have learned to create a great final product.  The problem with this is that we, as teachers, often rely too heavily on basic recall and fact regurgitation.   With that being said, I enjoyed most of the WebQuests and I felt that they all had pros and cons.  As the Altitudinist, my favorites were The Diary of John Wilkes Booth and The Problem with Landfills.  My least favorites were Creative Encounters and Poetry of War.

The Diary of John Wilkes Booth - I loved this one in terms of more bang for my bucks and it started with the introduction and continued throughout.  The creator gave students everything they would need to step into the shoes of Booth; background information, issues that outrage Booth, his state of mind just before the assassination, an so on.  Asking them to write from his point of view entails higher levels of thinking to analyze and synthesize information.  I also like the aesthetics with all of the 'old timey' images.  To make it better some technology could have been included like maybe a digital diary.

The Problem with Landfills -  I also liked this one.  Earth Day is a big deal in my second grade classroom.  I have created a unit that incorporates hands-on activities, group work, technology, and a recycled art project.  The students always enjoy that time.  Making students decide where an appropriate site for a landfill needs to be is awesome.  Again, they would have to use information, analyze it, synthesize, and apply it by making an informed decision.  The arrangement of this WebQuest was not as user friendly and flowing as some of the others. 

Ancient Egypt -In terms of higher level thinking, I did not like this one.  Students are expected to learn about Egypt and make decisions about what to include in the brochure, but that's about it.  The one thing that it does have going for it is that it incorporates PowerPoint (older technology).  They could have used something newer like Prezi.  To me this one seems to call for a lot of recall and regurgitation of facts.

Creative Encounters - This was my least favorite.  I like the color scheme, and that's about it.  I was overwhelmed in this one, and I'm an adult.  To be able to do this one and get any benefit from it, students would have to have (or be able to attain) a healthy understanding of the current system.  For me, this was too much.  I just didn't know where to go once I was in there.

Poetry of War - This one is just okay in my opinion.  I liked the visual aspects of it.  I am a visual learner and always use visual imagery to aid in my comprehension process, so I can identify with it.  As far as higher level thinking, I'm really not sure - it could if students really applied themselves, but I could also see completing this one by simply using facts found. 

I really enjoyed this assignment!   However, I do see how interests could play a role in the evaluation process of the WebQuests.  I love history, traveling and Earth Day stuff, and I hate math.  I enjoy poetry, but only if I am allowed to enjoy it without having to delve in and analyze it.  But, I tried to leave my interests out.

Weekly Reading #7

What surprised you, concerned you, or intrigued you about students' engagement with gaming?

A couple of things surprised or intrigued me in this chapter.  First was the ESA reports in 2007 that

 showed 38% of game players are women.   They also report that the gaming population is made up of a greater percentage of women (30%) ages 18 and older than males (23%) ages 17 and younger.  I do realize that game companies have been trying to reel women into the world of gaming, and it may actually be working.  I know that I love to play a game every now and then.

 

What aspects of your own gaming experiences were reflected in the case studies?

My own gaming experience definitely goes along more with 'Killing Time' than the other genres, but I do occasionally 'Hang Out' with my family with a full night of Wii.  I honestly do not have a lot of time to kill throughout my days.  I find that when I have a doctors appointment or when I have to wait on one of my kids to come out to meet me, I generally kill that time by playing games on my IPhone.  My game of choice lately is Fairway Solitaire.  It's awesome, and I have managed to get my husband hooked. 

I do remember one night many, many, many years ago of  'Recreational Gaming'.  To let you know just how long ago it was, we were playing Pac Man on an Atari.  I know, right.  I have to admit, I could play Pac Man for hours on end and could not be beaten by anyone in my home.  This particular night my sister decided to bring in good ol' cousin Rick who was a whopping 15 years old to my 10.  Let's just say that my mother finally had to make us quit at about 3 am with no winner declared.  Good times.

Read the last paragraph on page 240.  Do you agree or disagree with the comparison between sports and gaming and the benefits they offer children in terms of learning?

This question was really tough for me, and I had to really break it apart.  Let me start by saying, I personally would never consider comparing the benefits of sports and gaming.  To me the value of sports win hands down.  Sports are active and interpersonal, whereas gaming may be interactive, but not interpersonal.  With that being said, I have to agree with the question.  I think that the comparisons made are accurate in the question asked.

Generalizations About Case Studies

WOW!  I really enjoyed reading all of the case studies.  Some generalizations that I found is that the younger subjects do less hanging out, more messing around, and very little, if any geeking out.  The older subjects seemed to be partial to hanging out, thanks to the cell phone.  I was amazed that most of the younger ones tend to describe using technology more often in school and in different ways than the older ones who say that they only use computers for research and papers.  Could this be the beginning of the BIG change in our school systems (starting with the young ones and moving up)?  We have to start somewhere.  It is time for teachers to step up, me included.  Teachers need to be educated in different technologies, and then actually use them.  The implications are astounding.  If we use the tools that our youth know how to use, we can reach more individuals in a way that they are accustomed.  We need to work WITH them rather than AGAINST them. 

Media Ecology Case Study

Final draft at long last.

Link to Google Form

Media Ecology Survey

Weekly Reading #6

1. What surprised you, concerned you, or intrigued about students' access to technology in their homes?

I was intrigued by the the discussion of "reflexive parenting" (pg 152).   As a teacher and parent, I can see the shift in the nature of parenting that Alters is discussing.  Alters argues that over the past forty to fifty years parents have become uneasy about raising their children in a time with increased drug use, teen pregnancy, delinquency, and suicide rates of our adolescents.  Other factors indicate that single parent homes and women's lib also have played a role.  Parenting in the 21st Century is difficult with everything that's out there, and now with all of the technology offered, access is often unlimited.  To me, it often seems as though some parents are more interested in being their child's friend rather that their parent and/or disciplinarian. 

2. What kinds of household spaces related to technology, or rules about using technology, were similar or dissimilar to your own household environment?  When my older son was first born (1992) my husband and I had one computer in the house.  We kept it in my husband's den because he used it primarily for grad school.  As Dylan became curious about it, we limited his access and we sat with him anytime he wanted to explore, and exploring for him consisted of Living Books (they were awesome), Magic School bus software, and using the "Paint" program.  His time was also limited because we wanted him to learn to use his time wisely as he grew.  We were very strict when it came to his time on the computer.

3. Could this chapter be helpful for teachers who seek to integrate technology into their classroom activities in more meaningful ways? Give an example from the chapter.  I personally do think that technology has its place in the classroom and integrating technology is getting easier the more I am educated.  This chapter discussed a lot about parents anxieties and cautions about giving their children free range when it comes to technology.  Studies also found that "kids play an important role as the technology expert or broker in the family, translating websites and other forms of information for their parents" (pg 167).  It would be great if there was a way to educate the parents.  In a perfect world, I would love to offer parent/student workshops to educate on different aspects of technology (IPODS, IPADS,computers, whiteboards, etc.).  It would be great to let them see just what their children can do and how it fits in to school and their education.