Week 8: Matrix

Video Example of Learning Activity

Brief Summary: The teacher is instructing his 3rd grade class on the function of the lungs in the human body and the passage of airflow.  In doing so, the teacher uses physical models to give the students a hands on look at what the lungs look like and a website that interactively shows the students how oxygen enters and is used by the body. The lesson also goes into air pollution and how personal choices and community choices can effect the lungs.  This progresses into Google searches on pictures of black lungs caused by various pollutants.


NETS for Teachers -  Specific Standard(s):

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers:

b.	engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

The students are using physical models and Internet use to study the human lungs, how air pollution can effect the lungs, and how personal and community choices can lead to negative consequences toward the lungs.

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers:

c.	customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

The diverse learning styles of the students were met by the incorporation of lecture, the use of hands on models of the lungs, real life tissue samples of the lungs, Internet use to find pictures of the lungs, and personal reflection on how personal choices can effect the lungs.

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.	demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
b.	collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
c.	communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
d.	model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

The students navigated a website that allowed them to view the process of human respiration.  They then used a search engine to locate pictures of pollution damaged lungs.  They used this technology to reflect on how personal and community choices can effect one's lung health.

My Personal Level of Technology Integration:

I am much more confidant in my abilities in integrating technology into the classroom now than I was two months ago.  I definitely need a lot more practice. This assignment showed many examples of how we can do this.  I must continue to research ways to integrate technology into a Health and P.E. class. The Technology Matrix showed 3-4 examples of Health lessons, but none for P.E. The use of stop watches to find one's pulse, heart rate monitors, etc. can be used.  Overall, technology is only a tool to aid in the learning and real world use of knowledge and skill.

Week 7: Podcasts

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For this learning activity, I chose to create a mock 10 question quiz going over some bones and joints of the human body.  I could use this as a review for a test or as a homework tool so they open their books.

I see no reason why I wouldn't be able to post many of these all at once. Each would be of a different topic.  This way, students can get ahead if they choose.

Audacity was much easier to use the second time around.  Overall, I'm feeling more comfortable with the technology.  My submissions might not be that good, but I feel I am getting better.  It just takes time and practice.

Week 6: Do Schools Kill Creativity

Wow! What an amazing speaker Sir Ken Robinson is. That was a great presentation. That story about the ballet dancer floored me. It was so good. I really connected with him on a lot of what he was saying.

He mentioned that the main basis for grade school is for college entrance. That seems so true thinking about it. Of course, schools want to teach students topics they feel are necessary to be productive in one's community, but at the same time, geared toward college and the business world. I have a problem with this. Too much emphasis is placed on the business world. By business, I mean exactly that. A business company basically means, Money. Finance, accounting, banking, stock broker, etc. are all jobs that revolve around money. Business is also one of the most highly populated college majors for freshman students who really don't know what else they want to do. Why is this? What good are these people to society? Why is pushing money around good? Obviously, it's a job that can pay well, but what does it do for people aside from helping to grow their investments or retirement funds? We all saw and still see what these people did to the economy. I may be wrong, but these 21st Century Skills seem to be focused on the business world. It seems that we want to create better business people.

It's sad that the world revolves around money. Another thing Ken Robinson said was that there is an Education Inflation going on. Jobs that needed a B.A. now need a M.A. and soon they'll need a Ph.D. I feel this is because people are running out of skills that set them apart from other prospective job applicants. This allows colleges and universities to continue to drain students' bank accounts and further put them in debt by requiring them to take meaningless classes in order for them to graduate. I personally can't remember 75% of the content I learned in college. Mostly because it was meaningless. Did I really need to take two semesters of a foreign language being an Exercise Science major? I can't remember more than 5 words I learned in my Japanese 101 and 102 classes. I got an A in both FYI.

People must be allowed to be creative in choosing their classes in order to make themselves more attractive to potential employers. Why should I have to take the exact same classes as everyone else? How does this set me apart from others? Colleges, especially, should not be able to dictate what I take in order to get my degree. For example, if a school district wants their teachers to have taken a technology class, then it is my job to take that technology class in college. But what if everyone takes the technology class, what sets us apart now? This is why school districts can have thousands of job applications of teachers wanting jobs. Colleges take the role of saying, "We prepare our students to be top candidates in job application pools by requiring them to take all these classes that set them apart from the rest." This may be true, but why on earth would a school district care if I took Japanese if I'm applying for the Health and P.E. position? I loved taking Japanese and hope to go to Japan someday, but taking those classes was a waste of money aside from improving my GPA and knocking out six General Education credits.

Long story short, yes, schools kill creativity.

Week 6: Fad or Key

These were very interesting articles. I love hearing both sides of an argument and then forming my own opinion. However, I feel it would be unwise to fully side with any argument seeing that I have no experience in the classroom. I dislike it when people argue an opinion that they have no experience in. It's like the people who watch a quick snippet on Fox News that was taken out of context and form a negative opinion on Barack Obama and/or the Democratic party just because Fox News said so. They fail to take a look at the whole argument or the big picture. They automatically take the first thing they hear as fact. To be clear, Fox News viewers and/or republicans are not the only people that do this.

If I must form an opinion, I would be in the middle and slightly against the 21st Century Skills movement. I feel that more needs to be taken into account in order to implement this way of teaching in the classroom, the teacher must be proficient in the technology, implementation, and assessment of such instruction. This will take time. Requiring prospective teachers (what this class is doing) to take courses in technology and other 21 Century Skills and the constant coaching of existing teachers on the methods must be done in order to fully update the classroom according to these skills.

I agree with Diane Ravitch. The world isn't all about technology, problem solving, critical thinking, group work, and communication. Although these skills and abilities are some of the highest sought after skills in the real world, they are useless without a sound base of knowledge to support it.

Jay Matthews used a great analogy talking about his final exam in college where he had to navigate a cruise ship by using the stars. He did this through, "strategizing, analyzing, collaborating." All the while, he had no clue what he was doing and still managed to get a good grade on the exam. Now maybe the teacher didn't grade too harshly. The point of the argument is, he was able to just "wing" his final exam without ever learning anything even though his teacher was using the 21st Century Skills in the final exam.

Stacy Khadaroo explains another point of view in that knowledge should be taught at the same time as the 21st Century skills. Many people seem to agree with this seeing that it is basically a middle ground/neutral stance. I, however, need to see more data proving these results not to be fad. This will take many years to see the results of this program. With anything, it can not be changed over night.

Week 5: Audio Presentations

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I was getting somewhat frustrated when I thought I needed to buy a microphone. I was even more frusterated when I found out that the audio that you can use with PowerPoint doesn't work when you upload it to Slidecast. Once I finally figured it out, (with much relief) I realized that this is very good to know. Especially, when I want to do something like this for my future Health and P.E. class. I definitely need practice though. I didn't write a script, which made it more difficult and probably sound a little amateurish. With practice, I will become better and more comfortable.

I feel that this sort of technology can be beneficial for those who need instructions repeated several times. Often times when I was in grade school, I would forget how to do something when at home. If a teacher did a lesson using this type of technology and highlighted how to do the more challenging problems, the students could review this video for more repetition and further learning.

This same scenario would be beneficial for parents trying to help their child with their homework. Parents my have forgotten how to multiply fractions. In this case, they could go to the teacher's site and watch the short instructional video on how to multiply fractions.

The possibilities are only limited by the teacher's resources and willingness to become more comfortable with new technology.