This is my last assignment for my 515 class at APU. I've learned so much! My case study is on tech in the classroom. Many can say it's a valuable tool, others may disagree. Read my document below and let me know how you feel about tech in the classroom! (Google slide to come soon.)
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I LOVE to learn. I really enjoy going to conferences. Honestly, if I can learn something new, that will help me grow as an educator, I'm all for it! But there have been a few times where I've gone to a conference and I had wished I'd been able to walk away with a little more. What's the solution? The revolutionary approach to conferences...the UNCONFERENCE!
Now, for those of you new to this idea, let me explain. An unconference idea is an ingenious hack to traditional conferences. An Edcamp (unconference) is where the meetings are teacher-led! Teachers generate and share thoughts on old ideas, new solutions, apps, common strategies and more! These meetings can be visited in-person or online via Twitter. Still not making sense? Here is a video that explains it all:
So, since I couldn't attend in-person, I attended via Twitter! My Tweetdeck was exploding with info from #edcampmagic. I really wished I was there! (The column on the right.)
This is a quick screenshot of what the agenda was for the day:
It was exciting to see people posting about makerspace and creating things by hand. There were great strategies to incorporate into stem classes! There were even items that were discussed in my own class like Makey Makey, Minecraft EDU and Sphero!
You could tell by the tweets and images posted that this was a really enjoyable collaborative learning experience. Take a look!
The interesting thing is that common core is all about "collaboration, creativity, critical thinking and communication". This was all happening amongst teachers at this unconference! In addition, this type of engagement helped to support California Standards for the Teaching Professional. Most especially standard 6 "Developing as a Professional Educator". Teachers were able to reflect, create goals, continue professional development (in their way) and collaborate with others.
I know this was an effective means of learning for me. There was so much information I felt like my head couldn't possibly retain it all! So I had to "favorite" some of the tweets, and retweet things I found of interest. I even emailed some of the links to other teachers like the math apps and engineering tools. It was a great learning opportunity. Learning should be a social task. When we talk and share ideas, we learn from one another. According to Smith and MacGregor, 1992 "...learners benefit when exposed to diverse viewpoints..." and "In the collaborative learning environment, the learners are challenged both socially and emotionally as they listen to different perspectives, and are required to articulate and defend their ideas." I really feel that this was a great learning opportunity for me. I was able to watch and learn from afar. I was able to give input via direct message, or tweeting to those in attendance. This is just a quick snapshot of the tweets I was getting in my email:
Being part of an unconference is a great way to learn and share ideas with others from all across the globe. You gain invaluable insight from other educators in the field. To learn more about Edcamps and upcoming events, go to: http://edcamp.org or http://edcamp.wikispaces.com Also, you can review some of the conversations had at the Edcamp I attended, by looking up the hashtag #edcampmagic.
Professional growth is a must for anyone in the field of education. Not only are we teachers, but students as well. How are we to help our students grow, if we don't continue to learn ourselves? We must continue to have a growth mindset. Did we get into this profession for the money? No, we got into this for the kids. Let's do our part to continue to help them be the best possible students they can be, by continuing to improve ourselves and passing that knowledge down to them. Thanks for reading! How do I maintain my sanity while trying to organize classwork? EDMODO!!! I love Edmodo. I've gone pretty much paperless, and my students have access to their work 24/7! Here is a presentation I've created to explain how it's done and why it's so great! And there is also a PDF below it to let you know why I like it! Click below: Edmodo Presentation PDF: I'm trying to grow as an artist and as an art educator. I know I'm not the best in either, but, I'm okay with that. I'm always in the process of learning, and I have no where to go but up! And how to do you get better at anything? Practice, practice, practice... So, this weekend I went on to many different art sites to get inspiration and pick up a few tips of my own. I was struggling to come up with an idea of what to paint. Then it hit me, I'm going to draw my eldest daughter! (Am I nuts?!?!?) Now, if I had to pick what I'm worst at, it's drawing/painting people. I know, I know, we are our own worst critic. But seriously, I need work. Again, I'm okay with that. I just have to work hard at getting better. So, try I did. Take a look at the images below: Now, I didn't try to paint it exactly the same. But, I think it came out okay. It was a struggle for me, but I'm glad I did it. It was so much fun! I can't wait to practice some more. Why? Because it will help me, to help my students. I look forward to painting more people!
What do you think of when you think of a chat room or a group chat? I haven't had much experience with either in the past. But the little I have had wasn't very educational. It didn't really seem to go anywhere. That is, until I tried #caedchat. I've had a personal Twitter account for sometime. I usually use it to post about my business or family. I also communicate with clients and try to keep up with the latest trends in the photography industry. However, it never occurred to me to use it as an educator. As a teacher, I also need to keep up with the latest trends in education, technology, educational reform and all things related to teaching. At school, our professor asked his students to start a Twitter account (for education). I didn't really understand the value of using Twitter for education until I tried #caedchat. My professor mentioned to us that the shelf-life of an edtech related degree generally has a shelf-life of 12-18 months. Kind of scary considering you spend a considerable amount of time and money on your education! However, I could relate to this because my husband is in IT and he's always researching the latest information in his field. Technology is always evolving. A couple of weeks before our assignment was due, I decided to check out what #caedchat was all about. At first I was a little lost. But after following the hashtag, and opening up multiple windows in my Twitter app, I could follow along to see what was happening. It was fascinating! Multiple educators from all over the U.S. were working to collaborate to discuss problems in education! Here is an example of the multiple windows I could have had opened: On 4/19 the topic was "Adapting to Change". I had to follow along to get the idea of it, but it didn't take me long. Questions were posed in a google doc that was shared with group members at the beginning of the session. Some of the questions for the night were:
Q1: Students, teachers & parents are not afraid of change, they are afraid of uncertainty. Do you agree/disagree and why? #caedchat Q2: How can we support members of the school community in dealing with the uncertainties that come with change? #caedchat Q3: What change(s) have you experienced/witnessed in the past 2-3 years that you believe has had a positive impact on education? #caedchat In order to respond to the content, members of the community had to respond with a A1 to answer the first question, A2 for the second and so on, and include the #caedchat hashtag, so that members of the chat can "see" your content. It was incredibly insightful to see so many people respond in my feed. There were times that there were differing opinions and that was okay. Everyone respected each others opinions. But not only that, it was great to hear other points of view. Because there were times I wouldn't have seen it from the differing perspectives. It was very eye-opening. My experience was very positive. I was able to get different ideas on how to handle the same problem. It was like having multiple educators at your fingertips. This was amazing because how many times can you get so many people together at one time, other than for PDs or meetings, all from the comfort of your home? As a relatively new educator, I value opinions and advice from others who have been in the field longer than I. I enjoy any opportunity to learn. This was by far one of the best settings in which to gain knowledge in such a short period of time. After the first experience, I had to try it again on 4/26. The questions of the evening were related to "Creating safe schools for LGBTQ youth". I feel our school is very welcoming to all of our students. But I know, I don't know everything, so being a part of a chat that had so much input from so many educators was incredibly valuable. I was able to get ideas, such as working with our GSA (Gay Straight Alliance) group in order to see how I can help LGBTQ who were being bullied or who were having issues at school or home. So, in conclusion, overall my experience was a very valuable one. Where else can you have so many educators together at one time, helping one another. Aside from answering the posing questions, we were able to form relationships, help each other by providing different angles to the same issue. It was incredibly helpful and educational! I consider this avenue of learning a great way to work towards my own professional development and growth as an educator. I look forward to collaborating in my next chat. And, I hope to share this with my fellow educators at my site. Because as educators, we are responsible for providing our students with the best we can give them. This chat technique is another way to help us to gain knowledge and experience in an easily accessible way. As educators, we must be life-long learners. Teachers are students too! With so many educational websites it's hard to pick just one as a favorite. BUT, if I had to choose just one, right now it would be Edmodo.com. It was introduced to me by a fellow educator a couple of years ago and I tell you, it has been a life-saver! When I started teaching (not that long ago) I was looking for a way to keep my classwork and grades organized. My friend told me about Edmodo. She told me about how students could post work online, time and date-stamped, post comments and then some. You can even have multiple classes all within the same site! But don't just take my word for how AWESOME it is! Take a look! Awesome right? The best thing? It eliminates the, "Teacher, you lost my paper." Now with the click of a mouse, you can view which student did or didn't turn in an assignment! You can create tests, polls and communicate with your students. It also helps for when students are absent. No more, "What was the assignment when I was absent?" You can post all lessons online for students to access anytime, anywhere :)
Beautiful!
FAILURE. So many of my students are afraid to fail. I understand. I get it. But with that fear, comes the inability to want to take risks. How then, do you grow? You have to be willing to accept a little bit of failure as part of the learning process.
Here is a great link for teachers to read and to give to their students regarding failure and taking risks: Creating a safe space for students to take academic risks One thing that irks me is when students quit. I don't like that. I have a sign posted on my door that says, "Quitting is not an option!" It isn't. When things get hard, you work harder. I know that no one WANTS an "F" on their report card. I don't either! But I think the problem lies in students failing to take risks. They then, in turn, lose out on new opportunities and new experiences. You shouldn't be afraid to fail, you should be afraid to look back and regret not trying. Try that new instrument! Run for ASB! What do you have to lose? So for all of my students, here is a slideshow to keep you motivated. It is okay to fail sometimes. (Trust me, been there, done that...) As long as you get back up and keep moving forward. Don't let that stop you!
Failure from SMARTERTEACHER
Two of my favorite videos about failure and success:
Need inspiration? YOU are your inspiration. If you want something, you have to work hard for it, go out and get it.
"Work hard, play hard!" and "No excuses!" For my 1st blog post for class, I needed to post an educational video. As I was browsing YouTube, I came across one that really struck a chord with me; the video being most captivating is "Teaching Art or Teaching to Think Like An Artist?" This one really fascinated me. How so you might ask? I am an artist AND an art teacher. I have my CTE credential in art and am currently working towards a single-subject credential in art. I am also a photographer by trade. How can I make all of those connections with my students? How is it being used elsewhere? Why is it important? This video demonstrates why. After watching this video, I was affirmed that every teacher should understand why art is so valuable. Not just as a subject, but as a way of thinking. Subjects should not be taught along the lines of the "teach-to-the-test" mentality, instead as one that seeks to develop life-long learners. Artists, as the speaker states, are "learners that are creative, curious, seek questions, develop ideas and play". Creativity is born through seeking knowledge, not just by being handed it and having to regurgitate facts.
Art and thinking like an artist helps students to become inquisitive and self-motivated to learn. Students need time to think for themselves, to make mistakes and learn from them. Students need to be allowed to fail and understand that failure is not the end-all-be-all of self-confidence, but rather a means for growth. It is OKAY to fail. As long as you get-up and keep going. Because through failure, lessons are learned. Artists have a growth mindset. Wouldn't it be a wonderful thing if all of our students had that too? -Lucy :) Hello!
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AuthorMy Name is Lucy Manalo. This blog is about my professional journey as I work, go to grad school, teach, and coach all while I juggle being a mommy, a wife... ArchivesCategories |