Using technology to remind students of homework

I have been dealing with a class that tends to forget homework. Over the last few weeks, I have bribed them with acculating rewards (soda, donuts, pizza, BBQ) for the last day if there is 100% homework completion. They have gotten close, but so far there have been no perfect days.

I talked with one student on why she had not been doing her homework. I also asked where she wrote her reminders down. She said she kept that in her phone, but forgets to check it. (gasp!) So I went over it adn showed her how to enter it into her phone, which happened to be an iPhone, in a way that it would remind her over the weekend.

This is not a new idea. Schools are also making it easy to share homework assignments online. But I found it takes the extra step of showing the students how to maximize their devices.

Then, I had an even better idea. It may not be original, but I thought it up by myself. In my class, I am going to set up a Google Calendar that I can invite students to view to supliment any assignments I say in class. The benefit of this is I can easily set reminders so that it pops up on a student's computer or smartphone. Though it may sound complicated, setting up a Google calendar and programming the steps in are easy processes. Despite the ease, it is a reliable, high-tech way to remind students of their assignments.

(Pics to come)

More of my student's C&P art

Reflection: OUSD visit

(this is something I had in my notes that I had yet to post in my blog.)


This was an exciting visit. The potential to give every student an iPad is exciting. The provide a means of "instant" engagement. Listening to the educators story of how they developed their plan and put it before the board/district gave me hope as a future educator that I would be able to do something like this. I am sure it would require a great deal of work, but it is nice to know something like this can be done.

What I saw in the biology and chemistry classroom at OHS seemed to scratch the surface of the potential of the devices. The hook-up with Moodle is advanced beyond a "traditional" class, but what they were doing could be done on any device or computer. It is still a valuable option, but I would like to see things taken further.

One thing I discussed with Anne Rene was enabling the camera option on the devices so the students can make their own videos and presentations versus a lab write-up. I am sure with more time I could come up with more ideas, this is just the first thing that came to mind.

I tried to think of ways I could maximize the use of these devices in my English class. I kept getting stuck on ideas that could also be done with a computer or even paper. My thoughts behind this investment is that it should be done in a way that fully utilizes the unique device. This reminded me that as technically advanced I consider myself, I am still stuck in the traditional lesson and assessment ideas I have grown up with.

Response: Learning in New Media Environments

This video filled me with hope and frustration. Everything Mike Wesch said was logical and exciting, so it left me wondering why more of this stuff is not being done in classrooms. And as I thought about it, I was having a difficult time things of ways to seamlessly blend new media in schools. Most of the stuff I have done is overt and done by the traditional approach to teaching.

Aside from that, I wonder, if I was clever enough to develop a "sprawling," all-encompassing plan such as his, would I have the ability to implement it. Despite the willingness of many individuals to improve education, there are so many pieces in the system that resist change. I do not want to get away from the main idea of the video and go off on a tangent about the "power of one," but it was a concern I had while watching the video.

This video affirmed one thing I have held true for a while. This is the most stimulating period in all of human history, and as teacher, I cannot fight that. I should be meeting students interest and use potential of media and tech to engage students in a way that I "trick" them into learning. I am reminded I have work to do and more to learn, but I should carry on my desire to inspire critical thinking and problem solving.

Response: Are grades necessary?

The ideas I got from Pink are very idealistic. This does not mean I disagree with them, but I shudder because I know it would be a lot of work to implement the ideas he states. It requires a shift from some of the fundamental teaching practices, and though I try to be open minded, it is difficult to see them implemented.
I applaud his call for creativity, but as Pink states, that cannot be graded. So there lies a dilema: can a teacher grade somethings (traditional class work) and not others? I keep getting caught up in circular logic that I may not convey clearly. It is a matter of determining what is essential, what constitutes as learning, and how that is measured. Tradition class work, which I see as typical class activity geared around "depositing information" in students, can be measured by assessments. The creative work Pink calls for is more difficult to assess.
I think that their needs to be some system for monitoring progress that includes specific criteria. Otherwise, growth cannot be measured. I think this is the idea behind the standard grading system. But those numbers have been changed to a different meaning where students are ranked and labelled according to achievement. Grading has lost
Going back to the original question, I do not think grades and learning are linked. Getting an "A" does not make a person smarter, it simply shows their progress on a certain assessment. I believe in a system that measures growth toward mastery and the encouragement of creative output, but it is difficult to do so without returning to the traditional grading format.

There's this new app called "I'd Cap That"

There is this new app I have seen going around my clinical practice site. It's called "I'd Cap That" by Krisp Software. It is a unique photo app, currently only available on iOS devices, which adds a random caption to every photo a user takes. The idea is to be funny. Currently, the description for the app in the iTunes store states it "takes your every day iPhone photos and slaps a hilarious (and often crude) caption on them." It also disclaims this is for "entertainment purposes only" and it may offend people.

Aside from the grammatical mistake in that description, there is another problem to worry about with this app. iOS products are prevalent in high schools, and I have already observed a student use this app to harass another student by taking pictures and uploading embarrassing pictures with lewd comments to Facebook without the student's permission. These are great tools to have in the class, but not when they lead to cyber-bullying and harassing. (The described incident has been handled.)

So keep an eye out for this. Use it as a teachable moment for cyber-bullying, web privacy, and common courtesy.

Update: Photo Project

Here are some early submissions to my photo project assignment. See last week's post for the details.

Digital Learning Reflection

Digital Learning Reflection on Prezi

Photo Project

I am still working on Crime and Punishment with my English 10H class. This week, I am making them get out of their comfort zone by being creative, but not with writing.

I tasked them to create a picture that represents a theme of the book, not a scene, through computer software, such as Photoshop or the free program GIMP. They would have to use at least three pictures to make up their original, final picture. In class students are unable to use a computer, download this program, or struggle with it, I am also allowing them to use scissors and glue to make their piece.

I gave them this presentation to explain the basic features and functions of GIMP, since it is a free program that it fully loaded. Feel free to borrow/modify it if you want to try something different.

This project is due Monday May 7th. I will update and share their reflections and possibly some of their artwork!

I made my class use Prezi

In my English 10H class, we are reading Crime and Punishment. In order to give students context to this expansive book, I had groups of students explore people, concepts, and historical events related to, but outside of the story. They had to make a 10 minute presentation. And I asked them to try Prezi.

None of them had tried this tool yet, but they really got a kick out of my demonstration and all attempted it. I explained the value of having a tool where multiple people could work on it and not have to worry about only having it saved in one place. For those who were having difficulty or frustration, I implored them to try Google Docs presentations, so they could get a similar experience of having something they could work on simultaneously and saved in a "cloud."

Most of the presentations have gone, and they have been really great to watch. I asked them to reflect on the Prezi process, and most said it was somewhat frustrating, especially with the schools laptops having low quality trackpads making it difficult to use. Despite this, most said they would try it again and saw the value of having a more involved presentation tool.

So find some way to squeeze it into your class. I highly recommend it.

Just use Prezi

Today, I had the need to teach using some direct instruction before letting the students work in groups on projects. I borrowed some material from my CT, and I made a Prezi. Seeing the results and interest from the students I cannot recommend this enough.

While PowerPoint and other presentation software used to be and exciting change from overhead projectors, they lack the excitement and inherent engagement they had in the past. They zooming effects of Prezi, set to a picture of the Crab Nebula, got students "oohing" and "ahhing" a somewhat dull topic. They even laughed when the big picture was revealed, and I made the pun- now you can write thesis statements that are out of this world. You may view it here. English teachers, feel free to steal/adapt.

So use it. Go to the website and play around with the blank template. (The remanufactured templates don't leave much room for customization.) This is no so much instructions, though I could make those, rather this is a technology recommendation, a tech-ommendation, if you will.

Exponential Laziness?

One of the things I debate as an English teacher is the use of SparkNotes, or simliar book summary products. While they are not a substitute for reading the novel, I can see the value as a review tool and a way to revisit something already read.


Videos and film also have mixed, though mostly negative, impressions as an educational tool. It is a shame, but not my argument in this post.

I bring this up because I just found this.

Video.
SparkNotes.
Video SparkNotes! My brain is struggling to cope with this.

In less than 10-minutes a viewer can passively absorb a text. At the moment there are nearly two dozen of these summaries. I am still reviewing these cultural phenomenon, so I will not pass swapping judgement of their usefulness.

As it is, SparkNotes are typically a tool for students who do not want to read. Now Video SparkNotes can enable kids who are too lazy to read the SparkNotes!

I will be the first person to defend appropriate use of video of films in class and the validity of the artfulness of the medium. But this has some unsettling implications. Can you reduce Romeo and Juliet to a 9 minute and 18 second clip and still appreciate the value of the story? Probably not. Viewers may get the gist of the plot, but they miss the heart of the story: the themes, the linguistic intricacies, and the build-up that make this a classic piece of literature.

They may be a good tool for review, but there is no way to regulate that. To allow students to savor the creations of these great authors requires, I need to employ thoughtful instruction on how to approach a piece and look for more than plot. This is a call for attention as to how to get student to appreciate a novel in a world where tl;dr* is becoming a ubiquitous term. (*too long, didn't read)

EDSS 531 Journal #5

•Looking back at your teaching last semester, what did you discover about the needs of students in your classes? What kinds of “needs” surfaced that surprised you?

•To what degree do you think you really understand the needs of your students? How wide is the “gap” between them and you?

•What might have surfaced in the reading or in your teaching (about the realities of students’ needs) that triggered a negative response in you? Try to identify why this response was triggered and how it relates to your biases.

The two things that come to mind are: students need to write more and students need to know class in an environment to take chances and make mistakes in the process of learning. Writing is something that is learned by doing and receiving feedback. It is about taking chances and pushing oneself. This relates to my second concern. I am surprised that students are so concerned looking for the one right answer or are afraid of being wrong that they do not make attempts in the creative process.

This is a difficult thing to teach because I cannot get caught up in my thoughts on a piece that I squash the chances of a student formulating their own thoughts. And when they do, I have to be positive and constructive so that if what they said was not completely accurate, they can learn without being afraid of trying again in the future.

I have thought about these things and I will take more thought, observations, and experience until I get a better understanding of their needs. Through college, writing has become a natural process and I have elevated my skills in this area. While I want to hold high expectations to motivate the students, I need to “recalibrate” my thoughts on writing levels in high school versus college.

In all subject areas, there is a difference between the levels of work in high school and college. I have been accustomed to one way, but high school students are not at this level. It was a stark realization, but it comes with the duty as a teacher to get them to this level. I had to confront the notion that adolescence today are less capable of critical thinking because of the Internet and television. Fundamentally, they are no less capable than any other generation, it is a matter of presenting them with relevant and engaging challenges to inspire this activity.

I also recognize that in the 6 years since I was in high school, culture and generations have changes, so I do not know everything about student academic, emotional, physical, and social needs. But with this knowledge, I can be open and receptive to there needs as they arise so that I can respond. I do not know everything, but this is not an invitation not to try. Rather it is a challenge to help every unique student.

EDSS 531 Journal #4

What are your biases and how do you mitigate your behavior when working with students?

This is a difficult question. I am not sure how to answer it without sounding either insincere and oblivious or ignorant and prejudiced. I do not know if I could discern and post specific examples, but I know I have a limited perspective as a young white male. Growing up in a primarily white middle-class area outside of Buffalo. My high school consisted of the same demographics, thus I grew comfortable with people like myself.

In California, things are much different. There is more diversity, which I have tried to actively open myself up to, but this process will never be complete. Every student, parent, and colleague I work with is a unique person who has a perspective different than my own. These are the things I need to keep in mind, not surface judgements and assumptions.

Response outside of "Disrupting Class" questions

I feel like I just peaked around the curtain or got some cheat codes how to advance myself professionally, and do something that will genuinely help students. I hesitate posting this "secret," but I reckon I can share with anyone who reads this blog.

Having just finished the first five chapters of "Disrupting Class," it seems my views of what it means to be a teacher in the 21st century have changed. I hinted at it in the last question in my previous post. Maybe teachers of the future will create and facilitate content and resources rather than directly instruct. I feel like most students are non-consumers of the writing process. They do it out of obligation, not desire. I just have to create resources and videos and let them teach themselves. I can also be present for individual attention.

This seems like it devalues my role as an educator. But I would be doing the hard work of creating the student centered activities on computers or whatever technology I have access to. I do the heavy-lifting up front, and let the students do the learning in school and at home.

It is daunting, but it also seems like the obvious way to have students learn, which the the ultimate goal.

EDSS 530 "Disrupting Class"

Chapter 1: Why Schools Struggle to Teach Differently when each Student Learns Differently

1. Explain the difference between interdependence and modularity.  How is education currently organized?  

Interdependence and modularity are opposite terms to describe the organization of a system. A system or product is interdependent one piece is reliant on the on the make up of the parts around it. Modularity is more flexible system where pieces can be changed as needed. In an interdependent system, one piece cannot be changed without changing everything around it, or even the whole system. But in a modular system one piece can be replaced or substituted and fit in with the existing process.

The US education system is decidedly interdependent. The book cites several examples regarding special education needs, classroom and facility design, and the limits of textbooks and curriculum. The pieces that make up the education system are gridlocked, which means change and improvement are limited. Standardized testing limits a teachers ability to adapt a lesson so a particular individual or group can better grasp a topic.

At my current CP school site, the technical resources are limited in this way. Components such as computers, projectors, and document cams are strictly regulated by the district. Teachers are not able to use their own technology in the classroom. For instance, a teacher found a $60 document camera that works very well, but is not allowed to use it. The only option they have, if the district provides one, is a more expensive, less effective one the district provided because of a deal made with the manufacturer. 

Chapter 2: Making the Shift:  Schools meet Society’s need

2. Explain the disruptive innovation theory.  What does this have to do with schools?

The disruptive innovation theory is an economic explanation for the way established companies and products can be shaken by simple changes. Market leaders in most fields survive on simple improvements that drive consumption, called “sustaining innovations.” A disruptive innovation happens when a new company or product arrives on the market that may not be as good as the traditional product, but it is cheaper or easier to use, and therefore it begins to take over the market. It appeals to non-consumers and takes business away from the traditional producer. With improvements, the new, disruptive innovation becomes the new standard.

This disruptive innovation theory is rooted in economics and an open, capitalist market. The public school system, however, is a monopoly. Schools have improved along the lines of sustaining innovations. But there has not been any “game-changing” disruption because there is no outside party or company to shake things up. However the authors of the text, Clayton Christensen, Curtis W. Johnson, and Michael B. Horn, state that emerging technology could be a means to service struggling students and non-consumers in this “industry.” They predict disruption as a result of new technology.

Chapter 3: Crammed Classroom Computers

3.  Why doesn’t cramming computers in schools work?  Explain this in terms of the lessons from Rachmaninoff (what does it mean to compete against non-consumption?)

Filling schools with technology does not work because they are only being used to accomplish the same tasks students have always worked on for the past several decades. They are merely a tool or supplement to traditional teaching. They are only a sustainable change, they are not disrupting, because presently they are not competitive with a human teacher.

The Rachmaninoff incident the book describes is a decent analogy. Earlier record players were an option for those who could not see live performances. They were not competing with the consumers of live shows, because they technically were not as good. But they took over the music market by appealing to the non-consumers. They gave a way for people who were not consuming, to consume. Then came innovation, and personal music players still reign.

If computers were to supplant traditional teaching, it would have to start by appealing to the people who are not getting anything out of traditional education. Right now technology cannot compete with human teachers. But if it wins over the non-consumers, its potential will be realized and it can spark new innovation.

Chapter 4: Disruptively Deploying Computers

4. Explain the pattern of disruption. 

The pattern for disruption occurs in a S-curve on a graph depicting growth or market share over time. First, a new technology or innovation goes for the non-consumers, not to compete with the established “leader.” Basically, it starts its own market for the people who are not being served. Over time, the new innovation improves, and there is a dramatic spike in users which creates the S-shape of the graph. This is due to the consumers leaving the traditional product in favor of the new because it is usually cheaper and/or easier to use. Then the growth plateaus as the new innovation approaches 100% of the industry as more trickle in to the market.

5. Explain the trap of monolithic instruction.  How does student-centric learning help this problem?

Monolithic instruction is rigorous, non-engaging, and does not check for understanding. Keeping up with pacing and lesson plans are more important than checking to make sure each student is not only keeping up, but mastering what they need to move forward. A monolithic view is stuck in tunnel vision. Sure the class is “moving forward,” but the teacher is unaware if everyone is keeping up.

Student-centered learning is build around checking for understanding and adapting lessons so that students are growing. Assessments are used to monitor progress and provide instant feedback and differentiated instruction. Therefore, it is less high stakes. The focus is not on what percentage has been mastered, but how deep a student has gotten into a particular subject or material. Students get help where they need it, not just told what they are doing wrong.

Chapter 5: The System for Student-Centric Learning

6. Explain public education’s commercial system.  What does it mean to say it is a value-chain business?  How does this affect student-centric learning?

Public schools are run like a value-adding process. Essentially, schools rope in students, stick them in a classroom, and dump knowledge on them. This process exists because of the notion that this process makes them more knowledgeable and more valuable, educated citizens.

The book describes the process in six, circular steps. It starts with textbooks, which get assessed and adapted by states and districts, the teachers teach this curriculum, there may be some individual attention, then the students are tested and assessed, which informs teacher training, and comes back to textbook creation.

Students can get more attention and differentiation through student-centered learning, which requires teachers have to change some of their processes. This involves leaving behind the  VAP system for a more facilitated network. Since the public education system is monopolistic, there is little chance of outside disruption. Disruption would have to come within, which some educators may say degrades the value of their role, thus resistance occurs.

Student center learning can occur with the technology we have. A YouTube video can provide tutoring and customized learning. There are many forms and technologic platforms, this is just one example. Teachers need to remember their goal to educate students. This may mean that their role changes from direct instructor to creator and facilitator of this technologically based material that will help students learn. 

Minecrafting Education

This past Christmas my brother showed me a video game called Minecraft. I had heard of it before, but not really experienced it. Minecraft is a free form game where uses have access to a low-resolution world full of resources to build and craft as they please. There are other challenges, but the idea is it is a nearly limitless work for construction and creativity. At the moment, I am busy and do not know if I could commit to it, (because I know me, and I would get sucked into it.) Then I saw this:

This is just one of the many creations of the Old Globe people have released. There is so much potential for this in the classroom, it will not fit into this blog post. A quick Google search, and I found someone beat me to it. The Minecraft Teacher has a great blog of resources and ideas.

Personally, thought I am not even playing the game, thousands of users have uploaded videos and downloadable versions of their creations online. This is great visual way to present a setting for a story in English class that is inherently engaging.

For students who are playing Minecraft, I cannot imagine the joy of creating something out of a story or in response to a piece of literature by using this "game." For example building a setting would require detail and attention to the novel/story they might not have otherwise experienced. The in-depth nature of crafting means they are going to be thinking about what ever they are working on in a way that would dramatically increase retention.

History teachers, search on YouTube to find recreations of historical locations (such as: Pyramid of Giza or Colosseum)that will engage students and get them visually excited. This is also a great way to present geometry, algebra, engineering, and so on. I cannot wait to what happens to this "game" that can transcend all contents.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #21

IDENTIFY how you can use these assessment strategies in TPA Tasks.

At this point I have already submitted TPA #3. But looking over the resources, I am glad to see I was on the mark and used the right language.

I chose to examine the work of an EL student and a DHH student. For both of them, I made sure to say that just because a class are all the same age does not mean they all perform the same way on a specific assessment. They should be graded according their academic level and progress towards proficiency and beyond. I also made sure to say that my summative essay was the result of a week long writing unit that included activating prior knowledge, scaffolding, and peer help. The week long assessment gave every student appropriate time to complete.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #20

IDENTIFY 2-3 assessment strategies you can use in your unit.


The final assessment I would like to implement would be a free form reflection. Students could write, record, or present their thoughts on the unit, time travel, and the service learning project. Some students like to write essay and they can do that. But I think I need to be mindful of not wearing out the writing process. This will allow students of all needs to present information in whatever form they like. Essentially they choose their differentiation they want, but not matter what they should engage in reflective critical thinking.


I also like the use of self grading. This could be part of the reflection, or done separately on other assignments. While someone may be quick to assume that students will all give themselves the highest mark, I think certain rules would come into play. Students would be able to pick their grade, but they would have to justify it. Not only does this mean they have do more critical thinking and formulate an argument for themselves, the students should also keep this in mind while they are working. While completing each assignment, they may work harder knowing they are going to have to justify it.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #19

IDENTIFY strategies to differentiate assessment.


Differentiation depends on the need of a students. This is especially true for English Learners, or Emerging Bilinguals, and Students with Special Needs, but every student deserves accommodations that help them learn. There is a clear difference between differentiating for a better learning outcome versus a better grade.


Strategies can include assessment variety, scaffolding, activating prior knowledge, and allowing for more time. When it comes to assessment, differentiation needs to be in effect while grading. For example, English learners should be graded according to their CELTD level and the standards that apply. This does not mean native speakers are grade harder or that expectations are lowered. Assessment is the means to measure growth and progress, which can then be used to inform future lessons.

Google to Twitter to Blog: How I Found A New Resource

I started following all of my classmates and professors on Twitter. Then, I followed some celebrities and comedians. But I didn't know who else to follow. So I Googled it.

I searched for "English Teachers to Follow on Twitter". And I found this. A huge directory of teacher sand professionals on Twitter. There was to much to follow, but it each person's descriptions. So I hit ctrl+F (Find) and searched for books and content I was interested. And I continues browsing.

Then, I found @MrsOrman, a high school English teacher in Illinois who loves teaching The Hunger Games. THG is a popular book series with a movie coming out later this month. They are a relative modern classic, I had a great time reading them, and I am excited by the thought of bringing them into the classroom. Her blog has even more great resources and lesson plans.

So I tweeted Mrs. Orman: "As student working on my teaching credential, it is really inspring see someone use THG to excite students! Thanks for the blog."

And she sent back: "Thank you! It's too great NOT to teach. :) Good luck with your schooling, by the way."

By making these connections to a teacher across the country and I found access to her blog and lesson plans via teacherspayteachers.com, a way to share LPs and reward leading educators. When it comes to clinical practice and full time teaching, this is a great resource to share ideas and collaborate with other create/passionate people.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #18

INCORPORATE some of the lesson planning resources in your lessons and ITU.


A direct link to our assignment descriptions and sample lesson plans is here.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #16 & 17

Identify the 5 different components of Cooperative Learning.

Identify how you will use cooperative learning in your ITU. Be specific and describe the strategies you will use for each component.

1. Positive Interdependence

The teacher is responsible for assigning group work that encourages positive collaboration among students. Rather than working independently, student should be encouraged with goals and rewards so that they work together and learn from each other. Every student is responsible for their learning. They are also responsible for teaching group members and helping each other with content and concepts. In this way, everyone contribute and all should be seen as equals.

2. Individual & Group Accountability

The teacher is responsible for fair assessment of work done, which also encourages interdependence. The teach should monitor to ensure every student is participating and contributing to the final product. This can be encouraged by having roles in each group. The students do the work and are accountable for creating the final product and each group member should be able to say what the group is working on or has accomplished.

3. Group Processing

Students should have the opportunity to reflect on cooperative learning. The teacher should encourage students to think, discuss, and write on how to group worked together. This can be a chance to examine good and and strategies. Students should not just come away with a final product or content knowledge, but an understanding of working with others. The teacher merely needs to facilitate this.

4. Social Skills

This is an inherent feature of cooperative learning. The teacher needs to assign groups accordingly so that they complete the task, and do so with communication and trust. The students may have to extend themselves, particularly those who tend to be introverts. Through this style students learn leadership, responsibility, and communication skills.

5. Face-to-Face Interactions

The students are doing the learning, but the teacher needs to create the environment where this can happen. This is done by carefully planning groups and activities and monitoring progress. When this is done the student can collaborate, share ideas, and make connections.

Going over this PowerPoint helped me realize that group work is not the same as cooperative learning. To incorporate all of the aspects will require planning, and that goes double for an ITU or co-teaching.

The first step would be to know the students. This is done through experience and observation. Then, Julie and I will be able to establish heterogeneous groups that take a mixed groups of students that will work together for a goal. This will be how we get to Face-to-Face Interactions that lead to Positive Interdependence.

Monitoring the class by walking around, possibly using Supportive or Parallel Co-Teaching, will allow us to check in with each group. This is how we can assess accountability from each member and the group as a whole. At the same time we can check for social skills and make sure that everyone is participating and contributing, and that the rest of the group is allowing this. This ties back into Positive Interdependence.

Lastly, I like the concept of Group Processing because it allows for more critical thinking. I think this can be accomplished by having the groups discuss this amongst themselves, and in a class discussion. Having the Social Skills established will lead to better, honest reflection.

EDSS 546B Reading Response #1

Here is an older Reading Response to English Methods that I had previously emailed, here now to fill out my blog portfolio. 

  I am truly excited for this technologically inspired semester. It is a field I am experience in and inspired by, thus to be able to bring that into the classroom is fascinating. I have considered how we as educators must compete with students attention considering all this exciting technology we have available. I am looking forward to the ways we learn not to pull them away from the “fun” stuff, but essentially trick them into doing more of it with an educational spin so they learning something about reading or writing along the way.

  I think being computer literate is an invaluable skill for citizens and professionals, but as the Alliance for Excellent Education states, it does not get taught or funded readily. I want to do more than show students how to make a PowerPoint. I hope to have the resources to give my students this experience and it may require some innovative thinking. In my CP I, my cooperating teacher sought outside her district in two months received an extra monitor, keyboard, and remote clicker through the Donors Choose charity, which can be found at http://www.donorschoose.org/.

  The degree to which a student learns content, language, and technology skills is up to the teacher. Budgets and districts can be blamed, but there are resources available to those who want to make an impact. I still find there are new things for me to learn about technology, but I know that having this skill set and a desire to teach these to students will put me in a good position when it comes to looking for a job. But I am am not just seeing the advantages of using PLNs from thoughts on a prospective career. The Digital Learning Imperative reminded me there results of using technology in class are two-fold. Students learn the content and a 21st century skill set. 

EDSS 546B Reading Reflection #4

   Before I even got to the end of the reading the prompt for the Response I had the idea of revision in mind. When I saw it mention in the Activity I was pleasantly surprised. First, I will say that I am a proponent of revising writing, but before I go into that I would like to address the other points surrounding the Response.

   To answer the first question of the prompt, I think the obvious answer is to saw that I hope students are better readers and writers by the end of the year. It is an obvious statement, but an important place to start because the next logical thought is what are the ways to get them there. Through assignments and practice, hopefully a student will become more confident and comfortable as a writer as they find their voice and how to use the writing process.

  By using rubrics and feedback the student will know how he/she is assessed. Assessments are the key to viewing a students ability and progress. They must be designed so that the assignment reveals relevant results. The results I would like to see that would imply a student is a better writer is: refined use of grammar and syntax, the ability to explain share internal thoughts on paper, and reflective writing that shows critical thinking. Therefore, I have to teach this though practice and examples.

   The idea is to get better at writing. Practice is a required component of lesson plans and assessments. By giving the students a chance to write, they will use those “mental muscles” and get better at it. Written or verbal feedback should be used to guide the student in the future. Once the student has feedback and practice, he/she can work and understand how to put their voice on paper.

   As I said in the beginning, writing is all about getting better. The should always be the goal. No one is “perfect.” It is a perpetual process of growth. Therefore I stand behind the opportunity to revise papers to raise a grade. If a student receives a “B” on a paper, takes feedback, and works on it to make it an “A” paper, then they deserve that grade. The fact is they learned it, and therefore they deserve the grade. I do not want to badger the point, but the goal is to learn and use the material. If the student can do this, even after a revision, then they deserve the grade they worked for on that assignment.

   I can understand someone who protests saying that revisions degrade the value of someone who got an “A” on the first try. That individual earned that grade, but they did not have to do the extra work of revising. If a “B” student wants to do the work to raise their grade, I will not deny them. At the end of the unit, semester, or year, what matters is if a student knows the material, and that is how I will grade.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #14 & 15

DESCRIBE the co-teaching approaches you will use in you ITU.

DESCRIBE in your lesson plans who, what when, how and why in regards to the co-teaching approaches.


Working on this ITU has taught me that Math and English are less oil and water, and more peanut butter and chocolate. The more ways we can blend the two and show students connections between the two, the better they may internalize the material. The ITU is still in progress, but I think we can use all the styles of co-teaching on certain days.


The two that stand out most are parallel and complementary. During the first week, I think the parallel co-teaching would be a great way to implement some of the Flatland ideas Julie had. Her focus on geometry could be spread across stations, where we could monitor and help groups. Also, I am a fan of having visuals and multiple forms of covering material, so using complementary seems natural. Though I would not want Julie or I acting as just a notetaker. We would have to collaborate and think of ways that both of us could present something at the same time.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #13

IDENTIFY what co-teaching approaches were modeled this week.


During the meeting we covered four different types of co-teaching: supportive, parallel, complementary, and team.


Supportive: In this format their is one teacher in the front of the class, acting as a traditional teacher or expert, and another teacher roving the class, providing individual support to students or groups. Though the first position commands more attention the roles should be view by the teachers and students as equals.


Parallel: Two or more teachers work in this mode, typically involving learning stations. The teachers are responsible for checking in at each station and helping each group. Depending on numbers, some student groups will be alone for some time, therefore this should be an established technique to keep them working when not under direct supervision.


Complementary: In this format, two or more teachers are in the front of the class, providing the same information in two different ways. The mix could include oral presentations, PowerPoint presentations, graphic organizers, color coding, listing, simplifying, amongst other strategies. This provides a variety of inputs for the students of different learning styles, though the teachers must be aware their information correlates to avoid confusion.


Team: This is the most advanced form of co-teaching, and requires practice and planning. Essentially, two or more teachers doing the work of one traditional teacher. This involves seamless instruction and assistance to students as they move around the classroom. This is very conducive for mixed content lessons, which I have observed at High Tech High.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #12

Catching up on Reading Response posts.


An electronic draft of my ITU can be found here.

EDSS 531 Journal #3

• To what degree do you think you really understand the needs of your students and what they need for the 21st century?
• How wide is the “gap” between them and you?
• In what areas are the gaps?
• What can you do to make connections?

   As much as I would like to talk about how computer and technology use comes naturally to me, I do not think I understand the needs of my students for the 21st century. The reason for that is because I think no one does. This might seem like a cheeky answer but I think it is true. We have no way to determine what the technologic, economic, and global scene will be like this time next year.

   What I do know is that I can help students by showing them what I know, and learning from them what I know about video editing, photo manipulation, presentation software, and online tools so that they can be as prepared as possible.

   Seeing as it was not so long ago I was in high school, I think I have a pretty good insight as to their world and how technology is a great tool and distractor. I have to honestly confront the “boring” elements of my content area and be aware of the distractions students face. I think I am clever enough to “flip” the distracting nature of computers and technology to help students.

   And this has a two-fold effect. Assignments that seamlessly integrate technology help students learn the content and contribute to their digital toolbox. One thing I can help myself to do this better is listen to students, see what they are good at, and learn from them. This collaborative process should help both parties and allow for more divergent thinking.

EDSS 546B Reading Response #3

Select one of the templates from “They Say/I Say” and create/develop a writing assignment for that template from your current placement.

Writing Assignment for Day 6 of Intangible Destinations unit.

  Based on Section Four of They Say, I Say, I would like to use the templates and structure to have students respond to an essay. The piece is titled Where are all the time travelers? by Simon Rich. This is something I would like to teach during the ITU I am drafting with Julie Vaccaro. Rich’s essay preposes reasons for the likelihood for time traveler in a humorous way.

  I think this would be a great starting point for students to begin thinking about the possible of alternate dimensions and traveling between them. Along the way they can respond to this article, which has a clear message, by agreeing with or arguing against Rich’s argument.

  Students would be responsible for using the templates for disagreeing, agreeing, or a bit of both and sharing what they think in an original way. I would want them to know it is not just a matter of filling the blanks of the template sentences, but to some up with reasons to support their argument, which is a key skill to any writing.

EDSS 546B Reading Response #2

Think of a unit or lesson you taught in CPI. 

• What did students have to think about?
• Use the guide questions on p. 262 (new edition) entitled, Reflective Questions at the end of “Using questions to Help Students Think” section to reflect on that lesson or unit. 
• During reading of Ch. 9, write down all of the ways that you did support or could have supported your students’ thinking.

   Part way through The Scarlet Letter I had students do a quick write on why it is important to read the novel. Then I had them pair up, and share what they wrote together, and to the class. They came up with some great answers, even if they were just trying to say something to impress me. The fact is they landed on some great reasons why the book has applicable themes and messages for high school students today.

   My goal was to give them something they could take away from the book. It was written roughly 200 years ago, and without this explicit exploration about the timeless themes of the book, they might have blown it off. I like to this this exercise allowed the change to find in themselves or others a message from the book that they could look for in the book and take when they are done.

   Based on how the activity went, I think it was a great chance to foster critical thinking. I did not just hand them a theme and ask them to find instances of it. I let them express how they could relate to the book and characters that are in a story set in colonial America.

   I wish I would have done more of this. So often in class we were reading the book or working with grammar, that I did not make time for a thinking activity or a chance to “bond” with the book. And I wish I would have been more clear with my intent. Thinking about what Sir Ken Robinson has said about creativity, I wish I would not have been so focused on finding an answer, but rather the exercise of thinking and coming up with an original idea. I think if I stress the fact that students have to a look for a predetermined answer, it hinders their thinking.

EDSS 530 Visitors and Residents

Watch the following video: Visitors and Residents by Dr. White and then write a blog post reflecting on where you are in this continuum and how you see your future on the Internet. If possible, leave a thoughtful comment on some of your peers' blogs


   When I saw this assignment, I thought, "I don't need to watch that video. I'm young, I've grown up with technology, I'll just wing it with some stuff that will sound good." Then I saw the video was 20-minutes and thought even harder about this prospect.
   But I suppose that is that is what makes me a resident. I am so used to being able to consume information and aggregate what I need into my choice of digestible media. I used Google reader, Twitter, and Youtube subscriptions to bring me information. This is all for non-academic material, depending on who you talk to.
  Until recently I was used to keeping everything separate. I have over 10 Gmail accounts each with their own purpose. But now I see the value of bringing it all together. I made one last Gmail account to tie everything together. I am less conscious about my personal and professional lives colliding, because people are bound to find out my personal obsessions sooner or later. Since Google accounts are so prolific online I am using this is create my personality on the web. Mostly, I am taking stuff in, rather than creating videos for Youtube or using Photoshop to manufacture an image or graphic. But I am getting there. Before I would use Twitter just to follow comedians and other funny people. I am still doing that, but I see the value of using it professionally, and getting students to use it as well.
  As I become more ingrained in the web and use it more like my own space, rather than a tool to serve me- the lines between life online and offline become blurred. As Piratebay founder Peter Sunde said:


When did you meet [fellow defendant Gottfrid] for the first time IRL?” asked the Prosecutor. 
“We do not use the expression IRL,” said Peter, “we use AFK.”
“IRL?” questioned the judge.
“In Real Life,” the Prosecutor explained to the judge.
“We do not use that expression,” Peter noted. “Everything is in real life. We use AFK—Away From Keyboard.”

EDSS 531 Journal #2

1. Read: Kids Do Well if They Can”
2. Watch the TED video on Creativity in Schools
3. Skim/ preview: “Abundance, Asia, and Automation”
4. Read: “Jobs of the Future.”
5. Create a full sheet 3 column organizer to record and analyze at least 4 quotes from the text/video.
My chart is available here on this Google Doc: http://bit.ly/zjUNq7 

EDSS 541 Reading Response #10

Revise your team's Task 2: ITU Cover Sheet.
Here is our new cover:

EDSS 541 Reading Response #9

Begin your ethnographic research on your school site to complete your ethnography for EDSS 530 and to complete Task 3 for the ITU.


This information is available on the project wiki, click here.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #8

LIST ideas and resources you can use for your Service Learning and ITU 

Ideas: Reflect on life in the past century by taking to at least two different generations of people, assessing ways to improve the future, research future problems and come up with a practical solution for the present.

Resources: SDA media center, the Internet, documentaries such as Peak Oil, civil engineers

EDSS 541 Reading Response #7

Identify the key elements and process for Service Learning.

• It is different from community service in that the students are doing good deeds and contributing to society by applying what they have learned in the class room.
• Students should be involved in the entire process, not just receiving commands and following through.
• The community you serve is a broad term and varies based on location and other factors.
• The four types of service learning are: direct, indirect, advocacy, and research.
• The steps for service learning are:
• Preparation: collaborating with the students to determine the appropriate outreach.
• Action: doing what you set out to do.
• Reflection: students consider their impact and learning during and after the project.
• Demonstration: the chance for students to perform or display what they have learned from the experience.
• Service learning is the specific combination of contribution to the community in a meaningful way and incorporating the lessons and themes of a classroom.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #6

CREATE a Personal Learning Network (PLN).


So far I have:
A blog
Twitter
A wiki
Social bookmarking
Edmodo account

EDSS 541 Reading Response #5

As a school team, IDENTIFY a theme for your ITU and SHARE ideas and a draft for a Cover Sheet with you ITU team.
Intangible Destinations- A Math and English Unit on Time Travel, Parallel Universes, and Theoretical Dimensions

EDSS 541 Reading Response #4

IDENTIFY what tasks you would be well skilled at leading and contributing to for the ITU assignment

Tasks 1, 2, 8, 9, 20 -I am cleaver, creative, and I like this stuff.

These are the areas I am confident in for this assignment. Having done district reports and lesson plans, I will also contribute to the other tasks. I will soon consult with my colleague to discuss our plans for this assignment.

EDSS 541 Reading Response #3

MAKE a list or highlight models & resources to share with your ITU team.

Working backwards from a theme

How can we get to Level III or IV?

I need help understanding how theme can be applied to math

Problem solving that involves text

What technology will we have available? (Webquests)

What can we do to use the technology we went over?

EDSS 541 Reading Response #2

READ Baldwin, Keating,Bachman (BKB) Ch.7 pgs 164-179 & pgs. 315-326

COMPLETE Activities 7.1 & 7.2, pgs. 172-173

7.1

1. It is still early in the semester, but Julie and I, who are working at San Dieguito Academy, have tossed out some resources we could use. We are versed in the content standards of our subject material and have begun to look for other material we could use. She has had great insight and found a book called Flatland, a text dealing with math that would be relevant for high school students. I think this is a great starting point for our higher thinking skills.

1. Reading comprehension, literacy, critical thinking, applications, textual analysis, storyline, logic
2. I think I need to make more time for face to face meetings to look over the ITU assignment and decide how we are going to complete it and find the be learning outcome for prospective students and ourselves. I want our final product to be cleaver, all-encompassing, and original. Just like the previous reading response, this is going to require a new way of thinking.

7.2

How do Math and English relate?

How do I apply a text to myself and the world?

What practical skills come from Math and English?

What processes are used in addressing a problem?

How is possible to over-think a problem?

EDSS 541 Journal #1

IDENTIFY research-based instructional strategies you can use in your ITU. 

The first thing to jump out at me in these articles came from the Focus On Blacks where it made the notion that the same type of thinking that created an achievement gap cannot be used to fix it. This is something I heard used similarly regarding US politics and it stands out as a challenge to develop a whole new way of thinking to address academic issues.

The research based strategies that I see beneficial are community involvement, setting high help/high perfectionism goals, explicit language instruction, making the classroom a space for critical thinking and free expression, and implementing dialogue not lecture. Some of these ideas where things learned last semester. Conscious effort must be put into content instruction to implement these. As I get to know my students, I will be using the same critical thinking skill I want to teach the students.

EDSS 531 Reading Response #1

What is it like to be a student in my class?

What is it like for a student to move through classes in a day at our school?

Preface: I taught two sections of college prep English 3 at Carlsbad High School in the fall of 2011.

I hoped that my optimism and good spirits translated into a fun class environment. I understand that it might have been dull as we were readingThe Scarlet Letter, as the text may not be as approachable in 2011-12. But I think that my modern insights and student activities made it worthwhile and enjoyable.

As CP I progressed, I tried to be as personal with my students as I could. I let them have a snapshot of who I was personality-wise, which turned out well. Most of the students responded well to this. As a teacher this came in handy when it came down to the nitty-gritty. And for the students, I think this helped build trust to follow me through The Scarlet Letter and full process essay, knowing they would get through it safe and I would help them be better readers and writers.

My class involved a consistent mix of reading, writing, speaking and listening activities to engage the students and deliver the content information. I hope that some of my reflective activities allowed the students to take something out of the literature and make older text applicable to their lives today.

I am sure that the block schedule creates a unique experience at Carlsbad High School. Having classes everyday means longer periods, and a greater chance of mentally drifting in the class. But it also means that there is more time to do assigned work outside of class since there is a day in between the date it was assigned and the day it was due.

CHS is such a large school, I do not think their is as much community between the students. The students are definitely social, but I doubt one student knows everyone else in the 3,000+ student body, let alone the others at his/her grade level. Without a smaller group of peers, I can understand how the school may be overwhelming.