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.