The Rising Importance of P.Q. and C.Q. in Education
I recently read a New York Times editorial by Thomas Friedman that highlighted the importance of innovation, passion and curiosity. The editorial led me to reflect on these areas in my classroom. I believe these three traits are common denominators of successful teachers. Friedman (2013) says successful people are not simply the ones with the highest I.Q., but people who also have high P.Q. (passion quotients) and C.Q. (curiosity quotients). This made me ask myself, how can I be innovative and passionate in my classroom?
As a government and economics teacher, I constantly strive for my students to understand the significance of perspective. Whether it is to help determine one’s own stance, refute an opinion of somebody else, or to better understand a topic, it is important to critically examine something from multiple views. Additionally, and especially in government and economics, it is essential for learners to be aware of biases that an author or creator has and the importances of using multiple sources when researching.
I have made the following video to demonstrate how I bring P.Q. and C.Q. to help students understand perspectives. Friedman (2013) notes the importances of invention and reinvention, and this is true for successful educators.
Video link: https://timjarrell.makes.org/popcorn/1zrl
Reference:
Friedman, T. (2013, January 29) It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q.. The New York Times. Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html
Re-imagining Online Learning
With a growing number of teachers and schools choosing to utilize online learning, educators should be cautious and deliberate in how their lessons are delivered. Transferring learning activities from the classroom to online just for the sake of using technology does not guarantee a meaningful lesson, the same way using a SmartBoard in a traditional classroom does not ensure higher student achievement. My CEP812 group colleagues and I examined the wicked problem of re-imagining online learning and established three recommendations for making the best online learning experience for learners: Use online learning to differentiate learning, increase critical thinking about subject content, and allow learners to connect with peers and real world problems.
You can read more about this wicked problem and our recommendations by clicking here. After you have read through our white page and given thought to this wicked problem, please leave your feedback, questions or suggestions for improvement below.
Reference:
Kelson (2013, April 5). Kiwix on Android. Retrieved from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kiwix_on_Android.jpg.
Survey Results: Technology Integration and PD
This week’s blog post for CEP812 discusses the results of a survey I distributed about technology integration in the classroom and professional development. I chose to give the survey to members of my own department. I feel my department is a good representation of the entire school’s faculty because we have teacher’s ranging from their first year in the classroom to others with over twenty years experience. The results were interesting with some expected answers and other responses that were surprising. Survey participants indicated that teachers value technology and would appreciate professional development about integrating technology in the classroom; however, many responses also raised new questions that I am eager to investigate.
You can read about my survey and results at length here in Google docs.
Survey participants indicated they did not agree on how well our school prepared students for the digital era.
Thinking Critically: A Healthy Info Diet
Today, technology provides an abundance of opportunities for us. From watching major world events in real time to reading today’s edition of a newspaper from another continent, there are many technologies that have proven to be useful in expanding knowledge in a positive way. If used properly, technology can advance knowledge and learning; however, I contend that technology has actually harmed the info diets of many people in the United States and around the world today.
With social media we can choose who we receive snippets of the news from. It is almost like we are choosing our news Á la carte.
Some people live in virtual bubbles and do not want to acknowledge, let alone understand, the views of others. This is especially true in today’s digital age. I can cite examples of friends who obtain their news strictly from the conservative Fox News Channel and the liberal MSNBC. For the most part they acknowledge these networks have a bias, but it is also their bias. Essentially, they believe their views are correct and they are receiving verification of that by these networks. I can make similar observations on social media. My friends’ posts come from websites or blogs that share their same bias. Ultimately, what happens is people follow strictly people and organizations that they agree with. Their views are simply reaffirmed over and over again. This, I would argue, is a misuse of technology to advance knowledge and understanding. It is a very unhealthy info diet.
A healthy info diet would consist of obtaining news and knowledge from a variety of outlets with differing perspectives. Personally, I tend to seek out news outlets that stay in the middle of the road and try to avoid having a bias. But, it may be a good idea to also look at the conservative Fox view of a particular topic and then listen to the liberal MSNBC view of the same topic. This would allow me to better understand where both sides are coming from.
As a strong supporter of public education, I have generally been against school vouchers in the past. For this reason, I know I have sought after information that would verify that my assumption that vouchers would not be good for my state, Arizona, or even the entire country. Private school vouchers has been a hot button issue recently in Arizona. I decided to follow individuals and organizations who are proponents of vouchers in my RSS feed and on Twitter.
In an editorial printed in The Arizona Republic , Matthew Ladner (2014) offers a very convincing argument for private school vouchers. If you were a parent of a student in an underperforming traditional school and could not afford private school tuition, would you be happy sending your child to a failing school? Absolutely not.
A recent court ruling found that the private school vouchers, known as empowerment scholarships are allowed. This was reported on the Phoenix New Times blog where where Matthew Hendley (2014) argues these scholarships “empower parents to choose to spend the funds to suit their children’s needs best.” It is a valid point, isn’t it? Why shouldn’t parents be able to decide how money spent on their child’s education is spent?
The Alliance for School Choice (2014) recently paid for robocalls promoting vouchers in Arizona. It became a big controversy and many left-leaning blogs and news sites quoted U.S. Rep. Raul Grijalva saying the ASC violated privacy laws when gaining contact information of targeted parents. This is still widely accepted as fact by many people; however, this news release by ASC explains how the contact information was actually obtained. No laws appear to have been broken.
Does choice force bad schools to close? In the right-leaning National Review former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (2014) explains why school choice is needed right now. Bush says, “choice rewards success and weeds out stagnation, inefficiency, and failure.”
In NBC’s The West Wing, Sam Seaborn, a Democratic presidential adviser, is confronted by Mallory, a liberal teacher and the chief of staff’s daughter, when she finds a report he wrote supporting school vouchers.
As it turns out, the White House simply understands the importance of a healthy info diet and assigned Sam to research and write from the oppositions perspective. Sam does not really support school vouchers.
In the end, my eyes were opened to new perspectives by using technology to obtain a healthy info diet.
References:
Alliance for School Choice (2014, February 18). Alliance for School Choice responds to erroneous claims in Grijalva letter. Retrieved from: http://www.allianceforschoolchoice.org/media/36
Bush, J. (2014, January 27). We Need School Choice Now: The best solution to our nation’s failing educational system is empowering parents. Retrieved from: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/369444/we-need-school-choice-now-jeb-bush
Hendley, M. (2014, March 21). Arizona’s “Empowerment Scholarship Accounts” Survive Court Challenge. Retrieved from: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2014/03/arizona_empowerment_scholarship_accounts_upheld_supreme_court.php
Ladner, M. (2014, April 2). Why Empowerment Scholarship Accounts should be expanded. Retrieved from: http://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/2014/03/31/ariz-expand-school-voucher-like-program/7135273/
Masson, E. (2013, March 31). Social Media Icons [Image]. Retrieved from: http://erlen.co.uk/2013/03/erlens-social-media-icon-set-to-download/
Technology for Supporting Special Learning Need: ADHD
As a high school general education teacher I have well over one hundred students that vary in their learning needs. This post looks at one particular group: students with ADHD. My goal was to examine the types of technology that would benefit these students. After researching several journals, I found that ADHD students can indeed benefit from using technology in the classroom on a daily basis for anything from writing to merely staying organized.
You can read my posts in its entirety here on Google docs.
Students can use Voice to Text software to visualize their written work and to make corrections in grammar. This video is an example of Voice to Text software by Dragon Naturally Speaking.
Gee: The Anti-Education Era
My assignment this week in my educational technology class (CEP 812) included reading selected chapters in James Paul Gee’s (2013) book, The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students through Digital Learning. So far I have found the book to be thought provoking and enjoyable. While I think much of what Gee says is true, there are moments of contention; nonetheless, I am always thinking and reflecting.
Why has true education reform been so difficult in the United States? Why are today’s classrooms, with a lecturing teacher in front of rows of desks, so similar to the last century’s classrooms? Do schools in the United States need a paradigm shift? What would it take for educators to bring about this change? What is preventing us from solving this complex problem smartly?
These are questions I attempt to answer in my response to this week’s reading. You can view my response here in Google docs.
In the film Dead Poets Society, English teacher John Keating challenges the “frozen solutions” of the school. Mr. Keating’s actions are frowned upon by school administration.
CEP 812 Week 1 Screencast with Edmodo
Click on link to play Edmodo screen cast video: http://screencast.com/t/HfvwvV2m2
To increase student engagement and discussion inside and outside of the classroom I will be using Edmodo.com. Edmodo is a social networking tool for teachers. It is a great resource not only because it creates a new platform for student discourse, but it also allows teachers to review and critique student discussion. By participating in this online forum I am ensuring that 100% of my students are participating in genuine discussions, something that can be difficult in a traditional classroom setting.
In my government and economics classes student opinion and dialogue play a significant role in mastering our learning objectives. To be successful in these classes, students are responsible for identifying and understanding different political and economic views.
For many of our concepts there is not merely one correct answer. As an example, students may be asked to find a solution that would increase revenue for the government. Answers may range from cutting taxes to increasing taxes and both could be correct if explained properly.
I think Edmodo will be successful because social media is already embedded into the daily lives of teenagers and this website acts a s bridge between social networking and academic learning. As a teacher, this will be a great tool as it allows me to observe and respond to student discussion at a convenient and appropriate time.
Maker Experiment #3 (final post for CEP811)
CEP811 has been a positive learning experience for me. The course has helped me grow as a teacher who wants to incorporate technology in the classroom to transform how learning takes place. I have no doubt the experience from this class will help me continue this growth, both in the MAET program and in my classroom.
While unfortunately I don’t think I will be able to actually use my Maker Kit, the Squishy Circuit Kit, in my own classroom, I do think working with it during this class was worthwhile. For me, there was not an obvious connection between the Squishy Circuit Kit and my classroom or content areas, government and economics. Because there was no obvious connection I had to think outside of the proverbial box to repurpose the Squishy Circuit Kit and make it successfully fit into a lesson.
Repurposing tools teachers use, including technology, is something I constantly do. I often am repurposing tools without even thinking about it. At this point it has become second nature for me and many other educators. The reality is most teachers do not have an unlimited amount of resources and they have to make the most of the resources that are available. Teachers are always searching for new tools, sharing resources and ideas with their colleagues.
While working with my Maker Kit I was not only thinking about how I could use it in my class, it also made me think about repurposing in my classroom. I thought of how I already repurpose tools and technology in the classroom. From something as simple as using popsicle sticks with students’ names on them to randomize who I call on in class to students using cell phones to take polls and participate in class, there are many ways I am already repurposing. The truth is I have never really tried to brainstorm ideas to repurpose in my class. Most repurposed ideas and tools have been shared with me by colleagues.
After CEP811 I think I am more aware of my repurposing. Going forward in my teaching career I know repurposing will be something that I will be constantly thinking about. This is especially true as education becomes more technological, even though the availability technological resources may not keep up with this.
As the technological world evolves and educators have new resources at our disposal it is important for teachers to evaluate these new tools they are using. I would like the technology I use to transform my classroom and teaching. I do not want to use technology to simply transfer what my students already do, like writing with a pencil and paper, to doing the same assignment with technology, by writing on a Word document for example. It’s important to pause and think about how technology is being used and whether a new tool is actually beneficial in the classroom.
The Internet is full of tools for educators. Some tools are built for teachers, like Edublog, and others have been created for everyone, like YouTube, but teachers have found them useful in the classroom. The Internet can be viewed as overwhelming because there are so many possibilities, or it can be viewed as unlimited gifts to unwrap. There are many Web 2.0 sites and applications available, some of which we have used in CEP811. I am eager to try out more Web 2.0 tools, but I also recognize that each site needs to be evaluated for its benefits and how it will or won’t transform my classroom.
In fact, just today I had my students sign up for Edmodo accounts and join class pages. I think this Web 2.0 tool has great potential to transform my classes. In fact, it already has. After I sent an email to my classes with instructions to sign up, one of my absent students created an account from home even though she didn’t know exactly what Edmodo was. After joining the class page she was able to read my post describing what we did in class today and was able to get the assignment she missed. This student appreciated this new tool and its immediate impact was obvious by the comment she left. When this student returns tomorrow (hopefully), she will already have the assignment complete and will not be behind her classmates.
CEP811 has been an excellent class and I have learned a lot in the last eight weeks. I appreciate well-organized content, the thoughtful feedback from our instructor, Melissa White, and the opportunity to work with and learn from our MAET classmates. I look forward to the rest of my classes in the program!
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
I was pleasantly surprised by my success in finding useful and relevant information in this week’s assignment. Like many people today, I am used to using an Internet search engine to browse academic Websites when researching. There are, of course, many great things about the Internet and access to scholarly Websites is a big one. That being said, there are other traditional and nontraditional academic resources that a search engine simply may not direct you to.
For this assignment I had to contact a librarian at the Michigan State University library for help finding five scholarly resources that relate to my teaching practices and interests. Since I live on Arizona, physically going to the library was not an option. I figured I would have to call a librarian even after I discovered there is a 24/7 “Ask a Librarian” Instant Messenger available. In my past experiences with messenger helpers they have only been somewhat useful and often just an automated system.
I was half expecting the traditional automated response when I first sent my question message. It was nice to find out I was talking to an actual person who was knowledgeable and able to assist me. I explained what I was searching for and asked for suggested locations on the library’s site to search. They were very helpful in guiding me what to search for and where to search. I ended up mainly using ERIC and EBSCO (Education full-text) and found excellent scholarly resources.
After using the Instant Messenger librarian I would recommend this feature to classmates needing assistance with research. I found the librarian to be pleasant, prompt and very helpful. It was also nice to be able to ask them questions and search the library’s Website at the same time without having an awkward moment of silence while waiting on the phone. The only problem I had with the Instant Messenger was not receiving an email of the transcript of our conversation like I was told would be sent to me. It would have been nice to have all of the recommendations for my record.
Here are the resources I selected:
Article 1:
Roberts, S. (2013). The “Chalk Talk” 2.0: Using Google Docs to Improve the Silent Discussion in Social Studies. Social Studies, 104(3), 130-136.
http://www.tandfonline.com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/doi/abs/10.1080/00377996.2012.703972#.UxK3jPRdXO8
This article, with a focus on social studies education, highlights the importance of discussion in learning. The article notes that in a traditional classroom discussion teacher’s can struggle to have 100% participation. To increase student involvement “Chalk Talk” was developed. Chalk Talk requires all students to participate in a discussion by having them stand around a chalkboard (or dry erase board) and silently answer questions, give their opinions or generate new questions by writing these on the board. This will help with students who are hesitant to speak aloud in front of the entire class and it gives them time to think about their answers before they respond. The article suggests that this in class chalk talk can now be done outside of the class using a Web 2.0 tool like Google Docs. Students are able to use a blank document as their chalkboard and participate in a discussion as homework.
I think the “Chalk Talk” idea is an excellent way to encourage all students to participate in discussion. I especially like the idea of using Web 2.0 technology to change the way students do homework. With tools like Google Docs or blogs students can now participate in a genuine discussion about important topics from the class. As a social studies teacher I appreciate this concept very much. The author of the article explains how important class discussions are to students understanding topics in social studies and I agree. It would be extremely difficult for a high school student to fully comprehend social studies concepts by simply listening to a teacher speak, reading about the concept and then answering book questions about it. Discussions with the teacher and peers are essential to learning in social studies.
Article 2:
Capo, B., & Orellana, A. (2011). WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES FOR CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION: High School Teachers’ Perceptions and Adoption Factors. Quarterly Review Of Distance Education, 12(4), 235-253.
“Web 2.0 Technologies for Classroom Instruction” takes a close look out who is actually using Web 2.0 tools in the classroom. The results were not promising for Web 2.0 technology. Overall most teachers that participated in the study said they do not use these tools in their classrooms. Of the teachers that use Web 2.0 technology in their classes it was at a very low rate of frequency. For example, the percentage of teachers that responded they either use these tools frequently or always are in the low single digits. On the other hand, teachers that said they would not use Web 2.0 tools in their classrooms were in the double digits, but not over 50%.
The results of the study mentioned in this article were not surprising to me. When I think about the school that I work in I know there is a small group of teachers that are gung ho about using technology in the classroom, but the vast majority of teachers do not want to change the flow of their classes that they have created over the years. Of course, some teachers are hesitant to try new technology because they are not used to it themselves. I think if more teachers understood Web 2.0 tools and had an opportunity to practice with them they would be willing to use them in their classes. I understand why some people may not want to jump through hoops to try this technology out. For example, in the school I work at it seems that the tech department is working against me trying out new technology like a blog or granting my students access to specific websites. There is a legitimate online safety concern and I understand that.
Article 3:
Scheuerell, S. (2010). Virtual Warrensburg: Using Cooperative Learning and the Internet in the Social Studies Classroom. Social Studies, 101(5), 194-199.
In this article the author encourages social studies teachers to use the Internet to enhance cooperative learning. The article states that 94% of students admit to using only the Internet when researching for an assignment and many young learners are stereotyped as a generation that only works alone. The author suggests that social studies teachers can use the Internet in a positive way that will bring students together to communicate and learn. He suggests using cooperative groups of students to use the Internet to research a specific topic and then generate a Website about their assigned topic. Dr. Spencer Kagen’s PIES (Positive interdependence, Individual accountability, Equal participation, and Simultaneous interaction) theory is noted in the article and is noticeable in the Website building activity.
The author of this article did a good job of tying cooperative learning with a practical use of the World Wide Web. I found the ideas mentioned in the article to be thought provoking, relevant and useful. This is definitely something that I will be able to implement in my classroom. An idea I had for my government class is for students to work in cooperative groups to make a campaign website for a candidate. Given the background information of a candidate they will have to research online to find out where the person would be on the political spectrum, where they would stand on specific issues and what their campaign messages would be.
Article 4:
Wilson, E., Wright, V., Inman, C., & Matherson, L. (2011). Retooling the Social Studies Classroom for the Current Generation. Social Studies, 102(2), 65-72.
This article explains that the way the current generation of students communicates has changed from traditional methods. Today’s students are used to the digital world of communication and that is how they prefer to communicate. The author highlights significant Web 2.0 tools to use in the classroom. The article states that teachers – specifically, social studies teachers – need to utilize Web 2.0 tools to effectively communicate with this new generation of learners.
As a social studies teacher wishing to further implement technology in my classroom I found this article to be very exciting. I loved the Web 2.0 tools that were discussed, websites that were recommended and the author’s examples of how these tools can be practically used in a social studies classroom.
Article 5:
Kitsis, S. M. (2008). The Facebook Generation: Homework as Social Networking. English Journal, 98(2), 30-36.
http://search.proquest.com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/237310178
In “The Facebook Generation” Kitsis explains the importance of discussion in learning. She found that students felt their homework was isolating them. Homework traditionally is completed alone and for busy students could be the last thing on a to-do list late in the night. Kitsis decided to “rethink” how her homework was assigned and created a new discussion based homework format. She required students to exchange emails that discussed an assigned reading. This was a success and Kitsis points out could be done with other social media tools, such as a blog or Facebook.
I thought this was a fantastic article and loved the idea of having students participate in discussions outside of the classroom. For several months I have been seeking administrative approval to create class blogs. Unfortunately, the permission to start one has been caught up in the district’s bureaucracy. I understand some of the associated safety concerns, but waiting is still very frustrating. I believe I can use ideas from this article in my classroom. To increase student engagement for homework I can have students participate in discussions using Google Docs or by an exchange of emails.
Revising Maker Experiment No. 1 with UDL
In my redesigned Maker Experiment I will incorporate the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concept into the lesson. The goal of UDL is to turn novice learners into experts by individualizing the learning process (Rose, D.H. & Gravel, J., 2011). The instructional methods used will facilitate student learning without using the “one size fits all” approach found in many classrooms today.
To successfully include the UDL concept in my lesson I needed to add new learning techniques, such as exchanging comments on Google docs. Other practices used in my first Maker Experiment post already fit the UDL mode, like using cooperative learning that ensures all students are participating, including the students “in the margins.”
Before students can be assigned their groups they first must have an understanding of the framework of political parties. During brief lectures, I will use visual aids, such as graphics and pictures to help students understand the basic concepts they need to understand to complete their group projects. In addition to the in-class visual aids, I will also have students watch online videos as part of their homework to supplement my lectures.
Outside of class students will read articles, either on a tablet or computer, which will allow students to enlarge the font size if necessary. The articles will be accessed on a Google doc, which will allow me to separate the articles into different chunks before students read it. It will also allow for students to highlight text and write questions and comments about specific sections. In addition to answering text-based questions, students will also write summaries of each chunk using the comments feature of Google docs. This will allow me to monitor the students’ understanding of the text as well as leave a response to their summaries.
Teachers can leave timely feedback for students when they use tablets/computers inside and outside the classroom.
In class and out of class this lesson uses multiple means of learning the fundamental concepts of political parties. Students will have gained knowledge from a traditional lecture from a teacher, the uses of imagery including graphics and pictures, the use of audio/visual with Web-based videos, and finally through reading a variety of texts on their own with Google docs.
When students are assigned groups to work in I will consider each learners’ strengths and weaknesses. Members of the group will have specific roles and responsibilities that will be outlined in the instructions. Group members will be accountable to each other. Students will be given a grading rubric and assignments in Google docs. As groups complete assignments I will be able to check their progress and communicate with them by leaving comments on the pages for all members to view.
By using a grading rubric, students know what will be required from them. Using this information, students will generate a list of goals and objectives to reach in order to earn a good grade. Students will also need to create a schedule of when each goal or objective will be met. This will also be used as a checklist and a means for me to monitor the groups’ progress. It also helps the novice learners become experts by teaching them how to plan to learn.
The redesigned Maker Experiment will require students to work in cooperative groups to learn about a specific political party, design a presentation and present it to the class.
To increase student engagement in class, Dr. Spencer Kagan suggests using cooperative learning, and one method is the Round Robin approach. In this approach, group members will discuss their chosen political party. Each student will share their thoughts with the rest of the group using guided questions. To avoid one or two students dominating the discussions, groups will use Squishy Circuits to ensure everyone participates. Each group member will be required to light a LED when they participate. This is a good way for the teacher to monitor participation and hold students accountable.
Finally, groups will have to present to the class the specific political party they researched. The groups will have a wide range of options when presenting, but they will be required to use several mediums. Students could create their own drawings, include audio performances, or make a video presentation for the class.
As a teacher, this assignment allows me to assess students throughout the entire process. At the beginning of the assignment I can give immediate feedback to individual students as they read articles and watch online videos. Additionally, feedback will be provided throughout the group work, both in and out of class. Using Google docs I will be able to monitor group progress and leave feedback. Finally, I will be able to assess the final product in the student presentations. This not only ensures that the grading is comprehensive and accurate, but the continuous and timely feedback will help the students become expert learners.
References:
Kagan Cooperative Learning. Retrieved February 23, 2014, from http://www.kaganonline.com/free_articles/research_and_rationale/330/The-Essential-5-A-Starting-Point-for-Kagan-Cooperative-
OLPC (date unknown). Retrieved February 23, 2014. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/OLPC_Class_-_Mongolia_Ulaanbaatar.
JPGRose, D.H. & Gravel, J. (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines (V.2.0). Wakefield, MA: Cast.org.
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