I made a Power Point presentation for my wicked problems presentation and then recorded myself walking through it. I feel like it really brings all of my ideas to life and sums up a lot of what I was thinking about in the project.
Friday, July 29, 2011
Group Leadership Copyright Project.
Eric, Pam, Greg, and I created a group project that focused on Copyright laws, Creative Commnons, Fair Use, and Public Domain. We had scratched the surface of this great big goliath topic at the beginning of July when we were working together in East Lansing but we wanted to dig deeper. Since we all lived in different areas so we decided to form our group via the internet (facebook, ect.) and collaborate using the all mighty cloud.
It was decided that we would make a professional development type presentation and the group thought that a combination of Prezi and Jing would be the most effective we of conveying our information. We then split up the work and all went our separate way to create out marvelous presentations. When we met up online we found we had a lot of great material so we created a Website for the information on Weebly.com.
During my travels through the world of Copyright laws I learned a couple of really clear facts.
1) I would not be a good lawyer. There is a lot of research that goes into being a good lawyer and there are thousands of similar but different cases out there and they all need to be read and digested in order to gain a good understanding of exactly what is going on.
2) Copyright laws have a lot to do with the flow of money. Everyone in the world needs money and they would like as much of it as they can get so it makes sense that you would do everything you can to protect your money and its flow. As an educator, I am not necessarily trying to make a profit from a lot of the things I do so I have certain loop holes and backdoors that can make my life a lot easier and I really enjoy that.
3) The public domain is a really great thing. I feel like a lot of great can come out of material that is shared by everyone. I don’t feel entitled to all of the things in the public domain, I feel blessed to have unrestricted access to them. I plan on exploring all of the great things that are in the domain and putting them to use in my professional and private lives.
4) Keeping your presentation short and to the point can be very difficult. Even though I was only asked to focus on a portion of our entire group project I still found a ton of helpful information that I wanted to talk about. Unfortunately, we were trying to avoid any kind of long winded responses so I tried my best to shorten things up to those things that were most important or directly requested by the audience (via wallwisher)
If I had to develop a similar product in the future I would try to communicate more effectively with my group. We used email, messaging, and chatting but I feel like I was always late to the party or confused by what was being posted. I really let my group down with my poor communication skills. Call me old fashion but, I needed some real face-to-face meeting (even though that would have been impossible in my group). Also, it would have been extremely nice if I could have worked on this while I had some consistent access to the internet. Rustic camping and digital presentations just don't mix.
The website:
http://groupleadershipproject.weebly.com/index.html
Here is my screencast presentation Fair Use.
It was decided that we would make a professional development type presentation and the group thought that a combination of Prezi and Jing would be the most effective we of conveying our information. We then split up the work and all went our separate way to create out marvelous presentations. When we met up online we found we had a lot of great material so we created a Website for the information on Weebly.com.
During my travels through the world of Copyright laws I learned a couple of really clear facts.
1) I would not be a good lawyer. There is a lot of research that goes into being a good lawyer and there are thousands of similar but different cases out there and they all need to be read and digested in order to gain a good understanding of exactly what is going on.
2) Copyright laws have a lot to do with the flow of money. Everyone in the world needs money and they would like as much of it as they can get so it makes sense that you would do everything you can to protect your money and its flow. As an educator, I am not necessarily trying to make a profit from a lot of the things I do so I have certain loop holes and backdoors that can make my life a lot easier and I really enjoy that.
3) The public domain is a really great thing. I feel like a lot of great can come out of material that is shared by everyone. I don’t feel entitled to all of the things in the public domain, I feel blessed to have unrestricted access to them. I plan on exploring all of the great things that are in the domain and putting them to use in my professional and private lives.
4) Keeping your presentation short and to the point can be very difficult. Even though I was only asked to focus on a portion of our entire group project I still found a ton of helpful information that I wanted to talk about. Unfortunately, we were trying to avoid any kind of long winded responses so I tried my best to shorten things up to those things that were most important or directly requested by the audience (via wallwisher)
If I had to develop a similar product in the future I would try to communicate more effectively with my group. We used email, messaging, and chatting but I feel like I was always late to the party or confused by what was being posted. I really let my group down with my poor communication skills. Call me old fashion but, I needed some real face-to-face meeting (even though that would have been impossible in my group). Also, it would have been extremely nice if I could have worked on this while I had some consistent access to the internet. Rustic camping and digital presentations just don't mix.
The website:
http://groupleadershipproject.weebly.com/index.html
Here is my screencast presentation Fair Use.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Professional Learning Plan Vodcast
I created a Vodcast about my Professional Learning Plan and the new school year while I was on a family vacation at Silver Lake MI.
Growing Up Online
Today I watched two sobering videos about the effects of the internet on our planet's youth. These young people will be in charge of our nations and our well being in only a few years and they are being brought up in a way that is almost completely foreign to previous generations. The big question is: Is the internet good or bad for our kids? And I'm certain that there is not good answer to that all powerful questions. You might as well ask what the meaning of life is. Even though the videos didn't answer the big questions they did bring up a number of different good points that I wanted to comment on here.
Here are the videos:
DigitalNation
GrowingUp Online
I found some of the quotes from the films to be very moving. Here are a few that really struck a chord with me.
“Multitaskers are bad at every part of multitasking”
I really agree with this quote in two different ways. I know that I have a personal bad habit of multitasking when I am surrounded by technology. I also know that when I allow myself to multitask my productivity really suffers. I have trained myself in a number of different ways to avoid this by altering my work habits but there are still times when I fall prey to my own sabotage. One of the things I do to avoid my multitasking is to try and get my work done while I am still at work. If I am writing lesson plans or grading tests then I try to do it while I am sitting at my desk in my classroom where I don’t have access to my music and would dream of checking Facebook.
The educator in me can relate to this statement as well. I have seen my students when they are focused and I have seen them when they are distracted by cell phones, iTouches, and laptops and their output is shockingly different. Not only does it take more time to turn out a product when they are focusing on one thing but the quality of that product is far superior. For that reason there are days when I ban music and mp3 players from my classroom. I want my students to feel the silence and try their very best to focus in on a single task without having to worry about anything else.
“It took a long time for us to realize smoking was bad for our health.”
It may be hard to believe but this whole “Internet” thing is still very young and that means that it is still experiencing some growing pains. This is exactly what happened when cigarettes first came into popularity. They received a lot of wonderful press because they could mellow your mood and help you lose weight but then after a long time the ugly truth came out and the public view of smoking drastically changed.
The internet has also receive a lot of very positive press and has definitely made human life easier in a lot of ways but that isn’t the end of the story. Only time will tell exactly how we will view the internet. Maybe some serious changes need to be made. Maybe we will abandon the infrastructure for something even newer, better, and faster. It’s hard to tell. The one truth that I can see right now is that we are just now starting to see some of the ugliness that had been lurking just under the surface.
“To walk into a classroom that doesn’t have any media is like walking into a dessert.”
I thought this was a good reminder for the teacher in me. Many times, it can be so easy for me to go about my day just using a minimal amount of technology. My techniques may have been an effective way to teach lessons when I was a student but they don’t cut the mustard anymore. Often times I just fall into comfortable routines and do what I’ve done in the past but that doesn’t mean that my lessons are as good as they could be. When I reflect back on my methods I always feel like I could do more. I know there are tools out there that could make my lessons better but I need to be reminded from time to time.
“We have LCD projectors in almost every classroom.”
This particular statement was uttered by a high school principal in one of the films and although it seems like a very one dimensional quote I saw a deeper meaning. There is a very big emphasis in updating the technology in schools right now. So many times, people outside of the classroom focus almost entirely on “the toys” (LCD projectors, SMART boards, laptops, graphing calculators) and not the training, searching, and experimenting that goes into actually using “the toys” effectively in a lesson. A SMART board on its own will not help students learn their grammar fact or prepare them from their future careers. A quality teacher is still the most important element in any classroom. This doesn’t mean that technology shouldn’t be welcomed into every classroom. I feel like technology is a great teaching tool but it needs to work harmoniously with teachers in order to reap the greatest benefits.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
This I Believe: The Education Edition
I created a short podcast about some of my thought on the future of education and teaching. I have really changed some of the views this summer and I wanted to share the new and improved ME.
DOWNLOAD the podcast here.
Transcript:
What do you believe about education?
DOWNLOAD the podcast here.
Transcript:
Education is in an almost constant state of flux. As an educator you have a few choices when it comes to dealing with this. 1) You can fight the changes and get battered around like a dingy in stormy seas. 2) You can hold out on taking action until all of the changes come to an end like an ostrich with its head in the sand. 3) You can ride the waves of change and learn to flow with them like a professional surfer on his favorite break. Personally, riding the waves of change sounds like the best option even though I don’t always take my own advice.
One of the biggest changes happening in education right now is the integration of technology into course work. This push for integration doesn’t mean that teachers pepper technology in between lessons or during projects. It means that teachers start using technology at every step of the learning process. Technology becomes more important to the classroom and students than chalk, pencils, and a college ruled notebooks.
I believe that there is no time to waste for teachers. The world is changing and we need to change with it. We are teaching the children of the 21st Century and they cannot wait for anything including education. We are preparing students for jobs that don’t even exist yet and we need to start using some extreme techniques to get them ready.
I believe that now is the time to experiment and take chances. Countless studies have shown that teaching technologically savvy students with archaic methods and tools is ineffective. We need to use tools that will meld old concepts of pedagogy and content with new technologies to form something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Educators also need to look to all of their students for inspiration and not just those students that we deem typical. By catering to those at the very extremes of your class you will most likely satisfy those in the middle as well while you benefit the entire group. We way faultier along the way but the most important things are that we remain dynamic and continue to hone our skills.
I believe that educators need to return to the roles of students and learners so they can then be better teachers. Education is so dynamic that there will always be new things to discover and the best teacher in the coming years will also the best students. Furthermore, not all learning needs to take place at an expensive university or crowded conference. The use of online learning platforms and digital personal learning networks can help all different kinds of teachers strive for the next level.
I believe that the teacher is not an endangered species. Many people fear that flesh and blood teachers will start dwindling and even go extinct with the rise of the online classroom. It is definitely true that online courses are becoming more popular but they will never be able to replace the type of intimate and informative instruction that can be delivers in a face-to-face setting by a master teacher. Online classes will begin taking up larger chunks of each student’s education but there will always be a need for a living and breathing being to sort things out or pick up the pieces when things go wrong.
With all of these changes whirling around education it can feel like we are all scrambling on unstable ground and the truth is actually much worse. We are all actually on a wave in a sea and we are falling. The goal is not to panic because that will certainly lead to death but rather to do our best to fall gracefully riding a perfectly formed board known as technology.
What do you believe about education?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Leadership? BRING IT ON!...Again
I've been thinking about leadership this week. All of my new tech toys that now reside in my teacher toolbox are going to find their way into my classroom and people are going to take notice. Other teachers are going to see or hear about my students doing things in ways that they had never even thought of before and that is going to cause some chatter. There is a very good chance that some of those teachers will come to me an d ask me to help them do some of the same things that I am doing in my classes. I will become a teach leader.
In our building, we are blessed with a fantastic tech coordinator that helps the entire staff do wonderful things in our classrooms when our students are there and even when they aren't. Also, in every department there is an unofficial teach guru as well. You know this person, they just bough an iPad and want to show you all of the cool things it does, or they know about ten super cool websites that they use in their class all the time and think you should use them too. I've always been on the verge of this unofficial status because I know my way around MS Words, and I am a super crazy test file maker. I've never had any real "wow" status that would draw people to me and most of my skills don't apply directly to students. I think that my new tools are going to change all of that and I am going to become a big fish in a small pond.
The strange thing is that I've already jumped through these same hoops and done these same types of things in different parts of my career. I am a leader in my building for a few other concentrations and feel that my work in those different realms will greatly help me as I become a new tech leader. In Elena Aguilar's Article entitles "Becoming a Teacher leader she says:
"We look for attributes of leadership: teachers who are thinking outside of their classrooms, teachers who take risks within their classroom, teachers who aren't afraid to say that they don't know something, or who aren't afraid to share what they do know"
After only a short year in my building administration and some of the major decision makers in my building had already found those things inside of me and approached me to become a teacher leader and pilot teacher for a new Algebra 2 program that was being developed. I was very surprised and honored to be even asked and decided to take on the challenge of working with some students that really struggled with mathematics but legally had to get through Algebra 2 in order to graduate. I found the leadership position both scary and exhilarating at the same time. It was scary because my decisions were have a strong effect on classes of students and I wanted to make sure I did the kind of quality job that being expected from me by those who put me there. It was exhilarating because I was able to make decisions and be dynamic and creative even if some of those decisions ended in failure. I was allowed to entertain the idea of going on a field trip to the corner Speedway gas station for Slurpees and I was capable of trying group quizzes where students work together on a single assessment. I also really enjoyed experimenting with lesson plans. I would try out lesson plans and some wour be complete utter failures and other would be great. The important thing was that I tried it, I showed it for my administrators, the kids gave me feedback, and we all moved forward together. It has been great fun and great anger all rolled into one.
I am excited to be taking on another leadership role and I hope it brings on the same fears and joys that I have been experiencing as a curriculum teacher leader.
In our building, we are blessed with a fantastic tech coordinator that helps the entire staff do wonderful things in our classrooms when our students are there and even when they aren't. Also, in every department there is an unofficial teach guru as well. You know this person, they just bough an iPad and want to show you all of the cool things it does, or they know about ten super cool websites that they use in their class all the time and think you should use them too. I've always been on the verge of this unofficial status because I know my way around MS Words, and I am a super crazy test file maker. I've never had any real "wow" status that would draw people to me and most of my skills don't apply directly to students. I think that my new tools are going to change all of that and I am going to become a big fish in a small pond.
The strange thing is that I've already jumped through these same hoops and done these same types of things in different parts of my career. I am a leader in my building for a few other concentrations and feel that my work in those different realms will greatly help me as I become a new tech leader. In Elena Aguilar's Article entitles "Becoming a Teacher leader she says:
"We look for attributes of leadership: teachers who are thinking outside of their classrooms, teachers who take risks within their classroom, teachers who aren't afraid to say that they don't know something, or who aren't afraid to share what they do know"
After only a short year in my building administration and some of the major decision makers in my building had already found those things inside of me and approached me to become a teacher leader and pilot teacher for a new Algebra 2 program that was being developed. I was very surprised and honored to be even asked and decided to take on the challenge of working with some students that really struggled with mathematics but legally had to get through Algebra 2 in order to graduate. I found the leadership position both scary and exhilarating at the same time. It was scary because my decisions were have a strong effect on classes of students and I wanted to make sure I did the kind of quality job that being expected from me by those who put me there. It was exhilarating because I was able to make decisions and be dynamic and creative even if some of those decisions ended in failure. I was allowed to entertain the idea of going on a field trip to the corner Speedway gas station for Slurpees and I was capable of trying group quizzes where students work together on a single assessment. I also really enjoyed experimenting with lesson plans. I would try out lesson plans and some wour be complete utter failures and other would be great. The important thing was that I tried it, I showed it for my administrators, the kids gave me feedback, and we all moved forward together. It has been great fun and great anger all rolled into one.
I am excited to be taking on another leadership role and I hope it brings on the same fears and joys that I have been experiencing as a curriculum teacher leader.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
WPP: Post B
This post will be a continuation of the post I created yesterday.
The "Wicked" problem that I came across in my classroom was so challenging that I needed some sort of frame work to help me tackle it properly. The TPACK frame work is a very helpful tool that emphasizes the inclusion of technology into lessons and even whole courses. The best part of the TPACK model is that it is a conglomeration of content knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Technology Knowledge (TK). The thought behind the whole framework is that a 21st century lesson is at its very best when it strikes perfect balance between all three of those knowledge areas.
I will be breaking down and dissecting my lesson to highlight how the three different elements interact within the lesson.
PC (pedagogy and content): One of the big pedagogical things that I have learned about lately is called the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and from that I have come to really appreciate the power of differentiated instruction. If you can design a lesson that works for you fringe-type students then it will almost certainly help your my typical students. This was a major goal for my number hierarchy lesson. I felt like I needed to differentiate the learning process because the content was very abstract and discouraging for a lot of students. I tried to attack the problem at a couple of different levels. I think the diagram is a good middle of the road technique that will help some but not all. I think the pictures are a good lower level technique that could also be expanded to an upper level of technique if students try to capture some of the more complex number systems or get creative. I also think the quiz/program would be a good tool. I think creating it is a very upper level project but using it would definitely help my lower level students. They could take the quiz with a certain number in mind and then the quiz would determine exactly what kind of number it is.
TP (technology and pedagogy): The diagram will be presented using animations in some sort of presentation software and I don't think the technology will offer much pedagogical support because there won't be any interactivity or wow factor. The picture taking portion of the lesson will inspire some students and will provide them with an opportunity to express themselves. I think this plan of attack will really draw a lot of kids in because it creates a connection (if only a weak one) between something they like/love (taking pictures) and something they are learning about (number systems). This will assist in the teaching process and eliminate the need for other pedagogical strategies. The quiz will attract and help two different students groups at two different times. In the beginning, those students that already have a good solid understanding of the hierarchy of numbers will get the project off the ground and actually build the quiz. This can be an activity that is carried out without a teacher present so that the teacher can then work with the other students who are struggling. Then, those students who were struggling will be able to test and use the quiz to see if it works. This will help further their understanding and give all of the students a chance to interact and provide feedback for one another.
TC (technology and content): The Technology is a way to really differentiate the presentation of the content. I don't believe I would be able to offer as many different representations without having the use of technology. items like digital cameras, computers, and the Internet allow the students to see things in ways that a text book and a whiteboard cannot provide. Also, the technology will allow everything to happen much faster which will help hold students attention and stop the lesson from dragging out and becoming a chore.
The "Wicked" problem that I came across in my classroom was so challenging that I needed some sort of frame work to help me tackle it properly. The TPACK frame work is a very helpful tool that emphasizes the inclusion of technology into lessons and even whole courses. The best part of the TPACK model is that it is a conglomeration of content knowledge (CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PK), and Technology Knowledge (TK). The thought behind the whole framework is that a 21st century lesson is at its very best when it strikes perfect balance between all three of those knowledge areas.
I will be breaking down and dissecting my lesson to highlight how the three different elements interact within the lesson.
PC (pedagogy and content): One of the big pedagogical things that I have learned about lately is called the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and from that I have come to really appreciate the power of differentiated instruction. If you can design a lesson that works for you fringe-type students then it will almost certainly help your my typical students. This was a major goal for my number hierarchy lesson. I felt like I needed to differentiate the learning process because the content was very abstract and discouraging for a lot of students. I tried to attack the problem at a couple of different levels. I think the diagram is a good middle of the road technique that will help some but not all. I think the pictures are a good lower level technique that could also be expanded to an upper level of technique if students try to capture some of the more complex number systems or get creative. I also think the quiz/program would be a good tool. I think creating it is a very upper level project but using it would definitely help my lower level students. They could take the quiz with a certain number in mind and then the quiz would determine exactly what kind of number it is.
TP (technology and pedagogy): The diagram will be presented using animations in some sort of presentation software and I don't think the technology will offer much pedagogical support because there won't be any interactivity or wow factor. The picture taking portion of the lesson will inspire some students and will provide them with an opportunity to express themselves. I think this plan of attack will really draw a lot of kids in because it creates a connection (if only a weak one) between something they like/love (taking pictures) and something they are learning about (number systems). This will assist in the teaching process and eliminate the need for other pedagogical strategies. The quiz will attract and help two different students groups at two different times. In the beginning, those students that already have a good solid understanding of the hierarchy of numbers will get the project off the ground and actually build the quiz. This can be an activity that is carried out without a teacher present so that the teacher can then work with the other students who are struggling. Then, those students who were struggling will be able to test and use the quiz to see if it works. This will help further their understanding and give all of the students a chance to interact and provide feedback for one another.
TC (technology and content): The Technology is a way to really differentiate the presentation of the content. I don't believe I would be able to offer as many different representations without having the use of technology. items like digital cameras, computers, and the Internet allow the students to see things in ways that a text book and a whiteboard cannot provide. Also, the technology will allow everything to happen much faster which will help hold students attention and stop the lesson from dragging out and becoming a chore.
WPP: Part A
I am having a problem. The problem is that my students are not making lasting connections with the hierarchy of numbers. Lets tart from the beginning.
The Hierarchy of numbers is a way of classifying numbers. When you are very young you learn about some very simple numbers like 1, 2 3, 4, 100, and so on. Even though there a lot of these types of numbers (infintly many), they are very easy to understand. You can see one car, you can touch two apples, you can even hear 1,000 football fans all cheering for their favorite team. These number are called the Natural numbers. That makes sense because these are the number that come most naturally to us.
Then, Things start to get more complex. The all mighty zero is added to the mix. This is a very hard concept to understand because it is not easy to see, touch, or hear zero. It takes time to let that concept sink in. If you think about all of your natural numbers AND you also include zero then you have the set of numbers that are known as the Whole numbers. Some people think they should actually be called the "hole" number instead but that's just a bad math joke (get it?).
Then another big step takes place when negative numbers are introduced. These are another challenging concept because once again, it is harder to show people what a negative number looks like. When these negative numbers are added to the Whole number (The Natural numbers and zero) you have a collection that is known as the Integers. And the process continues as you add in fractions, decimals, and even stranger types of numbers.
Students seem to do well with the first few tiers of the hierarchy but as things become bigger and more numbers are added to the mix they lose their connection to the material. One of the problems is the one that I have already mentioned. It becomes harder and harder to see and touch the different kinds of number. Its not possible to show the square root of two apples. The other problem is the way the number sets are defined. As the sets get bigger and include more numbers they tend to stop being defined by what they are and start being defined by what they aren't. Its kind of like trying to explain what it means to be alive. "Alive" and "living" are very general terms that apply to a lot of different things. You can't say that all living things have bones, or hearts, or leaves. You will miss a larger portion of life by using these terms so it is sometimes easier to define "living" by stating what it means to NOT live.
All of this means that students don't particularly care about the hierarchy of numbers and even when they do learn it the information doesn't stick with them for very long. I have tried to teach this topic a number of different ways in my classroom but I still struggle. It is as if there just aren't enough examples in the world. My students don't leave my classroom seeing the same things I see.
I have tried using diagrams and they work well but they are far from perfect. They require a lot of examples. I feel like I have to come up with hundreds of different examples of numbers that fit into each tier and that is impossible. I can;t write all of the numbers that I need to write.
I have also tried interactive lessons like the one described HERE. In the lesson the kinds have to put number they have been assigned into certain locations. This is good but it lacks the concept that some sets of numbers exist within other sets.
I want to remedy this issue that I am having and the only way I can think to do it is to differentiate my instruction in a lot of different ways so that at least one method clicks with each individual in the class.
My proposed technique.
I would like to start the first day with what I am comfortable with and that is the diagrams. I fully know that the diagrams are flawed but they still hold some value for some students so I would still like to use them. I would also like to create a video version of this diagram so that it stops being a static item and becomes dynamic. I would like to have students create short videos of themselves finding the different kinds of numbers in the world. Natural numbers will be very easy and irrational numbers will be much harder but I believe it is possible.
To continue with the diagram, I would like student to create their own "trick" to help them remember the the hierarchy. My initially thought for my "trick" would be that my finger tips would represent natural numbers. Then if you touch your thumb to your index that creates a "0" so my hand would be Whole numbers. Then my elbow would be integers because it can swing back and fourth representing positive and negative numbers. And so on. another great idea would be a song or rap.
I would also like to work on the interconnected nature of the different tiers by having students create a collection of yes/no questions that could be answered to determine where a number belongs. we could then turn the questions into an online quiz or a program (graphing calculator or C++). I think this would be very beneficial for student because it would really force them to understand exactly how each of the number sets were interconnected.
I have definitly identified a problem in my class and come up with a number of different techniques to help but I won't know if it works until much later down the road. As stated earlier, students usually retain information about the hierarchy long enough to do well on a chapter assessment but they lose it after that. My indicator for success would occur at exam review time or even at standardized testing. I am trying to create activities that will help my students hold onto what they have learned for more than just a couple of weeks. I want to see student recall this knowledge months later when they really need it.
Have you ever taught the number hierarchy or number systems? What have you tired that I am not thinking about?
The Hierarchy of numbers is a way of classifying numbers. When you are very young you learn about some very simple numbers like 1, 2 3, 4, 100, and so on. Even though there a lot of these types of numbers (infintly many), they are very easy to understand. You can see one car, you can touch two apples, you can even hear 1,000 football fans all cheering for their favorite team. These number are called the Natural numbers. That makes sense because these are the number that come most naturally to us.
Then, Things start to get more complex. The all mighty zero is added to the mix. This is a very hard concept to understand because it is not easy to see, touch, or hear zero. It takes time to let that concept sink in. If you think about all of your natural numbers AND you also include zero then you have the set of numbers that are known as the Whole numbers. Some people think they should actually be called the "hole" number instead but that's just a bad math joke (get it?).
Then another big step takes place when negative numbers are introduced. These are another challenging concept because once again, it is harder to show people what a negative number looks like. When these negative numbers are added to the Whole number (The Natural numbers and zero) you have a collection that is known as the Integers. And the process continues as you add in fractions, decimals, and even stranger types of numbers.
Students seem to do well with the first few tiers of the hierarchy but as things become bigger and more numbers are added to the mix they lose their connection to the material. One of the problems is the one that I have already mentioned. It becomes harder and harder to see and touch the different kinds of number. Its not possible to show the square root of two apples. The other problem is the way the number sets are defined. As the sets get bigger and include more numbers they tend to stop being defined by what they are and start being defined by what they aren't. Its kind of like trying to explain what it means to be alive. "Alive" and "living" are very general terms that apply to a lot of different things. You can't say that all living things have bones, or hearts, or leaves. You will miss a larger portion of life by using these terms so it is sometimes easier to define "living" by stating what it means to NOT live.
All of this means that students don't particularly care about the hierarchy of numbers and even when they do learn it the information doesn't stick with them for very long. I have tried to teach this topic a number of different ways in my classroom but I still struggle. It is as if there just aren't enough examples in the world. My students don't leave my classroom seeing the same things I see.
I have tried using diagrams and they work well but they are far from perfect. They require a lot of examples. I feel like I have to come up with hundreds of different examples of numbers that fit into each tier and that is impossible. I can;t write all of the numbers that I need to write.
I want to remedy this issue that I am having and the only way I can think to do it is to differentiate my instruction in a lot of different ways so that at least one method clicks with each individual in the class.
My proposed technique.
I would like to start the first day with what I am comfortable with and that is the diagrams. I fully know that the diagrams are flawed but they still hold some value for some students so I would still like to use them. I would also like to create a video version of this diagram so that it stops being a static item and becomes dynamic. I would like to have students create short videos of themselves finding the different kinds of numbers in the world. Natural numbers will be very easy and irrational numbers will be much harder but I believe it is possible.
To continue with the diagram, I would like student to create their own "trick" to help them remember the the hierarchy. My initially thought for my "trick" would be that my finger tips would represent natural numbers. Then if you touch your thumb to your index that creates a "0" so my hand would be Whole numbers. Then my elbow would be integers because it can swing back and fourth representing positive and negative numbers. And so on. another great idea would be a song or rap.
I would also like to work on the interconnected nature of the different tiers by having students create a collection of yes/no questions that could be answered to determine where a number belongs. we could then turn the questions into an online quiz or a program (graphing calculator or C++). I think this would be very beneficial for student because it would really force them to understand exactly how each of the number sets were interconnected.
I have definitly identified a problem in my class and come up with a number of different techniques to help but I won't know if it works until much later down the road. As stated earlier, students usually retain information about the hierarchy long enough to do well on a chapter assessment but they lose it after that. My indicator for success would occur at exam review time or even at standardized testing. I am trying to create activities that will help my students hold onto what they have learned for more than just a couple of weeks. I want to see student recall this knowledge months later when they really need it.
Have you ever taught the number hierarchy or number systems? What have you tired that I am not thinking about?
Friday, July 15, 2011
Multi-Genre Project: Wilderness Survival
In the novel "The Hunger Games", the main character, Katniss, is a wilderness survival expert. She knows a lot about nature, plants, animals, hunting, foraging, and surviving. The interesteing thing about Katniss is that she is so good at these skills that so many people are unaware of and yet she truely struggles with her own emotions. While she is in the Hunger Games, Katniss will often times use these skills to occupy her while she is dealing with all of the other things that are happening between her and her family, friends, coach, and the capital.
I created a prezi that is a list of some of the bigger Do's and Don'ts that people should follow when they find themselves stranded in the woods.
I created a prezi that is a list of some of the bigger Do's and Don'ts that people should follow when they find themselves stranded in the woods.
Multi-Genre Project: Learning to Shoot a Bow and Arrow.
In the novel "The Hunger Games", the main character, Katniss, is lethal with a bow and arrow. One of the only times that Katniss is ever happy in the story is when she is out in the woods hunting game with her trusty weapon. The bow reminds her of her father that she misses deeply and it comforts her while she deals with all of the turmoil that surrounds her. It is as if the bow is an emotional compass for Katniss.
I thought I would give it a try so I went to the Bass Pro shop and got a lesson. I ended up shooting a 55 lbs all wood recurve bow. It was a lot of fun and I found out I was far from lethal.
Here is a video I made of the event
I thought I would give it a try so I went to the Bass Pro shop and got a lesson. I ended up shooting a 55 lbs all wood recurve bow. It was a lot of fun and I found out I was far from lethal.
Here is a video I made of the event
Multi-Genre Project: The Reaping Poster
In the story "The Hunger Games" Everything starts to really go down the tubes for the main character, Katniss, when her little sister is chosen in the Reaping. Katniss loves her little sister Prim with all of her heart and when Prim gets chosen to for the Hunger Games is breaks Katnisse's heart. She has two choices, she can either sit back and watch as her innocent little sister marches off towards certain death or she can take her sisters place and most likely end up dead herself. This causes a lot of emotional distress for Katniss and she reflects on her decision and her feelings often throughout the book. I created a fictitious poster that may have been displayed around District 12 by the Capital to inform the citizens about the upcoming event. I'm certain that if Katniss had seen this poster before the Reaping she would have been filled with rage and would have probably ripped it right off the wall.
Multi-Genre Project: The Hunger Games Quiz Gale vs. Peeta
There are two very strong male characters in the novel "The Hunger Games" and the main female character, Katniss, is caught is a love triangle with them. Katniss is constantly thinking about the two young men in her life and this creates a lot of confusing emotions for her. He doesn't know if she is feeling love, lust or hatred most of the time. This type of situation always causes readers to choose sides. I created a quiz to help people decide if they would rather be with Gale or Peeta. Which team are you on?
TAKE THE QUIZ!
TAKE THE QUIZ!
Multi-Genre Project: The Hunger Games Soundtrack
I have read the novel "The Hunger Games" By Suzanne Collins. As I read the gripping tale of Katniss I would find myself feeling the same ways that Katniss was feeling. If Katniss was depressed then so was I and if Katniss was feeling mushy and in love then so was I. One of the major ways that I express my emotions is through the kinds of music that I listen to. AS I read the book my emotional link to Katniss created a soundtrack. I decided to create a podcast that highlighted some of the songs that I was listening to as I read and connected emotionally with Katniss.
OR you can download the mp3 HERE.
Please comment and let me know what songs were playing in your head when you read the book.
OR you can download the mp3 HERE.
Please comment and let me know what songs were playing in your head when you read the book.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Online Learning
Online learning is the future. Or so I have been told. I fully agree that the world is changing, the way we access information is changing, and the things students need are changing. I see that education must change in order to serve the masses and online learning seems to be the answer to the question. The problem that I see is in the quality of the education that can be gained in an online environment. Online courses today don’t have the kind of robust depth or interaction that I would look for in an educational experience. That being said, I think they could. I think online learning could be extremely wonderful and fantastic but I feel it needs to grow out of its infancy.
While reading through the Michigan Merritt Guidelines on online learning I noticed right away that there was an emphasis on “substantive conversation”. The guidelines require that online learning have some from of interpersonal interaction happening so that students and teachers can learn from one another. As of right now, that usually means that students have to create post on blogs, forums, or discussion board. Then, other students need to reply to those posts. The problem is that most online students are not going to take the time to reply to something unless they absolutely have to. This causes instructors to require replies and then something terrible happens. People interact with one another because they have to. Its almost like virtual small talk. As an educator, I feel like this type of interaction is the worst type of interaction that can take place in a learning environment. I would almost prefer that students not interact at all if they are only doing it on a superficial level because they are being required to.
I would like to create a way to make substantive conversation an authentic experience like it is in a brick and mortar classroom. There are ways that we can get online students to interact in more authentic ways than post and replies to blogs. I think products like Voice Thread are creating a great way to interact. I would like to implement that kind of interaction in my classroom because I think it is much better than simple text on a screen. I would also bet that a product such as voice thread will intrigue most students enough that they would want to respond and interact.
While reading through the Michigan Merritt Guidelines on online learning I noticed right away that there was an emphasis on “substantive conversation”. The guidelines require that online learning have some from of interpersonal interaction happening so that students and teachers can learn from one another. As of right now, that usually means that students have to create post on blogs, forums, or discussion board. Then, other students need to reply to those posts. The problem is that most online students are not going to take the time to reply to something unless they absolutely have to. This causes instructors to require replies and then something terrible happens. People interact with one another because they have to. Its almost like virtual small talk. As an educator, I feel like this type of interaction is the worst type of interaction that can take place in a learning environment. I would almost prefer that students not interact at all if they are only doing it on a superficial level because they are being required to.
I would like to create a way to make substantive conversation an authentic experience like it is in a brick and mortar classroom. There are ways that we can get online students to interact in more authentic ways than post and replies to blogs. I think products like Voice Thread are creating a great way to interact. I would like to implement that kind of interaction in my classroom because I think it is much better than simple text on a screen. I would also bet that a product such as voice thread will intrigue most students enough that they would want to respond and interact.
Universal design for Learning
Recently I created a Geometry lesson plan that had a very heavy technology presence. I was pretty proud of the lesson because of its integration of technology and the benefits that would have. Today, I learned about a concept called "Universal Design for Learning" and it pointed out some other great features of my lesson plan.
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a technique or framework for designing lessons that will work universally for all students that enter your classroom. Its a really interesting concept that can have a very broad scope. The concept of a school and of a student are changing and diversifying so that means that teachers need to be more dynamic in their teaching techniques. A simple "One size fits all" approach to lesson planning is not an effective way to pass on knowledge so teachers need to try and reach all of the different kinds of learners that enter their environment. To put it simply and bluntly, teachers need to do their best to reach those students that are on the fringe of "normal".
CAST has created a UDL checklist to help educators implement the design in their own classes. I recently printed off this checklist and found all of the ways that my recent Geometry lesson aligned with the UDL checklist. I found that I did a really great job on some of the points, others I did a really bad job on, and others I didn't even touch. All of my comments start with an "F:" of a "B:". F stands for a "feature" of my lesson while B stands for a "Barrier" that students will have to overcome.
Here is my filled out checklist.
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a technique or framework for designing lessons that will work universally for all students that enter your classroom. Its a really interesting concept that can have a very broad scope. The concept of a school and of a student are changing and diversifying so that means that teachers need to be more dynamic in their teaching techniques. A simple "One size fits all" approach to lesson planning is not an effective way to pass on knowledge so teachers need to try and reach all of the different kinds of learners that enter their environment. To put it simply and bluntly, teachers need to do their best to reach those students that are on the fringe of "normal".
CAST has created a UDL checklist to help educators implement the design in their own classes. I recently printed off this checklist and found all of the ways that my recent Geometry lesson aligned with the UDL checklist. I found that I did a really great job on some of the points, others I did a really bad job on, and others I didn't even touch. All of my comments start with an "F:" of a "B:". F stands for a "feature" of my lesson while B stands for a "Barrier" that students will have to overcome.
Here is my filled out checklist.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Teaching as a Scholarly Pursuit
I have viewed teaching through a number of different frameworks during my short time on this planet. People have told me that teaching is not a profession but rather a trade. Others have insisted that teaching is the passing on of nuggets of knowledge from one generation to the next. Now, many people exclaim that teaching is a guiding process that assists student on their path to knowledge. So many different ideas and so many different teaching styles. In the end, teaching is a progressive and evolving task that will always be everything and nothing all at the same time. The concept of evolution can take educators in a lot of different directions if they are left to their own devices but there is a way to come together and help one another change and grow in only positive ways.
Teaching will change. That is a certainty but if we want to make sure it changes for the better then is it important to view teaching as a scholarly pursuit. When I say scholarly I mean research, meta cognition, collaboration, and feedback. Many times, teachers close their doors and teach on their own little island that is free of outside influences. This isn't necessarily a good thing. Like the old say says "Two heads are better than one." Teachers need to work together to move forward. If you are a fantastic teacher then you should share your great techniques and if you are anything less then fantastic then a little collaboration could help bring you closer to your wonderful potential. Also, Teachers need to look outside of their own school walls to continue their development. Collaborating can mean reading and writing scholarly articles about teaching and learning strategies. Teachers can even attend conferences and seminars. The most important thing is that teacher continue to seek out answers to questions. We must all continue to strive if we want our students to do the same.
I myself have implemented a number of scholarly concepts into my own teaching practice. Many of the things I have done I did not readily identify as scholarly pursuits but was happy to do anyway. Firstly, I became a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics when I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and have read about numerous studies and concepts in their journals that have directly effected my classroom strategies. Also, I have always maintained an open door policy in my classroom. My classroom is always open to visitors weather they be administrators, parents, or other teachers. I don't know that I can revolutionize the way someone feels about teaching but I bet I could help them uncover some interesting ideas. Also, there is a good chance that other might be able to help me uncover my own ideas. I love to hear about ways I could make my classroom better. Finally, I take part in a lot of professional development that I hope will improve my teaching though my learning. Masters courses, district offerings, symposiums, and regional conferences have all had a great effect on me and helped me see exactly how I compare to those around me.
The most interesting thing about the scholarship of teaching is that it isn't exactly a new idea. Most teachers are already scholarly in some way or another but now is the time to refocus and view our own techniques in a new way to help further the entire profession.
Teaching will change. That is a certainty but if we want to make sure it changes for the better then is it important to view teaching as a scholarly pursuit. When I say scholarly I mean research, meta cognition, collaboration, and feedback. Many times, teachers close their doors and teach on their own little island that is free of outside influences. This isn't necessarily a good thing. Like the old say says "Two heads are better than one." Teachers need to work together to move forward. If you are a fantastic teacher then you should share your great techniques and if you are anything less then fantastic then a little collaboration could help bring you closer to your wonderful potential. Also, Teachers need to look outside of their own school walls to continue their development. Collaborating can mean reading and writing scholarly articles about teaching and learning strategies. Teachers can even attend conferences and seminars. The most important thing is that teacher continue to seek out answers to questions. We must all continue to strive if we want our students to do the same.
I myself have implemented a number of scholarly concepts into my own teaching practice. Many of the things I have done I did not readily identify as scholarly pursuits but was happy to do anyway. Firstly, I became a member of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics when I was finishing up my undergraduate degree and have read about numerous studies and concepts in their journals that have directly effected my classroom strategies. Also, I have always maintained an open door policy in my classroom. My classroom is always open to visitors weather they be administrators, parents, or other teachers. I don't know that I can revolutionize the way someone feels about teaching but I bet I could help them uncover some interesting ideas. Also, there is a good chance that other might be able to help me uncover my own ideas. I love to hear about ways I could make my classroom better. Finally, I take part in a lot of professional development that I hope will improve my teaching though my learning. Masters courses, district offerings, symposiums, and regional conferences have all had a great effect on me and helped me see exactly how I compare to those around me.
The most interesting thing about the scholarship of teaching is that it isn't exactly a new idea. Most teachers are already scholarly in some way or another but now is the time to refocus and view our own techniques in a new way to help further the entire profession.
Friday, July 1, 2011
My PLC is Enhanced
My personal learning network has grown a lot in the past few days. It has definitely gotten much bigger in size and I think that is wonderful. I have met and leanred from a lot of great new colleges that have a diverse and powerful wealth of knowledge and I’ve also connected to some great groups such as MACUL. I think of those things are really great BUT I don’t think it’s the biggest change that my personal learning community has experienced.. The biggest change is that my learning community is more interconnected. I feel like my PLC is constantly swarming around me offering up suggestions and information. It has seeped into my social networks merging fun and professionalism. I feel like I get more bang for my buck because there is a much higher concentration of quality information at my fingertips.
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