Wow - Day 5
I wish I had watched this first for a few reasons. One - I felt so reassured after watching that Michelle and Andrew- our technology mentors - get overwhelmed with the mounds of information out there as well. Isn't it true that when we are feeling bad or down, being able to connect with others who feel the same makes our feelings a bit better?
Two - I am so guilty of being a consumer! I just blogged how I never post on Facebook to Twitter - I just read others. Well after Andrew and Michelle talk about being consumers as opposed to contributers, I felt a bit ashamed. So I am going to take Andrew's advice and challenge myself to contribute. I need to revisit this video every so often to remind myself that I am not alone, I can be connected and I do have things that I can contribute.
I know that the journey is not over and I look forward to sharing (and stealing from others) great resources and great ideas!
thanks
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
So I have been playing around with flip-board for the past few weeks and I can see myself becoming addicted. Not only does it give current news stories and education updates, but I have found some amazing things in preparation for my family's trip out west this summer. I find that I can delve deeper and deeper into each page that I have flipped and soon I am lost with all of the information. I think the feel is user friendly and easy to learn. However, I am overwhelmed with how much is out there. As I go deeper into one article and look at its accompanying links, I forget what I started with. I don't know how educationally useful it will be to me but I know that this is one that I will practice on over the summer.
Diigo - I am not so sure about. I am having trouble even signing in. If it works the way I think it will, it will be a nice place to save all of my links and interests. Right now, I still write down websites or type them into Microsoft word for later reference. Once I get the feel for Diigo, maybe it will be easier for me to use.
Currently, all of the technology that we have been introduced to is so overwhelming. I am looking forward to summer so that I can take the time that is required to make sure I understand how to use the sites. I know that on Facebook, and now twitter, I am always looking and reading but never posting. I do not see myself keeping up with a blog or tweeting very much. However, I do like looking and finding resources.
Diigo - I am not so sure about. I am having trouble even signing in. If it works the way I think it will, it will be a nice place to save all of my links and interests. Right now, I still write down websites or type them into Microsoft word for later reference. Once I get the feel for Diigo, maybe it will be easier for me to use.
Currently, all of the technology that we have been introduced to is so overwhelming. I am looking forward to summer so that I can take the time that is required to make sure I understand how to use the sites. I know that on Facebook, and now twitter, I am always looking and reading but never posting. I do not see myself keeping up with a blog or tweeting very much. However, I do like looking and finding resources.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Day 3 Journey - Twitter
Watching Andrew's videos today put a smile on my face. First of all I do like Willie Nelson(at least that song) and U2. Next, I am not as far behind in this journey as I thought. Although I just watched the video today, I have been working on the activity since I started my current twitter account. I enjoy having the i pad in study hall, where I can search twitter. Back in March, I searched #piday and found some neat facts that I was able to share with my students. I discovered Center of Math, which has a lot of neat math information. I was able to share a tweet on fractals, including a video which I showed my students. Since then, of course, I have been very busy writing scholarship recommendations, planning, grading and teaching. All of this in addition to what we do outside of class. So I felt bad that I had not worked on this journey. It made me glad that I actually had been working on it all along!
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Response to Seth Godin's manifesto
So, after reading Seth Godin's manifesto, I experienced a variety of emotions. The first was agreement. I agree with what he said in 6 " Changing school doesn't mean sharpening the pencil we've got.". I' m sure we've heard the saying that the true definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Obviously, as the world changes, so must the function of school. I certainly feel that way with respect to the state's take on testing. If our current testing isn't producing higher educated individuals, why are we increasing the testing? And, I'm sure Seth would also wonder, why does it have to be multiple choice?
I then started experiencing displeasure and annoyance. Where does this guy get off saying that I am indoctrinating students, squashing their dreams, and encouraging mediocraity? So I decided to do a little research on Seth. I only spent about 5 minutes doing this research, so please don't expect much validity or reliability. It is just my own personal opinion. On his bio, Seth is described as an entrepreneur. His blog talks about industrialists dehumanizing their products and making sure that their employees are fungible commodities. So at this point, I realized that this guy is not just anti education. He is, in my opinion, trying to inspire people to have dreams and work to achieve them. He started a site(sqidoo.com) that allows anybody to create a page about something they are passionate about. I also relaxed a little bit when I realized that he is not in education. It is easy for someone that has not worked with kids the way that my fellow teachers and I do to make judgements and generalizations about what other people do. I just want to tell him to stick with his criticisms of industrialist!
Finally, I wanted to offer him a rebuttal. We are not a business that sets forth as a factory line, creating the same products over and over. We deal with kids and their baggage. There are some kids for whom school is they only place they can feel safe. How can some worry about their dream of being ( fill in the blank here) when they are abused, hungry, or scared. Schools are not only a place of learning. They are also a place where kids can come and feel safe for a short while( without the gun violence- that is an entirely different story) . Teachers( at least in my district) work hard to make a difference in the lives of our students. We also take personal interest in out students. I feel that by talking about schools in the manner he did, Seth dehumanized them himself. This is what he was warning against.
I may have more about Seth as I read other blogs, but that is it for now.
I then started experiencing displeasure and annoyance. Where does this guy get off saying that I am indoctrinating students, squashing their dreams, and encouraging mediocraity? So I decided to do a little research on Seth. I only spent about 5 minutes doing this research, so please don't expect much validity or reliability. It is just my own personal opinion. On his bio, Seth is described as an entrepreneur. His blog talks about industrialists dehumanizing their products and making sure that their employees are fungible commodities. So at this point, I realized that this guy is not just anti education. He is, in my opinion, trying to inspire people to have dreams and work to achieve them. He started a site(sqidoo.com) that allows anybody to create a page about something they are passionate about. I also relaxed a little bit when I realized that he is not in education. It is easy for someone that has not worked with kids the way that my fellow teachers and I do to make judgements and generalizations about what other people do. I just want to tell him to stick with his criticisms of industrialist!
Finally, I wanted to offer him a rebuttal. We are not a business that sets forth as a factory line, creating the same products over and over. We deal with kids and their baggage. There are some kids for whom school is they only place they can feel safe. How can some worry about their dream of being ( fill in the blank here) when they are abused, hungry, or scared. Schools are not only a place of learning. They are also a place where kids can come and feel safe for a short while( without the gun violence- that is an entirely different story) . Teachers( at least in my district) work hard to make a difference in the lives of our students. We also take personal interest in out students. I feel that by talking about schools in the manner he did, Seth dehumanized them himself. This is what he was warning against.
I may have more about Seth as I read other blogs, but that is it for now.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Fighting Back
So I really enjoyed getting feedback from my first blog entry. I think it is therapeutic for me and I am going to try to employ this free therapy more often:)
One of my pet peeves is when people complain about a situation, but do nothing to change the situation they are in. I have been living my pet peeve for the last few weeks. I think that all of the hoops that the state is putting teachers through are ridiculous. When I complain, I either find someone who will join me (we all know that misery loves company) or someone who wants to one up me. My sister is a pro at that. You would think that my own sister would support me instead of fight me. I thought about it and decided that nobody wants to hear me whine and complain. I finally did something instead of complaining. I wrote a letter to one of our state senators. Thank you to Mike Roberto and Kevin Wilcox who inspired me to do so. I am hoping for some sort of response.
It is not that I am unwilling to change. I like to change up what I do. I just think that the changes the state is proposing are not in the best interest of our students. However, I am a rule follower and will do what I am told. I am leaving now to go write a SLO....
One of my pet peeves is when people complain about a situation, but do nothing to change the situation they are in. I have been living my pet peeve for the last few weeks. I think that all of the hoops that the state is putting teachers through are ridiculous. When I complain, I either find someone who will join me (we all know that misery loves company) or someone who wants to one up me. My sister is a pro at that. You would think that my own sister would support me instead of fight me. I thought about it and decided that nobody wants to hear me whine and complain. I finally did something instead of complaining. I wrote a letter to one of our state senators. Thank you to Mike Roberto and Kevin Wilcox who inspired me to do so. I am hoping for some sort of response.
It is not that I am unwilling to change. I like to change up what I do. I just think that the changes the state is proposing are not in the best interest of our students. However, I am a rule follower and will do what I am told. I am leaving now to go write a SLO....
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Response to Will Richardson
I experienced a variety of emotions as I watched Will Richardson's video. One was strong agreement. I fully believe that schools in this country are selling our kids short. We use old methods of teaching that do not prepare our students for life in this technological age. I have students asking me on a daily basis why they cannot use calculators or why they need to have formulas memorized. My real answer is I don't know. When will they ever not be able to use resources available to them in real life? Next year's math class, in college? As an adult, have I ever had to complete a task without being able to access information or resources? NO! So why am I preparing kids for tasks that are not applicable later in life?
As I think these thoughts, I then feel frustration. Why do I have to teach what my coworkers teach in the same way and same order. The PLCs that our school districts employ take away our individuality and creativity. In theory, they are a good idea. I love collaboration. However, weren't many of us collaborating before we were put into these PLC groups? I feel that the focus of our PLCs these days is to plan and make sure we are doing everything in the same way at the same time. I am sure that the theory behind PLCs is not to create cookie cutter courses. However, that is what we have done. I am also frustrated because we know that what our government has prescribed for our students in the way of increased testing is not what our students need. More testing is not going to help us compete with other nations. Nor will it create students who are well equipped to deal with a quickly changing world. It does not provide our students with opportunities to solve real problems.
I then feel ashamed. How do I do a better job for our students? I don't know how to provide them with the opportunities that I feel they need. I am becoming mediocre. I question if I should continue in this career path.
My emotions are uncertain, frustration, questioning. I feel incompetent and ill prepared to guide these students. I am doing them a disservice. How can I get better so that I can help my students prepare better?
As I think these thoughts, I then feel frustration. Why do I have to teach what my coworkers teach in the same way and same order. The PLCs that our school districts employ take away our individuality and creativity. In theory, they are a good idea. I love collaboration. However, weren't many of us collaborating before we were put into these PLC groups? I feel that the focus of our PLCs these days is to plan and make sure we are doing everything in the same way at the same time. I am sure that the theory behind PLCs is not to create cookie cutter courses. However, that is what we have done. I am also frustrated because we know that what our government has prescribed for our students in the way of increased testing is not what our students need. More testing is not going to help us compete with other nations. Nor will it create students who are well equipped to deal with a quickly changing world. It does not provide our students with opportunities to solve real problems.
I then feel ashamed. How do I do a better job for our students? I don't know how to provide them with the opportunities that I feel they need. I am becoming mediocre. I question if I should continue in this career path.
My emotions are uncertain, frustration, questioning. I feel incompetent and ill prepared to guide these students. I am doing them a disservice. How can I get better so that I can help my students prepare better?
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