Why > When

It is difficult for me to agree with Nicholas Carr, or his article "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" The main reason being that I have never seen knowledge in terms of how much stuff you know, but how in tune one is with his/her world. It might be very Maslow of me, but it all comes down to:



SELF-ACTUALIZATION



I will take credit for this quote: I'd rather have a student know why a war was wrong, than when it happened. Self-actualization pushes for morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem solving, lack or prejudice, acceptance of facts, etc. If Google helps us reach self-actualization it is a good thing. If not, it is just like anything else that distracts us for the time being.

Boring Letters or Passionate Emails

"Students still need to learn to express themselves clearly, cogently and artfully, but the forms are now different. Texts are shorter, for one thing, and there is much more use of multimedia."                  - Teaching the Right Stuff

 

Passion is the students’ true motivator. Once a student has a passion to know or do something—anything—the chances are excellent that he or she will do much, on their own, to follow it. It’s actually hard to stop them—the best role for teachers in these cases is to get out of their students’ way and subtly guide the students in directions where their passion can have the greatest positive effect on their lives. - What Technology ISN’T Good At, Part II: Passion

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I agree with a lot of Marc Prensky's ideas. Allowing students to follow their passions is a great thing. In English, right now, I am allowing students to do an assignment where they pick a type of style of writing (narrative, dialogue, poetry, newspaper, song, etc.) that they are passionate about. Through this style, we still discover the grammatics and mechanics of the English language. However, some of the monotonousness is lost, since the students are engaged by a style of writing that they have a passion for. Once a student has passion, the rest is easy.

 

Flip It Real Good

"Flip" teaching can be beneficial for some kids, but not all. Like any form of teaching, it involves motivation on both the part of the teacher and the student. Without motivation, the concept is doomed. I introduced Khan Academy, as an option, to the math and science teachers in my school. They actually had never heard of it, and they proceeded to make an account. A few students now use it at home to reinforce concepts. The saying about being semi-decent at riding a bicycle and then having students ride a unicycle is very true. Teachers become set on a curriculum, and need to stay on schedule; even if certain concepts demand more time. Khan Academy is a valid concept, but certainly not the only alternative. As for the ELA world, it is not that useful.

7 Degrees of Similarity

This grade eight test from West Virginia in 1931 is far too similar to a current test in 2012. It revolves around rote memorization. Perhaps memorization was more important back then, because knowledge could not be acquired so easily. Tests should not always aim for lower level thinking; we must apply our knowledge. The answers are easier to obtain now more than ever. We must rather create problems that take this knowledge and help students solve said problems.

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7 Degrees of Connectedness

Presenter: Rodd Lucier
Location: Komoka, Ontario, Canada
Twitter: @thecleversheep
Presentation Description: What is it for you that leads you to pay closer attention to the learners in your network? Do you feel close to those colleagues you interact with, even if you’ve never met? Are you more attuned to those people whose voices are amplified because you met at a conference; exchanged stories; shared a meal? As our connections grow with online colleagues, we may find ourselves in qualitatively distinct relationships with co-learners. By sharing our ideas alongside details of our personal lives, we have a tendency to become more and more familiar to one another. Augment these connections with voices and imagery, and it can lead to deeper and more fulfilling connections. In this presentation Rodd Lucier (AKA The Clever Sheep), invites you to walk along with a few of his colleagues who join him in reflecting on how modern tools are impacting our online relationships. The concept of ’7 Degrees of Connectedness’ is introduced as one way to qualify the relationships we foster with online colleagues.

This is a great additional form of PD for teachers. As an avid podcaster, this is very beneficial and easy to listen to.

 

Gary Johnson 2012

Testing: The Be-All and End All?

 

Assessment: From Observation to Testing to Embedded Assessment

 





"Assessment in this context, then, does not involve getting a grade or failing a test. It simply means getting a grade or failing a test. It simply means getting feedback as you work, and suggestions as to how to improve. The master comes away with a clear understanding of what each apprentice is capable of doing; the student comes away with an assessment of just what still needs to be learned."

 

"Testing always involves some cutoff, so testing brought with it the notions of passing and failing. This led to the ranking of students, and ultimately, to a sense of failure among those who do not learn as easily as others do."

 

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If we are ever going to find success as educators, we must create assessments that focus on "what still needs to be learned," and not, "passing and failing." Students must not see grades in terms of pass/fail, but constantly pursuing new knowledge to better understand a topic. The best way to prepare students for life is to demonstrate that they will never know everything; there is always something to be learned. Education is constantly evolving. Testing cannot represent "the be-all and end-all," but assessments can show there is always progress to be made.

The Niche Disappears

Interesting pic. Connected Learning allows individuals to have a wider audience to access information on a variety of topics. Though some things might be niche, Connected Learning creates an opportunity for the idea of something only being niche to disappear. Everything can now have an audience. Social media helps to unify these groups from experts to the novice to anyone in between. The end goal is to create a virtual community where all can thrive. A downside: someone can create the illusion of expertise. But we know this happens in classrooms all the time. We have had those teachers where we call their understanding into question. But we must continue to progress towards an environment where one can experience multiple perspectives with a shared purpose.