As I look back on the beginning of this week, I defined “what” “where” and “how as:
This was prior to reading the text and learning that the “what,” “where,” and “how” are much more than that. It made me realize how much students need to need a “where” to make learning relevant and real for kids and the “how” of learning as the act of playing with new information.
My post this week impacted the learning of Natalie, Matt, and Larissa. Natalie was impacted by the Tedx video that I had found by Eric Sheniger. She was inspired to allow students to bring their own devices to school and trust them so they can develop lifelong skills. Matt saw the disconnect between online collaborative and the school. He wondered if it is our responsibility to give them the “what” to move forward in life. Larissa also saw the importance of giving students a “point” per se, the, “why does this matter in the real world?” I read Sara’s blog and really enjoyed what she had to say about student interest. She talks about how much talent can be wasted when we don’t let students show us what they know. I promoted a diversity of ideas to Sara by sharing a website with her that also focuses on student interests. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/differentiated-instruction-learner-interest-matters-john-mccarthy Sarah’s blog spoke about Bloom’s taxonomy and how the “what” falls at the lower end and as you moved toward “where” and “how” you move up the triangle. I found a really neat article to share with Sarah. It shows Bloom’s taxonomy, but related it to technology and what we can do to promote the best learning. https://teachonline.asu.edu/2016/05/integrating-technology-blooms-taxonomy/ Josie shared about making classrooms hands on with things that students are familiar with. She also shared about how we can become digital classrooms. Her idea of using Lego’s to teach fractions really stuck with me. I have been trying to find a way to make place value interesting for my students and I think Lego’s may just be the thing! It inspired me to search for some lessons that included Lego’s and I found one on scholastic.com and shared it with Josie. https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/alycia-zimmerman/using-lego-build-math-concepts/ Overall, this week has reminded me of the importance to make sure students know why they are learning what we are teaching them. Beyond that, give them a meaningful experience that they can relate to real life in the lesson. They will easily be able to transfer knowledge and show what they if we give them experiences that are real to them.
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To know how to shift from “what” to “where” and “how,” one must first know what they mean in the context of learning. The learning of “what” is whether something is true or false or it is a belief. It is something that can be tested and has a correct answer or can be argued. An example of “what” from Thomas & Brown (2011) is to find Iraq on a blank map. To move from “what” to “where,” we essentially need to contextualize the knowledge and determine where it means something. Thomas & Brown (2011) expand on the Iraq on a map example by saying that when given a map, only few people can pinpoint Iraq, when given the internet, many can not only find Iraq, but give multiple different ways to answer the question.
In schools today, we can move from a “what” to a “where” by contextualizing learning for our students. Bernard (2010), says that when activities engage students and connect with what they already know, long-term memory is saved. Students need context to find meaning in what we teach them. Without it, they not only will find it pointless or boring, but they have no way to apply the content. Eric Sheniger says in a Tedx Talk (2014) that there is a large disconnect between school and real life. Our students live in an ever changing world of technology and we must allow them to keep up. He suggests that teachers should engage in social media to show learning and conversations, use their own devices at school, create makerspaces, create real world environments, and use blended and virtual learning options. Thomas & Brown (2011) describe this shift from “what” to “where” by using context and how they both lead into the “how” of learning: “Learning content through making is a very different exercise from learning through shaping context. In the first case, we are still concerned with the what, while in the second, we are concerned with the where. Both elements, nevertheless, are critical for understanding how one cultivates the imagination, and they provide the basis for what we think of as play. The process of making and remaking context is, in itself, an act of imaginative play (what we might call the “how” of information)” (Kindle Locations 1351-1356). A school in San Diego has a nice example of making learning meaningful to children through a computer science program. The children created their own games through coding on computer programs. The students were so excited about the project that they worked on them at home and collaborated with others for game ideas. The learning in this school was meaningful and relevant to the children. They had a chance to share their work with the community and teach them their game. To move from the “what” to the “where” and “how,” learning needs to make sense, be meaningful, and have context for children. References: TEDx Talks. (2014, November 03). Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mwrLVvORugw Bernard, S. (2010, December 01). Science Shows Making Lessons Relevant Really Matters. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-relevance-improves- engagement Roscorla, T. (2014, November 10). 5 Ways Schools Can Make Learning Relevant for Students. Retrieved February 23, 2017, from http://www.centerdigitaled.com/news/5-Ways-Schools-Can-Make-Learning- Relevant-for-Students-.html Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. S.l.: Createspace. Kindle Edition. Tynker. (n.d.). Retrieved February 23, 2017, from http://www.tynker.com/blog/articles/success-stories/when- kids-teach-others-everyone-wins/ I really enjoyed learning about the topic of “Learning in Collectives” this week. I thought that finding resources to promote this in the classroom seemed especially useful. Reading my peers blogs also deepened my understanding of the topic in ways I did not think about before.
One way that I impacted the learning of others this week was sharing a way teachers can promote a collective in the classroom. This was through the usage of “chalk talks” which I also participated in during high school. Tristan and Larissa both thought it was a good idea to scaffold students into commenting and asking questions in an open learning environment. I read Larissa’s blog post this week and really enjoyed the video she posted. It made me think more about how technology has changed and how communicating is different and constantly changing.She shared that she would like her students to work together on researching their interests. I promoted a diversity of ideas by sharing Google Classroom. This could help Larissa get started and use a safe and secure website with her students. Gerald spoke about a neat idea that he found about giving students a detailed lesson plan and letting them teach. This made me excited to research ways that kids can teach in the classroom. I found a neat article about students sharing “coding” projects that they had done with other students and parents. Sharing this not only added to Gerald's findings, but promoted a diverse idea of them sharing what they learned with others. Michael spoke about how quickly he found a chemistry collective online. He also talked about leading children with a question so that they can be in a collective. I validated this idea with referencing the text for the week. Thomas & Brown (2011) talk about how students will lose direction if left to their own devices on the internet. They need guidance! Before this week, I never really thought about “learning in the collective.” After our Twitter Chat and reading the chapter, I grasped an understanding of what this really meant. One part of the text that stuck out to me was in the area of blogging. In the past year, I have seen many blog posts, and news articles, passed around Facebook on the topic of the recent election. Thomas & Brown (2011) talk about how blogging is a way for us to express our ideas and have them shared and challenged, therefore creating a collective. They are real thoughts from people without the corporation behind them. Dylan Kissane (2015) points out one reason that people read blogs is, “When a blog reader has reason to distrust traditional sources of information, blogs fill the gap”. With all the news articles flying around, it was hard to know what to think. Reading others blogs helped me see how others thought about topics and helped me form my own ideas in a much deeper way than I ever could on my own.
Thinking about collectives reminded me of a video that I found last semester. It is from a 2009 ThinkQuest competition for children ages 9-19 to create a website. They need a coach and teams of 3-6 people. The cool thing about the teams is that they could physically live near each other, or they could be peers anywhere around the world. They worked together to create an educational website for 7 months. The collective work of the group highlighted is phenomenal. They are working toward one goal and each person is contributing. Thomas & Brown (2011) say, “Students learn best when they are able to follow their passion and operate within the constraints of a bounded environment. Both of those elements matter. Without the boundary set by the assignment of playing the prelude, there would be no medium for growth. But without the passion, there would be nothing to grow in the medium” (Kindle Locations 1055-1057). These children are passionate about their work and have boundaries within the competition to truly learn. In reflection of how I have learned in collectives and seeing examples of how students have learned in collectives, I wondered how this sort of learning could be incorporated into the classroom. Thomas & Brown (2011) made a point of a worry I had about using the internet for a collective, they say, “Left to their own devices, there is no telling what students will do. If you give them a resource like the Internet and ask them to follow their passion, they will probably meander around finding bits and pieces of information that move them from topic to topic—and produce a very haphazard result” (Kindle Locations 1078-1080). Some suggestions to foster a collective in the classroom begin with in-class activities, not necessarily on the internet. McCarthy (2015) speaks of four ways to foster student questions. When students question and inquire, they show interests in the topics. When a group of students are doing this, they have created a collective. One suggestion that he gives is to facilitate a “chalk talk.” This is when students write about a topic by adding onto each others comments on a white board (or any other large surface to draw on). The key factor is that they can only communicate on the board and can ask questions and make comments. I did this when I was in high school and thinking about it now in relation to our Twitter Chats, it almost seems like a precursor to the online version of communication. References Edutopia. (2012, May 08). Retrieved February 16, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsQqoTHZV2Y Kissane, D. (2015, October 07). The Nine Reasons People Read Blogs. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from http://www.doz.com/content/blogs-nine-reasons-people-read McCarthy, J. (2015, August 17). Fostering Student Questions: Strategies for Inquiry-Based Learning. Retrieved February 16, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/strategies-for-inquiry-based-learning-john-mccarthy Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace? Kindle Edition. This week, we focused on the guiding question, “What does the way you play have to do with embracing change and how does this impact you as a professional?"
In our Twitter chat on Tuesday, I had not yet read the text for the week. Many of the questions about play brought be back to my times as a child. One question that Tristan asked specifically was, “Why does it seem like children no longer use their imagination to play? Are we as teachers partly to blame for this?” This question made me reflect all week long. I looked at children during the week to see when they could truly play and when they used their imagination. I saw this at recess, but never really in a formal lesson. The only time I saw this in the classroom was during free time. In my blog for the week, I reflected on this. How during free time children play and use their imaginations to help explain the world. In the world of technology, I have been experimenting with this on Instagram. In conclusion, knowing that imagination in play helps children understand, we need to use it in the classroom. Natalie and Josie both shared that they think play should be incorporated into the classroom. Play can help them with social skills as well. Joie noted that with STEM there are many ways to make play part of the learning. I definitely agree! With all the problem-based learning, the kids are coming up with their own solutions, exploring, and playing with different outcomes to find an answer to a problem. I read Larissa’s blog and she talked about how she played in elementary, but it was skirted when she got to secondary education. She has a difficult time playing in her own life with all the business that happens. I shared with her some thoughts on using problem based learning to encourage students to play and learn at the same time. This is a way to get more play from high school students. Another blog that I read was Sarah’s on embracing change. She talked about her game play style which is exploring. She also said that sometimes emotions can keep her from change because of fear. I completely relate to Sarah on these feelings and way that I play. I encouraged her to take the Myers Briggs test, this helped me realize that I am a “feeler” and know that I tend to make decisions based off of my emotions. Overall this week, the biggest takeaway I had was from the text and thinking about play as imagination trying to explain what we are learning. Before reading the text for this week, I had a very difficult time thinking about the way I play. I play cribbage with my husband, I play with my dog, I play games with my students and children, I like to hike outside… Not much that I felt impacted me as a professional. In their text, Tomas and Brown (2011) talk about how children play and imagination to cope with the amount of new information they are receiving. This is in all areas of their lives. As we grow up, we understand more of the world, so we may not need as much play to help us understand the way things work. Thinking about play in this context, however,very much applies to adult learning the ever changing world of technology. Thomas and Brown (2011) state, “In a world of near-constant flux, play becomes a strategy for embracing change, rather than a way for growing out of it” (Kindle Location 562).
With so much structured instruction time, children hardly have time to play during the school day.This week, I thought about the amount of time that children get to truly play during the school day. They get recess time, but beyond that, they do not get much. In my classroom, I have a “break zone” for students who are needing a break. On Fridays, my 2nd grade group (who I see for 1 hour a day) gets 20 minutes of free time. It is amazing how they gravitate to the play kitchen with fake food. These are 7 and 8 year olds playing with a toy intended for toddlers. They share the food, they bring me “meals,” and they cook food in the oven and on the stove. They are mimicking what they see and as Tomas and Brown would point out, trying to understand the world around them. In his article “Don’t Forget to Play,” Andrew Miller (2013) argues that a reasons for people to play are to predict outcomes, persist challenges, and learn social skills. These are all aspects seen in my 2nd graders free play time. An area that I have been playing with lately (and I am almost embarrassed to admit), is managing my dog’s Instagram account (ridiculous, I know, but if you want to see it @cider_doodle). In many ways, however, it is so similar to children playing to learn the world we live in. I have had my own account for years and learned how the social networking works. This world of social media is ever changing and feels like a puzzle to figure out. Learning what hashtags get followers, who to follow to get followed back, and what pictures get more likes; these are all areas of the network to learn and play with. It has been argued that children learn much better through play. In fact, Kohn (2015), says that formal instruction early on actually inhibits children later in school. He states “it may have the opposite effect, potentially slowing emotional and cognitive development, causing unnecessary stress and perhaps even souring kids’ desire to learn.” So how important is play? I think play is very important. Do kids still need instruction? I think that students still need to learn how to read. By using play ourselves to keep up with the ever changing world, I think we need to remember that children need play just as much as we do. We can do this by planning for play within our lessons, using technology as a tool for play, and using physical movement to promote play (Schimel, 2013). References Kohn, D. (2015, May 16). Let the Kids Learn Through Play. Retrieved February 9, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/17/opinion/sunday/let-the-kids-learn-through-play.ht ml Miller, A. (2013, August 23). Don't Forget to Play! Retrieved February 10, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/dont-forget-to-play-andrew-miller Schimel, K. (2015). 3 ways schools can incorporate play into innovative instruction. Retrieved February 9, 2017, from http://www.educationdive.com/news/3-ways-schools-can-incorporate-play-into-innovativ e-instruction/405762/ Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace? Kindle Edition. Here I am at take 2 of my reflection for this week since it somehow got deleted when I tried to post it the first time…
Anyway. I felt very discouraged at the beginning of this week. I felt like my hands were tied as a special education teacher and that I was stuck in the 20th century. After some reflection, i realized that helping my students gain social skills and adaptive skills will help them access the world and they can learn more with the world. Jule and Larissa both had encouraging words to offer on my blog. They both saw the challenges that I have, thought that collaboration was a good idea, and gave hope that as more teachers adapt a 21st century learning environment that it will be easier to support my students in that as well. Larissa posted a video about how math used to be taught and how it is taught now to promote conceptual understanding with the students. I also found this from when I was a student in contrast to now as a teacher. I recently did a curriculum review in my district, so I shared with Larissa how sometimes parents want to just show their kids the algorithm before they are ready. These parents, too, grew up in a different time with a different education. Sara talked about how when she was in school that they only had a computer lab and now students had many devices. I asked Sara how she thinks we should incorporate their personal technology in the classroom without it becoming too much of a distraction. She had been wondering this as well and one thing limiting her is that she does not want students to use up their data for school based usage. Matthew’s school uses Apple TV’s for teachers in each classroom. I was wondering how he uses his technology for the students to learn WITH rather than learn FROM. Thomas and Brown share many different examples in their book of people learning with technology. As a teacher, how do we facilitate that and not just use technology as a different mode of 20th century teaching. Jule blogged about how she wants her classroom to be a place that is innovative and promotes creativity. She also wants to utilize technology within the curriculum because the students are so connected to it. She did mention that she is low on resources. I shared a link with Jule with three suggestions for fostering creativity in the classroom: give open ended projects, give time for them to research and record ideas about their interests, and promote creative team building. As a special education teacher, I can say that my classroom is far different than the one I attended as a child. There are some large differences I see in general education now than when I was in elementary. Some of the main ones are technology and critical thinking, especially in the area of math.
This week I have really struggled with the questions that guide the discussion. Does my classroom reflect the 21st century or is it grounded in the 20th century classroom? In reading chapters one and two of A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change (2011), Thomas and Brown discuss two different ways culture is formed in the classroom. The first is through a mechanistic approach, essentially teaching students skills in progression with the goal of results. The second is through a learning environment which they explain as, “the rich resources provided by the digital information network—where the context in which learning happens, the boundaries that define it, and the students, teachers, and information within it all coexist and shape each other in a mutually reinforcing way” (Thomas & Brown, 2011, Location 335). The former teaches students about the world and the latter creates a culture of learning within the world. So what does this mean for me? I teach special education. I have students who are educated in the general education setting all day long, students who have extensive behaviors making the smallest transitions difficult, and I have others who just need help in reading, writing, and math. Right now, at this point, I think I am still in the 20th century classroom. My students who need intervention in reading, writing, and math come to me for an hour a day and we work on skills to catch them up to the general education curriculum. I am working with them in a mechanistic approach. They have goals and I am trying to meet their goals. How can I create an environment within my classroom that fosters just what Thomas and Brown describe over and over again in their stories of people authentically learning in situations that aren’t necessarily academic? How do I at the same time meet their goals for social interaction, reading, writing, math, and adaptive behaviors? When I think about 21st century learning, the idea of project based learning comes to mind. This way of learning allows students to use critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity; often referred to as the “4C’s” (Kay, 2014). I also think that 21st century learning incorporates technology. For these two to work together, we need to know what we want the students to learn and use technology devices with direction (Couros, 2012). As I researched project based learning from a special education standpoint, resource after resource pointed to inclusion in the general education classroom. These articles reframed how I think about my job. Instead of getting down on myself for not being proactive in the 21st century, I can look at the things I am doing well and expand on those. Our school has the inclusion model, so all of my students are educated in the general education classroom to the maximum extent appropriate. For my learners that need 1:1 support all day long, I have put in hours of work helping them gain the skills to be included in the general education classroom. What I can do now is expand on that. One way I advance into having a 21st century classroom is by collaboration with the general education teacher. Bringing in what the students are going to do in their classrooms can prepare them to have the background knowledge or extra practice needed to participate with their peers (Goldberg, 2012). One teacher talks about the project based learning model at his school and the steps he took to make his students who were pulled out of class have a successful experience. The steps followed this progression; changing the label of the students, opened herself to new opportunities, and never water down for special needs and goals. In the second step of opening himself to new opportunities, Hernandez (2015), states “The thought of planning projects solo, and then working on them with my students, was daunting. I knew it would be extremely crucial to get involved with a grade level team for collaboration” (Hernandez, 2015). I can very much relate to Hernandez before he got involved with the collaboration teams. The thought of using my short amount of time to make my own projects seems daunting. For me to make a 21st century learning environment, I think the biggest action I can take for my students is collaborate with the general education teachers. Planning for these little learners will give them greater access to joining a culture that they can learn through engagement within the world. References Couros, G. (2012, September 12). 21st Century Schools or 21st Century Learning? Retrieved February 2, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/21st-century-schools-or-learning-george-couros Goldberg, P. (2012). Achieving Unprecedented Learning Results for Students With Disabilities in a PLC. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://www.allthingsplc.info/blog/view/200/achieving-unprecedented-learning-results-for -students-with-disabilities-in-a-plc Hernandez, S. (2015). Full PBL Inclusion: Ensuring Deeper Learning for My Special Education Students (Part 2 of 4) - P21. Retrieved February 2, 2017, from http://www.p21.org/news-events/p21blog/1753-full-pbl-inclusion-ensuring-deeper-learni ng-for-my-special-education-students Kay, K. (2014, June 25). 12 Nuggets of 21st-Century Learning. Retrieved February 02, 2017, from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/12-nuggets-21st-century-learning-ken-kay Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, KY: CreateSpace. Kindle Edition. |
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April 2017
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