Questioning for Life Final Reflection

Image from Pixabay

In Warren Berger’s book (2014) entitled, A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas, Berger states, “A question could serve as the lever to pry open the stuck lid on a can of paint.  ‘If we have a longer lever, or a more dynamic question,’ she wrote, it can also be used to ‘really stir things up.’ In this metaphor, what’s being stirred are the ideas and potential answers that people already have in their heads; they just need a little mixing to help those thoughts come together” (Berger, p. 204).

Throughout my CEP 812 course we have talked the importance of questioning.  It allows us to explore new ideas and ways of thinking.  A question can open a world of possibilities, creativity, and innovation just like when opening a paint can to reveal a beautiful color.  Questioning can guide us to more questions or potential solutions.

After reading Thomas Friedman’s New York Times Article (2013) entitled, It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q., I have come to a new understanding that to be successful in any profession we no longer can rely just on our I.Q. or smarts.  Friedman states, “It will also be those with more P.Q. (passion quotient) and C.Q. (curiosity quotient) to leverage all the new digital tools to not just find a job, but to invent one or reinvent one, and to not just learn but to relearn for a lifetime” (Friedman, 2013).  This new understanding shows me the importance of being a lifelong learner as an educator.  To always want to learn the newest technological advances and pedagogy to teach students.  To seek out and question educational structures and ways of doing things.  To reinvent my classroom structure and activities to meet the needs of all my students.

Image from Pixabay

I have a deep passion to make a difference in the lives of students with special needs.  I strive to differentiate instruction and learn different teaching techniques to meet every students’ needs and meet them wherever they are at in their educational career.  Technology has been a great tool for me to find different ways to present content to my students that is meaningful and works best for them.  Students are able to use sites like Google Classroom and SeeSaw to share their work and ideas with their peers.  This builds confidence and a classroom community.

I am curious and continuously reassessing why I do the things I do, why I collect data the way I do, and reevaluate whether this is the only way to close the gap in a certain subject area.  I self-reflect on a day-to-day basis and rely on that to become the best educator I can be.

As a teacher I need to continue to show my passion for this profession and my students.  The most challenging part will to make sure I continue to be curious and question what is around me and always better my instruction, the way I present my content, and how I incorporate technology into my classroom.

Questioning, passion, and curiosity are ideas that I strive to implement in my own life, not just in the classroom.  To question why I feel a certain ways using “why”, “what if”, and “how” questions to get me to a possible solution.  To continue to have passion and curiosity to try new things and be adventurous with the people in my life.  To continue my happiness in a world full of judgement.

In the video below I express my passions, my curiosity, and how I use technology to further those two areas in my classroom and in life.  I talk about how I use questioning to guide my instruction, teaching, and self-reflection.

I would love comments and feedback if you have any after reading my post and watching this video.  Thank you!

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References:

Berger, W. (2014).  A More Beautiful Question: The Power of Inquiry to Spark Breakthrough Ideas. New York: Bloomsbury, USA.

Friedman, T. (January 29, 2013). It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q. The New York Times. Retrieved on August 12, 2018 from https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html.

Pixabay. [Image]. Retrieved on August 12, 2018 from https://pixabay.com/en/painter-paint-cans-brush-paintbrush-1246619/.

Pixabay. [Image]. Retrieved on August 12, 2018 from https://pixabay.com/en/woman-question-mark-person-decision-687560/.

Final Reflection for CEP 811 Course

The new thinking I have experienced during my CEP 811 course is the repurposing of technology.  According to Punya Mishra and The Deep-Play Research Group’s article entitled, Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st  Century: Crayons are the Future (2012), “It is important for us as educators to explore the relationship between technology and creativity, particularly in educational contexts.  Both technology and creativity in education are complex topics, which have confounded many legitimate attempts to find useful approaches to integrating them into educational settings.”  

Poem by Kaylie Quimby

It is important to integrate technology use in the classroom in new and innovative ways.  The most obvious use of technology, like computers and iPads, aren’t the only ways that technology can be integrated into the classroom.  The repurposing of items with the use of technology tools allows for students and educators to be creative and explore new possibilities within the already set curriculum.  

Before this course I would not have thought about repurposing technology to play different roles in my classroom.  This new thinking about using already existing technology and items will positively affect my instruction. I will be more open to creating lessons that incorporate technology and allow my students to explore.  I plan to take a back-seat role in my students’ learning and allow them to explore, create, make mistakes, learn from their mistakes, and proudly share their work with others.

The use of my Makey Makey kit has taught me that trial and error will not deter me from trying new things.  Allowing my students to explore with kits that tie into Common Core Standards and lessons are a great way to grab their attention and keep engagement alive in the classroom.  I feel as though this kit will allow me to incorporate technology in innovative ways in my classroom for students in my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade classrooms.

The “Repurpose” Acrostic Poem above has words that express how I view repurposed technology in my classroom.  As educators we are able to reuse and recycle technology in new and inspiring ways.  Students feel unified with one another as they explore, play, participate, experience, and share technology throughout the lesson with one another.  Repurposing will create an open environment for risk-taking and innovation that I can’t wait to welcome with open arms in my classroom.

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References:

Makey Makey. Retrieved on July 10, 2018 from https://makeymakey.com/.

Mishra, P., & The Deep-Play Research Group (2012). Rethinking Technology & Creativity in the 21st Century: Crayons are the Future.  TechTrends, 56(5), 13-16. Retrieved on August 10, 2018.

Assessment of Student Learning

For one of my final blog posts in my CEP 811 course I was asked to reflect on the assessment of students’ learning.  As an educator charged with the assessment of student learning, I would assess creative problem solving during maker-inspired lessons in several different ways.  There is no “right” way to assess students when they are creatively solving problems, but there should be guidelines that match the state standards so students know how to be successful with the project.  Leaving the project up to students with little guidance can cause ambiguity and confusion for students who are use to teacher-centered learning.

Image from Wikimedia Commons

The first way I would assess student learning is through focusing on the impact of the students’ performance.  According to Grant Wiggins in his article entitled, On assessing for creativity: yes you can, and yes you should, he states that, “This idea of focusing on impact is actually key to student autonomy, reflected in self-assessment and self-adjustment. The more we focus on impact – did you achieve the goal of such a performance? – instead of such abstract things as “focus” and “organization” or such indicators such as “eye contact” in speaking, the more students can practice, get feedback, and self-assess and self-adjust on their own. Which is surely far more important than being totally dependent upon teacher feedback that is squeamish” (Wiggins, 2012).  

I want my students to focus on self-reflection and self-assessment as it relates to them identifying their goal versus the teacher stating if they did so.  Having concrete expectations helps to guide students to a successful end product instead of those abstract ideas like “eye contact”, “focus” and “organization”.  Focusing on student performance impact will allow students to dictate their performance in the class and not worry so much about my feedback as their teacher. Having a creative rubric, like Wiggins mentioned in his article, will guide students in the right direction for what those expectations are.

Another way I would assess student learning is throughout the project as well as the culminating project itself.  Eric Isslehardt notes in his article entitled, Creating Schoolwide PBL Aligned to Common Core, that to create a schoolwide project-based learning environment there needs to be an identified student evaluation instrument that is used throughout the project, including a culminating project (Isslehardt, 2013).  Since this is a project-based learning environment students are doing the navigating through the lessons themselves while teachers are their coaches. They make mistakes and try new ways to solve problems or create end products in their classes. By evaluating the creative problem-solving process as well as the final product it gives students confidence that as their teacher I am seeing all parts of their effort when creating this project and not just the final product.  Sometimes the final product does not end up the way they want, but what’s more important is how the students worked through the problem and came up with potential solutions.

Image from Flickr.com

John Bransford, Ann Brown, & Rodney Cocking (2000) state in their book entitled, How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school, they mention that a metacognitive approach to instruction can help students learn to take control of their own learning by defining learning goals and monitoring their progress in achieving them. (p.18)  This statement goes along with Isslehardt’s point that students should have clear learning goals and their progress should be monitored throughout and not just at the end with the finished product. It is important for students to have an awareness and understanding of their own thought process as they move through the creative problem solving in the maker-inspired lessons.

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References:

Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school. National Academies Press. Retrieved from http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368.

Flickr.com. [Image]. Retrieved on August 10, 2018 from https://www.flickr.com/photos/gforsythe/35134525474.

Isslehardt, E. (2013, February 11). Creating Schoolwide PBL Aligned to Common Core [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/PBL-aligned-to-common-core-eric-isslehardt

Wiggins, G. (2012, February 3). On assessing for creativity: yes you can, and yes you should. [Web log comment]. Retrieved from http://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2012/02/03/on-assessing-for-creativity-yes-you-can-and-yes-you-should/

Wikimedia Commons. [Image]. Retrieved on August 10, 2018 from https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Legal_pad_word_assessment.jpg

 

The Rise of the Makers in Education

Make way for a new creative, technological movement…the Maker Movement!  According to Erica Halverson and Kimberly Sheridan in their article, The Maker Movement in Education, “The Maker Movement refers broadly to the growing number of people who are engaged in the creative production of artifacts in their daily lives and who find physical and digital forums to share their processes and products with others” (Halverson & Sheridan, 2014, p. 496).  Teachers are introducing this movement into their classrooms as an avenue for students to express themselves with the every day tools as well as technology.  It allows them to be creative and take ownership of their work like they never have before!

This is a movement that has been seen being implemented in schools across the country and the world.  EdSurge states in their article, What’s Next for Maker Education?, that Maker Education offers a whole new way for students to use technology and prompts teachers to rethink what they are teaching and how they are teaching it (EdSurge, 2011).  I agree that this movement allows teachers to reflect on their pedagogy and assess whether or not their teaching is effective and reaching all students’ needs.

In a 2016 study reported by Nicole Lou and Katie Peek in their article entitled, By The Numbers: The Rise of the Makerspace, there were over 1,393 makerspaces worldwide, which was 14 times as many in 2006.  California, New York, Florida, Texas, and Michigan were all states with the most makerspaces in the United States.  This data shows there’s an increased awareness of the Making Culture around the world.  Making is very inclusive for adults to students and there is a diversity and flexibility with where makerspaces can be located and how someone chooses to implement them.  This increase in awareness shows that that there is interest in implementing something new that incorporates both technology and creativity to meet Common Core and Next Generation Science State Standards.

I have created an infographic using Piktochart to help present these ideas:

• What Maker Education is…
• Maker Movement’s role in education…
• What a Makerspace is…
• The themes that students learn when practicing this new way of learning…
• Key ideas of Maker activities…
• Key features of Maker learning environments…
• How the Maker Movement fits in the Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards…
• The prevalence of Makerspaces around the United States and the world….

If embedded material does not show, click this link to view my infographic!

Please share your ideas and feedback on my infographic in the comments below!

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References:

EdSurge (2011-2018). What’s Next for Maker Education? Retrieved on August 8, 2018 from https://www.edsurge.com/research/guides/what-s-next-for-maker-education.

Halverson, E.R. & Sheridan, K. (2014). The maker movement in education. Harvard Educational Review, 84(4), 495-465. /content/SS15/CEP/811/SS15-CEP-811-733-97EFZZ-EL-14-204/Halverson&Sheridan_MakerMovementinEducation_2014.pdf.

Lou, N., & Peek, P. (February 23, 2016). By The Numbers: The Rise of the Makerspace. Retrieved on August 8, 2018 from https://www.popsci.com/rise-makerspace-by-numbers.

Sheridan, K. Halverson, E.R., Litts, B.K., Brahms, L, Jacobs-Priebe, L., & Owens, T. (2014) Learning in the making: A comparative case-study of three maker spaces. Harvard Educational Review, 84(4), 505-565./content/SS15/CEP/811/SS15-CEP-811-733-97EFZZ-EL-14-204/Sheridanetal_ComparativeCaseStudyofThreeMakerSpaces_2014.pdf

WeAreTeachersStaff. (November 5, 2013). The Ultimate Guide to Bringing the Maker Movement to Your Classroom.  Retrieved on August 8, 2018 from https://www.weareteachers.com/making-matters-how-the-maker-movement-is-transforming-education/.

Wicked Problem Solution

For my CEP 812 course I was asked to work with a Think Tank group to focus on a wicked problem that plagues the education field today.  Our wicked problem was allowing failure to be as powerful a learning mode as success.

We worked through a long process that helped us get to a solution.  We first brainstormed 50 questions that we had about the wicked problem.  Then we conducted research individually and analyzed the questions. This step allowed us to reflect on what we learned which is an important concept that Warren Berger discussed in his book entitled, A More Beautiful Question. (Berger, 2014, 80-81).

We talked as a Think Tank through the Circle of Viewpoints routine as a teacher, parent, and student to better understand the wickedness of our problem.  We were able to explore diverse perspectives and brainstorm different thought processes related to our wicked problem.  After looking at our initial questions and considering multiple viewpoints we came up with three critical “why” questions.  As Berger states, the “why” questions help us understand. (Berger, 2014, p. 93). Reference my last blog post titled, Solving a Wicked Problem, to see what the wicked questions were and the survey that was conducted after further questioning.  My Infographic created by Piktochart about my research on this wicked problem is a visual representation that includes the problem of failure as a way to learn, the research I have conducted about the problem, the three critical questions my Think Tank group is focusing on, and the references to the amazing sources of information I have used during my research.  Check it out!

These three questions helped us to dive deeper into understanding the problem.  Then the group came up with “what if” questions which helped us to imagine potential solutions to the problem while keeping the three critical “why” questions in mind.  The final step of our questioning was the “how” question which is our solution. This question was, “How can a school implement a change in grading practices to encourage learning from both failures and success?”

The “how” question led us to our possible solution.  Our solution is teachers implementing standards-based grading school-wide to encourage learning from both failures and successes.  We conducted a survey that was sent out to our personal learning networks and received 80 responses from educators around the country.  We surveyed 80 educators comprising mostly of classroom teachers (85%) at the elementary and middle school (87.5%) level. The majority teach in suburban schools (72.5%) in Michigan (66.25%) or Illinois (16.25%).  

Image from Prezi.com

Please check out my Think Tank’s multimodal Prezi presentation that dives deeper into the process and our solution to our very wicked problem.

This solution is the best bad solution.  It is the step along the way towards completely solving this wicked problem, but it is not the ONLY solution.

 

 

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References:

Berger, W. (2014). A More Beautiful Question: The power of inquiry to spark breakthrough ideas. Retrieved July 11, 2018, from https://ebook.yourcloudlibrary.com/library/kdl/EPubRead/euzktg9

Piktochart (2018). Retrieved on July 28, 2018 from https://piktochart.com/.

Prezi (2018). Retrieved on August 7, 2018 from https://prezi.com/p/g0zhy5t6pp8m/wicked-problem-project/.

Visible Thinking. Circle of Viewpoints.  Retrieved from http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03e_FairnessRoutines/CircleViewpoints/CircleViewpoints_Routine.html.

 

Redesigning My Learning Space

My Current Learning Space:

This week, in my CEP 811 course, we were asked to redesign our classroom by imagining configurations using SketchUp that would reflect experience design and best promote student-centered learning.  A question that I kept in mind throughout this process is how can I re-design this space so that students’ learning experiences are maximized?

My room is shared by five other special education teachers, it is the special education resource room for the entire district.  When you walk into the classroom you can see mostly white walls, a green accent wall, desks in long rows, and shelves of resources.  Since there are so many students from different grade levels coming into the classroom it is hard to personalize the space. Instead, the classroom decor tends to stay neutral and rather boring.  There are six small, rectangular windows at the top of the room that allow sunlight in. This is the perfect amount of light for the large space. There is an interactive T.V. on the green wall, which is great for student participation and collaborative learning.  My students have one-to-one Chromebooks which is a nice feature to have since they will travel down to my room from their general education room for language arts class. With that being said, I have great technology in already in my classroom!  Even with these great features I have some major concerns with the learning space.

Below are images of my current resource room learning space:

Image by Kaylie Quimby

Image by Kaylie Quimby

Image by Kaylie Quimby

My Vision:

In a 2013 study published by Peter Barrett, Yufan Zhang, Joanne Moffat & Khairy Kobbacy, entitled, A holistic, multi-level analysis identifying the impact of classroom design on pupils’ learning, the researchers found that students who worked in environments with better quality natural light, had classroom furniture that was purpose-built and could be moved around the room to accommodate a range of learning activities, and had enough space so that teachers could change the space configuration of the furniture for learning, did better. They also found that wall and floor colors mattered. For younger students, cool, bright colours seemed best; for older kids, warm colours seemed to support better learning. The researchers also found that visual stimuli mattered too. They noted that a quiet visual environment was best, balanced with complexity. Too many things to look at seems to inhibit learning, but a few complex visual stimuli seemed to be supportive. (Barrett et al., 2013, p. 679).

Image by SketchUp

Image by SketchUp

My vision is very realistic and beneficial for students in elementary and middle school.  Students who come into our classroom have a disability and can be distracted easily. The lights in the room are very bright and unwelcoming.  I would get blue light covers to hang over the fluorescent lights so that it creates a more calming and welcoming environment for all students.  I will keep the green accent wall as well as the white walls because as research states above, wall color matters.  The bright wall meets the needs of our older students and the white and grey walls meet the needs of the younger students.  The walls will also have minimal posters and decorations to have a visually balanced room with less distractions.

The shelves of resources in my current learning space are overwhelming to look at. I will remove the shelves and install steps that students can sit on to collaborate and problem solve together.  I will also install a high top table as well as cubes at the front of the room to promote flexible seating and allow students the option to sit wherever they would like for the lesson.  This furniture can be moved around along with the divider to create a new space when needed. All of these changes reflect back to the research by Barrett, Zhang, Moffat, & Kobbacy.

The long rows of desk do not promote a collaborative environment or one that allows movement.  I will reconfigure the desks into groups so that four students will sit together. I want to get round tables instead of square tables to add some shape change in the room.  This will promote collaboration, problem-based inquiry and the Making culture. The small groupings will still allow easy access to the students for individual feedback from the teacher. At the side of the room I will create a sensory corner with bean bags, moveable divider, and sensory materials for my students with special needs.  The teacher desk will stay over in the sensory corner as to not be the main focus of the room.

The Cost for Redesign:

This revision would take the summer to be completed.  I will need the approval of my special education team, administration, and maintenance crew.  There would be a cost to this revision. According to Amazon.com, the three bean bag chairs would cost $135, the three new round tables and chairs would cost $1,000, the high top table would cost $250, and the creation of the steps would cost $1,000.  Overall, this revision would add up to around $3,000. This is a lot of money to invest in one class, which may put a hold on this revision in the future.  This is something I want to consider for the future and see this redesigned room as my “dream” classroom.

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References:

Amazon. (2018). Retrieved on July 31, 2018 from https://www.amazon.com/ref=nav_logo.

Barrett, P., Zhang, Y., Moffat, J., & Kobbacy, K. (2013). A holistic, multi-level analysis identifying the impact of classroom design on on pupils’ learning. Building and Environment, 59, 678-689. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.buildenv.2012.09.016

SketchUp. Retrieved on July 30, 2018 from https://www.sketchup.com/.

Solving a Wicked Problem

This week, for my CEP 812 course, my Think Tank and I are focused on coming up with solutions to our wicked problem. There are several wicked problems that the education profession faces.  The wicked problem my Think Tank group is focusing on is allowing failure to be as powerful learning mode as success.  Students need to have the experience of learning from mistakes and appropriate reactions to failure to prepare them for the future.  There are many stakeholders and perspectives to consider when thinking about solutions to this problem.  The three critical problems that drove our thinking this week were the following:

1. Why aren’t schools considered “risk tolerant?”
2. Why do students only consider success as learning?
3. Why should teachers rethink their pedagogy to embrace failure as a learning mode?

One thing that has made this such a wicked problem is the effect of grading practices on students.  The way grading practices are structured generally reward achievement and penalize mistakes, which perpetuates this problem.

Image from Pixabay.

Our proposed solution to the problem is for teachers to implement standards-based grading school wide to encourage learning from both failures and successes.

Please consider answering this short survey about the wicked problem of allowing failure to be as powerful a learning mode as success in our professional context. There are 15 questions. It should take you about 5 minutes to answer them.

We have crafted this survey for an assignment that is part of our graduate program in educational technology at Michigan State University, specifically for our CEP 812 course. We also hope that the results will inform discussions and planning for technology integration in the work we do together, and with students.

Your answers will be collected anonymously — please do not give your name or any other personally identifiable information. We will analyze these data and submit them for evaluation to my professors at MSU.  We really hope this survey helps us to gather data that we can use.

Please complete this survey no later than Friday, August 3, 2018.

Thank you very much for your time and insights!

Here is the link to the survey: https://goo.gl/forms/qAgUOrLuW6IfKYYl1

Image from Google Forms.

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References:

Google Forms.  Retrieved on July 30, 2018 from https://www.google.com/forms/about/.

Pixabay. Retrieved on July 30, 2018 from https://pixabay.com/en/examination-homework-correction-154709/.

Failure as a Learning Mode

Over the last week I have met with my Think Tank group for my CEP 812 course to discuss one of the wicked problems we face in education today.  Our wicked problem is using failure as a learning mode.  This is a concept that parents, teachers, and students struggle with and each have a differing opinion about.

The biggest question I have coming from our lengthy group discussion is whether or not failure will ever be fully accepted into the school environment by teachers, school districts, parents and students?  With so many opinions and perspectives on failure as a learning tool I can see this being a wicked problem that plagues our educational field in the years to come unless we try and find some solutions.

To focus our thinking, my Think Tank group came up with three critical questions to frame the rest of our wicked problem project.   Here are the three critical questions:

• 1.) Why should teachers rethink their pedagogy to embrace failure as a learning mode?
  • Teachers need to think about how they are teaching content and allowing students to embrace mistakes and learn from them.
• 2.) Why aren’t schools considered “risk tolerant”?
  • Schools tend to not take risks with their students and teachers in many different areas because they want to be successful.
• 3.) Why do students consider success as learning?
  • Students are taught to reach a certain target in many aspects of their life.  If they don’t reach the target they are considered failures.

Below is an Infographic created by Piktochart about my current research on this wicked problem.  This visual representation includes the problem of failure as a way to learn, the research I have conducted about the problem, the three critical questions my Think Tank group is focusing on, and the references to the amazing sources of information I have used during my research.

https://create.piktochart.com/output/31573432-new-piktochart

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References:

McGregor, H. A. (2003). The shame of failure: Exploring the relationship between fear of failure and shame (Order No. 3087105). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (305309837). Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/login?url=https://search-proquest-com.proxy1.cl.msu.edu/docview/305309837?accountid=12598

Peters, S., & Shephard, E. (2018). Learning through mistakes: An important part of the learning and research process. In Tong V., Standen A., & Sotiriou M. (Eds.), Shaping Higher Education with Students: Ways to Connect Research and Teaching (pp. 115-123). London: UCL Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/stable/j.ctt21c4tcm.19

Piktochart (2018). Retrieved on July 28, 2018 from https://piktochart.com/.

Rijavec, M., & Brdar, I. (2002). Coping with school failure and self-regulated learning. European Journal of Psychology of Education,17(2), 177-194. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/stable/23420393

 

Maker Lesson Plan

Comparing Fractions: 3rd Grade Lesson

For my CEP 811 course I was asked to create a Maker Lesson Plan that brings together my Makey Makey kit, K-cup prototype from the Thrifting with Makey Makey blog post, research on learning, and knowledge of pedagogy.

For my lesson I decided to focus on my twenty-six 3rd graders, specifically with the subject of mathematics.  From my own observations I have noticed that students have the least interest in mathematics because they find it challenging and “boring”.  Because of this mentality, I want to incorporate my Makey Makey kit into a lesson about comparing fractions to spice it up!  The fraction unit is one that both teachers and students tend to steer clear of because they assume it will be challenging because of past experiences and other people’s negative perspectives.  When I teach the fraction unit I take each new concept as they come and place importance on application with real-world examples.

I have found that if I put a personal connection to my instruction my students become more interested in what they are learning and are able to connect to it better.  According to Angela O’Donnell (2012) in her chapter entitled, Constructivism, she states, “Instruction is likely to be most effective when it capitalizes on students’ prior experiences and interests” (p. 68).  O’Donnell (2012) continues to talk in her chapter about the importance of real-world contexts and incorporating meaningful tasks to enhance instruction and learning (O’Donnell, 2012, p. 68).

Image by Kaylie Quimby

The example I like to bring to my fraction lessons is sharing brownies.  When pans of brownies are shared with different numbers of people the size of the brownies need to be equal.  It is also important to help students come to the realization that sharing equally with more people creates smaller pieces that everyone has to share.  This concept shows that students need to learn how to compare fractions because they need to know that a fourth of a brownie pan is a smaller piece than a third of a brownie pan.  This is a relevant and personal situation that students could encounter.

Check out my Comparing Fractions Maker Lesson Plan!  See how I incorporate the Eureka Math curriculum, Common Core State Standards, and Makey Makey kit to enhance my lesson and bring a Maker element that will draw the interest of my students.

Enjoy!  I would love any feedback you can offer.

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References:

O’Donnell, A. (2012). Constructivism. In APA Educational Psychology Handbook: Vol. 1. Theories, Constructs, and Critical Issues. K. R. Harris, S. Graham, and T. Urdan (Editors-inChief). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. DOI: 10. 1037/13273-003.

Information Diet

In my CEP 812 course this week I was asked to reflect on my information diet.  My information diet contains massive amounts of information that exists in my specific networked world, which is made up of people, organizations, and ideas that I have researched and approved.  Most of the things in my network share my same beliefs, ideals, and understanding of the world around me. This reflection has raised a red flag for me as I think about this week’s lesson. I have learned it’s important to not only obtain information but also to evaluate if the information I choose is valuable, trustworthy, and useful in my daily life.

In James Paul Gee’s (2013) book, The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students Through Digital Learning, Gee warns that we need to have multiple perspectives in our information diets.  Gee (2013) states, “In a healthy society, diversity is honored because diverse people and viewpoints serve the same purpose as variation does in evolution.  Such diversity expands the possibilities for new discoveries and survival in the face of change” (p. 117-118).  I have realized that my information diet does not include a lot of diversity in viewpoints.  When talking about Twitter, I realized that my personal learning network (PLN) includes professors from Michigan State University, peers in the Master’s of Education Technology Program, and a few other MSU organizations.  It did include political views on education in Illinois, the use of PARCC as a standardized test, and the conflicting views of educators who are currently in the field. I saw my Twitter feed as a limitation to my understanding and acceptance of the world around me.  

The PARCC page taught me about the different ways that PARCC is trying to keep their tests unbiased and mix up the questions for each year.  This opens my eyes to how difficult it is to create a standardized test that will determine student achievement and which school programs are sufficient in their teaching.

Image by Kaylie Quimby

Image by Kaylie Quimby

The information I consume on a daily basis is information on how other students completed their master course work, organization philanthropy efforts, and professor’s plugs on recent research integration.  I only share information about my masters course work on Twitter and don’t use it as a platform to share my views and beliefs. I do not use social media as a platform for any stance. I am usually one to share photos or up-to-date information about what is going on in my life.  I find this very surface-level in a sense. Why do I choose to stay neutral on social media instead of share my stance with others? Do I view this neutrality as professional or am I afraid of the backlash it may cause? This is something I want to explore in the coming weeks as I expand my PLN.  

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach stated in Kurtis Hewson’s article, What size is your digital footprint? (2013) that, “the real power of the social web is revealed when you have a plan and a purpose for how you’ll build your network, reap its benefits, and then apply the knowledge you gain” (p.16).  After I started adding more people and organizations to Twitter I realized the importance of finding a purpose with the people I chose.

I decided to look at all the different organizations that Michigan State University College of Education followed.  Then I looked at the organizations that were relevant in my day-to-day instruction and would push my thinking on educational topics.  I started following Erin Klein, an EdTech Blogger and a SMART Exemplary Educator, who can give me insight into new ways to incorporate and repurpose technology in my classroom.  I also started following Illinois Early Learning, Campus Suit and Project Lead The Way. All of these organizations will provide me with the latest trends and tips for teaching as well as evidence-based practices that I should be incorporating into my instruction.

Erin Klein brings together blog posts, news articles, and videos of other educators and education organizations on her blog post and shares it on her Twitter account.  Many of the articles she shares is about the restraint that standardized tests have on teaching and instruction and how that affects student inquiry and creativity. Creativity and inquiry comes with failure and the ability to give that time to fail and learn from failure is very important in the classroom.  My wicked problem focuses on is failure as a learning mode. Klein talks about the importance of allowing students to fail and give room for instruction to challenge students. This is something that I also find very important and am researching more as this class continues over the next few weeks.

Image by Kaylie Quimby

Image by Kaylie Quimby

One organization I knew would push me out of my comfort zone is to follow the Illinois Federation of Teacher.  This is the Twitter site for the teacher Union in Illinois. I am one to avoid any conflicts, but I know from Gee’s research that having diverse opinions and perspectives is very important to challenge thinking and understanding in our world.  The Illinois Education Association was another controversial site that talked about topics relevant to teachers that not everyone agrees with. Both of these Twitter sites keep me up-to-date on current events and new legislation that is being ruled.  Slowly but surely I am expanding my PLN to be more diversely populated.

The Illinois Federation of Teaching taught me about how important it is to reinvigorate Unions as well as collective bargaining.  This is something that is very relevant in my school district, but I tend to take a back seat in politics. This site states that the war on trade in our government is affecting wages which could affect wages of people if Unions and collective bargaining were not available.  This twitter site shows me that talking about politics is not scary, just informative. The Illinois Education Association is another controversial site that talked about salaries for paraprofessionals being below poverty level. This information baffled me and really showed the wage disparity even within the education field.  This information makes me appreciate the paraprofessionals who work in my special education department even more because they do so much for so little money. This knowledge makes me want to stand up for the rights of these people especially as a special education teacher.

Here is the link my Tagboard: http://tgb.io/InfoDiet/437071.  This is a social media display platform that highlights the 10 new sources I added to my Twitter account along with other Twitter accounts that show related information and posts.

Image by Tagboard.com

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References:

Gee, J.P. (2013). The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students through Digital Learning. St. Martin’s Griffin, 117-118.  Retrieved on July 17, 2018.

Hewson, K. (2013). What size is your digital footprint? The Phi Delta Kappan, 94(7), 14-17. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/stable/23611689

Tagboard. Retrieved on July 17, 2018 from https://tagboard.com/.