My Philosophy of Education

Outcome
This is the first movie I've ever made, and therefore I'm highly impressed that I actually have a polished finished project.

Every time that I attempt to summarize my philosophy of education I think of essential additions and I therefore view my educational philosophy as a work in progress.

I observed a distinct lack of photos of my students:

• Undertaking creative endeavor - I should include more art work and poster-making.
• Displaying their work - I should motivate students with photos in the classroom, acknowledging what they have produced.
• Doing hands-on and kinesthetic activities - In a bid to maintain effective classroom management I have not been including enough movement and active physical tasks.
  

I now feel confident enough to attempt a similar project with my students. A self-introductory project would be an ideal ice-breaker at the beginning of the school year and a creative, safe way for students to introduce themselves to their classmates.

Future learning opportunities

I really enjoyed using Windows Movie Maker. I appreciate that the final product can be displayed in full screen, a huge advantage over podcasts.

All of my current students use Macs, and i-movie or garage band when they are making videos. During the MAT program I hope to train myself to use i-movie and garage band on Mac, so that I will be competant enough to train my students for their projects and will be able to troubleshoot their technological frustrations and problems.

Watch my philosophy video.

Presentation Inferno

Being recording while presenting is a slow form of torture. I've been exposed to this grueling experience once before and at the time I vowed never to allow my self-esteem to take such a beating again. During the MAT experience I have been pushing myself to leave my comfort zone and attempt all kinds of tasks that I previously avoided, such as becoming technologically competent, and I therefore view recording my presentation as another challenge that I have successfully, albeit reluctantly, undertaken.

Some new and shocking revelations include that I sound like my sister, I can't stop grinning, and that I have an incredibly annoying laugh. My compulsive repetition of vocabulary includes the random phrases "I'm so impressed by," "seriously,""yeah,""em" and "ah." I share with many of my students a disdain for hearing my own recorded voice, and I now have far more empathy for my students when they don't want to stay in the classroom to hear their own podcasts.

Notes to self

• Sufferers of shaky hand when nervous syndrome should not use a laser-pointing device, thus drawing attention to their inability to keep said device pointed toward the item they are attempting to draw attention to. Lesson learned.


• I have a fascinating habit of not finishing my sentences. It's as though I get bored by what I'm about to say, or am just too tired to finish, so I just leave the sentence dangling in the air with a highly inconclusive "so, em, yeah."Get some sleep.


• Try not to look like you want to bolt as soon as the presentation is over. I had no idea I was allergic to questions.


• When I can't think of the word such as "wrap" I begin the motion with my hands, in an attempt to muster up the word through association of ideas. Some of my hand movements, however, such as flapping, are entirely unrelated to the words I say. Did I wave to someone at one stage?

How will I modify my presenting style?

I'll never record myself presenting again in order to avoid the mortification associated with such an endeavor. I'll try to cut out various habits I've discovered that I have such as half-baked, dangling sentences, repetitive phrases and general hand signaling. I could slow the pace my speech down a huge amount and still speak faster than most people that I know.

Not being recorded while teaching has become a new and unexpected relief and therefore I've definitely become more relaxed as a result of the presentation. Now that I have a point of comparison, I realize that I'm more comfortable teaching my ninth graders than I am with presenting to my peers. I have a new appreciation for how accepting and non-judgmental my students are about their teachers.

On a positive note, I included interesting stories during my presentation, made eye-contact with my audience and didn't move excessively. I am certainly a friendly and animated presenter and I believe that I would have done a far better presentation if I were passionate about the subject, rather than just completing and presenting a mandatory project in a area that certainly isn't my personal preference.

The Educator’s Guide to the Read / Write Web,

Richardson suggests that our current description of literacy as the ability to read and write needs to be rethought as students have the opportunity to become editors and collaborators instantly, and must also be equipped to “skillfully manage the flood of information” available to them on the web. The tools that Richardson describes include blogs, podcasting, and RSS. Wikis are described as an “open and collaborative content creation tool” and other Read/Write web tools are celebrated as tools that “facilitate students’ collaborative construction of meaningful knowledge.” The author urges teachers to “rethink their roles” as “content expert” and become a “guide” and to eventually become “content creators in their own right.” The author concludes his article with a promise that “the potential enhancements to student learning outweigh” what he refers to as the “manageable risks” of exposure to the internet.

Read on

Tools for the Mind, Mary Burns

“How can schools…address the factors that impede teachers from capitalizing on computer technology’s instructional potential?” This article is a call for schools to “take measures to ensure that they are using computers to their fullest instructional potential.” The author, Mary Burns, is concerned by the misuse of computers by teachers, an effort fueled by a misguided attempt to integrate technology in the classroom. Burns believes that teachers must have relevant training, “access to higher-order technology tools” and must challenge their students with spreadsheets, databases and GIS tools that demand abstract and critical reasoning.

Recommended strategies for change

• Technology use - deliberately match it to a particular outcome / standard.
• Core areas of teaching – content knowledge, curriculum, instruction, assessment.
• Use software tools that interact with rich content, real-world data, and complex procedures that foster higher-order thinking.
• Re-emphasize the belief that computers can transform and deepen student learning.
• Student engagement has been conflated with improved learning and higher-order thinking.

As a teacher, I find it interesting that Mary Burns fears that computers will become an out-dated fad in teaching. Contrary to her claims, I see an increased reliance on computers in the classroom, from teaching materials to the nature of assignments. I do however agree with the author that the tasks completed on computers are often basic word and power-point assignments. Mary Burns certainly has a low opinion of these tools, but provides no alternative examples of how to challenge language arts students with technology without detracting from one of the core areas of teaching, content knowledge. As a language arts teacher I ensure that my students are challenged to engage in higher-order thinking skills because the assignments that I give them require critical thinking. If they complete a task on the computer, they use the computer and the internet as a forum to complete these higher-order thinking tasks. If the research projects and assignments that my students undertake challenge them to engage in higher-order thinking, then the integration of technology allows me to achieve my aims as a teacher, and in no way detracts from my students' learning experience.

Technology Philosophy

Technology is a movie that I've walked into halfway through. As far as the plot goes, I'm a bit lost. I'm scrambling to pick up the pieces in order to catch up, by asking other aggravated yet knowledgeable movie-goers what the heck is going on, and what did I miss?

I used to be allergic to technology but I am currently developing an immunity by challenging myself with doable technological tasks. Eventually I'll conquer my fears about technology by using the anti-virus, experimentation.

In the future teachers who do not use technology in the classroom will fight a loosing battle to engage their classes, and students will find it increasingly difficult to focus on traditional educational materials.

Mantra: Challenge yourself to use it so that you can challenge your students in a way that is relevant to them.

Energy Awareness Project

Why is it relevant to find out the energy usage of my water heater?

The water heater is one of the highest expenses on the average person's electrical bill. Doing this project will save me money, especially during an energy crisis. Energy could potentially be saved by every household in Juneau, a change that could reduce the demand for electricity, and therefore drive down energy costs for everyone.

Overarching question:

Is it more energy efficient to switch off my water heater when it is not in use for a specific time frame or to maintain the water heater at a constant temperature during the same time frame?

Specific focus

• How much electricity does my water heater use in order to heat 50 gallons of water?


• How much electricity does my water heater require to maintain water at a constant high temperature?


• What specific amount of time must pass (24 hrs to 78hrs) in order for me to save money by switching off my water heater?


• How much money could I save if I switch my water heater off during a vacation day or a weekend away, and should everybody do the same thing?


• Does it do any damage to the water heater to switch it on and off on a regular basis?


• What impact would the figures that I find have on me, Juneau, the U.S. and the world?


• What difference could lowering the energy consumption of a water heater have on an average electrical bill?

Results and conclusions

View my PowerPoint presentation in order to find out about the method through which I determined the electricity usage of my hot water heater when it heats water from cold, and its electricity usage when it maintains water at a constant temperature.

Through a comparison of various meter readings, and as a result of my research I have answered my initial essential question, and I am genuinely surprised by the results. Based on this project, I have become aware that if I am away from home for nine hours or more, I should switch my hot water heater off at the breaker as an energy-saving strategy. Adhering to this specific time-frame will allow me to save considerable money and energy over the life-span of my water heater.

• In 08' I could have saved $73 by switching off my hot water heater for the 80 days that I was out of town.


• 13,000 homes in Juneau get an electric bill.


• If every home gets a $28 water heater rebate: $364,000 total savings.


• If each household in Juneau began would wash clothes in cold water, insulate water tank and pipes and reduce thermostat temp. by 10 degrees.




• Approx. savings per house / yr: $192-$224
  


• Potential Juneau annual savings total: $2,485,600 - $2,914,600

Anthropological assessment of Thunder Mountain's technology culture

How will this project impact me as a teacher?

Technology will have a huge impact on my teaching this year in Thunder Mountain. Through this project I have investigated the technology that will be available to me, and discovered some technology that I didn't realize existed in the school previously. I have an increased awareness of the technological resources that I can have access to as a result of my interviews with teachers. I have become less apprehensive about utilizing technology in the classroom as I have seen how effective digital projectors and Interwrite pads are as communication tools and am impressed by the capacity of a projected image to capture the attention of a restless class of freshmen.

The new knowledge that I have acquired in relation to the technological capabilities of the school will definitely impact my lesson plans and my teaching methods during the year. I plan to use many electronic images as visual aids to illustrate the theme of a lesson, and to show relevant clips from documentaries and films. I hope to broaden the horizons of my students as I experiment with new methods of presenting educational material through technology.

Through my observations of the incorporation of technology in the classroom, I have firsthand experience of how beneficial the Internet can be as a teaching tool and as an educational resource for students. I am impressed by how open-minded the teachers at TMHS are to the use of technology in the classroom and how eager they are to utilize the technological capacities of the school to benefit the students.

For more information, please view my complete technology assessment.

Article Assesment 1

Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky

OVERVIEW

This article emphasizes the generation gap between digital immigrants (often teachers), who are struggling to grapple the basic requirements of technology, and digital natives (many students), those who are self-educated and fearlessly immersed in the ream of technology. "Digital tools are like extensions of students' brains." Prensky speculates that it is impossible for digital immigrants to become as technologically savvy as digital natives, but he believes that they should strive to follow their progressive lead. The article outlines the disparity between what students are capable of as programmers and experts using digital tools, and the lack of opportunities for them to display and advance their capabilities in the classroom environment. Prensky indicates that technology is the one area of expertise that most students would love to be challenged in and to improve in, and yet schools and teachers are failing to provide a sufficient platform for growth and development in this integral area. Prensky points out the irony of schools that are scrambling to introduce a 21st century curriculum, before the close of the 21st century.

REFERENCE POINTS

• Educators must learn from students' 21st century expertise and abandon their predigital instincts



• A combination of desirable goals, interesting choices, immediate and useful feedback and opportunities to see their improvement engage kids in their complex video games.



• Engagement is superior to content, therefore adopt new systems for communication in class



• Encourage students to provide input and share their expertise; give them opportunities for involvement and make major changes based on their valid suggestions.



• Students should be treated as a resource, suggesting technology that they would benefit from in the classroom



• Students could feasibly invent technological solutions to streamline homework submission and correction.



• Adaptivity, along with connectivity, is where digital technology will have it's greatest impact on education.



• Students deserve to receive quality content through 21st century tools that are powerful, programmable, and customizable - through tools that belong to them such as cell phones.

APPLICATION

As a teacher I should strive to incorporate information that students have already acquired outside of class in their digital lives in order to make classes more engaging. I strive to make material relevant and often reflect on how I can engage my students and persuade them to enjoy literature with power points, document readers, CD's and DVD's. If I increased my expectations of students' technological contributions to class the responsibility of contributing to class discussions, presentations and to every facet of learning would be shared rather than monopolized by my great intentions.

Another personal paradigm shift would be to challenge myself on the digital relevancy of my classes.

On a practical note, I could ask students to search the internet for resources, clips or recent statistics that are relevant to our class discussions. Students could share their digital expertise by producing digital versions of their homework or project-work. If options and choices appeal to students in their interaction with video-games, I could strive to provide more options for assessment, give and receive frequent and useful feedback, and offer appropriate rewards.
I have often heard teachers describe themselves as entertainers who wear themselves out trying to keep students' attention with lively and dynamic presentations. I could give my students more responsibility and input through digitial presentations so that the onus of creating relevant classes is shared, and students would inevitably utilize available technology.

How to Animate a Rolling Ball

Aim of production: To understand the mathematics of a rolling ball and to demonstrate the new skill in an animation. What is the Product? Students have learned a digital-age skill and have a permanent record of their memorable lesson.

Prior to embarking on a similar project with my students I would weigh the following:

• Trade-offs: What material will I have to cut in order to facilitate this project?


• Options: Are there alternative, time-efficient means to assess student learning?


• Practicality: Availability of resources such as computers to complete the project.
  

I appreciate that the students included their mistake, showing that meta-cognition is as valuable as a finished equation. I could do a similar short with ESL students, to help them recognize that making mistakes is inevitable in the process of language learning, but that they should be rectified so that they do not become ingrained.

Futuring

a. How would you “grade” or assess Fox Becomes a Better Person, and School Train?

School Train

The students who worked collaboratively to produce School Train definitely deserve full marks. It is evident that they not only grasp the meaning of metaphor, but that they can utilize the concept in a practical setting to communicate their feelings about school and contextualize what they have learned in a way that is relevant to them. In addition to participating in and contributing to the production they have effectively used role-play, a method of learning that will help them remember the unit. The fact that it is difficult to get the repetitive chant of your head will probably serve as a memory-aid also. They also translated the train metaphor into Spanish, showing their ability to be culturally inclusive.

Fox Becomes a Better Person

Hannah is a natural storyteller and narrates a culturally rich story extremely well. Her original artwork forms the backdrop to the narration. The finished product provides Hannah with a digital recording of a production that is entirely personal. She certainly deserves full marks for her animated and memorable storytelling style and for her talented artwork.


b. What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like podcasting?

If EPIC (Evolving Personalized Information Construct) existed, a personalized version of current affairs and historical data could be created for every class. The students' blogs, MySpace pages, schoolwork and contributions that compile the class website would be screened for group preferences and interests that the students have in common. Reading materials, movies, trivia and news items that are relevant to topics covered in class could be highlighted to generate a custom-made information package tailored specifically to content that would benefit the class.

Podcasting could be used for G.P.S. tagged school-wide broadcasts. School-wide podcasts could be used to:

• Inform students where their art class is located


• Locate students using G.P.S.
  
• Alert staff and students to the danger in a lock-down situation


• List electives that are available with feedback incorporated from students who have taken the classes


• Recognize student achievement and announce it to the school
• Create cross-cultural communication with students from other countries during a unit about culture, or for foreign language practice.

News would certainly be more interactive if students could give their input, make comments and give each other feedback on items that provoke their response. The ability to enter meaningful dialog with the news would validate the personal contributions of the students.

c. How might you use Sabrina’s piece as a model for something you would do with your own students?

Sabrina Journey is a useful model of a video clip that combines photographs and a voice recording to tell a personal story. I could play my students this piece to provide them with a non-threatening context to introduce themselves to other students in their school in a meaningful and personal way. They could choose what pictures to include in their own version, and create a monologue that they are comfortable with. A piece like this would be particularly useful at the beginning of the school year when many students don't know the names or backrounds of their classmates. If each student prepared their own production and was expecting to broadcast it in front of the class, they would make an effort to produce a polished and presentable finished product. The individual pieces could be combined into a DVD that includes a representative narrative from each of the individuals in the class.