Cross the Street with Care

I am blogging to you guys about the dangers of crossing the street without taking the appropriate safety measures. One should always look both ways before crossing the street.  There are a myriad of dangers that await a careless pedestrian:  cars, bicyclists, skateboarders, motorcycles, and other wheeled things.

One must always use a crosswalk and be sure to gesture to motorists indicating an intention to cross.   After the motorist has established eye contact, feel free to give a wave or a point of the finger- something to let the motorist know you intend to cross the road.  Once intention has been established, look around you once more to make sure other motorists are aware of your intentions.  Cautiously, enter the crosswalk.  Once it is clear that all motorists have fully stopped and await your safe arrival to the opposing side of the street, walk-- never run-- to the other side of the street within the crosswalk. 

How to Be Awesome in Three Easy Steps

Many ask themselves how they might improve their image.  Whether it is better to be stuck in the sisyphean rut of being less awesome than your peers, or overwhelm those around you with your brilliant rays of awesomeness.  How does one achieve this kind of awesomeness?  Is everyone capable of being as amazing as Mrs. Sorenson?

The answer to this age-old quandary:  an astounding YES!  This blog post will lay out for you three easy steps to achieve such awesomeness.

1.  When I was a kid, I was raised to not judge and respect everyone.  My mother was an immigrant and came to this country without anything.  She couldn't speak English, she had no money, and she didn't have an education that was useful in America.  Looking at her, you would never know that she speaks five languages, she studied law, and can construct anything out of wood and saws. Everyone has a story.  If we prematurely judge them, we miss out on the potential opportunity to grow as a human being.  We also miss a major mark of being that person that everyone admires.  People seem to gravitate towards those who demonstrate patience and respect for others versus those who judge and demean.

2.  As a teen, I learned that acquiring knowledge helped keep me from awkward situations.  This knowledge wasn't just knowledge from books.  Sometimes, it was knowledge about a person, or how to navigate a situation.  The more things I knew, the less mistakes I made.  Another benefit to being knowledgeable is that I was able to have more interesting conversations with more people.  People like those who know what they are talking about.  More importantly, people like people who are willing to admit when they are wrong, which leads me to number three.

3.  As an adult, I figured out that it is okay to be human.  It is okay to not know, and it is okay to make mistakes.  Furthermore, those who are overly focused on your mistakes are really trying to distract from their own flaws.  People like people who are comfortable in their own skin.

These are three things I learned in my life.  I continue to learn, and I look forward to many more lessons in life.  We never stop learning, and as Journey has told us, "Don't stop believing."

Presentation Reflection

1.  What were some of the best things you saw during the presentations?  Why did you like them?  What were the most effective teaching strategies you witnessed?

One of my favorite aspects of the presentations was how much information and story-telling presenters were able to include in the 12-or-less minutes allotted to them.  It is difficult to make a topic interesting when provided so little time.  I thought people did a very good job with this difficult aspect of the presentations.  In, particular, I thought Cassie did a great job with engaging students.  She asked a series of questions and called on various people in the class, which forced class participation and engagement.  I felt like I learned quite a bit from Cassie's presentation, as I was not previously familiar with "static" and "growth" mindsets.  I also felt her videos were interesting, entertaining, and achieved demonstrating the points of the lesson. 

I thought people also did a great job of circumnavigating technical issues (namely with videos- I was glad to see I was not alone).  In particular, Sarah used the forward/back method to get her videos to load.  I barely noticed the video hiccup, and her presentation ran  smoothly as a result of her quick thinking. 

2.  What were the least engaging/helpful things you say during the presentations? Why were they not effective?  What could the student do to improve?  [Please be honest here without being mean.  This is for critical feedback to help others improve.]

I feel like Prezi, which is new to most of us, should be carefully reviewed and practiced prior to being publicly used as a presentation tool.  This will increase the smoothness of program usage, clarity of the lesson, and generally make for a deeper, more thoughtful presentation (as the presenter is not distracted by technical difficulties or learning how to successfully navigate Prezi in front of the class).  This commentary most accurately applies to Jerry's presentation.  He clearly was knowledgeable about Roberto Clemente, but I think his presentation would have been smoother and more substantial had he felt more comfortable with Prezi.   

I felt bad for Ryan.  He experienced a lot of technical difficulties in his presentation.  He did a great job of acting naturally and the topic he chose was interesting.  I felt like he should have  moved on a little quicker than he did when he noticed that there were loading issues with his videos.  Some of what he was saying became a little lost on me as a result of the interruptions from the technical difficulties.  Again, I felt bad for him because it wasn't his fault the videos weren't loading, and he picked a universally interesting subject.  I would have given each video around 10 to 15 seconds to load instead of a minute. 

3.  After viewing everyone else's presentations, how would you improve your own (both how you presented and the project you made) the next time you were to give this presentation?

My biggest criticism was that my subject was far too broad to be made even remotely interesting in a ten minute period.  I think my best feedback was the fact that people in the class were nodding off when I was presenting.  Also, as a person who genuinely loves the etymology of the English language, my presentation felt a little like a slap in the face to the subject since I couldn't give the subject the true respect that it deserved.  It's imperative to address "why" when discussing etymology of any language.  I was really only able to address "what."  

It would have been helpful for me to engage the class more with participation.  Perhaps I could have asked them some questions instead of rattling off facts.  

Oddly, the feedback I got immediately afterward was that people hated listening to the guy reading Old English.  Maybe I could find a different video, but the purpose of the video was to demonstrate what Old English sounds like, and the language itself seemed to be what bothered people the most.  This may be an issue with the broadness of the subject matter.  Perhaps people would appreciate Old English more if they cared more about it, and they will only care about something if they know about it. 

Additionally, the final edits I made on Prezi didn't take, for whatever reason.  I think I should have closed Prezi out on my computer and re-opened it to be sure all of the edits were applied instead of leaving myself logged on.   

4.  Do you like using PowerPoint/Prezi/SmartBoard as a lesson presenter?  What are the pros/cons of using it?  How might you use it with students?

I did like the Prezi as a lesson presenter because it adds a visual to guide lessons, which appeals to visual learners.  For short lessons in which visual aids would be beneficial, Prezi (or any other visual presenter) would be perfect.  Though, Andy mentioned he wasn't able to properly write math formulas in Prezi, which leads me to believe that Prezi may not be ideal for math.

There are some limitations to Prezi, which should be considered when determining whether or not Prezi would best serve the needs of the lesson.  For example, videos do not necessarily load and play quickly.  Any teacher who has serious time constraints might not want to include videos in a Prezi presentation.  If the teacher chooses to use videos, he or she may want to come up with a back up plan just in case the video doesn't load.   


On that note, Prezi does rely on the internet to work, so if the network is slow, Prezi may end up being more trouble than it's worth, which may be an argument for Powerpoint or Smartboard.  


Additionally, I felt a little limited in what I could include in my Prezi presentation.  I was able to include photographs and videos, but I couldn't imbed a sound bite (or at least wasn't able to include an MP3).  Also, I felt it was a little redundant for Prezi to include an "insert" for files and pictures, when the files you are allowed to insert are photograph-oriented (jpg, pdf, etc.).   


If I were to use Prezi in the classroom, I would use it as a visual aid for a lesson that contained a lot of explanation on my part.  I liked using it to present the etymology of the English language.  I think Prezi works very well for presenting timelines.  In my case, I used a tree because I felt that best demonstrated the various language-changing branches that channeled into modern English.  Also, Prezi is very user friendly.  At least, I felt it was intuitive when I created my presentation.  


5.  After this project, what do you believe is the best way to deliver lecture material?  How often do you think you will utilize an electronic presentation method to deliver your content and what might you use instead/in addition to?  Why do you think you will present material that way?

Lectures can quickly become boring without a visual aid, so I do like the idea of using Powerpoint, Prezi, or Smartboard to give a lecture character and move it forward.  If I were able to utilize anything I wanted in my presentation, I would have also used the dry erase board to write out special characters used in the Celtic alphabet (so I could physically demonstrate that there were no curves in their alphabet as to facilitate carving letters into rune stones and wood), or just quick notes, like the "þ" and "ð" as the "th" sound.  

I feel like lectures are better when they include visual presentations, dry-erase boards, and physical items to be passed around.  I am not a huge fan of direct teaching, though I find it necessary at times.  My biggest complaint about direct teaching is that it's hard for non-auditory learners to retain the information (only about 8 or 9% of us are auditory learners).  Prezi, Smartboard, or Powerpoint (as long as they are bullet point presentations) can be useful tools in avoiding the issues of boredom and lack of retention.  

I think visual presentations can be used with direct and indirect teaching.  For indirect teaching, it could be fun to use a visual projection of a puzzle the students need to solve.  This could work in small groups or as a class discussion.  The final slide could be the solution to the puzzle.  I could also see a test being administered using Prezi, Powerpoint, or Smartboard.  I think I might shy from using Prezi for a test just because of potential difficulties with the internet- especially if the test includes video clips.  

My Prezi link:  http://prezi.com/yak2fyg_duow/edit/#9_3901103

Social Networking: Friend or Foe?

i.              In your estimation, does Social Networking offer teachers greater advantages through possible connections with students, or does it present greater issues for teachers? 

            Social Networking has the potential to act as an effective tool for classrooms.  Students can immediately post questions or concerns about lesson content, quieter students are more likely to equally participate in class discussions, and the use of a tool that students like and are accustomed to using may increase content retention in students.  On the flip side, it is also important to set clear goals and guidelines for students, and students may perceive use of social networking as an excuse to slack off.  This is to say that online classroom discussions can get off track quickly.  

            Additionally, teachers may want to provide some training in proper online etiquette:  how to communicate effectively, respectfully, and responsibly.  This will help with keeping the online discussion on track, but may also help decrease cyber-bullying.  If we spent even half of the time that we spend on personal communication on online communication-- where students feel courageous behind a veil of anonymity-- we might produce students who are capable of almost always exercising good judgment when it comes to online activity.  It seems like we need to update our curriculum to address the needs of our students- this includes education for technology.  

            I feel like the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to introducing technology to a classroom.  I am not sure why we wouldn't include something that appeals to and increases the learning of students.  According to David Zax's article Learning in 140-character Bites (p. 52), "Besides, some argue, students often are already using these technologies in class; professors are simply co-opting a tool that would otherwise serve as a distraction."  I think the biggest con is inappropriate or abusive online activity.  It is sad that students feel entitled to harass, belittle, or otherwise pick on other students.  That being said, the internet and the technology that allows us access to it is very much a part of students' lives.  I feel it has become imperative to include online etiquette as a part of our curriculum. 

            Perhaps parents-- even if they are included in the process-- may protest use of social networking sites in the classroom.  I know that some parents will not allow their children to establish social networking accounts.  

            Another issue is that the school would have to be able to afford the computers needed to pursue a technologically-inclusive classroom.  Given the financial crisis currently being experienced by schools, I feel like supplying the number of computers, iPads, etc. necessary might not be possible for most schools.  Teachers cannot rely on students to supply their own technology since many students cannot afford the necessary technology for a class that performs online tasks.  Another issue is that students who do get to experience technology in the classroom will unfairly have a leg up on students who do not, thus widening the gap in our schools. 

ii.            Were you to utilize Social Networking with students, what precautions to you think are necessary in today’s digital world in order to safeguard your professional standing?  Do you think it’s fair to teachers to hold them to a different standard than other professionals (do you even think that that is what is happening – you can reference your take on the Natalie Munroe scenario).  

          

            There were various opinions stated in Have you Googled your Teacher Lately which reflect the fact that social networking and other forms of internet posting are so new, that there aren't definitive laws in place to govern a teacher's personal restrictions.   When you look at the current laws on online activities and a teacher's freedom of speech, you'll find that laws differ from state to state and district to district.  Part of the problem is that social networking and blogging are relatively new, so there are still law-changing cases being tried.  It will be interesting to see where these cases will take the current laws.  My guess is that personal freedoms will continued to be sacrificed.  In a sense, I am afraid that things will get so bad that it would be in a teacher's best interest to refrain from having any sort of online account.  Additionally, I could see future teacher training including a class about online activity and the legal issues surrounding teachers and online activity.  As it stands, the internet is too new and case law is too thin to support an entire class dedicated to the subject.  

           

            I've always been an advocate for personal freedom as long as actions do not negatively affect others in any way.  Carter, H., Foulger, T., & Dutton-Ewbank, A. (p. 684) wrote in Have you Googled your Teacher Lately, "Under the Pickering/ Connick test, a teacher could be disciplined for speaking out publicly against a school administrator only if that speech interfered with the efficient operations of the school." It is a little disheartening that teachers are put under the stress of limiting what he or she posts online for risk of losing their jobs.  It almost feels like a witch hunt, in some ways.  I feel like the negative comments made by teachers are sensationalized, when many people outside of the teaching posts far more atrocious comments and are not ostracized as a result.  We never see anything about doctors, lawyers, etc. posting negative opinions or stories with regards to their clients, and I am fairly certain that this phenomenon is not unique to teachers.  I feel like, when it comes to online activity, attention is drawn to those with negative behaviors that will make good news (i.e. sex scandals and politicians).  I just performed a Google search for "doctor in trouble for online activity," and Doctor Who popped up.  I performed a few other searches and turned up nothing.  Again, I doubt online activity practiced in poor judgment is not limited to those in the teaching profession; it's just that, coming from a teacher, this activity is far more interesting to the general public.

            Given the fact that I advocate equally for personal freedom, I do not feel it is fair that teachers be held to a different standard than other professions.  On the flip side, I feel that teachers are in a sensitive place because there is the potential for adversely affecting a child.  As long as no names are mentioned, a teacher should have the right to vent about his or her job.  Given the current legal climate surrounding a teacher's personal rights, it might be a good idea to always exercise caution when posting something on the internet- this extends to taking extreme measures when it comes to privacy settings on one's social network or blog account.  It is a good idea to limit access to viewable information when it comes to co-workers, students, parents, and everyone else since the world wide web has made the world a much smaller place. 

iii.           How serious of a threat is cyber-bullying to what you intend to do in your classroom?  In your estimation, is it something that as a middle school/high school teacher, you will be on the lookout for?  Should you have to be on the lookout for it? 

            Anytime you enter a situation where you are not talking to someone in person, people are emboldened in their sense of entitlement.  This doesn't only extend to online communication, but telephonic as well.  Though, I feel the level of abusive communication increases through online discussion because part of a person's identity is his or her voice.  When online, a person feels a sense of anonymity.  

            We can create fake profiles with fake names and personal facts.  In fact, we can create profiles where we assume the identity of another person.  An abuser can target victims with the sense that he or she will not suffer any repercussions.  It seems like pranks, insults, and threats would become far worse when the delivering person feels faceless.  Given this information, I feel cyber-bullying is a major issue.  

            While it saddens me that any kind of character education has to take place in the classroom-- ideally, students would be respectful and responsible-- technology has become such an essential part of our lives.  Given the fact that K-12 students are not yet mature enough to always exercise good judgment, cyber-bullying and other types of inappropriate online behavior must be addressed.  I feel that cyber-bullying can be diminished by character instruction as it relates to online behavior and proper use of technology.  In my classroom, I plan to include this instruction.  I also will tell my students to come see me if they are experiencing abuse of ANY kind- this includes online abuse.  

           These rules and expectations will make their way onto the rules posted on the classroom bulletin board.  Rather than spend one day addressing the issue, I would likely weave the character lessons into my daily lessons.  I think by ignoring what has become important and normal in our society, we are bestowing a huge disservice onto our students.  I will point out the positive uses of technology as a time-saver, organizer, research tool, etc.  I will point out that anything can be misused, but that we should always try to use anything to make the world a better place. 

Renee Ramig (p. 9) suggests that technology in the classroom is a positive learning tool for the classroom, and that she put in place the following lessons and expectations:  "Keep the network private, allowing only the students you choose to have access.  Decide if you want parents to have access, and if you do, give them their own accounts. Monitor the network regularly.  Share both appropriate and inappropriate posts, discussing why something should not have been posted (and remember to remove inappropriate posts.  Be specific on what the network is to be used for and what it is not to be used for."  I think my only point of contention is that I would invariably involve the parents because I feel like transparency decreases conflict.  I do appreciate the idea that Ramig suggests we teach students postive and negative uses for the internet, and demonstrate appropriate and inappropriate online behaviors. 

Digital Native v. Digital Immigrant: Which am I?

1.    Do you consider yourself a digital native, immigrant, or even alien?  Why?
I was a digital immigrant who became a digital native.  I got my first computer when I was 18 years old, in 1997.  I got my first cell phone when I was 24.  As internet speed improved and more people came into owning computers, I became far more fluent with computers.  I think being a gamer really helped.  I grew up with consoles.  So, that familiarized me with technology.  Social networking also helped me understand the capability of internet and computers.  I think the most profound skill that technology bestowed upon me was the ability to research information efficiently and effectively.  Prensky (p. 2) states that, "Today's older folk were "socialized" differently from their kids, and are now in the process of learning a new language.  And a language learned later in life, scientists tell us, goes into a different part of the brain."  I would say that I definitely have to try harder to understand technology than people who are ten years younger than me.  It isn't impossible, it's just not my first language. 


2.    What experiences have you had with technology in the classroom either as a teacher or learner?  Compare high school technology to college technology.  Did it improve your learning experience?
As an elementary school student, we had three Apple 2s in our library.  I used to check out the 12 inch floppy disks from the librarian and play Oregon Trail on the black and green-screened computer.   In middle school, things got digital, and teachers would cart the television and DVD player in from the AV room so that we could watch media productions from the 12 inch DVDs.  There were just a handful of the DVD players in our school, and they were considered to be revolutionary technology.  When I got into high school, a computer lab was added to the school facility my junior year.  We were not allowed to use the computers except for in special circumstances.  Through high school, we were still expected to submit our papers in long-hand.  


When I got to college, in 1997, my parents got me a Microsoft computer with an astounding 253 MEGs of RAM.  This was helpful considering all of my assignments were now expected to be printed from a computer or typewriter.  So, I used my computer for school and to play video games.  When I started college, internet was provided by an ethernet cord, and websites still took an upwards of 10 minutes to load, so computers were not yet an ideal research tool.  Once I neared the end of my undergrad tenure, computer speed, function, and memory had improved a great deal.  Professors were starting to put limits on research that could be cited from the internet.  It was at around this time that I started to rely heavily on my computer as an efficient research tool.  As time progressed, I learned how to effectively research on a computer by typing in key words and comparing source information.  Computers have been revolutionary for me in terms of research and work production efficiency.  Plus, computers are an excellent tool for staying socially connected to others. 


3.    Have these articles changed your mind about the use of technology in your future classroom?  How might you incorporate it?
I believe that we must do whatever we can to increase learning in students.  This means evolving with society.  Since technology has become such an integral part of our society, it serves to reason that we would use that technology to help students learn.  We no longer are limited to visual, auditory, kinesthetic, etc. learners.  According to Prensky (p. 1), "Today's average college grads have spent less than 5,000 hours of their lives reading, but over 10,000 hours playing video games (not to mention 20,000 hours watching TV). Computer games, email, the Internet, cell phones and instant messaging are integral parts of their lives."  One thing all students have in common is that they are all digital learners.  We should use digital learning to our advantage by assigning tasks that follow our students' abilities.  We might consider using a blog, online discussion, video game, or cell phone as a tool for completing assignments.  Prensky's (p. 3) statement that we cannot expect students to rewire their brains, but that we should use their strengths to garner content interest and fluency is true, "Unfortunately, no matter how much the Immigrants may wish it, it is highly unlikely the Digital Natives will go backwards."

REFERENCES:

Prensky, Marc (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), pp. 1-6.

Introduction

Hello All,

As you know, my name is Sara and I am totally awesome because I love cats.  I have two endorsements:  English and Spanish.  My preference is definitely to teach English because I love the English language, writing, and, in particular, talking extensively about Chaucer.  Spanish is okay.

What kind of food do I like, you ask yourself?  Goat.  It is made of pure deliciousness, AND it can be found over at Yen Ha on NE 68th and Sandy.  Delightful, I know. 

You're welcome,

Sara