Monday, July 29, 2013

Reflecting About Online Processing Style Today

I often thought that if you want to know about how a person thinks just look at their desktop.  The desktop is indicative of something about a person, perhaps how they organize their thoughts, dreams, plans, leisure activities,  and  problems.

In the midst of the 3 courses I am taking, I feel as thought I am learning something about my online learning "style" as I work on the various assignments.  I tend to "play" first and figure out later when I have a technological task.  In recognizing this "style" of mine I realize that the play first technique can get me on quite a few tangents.  That can be good and, well, not so good.  When the element of time is a factor in completing a task the explore as you go route is an issue.  So my job is to now find a happy balance of "focused work" and "happy play" as I continue to learn more about Instructional Technologies and Digital Media Literacy.

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Personal Learning Networks

I have a better understanding now of what PLNs are and I had fun checking out other places to help me understand the concept.    I am at the very initial stage of developing my PLN by blogging and utilizing some of the features on Gioogle +.  This blog has a nice table that I will reference as I am ready to expand my PLN:
 http://onceateacher.wordpress.com/2009/05/05/pln-your-personal-learning-network-made-easy/

I see the value in taking the time to response, take risks, share and reciprocate online.

EDU 710 Reflections of Module 2 - Online Collaborative Inquiry

So much was covered in this module that it is difficult to for me to narrow down the salient points.  I think I will detour from the narrative type of writing that I have been doing and present bullet-ed thoughts from my notes on all the information I have digested.  I also am learning that I have to work out some more efficient ways to study and reflect on all the material for these 3 classes so that I can, at the same time, fulfill my other "life" obligations.

  • Some of the nature of online inquiry is that we are simultaneously engaging in the two processes of teaching and learning.  
  • As a "newbie" to the worlds of blogging, online posting, and responding, I am overwhelmed by the positive lessons that are exchanged by using online collaborative inquiry.
  • I watched the module videos first as I am realizing that multimodal learning is truly enjoyable for me. There is something about the visual and audio elements seems to enable the information to sit deeper in my brain.  
  •  I asked my entire family to watch the 3 videos a second time with me because I thought the messages were so important.  
  • The John Seeley Brown  clip speaks to the point of motivation and students desire to be the best and perfect something.  His Hawaiian neighbor sends his new move around the world via you tube in only 48 hours, that is one powerful testimony to teaching and learning.
  • Will Richardson's presentation made me think about my daughter.  She is 16 and has always demonstrated a strong propensity toward auditory and visual learning.  As a student who struggles with reading the printed word she has found the Internet to be a saving grace.  She constantly educates me about ways to be more involved with online inquiry.  
  • The reaction from Will's daughter's music teacher was so very disheartening to me.  To suggest that the child was "not ready" to learn the Journey song told me that that teacher did not understand the very lyrics of the song..."don't stop believing"!  
  • He expressed my sentiments when he spoke about the need to drastically change the way we define school and curriculum to more appropriately reflect the online world as we know it today.
  • Now the piece by Dan Pink was fabulous.  I just love that man's style.  His concepts and drawings are so interestingly interwoven that I think he covers a large amount of content in a relatively short time.
  • As a person new to blogging I found the Arzt article to be extremely informative and a great resource that I will certainly share with our staff.  The current statistics, the tables in the article, the references to the technology standards, and the practical ideas on how to use blogging in the classroom are all very user friendly.  I enjoyed the quad blogging with classes around the world.  I put this article in my pocket to go to later to follow more of the links.  This will definitely be an article to use for some professional learning community at school.  Not just for math but across all content and all grades.
  • Digital footprints article... teachers and administrators need to read this because too often their main fear is the inappropriate use of technology and law suits which may arise form inappropriate technology usage
  • Students who behave in risky behavior off line are more likely to do it online-interesting thought
  • It is all about teaching students to be heard about the good things they are doing
  • Audience and recognition for doing a good deed a day
  • Seeing social media as forums for learning and sharing
  • Teach our children not to be afraid of being on line but learning how to create an online identity that you are proud of.  
  • Your digital footprint is the modern day resume..
  • Way of the wiki gave good overview I put it in my pocket to go to later and click the links
  • Ian's article on "Creating and Curating Your Online Brand gave me much food for thought.  I was inspired to look at my Google profile as well as his and several other people that I know.  The long term ramifications of creating my own online brand are deserving of much thought and a small investment of time.  I have started the ball rolling as to how I am defining myself in this new personal and professional digital direction.  I have always kept my personal and professional accounts and activities separate.  I will continue this practice but will move slowly as I progress through the process of developing myself "digitally".
  • Controlling your digital identity by Lisa Nielsen- again very practical I went on my Google profile after reading Ian's article, will try "Spezify" later...Next I tried Persona but got the error message- "network error please refresh your network try again"  I tried again and moved on
  • went to pocket and realized that I need to decide between pocket and ever note  and between drop-box and ever note premium-- now I get it I need to pick a data silo in the sky
  • I could do one for personal and one for professional?
  • Nine themes of digital citizenship  by Mike Ribble was an informative and very helpful description to me.
  • His last sentence under # 1 makes me wonder how we can deny digital access to all in our poor urban school districts?
In summary, there are thousands of benefits to ensuring that our students have opportunities to co-construct learning as they research online.  I will play with this concept and try, and fail, and learn more, over the course of this year and I can not wait!!!





Saturday, July 27, 2013

Pesto Perfect-O Post # 2

Update on my learning progress...




My first attempt at a Google voice search yielded this:



After I set up an old tripod and my daughter's flip cam, I played with documenting the process I was engaged in.  I spent a great deal of time watching YouTube videos to learn how to edit video clips. Learning how to "nudge" clips to the exact spot that I wanted was a task which took some patience.  I have a whole new respect for film makers!  

I am also learning how to preview, save, and generally work with the elements in blogger.

So here is what I have learned about pesto thus far:

http://youtu.be/BHy0rK6S--w

Since I encountered "technical difficulties" embedding the actual video here my next technology task will be to learn how to embed in a blog.

Ate mais tarde...until later

Friday, July 26, 2013

Reflections on the TPACK Activity

I am grateful to have had this assignment!  I learned how to use my daughter's Sony flip-cam, upload the videos to the Chromebook, edit video clips using YouTube video editor, and publish to my blog.  Although I still have a long way to go before I can consider myself proficient I can see myself publishing more in the future with the goal of helping teachers become better teachers.  I am investing a great deal of time "playing" with this new technology.  My brain is constantly thinking critically about all the TPACK elements that are at play in this activity.  I also ponder about the many ways I can develop my skill set to share more with the teachers in my school and learn from so many other teachers around the world.  The possibilities are endless for learning.  I realize that my personal learning style is very multi-modal and that both the audio and video components of online learning are extremely appealing to me.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

TPACK for Joni


The  video is an extension of the readings and discussions we have had in our program at UNH. The new 6th year program, Instructional Technologies and Digital Media Literacies is one way that  the University of New Haven is helping prepare teachers to become better teachers.  The class has been learning about TPACK, which is a conceptual framework that refers to the types of competencies that teachers in the 21st century should develop as we move forward in educating our children.

This activity provided me with the opportunity to put into practice the "interwoveness" of  TPACK: Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge.  The exercise was enjoyable, informative and thought provoking.  I look forward to more adventures with video and learning/teaching.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Networked Learning Project -"Pesto Perfecto" - Part 1

I have decided to learn how to make the perfect pesto recipe for my family.  Historically I have not been a huge fan of basil however I have been an avid grower of herbs used for cooking.  Since the 3 other members of my family love pesto I have decided to learn how to make a pesto recipe which is an absolute pleasure to all of our pallets. 

I will begin to pursue the pesto perfect o challenge by researching about the history of the pesto sauce.  Next I hope to conduct an internet search to identify several different pesto recipes as well as view YouTube videos of people making pesto.  I will then synthesize the information gained from my network searching and use it to create my own version of pesto.  In conclusion I will reflect on my learning via the internet and discuss how I may or may not integrate this learning into my professional practices.



Saturday, July 20, 2013

EDU 714 - Reflections on TPACK

TPACK refers to Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge.  One idea mentioned by Punya Mishra in his 21st Century Learning Conference that struck me was that of “repurposing”.  This can be a creative act of customizing something to meet our needs.  He showed several photos demonstrating how someone took a technology and re-purposed it. For example, someone attached the front half of a push lawn mower to the front of a bicycle where the front wheel would be and created a new type of push mower.  I think when we practice the craft of teaching we are always re-purposing ideas, items, and problems.  

The “TPACK in  3  Minutes” video by Royce Kimmons provided a concise overview and there was something about watching him actually draw the Venn diagram that appealed to my learning style.

The introduction to Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Educators goes into much great detail in describing the complexities  involved with TPACK and the rapidly changing nature of technology.  The point is made that in order to fully and appropriately integrate technologies across the curriculum teachers need to stay informed and become lifelong “curators” of technology.  

The diagram below illustrates key elements of TPACK.


The image is captioned or credited as “Reproduced by permission of the publisher, © 2012 by tpack.org”

As the article details the intricacies of each type of knowledge I was able to connect with many scenarios which were mentioned.  I gained a better understanding of each type of knowledge and how they are interrelated.  The terms “weaving” and “flexible” were key terms in this reading.

Teachers as curriculum designers is a powerful concept.  As a person who is involved with professional development I need to develop my own understanding of how to empower more “designer-ship” in our teachers.

Edu. 710 - Reflection on Multimodal Tutorial/Creative Commons/Open Educational Resources

As I worked with the 2 articles on multimodal tutorials, creative commons, and open educational resources and viewed the John Seely Brown video an interesting thing happened.  I realized a shift in my own learning style, it was a sort of epiphany.  Last week during our class discussion I commented about how I felt I needed to connect with a paper and write notes on an article to internalize the information presented.  At home I decided to try something new and go right to the keyboard for note taking.  To my pleasant surprise I realized that I don’t need the “paper connection”.  I could feel the information processing happening in a different, but significant, way.  Now I am analyzing how to become a more proficient digital note taker and my first step is to practice keyboarding as I have developed some inefficient typing habits over the years.  

Now onto reflections on the content for this week.  The John Seely Brown video reinforced my belief that so many of our students really want to learn ways to be the best they can be.  I was amazed at the statistic that it can take as little as 48 hours for a new surfing move to travel around the world, that is exciting and impressive.   

As I read the John McVerry article I was captured by his idea about the... “shift in the skills and social practices of language use”.  I immediately thought of the numerous lessons my teenage daughters have given me on the language of texting, for example the meaning of such things as: g2g, ttfn, btw, k, lol  and many others.  In a very short article I think he presented a great overview of the need for ORMS to be included across all content areas.  I think this article will be well suited for a staff introduction/PD session at our school as we begin to revise our school technology plan.

The article by McVerry, Zawlinski & O’Byrne was very helpful in understanding the  New Literacies Duel-Level Theory.  I completely agree with the authors that the internet needs to be viewed as a literacy issue as opposed as a technology issue.  I was saddened to read about the lack of reading comprehension skills which were not included in the 2009 NAEP in reading.  Finally, I could definitely relate to the discrepancies between different socioeconomic groups in terms if online access.  I see this disparity as a teacher in New Haven Public Schools and a parent in Branford.  Our children have very different access, experiences and understanding of online learning/teaching.  Perhaps I can be a part of a solution to this issue!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Joan Robinson - EDU.710 Significant Experience with Technology Instruction and/or Assessment

1980’s - New Haven Public Schools, Classroom Teacher gr. k-6- : I used overhead projectors, VHS videos, record players, cassette players, and the Commodore 64 to help us do companion planting in our school garden.  I was a member of the first NHPS Technology committee where we purchased Apple 2Es and hired Jostens Learning for software.

1990’s - NHPS- Magnet Program Developer, Investigated, explored, and procured hardware and software for our K-8 school.  Played with software with my daughter to learn Chinese and learn many other things.

2000’s -NHPS - Literacy Instructional Coach and Math Instructional Coach- Reviewed, purchased, and implemented digital curriculum for all levels of learning, with teachers, and students.

2010’s - NHPS- Strictly Math Instructional Coach, Piloted, purchased, and implemented software and hardware at our Pre K -3 to grade 8 school for the purpose of improving mathematics achievement.  Ran before and after school programs using Promethian boards, Promethian Planet, First In Math, iReady, Quizdom response systems and a variety of other software.

I am at the point now where I am ready to go to the “next level” and bring more to our students and staff.  I am convinced that this UNH program will be the vehicle on the road to somewhere.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Statement of Philosophy

     "Life is a mystery to be lived, not a problem to be solved"

                                                                  Soren Kierkegaard

This quote has resonated in my mind since I first read it in a philosophy class in college.  I am still trying to articulate the meaning I find in that statement.  Perhaps it expresses something about my educational philosophy?  Perhaps I have always wanted to change it to read: "Life is a mystery to be lived and a problem to be solved"?

I think life is all about the joy of teaching and learning.  My basic tenants of education at this point in my life are:

  • Learning is an intrapersonal experience where "intellectual discourse" may lead to knowing something or changing one's thoughts about something.
  • There must be some form of struggle with the concepts and ideas before you make them your own or understand them (Piaget's idea of equilibration)
  • Our desire to know and learn needs to be encouraged.  The role of the teacher is to tap into the student's curiosity by posing probing questions and offering adventurous experiences.  Education is power and anyone who says "ignorance is bliss" is self oppressive and can not be tolerated.
As a learner and teacher I have been influenced by some of the ideas of Jean Piaget, John Dewey, Racherl Carson, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and many others.  There are people who challenge the views of Piaget, for example, Brainerd, C. (1978a). Piaget 's theory of intelligence. Englewood Cliffs,NJ: Prentice-Hall.  A discussion of the opposing views could be a separate blog entry.

I think that learning involves change.  We can be changed when we encounter a new experience or idea that does not fit into our "mental file cabinet" and we need to shuffle the papers in our files around to make a new file in our brain.

As I project into the future and think about education over the next 25 years I see the rate of changing perspective or shuffling around new information in one's brain as well as the quantity of information available as key ideas to consider.  I am sure I will explore my changing role in the digital world in depth over the course of this year.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Introduction

I am a mother, wife, student, teacher, traveler, cook, gardener, thinker, clown, and adventure seeker.

I am a Math Instructional Coach at RossWoodward Classical Studies Magnet School working with approximately 40 Pre-K through Grade 8 Teachers.  Most of my classroom teaching/learning experience over the past 30 years has been in the New Haven Public School System in Connecticut and at Skidmore College, School for International Training, SCSU, and now at UNH.  Much of who I am and what drives me into action is based on my experiences living in Brazil and Kenya, and traveling extensively to other countries and learning from various cultures within the USA.

I am ecstatic to be starting the Instructional Technology and Digital Media Literacy 6th year program at the University Of New Haven.  I can not yet fully articulate how very powerful I feel this program will be in helping me discover personal and professional next steps.