Edu 722 Online Collaborative Module Design Project Update Joan Robinson and Beth Hick

Beth Hick and I have been working on developing an online unit which supports coaches and teachers as they create and share CCSS aligned mathematical performance tasks.  Please visit the beginning of the site at NHPS Math Media Hub.  We have been working on a unit design template which can be found HERE.  Our to "do list" with tasks and completion guidelines can be found HERE.

We look forward to learning as we go along!!!

How Do I Teach Thee...Let Me Count The Ways

 This week we are looking at the many ways to meet the needs of our students.  

Meeting the needs of diverse learners involves many considerations is my Storify on some tips for differentiation utilizing technology.

Enticing Engaged Learners

This week we discussed much about student engagement please view my Storify by clicking here.

Learning By Doing

This week we studied the many connections between school, the "real world" and the internet.  I learned a great deal from my colleagues in the Storify stories about the pros and cons of cloud based learning.  I have a heightened awareness of security measures and considerations that occur around international sharing of cyber information.  The RAS Animate Re-Imagining Work video  inspired me to think about the changing face of the workplace "environment".  

I have decided to do my Storify on the topic of school internships.  I thought about the ideas of John Dewey and experiential education on several occasions this week.  In my personal experience I was able to complete a 1 month internship as a sophomore at Skidmore College.  The experience was invaluable.  I thought I wanted to go public relations and after a month working at GMAC in New York I realized that the field was not for me. 

Please read my Storify - Learning By Doing

Digital Learning Day '14 at Hill Central NHPS School - what a great way to start the snow day!

Lesson Design and Examining Student Work

Reflections on the readings and "viewings" I did this week make me think of the STAR Review protocol in NHPS.  I have been reminded about the importance of teachers working together to examine student work to identify understandings and misconceptions.  I have also been reminded of how important it is for students to constantly be exposed to and examine their own work as a means of inspiring high quality work.  It is critical to develop a culture of critiquing for the sake of learning by nurturing respect, trust and community in our classes and schools.

Below is a Storify to document my journey this week.

Storify on Lesson Design and Examining Student Work

Is Cyberspace Activity Too Much Fun For Our Kids?

Here is a question from my Global Literacy Class ...

(Referring to Mastering Global Literacy, edited by Heidi Hays Jacobs, 2014)

William Kist wrote the third chapter of the book and made an interesting point on page 62. He says that some "Teachers seem to be guilt-ridden over what one might call the entertainment factor of these new media and worry that by opening up their school and dumb it down.  All this cyberspace activity is seen as too much fun for kids -- with not enough rigor."

How can we maintain rigor while helping teachers and students learn the global technology?

Are "rigor" and "fun" counter-intuitive in a global classroom?

Here is my response...

When William Kist refers to the "entertainment factor" which teachers and students may experience with new media I can connect with that factor.  It is an excitement about learning in a new and different way.  I remember experiencing it as a child and I first began to read National Geographic magazine.  I  experienced a deeper level of engagement because I could see and touch vivid photos form around the world.  I was "entertained" by content that was new and different from anything I knew.   I will think when we encounter something new it poses an opportunity to learn.  The more exposure to "newness" the more learning occurs.  Cyberspace activity can open many "knowledge doors" at a very quick rate.

When it comes to rigor, the buzzword of the day, I think that lies in the design of the lesson.  If learning plans are created skillfully than students will feel at times that they are "playing" online and at other times they will feel like they are being extremely thorough and performing demanding, difficult work.  I would envision a global classroom as a place where both "rigor" and "fun" occur side by side.  I see and experience many classrooms now where new media enhances, engages, and enamors the teachers and learners.