I know you must be anxious to find out a bit more about these new literacies of the 21st century or for us to gain further insight on this single sex school trend. Don’t worry we will come back to those hot issues later.
This course is coming to a close and many of us started at the bottom of the learning continuum ladder. We were novices and very reluctant to interface with the technology. By now I am sure that we have even passed the advance beginner with all this blogging. However, we are well on our way to becoming competent or proficient with a bit of forced and voluntary practice, that is our five lesson plans and using it in the classroom. Who knows maybe some of us will climb the ladder all the way to the top and become experts.
As you go back to your classrooms you need to ask this very pertinent question: Have you truly learnt about technology and of integrating it to aid the teaching of literacy? Well we won’t know unless we reflect after we have returned to our classrooms.
Do you remember Ed I from Teachers College- learning has occurred when there has been a change in behaviour. Thus, we need to have a change in our behaviour and teaching style. We must not let what we have learnt fall into the category of futile, quickly forgotten stuff that have been crammed into the mind.
I bid you farewell for now as we all engage in our practice that may hopefully make us competent to go to our various schools and share our new found knowledge.
P.S. Don't forget, we will get back to those hot issues later.
Friday, August 6, 2010
It’s Not Just Us – We Just Playing Follow the Leader as Usual
We have a tendency to adopt policies from else where and jump the gun even without putting things in place or devoid of their success report.
Holthouse (2010) spoke of the new trend to adopt a single sex school attitude or gender segregated classrooms. He reported that in 2002 only 11 public schools in the United States had gender-segregated classrooms and as of December 2009, there were more than 550.
What brought about this new wave? Well it is the age old debate about boys and girls being wired differently. Hence, the male and female brain development and function vary during childhood through adolescence, thus calling for classrooms in which boys and girls are not only separated by gender, but are also taught according to radically different methods (Holthouse, 2010).
Stakeholders just like us have mixed views. However, what does the research have to say? Various studies have found benefits for girls but not boys; benefits for boys but not girls; benefits for both girls and boys; and benefits for neither girls nor boys (Sax, 2006). Thus, it is actually a bit inconclusive.
Although, there has been no attempt to account for the variation in the results. Sax (2006) suggested that “The most obvious explanation for the variation is that merely placing girls and boys in separate classrooms accomplishes little,” he said. “For the single-sex format to lead to improvements in academic performance, teachers must understand the hard-wired differences in how girls and boys learn and incorporate the best practices for all-female classrooms and all-male classrooms.”
This point of view has led me to a new question. How does this vary from teaching to the individual needs of students which encouraged differentiated classrooms or the big issue of multiple intelligences?
References within post:
Holthouse, D. (2010). Gender segregation: Separate but effective? Teaching tolerance, 27. Retrieved from: http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-37-spring-2010/gender-segregation-separate-effective
Sax, L. (2006). Six degrees of separation: What teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. Educational HORIZONS, Spring. Retrieved from: http://www.boysadrift.com/ed_horizons.pdf
Holthouse (2010) spoke of the new trend to adopt a single sex school attitude or gender segregated classrooms. He reported that in 2002 only 11 public schools in the United States had gender-segregated classrooms and as of December 2009, there were more than 550.
What brought about this new wave? Well it is the age old debate about boys and girls being wired differently. Hence, the male and female brain development and function vary during childhood through adolescence, thus calling for classrooms in which boys and girls are not only separated by gender, but are also taught according to radically different methods (Holthouse, 2010).
Stakeholders just like us have mixed views. However, what does the research have to say? Various studies have found benefits for girls but not boys; benefits for boys but not girls; benefits for both girls and boys; and benefits for neither girls nor boys (Sax, 2006). Thus, it is actually a bit inconclusive.
Although, there has been no attempt to account for the variation in the results. Sax (2006) suggested that “The most obvious explanation for the variation is that merely placing girls and boys in separate classrooms accomplishes little,” he said. “For the single-sex format to lead to improvements in academic performance, teachers must understand the hard-wired differences in how girls and boys learn and incorporate the best practices for all-female classrooms and all-male classrooms.”
This point of view has led me to a new question. How does this vary from teaching to the individual needs of students which encouraged differentiated classrooms or the big issue of multiple intelligences?
References within post:
Holthouse, D. (2010). Gender segregation: Separate but effective? Teaching tolerance, 27. Retrieved from: http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-37-spring-2010/gender-segregation-separate-effective
Sax, L. (2006). Six degrees of separation: What teachers need to know about the emerging science of sex differences. Educational HORIZONS, Spring. Retrieved from: http://www.boysadrift.com/ed_horizons.pdf
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Using Pictures Creatively
We all know the saying that a picture is worth a thousand words. Well last day we spoke of the evolution of Ebooks as a motivaion for reading. Today we are going to talk about creating our own stories using simple tools such as PowerPoint and Photo Story 3. They are both simple programs and relatively easy to source.
Children normaly hate to write. I myself hate to write just seeing a blank sheet in front of you can automatically give you writers block. Digital stories combine the art of telling a story with a variety of multimedia such as pictures, audio, graphics and even videos if you wish (Robin, 2006).
The steps are quite easy to follow any teacher can Google the steps and download a free copy of Photo Story 3 if they do not wish to use the PowerPoint. After this students can begin using pictures to write their thousand words.
The pros definitely out-weigths the cons with this approach to teaching writing. Robin(2006) postulates that it appeals to diverse learners, encourages collaboration as students work in groups and helps add value to the students’ work by giving them to opportunity to feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment as they publish their work.
Like all new stratergies and approaches especially those that envolve the use of technology there must be structure and proper planning in order to achieve success. Ohler (2006) advocated that if digital stories are to support education it must be tied to the curriculum and used in ways that will strengthen students' critical thinking, report writing, and media literacy skills.
Read the articles to gain more information.
P.S. In the next post I will go back to the “Boys Crisis” in order to address some of the issues that were raised by my collegues.
References used in post:
Robin, B. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 709-716). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from: http://www.editlib.org/p/22129
Ohler, J. (2006). The world of digital storytelling. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 44-47.
Children normaly hate to write. I myself hate to write just seeing a blank sheet in front of you can automatically give you writers block. Digital stories combine the art of telling a story with a variety of multimedia such as pictures, audio, graphics and even videos if you wish (Robin, 2006).
The steps are quite easy to follow any teacher can Google the steps and download a free copy of Photo Story 3 if they do not wish to use the PowerPoint. After this students can begin using pictures to write their thousand words.
The pros definitely out-weigths the cons with this approach to teaching writing. Robin(2006) postulates that it appeals to diverse learners, encourages collaboration as students work in groups and helps add value to the students’ work by giving them to opportunity to feel a sense of ownership and accomplishment as they publish their work.
Like all new stratergies and approaches especially those that envolve the use of technology there must be structure and proper planning in order to achieve success. Ohler (2006) advocated that if digital stories are to support education it must be tied to the curriculum and used in ways that will strengthen students' critical thinking, report writing, and media literacy skills.
Read the articles to gain more information.
P.S. In the next post I will go back to the “Boys Crisis” in order to address some of the issues that were raised by my collegues.
References used in post:
Robin, B. (2006). The educational uses of digital storytelling In C. Crawford et al. (Eds.), Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference 2006 (pp. 709-716). Chesapeake, VA: AACE. Retrieved from: http://www.editlib.org/p/22129
Ohler, J. (2006). The world of digital storytelling. Educational Leadership, 63(4), 44-47.
Let's Compare
In my last post we spoke about my library project and of me pondering the use of Ebooks in the library project. Thus, in this post we will try to compare Ebooks with paperback books.
Books have been the cornerstone of our society for centuries, especially after the invention of the printing press. However, digital technology has begun to radically change the role of books in our society.
Ebooks allows for paperless reading. Yes, this will definitely be in favour of all those save the planet people as it is a means of preventing deforestation. Although, there are Ebooks Readers it can be read with a variety of other devices such as computers, and even cell phones such as the Apple IPhone. This feature makes the Ebook very portable as it can take up little to no space. You can even fit it in your pocket. It also has the ability for people to interact with it by taking notes or even making the print larger, thus, even attracting the attention of the aged and for those of us that like to have a dictionary, it has one built into it for easy access.
Imagine having thousands of books at your finger tips, walking around with a library of books. This immediacy and easy of access just might attract toady's millennium children who want things instantly.
What do you think? Would Ebooks encourage today’s children to read more?
Books have been the cornerstone of our society for centuries, especially after the invention of the printing press. However, digital technology has begun to radically change the role of books in our society.
Ebooks allows for paperless reading. Yes, this will definitely be in favour of all those save the planet people as it is a means of preventing deforestation. Although, there are Ebooks Readers it can be read with a variety of other devices such as computers, and even cell phones such as the Apple IPhone. This feature makes the Ebook very portable as it can take up little to no space. You can even fit it in your pocket. It also has the ability for people to interact with it by taking notes or even making the print larger, thus, even attracting the attention of the aged and for those of us that like to have a dictionary, it has one built into it for easy access.
Imagine having thousands of books at your finger tips, walking around with a library of books. This immediacy and easy of access just might attract toady's millennium children who want things instantly.
What do you think? Would Ebooks encourage today’s children to read more?
Monday, August 2, 2010
Can Technology be Part of the Remedy?
As the technology class comes to a close I reflected on some of my challenging teaching experiences. I remember a particular child that I taught about lets say 10 years ago. Yes, how that problem still haunts me as I still see myself as having failed to help the child.
I was a young teacher and I was given a Standard One. In this class, I had a ten year old boy that could not write his name correctly. I remember teaching him to write his name and I felt that I had accomplished something but he soon forgot. He took less time to forget that it took to teach him how to do it. This child would use a random string of letters to spell a word during our weekly assessment and would constantly come to me to complain that another child was copying from him.
Feeling very frustrated I sought advice from some of the senior teachers and I was told that I should not waste my time and worry about him, as he is very old and would pass through the system. However, I still persevered but I don’t think that I made any significant difference.
Paper and pencil never worked with him. I now wonder if technology might have made a difference. At that time I did not have any technology at my disposal. However, I believe that eBooks would at least have given him a sense of autonomy in his reading. He would have felt that he was able to read a book all by himself.
Of course we can now consider the various diagnostic assessments that we have been exposed to but what do you think? Do you believe that technology may have helped?
I was a young teacher and I was given a Standard One. In this class, I had a ten year old boy that could not write his name correctly. I remember teaching him to write his name and I felt that I had accomplished something but he soon forgot. He took less time to forget that it took to teach him how to do it. This child would use a random string of letters to spell a word during our weekly assessment and would constantly come to me to complain that another child was copying from him.
Feeling very frustrated I sought advice from some of the senior teachers and I was told that I should not waste my time and worry about him, as he is very old and would pass through the system. However, I still persevered but I don’t think that I made any significant difference.
Paper and pencil never worked with him. I now wonder if technology might have made a difference. At that time I did not have any technology at my disposal. However, I believe that eBooks would at least have given him a sense of autonomy in his reading. He would have felt that he was able to read a book all by himself.
Of course we can now consider the various diagnostic assessments that we have been exposed to but what do you think? Do you believe that technology may have helped?
Problems or Opportunities?
In 2006 the then Minister of Eduction spoke of the need to use technology in education and that, cell phones were part of the new technologies. Thus, instead of a ban she suggested that proper rules and regulations should be put in place to ensure proper usage.
In 2008 it was reported that a seminar on juvenile delinquency at the Faculty of Social Sciences Lounge at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine revealed that Secondary school students are selling sexually explicit footage of themselves for as little as $5. These sex videos involving the students are transferred to the customer via cellphone bluetooth. However, the research unit focused on the issue being more of a social problem rather than a technology issue.
In 2010 the Harvard Education Letter published an article that encourages the use of cell phones in the classroom. Actually this article advocates that it is the most commonly owned technology and that a greater percentage of the student population has access to their own personal cellphone every year.
Gillard (2010) also reported success stories that used cell phones in their literature and math lessons. She even spoke of the growing popularity of smart phones and that many students prefer these to laptops.
This article spoke of the need to harness what you have and that students prefer the smart phones as it allows immediate access. Yes, microwave babies.
Anyhow, I am on the fence as I know that we have not fixed our social issues or put things in place. So what do you think of cellphones; problems or opportunities?
References used in post:
Gillard, C. (2010). “Dumb” phones, smart lessons. Harvard education letter, 26 (4). Retrieved from: http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/474
Jeremiah, K. (2008, February 20) Porn for sale: students cash in on sex in the classroom. Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved from: http://news.bn.gs/article.php?story=20080220133252158
Taitt, R. (2006, May 26). No cell phone ban in schools. Trinidad Newsday. Retrieved from: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,38041.html
In 2008 it was reported that a seminar on juvenile delinquency at the Faculty of Social Sciences Lounge at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine revealed that Secondary school students are selling sexually explicit footage of themselves for as little as $5. These sex videos involving the students are transferred to the customer via cellphone bluetooth. However, the research unit focused on the issue being more of a social problem rather than a technology issue.
In 2010 the Harvard Education Letter published an article that encourages the use of cell phones in the classroom. Actually this article advocates that it is the most commonly owned technology and that a greater percentage of the student population has access to their own personal cellphone every year.
Gillard (2010) also reported success stories that used cell phones in their literature and math lessons. She even spoke of the growing popularity of smart phones and that many students prefer these to laptops.
This article spoke of the need to harness what you have and that students prefer the smart phones as it allows immediate access. Yes, microwave babies.
Anyhow, I am on the fence as I know that we have not fixed our social issues or put things in place. So what do you think of cellphones; problems or opportunities?
References used in post:
Gillard, C. (2010). “Dumb” phones, smart lessons. Harvard education letter, 26 (4). Retrieved from: http://www.hepg.org/hel/article/474
Jeremiah, K. (2008, February 20) Porn for sale: students cash in on sex in the classroom. Trinidad Guardian. Retrieved from: http://news.bn.gs/article.php?story=20080220133252158
Taitt, R. (2006, May 26). No cell phone ban in schools. Trinidad Newsday. Retrieved from: http://www.newsday.co.tt/news/0,38041.html
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
ARE WE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT IMPROVING LITERACY?
As we are collaborating and sharing ideas how about sharing some ideas for a project that I am currently working on.
I worked at a particular primary school during the past two years and made various observations. The school had a room designated to be the library, it had some books many being of dinosaur age. However, the library is used to house meetings for various groups and for remedial sessions. There is no system in place to utilize the library to provide access to books so that their exposure to text and stories would increase. Yet, teachers complain about literacy issues such as comprehension, reading skills, and writing.
From speaking to students, there are some who have never visited any of the public libraries. Therefore, I embarked on a project to revive the library so that it functioned as a library and so that students benefited from its existence. However, I was only able to drum up support in the form of assistance from 4% of the staff other than the principal. I know there must be others that are interested but I really hope that they get more involved as the project progresses.
Do you have any idea about how I can get the teachers more involved? I have been playing with the idea of eBooks in my head but do you have any ideas for my library project? I am really open to suggestions.
Keep reading and sharing.
I worked at a particular primary school during the past two years and made various observations. The school had a room designated to be the library, it had some books many being of dinosaur age. However, the library is used to house meetings for various groups and for remedial sessions. There is no system in place to utilize the library to provide access to books so that their exposure to text and stories would increase. Yet, teachers complain about literacy issues such as comprehension, reading skills, and writing.
From speaking to students, there are some who have never visited any of the public libraries. Therefore, I embarked on a project to revive the library so that it functioned as a library and so that students benefited from its existence. However, I was only able to drum up support in the form of assistance from 4% of the staff other than the principal. I know there must be others that are interested but I really hope that they get more involved as the project progresses.
Do you have any idea about how I can get the teachers more involved? I have been playing with the idea of eBooks in my head but do you have any ideas for my library project? I am really open to suggestions.
Keep reading and sharing.
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