2/29/2012
Bloom's Digital Taxonomy
I think this creation is very intuitive and hits on a lot of really good points. I like the simplicity in the design and organization, which I don't necessarily believe was an accident. The list of Possible Activities for each of the six principles was especially interesting to me. I found myself wondering what all of these activities were - what do these abbreviations stand for? What is a DTP? SWOT Analysis? It reminded me of how much I have to learn about web-based activities and also how wonderful it is that there are so many different tools and practices out there. If I can bring this variety into my classroom and offer this to students, I can imagine that the opportunities for their success will be endless!
2/22/2012
How To Steal Like An Artist:
#2 - "Don't Wait Until You Know Who You are To Get Started"
I really like how Kleon says that if he were to wait around to figure himself out to get started, he'd still be waiting around. I think this is a statement that just about anyone can understand and relate to. There are so many times in life where you just don't know what you're getting into, but you just do it - you just try and make things work as best as you can. I feel that way all the time. As a first-year teacher, there are so many things that I need to learn I can barely keep track of it all but I go to school every day and just do my best and figure it out as I go. I even feel that way during this class. Most of the time, I have absolutely no idea how to go about working with Flash but I follow the directions as best as I can and sometimes, it even turns out alright...sometimes.
#5 - "Side Hobbies and Projects are Important"
I find this to be incredibly important, especially when it comes to teaching. When doing any of my regular hobbies/activities, I often find ways to relate it back to teaching. For my students, it is very important that they find the material relevant and useful, or else they ask that question: "When am I ever going to use this stuff?" As a technique, I always try to incorporate personal stories into my regular lessons or find a way to bring up something that happened to me outside of school and find a way to connect it to what we are doing in class. In this way, students can see that whatever it is we are covering really does have a place in their lives and is useful. For example: I know I, like many of my students, like to play games like Words With Friends or Hangman on their iPhones or other devices. I think this is excellent because I can use this as a connection to why spelling/grammar/usage is important to know. I can also use it as a reward (we'll play a word/spelling game together as a class one day) and they don't even realize they are learning because they are too busy "playing."
#8 - Be nice. (The World is a Small Town)
You can never hear this enough. Being nice and kind to others is perhaps one of the most important rules in the world that I don't think enough people follow. Just smiling at someone or saying something nice can make someone else's day, and in turn, it makes you feel good. I think it's also important to keep in mind that you have no idea how much of an impact you may have on someone, even a perfect stranger. A little bit of kindness goes a long way. I know there have been many times where I have been pleasantly surprised by someone's kindness and it makes me want to spread that feeling and share it with others. It makes you feel good - and maybe can even spark a little creativity. Kleon was definitely spot-on with this precept.
3 ideas I would consider:
1. I like the idea of "your job is to collect ideas" and that the best way to do it is to read everything. He says read the paper, weather, and also expressions on people's faces. This is something I don't always pay much attention to, but maybe I should. Maybe I should pay more attention to others facial expressions and/or emotions.
2. "The World is a Stage" is another idea in this blog that I don't easily identify with, but would consider. I don't typically think of the world as being a stage or as strangers being an audience, but I think there is a good point to be made there. It might spark creative energy in a way I didn't think of before.
3. "Be Boring" because it's the only way to get work done. I'd actually like to know a little bit more about what Kleon means by this. Isolation? Quiet? What exactly does he mean by "boring?"
Homework for 2/15:
The first point that Mayer made during this interview that stuck out to me was on the question about being technology-centered vs. learner-centered. When asked this question, Mayer stated that you must begin with what you know about how people learn and then employ that knowledge in a way that is assistive. I like that Mayer views technology as a tool or a supplement to make education stronger – not as a replacement. All of the regular teaching principles about good instructional methods still apply, and technology is supposed to exist as an enhancer.
The second interesting response I found in this article was Mayer’s principles of “good” research. Mayer identifies 5 components that make research worthwhile – specifically that research must be grounded in a “testable theory.” I thought his example was very helpful in understanding this idea; he says that animation and narration are much more effective than narration with on-screen text. This is a sound theory that is worthwhile enough to make for good research.
It was also interesting how Mayer talks about what research is needed and what research needs improvement. He gives another good example here, saying that we have plenty of essays advocating the use of a particular piece of technology, but not enough about how those technology tools have shown evidence of learning. Basically, Mayer advises to stick to research that is evidence-based which I agree with.
Ideas for Final Project:
Video quiz or video assessment
-students will watch a short animated clip, answer several questions, watch, answer questions.
Vocabulary practice
Reading skills
-text, images, and audio to help struggling readers
E-Learning Article
I thought this article had some really interesting information about what e-learning really is, its history, and the components of e-learning. I didn't realize how many different places could make good use of e-learning and software. I think e-learning is important for schools and other companies to incorporate because it is engaging. There are so many different ways to get the learner involved which provides a fuller, more complete experience.
Homework for 1/25:
BrainPop Video - http://www.brainpop.com/english/grammar/sentencefragments/
Instructional Goals:
- The goal of this BrainPop video clip is to teach student about sentence fragments
- Introduces what a sentence fragment is and why it makes for an improper sentence
- Explains that every sentence, in order to be a complete thought, must have a subject (noun) and predicate (verb)
- Discusses independent and dependent clauses, as well as how to correct all types of sentence fragments
- Conversation between Tim and Moby
- Close-up of individual characters, back and fourth
- Close-up of letter
- Animation of the given sentence (with text at top of screen)
- Text is typed as it is spoken
- Shot switches back and fourth between animation of sentence and two characters
- Small parts of characters moving (eyes blinking, mouths moving, eyebrows moving, lighting, zoom in/out)
- I think that a certain level of informality is design can make a huge difference between how user-friendly something is. Especially when it comes to a website that may often require help. For example, I shopped online once at a department store and had a few questions about my recent purchase. I was able to instantly connect to a live salesperson and she checked on the status of my order. It was a very successful experience, and I remember being very pleased with how helpful and kind the sales rep was. After reading this article, I think part of that positive experience can be related to the informality and ease of the whole procedure. I really felt like I was talking to someone, they helped me, and I was willing to shop there again because of it.
- I have experienced this in the use of my own personal website for my classes. The tone and speech I use is conversational, and students know that it is coming from me. I say things like "please see me if you have any questions" and write how I would speak. Students seem to have responded to it well, and enjoy having and using the site.
