April 26th assignment

As Jana described of me, I have been "swayed". I see much value in multi media for our students, although I see "old folks" like me as possible roadblocks.

This article was riddled with comments of interest:

• "Intelligence is accomplished rather than possessed.
• "Students need to know how to with and through their tools as much as they need to record information intheir heads.
• "focus more attention on strategic decision making"
• "also about tapping into social institutions and practices"
• "The key is having expertise somewhere within the distributed learning environment and making sure students understand how to access and deploy it"
• "as a vehicle for assessing the various ways ecomerce affects the environment" (I could provide a lot of discorse on this comment)
• What can be accomplished when we pool our knowledge?
• How about schools, should we be focusing on collective intelligence?
• "Our schools do an excellent job, consciously or unconsciously, teaching youth how to function within bureaucracies. They do almost nothing to help youth learn how to operate within an ad-hocracy."
• "Most education focuses on training autonomous problem solvers... whereas collective intelligence encourages ownership of work as a group, schools grade individuals."
• "schools seek to develop generalists"
• "sussing out" *critical thinking skills * skills in evaluating *foster a climate of healthy skepticism *skills to discriminate * analyze perspective of the producer *Judgement ... but they lack real life experiences

At this point I will say, shift happens. We are here, a new literacy age. No fighting it. How do we reel it in, use it and teach with it? This is the modern literacy. We now have new (really not-so-new) core social skills to teach and new cultural competencies to develop. And, working to make our "crowd" smart will be a task.

After reading this article my response keeps sending my mind back to a vocabulary lesson.

Renaissance: 3. A period of revived intellectual or artistic achievement or enthusiasm.

Renaissance Man: A man who has diverse interest and expertise in a number of areas.

As a closing thought, is this a renaissance creating many renaissance men? Or, quite the opposite? I can see it both ways.

April 19, 2007 assignment

Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century

Participatory culture is a new term for me. "Teens who have created media content and have shared it" are part of the participatory cultures. I have had strong bias about media (phones, my space, gaming, xxx, instant messaging, etc...) in the past. I must confess that this digital immigrant is beginning to be swayed - rather, convinced about the positive outcome possibilities there are if good technology, good instruction, and good training and appropriate scheduling are in place. As I read about the reletively low barriers to artistic expression and civic engagement, the support youth experience when sharing their creations, the informal mentorships that evolve, the belief that their contributios matter, and the feelings of social connection I could only think "this is what I want from our students". Especially those who are isolated and experience feelings of marginalization. Or the one who lack social skills, the coolness factor or don't have the clothes mojo. I wonder that the benefits might outweigh the reasons for educators to stay with the status quo.
The article mentioned five potential benefits of implementing the four forms of participatory culture (affiliations, expressions, callaborative problem solving and circulations). The benefits are the kind of things I have, in the past when I taught students, wanted them to develop/do. Participatory culture promotes peer-to-peer learning, a changed attitude toward intellectual property, diversification of cultural expression, development of skills valued in the workplace, and, a more empowered conception of citizenship. Knowing these things will assure students succeed... or be left behind this article states.
Concerns? Unequal access, learning to "see", and the breakdown of tradition (education as we know it).
"Schools have been very slow to react to the emergence of this new participatory culture", this comment in the article reminded me of an educatonal lecture I attended by Hill Walker of University of Oregon. Professor Walker stated that educational reform (referring to any new 'cutting edge' educational change) takes, according to his research, 20 years for the paridigm to shift. Is this because the ones providing the education are left in the dust, uneducated, uninformed and unskilled?
How would one sole teacher even begin to implement instruction for the 11 skills named the "New Skills"? We do education because we want our students to become full participants to society. How will this shift happen? Who will lead us? What will leave the plate of educators if these things are found to be necessary?
It is true that many students are frustrated with school. I wouldn't have my current job if this weren't true. It has always been true that youth gain skills from their informal learning communities, butthe face of these informal learning communities has changed. It is also not new that youth respond best to project based instruction that is relevant. There is the key word. Relevant. What is relevant to our youth?
Because I support teachers in their work with youth that experience a multitude of barries to their education, page 9 resonated with me.

NOT DONE YET MORE TO COME>>>

April 12, 2007 assignment

I read three articles,

1) Film projects help link students to black history, 2) Technology is music to their ears and 3) Broward schools experiment with multimedia: Schools are experimenting with multimedia projects that expand learning well beyond textbooks and computer programs.
1) The Baltimore Sun Gregory Kane column: Film projects help link students to black history, By: Gregory, Baltimore Sun, The (MD), Apr 07, 2007
The teacher was concerned about students throwing something together to meet a deadline, wanting good quality work attempted to be creative and entice students to "go with a project". The project was accomplished with 50 8th graders. These students demonstrated what they could do with music, narration, writing, computer work (using Windows Movie Maker 2.1), research and presentation.
The project turned out to take longer than the teacher had hoped, due to things such as Maryland state assessments taking time away from the students project. Even so, they were very pleased with the outcome of the project.
Student's projects were exciting and they invested so much into their topics as to embellish things like relevant music that had been discovered during their research using multimedia research tools. Another example was that one student uncovered in his research for his black history project about the Black Panther party that one of their school's teachers was married to a former Panther.
The students were so involved in the production of the project it made the research relevant and interesting to them.
2) Technology is music to their ears, By: Khanna, Samiha, News and Observer, The (Raleigh, NC), Mar 2007
This teacher set out to demonstrate that technology can be used in a meaningful way. He cashed in on student's love of music. Students came out of the project saying, Anyone can be a music producer". The music teacher at this elementary school all participate in mixing songs and writing their own compositions, using audio editing software. The particular project this article focuses on is one that required the students (3rd and 4th grade) listen to the calls of common birds and then interpret those tunes in musical form using keyboards connected to their computers.
"People walk into his classroom and say, 'Oh that's music now?' but it's not meant to replace the traditional. It's really enhancing what they do".
This article made no comments from the students perspective and it is not clear to me their response. It does sound interesting though.
On a personal note, my husband is a musician. He has traveled the world in his 'other life as a rock star' and loves to create music. However, he is facing an obstacle. With new technology he will need to learn technology skills in order to keep up with his peers in this new era. This said, I believe this teacher's projects will enhance his students ability to continue to explore, produce and understand how to create, share and sell their music as life long artists.
3) Broward schools experiment with multimedia: SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIMENTING WITH MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS THAT EXPAND LEARNING WELL BEYOND TEXTBOOKS AND SIMPLE COMPUTER PROGRAMS. Sampson, Hannah, Miami Herlad, The (FL), Mar 18, 2007
This project seemed to desire students develop "workforce skills". A focus was on how to work in teams, manage long term projects, analyze information and present it. They "experienced real-life stress they might face in the workplace. They were required to dress professionally. The community was impressed with the work these high schoolers did. This works outcome was the creation of a healthy recipe book, commercials on fitness and videotaped demonstrations of preparing snacks.
Skills Incorporated were using video, using pod casts, web design and other media.
In this article I was not convinced this project was more meaningful to student learning than traditional teaching.

At this point in class I am convinced that technology can greatly enhance students interest. I also see these projects as meaningful ways for students who are not traditional learners to demonstrate what they know and have learned as an alternative to our traditional ways.

March 15, 2007 assignment

I viewed all the blogs you reccommended. But I found one appealing to me, Boarderland. He was humorus and what he said resonated with me. I found many of them too busy and I couldn't focus on them.

Many topics were covered in them, from education to personal interests. You learned things from what their interests were and what family members were like. To their political views on education and beyond.

Seemed to be a variety of purposes. From spewing off personal rants to providing a place to share and HEAR others. Providing a place for students to see how small and connected the world is. I see a useful purpose in much of that, in all of it actually. It is good to have a place to spew. And, it is good to have a meetin' place for thoughts and ideas. Students would like to communicate with teachers via blogs would be my guess. Especially if they were allowed to have a code name for posting, they could feel free to share without judgement.

Back to the Boderland Blog: I especially liked a couple quotes I'll share. Referring to laptops, "the don't drop those things problems" and saying until they design one with Fischer Price in mind it will be a problem. And talking about the problems we face when everyone can't do guided practice at the same time... Bryan, you face that every Thursday evening... I laughed like crazy when I read the good and bad things about sixth graders! I have mostly served sixth graders in my career.

In the Daily Grind blog the author mentioned a time when they were required to email their district office for some information, and rather than get the requested information electronically they had to, ironically, wait for snail mail...

The purpose for students to me right now is "MOTIVATION". I am becoming more motivated as I learn more and become competent.

March 15, 2007 assignment (post a picture)

March 8, 2007 assignment

How can teachers reasonably ensure that students meet the ISTE standards?

We certainally can with the right resources! All we need is that these standards become priority and staff be provided with the time, equipment, teaming, money and training.

I thought of how often we make assumptions of students coming with certain readiness skills. What skills will we presume students have in relation to technology? And skip teaching those skills, creating gaps in some students learning.

I only looked at the K-2 standards and have the following comments: (concerns really).

• The class rooms I have visited in Corvallis wouldn't have the materials or budget for the simple level on requirements such as interactive books, educational software, multi media encyclopideas... especially class sets
• Wouldn't have the abilities to interact evenly among their families, i.e., one elementary has 75% on free lunches
• What about loss and damage when using delecate equipment with very young children and students experiencing behavioral difficulties?
• How do we achieve collaborative tasks? With no collaborative planning time.
• What will have to go?
• Create programs... with support of teachers, families and students when?
• Training to ensure fidelity in programs across a district

March 1, 2007 assignment

Paula Robinson
March 2007
Prepared for Bryan Miyagishima
Response to article written by Todd Oppenheimer, Tech made easy: It’s not all about gadgets and gear
This article supports my philosophy about technology in the schools. I am not sure if I have adopted my philosophy because I am of the generation that had type writers in school (before correction tape and word processing). Making current technology something I am just beginning to grasp, as an owner of a jump drive, digital camera, cell phone, home computer and PALM Pilot. I LOVE my personal technology and can’t see ever desiring to go back. However, as my father, an old cowboy says, "It’s more horse than I can ride". This simply means that with all the devices I use, if you look closely to how I use them, it might bring on a chuckle because I have no idea of their actual capabilities. They are used at a surface level. Even at an elementary level they bring ease to my life to some degree.
That said, my philosophy is this (thus far), I see much value to technology. It frees time, it gets tasks done with ease and they appear "professional". It keeps me on time and connected (when I want to be, I do turn it off often). But I would give it all up if I had to decide between art, art appreciation, the discipline of learning a musical instrument, the wealth of benefits of physical activity, the spiritual nourishment of being on top of a mountain or in a deep bed of dew kissed moss. Even more than those things , a connection to another human being that is truly intimate. I fear the loss of those things as brain pathways change, as people become more narcissist and isolated.
The comments that resonated well with me throughout this article were:
School as a public forum
Simplicity to technology, everything in moderation
Focus on group collaboration, in my profession this is a skill one must posses
Focus on fundamentals (keyboarding, basic skills) and history
Don’t forget about tools such as: dice, base ten blocks… they’re cheap, powerful and teachers can learn to use them
Use tools, kids are fascinated by them; they offer physical experience
The more muscle the more memory, I have seen a research summarizing that engaging the muscle by chewing gum enhances performance in memory tasks - some teachers here allow chewing gum for standardized test situations
K-6 developmentally need imaginative, tactile and experiential opportunities
American educational systems move too swiftly and if slowed down would offer opportunities for students to collaborate, problem solve and dissect a topic
Students who are "machine trained" may not have the interpersonal skills to navigate the work and work community