Daniel Pink and A Whole New Mind October 18, 2009

When I saw the required book list for this course I was pleased to see Daniel Pink's book on the list. Having already read the book for another course eased my cluttered mind. I thoroughly enjoyed it the first time and re-reading through the first few chapters I am seeing things I had not before. I was also very fortunate to hear him speak at the 2009 Texas Music Educator's Convention. It was a wonderful speech and can be heard here. I recommend the longer version and remember that he is speaking to an auditorium full of musicians.

Being what most would consider an "artsy" person, simply because of my field of music, I was thrilled to hear Daniel Pink exclaim that R-Directed Thinkers would rule the world! Well not exactly, but that the creative nature, that has been for so long neglected, would rise to the front of the line. They are not to replace L-Directed thinking but to work alongside. We seek beauty in our lives not simply functional purpose.

One of the topics he writes stands out for me most is the discussion on the SAT which measures L-Directed thinking. My own children never tested well on the SAT or any other standardized test. They are all very creative people, being artists and musicians. They always did well in school where they were given opportunities to show their understanding of a subject matter in a way that was not always a written test. By having this means of assessment they were successful in school. But to move forward in their education, and to receive academic scholarships, they would need to score much higher than they ever could on the college entrance tests. One of my children took the ACT 4 times just to score high enough to earn an academic scholarship (which he did get). I don't know that he really learned any more information from test to test but more that he learned to beat the test. So what did that all prove? Absolutely nothing. The concept of an alternative test to the SAT, such as the Rainbow Project by Professor Robert Sternberg to measure those high-touch abilities, would give R-directed thinking students a better chance to show their skills.

In my studies about brain research and learning, I am always drawn to the ways that I can help my own children and my students learn better and to remember what they learn. I think that Daniel Pink's writings suggest that by embracing whole mind thinking we can advance ourselves in society and culture.

Pink, D. (2006). A whole new mind: Why right-brainers will rule the world. Riverhead Trade.

 I actually held these brain halves. Way cool.










November 19, 2009
I have not been very faithful to updating my posts for this class. It is not a required part but I had hoped to note the highlights of my readings here. This has been a very fascinating course discussing our brain, how we learn and how we make those memories. As I go through each week's readings and videos I am frequently taken back to my own memories of school and how I learned and remembered the information for my classes. Sadly there are some classes that I barely remember taking and cannot recall much from the class. I will need to consider the class situation and what made certain times more or less memorable. I also must analyze my own classes that I teach and have to question how memorable am I making them for my own students?

Digital Portfolio October 15, 2009

 Mary Kuterbach's Digital Portfolio

Creating a digital portfolio was a good experience. I had to stop and think carefully about what I wanted to share that would give someone a good picture of who I was and what my goals were. I see this project as one that will continue to evolve. Digital portfolios are a unique way to show yourself as a part of the 21st century.

I originally wanted to create a more professional looking portfolio (and not that you can't do that in Glogster) but Glogster is too much fun and I enjoy the creative impulses it pulls out of me.

Self Evaluation October 14, 2009

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I chose to self evaluate a podcast that I did for a Web 2.0 class. The rubric found at http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/podcastrubric.html contains more items than were required in my podcast. I kept many of the items but I adapted it to create the following:

Category	Exemplary 4	Proficient 3	Partly Proficient 2	Incomplete 1	POINTS
Introduction	Catchy and clever introduction. Provides relevant information and establishes a clear purpose engaging the listener immediately. Tells who is speaking and where the speaker is located.	Describes the topic and engages the audience as the introduction proceeds. Tells who is speaking and where the speaker is located.	Somewhat engaging and provides a vague purpose. Does not clearly state who is speaking and location.	Irrelevant or inappropriate topic that minimally engages the listener. Does not state who is speaking and location.
Content	Creative and original content enhance the purpose of the podcast. Vocabulary enhances content. Topic is focused. Conclusion clearly summarizes key information.	Accurate information with appropriate vocabulary. Stays on topic and conclusion summarizes information.	Some information is inaccurate or long winded. Vocabulary is adequate. Occasionally strays from topic and conclusion vaguely summarizes information.	Information is inaccurate and vocabulary is inappropriate for the audience. Does not stay on topic and there is no conclusion.
Delivery	Well rehearsed, smooth delivery. Highly effective enunciation and presenter's speech is clear and intelligible, not distant and muddled. Expression and rhythm keep the audience listening. Correct grammar is used throughout.	Rehearsed, smooth delivery. Enunciation, expression, pacing are effective throughout with correct grammar.	Appears unrehearsed with uneven delivery. Enunciation, expression, rhythm are sometimes distracting during the podcast occasionally with incorrect grammar.	Delivery is hesitant, choppy and sounds like the presenter is reading. Enunciation is distant and not clear. Expression and rhythm are distracting with poor grammar throughout.
Audio/ Music	Music enhances the mood, quality, and understanding of the presentation. Music is owned by creator, creative commons or copyright cleared.	Music provides supportive background to the podcast. Music is owned by creator, creative commons or copyright cleared.	Music provides somewhat distracting background to the podcast. Use of copyrighted works is questionable.	Music is distracting to the podcast. Copyright infringement is obvious.
Technical Production	Presentation is recorded in a quiet environment without background noise and distractions. Volume of voice and music enhance the presentation.	Presentation is recorded in a quiet environment with minimal background noise and distractions. Volume is acceptable.	Presentation is recorded in a semi-quiet environment with some background noise and distractions. Volume is occasionally inconsistent.	Presentation is recorded in a noisy environment with constant background noise and distractions. Volume changes are highly distracting.

Based on this rubric I would have given my podcast
          

Introduction	4
Content	4
Delivery	4
Audio/Music	4
Technical production	4

I think this rubric covers many areas that are necessary to a quality podcast. The key features of this rubric mention areas from creative aspects, presentation and technical aspects.

Cell phone project response October 13, 2009

A response!
Well I was very excited to hear back from some of my contacts. Though the one from the original assignment link I have not heard from since our quick phone discussion. However, if the articles I quoted in my last post, I mentioned a teacher from the Tampa Bay area named Jennifer Gould. I emailed Jennifer and asked her a few questions. She emailed me back today. Here is her response:

Cellphone Project Details

Name of teacher: Jennifer Gould

Location: Wiregrass Ranch High School, Wesley Chapel, Florida

Grade level for project: 12

Content Area: Language Arts (AP Literature)

Specific project: (ie- podcasts, camera use, texting) Internet search for author background information

Resource used: Internet

Inside or Outside of school? During Class

Policies: (ie- permission note, etc.) WRHS allows students to use their cell phones during class, per teacher instruction, as educational tools.

Links: none

What did you learn from doing this project with your class? Students LOVE to be the first one to finish the search!

What would you do differently if you did this project again? Put them in groups and put together a sheet of biographical questions about the author for them to specifically search.

What recommendations would you have for another teacher who would like to do a similar project? Be sure you have enough students with Internet access on their phones so that groups are feasible. Be sure to address appropriate versus inappropriate and reliable resources prior to the search to avoid faulty information.

Cell Phone Project Inquiry October 9, 2009

Just as I was finishing my writing for this assignment, I received a phone call from Pat Sattler, one of the teachers from the suggested k12cell phone project website. Needless to say I was very excited. I had tracked her down to her school earlier in the week, but not finding an email I called the school and left a message. She had attempted to email me but our filters (as good as they are) kept booting her email out of the system. Finally reaching me by phone we talked briefly (I was in the middle of my school day) and she promised to email me at another address and help me out with some information. So now we play email tag and hope we connect. When I hear from her I promise to come back and post an update. In the interim I leave you with my research.

Cell Phone Project Inquiry

Using cell phones in the classroom is a new idea and not many school districts have warmed to the idea. Teachers on the other hand are beginning to see the value of using technology that many of their students already have and are very comfortable in using. The assignment to find and interview a teacher who has used cell phones in the classroom proved to be more challenging than I expected. I attempted to contact four different teachers. Unfortunately I have not had a response from any of them at the time of this writing.

However in my research I came across two interesting articles recently reported by the St. Petersburg Times online edition and the Dallas Morning News online edition. The article from St. Petersburg Times describes teachers in the Tampa area who regularly have students use cell phones to complete assignments and projects, in and out of class. They have used their phones for photos, as calculators, to view the internet for class work and take notes. One teacher says
"They all have them anyway, and they're all dying to use them in class," said Spanish teacher Ariana Leonard, who admitted that she stores her life in her cell phone and uses it for a variety of functions. "If they're texting when they're supposed to be listening, I might tell them to put it away. But you might teach them a way to use it that might be applicable to their learning." (Solochek, 2009)

Thinking like this is why it works for this school. Their open policy and support from parents and staff alike have helped students understand the appropriate use of cell phones in the classroom. They still have policies in place for monitoring and keeping students on task but with their changing attitude, students are using them less for distraction and more for class work.

From literature to Spanish to Chemistry classes, teachers and students are finding ways to use this computer in their pocket. To sum it up, Jennifer Gould, a literature teacher at Wiregrass Ranch High School said "It puts the education in their hands."


In the Dallas New article, an intermediate school is involved in a program that used donated smart phones from Verizon. These students also have turned cell phones into the latest technology in the classroom. Teachers and kids are excited about their lessons but also understand the rules in place for their use. A commenter to the article explained that these phones also have a software program that allows teachers to turn off features and monitor what the students are using. So here is another example of schools that embrace technology and make them tools for education.

I recommend that you go and read the articles and especially the comments below. It is interesting the response that this generated in both situations. There is a student from Wiregrass who also responded to the Tampa Bay article and the related comments.

Sources:
Solochek, Jeffrey S. Some Tampa Bay high schools allow cell phones to be used in class. October 4, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.tampabay.com/ October 8, 2009.

Unmuth, Katherine Leal. Keller's Trinity Meadows  students use cell phones as classroom computer. February 20, 2009. Retrieved from http://www.dallasnews.com/ on October 9, 2009.

Cell Phone Digital Story October 7, 2009

I knew I was going to be an educator when....
There were two challenges with this assignment.  One, could I really answer that question? Two, how was this going to work with my outdated Motorola Razor? Answering the first question was the easy part. Using my phone was what gave me a few problems but I found a way around it all. When I started this project I had not decided exactly what program or web 2.0 tool I wanted to use for my digital story. I ended up doing it in Voicethread and could have called in my recordings very easily but I had already created mp3s of my flute and voice. I wanted to try some different ways to get my voice recorded and downloaded as an mp3. I used http://www.gabcast.com/ to record myself on the flute. I used drop.io to record my story. Once I had the recordings in mp3 format I used Audacity to edit them and create each section of my story. Again, had I made the decision before to use Voice thread I could have called my comments in on each slide.
Doing the pictures was another challenge. I could take pictures with my phone but my choices after taking them were to either store them or send them in a text message. I couldn't email them or download so I sent them in a text to my husband who then emailed them to me from his phone. Once I had them on the computer it was an easy task to upload them to Voicethread.
This was a fun project to do and I imagine with a better phone it would possibly be easier. You can view my digital story here.

Cell phones in Education- Helium Debate October 4, 2009

I feel that cell phones should not be banned in schools. Like any piece of technology, there are positive and negative aspects to its use. A parent's first choice for providing their children with a cell phone has usually been for safety. It gave the parent a sense of calm knowing that their child had a means to contact them at any given time, especially in an emergency situation. In these times of hectic schedules and long hours, the cell phone is frequently deemed a necessity in coordinating the lives of families. Under these circumstances, cell phones should definitely be allowed in schools.
What about other circumstances? What could be seen as an accepted use of the cell phone in school? What about using the cell phone as part of the school lesson? Why can't one of the easiest computers available to students be a regular part of their day? As a presence in the school day, educators have often seen the cell phone as a distraction. Teachers and school administrators should not ban this tool, but embrace it. If we take the device and turn it toward educational purposes, students will begin to see it as more than just another technology toy. Marc Prensky said in his article, "What Can You Learn From a Cell Phone" (2004), "given the opportunity, we can be certain that students, as they have been doing with all useful digital technology, will quickly embrace and use the tool and make it their own in various unexpected ways." Those in education must do as we have always done and guide our students in appropriate ways to use that technology.
There are many ways a teachers can incorporate cell phones into the lesson. Even elementary students, who may not have advanced smartphones, can be involved by using the common applications available on most cell phones, such as camera, calendar and voice recorder. Students can use the camera to take pictures for an assignment, use the phone memos and calendar as a planner, or voice record assignments, and use of the calculator. These are very simple tasks that do not require phones with every application. There are a variety of additional, simple ways to use cell phones in the class room without being a distraction that so many fear it to be. From sending pictures to Flickr and creating podcasts, students can share content with their class and others around the world. Encouraging students to create and share gives them ownership in their learning.
Using cell phones in the classroom is just taking advantage of a technology that our students already love and feel comfortable using. They have embraced this technology and use already use it for these purposes outside of school, why not make it tool for learning?

Resources:
LaMontagne, J. (2009) Please turn on your cell phone. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://changeobserver.designobserver.com/entry.html?entry=10277
Prensky, M. (2004) What can you do with a cell phone? Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-What_Can_You_Learn_From_a_Cell_Phone-FINAL.pdf
 VanDrimmelen, J. (2007) 8 Ways to use camera phones in education. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from http://edutechie.com/2007/06/8-ways-to-use-camera-phones-in-education/

Ed Tech Talk October 1, 2009

Discussion points:

• What were the strengths and weaknesses of the show format?
• Would you participate in future shows of this nature?
• How could this type of webcast be incorporated into the classroom?
• What would you use it for with students?

I logged into the Teachers Teaching Teachers session on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009 at 8 pm (CST). Most of the discussion was centered on a book about Digitial writing. The chat room discussion bounced around from blogs and wikis in the classroom, to internet safety, to blocked sites at school and how to deal with getting it unblocked. There were many, many great links tossed out in the conversation. I had windows open all over checking out sites as the conversation went on.

Strengths and weaknesses? You have to be a good multi-tasker to keep up with this format. Listening to the discussion (that involved 3 speakers last night) and following a rather full chat room was a challenge at times. I can see where this format could lose some people either in listening to the speakers or lose them in the chat discussion.

Would I participate in the future? Definitely yes. I enjoyed the speakers and hearing their experiences. I appreciated the ideas that they shared and their openess in listening to the viewers in the chat area. It is nice to connect with teachers who have similar issues to find out how they handle it.

How could this type of webcast be incorporated into the classroom? This would be a nice way to invite a speaker to your class while students are in the chat area posting questions as they go along. The speaker would be able to answer the questions "on air" for the students. We often ask students to "hold that question until the end" and then of course they forget what they wanted to ask. This would give them the chance to ask before they forget.

What would I use it for with students? Probably the same as my answer to the last question. Plus it could be used as a study session, or a lecture series, a summer break enrichment lectures. I would also have students listen to a musical performance and then post their comments and thoughts about the piece they are listening to.

Ed Tech Talk is a great resource for those involved in education on any level. I will certainly share this site with my colleagues. A definite bookmarked site!

Broadcasting September 29, 2009

Broadcasting Assignment
For this assignment I chose to use dimdim.com. My archived recording can be seen here.
I decided to share with my colleagues my experiences with the website Edmodo. I use Edmodo with my 6th and 7th grade music classes and I think that other teachers in my school would find it very user friendly. I feel it would be another way they could easily integrate technology in their lessons.
I made sure to inform of the meeting, gave them the url to attend and we "met" after school. It was an interesting experience that I would like to share not only in my reflection post but here also.
My first experience with dimdim was at home with a few participants. It went very well and I was pleased with the out come. I see great potential with broadcasting for the classroom. Not only could teachers "bring in" guest speakers, they would be able to hold after hours study sessions, department meetings and even conduct parent meetings. This virtual experience is not the same as really being there but it definitely provides teachers, students and parents another way to communicate and connect the classroom with the world.
Now when I tried dimdim at school, that was another totally different experience. I have linked the second session that I broadcast because the first session was a true learning experience. There were many complications and we all learned quite a bit. We all agreed that the concept has great potential but I think that it was a bit much for our school server. You can see from my recording here that it is difficult to hear and understand although the actual session was much better. I recommend that your school's Internet capabilities are considered when an attempt is made at broadcasting. I prefer the broadcasting methods like dimdim that allow for viewers to "talk" to the presenter although text speak over voice might be preferred with slower systems.
As a lone teacher in my school, with no other music teachers, it would be nice to connect with the other music teachers in my diocese occasionally to share ideas. Would I do broadcasting again? Yes, absolutely.

Because I am now like a dog on a fox hunt, I had to try something else. Here is a quick broadcast from ustream.tv. I liked the video quality and it does have a pop up chat. I will need to try this one with my colleagues. The recording is much better. 10/1/09 update: I tried ustream with the teachers at my school. The video is titled Edmodo in the Classroom and can be found at the same link. You can see that the recording is not good at all. I think that our streaming capabilities at my school are  not up to snuff. The actual broadcast was great. My teachers could hear and see me without any issues. But for recording, not good at all. This would be okay to just broadcast but if you wanted to archive your talk, not an option from my school.

PS: I consider broadcasting a great success when my colleagues all asked me this week when we could try it again! Anything that gets them excited about using technology is worth doing over and over!
 

2010/04/28 Week 7 Inquiry Based Learning

Week 7! This course has really flown by. I cannot believe I am down to the end here in many ways. The end of the course and the end of my classes for my Master's degree in Instructional Media. It has been a fantastic experience. I have learned so much from my instructors and from my classmates. Our final week in Inquiry Based Learning had us creating a Unit Plan based on some of the things we used in previous weeks. Our 5E model was a blueprint for our unit lesson. I had chosen to do a 5E plan on a holocaust lesson and my unit plan integrated technology for activities and assessments. One of the issues I had in constructing an inquiry lesson was in adapting a science based model idea with a far less scientific concept. It was challenging and I don't feel that my idea was a true inquiry study. I do think though that in working through the inquiry lesson process I am able to create lessons that encourage my students to ask questions and explore many possible answers. If I am able to accomplish this, then I know my students will have gained knowledge they did not have before. We also discussed the importance of assessment during the inquiry process and my experience in studying assessment shows that it is a continuous process. Teachers should be using formative assessment throughout their lessons. It is not a one stop item during the class but should happen frequently. So how will I implement inquiry in my class? Because I teach many levels of students (K-8), I have the opportunity to try inquiry based lessons in a variety of ways. I would like to find one idea for each grade level to explore. Again, my challenge is in finding investigable questions for my students to explore. My class time with them is limited and this will also present a challenge. However, despite the bumps in the proverbial road, I think that an inquiry based lesson is worth exploring. Expecially if it encourages students to ask more questions and search for more answers.

2010/04/23 Week 6 Inquiry Based Learning 5Es

The 5E instructional model was a focus this week in class. The 5E model is a process that moves between five areas in instruction.

They are Engage, Explore, Exlpain, Elaborate and Evaluate. This was developed by the Biological Science Curriculum Study. Which brings me to part of my dilema this week. Science is by it's nature one of exploration. I had some difficulty transferring the process into my discipline of music. Not that music cannot be exploratory but not in the same sense as science. Even though the 5E process was a bit difficult to adapt in the same way as science, the five areas should be present in any content lesson. Educators should always try to engage their students at the start of a lesson. The "hook" to grab their attention and gain their interest should get them thinking towards the concept of the lesson. The next phase is to let students explore, ask questions, and search for answers. Any well designed lesson would give students the opportunity to discover the concept and then move on to explaining what they have found. Students should then be encouraged to naturally move toward elaborating in their research and discovery. Almost any lesson could be fashioned in this manner. If teachers work towards guiding students to an inquiry process the learning will be more meaningful. If the learning is meaningful and students are able to apply it to their world, they will be more likely to remember the information. My great question this week though is that the 5E process is a moderately longer than average process. I wonder if teachers will be willing or have the time to devote to the 5E model? On the other hand, how can they not? sources: http://moodle1.wilkes.edu/mod/resource/view.php?id=55135

2010/04/16 Week 5 Inquiry Based Learning

This week one of our goals in Inquiry Based Learning was to use web 2.0 tools to engage students in the inquiry process. This was by far one the more "fun" weeks to explore. I look at web 2.0 tools as a playground and who can resist a playground? Web 2.0 tools are the perfect vehicle to get your students interested in exploring and researching a topic. There is a multitude of sites to inspire everyone. It doesn't matter if you prefer writing poetry, painting pictures, designing graphs, organizing facts and figures, there is something for all tastes. The students who would otherwise be overwhelmed by traditional library research would be able to find a method of research on the web that fits their learning style. One of the best things a teacher could do for their students would be to introduce them to the many web tools available to use in an inquiry project. One of my very favorite places to get new ideas is from the site Janes Pick of the Day. This site is by Jane Knight, a Social Learning Specialist and founder of the Centre for Learning and Performance Technologies. Every day she features an item of e- learning interest. I have found it great place for resources. I encourage every teacher to expand their personal learning network and find sites like Jane's and help their students in the inquiry process.

2010/04/09 Week 4 Inquiry Based Learning

The focus this week was on connecting curricular goals to inquiry. Once a goal is established, teachers must make certain that the students have a solid base of facts necessary to understand the concept. Knowing the facts will help them in understanding the relationships between the facts. This is turn will help them to realize the larger concepts. Making an inquiry requires students to look at the variables within the questions, and knowing the facts, discerning quetions that can be investigated.
The discussions and readings have helped me to see the importance in asking questions that promote inquisitive thought. In one discussion, a classmate asked a question that I could relate to and consequently I began to wonder what the answer might be. It is in a good question that students are encouraged to seek out the possibilities. They will then begin to ask more questions and search for answers.

One of our goals as educators is to help our students become life long learners. A life long learner constantly seeks out new knowledge by asking questions.

I would like to know if teachers can force themselves to step back from the questions and not lead their students to answers. As educators we are often very controlling in our lessons, often because of the pressures of time, but our students will never ask questions on their own or seek out their own answers if we don't give them room to do so.

2010/04/02 Week Three Inquiry Based Learning

The readings and viewings this week on Inquiry Based learning have given me more insight on what constitutes a good lesson. The video, The Physics of Optics, was very inspiring to watch. It seemed that every element necessary for a good inquiry based lesson was present. The teacher seemed very natural with his interaction with the students and the students in turn appeared to respect one another. The Secondary Classroom examples however were puzzling. I found each one to be lacking elements of a good lesson. They all seemed to be just shy of giving students the best learning opportunity possible. Each one was disappointing in some way, yet I realize that each also was somewhat an inquiry lesson. Is it such a bad thing to have students read books, collect information and give oral reports? This was my least favorite of the lessons and I would not think it was an inquiry based lesson. As a teacher directed lesson I suppose that it fills the requirements but I cannot accept this as a memorable lesson. As a student I would have found it dry and boring. On the other hand, do all inquiry based lessons have to be loosely structured and student directed to be a good lesson?

2010/03/26 Inquiry Based Learning

Week Two- Inquiry Based Learning


Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?

The readings this week were focused on the skills a student needs to be successful in their post high school education and when they enter the workforce. My thoughts on inquiry-based learning have not changed but the readings have only strengthened my belief in this method of instruction. It has shown me how through inquiry-based learning, educators can nurture and encourage the process skills in their students. Inquiry-based learning provides a wonderful opportunity for students to experience those skills.

One thing that stood out for me this week in the readings comes from the 2003 document Understanding University Success. It states

"One of the most dominant themes raised by participants is the importance of the habits of mind students develop in high school and bring with them to university studies. These habits are considered by many faculty members to be more important than specific content knowledge." (Conley, 2003)

I think this speaks volumes about the importance of children having a proficient level of skills such as, and not limited to, the ability to communicate with others, the ability to listen to and interpret new ideas, the ability to work collaboratively, and the ability to think creatively and problem solve. These are basic life skills that all students should have and I can firmly support inquiry-based learning as a tool for educators in the classroom to help their students be successful.

Resources:
Conley, David. (2003). Understanding university success. Eugene, OR: 2003. Retrieved March 19, 2010 from http://cepr.uoregon.edu/UUS_Complete.pdf

2010/03/17 Thoughts on Inquiry Based Learning

Create a blog entry that describes how your thoughts about inquiry based learning have developed over the past week. What new insights have you developed? Has anything changed? Are there any "burning questions" that you feel need to be answered?




Before this class began, I wondered how it would be different from Project Based Learning. Both methods create student centered classrooms and the focus is on answering questions. Even though project based learning has a question to motivate student research, it tends to revolve around projects in the learning process. Inquiry based learning is focused entirely on the questions asked and process of searching for the answer.



In trying to understand the differences, I am particularly drawn to the question process. One of the readings this week listed the Criteria for Problem Question Selection. It follows as:



"1. Is it personally relevant and socially significant? Is the student truly interested in the question?

2. Is it researchable?

3. Is it big enough and small enough?"



(Northern Illinois University)

Making certain that the student is truly interested in the question is the key to making inquiry based learning work.
Inquiry based learning is an exciting idea. I am all for it, but being a naturally inquisitive person I feel very comfortable with the idea. I know far too many teachers who would not so easily welcome such organized chaos into their classrooms. They are so set in the teacher centered method of teaching. I do not know how they can be convinced to even consider the thought.

The greatest question I have is not in getting students to work, I think this is the easy part, but in helping teachers take those first steps in trying inquiry based learning in their classrooms. Can we devise an "easy does it" method for those so unwilling or fearful?
Resources:
Northern Illinois University. Retrieved March 15, 2010 from http://www.neiu.edu/~middle/Modules/science%20mods/amazon%20components/AmazonComponents2.html#components

2009/08/02 Differentiation Website Reviews

JamStudio Rating: 5 This site describes itself as a "musical sandbox" and it is just that. It makes songwriting very simple. You are given a staff, choose your meter, choose your key, drop in chord changes, choose tempo, instrument and loops. A great way to experiment with musical ideas and see how they sound. Fun to play with and they offer an education grant that gives teachers a free "all access pass" for their classes to use and learn song structure and the writing process. This is a product based website that gives students an opportunity to apply what they are learning in the music class and share with others. Great site!

dimdim Rating: a possible 4 or 5 depending.... I have not used this site but know others who have and they liked it. One of my son's high school teachers used this site to conduct a study session the night before a test. Their site says it requires no software to install, you can start or join a meeting with just a few clicks, it is free and open source software that is easy to use. After reading all of that I am ready to try it. If it works like it sounds this would be a great way for teachers to have a study session after school or a discussion during a long weekend.

Dangerous Decibels Rating:5 I have to include one more site. Hearing loss is an important topic for our students. With the use of ipods and headphones with our computers, educators must help studens understand how to take care of their hearing. There is an actual museum dedicated to hearing education located in Portland, Oregon but you can visit the Virtual Museum loaded with activities that will teach you about the affects of sound on our hearing. Any teacher who has students using headphones or earbuds should visit this site with their students to learn more about caring for their hearing.

2009/07/31 Differentiation Part 2- Website reviews

I realize that I have website reviews all over the place here and I will organize this all in one post later. But for now here are some additional sites from Week 6 in Differentiation Supported by Technology.

 Primary Games Rating:5 This is a great site. Lots of interactive games and activities based on a variety of subjects. Very colorful and almost too much to choose from. A nice feature though is the Teacher Curriculum Guide that helps teachers find games or activities on the site to match curriculum. There are worksheets to print out and games to play. Many of the games would be good to use on a SmartBoard.

I Know That Rating: 5 Again, another great site with curriculum connections. The teacher guide helps teachers match activities to the subject content. Colorful, fun, easy to navigate around the site.

One important note for most of the game sites. You need to make sure your computer has all the current updates or many of the games will not run properly. Shockwave is used in many games and you don't want to have to wait to download or update these before playing. So check before you explore especially if you have students waiting to play.

2009/07/31 Internet Overload

I really can't remember what the commercial is advertising (sad for the company isn't it?) but in a recent commercial a man "comes to the end of the internet". That is sort of how I feel right now. Not because I cannot find anything else but because I feel as though I am in a vast ocean of web information and I am taking on water. I have all the wonderful sites to keep myself organized like Delicious.com and I follow all the right people on twitter and ning and wherever else but I am fast running out of time in the day to keep up with it all. There comes a point when you have to pull back and center yourself on what works for you and your needs. I think I am at that point. I have digested so much information in the past few months that I don't know how much more I can "swallow". I feel like that man that swallows all the hotdogs on the 4th of July. I am definitely stuffed. When do you know when you have reached your limit but you can still leave some room to sample a little of this or that? At what point do you just stop? I think I need to just regroup.

2009/07/31 Website Reviews

Okay- So here are two sites for this week. Looking at the long list from last week, there are two types listed. Those that are resource based and those that are product based. The first one that I offer here is not quite a resource based site.


Podguides.net (Rating 2) With I-pods showing up everywhere and in everyone’s pocket it won’t be long until you see them accepted fully into the classroom. Podguides.net has directions how to and has free podguides to upload and you can share your own podguides on their site. This isn’t exactly a product based site but the sharing ability lends itself towards that. This would be a great idea for a class to do a tour of their school, neighborhood or town. Posting it on the podguide site would let others download it to use when they are coming to tour. The site offers a download for a Podguide generator that is a bit tricky to get around. A great concept but I would like to see someone do it better and easier for teachers and students.

Pathways to Freedom (Rating 5) This is one of my favorite sites for cross-curriculum studies. This site from the state of Maryland is very well done and has lots of ways to explore the under-ground railroad. Not only can students learn the history and background of the under-ground railroad, but there is a fun place to create and print out your own quilt design. Being a music teacher, I love the music section on slave songs and their meanings. Great recordings here also to listen to. This is a resource based site for the most part but there are a few products that you can create. All in all a very well done site.