Article Review #5
Emma Drury
Challenge Based Learning: Take action and make a difference (apple)
First off I really agree with how the article starts with saying that in high school many of the projects we do are uninspired and are just to get a letter grade. I know with most of my work in high school, unless it was something I was already passionate about (and sometimes even then) I would put just enough effort into whatever the assignment was to get an A and that was that. It didn't increase my learning, it didn't help me create new or improve my creativity, problem solving skills, social skills or any other skills.
As I was reading more about the components and key features of challenge based learning, the more I found it interesting. I think that there are some really great ideas for engaging learning and students. But something that I always wonder is if I were to have been given one of these tasks in high school, would it have increased my learning or peaked my interest or would I have just seen it as more work and annoying?
As for the general set up of a challenge based learning activity, I think that they really hit a lot of the important things that would be needed to make these work. I feel starting off especially with having a workspace that the students can access 24/7 is vital, I know that during project nothing stresses me out more then not having access to what I need when I want it or having to worry about getting what I need before the library (for example) closes. I also feel that the set up is detailed enough to support all students through the process and keep things moving, anyone could follow this design and implement it in their classrooms, if they had the resources avalible. Another feature of this type of learning that I thought was really great was the fact that it does mirror real life, you are working towards a project, you are using multiple skills in many disciplines as well as having to work in groups. These are all skills that you'll be using after high school and especially after college. Outside of academia you aren't working towards a good grade or a pass, and you don't get to move on to all new things after 10 weeks, so giving students a new way to think about learning and approach it is a great idea.
Overall I'm excited to learn more about this type of learning and maybe get a chance in the future to use it in a classroom or some extent of this. It reminds me a lot of the project approach to learning that is used a lot in early childhood classrooms. Which is a lot like this, not so much as solving a problem but learning about something through mostly self motivated learning, multiple disciplines, and with groups.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Monday, February 4, 2013
Article Review #4: iPad for Literacy Learning
Article Review #4
Emma Drury
IPAD for Literacy Learning by Amy Hutchinson, Beth Beschorner and Denise Schmitdt-Crawford
I think this is a very interesting article and topic. I know that I have had a lot of interest in the pros and cons of usage of technology such as the iPad in classrooms. I think my problem comes from using it almost exclusively in classrooms or when working with students.
Like the article starts off saying stating that iPads as a use for new modes of reading and writing, which is interesting and a good use of that but I also think that its important to remember that and make sure to still use printed text, as it is still used a lot and a skill students should still be learning.
I can definitely see the great possibilities for learning that come from using different apps on the iPad or other similar devices. I like the applications where they can have more interaction with pictures and with the story then you can with printed texts. And as the article says iPads and tablets let students interact with technology and these programs without having to be in a computer lab or that type of setting which can be off putting to some students.
Overall I really liked the article. I liked how in depth they went into on the activities and talked to the students about how they felt about them. I enjoyed hearing the students talk about how they liked how they could erase things more easier and how they would do/try more things on the iPad then they would have done if they were really using papers and crayons for example.
But what I really also appreciated was that at the end they took some time to say that iPads aren't good for all types of literacy activities and lessons. I think sometimes we get so excited about new technology and new things that we want to use them all the time without really considering if it's the best option for the students. Sometimes it is the best option, if you have the right application/programs and if you understand them. But sometimes it doesn't increase student learning and doesn't help them as much as it advertises it does or we think it might. It's an interesting thing that we will have to deal with as teachers that teachers before us didn't have to. I think I'll probably have to invest more in learning about the different programs that I could use in special education for early childhood, because I tend to try to use things that are low technology and can be easily found in the environment because I'm thinking about working with low income/at risk families which wouldn't have this type of technology. But it still something i'll interact with at some point and should get more involved in.
Overall I really liked the article. I liked how in depth they went into on the activities and talked to the students about how they felt about them. I enjoyed hearing the students talk about how they liked how they could erase things more easier and how they would do/try more things on the iPad then they would have done if they were really using papers and crayons for example.
But what I really also appreciated was that at the end they took some time to say that iPads aren't good for all types of literacy activities and lessons. I think sometimes we get so excited about new technology and new things that we want to use them all the time without really considering if it's the best option for the students. Sometimes it is the best option, if you have the right application/programs and if you understand them. But sometimes it doesn't increase student learning and doesn't help them as much as it advertises it does or we think it might. It's an interesting thing that we will have to deal with as teachers that teachers before us didn't have to. I think I'll probably have to invest more in learning about the different programs that I could use in special education for early childhood, because I tend to try to use things that are low technology and can be easily found in the environment because I'm thinking about working with low income/at risk families which wouldn't have this type of technology. But it still something i'll interact with at some point and should get more involved in.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Article Review #3: Keeping Students Safe Online
Article Review #3
"Keeping Students Safe Online: What Works" By Tech & Learning, Gwen Solomon, Editor
Right away the first thing that stood out to me in this article was the emphasis on how instilling fear doesn't work to keep students safe online. I remember that this was the type of strategy that the teachers at my schools used growing up. It didn't work, I mean I've always been safe and responsible online but it wasn't because of the fear tactics. I think this was that I thought it was so straight forward, and just common sense. And for a lot of students I think that it can be they don't have any first hand experience with this, so it doesn't scare them when you talk about it. I think that Patricia Agatston has it right when she said, "kids are saturated with consequences, and what they need are more skills training, for example, resistance skills, self-management and social skills training." I agree that if we focus on teaching those skills it can help more then what we are doing now. Besides the fact that fear doesn't work, its not applicable. Once you tell them don't do something, what can they do with it? If you teach skills they can practice them and actually use them in their life.
Another part of the article that I think we need to emphasize more for students is that of privacy on the internet. That its vague and just because you think you have it, doesn't mean you do. I know I didn't take that seriously and thinking back, if I really understood what could happen to me and my career because of stuff online there is tons I would have done differently when I first had my myspace or facebook.
At the end of the article it also talks about how its not just internet safety anymore, but really there should be talks about cell phone safety. That sharing and "sexting" is something serious and not just something funny. I thought it was interesting that they said that students were surprised when they learned that the pictures they sent were shared with other people.
The last thing that was talked about that stood out to me was really talking to students about sharing work, ownership and copyright. Its so easy to accidentally use something not thinking that you are doing anything wrong when you could be. The real world consequences should be better explained to students when they start working on papers and working with the internet so they know that these issues are big deals and not something to take lightly.
Right away the first thing that stood out to me in this article was the emphasis on how instilling fear doesn't work to keep students safe online. I remember that this was the type of strategy that the teachers at my schools used growing up. It didn't work, I mean I've always been safe and responsible online but it wasn't because of the fear tactics. I think this was that I thought it was so straight forward, and just common sense. And for a lot of students I think that it can be they don't have any first hand experience with this, so it doesn't scare them when you talk about it. I think that Patricia Agatston has it right when she said, "kids are saturated with consequences, and what they need are more skills training, for example, resistance skills, self-management and social skills training." I agree that if we focus on teaching those skills it can help more then what we are doing now. Besides the fact that fear doesn't work, its not applicable. Once you tell them don't do something, what can they do with it? If you teach skills they can practice them and actually use them in their life.
Another part of the article that I think we need to emphasize more for students is that of privacy on the internet. That its vague and just because you think you have it, doesn't mean you do. I know I didn't take that seriously and thinking back, if I really understood what could happen to me and my career because of stuff online there is tons I would have done differently when I first had my myspace or facebook.
At the end of the article it also talks about how its not just internet safety anymore, but really there should be talks about cell phone safety. That sharing and "sexting" is something serious and not just something funny. I thought it was interesting that they said that students were surprised when they learned that the pictures they sent were shared with other people.
The last thing that was talked about that stood out to me was really talking to students about sharing work, ownership and copyright. Its so easy to accidentally use something not thinking that you are doing anything wrong when you could be. The real world consequences should be better explained to students when they start working on papers and working with the internet so they know that these issues are big deals and not something to take lightly.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Article Review #2: Transliteracy
Article Review #2
"Transliteracy - New Library What It Means for Instruction" By Paige Jaeger
In the article we learn about the term transliteracy, which Paige Jaeger defines as "the ability to read, listen to, view, understand, synthesize, and apply what we gather across differing platforms" (p. 44, 2011). I agree with the idea that communication has officially changed, with new technology and forms of communication that weren't around years ago it makes sense. I also thought it was interesting the idea that we have to be more active in our readings, no longer can we read something and take for granted that it is a credible source or actually that it has any real facts at all. With the internet accessibility these days anyone can create a website or post an article without needing to check facts or have any at all.
As the article moves forward to talk about how transliteracy needs to be our new focus, I can see how that would be important because of the use of technology in almost every job. But I feel that its valid to take a step back and focus keep in mind that there is still a large literacy problem in America and that our students aren't reading up to standards in many schools, so you can't always focus on transliteracy if the basic literacy skills aren't present. With that in mind the argument that we need to help students be able to critically evaluate what they are reading to make sure it is worth using and credible, is important. I mentioned above, with so much information you need to be able to tell what is good and what isn't. I also liked how another skill that the students need is direction when searching on the internet, or they could keep searching forever. You need to know what you are looking for, and be able to evaluate the information so that you can know when you to stop looking.
As for the end of the article, where it talks about slogans that help students navigate through internet resources and build transliteracy skills there were a few that really hit me as important (or more so then the others). The first was not to just reiterate what you read but to really understand it. I think its important whenever researching that students know they are looking for understanding and not just for an answer they can write down or give to a teacher. The second one was that they should have a destination, they shouldn't just be looking aimlessly through internet resources, there's simply too much out there. It's easy to get "lost" or distracted so knowing exactly what you want to know or what question you are looking to answer helps keep you on task and heading in the right direction.
As the article moves forward to talk about how transliteracy needs to be our new focus, I can see how that would be important because of the use of technology in almost every job. But I feel that its valid to take a step back and focus keep in mind that there is still a large literacy problem in America and that our students aren't reading up to standards in many schools, so you can't always focus on transliteracy if the basic literacy skills aren't present. With that in mind the argument that we need to help students be able to critically evaluate what they are reading to make sure it is worth using and credible, is important. I mentioned above, with so much information you need to be able to tell what is good and what isn't. I also liked how another skill that the students need is direction when searching on the internet, or they could keep searching forever. You need to know what you are looking for, and be able to evaluate the information so that you can know when you to stop looking.
As for the end of the article, where it talks about slogans that help students navigate through internet resources and build transliteracy skills there were a few that really hit me as important (or more so then the others). The first was not to just reiterate what you read but to really understand it. I think its important whenever researching that students know they are looking for understanding and not just for an answer they can write down or give to a teacher. The second one was that they should have a destination, they shouldn't just be looking aimlessly through internet resources, there's simply too much out there. It's easy to get "lost" or distracted so knowing exactly what you want to know or what question you are looking to answer helps keep you on task and heading in the right direction.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Article Review #1: I Can't Think
Article Review #1
"I Can't Think" by Sharon Begley
I found this article very interesting and something that truly relevant in our lives. I've noticed in my life that sometimes when I have a lot of information its harder to make up my mind and make a decision, and sometimes I've just chose something to be done. In a world where we are always being told that the more information you have the better you'll be, I found it interesting that the studies from the article say the exact opposite. The study done by Angelika Dimoka was especially interesting That they have the data that the part of the brain that is responsible for making good decisions basically shuts down when there is too much information being taken in.
As the article continued and talked about the decision making problem patterns I found myself thinking that I've definitely had these problems before. The first one being a 'total failure decide' where when there's too many choices and information that many people tend to just stop participating or making any decisions (Begley, 2011). I find that this happens to me sometimes when I'm shopping online, and there are so many choices for each item that I'll end up buying just randomly or the first item I looked up just to be done, and many times this isn't the best option or best value. I also think that this comes into play with politics and voting. There's so much information and a lot of it contradicting that it seems easier to just not vote in the face of all information and choice. Then there was the pattern of 'many diminishing returns' where you feel like you've made the wrong choice the more information you gather. This is another pattern that I know that I've dealt with after making any big choices in my life. After that they talk about the pattern of 'regency trumps quality', where new information is more important then potentially more important or more interesting data. Finally the last pattern was the 'neglected unconscious' where people don't take time to just sit back and think about information and choices, or they don't let their minds have time to think about the information so they don't have the opportunity to make connections to other previous knowledge or find patterns.
Overall I thought this was a though provoking article. In a world where there is so much technology and so any different ways to gather information or opinions about really anything it is quite overwhelming. It sometimes doesn't even seem worth it to read or try to find more information on certain things because of the sheer volume of it available This makes me think of amazon product reviews, if you are considering a product you want to know how other people felt to see if it is worth purchasing But once you get to those reviews, they are so varied in responses, some people saying its amazing and other's saying its not worth your money. And you have no way of knowing which side of the group you'll be in, the side that loved it or the side that hated it, and there's no way to evaluate all that information. Though this is an example that isn't exactly high stakes like the article talks about, for me it helps connect the main ideas to my previous knowledge and experience. When thinking of the decisions that the article does talk about it makes me nervous, knowing that these problems arise most often when the decisions are important and the stakes are high. When you are in that situation and need to make decisions, its unfortunate that those are going to be the hardest decisions to make, or one's that you are likely to make poor decisions about. I've always known that making choices is difficult but now I have information on why that is and practical ways to help myself make better choices/decisions in the future.
"I Can't Think" by Sharon Begley
I found this article very interesting and something that truly relevant in our lives. I've noticed in my life that sometimes when I have a lot of information its harder to make up my mind and make a decision, and sometimes I've just chose something to be done. In a world where we are always being told that the more information you have the better you'll be, I found it interesting that the studies from the article say the exact opposite. The study done by Angelika Dimoka was especially interesting That they have the data that the part of the brain that is responsible for making good decisions basically shuts down when there is too much information being taken in.
As the article continued and talked about the decision making problem patterns I found myself thinking that I've definitely had these problems before. The first one being a 'total failure decide' where when there's too many choices and information that many people tend to just stop participating or making any decisions (Begley, 2011). I find that this happens to me sometimes when I'm shopping online, and there are so many choices for each item that I'll end up buying just randomly or the first item I looked up just to be done, and many times this isn't the best option or best value. I also think that this comes into play with politics and voting. There's so much information and a lot of it contradicting that it seems easier to just not vote in the face of all information and choice. Then there was the pattern of 'many diminishing returns' where you feel like you've made the wrong choice the more information you gather. This is another pattern that I know that I've dealt with after making any big choices in my life. After that they talk about the pattern of 'regency trumps quality', where new information is more important then potentially more important or more interesting data. Finally the last pattern was the 'neglected unconscious' where people don't take time to just sit back and think about information and choices, or they don't let their minds have time to think about the information so they don't have the opportunity to make connections to other previous knowledge or find patterns.
Overall I thought this was a though provoking article. In a world where there is so much technology and so any different ways to gather information or opinions about really anything it is quite overwhelming. It sometimes doesn't even seem worth it to read or try to find more information on certain things because of the sheer volume of it available This makes me think of amazon product reviews, if you are considering a product you want to know how other people felt to see if it is worth purchasing But once you get to those reviews, they are so varied in responses, some people saying its amazing and other's saying its not worth your money. And you have no way of knowing which side of the group you'll be in, the side that loved it or the side that hated it, and there's no way to evaluate all that information. Though this is an example that isn't exactly high stakes like the article talks about, for me it helps connect the main ideas to my previous knowledge and experience. When thinking of the decisions that the article does talk about it makes me nervous, knowing that these problems arise most often when the decisions are important and the stakes are high. When you are in that situation and need to make decisions, its unfortunate that those are going to be the hardest decisions to make, or one's that you are likely to make poor decisions about. I've always known that making choices is difficult but now I have information on why that is and practical ways to help myself make better choices/decisions in the future.
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