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Jessica Burnias

BYOD - 5 views

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    What do you think is BYOD good or bad for the classroom?
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    Due to our lack of funds or low funds; it seems like a good concept. However, many things would have to be worked out before something like this could be implemented. Like taking into consideration that working with different devices will be a challenge because some may not be compatible with certain software. If implemented appropriately BYOD could work.
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    With the appropriate Internet bandwidth, policies, web 2.0 tools and software, it can be done. But like Cora mentioned it is going to be a challenge to address all of the issues associated with so many plataforms being available to students. To get started, a definite must is bandwidth. Then moving forward in setting up a wireless access point that is locked.
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    My school has had a BYOD policy for the last year and a half. Well, actually they have had the students bring their own device but we really do not have a policy to go with it...yet. Many of our students bring their laptops and tablets to school but our network is HORRIBLE. The teachers can barely access the internet let alone the students. Our district says we will be getting a new network this summer (we will see), and then hopefully we can use more content on the internet. I love using what others have come up with and posted on the internet I just want to be able to get to it easily.
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    I agree with what you all are saying. In my school district they implemented the BYOD for our high school and 9th grade campus. The teachers received no type of training and were basically told when school started that we would be implementing it. We are having issues with internet access and supposedly our network is up to par. The teachers on our campus have mixed feelings because they feel alot of the students are just using their phone for texting or to get on social websites. Since students with phones can get on the internet without accessing the school's internet. The most importantly alot of teachers are having issues on how to use all these different devices. Since there are so many devices it is almost impossible to know how to use them all.
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    I think BOYD can be a good thing. It's not quite a good thing just yet. The district I am in created new guidelines for BYOD policies mid year last year. The reason I say it can be good thing is it's not really being implemented like I think the district thought it would. Even though we are well into the first year of the policy, students don't take advantage of it like they could. I do have a few students who bring a device almost daily to read from, but my own daughter, for instance, doesn't want to take hers out of fear of losing it. I think other share her fear; however, the fear the district had of students abusing the new BYOD policy never matierialized. In fact, it's as if less students bring devices now that they are allowed to than when it was against the rules. Figures. :)
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    I can definitely see BYOD as a possibility in the middle and high school setting, but as an elementary teacher, there would be more barriers than just network speeds and compatibility issues. Most elementary students wouldn't really have access to laptops, smartphones, or tablet computers. While they might be able to use these things at home, I doubt most parents would let their 9 year old bring the family $500 iPad to class everyday. Additionally, as others have said before, there would have to be a really solid policy put in place for the use of these devices to avoid the whole plan backfiring on educators. The internet can be a dangerous and scary place for those who don't know what they're doing as well as the obvious scenario of students just browsing facebook or something similar instead of completing an assignment.
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    Like many of you have pointed out, I too believe that there are lots of kinks that must be worked off before BYOD can be truly successful, but I also believe that the open-minded, willingness of the districts to integrate technology is a step in the right direction. Our district will be implementing BYOD and I am excited to see how it unfolds. I realize that teacher monitoring is crucial and planning will be key, but I think it will benefits the children in the long run,
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    I did not even know what BOYD was till I saw this video. It sounds pretty interesting. I believe that any teacher who is interested in technology will "buy" in to it. My only concern is what happens to those students who don't own any tech devices they can bring to school. At the school where I am at the students are from very low income families but then again somehow, someway they find money to own these things. Yet, there are parents who refuse to buy the expensive devises. What happens to those students?
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    I think that BYOD is a good thing, because the student is familiar with his/her technology device. Sometimes when I have to use the school laptops, they have different features that I need to ask questions. If I had brought my own laptop, I would have completed more work and been more comfortable using my own technology. I do agree with Juan, we do need appropriate Internet bandwidth, policies, web 2.0 tools, hardware/software in order to incorporate BYOD in your school.
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    I think BYOD is a great thing, however, it's not that easy to get all parents on board, and I think it's even more difficult to get other teachers on board. Even one technology device is difficult for teachers who are not technologically inclined to prodide assistance in, and having many different devices can be overwhelming for those teachers. The concept is right on, however, there are some issues that need to be addressed first like teacher training and getting parent "buy in."
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    BYOD has been implemented at our campus with the upper grades. The students enjoyed bringing their own device and were eager to share their favorite applications. The teachers were surprised to see how many students owned their own devices.
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    BYOD is great idea in implementing technology in the curriculum..I think that will motivate students to learn more..at my district they'll be implementing BYOD this coming year and I'm very excited about it. I know the students will be taught to use their own device but the right way. They will be more involved with classroom discussions and participate more, since it'll be done with their own device.
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    Bring Your Own Data! Excellent, we all know that students from nowadays are in touch with all kinds of electronic devices, and why not taking advantage of it. The good think about technology is that there are lots of applications or ways to incorporate such electronic devices in the classroom. I have used a couple of times cellphones to use them as clickers, and students are amazed they can do that, if we introduced students to such things they will naturally seek for more ways to incorporate learning with their own cellphones, ipods, ipads etc.
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    I would certainly do the BYOD if i did not have enough technology in my classroom. Students are really proud when they contribute and share their "toys" or devices. The pros are that they know the devices well,and will be able to download the apps needed, and navigate. Devices are usually the latest model, so we would have compatible devices, and we can learn a thing or two from them and have the troubleshooting down as well. The cons might be that we need to make sure we have permission slips with waivers for lost items, but at the same time, be sure we have a place to lock them up and keep them safe. HCISD has form that needs to be signed by parents. I know a fifth grade teacher who has implemented BYOD, and technology has become an interwoven tool that is used seamlessly. Students are not at the novelty stage clamoring to get to the tools, but deciding for themselves when they need to use to to research, or for reviewing objectives taught in class. It was a successful implementation.
Heather Luna

From Distraction to Engagement: Wireless Devices in the Classroom (EDUCAUSE Quarterly) ... - 6 views

    • Heather Luna
       
      As a teacher, I see first hand how technology has offered endless opportunities for engagement. I think the issue may stem from the actual method of integration as opposed to the use of technology itself. 
    • Isabel Cabrera
       
      I see technology as an engagement when it is used properly and the students have a task at hand. It becomes a distraction when the student is not engaged or just trying to test you. As a teacher, you must have frequent monitoring and walking around the room. I've seen it at the high school level, you must first lay down the rules and consequences to the proper use of technology. The students need to understand that it is a privilege to use this technology to enhance their learning and if they choose to abuse it, then there will be consequences to their actions. I believe there is a time and place to incorporate technology into your lessons.
    • Edna Orozco
       
      It is true that having electronic devices can tend to distract students, but we as educators need to be responsible and take over our class, It will take more energy and effort but the outcome can be positive. It is the same with the PBL, it takes more planning and time to prepare for such lesson, but research has proven that it works, therefore we need to put more effort in using such electronic devices, but keeping in mind that we will have to be in control of our students and class.
    • Heather Luna
       
      I think Mazur said it best, technology doesn't provide any more distractions than a classroom window! 
    • April Canales-Perez
       
      This is so true. Technology will become a distraction if a teacher allows it to become one. Meaning using technology comes with a lot of planning. If you decide to use technology from one day to the next without really thinking or brainstorming about it then the lesson and the integration of technology will not go well. This will lead to technology becoming a distraction. You must have a very detailed plan of how you will integrate technology into the lesson and what expectations you will have for your students. With expectations students will know exactly what is being asked from them in order to get the assignment done.
    • Heather Luna
       
      As educators, we are responsible for taking advantage of every opportunity present, including those we may not necessarily be comfortable with.
    • Edna Orozco
       
      I agree with you, and I belive that the first step we need to take is to change our attitude towards technology. We need to understand that new generations are evolving towards the use of electronic devices such as tablets, touch phones, computers, ipads, etc etc. we need to evolve with them. The second step we need to do is to educate ourselves in effective applications towards technology
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    The technology "buy-in" has been difficult, because not everyone can see the long-term benefits, some educators view technology as engagement, while others view it as a distraction.
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    Distraction? I hope that by that they don't mean that technology is taking away the attention from the teacher-centered-classroom teacher while focusing on student interaction, and there being confusion about that. I think boring teachers are a distraction -- to education.
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    I think alot of the "distraction" mentality comes from the traditional teaching where the teacher was the guru and taught direct instruction. The 21st century learner and the innovative tools that they have at their disposal has changed our world, and consequently how we all learn and teach. It is definitely a tool which places a massive amount of information at our student's fingertips. We just need to remember that they still need the foundation of how and what to select as appropriate information. I am so "for" technology devices, but am concerned with the responsiblity that has been dropped on our laps, that of teaching digital etiquette, safety on the internet, etc.
Christine Claudio

Why Teach with Project-Based Learning?: Providing Students With a Well-Rounded Classroo... - 7 views

  • Project learning is also an effective way to integrate technology into the curriculum. A typical project can easily accommodate computers and the Internet, as well as interactive whiteboards, global-positioning-system (GPS) devices, digital still cameras, video cameras, and associated editing equipment
    • Christine Claudio
       
      This is Gayle using Christine's account... Considering the above highlight from the article, have you successfully integrated PBLs into your classroom? If so, what technologies were used? What challenges, if any, did you or your students face?
    • Juan Betancourt
       
      Pbl can be incorporated at the end of the year to reinforce the items or lessons covered in the year, or short ones distributed on the year. The coverage of test teks take precedence during the year. This specially true in the core classes.
    • Edna Orozco
       
      I definitely agree that technology can be incorporated to the PBL, but not necessarily needed. Technology and PBL can be two independent things used to improve learning. I believe that using PBL at the beginning of the year would be more effective than at the end of the year because if you prepare your students throw out the whole year, they will get used to this technique, and why wouldn't you take advantage from the beginning instead of the end of the year.
    • Adam Hovde
       
      I really enjoy doing the few PBL units that I get to do. I find myself correcting misconceptions more often in PBL units. I like that the students get to come up with their own way of learning at times but it can frustrating at times correcting misconceptions. We have a school in the area that teaches solely with PBL. It is considered a magnet school and kids fight to get into the program. From the teachers I have talked to that have taught there they say the kids really enjoy PBL. They want a differnt kind of learning experience and PBL gives them what they are looking for.
    • April Canales-Perez
       
      Unfortunately I have yet to incorporate PBL lessons in my classroom. My campus uses C-scope as our curriculum. Some of the lessons do have students relating mathematical concepts in real world situations but I wouldn't necessarily call it PBL. Cscope has incorporated the use of laptops in a few lessons. Overall the experience was good except of course when the gremlins come out to play. The biggest problem my students ran into was repeatedly getting disconnected from the Internet. I don't think this problem will be solved until our district invests in better Internet connections. I can't show students videos in the classroom unless I look it up at home, let the whole video download, then I can play it at school. Just to give you an idea of how bad the Internet connection is, but we make the best of it :)
    • Lupita Sanchez
       
      Like April I too, have been unfortunately not able to incorporate PBL into my classroom. However, our campus network does not allow for all my 32 students to be online at the same time. I understand April's frustration. Yet, I would like to plan out how to implement PBL to my 7th graders; which will prepare them for 8th and high school
    • Dara Cepeda
       
      Yes I have incorporated 2 short PBL lessons. Students have used laptops to do their research and create a presentation, digital still cameras to record and document their findings and web 2.0 tool Glogster to present their project findings and possible solutions. I could see students were engaged collaborating by experimenting and creating new things. For example, one of the PBL was to find the formulas to create 9 colors out of three. They were eager surfing the internet, mixing paint, taking pictures of it and creating a Glogsters. That PBL took us about 2 weeks long (a bit longer than I expected) maybe because students had the opportunity to present their findings in front of the class by using Glogster. It was a fun experience, for the students and for me ofcourse. I can say they really enjoyed it and learned the formulas on their own.
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    Christine, I read the article I do believe that PBL engage learners and allow for students to be able to relate lessons to the real world. The other interesting point is that students will present their findings in different formats, which allows for more creativity. Unlike stating that everyone has to create a PowerPoint the students will find what suits their type of learning style. This is a very important fact that all students learn differently and this allows all types of learners to be engaged.
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    Hi Gayle, I am glad you where able to post. I know you have been having trouble. In regards to your response, I agree that PBL are an excellent way to build depth-of-knowledge. Thinking is a skill that I believe needs to be modeled and taught. Students do not come into my classroom knowing how to think. Often times, they want me to think for them. If I continue to do this, I am doing a disservice to my students. I have to step back, release control, and allow them to take charge of their learning and PBLs are a great way to do this!
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    I was fortunate to be able to visit the Metro School of Design, where they teach 100% PBL, and it was very impressive to walk into the classrooms to be met with an child "ambassador" who welcomed us, and asked us what we would like to know about PBL, and then took us to each group where the "project manager" explained all the protocols and what stage they were in, etc. What is impressive is that these children were so confident, and knew the process as well as the content of what they were working on. I have worked with PBL with my students, and it is frustrating when they stumble, or make mistakes as they are going through the research and establishing their "need to knows" and "workshops". Lots of progress monitoring comes into play, and although the misconception is that the teacher does nothing, the teacher has to have a solid plan to be able to have a successful PBL. We interviewed a panel of students, and one mentioned that they "once had a PBL that was not fun because we did not get to present to anyone, just us" so having them solve a real problem or present to a live audience is very important to them. I do believe PBLs are effective, but will take time to implement successfully. We should start with mini PBLs and work our way up.
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    In response to Gayle: I too, have stumbled when implementing PBLs. I gave students the option of using technology, and at least two groups in each class chose a video. Because our children do not have any foundation in technology, they had many "need to knows" which in turn called for "workshops". It is difficult to teach everything at once in a 45 minute session once a week. I know that in the classroom, it would be different. I suggest we limit the options to two manageable products, and if technology is involved, get another adult to help with "workshops", such as a technology teacher or the librarian. We used iPads, and created a simple video which we are going to share with Apple TV. I will bring this back and create the videos after the STAAR testing, and use them to present to students next year. Subject was "Bullying and Cyberbullying"
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    I agree with Juan on this one. It would be hard to try PBL during the school year with STAAR looming over our heads. As much fun as it could be, it would be hard to convince administrators that PBL can solve our problems. With that being said, I would like to try PBL once we get through with STAAR.
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    I believe in PBL, but I also strongly believe in buy in. It's hard to have students follow this model in a non-self contained classroom, because PBL requires giving students more independence and ownership of their learning. In most classrooms students have learned to be spoon fed, because we think it's more effective and PBL feels almost unorthodox to many teachers including the students.
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    PBL's is a good experience for kids to go through. At first when we started doing PBL's for our MTT classes I hated them and didn't understand them. Luckily I had a great partner,Heather Luna, to guide me through them and see how they would benifit the students in our classroom. PBL's help the students see what is really happening in the real world and that there is more to life than video games.
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    Problem-based learning takes a lot of teacher planning. I really enjoyed the PBL lessons we created in Dr. Butler's database. We were able to see other PBLs created by other students and take some ideas from there into the classroom. PBL is becoming more popular and more school districts are buying into it. Students can collaborate and learn from each other. Students can take responsibility for their own learning while researching and coming up with a final product/project.
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    Project based learning plays such a pivotal role in helping the students truly understand new concepts. When technology becomes integrated as well, even more becomes possible. I recently came across the Museum of Math in NYC and am hoping to visit it this summer. There they have all kinds of projects integrating technology to teach Mathematics in a concrete instead of just abstract manner.
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    Juan, unfortunately, the end of the year after testing seems like the more realistic place for PBLs. In Port Isabel we are required to use CScope and it leaves very, very little time for anything else. I do have students browse through the PBLs I created for another class even though they aren't actually doing the projects. I am looking forward to being able to actualy implement them. Edna, I think PBLs would be more effective at the beginning of the year. As you said, Students would become used to the technique; however, the problem I have is a curriculum that doesn't allow time for PBLs. Adam, I have had the same issues with misconceptions. It's a quite unnerving to let them lose, so to speak, and be in charge of their own learning when I know what I am responsible for them to know and have seen the misconceptions. I think PBLs are wonderful, but not when time is so limited and I must see to it that they learn a particular concept in a given amount of time. April, My PIISD uses CScope too and I completey understand the time constraints and limitations. I do like SCope, but it leaves NO extra time. Lupita, You're not alone. I sounds like most of us have had a hard time fitting PBLs in for one reason or another. Jessica, Presenting in different formats is one of the many positives of PBLs. I agree with you that this is an important point when considering learning styles. Isabel, I've not been able to implement the PBLs we created, but I've been able to share the content of them with my students. You're right in that they do take planning - as well as the ability to let go which I have not mastered yet! :) Brian, The Museum of Math sounds amazing. What a great opportunity. The ability to teach math concepts in a more concrete way instead of such an abstract manner is key.
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    Dara, That sounds awesome! You're one of the few who have been able to use PBLs. What a great use of technololgy. I am sure the students really learned from the experience and had fun in the process. What do you teach?
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    I have not had a chance to implement PBL lesson in my classroom. We are using the CSCOPE curriculum and we are asked to follow that sequence no matter what. I am waiting for after the end of course exams to have an opportunity to use a PBL lesson, although I personally think that PBL lesson will be more effective at the beginning of the year.
Marivel Garcia

Internet4Classrooms - Helping Students, Teachers and Parents Use the Internet Effectively - 4 views

    • Marivel Garcia
       
      Hello Guys I am hosting Week 10, Oct. 29th - Nov. 4th, Please explore the links and discuss one way you can use this in your classroom and how. All of you are excellent educators so please be specific on the "how" to help share your great ideas.
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    great website. I will use it to train teachers and parents. Some teacher know the very basic skills of computers but sometimes have problems looking for effective lesson for students. This is a great website for them to be familiarized with. On the other hand, parents can benefit to get train in this website also. Sometimes parents need to look for additional resources but don't know what resources or lessons to use for their children. Thanks for sharing.....
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    Hi Marivel: I really like the website, I especially like the "Daily Dose of the Web" link that offers many learning sites to help engage the student in learning while playing games, working puzzles that help exercise the brain which we all know is a very important muscle to workout!.... I will for sure place this link in our campus website for our students to use. Thank you so much....Blanca
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    I went ahead and explored the question of the day under "Daily Dose of the Web" link. And I like what they did with the problem. They explained, step-by-step, the solution to the problem. This is an excellent tool for those who need help, want to review or simply want to practice.
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    Great website! I especially like the question of the day. I have used it several times in my classroom and it keeps my students thinking for a bit. Critical thinking is the key to great minds!
Elva Mendoza

21st-Century Skills Are Not a New Education Trend but Could Be a Fad - US News and Worl... - 2 views

    • Elva Mendoza
       
      http://diigo.com/0q35s I came upon this great article about teaching 21st century skills in our schools. I highlighted some interesting points about the implementation of 21st century schools and I added several sticky notes that you can comment on. How do you incorporate 21st century skills in your classroom?
  • giving all students a common framework of knowledge is a key strategy for increasing civic equality.
  • Unfortunately some 21st-century skills proponents believe these skills should replace the teaching of content. They believe that because so much new knowledge is being created, students should focus on how to know instead of knowing.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • most states are ill-equipped to implement such assessments today and too many teachers are not prepared to use them or teach this way today.
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    Very interesting! I agree with the writer of the article. There needs to be a balance between teaching the 21st century skills and the content. There also needs to be a balance with how much time is spent on learning content and how much time should be spent on learning how to find the information. Back in the day, there was less history to learn, less scientific facts, etc. Since the Internet era began, we have way more facts than we can possibly remember. I think that teachers can do this, so that it's not a fad. As a librarian, I'm trying to focus on communication. I have a wiki and a library web page that helps me communicate with students the different resources that are available to them. I am always sharing with them what is available so that they can use their creativity.
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    Thank you for sharing this article Elva. It really resonated for me. The author's final statement , "If they want to genuinely transform teaching and learning, proponents of 21st-century skills must be as deliberate about how their idea is approached and implemented as they want schools to be about teaching these skills", especially resonated with my feelings regarding our rush to implement 21st Century skills. I firmly believe in backwards planning, but often what I observe is a rush to buy new "toys" and then there's no plan for their use. School districts must take the time to make the end goal and then create the steps needed to arrive at that goal. This will require time, effort, and yes some money. However, if you take the time to plan ahead for implementation you will save money in the long run by avoiding costly missteps. Additionally, these 21st Century Skills are simply skills to apply to knowledge. We must take the time to teach them but it cannot be in determent to the content areas. If students learn a concept better using scissors and paper over a Prezi, then it should be the method of instruction in my opinion. Ultimately, teachers and school districts need to embrace the new technology but view it as a tool for instruction and not the solution to all of our educational struggles.
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    I try to incorporate 21st century skills by having my kids use more technology with their projects. many of them are so use to having the pen and paper assignment that they are surprised when they get to use technology to create a project. While there may be some issues that make it hard to use technology most of the time because of lack of computers of items, having some group work for using these technology can help. I know I can be doing more so when I plan I need to make sure to keep in mind that it is our jobs as teachers to teach these students into becoming 21st century learners.
Salina V

The Near Future - 27 views

This is the coolest thing I have ever seen. Books, movies and video games set in the distant future have always displayed technology like this and I was always fascinated by it. I have always wan...

Salina V

School Library Online Resources - 20 views

What is good about our library is that they have all the passwords and links for these resources on bookmakers at the circulation desk. Even with this though, I do agree that students do not use a...

technology resources library butler allsemesters

Janice Wilson Butler

- Don't judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree - The problem with assessment - 10 views

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    I really enjoyed the article and I will say that I agree that testing is not making our students smarter. I have been in the teaching field for 22 years and year after year I see the students so disconnected with learning. Students have been taught how to pass a test, rather than how to think creatively. I have students that can't answer an open ended question in a complete thought, but can pass a state exam. I have always refused to teach to a test, and have gotten very good results at the end. Since I teach Science my class is very hands-on, so the students love the class, but they don't have the background ability to apply it on a test. These students have been trained not to think only to answer multiple choice questions. It takes me a whole semester to get them to make the connection from the experiment and how to apply it to the test. My first year at my school the teacher who was teaching Science before me gave me boxes full of TAKS materials that she used in her class and she told me that I wouldn't have time for hands-on activities. As soon as she left my room I threw everything in the trash and my principal was surprised that I didn't want her materials. Needless to say my students became thinkers by the end of the year and grew a new appreciation for Science. Being in the MTT program I have begun integrating technology in my Social Studies class and I have never seen students so interested in learning about the American Revolution. We are getting ready to create newsletters about different topics they learned about the American Revolution. They are even getting ready to create a voki to present a part of their newsletter. I have seen technology even motivate the most reluctant learner in my class. I have students that will come in the morning and begin working on their project that they need to complete. I even have students going to the public library to use the computers. I am a true believer in integrating technology. I
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    Loved this fable!! It reminded me about a book I read a few years ago titled Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell . It was a whole bunch of stories about real-life success stories such as The Beatles and Bill Gates. The one thing that all of these people had in common was that they all spent tens of thousands of hours honing in on their craft. Some of them just got lucky and had the opportunity to practice. Others had parents that knew that they had cultivate their child's passion and not force them to do things that they were just not capable of doing or that they were not interested in. This fable reminds me of what we are doing in education today. We want all of the students to be "good" at everything and never give them enough time to become great at something. If students were allowed to follow their passion, the benefits would overflow into other subjects.
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    I often use this analogy to encourage my students who feel that they are unintelligent because of their struggles to pass tests. Our school system tries to make all of our students fit a specific mold-- some fit, some adapt, and some give up. We've give up the ability to provide our students with the freedom to explore and be creative for a sense of security in "accountability." Sure, we need to hold schools and educators accountable for providing a quality education and yes, there have been schools in the past who have misused the freedoms allowed to them. However, I cannot and will not believe that an annual multiple choice test will sum up all of the knowledge that my students have gained. I strive to teach my students to think critically and be a part of the world around them. In my opinion, being able to think your way through a problem is going to be much more valuable to my students in the future than knowing the difference between rotation and revolution. (Unless they plan on being aerospace engineers that is). We need to focus on inspiring students to learn through their own drive and interest. Let's not kill their natural curiosity with our adult need for accountability.
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