Another item of interest, not entirely related to rubrics, but linked to from the Kathy Schrock website, was discussing homework as a general challenge for teachers. On that site, there were two points that stood out to me:
1. At a Colorado teachers' workshop, participants discuss how to develop homework that helps children learn and competes with Nintendo.
I think that the fun thing about WebQuests is that they almost do stand up to Nintendo! They are (or should be) innovative, fun and engrossing. I think that an interesting approach to homework would be to look at what it is that distracts students from their homework, for many nowadays, it's video games, and compete with that. WebQuests allow students the visual appeal, the interactivity and perhaps even the sense of accomplishment that they can get from a video game. And by using the internet, it is actually possible to incorporate games into the lesson. Just as an example, for you non-believers, in my Anatomy & Physiology class, we had art-labeling activities, very much like a video game, where we had to click and drag the appropriate name to the corresponding organ/tissue/cell part on the diagram. So it's not exactly Burnout Paradise or Worms Armageddon (my two favorites!) but it was fun and addictive enough that I spent probably more time than I needed to on it. And, of course, it helped my grade!
2. At a Texas teachers' meeting, participants address concerns about a lack of parent support for homework.
I suffered this problem. My mother was very critical of the education system, and had me convinced of her views on education. At the time, of course, that was a bad idea. I figured as long as I passed my classes, it didn't matter. Six years out of high school, I am kicking myself because I'll have to work that much harder to get into whatever Grad program I decide to go for, considering my less than admirable grades in high school.
It is my opinion that, had I chosen not to go back to school, and to never pursue more than HS/GED level employment, it wouldn't have hurt me to have good grades in school. I really think that parents perpetuating the idea that education is unnecessary is a huge problem, and one that I have no idea how to correct. I mean, as teachers we can encourage the children all we like, but at the end of the day, it's their parents attitudes more than ours that have the lasting effect. So, what's a teacher to do? How can we change the attitudes of those parents?
Friday, October 23, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
Week 6, WebQuests continued.
This week we are critiquing our classmates WebQuests and, obviously in turn, having ours critiqued. I have the good fortune of working with some really intelligent and creative students in my class here. That always makes things easier.
However, I find that critiquing other students work, and especially in an online classroom, is always tricky business. One thing that is definitely missing in the online classroom is room for error in choice of words. When you are speaking face to face with someone, you have the opportunity to use your words, your tone, your body language, and your interpretation of the other persons read on what you just said to make sure that your message is clear and respectful, and most of all, understood in the context in which you intended.
To critique someone's work is, in and of itself, tricky business. For me, at least, I can find a hundred different ways that I might reword a sentence. So the first step is to ask myself if what I would change is actually wrong, or just different than my own style. Besides that, there is the fact that we all make silly mistakes. Grammatical and punctuational errors, oversights and the like... those are the most difficult to mention tactfully.
For me, I get frustrated when the feedback that I get on my work is unhelpful in improving my work. Criticism is so necessary to our education because the knowledge and opinions of other human beings are all that we have as a measure against which to gauge our own success.
There is no book that tells us definitively what is the best way to teach a class, what is the best way to raise your family... there are only collections of information based upon what we, humans, have been able to figure out so far; our theories and ideas, supported by experimental and observational data. And even the greatest minds in history have faced criticism, usually to the improvement of their ideas.
I'll wrap up by saying that in this particular class, in this particular week, I find myself quite fortunate to have classmates who are adept at both giving and receiving feedback. I found the suggestions made by my critic quite helpful, which makes sense considering he has practical teaching experience and I do not. He was able to point out the weaker areas in my WebQuest that would lead to just the kinds of things, slacking and scapegoating, that we need to be very careful to avoid in group projects. In turn, I felt that the direction that I attempted to provide my classmate was well received, and besides which, put to fantastic use!
I had a teacher once who loved to say that "The best way to learn something is to teach it!"
I have never been offered a truer sentiment. I have found that I gain so much more from a class in which students actively challenge one another, which is, in general, why I prefer online classes. When students exercise the online forum to its fullest potential, the rewards are exponential.
Thanks,
Katie May
However, I find that critiquing other students work, and especially in an online classroom, is always tricky business. One thing that is definitely missing in the online classroom is room for error in choice of words. When you are speaking face to face with someone, you have the opportunity to use your words, your tone, your body language, and your interpretation of the other persons read on what you just said to make sure that your message is clear and respectful, and most of all, understood in the context in which you intended.
To critique someone's work is, in and of itself, tricky business. For me, at least, I can find a hundred different ways that I might reword a sentence. So the first step is to ask myself if what I would change is actually wrong, or just different than my own style. Besides that, there is the fact that we all make silly mistakes. Grammatical and punctuational errors, oversights and the like... those are the most difficult to mention tactfully.
For me, I get frustrated when the feedback that I get on my work is unhelpful in improving my work. Criticism is so necessary to our education because the knowledge and opinions of other human beings are all that we have as a measure against which to gauge our own success.
There is no book that tells us definitively what is the best way to teach a class, what is the best way to raise your family... there are only collections of information based upon what we, humans, have been able to figure out so far; our theories and ideas, supported by experimental and observational data. And even the greatest minds in history have faced criticism, usually to the improvement of their ideas.
I'll wrap up by saying that in this particular class, in this particular week, I find myself quite fortunate to have classmates who are adept at both giving and receiving feedback. I found the suggestions made by my critic quite helpful, which makes sense considering he has practical teaching experience and I do not. He was able to point out the weaker areas in my WebQuest that would lead to just the kinds of things, slacking and scapegoating, that we need to be very careful to avoid in group projects. In turn, I felt that the direction that I attempted to provide my classmate was well received, and besides which, put to fantastic use!
I had a teacher once who loved to say that "The best way to learn something is to teach it!"
I have never been offered a truer sentiment. I have found that I gain so much more from a class in which students actively challenge one another, which is, in general, why I prefer online classes. When students exercise the online forum to its fullest potential, the rewards are exponential.
Thanks,
Katie May
Friday, October 16, 2009
Blogging it up- Avoiding WebQuest Mistakes
In case you aren't one of my classmates, and just happened upon this blog, this entry is a response to the following:
Clearly there are some common errors to be avoided in WebQuest design!
The first thing that had me concerned watching this video is the "Choosing a Topic" forum. I was immediately worried that my topic wouldn't hold up against the criteria. Fortunately, after listening for a little while, I decided that the WebQuest format is right for the topic of recycling. It is not so well covered in the textbooks (at least not back in my day). It leads to a very open ended project that will yield very different results from the student groups who work on this project.
Bernie also talks about real world application, which is, I think, a big important part of making learning something that engages students. He mentions that age-old question "When am I ever going to use this stuff?"
Well, by demonstrating lessons in ways that have real world applications, you are showing students skills that they will use. Really. That was the whole idea for me in this WebQuest culminating in a PSA. You see them all the time on television, hear them on the radio and (outside of Vermont) you see them on billboards. Students can have fun with the assignment and feel proud of what they have created. My goal is that it will be so much fun, they'll forget that they are actually learning!
He also mentioned that the best topics for WebQuests are those that are current type issues, about which the information is evolving all the time. Well, I certainly think that my topic fits the bill on that point. Environmental issues are a hot topic right now, what with global warming and all. Any student who has heard one way or another in that debate ought to be interested in finding more information on the subject!
Well, overall, I was relieved to mentally check off things in my WebQuest as Bernie brought them up. Of course, I would never claim that it was a perfect job, but I am comfortable saying that I think, at least according to this video, that I am off to a good start.
Thanks,
Katie May
http://recyclingwebquest.weebly.com/
Clearly there are some common errors to be avoided in WebQuest design!
The first thing that had me concerned watching this video is the "Choosing a Topic" forum. I was immediately worried that my topic wouldn't hold up against the criteria. Fortunately, after listening for a little while, I decided that the WebQuest format is right for the topic of recycling. It is not so well covered in the textbooks (at least not back in my day). It leads to a very open ended project that will yield very different results from the student groups who work on this project.
Bernie also talks about real world application, which is, I think, a big important part of making learning something that engages students. He mentions that age-old question "When am I ever going to use this stuff?"
Well, by demonstrating lessons in ways that have real world applications, you are showing students skills that they will use. Really. That was the whole idea for me in this WebQuest culminating in a PSA. You see them all the time on television, hear them on the radio and (outside of Vermont) you see them on billboards. Students can have fun with the assignment and feel proud of what they have created. My goal is that it will be so much fun, they'll forget that they are actually learning!
He also mentioned that the best topics for WebQuests are those that are current type issues, about which the information is evolving all the time. Well, I certainly think that my topic fits the bill on that point. Environmental issues are a hot topic right now, what with global warming and all. Any student who has heard one way or another in that debate ought to be interested in finding more information on the subject!
Well, overall, I was relieved to mentally check off things in my WebQuest as Bernie brought them up. Of course, I would never claim that it was a perfect job, but I am comfortable saying that I think, at least according to this video, that I am off to a good start.
Thanks,
Katie May
http://recyclingwebquest.weebly.com/
Friday, October 9, 2009
WebQuest Ahoy!!
First and foremost, I am so jealous that we didn't have WebQuests when I was in school. While I can't hope to create one at this point that would ever be considered for an award or anything, some of the examples out there that I have seen are simply amazing.
I chose to do mine on Recycling this week. Well, Reducing, Reusing and Recycling, to be more precise. I am reminded when I think of recycling, of a character named Ray Cycle. You've probably never heard of Ray Cycle unless you grew up in Connecticut, an were in elementary school there some time between 1988 and 2003. Ray Cycle was a superhero who used to come to CT elementary schools and give an hour long presentation chock full of skits and songs, to get kids pumped about recycling. (Obviously he had an impact on me!)
I think that when lessons like that are fun, they are more effective. Not all kids can enjoy every lesson. Each student and each subject has its own challenges. In creating my webquest this week, my goal is to keep it as fun as possible. The students will eventually be charged with creating their own PSAs about managing solid waste in our school through reducing, reusing and recycling.
Creating this lesson plan has certainly presented me with many challenges so far. There is so much information out there on recycling, but the target audience is stretched so thin. What I mean is that there are a ton of informational sites out there directed toward adults and teenagers, and there are a lot of interactive and fun sites out there directed toward very much younger children. So for me, the biggest challenge so far has been to find substantial material covering all the interests I am trying to present (fun, information and creative ideas) that all line up with the age range to which I am trying to present this project.
The other issue that has me concerned is focus and creativity. While Recycling is quite a broad topic, there really is only so much to be said about it. I want to give my students enough information about recycling that they feel really comfortable knowing what it is and why it's important, while at the same time leaving room for them to explore creative possibilities for improving our school's current system.
I hope that I manage to create something that would at least be a fun and productive lesson plan, if not a ridiculously talented, award-winning type webquest. But whatever the final product, I'm having fun.
Thanks,
Katie May
I chose to do mine on Recycling this week. Well, Reducing, Reusing and Recycling, to be more precise. I am reminded when I think of recycling, of a character named Ray Cycle. You've probably never heard of Ray Cycle unless you grew up in Connecticut, an were in elementary school there some time between 1988 and 2003. Ray Cycle was a superhero who used to come to CT elementary schools and give an hour long presentation chock full of skits and songs, to get kids pumped about recycling. (Obviously he had an impact on me!)
I think that when lessons like that are fun, they are more effective. Not all kids can enjoy every lesson. Each student and each subject has its own challenges. In creating my webquest this week, my goal is to keep it as fun as possible. The students will eventually be charged with creating their own PSAs about managing solid waste in our school through reducing, reusing and recycling.
Creating this lesson plan has certainly presented me with many challenges so far. There is so much information out there on recycling, but the target audience is stretched so thin. What I mean is that there are a ton of informational sites out there directed toward adults and teenagers, and there are a lot of interactive and fun sites out there directed toward very much younger children. So for me, the biggest challenge so far has been to find substantial material covering all the interests I am trying to present (fun, information and creative ideas) that all line up with the age range to which I am trying to present this project.
The other issue that has me concerned is focus and creativity. While Recycling is quite a broad topic, there really is only so much to be said about it. I want to give my students enough information about recycling that they feel really comfortable knowing what it is and why it's important, while at the same time leaving room for them to explore creative possibilities for improving our school's current system.
I hope that I manage to create something that would at least be a fun and productive lesson plan, if not a ridiculously talented, award-winning type webquest. But whatever the final product, I'm having fun.
Thanks,
Katie May
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Creative Commons
Maybe I have been living under a rock... I had never heard of Magnatune. I have to say, I'm impressed. It's one of those things that I feel was bound to happen. I have had a lot of great ideas in my day. And, seriously, who doesn't want to get paid for their ideas? If I could make a living just inventing things, or writing, or in any way just putting my creative juices to work, well, that would be great.
Pre-internet, though, it was pretty much inevitable that you would have to get someone to invest in whatever it was you were trying to produce in order to have it made, whether it was an album, a book, a magazine or some great new product, someone with money had to decide that they thought it was good enough to be made.
Nowadays, I'm finding my writing all over the internet. I found a paper the other day on a website called Scribd. It was probably me who put it there, but I don't remember putting it up and the site didn't recognize any of my e-mail addresses. A bit of a cause for concern maybe, though I was credited as the author... But that paper had had over 70 reads! I mean, even though I am concerned about who it was that published it (still it may have been me and I just forgot, or someone found a collection of my work at one of my ePortfolios and just decided to post it there) I can hardly be mad to know that so many people are reading my work.
That, I think, is what is great about creative commons. I never expected to make any money off of that paper. In fact, the only thing I ever expected to come of it was a good grade, maybe it would catch the attention of a prospective employer. But it is being read, and who knows, maybe even used as a source for ideas for similar papers by other college students. And that, as far as I can tell, is exactly what CC is all about. It's about sharing your work, for the sheer joy of sharing your work.
As far as the music industry is concerned, it was only a matter of time. The concept of "you decide if an how much to pay me for my music" is as old as bards and troubadours. So, really, the business model was already there. The internet allowed street and would-be musicians to actually share their music, their music, without sycophantically abasing themselves to the big label executives. One has only to look at the stories of American Idol contestants to see how a very handsome opportunity can be the devil in disguise.
Pre-internet, though, it was pretty much inevitable that you would have to get someone to invest in whatever it was you were trying to produce in order to have it made, whether it was an album, a book, a magazine or some great new product, someone with money had to decide that they thought it was good enough to be made.
Nowadays, I'm finding my writing all over the internet. I found a paper the other day on a website called Scribd. It was probably me who put it there, but I don't remember putting it up and the site didn't recognize any of my e-mail addresses. A bit of a cause for concern maybe, though I was credited as the author... But that paper had had over 70 reads! I mean, even though I am concerned about who it was that published it (still it may have been me and I just forgot, or someone found a collection of my work at one of my ePortfolios and just decided to post it there) I can hardly be mad to know that so many people are reading my work.
That, I think, is what is great about creative commons. I never expected to make any money off of that paper. In fact, the only thing I ever expected to come of it was a good grade, maybe it would catch the attention of a prospective employer. But it is being read, and who knows, maybe even used as a source for ideas for similar papers by other college students. And that, as far as I can tell, is exactly what CC is all about. It's about sharing your work, for the sheer joy of sharing your work.
As far as the music industry is concerned, it was only a matter of time. The concept of "you decide if an how much to pay me for my music" is as old as bards and troubadours. So, really, the business model was already there. The internet allowed street and would-be musicians to actually share their music, their music, without sycophantically abasing themselves to the big label executives. One has only to look at the stories of American Idol contestants to see how a very handsome opportunity can be the devil in disguise.
" Archuleta... was forced to cancel a 'Thank You' concert [in Salt Lake City]. It was to be this Friday night and the proceeds were to go to charity. But American Idol nixed the whole thing because of Archuleta's "contractual obligations" to the show."-Johns, 2008
"Mario Vazquez... quit the show reportedly because of the contract that, among other things, wouldn't let him sign any deals until at least three months after the winner was crowned."-Johns, 2008
"Mario Vazquez... quit the show reportedly because of the contract that, among other things, wouldn't let him sign any deals until at least three months after the winner was crowned."-Johns, 2008
The music industry is, of course, not the only culprit of such ridiculous rules and obligations. They are only perhaps the most notorious, due to law suits with those who would try to bypass their rules, from big time companies like Napster to 12-year-old girls.
Perhaps I've run on a bit, maybe even gotten a bit off topic... But when it comes down to it, artists, writers and creative persons of any medium need to be able to have control of their own ideas. I think, in my limited knowledge of the subject, that Creative Commons is a fantastic idea. It allows people to share the things they create, and, if you ask me, it signifies a new age when money is not the ultimate goal anymore. It tells artists that it is ok to create and share their work. Furthermore, instead of being shut down by a handful of people at a label or a publishing house, it is a way for people to see, and feel good about the fact, that 70+ people have read/downloaded/been inspired by their creation.
Now that's what I call freedom.
Thanks,
Katie May
Perhaps I've run on a bit, maybe even gotten a bit off topic... But when it comes down to it, artists, writers and creative persons of any medium need to be able to have control of their own ideas. I think, in my limited knowledge of the subject, that Creative Commons is a fantastic idea. It allows people to share the things they create, and, if you ask me, it signifies a new age when money is not the ultimate goal anymore. It tells artists that it is ok to create and share their work. Furthermore, instead of being shut down by a handful of people at a label or a publishing house, it is a way for people to see, and feel good about the fact, that 70+ people have read/downloaded/been inspired by their creation.
Now that's what I call freedom.
Thanks,
Katie May
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