Renee Marquis EDSS 530 A New Culture of Learning Ch. 7-9
Chapter 7 Quote: Pg. 90 – “you live, you learn,” –“lifelong ability to learn” – “homo sapiens, homo faber, and homo ludens – or humans who know, humans who make (things), and humans who play.” Question: What are pros and cons of learning, making, and playing in a virtual world? Connection: We have been taught to become lifelong learners and we have been asked to express ourselves and our learning through social media and blog posts. Our 20% project is a great example of choosing a fun and playful topic and blogging on our progress. Aha!- In this book, we are encouraged to enter the digital world and find our identity within. However, I feel this digital world does not exist but it is a gateway for many resources. I will use the digital world for its many functions but I won't move away from the real tangible world full of face-to-face conversations, holding a book in my hands, etc. Chapter 8 Quote: Pg. 101 – “hanging out is a social, not merely technological, activity. It is about developing a social identity.” Question: If hanging out is a social and technological activity, what will happen to human interactions if everyone will eventually prefer online/digital interactions? Wouldn't this create unhealthy social identities if humans only have digital identities and no belonging with real people? Connection: I feel the emphasis of using social media venues in our technology class has been a bit overwhelming for majority of the other teacher candidates. We have been told that posting numerous posts and comments on Twitter, Google Plus, etc. will help us learn how to use technology. I feel technology and the Internet are tools but the overuse of social media takes me away from my own developed understanding of the Internet. I understand it is better to be prepared for the future which is leading to a more digital classroom but it seems our constant postings and tweets are a bit overkill. Aha: I have chosen to just use the Internet as a resource and not hang out for social and technological reasons. I will spend my time online learning new strategies and resources for my lessons and classroom. Students may use the Internet for the development of their social identities and messing around but they should not limit themselves to using the Internet as their main source of information. Chapter 9 Quote: Pg. 106 – “Imagine an environment where the participants are building, creating, and participating in a massive network of dozens of databases, hundreds of wikis and websites, and thousands of message forums, literally creating a large-scale knowledge economy.” Question: Can't the schools start providing technical/alternative classes where they can learn practical skills (auto shop, cooking, balance check books/how to do taxes, plumbing, construction) that give them options for the real world instead of having mad World of Warcraft skills or able to send multiple texts/tweets a minute? Connection: We are facilitators of learning and we are responsible for our students in the classroom. We need to help them prepare for life outside of high school. They need to be strongly encouraged to use their time wisely and learn as much as they can (book smart and street smart) so they can survive in our society. Aha: The digital world can provide diversions from the harsh realities of life and school and it is good to get away for a few moments. But, there needs to be a good balance between digital and reality. We must not forget conversations with real people and the impact they can have. I remember many family events where I had conversations with relatives and I remember these way more than what app I used or who I texted that day. Real conversations matter. My friends and I keep in touch over social media because we are all in separate places i.e. San Diego, L.A., Chicago, Ventura, and St. Lucia in the Caribbean. However, I appreciate when we all get together over summer because we are all in the same room having conversations. Social media is helpful with long distance friendships but not when all the friends are in the same city and within a short driving distance. Renee Marquis EDSS 530 A New Culture of Learning Ch. 4-6 Chapter 4 Quote– “The new culture of learning is based on three principles: 1) The old ways of learning are unable to keep up with our rapidly changing world. 2) New media forms are making peer-to-peer learning easier and more natural. 3) Peer-to-peer learning is amplified by emerging technologies that shape the collective nature of participation with those new media.” (p. 50). Question: Are we sacrificing face-to-face human interaction for advancements in technology? Connection: We have been using Twitter and Instagram at our school site and at CSUSM but instead of interacting with our students or professors, we Tweet or post photos to Instagram of what we are doing. It seems we are moving toward a society where everyone needs instant gratification 24/7 and the reward is receiving likes or comments on a photo or blog. Many feel ignored if a photo or Tweet gets hardly any attention. Instead of interacting with a professor during class, we are tweeting what we are currently learning and it takes away from the point of having a teacher in the room i.e. hardly any human contact. Epiphany/Aha: We need to be aware of other people and our humanity when dealing with technology. We must develop as many skills as we can throughout life and we need to interact with people more. People need to stop with having their heads down in their phone while walking to and from class. This results in students bumping into one another and they are missing out on what is in front of them because they are preoccupied with something that won't likely matter the next day. You do not need digital communities to feel a sense of belonging, this is terribly misguided. Chapter 5 Quote: Pg. 55 – “One of the greatest concerns about digital media today is that it may be rendering our lives too transparent.” Well, in the sense that we have the tendency to put out a lot more personal information and pictures of ourselves now that at any other time in history, the concern is well founded. Ill intending individuals have used that information for nefarious purposes. But I contend that in one important sense, digital media is making us more opaque. We are much more able to hide who we really are on the Internet. We become 140 character quotes and a series of punctuated photographs showing only what we want to show, which may or may not really reflect who we are. People become Twitter handles and sink into a depersonalized identity, or a new form of online identity that they desire much more than who they really are. Question: Are we losing our real selves to created online profiles and avatars of our own making? Connection: We have had discussions in class about the effect of social media and how much good is accomplished by sending out random Tweets into the digital ether. This issue of the value of social media and personal learning networks is not yet settled in my thinking. If learning is all I’m after, then I can pump the Internet system for vast quantities of knowledge. But if I want to be a fulfilled and balanced human being, the Internet is not going to provide my needs. The real danger is that some feel that the Internet defines their being – they become residents in virtual space and lose their real selves to binary code. Epiphany/Aha: Once again we are seeing common terms redefined and need to be careful not to get sucked in to the vortex. “Personal” in terms of social media hold a different meaning to the personal of two people talking face-to-face. Chemistry occurs between people that makes us humans. One would be hard pressed to make the case that any sort of valid chemistry occurs between Twitter handles. Chapter 6 Quote: Pg.75 – Knowledge was valued in the old culture because it was seen as stable.” Pg. 76 – “In a world where things are constantly changing, focusing exclusively on the explicit dimension is no longer a viable model for education.” We agree that there are two types of learning, explicit and implicit. There is much in science and math, the worlds that I lived in, that can only be taught explicitly. There has to be a base of knowledge and understanding. Yet there is also that is new, or at least a new way of viewing old concepts. As scientist, we need to use both methods – we need to join the two streams of knowing into on program. Question: How can we balance the need for explicit learning with opportunities for our students to learn implicitly – in a way that they can only learn by doing and experiencing failure and success? Connection: Our 20% projects needed to have the possibility of failure built into the system. I look back on my growing-up years and know that I followed my passion to learn how electronic and mechanical systems work by personal experimentation. I learned a vast amount by doing and failing and doing again. Epiphany/Aha: I need to find ways that my students can learn implicitly as well as explicitly. I need to set up situations in which they can learn through failure and trying again. Renee Marquis EDSS 530 A New Culture of Learning Ch. 1-3
Chapter 1 Quote: Pg. 17 – “The kind of learning that will define the twenty-first century is not taking place in a classroom—at least not in today’s classroom. Rather, it is happening all around us, everywhere, and it is powerful. We call this phenomenon the new culture of learning….” Question: Since learning can take place anywhere, are we nearing the end of the traditional classroom setting? Does this apply to technical schools/courses as well? Connection: "The Global Achievement Gap by Tony Wagner. "Growing digital networked infrastructure [that] is amplifying our ability to access and use nearly unlimited resources and incredible instruments while connecting with one another at the same time” (17-18). Epiphany/Aha: I feel there are opportunities for the students to learn from one another as 21st century learning is moving away from today's classroom. One thing I wonder is are students putting their skills into one basket rather than having numerous skills including for example, being able to do math equations in the mind or write and spell the words without having to rely on spell check. Chapter 2 Quote: Pg. 34 - “Accordingly, education has been seen as a process of transferring information from a higher authority (the teacher) down to the student. This model, however, just can’t keep up with the rapid rate of change in the twenty-first century.” Question: Why do people still think the 20th century teacher-centered approach to learning can still be applied to the 21st century learning environment? Isn't it more important that the teacher is the facilitator of learning while the students conduct their own research? Connection: In the video, "Questions No One Answers To," Chris Anderson asked many questions no one is able to answer. Teachers need to facilitate learning but they also need to guide the students to ask questions. Asking questions is a great tool and skill to have because it takes you to the depth of your knowledge and beyond by asking questions. Teachers need to encourage divergent thinking (multiple answers) so the students use their imagination and curiosity to find an answer. They need to hear there can be all kinds of answers, there is not just one. This will help them envision themselves contributing to the class discussion and this will show the students the world is full of unanswered questions and will hopefully peak their interest. In the end, this will help promote lifelong learners who will never stop learning. Epiphany/Aha: The day of the teacher being the source of information and passing it to the students is over. The quick access to the Internet and social media makes easier for the students to look up something right away. Teachers and students should be learners together but the teacher still needs to be the facilitator to make the learning process engaging and innovative. Chapter 3 Quote: Pg 39-40 – "It presumes the existence of knowledge that both is worth communicating and doesn’t tend to change very much over time. Ironically, however, it is that very stability that makes the model impossible to maintain as the world roils in a state of constant flux.” Question: Will there still be a need for teachers if we can assume the students will soon be able to learn what they want and need to on their own time? Connection: I thank my professors for introducing me to professional learning networks for my own personal growth and making connections with other educators and potential employers. Though I am familiar with technology, I would not have known where to start so I feel teachers are still a great importance in our education. Epiphany/Aha: I strongly argue there is still a need for teachers who know more than their students and use their knowledge to facilitate learning. My students know how to look up the general information of a WWII battle or how economic stress was a cause of the downfall of the USSR. However, the students will just leave it at that instead of finding the historical significance, outcome, statistics of the WWII battle. Or what events caused the economic stress in the USSR. The students still need to have their teachers to guide them to ask questions, find the purpose, the significance, how it can relate to their lives today. We can't just give them a computer and let them at it. Rome wasn't built in a day and the students have more resources but they need their teachers to be their mentors. We need to help them make sense of it all. http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-engagement-stories-heather-wolpert-gawron?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=blog-kids-speak-out-question
This was an interesting article to read. I think it was brilliant of the teacher to ask the students to speak about what does and does not engage them. The students are the ones learning the content and doing the class work so it would be helpful if teachers asked how they can make learning more engaging for them. The perspective of the student is often overlooked and it is a crucial resource to create lessons around. The students mentioned working in groups and using technology. We live in a society where technology is embedded into everyone's lives especially students. Embedding technology into the classroom setting will help engage the students and they will be taught when it is and is not appropriate to use technology particular when it is not for educational purposes. I have used technology in the classroom when I can even though my students do not have access to Chromebooks. I have scheduled a couple trips to the computer lab where the students worked on projects. I have reviewed for a test on WWI using Kahoot on the Career Center computers. The students enjoyed the Kahoot review game so much they asked if we could use Kahoot for every test review. I was happy to hear this request and I knew the students were engaged and having fun while learning. http://www.usnews.com/education/best-colleges/articles/2012/06/07/3-ways-colleges-use-instagram Instagram seems to work well in a college setting. It would be a great idea to incorporate what the University of Florida did. The college asked what people wanted to see and many asked for behind-the-scenes photos as well as photos of Florida that only students/locals know and visit. It would be a great way to recruit prospective students and keep the alumni in touch with what is going on at their alma mater. Professors could also use Instagram to post the agenda and objective after class ends so students who were sick have an idea of what they need to make up for the class. It could also be a way for professors to keep track of extra credit assignments such as field trips and scavenger hunts. The college can also use Instagram to inform students of various activities that are occurring on and off campus. Instagram is more engaging and visually appealing than just reading words on a website blog post and announcements post. A picture is worth a thousand words and photos have more of way of grabbing the attention of someone. Instagram can be used in college on a daily basis for educational purposes. College students are hopefully more aware than high school students with the expectations of college and staying on top of their studies as college makes students more independent. High school students are still learning to be responsible for their education whereas college students are well aware they are on their own in college. Technology makes a classroom lecture more fun and engaging and up to date. I believe students are happy and proud their schools are innovative and tech savvy. |
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April 2015
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