Working Break

"Spring is the time of plans and projects."

-Leo Tolstoy

I have been on Spring Break this past week and although I have not spent time in the classroom, I found myself thinking a lot about my students.  As soon as we get back to school on Monday, my master teacher has given me the freedom to plan and implement a writing program (think "Writer's Workshop") so that I may begin my Action Research.  I'm extremely excited about this and have been gathering ideas, receiving guidance from Dr. Lattimer and Nancy Hanssen, and laying out my game plan.  Because my Action Research is centered around how an authentic audience impacts student attitudes towards and academic achievement in writing, I have planned three main projects for my students to work on until the end of the year -  A narrative story, letter writing, and the retelling of a fairy tale from a different point of view. Each project will be shared with peers throughout the drafting process and the final pieces will be shared through a writer's celebration, the publishing of a hard cover book via Scholastic Teachers, ePals and blogging.  

I will also be starting a nutrition unit, which is something that I am extremely passionate about and have taught before in a Montessori setting.  To tweak the lessons and ideas that I already have so that they may be manageable and effective in the classroom that I am in, I have used resources such as Pinterest and Share My Lesson.  Share My Lesson is a website that I was introduced to during a staff meeting (I love that the principal of the school that I am in constantly encourages teachers to explore and use technology and internet resources).  The site reminds me of Teachers Pay Teachers except all of its resources are free.  The site is fairly easy to navigate and contains lessons, reproducibles, videos and power point presentations.

Lots of things to look forward to!  Hope everyone had, or will have, a fabulous Spring Break

Professional Learning Network

“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand, because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.” 

– David Warlick

I am now halfway through a Learning and Technology course (I can’t believe how time flies) and would like to take a moment to self-assess my progress in cultivating my Professional Learning Network a.k.a. PLN.  After reading through the PLN Guidelines, I find myself between two worlds in the areas of reading, tweeting and sharing.  I have been reading many articles and blogs and exploring different professional websites on a near daily basis to help me as I take on more responsibility in my current student teaching site and get into my Action Research project.  However, I have not been using an RSS aggregator.  I usually search particular sites (Pinterest, Twitter, Learnist, Teachers Pay Teachers, Google Scholar) to find relevant articles and information but I can see how having an RSS aggregator can make finding information more time efficient.

I have been trying to share my findings and thoughts regarding my AR inquiry project, the projects of my peers, or general educational tools that I found to be helpful by bookmarking them onto my Learnist and/or Pinterest account and tweeting them.  I have also found some great resources on Twitter, but I feel I am not being very efficient when searching for specific resources on this particular site.  Additionally, I know that I need to spend more time exploring the tweets of the people that I am following.  Professor Heil has said this many times, and I know it to be true -- to really get a sense of how to use Twitter, you actually have to commit to spending regular amounts of time Tweeting, reading Tweets and utilizing Tweet deck.  This is definitely something that I plan to do, and like some of my classmates have said, I plan to set aside time (at least 30 minutes) each day on Twitter.

In terms of Bookmarking, Writing and Commenting, I do feel like I am approaching the Matrix.  I feel a lot more comfortable blogging and it has helped me reflect upon all of the things I am learning at my student teaching site and in my course work.  I also enjoy reading the blogs of my classmates, the comments they write for each other and and their contributions to our EDUC 578 blog and Edmodo site.  

I would like to learn more about thinglink, Popplet and edcanvas and plan to explore each of these sites before the end of this semester.  I would love support in how to use these sites and how I could utilize them in the classroom.  

P.S. I just found this article on Twitter (yay, me!) that proved to be extremely helpful.

Great Tips on how we can cultivate our PLN

A Captivated Audience

"Writing is a key to a double gain. It enables the hand to master a vital skill like that of speaking and to create a second means of communication that reflects the spoken word in all its details. Writing is thus dependent upon mind and hand."  

-Maria Montessori

The 24 second grade students that I have been working with since the beginning of February are an energetic, talkative, enthusiastic and highly capable group. They love to tell me stories about their home lives, families, interests and desires. I love listening to their stories because they are always filled with great detail, excitement and joy.  These students display the same enthusiasm for reading, math, science and geography lessons, and will constantly share everything they know, or think they know, about the topic at hand during group discussions.

However, as soon as these same students are given a journal topic or reader response question to write about, the excitement seems to quickly disappear from their eyes and the first question they ask is always, “How long does it have to be?”  After several minutes of most of the students staring at a blank page, I’ll then hear, “I don’t know what to write.”  Ten more minutes might pass before students will turn in their papers with two to three simple sentences that may or may not relate to each other or the topic at hand.

My students’ quality of work and attitudes towards writing assignments prompted me to conduct a needs assessment through surveys, observations and analysis of student work.  The data I gathered gave me insight into my students’ feelings towards writing, their current levels of writing proficiency and their confidence levels regarding writing.  While my students are given focused lessons on writing conventions, spelling and vocabulary, I observed that very few of them apply these lessons to their writing pieces.  Furthermore, most of my students seem to have difficulty with writing coherently about a specific topic and aim for the minimum requirements when asked to complete a writing assignment.  Many of my students expressed a negative attitude towards writing, dislike the process of correcting, editing and revising, and do not view themselves as capable writers.  

After reading different studies, books and articles regarding students and writing, I have realized that there are a number of things that can have a negative affect on students’ attitudes towards writing - lack of time, lack of resources, high stakes testing, an excess of corrections, a heavy reliance on external motivators and a focus on convention rather than expression, just to name a few.  All of these factors were quite overwhelming and, disheartened, I thought, what could I do?  With the time that I have and the freedom that I am given, what could I possibly do?

The answer finally came to me as I was rereading parts of Lucy Calkins book, “The Art of Teaching Writing,” - I could listen.   

I believe that the whole purpose of writing is to communicate.  I have noticed that the majority of my students’ writing pieces are not regularly shared with teachers, peers, schoolmates, their families, their friends or the community.  So, who are they communicating with?   All of the literature that I have read regarding teaching writing emphasizes the importance of writing with a purpose and for an audience.  Lucy Calkins states, “As writers, 

what we all need more than anything else in the world is listeners, listeners who will respond with silent empathy, with sighs of recognition, with laughter and tears and questions and stories of their own.  Writers need to be heard.”

An audience is definitely something I can be and provide for my students.  I can listen and I believe that my students are important and interesting enough for other people to want to listen to them, too.  Perhaps writing for an audience will help my students understand and appreciate their power and voice as writers.  And perhaps writing for an audience will help them develop a renewed excitement and enthusiasm for writing.  

For my action research inquiry, which I will be conducting now until the end of the school year, I hope to discover:

“How does writing for an audience affect students’ achievement in and attitude toward writing?”

1.  How does writing for an audience affect students’ image of themselves as writers?

2.  How does writing for an audience affect students’ quality of work?

3.  How does an awareness of different audiences shift the structure of students’ writing?

Small Successes

"You need to be aware of what others are doing, applaud their efforts, acknowledge their successes, and encourage them in their pursuits. When we all help one another, everybody wins."

 
-Jom Stovall 

This week was full of several small successes.  I had a great time subbing for my cooperating teacher while she was gone for the CUE convention in Palm Springs.  I acquired some great ideas from Pinterest and was able to use these ideas in the classroom for “Read Across America Week.”  I attended an IEP meeting and was able to confidently contribute meaningful observations and suggestions.  And I was able to introduce my cooperating teacher to Prezi which she utilized for a school wide community service learning project.

However, the success I was most excited about this week had to do with a science lesson I created and implemented in the classroom.  The lesson introduced different forces (push, pull and gravity) and Newton’s first law of motion to my second grade class.  I was not thrilled with the lesson provided by the students’ text book so I pulled some ideas from Montessori’s lower elementary science activities, a couple of resources that I found on Twitter and some shared presentations that I found on Promethean Planet.  My lesson included four hands on experiments for the students to conduct in teams of 3 or 4 and utilized basic materials such as pepper, liquid soap, magnets, water and paper.   The students were engaged, excited, and were able to explain (both verbally and in written form) the main concepts presented.  My supervising teacher, Dr. A, was there for an observation and she gave me some great feedback, both positive and constructive.

There are two reasons why this lesson stood out to me as a success:

One, I found the internet and the technological tools I am slowly learning to use to be extremely helpful instead of enormously overwhelming.  That’s a huge step for me!   I truly felt part of a community of educators wanting to help other educators, for no other reason but to make a positive difference.  I was inspired by the creativity and dedication that many teachers have toward their students and their willingness to share their creativity for the benefit of others, regardless if they are recognized for their ideas or not.  Just as Seth Godin said in Tribes, “There’s no record of Martin Luther King Jr. or Ghandi whining about credit.  Credit isn’t the point. Change is.”

Two, I found myself energized and appreciative of the positive feedback I received from Dr. A.  It reminded me of the importance and power of meaningful affirmations.  No matter how old or young you are, everybody appreciates encouragement, acknowledgement and specific compliments.  It reminded me to take time to observe my students, to recognize the hard work, the kindness, the creativity, etc. that they display, and to acknowledge them for it.

Technological Tantrum

"Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-esteem.  That is why young children, before they are aware of their own self-importance, learn so easily."

 ~Thomas Szasz

For the past several weeks, I have been trying out and using different internet tools in order to create and foster my own Professional Learning Network (PLN).  The experience has been ….. challenging.  

Let me explain:  
I recently had some out-of-town guests stay with my family and me.  In an effort to show them and their 5 year old son, “Mac”,  all of the wonderful things San Diego has to offer, we packed our weekend schedule with trips to Sea Port Village, Sea World, the Fashion Valley Mall, different restaurants, beautiful parks, etc., etc., etc.  There’s so much to do in San Diego!  On the first day, little Mac was so excited!  On the second day, he was exhausted.  By the third day, he was overwhelmed, irritated, throwing tantrums, and ready to go home.  

I feel like little Mac.  

I know there is a ton of wonderful things to be learned on the internet.  I know it.  But I feel so overwhelmed and inundated with information and words and graphics and hashtags and links and bookmarks that I feel like I am not processing anything!  It doesn’t help that I feel sooooooo far behind in terms of technological ‘know-how’ compared to my classmates or that I feel sooooo vulnerable when publishing my thoughts and words in a public sea of... well I don’t really know what.  Who will care what I write?  Who will care what I think?  Who will care about the things I think are cool or interesting or funny?  Who knew I cared so much about what other people think of me?

In short, I feel like I’m having my own little tantrum.  Okay, okay, maybe a big tantrum.

I did talk to Mac a few days after he left San Diego and was able to recoup.  He didn’t remember his tantrums, but he did remember seeing Baby Shamu, playing basketball at the park with my kids, and eating at a restaurant where he ordered his food on an iPad.  I was glad that, after some time to reflect, he was able to point out some highlights from his San Diego trip.

I, too, have found and learned how to use some technology tools that don’t utterly confuse me and that have actually helped me find some great ideas, articles, and organizational strategies to use in the classroom.  For those of you who don’t know me, the extent of my ‘internet presence’ prior to February 2013 was, well..... using Google, Youtube, emailing friends and occasionally looking through my husband’s Facebook (no, I do not have my own account).  NOW --- I’ve been spending a lot of time looking through Learnist and Pinterest and creating some boards on both sites.  I’ve been following a number of people on twitter and have successfully tweeted some links that I think would be helpful to my classmates and fellow educators.  I’ve learned to use two different blogging sites and Activinspire.  And I plan to figure out what diigo and scoopit are all about....

This experience has taught me many, many things.  One of the most important things it has taught me is this:  When I come across a student who needs a bit more time than his classmates to 'get it', I will remember how I am feeling right now and give him or her some extra love :).

I’m pretty proud of my progress.... But I know that I still have a loooooong way to go.  

A collection of quotes from "Tribes"

Resident or Visitor?

In this video, "Visitors and Residents," (http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2009/10/14/visitors-residents-the-video/)  Dr. David White explains his theories regarding how people use the internet.  He proposes that a continuum exists where "Residents' are on one end of the spectrum and 'Visitors' on the other.  Dr. White describes 'Residents' as internet users who live a large portion of their lives online.  Residents maintain an online persona and faciliate relationships via the web.  Visitors, on the other hand, use the internet as a tool and only when the need arises.

I see myself far on the side of “visitor” on this continuum.  I view technology as a box of tools, and at the moment, my tools are extremely disorganized.  I will attempt to utilize or learn how to use a certain tool ONLY if I know it  will serve a purpose or help me achieve a specific goal.  As soon as my goal is met or need is served, back in the box the tool goes.  Unfortunately, adopting this attitude was a reactive decision I made that followed several awkward situations that occurred while I was teaching at my children’s school.  My internet persona made it extremely easy for my students and students’ parents to find and contact me.  Before I knew it, the lines between my professional and personal lives ceased to exist.  I was “talking shop” at birthday parties, conferencing during play dates, and advising during ‘family’ weekends.  I wasn’t present when I was with my friends and family in person because I was dealing with or worrying about the issues I felt I needed to address online.  I made a decision to leave school at school and concentrate on home at home (to a certain degree -- planning lessons, making materials, and looking for ideas are ongoing) and part of that decision meant I needed to reign in my internet persona.  For the time and place that I was in, this was a necessary thing for me to do and it increased the quality of my life and my effectiveness-- as a mother, a wife , a friend, and an educator --tenfold.

I understand that I am in a different time and place now, and that I need to reevaluate the role technology plays in my professional life.  (I am fairly confident that I will keep my personal life as a strict visitor online.)  I also regret that these experiences left me a bit frightened of technology and its power.   I would like my professional persona to be more visible on the internet, and while I feel uncomfortable and overwhelmed with the tools I am being introduced to, I do acknowledge the potential they have in helping me be the best educator that I can be.  Like Dr. White said, it’s not about merely using the tools, it’s about using the tools effectively.