Education Philosophy

My personal philosophy about education is an ongoing process. I don't think it will ever stop evolving because every life experience gives me a new perspective that opens many doors.
I enter with an insatiable desire to learn more about human nature and a child like curiosity that accepts things the way they are in this moment.
I enjoy sharing my experience with others and feel that everyone we meet has something to teach.
The actual role of a teacher is a shifty experience because I believe we are all full time students of life on this floating phenomena called Earth.

Energy Project Reflection

I recently did a research project on the use of Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) and have discovered mixed feelings from my results. I have learned that by switching just 3 incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, my savings increases almost right away. Also, the amount of energy it takes to keep CFL on is much less, thus less of a strain on our environment and non-renewable resources.
With this in mind, I hurried to the store and shelled out the extra 6-8 dollars for three 20 watt fluorescent bulbs. I was a little perplexed at the sturdy, child proof packaging, only to find out later the reason they are so carefully secured. After reading that if one accidentally breaks in the house you must evacuate for 10 minutes, I began to think twice about my new experiment and sticking with my wasteful incandescent bulbs. Nonetheless, I went on to find out that mercury vapors are much less in some brands than others. Also, I tried to stay positive by hoping someone will invent a way to recycle CFL before mine are spent in supposedly 10 years.

I enjoyed the process of my search. My feelings about switching went from thinking this is going to be a win win situation to, "wow, what a bummer" after reading about what's inside. I'm glad to see some companies reducing mercury amounts in their bulbs, but it still seems like a giant conundrum. I guess other countries are switching over as well, and it is predicted by some that incandescent bulbs are on the way out completely soon. I only have more questions now, than before I bought CFL. The move to convert to a more efficient lighting is well intended, however the long term negative effects might trump the initial savings of CFL.
Here is my Pesentation on You Tube.

I think I did pretty good for the first time ever using i-movie.
I spent a lot of time trying to get the sound just right.
The possibilities are endless though. It made me want to add some music, or effects,
but I tried to stay focused and get the message out there. Some of my strengths were:
Creativity
I sounded convincing and sincere
Good speaking pace
I was confident
Some of my weaknesses were:
Timing and audio glitches
transitions between ideas
the amount of time it took to put together
I tried to be a perfectionist
I made a mistake with my numbers audible near the end

Overall, I enjoyed learning how to do these technical applications.
If I were to do anything different, I would be more creative with photos, effects,
and music. My presentation would be more personalized.
Nonetheless, it has expanded my awareness and opened new doors I look forward to exploring.
Now, I'm going to try and make a music video with my new found skills and possibly tie it into my philosophy project.

Article 3 Assessment/ Tools for the Mind by Mary Burns

Overview: In Tools for the Mind, Mary Burns states that now is a good time to reassess the current application of technology within the schools. Computers have definitely evolved over the years, but so has
the way people use them. Since the early 90's the internet has become a ubiquitous mind tool, but to use it to our benefit (expanding our students critical thinking skills), Burns believes we must first learn how to use it properly. To promote a higher level of thinking teachers must utilize spreadsheets, databases, geographic information systems (GIS), computer-aided design programs, and simulation software programs according to Burns.

Reference Points:
1. By the 90's people thought computers would be utilized as tools for a higher level of critical thinking.
2. There are no statistics that link student technology use to improved learning
3. Administratiors and educators are monitoring the value of computers as instructional tools.
4. Technology can take over passive learning. Students can be empowered by discovering information for themselves.
5. Professional developments can be used to give teachers technical skills, but administration needs to find more ways to help teachers how to use technology to enhance student learning.
6. Many districts lack the following:
* on-site technical support
* long term professional development in technology integration
* sufficient hardware and software
* sufficient instructional time for inquiry-based
* Technical gurus to help teachers understand how to use computers
* computers in general
7. Spreadsheets, databases, GIS, computer-aided design programs, and simulation software programs are tools that encourage higher thinking levels.
8. Power Point and Word applications, commonly used in classrooms are used for simple cognitive tasks.

Reflection: Yes, I think technology needs to be implemented into our schools as much as possible. However, this will cost money many districts don't have. Right now the district I work in lacks in special education. I'm sure they are bending laws left and right by not providing services to students that qualify for specific services. It's all about the money and where administration wants to focus that money. Do they want to boost technology? Well that means funding staff training as well. Maybe teachers could receive CEU's for attending trainings. Or, could administration try to get more grants to fund technology? This way, they could focus budget funds on hiring more teachers to reduce class sizes, and making sure they are abiding by laws in regards to special education.

Article Assessment 2

The Educator's Guide to the

Read/Write Web

Will Richardson

Overview

Will Richardson's article does a spectacular job on depicting the role digital technology plays in our everyday experience, if we so choose. Through publishing personal ideas on blogs, collaborating ideas using information websites referred to as wikis, and broadcasting radio programs using podcasting, teachers and students perspectives of information exchange is forever expanding at exponential rates.

Richardson emphasizes that being literate in todays world requires much more than reading and writing. Continuously polishing skills like editing and quickly identifying online sources, as well as making judgment calls on the authenticity of web based information is key in order to extract useful knowledge.

Reference Points:

1. A blog is basically a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger." Blogs are typically updated daily using software that allows people with little or no technical background to update and maintain the blog.

2. Wiki means quick in Hawaiian and is a website that anyone can edit at anytime Wikipedia is an online encyclopedia. The information is policed by anyone interested in posting.

3. An RSS (Really Simple Syndication) Feed, uses an aggregator to collect news and postings from newspapers, blogs, and libraries. You can read them just about anywhere.

4. Social bookmarking sites have made it possible for users to copy not just website addresses, but websites themselves into folders. You can also view the websites that other members have saved. It's a neat way to share resources with people in similar fields or with similar interests.

5. A useful social bookmarking site is furl-net

6. Create a radio program and broadcast it for all to hear on the internet using podcast

7. NPR Podcast directory

Reflection

I think it's great that the internet is playing a larger role in todays education process. It's kind of a free for all, a chaotic masterpiece. For this reason, I believe my efforts to help guide my students to find useful resources like: wiki, blog, podcasting, and other outlets will minimize the time spent on sifting through the vast www.

The internet is here to stay and I have fully accepted its' usefulness. I've also realized some of my students have a better grasp and higher comfortability level when using this ubiquitous information machine. So, I'm OK with reversing the role of student teacher when appropriate.

Compact Fluorescent Lighting PowerPoint

Compact Fluorescent Lighting is an interesting topic these days. So I decided to embark on a project that could save me a few dollars, and maybe even help out the environment.
Since I live well below the poverty line, I could only afford 3 compact fluorescent light bulbs to begin my experiment. It was all I needed to discover the savings I could expect after 1 years use. After many hours of devoted internet research, I found that by switching out my 3 incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, I could save enough money to treat my fiance to a modest dinner and her favorite flowers.
Then, I began to wonder how much money could be saved if many people decided to embark on this experiment. To examine my study on the compact fluorescent light bulb check out my POWERPOINT.

Anthropological Assessment

The assessment of my school's technology and resources available to staff and students gave me a clearer perspective of one of the facets of Colony High School culture.  The first few days of school were a real awakening for me when I observed a plethora of new widgets and gadgets being inconspicuously poked at by students with headphones dangling, usually from one ear.  While doing the assessment, my mentor teacher's brand new Dell broke.  I learned first hand that it took over a week for it to come back, and even then it still had several program glitches. 

Overall, I learned a few policies and gained a larger network of people to seek when I have technological needs.

The report that details my assessment visit is available for review.

Article Assessment 1

Adam Zopel adamzapple88@hotmail.com 9/22/2008

Listen To the Natives by Marc Prensky

Overview

This article outlines the importance of teachers to consolidate and concentrate the important legacy knowledge, and make room for 21st century learning possibilities. In the digital age, technology allows students of all ages to essentially learn how to teach themselves.  They can do this effectively if given the opportunity to explore their options.  By advocating to include more technology within the current learning process, the exchange of information can be maximized.

By broadening the education system to become more adaptive with  instruction, collaborate with students, and adopt systems the current future already uses, mastering skills can take on a whole new form.

Reference Points

1.  Digital native, or immigrant.  Tools like computers, cell phones, ipods, and camera phones are like extensions of the brain to the digital native.

2.  Teacher qualities that focus on empathy and guidance rather than limiting the process to subject matter knowledge.

3.  Adopting systems to the teaching process like:  blogging, wiki, googling, and programming.

4.  Alternatives to hearding:  One-to-one personalized instruction, adaptive instruction, and allowing students to work in virtual groups.

5.  Collaborating with students.  Having equal student representation when decisions are being made about the education processes.  

6.  Being flexible with student use of technology and offer after school times to access technology for learning purposes. 

7.  Engaging and compelling students by speaking their language.  Find ways to educate through "gameplay". 

Reflection

I gained a great deal from Marc's point of view.  I agree, we should incorporate more technology within the classroom.  Whether it be wearing heart rate monitors and ipods in PE class to corresponding with a virtual pen pal in Egypt, there are many ways to embrace the technological advances our society has created.  I'm also a huge advocate of personalized instruction.  By adapting the methods we choose to pass information on, we just might reach more students and actually make a difference in their lives.  We can do this by collaborating with them on a personal and professional level.  As the article stated empathy and guidance as being qualities from which an administrator should look for in a "good" teacher.

This article helped me to realize the digital age is not the future, it is the present, and becoming a motivated immigrant means learning as much as I can from the natives.

Futuring

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Futuring

A. How would you “grade” or assess Fox Becomes a Better Person, and School Train?
I think the class that created School Train went well beyond my expectations. Under the guidelines of making connections using metaphors, they definitely deserve an exemplary grade. Specifically in using:
*Creative video enhancement
*Manipulation of speed and movement
*Sound sequencing

When assessing Fox Becomes a Better Person, I would need to set up some guidelines to grade the students by. For example:
*Student understands the moral of the story
*The amount of effort put into developing project
*Self critique of overall performance compared to my assessment
Overall, I believe she deserves an A for her efforts. Well done Hannah!!

B. What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like podcasting?
In my 2015 class room podcasting might become an issue while the students are running long distances since they are allowed to use them at this time. For example:
*Test answers sent in upcoming classes could be relayed
*Information could be completely false since the media as we know it no longer exists
*The focus of task at hand will become diminished by technology interference

Epic2005 puts up a few red flags in my mind as students begin to only receive news designed for their interests. I think it is a huge challenge to sift out the garbage, and a time consuming effort to find the credible facts. If I give an assignment that students will use the internet to gather information, I will definitely require them to list sources. Maybe even have them find information that contradicts the information they believe to be true so they understand how much disinformation there is.

Since Podcasting is already a big part of the classroom, I will try to embrace this concept of information exchange. However, I will do this with great caution, and always reminding my students to check several sources before taking anything for truth/fact.

C. How might you use Sabrina’s piece as a model for something you would do with your own students?
I like how Sabrina was descriptive in explaining her goals in teaching. She knows herself and where she comes from, so this helped her to see the big picture. This is how I would help my students create a similar goal setting outline.
*First, what are you all about and why do you value the things you do?
*What long term and short term goals do I have?
*What steps do I need to take to reach success in each goal?
If the students first figure out who they are, they're more likely to clearly define a few goals. Then, they can go about the process of researching how to accomplishing each step in achieving each goal.
Using a video is perfect because it makes it more real. They can always look back to see how their goals have changed or evolved into new goals they never might have imagined.