A New Semester

The new semester began on Tuesday the 23rd.  And what changes since May.  I have started a full time job with Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.  It is quite the transition from being a stay-at-home mom.  I like the people and the work so that's a plus.  I did not take any courses over the summer and that was probably the right move.  The adjustment to getting back into the workforce was enough for me.  After much debate with myself and with my husband, I decided to forge ahead at ECU and am taking two courses this fall.  They are companion courses that equal one class, so hopefully I will be able to keep up with work school and family.

So off we go!

The Semester is Over - Let the Grades Fall where they May

 - And they better fall into the "A" category...  Or at least I hope they do.  Its been a challenging semester - I took three courses this semester all with pretty significant time commitments.  I also started a new job on April 18th - right as the final projects and exams were beginning.  So its been a long two weeks to say the least.  But I turned in my final project this morning and I'm happy for a little break.

My final technology portfolio turned out well and can be viewed here...

and I'll link my cool Plan a Classroom project to it as well!

http://portfolio.coe.ecu.edu/students/campbellsa10/

First Lesson Plan Ever

So I am finishing my third semester at ECU.  My major is Birth-K Education and I have not had one single class that deals with how or what you actually teach kids.  Don't get me wrong - I've had some pretty incredible courses but in general they are more about typical and atypical development of young children.  Infants and Toddlers, Introduction to Children and Families, Special Education, Early Intervention, Cultural Diversity and Intro to American Education.   The EDUC class was more a history and survey course about what it means to be a teacher, not really how to be a teacher.   For my Technology in Education classroom my final project was developing a lesson plan incorporating NCSCOS (North Carolina Standard Course of Study) goals and objectives and using the Smart Board technology as part of the lesson.  And of course, the technology wasn't the challenging part for me.  First of all, NC, even though it has a PreK program, does not have NCSCOS goals for PreK - so I picked Kindergarten goals.  Then it dawned on me that I  had to come up with something to capture the attention of 10 - 14 four year olds for 45 minutes.
PANIC....
Not really panic but a deep breath - a bunch of internet research (thank you internet I have no idea what I did before you existed) and about four hours later I had a passable plan.
I chose to do a lesson on colors - Primary and how to create secondary colors.  I chose this mostly because it is a subject that is endlessly fascinating to Nate right now.  He is constantly asking questions like - what color does blue and purple make?  What color does red and red make?  Or my favorite, what color does green and pink make?  - I had to laugh at that one... and my answer was "you know... I'm not sure."
So back to my lesson - I was able to apply NCSCOS goals from Computers/Technology, Mathematics and Visual arts and write up my plan.  I began with a short (20min) interactive Smart Board activity reviewing the six basic colors via a rainbow.  Then labeling the primary colors.  The first activity was to overlay shapes of varying colors to reveal the "new" or secondary color.  After that I created a couple of sorting and labeling activities and ended with a review on the SmartBoard.  Then to the fun part.  Once we had established what colors we could create with Red Blue and Yellow I send them to the art area where we create a class mural of a rainbow using only Red Blue and Yellow paint.

Sounds like fun huh?

The Smart Notebook software was fun to learn.  I'm sure I only scratched the surface of what its capable of.  I wish I could post a sample but you have to have the software to run the activity.  There are pdf print outs of it on my portfolio page if you are interested.

http://portfolio.coe.ecu.edu/students/campbellsa10/Campbell%20EDTC%205010%20SMART%20Activity.pdf

Does getting angry mean I am learning?

So much of what I am reading/researching/studying makes me so frustrated....  In training to become a PreK teacher, at first I thought,” whew… at least I don’t have to teach to the tests.”  There are many other challenges, but that’s not one of them.  Well I am rapidly learning that that isn’t the case.  PreK and Kindergarten children may not take the standardized tests, but the implications of those tests are trickling down into how classrooms for our youngest children are structured.  Adults are expecting more and more from children and with high expectations come high retention rates, more discipline problems, a wider gap between the successful and the struggling students, and more frustration for parents and teachers alike.

            One of the effects of our society’s mostly Essentialist philosophy of education is that we are expecting higher and higher benchmarks for our children without really evaluating if they are ready to meet them.  If you set the mark too high you will always have a high rate of failure.  That is not to say that we should lower our expectations in the classroom, but should adjust them to fit the needs of individual students instead of scientific age ranges.  Statistics are helpful, but only when applied to a group.  Statistics have as little bearing on individual children as stereotypes do.  Children enter a PreK program for a variety of reasons including developmental delays, less than ideal home environments, poverty or a combination of different risk factors.  It will be my job to prepare them for kindergarten.  But what exactly is kindergarten today?  

            A study by The Gesell Institute for Human Development, says “despite ramped-up expectations, including overtly academic work in kindergarten, study results reveal remarkable stability around ages at which most children reach cognitive milestones such as being able to count four pennies or draw a circle.”[1] Four and five year olds have the same physical and developmental abilities they have always had.  It is our expectations that have changed.    What we are teaching 5 year olds may be to read, write, and deal with complex shapes, but are they actually absorbing the information?  

            The study suggests that the play time is really where our children learn.  Play based learning “smooth(s) over developmental ranges, allowing children to work on skills without feeling judged.” (Guddemi).  Critics say today’s kids are different, smarter, have larger responsibilities and are ready for bigger challenges – but can’t we meet in the middle.  Provide play and exploration activities that both encourage exploration and challenge them to learn?  This same theory can be applied to project based learning or multi age classrooms in later years.   Providing more individualized activities is a strain on the individual teacher as it requires more preparation and an acute insight in the personalities of each of her students.  This is especially true in the early grades as the benchmarks for progress are much more subtle.  Students cannot be judged based on their answers on tests, each students progress is tracked through observation and discussion with other educators and parents.

            The idea of developmental readiness extends far beyond kindergarten and our traditional structure does not serve this aspect of student readiness.  Regularities of schooling, a term coined by Seymour Sarason, describes the traditions of schools that are taken for granted even when other ways of organizing schools are available.  Peer grouping is only a part of this and it also includes how teachers see the role of parents and the greater community, the asymmetrical teacher/student power structure, how classrooms are structured and how the typical school day is structured.[2]    When looking at education, it seems as if we should first look not at what we teach, but how we are teaching it.

---

[1] Harvard Education Letter, Sept/Oct 2010. Laura Pappano.  Kids Haven’t Changed; Kindergarten Has.

[2] EDUC 3200 Because Teaching Matters:  An Introduction to the Profession, Pugach. Chapter 6, More than “What is Taught”:  School as a Social Institution, page 171

End of the Semester

The semester is coming to an end and with it comes the flurry of exams, final projects and term papers.  And although this has been one of the most challenging semesters, it has been a very informative one as well.  Nine hours (3 courses) may have been too many, but I've plowed through and can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

In my Child and Family Relations class - Infant and Toddler Curriculum I have spent one morning a week in an infant/toddler classroom at Dartmouth Hitchcock Child Care Center.  Even though I have my own son, the challenges and rewards of working with nine growing children has been profound.  They have reminded me why I am embarking on this educational adventure.  They are full of life, in the moment and extraordinarily curious.  Its too bad we lose that as adults, if we could all take more time with what is actually happening NOW maybe we wouldn't be so stressed!

My Cultural Diversity class has been an interesting journey.  Cultural Diversity is so interconnected with current events, human rights, politics and education that the discussions and explorations have led to Human Trafficking, Civil Rights, Diverse Workplaces and Multicultural society - and how all these things impact our interactions and relationships with students and co-workers.  And no matter how angry or frustrated I got with the subject matter, it is reassuring to know that it will be my job to impress on young people that the color of our skin, the gods we pray (or don't pray) to or the foods we eat are just part of what makes us special and important.  The only way to rid our world of prejudice is to model an accepting and curious example for them.  We need to see what we have in common and what we can learn from each other and stop being afraid of what's different.

And finally my Technology in the Classroom course - what a wild ride.  Much of the technology itself; Google Docs, Powerpoint, Databases among others were not new to me.  I have used many of these things in my working life for many different reasons.  But now I am learning how to use these everyday tools to teach students how to think out side the box, collaborate, problem solve and use new tools to their own advantage.
And this blog... I would never have started a blog without it being assigned.  And I got a slow start, not knowing what to say, worrying about if I had any followers, wondering if it was "right" but I actually learned that it can be a personal tool regardless of its audience.  I can read back and see what I was learning, what topics interested me and what has changed and grown over time.  I think I'm going to keep it up even after the semester ends.

So here I go, to finish my very first lesson plan.
on a SmartBoard none the less :)

Building an educated workforce requires an investment | building, investment, educated - Jacksonville Daily News

This is a letter from a teacher near my hometown in the school system where my mom works as a tutor to give struggling High School students the boost they need to graduate. My mom is a retired teacher, she taught 8th grade English for 30 years, and now she spends 20 hours a week with the forgotten, disinterested, overwhelmed or bored... she helps these kids graduate.. The teacher who wrote this letter, my mom, and thousands of other dedicated professionals deserve better. And so do our students. Its a great read!

Building an educated workforce requires an investment | building, investment, educated - Jacksonville Daily News

Adopt and Adapt

And about an hour after I did my blog post I read the article for the unit assignment for this week.  And the schools in Maine were sited as a great example. -
this is a great article on Adapting education to fit our new technological world.
http://www.edutopia.org/adopt-and-adapt

10 years after laptops come to Maine schools, educators say technology levels playing field for students

We live in New England now (which is more like one big state than five or six little ones) and I came across this article while looking into educational resources up here.  In 2001 the Governor of Maine proposed giving a laptop to every 7th grader in the state.  And it passed - every 7th and 8th grader and every teacher of grades 7-12 in Maine have laptops.   A good majority of the high school students in the state have them as well.  


Of course its not free - it costs taxpayers about $11 million a year or about $250 bucks per student.  But to me that seems like a really, really good deal.  Arming our students with the one tool that can make or break their success in the employment markets of the future should be done at any price.   Kids love computers, they love games and surfing the internet and chatting with each other - and all of these things can be applied to education.  There's a teacher in NC using World Of Warcraft in his classroom. (1)   Chatting with each other can lead to collaborative projects and teaching students to gather information quickly and effectively via the internet is pretty much a no brainer.  


But this laptop decision had a marked effect on many other areas of education in Maine.   Writing scores have improved, in one district the number of students needing remedial math assistance has been cut in half and math scores overall have improved by over 40%.   And when everyone gets a laptop, everyone gets the boost.  Family income in this case is no barrier to progress - all students have equal access to technology.  

“Every middle school student in Maine has equal access to the technology and tools," Bucciantini said. "It's as important now as having a textbook and pencil, possibly more so.” (2)

Students are creating movies in PE class, documentaries in social studies, multi media in civics and many math classes have gotten rid of text books entirely.

One of the quotes I really identified with was the parent who said the laptops revolutionized science projects. I remember the hours with poster board and glue sticks and can't even imagine the types of projects students are able to produce today with the wealth of available software and tools.  And many of them, as we've used in our class this semester, are free.  

Critics say then students will spend too much time on Facebook or surfing the web... Hey critics - they are doing that ANYWAY!  Or playing video games or the like - but if they are flipping back and forth between google chat posts and their homework - well, at least they don't have the computer propped up on a closed textbook.  

New Hampshire (where I live) is WAY behind the curve on this front but maybe positive results like those in Maine will show legislators and educators that the old way isn't what will work for our kids - computers are here to stay so teaching them to use the technology effectively and responsibility is truly the best education we can offer.  

check out the full article below - its a great read. 

10 years after laptops come to Maine schools, educators say technology levels playing field for students

(1) http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/taking-world-of-warcraft-to

(2) http://www.sunjournal.com/state/story/988012

Technology's Role in a Multi Cultural Society

One of the courses I'm taking this semester is Diversity in Education.  We are discussing how and why we should encourage diversity and a multicultural basis behind our teaching practice.  The more I think on this the more I realize that technology has a huge role to play in this task.  Just think of all the current event revolving around the use of Internet resources - Twitter, Facebook and Google have all played huge roles in the uprisings in the Middle East, my FB feed is full of posts on budget talks and union rallies and the big vs small government debates.  This media has the potential to pull Americans out of their isolated world view and back onto the world stage.  I'm sure if you asked many students today where they get their news (source not form of retrieval) they would all list local or national sources.  TV news, US newspapers, NPR, and of course Jon Stewart.  But for far too long we have remained focused much more on national events and not global.  The internet allows teachers to send students to resources outside mainstream media.  Have students do a project using BBC resources or research public opinion in Canada or find a story on Al Jazeera - we need to teach them that our national view, much like our personal ones, are not the only perspectives.  And it is easier than ever to do just that.  For until we begin to see from a global perspective, we cannot hope to meet on common ground with those of differing backgrounds, cultures and religious beliefs.

New Technology

So this week our projects were in spreadsheets and databases.  I am an old hat at Excel so that one wasn't very difficult but I had never done much in Access other than enter or search for information.  I found the program almost mystifying.  I usually pick up programs fairly quickly with only a few trips to the help windows but with Access I had no idea where to start.  Even in a template I quickly got frustrated not being able to adapt an existing file to my needs.  I played around with it for a hour or so, asked some help questions and finally gave up an actually took a tutorial!  I never do that.  I refer to tutorials for specific needs sometimes but usually I just jump and in and see how I do.  Well Access - you won!  Once I took the tutorial I was able to create a basic inventory list and the form that goes with it.  But I know I barely scraped the surface of the program.  I still don't know how to integrate multiple lists into each other and create list relationships.  But hey - I learned something!

RSA Animation - Changing Education Paradigms

Watch Watch Watch!
This reflects ideas being discussed in my Diversity Class and my Technology in Education class.  Brings up a lot of the main issues surrounding reform in Education.

Living with a Digital Native

Do we rely too heavily on technology, probably.  Do I spend too much time on my iPhone or with headphones in my ears, yes.  But I also think keeping young children away from technology can be as dangerous as too much of it.  
My son is three.  He  has been successfully manipulating our iPhones for over a year, is proficient with both the mouse and the keyboard, has an account on Zoodles and can log himself into the XBox 360 and start his approved games..  And we find it impossible to keep him away from technology.  He sees us use it, he sees his grandparents use it.  And he enjoys it.  He is challenged by making things work that he couldn't work previously, he feels joy when he solves a puzzle on his own, and he asks for help when he needs it.  But he also plays out side for hours at a time, spends whole afternoons making up stories with his stuffed animals, goes on playdates and paints himself into oblivion.  
I think its balance we need, just like in any aspect of life.  Computers are tools to aid teaching, and if used well, and not as a substitute for humans, they can be a valuable asset even in preschool classrooms.   Keeping our youngest away from the machines that are now an integral part of daily life because "we" didn't grow up that way is closed-minded.  Instead we should teach them to use them responsibly  as the amazing tools they are.  And with that being said, I probably need to go turn the Xbox off...

NETS*T Four and Five

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Part of the focus of the unit that we just finished was copyright and digital citizenship.  I knew some of the copyright information, but there were a lot of surprises as well.   If you are interested, check out this site – it’s a bit silly, but describes a dense topic in a fun, interactive way.  

Copyright Bay

The second aspect of this standard is digital citizenship and responsibility.  Both of these are hot topics and are important to share with students.  Very young students need to know that the internet is public and that they have to be careful who they talk to and what they tell people they meet online. 

Digital citizenship is vital as well – especially to our middle and high school students.  With the recent suicides over cyber bullying, it is important to emphasis that what they write on Twitter or Facebook or a blog has real, and lasting, consequences.  And its public, out there for anyone: classmates, teachers, parents, community or church members to read. 

Both of these issues are very real to me personally as well – I have a young son, it will be my job as a parent to make sure that he understands the dangers, to himself and others, of improper behavior on the web.  And I need to make sure I follow the same rules.  I guess the rule of thumb – If you don’t want your mom to read it, don’t write it on Facebook- applies!

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers:

a.        advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
b.       address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
c.        promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
d.       develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

This one seems like the easiest of the five – Stay Engaged!  And isn’t that what we want our students to do?  I like to explore new technology, talk to others in my field about what is engaging to them or debating hot topics.  I have no experience in the larger teaching profession, but in my previous experience leadership roles come fairly easily to me and I really enjoyed my time spent on professional development, networking, and sharing ideas. 

Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:

a.        participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.
b.       exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others.
c.        evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.
d.       contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community. 

(http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx) 

Seven Technology Tips for Younger Elementary | Edutopia

Great Article about technology in elementary classrooms!

Seven Technology Tips for Younger Elementary | Edutopia

Are you sick of highly paid teachers?

This is a post I found on Facebook that I really liked! Hug a teacher today and thank them for all they do!

Are you sick of highly paid teachers?

by Meredith Menden on Friday, February 18, 2011 at 6:32pm

Are you sick of highly paid teachers?

Teachers' hefty salaries are driving up taxes, and they only work 9 or10 months a year! It's time we put things in perspective and pay them for what they do - babysit!

We can get that for less than minimum wage.

That's right. Let's give them $3.00 an hour and only the hours they worked; not any of that silly planning time, or any time they spend before or after school. That would be $19.50 a day (7:45 to 3:00 PM with 45 min. off for lunch and plan-- that equals 6 1/2 hours).

Each parent should pay $19.50 a day for these teachers to baby-sit their children. Now how many students do they teach in a day...maybe 30? So that's $19.50 x 30 = $585.00 a day.

However, remember they only work 180 days a year!!! I am not going to pay them for any vacations.

LET'S SEE....

That's $585 X 180= $105,300

per year. (Hold on! My calculator needs new batteries).

What about those special

education teachers and the ones with Master's degrees? Well, we could pay them minimum wage ($7.75), and just to be fair, round it off to $8.00 an

hour. That would be $8 X 6 1/2 hours X 30 children X 180 days = $280,800 per year.

Wait a minute -- there's

something wrong here! There sure is!

The average teacher's salary

(nation wide) is $50,000. $50,000/180 days

= $277.77/per day/30

students=$9.25/6.5 hours = $1.42 per hour per student--a very inexpensive baby-sitter and they even EDUCATE your kids!) WHAT A DEAL!!!!

Make a teacher smile; repost this to show appreciation for all educators.

Share

NETS*T #3 - Model Digital Age Work and Learning

NETS*T # 3 is Model Digital-Age Work and Learning – On this front I think I have a workforce advantage.  I was lucky enough to work in a company that emphasized technology and technological collaboration.  We did a lot of internal server sharing that is similar to working from a cloud.  I pick up on digital information rather quickly; however I do get frustrated when a program or site doesn’t function as I expect it too.  This is an area where I need to slow down and ask questions instead of getting bogged down in “trying to figure it out for myself.”  

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.        demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.b.       collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.c.        communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.d.       model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

(http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx)

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Education and Politics

The more I read, the more I'm finding that it is almost impossible to separate Education and Politics.  Our pundits and legislators spend an exorbitant amount of time talking about what's wrong - but very rarely put their money where their mouths are.  Last night I discovered a website called Donors Choose (http://www.donorschoose.org/)  where teachers register for classroom projects and people can donate to them.  It is so sad that our teachers have to BEG for supplies as simple as card stock.   If we want a better world we need a better approach to education.  To achieve better education, we need to pay for it.   Education needs to move up in our priority list from soap box to action item.  If we can give subsidies to oil companies surely we can purchase paper for our kindergarteners.

.

ISTE and NETS*T - Requirement Two

The second requirement is:  Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.  These requirements (see full text below) discuss incorporating digital tools to promote learning, developing a technology rich environment, encouraging students to participate in their own educational goals, customizing lessons to fit each student’s needs, and performing a variety of assessments to inform both learning and teaching. 

                I don’t yet have any real experience designing lesson plans and assessments other than thinking of activities to do with playgroups and small groups of toddlers and preschoolers.   I think much of this will come with research, in class experience and working closely with experienced teachers during my internship.    This is an area that I will need to develop skills.  I wonder, in a time of budget cuts and layoffs, how many classrooms truly have the resources to fully incorporate digital lessons into daily classroom life. 

2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. 

Teachers:

a.        design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b.       develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
c.        customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
d.       provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

(ISTE NETS for Teachers, http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx)

ISTE and NETS*T - Requirement One

The requirements of teachers in a digital age are outlined in a document by the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) are called the National Educational Technology Standards (NETS*T).  There is an outline for Students as well called the NETS*S.  I consider myself a pretty technological person, not a wiz, but overall competent to fluent.  But I will be working with students who have grown up with every type of technology imaginable.  My own son was manipulating our iPhones before he was three.  So even with a classroom full of four and five year olds, I will be expected to incorporate technology into my curriculum.    I plan on discussing these over my next few posts. 

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity*

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. 

Teachers:

a.        promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
b.       engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
c.        promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
d.       model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

For a PreK classroom this could mean utilizing digital drawing and painting programs, projects using digital photography as well as utilizing many of the available math and language games to reinforce class lessons.  Creating class and personal schedules using calendar programs is another way to reinforce both life and digital skills.  I do know of some problem solving games online that I have used with my son, but would need to do further research to find some more appropriate for a PreK classroom.


*(ISTE NETS for Teachers, http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx)

First Post

Here it is, my first blog post ever...  I actually never thought I'd do this.  And to be honest, I only started because it is an assignment for one of my classes.  A tad about me - I am a thirty-something stay at home mom working on my third career change.  I started in theatre, moved to event planning and am now working on my post BA licensure in Early Childhood Education.  Thus the name of the blog - I could have cared less about classes when I was an undergrad, and now I'm actually enjoying it.  And am devastated when I don't get an A on something.  At 20, a C was fine, I just wanted to get back to doing what I loved, stage managing.  Now I enjoy taking in new information, learning about new ideas, real world applications and current events in our education system.  I'm sure having a child of my own doesn't hurt any.  Well, that's it for now, I have homework to do!