Looking back over my blog posts has confirmed just how much has changed in the roughly year and a half I've been in this program. I've said in a few blog posts that I can't remember how I ran my classroom without the tools and skills I've learned through this program. My early blog posts make that much more clear.
In my first post, I mentioned that I didn't want to assign a Power Point project and claim that it satisfies technology integration in my classroom. Today, that's not even on my radar, nor do I hear it from peers anymore. It's not that we've all abandoned Power Point, but it has become one of many tools, instead of the go-to option.
In later posts, I talked about being reckless with computer security. Today, I use regularly-updated virus software and have strengthened all my passwords. It was something I had to stay focused on at first, but updating programs and creating strong passwords has become something I do automatically now.
In a number of posts, I mention a country research project I do in my class, where students create ads for their countries. As I am currently gearing up to start that same project in a few weeks, it's interesting to see how many tools, like VoiceThread, have come from Stritch courses and into my classroom.
Generally speaking, I have changed the basic way I approach technology use. Before going through this program, I would try to find a way to include technology in my teaching. Now, I'm choosing the best tool to improve my teaching. It's not about shoe-horning something in just to say I did it. Technology now is a standard part of my classroom. I also see a change in the way I approach working with co-workers. At the beginning of the program, I was telling everybody about the new things I was learning and encouraging them to use these tools in their classroom. These days, I do more listening than talking. My colleagues know that I have an interest in technology, so they come to me to ask how they can incorporate new tools or techniques. Again, it's not about finding a way to use this tool or that one, it's listening to how the structure their classroom, and finding the best tool for them.
In my personal life, I feel like I have gone from a consumer of technology to an active participant. I use a number of tools that are currently in beta, and I feel that my feedback and my usage affects how these emerging technologies will change in the future. Instead of just using computers and the Internet to discuss my interests, I now discuss computers and the Internet. I am interested in what's new not just for the sake of knowing the newest thing, but because I know that technology is constantly changing, and we can help to change it for the better.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Sunday, October 14, 2012
599 Week 1- My Project
For my project, I am focusing on PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Support) integration in my classroom. Last year, I was a member of my school's PBIS team, and we looked for ways to introduce behavioral lessons into the classroom, and for ways to gather and effectively use data.
The first part of my project will involve Class Dojo. It is a tool that I can use to log student behaviors easily. I currently keep the tap open in my browser throughout the day, but they also have a handy app that I use on my iPad and phone. With this tool, I can log observed student behaviors, both positive and negative, and easily communicate with students and parents. Students get their own portal where they can personalize a little "monster" avatar, and I can easily send weekly behavior reports to parents. I hope that this will keep everyone on the same page and encourage students to make positive behavior choices.
For the second part, I will be using PB Works to make a student wiki as part of a unit on the novel Stargirl. The novel deals with bullying, cliques, and social exclusion in schools, and is a great opportunity to get students discussing how those issues play out in our own school. As we read, they will compare and contrast the school from the novel to our own school, and will then discuss what we can do as staff and students to improve how everyone treats each other.
Finally, I will work with the other teachers in my grade level to discourage negative behaviors. We created a reflection sheet that students will fill out when they are given a lunch detention. The detentions are then logged into one central spreadsheet, as well as a total of how many detentions were given for each behavior. The goal is to cut down on total detentions throughout the year, and specifically to highlight currently problematic behaviors so that we as a staff can discuss the best way to prevent those behaviors.
I feel the advantages I will gain from this project come in the form of less time spent on remediation of negative behavior, and possibly even less time spent on redirection. By clearly identifying which behaviors are to be praised and which are to be avoided through Class Dojo, getting students involved in the process of identifying how to improve through the wiki, and encouraging reflection after negative choices, I can increase the class time spent on instruction. The increase in instructional time, paired with a more positive environment in the classroom, will end with more successful students.
The first part of my project will involve Class Dojo. It is a tool that I can use to log student behaviors easily. I currently keep the tap open in my browser throughout the day, but they also have a handy app that I use on my iPad and phone. With this tool, I can log observed student behaviors, both positive and negative, and easily communicate with students and parents. Students get their own portal where they can personalize a little "monster" avatar, and I can easily send weekly behavior reports to parents. I hope that this will keep everyone on the same page and encourage students to make positive behavior choices.
For the second part, I will be using PB Works to make a student wiki as part of a unit on the novel Stargirl. The novel deals with bullying, cliques, and social exclusion in schools, and is a great opportunity to get students discussing how those issues play out in our own school. As we read, they will compare and contrast the school from the novel to our own school, and will then discuss what we can do as staff and students to improve how everyone treats each other.
Finally, I will work with the other teachers in my grade level to discourage negative behaviors. We created a reflection sheet that students will fill out when they are given a lunch detention. The detentions are then logged into one central spreadsheet, as well as a total of how many detentions were given for each behavior. The goal is to cut down on total detentions throughout the year, and specifically to highlight currently problematic behaviors so that we as a staff can discuss the best way to prevent those behaviors.
I feel the advantages I will gain from this project come in the form of less time spent on remediation of negative behavior, and possibly even less time spent on redirection. By clearly identifying which behaviors are to be praised and which are to be avoided through Class Dojo, getting students involved in the process of identifying how to improve through the wiki, and encouraging reflection after negative choices, I can increase the class time spent on instruction. The increase in instructional time, paired with a more positive environment in the classroom, will end with more successful students.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Wrapping Up 565
This class resulted in some pretty big changes into the way I view leadership. In the past, I always thought that you should just push ahead with what you know to be a good idea, and people will jump on board once they see your success. After going through the simulation, I can really see how people want to have input on major change, since everyone has different points of view and different needs. What may work great for me might be missing that essential piece for a parent to be on board, and something completely different missing to get my administrator on board. Effective communication is absolutely necessary to effect major change.
Being a teacher leader can be kind of a sticky wicket. Since your not in a defined "leader" role, you have to accept the fact that you'll be making suggestions to the decision-makers. But with a clearly communicated shared vision, those suggestions become easier to make. School leaders will be much more responsive if you can clearly define how a change improves the school or district. And, ultimately, positive change does have to come from within a school. We have to accept that we are the experts that need to make the necessary changes for the coming generations. For all the griping about how politicians don't know how to make sound decisions on education policy, we'd be much better off if we offered alternatives instead. It's much more difficult, but I hope that I can take some of the strategies from the class and generate teams within my building that can step up to the challenge.
Being a teacher leader can be kind of a sticky wicket. Since your not in a defined "leader" role, you have to accept the fact that you'll be making suggestions to the decision-makers. But with a clearly communicated shared vision, those suggestions become easier to make. School leaders will be much more responsive if you can clearly define how a change improves the school or district. And, ultimately, positive change does have to come from within a school. We have to accept that we are the experts that need to make the necessary changes for the coming generations. For all the griping about how politicians don't know how to make sound decisions on education policy, we'd be much better off if we offered alternatives instead. It's much more difficult, but I hope that I can take some of the strategies from the class and generate teams within my building that can step up to the challenge.
Monday, September 17, 2012
565 Week 5- Simulation Years 2 and 3
After finishing the simulation, I can say that it was as fun as it was difficult. While we struggled to get going in the first year, there was a sense of "Well we have no clue what we're doing, so let's just try something and hope for the best." In the second and third year, we had a definite plan. And it still didn't work like we wanted to. This was much more frustrating. In the end, it turns out we didn't heed the advice of other groups- talk, talk, talk, talk- as much as we should have. It seemed the most important part in creating change in the game was to make sure that everyone was involved.
I feel this is very much true in real life, as people would much rather be part of a change than be told that they have to change. Especially these days, when teachers aren't feeling the respect they had in the past, being asked for their input at work can be an important morale boost.
In the long term, I feel the game changed the way I would look at major change. In the past, I would have chosen what I felt to be the best "fill in the blank", and would trust that everyone would eventually get on board once they see how great it is. Now I see that you really need to work with people as you create the change. People are unlikely to look over one day and be so amazed that they immediately pass over all decision-making powers to you and your awesome "whatever plan it is".
I feel this is very much true in real life, as people would much rather be part of a change than be told that they have to change. Especially these days, when teachers aren't feeling the respect they had in the past, being asked for their input at work can be an important morale boost.
In the long term, I feel the game changed the way I would look at major change. In the past, I would have chosen what I felt to be the best "fill in the blank", and would trust that everyone would eventually get on board once they see how great it is. Now I see that you really need to work with people as you create the change. People are unlikely to look over one day and be so amazed that they immediately pass over all decision-making powers to you and your awesome "whatever plan it is".
Monday, September 10, 2012
565 Week 4- First Year of Simulation
This week's simulation had to be one of the most fun classes in this entire program. It was really unique to get a different perspective on planning district-wide changes. My district has undergone a lot over the past few years- our philosophy is that we'd rather get out ahead of changes so we can have some voice in exactly how it looks once it becomes requirement. This means a lot of work without anyone really able to tell you exactly what to do. The result on our staff has been mixed- some excited, some upset, all stressed out. But going through the simulation really helped me to understand why we were doing certain things that I found pointless at the time, and why some changes have to move so slowly.
I'm really looking forward to the next "year" of this game. I think it would be a great tool to use to help staff understand how a district goes about addressing a new initiative. Maybe something to play at a staff inservice.
Monday, September 3, 2012
Leadership Week 3- Cheese and Spark Plugs
I'm going to mix analogies a bit here, starting with your "Who Moved My Cheese?" story. The message of that story is that when a method no longer produces the results you want, you need to move on to a new method instead of blaming other people or lamenting that the world is so unfair. And old methods will always stop producing results. It's an important message, but one that I hesitate to apply 100% to schools.
In the discussion forum, I alluded to schools chasing every new reform, as described by Diana Senechal, despite a questionable need to do so. This would be like the mice running to a new location when there is still plenty of cheese left, just because they heard there is also cheese somewhere else. It may be more, it may be less, and that is something that should be considered before making the move.
And that is where the cheese begins to be the spark plug described in the Systems Thinking video. Schools will quickly add a new reading program, or embrace a new method for encouraging positive behavior without considering the role the old system took. Perhaps the old system had played an important role in another area- the old reading system was used in Science and Social Studies, or the old behavior model played a role in many teachers' classroom rules. But when the new program or model is put in place, nobody accounts for the sudden loss of the old supports.
This is a problem that results from authoritarian, top-down leadership. Too often, an administrator makes a decision to incorporate a new program or idea without consulting staff to see if it would actually be the best decision. Or, a committee is formed, but it later becomes obvious that it was a committee on how to incorporate the new model, not if we should incorporate it. A leader who empowers the staff and uses input from everyone in decision making would not constantly chase the new trend.
In the discussion forum, I alluded to schools chasing every new reform, as described by Diana Senechal, despite a questionable need to do so. This would be like the mice running to a new location when there is still plenty of cheese left, just because they heard there is also cheese somewhere else. It may be more, it may be less, and that is something that should be considered before making the move.
And that is where the cheese begins to be the spark plug described in the Systems Thinking video. Schools will quickly add a new reading program, or embrace a new method for encouraging positive behavior without considering the role the old system took. Perhaps the old system had played an important role in another area- the old reading system was used in Science and Social Studies, or the old behavior model played a role in many teachers' classroom rules. But when the new program or model is put in place, nobody accounts for the sudden loss of the old supports.
This is a problem that results from authoritarian, top-down leadership. Too often, an administrator makes a decision to incorporate a new program or idea without consulting staff to see if it would actually be the best decision. Or, a committee is formed, but it later becomes obvious that it was a committee on how to incorporate the new model, not if we should incorporate it. A leader who empowers the staff and uses input from everyone in decision making would not constantly chase the new trend.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
565 Week 2- Data Retreat
I've heard at a number of conferences the warning that teachers and administrators must avoid becoming a DRIP school- data rich, information poor. At all the conferences I've attended, I've looked around and talked with teachers from other schools which fall all over the DRIP spectrum. However, I have yet to have a teacher describe to me a way in which they use data in a meaningful way. For all the data we collect on students (WKCE, MAP, Access, formative assessments, homework, projects, teacher observations), we have an amount of data which I will compare to a Lamborghini. There are plenty of districts who just park it in the driveway and admire it. Some actually learn to drive it, but keep it on suburban roads and run short errands. I haven't talked to a teacher yet who's working for a school that's taking that puppy out on the Autobahn and putting the hammer down.
I've always felt that a large hindrance is that most of the data is on a scale that doesn't make much sense. For daily grades, we have a nice system that divides it in 10-percent groups. Easy. What's the highest possible WKCE score? No idea. What about MAP? According to some, infinity, since time is considered in the score. I've heard other people say time is noted, but not calculated in the score. Either way, how good is a 225? Pretty good, I guess? And nobody can get a handle on how their formative assessments fit into that because everyone is using a different tool with a different scale.
I dream of a day when all of these test scores could be consolidated into one overall score. For the sabermetrics fans out there, something like WAR. I'd love to go onto Power School, click on a student, and see their whatever-acronym-we-pick score along with a quick shot of their biggest hindrance (or two) and biggest strength (or two). Obviously, this would be an over-simplification and deep analysis would be needed for students who are not showing improvement. But getting data into a simple format has to be the first step in getting teachers to actually use it. A 548 WKCE doesn't tell anyone anything worthwhile and we're just wasting time pretending that it does.
The fact that all of the data available on WINSS and DPI is there and is relatively easy to use means that something like this is possible. Now we just need somebody to make it happen. So if anyone reading this knows how to write a program like that, I am willing to share some of my considerable wealth to make it happen. (I don't have considerable wealth. At all.)
I've always felt that a large hindrance is that most of the data is on a scale that doesn't make much sense. For daily grades, we have a nice system that divides it in 10-percent groups. Easy. What's the highest possible WKCE score? No idea. What about MAP? According to some, infinity, since time is considered in the score. I've heard other people say time is noted, but not calculated in the score. Either way, how good is a 225? Pretty good, I guess? And nobody can get a handle on how their formative assessments fit into that because everyone is using a different tool with a different scale.
I dream of a day when all of these test scores could be consolidated into one overall score. For the sabermetrics fans out there, something like WAR. I'd love to go onto Power School, click on a student, and see their whatever-acronym-we-pick score along with a quick shot of their biggest hindrance (or two) and biggest strength (or two). Obviously, this would be an over-simplification and deep analysis would be needed for students who are not showing improvement. But getting data into a simple format has to be the first step in getting teachers to actually use it. A 548 WKCE doesn't tell anyone anything worthwhile and we're just wasting time pretending that it does.
The fact that all of the data available on WINSS and DPI is there and is relatively easy to use means that something like this is possible. Now we just need somebody to make it happen. So if anyone reading this knows how to write a program like that, I am willing to share some of my considerable wealth to make it happen. (I don't have considerable wealth. At all.)
Sunday, August 5, 2012
Leadership- Week 1
I currently strive to be a leader at my school in many ways. So far, that has meant getting involved in as many different areas as I can. So far, I have coached three sports, been in charge of a club, and served on several committees, including RtI, PBIS, Scheduling, Technology, and others that have since dissolved (due to completion of task or energy needing to be focused elsewhere).
I feel that if you want to be a leader, others need to see that you can understand them. If people see that you are eager to help in a variety of roles, they are more likely to turn to you for help, or to trust you with an important task. As I mentioned in one of my discussion board posts, I'm not strong in the "Political" area. Instead, I believe if you work hard and do well, others will recognize your efforts and reward you accordingly.
I feel that if you want to be a leader, others need to see that you can understand them. If people see that you are eager to help in a variety of roles, they are more likely to turn to you for help, or to trust you with an important task. As I mentioned in one of my discussion board posts, I'm not strong in the "Political" area. Instead, I believe if you work hard and do well, others will recognize your efforts and reward you accordingly.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
555 Week 3- Creative Commons
We've discussed Creative Commons in a few other classes, and I think I've actually written on this exact topic before, but I still have what I think is kind of a neat activity for using Creative Commons in the classroom. After some simple lessons on Creative Commons and the different types of licenses, I think it would be neat to have students publish some of their work online and choose the exact type of license they want to apply to it. I think it would get them to reflect on Creative Commons, as well as how they think content should be shared. It would at least be something to reference next time we talk about plagiarism, which is often.
Monday, June 11, 2012
555 Week 1- The Portfolio Begins
Reflecting on something large is always difficult. I've mentioned in this blog, probably too many times, that I can barely remember how I ran my classroom without some of the tools I've learned from this program. So as I sat down to start putting together my portfolio, it was tough to pick artifacts to fit those standards. I couldn't remember "Oh yeah, it was in 515 that we talked about that," or "It was 520 where we did this activity." So when I sat down to start matching activities to ideas, I realized what I've done didn't necessarily match what we've discussed.
The clearest example for me was trying to find an artifact to demonstrate instruction of digital citizenship. It's a concept we've talked about plenty among a number of different courses, but I couldn't find an activity that I had completed that directly addressed that issue. It made me think that this could easily be an issue with a rubric used to assess any project where students are given much freedom- they may not take it in the direction you had planned. Thus, if you want to use a rubric, you had better be sure the students see it and understand it before you begin, or make sure that they understand which tasks have to be completed.
Note: I'm not saying anything was lacking from this course- it just got me thinking.
The clearest example for me was trying to find an artifact to demonstrate instruction of digital citizenship. It's a concept we've talked about plenty among a number of different courses, but I couldn't find an activity that I had completed that directly addressed that issue. It made me think that this could easily be an issue with a rubric used to assess any project where students are given much freedom- they may not take it in the direction you had planned. Thus, if you want to use a rubric, you had better be sure the students see it and understand it before you begin, or make sure that they understand which tasks have to be completed.
Note: I'm not saying anything was lacking from this course- it just got me thinking.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
550 Week 6- Final Reflection
As this class comes to a close, I'm thankful for the opportunity to look at the tools we've had a chance to use in the context of an online class. As we've learned these strategies, I've thought about them in my current classroom. We've talked plenty about how we think schools will look like in the near and distant future, but it was always hypothetical. I liked having the chance to plan that online lesson, short as it was. It gave me a chance to look at those same tools in this new context- to see which strategies can be directly translated, and which would need to be adjusted.
I'm excited about the potential for teaching a full online class at some point. I mentioned in my last post how it seems like the time is right for schools to jump on the online-class bandwagon, and perhaps I can encourage my district to dip its toe in the water.
I'm excited about the potential for teaching a full online class at some point. I mentioned in my last post how it seems like the time is right for schools to jump on the online-class bandwagon, and perhaps I can encourage my district to dip its toe in the water.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
550 Week 5 and the Crystal Ball
Being in a program like this, I feel most of use are probably a little more optimistic when it comes to the future of online learning. For my colleagues, on the list of about 100 things they are trying to think about in regards to education's future, it clocks in at about 99, or maybe a bit further down. That said, with my best attempt to remove my own bias, I really think the stars are aligning for online education.
First of all, the technology is getting there. There are more and more collaborative web 2.0 tools released every year, all of them with their own unique features. The more technologically advanced we get, the less it feels like a separate type of class, and more like an alternate way to get the same experience. Bandwidth still seems to be an issue, as we cannot all share video at the same time in our Collaborate classroom, but that will be something that will advance as well in the coming years. I could see an entire class all streaming video at the same time in the not too distant future.
Common Core will also help us avoid a political fight. The idea of an online classroom has been pitched to us as "Kids can take their classes from the best teachers in the country!" Of course, then we get into charter schools and vouchers and "Are the kids that need help the most getting it if a few teachers are teaching groups of 6,000?" Not to mention "Can these 'best' teachers in the country effectively handle their class sizes?" The fact that we'll all be teaching the same curriculum puts us closer to equal ground. Yes, some teachers will present those ideas better than others, but with a common curriculum, students can choose the type of classroom that fits them best. They can choose to be in a face-to-face direct instruction classroom, or an online constructivist classroom or anything in between. And we can use benchmark assessments to measure whether or not those types of learning are actually working for those students.
If the current model of education is, as many have said, a "factory", then I feel the schools of the future will be more like shopping malls. Students will be able to try out many different types of learning. The difference will be that we will be able to give them advice about their "purchases". Hopefully online learning can gain some more attention in the near future, because it does fit nicely with the current focus in education.
First of all, the technology is getting there. There are more and more collaborative web 2.0 tools released every year, all of them with their own unique features. The more technologically advanced we get, the less it feels like a separate type of class, and more like an alternate way to get the same experience. Bandwidth still seems to be an issue, as we cannot all share video at the same time in our Collaborate classroom, but that will be something that will advance as well in the coming years. I could see an entire class all streaming video at the same time in the not too distant future.
Common Core will also help us avoid a political fight. The idea of an online classroom has been pitched to us as "Kids can take their classes from the best teachers in the country!" Of course, then we get into charter schools and vouchers and "Are the kids that need help the most getting it if a few teachers are teaching groups of 6,000?" Not to mention "Can these 'best' teachers in the country effectively handle their class sizes?" The fact that we'll all be teaching the same curriculum puts us closer to equal ground. Yes, some teachers will present those ideas better than others, but with a common curriculum, students can choose the type of classroom that fits them best. They can choose to be in a face-to-face direct instruction classroom, or an online constructivist classroom or anything in between. And we can use benchmark assessments to measure whether or not those types of learning are actually working for those students.
If the current model of education is, as many have said, a "factory", then I feel the schools of the future will be more like shopping malls. Students will be able to try out many different types of learning. The difference will be that we will be able to give them advice about their "purchases". Hopefully online learning can gain some more attention in the near future, because it does fit nicely with the current focus in education.
Sunday, May 13, 2012
550 Week 4- Formative Assessment
A very simple Web 2.0 formative assessment would be some sort of survey. Whether it be through a service like Survey Monkey or Poll Everywhere, or through Google Forms, students could take short, regular quizzes. Any questions they do not answer correctly could be met with a short video on the topic, an activity, and a follow-up quiz. It could be self-paced, and may very well be an effective way to address learning needs that do not relate directly to curricular materials. For example, it is not easy to connect common and proper nouns to A Christmas Carol in an authentic way. This would be useful, but would really only engage students at the Applying level of Bloom's Taxonomy, at best.
Another interesting possibility for formative assessment would be using social networks like Twitter. Over the course of a unit or a project, students would occasionally tweet something about their progress or what they are learning. The instructor could respond with additional questions or suggestions. Based on the student response, the instructor gets a better idea of whether or not the student is really grasping the concepts of the lesson, or is simply repeating information read elsewhere. Students could also communicate with each other- asking questions purely out of curiosity, or also finding ways in which their particular projects connect. This moves discourse up to the Evaluating level of Bloom's Taxonomy, with the Creating level covered in the project itself.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
550 Week 3- Roles of an Online Teacher
Here is my mind map of some goals I would have to meet to be an effective online teacher. Some of these also apply to a traditional classroom, but are more important in an online environment.
Monday, April 30, 2012
550 Week 2
Below is my Venn Diagram for online and face-to-face learning. Since it seems the variety between classrooms of the same type can be greater than the variety between the "typical" version of either, I focused on the face-to-face classrooms I have personally experienced, and our online course.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
550 Week 1
On the discussion boards, I just spent my last two posts discussing my trepidation towards online learning for current middle and high-school students. In this post, I hope to make up for that a bit.
This masters program has been perfect for me, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to others. The convenience alone is a huge selling point, but I really enjoy the ability to explore at my own pace. If there is a topic that I don't find particularly engaging, I complete the assignment and move on. However, there are plenty of times when I've been introduced to fantastic new material, and I can spend as much time as I please investigating it.
I realize this can be done in any sort of class, but holding class on the internet encourages this much more than, say, a textbook. The internet is set up for exploration- any site containing information will link to others. It makes it easy for me to peruse at my leisure anything I find interesting.
As an adult learner, I feel this setup works. It does take a level of maturity to be sure that your work is done on time, and that you are able to set aside time to do it. That, and that fact that the internet is built for distraction just as much as it is for exploration.
This masters program has been perfect for me, and one that I would wholeheartedly recommend to others. The convenience alone is a huge selling point, but I really enjoy the ability to explore at my own pace. If there is a topic that I don't find particularly engaging, I complete the assignment and move on. However, there are plenty of times when I've been introduced to fantastic new material, and I can spend as much time as I please investigating it.
I realize this can be done in any sort of class, but holding class on the internet encourages this much more than, say, a textbook. The internet is set up for exploration- any site containing information will link to others. It makes it easy for me to peruse at my leisure anything I find interesting.
As an adult learner, I feel this setup works. It does take a level of maturity to be sure that your work is done on time, and that you are able to set aside time to do it. That, and that fact that the internet is built for distraction just as much as it is for exploration.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Statistics Week 5
This week, I had one of those nice moments when you get to see exactly how far you've come in the last few years. I remember looking at WINSS as part of my undergrad, and not really understanding what any of it meant. Oh, I looked at the charts and pretended I knew, but it was all Greek to me, really. It was nice to look back now that I've had a little experience in the classroom, and a better understanding of statistics through this course. In my undergrad, I remember thinking, "Why would anyone really take the time to look through all of this?" As we took the scenario of a parent looking at a potential school district, though, it had lots of information that I would absolutely want to see. It makes me wonder if schools that are performing well may try to educate local parents on how to find and use that information. With all the mixed feelings about districts publishing test results for students categorized by teacher, bringing multiple data sets into the conversation might help. Or at least make it complicated enough that it doesn't fit neatly into a short news segment anymore.
Google Trends was another interesting tool. I didn't immediately see how I would use it in my classroom, but it's one of those things I'll keep in Diigo and in the back of my mind. It could make for some data in a compare/contrast or persuasive essay.
On an unrelated tangent (which is kind of becoming the norm for me, lately), I've been trying this year to get my kids to Google more effectively. I teach them about identifying key words, and some simple Boolean logic, but it seems every time I turn my back, they just go right back to typing in questions in complete sentences. (The irony, of course, is that's the only time I can get them to write a complete sentence, it seems.) I tried the Google Game with one class, but a lot of them found it counter-intuitive- "Why would I want less information?" It's kind of a chore, but I think effective searching and analysis of website validity is something that will be more and more valuable in years to come. The tough part is that a lot of information on websites that don't pass the smell test is still true, and I don't want to entirely cut off message boards and other forms of information just because they are sometimes wrong. Unfortunately, with a movement towards short, quick projects instead of months-long research papers, it's difficult to show kids how to filter information effectively. As of right now, I have no good answer for this. /rant
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Statistics Week 4
This week's homework lived up to it's description of "really tough". That said, I had a good time doing it. I actually got to break out the pen and paper again and do some algebra. And darn it if algebra isn't just fun. I'm not completely sure I got the right answers, and I'll be interested to see what my group members came up with, but I had a good time crunching the numbers. It started to feel like I could really start applying this to some of the numbers we get at school and bring some more meaning to them.
I was also impressed with the Bill Tancer video. There was one question from the audience that I didn't discuss on the wiki, mostly because I wanted to talk about it here. A member asked how he determined the background of the participants in his data collection- how did he know which people searching for Stacy Kiebler were male, and which were female. He answered with a long string of terms that were Greek to me, but it seemed like he gave people the chance to voluntarily submit their information. The audience member asked, basically, doesn't that skew the data? Aren't you just analyzing the subset of the population that's actually willing to hand over their information (which he said 90% of the people at Google wouldn't do)?
It made me think of the Nielsen ratings. A few years ago, I actually filled out the little Nielsen packet, mostly because I collected a teacher's paycheck and $20 sounded awesome. I caught myself skewing my own data, though (something I alluded to in the wiki). I caught myself watching stupid shows because I was bored and it was all that was on, but I didn't actually want to encourage the production of those shows, so I claimed that I watched nothing. Other times, I would see something that was about to come on after my bedtime that looked really interesting, so I claimed that I watched it to encourage more of those shows to be made. (Yup, I just admitted to liking algebra and having a set bedtime in the same blog post. Awesome.) I wondered how many other people did that- gave Nielsen slightly inaccurate data to encourage a particular result in the survey. I'm sure statisticians have found a way to account for this, but my gut tells me it's probably not quite perfect. Perhaps these small changes just get accounted for in a large enough sample size? Either way, it's something that will be in the back of my mind as we go through our own survey data.
Oh, and if anyone from Nielsen is reading and wants their $20 back, I was just kidding. I totally watched that NatGeo special.
I was also impressed with the Bill Tancer video. There was one question from the audience that I didn't discuss on the wiki, mostly because I wanted to talk about it here. A member asked how he determined the background of the participants in his data collection- how did he know which people searching for Stacy Kiebler were male, and which were female. He answered with a long string of terms that were Greek to me, but it seemed like he gave people the chance to voluntarily submit their information. The audience member asked, basically, doesn't that skew the data? Aren't you just analyzing the subset of the population that's actually willing to hand over their information (which he said 90% of the people at Google wouldn't do)?
It made me think of the Nielsen ratings. A few years ago, I actually filled out the little Nielsen packet, mostly because I collected a teacher's paycheck and $20 sounded awesome. I caught myself skewing my own data, though (something I alluded to in the wiki). I caught myself watching stupid shows because I was bored and it was all that was on, but I didn't actually want to encourage the production of those shows, so I claimed that I watched nothing. Other times, I would see something that was about to come on after my bedtime that looked really interesting, so I claimed that I watched it to encourage more of those shows to be made. (Yup, I just admitted to liking algebra and having a set bedtime in the same blog post. Awesome.) I wondered how many other people did that- gave Nielsen slightly inaccurate data to encourage a particular result in the survey. I'm sure statisticians have found a way to account for this, but my gut tells me it's probably not quite perfect. Perhaps these small changes just get accounted for in a large enough sample size? Either way, it's something that will be in the back of my mind as we go through our own survey data.
Oh, and if anyone from Nielsen is reading and wants their $20 back, I was just kidding. I totally watched that NatGeo special.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Statistics Week 3
This is one week when I would have had to eat a little crow if I had spoken to anyone about this week's article on preparing a survey. After reading, it all seemed pretty pointless to me. I thought it included the kind of unnecessary preparation steps that business-y types sit around in boardrooms and talk about while pretending words like "synergy" mean anything. If I would have said that out loud, I would have been wrong.
As my group went through the steps, I quickly realized that if we just started randomly writing down questions, it would have been a mess. As we were creating the questions, our focus slowly and subtly changed, and we went back and tweaked a few of our early additions to our survey. It was then that Curtis pointed out our goal didn't really match our content anymore. If we wouldn't have taken the time to formulate and write down a goal, I never would have realized it. And I probably would have still thought of it as a survey on "tech tools" even though all the questions were now about "tech skills". If I were to present it, I guarantee I would have coming out looking bad. It was definitely a good reminder that survey creation has to be very purposeful and centered on a goal, otherwise you won't end up with the results you wanted.
On an unrelated side note that I may have brought up before, but will blather on about anyway, my Language Arts II class recently finished a completely paperless novel unit. I'm currently working through grading their work, and I couldn't be happier. Their blog posts were insightful, they worked great as teams, and most made a Prezi for their final project- unreal. The vast majority of that class has much better Prezi chops than I have. The only hangup was that I required them to use Today's Meet to meet at least once outside of class, with the stipulation that they had to get some actual work done (not just casually chat). This was a headache. Maybe if someone else has had students work collaboratively online after school hours, he or she could impart some wisdom on me, because I won't be trying to force another class to go through that portion in the same way I planned it this year. All things considered, though, the unit is a definite repeat for next year, and I'll probably convert a few other units to the blog/wiki format.
As my group went through the steps, I quickly realized that if we just started randomly writing down questions, it would have been a mess. As we were creating the questions, our focus slowly and subtly changed, and we went back and tweaked a few of our early additions to our survey. It was then that Curtis pointed out our goal didn't really match our content anymore. If we wouldn't have taken the time to formulate and write down a goal, I never would have realized it. And I probably would have still thought of it as a survey on "tech tools" even though all the questions were now about "tech skills". If I were to present it, I guarantee I would have coming out looking bad. It was definitely a good reminder that survey creation has to be very purposeful and centered on a goal, otherwise you won't end up with the results you wanted.
On an unrelated side note that I may have brought up before, but will blather on about anyway, my Language Arts II class recently finished a completely paperless novel unit. I'm currently working through grading their work, and I couldn't be happier. Their blog posts were insightful, they worked great as teams, and most made a Prezi for their final project- unreal. The vast majority of that class has much better Prezi chops than I have. The only hangup was that I required them to use Today's Meet to meet at least once outside of class, with the stipulation that they had to get some actual work done (not just casually chat). This was a headache. Maybe if someone else has had students work collaboratively online after school hours, he or she could impart some wisdom on me, because I won't be trying to force another class to go through that portion in the same way I planned it this year. All things considered, though, the unit is a definite repeat for next year, and I'll probably convert a few other units to the blog/wiki format.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Statistics Week 2
This week was a little bit of fun. In the past, I've compared looking at student test scores and formative assessments to looking at baseball stats. This week, in the scenarios in the guided practice, it felt more like I was looking at a player's stat line and evaluating how he would be expected to perform. I felt like I was guessing a lot of the time, or at least describing a scenario that could be true, as opposed to what necessarily is true.
One stat I'm still hung up on is Standard Deviation. I understand that it is connected to range, but I'm still a little hazy on exactly what it means for a collection of numbers. But say there was a set of numbers, most around 100 let's say. Then there was one at 7. Would the SD be the same as a series of evenly spaced numbers covering the same range? If that were the case, I'm not sure how it's necessarily useful given that we already know the range. If it's not the case, then I need to go back and look into SD a little more.
The survey tools investigation was a bit of an eye-opener. I didn't realize people were paying so much for survey software. For an individual teacher, it seemed like the free subscriptions often covered much of what I wanted to do. One of the tools (I think it might have been Poll Everywhere) offered the ability to identify respondents, and that would definitely be helpful in the classroom were I to use it for a graded assessment. However, there are plenty of services like Edmodo or Quia for giving quizzes.
One stat I'm still hung up on is Standard Deviation. I understand that it is connected to range, but I'm still a little hazy on exactly what it means for a collection of numbers. But say there was a set of numbers, most around 100 let's say. Then there was one at 7. Would the SD be the same as a series of evenly spaced numbers covering the same range? If that were the case, I'm not sure how it's necessarily useful given that we already know the range. If it's not the case, then I need to go back and look into SD a little more.
The survey tools investigation was a bit of an eye-opener. I didn't realize people were paying so much for survey software. For an individual teacher, it seemed like the free subscriptions often covered much of what I wanted to do. One of the tools (I think it might have been Poll Everywhere) offered the ability to identify respondents, and that would definitely be helpful in the classroom were I to use it for a graded assessment. However, there are plenty of services like Edmodo or Quia for giving quizzes.
Monday, February 6, 2012
540 Week 1- Let the Geeking Out Commence
As I said in my bio page, this was the one class that really caught my eye when I signed up for the Masters program. I've made a small hobby out of using stats in my classroom, and I really want to learn whether or not I'm using them correctly, and hopefully learn some new techniques.
The terms for the first week seem straightforward enough. I caught myself applying a few of them to a test I just graded in one of my classes. I was sort of surprised by the even distribution of grades- B, C, and D were completely even, with a few A's and one F. This seems like it would be the type of grade distribution which would reflect on honest assessment- median and mean would be similar, and likely multiple modes. The problem is, this does not reflect the distribution of overall grades the students had going into the test. So I guess the mystery is what caused some students to get lower than normal grades, in varying degrees, while others were aligned with what they normally have (this class is entirely A and B students).
I just deleted a few paragraphs of boring description of how I would go about doing this, most of which is probably obvious. (You're welcome.) Point is, this is the kind of situation I would love to apply statistical analysis to, and figure out what went wrong for some, and fine for others. The common responses to this problem would probably be either "Well some kids didn't study," or "That teacher isn't doing his job," depending on whom you want to make into a scapegoat. Hopefully, by the end of this course, I can shed a little more light on a situation like that.
The terms for the first week seem straightforward enough. I caught myself applying a few of them to a test I just graded in one of my classes. I was sort of surprised by the even distribution of grades- B, C, and D were completely even, with a few A's and one F. This seems like it would be the type of grade distribution which would reflect on honest assessment- median and mean would be similar, and likely multiple modes. The problem is, this does not reflect the distribution of overall grades the students had going into the test. So I guess the mystery is what caused some students to get lower than normal grades, in varying degrees, while others were aligned with what they normally have (this class is entirely A and B students).
I just deleted a few paragraphs of boring description of how I would go about doing this, most of which is probably obvious. (You're welcome.) Point is, this is the kind of situation I would love to apply statistical analysis to, and figure out what went wrong for some, and fine for others. The common responses to this problem would probably be either "Well some kids didn't study," or "That teacher isn't doing his job," depending on whom you want to make into a scapegoat. Hopefully, by the end of this course, I can shed a little more light on a situation like that.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
535 Week 6- In Which I Don't Exactly Make This Difficult
I recall writing in one of my blog posts that once we learned about RSS feeds, it would over-take my use of Twitter for finding appropriate news and ideas. After using Feedly for just a few weeks, I think that prediction was correct. RSS is a simple way of getting useful information- and I don’t have to wade through lots of unrelated tweets to get the material. I currently only have about five sites in my RSS feed, but I would like to add to that and use it on a regular basis as part of my Professional Learning Network.
Specific
My goal will be to double the size of my RSS feed to ten sites that regularly post quality content. I feel this is an attainable goal- I don’t want to set the bar too high and clutter up my RSS feed with mediocre content. Right now, the advantage of RSS over Twitter is that all of the content is all relevant and useful. I’d also like to set a pattern for checking my RSS feed. Coaching can make my life pretty busy, so I’ll set the goal of checking my RSS feed three times a week, and reading at least two articles each time.
Measurable
Obviously, it will be easy to measure whether or not I have ten sites in my RSS feed, and whether or not I’m reading at least six articles per week. The measure I want to focus on, though, is quality. If I only read six articles per week, that means four of those sites didn’t put up anything that I considered worth reading. I expect to regularly go beyond six articles per week, so if one site regularly doesn’t make the cut, I need to find better content.
I would add that I should set a goal of implementing something I read into my classroom, but I balk slightly at that idea. It seems odd to set a goal of implementing an idea that I haven’t heard yet, under the assumption that there will be something I like. I’ve made numerous changes to the structure of my classroom over the course of this program, most with very positive results. I don’t feel that I’m hesitant to make changes or try ideas that I think would work. I think the main focus for me should be on getting a better variety of information-the implementation will follow.
Attainable
This goal seems very attainable, as long as I make it part of my regular routine. There is no shortage of quality blogs and websites, and the RSS feed makes checking them more convenient. Although there are many nights during a sport’s season that I come home, eat, then go to bed without opening my computer, I just need to make a point to do it.
Realistic
I feel this goal is very realistic. In fact, it’s probably setting the bar pretty low. However, I think RSS can be very useful, and I don’t want to turn it into a chore.
Timely
I will be starting to goal of checking the feed at least three times a week starting immediately. As for the goal of adding five more sites to the feed, I will continue to read on Twitter, and will keep an eye out for sites that are regularly linked. As I find blogs and sites that I like, I will add them. I will set the goal of five more quality sites added to my feed to be accomplished by Spring Break. Again, this seems like a very easily accomplished task, but I really want to focus on finding sites that will regularly produce high-quality content- not just a site that occasionally posts good content between posts along the lines of “Here’s a little something that just crossed my mind."
On an unrelated side-note, my Language Arts 2 class started a unit last week involving blogs and wikis. Here is the link for the wiki. I just showed them the basics, then turned them loose. It's interesting to see how each group is using the tools slightly differently, but they're all doing an awesome job so far.
Specific
My goal will be to double the size of my RSS feed to ten sites that regularly post quality content. I feel this is an attainable goal- I don’t want to set the bar too high and clutter up my RSS feed with mediocre content. Right now, the advantage of RSS over Twitter is that all of the content is all relevant and useful. I’d also like to set a pattern for checking my RSS feed. Coaching can make my life pretty busy, so I’ll set the goal of checking my RSS feed three times a week, and reading at least two articles each time.
Measurable
Obviously, it will be easy to measure whether or not I have ten sites in my RSS feed, and whether or not I’m reading at least six articles per week. The measure I want to focus on, though, is quality. If I only read six articles per week, that means four of those sites didn’t put up anything that I considered worth reading. I expect to regularly go beyond six articles per week, so if one site regularly doesn’t make the cut, I need to find better content.
I would add that I should set a goal of implementing something I read into my classroom, but I balk slightly at that idea. It seems odd to set a goal of implementing an idea that I haven’t heard yet, under the assumption that there will be something I like. I’ve made numerous changes to the structure of my classroom over the course of this program, most with very positive results. I don’t feel that I’m hesitant to make changes or try ideas that I think would work. I think the main focus for me should be on getting a better variety of information-the implementation will follow.
Attainable
This goal seems very attainable, as long as I make it part of my regular routine. There is no shortage of quality blogs and websites, and the RSS feed makes checking them more convenient. Although there are many nights during a sport’s season that I come home, eat, then go to bed without opening my computer, I just need to make a point to do it.
Realistic
I feel this goal is very realistic. In fact, it’s probably setting the bar pretty low. However, I think RSS can be very useful, and I don’t want to turn it into a chore.
Timely
I will be starting to goal of checking the feed at least three times a week starting immediately. As for the goal of adding five more sites to the feed, I will continue to read on Twitter, and will keep an eye out for sites that are regularly linked. As I find blogs and sites that I like, I will add them. I will set the goal of five more quality sites added to my feed to be accomplished by Spring Break. Again, this seems like a very easily accomplished task, but I really want to focus on finding sites that will regularly produce high-quality content- not just a site that occasionally posts good content between posts along the lines of “Here’s a little something that just crossed my mind."
On an unrelated side-note, my Language Arts 2 class started a unit last week involving blogs and wikis. Here is the link for the wiki. I just showed them the basics, then turned them loose. It's interesting to see how each group is using the tools slightly differently, but they're all doing an awesome job so far.
Monday, January 16, 2012
535 Week 5- Facebook, Ning, and Google Sites
I'll try to avoid repeating anything I've already said in previous posts or in my Eyejot video, but I make no guarantees. I liked reading about friendship-based and interest-based networks. I obviously have my Facebook account to keep in touch with my friends, but it made me think of a few years back when I started following a Sabermetric-heavy baseball blog. I had no interest at all in math, being a Language Arts teacher, but the fact that math was used in relation to something I already like really piqued my interest. I ended up coming around to the idea of advanced stats, and it's been easier for me to see how measurements and formative assessments could really be useful in the classroom. Getting kids out there into the online world increases the chances that they can find something of interest that can relate to the goals of the unit.
The addition of Facebook and Ning was almost a little overwhelming for me. Between blogs, wikis, Twitter, and making class websites, it seems like the ways to get information from one person to the other is never-ending. But, I suppose that's a good thing. We don't know which of these technologies will survive, which will mutate, and which will die on the vine. Letting students get comfortable with a number of different technologies helps assure that when the next big thing comes out, they'll be better prepared for it. Plus, if students know 50 different ways to send information, they can choose the best one to complete a given task. And weighing the benefits of different forms of communication, then deciding based on audience and purpose is critical thinking- just a little added bonus that wasn't even part of the lesson.
The addition of Facebook and Ning was almost a little overwhelming for me. Between blogs, wikis, Twitter, and making class websites, it seems like the ways to get information from one person to the other is never-ending. But, I suppose that's a good thing. We don't know which of these technologies will survive, which will mutate, and which will die on the vine. Letting students get comfortable with a number of different technologies helps assure that when the next big thing comes out, they'll be better prepared for it. Plus, if students know 50 different ways to send information, they can choose the best one to complete a given task. And weighing the benefits of different forms of communication, then deciding based on audience and purpose is critical thinking- just a little added bonus that wasn't even part of the lesson.
Monday, January 9, 2012
535 Week 3- Podcasting and Google Sites
I posted on the message board yesterday that podcasting is something I'd love to include in my classroom, but there are some hurdles in the way. I've often been frustrated with colleagues' hesitancy to include technology in the classroom, and their way to invent reasons it wouldn't work. I guess you just have to pull up your britches and get it done. Now that I've thought about it for an extra day, I think I'm going to offer it as a choice activity for a book group project later in the year. I think it's a great way to reinforce learning, encourage discussion, and would really appeal to some of my students.
Google Sites is something I also hope to start using with my students. We're currently wrapping up a research unit where the finished product is an advertisement and a business letter. In the future, I may put less emphasis on the letter, though I would still like them to be familiar with the form, and focus on making a website for their imaginary country. Once they get the hang of it, it would be a great option for all their other projects.
What I like the most about learning all of these tools is the wide variety of project options I can offer to my students. They've reacted very positively to all the tools I've added as a result of this Masters program, and I'll be taking my first crack at wikis next week. Hopefully all of these tools will be standard options for my students in the not-too-distant future.
Google Sites is something I also hope to start using with my students. We're currently wrapping up a research unit where the finished product is an advertisement and a business letter. In the future, I may put less emphasis on the letter, though I would still like them to be familiar with the form, and focus on making a website for their imaginary country. Once they get the hang of it, it would be a great option for all their other projects.
What I like the most about learning all of these tools is the wide variety of project options I can offer to my students. They've reacted very positively to all the tools I've added as a result of this Masters program, and I'll be taking my first crack at wikis next week. Hopefully all of these tools will be standard options for my students in the not-too-distant future.
Monday, January 2, 2012
535 Week 3- RSS and Photo Sharing
In talking about Twitter a few weeks ago, I said that I would probably dump Twitter for RSS as soon as I figured out how to use it. After tooling around with RSS for a little while, I do like it, but I don't think it does quite the same thing that Twitter does. It's great for keeping up with a few blogs that you find reliable and informative. Instead of having to remember to go visit a whole bunch of different blogs, they come right to you. I can see this being especially helpful for those blogs that don't follow a regular posting schedule, or don't post very often. It's something I will likely continue to use as an educator. That said, I think it would be annoying to subscribe to dozens and dozens of blogs- it would be tough to get past all the mediocre content to the really good stuff. Twitter is great for people being able to share the one good article on a site that may have been posting so-so content for months. If other people are willing to sift through a huge RSS feed and share the good stuff, then I'll go ahead and let them.
So RSS turned out to be pretty much what I expected. The activity on photo sharing and creative commons licenses surprised me. I used Flickr for this because I had used it in the past to post some of my wonderful Photoshop experiments onto a baseball blog. Thus, the site itself didn't really surprise me. When it came time to make a license, though, I wasn't just going through the motions anymore. I had to take a second and think, "Ok, if someone decided to use one of my pictures, how would I want that to work?" For me, it was that moment we always hope to get out of our students- when the work they post online really starts to feel like something that can be shared with an entire community. This is something I think I will start to do with my own students. The simple act of licensing their own content may flip that same switch for them, and make them feel like the content they post for my class is not just something to get done for Mr. Granger, but something they can be proud of. It's kind of like that moment when their art class project gets hung up on the wall. The added upside to this is it gives them a look at copyright laws from the other side. Right now, when most of my students hear "copyright", the first thing that comes to mind is "that annoying thing that makes me have to paste the url for any photos I use in a Power Point." But, deciding how their own content will be used may give them a better understanding of why copyright exists, and maybe change a few minds.
Oh, and here is my Flickr badge.
So RSS turned out to be pretty much what I expected. The activity on photo sharing and creative commons licenses surprised me. I used Flickr for this because I had used it in the past to post some of my wonderful Photoshop experiments onto a baseball blog. Thus, the site itself didn't really surprise me. When it came time to make a license, though, I wasn't just going through the motions anymore. I had to take a second and think, "Ok, if someone decided to use one of my pictures, how would I want that to work?" For me, it was that moment we always hope to get out of our students- when the work they post online really starts to feel like something that can be shared with an entire community. This is something I think I will start to do with my own students. The simple act of licensing their own content may flip that same switch for them, and make them feel like the content they post for my class is not just something to get done for Mr. Granger, but something they can be proud of. It's kind of like that moment when their art class project gets hung up on the wall. The added upside to this is it gives them a look at copyright laws from the other side. Right now, when most of my students hear "copyright", the first thing that comes to mind is "that annoying thing that makes me have to paste the url for any photos I use in a Power Point." But, deciding how their own content will be used may give them a better understanding of why copyright exists, and maybe change a few minds.
Oh, and here is my Flickr badge.
www.flickr.com
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