Wrap-up

I feel like I have become much more confident in the technology that I already use, and I am more willing to explore new options in incorporating technology into my classroom. I have entered the "Twitter-sphere" and have already found immense learning opportunities and learning partners as well as feeling better connected to my community.

I have changed how I think about my lesson-planning and my use of technology. I particularly like the sentiment that the technology is not the lesson- it is simply the forum or modality of the curriculum that was already set in place. I used to feel that I needed to teach them the technology first, but now I like to use choice boards and give them an option on how they would best like to represent their finished product.

I have rethought my philosophy on grading with and without technology throughout this course. I am now using a lot more completion grades at smaller points to allow students to go back and fix, change, and grow from what might not have been correct the first time instead of being punished for taking a little bit longer than everyone else to learn the material.

I feel my class is a lot more accessible at home for my students because of my use of videos and my outreach on social media. Students have an opportunity to watch video lessons and rewatch parts that were confusing to them.

I have already been asked to do some professional development on some of the tools that I have learned throughout this course in addition to reaching out to like-minded teachers within and outside of my own corporation to help continue to learn and grow as a professional.

In conclusion, this was extremely valuable to me, and much better than a one day conference when you are completely overwhelmed with ideas and thoughts without the time to truly process, experiment, and grow from the learning process. Thank you!

Online... presence?

I just got married last summer. I was VERY aware of what happened when you googled my name. My online presence was masked behind a much more present individual with the same name. Let us suffice it to say that the only way that you would ever have a chance of seeing my minimal online presence is by making sure that the content filter is flipped to EXTREMELY strict. You guessed it, folks, I shared my name with a porn star. Combine that with the face that I have always been relatively wary about posting things out in the public online forums, and I was virtually invisible in the digital sector.

It was a pleasure to find that the name Ashley Koontz does not belong to any ladies of the night (that are of any fame or fortune, at least), and as my passion grows for technology and information I am becoming increasingly more visible. Within the last year I have developed twice the internet presence that I have had in my past life with another name, however that is still relatively little to speak of. Throughout this class I have been more present on Twitter (though I mostly "retweet"- I have problems believing that many people care what I am having for breakfast); I have set up a Linked-In account (though I am still exploring why this is important in my every day life- still searching for an answer; I have created an instagram account (this mostly comprises of pictures of the center of my world- my three dogs); and as with all new ventures it takes only a little to learn a lot about what you still have to learn.

The first thing I found of myself was a link to my class webpage which I think is a good start. I plan on maintaining the class webpage, as well as possibly branching out to Twitter and Instagram to help students stay up to date with what we are doing in class. I have a YouTube account for videos that I am creating for my classroom, however I currently have that set on "unlisted" because my wariness of original content being available for critique is still in the process of being broken down. I am slowly but surely working my way out into the open, but what could be true of many teachers is that technology is a bit like a swimming pool. Our digital natives jump in the pool without regard to weather, temperature, or atmosphere. Those of us that have had our systems shocked by excessively cold water enough times venture a little more cautiously. We dip our toe in the pool and slowly work our bodies in until the water is a comfortable temperature. Right now I am wading in knee deep and proudly. It is still going to take me some time to have a more significant digital presence, but I am more likely to stay in the pool if I get comfortable where I am first!

Suzi's conundrum (Module 7)

I feel like Suzi needs to find a resource that she can use consistently all year round. If that is the case, then she will not have such trouble remembering that she has already done the work searching and saving her resources. I have enjoyed getting to know and use Symbaloo during this course. I like that it can be saved as your homepage and that you can make different web mixes depending on what you are working on. Another resources is Delicious which allows you to save your bookmarks, as well. I think these two systems work similarly but for different people depending on how you prefer to process information. Delicious sorts bookmarks by label and lists them in order of date saved. You can search your bookmarks a bit more easily (I think) than Symbaloo, however Symbaloo is a much more visual representation of your bookmarks, and that may fit better with some people who prefer information in graphic organizers rather than lists.

Module 5- Motivation

I had a lot of thoughts about this video! The first thing that I wanted to discuss was the applications that his ideas have that can transcend to education. The idea that extrinsic motivation only helps in certain mechanical activities is both fascinating and frightening to me. Grades are extrinsic motivation. I think all teachers have experienced the fact that grades are motivation for those students intrinsically motivated to reach them. However, for those students NOT intrinsically motivated those extrinsic motivations do not always work as well. At what point do you allow students to motivate themselves to accomplish certain tasks, and what grades are becoming a moot point in our "21st century" world? I have been contemplating making all homework weighted the same. All homework is 10 points regardless of what it is. Labs and projects would be graded with a rubric, but all students could make up all assignments as long as it was done before the test. I'm thinking about instituting a day every week and a half to two weeks that would be the "work on whatever it is that you need to work on" type of day. Just some things I am thinking about. It is scary to completely turn your philosophy upside down, but I think some teachers need to be brave and charge forward to help others to see that while it may be different from what we've always done, it might also be in the best interest of our students and that is why it is worth at least exploring.

I think the ideas put forth of mastery, autonomy, and purpose are all very applicable to education. I want to do an end of unit project that would allow students to represent what they've learned for that unit. I think you could scaffold it for them in a way that would allow them greater and greater freedom as the year went along. Allowing them some freedom in the beginning of the year may be very different from their other classes and their other experiences but as the prove themselves to be worthy of more autonomy slowly becoming more and more of the "guide on the side" instead of the "sage on the stage" could very much help our students learn to be more independent. It may even be a message that travels home- I cannot express the frustration I have with many parents that want to fix everything for their children. Allowing your students to be independent in some small way may encourage their desire for independence in other areas of their lives thus better preparing them for the future. I say this all with the idea of "what if" because I certainly do not believe that one small shift in my 8th grade science classroom will cure all the errors in parenting, the low testing grades, or the lack of motivation for some students, but it just may help them be a little bit more prepared for what they face in the next step of their journey.

Technology Matrix

Can I sit the fence on this one? I feel as though I fall into three categories:

To a certain extent I feel as though some of my activities and lessons are in the adoption stage. I feel as though my students sometimes require this stage for themselves before we progress together into the later stages. Students need scaffolding, and sometimes it is not appropriate to just "unleash" them into the world of technology before you have properly modeled how to use it correctly. Yes, our digital natives are very comfortable with technology. Yes, they can "figure it out" innately. However, knowing how to get from point A to point B doesn't necessarily mean it is the best way to approach that problem. Sometimes I think some lessons are best introduced at the adoption stage to help our digital natives think critically about the technology they are using.

I feel as though I am primarily living in the land of adaptation on the technology matrix. I am introducing technology into lessons and activities that I am already doing. I scaffold ways to accomplish a specific goal but then allow some choice and some independence in how the students choose to proceed. I am still planning to accommodate whether or not I can get a computer lab or not. My activities could be done with the computer and other technology OR we could do it the "old-fashioned" way if need be.

In a few sparkling, shiny moments I dip my toe into the deep end of the infusion stage. There are times that I include choice boards and independence to allow students to explore their own way towards a learning goal. It is something that I do with trepidation and anxiety, but definitely worth the push to keep extending my comfort level to hopefully one day make it to transformation!

Homework- The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly...

Change isn't easy- especially when it is something that is prolific across time zones and through generations. I found the discussions on homework very uncomfortable. I think part of this growing feeling is due to the fact that I am facing change, and I don't like it. I believe that I am a fairly successful product of the education system. I worked hard; I did my homework; I got into college; I earned a degree, and I got a job. Over the course of my academic "career" I have done a LOT of homework.

I now teach 8th grade science and high ability biology. I strive to develop innovative lessons. I make jokes during lectures. I illustrate concepts with fun cartoons. I find entertaining video clips to help emphasize concepts. I organize and facilitate labs and activities. And I give homework.

In the article "Are you down or done with homework?" the author cites many different viewpoints for both sides of the argument. I found the history of the cycling of the homework debate very interesting. The question "what should we expect from our children" seems to go hand-in-hand with the discussion on homework. Homework in children too young develops "childhood nervousness" however a lack of homework at a certain age makes some parents nervous that their children will not be ready for the rigor of AP exams. Additionally, there is no conclusive data that supports or disproves the concept that homework increases academic success, retention, and overall understanding. I feel as though the lack of data REALLY supports the idea that both viewpoints could be correct.

Especially in this digital and technological age, I find myself needing to re-evaluate the homework and grading system. There are many questions that I am working through as I grow as a professional. In the article concerning the "No-Zero Policy" I find myself working through the idea of what we are actually grading. Do we grade responsibility or do we grade academic mastery? Does is change as we move through the education system? As a middle school teacher I feel as though I am one of the last supports for student organization and responsibility. High school teachers do not have the time to sit down with kids and reorganize their binders. As the article suggests, we tell students that this is their "job" to do their homework and meet their deadlines. However, the inside of a classroom really isn't like the real world. I struggle with the concept that we should grade on responsibility- a grade should reflect what the student has learned- however isn't responsibility and organization a learned trait? However standards do not represent all of the character qualities that teachers work to influence for the better in their students. I do not know what the best compromise with this issue is.

Should students be required to do homework just because we did homework through our own paths through education? Do zeros really reflect the learning that has been accomplished or responsibility? Students should definitely be held accountable for their actions, but should that be reflected in their grades? If the answer is no, then how do teachers hold students accountable? All these questions represent my moving mindset, and it is safe to say that it is moving so fast right now it is making me dizzy.

Homework definitely needs to adapt to the new age. Information is much more available than it every used to be, and there are certain twenty-first century skills that students need to have today that students of 10, 20, and 30 years ago did not need. There is a fine line between needing to have information memorized and being able to find the information that is needed at the moment that it is needed. I think elements of Marc Prensky's article applies because almost more importantly that teaching students information today is teaching students how to think about information today. The critical thinking skills associated with learning science is a much more valuable tool for my students than having the different cloud types memorized. If a student is on a walk and sees a cloud and thinks to him/herself, "Gee, that's a neat looking cloud- I wonder what type it is!" there is probably an app for that. Take a picture of cloud and then Siri will tell you that is is a cirrus cloud that indicates a possible cold front moving through in the next few days. I think processing is much more valuable than the concrete. My homework needs to start reflecting that better. I should push students to think about and evaluate HOW they learn the material that I am teaching, and then go a step further and reflect on how they will access, attain, and criticize the information that is "out there" about the specific topic.

There are many questions that are raised throughout this module and very few with specific answers. There are a lot of compromises between the "new" and the "old" to best benefit our students. Homework is important, but the homework itself needs to change to be relevant to today's learners. Collaboration needs to be more encourage and celebrated if done appropriately and constructively. Students need to be evaluated, but what the grade is actually represented needs to be properly communicated and consistent. Parents and students should understand what a grade is representing. Students should be penalized for missing deadlines, however allowing students to make up half their points for adjusting things they got incorrect and learning from their mistakes should be acknowledged, as well. I am ready and willing to start changing my mindset on these issues, however change always takes time. We are on academic teams, and as a team we do not take late homework. Is this REALLY representative of the real-world? Even though my mindset is beginning to move and adjust, many of my colleagues are much more resistant to thinking differently from the traditional way of doing things as well as many that are very uncomfortable using technology. I think as a group we all need to extend the boundaries of our comfort level- wherever that may be for each individual person- and as long as we are pushing ourselves to be life-long learners the students will respond accordingly.

Module 1- Reflect

As a whole I would say that I fall between emerging and effective. I know that some of my comments to my peers were emerging simply because in order to be "effective" I need to have a clear understanding of the topic at hand. A lot of our initial discussions were analyzing what we feel we do well and what we are excited about learning throughout this course. Because of that I know that I had a lot of personal observations and reflection, but I still have a lot to learn. I feel that parts of some posts were effective because they were on topic and helped to expand the view that was being expressed. With being gone the first week of the module on spring break and then the craziness that ensues the first week back I do not feel that I was able to check back on everyone's progress as often as I would have liked. I definitely think that this type of learning requires a lot of diligence in checking back frequently, and I am definitely making it a goal to be more consistent!