Just kidding! It took me a really long time to finish this, but it was a ton of fun!I I enjoyed the strategic thinking aspect of it as well as the trial and error process. I would like to try to incorporate Hour of Code into my classroom, potentially as part of learning centres. For more information on Hour of Code check out their site or watch this video!
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I recently read 9 Essential Skills Kids Should Learn by Leo Babauta on Zen Habits. The author’s thesis is that our many of our current schooling practices do not prepare students for a world that is constantly changing and unpredictable. This is obviously not an uncommon belief. Rather than stopping at defining the problem, Babauta succinctly outlines the skills he believes are essential to prepare students to excel in our ever-changing world. Many of these essential skills echo the research on social emotional learning and character education published by researchers like Martin Seligman (PERMA, Learned Optimism), Angela Duckworth (Grit) and Carol Dweck (Growth Mindset). Skills, such as finding passions, being happy alone, and dealing with change, are often left off formal curriculum documents. Many believe that it is the role of the parents to foster these social emotional skills, but there are an abundance of reasons why this doesn’t happen for a large number of children. This article provided a well-written reminder that is timely and significant. As I go about designing lessons and decided which learning objectives to focus on, I am making choices that could drastically impact the how well my students are able to live happy, productive lives when they are adults. The term “hidden curriculum” comes to mind as I finish this post. Hidden curriculum refers to the unintended, unexamined lessons, attitudes and values that students learn in school. We all need to be careful that the hidden lessons students learn about risk-taking, asking questions, problem-solving, and dealing with change in our classrooms are not in opposition to the actual skills they will need to flourish.
I was inspired by the folks at 3rd Grade Thoughts to create these Google Forms for use during student writing and reading conferences. I usually use paper forms and sticky notes to record this information, so I am looking forward to the organization and simplicity these forms might provide. I also think my students will get a kick out of seeing the goals that they set for themselves inputted digitally. I will let you know how it goes!
Outdoor experiential education is one of my major passions. I have taught adults, teenagers and kids to canoe and sea kayak, and taken groups on trips that range from a few hours to 30 days. One of my favorite skills to teach is how to brace in a kayak. Bracing involves using a slapping motion to prevent capsizing, and to provide a moment of support while you correct your kayaking. This is a fun skill to teach because it often results in a palpable increase in a paddler’s confidence, is relatively quick to learn, and is a lot of fun to practice. It is always one of the first things I play around with when I get into a kayak. I have some great memories of teaching this skill to a female group of university outdoor recreation students on Lake Superior. The lessons I instructed on bracing were structured in much the same way as a writer’s workshop; mini-lesson, guided and independent practice, feedback and correction, sharing/celebration. Some key point in teaching bracing include: Purpose and importance of bracing and how it builds on other paddling strokes. Hand and arm placement for both low and high brace Body head movement Common mistakes/potential for injury. I can remember the initial hesitation many of the students had when practicing the new skill. One key part of practicing this stroke is putting your boat onto enough of an edge that you create an authentic need to brace.With each try, students would push themselves to take bigger and bigger risks of actually tipping their boats. I think part of the reason that I love this lesson, and outdoor education in general, is that they give students the opportunities to push past their comfort zones and take real risks with their learning. The resulting growth in character and skill is impossible to predict, and often beyond measure. Each of us has a digital footprint that we leave behind as we use the internet. When I analyzed my own digital footprint, I found a link to my school profile and my Edmodo account, a few articles about campaigns and events that I ran as part of my job at Lakehead University, and a couple links to forums that I had asked questions in. Nothing to be ashamed of... But also very little that accurately represented me. Little to help future employers, colleagues or even students learn about my skills, accomplishments, and passions. The notion that having a digital footprint that paints a negative image of oneself can be harmful, isn’t new to me. It is something that I have been cautioned about at teacher's college, on placements, and at teaching jobs. I have tightened my privacy settings on social media like Facebook. I have never been one to post the kind of images or comments that I wouldn’t be fine with my students, my grandmother, or my students’ grandparents seeing. The aspect of it that I hadn’t thoroughly considered, however, is that having a neutral or non-existent online presence can be damaging in its own way. I can now see how in an age where so many endeavors rely at least to some degree of technology, it is important not only to hone my digital skills, but also to market myself as technologically literate. Developing a strong PLN can serve a wide range of purposes for educators. Strengthening mine through tools like Twitter, Edmodo and blogging would help to better cultivate a more positive and active digital footprint. In addition, I think that it is important that I start sharing resources that I create with other educators and writing about my own experiences, so that I can be a better contributor and collaborator. Once again, Common Sense Media has some fantastic tools for teaching students about their digital footprints. In addition, there are some informative graphics here on the impact of our digital footprints based on a few studies of admissions officers and employers. I recently listened to an interview with author Brene Brown, a person whose presentation style and stage presence I find awe-inspiring, on the Tim Ferriss Show podcast. Her responses to questions about her presenting style struck a chord with me, as they touched on some key areas that I would like to focus when presenting. Brene is a gifted storyteller, who shares pieces of herself with listeners in a manner that is captivating, exemplifies vulnerability, and for many, leaves a lasting connection to her work. Storytelling does not come naturally to me, potentially due to the amount of vulnerability that it can require. However, this is a skill that I have often admired in others and have recently tried to nurture in my teaching. It has become clear that providing stories that my students can relate to the material we are covering deepens their learning and engagement. It is also a lot of fun! Similar to the Presentation Zen style and building on the theme of connection, she spoke about using minimalist slides with strong images to provide the story arch and chosen to connect to a piece of information or anecdote to be shared with the audience. Anyone who has watched her immensely popular TED Talk on vulnerability can attest to how well her images draw in viewers and add humor to a talk with shame, guilt and vulnerability at its center. Brene also talked about going into a presentation with a mindset of connection rather than performance. Brene states that she doesn’t rehearse in the traditional sense because she finds that if she rehearses too much, when it comes time to present she gets so wrapped up in the planned pauses and moments that she loses the connection with her audience. I sometimes get so preoccupied with hitting all the “key” points and in the way that I practiced, especially when presenting to peers, that I too feel disconnected and more like a machine churning out information than a communicator. I think coming from a mindset of making connections and communicating ideas would help my presentations. My top presenting goals: Tell stories, be vulnerable, use strong images, and have connection mindset! Related Links of the Day: These two TED talks exemplify the skills that I believe would make me a more effective presenter.
Last night, we discussed ISTE Standards for Students in our Framingham EDU 932 class. While each standard develops vital skills and abilities for 21st century learners, I believe that number 2 “Digital Citizen” is the most important for me to address in my classroom. I believe the success of the other standards rely, to some degree, on the basic pillars that standard #2 cultivates to ensure safe and positive learning. For instance, if students are going out into the digital world to communicate and collaborate through social media, they need to have respect for the permanence and impact of the digital identity that they will create. In addition, if we expect them to communicate their ideas and problem-solve in meaningful ways, we need to teach them about what safe and positive online interactions look like. Writing about this reminds me of an “Ah ha” moment that I had early in my career working in Korea. I was teaching a gifted group of students who often flew through material and had an obvious thirst for challenge. I decided to start to incorporate some experiential and team based learning activities into the class. Before I knew it, my “gifted” students were having meltdowns and unable to complete even some basic teamwork activities. I quickly realized how different the tasks I was asking them to complete were from their previous experiences, and that there were skills they needed to be taught that I took for granted. I think this is the same with my students. They can easily navigate devices, websites and the newest applications, but haven’t necessarily been taught about or encouraged to reflect upon what it means to be a safe, responsible and respectful digital citizen. Related Resource of the Day: Digital Compass- Common Sense Media This is a site that I stumbled upon in previous class that I intend to use in the future! It is packed with lessons plans for K-12, games and fun activities! |
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