Letting Go!

As I read the article and watched the video, I started to see a puzzle in my mind that began to fit together. Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES), Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), Math Talks, Measurement of Academic Progress (MAP), and Georgia Milestone, to me, I feel as though these are all new tools that are put into place to guide teachers into the Gradual Release of Responsibility model.

Time after time I hear teachers complain about teaching a skill and then a few months later the students have forgotten the skill. I often wondered why students were not retaining the information given to them. Learning is not about memorization! Learning is acquiring knowledge about a skill through experience or being taught. When my district rolled out the information about SLOs and the Georgia Milestone tests teachers began to freak out! Instructional coaches began telling us that there would be different levels of questions based on depth of knowledge (DOK). I thought to myself, if I teach the skill and provide strategies I think the students will be fine. I often see teachers “teach to the test” just as the author stated about his soccer game. Teachers teach children depending on what is on the test, but never allow them to take the strategies they learn and apply them. If we continue to throw students life preservers they will never learn to swim.

I started doing math talks with my class this year. They were so accustomed to the old vertical math problems, it blew their minds when I gave them two 3 digit numbers and asked them to solve it horizontal.  I did not coach or guide them with the answer, they had to take a strategies we have learned and solve it. After about 3 they begin to let their minds work. It is hard to do that as a teacher, but we must learn to let go!

I see a great connection between inquiry learning, instructional technology, and great teaching. Inquiry based learning is like the age old saying, “Tell and I will forget, show me and I remember, involve me and I understand.” It is very important to allow learning to be student centered.  I love what Chris Lehmann said about incorporating technology.  Technology support inquiry based learning due to the fact that there is more information available besides what the teacher has in his/her brain. That is so true!!! He gave me ideas about using technology to contact the author of a book I may read. I could possibly do FaceTime or other ways of communication. There are endless ideas and opportunity with technology and inquiry based learning. I think teachers need to realize we teach kids and not subjects (Chris Lehman). 

http://www.teachthought.com/learning/great-teaching-means-letting-go/http://www.gadoe.org/School-Improvement/Teacher-and-Leader-Effectiveness/Pages/Teacher-Keys-Effectiveness-System.aspx 

Reflective Researching

When I need to find information about something I mainly use Google search. I  never stop to think whether there is a correct way and an incorrect way to search for information. I consider myself to be an informational searcher. I type in the keywords or the question for what I need answered. I often find the information that I need, but it sends me to a variety of sites that I really do not need.  If I am unable to find what I am searching for, I tend to repeat searches over and over.

 I feel we are all members of the Google Generation. The majority of people rely solely on the Internet to search for information. For the most part, the majority of people use Google and Yahoo as their main search engine. A lot of time we don’t take the time to validate that information for accuracy that we find on the web. Just as many teens that search the web, I also “Google” the majority of information I want to know. I do realize there are a plethora of sources other than Google.

I have never heard of filter bubble, but after watching the video it is kind of scary. I learned various ways to avoid filter bubble by erasing cookies, keeping my search history cleared, keeping my Facebook private and turning off targeted ads. I often wondered what the privacy web browser was all about. Now I know it is a way to help avoid the filter bubble. It keeps my searches private. I found there are several tips to effectively search for information based on what I am searching for. The coolest search strategy I learned about was the Google image search. I tried it, and found it to be very interesting!

Blog Post #2

After reading the four resources, it is obvious they all agree an education reform is much needed. The cycle of traditional memorization and regurgitation of information is no longer working. I like one statement I read in one of the articles that stated,“There are vastly creative minds that are capable of doing intensely wonderful things with their learning but often we don’t let that live and breathe (Laufenberg). That is a profound statement this author made.  In order to take your students in the 21st century of inquiry based learning, educators have to step back and become flexible. The authors of the article admitted it was not easy to do at first, but it paid off in the end. Students today live in a technology centered world, so it is important to incorporate technology into their learning. They enjoy it, they love it!

I concur with the resources that I read. We need a transformation in the education system. The old traditional methods are not working. The resources give ratification to the goals that I would like to attain in my classroom. I teach 2nd grade and  would love to do more with technology and inquiry based learning.

Resources

• InfoWhelm and Information Fluency (Solution Fluency + Creativity Fluency + Collaboration Fluency + Media Fluency + Information Fluency = Global Digital Citizen)
• My daily info-wrangling routine (practical workflow for information curation)
• Creating Classrooms We Need: 8 Ways Into Inquiry Learning
• The Journey from Digital Literacy to Digital Fluency

Blog Post #1

Learning Goals

 

1,) I plan to use more Web 2.0 tools in the classroom to enhance student learning and interest.

 

2.) I plan on taking what I have learned about blogs and creating a my own 2nd grade blog to share some of the lessons and activities I have created.

 

I would love to learn more about Twitter and understand how it works.