Google Earth Virtual Field Trip Reflection

What an “adventure” it was creating a virtual field trip using Google Earth!  Just creating one enables you to gain a lot of knowledge; one thing leads you to another and the more engulfed you become in your topic!  One of the topics that we explore during our Nonfiction Unit is the Holocaust.  I decided to create a virtual field trip of Anne Frank’s life before and during the Holocaust.  We begin our journey at a prominent facility in my small town of Windber, PA, which was used to contrast the horror we are about to encounter in Europe.      

I believe this virtual field trip of this horrific time in history - ripe with prejudice, discrimination, intolerance, and genocide - will touch my students and allow them to realize that this tragedy revolved around a persuasive man, Adolf Hitler, who was able to brainwash a nation into murdering those who were different, known as the “Final Solution,” and who did not fit into his “master race.”  Although this was on a grand scale, hatred on a small scale has the potential to erupt and turn lives upside down unless the respectful and ethical minds are developed and nurtured.

As noted by Gardner, “As one passes through the years of middle childhood and enters adolescence, a significant amount of time should be spent dealing explicitly with issues of group membership and group conflict” (Gardner, 2007, p. 115).  With this project, students get an interactive look at the locations of this conflict, along with additional avenues to further enhance their learning experience.  It would be wonderful to expand this as a class project to add additional group conflicts in other areas; some students would be surprised to see that these conflicts still exist! 

Also, with the growing diversity in the United States, students should be aware of how to tolerate and accept these differences and be able to connect with others.  It is our duty as educators to model these interactions and provide opportunities for them to role play.  Gardner states, “Students should be brought face to face with how groups have related to one another in the past and how they might productively connect in the future” (Gardner, 2007, p. 116). 

I hope that by seeing the prejudice through the eyes of an innocent victim, a peer, students may be more inclined to show empathy.  However, it would be an injustice for students to feel this empathy just because it was placed in front of them for a few short minutes, where they are “exhibiting mere tolerance without any effort to understand” or “expounding a good, responsible line but failing to embody that course in one own’s actions” (Gardner, 2007, p. 157-158) – pseudoforms of the respectful and ethical minds.

Google Earth can be utilized for many concepts; I look forward to using it in the future.  How fantastic it is to have a tool that allows students to visit countries and learn about their history, government, and culture without leaving the classroom!

Gardner, H.  (2007).  Five minds for the future.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.

Developing My Five Minds

Here is the link to the "Developing My Five Minds" video.  Enjoy!  :)

http://screencast.com/t/tGDG3mzJlJ 

Respectful and Ethical Minds

Working in an online environment, I totally agree with Julene Reed that “technology can be used to promote global learning, provide cultural understanding and build relationships” (Reed, 2007).   It is very important that we provide opportunities for students to make these connections, not only with those locally or nationally, but internationally as well.  In literature, it is very easy to find themes that are still relevant in the world today; with these universal themes, we can develop assignments and projects that enable students to explore their world and build relationships on a global level. 

Role playing is a very effective method to promote respect, foster empathy, and allow students to “walk in others’ shoes.”  This is critical when dealing with diverse people.  One way that I incorporate digital media and role playing in my classroom is by assigning my students to create a digital, video, or audio journal entry of a fictional character or nonfictional person.  For example, during our Nonfiction Unit, the students are introduced to the Great Depression.  They read children’s letters from Letters to Mrs. Roosevelt.  The students are very touched and heartbroken to read the letters from teenage children requesting necessities, such things as clothing, money, coats, undergarments, etc. - things they have at their disposal, things that they would not even image wanting in this age of abundance.  After the students read these letters, they are given photographs of children from the Great Depression.  They are required to analyze these photos and construct a plot, and from there, create a journal entry from that child’s point of view. 

I have had students create journals, text, audio, and video, who have brought these photos alive!  Some students have even dressed the part and read their journals entries with such emotion.  When these students share with the others in the class, the responses are overwhelming.  They really feel for these unfortunate children and have actually expressed empathy and compassion for those less fortunate.  I enjoy seeing the students’ kindness and respect for their fellow students and fellow citizens, past and present.  As Gardner states, “The task for educators becomes clear; if we are to fashion persons who respect differences, we need to provide models and offer lessons that encourage such a sympathetic stance” (Gardner, 2007, p. 110).  I would like to further this assignment by having students communicate and collaborate with others regarding these themes of hardship and triumph, which will be a very crucial skill in their futures.  Of course, utilizing the digital tools mentioned by Reed (email, digital storytelling, blogs, webcams, etc.) will be successful means in achieving this goal. 

Providing materials (images, audio, and videos) that touch upon different learning styles and various senses make emotions more real and meaningful and allow students to relate to real-life situations on many levels.  In the case of the Great Depression, there are people who face hardships and triumph in their towns, cities, states, countries, and their world.  If these students are given opportunities to experience empathy and compassion, they will be better global citizens and will be in positions to make differences.  It would be wonderful to globally collaborate on issues like this and require them to create community projects where they can come together and tackle these issues or at least discuss the issues and conflicts that we all face.   Because students embrace digital media, we need to use it to our advantage, an advantage that will create respectful and ethical global citizens that embrace their world and those with whom they share it.  As stated by Reed, “Knowledge of other cultures around the world leads students to understanding and compassion. That, in turn, creates students who take action to make a difference in resolving problems and changing the world to be a better place” (Reed, 2007). 

Gardner, H.  (2007).  Five minds for the future.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.

Reed, J.  (2007).  Global collaboration and learning.  Retrieved from https://live.wilkes.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=118447&tId=1042006

Glog Reflection

Oh, how I love Glogster!  I think I enjoy using Glogster so much because it reminds me of an online scrapbook page, and I love scrapbooking!  I was just introduced to Glogster this year, and I have created a few for my classroom, usually to introduce authors.  The students respond very well to them because they do not consider them “boring.”  Students are presented with audio, images, videos, text, and animation to learn various concepts and skills in interesting ways.  Students, themselves, are easily able to showcase their knowledge of various subject areas using Glogster. 

I really enjoyed creating my Edgar Allan Poe Glog, and I can’t wait to show my students next year!  Although Mr. Poe is intriguing enough, I believe this Glog will further captivate my students’ attention and allow them to learn more about his life and his works.  With Glogster, you are able to reach many types of learners.  This glog also allows me to meet all of the standards and learning objectives that I have set for my students.  Using this fantastic tool, they are able to identify various literary devices and the impact of Poe’s choice of narrator on this story.  They would also be equipped to recognize the impact of Poe’s choice of setting and its impact on the story’s conflict and the resolution, tone, language, and mood.  The audio, text, and videos will allow the students to explore the plot of the story and how character actions and interactions relate to the plot.   In addition, the students will be subjected to interactive websites where they can indulge in their own detective work to determine Poe’s death and take a virtual tour of the Poe Museum in Virginia.  Where else could you include all of these wonderful digital media to learn about the “inventor of the modern detective story, a pioneer of the science fiction, and the master of the macabre” (Poe Museum, 2010)?   

As stated in my previous blog, one of my students, fairly new to Glogster, created 20 glogs to display his knowledge of various subjects, as well as to allow him to synthesize information.  I believe Glogster is a tool that fosters creativity and permits students to synthesize not only information from one discipline, but across the disciplines.  Connections can be made in unique and innovative ways, ways that the students can personalize and make meaningful and relevant to them. 

However, we do not want to encourage pseudocreativity where a student just haphazardly posts any and all information on a glog, with no direction.  Students need to be aware of the teacher’s expectations, where rules and guidelines are set.  Using rubrics is a great way to meet these needs.  I believe Gardner would approve of Glogster because “in our global, wired society, creativity is sought after, cultivated, praised,” and Glogster is an outlet that provides the means for students to express themselves creatively (Gardner, 2007, p.77).  In fact, Glogster hails itself as “Glog is Graphic blog + creativity!”

My Glog:  http://emash.edu.glogster.com/edgar-allan-poe/ 

Gardner, H.  (2007).  Five minds for the future.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.

Poe Museum.  (2010).  Retrieved at http://www.poemuseum.org/about-audio.php

Content Creation

After email conversations with my high school students (live classes are over), I must say that they are advocates for digital media and technology, considering they are online learners!  They all agree that utilizing digital media in the classroom fosters creativity and makes lessons and assignments/assessments so much more meaningful and interesting.  As stated by Tabitha (Intermediate student), “With a plain and traditional school assignment, there are not many creative outlets, which can easily lead to utter boredom when completing it.  However, with digital media, that all changes.  I appreciate how it allows us as students to channel our creativity into something worthwhile, which in turn keeps us interested and, for some of us, even makes us look forward to the next assignment.”  I also had another student echo the sentiment of how he was eager to see what new thing was assigned for the week.  It is safe to say that the utilization of digital media and technological tools in the classroom has sparked an enthusiasm for learning for these students! 

However, not only assigning creative assignments is important, but presenting information in innovative and exciting ways is also very critical in the classroom.  We need to grab and hold our students’ attention, so important concepts can be taught and modeled.  Again, with traditional lectures, many students lose interest and “zone out.”  Creative lessons can be created using a variety of tools and programs, such as Voki, PowerPoint, Prezi, Glogster, etc.  I am certain our students could even add to the list!

One of my Honors students, Michael, gave props to the aforementioned Glog to which he was just introduced this school year.  “I must have used the Glog software 20 or more times this year for various school projects.  It allowed me to upload pictures of myself and projects, movies that I created using moviemaker software, and even songs that I created using One Note software.”  He mentioned various subjects for which digital media and technological tools fostered and enhanced his creativity – Music Appreciation, History, and English.  He also noted that not only does this integration make school more fun, but “When I enter the workplace, I will be more familiar with Microsoft Office Suite:  Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, and One Note.  While my peers struggle to learn technology I grew up with, my mind will be free to wander and that is where creativity begins.  It is the idle mind that expands creativity.”  What insight from a passionate learner! 

I did have an Honors student voice some concern about how an overuse of technology in the classroom can hinder creativity.  Tori explains, “For example, if students are always given an assignment that involves making a PowerPoint/video and never writing a paper, their creative writing skills will never develop properly.”  Being an English teacher, I share her concern.  However, even with the integration of digital media and technology, I believe we can develop and hone our writing skills.  Of course, writing cannot be eliminated from the curriculum; writing skills would need to be discussed and modeled.  Another concern would be outdated computers and programs, but antiquated tools are better than none at all!  I had another student wish mobile platforms were more widely supported in our online learning environment, but he is optimistic that this will change in the future. 

Although there are a few concerns about digital media and creativity, the majority of students would agree that creativity plays a major role in their education.  With the integration of digital media and technological tools, students are able to creatively express their knowledge in a fun, relevant, and meaningful way.  It is our job as teachers to provide our students of all ages the opportunities to explore their creativity.  According to Gardner, “…the challenge to the educator is to keep alive the mind and the sensibility of the young child” (Gardner, 2007, p.84).  If students are given the tools and taught how to use them safely and effectively, the possibilities are endless!  Michael says it best with one of his statements:  In a virtual environment, the sky isn’t the limit because the limits are only those the students set for himself or herself. 

Gardner, H.  (2007).  Five minds for the future.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.

Creativity in the Classroom

According to Sir Ken Robinson, “Creativity now is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status” (Robinson, 2006).  But, do we?  I believe for the most part schools do kill creativity.  For certain, though, it is not dead, but it is dying.  Every once in a while, creative assignments and assessments are assigned to students, but how much emphasis a teacher places on them makes a difference.  If these authentic assessments are not incorporated into the curriculum, students do not see the value in them and will not deviate from traditional assessments when given the option.  “Teaching to the test” has killed creativity, and unfortunately, the slow demise of creativity begins in third grade with the arrival of the PSSAs.  These standardized tests cause students’ creativity to be placed on the backburner, sometimes never to be seen again.  Robinson states that kids will take chances; however, as adults, they, or we, do not take risks because we are afraid of being wrong (Robinson, 2006).  It is our job as educators to make sure that this does not happen.  We need to provide students with creative opportunities so they do not lose their creative edge. 

According to Daniel Pink, with abundance, Asia, and the automation of today’s world, it is essential that we hold onto creativity to be successful in the 21^st century (Pink, 2006).  We will need to focus on high concept, high touch concepts, such as design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning – senses that will only be enhanced by creativity.  Creativity cannot be automated or outsourced, so it is crucial that we develop and nurture our creative minds as well as our students.  After reviewing the Cone of Learning (Edgar Dale), it appears that the more creative a task and involved a student is in his or her learning, the more he or she will retain, and in turn, aid in the synthesis of ideas.  Also, many creative assignments and assessments can be enhanced by the integration of digital media. 

I really enjoyed Mr. Robinson’s presentation.  Because of his creativity and use of humor, he kept my attention throughout his entire presentation, and I really enjoyed it!  The other points that I felt were very important were children’s capacity for innovation and how we do not want to squander their talent.  These statements remind me of the play Our Town by Thornton Wilder, which we just finished in class.  Thornton Wilder was considered a Modernist, and Our Town was very innovative for its time.  It has appealed to audiences and readers since it was written in 1938.  For a play that was written 74 years ago, it has captivated my students, and they really enjoyed reading and analyzing it.  Usually people are not receptive to change and often resist it, but Our Town’s innovation has continued to capture the audiences’ and readers’ attention for many years and will for many years to come.  With that said, Robinson’s words ring true when he states, “If you’re not prepared to be wrong, you’ll never come up with anything original” (Robinson, 2006).

Pink, D.  (2006).  A whole new mind:  Why right-brainers will rule the future.  Riverhead Trade.

Robinson, K.  (2006).  TED Conference.  Do schools kill creativity?  Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY. 

Prezi Relection

According to Wikipedia, “Prezi is a cloud-based presentation software and storytelling tool for exploring and sharing ideas on a virtual canvas.  [It] is used as a platform for bridging linear and nonlinear information, and as a tool for both free-form brainstorming and structured presentation” (Wikipedia, 2012).  What a wonderful tool to engage students and to hold their attention while presenting valuable concepts!  Connections can be made within and outside content areas on the same canvas and within frames to create a whole picture.  Students are able to maneuver through this interactive, sensory-stimulating presentation to form valuable connections.  Not only can teachers create a Prezi, but students can construct one as well.  With its non-linear path, students can connect concepts and showcase their deep understanding through synthesis. 

As I was brainstorming topics for this assignment, so many ideas came to mind for which this presentation would be useful and beneficial.  For this particular Prezi, I wanted to focus on literary devices due to their importance in my course.  Not only do the students need to know the definitions, they need to be able to identify them in other stories and provide their own examples.  This Prezi allows me to present the definitions in text while providing effective examples through video, audio, and images.  These media presentations are much more engaging than traditional lectures.

Gardner states that “…projects and theme-related curricula are well-intentioned efforts to sustain or buoy the potential for making connections” (Gardner, 2007, p. 68).  Utilizing an interactive tool like Prezi in the classroom allows for meaningful connections to be made.  Again, rubrics and other evaluation tools should be in place so that students are aware of the teacher’s expectations.  Examples should be given to show successful and less than successful work, and proper feedback should be given so students can capitalize on their strengths and improve upon their weaknesses.

Providing students with tools that emphasize synthesis is critical.  “Probably the chief ‘synthesizing nourishment’ absorbed by the mind of the nine-year-old, or the fourteen-year-old, comes from the occasional adult synthesizer who is encountered – or from school or mass media presentations that have an integrating flavor” (Gardner, 2007, p. 68).  I believe Prezi is an example of digital media that definitely “integrates flavor.” 

I believe if students are subject to materials that touch upon different entry points and senses, they are more likely to gain knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of the content.  With the integration of technology and its engaging features of audio, video, and images and other interactive features, educators will be able to reach students with a story, debate, art, etc. so that we can develop and nurture the disciplined mind in our students.  “To some extent, the disciplinary training involves acquisition of new skills” (Gardner, 2007, p. 39).  With these new skills, students will need to synthesize this new information with old information; thereby, marrying the disciplined and synthesized minds.

http://prezi.com/g3kyzkj24_r-/literary-devices/?auth_key=09a79b7b0f92a87d81095e71296565635e14a8f2

The Synthesizing Mind

Two activities that I utilize in my class where I believe the students synthesize information are journaling and interviewing involving our fictional and nonfictional characters.  Since “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge” by Ambrose Bierce is set during the Civil War, I assign the students to write a journal entry from either a member of the Union army or a member of the Confederate army’s point of view as he or she observes the actions up to and including the hanging of the condemned man.  The students not only need to know the basic facts of the Civil War, but they need to tie together other content areas as well to develop an accurate account from whichever side they choose.  They would also have to comprehend the short story in order for their entry to make sense.  Journal entries are a wonderful and effective way for students to display their knowledge of content while at the same time showcase a deeper understanding that goes well beyond recall and memorization. 

Interviewing is also an effective way to showcase synthesis.  Again, students are required to make connections within the text in addition to making cross-curricular connections.  If a student is reading a first-hand account from a Titanic survivor or analyzing a photo from the Great Depression or Macbeth, he or she will need to knit together aspects of other disciplines to make sense of these primary sources.  If students are creating an interview for a particular character, fiction or nonfiction, they will have to develop relevant, meaningful, thought-out questions in order for the character to tell his or her story.  Also, whether students are creating both sides of the interview or interviewing another student (role play), accurate open-ended responses must be created.  Both the questions and responses would be great assessment tools for comprehension and synthesis.  Journaling and interviewing would also be useful tools to create relationships to real-life situations.  However, whatever the tool, students should be aware of the expectations of the teacher, and effective feedback should be given.

With the integration of technology, these journals and interviews can come alive.  Video journals and interviews can be created that would make use of video, audio, and images.  I had one student who created a video for her Titanic survivor journal.  She was dressed the part and delivered an emotional entry outlining that tragic night.  I also had a student create an interview between an interviewer and a character from a fictional story.  The student developed effective questions and answers, and she was able to convey the character’s story through this exchange.  Also, a student created a Glog that analyzed a photo from the Great Depression.  Not only did she analyze the photo, but she gave a brief background of this time period, accompanied by an appropriate song representing survival and better times.  As stated by Gardner, “Against the odds, individuals seek synthesis.”  We, as educators, need to give the students the opportunity to find and exhibit this synthesis.

Gardner, H.  (2007).  Five minds for the future.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.

Digital Media

There were so many great videos that could be utilized from Discovery Education for English/Language Arts.  Because my high school class reads “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe, I was drawn to the Edgar Allan Poe videos.  My goal would be for students to become engaged in the content and learn about Edgar Allan Poe’s life, so they would be better equipped to understand his works. 

Some of these videos would work wonderfully to grab my students’ attention and act as an introduction into his life and works.  I believe it is very important for students to learn the background, both personal and historical, of an author because of the influence these aspects may have on his or her work.  If the students are aware of these backgrounds, they will have a better understanding of the author’s purpose and can aid in the comprehension of the text. 

In one particular video, eerie music was playing in the background as influential horror writers of today were commenting on Poe and his work.  I believe this would set the mood and draw the students in and motivate them to learn more about Poe.  The video was very creative, and I believe that the students would not be bored with the way the information was presented throughout it. 

I enjoy incorporating videos into my lessons because they touch different learning styles.  Students who are visual learners can benefit from the pictures and images, and auditory learners can benefit from the sounds or music.  This video, as well as others, appeals to our senses to create a more meaningful learning experience.  Students, in turn, can be motivated to create their own videos to showcase their technological skills and understanding of content.

728 Challenge

Paula Stinson - High School English teacher 
This course is one stop along my journey to obtaining my Master's in Instructional Media.  This course will allow me to better serve my online students.  I believe that all students should have the opportunity to achieve in the classroom, where they will be motivated to become life-long learners and be prepared to be successful in their professional and personal lives in the 21st century. 

Using technology effectively in the classroom can enhance and differentiate materials and lessons and allow students to be innovative and creative.  However, technology is sometimes unreliable.  From experience, students may have a technology issue that can hinder his or her learning. 

I teach using Elluminate in Blackboard where I can incorporate various technological tools in my virtual classroom.  I cannot imagine the things I see and do on a daily basis in my high school back in the day!  I remember attending typing class, and the fun part was unplugging each other’s typewriters while we were setting our margins!