I've never been one to keep a diary. I don't take notes at meetings and if I have something to say, I'll say it. So, blogging is a little foreign to me. I can write when the mood strikes and I've been told by instructors that I can turn a fine phrase or two when I do so. The problem for me with this venue is that it is SO public. I'm afraid that someone will see my musings and think "geez, she's an idiot!" But, then again, unless they comment I'll never know. So, I'll stick my toe in the water once again and blog my lil' heart out. I'll "give myself an A"- I can do this and make it meaningful for myself and hopefully, it will be meaningful for those of you who read it.
This video gave me a smile and let me know I wasn't alone!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
MAC Wk.1- Peer Comment J. Rodriguez
What a few positive words can accomplish in another person's life!
As I was reading the Art of Possibility, I came across an interesting section about an experiment using labels to classify character or personality. Benjamin Zanders contends that labeling and grading with anything less than an "A" may really serve to destroy or inhibit self growth and worth. One such story was about an Asian student who was raised in a culture never to question authority, (teachers, and so on). This student was given an "A" even before taking test or course and then was asked to write a letter dated sometime in the future. But to write it as though the subject matter was in the past. This student was to write about "Why he deserved an "A" in this course?"
I found it intriguing that one can influence how others respond to their environment through simple positive gestures. Since I am interested in testing for systems that would help Autistic children break into social environments, this would be an ideal concept to apply.
Shelley said...
The range of autistic behaviors is as wide as the Grand Canyon. One thread that seems to run through all of them is that some of the behaviors are viewed as socially unacceptable. If the autistic person is high-functioning, they realize that the behaviors are not accepted and they may retreat further into themselves.
I can tell you from personal experience that "giving an A" to these people is a very powerful thing. By accepting the person exactly where they are, we give them the freedom to take a step forward. Each step allowed makes the next step easier and soon they blossom into a person that we never imagined could be there.
As I was reading the Art of Possibility, I came across an interesting section about an experiment using labels to classify character or personality. Benjamin Zanders contends that labeling and grading with anything less than an "A" may really serve to destroy or inhibit self growth and worth. One such story was about an Asian student who was raised in a culture never to question authority, (teachers, and so on). This student was given an "A" even before taking test or course and then was asked to write a letter dated sometime in the future. But to write it as though the subject matter was in the past. This student was to write about "Why he deserved an "A" in this course?"
I found it intriguing that one can influence how others respond to their environment through simple positive gestures. Since I am interested in testing for systems that would help Autistic children break into social environments, this would be an ideal concept to apply.
Shelley said...
The range of autistic behaviors is as wide as the Grand Canyon. One thread that seems to run through all of them is that some of the behaviors are viewed as socially unacceptable. If the autistic person is high-functioning, they realize that the behaviors are not accepted and they may retreat further into themselves.
I can tell you from personal experience that "giving an A" to these people is a very powerful thing. By accepting the person exactly where they are, we give them the freedom to take a step forward. Each step allowed makes the next step easier and soon they blossom into a person that we never imagined could be there.
MAC Wk1 Reading- Giving an "A"
As a teacher, this phrase "giving an "A"" makes me shudder at first. Grades should be earned. They measure progress and let us know how we measure up, right? The suggestion that we should abandon the measuring stick and embrace each student as a possibility to be achieved makes many of us shudder. But, as I examine it, this could be a revolutionary idea. Imagine how students would feel knowing that they already have reached the pinnacle of the measuring stick and they have to work to keep it? It sends a powerful message: I see you are worthy, I believe you are special and that your ideas have merit. Giving an "A" could erase a student's negative school experiences and allow them to begin again with a glass half full instead of half empty.
MAC Wk1 Reading- Ponies or Poo?
The Art of Possibility- changing our world by changing our perspective. Each of us views the world based upon the schema we have developed from our own unique set of experiences. Whether that perspective has a positive or negative spin is completely up to us. This reminds me of a joke I heard years ago:
Two boys were having a birthday. Their parents took the boys into a large room that was filled with horse manure. The first boy stood in the middle of the room and cried because he didn't receive the pony he had asked for. The second boy walked into the room, giggled in delight and began digging furiously through the manure. "What are you doing??" the first boy whined.
"Well," the second boy replied, "with this much manure, there's gotta be a pony in here someplace!"
Ponies or poo- what you see is up to you!
Two boys were having a birthday. Their parents took the boys into a large room that was filled with horse manure. The first boy stood in the middle of the room and cried because he didn't receive the pony he had asked for. The second boy walked into the room, giggled in delight and began digging furiously through the manure. "What are you doing??" the first boy whined.
"Well," the second boy replied, "with this much manure, there's gotta be a pony in here someplace!"
Ponies or poo- what you see is up to you!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Blog #7- Second Life
Is virtual reality the place where we can awaken our sleeping students? We know that they are enamored with their Guitar Hero and Wii game consoles, but is a platform like Second Life really going to arouse our sleeping beauties from their slumber and bring them in to full participation in the classroom? Could it be that simple?
I recently entered Second Life (SL) as a relative novice trying to discover if this virtual reality might offer anything for me and my students. The first thing I encountered was a very steep learning curve. While being able to customize my avatar was an interesting experience, figuring out which button did what and how to move efficiently in Second Life took some time. I could imagine using this with my students- it would be chaotic at best. While they probably have lots of experience with similar games and applications, allowing the time necessary for the students to become comfortable with the SL interface just isn’t feasible. It would take at least 2, if not 3, 55 minute sessions to ensure that they knew what they were doing. Even suggesting the idea that they play in SL on their own time is not possible because most of my students do not have online access at home.
As I continued my journey, the next difficulty I encountered was the pace of the simulation itself. Slow is a polite way to describe it. Things rezzed in at different times and sometimes made it difficult to navigate in the virtual world. Watching performances that featured avatar performers was laborious- hurry up and wait, hurry up and wait. My students just don’t have the patience required to view a performance at that pace. SL exhibits that offered in-grid video presentations were better, but I can access those types of media from sites like TeacherTube and Youtube , so SL doesn’t necessarily need to be a part of the presentation scheme.
Will I be using SL in the future in my classroom? My Special Education students won’t be using this tool until the interface is simplified and the graphics become faster .
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Blog #6- Communities of Practice
Communities of practice (COPs) have been around since the first groups of people began to form structured societies. According to Etienne Wegner, communities of practice are " groups of people who share a concern or a passion for something they do and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly." The old sewing circle and new online forums share the base of a community of people who are coming together to share their knowledge and expertise in order to improve their abilities in their chosen area of interest.
In the educational environment, communities of practice are being formed as a means of professional development. Preservice teachers are interacting to share their successes and concerns as they prepare for their teaching career. Teachers in schools across the country share their expertise and voice their frustrations in the loosely structured COPs such as Teachers.net .
In these communities, educational professionals ask questions and provide each other with practical answers based upon their day-to day experiences in the classroom.
Our students are unknowingly involved in communities of practice as they hang out and socialize on the Web. The various forums for tips and tricks for the games they play, the critiques and comments that they post in response to each others blogs, mashups and videos, and the tutorials they upload to Youtube to explain how they created their digital art are all examples of the workings of COPs. They are involved in highly situated learning with others that is extremely relevant to them. While these activities may seem unstructured, our students effectively learn the structure and rules of the groups in which they participate and earn social capital as they share the knowledge that they have acquired as they are involved in their activities of choice.
We can use the structure and idea of COPs in our classrooms. By providing students with safe, supervised areas where they can discuss and collaborate on topic of interest within our curriculum, we can create communities of practice for our learners. It will be in spaces such as www.21classes.com and Social Media Classroom that our students will share and learn in an amazing new context.
In the educational environment, communities of practice are being formed as a means of professional development. Preservice teachers are interacting to share their successes and concerns as they prepare for their teaching career. Teachers in schools across the country share their expertise and voice their frustrations in the loosely structured COPs such as Teachers.net .
In these communities, educational professionals ask questions and provide each other with practical answers based upon their day-to day experiences in the classroom.
Our students are unknowingly involved in communities of practice as they hang out and socialize on the Web. The various forums for tips and tricks for the games they play, the critiques and comments that they post in response to each others blogs, mashups and videos, and the tutorials they upload to Youtube to explain how they created their digital art are all examples of the workings of COPs. They are involved in highly situated learning with others that is extremely relevant to them. While these activities may seem unstructured, our students effectively learn the structure and rules of the groups in which they participate and earn social capital as they share the knowledge that they have acquired as they are involved in their activities of choice.
We can use the structure and idea of COPs in our classrooms. By providing students with safe, supervised areas where they can discuss and collaborate on topic of interest within our curriculum, we can create communities of practice for our learners. It will be in spaces such as www.21classes.com and Social Media Classroom that our students will share and learn in an amazing new context.
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