Aha!!!

My "Aha" moments occurred while creating my e-portfolio. I realized that I had not shared ideas that I had created through other graduate courses. I committed the "save it and forget about it" sin. I possessed rich resources that were lying dormant on my computer. I felt foolish.

Yes, I did accomplish many tasks this year as a first year Media Specialist, but I could have started the year appearing much more organized and focused just by giving one or two of the assignments. The staff really had no idea what a "Media Specialist" is/was. So, those few items would have given them a much clearer picture. Thus, they would have been able to ask for more specific help. I missed many opportunities by not painting a clear job description for them.

In addition, I realized I did not have a true focus for the year, so I ran around in a maze at times because I did not know my destination. The e-portfolio reminded me of the importance of gathering resources but doing it with a purpose in mind. I think I was just trying to survive. Now, I am more aware of the objective and will keep my eye on the prize as I plan daily/weekly. Since I serve K-12, the whole school will benefit from this "AHA!"

Technology is something I love, and my belief in using it to "talk" with digital natives has not changed. But, I need to be a louder voice for 21st Century learners. My passion runs deep in this area, and I haven't expressed it well enough. I need to convince others to join the techno train and give students opportunities to show what a difference in makes in their learning.

I am on a mission. Watch out!

Net Gen - Where do we start? (Part II)

The first place education needs to change to better educate the Net Gen is through attitude. So many teachers are afraid of technology and refuse to even try it. In addition, many teachers see it as the present evil in students' lives. Anything can be abused and be harmful...even drinking milk. But, technology has a billion benefits that educators can use in the classroom.

The second change involves learning by doing. Teachers need to not only attend workshops but spend time playing with it to find a comfort level. Then, the teacher must choose at least one new piece of technology to incorporate into the classroom.

The third change is probably the most difficult for veteran educators. It is allowing students to be the experts and giving them creative rein with technology. This is the best way to learn how to serve them. They will teach teachers how to teach them. Students are the best resource.

Change is not easy, but change is coming. Get ready.

Net Gen - Do I Qualify?

I am a part of Generation X, but I find that I possess attributes of Net Gen. I am more comfortable composing on the computer. I feel lost without a laptop when attending workshops, conferences, meetings et cetera. And, I am constantly connected to the internet with phone in hand. If my cell phone is not within reaching distance, I feel like an appendage is missing. I wouldn't qualify myself in the Olympic multi-tasker team like the Net Gens. In fact, I wouldn't even make the "B" team. I get flustered when too many tasks fly at me. So, I can hold my own with the Net Gens, but I cannot win any IM wars. I prefer smaller chunks of tasks at a time.

As a teacher I realized quickly that I had to learn the digital native tongue. Fortunately, I taught in a 5-A school district with a progressive philosophy that provided many opportunities to learn present and upcoming technology. The first time I used the data projector to have students write notes onto Powerpoint I felt very empowered. My students were incredibly willing to teach me what they knew, and I became comfortable not being the technology expert. They were, and I became their student. In the process, we shared ideas and created a learning community. It was beautiful, and I did not plan one piece of it. I experienced the infusing of technology into my world through their world. I still am very connected to many of those students through Facebook or email. It was a year that changed my perspective as a teacher and changed me personally.

I know many worry that technology will take over the world and replace teachers, but I do not believe or fear this. The teacher is the facilator that helps weave meaning between subject areas and technology. They prepare students to be digitally literate in a world of meshed information with misinformation. My excitement of teaching this generation grows as I learn more.

Net Gens...Bring it on!

Assessment FOR Learning

As I read the article Electronic Portfolios as Digital Stories of Deep Learning, I realized that my philosophy of education meshed with Assessment FOR Learning, but I asked my students to create portfolios that followed the philosophy for Assessment OF Learning. Thus, I am quite frustrated because my intention and my assignment did not communicate the same purpose. I see where my focus became a checklist with a rubric instead of focusing on my students. Photostories told the same stagnate story because I limited their choices and creativity with my stiff rubric. I have often reflected about why the project did not flourish as I hoped, and now, I know why. Arghhhhh!

The potential for portfolio assessment is the future, in my opinion. Resumes are often a link to a video, website, or other Web 2.0 tool that communicates who the candidate is and abilities that he/she possesses. It is more personal and less formal. I can see universities requiring this type of application instead of formal essays because it is more relavent to today and is more comprehensive in getting to know the student. My excitement grows as I think of the possibilities.

As for my graduate experience or my journey as a new Media Specialist, I love the idea of keeping a journal through a blog or through a website or some other means to compile ideas, mistakes, challenges, accidental brilliances, et cetera. I have journaled for years in notebooks, and I often refer back to them when I speak to a group of ladies at church about the path I trodded trying to have children. I am often reminded of lessons the Lord taught me, prayers that were answered, emotions that flooded me, and just the step by step map of where I traveled emotionally, spiritually, and physically for those six long years. It has enabled me to minister more clearly through reading and remembering the life lessons I experienced. So, I believe this holds a wealth of potential in having students express, document, log, compare, contrast, reflect, et cetera their learning. It is the greatest tool of reflection which leads to the deepest of learning.

Now, which avenue do I choose to begin this portfolio? Hmmmmmm....

Reflection 2, Week 2, Part 2

Delicious is an incredibly valuable tool . I know I have used it to create a research site for my students as we read The Adoration of Jenna Fox and debated ethical questions about science. What I love the most is that it organizes gazoodles of information into a very friendly form. My strength is not organization, so it is a tool that makes me a better teacher. I began creating my Rambucks delicious account to help teachers with lesson plan ideas. I did not solicit it enough this year, so I am not sure how helpful it was to them. As for Google Reader, I need to play around with it some more. Google Docs became a new love of mine this year, so I am sure that Google Reader will be one too.

As for my Wiki site (http://mrsrbookclub.pbworks.com),I created an online book club with fourth and fifth graders. I awarded students this year with the "Mrs. Ramsay's Book Club Award" to recognize students that exemplified the love of reading, not the accumulation of AR points. This summer we will be reading The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan. I am just formulating ideas as I am only half way into the book, but it has wonderful opportunities to do additional research and fun online projects along with the discussion that can all be linked to in a Wiki. I have the introduction completed and Quest 1 completed. I am looking forward to how this unfolds.

Wikis are very similar (in a limited way) to MySpace or Facebook. Students have the ability to interact socially online in an educational setting that is monitored and safe which is very positive. The negatives that I've experienced is the Wiki page is not as dynamic as Facebook or MySpace in its aesthetic appearance, and I think that is a drawback. But, I know it engages students in a unique way that cannot be replicated. I did an Wiki with my Senior English students two years ago as a Senior Writing Portfolio, and I witnessed non-writers become writers because they had an audience. It gives an authentic purpose for writing.

For some reason, the link to the Web 2.0 Wiki will not open. But, I know that you can link You Tube videos, websites, images, and fun plug-ins into the Wiki. The disadvantage to the plug-ins is that most schools block them, so it is frustrating not to be able to use them at school. Students can access them from home, but I want to be able to enjoy it with my darlings in the classroom.

Information Dissemination (Week 2, Part 1)

I love the MAPping information activity because it is what I teach as a Media Specialist, and I am going to "steal" from this lesson. I constantly preach to junior high and high school students about the basement dwellers that sit in their mothers' homes eating potatoe chips designing websites that appear to be very credible but are really some crazy compilation of Joe Schmo ideas or some get rich quick schemes. "Be smarter than the material that holds your computer together" is my mantra. Information Literacy, to me, is the most important skill that students must learn because of the world we live in. If they do not know how to substantiate information that is constantly thrown at them, they will be lost on the information highway. My passions run oil well deep in this area.

Incorporating Technology!

I see technology as a toy to be used for whimsical fancy. ☺ I think that it has the ability to transform learning into something amazing. For example, I designed our library’s website and continue to discover resources that enhance its effectiveness. I write a monthly “Technology and Tidbits” newsletter for teachers that gives them useful ideas on how to effectively incorporate technology into instruction. Currently, I am facilitating a book club Wiki with fourth and fifth grade students while we read The Red Pyramid. I create book trailers with MovieMaker and Animoto and ask students to design their own to add to the library’s scrolling advertisements. Using iShowU I create videos for teachers and students about artists, authors, and other connections to the curriculum. I am honestly open to any idea as long as it is a better way to getting students excited about learning.

Constructivism...Most Like Me?

Constructivism appears to be the most aligned with my belief system. I believe education should be student-centered and incorporated into authentic tasks. Collaborative learning is vital to today’s world considering how it is constantly changing and how technology invites a social connectivity to learning. I think this structure provides a framework for students to explore, reflect, and create which is the highest form of thought. Critical thinking should always be the goal, but the path arriving at this the goal is flexible

Worst Memory of Teacher

Mr. Plumber was my sixth grade math teacher, and I made the mistake of correcting him in class. He continued to call my best friend Shelly by the wrong name, so I told him that he was mistaken about her name. He screamed at me and told me to never correct him again. Then, he moved me from advanced math to a lower class and would say things like, “That is good for you.” I completely lost my confidence in math and dreaded his class because I was afraid of him. Fortunately, my junior high math teachers recognized that I had ability and patched many of the wounds he left.

Favorite Teacher

My best teacher was Mrs. Copperthwaite because she saw something unique in me. She taught Creative Writing and Contemporary Literature which are/were loves of mine, but she personalized the curriculum in a way that made me feel that I had the ability to choose the focus of my learning. I could decide what I wanted to read and to write within given boundaries, and I loved that freedom. Her classes were about connecting our lives to what we read or what we were to write. She gave me great advice when I was graduating from high school her that her father gave to her, and I still sometimes stop myself and gauge if I am acting in a manner would make her proud of me. I guess the answer to what made her the best is that she gave me an active role, and she really cared about me.

Educational Philosophy

I would summarize my philosphy with the following statement:

Educating students means fostering their love of learning through their digital native language while giving them the opportunity to be the experts and designers of the classroom.

Understanding my philosphy of education is the foundation from which I build the Media program at Chapel Hill ISD. Without any cement to layer the framework, no program will be successful. I truly believe in giving students ownership in the classroom and teaching them with an entirely different approach. I believe New Tech High School in Coppell, Texas has the right idea, and I wish more schools followed their lead. In the words of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz, "We're not in Kansas anymore." In other words, the world has changed and education needs to catch up with that change.

Definition of A Great Teacher

A great teacher is one who is comfortable allowing the students to be the experts and is willing to continue to learn, change, and adapt as the world around her does. She is excited about her subject matter and loves to see students run with information and take it beyond what she imagined. My best friend taught across the hall from me, and I would often think she was crazy because of her unorthodox approaches to teaching, but I watched students become excited about their learning, become involved in the community, take the role as teacher when it came to technology or any other area that they had expertise, and reshape my idea of how to learn. I am a completely different teacher because of Carol Brandt and her eighth grade geniuses.

Regarding Images from the Web