As part of my credential coursework at CSUSM, I was introduced to EdPuzzle, a website that allows users to select videos from a variety of websites including YouTube, Khan Academy, and TED.com and then create web-based lessons based on those videos. To demonstrate my proficiency using this website, I created a quick activity in my content area using a video on WWII from Khan Academy. Despite Khan Academy mislabeling the video as being an event of WWI, it's an informative video and I thought it was perfect for creating my own lesson around. I plan to use EdPuzzle as well as TEDed, another digital lesson resource, in my classroom next year.
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Out Of Our Minds by Ken Robinson is like no other book I've ever read. This book manages to cover wide-ranging topics and dive into a diverse wealth of research and cultural and educational history. Robinson's message is precise: the way we look at education must change and that change must include the fostering of imagination which fosters creativity which foster innovation. Simple enough.
My only critique or criticism of this book is that it is purely theoretical. As a teaching credential candidate, I'm constantly looking for practical applications of ideas and lessons to bring into my classroom. The ideas Sir Robinson presents sound terrific and I predict they would have a significant impact on student engagement and their willingness/eagerness to learn; however, there's no particular strategy I can grab from the book and utilize in my classroom tomorrow. Nevertheless, I take Robinson's point to heart and I plan on creating a classroom that promotes creativity and doesn't curb it. As for the field of education as a whole, I hope the opinions expressed in this book continue to be explored and experimented with. I strongly believe that investing in effective, meaningful education is the best possible way to improve our quality of life as a nation and as a global community, and I believe allowing for creativity is a crucial component of effective, meaningful education.
Question: My question regarding this chapter is less to do with education and more to do with Ken Robinson as an author: How does Sir Robinson manage to pull from such a vast array of resources and historical knowledge to reinforce his ideas? Most books I've read containing a guiding philosophy or thesis use specific, concentrated resources as evidence but Robinson is included everything from the Suffrage Movement to the Blue Man Group. I'm curious how he managed to compile this rather eclectic body of resources and how long it took him to write this book, which covers such a wide range of topics in supporting Robinson's theories. Connection: I doubt I would have survived my experience in a teaching credential program without the collaboration and assistance of my peers. When Robinson writes, "We depend on the knowledge of other people for much of our own understanding of the world" (211), I know exactly what he means. That describes not only the teacher-student relationship, but also the relationship between students, coworkers, family members, you name it. We're constantly learning from one another and in the credential program, there was too much information at one time for one person to keep track of. As colleagues, we created shared files with pertinent information and sent messages via Google+ Communities in order to help everyone acquire the knowledge they needed to succeed. Epiphany: On this same subject, I was struck by another quote about communication and collaboration that framed things a bit differently: "Google, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and thousands of other forms of social media are now spreading virally throughout the global culture. These extraordinary movements are being driven by a primal human impulse to connect with each other and share ideas and information" (210). Once again, I absolutely concur with Robinson's statement, and yet I see, far too often, that students aren't given opportunities to connect with one another, to share ideas in a meaningful way in the classroom. This is something I will keep in mind when I have my own classroom because I too believe that it's in our nature to want to connect with others and express ourselves. This should be incorporated into the learning process at school whenever possible. Chapter 9 Quote: "Organizations are not mechanisms and people are not components. People have values and feelings, perceptions, opinions, motivations and biographies, whereas cogs and sprockets do not" (221). I love Robinson's use of metaphor and I think it illustrates his point that we cannot and should not run schools as if they were a machine. There is no "one size fits all" for people and, while it may make teaching a bit more difficult, it's important for teachers to and schools to acknowledge that students learn and think in different ways; they have diverse interests and motivations. Students, like all individuals should not have to conform to unification. Question: This chapter addresses the importance of creativity when it comes to a leadership position. Robinson argues that many schools are still structured to cater to an outdated 20th century economy. He goes on to say that the job market of the 21st century will be looking for innovators, for creative individuals who can use their imagination to solve logical and non-logical problems. Robinsons also mentions in an earlier chapter that the IQ test is an unreliable measure of intelligence and that something such as creativity is difficult to quantify. If this is the case, how do businesses/organizations plan to identify who is creative and who isn't? Connection: A portion of this chapter describes how being in your element is a truly unique experience and how when aptitude and passion intersect, the passing of time seems to change. "An hour can feel like five minutes," Robinson says (227). This has been my experience in clinical practice. On my off days or when I feel that I missed the mark on a lesson, the day seems to drag on. When a lesson goes well and my students are engaged, I feel like I blink and the day is gone. Epiphany: The section of this chapter regarding workspaces grabbed my attention. This wasn't an epiphany but more of an "aha" moment that will stick with me in future years. I know many students who seem to be confined by the standard classroom desk. In fact, I was one of those students when I was in school. I was a kinesthetic learner and I preferred being out of my seat or at least not in an uncomfortable desk that seemed far too small for me. I'm not saying that I want a classroom filled with ban bag chairs or treadmills, but I'm certainly going to be open to the idea of an alternative-style classroom layout.
Question: Robinson makes a valid point when he says, "No one can be made to learn against his or her will. Learning is a personal choice" (251). With this in mind, for those students who, no matter what you say or do as a teacher, refuse to participate or join in on the learning process, what can be done? Should we recommend that the parent/guardian of these students enroll their child in an alternative education program? Is there a practical next step for this rare student who clearly doesn't want to learn in a certain kind of school or class?
Connection: This chapter includes research concluding that a child's circadian rhythms are different than that of an adult's. The conclusion drawn is that it would behoove schools and students to begin school later in the day, when students' brains are more active and ready to learn. I've read research during my credential program that came to a similar conclusion. I'm also aware of the counter argument that pushing back the school day would allow less time for extracurricular activities and time with family and friends, all of which is just as important as school in the minds of some. I haven't yet taken a position on this issue, but it's something that I think is important to consider and I'de be interested in seeing if this "late-start" idea catches on. Epiphany: This book introduced me to the Whole Education organization, a group that is convinced that education should "invest in the intellectual development of the young person as well as the development of social and emotional competencies" (265). This is a significant component of my educational philosophy. Education, in my opinion, needs to be balanced in a way that takes emotional and social intelligence into consideration so that young people can grow up to be confident, well-adjusted individuals. This chapter has inspired me to look into the details of Whole Education and learn more about their organization. Robinson, K. (2001). Out of our minds: Learning to be creative. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing Ltd. Chapter 5
Quote: "...dance gives form to ideas that cannot be expressed in any other way. Martha Graham once said that dance is the hidden language of the soul" (p. 117). I love this quote because I think it's a terrific metaphor and because I think there's a lot of truth to it. I've seen many students who don't like to express themselves in class. It's almost as if they don't know how to speak the language of "academia" and that's a skill I believe all students should try to acquire, but obviously just because some students don't articulate ideas well in school doesn't mean they don't have wonderful and creative ideas at all. They just need a different medium to express their ideas such as dance, painting, acting, and so on. To me, this is one of the primary functions of school and I think Ken Robinson would agree: We're not only imparting knowledge on to children. Our job is to create an atmosphere that will tap into that form of expression that allows children to flourish. We need to facilitate the kind of learning and growth that happens when a student is truly immersed in a subject/idea. Question: Sir Robinson alludes to dance throughout the book and uses it as an example of a skill that isn't emphasized in school, a skill that hold less importance than math or science in our culture of education. He asserts that dance and other "right-brained" activities are just as important as the logical, "left-brained" subjects. I agree with him to an extent but I wonder why he so often chooses to use dance as the flagship of creativity. I believe that schools should commit more resources to providing classes in the visual and performing arts, but many schools have a tight budget and they have to prioritize by updating school infrastructure, purchasing updated materials, and increasing wages for underpaid teachers. My question is, in areas/schools where classes such as dance simply cannot be offered by public schools, do communities have any obligation to provide such opportunities for children? It seems to me that visual and performing arts classes, like recreational sports, should be more abundant. Connection: This chapter is very much about identifying skills, abilities, and potential. It made me think about several experiences I've had in clinical practice where I witnessed students who were non-participatory in class or struggled with certain activities. Sometime later, I'd see those students interacting outside of class with great enthusiasm, exhibiting terrific communication skills or I'd see an amazing sketch or drawing that a student had made and I'd think to myself: are those students getting any opportunities to practice these skills in the classroom? I think simply allowing students to utilize their natural talents in class is a good way to get students more engaged in the content material. Epiphany: I didn't get an epiphany from this chapter but it did make me more keenly aware of how many students go through school without having an opportunity to tap into their potential. Students learn in diverse ways and they have immensely diverse talents. It's an enormous challenge to identify and flesh out every student's natural abilities. It's especially difficult to allow students to practice or exemplify those skills in the context of a specific classroom such as math or history. But that's the beauty of the teaching profession. Everyday is a challenge and worthwhile one at that. Chapter 6 Quote: "Imagination is the primary gift of human consciousness. In imagination, we can step out of the here and now. We can revisit and review the past. We can take a different view of the present by putting ourselves in the minds of others: we can try to see with their eyes and feel with their hearts. And in imagination we can anticipate many possible futures" (p. 141). I believe this is the crux of Robinson's argument for this chapter. He's emphasizing the importance of imagination. He builds on that idea, saying that imagination is only the first step and that with imagination comes creativity and then innovation, with innovation being defined as "applied creativity". But it all starts with imagination, which is something that Robinson believes is fostered at an early age and snuffed out as we get older. Question: So much of school for the average student is following directions, following protocols, and demonstrating learning, often through standardized tests. I see the value in this process, as standardized testing makes it easy to evaluate students, protocols lead to uniformity and organization, and having clear and specific directions ensures that students will know and do what is expected of them. Nevertheless, we also want students to be creative and many educators have acknowledged the importance of allowing for student choice in order to get students more engaged. Robinson outlines what the first stages of creativity look like, that often it involves playing with an idea that is half-formed. It requires what Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown, in their book A New Culture of Learning, call "messing around." But with the fast pace of school, with so much content to cover, teachers often can't/don't offer students time to play with an idea. Students aren't given time to be creative. Would it be more advantageous to learning if we made the curriculum less dense and allowed more time for creative, more meaningful activities? Connection: A lot of what Ken Robinson is talking about in this chapter has direct correlations to the kind of skills students are expected to develop in social science classes. I've learned through the social science methods course I'm enrolled in that Common Core standards require students to analyze primary and secondary source documents. One aspect of this skill is to determine the perspective of the author/creator of the document. In the section of this chapter titled, "The veil of conceptions", Robinsons writes about how everyone is looking at the world with a different lens and, therefore, is noticing different things. Identifying this idea is important in its own right but this also speaks to the skill of empathy. It's important for students to learn how to put themselves in the shoes of someone else and attempt to see things from another perspective. Epiphany: This one was more of an "aha" moment for me. I've found through my clinical practice that many students refuse or are unwilling to raise their hand out of fear that they may be wrong. I saw this much less when I was teaching 6th grade, as it seemed students were less worried about being judged or mocked for saying a wrong answer. High School students will often say an answer under their breath, hoping the teacher heard but no one else did, just in case they said something "stupid". I was taken by something Robinson said, based off of a quote from Albert Einstein: "If you're not prepared to be wrong, it's unlikely that you'll ever come up with anything original." I try to always acknowledge students who take chances by sharing, even if they're not sure they're right. And many times, the student may not be right but the idea that they shared is brilliant in its own way and I attempt to highlight that fact as a way of promoting the sharing of ideas. Chapter 7 Quote: "Education should develop the whole child and not just their academic abilities. It should engage their feelings, physical development, moral education and creativity" (p. 179). I chose this quote because I wholeheartedly agree with Robinson's assertion. We forget so much of the academic content we learn in school but the "soft skills" we learn are the abilities we'll need and use for the rest of our lives. Question: Upon finishing this chapter, I decided to 'Google" Ken Robinson because I was curious about his professional background. He has a lot of wonderful and progressive ideas but sometimes I feel that there is a bit of a disconnect between what he proposes and what is currently viable in the typical American public school. I discovered from my search that Mr. Robinson, despite having taught at several universities, has never taught in a public school in America or anywhere else. I don't think this discredits his proposals and beliefs on education but I do find it noteworthy, and maybe just a tiny bit troubling, that an academic would be so outspoken about the culture of school without actually having the experience of teaching in one. Obviously he's had the experience from a student's perspective but I believe without having taught as well, one is more likely to be missing the entire picture of what school is like. It reminds me of jobs I've had in the past when a manager is hired from outside of the organization and outside of the industry. When they started implementing new rules or ideas, I often met those rules and ideas with a fair amount skepticism, not knowing if they were basing those rules or ideas on proper experience. Therefore, my question would be: Besides having a PhD, what qualifies Ken Robinson to make assertions about school? What information has he gathered to help him arrive at his opinions regarding school and how does he expect teachers and administrators to apply the information he presents in his book? That's three questions, but they all get to the same idea. Connection: This chapter reminded me of some of the lessons from the teaching credential program courses. In class, we've discussed, in length, the importance of being understanding and sensitive to other people's beliefs, customs, and perspectives. We've brainstormed and shared ideas of how we can create a classroom of inclusion and that shows appreciation for diversity. In this chapter, Robinson is describing the importance of these practices in regards to life and the workplace. Many businesses nowadays look for employees who have these virtues and are mindful of other people's perspectives and feelings. Epiphany: I really enjoyed this portion of the chapter pertaining to the connection between creativity and the sciences. Robinson explains that "There is a point in scientific inquiry where logic is not the best instrument. Discovery in science often results from unexpected leaps of imagination: the sudden jumping of a logical gap, in which the solution to a problem is illuminated by a new insight..." (p. 190). Robinson's argument seems to be that the logical part of the brain relies on the creative part of the brain and vice versa. Robinson, K. (2001). Out of our minds: Learning to be creative. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing Ltd.
Chapter 1 Quote: "Everyone has huge creative capacities. The challenge is to develop them" (p. 3). I chose this quote because I feel it encapsulates the point Robinson is trying to make in Chapter 1. Children are often highly creative while adults often proclaim they aren't very creative. Ken Robinson argues that adults have plenty of creative potential but schools often suppress creativity in favor of standardization and conformity. Question: I've read that with the continual atomization of everything from manufacturing jobs to self-driving cars, the future will provide far less jobs than there are now. Even with innovation and emerging markets, predictions still show technology will have an adverse effect on the job market. With this in mind, should we expect higher education to lead to job security? This isn't necessarily aligned with Ken Robinson's book, but he is talking about transforming our education system. In the past, education has been preparation for citizenship and the job market. I believe in Robinson's argument that we need to foster and cultivate creativity in schools, but I think we need to consider what effect, if any, we expect this to have on students' career prospects. Connection: In the section titled "Reframing our potential," Robinson describes a story he heard at his son's university in which a professor's son switched majors from Classic Literature to Philosophy and then to Art History. The professor was concerned about his son's potential for job prospects given his choice of major but, as it turned out, the son landed a job at a successful auction house and went on to live quite happily given his chosen career. Robinson points out the the student's choice of majors gave him a perfect knowledge set for his future career which he couldn't have possibly known at the time. This reminds me of a profound story Steve Jobs shared at his commencement speech for 2005 Stanford graduates. Jobs explained that after he dropped out of college, he continued to drop in on classes that interested him, including a calligraphy class. The class seemed to be of little value at the time but when Jobs, with his friend Steve Wozniak, designed the first Apple computer, he was able to put his skills to good use, creating beautiful font types that had never been seen before. The lesson Jobs took away from this story is that you cannot connect the dots looking forward; therefore, you have to trust that some day, the decisions you make now will pay off. The story that Robinson tells seems to be saying the same thing. We shouldn't choose our topic of study because we think it will lead to a good job. We should study what we're passionate about and trust/hope it will lead to the job we wish to someday have. Epiphany: I had an "aha" moment when I read about the disconnect between what skills business leaders want incoming employees to have and the attachment to traditional academic models. Robinson highlights how business leaders claim to want employees who can problem-solve, be creative, and think in an innovative way. However, so many industry leaders still support a 20th century view of education, which is arguably not an ideal model for our 21st century economic landscape. Chapter 2 Quote: "The average digital wristwatch has appreciably more power and memory than the 1969 Apollo Moonlander: the space vehicle from which Neil Armstrong took his small step for man and his giant leap for mankind" (p. 25). This quote exemplifies just how much has changed in the past 50. To put our immense technological progress into perspective, Robinson uses a terrific analogy in which every minute on a clock represents 50 years and thus 60 minutes would add up to 3000 years. He then identifies how many minutes, or seconds, ago a new technological achievement occurred. For example, under this analogy, the first motor car was invented 2.5 minutes ago. The first moon landing and moonwalk happened 50 seconds ago. The World Wide Web was introduced 25 seconds ago. If the last 50 years is any indication of what we should expect in the next 50 years, it's hard to imagine what life will be like in 2066. Question: Throughout the first two chapters, Robinson emphasizes the point that children of today are likely to switch jobs and/or careers multiple times which will have huge impact on the structure of the global economy. 1) What information, specifically, brings Robinson to this conclusion? 2) How many people change jobs or careers nowadays? Connection: Robinson includes a wonderful quote from H.G. Wells: "Civilization is a race between education and catastrophe" (p.47). I've seen this quote before and admittedly didn't give it much thought since I view H.G. Wells as a dramatic science fiction writer. But seeing the quote in this context made me think of climate change and how crucial education is not only to identifying the problem but to accepting the problem and beginning to develop possible solutions. Catastrophe seems to be an independent variable, something that is out of our control. Education is the dependent variable that we can choose to manipulate and can help mitigate the effects of catastrophe. Epiphany: I was struck by this quote: "If you could go back in time and hand your iPhone to your great-grandparents, they'd think you were Captain Kirk from Star Trek. The impossible yesterday is routine today. Wait until tomorrow" (p.34). This is both inspiring and terrifying. This idea, I feel, is what inspires people to dream big, to come up with seemingly crazy solutions to today's and tomorrow's problems. This idea is also a bit ominous since my mind drifts towards technology that could be immeasurably harmful such as nuclear weapons —or whatever comes after nuclear weapons— and artificial intelligence, which is potentially good or bad. Chapter 3 Quote: "The real issue is that the very foundations upon which our current systems of education are built are shifting beneath our feet" (p. 53). Robinson continues to reinforce this message that there needs to be a shift in education that matches the shifts in our culture and our economy. Question: The section on academic inflation is worrisome. Robinson describes how college degrees are becoming more and more common to the point that he heard one chairman of a university appointment panel say the panel was looking for a candidate with a "good PhD" as if some PhDs were lousy. Some of my best friends are currently working on either a Masters or a PhD and plan on still being a student into their thirties. This means they will most likely have more student loans and fewer years to pay those loans off. But those prestigious degrees are what it takes to get the kinds of jobs my friends want to get. This leads me to two questions. Firstly, in our economics system, the government often intervenes in order to prevent runaway inflation. In other words, the government takes steps to minimize inflation so that people's money doesn't lose too much value in a short period of time. How can this be done with academic inflation? I don't think reducing the number of people going to college is the right decision, so how can we prevent a B.A. from becoming no more valuable than a High School Diploma? Secondly, if the value of such degrees is going down, why is tuition at most colleges going up? I ask this somewhat sarcastically since I'm aware federal funding for higher education has gone down over the years therefore costs to universities has gone up and that cost gets passed on to students and their parents, but nevertheless, these high cost/low(er) value institutions seems to defy the laws of economics. Connection: On page 61, Robinson writes about the perceived "useful disciplines" and the "useless ones." We see science, language, and maths as far more important than art, history, music, and drama. He goes on to say how when school budgets have to be reduced, the arts are usually the departments that suffer. From viewing TED talks and studying pedagogy in my credential program, I've seen the importance of programs such as art and dance and how impactful they can be for students who aren't well-suited to sitting at a desk all day and doing calculations and studying grammar. Epiphany: So far in the book, Robinson seems to be making the argument that our education system is antiquated and it needs to catch up with our quickly evolving 21st century economy. His message seems to change a bit, however, in the third chapter when he says "it is a mistake to think of the relationship between education and the economy as a straightforward process of supply and demand, like producing motor cars. While industrial systems may be standardized, mechanistic and linear, human life simply is not" (p. 59). This made me think back to my question from Chapter 1 concerning what outcomes we expect education to have on career prospects. Yes, our lives are not standardized and often not linear, but many of us go to college with the expectation of entering a particular job market after graduation. If what Robinson says is true and we shouldn't view the relationship between education and the economy as a straightforward process, we should communicate that idea to students before they invest tens of thousands of dollars in higher education. Chapter 4 Quote: "Human intelligence includes the capacity for academic activity; this does not mean that academic activity is the whole of intelligence" (p. 108). This quote really resonates with me because I see so many students who benefit greatly from our current education system because the system suits their kind of intelligence. Oppositely, I see many students whose potential has been left untapped because our system does not allow their specific kind of intelligence to flourish. I believe this is Robinson's main point of Chapter 4 and its well-received. Question: I take Robinson's point that we don't give creativity and individuality enough attention when it comes to education. I think he makes a strong argument that we need to transform education into something that helps all students learn and grow and not just the ones who are more predisposed to academic success. But what I want to know is what, in Ken Robinson's mind, does an ideal school look like? If we were to take Robinson's argument into consideration and rethink our education system, what precise changes would need to be made? Hopefully this will be addressed by the end of the book. Connection: Robinson describes in length how when it comes to the arts, universities will give you a degree for writing about art. If you want to compose art, you typically go to a special school such as a conservatory. My fiancé went through a highly rigorous science illustration program after graduating with a B.S. from a 4 year university. Upon completing the illustration program, she received a certification from the program. And while this program was fairly prestigious, I don't know if it holds the same value on a resumé as a masters degree. Also, I don't understand why such a highly demanding and specialized program wouldn't earn a graduate a degree of some kind. Epiphany: Robinson questions the credibility of intellectual measurements such as the IQ Test and the SAT, saying that "The assumption is that intelligence is quantifiable" (p. 107). I honestly hadn't given it much thought. The concept of an IQ test seems so prevalent in our culture that I took it at face value, but I believe now that Robinson is correct in saying that we measure intelligence under the false assumption that it can even be quantified. Of course, we quantify success/intelligence all the time, especially in school, but I think it's good practice when teachers grade based on improvement, effort, and taking into account the presence of soft skills (e.g. communication, teamwork, etc.). Robinson, K. (2001). Out of our minds: Learning to be creative. United Kingdom: Capstone Publishing Ltd. Chapter 7: Knowing, Making, and Playing
Question: The authors describe a study in which young people were not able to find Iraq on a map and then a separate study where young people could find Iraq on a computer map and even knew how to access satellite imaging or street view. This is explained to illustrate the difference between asking where information is as opposed to what information is.This second study, however, doesn't make me feel any better about the first study. What it shows me is a reliance on technology. Similarly, before I had a smart phone, if I planned on traveling somewhere I'd never been before, I would go online at home and map my directions to the desired destination. Now that I have a smart phone with GPS, I use it any time I need directions somewhere. I'm proficient at using my phones map functions as I can use it to get anywhere I need to go and I can determine the total distance, the estimated time of arrival and alternate routes. However, if I'm without my phone for any reason, I'm helpless. I've been relying on my phone for directions for so long, I've lost the ability to navigate on my own. If we know how to access information, or in other words, if we know where the information is, does that make having the information, knowing what the information is, less important? Connection: The section titled "Making" explains how context matters when interpreting information. A movie preview given a different music score can change the perception of the movie from a drama to a comedy, for example. This reminds me of the study of primary documents in my social science methods class. We learned that students not only need to interpret a picture or document in order to understand it. Students also need to analyze the significance of the document within the appropriate context. This is an essential component of common core. Epiphany: Related to the "connection" segment, I remembered a few Youtube videos I saw that were remixed movie previews for Mrs. Doubtfire and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory that had been recut in such a way that it appeared to be a psychological horror/thriller movie. Not only were they hilarious clips, but they were surprisingly convincing. It's something I would consider showing my classroom as an example of the importance of context. Chapter 8: Hanging Out, Messing Around, And Geeking Out Quote: "Collective indwelling is fundamental for the emergence of a networked imagination." This quote summarizes the main point of the chapter. I interpret indwelling as subject mastery or fluency which when achieved as a group, allows for enhanced creativity and exploration. Question: How can/does the "Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out" progression work in the classroom? Connection: This chapter reminds me of the online community created for the teacher candidates. At the beginning of the first semester, the activity on the Google+ page was infrequent and simple but as we all progressed and become more fluent with the dynamics of the Google+ community, you could start to see all the different ways in which the community was being used. Peers began posting comprehensive assignment due dates, possible meet-up ideas, questions on assignments, articles of interest and more. It has blossomed into a lively online network. Epiphany: I had a"hmn" moment after I read the chapter and thought about the connection between the three concepts of the chapter and the three badges we have to earn from Jeff Heil's class: Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out. I'm hoping that I've actually reached the Geeking Out stage by the time the program comes to an end. Chapter 9: The New Culture Of Learning For A World Of Constant Change Quote: "Play fuses the two elements of learning that we have been talking about: the information network and the petri dish (or bounded environment of experimentation). That fusion is what we call the new culture of learning." This quote clearly explains how collective content knowledge and creative inquiry cultivates learning. Question: How can the immersive and collective learning qualities of MMOs be translated into an English or History classroom? The authors seem to sing the praises of MMOs for their ability to nurture the new culture of learning but I don't see how this can be replicated in the classroom. Connection: This chapter reminds me of what we learned about through the Youtube videos we watched and reflected on last semester for our "Hanging Out" badge. One of the videos emphasized how failing is an essential part of learning. The book talks about clans in World of Warcraft who go on highly difficult raids that require immense synchronization and collaboration. Often times, the clans fail and have to modify their strategy based on prior failures. Eventually, through all that they learn through failure, they eventually succeed. Epiphany: My epiphany happened as I was writing this blog post. It occurred to me that what I learned from this chapter and from the entire book can help me with my 20% Project. I need to determine how I can join a collective that can help me learn and inevitably reach my goal. Brown, J. S., Thomas, D. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Soulellis Studio.
Question: How do we implement the idea of collective learning and assess it in a classroom setting? Thomas and Brown's theories resonate with me but I don't see how they translate to a Math or English classroom in the current educational landscape. Schools have content standards and require student evaluations that make imaginative, collaborative, inquiry-based learning difficult, if not impossible, to implement. Connection: In this portion of my blog, I'd like to talk about blogs. In chapter 4, the authors describe how blogs are a medium for learning and they allow for collectives to form organically. This section reminds me of a couple aspects of last semester's coursework. Firstly, as credential candidates, we were required to keep a blog and comment on our peers' blogs. This assignment not only allowed us to analyze and reflect on what we learned, it also created a collective among us where we crowd-sourced ideas and information. Everyone had a meaningful perspective to contribute and we all benefited from those perspectives. Secondly, I learned in a video I watched last semester for Jeff Heil's class how blogs can be used in the classroom to make students take accountability for their writing. Some students realize that no one will ever read their in-class writing assignments except for their teacher. By requiring students to put their writing in a blog, it makes that content available to millions. When this information is pointed out to students, they sometimes take more pride in their work, knowing that they've publicly displayed it for the entire digital world to see. Epiphany: This chapter wasn't epiphany provoking for me, but I did have an "aha" moment when the authors described the role of the mentor in guiding learning and creating structure for the learner. I've been trying to hone in on my role as an assistant at my clinical practice site. In the AVID class I assist in, often times students are working on advanced math and science classes that I haven't studied for nearly a decade. But it occurred to me, as a mentor, it's my job to help them troubleshoot their problem. I can show students how to find the answer on their own, by using their textbook, notes, supplementary materials, and/or the Internet. Learning this skill is more important than any one math or science problem. Chapter 5: The Personal With The Collective Quote: "Group work is almost always evaluated by assigning individual grades to students based on their contribution. What goes unrecognized is the fact that when groups work well, the result is usually a product of more than the sum of individual achievements." When groups truly work well together, they can create amazing products. In the classroom, this process is difficult to evaluate. One can point to the tangible achievements of each group member, but it seems impossible to identify the importance of communication and collaboration: the sharing of ideas and how those ideas evolve as each group member contributes to the collective. Question: Is this new culture of learning equitable in today's classroom? Despite all of the hype regarding technology in the classroom and how it can and should revolutionize the way we learn and teach, many schools still suffer from a lack of technology and a lack of technological expertise. Furthermore, I have yet to meet a class in which all students have access to a device with Internet at home. Students seem to be scattered all across the digital literacy spectrum. I'm excited by the prospect of using technology to enhance my pedagogy and incorporate collective learning into my lesson plans, but I worry that we're getting ahead of ourselves. Do our schools have the necessary infrastructure for this new culture of learning? Do all our students have adequate access and knowledge to make this shift realistic? Connection: The section on teachers conveying knowledge publicly to students who gather and absorb the information privately in the old culture of learning reminded me of a discussion I witnessed between a teacher and his students during my clinical practice just last week. He was explaining how when he was growing up, when a teacher posed a question to the class, nearly everyone raised their hand since not raising your hand would give the perception that you didn't know the answer and were therefore not as smart as everyone else. These days, when a teacher asks a question, they're lucky if they see even a few hangs raised. Students have been culturally trained to not share what they know. The teacher was trying to convey that students shouldn't be afraid to show how smart they are. Epiphany: In this chapter, the authors write, "Institutional backing is no longer a warrant for credibility. It is not that we don't trust The New York Times or CNN anymore. Rather, we have come to understand that their resources, though considerable, are in fact quite limited when compared to those of the blogosphere, which are limitless. Information put out in the blogosphere is investigated, challenged, and debated." My first impression of this quote was that it downplays the importance of trust and credibility. We look to information sources such as The New York Times because it's reliable; we know the information is screened before being disseminated. While I still believe this to be true, it occurred to me that the blogosphere does have a distinct advantage over periodicals and news organizations. While their sources may be less credible and often more erroneous, they have vastly more resources via personnel. For example, true crime shows such as the podcast Serial, and the Netflix original documentary, Making A Murderer have had numerous blogs which dig deeper into the story and explore avenues not covered in the original content. In a sense, these blogs create a community of private detectives who can commit more time and resources than any single entity/organization. And for someone like me who is never satisfied with the content delivered from a program like Serial, it's extremely satisfying to have the ability to explore blogs and websites full of additional information and perspectives. Chapter 6: We Know More Than We Can Say Quote: "In a world where things are constantly changing, focusing exclusively on the explicit dimension is no longer a viable model for education." This quote concisely states the assertion of this chapter. We live in a world of perpetual change so static knowledge is of little use, or at least is of less use to us than tacit knowledge. We should be helping students develop the skills necessary to acquire knowledge since those skills are often more enduring than subject knowledge itself. Question: A lot of what the authors are writing about makes sense to me. I agree that the best way to facilitate learning is to facilitate imagination and spark student inquiry so that they are motivated to seek out knowledge based on their own questions and curiosities. What I'd like to know is, are there any teachers who have created unit plans for their classes based on these ideas and what would those unit plans look like? Connection: The authors write "In the digital world, we learn by doing, watching, and experiencing. Generally, people don't take a class or read books or manuals to learn how to use a web browser or email program. They just start doing it, learning by absorption and making tacit connections." This echoes the mantra of our professors: Those who are doing the work are doing the learning. Explaining how to navigate a web browser or email program would be far less effective than allowing students to explore it on their own and learn by doing. I hope to follow this advice whenever possible in my classroom. Epiphany: The argument of this chapter is more or less the same as Will Richardson's in his book Why School. Both books call for a change in our educational mindset from facts and standardized assessments to student based learning, inquiry, and collective learning. Brown, J. S., Thomas, D. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Soulellis Studio. Chapter 1
Quote: The quote that stuck out the most to me was a segment in “Sam’s Story” regarding his online search for other Scratch programs: “Yet Sam made perhaps the most revealing comment, one that tells us the most about the new culture of learning. when we asked him what he looks for in other people’s programs. He told us, ‘something really cool you could never know yourself.’” This, to me, describes the natural way we learn. Growing up playing sports, I was always told if I wanted to get better, I had to play with kids that were better than me. You had to play with people who knew skills and aspects of the game that you didn’t. That’s how you get better; that’s how you learn. I think this is what Sam, and the author, is talking about. If we have an interest in something, we naturally want to learn more about it. What better way is there than to learn from others with the same interest? Question: My question is an echo of a question asked in A New Culture of Learning and yet is not answered, at least to my satisfaction. The author writes, “In the twenty-first century, how do we cultivate the imagination? My first thought when reading this was, “do we need to?” Humans are inherently imaginative. How else would you explain the vast array of fictional stories in the form of movies, novels, videogames, and illustrations that we, as a civilization, have produced? But then I thought about that question in the context of education. People are far more imaginative when it’s a subject they find interesting. Furthermore, imagination can facilitate learning. So how can we cultivate imagination, in order to promote learning, in educational subjects that students may not find interesting? I think it would benefit all teachers to ask this question. Connection: Upon reading the first page, which brought up the challenge to respond to constantly evolving technology, I immediately started thinking about a recent discussion I participated in during my social studies methods course. We were talking about how memorizing information is not nearly as important these days since we have a practically limitless database of information via the internet. What seems more important in the “internet age”, is the ability to distinguish between information and misinformation. We should be teaching students how to critically analyze a document and determine whether it’s credible or not. Epiphany: I feel that I have a lot of the necessary attributes to be an effective teacher. One attribute though that I don’t feel confident about is my subject area mastery, or lackthereof. After reading the segment, “Googling the Error” it occurred to me that any lack of knowledge I have can quickly be remedied by a Google search. Of course, I will always come to class prepared and I’ll make sure I know the content of what I’m teaching, but if a student asks a question that I don’t know the answer to, I’ll take it as a learning opportunity for them and me. Chapter 2 Quote: “...in the new culture of learning the point is to embrace what we don’t know, come up with better questions about it, and continue asking those questions in order to learn more and more, both incrementally and exponentially.” I chose this quote because I feel that it sums up the kind of inquiry-based approach the author is suggesting we transition to. Question: How can teachers practically transition from the old culture of learning to the new in a system that hasn’t caught up yet? Connection: Several of the teaching credential program professors have used the phrase “the one who is doing the work is doing the learning.” This chapter reminds me of that saying except I would replace the word “work” with “thinking.” Traditional lecture in the classroom is a thoughtless experience for many students. They blindly take notes or their focus drifts in and out. If students are the ones thinking and discovering, they’ll be taking control of their learning. Epiphany: This chapter didn’t induce an epiphany moment for me but more of a “hmn.” In the final paragraph, Thomas and Brown describe the new culture of learning not as what you know but what you’d like to know. I like the idea that students should have a say in what they learn and why. I believe it will help them become much more motivated and engaged in their education. Chapter 3 Quote: “Embracing change means looking forward to what will come next. It means viewing the future as a set of new possibilities, rather than something that forces us to adjust.” Many people are resilient to change. In fact, I’ve heard several people in the education community argue that many teachers are retiring because the profession is changing too drastically for them. New standards, expectations, and technologies have deterred them from teaching. While I acknowledge that change is often difficult, I see it as a new challenge or new adventure. Question: Why haven’t technology classes become a required part of the school curriculum? It seems that something as ubiquitous as the internet would get it’s own class of study. No student should leave school illiterate. Likewise, no student should leave school digitally illiterate. Connection: Reading about the kids in the Harry Potter fictional online universe made me think about two things: The book Why School by WIll Richardson and his chapter about Minecraft, and Dr. White’s YouTube video about the Visitor/Resident theory. In Richardson’s book, he explains how inquiry led a child to quickly learn the ins and outs of the Minecraft world. WHile these skills aren’t something that would traditionally be taught in the classroom, in many ways, they’re just as valuable. This child sought out whatever resources necessary to inform them about the dynamics of the game. In other words, this child learned to troubleshoot, a great life skill. In Dr. White’s video, he explains how players in an online universe worked together to create some amazing things. As with the Harry Potter online universe, These activities acted as a bonding experience that utilized communication and collaboration skills in a very unique setting. Epiphany: This chapter made me keenly aware of the technological trends I learned about last semester from Jeff Heil’s curated Youtube channel. There was a video I watched that described the social networking platform trend and how quickly one replaced another. Myspace ruled supreme for a while until Facebook supplanted it. Then sites like Instagram and Twitter came along and now the popular networking site is Snapchat. Reading about how much the internet has changed over the last two decades and realizing that the digital landscape is so vastly different than when I went to High School was a little mind-blowing. Brown, J. S., Thomas, D. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Soulellis Studio. White, D. (2013, May 31). Visitors and Residents. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFBadv04eY Richardson, W. (n.d). Why school?: How education must change when learning and information are everywhere. Available from http://www.amazon.com/Why-School-Education-Information-Everywhere-ebook/dp/B00998J5YQ. In this follow up to Thomas Friedman's first article, How to Get a Job at Google, Part 2 is yet another interview with Laszlo Bock, the man in charge of hiring for Google. The buzz that was created after the first interview, in which Bock asserted that bosses these days care less about what you know or where you learned it and care more about what you can do with the knowledge you have, motivated Friedman to ask some follow-up questions. In the exchange, Bock explains that he doesn't believe college is worthless but he does think that many young people go to college without a sense of direction or an expectation as to what purpose college should be serving for them. Bock goes on to say that people shouldn't go to college just because they think it's the necessary next step. The decision to attend college should be extremely deliberate and purposeful.
From that point, Bock transitions into the notion that college students should be acquiring skills and traits that are marketable and relevant to the modern workplace. One such trait businesses are looking for, according to Bock, is grit, which is why he believes that it's more advantageous to graduate with Bs as a Computer Science major than it is to graduate with A+s as an English major. People like Bock are looking for graduates who challenged themselves and were able to succeed despite heavy workloads. This kind of grit through rigorous studies also shows one's cognitive ability. Google wants employees who can work through difficult problems and not simply take the easiest path. This is not to say, however, that the liberal arts and subjects that emphasize creativity are not important. But in the current economic system, those types of fields are more applicable and useful when combined with something else, most notably when a logic-centered field is combined with a creative one. The interview concludes with some advice about building a Resumé and interviewing for jobs. Bock says that a good Resumé will say "I accomplished X, relative to Y, by doing Z." In other words, it highlights an accomplishment, points out how it is different and/or better than others' accomplishments, and explains the process by which it was done. His recommendation for interviews was similar. Bock stresses the importance of stating you purpose or value and illustrating that with a clear example or method. First and foremost, I appreciate Bock's advice and I'll be keeping it in mind when I'm updating my Resumé and and going in for interviews. Secondly, I couldn't agree more with Bock that college should not be the default next step after High School. I would recommend college to all of my students, not to mention my own children, but I would explain that college should only be considered if there's an intended purpose in mind. A degree no longer guarantees a good job so students need to be thinking about how college will help them reach their goals specifically. Also, I've heard a lot of teachers talk about how students these days lack the kind of grit that Bock is talking about. I plan to not only challenge my students with a rigorous curriculum, but also explain to them the value of hard work, determination, and grit. It may even be worth it to show students the perks of working at Google and then have them read Friedman's article. Friedman, T. (2014, April 19). How to get a job at Google, Part 2. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/20/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-to-get-a-job-at-google-part-2.html This RSA video, which graphically narrates a speech by Ken Robinson, critiques the current education model. In it, Ken Robinson describes a system where an increasing number of students are prescribed medication for ADHD which serves to numb them instead of invigorate them in the classroom. Robinson also argues that we, as a society are not seeing an ADHD epidemic as some might suggest. We live in a time of superfluous digital media and entertainment. Students are exposed to this content and then asked to sit quietly in a classroom and learn subjects they aren't necessarily interested in. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that students have a hard time paying attention. Robinson goes on to explain how the education system standardizes learning in just about every sense of the word. Schools are divided into grade levels, classes are divided into subjects, and students are divided by age. We evaluate learning based on standardized tests and we label people either smart or not smart based on whether or not they received a college degree. Robinson believes we need to go in the opposite direction that we're currently going in and embrace a new kind of educational system that doesn't follow a one size fits all model. Instead, we should adopt a model that allows for more creativity and "divergent learning". Divergent thinking is the process of finding/exploring multiple solutions for a given problem. This method, when utilized in the classroom, allows for more ingenuity, individuality, and engagement.
I'm a big fan of Ken Robinson and his postulations on the institution of school, but his proposals are often "big picture" ideas that would effect the entire U.S. education system. As a teacher, I can advocate for the changes he suggests, but I can only control what goes on in my classroom. I hope to get a job at a school that is forward thinking, that fosters creativity and understands that no two students are the same so we shouldn't expect them to learn in the same way. And as a supporter of Ken Robinson's beliefs, I'll structure my lessons with the purpose of challenging and encouraging individuality and creativity. I will make unit assessment that allow students to express what they know in a way that best suits their personality or learner profile. And I will avoid bland and monotonous instructional methods and use the technology at my disposal, when appropriate, to stimulate and engage my students. Alfa, E. [Escola Alfa]. (2011, February 19). RSA animate - changing education paradigms [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATCqh-OjSuw&list=PLbRLdW37G3oMquOaC-HeUIt6CWk-FzaGp&index=21 In his 2005 Stanford University commencement address, Steve Jobs tells the audience three stories about his life and the lessons he learned from them. The first story was about dropping out of college only to begin dropping in classes of his choosing. One of those classes was a calligraphy class which, while fascinating to Jobs, had no real-world implications in his eyes. It was only after designing the first Macintosh computer, which used beautiful typography never seen before on a computer, that Jobs realized the necessity and value of that calligraphy class. His message: You can't connect the dots looking forward. you can only connect the dots looking backward. In other words, when you're following your heart, intuition, your gut, or whatever else you'd like to call it, you have to trust that the decisions you're making today will someday payoff, even if those decisions seem to lead you astray.
The second story Jobs tells is about his falling out with Apple executives that resulted in his termination from the company. Despite being let go from a company he started from scratch in his garage, Steve Jobs didn't let that deter him from following his passions. He started a new company called Next and also founded Pixar, "the most successful animation studio in the world," as Jobs puts it. Inevitably, Apple bought out Next, and Jobs went back to work at Apple. During this period, he also met his wife whom he started a family with. Jobs holds the opinion that none of this would have happened if he hadn't been fired. His message is that, while there may be setbacks and/or failures, you must not let anything deter you from following what you love. He goes on to say that we spend far too much time at work to not love what we do. Therefore, one must find their passion and under no circumstance should you ever settle for less than your dream. Jobs' last story is about being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Cancer of the pancreas is usually incurable and Jobs' doctor gave him 3-6 months to live. It turned out that the cancer was actually a rare, less aggressive form and was safely removed. Jobs explains to the crowd that the threat of death is, in fact, a terrific motivator and it's something that has propelled him to not waste time and live life to the fullest. While the cancer did return and ended up taking Jobs' life, I think he would still stand by his statement that "death is very likely the single best invention of life. It's life's change agent." In his closing statements, Steve Jobs leaves the new graduates with advice he received himself from a publication called The Whole Earth Catalog. In it's final print, the publication printed the message "Stay hungry. Stay foolish." I think this is interesting advice coming from a man who is known to be very calculating when it comes to marketing and business strategy. But I get what he means. You can't always make the logical choice. Sometimes you must lead with the heart. If you aren't taking risks, if you aren't chasing what you yearn for, you aren't really living life. As a student, I can certainly relate to what Steve Jobs says. It took me quite awhile to graduate from college because I spent more time than I should have taking classes that I was interested in but didn't bring me closer to graduation. I haven't necessarily followed a path towards success or wealth. I've taken my time trying to find what I love and with teaching, I think I've found it. And I plan on following Jobs's advice; if someday it occurs to me that I'm no longer happy in the profession I'm in, I'll have no choice but to leave the world of teaching, not only for my sake, but for the sake of any prospective student who could end up having a teacher who lack the hunger and foolishness to be truly inspiring. Going forward, I will try to remain cognizant of the messages from this commencement address and I'll try to help students not settle for anything less than their dreams. Stanford. [Stanford]. (2005, June 12). Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford Commencement Address.[Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/UF8uR6Z6KLc?list=PLbRLdW37G3oMquOaC-HeUIt6CWk-FzaGp If you asked a politician, a business leader, a teacher, a parent, and a student what the purpose of education is, you're likely to get five different answers. In his article titled "Redefining Teachers with a 21st Century Education 'Story'," Thom Markham of MindShift explains how education has been stuck, for the last 150 years, in an "endless wash cycle" of differing beliefs of what education should be. Two of the most prevalent ideologies are the idea of student-based learning that emphasizes personal growth and citizenship, and the idea of scientific, standardized education that emphasizes measurable results. And while this tug-o-war of academic philosophies continues, Markham has some words of advice for teachers. Firstly, he asks that teacher appreciate the importance and the challenge of being a teacher in the 21st Century. He says that a teacher's "passion, vision, and sense of mission" will dictate how well they perform but that those qualities must be accompanied by appreciation for the opportunity to do such a momentously important job.
Secondly, Markham suggests that teachers dream big when it comes to their goals. Teachers shouldn't limit their vision to just their class or school. Teachers everywhere are aiming to help their students get out of poverty, prepare them for adulthood and successful careers, and shape the world for the better. Markham wants all teachers to be apart of that global dream. Thirdly, Markham challenges teachers to "redefine smart." High test scores and proficiency exams are great for statistics and getting state and federal funding, but as teachers, we need to be trying to elicit more general, life-long skills from our students. They need to hone in on their curiosity, their resiliency, and their critical thinking. These attributes are harder to measure and arguably even harder to teach, but they're what teachers should be striving toward. Lastly, Markham tells teachers to connect with the global teaching community. Communicating and sharing ideas among peers can reduce stress and help us gain insight into the profession. Overall, I don't disagree with Markham's suggestions. He makes valuable suggestions that I think would benefit most teachers. The only point of contention I have with his article is the comparison made between high-performing organizations and education in the United States. It's true, successful and innovative businesses these days incentivize employees by creating a desirable work environment that gives employees freedom, respect, and challenging goals. However, this employer/employee dynamic is a give and take in which rewarding, successful businesses want talented, highly motivated employees and talented, highly motivated individuals want to work at rewarding, successful businesses. In other words, instead of looking at the big picture, Markham is looking at one segment of the business world and asking, "Why isn't U.S. education like this?" Using this same logic, you might look at the institution of high school basketball and ask, "Why don't they play like the Golden State Warriors?" It's not fair or accurate to take a micro-environment such as top performing organizations and compare it to a macro-environment such as the entire U.S. education system. Nevertheless, Markham's advice is well received and, at the very least, a much needed pep talk for struggling educators. Markham, T. (February11, 2015). Redefining teachers with a 21st century education 'story'. MindShift: How we will learn. Retrieved from http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2015/02/11/redefining-teachers-with-a-21st-century-education-story/ As I've begun shifting from the role of student to the role of teacher, I've noticed just how different the world of education looks from the teacher's standpoint. As a student in grade school, I was fairly oblivious to all of the effort teachers put in on a daily basis. I failed to see just how hard some teachers work to make their lessons effective. I'm seeing education from a very different lens now, which is why I was surprised after reading the post on Grant Wiggins' blog, "A veteran teacher turned coach shadows 2 students for 2 days - a sobering lesson learned". I've been so focused on my new perspective of school as a teacher, I'm neglecting to think what school was like from the perspective of a student.
This post on Wiggins' blog tells of the lessons a veteran teacher learned after shadowing a 10th grade student and a 12th grade student for an entire school day. The teacher not only shadowed both students but also completed the same tasks and assignments that the student was given. The teacher's main findings were that being a student and sitting in a desk all day is extremely exhausting. She says that, "By the end of the day, I could not stop yawning and I was desperate to move or stretch." At this point in the article, a lightbulb came on over my head. I realized I had the same exact experience in high school where it seemed the longer I sat, the more tired and disengaged I became. And, while I try to create student-based interactive lesson plans, some students are still clearly fatigued from sitting in a desk all day. My first class of the day seems far more alert than my last class of the day. After this eye-opening experiment, the teacher highlighted some strategies she would implement immediately such as a mandatory stretch session halfway through class and more hands-on activities that would require students to move around. She also recognized through this experience that students are sitting and listening passively for the vast majority of their day and they can be made to feel like a nuisance when they miss directions or have to be told what to do more than once. To change this situation, she suggests more activities that allow for student interaction and for teachers to refrain from using sarcasm or sass with students and to "dig deep" for more patience when they have to explain directions multiple times. I completely agree with this teachers' findings and think Wiggins' blog post serves as a valuable lesson and a profound insight into the lives of our students. Going forward, I will be more mindful of the student experience and hopefully get students out of their seats and moving a little more often. Wiggins, G. (2014, October 10). A veteran teacher turned coach shadows 2 students for 2 days - a sobering lesson learned. [Web log]. Retrieved from https://grantwiggins.wordpress.com/2014/10/10/a-veteran-teacher-turned-coach-shadows-2-students-for-2-days-a-sobering-lesson-learned/ In an article in the New York Times, Thomas Friedman describes his interview with Lazlo Bock, the senior vice president of people operations at Google, in which he asked Bock what he looks for when interviewing prospective Google employees. Bock's reply was a bit unorthodox. First of all, Bock says that GPA and college degrees are not good indicators of the quality or worth of an individual as an employee. Many jobs at Google are technical so computing and coding skills are of high value, but those skills aren't necessarily quantified by high school or college grades. In fact, Bock goes on to say that, "Your degree is not a proxy for your ability to do any job. The world only cares about — and pays off on — what you can do with what you know (and it doesn’t care how you learned it)." In order to figure out "what you can do with what you know," Bock focuses on five key attributes: cognitive ability, leadership, humility, ownership, and expertise. These characteristics inform Bock as to how well someone can adapt to different situations and learn new information, take initiative when needed, know when to let someone else take the reins, how committed they are to succeeding, and how much prior knowledge they have.
If I've done my job as a teacher, my students will have a good shot at getting a job at Google. The attributes that Bock is looking for in employees are the attributes that I wish to help my students develop. I agree with Bock in that these characteristics are valuable not just at work but in most aspects of life. Of course, I still care about my students's grades and I still want all of my students to succeed academically, but these soft skills that cannot be measured by any school test are just as important to succeeding in the real world as SAT scores and GPA. Friedman, T. (2014, February 22). How to get a job at Google. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/23/opinion/sunday/friedman-how-to-get-a-job-at-google.html?_r=2 In this Youtube episode of "Smarter Everyday," Destin Sandlin conducts an experiment. He's given a bicycle that has been modified so that when you turn the handlebars one way, the front wheel turns in the opposite direction. In other words, the steering has been inverted. Destin quickly discovers that he can't ride it, which baffles him since he's been riding a bike since he was 6 years old. This situation leads Destin to a profound conclusion: Knowledge is not the same as understanding. He KNOWS how to ride a bicycle. He knows the necessary components of riding a bike such as balance, orientation, and weight distribution, but when the mechanical procedures are changed, he no longer UNDERSTANDS how to ride the bike. To ensure it isn't just a fluke, Destin brings his unique bike along with him to conferences and has others try to ride it. He even offers money to people if they can ride it across the stage. No one is successful. After 8 months of practice, something clicks in Destin's brain, and he suddenly is able to ride consistently on the modified bike. Destin theorizes that attempting to tweak a skill that has been solidified in the brain over years and years takes a lot of time because it has essentially been "hard-wired." When he challenges his young son to learn how to ride the bike, Destin finds that it only takes his son 2 weeks to make the adjustment. This is a wonderful example of the role neural plasticity plays in learning a new skill. Since his son's brain is more plastic, he can more easily learn or relearn a skill.
Another interesting element to the story is that after Destin became proficient at riding the inverted bicycle, he attempted to ride a normal bike and initially couldn't ride it. His brain had re-wired and then had trouble reverting back to the original wiring. After a bit of time though, his brain once again "clicked" and it was as if he had never forgotten how to ride in the first place. He did this in public and the bystanders refused to believe that he had "forgotten" how to ride a bike and then suddenly remembered. Of course, those bystanders didn't know that he had learned how to ride a bike with inverted steering but the very idea that one could forget how to do something they'd been doing their entire life is counter-intuitive. His takeaway from this experience is that we should be careful how we interpret things because "you're looking at the world with a bias whether you think you are or not." So how does this relate to my understanding of learning and teaching? It makes me keenly aware of how slowly I, and others, learn new skills. Furthermore, making an adjustment to a previously known skill is not always as easy as it seems. Just because we KNOW how to do something doesn't mean we UNDERSTAND how to do it. The key to success in these situations is repetition or continual exposure to a new idea or concept and exploring different aspects or ways to learn a concept. For example, many children have trouble with fractions. There is a wonderful website called ST Math which has games and activities to help students conceptualize fractions and other mathematical content in different ways. Digital resources such as ST Math give students the access and opportunity to practice skills like they never have been able to before. In my classroom, I will be cognizant of the fact that what is easy for one student may not be easy for another. I will utilize the technology available to me to aid my students in their understanding of the given content area. SmarterEveryDay (2015, April 24) The backwards brain bicycle - smarter every day 133 [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0 Similar to Will Richardson's question of "Why School", Seth Godin has an essential question to ask students and educators: What is school for? In his TedxYouth speech at the Brooklyn Free School, Godin describes what schools in the U.S. used to be for in the early-to-mid twentieth century. School was a place to learn obedience and compliance along with preparation for factory work. It was a place where young people learned basic skills that would allow them to join whatever industry needed them most. Godin goes on to say explain how the ubiquity of the internet has shattered that concept of school. At any given place at any given time, we have an endless database of information available to us. Because of this, Godin suggests, schools must change what and how they're teaching. His message is summed up quite beautifully when he says, "Are we teaching kids to collect dots or are we teaching kids to connect dots?" Information is easily accessible. Critical thinking, making broader connections, developing creativity, and analyzing information are just some of the skills we should be focusing on.
Godin makes an important sociological observation when it comes to individuals participating in everyday activities. When it comes to work, people try to figure out how to do less, which certainly sounds like my high school and college experience. He goes on to say that this is why teachers so often hear, "Is this going to be on the test?" Students want to know what content is important and what isn't so they can minimize the workload while still achieving success. On the other hand, when it's art, people try to figure out how to do more. This is clearly exemplified when you try to persuade a 10 year old to stop playing Minecraft. They come up with a wide variety of excuses and pleads in order to keep playing/creating. I recently took part in an art and wine workshop which was supposed to last three hours. Even after the instructor told everyone to start cleaning up, over half the class, including myself, continued touching up their canvas. I don't even like painting, but I wished to continue because I was invested in what I had created. This is representative of the world today. We wish to only spend time, money, and effort on those things that are interesting or that matter to us. Nevertheless, that's not the way school is designed. If we are to adapt our schools to fit our modern society, Godin explains, there are several ideas we may want to consider. 1) Transform the teacher into a coach and flip the classroom so students are learning from the plethora of experts online in the evening and asking questions and being guided by the teacher during the day. 2) Make tests open book and open note because if something is important enough to put on a test, it's important enough to have a student access that knowledge using his/her resources. 3) Make education about precise, focused studies as opposed to broad, surface-level studies. 4) Isolation is outdated. Cooperation is paramount. 5) We must eliminate the idea of the "famous college" because having a degree from a prestigious institution doesn't mean you're any more prepared or well-suited for life's challenges than someone who went to an undistinguished college. 6) We must think of education as a life-long endeavor. As a teacher, I plan to make lessons that will hopefully get students engaged in the learning experience. I would definitely consider using a flipped classroom approach, but at the very least, I will use technology and the multitude of online resources to serve as teachers for my students. I wish to find ways to make learning as interactive as possible and allow students to create and investigate what interests them. I want to make sure my students are connecting the dots, not just collecting them. TedxYouth. (2012, October 16). STOP STEALING DREAMS: Seth Godin at TEDxYouth@BFS [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXpbONjV1Jc&index=10&list=PLbRLdW37G3oMquOaC-HeUIt6CWk-FzaGp Dr. Michael Wesch of Kansas State highlights in his TEDx Talk the usefulness of our modern-age technology and how the abundance of digital resources has quickly made the traditional college lecture hall archaic. He points out an exercise he did in class in which students posted poignantly honest confessions on notepads and computer screens such as "I buy hundred dollar textbooks that I never open" and "I Facebook through most of my classes." Dr. Wesch goes on to highlight some of the more innovative ways people have used social media and digital content sharing sites such as Youtube to share ideas, opinions, and information that have had a significant impact on society and culture.
Possibly the most compelling message of this talk is about the contrast between what can be learned in the classroom an what can be done in the real world. One example Dr. Wesch gives is four Kenyans who put together a website that allows individuals with a cell phone to report potentially dangerous incidences in order to warn people in those areas. That software was eventually shared for free and has helped countless people avoid potentially fatal situations. What this story is illustrating is that students can be learning skills more relevant and impactful to the real world. In other words, we should, as educators, be teaching students to be "knowledge-able" instead of knowledgeable. This idea correlates with what Will Richardson advocates for in his book Why Teach?. Students have access to an unlimited database of information via the internet. Schools should be teaching students how to efficiently sift through all of that information and, combined with their technological skills, how to use that knowledge to solve real world problems. I completely agree with Dr. Wesch's assertions and I hope to implement some of his strategies in my future classroom. I think nothing could inspire students more than creating a learning environment in which they can help change the world for the better. Wesch, Michael. [TEDx Talks]. (2010, October 12). TEDxKC-Michael Wesch-From Knowledgeable to Knowledge-Able. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeaAHv4UTI8 Dr. David White explains the Visitor/Resident theory which deals with the way individuals interact with the online community. Dr. White is quick to point out how this theory differs from the Natives/Immigrants theory, which said that those who grew up with online technology interacted differently and more naturally with the online community than those who hadn't been exposed to it. He goes on to say that this oversimplification of the issue makes it seem like older people just don't understand the digital world. The Vistitor/Resident theory, on the other hand, sees internet persona on a spectrum in which visitors do not have a well established identity online and residents are highly visible and have a contant online presence. One of the important aspects of this theory is that your status can change over time. For example, if someone is blogging regularly and consistently using various social media sites, they would be considered a resident. If that person then stopped blogging and stopped updating their social media networks, their resident status would begin to erode and they we begin being viewed more as a visitor. Dr. White illustrates this point by citing a virtual world called "Second Life" in which a tutor introduced students to the world and then left. After the students had logged a certain number of hours, the tutor came back and attempted to take control; however, the tutor's re-emergence created friction since the students saw the instructor as a resident in their virtual reality world and had trouble acknowledging his/her authority.
This theory makes complete sense to me. Dr. White is arguing that digital competency and web presence is not dependent on academic or technical skill but on culture and motivation. If one wishes to create a greater online persona, one must simply work at it and spend time and effort cultivating that persona. Also, this theory proposes that your digital presence is not binary but actually a continuum. Your status can change gradually over time and you can fall somewhere in between a resident and a visitor. As of now, I would say I fall somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. I have a Facebook, an Instagram, a Twitter account and a website but I don't post on a regular basis on any of my accounts. My presence has increased lately and I expect it to increase as I continue to use social media to network and as a teaching resource. I expect it won't take long before I consider myself a resident. White, D. (2013, May 31). Visitors and Residents. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0sFBadv04eY |
AuthorGeorge Porter, English Teacher at Sage Creek Archives
May 2016
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