Assignment #6 - Task 2

After watching the video Do Schools Kill Creativity narrated by Sir Ken Robinson, I was very intrigued by what he had to say. I have to admit, when I first went to watch the film, I saw that it was twenty minutes long, and I was not happy about watching a clip that was that long. While watching, I found myself getting more and more interested in what Sir Robinson had to say. I thought he made a very compelling argument as to why the schools had the arts at the bottom of their curriculum. He started off by asking why he believed it to be okay to make mistakes. Children, he says, are not afraid to be wrong and he wonders where this fear goes from their youth to when they become older.
He also says that we don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it. I thought this to be an interesting take and it really made me think and I couldn't agree more. He then says that ceativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. Based off this definition and based off the idea of how we don't grow into creativity these thoughts have merit.
I think that there is room for more creativity in schools and these ideas listed above need to be addressed. We need to be apart of schools that encourage students to be creative, and that it is okay to make mistakes. It is important to make mistakes so that we learn from them. Now so, more than ever, we should make room for more creativity in schools because of today's current economic situation. If there is more creativity, there will be more ideas that have value. I think we all can agree that we can use some more innovative ideas that have value in today's society. By encouraging students to be more creative throughout their education, instead of just their early education, we will have more people who are able to have ideas with value.

Assignment #6 - Task 1

I believe that the implementation of 21st century skills should be more of a part in schools curriculum's today. "The United States is facing an increasingly competitive world market driven by digital globalization" states Susan McLester and Todd McIntire in the article The Workforce Readiness Crisis and I believe that because of this these 21st Century skills must become more polished in our youth today. 
I can easily relate to this debate because I was hired out of college to work in finance. When being interviewed I was asked the question: are you able to use technology as an effective tool? I would answer "yes" thinking I was an advanced technology learner. I came to learn quickly that I was not as proficient in technology as I originally thought. I remember feeling embarrassed that I did not know some things that my fellow colleagues knew. I wish there was some way I could have been taught this information so that I could have been more prepared. 
I don't think that the education I had was worthless but I do think that the integration between academics and life skills could have been more evident. As stated in the article: The Value of Teaching 21 Century Skills: "Some teachers will need additional training to get there, the frameworks will need to be enhanced, and the vision of a "typical" classroom will need to be rethought." I think that with time comes change and this statement is merely just another way to relate it to education. 
Therefore, I do believe that teaching more students like skills or 21st Century skills is the key to success for students today.

Assignment #5

Back to School Night

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I think that it is fantastic the way technology enables ways to make things easier. In today's society with all the households with single parents, and having the ability to post presentations online could make things more convenient for them. Not only could this be beneficial for parents, it can also be a helpful tool for students to use if they wanted to hear the class lecture again before they completed their homework. I believe we will see more of the use of slide casts in the near future.   

Assignment #4

This was my first time using the Google Documents application and I found it to be very easy. The functionality was extremely user friendly and I have to thank two of my cohorts in convincing me to use it instead of Microsoft PowerPoint. When I originally read this assignment, I figured I would just use PowerPoint because of my familiarity of the application, but deciding to go outside of my comfort zone allowed me to experience a different type of presenting information. I think this is a great way to share information over the web andI expect this to be something that will be a big part of education in the years to come.

Assignment #3 - Task 2

The Core Curriculum Standards decipher what is taught in schools in the state of New Jersey. As we continue to learn more about technology in the classroom in the 21st century, we can take a look at what specifically are some of the standards for technology in today's schools and how we can utilize these standards in a potential lesson.

We can begin by choosing a standard: I chose to look at: 8.2 Technology Education, Engineering, and Design. This standard states that "All students will develop an understanding of the nature and impact of technology, engineering, technological design, and the designed world, as they relate to the individual, global society, and the environment."

The standard is then divided into strands, in this standard it happens to be divided into seven strands. For purposes of our potential lesson plan I chose the strand that looks at 'Communication and Collaboration'(8.2.12.E.1).

By the end of grade 12, students must be able to use the design process to devise a technological product that addresses a global issue. In doing this, they must utilize "digital tools" which could be anything: computers, digital cameras, online communities, GPS, etc. Basically, I believe this CPI (Cumulative Progress Indicator) is looking for the students to use technology today by creating a unique way to take a closer look at a global issue.

As I prepare to become a physical education teacher I think this exercise will be a fantastic way to integrate technology into the classroom. Instead of a typical gym class filled with dodge balls flying everywhere, I decided to change things up and to assign students topics that they can work on collaboratively to tackle global issues. Just like we are adapting to the technology curve, we are also adapting to many other trends that are apart of our every day lives. Health is more prevalent in today's society than ever before. Everywhere you look there are commercials, websites, fliers, and people telling you how you can be more healthier. This may be through exercise, eating right, or making better life choices.

For this lesson plan, I will make each student responsible for creating a 4-week health plan - this will be a plan that students will ultimately use themselves. The idea of this plan is for students to take a closer look at a health issue and relate it to their own life.  I do not expect to solve any "problems" with this lesson plan, but I hope for this to make a small improvement in the students overall health. Each health plan will cater to 1 goal a student plans on reaching. Overall goals could be (but are not limited to):

•            Choosing the right foods to eat by learning of different ways to prepare food

•            Preparing for a race by mapping out route to run while building up for the overall goal (5k, 10k, etc.)

•            Adding muscle by researching best practices of lifting weights

•            Creating a plan to quit smoking

In the 4-week plan, the student must be able to relate a global health problem to their own lives and report a background of information on the global issue. The student is responsible for teaming with one other classmate for a brainstorming session where they will offer ideas and suggestions to each individuals health plan. The student must also be able to report why their goal is important to complete as it relates to overall health in today's society and how their completion of this goal can improve their overall health. In their plan they must use 3 digital tools. Students will have the option of creating a weekly blog (which can be used as one of the three digital tools) or they may keep a written journal.

Students will be graded on creativity, throughness, and difficulty of technology resources. I would urge the students to try to use their knowledge of technology to their advantage and create a plan that is realistic by making sure there are steps that are taken to make sure the goal is met. It is important when creating the plan for the student to make sure they look at research and devise a plan that best suits them- what worked for other people and what did not work?

I now ask my followers to offer any input on my idea - what do you think could use some changing and what do you think I could maybe concentrate more on?

Assignment #3 - Task 1

Why fight it? Technology is a huge part of children's lives today so why not twist some things around and use this technology in a teaching curriculum. I have noticed the more frequent use of technology myself by the amount my younger sisters have been using computers and the web to complete more and more assignments today. I am even able to say that after only three weeks of graduate school I have used technology more than I have expected. 

The more I learn about technology in the classroom, the more I realize how it can be used as a valuable tool. I am lucky enough to be able to navigate my way through most things technology related because of my general knowledge, but children today are being exposed to technology more and more to the point where I feel as if they know more than I do! Not to say that I am incapable of learning just as much as them but I think some things may come easier to them because of their background knowledge.However, I do believe that because of my exposure to technology today and what I have learned in the past, I feel as if I will be able to stay ahead of the curve.

I think the students can be an extremely valuable asset to teachers because of what they know.  Rose Porpora, and English teacher from Chatham High School, said that there are some times she notices students know how to do things technology related in the class room and she just let's them take over. I think that we can all agree that learning is a good thing - if you are able to better yourself by learning something new - what does it matter who your learning from? I think it would be an interesting experiment to create some type of integration with students and teachers where the students are able to teach the teachers. This could be in any array of topics ranging from general use of specific programs to shortcuts in creating documents. 

The other video on Mr. Drapers class I noticed two things the students said that really caught my attention. One student said that they are involved in their "own learning" and instead of the typical lecture section, Mr. Draper gives them an assignment and allows them to come to their own conclusions. He uses a unique form of grading the students as he walks around the class with a clipboard and checks off if the students are using a 21 century skill. I like how he guides the students to form their own conclusions so that they can get to the answer by using their own style of learning. Another thing I notice a student say which I thought was very interesting was, "we're not just learning to learn, were getting involved." I understood this quote to mean that they were not just sitting in a desk learning about pointless things that they will never use, they were hands on in learning about hydrology. They were involved in how it effects the community in which they live in. I think that when you can involve students in the community the learning becomes more interesting to them and they feel as if there is a purpose. 

When I begin to start my job search I would like to find a school that is able to be technology driven because I do believe firmly that it is very important for all schools to integrate technology into the classroom. It is the new wave of the future and I would like to position myself as best as I can to prepare for this integration. Maybe there will be schools (or are there already?) that will have programs where students can teach the teachers that I would love to be involved in. I would also like to see schools have programs set in place to help mentor teacher as they are starting out so that they can learn from past events to ensure a smooth beginning. While on the topic of mentor, I think it would be great if a district offered a mentor to each new teacher so there is a "go to" person with any questions I may have in beginning years of teaching.

Assignment #2

While looking through DFG (District Factor Groups) categories and considering the 549 districts statewide,  I chose DFG 'FG'. More specifically, I will be exploring the district website of Shore Regional High School. I chose this website because I love the Jersey shore and I thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at a High School that has students from multiple towns. At first glance of the district's web page, I found it to be very informative. After reading the article 'Why in the World Wide Web' by Jamie McKenzie I thought the website hit on many of the important aspects McKenzie outlined in the article. There are multiple paths you can take from the school's home page. Tabs included are: Home, About our District, Academics, Activities, Athletics, Faculty Web Pages, Parent Information, and Calendar. While considering these tabs alone, one would believe you could find out just about anything about this district.

I tried to picture myself as a parent while I was coasting through the website. While wearing my imaginary parent hat, I found it easy to navigate through the site and find out information about the curriculum, community, program studies, athletics, and much more. The information displayed was more than enough for a parent to use as a starting point if they were "shopping" for schools.

Another interesting part of the district's website, was a directory to teachers websites. I chose to take a closer look at  Mr. Aprahamian's page. I was very impressed with the website, and as soon as I entered the space there was the teachers contact information and mission statement. I always find it useful to know what people's mission statements are. I just think it is nice to know the purpose of what people are thinking and how they plan on getting to where they need to be. There is also a short bio on the teacher that is nice to read a little on the teachers background. Also, there are links available to each class he teaches along with a calendar for upcoming events/assignments.

McKenzie points out four logical goals for a districts websites: "They introduce visitors to the school, they point to excellent information on the larger Web, they offer an opportunity for the publishing of student works to both a local and a global audience, and they provide rich data locally collected on curriculum related topics." I think that Shore Regional H.S. tapped on these four points very well. I enjoyed scrolling through and reading on the many different opportunities the school has to offer. 


I thought this experiment to be pretty cool. I have never visited another schools website other than my own (Bernards Township). When comparing Shore Regional to my hometown website, I felt that my hometown maybe should contact Shore Regional to get some ideas on how to make their website more attractive.