Margaret Nerney
EDU 583- Dr. Grace Ward
Chapter 3 Reflection- “TPCK in K-6 literacy education: It’s not that elementary!”
DUE: February 25, 2009
This chapter was an interesting one to read, as I am certified in Language Arts grades 7-12. It brought up a multitude of questions about the differences in the pre-service preparation for the elementary and secondary teachers. Some of the foundational instruction was certainly missing in my program. As a secondary educator, I lacked the training in how to teach someone to read. I lacked the direct instruction for improving grammar and vocabulary acquisition. I am not certain if this was due to the fact that standards indicate that students should be taught that earlier, but the reality is that students come to me without those skills. I do not think it is simply the teacher’s fault that had him/her before me. I think some students just need more time and different approaches. I am worried that the lack of knowledge that I have about those building blocks could limit my impact later on. I can’t build on something I don’t understand or know. Realizing a gap in my content knowledge was definitely a surprise. But it is something that I must work to correct. I have started working with the Kindergarten teacher once or twice a week for buddy reading. I know that she uses the Dibbles program, but I have never really sat down to see how the students that I get later on have been instructed in reading. That will happen soon.
This chapter focused a great deal on the shifting definition of literacy as well as the shifting strategies that are required to improve this new literacy. Although I have been aware of the shift and have tried to stay up to date on developing technologies, I have not been exposed to as many strategies (pedagogical knowledge) that meet the demands of these new technologies and literacy, as I would like. My colleagues and I are aware of the new ways in which technologies have created new reading skill needs. I am just not sure that I have ever really seen any strategies that were meant to tackle the new demands of hyperlinks and hypermedia within a text. This certainly gave me something to look into for my classroom. I have already made the shift to more non-fiction based study which better meets the needs of their real life instead of just focusing on plot and character development. However, I feel that many of the literacy strategies that I have learned are still for writing on a piece of paper in front of you or flipping through a book without the interaction that hypertext and hypermedia encourage.
The chapter suggested some interesting ways to approach the old skills as well. I have not had the opportunity to engage my students in digital storytelling before. I have only worked with 11th graders and storytelling was a smaller part of what we worked on. I am currently working with a group of 5th graders on rewriting fairy tales using the appropriate motifs, so this would work in nicely. They love technology and would probably be more interested in the writing process if there was more visual and artistic creativity. I will definitely be looking into this more. There were a few other sites mentioned that seemed like great ways to take my kid’s writing to a different level. The chapter highlighted a program called SubEthaEdit, which helps the kids to revise with the help of outsiders. I would have to review this more closely before trying it. I also noted www.kidspub.org that seemed to be a place for student’s to publish their work to a real audience! Authentic assessment is often hard to find, but this seemed like a step in the right direction.
Overall, I felt that his chapter reminded me of some of the great resources that I hadn’t returned to in a while (rubistar and ReadWriteThink) and it encouraged me to try out some others that may better engage my students and improve their level of understanding. The one thing that truly stood out to me was that the resources shared in this chapter were just as beneficial to someone teaching at the secondary level as they were to someone at the elementary level. Trying to break technology knowledge into grade levels is not the solution. We can all benefit from these new means. I agree with our sentiments in class: It is not the tool that creates the learning; it is what you do with it.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
TPCK Chapter 4 Reflections
Margaret Nerney
EDU 583 (Cohort 1)- Dr. Grace Ward
Ch 4: Leveraging the development of English TPCK within the deictic nature of literacy
Due: February 11, 2009
When I first encountered the TPCK model, I could not understand why technology required its own circle. I queried the isolation of technology because of its seamless integration into so many of the effective classrooms I have observed. Yet, my experience is limited to my district and those districts around mine. Our local school districts have certainly embraced and appreciate what technology has to offer. Our state, in fact, is ahead of so many others due to our one-to-one laptop program. We, as Maine educators, see the growing wave of the information age, and are preparing to surf in with appreciation and integration rather than get knocked down, dragged under, and swept away by the strong currents of tradition and resistance.
I certainly agree with the author that my eager acceptance of technology may result from the experiences that I have had as an undergraduate and in my first few years of teaching. UMF provided an excellent technology-based education program that allowed exploration of the technologies available at the time and preparation for how to stay up to date. Although we weren’t taught in content specific cohorts, as was the case at the University of Minnesota, I was guided through the integration process for my content area during my practicum block and through the demands of the UMF teaching standards. Technology was an emphasis during my undergraduate years and remained so through my district’s technology-integration goals. Shouldn’t that be the case for all educators?
My principal placed great value on technology in the classroom, and required all of her teachers to set a technology related goal each year. We were provided the assistance of a technology integration specialist and a fabulous technology center. Right from the start, I was provided with a digital projector and even allowed to purchase digital-video recording equipment to enhance the learning of my students. Like Nell, the 26-year veteran teacher from the chapter, I felt completely supported and challenged each year to improve what I was doing and to think in relation to my learning/ teaching goals. The process was painless and continues to help me grow as a teacher and technology integrator. So what if you don’t have a Jeanne Tucker?
This chapter really made me stop and consider the issues that other English educators are experiencing around the country. How can anyone be expected to utilize tools that they haven’t been exposed to or to make innovative integrations of technology without support? No wonder there is often resistance to this new change. It is simply human nature to fear the unknown. But with standards being changed to account for this need in education, something has to be done.
Technology is not just a tool for instruction; it creates needs for new skill sets. In the realm of English education, students need to know how to interact with the new web-based writings and readings that they are exposed to daily. As Amity Beane mentioned in her presentation on technology at UMF’s Teaching in a Diverse World Conference, students need to know how to safely and effectively interact with this new web audience. Amity can’t just introduce them to Facebook or YouTube and set them loose; she has to prepare them for the dangers they could encounter by revealing too much information and explore the importance of building a safe network. It is certainly clear that technology integration is a “wicked problem.”
Resources:
High School-
As many of us are including the use of web 2.0 tools in our classrooms, we should also be teaching the safety tips necessary for using those tools safely. This website outlines issues from the many perspectives of those involved. It has information for the kids themselves, their parents, and teachers. There are tips for cellphone use, facebook, chat rooms, etc. There are even contracts that parents can use with their children.
* http://www.safeteens.com/
Middle School-
http://www.teachertube.com offers great links to videos made by teachers and students. This site focuses on educational needs. I was looking for a how-to video on claymation and came across this art teachers video.
* http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=2f06561da22d9c89ac74
After some 'playing', I came across this cute and simple introduction to what a wiki really is. I know that my middle school students haven't used one before, so I thought this would be helpful for them.
* http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=51aeb480ecbd988cd8cc
Elementary-
This chapter references digital storytelling, which I researched because I thought it would go well with the traditional storytelling aspect of my Wabanaki perspective unit. I stumbled upon this article which provided an example of one teacher's use in his classroom and many tips. I found it helpful because I am already comfortable with iMovie, but my students are not.
* http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm
EDU 583 (Cohort 1)- Dr. Grace Ward
Ch 4: Leveraging the development of English TPCK within the deictic nature of literacy
Due: February 11, 2009
When I first encountered the TPCK model, I could not understand why technology required its own circle. I queried the isolation of technology because of its seamless integration into so many of the effective classrooms I have observed. Yet, my experience is limited to my district and those districts around mine. Our local school districts have certainly embraced and appreciate what technology has to offer. Our state, in fact, is ahead of so many others due to our one-to-one laptop program. We, as Maine educators, see the growing wave of the information age, and are preparing to surf in with appreciation and integration rather than get knocked down, dragged under, and swept away by the strong currents of tradition and resistance.
I certainly agree with the author that my eager acceptance of technology may result from the experiences that I have had as an undergraduate and in my first few years of teaching. UMF provided an excellent technology-based education program that allowed exploration of the technologies available at the time and preparation for how to stay up to date. Although we weren’t taught in content specific cohorts, as was the case at the University of Minnesota, I was guided through the integration process for my content area during my practicum block and through the demands of the UMF teaching standards. Technology was an emphasis during my undergraduate years and remained so through my district’s technology-integration goals. Shouldn’t that be the case for all educators?
My principal placed great value on technology in the classroom, and required all of her teachers to set a technology related goal each year. We were provided the assistance of a technology integration specialist and a fabulous technology center. Right from the start, I was provided with a digital projector and even allowed to purchase digital-video recording equipment to enhance the learning of my students. Like Nell, the 26-year veteran teacher from the chapter, I felt completely supported and challenged each year to improve what I was doing and to think in relation to my learning/ teaching goals. The process was painless and continues to help me grow as a teacher and technology integrator. So what if you don’t have a Jeanne Tucker?
This chapter really made me stop and consider the issues that other English educators are experiencing around the country. How can anyone be expected to utilize tools that they haven’t been exposed to or to make innovative integrations of technology without support? No wonder there is often resistance to this new change. It is simply human nature to fear the unknown. But with standards being changed to account for this need in education, something has to be done.
Technology is not just a tool for instruction; it creates needs for new skill sets. In the realm of English education, students need to know how to interact with the new web-based writings and readings that they are exposed to daily. As Amity Beane mentioned in her presentation on technology at UMF’s Teaching in a Diverse World Conference, students need to know how to safely and effectively interact with this new web audience. Amity can’t just introduce them to Facebook or YouTube and set them loose; she has to prepare them for the dangers they could encounter by revealing too much information and explore the importance of building a safe network. It is certainly clear that technology integration is a “wicked problem.”
Resources:
High School-
As many of us are including the use of web 2.0 tools in our classrooms, we should also be teaching the safety tips necessary for using those tools safely. This website outlines issues from the many perspectives of those involved. It has information for the kids themselves, their parents, and teachers. There are tips for cellphone use, facebook, chat rooms, etc. There are even contracts that parents can use with their children.
* http://www.safeteens.com/
Middle School-
http://www.teachertube.com offers great links to videos made by teachers and students. This site focuses on educational needs. I was looking for a how-to video on claymation and came across this art teachers video.
* http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=2f06561da22d9c89ac74
After some 'playing', I came across this cute and simple introduction to what a wiki really is. I know that my middle school students haven't used one before, so I thought this would be helpful for them.
* http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=51aeb480ecbd988cd8cc
Elementary-
This chapter references digital storytelling, which I researched because I thought it would go well with the traditional storytelling aspect of my Wabanaki perspective unit. I stumbled upon this article which provided an example of one teacher's use in his classroom and many tips. I found it helpful because I am already comfortable with iMovie, but my students are not.
* http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/jan02/banaszewski.htm
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