Time and Tide

As I sit at my computer - yet again - wishing my mind would keep pace with my desire to "get on with what is next," I decided I should do a little soul searching. 'Tis the season, I suppose. Who better to search my soul than Google? Here's what I found:

Time and tide wait for no man. A pompous and self-satisfied proverb, and was true for a billion years; but in our day of electric wires and water-ballast we turn it around: Man waits not for time nor tide. - Mark Twain

As I look back on this semester, I have a great sense of accomplishment and camaraderie. I learned a lot - both about what I thought I knew and things that I had yet to be introduced to in September. Some things are more clear to me now, while others are more gray than ever. This is what I love about teaching and learning and why I rarely pass up an opportunity to participate on either side of the figurative classroom. I know that learning is a spiral and that I need to be patient if I'm going to reap its rewards. But what I know isn't always what I feel.

Learning opportunities are most typically just that - offered in a set period of time with a beginning and an end. We cram as much as we can into that time, anticipating the doom of the ever-encroaching end. Sometimes the distraction of that doom interferes with our ability to stay present.

So, I think about all that I learned and was able to contribute. I think about the engaging dialog that was generated in multiple places (face-to-face, e-mail, blogs, reflections, unit drafts). I think about the collegiality that I continuously witnessed. I think about all of the fortunate kids in Gray-New Gloucester schools whose teachers take risks to become better educators and practitioners. And I know that the semester was not a little brown package tied up with string, but that it was formed, molded, and shaped.

So, I remember that this experience was significant and that, over time, the pieces of it will find their way into the broader schema of what I know and can do. Google unearthed this one for me, too:

Events in our lives happen in a sequence in time, but in their significance to ourselves they find their own order the continuous thread of revelation. - Eudora Welty

I thank you for this happening, at this time, and for contributing to my continuous thread of revelation!

Over and out...

-CC

News You Can Use Part II

A bit later than anticipated, but here's the continuation of my personal favorites when it comes to resources on the Web. This post has to do with math and science. I collect these due to the work I conduct for the NSF-funded Eastern Alliance in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (EAST) at USM. I also love math and science due to my background as an environmental engineer and science teacher.

MIT OpenCourseWare: Highlights for High School - When it comes to material on the Web, "open" or "Open Source" means **free**. Of course, there may be some restrictions or agreements, but they're typically reasonable and only meant to protect the creator, such as in the case of intellectual property. In this case, MIT is opening up a host of its course materials for high school teachers and students (that's the target audience identified, but I can't speak to whether it's a pre-requisite for accessing the site).

GeoGebra - A free program for teaching and learning secondary geometry, algebra, and calculus.

Online Interactive Math Resources - Jim Burke of MLTI/eMints put this together for Maine teachers. You'll recognize the interface that Jim used to collect and organize all of the sites!

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM) - This is funded by NSF and has quickly emerged as a popular site. It is highly reputable due to the associated research and evaluation that is being conducted as part of the funding. NLVM is host to Java applets for K-12 math. Grades 7-12 teachers might note that NoteShare has NLVM "plug-ins" so that the applets can be manipulated right inside of a notebook.

The Math Forum - This is hosted by Drexel University and I actually subscribe to the associated podcast, so I don't know a lot about the offerings at the Web site. But again, K-12 math resources to check out.

The Futures Channel - A good site to go to when you're looking for math and science content media that connects kids to "the real world," whatever that may be.

NetLogo - How to describe NetLogo...you kinda have to go there to understand it. If you're familiar with "Multi-User Virtual Environments" (MUVEs) (such as Second Life), you have an idea of how NetLogo ticks. Try the Sample Model: Party.

MISTM Math Portal - MISTM is "Maine's Impact Study of Technology in Mathematics." The Math Portal clusters online applets by MLR for 7th and 8th grade.

Illuminations - The math site from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

These are my latest find - "Science video sharing sites." Think of scientists sharing videos of their experiments and posting them to a common Web site where everyone in the world can view and learn from them. I have to admit that, as a physical and natural scientist, I chose to bypass one of the sites I found that is shared by scientists conducting studies on rats. I realize that this type of research is critical to finding cures for heinous human disease...I just choose not to observe it. Here are two examples of "science video sharing sites:"

Lab Action

SciVee

And if you're looking for video to support student construction of biology concepts, check out DNATube.

GLOBIO - Aimed at kids 7-12 years old, GLOBIO creates multimedia tools and programs that connect kids to the environment.

If you have your own favorites, I invite you to click the Comments link and share them.

News You Can Use

Several reflections over the past month or so have included requests for resources related to specific, as well as not-so-specific, resources. Many times I read reflections when I'm not connected to the Internet, so I can't access my del.icio.us site, which hosts all of the Web sites that I've chosen to tag over time. Well, here I am, sitting on a dirty concrete floor outside of the closed Riverton branch of the Portland Public Library, while my daughter enjoys a swim lesson...it's pathetic but I'm happy because I'm connected to the library's wireless. What makes it more pathetic is that I've just come from a high school MLTI session in Scarborough, so I'm wearing a shirt with a Maine Learns logo, merrily hacking away on an iBook...poster child for Apple Computer, Inc. So, here is my response to some of those questions...please add to this by clicking on the Comments link at the end of the post - what are YOU using that might benefit others?

So, what's "del.icio.us?" It's a social bookmarking tool that allows you to post links to Web sites that you would typically add as a bookmark to your browser. Why use del.icio.us rather than bookmarking inside of your browser? Well, for one thing, I have three different laptops, plus my home computer, so I access the Web from multiple browsers. Because my bookmarks are online at del.icio.us, I can access them from any computer. Another thing I like about del.icio.us is that as soon as I have posted a Web site, I can see how many other people have already added that site to their own del.icio.us spaces. I then know at least 2 things: (1) how popular the site is that I have chosen to post (just a reality check) and (2) that other people share my interest and I can then visit their del.icio.us spaces and see what sites they have posted that I might want to visit and perhaps add to my space. If you didn't catch the hyperlink above, you can visit my del.icio.us at http://del.icio.us/ccurry

Several folks have asked about resources that provide updates on what's going on in educational technology. Two that I rely on are eSchool News and CITEd Both of these offer free registration, with which you get regular e-mail updates in addition to access to resources at their Web sites. Another group that I like to follow is NCTI, because they are continuously advancing the use of technology for individuals with disabilities. I learn a lot from Education Week, and paid for a subscription for a long time, but my budget has tightened over the past couple of years (you know the scenario...stagnant salary while the cost of living sky rockets). I'm registered for the free newsletter, which allows me access to 2 articles per week - more than I usually get to. And the Partnership for 21st Century Skills is important, too (although I don't go there as often as I should).

Literacy achievement is a common and universal initiative across schools. A few sites that I like that take literacy beyond reading and writing to speaking, listening, and technology:

LibriVox: Free audio of books in the public domain

Literacy for ME: Developed by a group of Maine literacy specialists

The Literacy Project: Created and sustained by a collaborative group, including Google

Visuwords: A graphical dictionary (enter "education" to get a visual!)

enGauge/ 21st Century Skills for Information Literacy: A part of NCREL. The bibliography at the bottom of the page is especially helpful

Digital Writing Across the Curriculum: A TLT Group site (Teaching, Learning, Technology)

I'll post a "News You Can Use Part II" next week, focusing on numeracy resources and sites for watching grant opportunities.

Here's the "Amanda/Janet Album" from November 15 - if you wish to listen (I added a few seconds of Jingles to the beginning and end), click on the link. A window will open with the name of the file and a download button. Click "Download" and the file will be placed on your desktop. I'll explain the whys and hows of this process on Thursday...

The Fine Line

One of the advantages of waiting until the last minute to post to my blog is that, by the time I get here, I've read the previous week's reflections. I always learn and gain so much from the most honest, candid, and downright transparent reflections. Two particular themes emerged from the collection of Week 6 Reflections, both of which carry conceptual barriers and lots of confusion. I've chosen to blog about them, not because I have all of the answers, but because every time I reflect on them, I gain more clarity myself ("clarity" can sometimes be disguised as progressive confusion...)

Several folks spent a portion of their reflections on the articles related to ways that teachers can advocate for the adoption of accessible technology within their schools and districts. Several of the articles in the syllabus extended "accessible technology" to "assistive technology." It's easy to confuse "accessible" with "assistive" technology, but it's an important distinction to make. "Accessible" technology refers to mainstream technology (e.g., Web sites, educational software programs, cell phones, etc.) that is designed to be accessible for almost everyone, including users with disabilities. I guess you could say that "accessible technology" is synonymous with "universal design technology." It means that the makers of the device or program have purposefully and intentionally included features and navigation that are consistent with accessible design. In some cases, accessible technology will need to be adapted with "assistive technology." For example, a user who is blind will still need to use a screen reader to access a Web site that has been designed according to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Accessible technologies are often referred to as "usable" because they are simple, intuitive, and, well, friendly.

On the other hand, "assistive technology" refers to specialized programs and devices that are designed to meet the needs that are characteristic of specific disabilities. The screen reader in the above example, such as JAWS or WindowEyes, is an example of assistive technology because it is designed specifically for the needs of users who are blind. It's very challenging for sighted users to get along with JAWS as it assumes that you can't see the screen - not very usable when your instinct is to use the mouse to navigate but JAWS prefers to be directed by keyboard commands...

Another example of assistive technology includes specialized reading and writing software programs. We've examined Mac OSX's Spoken User Interface, which would fall on the "accessible technology" side of the accessible-assistive line. This "text-to-speech" program provides an alternative way for lots of different kinds of readers to gain access to digital text. On the other hand (how many hands do I now have???), text-to-speech software that integrates many features that support students with learning disabilities is considered "assistive technology" because most students wouldn't benefit from the capabilities embedded. Features include dual highlighting, word prediction, study skills features, built-in scanning, and many more control items that can be customized for any individual student's IEP. Examples include Kurzweil 3000, TextHelp Read & Write Gold, and WYNN.

So, in the simplest terms I can muster, "accessible" is to all as "assistive" is to the individual. The concept purely mirrors that of teaching and learning: "universal design" is to all as "special education" is to the individual.

Having said that, the line gets fuzzy at times, and tools, concepts, resources, strategies, etc. often straddle the line or even tilt ever so slightly in one direction or the other. But that basic distinction can be a helpful guide for sorting through what is "accessible" and what is "assistive." They are not interchangeable.

The second theme that emerged from last week's reflections had to do with the painful, albeit worthwhile and valuable, experience of developing learning objectives. Truly - both perspectives were expressed (1. it really sucks and 2. wow, this is helping me in the units I'm currently teaching). I would like to stress here what I haven't been so good at doing in our face-to-face sessions; I've said it several times but not in this way: Once you've captured the intent of a learning objective, move on and re-visit it later. A lot of time spent on identifying the right words (especially verbs), which is important. At the same time, however, the right words might very well not come to you at that moment. You might be driving, showering, up in the middle of the night with a toddler, etc, and the whole objective (or a combination of objectives) might come to you like a figment. Or not. In any case, I encourage you to capture the intent of your objective, which means you've got it documented but perhaps not in the finest composure that you are capable of producing. Go back to your objectives regularly, which you'll have to do anyway when you align them with assessment methods. Then there's always the implementation of the unit, during which you'll likely want to revise most of them anyway. I think I've described this as a "work-in-progress" in class. That it is.

I wonder what it means that this post seems like an online module to me...

If You Give a Teacher a Laptop

OK, EPC 502ers, read (or have) this text (read aloud to you): Next week we will begin class with a concentration on your learning objectives. We have dedicated a portion of each class to this, but not to the extent that I had anticipated.

I consider it my mission to avoid the "technology class" model, preferring to put the technology in the context of purpose and meaning. Balancing the technology piece with the curriculum piece is delicate, to say the least. The goal, of course, is to integrate the technology not the curriculum!

While I make a conscious effort to continuously bring the technology back to the purpose and meaning behind the unit that you're developing, I am fearful that that gets lost in the translation of the use of the tools themselves.

Am I clearly communicating this dilemma, dear EPC 502er? I hear you when you ask if time will be set aside for you to work in your groups during class. I realize and appreciate that you would prefer to have more. I have also experienced and witnessed great growth in your confidence and ability to use the dedicated devices that you have been given to teach with.

I'll probe you about this issue when we meet next week, but the priority of that session will be a focus and concentration on your learning objectives, followed by strategies and methods for measuring student achievement of them. This, of course, will include the use of technology. My dilemma reminds me of the book series by Laura Numeroff - If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, If You Give a Moose a Muffin, If You Give a Pig a Pancake, ....If You Give a Teacher a Laptop...

It's a messy cycle, but so worthwhile and, if pursued with passion, can even lead to transformation in education. Keep on keepin' on...

Turning the lens

Is it late Wednesday night already? Where DID the week go? Oh, yes...the Red Sox won the World Series. Not that I saw much of any of the four games, but it's more exciting than saying that I've been bogged down in work....hmmm....thinking of more exciting things to explore than what I've got going on in my own head, how about if I capture and post anonymous excerpts of what was going on in your EPC 502 universes last week? The theme I continued to come across was a sense of optimism and confidence. Read these and see what I mean! Each block of text is an excerpt from a different reflection:

I feel one of my 'best practice' actions is to often remind my student's that we all have strengths and needs and it benefits us to find strategies that enable us to be successful.

Referring to the topic of “wayfinding,” which is defined as “the subtle interplay of intuition, functional requirements, and the built environment,” one of you was taken with a statement in the article by saying, “I love that part: 'We can no longer be so arrogant to design for a select group...' Isn't that the way we plan curriculum for students?”

I never spend enough time on finding out what students already know, or preexisting knowledge. After reading the article I can see the significance and true importance of it. I want to be a builder!

The reading on differentiated curriculum was a great review and made me feel more confident in what I am doing. I have always tried to develop my curriculum around students building on prior knowledge, with the outcome of transferring and apply knowledge to new learning situations. As I have stated before, I base my focus on learning content knowledge in relation to universal understandings. I know now that technology can support me in this endeavor. I definitely need to improve in the area of providing multiple media formats for my students and hope this course builds my confidence and “know how” in how to identify and locate valuable resources.

The article on multiple intelligences reminded me of the fact that students do learn in different ways. I think this is something all teachers know, but sometimes forget in the day to day teaching. For the past few years I have started my Social Studies class out with a week of learning the “smarts.” The students like this introduction to the multiple intelligences. What I find is that even though they go through the process, oftentimes they are hung up on what they think they want to be, rather than what they learn are their “smarts.” Sort of like all of us.

I also dreamed about blogging: a nightmare in which I could not make a blog because it seemed too complicated, but just as I was about to give up, I saw your blog in my dream, and the button at the top labeled “create blog” Problem solved. I just touch a button….

I am excited to start using technology even more. I observed a more heightened level of interest from the students as well as excitement of using their laptops to “do math.” Up to now, they had mostly used them to do word processing. Today's math lesson gave students and me a hint of other uses for their laptops, my computer, the Internet, my Portaportal, and the projector screen.

We (my team) are a planning to do a reading/writing unit. Determining quantifiable objectives that makes sense and are not arbitrary has proved to be easier-said-than-done. For example, one of our desired outcomes is for the kids to be able to “create an introduction that catches a reader’s attention”. I am stuck on how to quantify the idea of “interest-catching”. I suppose this could be quite subjective. However, determining exactly how to define “interest-catching” is beyond me. I suppose if I were hard-pressed to encapsulate that idea - I would say it uses descriptive language, one of our five story-starting methods (opening with a questions, phrase explosion, etc.), and relates to the topic at hand. Will we limit the students if we specify the terminology so rigidly? I don’t want to have the kids become writing-robots, but rather, I want them to use the tools we’ll be giving them and enhance their own writing styles.

I read the NCTI articles which basically dealt with how children learn. A point that was stressed was the well known fact that educators need to differentiate their instruction as kids do not all learn the same way. I was reminded of Camp Susan Curtis when I read the blurb on “active manipulation”. At camp, the students were taken on a hike around the lake and were given a nature lesson as they walked. The instructor would find a leaf, point out a tree or plant and ask the kids questions. I was reminded of our discussion on UD as I watched the instructor teach the kids about trees and plant life......she basically gave a verbal lesson, but the kids could smell the item, touch it and in some cases, taste it. This active manipulation was very positive for all the kids, but especially beneficial for our blind student.

It is important to me that my students are actively involved in the learning process and that they are engaged enough to help take responsibility for their learning and assessing that learning. I also try to give them authentic audiences for their work. They each write a short story that is sent to be included in an anthology. They share their research with classmates, other classes, and adults through presentations and products. They perform a series of skits / plays about immigration from different countries. They turn their own skills into variety show acts presented in dinner theater style at our Diversity Revue. They each take a role in our spring play. They prepare for and run their own portfolio conferences. They are working individually and in small groups, often collaborating with others to solve problems. These projects take time, but have huge payoffs in transfer of student learning.

We as a society are partially responsible for why students need “a grade” or want to know if the “the work is good enough.” But I must admit that often these people amaze me as to how much time they will spend worrying about their performances and forget to enjoy what they have actually learned from a particular activity. I have always worried that the extrinsic results outweigh the lifelong intrinsic value of any activity/learning.

Thank YOU everyone for these insightful commentaries and critical reviews of your own practices. Embedded within the reflections were equally important questions and dilemmas. We will continue to both answer and raise new questions simultaneously!

See you at class #6.

Cynthia

The tough stuff

We were minus 5 of you folks Thursday evening, but I think we definitely made some progress and look forward to reuniting and sharing this week (Brem, we'll return the favor on 11/1!).

My review of the 2nd reflections revealed a lot of interest on the part of those who stumbled upon the Seven Principles of Universal Design. Traditionally, I have introduced those principles in staff development and training opportunities, but the response was typically just so-so. So...I had abandoned them in favor of other emphases over the past year or so. Seeing the comeback they made in several of your reflections motivated me to re-visit them. I've posted the four whiteboard images that we captured on the SMART Board (if you were absent, we'll provide a re-play!). While the focus question was something to the effect of "How do each of these principles - which are written specifically for the built environment - apply to the development of learning objectives?," each group brought a unique perspective. The images are quite accurate to what we saw on the board, eh? It will be interesting to demonstrate the mimio and eBeam products to compare the final results.

The hard work of critically thinking about learning objectives began. We reviewed the resources available in the UD Web notebook and then sought out brave souls to expose their emerging objectives with the class. Thank you, Ben and Brem, for offering your objectives as objects of scrutiny. Our time with Ben's objectives focused on identifying the "right verbs" for his purposes, while we supported Brem with his identification of what his goal is. We'll do lots more of this, as well as time in individual and team progress. Please be sure to arrive on Thursday ready to work on your objectives - anywhere along the continuum of having broad goals to work from to having identified some draft objectives to tighten up. Also, please recall that the UD Web notebook contains resources for drafting learning objectives.

Sooo...what do we know about how kids learn, with or without technology? That is the focus question of this week's readings. It's my favorite topic (I was about to qualify that as "academic" or "professional" for fear of being labeled, but it really is at the top of my interests!), and I look forward to a spirited discussion. As I've emphasized during these first weeks, technology is just a tool to facilitate best practices. Without best practices, technology can be a step backward.

See you in a few days...