Sunday, April 4, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
So much fun!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Photo Sharing My Best Friend
A Classroom Adventure
My classroom adventure would delve into the many facets of friendship. Together as a class we are going to introduce our “Best Friend”, with the use of photo sharing to help demonstrate this friendship. This activity will be two-sided. First, we will share through the written word just what our best friend mean to us in our life. The second, photo's sharing our journey with one another. This activity will be solely for the individual to delve into the friendship that means the most to them. Lets start a conversation with ourselves as to “why” this relationship has become what it is today. Every student will make a portfolio that will be given to the “best friend” at the end of the semester. We will see through this assignment how this relationship has molded us as a friend and a human being.
My best friend is Rene Vallejo. We have known one another for over 20 years. We were introduced to each other through Rene's sister, Sabrina. Rene is the eternal optimist. He is a ray of sunshine! Everyone he meets is transformed by his kindness and love. Rene took me to my first Grateful Dead concert way back in 1989. This event changed my life. Over the years, all though we have lived in different states we have kept in touch and visited one another. He at times has been my source of console, a rock that has never changed. He reminded me everyday of the importance of love and understanding. The other trait I love in him is his belief in MAGIC! Everyday when we speak he tells me of wonderful things that happen to him. Not coincidences, but destiny. He reminds me of a simpler time in my life. He brings me back to my center a place of simplicity. I am a better person for having him in my life. Is there someone in your life that does the same for you. If your answer is yes, maybe it is time for you to let them know or to solute them as I have with Rene!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Defining Social Networks My Top Pick
The social networking site I picked was Friendster. Com. I do remember when this came out and the buzz that was around it. Everywhere I went people were saying, “Are you on Friendster?” Now, this has happened with Myspace and Facebook. Friendster started in 2002 and met its demise in 2003. This was to do with the over load of subscribers. Subscribers soon discovered that the database was unable to support all the users and all the information that was being published. Pretty amazing when we think of how the other sites now are able to handle the amount of information. It shows us the demand for technology and the demand for interpersonal relationships. The target audience was people looking for love based on friends friends. It was a great thought at first, but then users soon realized that you could only reach 4 of your friends friends. Unlike Facebook where you are able to view all your friends friends and add them as your friend. I chose Facebook because it was geared towards people who had a desire to keep in touch with not only friends but family. Yes, I have seen people who have hooked up on Facebook such as the intention of Friendster. Facbook offers much more opportunities to all ages. I will continue to use this site! It has brought me back in touch with so many people I lost contact with!
Social Networking Sites
You don't really know which social networking sites you create will take off or succeed
The interesting question here is when one decides to make a social networking site will it succeed? We have seen in the past several networking sites that did not make the cut due to mostly two different reasons. In the beginning, Friendster seemed to be a great site for people to connect with friends of their friends in hopes for romance and love. This proved to be a great thought all though the developers experiences social and technical setbacks. It proved to be such a popular thing that the server was unable to keep up with the information and the amount of people who accessed the site. It just shows you that when you create a social networking site, you must be ready for it to explode with subscribers. I believe this would have been the first love/relationship site if only they were able to keep it a float. Luckily, the creators of match.com saw the problems that friendster had and were able to offer a much larger database to handle the rapid need of match making. It goes to show just how technology has to keep up with us as a society. There is a huge need for these sites to succeed so people who do not have the time to mingle at functions, bars etc. have an opportunity to find love.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Using Wiki in My Classroom
Using the Wiki in my classroom would be a very valuable asset. My students would use this technology daily to reflect on their personal experiences based on the assignments given. I would have a group of students responsible for the content and for monitoring the site on a weekly bases. The wiki would consist of personal reflections, questions and answers each student could add too. For the monthly field trips we would use the wiki to plan our class trips. We would list the things needed per student and have a check list so each student could keep track of the needed materials so we would have everything we needed before we departed. I would expect each student to do a short story of our trip, the things they saw and learned so by the end of the semester, we would have a written account of the years experiences. I would use the Wiki as the end of year final allowing the students to create a portfolio of the years assignments, listing how the experience of using a wiki changed they way they were able to learn.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
My Instructional Design Models At Last!!
My Two Instructional Design Models
Problem Based Learning: Savery and Duffy
A curriculum development and instructional system that simultaneously develops both problem solving strategies and disciplinary knowledge bases and skills by placing students in the active roll of problem solving. The students are confronted with an ill-structured problem that mirrors real-world problems.
The Problem Based Learning Model is based on 8 principles of constructivism and how they apply to learning and understanding. They are as followed:
Anchor all learning activities to a larger task or problem.
Support the learner in developing ownership for the overall problem or task.
Design an authentic task.
Design the task and the learning environment to reflect the complexity of the environment the learner should be able to function in at the end of the learning.
Give the learner ownership of the process used to develop a solution.
Design the learner environment to support and challenge the learner's thinking.
Encourage testing ideas against alternative views and alternate contexts.
Provide opportunity for, and support reflection on both the content learned and the learning process.
Understanding is our interaction with the environment. Cognitive conflict is the stimulus for learning and determines the organization and nature of what is learned. Knowledge evolves through social negotiation and through the evaluation of the viability of individual understanding.
Mind tools: David Jonassen
The role of mind tools: To extend the learners functioning during the learning process. To engage the learner in operations while constructing knowledge that they would not have been able to accomplish otherwise. To become critical thinkers.
Mind tools module is constructivist learning that provides a question or issue, a case, a problem or project that learners will accept to solve. The belief of this module is ownership of the problem or learning goal creates meaningful learning. The problem must be engaging. Mind tools use databases, multimedia/hypermedia to help students solve these questions or problems.
The difference between the two models would be mind tools use of databases, networking, etc. While the problem based learning is an individual or group thinking ability to solve problems. They are similar with the need to think critically and to monitor their own understanding. The learners take part in a team where social negotiation of meaning is an important part of the problem solving structure.
The design process I would use would start with a group of people with a similar problem of self confidence. This is something we all at one time or another have been challenged with. In a group I would ask for everyone to list the first moment they experienced a lack of self-confidence. Share that experience and how they were able to resolve the issue with communication, inward meditation or with the help of reading, knowledge. In our society to have self-confidence it at times is looked at as someone being ego-centered. We will show with self-confidence our lives will be fuller as we are able to show who in fact we really are!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
My Outlook on New Pedagogy
Three questions asked on his blog
What is the purpose of school? What is the purpose of learning? How can we discover our passions through education?
What is the purpose of school?
I come from an educational background. One that would dare to say, if you are not educated, your voice does not count. Having parents who defined their lives on what it was they did for a living, and knowing if I didn't follow suit, I may as well be banned from the family, I rebelled. I wanted to learn through life, not a classroom. All though I have to say I did very well in high school, until this year, 21 years after graduation, I kind of resented school. I wanted to learn life, not books. This brings me back to the blog, and the question asked, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOL?
For me, I now invite the structure of classroom collaboration. I am finding myself reading each classmates blogs with wonderment. It is so educational to me. I have not only learned about each classmate, but I have been taught something from them. When the question was posted on his blog, WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF SCHOOL, I was ignited inside to question my own beliefs outside of any prior programming. I have changed my view on this question from, merely a means to an end with maybe a letter behind your name to, a journey that may never be completed. What a thought and mostly a feeling of freedom!
What is the purpose of learning?
I have gone through periods in my life where I felt as if I had not learned a thing. Maybe, making the same decisions, expecting a different outcome, INSANITY! This question was asked on the blog. I see the importance of asking this question. What is the purpose of learning? To grow, to expand so we may better communicate with the world and ourselves. The ignition of questioning things in order to find better understanding. To dive deep into our own questioning of who and what is important to us as human beings. Ultimately, I believe learning is an opportunity to heal all that we have come to believe defines us. To bloom, everyday, as a different expression of who we are.
How can we discover our passion through education?
I am a new student who is learning what my passion is through education. I was a little conflicted with this blog post, so I decided to ask myself this question. HOW CAN I DISCOVER MY PASSION THROUGH EDUCATION? I have learned that I enjoy reading now, also I have learned that I would make a great teacher, in a classroom setting. I have found that I have patience with learning and a passion to learn. Though this assignment, I have learned that I will change my major to Education, and bring all I have to offer to a room of students. This is part of my passion in life, and I never knew it until now! I have to agree that passion and education are one in the same. The discovery comes from the passion one holds. I am a dreamer that is learning through my passion I will discover all of who I am!
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
My Teaching Philosophy
I wondered how I was to do this assignment, not being a "teacher" with students, in a classroom arena. As I thought about it I realized, I am a teacher to all I come in contact with. I remember talking to friends who shared with me what all they had learned from me. I now understand my responsibilities and the role I play when it comes to my individual relationships. Knowing that the length of the relationship has no greater meaning than the content, I now take time to listen, and be a support. Looking at the relationships I considered to be important in my life, I found the meaning of who I am. Each has inspired me to grow, to ask questions and finally to reflect on the process that brought me to myself. I want to be the best teacher and student I can possibly be.
I remembered a time when I had finished a book about relationship therapy and within a couple of hours I received a call from a family member who was in crisis over something that had happened to her that morning. With the information I received from reading the book I was able to console her and set her on track to better understanding. The exercises I learned in the book such as breathing, releasing, and finally, visualizing a positive outcome helped her release her anger and be in a position to move on to better understanding. In turn, I also experienced a releasing moment knowing I had become not only a better student but a teacher. This for me was such a great experience and an experience that pushed me into higher learning.
As we live, we are confronted with many important decisions that keep us embedded in so many relationships. Knowing this, I decided to start a women s group, once a week, structured around the very premises of "teachers" and "students". One week, half would be the teachers and half students. Each group would talk about their experiences that week, their trials and liberating moments. The teachers would lead the group with questions centered around each topic. It was an amazing experience! We all were able to play each role knowing the impact we were having on one another. Some were not comfortable at first with the role play, but in time I saw the quiet, reserved women turn into confident, wise women, eager to share her experiences.
I am thankful for the knowledge I have gained through this experience of being a teacher. My philosophy has changed from having to be right all the time to learning to listen. I realized through this process that we all are more receptive to a safe, loving environment. Knowing this, I vow to always come from a place of compassion and understanding.