Final Reflection
I am amazed at how much information was packed into such a short period of time. The first day I was off to the races with my first Tweet. I understand the concept of Twitter, but I’m still not convinced as to its effectiveness. I will determine that when I discuss it with my students. We broke up into groups. I really enjoyed working with my teammates. Our first readings were very informative. The discussion about the Shulman article which involved fantasia, particularly interested me. I have seen this in my students as well as adults. Going forward,articles like these inspire me to be clear in what I am trying to teach as well as address any misconceptions before they become cemented into someone's reality.
Day two continued with more technological exploration. We created websites. This activity helped me a great deal. I will use a website with my students as well as instruct them to create their own. We discussed the articles about becoming more student centered and balancing instruction. We discussed transitioning from teaching mere facts (which are now disputable) to disciplinary thought. This is something all teachers should be striving toward in order to make our students critical thinkers who are able to compete in a global society. We worked in a group in order to summarize chapter 7 of Cosmos. The group activities were an important component of the course. Working with others and sharing different points of view was an invaluable experience. I particularly enjoyed going outside to find a real world math problem and create a video to post on facebook.
On day three we discussed our web presence and continued to work on our websites. We also discussed technology using fire as an example. TPACK was introduced. This was the idea of combining content, knowledge, pedagogy, and technology. We discussed repurposing technology to make it educational. We met together and discussed our book and the lesson we will present. Day four we discussed the ImagineIT project and brainstormed. We also discussed knowledge vs. understanding and the issue of perspective. We used a variety of mediums to represent our definition of STEM. While working on the representation of stem,I noticed that the more difficult the medium ie playdough the more creative you got.
Day five primarily dealt with our amazing teaching moment. I enjoyed hearing my teammates lessons and sharing my own. I can’t wait to see the finished project. We also created a meme. I will definitely be incorporating developing memes with my students. A student’s meme will show understanding of a concept. Fitz also showed his crazy talk video. I have already bought the program and can not wait to use it in class. Day six was improv day. It really loosened us up and allowed for more camaraderie.
On day seven we switched rooms! I met with Punya to discuss my Imagineit project. The feedback I received was invaluable and gave me direction on my project. We discussed and filmed student misconceptions using stop motion filming. Misconceptions are a challenge for educators. We have to identify and correct them as soon as possible. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through multiple forms of assessment. While going over differentiated instruction a cartoon was presented that showed a variety of animals all given the same exam consisting of climbing a tree. As a teacher of diverse learners, I see the unfairness of this type of assessment on a daily basis. A refreshing twist on the concept of differentiated instruction involved looking at it not as a set of tools, but as a philosophy where teachers focus on student needs.
Day eight involved a discussion about overcoming stubborn students misconceptions by giving students time to explore.We all created musical instruments and played them in the big room. On day 9 we discussed our stories of understanding and how students relate to science. The quote from a student about rainbows and unicorns being exciting compared to science brought home the idea of perspective. The discussion about the power of ideas and how they can change you is something I hope to instill in my students through my ImagineIt project. Tailoring instruction to encourage aesthetic understanding is so important when teaching. It is riskier than the basic skill and drill of direct instruction out of a text book, but it's long lasting effects are worth it. We were broken up into our deep play groups and given our advisors. I will miss my original group. Finally we finished out the day with a maker moment, where we played with multiple gadgets that allowed open ended exploration.
On day ten we discussed performances of understanding which involved transferring knowledge to other situations. We also discussed assessment using backwards design as well as best practices when developing and implementing them. We continued to work on our ivideo. We broke out into our deep playgroups. My group’s topic consisted of creativity and assessment. Our final day together we nominated ivideos to be shown and finalized the logistics of our deep play groups. We discussed life from a student’s point of view and the challenges they face. It was a bittersweet day, I learned so much from the experience.
This learning experience mattered to me a great deal. The ideas and friends I gained have given me a new outlook on my teaching. I will admit, I was getting a bit stale. The ImagineIT project has reenergized me. It has reminded me why I went into teaching. I want to help students realize their true potential. The knowledge I have gained will help me achieve my goal.
I will be taking much from this experience that I can use in my classroom. I will be striving to ensure my students not only understand concepts, but are able to apply them to novel situations. I will be using the friendships I have made as sounding boards to help tighten up my ideas. I will continue to develop and find alternative assessments to ensure my students are treated equitably and fairly. TPACK will become a driving force in my instruction. Finally, my ImagineIT project will change not only my life but my students as well.
Thank you for the experience.
Day two continued with more technological exploration. We created websites. This activity helped me a great deal. I will use a website with my students as well as instruct them to create their own. We discussed the articles about becoming more student centered and balancing instruction. We discussed transitioning from teaching mere facts (which are now disputable) to disciplinary thought. This is something all teachers should be striving toward in order to make our students critical thinkers who are able to compete in a global society. We worked in a group in order to summarize chapter 7 of Cosmos. The group activities were an important component of the course. Working with others and sharing different points of view was an invaluable experience. I particularly enjoyed going outside to find a real world math problem and create a video to post on facebook.
On day three we discussed our web presence and continued to work on our websites. We also discussed technology using fire as an example. TPACK was introduced. This was the idea of combining content, knowledge, pedagogy, and technology. We discussed repurposing technology to make it educational. We met together and discussed our book and the lesson we will present. Day four we discussed the ImagineIT project and brainstormed. We also discussed knowledge vs. understanding and the issue of perspective. We used a variety of mediums to represent our definition of STEM. While working on the representation of stem,I noticed that the more difficult the medium ie playdough the more creative you got.
Day five primarily dealt with our amazing teaching moment. I enjoyed hearing my teammates lessons and sharing my own. I can’t wait to see the finished project. We also created a meme. I will definitely be incorporating developing memes with my students. A student’s meme will show understanding of a concept. Fitz also showed his crazy talk video. I have already bought the program and can not wait to use it in class. Day six was improv day. It really loosened us up and allowed for more camaraderie.
On day seven we switched rooms! I met with Punya to discuss my Imagineit project. The feedback I received was invaluable and gave me direction on my project. We discussed and filmed student misconceptions using stop motion filming. Misconceptions are a challenge for educators. We have to identify and correct them as soon as possible. One of the best ways to accomplish this is through multiple forms of assessment. While going over differentiated instruction a cartoon was presented that showed a variety of animals all given the same exam consisting of climbing a tree. As a teacher of diverse learners, I see the unfairness of this type of assessment on a daily basis. A refreshing twist on the concept of differentiated instruction involved looking at it not as a set of tools, but as a philosophy where teachers focus on student needs.
Day eight involved a discussion about overcoming stubborn students misconceptions by giving students time to explore.We all created musical instruments and played them in the big room. On day 9 we discussed our stories of understanding and how students relate to science. The quote from a student about rainbows and unicorns being exciting compared to science brought home the idea of perspective. The discussion about the power of ideas and how they can change you is something I hope to instill in my students through my ImagineIt project. Tailoring instruction to encourage aesthetic understanding is so important when teaching. It is riskier than the basic skill and drill of direct instruction out of a text book, but it's long lasting effects are worth it. We were broken up into our deep play groups and given our advisors. I will miss my original group. Finally we finished out the day with a maker moment, where we played with multiple gadgets that allowed open ended exploration.
On day ten we discussed performances of understanding which involved transferring knowledge to other situations. We also discussed assessment using backwards design as well as best practices when developing and implementing them. We continued to work on our ivideo. We broke out into our deep playgroups. My group’s topic consisted of creativity and assessment. Our final day together we nominated ivideos to be shown and finalized the logistics of our deep play groups. We discussed life from a student’s point of view and the challenges they face. It was a bittersweet day, I learned so much from the experience.
This learning experience mattered to me a great deal. The ideas and friends I gained have given me a new outlook on my teaching. I will admit, I was getting a bit stale. The ImagineIT project has reenergized me. It has reminded me why I went into teaching. I want to help students realize their true potential. The knowledge I have gained will help me achieve my goal.
I will be taking much from this experience that I can use in my classroom. I will be striving to ensure my students not only understand concepts, but are able to apply them to novel situations. I will be using the friendships I have made as sounding boards to help tighten up my ideas. I will continue to develop and find alternative assessments to ensure my students are treated equitably and fairly. TPACK will become a driving force in my instruction. Finally, my ImagineIT project will change not only my life but my students as well.
Thank you for the experience.