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Journal #3: 10th Annual Summer Leadership Institute CSUSM

Tenth Annual Summer Leadership Institute CSUSM July 17, 2008
Topic: Restructuring for Caring & Effective Education.

Speaker: Richard Villa.

This was a very valuable and thought provoking presentation by a dynamic and engaging speaker. the topic explored was "What is our destination in education". The answer, as we learned in the course of the presentation, is that what we should be striving for as educators is neither excellence nor equity alone, but "equalence" in education which is a new configuration of the two. By combining generosity, belonging, mastery and independence, we can create a learning environment that is inclusive of every student of every ability and equitable for all students. Equalence is team spirit, creativity and collaboration. It is "changing the rules of the game so everybody gets to play and win". The only way we will reach the destination of equalence is to have vision, skills, incentive, resources and an action plan that lead to change. We will know we have arrived when we reach a culture of artistry, where character counts, where collaboration, creativity, courage, differentiation, diversity, empowerment, self-determination and perserverence are valued. Then we will have a culture committed to a better future. We will have a culture of Equalence!

Q: What did the Musical Chairs game illustrate?

A: With decreased motivation comes decreased self-esteem. Excellence alone doesn't work and neither does equity alone.

Q: What is the most valuable resource we are wasting?

A: Children's voices.

Journal # 2: The Laptops Are Coming! The Laptops Are Coming!

  McFarlane, Sarah H. (2008).  The laptops are coming!  the laptops are coming!.  Rethinking       Schools Online, Vol 22 No 4, Retrieved July 20, 2008 from http://www.rethinking schools.org/archive/22_04/lap224.shtml

In this article, the author presents the thought provoking perspective that technology in schools is not always a positive thing, and that schools should thoroughly evaluate the possible negative ramifications along with the positive when deciding to introduce a new technology in the classroom.  

When McFarlane first learned that all of the students in her class were to receive laptops, she saw it as a dream come true.  After a year with laptops in the classroom, she had a different view of technology.  From student being distracted by and preoccupied with their laptops, to students becoming socially disconnected as they replace time spent interacting with friends and classmates to time spent alone with their laptop, she witnessed technology having a detrimental effect on the emotional and social development of her students.  She is concerned that the push for technology will result in long term social costs and increased levels of consumerism.

While she has seen the negative side of technology at work, the author still has hope that by being properly prepared and trained to be aware of both the pros and cons, teachers can incorporate technology  in ways that teach students to still value community and relationships. She thinks technology used properly can be used as a tool to teach critical thinking skills, equality and social justice.  The example that she gives of the Chicago Digital Youth Program illustrates that with creativity and responsible use, students can do amazing things with technology.

Q:  What would have been a better way to introduced the laptops into the curriculum in McFarlane's class?

A:  I think there are ways in which the laptops could have been used more responsibly.  For instance, giving every student their own laptop was a detriment to social interaction and group collaboration.  If one laptop was provided for every four students to use in group projects, that would have eliminated that problem and actually would promote group interaction.  She said in the article that students were distracted and opening their laptops during class parties and other activities.  I think the students time on the laptops could have been limited to specific assignments and during certain periods of the day.  In other words, they didn't need to have unlimited access to the computers when it was not specifically being used for a lesson. 

Q:  What are other issues that should have been addressed before introducing the laptops to McFarlane's class?

A:  I think some other issues that could present problems when providing introducing laptops to students are internet safety, proper email etiquette, appropriate navigation to websites, and differing levels of competency of students d students to use the new technology.  i think with proper training and support, those issues could be overcome as well.

Journal #1
Shifflet, R, & Toledo, C (2008).  Extreme makeover: Updating class activities for the 21st century. Learning & Leading with Technology, Retrieved July 13, 2008, from http://www.pdfdownload.org/pdf2html/pdf2html.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjheil65.googlepages.com%2FJournal1.pdf&inages=yes.

This article explores some of the newest web-based applications that can be used to update our classroom activities, along with valuable links to many of the tools and resources. The new tools are social in nature and provide great new opportunities for collaborative projects in the classroom. There are suggestions for new activities utilizing each innovation, such as using blogs for student journals, portfolios and newsletters. Ideas are offered for transforming existing activities like group projects by introducing web based collaborative writing tools and Wikis. Creative projects can be enhanced by photosharing applications like Flickr and stories can become “Flicktion”! The processes of research and of writing bibliographies are enlivened through the use of Wiki and Social bookmarking sites such as Del.icio.us. The potential for misuse exists, so it is important to also teach student to be responsible and knowledgeable users of technology.

Q: How can teachers incorporate new technologies into the classroom given the current budget situation?

A: Many of the new web-based applications can be accessed for free. From blogs to collaborative writing tools and social bookmarking, there are plenty of opportunities to include technology in the curriculum even on a very limited budget.

Mader, Jared, & Smith, Ben (2008). Blogging right along. Learning & Leading.
36-37.

Creative ways to use blogging as a tool in science classes are discussed in this article. From daily journals and class notes to photos of experiment setups and class activities, the blog can facilitate learning and be applied to every facet of the science lessons. This can be particularly helpful for those students who are visual learners, and the blog provides a cumulative review of course content and experiments for study and a forum for students to comment on the course material.

Q: In what other subjects might a class blog prove particularly useful and appropriate?

A: A blog would work particularly well in an English class. Students could post their writing and have peer review comments and teacher feedback. There could be creative writing prompts for daily journal entries.

Introduction

Hi Everybody! I'm Michelle Rivera. I'm happy to see a lot of familiar faces in 422!  I was born and raised in The O.C. I attended Arbolita and Sierra Vista Elementary schools and Washington Junior High. In fact, all of my schooling took place in public schools there, with the exception of a brief detour to Fort Worth, Texas where I attended a private Catholic high school for the first couple of months of my senior year in high school (long, highly dramatic story!!). I returned to Orange County and graduated from Sonora High School. I lived in L.A. for a couple of years and then moved down to San Diego and completed my BA degree at SDSU with a Psychology major and a minor in Social Work. I will be entering the Teaching Credential program here at CSUSM in the Fall.

I am definitely a MAC person, and could never voluntarily go back to a PC! I think the MAC is much more user friendly, and since I love to work with programs like Photoshop, iMovie, Garage Band, etc., there is so much more fun stuff you can do on the MAC. I rely on technology daily, and would be lost without my computer, email and cell phone in particular. I am currently using the 2004 version of Microsoft Word for MAC.

The mission statement of CSUSM/COE appeals to me because of the focus on inclusiveness and educational equity for every student. I like the fact that the mission statement is an integral part of each class in the COE and that the ideals presented within the statement are reinforced in the curriculum. I am looking forward to applying the concept of including multiculturalism in every aspect of the curriculum as a teacher in my own classroom.