Copy and paste. CTRL + C, CTRL + V. One of the few simple actions I learned years ago that has saved my sanity when working on computers (which is basically all the time). But when the copy part also plays a role in copyRIGHT, one must think before she/he pastes. This week, I have been learning about copyright, fair use, licensing, etc. and it has made my head spin. Quite frankly, I did not enjoy it much to begin with. But, as I do with my fourth graders when they become frustrated, I reminded myself of the purpose. In working toward a Master's degree in educational technology, it just would not make sense for me to skip right over the legality of finding, using, and transforming online works - writings, images, ideas, videos, sound clips, and more. I had to put my time in and simply learn. After a dizzying dive into the depths of the internet, I give thanks to Creative Commons and Common Sense Media for their work on educating others, including me, about these topics. I have created a quick guide to help others like me in assessing what to do with copyrights. Now, check out the video I remixed (following newly learned copyright guidelines) to help other educators understand copyrights. References
Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Copyright and fair use animation [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/videos/copyright-and-fair-use-animation Trust, T. (2019). Web Design Basics for Educators. EdTech Books. Retrieved from https://edtechbooks.org/webdesign
2 Comments
I don’t like messing up. It’s embarrassing, it makes me feel vulnerable, and I don’t like that either. My mom told me that I’d cry if she raised her voice at me as a little girl. I’m still that way. But as a teacher, my fourth graders and I make mistakes every single day. Recently, I was working with a small group on area models and lattice multiplication. In these strategies, students multiply partial products and add to get a total. Both have merits in helping organize numbers and understand place value, but they also require students to know their multiplication facts. I told one of my students, “Be careful. You don’t want to make a silly math mistake and get the answer wrong!” To which she responded, “But Mrs. Kramer, isn’t making mistakes how we learn?” What food for thought; she stopped me in my tracks. Fumbling for a response, I explained that I would rather my students made mistakes in the learning process instead of working too fast and accidentally writing 3x3=6. But, what’s really the difference? Is there one? I want to say yes: one shows a student needs help mastering a strategy and the other shows a small error in calculation. I still don’t have the answer, but I have been intentional in how I have designed my classroom to inspect, respect, and correct mistakes. Check out the infographic below for one strategy I use, and for how we construct and make meaning in my classroom. All links are clickable! FailingI encourage students to see tests as opportunities to show what they know. Students aim to demonstrate mastery, and if they do not score well, we use it as a conversation about what’s not working. Part of my assessment requires students to make corrections. I watch lightbulbs go off as students are able to identify and correct their own math mistakes, and I see joy in students proudly submitting a corrected assignment. Students needing support are able to ask for help with corrections, and the tricky problems give them a starting point for vocalizing what they are not understanding. My intent is that my students see “failure” as an opportunity to grow and learn. It is simply an iteration in their journey towards mastery. ConstructingOne of the aspects I find most interesting about teaching is educational psychology. Knowledge, according to Piaget, is constructed by the learner. As Resnick (2017) explains in Lifelong Kindergarten, “children don’t get ideas, they make ideas” (p. 37). This sums up Piaget’s theory of constructivism. Later, Papert expanded this theory into constructionism, described by Udacity (2016) as constructivism, but when the learner makes something to show what they know. So what does this look like in my classroom? It’s not perfect, but I’m working on it. Students are invited to construct their own ideas about math in a variety of ways. For example, I conduct number talks where students use mental math and share their creative thinking in finding solutions. We also work on math tasks in which students create a representation of their solutions to a real-world problem. In this task, students define multiplication instead of me providing it. MakingIn Lifelong Kindergarten, Resnick (2001) also championed that all learning should look a bit more like the exploration students undergo in kindergarten. He stated that, “to thrive, [students] must learn to design innovative solutions to unexpected problems” (p. 50). One project my students worked through during STEAM was designing a cooler. Collaborating in groups, where Sir Ken Robinson (2010) says great learning happens, students chose materials and built a prototype to develop a deeper understanding of thermal energy transfer and conductors and insulators. We also make many cross-curricular connections. My students create Piet Mondrian artwork to demonstrate their understanding of parallel and perpendicular lines and comic strips to reveal characterization in a novel. Some days my classroom looks like the outdated one Sir Ken Robinson (2010) describes, but my hope is that each day and each year I am moving toward reimagining learning as Richard Culatta (2013) describes and create a safe makerspace. My next step? Explore Genius Hour with my kids. References
Brack, Tyne. (2016, December 3). Using test corrections as a tool for mastery [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.maneuveringthemiddle.com/using-test-corrections-tool-mastery/ Chattanooga Public Library. (2020, April 13). STEAM power [Image]. Retrieved from https://chattlibrary.org/event/steam-power/2020-04-13/ Cliparts.Co (n.d.). Lightbulb clipart #10788 [Image]. Retrieved from https://clipartion.com/free-clipart-10788/ Education Closet. (n.d.). What is STEAM education? [Web page]. Retrieved from https://educationcloset.com/steam/what-is-steam/ Kesler, Chris. (2013, September 6). What is genius hour? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMFQUtHsWhc Pearce, Kyle. (n.d.). Donut delight [Web page]. Retrieved from https://tapintoteenminds.com/3act-math/donut-delight/ Resnick, M. (2001, September). Lifelong kindergarten. In presentation delivered at the annual symposium of the Forum for the Future of Higher Education, Aspen, Colorado. Resnick, M. (2017). Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. RSA Animate. (2010, October). Changing education paradigms [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_changing_education_paradigms/discussion TEDx Talks. (2013, January 10). Reimagining learning: Richard Culatta at TEDx Beacon Street [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0uAuonMXrg Udacity. (2016, June 6). Constructionism [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qsiqetMlCg Youcubed at Stanford. (2014, July 31). Number talks [Video file]. Retreived from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXNG6GKFhQM&feature=youtu.be People are often saying that you can learn/find anything on the internet. I’ve always been a bit skeptical of this because I’m a people person. Every personality test I’ve taken shows that I value interactions with others, my love language is time/touch, and I love to decompress by being around people. So learning online all by myself? Yikes. Four weeks ago, I was tentative to set out learning to play the guitar entirely online. I must say, it had its challenges but wasn’t all bad. The good: My inhibitions were low because no one could hear me sing off key, strum the wrong note, or botch a transition between chords. I was not afraid to take risks in front of anyone for fear of embarrassment. Additionally, I could access a multitude of resources at any place and time. I didn’t have to fit one more thing into my busy schedule but could practice on my own terms. YouTube videos, Reddit pages, and more could be pulled up on my phone or laptop whenever I wanted to explore. The bad: Feedback was lacking. The only person evaluating my successes and errors was myself, and I’m a total guitar novice (see more about novice vs. expert learning in this blog post). I don’t know what I don’t know. Motivation was sometimes lacking, too. I am more motivated to show up to the gym when I’m meeting a friend, so similarly, having to show up to a guitar lesson would hold me accountable for practicing instead of surfing Hulu for a new show. Every learning experience has its good and bad, and this networked learning project was no different. Curious to see and hear how my four week “learn to play the guitar” adventure went? Check out the video below. In conclusion, Aleph Molinari (2011) says in his TED Talk, “Internet should be a basic right, not a privilege.” This project would not have been possible without the network and has made me realize what privilege simply connecting my phone and laptop to WiFi affords me. As a teacher, I hope for all students to have the same access to information that I do, and further, to understand how to use the internet as a tool and not a distraction or a weapon. Our job as educators in the 21st century learning is a big one because for that, technology cannot replace caring teachers. I still prefer to learn and interact in person, and will probably start some guitar lessons soon! But I cannot discredit the fantastic resources I found on YouTube, Reddit, and more. (All of my sources are recorded in this Google Sheet.) My husband is stationed abroad and just expressed an interest in learning to crochet to pass time. Guess where I directed him? The internet. References
Coco, Bella. (2019, February 24). How to crochet for absolute beginners [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcOzdAzmtNM EF Explore America. (2012, March 15). What is 21st century education? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax5cNlutAys Level Up Guitar. (2017, April 8). I have no idea what I'm doing [Image]. Retrieve from https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/a3/12/91/a3129121302fdb1ed7eb9a8f0a1c4734--funny-dog-memes-dog-humor.jpg Molinari, Aleph. (2011, August). Let’s bridge the digital divide! [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/aleph_molinari_let_s_bridge_the_digital_divide (n.d.). Guitar - Gear, reviews, lessons, and discussion for everyone! [Online forum] Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/ Piano, Andy. (n.d.). Andy guitar. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9cvVvlvr-qBssphm1EdYGQ Recently I’ve been expanding my professional learning network and my grad school course encouraged that I participate in a Twitter chat. Seemed like an easy task... Until I Googled “Twitter chats for education with meeting times” and found endless lists of “the best” chats for teachers. Thoughts started swirling… Am I a bad teacher for just starting to participate? Ugh, the times they give are all in Eastern but I live in Texas. Okay, I’ll pick one. #GamesForEd made me excited for new ideas! But I forgot to log on and missed it. I put it on my calendar and set a reminder for the next one. Until I forgot about a meeting and missed #WeirdEd. This was definitely not easy. I have many students identified as gifted and talented. The #gtchat sounded perfect! Finally I was all logged on and then… Nothing. The hashtag was just being used for educational ads. I teach my students to use a growth mindset when they get frustrated. I need to as well. Next up: #mmpd. Logged on and searching again. There was a tweet! Someone else was participating! Except… There were only three of us. Not what I was expecting. Okay, last try. The assignment would be due soon and I was getting disappointed. I teach fourth grade so #elemchat would work. This blog post really hypes it up, too! There weren’t any moderators as Ed said (the post is from 2011, so maybe the chat is outdated). It was cool, however, as other teachers began asking and answering questions. I shared a few ideas and people tweeted back at me! Apparently I need to research the Universal Design for Learning. It was overwhelming and exhilarating. Maybe I’ll try again. I’ll keep my Twitter profile active, at least. References
Morin, Amanda. (n.d.) Universal design for learning (UDL): What you need to know. Retrieved from https://www.understood.org/en/learning-attention-issues/treatments-approaches/educational-strategies/universal-design-for-learning-what-it-is-and-how-it-works WhatEdSaid. (2011, November 2). Effective professional learning (again) [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://whatedsaid.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/effective-professional-learning-2/ I am self-conscious of my tone deafness. I cannot tell if an instrument is in tune or sing in key, but I love to dance along. Some songs transport me back to a time and place. “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” puts me on the waterfront at summer camp, “Perfect” plays and I’m walking down the aisle, and “Cheeseburger in Paradise” brings me to the Porcupine Mountains. I even use music in my classroom to connect with my students and reinforce concepts. So taking on guitar (learn more about the project here) was daunting. Last post I mentioned researching how to make my fingers hurt less. The answers I found on Reddit? Suck it up. The line, “Played it ‘til my fingers bled,” has a whole new meaning. Not that I can compare to Bryan Adams! Here’s a look at the last week or so. Day 1: Girl sits on the couch with a guitar awkwardly in her arms. Phone in her hands, she downloads an app with great reviews. It doesn’t load, so she goes to plan B, and then C. Day 2: Getting started on Andy Guitar, she learns how to play a chord. Then two. It’s actually really hard. School came easy to her, so struggling to learn something is uncomfortable. Day 5: She can slooooowly transition between E and A major. Progress! She’s ready to play a song! Day 8: Still practicing “UNI” by Ed Sheeran, but with a newly acquired capo and pick. It sounds so much better! For the integrity of the project, I can only learn online. That’s the challenge -- to use the network. I often don’t finish what I start, though, and I’m working on that. So I’ve looked into guitar lessons, because it’s never too late to learn something new! References
Adams, Bryan. (2009, June 16). Bryan Adams - Summer of ‘69 (Official music video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eFjjO_lhf9c Andy Guitar. (n.d.). Online lessons. Retrieved from https://www.andyguitar.co.uk/ Margaritaville. (2009, June 16). Jimmy Buffet - Cheeseburger in paradise. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBsPZV14I-k Owen, Jake. (2011. June 278). Jake Owen - Barefoot blue jean night. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRh-vBOS-dU Sheeran, Ed. (2017, November 9). Ed Sheeran - Perfect (Official music video). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vv-BfVoq4g Sheeran, Ed. (2017, February 9). U.N.I. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leCWiHvePpw _thereaper_. (2018). What to do for sore fingers [Forum post]. Retrieved from https://www.reddit.com/r/Guitar/comments/7q1xjw/question_what_to_do_for_sore_fingers/
This week I was asked to explore 21st century learning. Interesting, since I have spent more of my years in school in the 21st century than I did in the nineties. (Insert comment from my coworkers about my young age!) So, haven’t I been doing 21st century learning my whole life? As I explored the multitude of definitions, I realized just how much education has shifted since the last century, and even since I graduated kindergarten in 2000.
In reading about education from the early 1900s until now, I was a bit surprised by how much legislation was involved. Experts tout that the 4 Cs are essential to 21st century learning: critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity (Nichols, 2019). But yet, No Child Left Behind (Strauss, 2018) and subsequent legislation ask for students and schools to make pre-determined annual yearly progress goals solely on multiple choice tests. Where is the creativity in that? As Carla Santorno says in an interview titled “How High the Bar,” “the fault lies not with the students, and it’s not in the schools, Common Core, or the assessments themselves. It’s the flawed benchmarks” (National Superintendents Roundtable, 2018). Learning and teaching, is dynamic. The world keeps changing, and teachers must be in shape to “keep up.” We teach our students about “technology,” but at one point in time, that “technology” was simply a pencil replacing chalk. And then it was a lightbulb replacing candles. Each generation has sustained changes; truly transformational educators are those who embrace them. How lucky am I to get to be a part of the pack. Check out the video below for a multimodal presentation created by yours truly -- what better way to give a more detailed representation of what 21st century learning is!
Resources
National Superintendents Roundtable. (2018, January 17). How high the bar? [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQjaQhP_om8&feature=youtu.be Nichols, Jennifer Rita. (2019, June 8). 4 essential rules of 21st-century learning. Retrieved from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/4-essential-rules-of-21st-century-learning/ Strauss, Valerie. (2018, April 26). ‘A Nation at Risk’ demanded education reform 35 years ago. Here’s how it’s been bungled ever since. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/04/26/the-landmark-a-nation-at-risk-called-for-education-reform-35-years-ago-heres-how-it-was-bungled/?noredirect=on I recently wrote about what 21st century learning looks like, and the 4 Cs (Nichols) that we want students to learn and use (critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity). So what does a 21st century lesson plan look like? For my grad school course on educational technology, I was tasked with writing one. I have to upload weekly lesson plans to my administration and I refer to the hyperlinks, details, and notes embedded in them daily. But, as I began exploring the syllabus of this course, I asked my course instructor what exactly a 21st century lesson plan looked like. Her response intrigued me when she said that it’s not really much different from what I already do. For some reason, sticking “21st century” in front of something so familiar made it feel foreign. I now understand what she meant. I teach in the 21st century each day and face challenges, celebrate successes, and keep moving forward. What made this a 21st century lesson plan was not necessarily that I included technology or topics relevant to my students, but being intentional in what technology I chose to use to meet my objectives. Here are my 4 Cs of writing it: Critical Thinking: Backwards planning is life for my team. We always start with the end in mind, and writing this lesson plan asked me to think about what learning goals needed to be met (content), how I could help my students reach them (pedagogy), and what partner to use in doing so (technology). See Mishra and Koehler’s TPACK framework to learn way more about this! Collaboration: I mentioned above planning with my team. I am a much better teacher because of the teachers I work with, and this lesson plan has been shared with many intelligent minds to make it the best it can be before it is presented to students. Communication: Cult of Pedagogy is one of my favorite blogs to follow as it consistently gives me ideas, inspiration, and relief that I’m doing a few things right. A few weeks ago, Jenn sent out a post (Gonzalez, 2017) about using curation to promote higher order thinking. I read it and instantly filed it away in my mind to come back to. It was such a beautiful way of using technology to do the research, thinking, and writing skills that our students need to practice in such a meaningful way. Creativity: This lesson plan is for my fourth graders as we study adaptations during a life science unit. They are to create their own “Top 5 Coolest Plant and Animal Adaptations” list, with a rationale for each on a Padlet page. Sound like a Buzzfeed article or blog post you’ve seen linked on Facebook? Way more real-world than a worksheet or essay, and real-world is what our students need. But students are still demonstrating an understanding of the connection between structure and function. There are a lot of pressures on teachers these days and we have to be realistic about what 21st century learning looks like day in and day out. During walk-throughs and evaluations, admin comes in to look for learning goals and success criteria posted, students who are able to explain the purpose in what they are doing, engagement and higher-order thinking, etc. I also have a lot of needs and behaviors -- ranging from students who are eager to please and learn to disrespect and refusal to work. As I read about case studies (Battelle for Kids) of schools exemplifying 21st century learning, voices in my head were saying:
All of these challenges are very real. I intend to use them as detours instead of roadblocks. My students and I are far from perfect, as is the technology and resources provided to me. I hope that more days than not, my classroom looks like it belongs in the 21st century. And on the days that it doesn’t, everyone is able to show grace and start fresh tomorrow. References
Battelle for Kids. (n.d.). 21st century learning exemplar program. Retrieved from http://www.battelleforkids.org/networks/p21/21st-century-learning-exemplar-program Gonzalez, Jennifer. (2017, April 15). To boost higher-order thinking, try curation [Blog post]. Retrieved from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/curation/ Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. Nichols, Jennifer Rita. (2019, June 8). 4 essential rules of 21st-century learning. Retrieved from https://www.teachthought.com/learning/4-essential-rules-of-21st-century-learning/ I recently told my principal, “The only constant in my life right now is change,” which rings true both personally and professionally. But, remember my lobster post? Change and discomfort help us grow. My last blog post briefly introduced a “Networked Learning Project” (NLP) I was assigned for my educational technology course. It means that I have to learn something new. Using only the internet. All by myself. I always ask my students to learn new things, but what about ME? What did I want to learn, only online, at age 26? Inspired by my mom’s green thumb and my love of cooking, I had settled on starting an herb and vegetable garden. While I will still plant the seeds, I decided to change my task for the purpose of this NLP. Gardening takes a long time to get results, so I made the switch in order to communicate my learning in a more timely manner. As I was telling this to my coworker, and she mentioned this Friends clip. Watching it, I laughed because I definitely felt like I had a “claw” while trying to place my fingers. I felt like Joey, too, because the beginner videos started with information when I was just itching to pick up the guitar! So, here goes. Keep checking back for more struggles and successes as I strum. Struggles: My fingers are incredibly sore. I never realized how firmly one needs to press on the strings. My next task is finding tips to avoid this (while I build up some callouses). Successes: Thanks to Andy Guitar, I can now play the E and A major chords. Playing was incredibly relaxing instead of frustrating, as was my fear. I look forward to carving out more time for my newfound hobby (and of course, assignment). References
Andy Guitar. (2019). Online lessons. Retrieved from https://www.andyguitar.co.uk/online-lessons/ The Series Guy. (2018, February 10). Friends - Phoebe teaches Joey how to play guitar [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ADarpGU1QQ As a teacher, I am constantly telling my students to try new things, take risks, and learn from their mistakes. I suppose it’s about time for me to take a bit of my own advice. With some nudging from my Master’s program, and a desire that has been lurking in the back of my mind, I have decided to try my hand at gardening. My mom has always had the greenest of thumbs and grown gorgeous, lush gardens, but I did not “inherit” that trait (if that’s even possible). Now, a growth mindset meets growing plants. I have begun to do some research about beginning a vegetable garden in Texas, a state to which I am not native. According to Alena Garden, “Vegetable gardening is productive any month of the year, depending on the type of vegetable. For many, there are permanent vegetable gardens in their yard. What to plan, when and how are essential for a productive vegetable garden” (n.d.). Good friends of mine made me a standing garden box out of a used pallet, and I’ve now learned that I can keep it full (hopefully) all year long. I’ve purchased a few plants from the local HEB that say they have a fall growing season, and I’m optimistic. Here’s to hoping my cucumbers, peas, beans, hot peppers, and arugula survive and thrive! My next steps (with help from ABC Home and Commercial, 2018):
References
Alena Garden. (n.d.). Planting a vegetable garden for beginners. Retrieved from http://www.alenagarden.com/a62192.php Downer, Ryan. (2018, March 6). Central Texas gardening: Your ultimate guide. Retrieved from https://www.abchomeandcommercial.com/blog/central-texas-gardening/ I’ve been considering deleting my Facebook for a while now. I rarely post, yet I find myself mindlessly scrolling through drama on my news feed. Then, an argument in my head goes something like… Me: You could be reading or exercising or drawing! Also me: But there are cool local events posted that I may miss out on… Me: If you want an update on someone’s life, call them! Also me: My mom and her friends like to see and comment on my photos. This week, I learned about building a Professional Learning Network (PLN), and I realized that I don’t need to give up on social media; I just need to shift my focus. With my recently made Twitter account, I thought I would begin building my PLN. I now realize that I began long ago. The first “popple” in my PLN (above, created with Popplet) was “people.” This didn’t come as much of a surprise as I am often described as a “people person.” I thrive when connecting face-to-face. I also believe the best teachers are those who combine all the great qualities they have observed in mentors, coworkers, and friends. But, my online PLN has room to grow! In a TEDx Talk at Ohio State University, Tanya Menon (2017) speaks about how people tend toward “social narrowing.” We become creatures of habit and unintentionally limit our own circles by gravitating towards people who make us comfortable. I plan to use my online platforms to seek out new connections and consider opposing viewpoints. Instead of cutting social media out to make more space in my life, I intend to show gratitude for existing personal connections and to use Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram to find more people who fuel my passion. References
Menon, Tanya. (2017, March). The secret to great opportunities? The person you haven’t met yet [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/tanya_menon_the_secret_to_great_opportunities_the_person_you_haven_t_met_yet |
Hi there!I'm Sarah! I have a passion for powerful teaching and lifelong learning. I am a 4th grade teacher turned instructional designer, and this is my blog documenting the journey. Click here to get in touch with me. Archives
February 2021
|