Informative session. Many good ideas being exchanged.
Chapter 7: Knowing, Making and Playing
Quote: “The process of making and remaking context is, in itself, an act of imaginative play (what we might call the “how” of imagination)” (Brown 96). Context is central to the purpose of learning, especially in history, where we seek to make the content relevant to modern students. Finding a way to create an environment where students are able to make that context on their own would be pretty useful. Question: How do we convince administrators that play is useful, when it is something that has been maligned for decades? Connection: The idea of agency expressed in this chapter ties into what we are doing by developing a digital curriculum project: using technology to shift students away from passively receiving content knowledge and towards actively exploring/creating it. Epiphany: The shift between what and where in learning dimensions intrigues me. Chapter 8: Hanging Out, Messing Around and Geeking Out Quote: “The richness of experience and social agency produced by hanging out and the sense of embodiment and personal agency created by messing around, combined with the sense of making, produces what we think is the ultimate goal of indwelling: learning” (Brown 104). This quote details the end goal, which is learning, but I am not sure that it does it in a way that is measurable, and being able to measure success is still necessary to the educational system and the accountability of those within it. Question: What is the specific process of integrating this system into a high school classroom over the course of an academic year? Learning history, math or English is not the same as killing monsters or finding treasure, so how can this be structured? Connection: The subtitles of this chapter relate to the badges in EDSS 530. Epiphany: The indwelling has to be collective, or it will not be effective. Chapter 9: A New Culture of Learning for a World of Constant Change Quote: “When we address a problem like a puzzle or a game, we engage in acts of productive inquiry, where the answers we find become part of our stockpile of information, which can then be used to find better and more interesting questions as well as to solve our future problems” (Brown 117). I believe in the potential utility of video games in the learning process, but feel that the authors may be taking the World of Warcraft analogies a little too far in this chapter; this quote is effective because it doesn’t rely on those analogies but still effectively expresses the point of this chapter, and the book at-large. Question: Things that are not actively used tend to be lost. How can the “stockpiles” not only be built, but maintained over time? Connection: This being the final chapter, much of the information presented connects to the previous chapters in this book, reinforcing what was previously discussed. Epiphany: Improving future performances is far more valuable than evaluating ongoing or preceding performances.Improving future performances is far more valuable than evaluating ongoing or preceding performances. Source: Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: [CreateSpace?]. Chapter 4: Quote: “Any effort to define or direct collectives would destroy the very thing that is unique and innovative about them,” (Brown 54). Running an online learning environment should be less about numbers and more about fostering ideas, so requiring a fixed number of posts or replies is harmful to creating a learning environment. Question: How do we define “active engagement,” when it can take different forms for different individuals? Connection: This chapter touches on the idea of collaborative work and study groups. Our collaborative projects in EDSS 541 and EDSS 546B worked in this way; yes, we did have face-to-face time to work on it together but we did most of it digitally. Epiphany: When students have a role in generating content, teachers do not have to scramble for content as often as they do now. Chapter 5: Quote: “each collective has the potential to make learning fun and easy and allow people to follow their desires and passions in productive an\d fruitful ways” (Brown 72). Learning should be fun and easy. Question: How can digital collectives be implemented without damaging vital interpersonal skills? Connection: Annette Lareau’s findings on low-income students, summarized on pages 71 and 72, connects to a lot of what I have read during my research. Epiphany: Collective learning is nothing new; they’re just easier to form with technology.
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Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: [CreateSpace?]. Chapter 1: Quote: “In the new culture we describe, learning thus becomes a lifelong interest that is renewed and redefined on a continual basis. Furthermore, everything- and everyone- around us can be seen as resources for learning.” (Brown 32-33) This quote sums up the learning process and even how it extends beyond the context of secondary education. People should never stop learning and should see the opportunity for learning in all things. Question: How do we take these ideas and install them into a system that is notoriously resistant to new ideas? Connection: Doug’s story (pages 23-25) shows how he used video games to engage his students and how it improved their performance and ability to connect ideas. This stood out to me immediately as I connected it to James Paul Gee’s ideas about video games that I watched as part of the Rethinking Education assignments in EDSS 530. Epiphany: We can’t just think about the culture of learning, it’s about culture: all of it. Chapter 2: Quote: “Encountering boundaries spurs the imagination to become more active in figuring out novel solutions within the constraints of the situation or context.” (Brown 35) This quote says a lot about boundaries. The issue we face is that the boundaries are too frequently created as an impassable barrier rather than a problem to be solved. Question: How do we alter the learning environment within our single classroom? Connection: Page 36’s discussion of how an exchange student adapts to a new culture is fitting to much of our experiences in EDSS 555 last semester. While the context meant by Brown applies to his ideas on technology, it’s impossible to ignore the analogy’s implication to how we have been trained to deal with immigrant students. Epiphany: Culture should be actively created, not just responded to. Chapter 3: Quote: “traditional approaches to learning are no longer capable of coping with a constantly changing world.” (Brown 48) This quote pretty much sums up the entire book and many of our experiences in the education system. Question: Can innovation be taught? Connection: This chapter discusses how encyclopaedia and other print media can become factually outdated and incorrect; this is something I have encountered in my 20 Percent project, where I have read several conflicted and out-of-date resources about nutrition and preparation for running. Epiphany: As much as things have changed in the last 10 years, they might change even more in the next 10 years and that is what I need to prepare for. Source: Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: [CreateSpace?]. Catlin Tucker's blog post about her implementation of an Instagram scavenger hunt during a class field trip to Chinatown offers an insightful view on how modern social media can be applied in an educational setting in an engaging way. I could definitely see myself implementing a tool such as this on field trips. The unfortunate thing is that there is a lack of sites in this area that would be suitable for an engaging high school social studies field trip. I can imagine countless opportunities for a field trip to historical sites in the Eastern U.S. or the Bay Area to utilize this scavenger hunt format, but in the suburban desert, it does not appear to be as ready an option. If California history were a required class in our public high schools, then yes, there would be number of options in San Diego County for field trips related to that, but with the current limitations of world history, U.S. history and American government, there's less that can be applied, since this is an area that has only really been developed within the last 20 years. The USS Iowa Museum in Los Angeles is one possibility that I could think of (a visit to the USS Yorktown when I was younger was a major part of my path to becoming a history teacher), and the San Diego Zoo is one of my favorite places in the world (but hard to justify from a social studies perspective). I do believe in the educational value of field trips and I'll have to think about this idea more depending on where I end up teaching. In 2012, U.S. News and World Report published an article on the use of Instagram in higher education. I feel that the use of Instagram in education should not be limited solely to colleges and universities. Some of the reasons that colleges use Instagram, including connecting with alumni and asking questions, can also be applied to high schools. Instagram is appealing to people because in part it offers instant gratification and because it offers information in a visual format. A lot of students are bombarded by information in the form of text; putting things in a visual format is appealing. Also, posts on Instagram can bleed into other social networks and draw in additional viewers. For secondary school students, Instagram could be incredibly useful in documenting and reflecting on out-of-classroom experiences, especially field trips. This is challenging in social science, since a lot of historical museums don't want visitors to take pictures or even bring their phones onto the premises. Paloma Valley's entire sophomore class goes on field trips to the Museum of Tolerance, but the MOT has metal detectors at the entrance and encourages people to leave their phones and cameras behind when they enter, which is incredibly disappointing in the context of this idea. However, I can see Instagram having a practical application for science classes that are going to more interactive out-of-classroom experiences. It is a way to ride the river of technology rather than fight against it. Thinking even beyond instructional uses, the idea of using Instagram to connect to alumni can be used in a high school setting. Photos which show off the construction of new buildings, new events on campus or academic and athletic success can be used as a hook to get alumni who have not thought about or visited their high school campus in years to revisit the idea and possibly make some sort of contribution.
Dr. Andersen also briefly scolds the educational system for locking off much of its information from the rest of the world. This can take the form of scholarly journal articles that require a paid subscription, textbooks that cost exorbitant amounts of money, and educational resources stored on taxpayer-funded school websites that are password-locked (I'm looking at you, UC Irvine history department). She also points out how education only sips from the waterfall, rather than diving in to learn in real-time using the technology and information available. She proposes creating a "Learn This" button that can be implemented on websites, and allowing users to interact by asking questions and providing answers about the information they have been presented with, breaking from the "view and forget" model that exists for most people when they view resources online. This is based on older models of education, where professors, scientists and philosophers would exchange thoughts and questions via mail (this is simply sped up using technology). I find the idea interesting and a potential positive tool for learning both from inside and outside the educational system. It has an opportunity to make digital learning more personal, yet simultaneously more interactive. I can see drawbacks in its implementation, though, as anybody who has read the comments section of any news article can attest. How the information flowing in and flowing out of such a system will be managed is the greatest challenge, which I cannot begin to formulate and answer for. Source: Andersen, M. "Ignite Great Lakes - Maria Andersen: Where's the "Learn This" Button?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btFzxL7lXPU
Gee discusses real-time strategy games, which are the most complicated video games that exist. Strategy games unlock a higher level of thinking that other genres like action platformers or first-person shooters. There are hundreds of different actions involved in playing strategy games, and a countless number of routes that can be taken. The learning curve can be steep, even for adults, but once the initial learning curve is conquered, the player learns to apply problem-solving skills within the game mechanics, to an infinite number of possibilities and directions that the game can unfold. As a history nerd, I have personally learned more about pre-19th century history from playing Paradox's grand strategy games Europa Universalis IV and Crusader Kings II than I ever did in the history classes that I took in high school and college. From a social science perspective, games based on historical events may deviate from our actual historical timeline of events, but the level of understanding and perspective that they can provide about those eras, locations and the individuals involved can outweigh that, in addition to the problem-solving skills that students utilize in the course of the game. Classroom implementation of games like these would also allow for collaboration, competition and reward.
Source: Gee, J. (n.d.). Games and Education Scholar James Paul Gee on Video Games, Learning, and Literacy. Retrieved March 18, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNfPdaKYOPI Heather Wolpert-Gawron surveyed 220 8th graders on what engages them in the classroom and synthesized the results into a list of 10 key points. While there are some differences between the 8th graders she surveyed and the 10th graders I am working with now, I certainly see enough similarities that the ideas in the article could be useful to teachers who aren’t already aware of them. The first one she listed is working with peers. This is something I’ve known for a while and is at the top of my list as well; many teenagers are socially-oriented and having them work in collaborative groups can bring out the best in them. I’ve started implementing group-based lessons at least once every two weeks in my classroom and have long-term group projects that will make up the core of my post-Spring Break units on the Cold War and the Post-Colonial Developing World. Second on her list is working with technology. This is something I believe strongly in (though perhaps not strongly enough for some people). I am teaching at a school site where every student has been issued a Chromebook, and I design my instruction around that by delivering content and having students complete their work electronically. The third thing on her list that I am committed to implementing is student choice. I already did this in the fall semester when I had my students select the format of their summative project from an essay, poster, podcast or video, and will probably do something similar with the group projects I am implementing toward the end of this semester. Wolpert-Gawron’s blog post summarizes the basics of engagement that we have been exposed to since entering this credential program in August, but does it in an easy-to-read format rather than the wall of academic text which other authors utilized. Citation: Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2012, April 26). Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement. Retrieved March 8, 2015, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-engagement-stories-heather-wolpert-gawron. My seven essential survival skills for the world are somewhat different from Wagner's.
I. Effective communication This is the most important skill, in my opinion. Wagner had it lower on the list. Being able to convey your thoughts and ideas to other people in an effective manner is a skill without equal. An individual with great ideas but no communication skills will get nowhere, as there is no effective method for them to disseminate their ideas. II. Critical thinking and creative problem solving This is an important skill in many places. It isn't required for every individual, or every potential job that needs to be filled, but it is still something that needs to be explored. There are many places where individuals will benefit from the ability to be creative, think outside the box and think critically. III. Basic task comprehension and completion Critical thinking is important, but it is not necessary 100 percent of the time. Students still need to leave school with the ability to understand how to independently complete basic tasks. Complex problem-solving skills lead nowhere without the baseline abilities to finish simple, everyday tasks that make up the basis of the majority of jobs. This includes following instructions and complying with regulations that are a necessary part of society. This doesn't mean that there is no "thinking outside the box," but "getting things done" is a vital skill that is often separate from critical thinking. IV. Collaboration Being able to successfully work and interact with other people is vital to success in the workplace and elsewhere in life. V. Situational leadership awareness Knowing when to lead is just as, if not more, important than knowing how to lead. People need to be aware that not everyone can be a leader, and there are cases where some people should not be leading. Recognizing the right time to lead and the right time to defer to another person's leadership is a vital skill in any collaborative setting. VI. Analyzing information Wagner included accessing and analyzing information in the same heading. In my view, accessing information is easy; there's billions upon billions of bytes of data at our fingertips every moment. Knowing which information is reliable, meaningful and useful within the context of the situation is much harder. The students and workers of the future need to be better-prepared to segregate fact from fiction, and functional from impractical. VII. Adaptability Wagner is right about the importance of this one, especially as it pertains to technology. How many of the tools that we are being encouraged to use today will be obsolete five years from now? Many of them will replaced by new and better things. New ideas and technologies are produced perpetually; we need to be open to them and we have to prepare our students to be open to them as well. If we don't, places like Germany and India will. Final Thoughts In my classroom this semester, I am focusing on communication skills, collaboration and adaptability. Over half of my students have indicated that they plan to attend college after high school, so I am trying to push their writing skills to a higher level, that they will need in order to succeed in college and in many professional settings. I am pushing them to collaborate more by introducing group projects and collaborative learning lessons. I am introducing new technologies and websites into the classroom, shifting them away from the same weekly routine that they have grown far too comfortable with. I'm also working on other parts of this list, such as training them to analyze information (through comparing sources). I don't know the best way to measure my success with this plan, but I will continue reviewing student work to look for signs of improvement in their communication, collaboration and technological skills. |
Dylan T BoggsSocial Studies/English credential candidate at CSU San Marcos Archives
May 2015
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