Chapter 12 references good teaching to jazz music and includes quotes from jazz performers like Duke Ellington and Dizzies Gillespie. Duke Ellington’s quote, “Jazz today, as always in the past, is a matter of thoughtful creation, not mere unaided instinct,” needs to be printed on all school pamphlets with the beginning changed to “Teaching today….I am tired of hearing what a great job you have, you only work nine months out the year. Or those who can’t do.. –Teach.” If teaching to the diversity of my students’ learning styles, socioeconomic class, cultures, and technological literacy was so easy, then why am I spending week nights and weekends developing activities to assist my students in their learning?
In order to teach in today’s society, educators need to be knowledgeable in content areas, learning styles, developmental abilities, and technology integration. Each of the following needs to be interdependent, for one alone cannot be used to be an effective educator. If teaching was based on creation alone, then the natural instinct required to adjust teaching instructions to meet the needs of diversity in learners may not be successful. The quote from Branford Marsalis, “You don’t know what you like, you like what you know. In order to know what you like, you have to know everything.” This quote correlates to the knowledge required to be an effective teacher.
Once again this chapter stresses the importance of TPCK in education. Applying TPCK “activity types” with technology tools to curriculum standards can help educators design more flexibly, and diverse lesson plans. As educators with years of experience behind us have learned, we know that we need to have an open mind when it comes to using new instructional tools and resources. Dizzie Gillespie quote, “ It’s taken me all my life to learn what not to play,” expressed the need to have an open mind in order to develop TPCK.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Chapter 11 Preservice
Chapter 11 Guiding Preservice teachers in developing TPCK
John Dewey’s quote, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, then we rob our children of tomorrow,” expresses the need for change in education in order to meet the changes in society. This chapter states the need for preservice teachers to be guided towards the literacy skills to teach not only for today, but also for tomorrow. As educators, we understand the need to create educational instructions to prepare our students for the twenty-first century in order for students to be competitive in the workforce.
Preservice teachers have the same “wicked problem” as in-service teachers; most students that we teach are digital natives. It is difficult to instruction students with different technology learning experiences, as it is with diversity in learning styles.
I liked the idea of creating collaborative study groups with similar grade levels. Our courses need to be designed with this idea in mind, in order for us to plan and design instructional objectives and assessments for all the content areas that we teach. Technology then could be used as an enrichment tool that is integrated within each content area.
I have not explored real-world problems with my first graders. After incorporating a real -world problem into my unit on butterflies, I found that it would make the unit more applicable to my students. Using technology as a productive tool, and a problem-solving tool will enhance my teaching instructions and provide students with new tools to assist them in their learning. This chapter reflected on the use of technology to enhance students’ learning, which also should be used in assessing their knowledge. It has been expressed through out this book, that it is important “how” and “why” we use technology.
The quote, “learning is not a spectator sport,” applies to students and educators alike. We need the opportunity to apply and use new knowledge in order for it to become affective learning. I have found that through the last few years, that I have taught, some students would prefer to be spectators and have the teacher do the “thinking” for them. Is this another “wicked problem” we will be facing each year?
Preservice and in-service teachers face many “wicked problems” when trying to implement TPCK affectively in order to improve our teaching instructions, strategies, and assessments.
John Dewey’s quote, “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, then we rob our children of tomorrow,” expresses the need for change in education in order to meet the changes in society. This chapter states the need for preservice teachers to be guided towards the literacy skills to teach not only for today, but also for tomorrow. As educators, we understand the need to create educational instructions to prepare our students for the twenty-first century in order for students to be competitive in the workforce.
Preservice teachers have the same “wicked problem” as in-service teachers; most students that we teach are digital natives. It is difficult to instruction students with different technology learning experiences, as it is with diversity in learning styles.
I liked the idea of creating collaborative study groups with similar grade levels. Our courses need to be designed with this idea in mind, in order for us to plan and design instructional objectives and assessments for all the content areas that we teach. Technology then could be used as an enrichment tool that is integrated within each content area.
I have not explored real-world problems with my first graders. After incorporating a real -world problem into my unit on butterflies, I found that it would make the unit more applicable to my students. Using technology as a productive tool, and a problem-solving tool will enhance my teaching instructions and provide students with new tools to assist them in their learning. This chapter reflected on the use of technology to enhance students’ learning, which also should be used in assessing their knowledge. It has been expressed through out this book, that it is important “how” and “why” we use technology.
The quote, “learning is not a spectator sport,” applies to students and educators alike. We need the opportunity to apply and use new knowledge in order for it to become affective learning. I have found that through the last few years, that I have taught, some students would prefer to be spectators and have the teacher do the “thinking” for them. Is this another “wicked problem” we will be facing each year?
Preservice and in-service teachers face many “wicked problems” when trying to implement TPCK affectively in order to improve our teaching instructions, strategies, and assessments.
Friday, April 10, 2009
TPCK-in Physical Education
As I read Chapter Ten, I became aware of the science course work that is required to teach Physical Education. I did not realize this study of kinesiology included courses like biomechanics. Each chapter has exposed me to new knowledge and understanding of content areas that I have not taught or attended courses on.
The PCK in Physical Education, has the same dimensions as all other content areas: knowledge and conceptions for the purpose of teaching, knowledge of student’s understandings of conceptions and misconceptions, knowledge of instructional strategies, and curricular knowledge. (208) Each content has an overall goal that educators what students to achieve. Physical Education goals focus on teaching physical and motor skills. I understand that Jacob our P.E. teacher is working with students that have different developmental motor skills for their age. Students are not playing outside like we use to, they are in front of their X-Box or Playstation.
I decided the only way to understand this content area is to talk to Jacob. I asked him how he uses technology in P.E. Jacob stated he uses technology to inform parents of the motor skills he is teaching. He takes pictures of students performing different skills. Sometimes these pictures are downloaded to e-mail or to the school website. Jacob commented that if he had a screen and a projector that he could set up in the gym, students would be able to view their performances, and then immediate feedback could be shown to students. However, with the budget cuts, he knows that the projector and screen will not be coming anytime soon.
I did find the information at the end of page 210 ironic. It discussed how feedback and practice helps to train the brain to move the correct muscles as they are needed. When we are learning new skills, I always tell my students we are training our brains.
Physical Education has it share of “wicked problems.” The lack of technology tools and applications due to expense and the limited time students have in a P.E. class. Students at the elementary level have P.E. once a week for thirty minutes. The CRE training requires P.E, for twenty to thirty minutes three to four times a week in order for the training to be effective. How is this limited time in P.E. beneficial to our students who have been labeled obese?
In our new school, I hope Jacob is able to obtain the technology tools he needs to make his teaching easier to manage.
The PCK in Physical Education, has the same dimensions as all other content areas: knowledge and conceptions for the purpose of teaching, knowledge of student’s understandings of conceptions and misconceptions, knowledge of instructional strategies, and curricular knowledge. (208) Each content has an overall goal that educators what students to achieve. Physical Education goals focus on teaching physical and motor skills. I understand that Jacob our P.E. teacher is working with students that have different developmental motor skills for their age. Students are not playing outside like we use to, they are in front of their X-Box or Playstation.
I decided the only way to understand this content area is to talk to Jacob. I asked him how he uses technology in P.E. Jacob stated he uses technology to inform parents of the motor skills he is teaching. He takes pictures of students performing different skills. Sometimes these pictures are downloaded to e-mail or to the school website. Jacob commented that if he had a screen and a projector that he could set up in the gym, students would be able to view their performances, and then immediate feedback could be shown to students. However, with the budget cuts, he knows that the projector and screen will not be coming anytime soon.
I did find the information at the end of page 210 ironic. It discussed how feedback and practice helps to train the brain to move the correct muscles as they are needed. When we are learning new skills, I always tell my students we are training our brains.
Physical Education has it share of “wicked problems.” The lack of technology tools and applications due to expense and the limited time students have in a P.E. class. Students at the elementary level have P.E. once a week for thirty minutes. The CRE training requires P.E, for twenty to thirty minutes three to four times a week in order for the training to be effective. How is this limited time in P.E. beneficial to our students who have been labeled obese?
In our new school, I hope Jacob is able to obtain the technology tools he needs to make his teaching easier to manage.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Working on Stage 3 with colleague
4/7/09
I met with my colleague after school to discuss Stage 3. She was impressed with the websites that I have incorporated into our Science unit. I will be using these sites to instruct both classes. She asked why I did not included a microscope as an observation tool. She was not aware that the microscope we have used in the past, has software that we can not upload on to our computers. She suggested that I have students use a digital camera to take pictures of the caterpillars during observation times and use the pictures to create a slide show or a class book. My colleague stated that she does not use the Stage 3 format to create lesson plans and found it too complex to incorporated.
I met with my colleague after school to discuss Stage 3. She was impressed with the websites that I have incorporated into our Science unit. I will be using these sites to instruct both classes. She asked why I did not included a microscope as an observation tool. She was not aware that the microscope we have used in the past, has software that we can not upload on to our computers. She suggested that I have students use a digital camera to take pictures of the caterpillars during observation times and use the pictures to create a slide show or a class book. My colleague stated that she does not use the Stage 3 format to create lesson plans and found it too complex to incorporated.
Friday, April 3, 2009
TPCK-Chapter 5 World Language
Chapter 5 reinstates the “wicked problem,” of technology being taught to preservice teachers in isolation instead of in conjunction with a content area. This “wicked problem” can be found in all content areas not just in the language area. Content knowledge is required to successfully teach a foreign or a second language. This knowledge is consistent with each content area that is required. Educators need to have strong content background knowledge, understanding, and skills for each content area. The difference between world language and other content areas is the requirement to learn how to communicate across cultural borders.
According to Skinner and Chomsky (110) languages cannot be taught by memorizations. Language structures are taught through exposure, knowledge, and performance. This is true for all new learning. The saying “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” explains why memorizations provide information to stay in our short-term memory, instead of moving into long-term memory. Performing new learning enhances students’ knowledge and understanding. Real time network is a resource that can be used to assist students in their performance. Chapter 5 provided a list of networks that can be used to enhance conversation performance and cultural exposure. The Internet, chatroom, video conferencing, and text messaging are new technology (115) that can provide access to cultures far away. I do have concerns with the way our language structures are being reduced to single letters for example: lol. Grammar rules do not exist when students are text messaging each other. How is this affecting language structure in writing?
Microsoft Word was given as an example of technology integration for the writing process. I know that I depend on Microsoft Word to provide an easy access to creating a variety of texts.
As stated in Chapter 7 it is more important to focus on “how” technology can be used to assist students rather than “what” technology should be used. Once my knowledge and understanding reaches a comfort level, I will be more inclined to integrate technology into the content areas that I am required to teach.
According to Skinner and Chomsky (110) languages cannot be taught by memorizations. Language structures are taught through exposure, knowledge, and performance. This is true for all new learning. The saying “If you don’t use it, you lose it,” explains why memorizations provide information to stay in our short-term memory, instead of moving into long-term memory. Performing new learning enhances students’ knowledge and understanding. Real time network is a resource that can be used to assist students in their performance. Chapter 5 provided a list of networks that can be used to enhance conversation performance and cultural exposure. The Internet, chatroom, video conferencing, and text messaging are new technology (115) that can provide access to cultures far away. I do have concerns with the way our language structures are being reduced to single letters for example: lol. Grammar rules do not exist when students are text messaging each other. How is this affecting language structure in writing?
Microsoft Word was given as an example of technology integration for the writing process. I know that I depend on Microsoft Word to provide an easy access to creating a variety of texts.
As stated in Chapter 7 it is more important to focus on “how” technology can be used to assist students rather than “what” technology should be used. Once my knowledge and understanding reaches a comfort level, I will be more inclined to integrate technology into the content areas that I am required to teach.
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