Week 7 relfections

If have learned that in order to gain anything from learning in the collective, it would have to be PARTICIPATION.   I am not good at it.  I am sporadic at logging in.  I do much better on a “schedule” and with “people”.  If left to my own desires, I would be on the couch all the time, watching TV and face booking.  Sigh… I miss “class”.  I miss the conversations with “live” people. I think I mentioned it earlier in my post.  I get it.  This is not a “class” per se.  It is a “collection of people, skills, and talent…” (Thomas and Brown)  I am only learning as much as I participate. 

 

It is so hard to be passionate about so many different things.  I found Courtney’s blog to be helpful.  She listed 4 characteristics for conversational practices that can be used to create a productive environment.  One of her resources was also the same as mine.  Littlebylittlejohn.com had some great examples of collective learning. 

 

As I was researching, I saw that a lot of businesses use this approach.  I can see how it would work in the business world.  But, I was also a little concerned on how I would use it in my classroom.  I also read others’ were struggling as well.  Collective learning is based on interest. If you aren’t interested, you are not going to participate as much.  I shared with Margo that as a kindergarten teacher, part of my job is to create interest in everything I do.  If there isn’t any interest, kids are not going to learn.  I referred back to our previous text Teach Like a Pirate.  We have to come up with “hooks” to grab our students’ attention and make them interested.  When they are interested, they want to learn. 

 

What are your thoughts about “learning in the collective”?

One of my thoughts is, what if I don’t feel like I have new knowledge to contribute?  I feel that I haven’t learned anything new that others don’t already know.   Maybe what I know is old news… then I fell like I’ve contributed nothing and feel… dumb.   Here’s an example… I forgot my iPad at work, but wanted to catch up on assignments.  I couldn’t read my chapters, but thought I would Google the term “learning in the collective”.  I’m the type of person that has to read, and reread, then reread again to understand the readings.  I also have to read a few articles to figure out what it really is.  Basically it boils down to knowledge sharing.  I’m not that confident when it comes to sharing my knowledge with other professionals.  My community is small and I have been in the primary grades for a while.  Sometimes I feel far removed from my other colleagues, especially this year, as our class is in another building from the rest of the school.  We are in our own little world.  My knowledge base is the ABC’s and counting to 100! What have I got to offer that others don’t really know?  This is a personal issue that I deal with all the time.  It seems like I have forgotten how to have “grown up” conversations.  But, then I am reminded when a high school principal asks me how to deal with a 6 year old, that I do have something to share.  I may not know a whole lot about algebra, or essay writing, or scientific theories, but ask me about behavior management and how to keep 30 small children entertained for 30 minutes, and then I can help you. 

Now from a different perspective, the view from a teacher’s point: I believe that a lot of learning happens when students work together, when they have conversations about things.  I can talk and talk until I’m blue in the face and a child will still not understand a math concept.  But, when I give them a “project” to work on with a partner, their partner may be able to explain the concept a lot better than I could.  I have seen this happen a few times.  I guess this goes back to play being important.  Students who “play” with something and have conversations about something are more likely to learn than those that sit for a lecture.  John Dewey wrote, “Education is not an affair of ‘telling’ and being told, but an active and constructive process.” (Dewey, 1916)  His words are almost one hundred years old, but still ring true today. 

“In a collective, there is no sense of a core or center.  People are free to move in and out of the group at various themes for various reasons, and their participation may vary based on topic, interest, experience, or need.”  (Thomas and Brown)  Unfortunately, I can’t seem to stay focused very well.  I want to learn, but tend to be very scatterbrained.  I enjoy reading the posts of others, but miss the live interaction of my peers, I understand that we are all busy, but do miss one-on-one conversations.  Those usually help get me thinking and I want to say that I appreciate all those that do contribute to my learning. 

As I was reading about collective learning, I noticed that a lot of businesses and companies were using this strategy.  “ Many companies are focusing learning and development on enabling people to connect and allowing them to share knowledge.“  (Littlejohn, A,)  Encouraging people to share their knowledge openly is important for collective learning.  This has reminded me, as a teacher, to let the students share their knowledge with each other so that students are learning from their peers and not just me. 

Resources

Dewey, J. (1916).   Democracy and Education. Macmillan.

Littlejohn, A. (2012) Collective Learning Samples. Little By Littlejohn Blog.  http://littlebylittlejohn.com/change11-position-paper/collective-learning-examples/

Thomas, D. and Brown, J.S. (2011). A New Culture of Learning: Cultivating the Imagination for a World of Constant Change.  [Kindle Edition]

 

 

Week 6 reflections

As I was reading the blogs and playing catch up, I was reminded of how I am able to use the tools of technology in my classroom.  It was because I “Played” with them.  Like Heather, I was given an introduction to the Mimio system and was left on my own.  I love the system and was eager to use it with my class, hence, the need to play with it to figure it out.  When I was able to figure it out, like a child, I shared it with my friends/colleagues. 

I wish I had contributed to my colleagues in a timely manner.  I did, however, gain a lot of perspective from others.  Alice was helpful to me in that she encouraged me to try some Place Based Projects in my class.  Classroom management is an issue for me, but if the students are engaged in the project, then I shouldn’t have any problems at all (with the exception of a few, of course).  I also liked Tracie’s blog.  Her example of her mentor project activity got me thinking about my class of 30 kids.  Is there a program that is…”developmentally appropriate” for kindergarten? Haha! I can’t believe I just said that.  I know there has to be plenty of apps and such out there that my students can use. I will do some more research on that. 

To be honest, I still feel conflicted about “play time”.  I feel the pressure of “getting work done”.   I have considered the workstations in my classroom.  I need to provide activities for the students to do that will engage them and teach them something as well.  I don’t want it to be just a free time.  Too much free time in my class turns into chaos.  I like the sound of guided playtime.  I know I am doing this already, but the students lose interest quickly.  I need to find more activities to keep them engaged. 

What does play have to do with embracing change and how does this impact you as a professional?

One would think that change would not affect play in Kindergarten, but with the new standards and regulations and curriculum changes, it seems that playtime has been pushed away.  Kindergartners are not playing as much.  “Children now spend far more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations.”  (Miller, E. and Almon, J., 2009)  With the increase in class sizes, it is hard to deviate from the standards, now the Common Core and include play.  However, the word “play” has a different connotation than it did years ago.   Play is not just play, like that of a loosely structured setting.  Play should not be highly structured by the teacher either, so as not to squelch the creativity of the students.  There needs to be a balance.  “Kindergarteners need a balance of child-initiated play in the presence of engaged teachers and more focused experiential learning guided by teachers.”  (Milller, J. 2009)  Play has an important part in early childhood learning. 

Technology has had many changes.  I remember when my dad got an Apple 2GS! My have times changed.  There are articles that wondered if computers were developmentally appropriate.  Today, even babies are using technology.  Computers in the classroom encourage social interactions.  They improve the self-esteem of disabled children.  (Clements and Sarama, 2009)  I have witnessed this in my own classroom.  I have seen a child that cannot communicate with words, use an iPad to communicate or interact with his peers.  “Computer activity was more effective than toys in stimulating vocalization in a regular preschool environment and evoked higher levels of social play.” (McCormick 1987)

As a teacher, wife, mother, nurse, cook, housekeeper…etc.  I am crunched for time.  Time seems to be the recurring factor in play.  As a teacher with deadlines and pressure from the state, “I ain’t got time fo’ dat!” But, the need for it is important.  We all need to take time to “play” once in a while or we are going to go crazy.  We all take time to scroll the Internet, or watch TV or movies. We can Tweet or Facebook. I’m sure we can find time to play around with technology and see how we can incorporate it into our lessons as well.

I am looking at ways myself to do some projects based lessons.  Thanks to Alice for the encouragement.  With 30 Kindergartners, it will be a large task.  We shall see what comes of it.   

Resources

Clements, D. and Sarama, J. (2009) The Role of Technology in Early Childhood Learning. Early Childhood Corner. Teaching Children Mathematics.  http://gse.buffalo.edu/org/buildingblocks/writings/Role_of_Technology.pdf

McCormick, Linda. (1987).  Comparison of the Effects of a Microcomputer Activity and Toy Play on Social and Communication Behaviors of Young Children.  Journal of the Division for Early Childhood 11: 195-205. 

Miller, E. and Almon, J.  (2009) Crisis in the Kindergarten: Why Children Need to Play in School.  Alliance For Childhood. http://www.thestrong.org/sites/default/files/play…/Crisis_in_Kindergarten.pdf‎

Rydeen, J. (2009)  Learning to Embrace Change.  American School & University.  Asumag.com.  http://asumag.com/constructionplanning/facility-planning-new-beginnings

Week 5 blog

How does the culture of your current teaching environment differ from the learning environment you experienced as a student?

I would like to think that my current teaching environment is very different from how I grew up.  I grew up with a very “traditional” school.   I seemed to only learn what I had to learn just to pass the tests.  I seemed to have excelled in math, but when it came to reading and writing, not so much.  I always felt like I had to write what I thought others wanted me to write, not what I thought about.  This whole concept about writing for myself has got me pondering.  “People actually want to know what I think?” 

I would like to say that my class is different.  My students are in a learning-based environment or are they?  I have access to a lot of technology in my school. But, am I using it as a learning-based tool? Or am I still just “teaching to the class”?  I like the quote, “the new culture of learning focuses on learning through engagement within the world.” I do not want to just teach about the world, I want to get my students involved and engaged in learning.  “Inquiry implies involvement that leads to understanding… Inquiry is not so much seeking the right answer — because often there is none — but rather seeking appropriate resolutions to questions and issues.” (Exline, J. 2004)

This is where Project based learning comes in. It is inquiry based and gets a lot of great results.  Using PBL, students acquire life long learning skills, which include the ability, to find and use appropriate learning resources. (Dush, B. 1995) In this way, learning is not teacher directed. It is student directed.  Teachers guide and support the students.

I really want to do more of this, but I am absolutely overwhelmed at trying this with 30 small children.  But, I am willing to try it.  I guess what comes to mind is classroom management.  However, if the students are engaged in learning and working to solve a problem, then there will be fewer management issues.  There has to be a balance and I will work to find that balance.  I, too, like other teachers, worry about how much I have to cover.  However, I have to remember that if the lessons are engaging, learning will occur.  “If you’re actually involving the children every day in activities that are going to make progress in the academic areas, they’re going to be fine on assessment.” (Ellis, K. 2013)

Resources

Dush, B (1995).  What is Problem-Based Learning?  A Newsletter of the Center for Teaching Effectiveness.  Center for Teaching Effectiveness, Univ. of Delaware.  http://www.udel.edu/pbl/cte/jan95-what.html

Ellis, K. (2013).  Kindergarteners Explore Through Project Learning. Edutopia.  The George Lucas Educational Foundation.  http://www.edutopia.org/kindergarten-project-based-learning

Exline, J. (2004).  Inquiry Based Learning. Concept to Classroom. Thirteen. Online resource. http://www.thirteen.org/edonline/concept2class/inquiry/index.html