Essential Question: What are you finding as you analyze the data related to your Mentor Project?

As the semester comes to an end and our projects are complete, I’m feeling that I am still the only one excited about technology.  As I talked with my colleague about the use of technology in our class, I was told, “You do enough with technology with the students. I’ll let you do that part.”

I feel like I have failed as a mentor.  But, can I be a mentor if someone does not show any interest?  Our goal was to increase student engagement by using the interactive white board.  Our goal was to take risks. At the beginning of school, I did not use the Mimio board right away because I was so frustrated with the hardware getting knocked off of the white board.  But, I could tell my class needed something to keep them focused and engaged because I was losing them.  So, I took a risk and just did it!  I thought that she would be the perfect candidate to mentor, but maybe I should have just offered my help to those who wanted it or needed it.  (Not that she didn’t want it or need it.)  I wonder what I could have done differently to make it easier? 

I noticed that the students are more engaged when I use it.  I feel that my students are more engaged in my lessons.  They want to participate in the activities.  They are excited!  I use the technology every day, whether it is the Mimio board or iPads or computers.

I will not be discouraged.  I will keep doing what I love to do.  I will keep finding ways to keep my students engaged in the lessons and have them be an active part of their learning.   I will continue to offer my technological expertise to my colleagues if they should need it.  

Mentor Project Research Paper

Mentoring Project:

Using Mimio Interactive Whiteboard to Engage Student Learning

 Jennifer McCarty

University of Alaska Southeast

ED 668- Educational Technology in Leadership

December 8, 2013

 

Background

            Richard Johnson Elementary School is the only elementary school in our Annette Islands School District.  Metlakatla is my hometown, where I grew up.   I went away to further my education and have the wonderful opportunity to move back home and teach to my own community.  Everyone in our community is family. 

            This year our elementary building is being renovated.  This meant that we had to pack up everything and move out of the building and into the current middle school building.   The Kindergarten through fifth grade could not all fit in the building.  The Kindergarten class had to move to an annex behind the middle school.  It is a nice size building, but with thirty little bodies, it got full very quickly.

            My mentee is also from Metlakatla.  She graduated last year and had the opportunity to teach this year.  This is her first year teaching.  My mentee also happens to be my co-teacher.  Together, we teach 30 kindergarteners in the small space designated for us.    She was able to do her student teaching in a kindergarten classroom last year with a veteran teacher.  I was an unofficial technology mentor to the veteran teacher last year as well.  She had been teaching for twenty-five plus years and was easily frustrated with technology.  She did not use the Mimio board very often.  As a result, my mentee did not use it either.   She had some knowledge of the software and hardware, but did not know how to use it. 

            One of the challenges that we had was the class size.  A large class size in a small space meant behavior problems and lack of student engagement.  Our goal was to increase student engagement through the use of the Mimio Interactive white board.  Another goal was to embrace change.  If there ever was a year to embrace change, this year would be it.  We are not in our comfort zone.  She is a first year teacher and is worried about covering everything to meet Alaska standards.  I do not have my own classroom.  We are not even with the rest of the elementary school.  I am excited to use technology, but my co-teacher is not.  This is a lot of change.  There is a lot of fear.  My goal was to just “Do it”!

 

Literature Review

“The new culture of learning focuses on learning through engagement within the world.” (Thomas and Brown, 2011)  Teachers should not want to just teach about the world, they should want to get students involved and engaged in learning.  When interactive white boards are used appropriately, the students are more engaged.

Classroom environments have changed over the years.  “Traditional” classrooms are gone.  Lessons are no longer teacher led, but student led.  However, the lessons need to be engaging.  If they 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)  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 can guide and support the students.

Taking risks is important as well.  We can’t be afraid of change.  We need to get out there and just dive in.  “You can’t grow, advance, and move forward without repeatedly stumbling and falling on your face.” (Burgess, 2012)  We try and fail.  From that failure, we learn something new.  Or we should take a lesson from Thomas Edison, ““I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” 

 

Methodology

 

            The mentor project went from September 30, 2013 until November 27, 2013.  This ended up to be seven and a half weeks.  Because we work in the same room, both of us were able to make plenty of observations.  We set a time to meet weekly to discuss the use of the Mimio board system.

• The first 3 weeks, my mentee was hesitant about using the Mimio.   I still showed her the basic tools and helped her set up an account with MimioConnect.com. She observed me as I demonstrated how to use the Mimio system.

•  The 4th week I gave her activities that I had made from my previous year.  I encouraged her to “play” with them to get the hang of it on her own.

• The 5th week she was still uncomfortable and still observing. 

• The 6th week she finally gave it a try.  She set up one of my old activities from last year.  She did have some technology issues and became very frustrated. But she still continued and had a successful lesson.

• The 7th week was better.  She tried the activity again, but took a different approach.  She was more comfortable and the lesson went smoothly. 

 

Results

            Because this is a kindergarten classroom, there was not any concrete data to collect.  Many observations were made, observations of the teachers along with the students.  During this seven-week project, I noticed that she struggles with classroom management.  Any kindergarten class with thirty students is bound to have behavior problems, but no matter what she did, there were a few that would not stay engaged in the lessons.  She was often calling on the behavior problems and much time was taken away from student learning.   When she used the Mimio board as an interactive tool and activity, we both noticed that there were less behavior problems and more students were engaged in the lessons. 

 

Discussion

            When my mentee and I discussed her activity, we both noticed more student engagement.  Also, she noticed that they were engaged for a longer period of time.  They were able to sit for a longer time.  This has cut down on our classroom management issues.  If our students are engaged in learning and working to solve a problem, then there will be fewer management issues.   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)

Taking risks is a big factor in education.  Fear holds us back and hinders us from trying new things.  Things are continuously changing; we cannot get away from change.  We need to embrace it and not be fearful of it.  We should be flexible and be willing to change and take risks.  “Risk-taking is part of the learning experience and is encouraged. Risk-taking goes hand-in-hand with allowing students the opportunity to fail, without them feeling ridiculed or too discouraged” (Harrington, 2012)

  “You can’t grow, advance, and move forward without repeatedly stumbling and falling on your face.” (Burgess, 2012) We try and fail.  From that failure, we learn something new.   We all should take a lesson from Thomas Edison, ““I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” 

Next Steps

The next steps are to keep showing my mentee ways to use the Mimio system.  We will continue to co-teach for the rest of the year.  I hope to see her create an activity and make it her own.   I will continue to be available to help her whenever she needs help. 

Other teachers in my school had heard I was doing a mentor project and asked for some guidance using the Mimio system.  I was able to help one other teacher as a result of this class.  She had already created an activity using Mimio Notebook, but was having difficulty formatting it.  I was able to show her some other tools that she did not know about, along with some “shortcuts” to make formatting quicker and easier.  After meeting with her for about an hour, she was very confident in her knowledge.  I checked on her a week later and she said things were going very well and has not had any more problems with the Mimio system.  I felt very confident I myself as a mentor, and hope to be able to be that “tech person” for our school. 

I also found out that our district is piloting the new Smart Board 60wi.  I was asked if I would like to be the first person to try it.  The district wants to know how I like it before they order them for the whole district.  Talk about change! Just when I got used to the Mimio system and became an “expert”, I am asked to try it.  Of course, my answer was yes!  I am looking forward to new and exciting things and hope to spread the same excitement to my colleagues as well. 

 

Resources

Burgess, D. (2012). Teach Like a Pirate. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

 

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

 

De Frondeville, Tristan.  “How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class.”  Edutopia.org. 2009.  http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-student-participation-tips

 

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

 

Glenn, M. (2008). The Future of Higher Education: How Technology will Shape Learning.  New York. The Economist Intelligence Unit. http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Future-of-Higher-Ed-(NMC).pdf

           

Harrington, Rick (2012, 11 February). Risk-Taking in the Classroom: A Necessary Component [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.algeblog.com/2012/02/risk-taking-in-classroom-necessary.html

 

Jones, Kaye.  “How to Keep a Kindergarten Class Entertained.” eHow. 2013.  http://www.ehow.com/how_8310209_keep-kindergarten-class-entertained.html#ixzz2eu6sIXzr

 

Katz, Lilian. (2000).  Engaging Children’s Minds: The Project Approach. Ablex Publishing Corporation. Stamford, Connecticut. 

 

McDonald, Emma.  “How to Involve and Engage Students.”  Education World. 2013.  http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald007.shtml

 

Rose, Suzanne.  “How to Maintain a Passion for Teaching.”  Yahoo Voices. 2013. http://voices.yahoo.com/how-maintain-passion-teaching-7523274.html

 

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

 

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

 

Tugend, Alina (2011). “The Role of Mistakes in the Classroom.” Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, 6 September 2011. Web. 15 September 2013.

 

 

My Mentor Project

Learning to use the Mimio board to increase student engagement.

Philosophy of Adaptation

1. My motto for creating 21st Century Learners.

My motto is BE FLEXIBLE!  Not everything is set in stone, especially now.  As we are learning, change is always happening.  I have learned this, especially this year.  I wasn’t planning on having a combined class with 30 kids this year. I wasn’t planning on team teaching, especially with a new teacher.  I wasn’t planning on “mentoring” someone.  I wasn’t planning on having a small classroom where the hardware to the Mimio board keeps getting knocked off the whiteboard five times a day!  But, stuff happens.  We need to be able to not get upset when things don’t go the way we planned, especially in technology.    “Change your lesson plans. See if you can improve them or add some fun to them. Try to inject something from the current times into them. You never realize how fun you can make teaching until you actually try. Creating new plans that the students might better appreciate might help to maintain your passion for your chosen profession.”  (Rose, 2011)  I was reading through my blogs and came across the same thing I just talked about!  There is so much to work on as a teacher, it seems like as soon as I think I have a technique mastered, something else comes along and I have to change it again.  But, that is what I think teaching is about.  It isn’t a robotic, cookie cutter profession.  We are constantly faced with change and should be FLEXIBLE in what we do.  Isn’t that what a life long learner does?  If we try something and it doesn’t work, we change it.  If it works, then we should try and see how we can make it even better. 

 

2. How do I adapt to change in my environment?

I am a fairly easygoing person.  I have a mind of my own, but I also like to work with others.  There were a lot of changes that took place at the beginning of the school year.  I’m not quite sure how I adapted.  Well, I know I had to let go of a few things.  I had to say no to other things.  I couldn’t do it all, no matter how much I would have liked to.  It is okay to say no to things once in a while.  I had to be flexible.  Be willing to let change happen.  Many of the “hooks” listed in Dave Burgess’ book have helped me.  I use them a lot.  Probably the most important skill or strategy to have is to build a rapport with the students and just be willing to be “silly”.  I am not usually an outgoing person, but I love to entertain children.  I like to get in there and interact with them and have fun.  “Students respond better to teachers who are warm, passionate and brimming with enthusiasm.” (Jones, 2013)

One thing I do is “read my class”.  I have to look at them and make observations.  I look to my students to see if I need to change anything.  If I have “lost” my students, I need to reel back in I do use a lot of the “hooks” mentioned in Burgess’s book.  I get my students to move around, I might change my voice a little bit.  I might start singing instead of talking.  Instead of “showing” my students something, I might have them demonstrate for me a concept we are learning.  What are some things I’ve done?  In one article I read it said, “Activities that involve and engage students are ones in which they manipulate information, physically and mentally. “ (McDonald, 2013)  I enjoy teaching math.  We count to 100 daily.  This gets boring!  But, I change it by having them move. I might have the girls stand when the even numbers are said. And the boys stand when the odd numbers are said.  Or I might have them clap when counting by 10s and 5s.  I also have them change their voices when they count.  I think that Kindergarten teachers need to be easily adaptable because things change so often.   

3. How do I support my students in adapting to change?

I think the most important support is to be a great role model.  If I want my students to adapt to change, I think they would need to see what that looks like.  How do I, as a teacher, adapt to change in front of my students?  Well, I love my Mimio board. I do. But sometimes, it drives me insane!  Our room is so small with 30 little bodies in it, that the Mimio hardware gets bumped off the whiteboard on a daily basis or several times a day.  I can be upset about it, (inside my head I am freaking out) but things happen, it can be fixed (taking up precious learning time, but fixable).  Sometimes it works, and sometimes we have to do something different because it isn’t cooperating.  But, that is our life.  Change happens everyday and it is up to us to show our students how to deal with that change.  My co teacher, who is not comfortable with technology at all, was attempting to integrate the Mimio board into her lesson, had a “newbie” moment.  She kept muttering stuff OUTLOUD! But, I calmly said, “It’s ok.  It feels difficult because it is your first time.  The more you use it, the better it will become.”  She didn’t want to use the Mimio board again, but I encouraged her to try again.  She did, but she did it a different way, and it worked for her.  Getting the students involved with the learning process is also important.  I included them in the learning process too.  When my co-teacher was able to use the Mimio board, I told her I was so proud of her for trying.  I told the class to give her a “roller coaster” clap!  They, too, were proud of her. 

I know that there wasn’t an academic lesson right there, but there was a lesson.  Involvement in some small way will lead to understanding.   “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)

 

References

Burgess, D. (2012). Teach like a pirate. San Diego, CA: Dave Burgess Consulting, Inc.

De Frondeville, Tristan.  “How to Keep Kids Engaged in Class.”  Edutopia.org. 2009.  http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-student-participation-tips

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

Jones, Kaye.  “How to Keep a Kindergarten Class Entertained.” eHow. 2013.  http://www.ehow.com/how_8310209_keep-kindergarten-class-entertained.html#ixzz2eu6sIXzr

McDonald, Emma.  “How to Involve and Engage Students.”  Education World. 2013.  http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/mcdonald/mcdonald007.shtml

Rose, Suzanne.  “How to Maintain a Passion for Teaching.”  Yahoo Voices. 2013. http://voices.yahoo.com/how-maintain-passion-teaching-7523274.html

 

 

 

Week 10 reflection

I don’t think I added to anyone else’s learning, seeing it is very late.  But, it added to mine.  I am old school.  I had or have a hard time seeing the learning process in gaming.  I know there is learning going on.  Its that tacit learning.  When I asked my son, he looked at me like I was nuts.  But, as we talked more and through talking with others and reading the other blogs, I can see how learning can take place. 

 

I connected with Ginger on her blog the most.  Seems like we are struggling with the same thoughts about gaming and using it to learn.  There is a lot of risk taking that goes on in games, but not a whole lot in the classroom.  I am kind of proud of the conversation I had with my son last week.  I was able to use his games as a metaphor for life.  He learns a lot in his gaming (even though he doesn’t realize it—tacit learning).  Now, if we can get our students to do use those skills the same way in everyday situations.  

Essential Question: What Leadership Lessons Can We Take from Gamers?

1. What are some skills you may have learned while playing games?
2. What skills does a leader have?
3. How long do you usually spend on a game?
4. Have you ever “beat” a game? How long did it take you? 
5. Do you replay games you beat?  If so, how did you play it the second time?
6. When you play games, do you play independently or do you depend on others to help you complete tasks, missions?
7. Is there anything in the games that you have used to beat the games, useful in everyday life?

 

I thought of these questions with my son and his friends in mind.  He is 13 and spends a lot of time on weekends playing games.  When I asked him and his friends these questions, these are some of the responses I got.  Of course, I had to elaborate or explain exactly what I was asking.  His favorite games are Xbox games, mainly Modern Warfare or Halo games.

        

“I am a leader.  I am the leader of my unit and squad.  I have to figure out how to get through the map.  They (leaders) lead by example.  They model what the other players need to do.”  When I let him play games, (only on weekends) he usually plays for about 3 – 4 hours at a time.  When he beats a game (last weekend he beat the newest Modern Warfare game in 2 days) he will usually play it again.  “I will play it with a different level.   

Sometimes I ask for help and sometimes I do it myself.” 

 

I asked him if he had learned any skills from playing games.  He didn’t think he had.  But, from my observations as a mom, I believe he has.  He is a very visual learner.  If you show him a picture, and ask him to draw it or build something out of Legos, he can do it.  I had a hard time believing that he could learn skills from playing video games, but he does… I’m slowly learning this.  From the games, he has learned to visually problem solve.  He’s great at it!  However, if you give him a word problem, it is a totally different story! 

 

We had a conversation about this last week.  I told him, you are so good at figuring out situations in your game.  You have missions/goals/objectives that you have to complete in order to move on to the next level, right? He said, “yes.”  Okay then, how are you going to use that problem solving skill in real life?  Every day, you are faced with an objective.  It is your “mission” to complete those objectives (homework, chores, etc.) before you can move on to the “next level” in life.  Your eighth grade year is your “game”.  You have different levels (classes) that have different checkpoints (homework, assignments, quizzes, tests) that you need to complete in order to beat the “game”!   Best conversation we ever had!  It helped me to understand my son just a little bit more and it helped him to see how important his assignments, classes, homework, etc. were.