Proficiency-based Education

           Mass customized learning (MCL) is a method of teaching that individualizes instruction based on each student’s needs; and all assignments are designed with a specific purpose in mind, a necessary skill. Furthermore, there is not just one way to express and demonstrate mastery in MCL, rather the students can learn and present in numerous ways. Personally, in high school, my learning experiences were very one-dimensional; all test and quizzes were logical and verbal, all projects were visual and verbal, and that about sums up my primary education. One of the things I would say is that practicum has a more MCL-ish demeanor; by this I mean that, yes, we do demonstrate our masteries in the same ways (more or less); but, we also have the opportunity to individualize some projects and explore topics that we are interested in ourselves- it’s a nice balance. 

          First and foremost, I need to continue to educate myself on the topic in order to implement it well. The Maine Cohort for Customized Learning (http://mainecustomizedlearning.org/) is a great way do this; this specific website provides information, events, and more, regarding the topic. I have learned that as a teacher is absolutely quintessential to have multiple methods and solutions in instruction and problem-solving; MCL is a very rich, expansive topic that should be explored by all educators. As someone that is almost obsessively organized (Some have said ‘anal’ is more accurate...) I think that this is key in MCL: Think about it this way- you, the teacher, have 75 students and each of them have a file and specific needs, without one super-effective, super-efficient system, you are going to drown in work--- And you are not even half-way through the year!  

Final Fires Reflection

My opinions are still pretty much the same on the chapters of Fires in the Bathroom, though, maybe, when I stumble across it in five years my thoughts will have changed. However, one major difference is that I have much more confidence in myself as a teacher; before I was just a student, you know? But now, I actually feel comfortable referring to myself as a teacher. Although I know I have a long way to go- I feel as if I can see the very hint of a horizon. I cannot help but laugh at myself when I think about my own classroom management growth: before practicum I expected myself to be this laid-back, “cool” teacher; in reality, I’m this manic instructor with a love for structure. One of the things I’ve become way more aware of is how important setting rules and expectation early-on is. Ultimately, through the wild, sometimes scary, excitement of practicum I’ve become way more assured in my own abilities as a teacher. 

Show and Tell

Digital Portfolios: I love the idea of having digital portfolios for students. Too many students have a hard enough time keeping track of the paper given to them ten minutes ago, let alone over the course of a class. In my future classroom I'd like to experiment with a digital portfolio; furthermore, it'd be interesting to see whether overall performance scores go up since the students will literally have access to all previous works.

http://nelovesps.org/: I really liked the whole vibe of this website. It is so important to capture and stress the importance of students' digital artifacts. This website does such a good job capturing the successes of Nebraskan Public Schools; I would be vary proud to say I taught there based on what I saw on this site.

Facebook: Honestly, I can see how great using social networking sites in the classroom could be. However, there are so many negative aspects that I'm not sure that it would be worth using; the shear work monitoring it would be a big enough drawback to sway me. Moreover, the teacher would have to worry about privacy issues and such... If there was a "Using Facebook in the Classroom for Dummies" I might reconsider (There are so many of those books that there might actually be).

Images

It is so important to respect intellectual propert. Wes Fryer strongly recommends using Creative Commons as a way to search for licensed images. It provides educators with materials with flexible permissions; anybody can find out the conditions behind usage. 

Another website: wylio.com is the same thing as Creative Commons; I think both could be extremely useful in finding accesible images to incorporate into my future classroom. It is nice having images that I know I am legally able to use.  

"PowerPoint Abuse": The negligent use of PowerPoint; when the text-to-image ratio is way unbalanced and in favor of text. Visual presentation tools are not meant (Nor are they effective) to merely restate what the speaker is saying, rather to further understandings. As a teacher, I will take a stand against this unfavorable medium for one that is more purposeful. It's not that PowerPoints are bad- though there are better programs now, like Prezi. 

My Student Sample... And Woes.

     As the final product for a persuasive writing unit, the students will take their essays, which should be done by now (Hopefully!), and render them for broadcasting. Each student will take on the role of a newscaster (from a network of their choice e.g CNN, FOX, Comedy Central) and present the information in an appropriate manner, remembering, of course, to keep the network's demographics, and such, in mind. For my sample I took on the role of a newscaster from The Onion reporting on unsettling guidelines that the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) abides by for checking the quality of food.  

     As for the woes... Okay, so the reason for the picture and not the video: iMovie, apparently, according to the man at the "Genius Bar," at Apple, said, "iMovie is finicky and it sometimes reads files as corrupt for no reason, because of which it isn't going to let you export or finalize your film." So, here we are! Enjoy the photo (You gotta love how unattractive stills are!)!

P.S. It was not as easy as it seems to come up with a solution. It was about a month after I started having problems that I was by Apple to just give up.

Digital Text

     I really like the blogs, but sometimes I feel like nobody is actually reading them. I know that we can leave comments on each other's blogs, so why don't we take advantage of that? I think it would be both helpful and motivational having people leaving feedback on the blogs. After all, the blogs are really where our opinions are most freely expressed, so why not utilize that as a tool for learning?

Google Sites: Seems really nifty, and convenient for those not so "tech savvy" individuals that want to make their own site.

WordPress: It looks much more sophisticated and mature than Blogger. Furthermore, the website brags that it can transform your site into "almost anything you can imagine"- though I haven't had all that much time to spend on it, that really is quiet the claim!

Kidblog: Really cute and simple blogging. Though it's not as in depth as WordPress it is great for a younger group of students. Also, it has no ads so the teacher will have no fear over what might pop-up!

My Parents' Involvement in my Education

     My parents were not involved at all in my education; they only participated in what was required of them. However, they did pressure me to do well and stressed the importance of school. One of the things that I really wished that my parents had done was participated more in my extracurricular interest; they only attended one of my chorus concerts and maybe an art exhibition. Additionally, I was never able to take lessons in anything because my parents didn't want to spend the extra money for things that "didn't matter". I really did appreciate that my parents were kind of laid back about my education, but I wish they had stepped up when I asked for their participation and help. 

My MEL Experiences

• Student /Teacher relationships:  In high school, I was the kid that was allowed to sit with the librarians behind the circulation desk. Both of the librarians are still to this day my friends and mentors: one is an ivy-league graduate and published author, the other an intelligent, experienced, and passionate woman. Over the course of my high school experience both women fostered my love of English and writing and helped me cater my passions to my school work. Additionally, on applying to colleges they were integral to my eventual admittance; I would dare to say that without their support my personal life would have gotten in the way of me attending college period. 
• Helping students succeed: Another teacher that means the world to me was my high school visual arts teacher, “Stan”. Stan was amazing and cared so deeply for all of her students. During my senior year, three students were in A.P Studio Art; none of which could have been if not for Stan; she had offered to combine two classes so that we could have the chance to run the first ever A.P Studio Art in our school. Throughout the year she balanced two different classes combined into one period- all to provide for the three of us that adored the visual arts. 
• Hands-on: The final product for Physics was to design and build a bridge for a class contest. The contest was judged on many factors including aesthetics and maximum capacity held. The project gave us all a chance to put our gained skills into action. 
• Interest: In my high school, during your sophomore year the students are required to learn how to write an extensive research paper that spans the entire year (extensive equals about one-hundred pages). Luckily, the teachers were reasonable and understood that if they wanted the students to cooperate they had to provide options; because of which we were all allowed to choose the topic of our choice, as well as sub-topics to be researched within each. 
• Context: One of my favorite projects in high school- I had to create a digital presentation of "my future lifestyle". In the class we had worked on investigating the career we wanted and how to attain it, where we wanted to live, what type of car we wanted, etc.  Using all of this information we had to conduct research on insurances, and other factors, as to see whether our desired lifestyles were realistic within the contexts of our desired careers. Every student in the class was given the opportunity to understand exactly why they were working so hard.

SAMR Model

Substitution/Augmentation/Modification/Redefine (SAMR): A model which categorizes technologies based on its specifications and uniqueness, works by comparing technologies to more dated versions. 

Technology/Pedagogy/Content Knowledge (TPCK): A model used by teachers to better and clarify understanding through the blending of technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. 

Examples: 

Substitution: Google Docs is an example of substitution. Although I love it with all of my heart, essentially Google Docs glorifies the ability to share work and edit it; both tasks are feasible without the program. In the classroom, Google Docs is a great tool for peer editing strategies as it is a more interactive experience, additionally, it cuts back on resources. 

Augmentation: A projector is an example of augmentation for manual board writing. In the classroom, the projector is a great tool to not only cut back on time wasted by already having the notes (or other) prepared, but it also provides the opportunity to project things that cannot be hand-drawn. For example, in a math class having the ability to project a three dimensional model would be simple and much more effective to the learning environment; being able to add notes or other illustrations could also enhance this tool. 

Modification: PowerPoint/Keynote presentations a are great examples of modification. Both programs allow the students to expand upon the idea of a generic poster-board presentation with various decisions on fonts, styles, clipart, audio, links, and more. Furthermore, the ability to put more of an emphasis on one point or slide is more easily done using these programs. As an example of the latter point, during my sophomore year of high school I had to do an extensive Keynote presentation on the deep sea, by using consistent framing and transitions it was clear whether the next slide was a continuation or not of the same topic. 

Redefinition: The iPads are an incredible example of redefinition. Firstly, iPads have instant access to nearly infinite resources. Secondly and additionally, many of these resources and apps are type 2 technologies. Furthermore, these apps are technologically interactive. In the classroom, these apps have endless possibilities: most importantly, I think it is superb for appealing to the multiple intelligences as there are apps for- almost literally- everything. 

"TPCK and SAMR: Models for Enhancing Technology Integration" podcast by author Ruben Puentedura.

Audio

     Audioboo: This is a super cool site, kinda like an exclusively audio version of Youtube. On the site there are different recordings and shows, including reoccurring ones of which you can subscribe. Additionally, if you create an audio recording it is easy to share with your friends as it can be automatically linked to major networking sights. The only down side that I have noticed is that if you do not have the premium account your recordings are limited to three minutes. Immediately the thought that popped into my mind was that students could use if from their own home computers (as not all the students will have Garage Band at home). Also, students could make audio recordings rather than written blogs.
http://audioboo.fm/

     iPadio: Speaking of audio blogging, on iPadio students can create"phlogs". This twist on the classic blog is interesting and it could be a great way to involve the students with musical intelligences!
http://blog.ipadio.com/

     Audacity: Okay, so your students have created their audio recordings/phlogs and they are ready to edit it. Using Audacity, a free audio editing service, students can cut and paste segments, change the pitch, and make other adjustments. Additionally  the website allows them to create recordings on the site.
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

     Overall, this service, as well as the previous two, are all great and free (except Audioboo's premium features) tools to be used in the classroom.

Video Thoughts

1) Pre-video Questions: Wes Fryer suggests that by asking the students questions before showing them features, usually shorter features, they will be more attentive and involved in the feature.

2) Youtube "Clone" Sites (Sandboxes): With putting anything on the internet there is a risk. However, I like the idea that their are sites that offer the same features as Youtube, but a little more safely.

3) Narrated Slideshows: Wes Fryer used an example of people that narrate photos they take on their smartphones to explain; I love this idea. Not only is this a fantastic and quick way to create a caption, but it has so many potential possibilities for use in the classroom.

4) Screencasting: I have seen these before, but I didn't know there was an official name! One use could be to help absent students catch up on missed lessons through computer-based tutorials.

Even though I find it hard to incorporate technology at all times I do think that it is essential for students to develop these skills. Throughout my unit with Dr. Grace I have used many videos, digital organizers, a podcast, and more. Additionally, I think using technology in the "hook" is a great tool, if done correctly it can establish how relevant the lesson truly is to the "modern world".

Web 2.0 Educator

    I chose Vicki Davis' blog. Vicki is a huge believer in technology in the classroom and has worked with schools to find ways to incorporate and make technology accesible; throughout her blog she provides ways to make use of various technology. In school, I really appreciated teachers that kept their grades and such online, "With more students having access, the ability to visit their classrooms and schools virtually is increasing in importance. Online gradebooks, online classrooms, online forums are important as well as the behavior in those spaces." Vicki recognizes the importance of keeping the classroom modern and ever-changing; technology is so prominent and important in our society and it is not going away anytime soon- so it is critical to understand it. 

Vicki's blog site: http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/

The aforementioned quote was taken from the blog entry, “$20 Laptops for Students from Google: The Questions to Ask”

Chapter 4: Copyright and Fair Use (Wes fryer)

   The fourth chapter of Playing with Media, by Wesley Fryer, focused on copyright and fair use and how to avoid infringing on them in your classroom. "Harry Potter Can Fly" is a mnemonic device to remember guidelines regarding copyright and fair use: the H is homegrown (media that can be created at home), P is public domain (works that are either placed into the public domain or that have had their copyrights expire), C is creative commons (works that are copyrighted byt registered to be shared as long as you follow the established Creative Common terms, and the F is fair use (exceptions to copyrighted works). 

     In the classroom, teachers should make sure that students understand the above mnemonic, as well as the specific copyright laws. The chapter referenced how many teachers will accept work from students that lack any evidence of using other sources, meaning they are not providing citations- a major infringement  As a teacher, especially an english teacher, it will be crucial for me to explain the importance of the above information and to will my students into applying it beyond my class. 

Copyright and Fair Use

     The comic that I read (read it here: http://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/comics/zoomcomic.html) was all about copyright and fair use laws, the main conflict regards a woman who hopes to publish a work that illuminates the life of the new yorker.
     One of the things that I learned, and that stuck with me, is that copyright laws are relatively new: anything before 1923 is all a part of the public domain. After that any work published could be copyrighted and prevent use; however, Fair Use acts enable people to reference and reproduce work for things such as critiques. Claiming fair use is something that can be done by anyone if they can justify their reasoning; educators can use copyrighted works for educational purposes for example.
     As a teacher there are laws that enable me to use work for educational purposes. However, it is not applicable to everything. For example, Disney once had such tight copyright laws on their films that schools could not present them in class without violating them. As an educator I will have to teach my students how to reference works without infringing the copyrights.

Learning Style Inventory Results

The scores are out of 20 for each style. A score of 20 indicates the style is used often.

My Style Scores

Visual

18

Social

14

Physical

10

Aural

19

Verbal

19

Solitary

13

Logical

11

     I think that my results are very close to perfect! In high school, I was always stronger and more interested in english and the arts. Also, I am a very social person and I love interacting with others, but much of the time I do feel like I just want to work on something alone; I think that the test captured this well with how close the "social" and "solitary" scores are in numbers. Overall, I do think that the test did a good job labeling my learning style based on 70 questions, which I assume means there were 10 questions per style (that is really not a lot to go off of and yet my results are great).

Test Source: learning-styles-online.com

Chapter 10: Going Beyond the Classroom (Fires)

    The tenth (and final) chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on "teaching beyond the classroom", which includes ways to incorporate more than what is confined within the school. The following quote, by Linda, is one of the most important things that teachers should keep in mind- which is why I have chosen to focus on it in this last response- "You want [kids] to find themselves, and not everyone is going to find themselves in the classroom. So you want to open as many doors as you can." (pg. 175) Sometimes two people are not compatible, likewise not all people are compatible with the same subjects or activities, including school. By finding other ways to involve your students you are providing them with more opportunities to succeed. 

     As someone who was close to most of my teachers, especially English teachers, it can be hard to imagine having students whom may lack an interest in bonding. However, I know that I am not the only person that can aide in their success; finding said student a friend, activity, passion, or even a focus (no matter how lasting) can give them the tools they need to develop a lifelong key to potential prosperity. 

Chapter 9: When Things Go Wrong (Fires)

    The ninth chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on handling the unpleasant aspects of the classroom. What really jumped out to me in the text was the section that talked about the struggle that teachers, especially new teachers, have balancing authority and allowing themselves to connect on a friendlier level. On one hand, being too stringent will sabotage your ability to connect with the students, and on the other hand being too friendly can result in the teacher being taken advantage of by the students.

     During my first two weeks in the field I could relate! It is hard to explain, but I feel like an authoritative figure, but also I feel like I am not a teacher and therefore I have no right to scold them; likewise, sometimes I feel as if I am the "teacher" that can connect with the students and this makes me feel even less able to discipline. I want the students to know that I do care about them, but I also want them to view me as one of their teachers. In hindsight, I know this is my biggest struggle right now; overcoming this confusing place is my main goal.

Chapter 8: Teaching Teenagers Who Are Still Learning English (Fires)

     The eighth chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on the academic lives of English language learners (ELL). Not only are these students bombarded with the same challenges as other students, but they also have the weight of learning a new language on their shoulders. Also, it is not just their grades that are affected, their social lives suffer too. 

     I found this chapter alarming! What would I do if I had an ELL student in my classroom? As the teacher, it is your responsibility to provide equal learning oppurtunities to all students, but would I be able to handle such a task when provided with this? From the text, I learned a few ideas I could implement in such a situation, including: providing varied instruction, allowing these students to work through their thoughts in whatever language they choose, and providing texts that meet the curriculum without undermining their age or ability. 

Chapter 7: Teaching Difficult Academic Material (Fires)

     The seventh chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on ways that the teacher can present material to the students in a helpful and supportive way. On page 123, Vance makes an observation on something that happens so often it is worth discussing, "Lots of teachers will give you every step leading up to the answer. You're not really learning anything, you're just reciting it." I would be willing to bet that everybody can think of at least one teacher to which this applies. Is that not discouraging? It seems that at some point education shifted from the art of teaching to the art of monotonic recitation; educating is more than presenting research based monologues, it is the act of enlightening and impassioning. Teaching in the manner to which Vince was referring results too often in memorization, not learning. 

     It is important to allow creativity to flourish in the classroom. By being creative and flexible the teacher is taking into consideration more than just one intelligence or perspective. Students learn best when they are allowed to adapt lessons to their own passions and lives. After being in the field for just four days I have been confronted with many different learning styles and it has allowed me to begin thinking in these varied ways. Ultimately, it is the teachers' responsibility to ensure that every student has the opportunity to be successful and if that means roaming into unfamiliar territory then face it head-on. 

Final thought: America has become so fixated on reaching the finish line that we are now missing out on the actual race; in the end it is not the grades attained but the demonstration of skills acquired. 

Chapter 6: Motivation and Boredom (Fires)

    The sixth chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on impassioning both the students and teacher as a root to classroom success. I was pleasantly surprised by the students in the book that discussed how they hoped for their teachers to motivate them and create connections between the subject and its relevance to life. One of the key reasons I want to teach juniors and seniors is because they have reached that point where they know that they must do well in order to get into the universities (or whatever they strive to do after graduation) of their choice, thus they put forth more effort into their work. At least, that is what I observed during those two years of my life, before that students would dwell on the classes “irrelevance to my life.” Needless to say, hearing the students talk about how they wanted to do well moved me.

     In high school, teachers repeatedly stressed the importance of establishing good habits as they would follow you into college. Personally, this was not true. I had decent habits in high school, but I never needed to study, because of this I never learned study habits or really even organizational habits until college. However, what I did learn in high school was the importance of language as one of the greatest tools to success. One of my teachers once told me, “Sometimes it’s not what you know, but how you say it. Even if you’re wrong, if you say it with conviction sometimes nobody will question it.” As a future English Teacher I understand this importance, and though I do believe in the relevance of the books and curriculum, my strongest belief is that English (as a class) is to prepare students to develop strong skills on establishing rooted opinions that can be supported with examples. The beauty of literature and writing is that there are endless possibilities for interpretation, unlike math it is not cut-and-dry, but rather abstract; although my opinion may not parallel the students’, if they can support it and explain it to me with conviction I have taught them well. Understanding Edgar Allen Poe may be culturally helpful, but arguing its relevance to something higher is a life skill that is applicable to every subject. Ultimately, creating a classroom with strong beliefs and the courage to express them is critical to a healthy learning environment. 

Chapter 5: Teaching to the Individual, Working with the Group (Fires)

    The fifth chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on the variation among students, and the grouping of students. One of my concerns on becoming a teachers is how to create a learning environment in which everyone can flourish, but where nobody feels alienated or lesser. As a result of this I have chosen to focus on the grouping aspect of the chapter and two parts in particular: letting students pick their own groups and the possibility of one student carrying the entire team. 

     I believe all students have experienced and grouping situation in which they were the "work horse" of the group, or they were paired with people with whom they could not possibly be productive with for whatever reason. As the teacher, developing a strong rubric that emphasizes the importance of equal participation among all team members is essential. Additionally, I am a strong believer in student led evaluations for the individual and the group, by keeping them private it will allow for the students to critique themselves and their team members honestly. Also, I like to believe that by allowing students to group themselves it will lead to a more friendly and productive team. In the chapter, this topic was discussed and it seems that the students generally agree, "Let us sometimes pick what group to work in" (pg. 94) and "You may not get along with your assigned group, so the work isn't always done well." (Diana, 94) However, there are people who think that by allowing this it will single out the less popular students, or even lead to groups of friends that would rather socialize than work. Personally, I have worked in both assigned and free-choice groups and I have noticed that in assigned groups the students will assign pieces of the project to each student and then work alone; to me, this is inefficient because the point of group activities is to socialize and work together to achieve a common product, not to work individually in attempt to patch together multiple same-themed projects. 

Chapter 4: Creating a Culture of Success (Fires)

         The fourth chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on developing an environment that supports success. Often times, it seems as if students become instantly overwhelmed upon entering high school.  A piece of advice from the book says, "Remember, your class is just one of the many obligations we have" (66). Students have upwards to seven classes that they are trying to succeed in, not to mention familial responsibilities, jobs, sports, and extra curricular activities. Stretching the students too thin can be detrimental to their success, not just in your class, but if they feel overwhelmed they might give up all together. 

     In high school, I remember distinctly having the thought, "Wow, does Mrs. ______  really think that we have time to finish all of that before tomorrow? We do have other classes!" When this happened my parents would tell me to get over it. What would I do? I would finish all the work, but I can guarantee you that I did not put 100% effort into it, most likely I focused on the subjects I enjoyed and short-changed math and science. For obvious reasons, this is destructive to a students' learning as it can snowball quickly and result in the underdevelopment of certain subjects. However, I do believe homework is necessary and I do think that a little stress can be productive and that other skills can be formed and applied to the "real world" by experiencing troubling circumstances; teachers should be aware that there is a fine line between challenging and overwhelming. 

Chapter 3: Classroom Behavior (Fires)

     The third chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on the management of classroom behaviors. One quotation, by Daryl, really got me thinking, "My new teacher didn't set boundaries about what was okay to do. Kids would take out sports or motorcycle magazines in the middle of a class discussion- the first time it happened, he should have addressed it right away. Instead he waited a couple of days" (pg. 38). Different teachers expect different things from their students. It is extremely important to establish boundaries on the first day of class. Further on, the chapter discussed what may happen if the rules are not firmly dictated (i.e students reading sports magazines). To me, this is a little condescending to the students, especially if you are talking about high schoolers as I am.
     Generally, students know what is expected of them in the classroom. Since Kindergarten we have been bombarded with rules of conduct and academic expectations, mostly they are the same every year; be respectful and try your hardest. Although I do think that it is essential to develop clear rules and expectations, I do not think it is necessary to spend an entire class period lecturing the students. I have had teachers who spend the entire first class reading from their syllabus and talking about ways to be respectful and productive, it was belittling and boring. Though it may be presumptuous, I would argue that all students know that they are expected to attempt their work and treat others kindly. As a teacher, it may seem critical to establish these ideas, but just remember that you are not a revolutionary and the students have heard it before. My advice, settle on a list of five to ten key expectations, and if you feel that an explanation is needed you may then take the time out of class to discuss it with the students. 

Note: Do not lecture, but discuss. 

Maine Memory Network

     Originally, I am from Westbrook, Maine, a town which has bad “street cred” for being low income, low class, and dirty. Do not get me wrong, I love Westbrook, but the surrounding towns do not (when we come back from the schools ask Mike, he is from Portland and they hate us!). With that, the Maine Memory Network was interesting to me because it allowed me to see some detailed examples of what my hometown has achieved, despite its reputation. For example, I had no idea that it was the home to a seminary and a silk factory! Also, I was not aware that the manufacturing of silk was one of the largest industries in America, and that Westbrook was a participant in this, the only place in Maine! 

     In the classroom, the Maine Memory Network could be used in several ways, but my mind goes directly to writing. It could be interesting to work on a piece that explored the History of the town in which I teach (maybe during spirit week?), especially if I was able to recruit a history or Social Studies teacher to co-teach the project! Often times, students are indifferent about their school and town, but maybe, if they were more knowledgeable it would allow for a more academically and civically invested student body. 

Google Earth

     Although it has been over a year since I used Google Earth last, I do still remember how to maneuver it pretty well. My favorite feature is the little yellow person that you can drop on a site to get a first person and 360º view of the location! This feature is super cool and especially when the site you are viewing has not been updated in Google’s system; seeing the things that have changed is incredible.

     In an English class, I think that the uses of Google Earth would be pretty minimal, though Social Studies and some of the sciences could use it effectively. One of the uses of Google Earth in an English class would be having the ability to experience and explore an environment that is in a reading. However, as cool as this may be, it could also be misleading as the area has probably changed and its changes recorded on Google Earth. Ultimately, I do think that Google Earth is an awesome program, but I am not sure that it is the most reliable one for areas which are constantly growing and changing. 

Wes Fryer: Chapter 1

     The first chapter of Playing with Media, by Wesley Fryer, focused on the ever so significant role technology plays in education. Overall, I was very happy with this chapter and in agreement with it. Often times teachers assume that students are "computer literate" based on the assumption that we grew up with technology. Though this is can be true, sometimes a student can be internet savvy, but clueless about programs and the mechanics behind it. Fryer made this same observation, "We should not mistake digital use for digital understanding or communications fluency", and suggested that teachers act as "digital bridges" (Kindle Locations 238-239). Currently, high stakes testing is popular in the United States, "For a variety of political as well as psychological factors, politicians in the United States in the past decade have been enamored with high stakes testing in our K-12 schools." (Kindle Locations 281-285), in education, this is becoming a sort of epidemic, because it is assuming that all humans learn in the same manner. This assumption is leading to misrepresentations of student achievements. Using technology we can allow students to take advantage of exploration and creativity using media, an essential modern skill. Fryer believes that all educators should be able to use technology in the classroom as it is becoming increasingly important, "Outstanding teachers in the twenty-first century, like their predecessors, will be defined not only by their content knowledge but also by the effective ways they are able to inspire, relate to, and motivate students to stretch beyond their acknowledged limits." (Kindle Locations 254-255). Both education and technology are ever-changing; with each passing hour new and better technology is being developed, as both educators and students it is imperative that we allow ourselves to reap the benefits of it. 

iPad Personalization

     To me, the first and greatest thing anybody can do to make a device more personal is by selecting a background that they enjoy; I chose The Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh. This piece is easily my favorite painting and it has such an inspiring depth that I thought it would be perfect for my iPad. Beyond the background, I linked several of my accounts to the device. Before receiving the iPad I was skeptical of its usefulness, simply because it is essentially a more compact laptop; however, I found that its interactive qualities and abundance of apps are very much worth having. The iPad's worth was clear after only the first half-hour of personalizing, and now that I have had it for four days I know it will kill me to give it back next week. 

Chapter 2: Respect, Liking, Trust, and Fairness (Fires)

     The second chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on the balance of respect and trust between student and teacher. On the first page of the chapter there is a story about a lenient track coach who seemed more concerned with being liked than successful, in result the team always lost. Replacing him was an extremely militant coach that accomplished much for the team, but lacked the friendliness of the previous coach. Students need a balance of respect and trust with their educators in order to get the most out of their education.

     In high school, I had many teachers whom I enjoyed as people, and many teachers I respected as educators, but it was those who could balance the two that I loved. In the classroom, the student likes to feel like they are being taught by somebody who is confident in their lessons, but also by somebody who would go out of their way to help them with whatever they may need. In this chapter, the students make it clear that a key to success lies within the relationships they form with their educators.

Chapter 1: Knowing Students Well (Fires)

     The first chapter of Fires in the Bathroom, by Kathleen Cushman, focused on, as a teacher, getting to know your students. A student said, on page four, “If there’s confusion on my face, I want you to see it. If there’s disagreement, I want you to say, 'You disagree? Why?'” Students want to be seen as people, not just students. 

     In high school, I was often times too shy to speak my opinion in class, it felt great to be called on by a teacher for looking inquisitive. Many times students will have something to say but for whatever reason they are uncomfortable raising their hand to speak. It is a rather simple task to pay attention to somebodies body language, and it can make a world of difference in that persons’ school day.