Please, Step Forward

Imagine you are a student in a class.

You are asked to answer questions regarding your culture.

You are given a sheet of statements, which you scale from 1 to 5.

The higher your score, the higher you felt like you feel accepted in society, regarding your culture.

A low score meant you were more inclined to not feel accepted in society, regarding your culture.

You have a lower number than anyone at your table.

You are asked to write that number on a sheet of paper, and then arrange yourselves in the class from lowest to highest.

You stand on the low side, not the very lowest, but there are many people higher than you.

You are then asked a series of questions, and if you agree you step forward.

How many people are male?

You stay where you are.

How many people are female?

You step forward.

How many people have more than one degree?

You stay where you are.

How many people have immigrated to Canada?

You stay where you are.
(It is important to note that one person in the room steps forward)

How many people are aboriginal?

You step forward.
(It is important to note that you are one of two people in the room to step forward)

There are no more questions.  You sit down at your table.

Hold up.  Lets rewind 5 seconds, to just before you were asked this question.

In the milliseconds before you step forward you ask yourself a question.

Am I going to step forward?

You decide you have two options.

1) You step forward and you tell everyone who you are.  There could be looks, you could be the only one, you could hear whispers… who knows. It could change how people respond to you in class. You will be defining yourself as “The Other”.

2) You don’t step forward.  You might not feel comfortable with everyone in the class, the trust isn’t there. You lie about who you were.  You feel guilty.  You feel like you are being ashamed of who you are.  No one else will know though, and no one can judge you.  Except yourself.

What do you choose?

 

The most important question to ask in this scenario is should you have been placed in a situation like this to begin with?
During school… in a class?

Would we do this with our students?

Texting Teacher

It has been weeks since my pre-internship at Campbell Collegiate has been done, and I finally feel like I have the chance to reflect on a great experience.  I was able to try many things while working at Campbell, the most exciting thing being a cell phone math lesson.

I have felt a lot like doing all the research I have done over the last semester has made me feel confident in using a tool like cell phones in the classroom, except I hadn’t really had an opportunity to try it and see what it was actually like.  From day one at Campbell I knew that I could use the cell phones.  Looking at the classroom it is easy to see how crucial students feel cell phones are in their life.  Almost every single student used the phone instead of a calculator and it was nice to see that the teacher was alright with this.  You can tell when the students are actually using them as calculators and when they are texting or doing something off task.  At first I thought that most students would be texting, but I found that most of them were only using their phones when they needed to make a calculation.

I turned to cell phones when I didn’t have anything to plan.  I was supposed to be introducing slope, but my partner and I switched classes for the last week so I was without the textbook or anything that was supposed to be planned for the unit.  The unit they were working on was slope.  It was a perfect unit for me to work with the kids with because I had just went over rate of change with them so it was easy to make the transition.  I started my lesson off with a guided inquiry handout that I had the students work on their own with to discover slope, which also turned into their notes for that section, then had them do a journal on what they thought slope was.  I then did a quick overview of what slope was and described to the students what positive, negative, and neutral slopes were.  My lecture time didn’t last very long.

As soon as  I asked the students to pull out their phones they thought it was a joke.  Once I convinced them we were using them, they became much more excited.  What I had prepared was ten stations (which I have below) that they could decide if the slope was positive, negative or neutral.  It described slope in multiple different ways like a graph, points and in words.  I used the website called Poll Everywhere.  What this did was create a poll that the students could decide whether they thought each station was positive, negative, or neutral and then they texted that number and answered the question.  Many students, because we hadn’t done anything like this before, were confused why they were texting the number because they didn’t get a text back, but this was easily cleared up at the end of the lesson.

The students worked quickly through the stations and were 100 percent engaged.  Some of the students who have trouble focusing on an assignment for the whole class got through the questions quickly and on their own.  I was a little worried that some of the students were just walking around guessing, but this wasn’t the case.  Once everyone had time to go to all of the stations, i brought up the completed polls on the board.  This was beneficial in multiple ways.  Not only did the students get to see if they got the answer right, but I also got to assess as well.  I could see which problems the students had difficulties with and if they understood the concept.

 In the above poll there was differences in the answers, so I could go over it instantly as a class to see where some of them were going wrong.  As we went along through the stations they got more consistent and 100% of the class was answering the question correctly.  The most interesting part of this was the students reactions (I have a video I just can’ t put it online).  They  started getting excited each time I went to show them the answer.  I had them do a written copy of the stations so they knew what they had answered for each question, so before I showed them the poll I asked them what they thought it was going to be.  At around five questions in they started clapping for themselves, and on the last ones they were cheering.  It was amazing to see them get so excited over their math assignment.

There was a moment that really stuck out where a girl congratulated everyone after they got the question right, and I was just very proud of the students at that exact moment.  I was a little worried that my assignment had no connections to what they needed to have done for their teacher (aka the text) so I looked at the questions.  Each station covered every type of question that was in the assignment so I assigned them some questions that they did very easily.

Of course this assignment could be done without cell phones, but I think it would lose the engagement.  The class responded really well to this assignment, but obviously many other classes wouldn’t.  It was a really nice way to work in some cell phone use in the classroom and see how it went over.  I could have easily used a QR code with this making it that much easier for the students.  There is a generator that will send a text when you scan the code, so I could have had them just scan the code and click send for their decision.

Using the cell phones has really shown me that there is a need to incorporate the technology that appeals to the students.  The technology component of the curriculum requires so much more than just graphing calculators now, and as educators we need to find ways to use these different technologies effectively.  I can see that cell phones are important now and it is great to find ways to use them, but I can also see that it is going to change and adapt even more.  Technology is quick, and it replaces itself so quickly, what works right now isn’t necessarily what will work in the near future.  I feel the need to be very on the ball with these things because once I feel like I have perfected the use of one technology it is probably going to be out dated.  For now, since I am not in my own class, I just need to try to think about the different ways to incorporate technology, and be aware of how it is changing.

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A History Of A Teacher

EPS 350 required us to make a documentary of our growth over this last semester.

Wow.  What a lot of work…

I created this video called A History Of A Teacher.  It is my reflection on what I have done for this semester.  Of course, I had to edit out a majority (basically all) of my actual experiences because there were students in the clips or pictures.  What is left is basically the introduction and conclusion.  I wanted to try and do something different… so I guess you just have to watch it to understand what I mean.. yes I am a huge dork.  The intro has more of my own reflection on how teaching has developed before I even got a chance to be involved. So I hope you enjoy!

I learned a lot doing this assignment.  Mainly that editing video drives me nuts.  It’s a really cool process and fun to work with, but since I had basically no video editing experience whatsoever there were a lot of frustrations.  I got it to look how I want it to, mostly… I used Windows Movie Maker, I wish I could try using some different programs.

Couldn’t Be More Proud

During my pre-internship I had an absolutely amazing experience.  Yes, there were plenty of them, but there is one that stands out the most for me.  I had a girl in my class with FASD.  I didn’t know this until the second last day of my internship, when her mom emailed my co-op.  I noticed, though, that she needed a different style of teaching the first day.

She sat in the corner, and didn’t partake in the lesson at all.  I tried, slowly, talking to her.  She did not trust me.  Each day I pushed a little more.  This was all before I actually started teaching (so really it was only the first two days).  My first day of teaching I made sure that I went over to her and explained the tasks one on one, without standing out and doing it.  I was handing everything out and I casually talked them through with her quick.  Her response to me changed quite quickly.  I made sure every day to go and talk to her, and ask her about her homework.  When I started making separate lessons for my student with Aspbergers I started giving them to her too, and working through problems out loud with her.

She trusted me.  I knew this when she came to me before class start to tell me how the homework went without me asking, and when she had lost her binder, the day she found it she came and told me right away.  She talked to me a lot more.  When I helped her with the work, she accepted my help.

When I gave out my first quiz I was a little worried, but she went to the tutorial teacher and did it with her so I assumed she was in good hands.  I marked it… 82%. Pretty good for a student who hasn’t been doing very well in the class.  I have to say, the tutorial teacher definitely made an impact, and I really wish I could have gone down and talked with that teacher.

The test day came.  My co-op had changed up the test for my two students who needed an adapted test, and she was getting to work in tutorial.  She did it over two classes rather than one.  The first day I got it back there was a huge FAIL written across the top of the page.  I was sad that she was so disheartened by the test.  After her tutorial class at the end of the day I got the test back and marked it.  87%.  I was amazed.  She almost did the entire test perfectly.  I was so proud! She understood all of the concepts.

The best part was giving it back.  I asked her how she thought she did… “not good” was the response.  All i said was “I don’t know where you get this fail from…” and put the test down.  I have never seen a students face light up so much.  She was so amazed, and I realized that she probably doesn’t see a lot of success in school, especially in math.

I only got to work with her three weeks, but maybe there will be more motivation for her to keep working hard, because it really did pay off, and lucky for me I got to show her that.

Easy Assessment Vs. Easy Marking

Which would you choose?  The ability to assess easily, or the ability to mark easily.  I suppose for some teachers this could be a difficult decision for them.

I just don’t see how though.  If the only reason for making a “test” or “assignment” the way you do is because its easiest to mark, who is that benefiting?

I have been marking multiple choice tests recently, and doing them myself also, and find that I can’t even figure out what the question is asking me some times.  I also find that I know nothing about what my students know or don’t know from these questions.

So I ask myself, why would I choose the easy marking?  Sure it might take longer to go through different assessment tools, or even just making notes about the students from day to day, but it’s easier for me to assess in the end.  The actually assessment, not the evaluation of marks, but the assessment, is incredibly easier when I can see the progress my students have been making every step of the way.

The easy marking might save the time when having to fill a report card with marks.  If I’m filling this report card with numbers that don’t mean anything, what is the point?  I can see that my students are purely motivated by the marks that they get, but there are still ways to give marks for authentic assessment.

Some may think that giving marks for the things a teacher observes isn’t as credible as having concrete marks from an assignment or an exam.  The numbers might seem to be “made up” by the teacher.  My question is:  What is the difference between numbers “made up” by teachers from their actual assessment of a students progress, and the numbers given from a multiple choice.  A number given from a multiple choice test can be just as pointless, considering you can’t really see the knowledge from a multiple choice question.  What is more beneficial for the student?

It’s sad to think that a reason someone would do less actual assessment because its less work than marking, say, a multiple choice test.  I choose to do more work, if by more work it means more time on my students, because it will be easier to assess, because I can see much more clearly what my students know and, more importantly, need.

Multiple… Choice?

We have all taken them, and probably given them, the dreaded multiple choice test.  Although they are convenient, how much do they actually assess?

Recently I have been in a class that had only multiple choice tests and I found myself wondering what the point was of even doing them?  If they are made good, they can show some things, but if they are made badly, then they seem to be completely useless.

I understand that in some cases a multiple choice test are the only option necessary (or so the teacher might believe), but if they can be avoided then why aren’t they done so?

The first type of assessment I have encountered in my pre-internship, not administrated by myself, has been multiple choice.  While going through the quiz I wondered how much I could actually understand of the students knowledge depending on which letter they circled.  The only beneficial aspect of this quiz was going over it question by question, and actually seeing if the students could do the questions when they were asked.

So if that is the purpose of the quiz then why do it at all?

The real purpose of the quiz is quite simple: a grade.  There needs to be a numerical number to attach to a students name in order to make up the grade for the course.

If we are teaching students to understand we should be teaching for understanding not teaching for a grade.

Open The Door To Learning

I have realized recently that I have had very few opportunities to do a real open-ended project in my life, but I have had more than others.  Luckily, within the education program, I have had various experiences, and I have noticed a couple of things from each of them.  The first thing I have noticed, however, is how I have changed from project to project.

My first project would have been in ECMP 355, where we were allowed to do any kind of final project we wanted.  In my first year of university I didn’t know what this was really.  Rather than pushing myself I chose a topic that I thought to be safe.  I made an Online Portfolio, a task that I do think is beneficial, but not something that really pushes myself.  Sharing myself online isn’t something new for me, and making an online portfolio wasn’t that big of a jump.  I also left the project until the week it was due and basically did the bare minimum I thought was necessary to pass the assignment.  How sad.

My second project was in EVIS, again a final project completely open-ended, this time specifying on what would make me a better teacher or artist (or both).  This was my first subject focused education class, and I was very overwhelmed.  I had no idea what this was, and didn’t know what that asked me to do.  I created a resource binder for tessellations, and although it is very useful and made wonderful connections between math and visual art, I again left the assignment last-minute and didn’t put much thought into it.

When I started to really change my outlook on these open-ended assignments was in EPS 200.  We did an inquiry to teaching and learning and I chose Anti-Oppressive Education.  This was the first time that I have ever done any kind of research where I found the articles and read them over and over again because I wanted to get as much out of them as possible.  It expanding my thinking greatly and helped me through a difficult time.  Although this was a research paper, what I received out of this was much like the rewards I have received from my beneficial open-ended projects.

My first project where I found myself actually trying was in Ed Aesthetics 200.  This was a class that I actually didn’t enjoy that much, but found many things in it useful.  We had another open-ended art assignment, and this time I decided I wanted to look into something that truly interested me: graffiti.  My teacher basically told me that my project wouldn’t be useful in the classroom setting because no administrator would allow graffiti.  If it wasn’t for her telling me I couldn’t do something, I probably wouldn’t have taken the assignment the way I did.  I self chose to make a unit plan… I know, crazy talk.  I made a unit plan on graffiti that was applicable to grade 10, 11 and 12 and made the curriculum connections for all three grades.  I worked on it for well over a month, something basically unheard of for me.  When I was finished I was 100% proud of what I had accomplished.  That is the most important thing.  I did that assignment and for once actually took pride in something I created, a first in my University experience.  Even when I look back at other assignments I was happy with, until this project I knew that I could have put a lot more effort into them and done much better on them.  The really important thing, though, was that I planned to continue to add to my binder on graffiti, and it is something I still do to this day.

My most recent open-ended assignment has changed my views on education.  Our technology project, specifically my exploration into cell phone use and QR codes, has been one of the most beneficial things I have ever done.  For a majority of January, February and March I spent multiple hours every single night working on this project.  I want to make myself an expert.  I want to learn as much as possible.  I want to share everything I find with others.  These wants aren’t something I have felt this strongly in any of my education before, and I am happy with what I have learned about the project itself, but more importantly on teaching in general.  I want to be able to create assignments, and teach students, in a way that they have a strong intrinsic motivation to learn and can feel the rewards I have felt from this assignment.

If more education was like this, I couldn’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t want to learn.

Why We Share

This semester I have realized how much sharing is important.  I have become very dependent on my peers for ideas and support throughout this semester especially, and the growth I have gone through because of this has been unlike any other in my university experience.

My presentation on QR codes has taken a vast majority of my interest the last couple of months.  It all started on my blog so I thought I would finish it here.  Except, I’m never going to finish it.  This project has become something I am so incredibly interested in, I want to keep going and become on expert.  I want to know what I’m doing, and look at all the pros and cons of its uses.  By researching just this one type of technology I can apply the process and many of the same skills used it to other technologies, and hopefully be able to learn as much about technology as I can.

My favourite part of this project has been my ability to share it.  Tomorrow is our presentation on what I have learned, and I have never been more excited to present something… ever.  I want to be able to show everyone the wonderful things I have found and hope to spark interest in them to do the same, and that is what teaching is all about.

My wiki, Education QR Codes,  has become my pride and joy.  I want to keep adding to it whenever I can.  I also want to try and use these things in the classroom and share what I do.  I want to share it all.  The most rewarding thing for me is knowing that I can share the information I have and have just one person be grateful for it.

What I would really love is if people all over would do the workshop we have planned for tomorrow.  It is a set of 7 QR “stations” that utilize QR codes and cell phones in different ways.  Some of them include posting your name and where you are from to a PollEverywhere survey, and uploading a picture to our class flickr.  It would be really cool to show my class how you could make that connection with people and have multiple people doing the same lesson.

Regardless of how the presentation goes, and especially the mark I receive, I have satisfied my hunger to learn more this semester than I have in a very long time… and that’s enough for me.

QR Codes

The more I have continued on with our technology project the more I love QR Codes.  Our focus has completely shifted to them, and there is so much that I’m learning I don’t even know what to present anymore.  On Tuesday we have to teach everyone what we have learned and the biggest thing I want to focus on is using our tool to teach the tool.  I want to make sure that all of what we are using is done on the cell phone and presented through QR Codes.

Another important thing for our presentation will be discussion of the pro’s and con’s of using cellphones and QR codes in the class.  We are so limited on time we are not going to get to have the in depth discussion that we really could have.

 

I have made a QR code for my personal information and played around with it trying new things out.  My love of Marilyn Monroe made me decide to put her in the background of my code.

Finally, I have put together a wiki, Education QR Codes, for all of the things I have been working on, and on it we are going to put up everything that we will be presenting on Tuesday!  I hope everyone is excited as me.

To Differentiate Is To Do Your Job

A very important aspect of teaching is differentiation.  It is something that has a wide spectrum of how you can do it, as some people do it without even thinking, and there are times when it is crucial to plan for differentiation.  The important thing to remember is that not every student is the same, so why should we teach them all the same way.  Why should we expect to have students learn the same way and learn to the same point and at the same speed?

There are many reasons to differentiate.  Students come from all types of backgrounds, and it is important to know your students.  Knowing where they are coming from and why they act the way they do can give great insight on the way you can give the best instruction possible for the student.  Many of the practices that teachers have are for their own benefit.  Keeping students at the same level, busy work, and many other things are done for the teacher and not the student.  Teachers need to adapt to their students, not the other way around.

A tool that we talked about that I found most beneficial is learning contracts.  Putting students in control of their learning would make a big difference on their attitude of their learning.  I think that it would give them more confidence and desire to do the learning themselves.  Having things like graphic organizers is also  important.  Some people need to have that extra step shown to them, and it doesn’t mean that they don’t understand the concept.  If a student doesn’t know their multiplication table from day one, is it necessary to punish them for that?  If they don’t have that resource to look back on, their confidence and comfort in the math is going to drop and so will their attention and involvement.  An important thing that was said in class was about whether or not you should let a student use these tools during a test.  Our teacher said “I wouldn’t make you take your glasses off during a test, that’s a tool that helps you learn”.  If we teach using the tool it is also important to test with the tool.

Just like “One Size Doesn’t Fit All” neither does our teaching.