Shared Purpose
Learners need to feel a sense of belonging and be able to make meaningful contributions to a community in order to experience connected learning. Groups that foster connected learning have shared culture and values, are welcoming to newcomers, and encourage sharing, feedback and learning among all participants.
Shared Practices
Ongoing shared activities are the backbone of connected learning. Through collaborative production, friendly competition, civic action, and joint research, youth and adults make things, have fun, learn, and make a difference together.
Sponsorship of Youth Interests
Organizations and adults must meet youth where they are in order to foster connected learning. They do this by being sponsors of what youth are genuinely interested in — recognizing diverse interests and providing mentorship, space, and other resources.
Connected learning does not rely on a single technology or technique. Rather, it is fostered over time through a combination of supports for developing interests, relationships, skills, and a sense of purpose
There is no one specific platform, anything can allow connected learning to happen
Youth who participated at YOUmedia saw clear results.
There is clear evidence for how this learning process is successful. Click to see
YOUmedia centers on digital media production such as music, art, poetry and journalism. Young people can “hang out socially, mess around with new projects and geek out” in areas of specialization when they want to take the leap
This is an example of a company that uses connected learning to allow them to get their work out there
Success beyond the classroom requires tangible connections to real-world career and civic opportunities. The Digital Youth Network provided in- and out-of-school connected learning experiences to low-income students in Chicago.
This is under the title opportunities. When people are given real life opportunities, they are more likely to become successful
Learners need support from peers and mentors to persist through setbacks and challenges.
This involves the importance of relationships in the elements. People are able to be more successful when they have peers or mentors.
Learning is motivating when it grows out of personal interest. A growing body of research indicates that interest helps us pay attention, make connections, persist and engage in deeper learning. For example, when reading about games they enjoy playing, teenage boys read at a much higher level than their reading level in school.
This is under the Interest category of elements and it shows that when focusing on something you are interested in, you will perform better because its something you care about.
The research is clear: Learning is irresistible and life-changing when it connects personal interests to meaningful relationships and real-world opportunity.
We need to connect what we learn into real-life situations in order to be successful
Based on her experiences writing online, Abigail decides she wants to become a professional writer.
because of this positive experience for her, she was now able to figure out what she loved doing and is becoming successful
a supportive community on Wattpad, an online publishing app
she discovered relationships while on an app with people with similar interests
Connected learning combines personal interests, supportive relationships, and opportunities. It is learning in an age of abundant access to information and social connection that embraces the diverse backgrounds and interests of all young people.
I believe that the power of this technology can allow us to learn and collaborate like we never have before.
Learners need to feel a sense of belonging and be able to make meaningful contributions to a community in order to experience connected learning.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs tells us that students need to have a sense of belonging before they are able to grow their self-esteem/mastery.
They do this by being sponsors of what youth are genuinely interested in — recognizing diverse interests and providing mentorship, space, and other resources.
Find what students are interested in, give them the resources to find supportive groups and opportunities to explore those interests!
Learners need support from peers and mentors to persist through setbacks and challenges.
One main takeaway from my Grad School experience is that you need a community of people who are on your side! Grad school can be very isolating and frustrating and can lead to increased mental health problems, but knowing you have people cheering you on can help a lot!
Learning is irresistible and life-changing when it connects personal interests to meaningful relationships and real-world opportunity
Yes! A goal of mine as an educator is to help students become life long learners. I believe that by teaching to students' interests, we can help develop that love! I like the ideas about relationships as support and opportunities that come as a result.
The research is clear: Learning is irresistible and life-changing when it connects personal interests to meaningful relationships and real-world opportunity.
This is the key. We need to make connections with our lessons and our students likes/interests.
connected learning posits that the most meaningful and resilient forms of learning happen when a learner has a personal interest or passion that they are pursuing in a context of cultural affinity, social support, and shared purpose.
when the learner are engaged with something they are interested in, they will learn better
connected learning is about examining learning that cuts across the contexts of home, school, and peer culture, looking at the links and disjunctures between them.
connecting it to everyone who is also learning
SAMR in 120 Seconds
Substitution: Same task. New tech replaces old tech. Augmentation: Same task. Increase in functionality. Modification: Redesign parts of the task. Redefinition: Create new tasks, once unimaginable.
Connected Learning in Teaching Practice
Great resource to put into practice!
We need to teach youth to fish for mentors and we need to stock the pond with more mentors.
I like this analogy
expenditures for youth in higher-income households has increased 700% more than that of lower-income households.
Makes me think about how internships (especially unpaid internships) really only benefit those who are well-off enough to be able to take a job without pay. People who need the money to survive don't have time to work only to "get paid in experience". Because of this, when on the job search, it may be harder to get jobs in their field.
The presence of just one “stable, anchoring relationship” can be a gateway to crucial forms of support for academic and career success.
Teachers as mentors
and mentoring has become a critical ingredient for such success
Mentoring is a critical ingredient for success! How can we expand mentorship to those students who may not get what the article calls "natural mentoring"?
“value intervention,” because it helps students see the value of what they’re learning
Rather than stress the importance, allow students to reflect on why it is important to them, could help bring about interest
The intervention actually undermined interest in math among students who did not consider themselves skilled in the subject, making such students feel threatened and leading them to withdraw.
By stressing the utility of a subject that some students struggle in suggests they will be doomed in their future. Two options: take on the struggle or give up. Giving up is easier.
is to make sure that students have sufficient background knowledge to stimulate interest and avoid confusion.
Scaffolding teaching? Providing those hints that are mentioned earlier in the article?
The curious individual is motivated to obtain the missing information to reduce or eliminate the feeling of deprivation.”
Curiosity killed the deprivation
Silvia suggests that one reason that growing knowledge leads to growing interest is that new information increases the likelihood of conflict—of coming across a fact or idea that doesn’t fit with what we know already. We feel motivated to resolve this conflict
It always feels nice when things get resolved!
novel, complex, and comprehensible.
Good advice
interest is a more powerful predictor of future choices than prior achievement or demographic variables.”
Sometimes in order to achieve something the task seems mindless and boring. This could dissuade from taking on similar tasks.
Parents and educators can do this by exposing students to a wide variety of topics. It is true that different people find different things interesting—one reason to provide learners with a range of subject matter, in the hope that something will resonate.
Thinking about working on projects in class, is there a way to make the project open enough that students can choose how they want to go about it? Offering options/choices of research topics / ways of presenting research could help students become more active participants in research and learning!
that interest can help us think more clearly, understand more deeply, and remember more accurately
Really interesting finding! It makes sense from personal experience
In a world too full of information, interests usefully narrow our choices: they lead us to pay attention to this and not to that.
Great idea about how interest narrows down our focus, especially in a world where we have an overabundant amount of information at our fingertips.
Parents, educators and managers can also promote the development of individuals’ interests by supporting their feelings of competence and self-efficacy, helping them to sustain their attention and motivation when they encounter challenging or confusing material.
Empathy is a trait that needs to be mindfully practiced in order for it to generate and keep interest.
he intervention actually undermined interest in math among students who did not consider themselves skilled in the subject, making such students feel threatened and leading them to withdraw.
This happens alot with students today. If it does not cause great emotion, they lose interest and quit learning. Keeping their attention requires constant planning and innovation.
Try sharing your own personal interests with young people through casual conversations, hands-on demonstrations, and special trips.
Being able to share your interest with your students shows vulnerability and an openness to explore new interests.
arents and educators can do this by exposing students to a wide variety of topics. It is true that different people find different things interesting—one reason to provide learners with a range of subject matter, in the hope that something will resonate.
This is especially hard to do because students receive so much information from games online, youtube, snapchat, etc. Regulating what they see and with whom they communicate is extremely important.
interest is a more powerful predictor of future choices than prior achievement or demographic variables.”
The saying, "You can do anything you set your mind to" plays heavily in interest.
making connections between old and new knowledge
This is a key component of comprehensible input in language acquisition.
eelings that characterize interest are overwhelmingly positive: a sense of being energized and invigorated, captivated and enthralled.
Interest can sometimes become overwhelming. It can lead to compulsiveness if not kept in check.
Interest is a psychological state of engagement, experienced in the moment, and also a predisposition to engage repeatedly with particular ideas, events, or objects over time.
Interest varies from based on a person's upbringing, wealth, country of origin, and access to resources.
The introduction of the Internet, for example – particularly the rise of online learning – is an example of the arrival of a technology that forced educators to think about core pedagogical issues, such as how to represent content on the Web and how to connect students with subject matter and with one another
Reading this statement now and looking at the citation makes me smirk because now we are moving towards 100% online learning. Is it the best thing? For some learners, yes; but others need the face-to-face interaction that can't be fulfilled in a zoom meeting.
The choice of technologies affords and constrains the types of content ideas that can be taught. Likewise, certain content decisions can limit the types of technologies that can be used.
Technology is also constrained by funding. Students in low income communities struggle to receive the adequate funding to incorporate technology into curriculum.
content
Content is something that should be updated because it is something that is hard to generate interest in when it is outdated.
Many approaches to teachers’ professional development offer a one-size-fits-all approach to technology integration when, in fact, teachers operate in diverse contexts of teaching and learning.
We are students with different learning styles just as our students are.
Teachers often have inadequate (or inappropriate) experience with using digital technologies for teaching and learning. Many teachers earned degrees at a time when educational technology was at a very different stage of development than it is today.
It should be required that all teachers who are required to use technology be enrolled in ongoing tech training.
reate
This is the last indicator in language acquisition that shows you the EL student understands and is proficient.
formative
Formative assessments are needed to "tweek" lessons if students need a different or more detailed understanding.
We expect it will influence their language, imagery, games, social interactions, relationships, et
The page of expectations, although wordy, is true. Children today respond with more interest to online learning. Cites that make learning into games.
Teachers in the substitution and augmentation phase can use technology to accomplish traditional tasks, but the real learning gains result from engaging students in learning experiences that could not be accomplished without technology. At the Modification and Redefinition level, the task changes and extends the walls of the classroom.
Teachers typically get stuck in these the substitution and augmentation phases. It takes an open mind and lots of learning to move above the line into transformation. But with COVID 19 and the potential of going completely virtual, I foresee many more teachers being forced to adopt the SAMR and move into transformation.
Interesting reaction from the parent over how her son is using tech. Is it Cheating? How does this affect our future classrooms as more and more materials are headed online and from home over print.
Carr is arguing that the use of the internet has greatly changed the way that we read with a greater focus on skimming through information over the deep reading seen in traditional texts.
It is important to use critical and creative thinking, even if you can pass classes without it.
web-biggest misinformation engine as well as the greatest fact-checking resource
reading laterally rather than deep reading a website
Never ending array of content. No previous knowledge of sources.
Participatory Propaganda-doing our part to get our own message out there
Identify and discuss the relevanceandappropriateness of various electronic information sources (e.g., online databases such as Discus; web search engines).
Digital
Judgement and awareness, yes.
Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.
Good conclusion and wraps of the basic idea of the article
Although Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, it is usually a good enough first stop to learn about something. However, students need to know how it is updated. They need to recognize that there are back-channel discussions about what ends up appearing on the site. These discussions can be fraught with power dynamics, resulting in controversial issues appearing unbalanced as more powerful authors block alternative viewpoints.
On sites like this it is important to understand the meaning behind back-channel discussions
It is important for students to recognize that although technology gives us a lot of power, it also restricts us in many ways, and we need to question how the affordances of technology modify our communication and our behavior.
We need to learn the extent of what we can and cannot do on the internet
I place students in authentic situations as much as possible. When they tweet and blog, they have a public audience beyond our class. I ask students to tweet to other educators and learners (locally and internationally). They tweet about their burning questions and seek feedback on what they are working on for class.
It is important to help students with actual situations because this way they learn to broaden their horizons
We also need to recognize the risks of blogging/tweeting, which include opening avenues for abuse. We should not be throwing students into the public domain to discuss sensitive topics without having conversations with them on what they might face and which of these risks they are willing to take, how they would handle it, and how they might support each other. Then we should give them a private option if they so choose.
I think this is important and ties in to what I previously stated where the internet can be a scary place so students need as much information on how to use it as possible
do we remind them of the risks of placing their information online and give them choices of how much personal information to reveal?
students need to have the proper information so they can share their lives safely
Digital skills would focus on which tool to use (e.g., Twitter) and how to use it (e.g., how to tweet, retweet, use TweetDeck), while digital literacy would include in-depth questions: When would you use Twitter instead of a more private forum? Why would you use it for advocacy? Who puts themselves at risk when they do so?
This dives into the actual difference between the two topics. Skills involve more of a step by step while literacy asks the ethical questions of your actions
Unfortunately, many focus on skills rather than literacies. Digital skills focus on what and how. Digital literacy focuses on why, when, who, and for whom
Skills are more of a basic knowledge while literacy is more of the understanding
Although Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, it is usually a good enough first stop to learn about something.
When researching, it is also best not to go with the first source that pops up in the search.
do we remind them of the risks of placing their information online and give them choices of how much personal information to reveal?
Middle and high school students do not understand the dangers of giving out their personal information. It is a very "in the moment" mentality and they struggle to see long term damages.
After students have the skill to use multiple platforms, I allow them the choice of which platform to use for the support they need, but I make sure they ask questions.
Students take ownership in their learning when provided with choices and the ability to choose what is best for their learning style.
Digital literacy is not about the skills of using technologies, but how we use our judgment to maintain awareness of what we are reading and writing, why we are doing it, and whom we are addressing.
Very thoughtful post about the importance of data literacy.
After students have the skill to use multiple platforms, I allow them the choice of which platform to use for the support they need, but I make sure they ask questions. When is it best to do a Google search versus ask a question on Twitter? Why would students tweet to a particular hashtag or person versus another? When they tweet to people from another country in another time zone, what kind of context do they need to consider? What should they add, remove, or modify in order to communicate better?
This is crucially important in the teaching of literacy and detecting the biases of a particular source.
Think of the use of social media during the Arab Spring. People used social media in a way that went far beyond knowing how to click and deep into civic uses and navigating ways to communicate with others under the radar of a communication-hindering government. It was a way of both encouraging one another to remain critical and supporting one another through adversity in creative ways.
This example shows the importance of technology and social media not only within the classroom, but also in the real world in how events are interpreted and analyzed. This is a very crucial skill in teaching humanities related courses such as ELA and Social Studies. In particular, social media can encourage students to be more thoughtful about the origin and biases of a particular source.
Digital skills would focus on which tool to use (e.g., Twitter) and how to use it (e.g., how to tweet, retweet, use TweetDeck), while digital literacy would include in-depth questions: When would you use Twitter instead of a more private forum? Why would you use it for advocacy? Who puts themselves at risk when they do so?
This is very important as many students today have access instantaneously to social media.
Societies must teach their children from a young age how to perform research, understand sourcing, triangulate information, triage contested narratives and recognize the importance of where information comes from, not just what it says.
Bingo.
Teacher preparation—Preservice teacher education and in-service professional development are needed to provide educators with the media literacy and technology skills to select, use, integrate, and evaluate technology tools for young children.
Indeed. I'm curious as to when the Intro to Ed Technology class was first introduced at the College.
I facilitate the discussion about the picture, adjusting my level of questioning for each child. This activity provides a natural way to assess a variety of communication skills, such as a student’s ability to recall events and answer a variety of wh questions.
Great UBD tie-in. Adjusting questioning according to ability/performance.
classroom job called the journalist. The journalist is responsible for taking pictures on the tablet during center time to document the activities of the other students in the class, and reporting about one picture during closing circle.
I came across this while looking specifically for ideas about integrating technology into the early childhood classroom. I love the idea.
Examining and understanding the consequences of sharing data online.
This is a great mini-lesson idea.
“Write” is how we build the web. Web literate individuals can transform a word into a hyperlink and add media to websites. As abilities are honed, one becomes more adept at remixing other users’ content and understanding or writing code.
This is something I believe should be emphasized more in school.
Code.org is a great place to start for early learners.
To hold information-age jobs, people also need to think deeply about issues, solve problems creatively, work in teams, communicate clearly in many media, learn ever-changing technologies.
21C Skills emerge as skills critical to success in today’s world. They enable individuals to become teachers, advocates, and community leaders to leverage and advance the web as an open and public resource
In order to be successful these skills are very crucial
Participating on the web allows users to remix, modify, and share content, and the skills and competencies in this strand drive the open web.
Allows people to communicate and share their findings with one another
Creating mental and physical representations of digital content focused on accessibility and approachability
also important when creating things such as websites
Writing on the web enables one to build and create content to make meaning.
good skill to have for things like creating your own website
Evaluate Comparing and evaluating information from a number of sources online to test credibility and relevance.
important skill to have
Synthesize Integrating separate and unique information from multiple online sources.
putting all of what you need together
Understanding the basic structure of the web and being able to understand how this affects reading online
important at a young age to be taught the right way
Using questions and keywords to find the information you need.
very important when searching
What we concluded is that people needed the map to be more approachable, accessible, and applicable for learning and teaching web literacy skills.
Specifically, these skills are described as:
skills we used, now more technology based
these digital-age skills help us live and work in today’s world
help in todays world
Knowing how to read, write, and participate in the digital world has become the 4th basic foundational skill next to the three Rs—reading, writing, and arithmetic—in a rapidly evolving, networked world. Having these skills on the web expands access and opportunity for more people to learn anytime, anywhere, at any pace.
the world is changing and now these skills are more needed
To help people become good citizens of the web, Mozilla focuses on the following goals: 1) develop more educators, advocates, and community leaders who can leverage and advance the web as an open and public resource, and 2) impact policies and practices to ensure the web remains a healthy open and public resource for all. In order to accomplish this, we need to provide people with open access to the skills and know-how needed to use the web to improve their lives, careers, and organizations.
things to focus on to help
reach and meet the growing number of diverse audiences using the web.
important to show how much the use of tech is increasing
21C Skills emerge as skills critical to success in today’s world. They enable individuals to become teachers, advocates, and community leaders to leverage and advance the web as an open and public resource.
These skills along with proficiency on the web are crucial for finding success in today's society.
xamples of these skills include collaboration, communication, creativity, and problem-solving.
How has the introduction and synchronization of technology affected students abilities to master these types of skills.
“Read” is how we explore the web. Web literate individuals understand basic web mechanics such as the difference between names and addresses on the web, and how data is linked and moves through the infrastructure of the web. They can evaluate web content, and identify what is useful and trustworthy. “Write” is how we build the web. Web literate individuals can transform a word into a hyperlink and add media to websites. As abilities are honed, one becomes more adept at remixing other users’ content and understanding or writing code.
How do these definitions compare and contrast to the traditional definitions seen when using print materials such as book. What important skills do students both gain and lose when comparing reading and writing in these two forms?
a rapidly evolving, networked world. Having these skills on the web expands access and opportunity for more people to learn anytime, anywhere, at any pace. Combined with 21C leadership Skills (i.e. critical thinking, collaboration, problem solving, creativity, communication), these digital-age skills help us live and work in today’s world.
This is especially true now with the Coronavirus pandemic where millions of Americans are working from home. As well it makes me think about how it will affect the economy not only in the near future, but also how we help students prepare for the real world as educators.
To help people become good citizens of the web
How does one become a good citizen of the web?
to reach and meet the growing number of diverse audiences using the web.
There are many different ways to define what is a "diverse audience". One way to define it could be related to the varying experiences and backgrounds that a person interacts with on the internet. As well, diversity can be defined as one's own exposure and usage of technology when comparable to others.
Identifying rights retained and removed through user agreements.
This point is important to me because I feel like to be a "good citizen" in an offline space you should be aware of what rights you have, so it translates well to being a "good citizen of the web".
sharing data online.
Would sharing data online, either knowingly or unknowingly, also be considered as "Writing" or is "Writing" something that is a conscious and deliberate activity? Aren't you also developing new content as you participate in online spaces?
Understanding and respecting community behaviors when expressing opinions in online discussions.
Yes this is an important consideration in learning to become a "good citizen of the web." How do you define an online community, though? Is the whole internet an online community? Are their sub-communities? Are communities just groups of people who gather together (i.e. a Facebook group or page)?
Evaluate
I believe this is an important skill to have and to teach nowadays. Especially with the readily shareable content on social media people could post things with out critically evaluating what content is saying/where it comes from/if it is credible or not.
good citizens of the web
This is an interesting idea to me. What does it mean to be a citizen of the web?
A textbook should be viewed as a guide, not the curriculum.
I taught 4-6th grade social studies and science and I almost never used the textbooks. There are so many other resources available that are more interactive and student-friendly.
Have self-knowledge by showing meta-cognitive awareness, using productive habits of mind, and reflect-ing on the meaning of the learning and experience.
YES! I always say the key to success is self-awareness.
Essential companion questions are used to engage learners in thoughtful “meaning making”
"Meaning making" is a great word pairing. It's imperative we are able to make content meaningful to enhance student outcomes.
The UbD framework reflects a continual improvement approach to student achieve-ment and teacher craft. The results of our designs—student performance—inform needed adjustments in curriculum as well as instruction so that student learning is maximized
I like the idea of curriculum and instruction being a living, changing, ongoing process. This section reminds us that students should ultimately at the center of our decision-making and we should constantly be revisiting our craft and making adjustments accordingly.
Effective curriculum is planned backward from long-term, desired results through a three-stage design process (Desired Results, Evidence, and Learning Plan). This process helps avoid the common problems of treating the textbook as the curriculum rather than a resource, and activity-oriented teaching in which no clear priorities and purposes are apparent.
This reminds me of Steven Covey's 7 Habits. One of the habits is to begin with the end in mind.
Teachers must have access to high-quality UbD curriculum materials. Weak or flawed examples convey the wrong idea of what UbD curriculum should look like, and teachers who use imperfect resources
How do we ensure that all schools obtain high-quality UbD curriculum materials?
This, too, is false. Indeed, the data from released national tests show conclusively that the students have the most difficulty with those items that require understanding and transfer, not recall or recognition.
This can possibly be due to the mentality of "Teaching to the test" where teachers focus on having students memorize rather than analyze information to prepare them for standardized testing.
This perceived incompatibility is based on a flawed assumption that the only way to raise test scores is to cover those things that are tested and practice the test format.
In what ways can teachers overcome this obstacle in the classroom?
In Stage 3 of backward design, teachers plan the most appropriate lessons and learning activities to address the three different types of goals identified in Stage 1: transfer, meaning making, and acquisition (T, M, and A).
How can teachers do this while at the same time properly integrating technology into the classroom.
Teaching for understanding requires that students be given numerous opportunities to draw inferences and make generaliza-tions for themselves (with teacher sup-port).
This is why it is important for teachers to build relationships with students to discover what their individual interests are. This way, teachers can use those interests to infer on crucial points found within the lesson.
Can explain concepts, principles, and processes by putting it their own words, teaching it to others, justifying their answers, and showing their reasoning.• Can interpret by making sense of data, text, and experience through images, analogies, stories, and models.• Can apply by effectively using and adapting what they know in new and complex contexts.• Demonstrate perspective by seeing the big picture and recognizing differ-ent points of view.• Display empathy by perceiving sensitively and walking in someone else’s shoes.• Have self-knowledge by showing meta-cognitive awareness, using productive habits of mind, and reflect-ing on the meaning of the learning and experience.
These six facets are crucial for students to learn not only the facts related to a subject, but how to properly using analysis when learning and writing about the subject. This is especially crucial as technology has become more integrated into the classroom as well as the real world.
Stage 1 focuses on “transfer of learning.” Essential companion questions are used to engage learners in thoughtful “meaning making” to help them develop and deepen their understanding of important ideas and processes that support such transfer.
This helps encourage student engagement in the subject that you are teaching.
o recognize that factual knowledge and skills are not taught for their own sake, but as a means to larger ends
This is very important in helping students find interest not only in the course that you are teaching, but in learning altogether.
Teachers are coaches of understanding, not mere purveyors of content knowl-edge, skill, or activity. They focus on ensuring that learning happens, not just teaching (and assuming that what was taught was learned); they always aim and check for successful meaning making and transfer by the learner.
It is important for teachers to not only teach the material, but also to make it engaging for the students so that they want to know about the material.
Six facets of under-standing—the capacity to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empa-thize, and self-assess—can serve as indicators of understanding
How are students abilities to master these indicators change as technology is integrated in the classroom.
Effective curriculum is planned backward from long-term, desired results through a three-stage design process (Desired Results, Evidence, and Learning Plan). This process helps avoid the common problems of treating the textbook as the curriculum rather than a resource, and activity-oriented teaching in which no clear priorities and purposes are apparent.
This is extremely important as the trend is shifting toward more online learning during this pandemic. Therefore, we as teachers must think even greater as to how to properly integrate technology as a tool for classroom usage over the more traditional usage of materials such as textbook. As well, it will be important to measure how technology as a tool affects how students successfully analyze materials in the classroom
Six facets of under-standing—the capacity to explain, interpret, apply, shift perspective, empa-thize, and self-assess—can serve as indicators of understanding
How are these indicators put to the test when students are using technological resources or traditional ones such as reading from texts and books versus conducting reseach online.
think purposefully about curricular plan-ning. The UbD framework helps this process without offering a rigid process or prescriptive recipe.
Very good definition for the term learning. As well, it seems as if UbD focuses on helping students learn in a way that is not just strictly reading and memorizing materials from the book. For me, I experienced the important of this when taking AP Euro in High School which focused heavily on analyzing source documents from history rather than simply regurgitating facts from the text. I wonder how integration of tech affects the ways in which students analyze and write for assignments in many subjects, particularly social studies.
focus on teaching and assessing for understanding and learning transfer, and 2) design curriculum “backward” from those ends
What does it mean to teach backward?
code the various events in their learning plan with the letters T, M, and A to ensure that all three goals are addressed in instruction
Helpful, practical advice
In the UbD framework, we have identified six facets of understanding for assessment purposes
6 Facets of Understanding: Explain, interpret, apply, perspective, empathy, self-knowledge
Doing so invariably sharpens and focuses teaching.
If we know what we want to see out of students during an assessment, we will know what and how to teach the students!
The relationship between the arts and culture is mutually dependent; culture affects the arts, and the arts reflect and preserve culture.
Great EU for theatre!
the Stage 1 con-tent and understanding must be what is assessed in Stage 2 and taught in Stage 3.
Backwards design is a great way to ensure what you want students to walk away with is what you are actually teaching them!
This process helps avoid the common problems of treating the textbook as the curriculum rather than a resource, and activity-oriented teaching in which no clear priorities and purposes are apparent.
Teach with a purpose, be intentional in teaching! Know why you are making students do things
“always connected” individuals
This is a good point, need to think about how citizenry expands to online communities if this generation and future generations will be always connected to a global web community
Simply stated, students are often not provided with opportunities in school to practice the web literacies necessary to read, write, and participate on the web. The Mozilla Foundation and community of volunteers have worked to address this paradox by creating a Web Literacy Map. These efforts seek not to simply understand the web but to empower adolescents to help build a better open web.
I believe it is important for students to actual learn the web literacies in order for them to create a better space
The World Wide Web has become this generation’s defining technology for literacy. This technology facilitates access to an unlimited amount of online information in a participatory learning space.
The internet has created an amazing space that allows us to share any information we want
Yet, as early adopters, history’s first generation of “always connected” individuals do not have the knowledge and skills to critically explore, build, and connect online. Simply stated, students are often not provided with opportunities in school to practice the web literacies necessary to read, write, and participate on the web.
I believe as teachers become more technically literate, students will be provided with more opportunities. It is difficult to teach with education if you yourself have never learned how to use it.
Simply stated, students are often not provided with opportunities in school to practice the web literacies necessary to read, write, and participate on the web.
In school we were often taught how to use the individual program we were focusing on but not the general use of using the web and being able to function on it properly.
Definitely read more of her work
Quote: "Bridging the gap between education and technology"
Simply stated, students are often not provided with opportunities in school to practice the web literacies necessary to read, write, and participate on the web.
I remember having to take a computer science course in high school/middle school, but it mainly focused on developing digital skills instead of digital literacies
Labaree argues that American education has had three goals that have shifted in importance over time: democratic equality, social efficiency, and social mobility. Democratic equality supports the idea that education is a public good, necessary for creating informed citizens.
Raising informed citizens as a goal of education
Thus, we should allow for some ambiguity in terms and definitions, as new technologies afford new digital spaces for literacy learning, which will continuously be new, multiple, and rapidly disseminated
The rules we follow are constantly changing
eight essential elements of digital literacy that lead to positive action:
These eight things are what makes up a good participant of the internet
Civic: Develops and helps acquire the concepts of democracy and global citizenship as individuals become participants in society
This idea of a "good citizen of the web"
eight essential elements of digital literacy that lead to positive action:
Great, quick overview of the 8 essential elements of digital literacy as given by Doug Belshaw
1. The first weeks of school should be devoted to community building and digital competency.
This article gives a good insight into how we can use tech in the current circumstances we are in
Web Literacy Map Version 1.5: Read, Write, and Participate for a Better Web
"Literacy is a culturally defined social act" Check out: teach.mozilla.org for different guidelines. Children in todays day and age are being raised on/with technology.
Authentic assessments are assignments that are or mimic real-world problems, and require students to apply the stuff they should have learned to solving them. I’m using projects like the draining of a bottle and carpet friction experiments to assess if my students truly understand why they do algebra and calculus, and are able to apply the techniques they’ve learned.
Authentic assessment- apply what they know and learn to solve real world problems
Formative assessment happens during learning, usually in the classroom. Students do something, like an assignment, and get immediate feedback on what they did. A teacher walking around from student to student or group to group, following what the students are doing and helping students identify which concepts they’re not getting, is a typical example of formative assessment.
formative assessment
Authentic Assessment In contrast, authentic assessment (AA) springs from the following reasoning and practice: 1. A school's mission is to develop productive citizens. 2. To be a productive citizen, an individual must be capable of performing meaningful tasks in the real world. 3. Therefore, schools must help students become proficient at performing the tasks they will encounter when they graduate. 4. To determine if it is successful, the school must then ask students to perform meaningful tasks that replicate real world challenges to see if students are capable of doing so. Thus, in AA, assessment drives the curriculum. That is, teachers first determine the tasks that students will perform to demonstrate their mastery, and then a curriculum is developed that will enable students to perform those tasks well, which would include the acquisition of essential knowledge and skills. This has been referred to as planning backwards (e.g., McDonald, 1992). If I were a golf instructor and I taught the skills required to perform well, I would not assess my students' performance by giving them a multiple choice test. I would put them out on the golf course and ask them to perform. Although this is obvious with athletic skills, it is also true for academic subjects. We can teach students how to do math, do history and do science, not just know them. Then, to assess what our students had learned, we can ask students to perform tasks that "replicate the challenges" faced by those using mathematics, doing history or conducting scientific investigation.
Explanation of what Authentic Assessment is
A form of assessment in which students are asked to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate meaningful application of essential knowledge and skills -- Jon Mueller
authentic assessment
Thus, it is recommended (e.g., Wiggins, 1998) that multiple and varied assessments be used so that 1) a sufficient number of samples are obtained (multiple), and 2) a sufficient variety of measures are used (varied). Variety of measurement can be accomplished by assessing the students through different measures that allows you to see them apply what they have learned in different ways and from different perspectives. Typically, you will be more confident in the students' grasp of the material if they can do so.
Authentic assessment
For example, when presented with a real-world problem to solve, students are learning in the process of developing a solution, teachers are facilitating the process, and the students' solutions to the problem becomes an assessment of how well the students can meaningfully apply the concepts.
authentic assessment. How you can integrate teaching, learning and assessment.
Authentic Assessment Toolbox
Authentic Assessment resources
AUTHENTIC ASSESSMENT ¢Situated in real-life experiences or scenarios ¢Based on multiple forms of measurement, including observation and documentation ¢Considers the life experiences, culture, personality, and dispositions of children ¢Occurs over time in multiple contexts ¢Informs practice ¢Must include teacher reflection to be effective (Ratcliff, 2001/2002) ¢May feel overwhelming to teachers unless naturally integrated into daily life of classroom ¢Children are still learning during assessment times ¢Standardized test data should inform authentic assessment data and visa versa
Authentic Assessment and what it is
Authentic assessment is a powerful tool for early childhood educators to analyze information gathered during everyday classroom activities and routines in order to understand each unique child’s development. Consistent and comprehensive reflection on observation notes, photos, artistic creations, emergent writing, and dictations provides teachers with meaningful insight about each child and about the group as a whole. With this insight, teachers can plan activities and experiences that are responsive to children’s interests and needs. Teachers can share their understanding of each child’s growth with his or her family, while also gaining important insight from them in return.
Authentic assessment
Using authentic assessment to ground teachers’ understanding of children’s development in a collection of evidence that strives for objectivity and that is visible and accessible by others can help early childhood teachers to reduce implicit biases.
Authentic Assessment
Forward-thinking teachers are using technology to promote teamwork and collaborative projects, linking their students to classrooms across the globe. Yet building students’ collaborative skills is tough in traditional classrooms, where a teacher stands at the front of rows of students isolated by desks.
this is a workplace requirement
Students are digital natives. They’ve grown up with technology; it’s woven into their lives. In fact, it’s one of the basic 21st century skills that they’ll need in school and the workplace.
this is something that has been around since the children were born
Our dream is that DE will be a digital hangout for our young people—a place where they play, learn, create, problem-solve, and inspire. We wonder about the possibilities.
with the world on lockdown this is how we are interacting. students arent just having lessons taught but they are connecting with their classmates
When students create digital content that they value, they are much more likely to be engaged. With greater engagement, they commit themselves more fully to learning so their learning is deeper and more enduring.
Creative thinking as a way to encourage engagement. I love it!
In school, most youth only consume digital stories and resources
What kind of factors previously allowed this to occur? How can digital project based learning transform this?
They inform, persuade, entertain, and inspire us to take action. Digital storytellers use technology to improve the quality of their work and amplify its impact.
I am thinking of all of the ways this will give our students a leg up in the business world after they graduate.
When students create digital content that they value, they are much more likely to be engaged. With greater engagement, they commit themselves more fully to learning so their learning is deeper and more enduring.
This is so true. I had to ask the kid to create a document with his spelling words today and he wanted nothing to do with it. But Then I told him he could use slides or even record himself spelling them out and defining the words he was all for it because he was given choices. This excited him and he wanted to then make a video of his other assignments. He was fully engaged at that point.
Storytellers can transform the world. They inform, persuade, entertain, and inspire us to take action. Digital storytellers use technology to improve the quality of their work and amplify its impact.
Very true.
We need to transition from consumption to creation of digital content, from students as consumers to students as creators of digital content. When students create digital content that they value, they are much more likely to be engaged. With greater engagement, they commit themselves more fully to learning so their learning is deeper and more enduring.
When students create/construct and not just consume digital content, they take more pride in their work and hopefully learn better/ engage more in what they are learning
Teachers can engage students in creating and sharing original digital content without Discovery Education.
Online platforms, programs, and collaboration exposes students to global audiences.
Discovery Education committed to providing professional development relating to students as creators of digital content while also enhancing opportunities for students to post original content
Purpose and goal: greater difital content values - - - more engagement - - - committment to deeper, more eduring learning
HP: Have you gotten backlash from art history purists? HW: Not that I’m aware of; they’re probably working on other things! Of course, there are occasional Internet comments that are unflattering. Someone might, for example, think something about the piece should have been done differently, or, less kindly, accuse me of copying something from somewhere. But to head any purist’s critique off at the pass, I’d refer them to the brilliant video series, “Everything Is A Remix.”
everything is a remix reference
Have you ever looked at a classical work of art and thought you just couldn’t relate to the subject matter? Enter Hillary White, an imaginative illustrator who isn’t afraid to merge Raphael — the Renaissance painter — with Raphael, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. We’ve fallen hard for White’s hilarious series of “Pop Reinterpretations“ introducing works by Da Vinci, Goya and Bosch to the likes of Spiderman, R2D2 and Lady Gaga.
Art example of remix
Remixing Pedagogy: How Teachers ExperienceRemix as a Tool for Teaching English LanguageArts
For reference that I need to read more on this dissertation
As always, almost everything anyone does to get a living out of the arts won’t work – the Internet doesn’t change that. What it does change is how many ways there are to make things, and to get them into other people’s hands and minds. It changes how many people can participate in culture and satisfy their creative urges.”
In reference to the Internet and all it's remixing tools. Getting the arts or info into people's hands and minds is so important. Same for increasing the number of people that can participate in culture (in all it's many forms).
In music, and the arts more generally, collaboration has always been a boon to creativity, and the communications revolution has bolstered this in new ways. Specifically, it has allowed remix and mash-up culture to flourish like never before,
remix is when collaboration leads to creativity
Creation can be viewed simply as the act of producing, or causing to exist. Construction is the building or assembling of an infrastructure
These two things do seem very similar but if you really think about it, they are very different. Creating something is putting together your very own ideas and putting it out into the world. Construction is just borrowing others ideas' and aligning them in a way that makes things work together.
Learners are encouraged to be creative as they build and revise content.
I think students need to be encouraged more to be creative when creating content online or offline.
online collaborative inquiry, and online content construction to help expand the work students are involved in as they use online information sources to research and develop media skills.
This is a good statement, emphasizes online collaborative inquiry and online content construction helps students develop media skills.
The ideas and concepts in all of this work does overlap sometimes…and students and teachers should feel empowered to move in, out, and between all of the concepts. Working online is a fluid experience which calls for flexible learners.
I agree with this
Online reading comprehension (ORC) has elements of “communication” identified as the last of the five skills students need. In order to fill the void I would see concerning the creativity, composition, and design skills students need…we have been developing online content construction (OCC).
ORC vs OCC
Construction is equal parts inspiration and perspiration. Construction calls on creativity as well as persistence, flexibility, and revision. Construction asks our students and teachers to focus on the power and patience employed during work process…and not just the final resultant work product. Construction also brings in the role of groups of learners in the process of learning and as a result includes elements of social and cognitive constructivism. Learners are encouraged to be creative as they build and revise content. They should look to see if it meets their needs and how representative it is to other elements of online information. But, most importantly, they are to use the expertise of other students and the teacher in the classroom.
online construction vs. Online creation. Creation is the act of creation or causing to exist. Construction is a bit more of a fluid concept.
Working online is a fluid experience which calls for flexible learners.
Very true. Students need to be flexible in working online and all mediums
PBL Lends Itself to Authentic AssessmentAuthentic assessment and evaluation allow us to systematically document a child's progress and development. PBL encourages this by doing the following:close modalMott Hall School: A popular science lab activity is the culmination of several days' worth of exploration into the heat of fusion.Mott Hall School: A popular science lab activity is the culmination of several days' worth of exploration into the heat of fusion.It lets the teacher have multiple assessment opportunities. It allows a child to demonstrate his or her capabilities while working independently. It shows the child's ability to apply desired skills such as doing research. It develops the child's ability to work with his or her peers, building teamwork and group skills. It allows the teacher to learn more about the child as a person. It helps the teacher communicate in progressive and meaningful ways with the child or a group of children on a range of issues.
The benefits are deeper than just a grade.
These 21st century skills includepersonal and social responsibility planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity strong communication skills, both for interpersonal and presentation needs cross-cultural understanding visualizing and decision making knowing how and when to use technology and choosing the most appropriate tool for the task
These can be applied easily into all classrooms, and I am already brainstorming so many projects that these play into.
The World Wide Web was made public domain only a few months after MOSAIC was released.
Internet released to the public towards the beginning of 1993.
. As students gain skills and confidence, they can be encouraged to develop ideas for new computational projects of their own design that address issues of their choosing (the “Create” stage).
This is definitely a confidence builder. Being encouraged to develop their own design and choice.
Computational thinking requires understanding the capabilities of computers, formulating problems to be addressed by a computer, and designing algorithms that a computer can execute. The most effective context and approach for developing computational thinking is learning computer science;
This situation we are in today has a good portion of people wishing they knew anything about computers. Computer science and understanding how a computer works is necessary in this day and age. Welcome to the Technological world.
Computational thinking requires understanding the capabilities of computers, formulating problems to be addressed by a computer, and designing algorithms that a computer can execute.
Intertwined with computer science studies, computational thinking encompasses solutions that are understood like a series of algorithms or stelps that a computer could perform.
"can never be a perfect translation from one mode to another: Image does not have “word,” just as writing does not have “depiction”; forms of arrangement (i.e., syntax) differ in modes that are temporally or spatially instantiated." In my opinion this is right there can be no perfect translation... however, everything is a matter of opinion. An Image can have "word" it just isn't the same "word" for everyone else. It becomes a personal depiction depending on how you feel and the way you think.
When I think of modes I think of mediums. I believe that they go hand in hand. You think of the message you want to get across and how you will do so. What programs or what item are you going to need to materialize this.
This is graphic design 101. Mode as a socially and culturally shaped resource for making meaning. You can't use comic sans in an obit, it sends the wrong message. being able to use different resources, fonts, colors, framing ... is all important to get a point across
This is very interesting. Our ways of learning are changing- rightfully so! This change shows us what we deem important. We are using all of our senses to learn.
multimodality can be described as an eclectic approach, although itis primarily informed by linguistic theories, in particular, the work of Halliday’s (1978)social semiotic theory of communication and developments of that theory (Hodge &Kress, 1988). Multimodality has developed in different ways in the decade since itsinception around 1996. Although a linguistic model was seen as wholly adequate forsome to investigate all modes, others set out to expand and reevaluate this realm of ref-erence, drawing on other approaches (e.g., film theory, musicology, game theory
An eclectic approach. Not the norm. I think that is important so that kids see that learning isn't always cut and dry.
Alongside this, the representational and communicational environ-ment is also changing in highly significant ways that can be described as a shift fromprint as the primary medium of dissemination toward digital media
As the worlds has gone online, digital media is our saving grace. The one way to keep children learning as all our schools have shut down and the children are forced to be homeschooled. Though packets were sent home they were sent with only 2 weeks worth of work. Now they will be out until may possibly longer and their work as migrated to be online.
Sefton-Green’s (2006) Reviewof Research in Educationreview of how current media debates frame children’s interac-tions with media as pedagogic argues that interest in children’s media culture opens widernotions of learning beyond education and school systems
If you can manipulate a lesson to include something relatable like spongebob, or mindcraft the kids are intrigued. They want to engage in learning.
Our collaborative inquiryrevealed that‘Property of No One’involved young people working within the constraints of the sys-tems they occupy and with the tools they have at their disposal to do socially just work.
OCC with purpose and passion.
Not only did the school provide a set of tools andresources for media production in the form of the lab space and a dedicated media teacher, butthe very structure of the school providedflexibility in how students performed their requirements.
Opportunities and tools within the school to expand learning outcomes through a multimodal version of the assignment.
Sara described its broader narrative as a‘sister story
Sara: Black, female, muslim. Partipated in documentary creatyion, "Property of No One" where the events were based off of her story - gives viewers a new understand of her (and others' experiences). Combination of words and images that captured their reality better.
how critical media literacy potentials are realized in practice, as they study how adults, youth mediaorganizations, funders, and popular culture shape the ways youth engage with media and the storiesthey tell
The roles of adults and influencers on youth as they help shape online media presences and engagement.
We theorized restorying as a way young peopleuse digital tools to write themselves into existence,first narrating and analyzing their lived experi-ences and then synthesizing and recontextualizing those stories to represent a diversity of perspec-tives and reshape dominant narratives.
Recontextualizing stories to create new narratives that shed light on aspects of reality.
how young people use new media tools in school to engagethe narrative imagination and build the worlds they want to live in,simultaneously representing the political histories and realities of theireveryday worlds
Just from the abstract, I'm hooked. Very relevant, thought-provoking material.