Final Board and Reflection

Final Project: Board Builder- Environments

I created this board to teach students about different environments or ecosystems around the world. I wanted to provide them with an opportunity to continue to develop their respectful and ethical minds through science by learning about the world around them. The Discovery Education board that I created meets one of my science standards as well as introduces another. It will be a perfect starting point for students to work through either together on our SMART Board or independently on computers or iPads.

         Howard Gardner describes the respectful mind as one that notes          and welcomes differences between individuals and groups, tries to          understand others and seeks to work with them. He also mentions that the world is interlinked and that intolerance and disrespect should no longer be an option as the respectful mind develops. Gardner then explains that the ethical mind ponders the nature of one’s work, as well as the needs and desires of the society that one lives in. When developing the ethical mind, one works selflessly to improve all (Gardner, p.3).

My board focuses on the characteristics animals and plants need in order to survive in different environments. Students will first view a few short video clips about plant and animal survival in environments. One of the clips is about the deciduous forest, which is most similar to the environment in which we live. While students are viewing the four clips, they will be taking notes on characteristics plants and animals must have in order to survive, as well as noting differences between the environments. This will allow for us to have discussions based on their understandings as to how the environments relate to human life and everyday living.

My goal, through the use of this board, is that students will be able to recognize that our (all living things) resources are different depending on which environment that we live in. However, based on what is provided and what we can do to help ourselves, of course without harming nature, is living life just they same as we do, it just may look a little different. I want my students to look at places around the world with an open mind and not be judgmental to how others are living, but to recognize their environment and see how they are using their resources in order to survive and live a fulfilling life. As Gardner says, “A truly respectful individual offers the benefit of the doubt to all human beings” (Gardner, p.113).

I know as a fourth grade teacher that I am simply helping students build the blocks that will be the foundation for their learning and understanding through life. Through lessons like this and others, I hope my students will ask themselves “What is the right thing for me to do?” (Gardner, p.144) as they are “…all humans as part of a single community” (Gardner, p.120) including both all living and non-living entities.

Resource:

Gardner, H.  (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Looking Ahead: My Five Minds

How I plan to continue to develop my five minds for my future and for my students based on Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner and my take away from the readings, as well as this course. 

Resources:

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Google Image Search: Five Minds

Respectful and Ethical Minds

The interview with Vicki Davis and Julie Lindsay was eye opening and engaging to me as I had never heard of the Flat Classroom Project, let alone the terms flattening the classroom. I was understanding it as taking the current curriculum that you have and with other classes around the country or world, having the students teach one another based on their interpretation. Following the interview video, I began to look up the Flat Classroom Projects and was happy to find links that worked, the first was frozen by the court. (Flat Classroom Project, Flat Connections) I was able to find the wiki pages of previous projects and had a new understanding for the "A Week in the Life" projects that are designed for grades three through five. Instead of it being related to curriculum, it is teaching other students what a week in your life is like with questions geared toward the students i.e. school days, after school, home, etc. It would be a perfect opportunity to tie into our writing and social studies curricula as well as incorporate the use of digital media and making global connections.

"A truly respectful individual offers the benefit of the doubt to all human beings" (Gardner, p.113)

As I reflected on the interview and both the respectful and ethical minds, I kept bringing my thoughts back to the Rachel's Challenge initiative that our school has adopted and implemented. It isn't an idea that I personally have created or discovered, but that my school, as a whole, has chosen to utilize as model for teaching students many of the traits or characteristics associated with the respectful and ethical minds.  Here you can learn all about Rachel's Challenge and how it is used and I will also give you examples of how I believe this program fosters collaboration among my colleagues as well as our students and how it helps to develop our students' respectful and ethical minds. Rachel Joy Scott was the first student killed at Columbine in 1999 and is remembered as a student who was always looking out for others, whether they were new, being picked on or were just different than others. As a teenager, Rachel had a strong developmental base of all five minds.

"As disciplined learners, it is our job to understand the world. But if we are able to be ethical human beings, it is equally our job to use that understanding to improve the quality of life and living and to bear witness when that understanding (or misunderstanding) is being used in destructive ways" (Gardner, 142). 

Within our school, which houses grades 3-6, our guidance counselor has made it her mission to improve the way our students behave and view one another. She has taken the time to educate the staff in our building on Rachel's Challenge and uses the program when she meets with students throughout the school year. One initiative that we started last year was the creation of links, where teachers and students could fill out a slip of construction paper with a positive message when someone had said or done something that made them feel important, because that person had gone out of their way to notice or help them. Once the student filled out the link, then the student could either show that person or simply put it in the envelope. From there, a group of students would meet, fold and staple them into links and add them to the chain. It was great to see at the end of the year the long chain that students just from my room had created! (Wishing now I would have taken a picture of my students with their chain!) Through many of the statements that Gardner used throughout the text in both chapters on the respectful and ethical minds, I was writing them down as quotations that would be perfect to display to students or use throughout lessons. This one in particular reminded me of a lesson my students were engaged in with the Rachel's Challenge program that teaches students about differences, especially special needs, and how they are no different than you or I. " I call on human beings to accept the differences, learn to live with them, and value those who belong to other cohorts" (Gardner, p.107). Our students are great friends to the students with special needs in our building and grade levels; they accept them into their groups of friends and treat them with dignity and respect. 

"…all humans as part of a single community" (Gardner, p.120).

Throughout the school year, the students work on many projects together and discussions within their core classes and the program with the guidance counselor in which they are collaborating with their peers and teachers. Our students are beginning to learn and ask themselves the important question that Gardner reiterates throughout the chapter on the ethical mind, "What is the right thing for me to do?" (p. 144). This wonderful initiative was first implemented with the idea of anti-bullying and helping students to see ways out of being a bully as well as being bullied. It has transformed into something much larger, where we recognize that we are a community and it is our duty to unconditionally accept and respect all within, tolerating those that are not ethically oriented and not stooping to their level. However, our students are still developing this frame of mind, so it will take strong positive models in order to guide them down the right path from this point forward, as most of them were not oriented with ethical or respectful individuals in the early stages of their lives.  

"…we should whenever possible, give priority to respect for those with different backgrounds and beliefs--and hope that they will return the favor" (Gardner, p.119). 

References:

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Rachel's Challenge. (n.d.). Rachel's Challenge. Retrieved August 2, 2014, from http://www.rachelschallenge.org

SOS: Similarities and Differences

            

SOS: Similarities and Differences

            In my classroom I am constantly brainstorming ways to keep my students engaged and to create an active learning environment. Active learning is defined as “anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor's lecture” (Merlot Pedagogy). When having students identify the similarities and differences of natural and human-made systems I am encouraging them to compare, classify and create both analogies and metaphors (Ohio Dept. of Education). While the students are engaged in the activity of identifying the similarities and differences, it also holds each student accountable. I can easily see whether students are correctly classifying the natural and human-made systems and base any further instruction off of these results (Liscom, E.). Therefore, my goal is to provide the instruction and understanding that they need in order to create a tool (graphic organizer), which they can build upon, for further understanding of systems, models, and patterns. I feel that when utilizing the strategy of identifying similarities and differences, I am meeting each of these five teaching styles which allow for me accommodate to students’ needs and learning styles (Concordia University). Not only has identifying similarities and differences improved students’ understanding of content, but it has also proven to increase writing quality when graphic organizers have been utilized (Ohio Dept. of Education).

            The integration of digital media through the use of videos, presentations and interactive sites would further student understanding of the concept, as well as, encourage active participation. Utilizing the SMART Exchange lesson would give the students a brief idea of the concept being discussed and then allow students to use prior knowledge to sort the objects. This would initiate great conversation and student engagement prior to any instruction. Following with the Discovery Education video would allow students to see a natural and human-made system and then be introduced to the nervous system, which is natural and crucial for our survival. The video compares the nervous system to the system of a computer, which would provide for a great visual example for the students. I would also look to compose a Prezi or other video to enhance to use of digital media within this lesson. Either would provide students with further knowledge as well as opportunities to engage within the lesson, specially interacting within our science notebooks. I believe that teachers look to digital media as a means of connecting with students in today's society, which increases its value when used in the classroom. That being said, the modes of using digital media within the classroom are not the sole focus of the lesson, but a tool used to bring visual clarity, practice, and further understanding to the concept. 

Resources:

100% Educational Videos, Discovery Education (2012). The Nervous System:Introduction to Body Systems. [Video Clip]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

[hllambeth]. (2013, February 3). Nature Made vs. Man Made. SMART Exchange. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=e209a51e-cb9b-4396-849b-8901657dbe50

Liscom, E. (2013, August 5). Education to the Core: Six Teaching Strategies I Couldn't Live Without. Education to the Core: Six Teaching Strategies I Couldn't Live Without. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.educationtothecore.com/2013/08/six-teaching-strategies-i-couldnt-live.html

Merlot Pedagogy. (n.d.). Teaching Strategies. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://pedagogy.merlot.org/TeachingStrategies.html

Concordia University - Portland Online. (n.d.). Concordia University Portland Online:Most Common Teaching Styles used with Elementary School Students. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/reference-material/most-common-teaching-styles-used-with-elementary-school-students/

Ohio Department of Education. (n.d.).Teaching Effective Learning Strategies: Similarities and Differences. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ode/ims/rrt/research/Content/similarities_and_differences_what_we_know.asp

Tyson, K. (2014, January 5). Marzano's 9 Effective Instructional Strategies. . Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2014/01/infographic-marzanos-9-effective-instructional-strategies/

Creativity to a 4th grader

I had a discussion with a student of mine from last year, who also happens to be my "nephew" (cousin's son). He seemed very confused with what I was asking him and I sensed that he was trying to give me the "just right" answer. I kept talking to him and insuring him that he could answer with however he really wanted to and that my questions had nothing to do with our school. Still, he continued to think before answering and I felt he was only skimming the surface. I would have LOVED to have had this discussion with all three of my groups last year and get their feedback, yet it is summertime and I'm at the beach, so a phone call with my "nephew" will have to do for now. 

These are the questions I asked him and the responses he gave to me.
What does creative or creativity mean to you? What does it mean to be creative?
-You have different things around you and you can make different things. Being creative means using different resources than you might usually have or choose to use. 

What does that look like in your classrooms (creativity or being creative)?
-In math class we got to make goo and that was creative because we got to choose our colors and make something different.
-In science class when we made our projects about the planets, we got to be creative.

What would you change?
-Maybe have more projects and creative activities, especially around holidays or special times. LIke maybe for Halloween, we could make a statue. We could use paper and make bones and then create a skeleton. 

What is important about your classroom with technology and creativity?
-We were able to discover really neat websites when researching for our planets and they (the technology) helps us when we want to look things up and find answers to things.

What would you want to change about your classroom when it comes to technology and creativity?
-To have more computers or devices available in the classroom so that we can use them. It would be really great to be able to use them more for writing time to be able to create our essays and projects on them.

*This student has an iPad at home, a computer available and internet access. He utilizes several types of apps and will be going into 5th grade next year. I thought it was very interesting, considering what he has available to himself at home, that he didn't want to incorporate any of that into the classroom or improve the amount of usage or devices that could be available to us. This student doesn't particularly enjoy writing, so I think it is wonderful that he brought up writing and that it would be a good change to use the devices to "write" with. If we had more devices available per grade level or students, then it would allow us to create ways for students to enjoy writing within the devices that they are familiar with.*


Images from Google Search:
Creativity in Classroom
Technology in Classroom

Fundamentals killing creativity

Following watching Sir Ken Robinson in his TED Talk "Do schools kill creativity?" I began reflecting on my first year of teaching my own classroom, as well as the previous three years I spent as a substitute. I realized that the majority of my teaching is scripted for me, and that's how I was taught throughout my pre-teaching experience. Up until my senior year of my student teaching internship, I hadn't thought about planning and designing things on my own. When I did design projects where the students were in charge of their learning, I felt that I was reaching their creative minds. 

Howard Gardner describes the creating mind as one that builds upon the disciplined, or mastered, mind and the synthesizing. The creating mind is the breaking ground for the formation of new ideas, unfamiliar questions, fresh ways of thinking, and reaching unexpected answers. It seeks to remain at least one step ahead of computers and robots and is not yet rule governed (Gardner, 2008, p.3). 

I no longer feel that I am reaching my students creative minds, but I feel that Sir Ken Robinson had a very valid point, in that creativity and the arts are pushed further and further away with math, language arts, and social sciences being the focus. I initially thought, as a teacher, it was my job to ensure that my students were strong in those areas in order to prepare them for life after school. But what type of life would that be? Are all of my students ready to join a particular trade or workforce where only those skills are applicable or ready to get a college degree in which they will need to continue schooling, most likely in those subjects which are held to a hierarchy? Realistically, no, they are not ready nor will they all choose that path, and that is not wrong. Our schools are so focused on math, sciences and language that we are not enabling students to choose their interests, in which they are academically strong, to pursue which would enable their creative mind. Therefore, I do believe that we are killing their creativity. So, now what? Well, as Sir Ken Robinson said, we need to rethink fundamentals and see creative capacities for what they are so THEY (the students) can make the future, because we can't say that we will be there, but they will (Robinson, 2007). 

If my current district had a 1:1 technology initiative then I feel it would enable me to enrich my students' creative minds. With there being a lack of that currently, I will have to be creative myself and design ways to encourage this in my students and not take away from it. I would utilize the devices to bring digital media stations and centers into the classroom which would allow the students to be in the drivers seat of their education. Ideally, students could start by reading the text for the day or watching videos/podcasts which would introduce the lesson. Students would be able to work at their own pace. I would be available for their questions, comments, concerns, but they would also have the devices to use that they could further research those questions. Following their lesson, students could choose from a selection of activities or projects that would assess their understanding of the content or create their own piece that would still show that they have synthesized the information learned. This would give me the opportunity to be there for their questions and concerns through their learning process, as well as put the students in charge of their learning. Through these minor changes and adjustments in my teaching, I would be enabling students to take a chance where there wouldn't be a wrong way to reach the end goal, and in turn encouraging their creative minds.

Resources:

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Google Image Search: Creativity (for quote and mind map)

Robinson, Ken. [TED Talks]. (2007, January 6). Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

Prezi Project- The Water Cycle

Prezi-The Water Cycle

I know that at some point prior to my fourth grade students coming to my class that they have had some experience with the term water cycle. However, I have no idea to the extent at which they have studied this topic. Therefore, it is my job to ensure that students not only have a mastery of the water cycle at the level in which we will study it, but also that they have the capacity to be able to renew this craft through regular application through the years (Gardner, 2008, p. 43). This will meet the duel meanings of the word discipline in relation to the “Five Minds” that Gardner speaks of.

The media infused presentation that I created will help foster the development of a disciplined mind as it follows the four essential steps in order to achieve a disciplined mind (Gardner, 2008, p.32-35). The important concept has been outlined, there are a variety of models and examples, the topic is being approached in a number of ways, and there are ample opportunities for students to perform their understandings. I feel that this media infused presentation is engaging and interactive which follows what Plato is quoted for saying that “Through education we need to help students find pleasure in what they have to learn” (Gardner, 2008, p.41).

In order to foster the development of a synthesized mind, information has to be taken from various sources, time to understand the information needs to be given, and the learner needs to collate the information into a way that makes sense and can be applied (Gardner, p.3). Throughout the media presentation that I created about the water cycle, I have used visual examples, video segments and audio files that build upon the topic which will allow students with different learning styles to pull away the information needed in order to understand how and why water goes through phases. From the first clip to the last, students should be able to make connections with time to process and write down their thoughts and then apply them at the conclusion. Without this synthesizing students would be overwhelmed and unable to make connections for their personal self or for the sake of applying the information pushed to them (Gardner, 2008, p.18).

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.

The Synthesizing Mind

So I have to say creating an eduClipboard was anything BUT simple or user friendly. I attempted to create an account using my school email information, however, I never received the email in order to be able to access my account. Therefore, I ended up just using my google account, thankfully that was a simple process (YAY, Google!). 

With all of that being said, here is my eduClipboard. Howard Gardner states that "there is a motivating goal; an initial stance taken by the synthesizer; a set of tools or strategies that can be employed; one or more interim syntheses; and at least some criteria by which the success of the synthesis can be evaluate." (Gardner, p.58).  I decided to go with a topic of study that my students already thoroughly enjoy and include graphics, interactive sites and videos to further enhance our study on Ecosystems and Food Chains. Fourth grade has an emphasis on Biological Sciences, especially in relationship to the study of plants and animals, their structure/function, continuity of life, and ecological behavior and systems. My clipboard focuses first on an image of a butterfly landing on a flower in a field which is an ecosystem and each play an integral part in one another's survival in that ecosystem. Following, is a simple diagram of an ecosystem that shows not only parts in an ecosystem but the flow of energy as well, which is something we also focus on when we study food chains. The next three links have activities or videos to engage students in the topic of study which will in turn, hopefully, help them to synthesize all of the content and information that is being covered. My goal would be to use this clipboard throughout the unit, as well as provide it to students to access on their own as a study tool. My hope will be, that when they are assessed, they are able to prove a strong understanding and application of the content.

Resources:

Babwahsingh, M. ( Illustrator). (2012). Synthesizing [Image], Retrieved July 10, 2014, from: http://michaelbabwahsingh.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vizthink_synthesizing.png

Gardner, H. (2008). The Synthesizing Mind. Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.

Blog on Digital Media: Plant Trading Card

I chose to create a trading card using Big Huge Labs for my fourth grade science classes. My intention for this trading card would be to present it at two different points throughout our year-long study. The first would be during our unit on the Nature of Science in which we will differentiate between natural and human made systems. Students would need to be able to recognize that plants are natural systems. I could use this trading card as a displayed picture through the smart board and it could be our opening as we begin our lesson on systems. Students could do a Type 1 write up (Collins Writing) answering the questions listed within the areas on the trading card. A Type 1 writing is similar to a brainstorm in which the students do not need to have the correct responses, but need to have a certain number of lines written in a certain amount of time all relating to the topic. The second point in our year-long study that I could utilize this image again, would be during our second unit of study on Biological Sciences where we explore how the parts of a plant work together to provide what it needs. Instead of using it as a brainstorm in the beginning of the unit, I could use it as an assessment tool near the middle or end of the lesson relating to plant parts, displaying the image through the smart board. This would allow us to discuss systems again and make connections to new learnings. However, this time I would ask students for a Type 2 writing (Collins Writing) where I would be looking for a correct response to all three open-ended areas within the card. It is visually appealing, relates to two areas of study within our science curriculum and would be opportunities to use writing within science class. 

Resources:

BigHugeLabs: Do fun stuff with your photos. (n.d.). BigHugeLabs: Do fun stuff with your photos. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://bighugelabs.com

Collins Writing Program. (2013). Five Types of Writing ~ Collins Writing Program. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://www.collinsed.com/5types.htm

Fuqua, P. (2005). Flower, orange hibiscus. [Image]. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

EDIM 508: 140 characters about ME

Attached below you will find my tweet answering four questions about myself in 140 characters or less. This was definitely a challenge, but an enjoyable one.