Wk 4 topic: AR publication

After many reviews and edits and a helpful meeting Monday night, I am ready to send my publication to Educause or Edutopia. I am stuck on which one to send it to, but am leaning toward Edutopia because I used that site frequently this program and would love to have my findings posted there.

I have to say that at first I was not happy to have to make a presentation or a paper about my work, but then I thought about my research which showed that making learning authentic usually means have a real audience, like the world. Also that true scientific method includes sharing findings. Imagine if others did not share their findings, like the vaccine for polio.

On a whole I am glad to make my research real and official, it adds more meaning to all the hard work this year in this program and makes a stronger leader. Thanks!

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wk 4 topic: Response to Alicia Kalb

Alicia's post


My response:

I so agree!

We do need to take responsibility for why things are the way they are. As teachers, we often hear it is the kids fault, especially if the teacher has no classroom management. In my hallway, you can tell which kids are on which teams because of how they behave with adults, in the hall, and of course lunch.

The 2 other teams kids run up and down the hall, throw food at lunch, scream happy birthday everyday and have cupcake fights. All I have to do is look at my students and they know not to. Yet all I hear is how horrible their students are, never do they admit that they let the bad behavior happen because they ignore it, especially at lunch. They never even bother to look at their students unless administration walks over their first. Of course it is the horrid kids, not the lack of care or attention from the teachers.

wk 4 topic: Response to Deborah Cowden

Deborah's Post


This week’s project is to research where I want to publish or do a presentation, and formulate my research article or presentation.


My ARP critical friend, Enrique Ramos, suggested that I publish or present with the Institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education (ISKME). I forwarded his encouraging email to leadership at ISKME and am waiting for their reply. (Here’s his email:)


On May 22, 2010, at 7:29 AM, Enrique Ramos wrote:

Deborah:

I saw you on the Big ideas fest videos, I could recall lots of feelings. By the way, I also found out that ISKME is announcing a Fest for 2010. And they also say something on their webpage, that they would like to know of links of work created after the 2009 Fest. I think there should be a report of your findings and accomplishments for the fest. I want to go back to Half Moon Bay, but I do not have money for that...Anyway, I think you should present your work and results.


As a Plan B, I plan to contact ISTE and Silicon Valley Computer Using Education (SVCUE) groups for publishing and/or presenting.




My Response:

Deborah,

Very encouraging remarks from Enrique, I agree with your plan to publish to ISKME and hope it works out for you. Would to present if they asked? That could be an exciting possibility for the fest.

I am glad they are having us publish our work, that makes it all the more real and valuable.

Wk 4: topic, The story of WE

When thinking about the story of WE, Zander mentions that people throughout history have fought over resources, territories, and "truth." I cannot help but remember what my mother used to say when my sister and I got into a fight. "There are 3 sides to every story; Yours, Theirs, and the truth." When I taught U.S. history, I had that posted on my board and as we learned, I presented materials from as many points of view as possible and let the students form their views of the world.

I like the idea of changing the WE that usually means, I plus others, to Everyone working together, for the greater good, without trying to make themselves important...remember rule 6. Too often in life, even when thinking of WE, people are concerned with what they will have to give up, let go, or have to do. I see this a lot in faculty meetings where people are more concerned with how the changes will impact them and not the students.

WE is a hard concept because human nature wants to be singled out as special and important, and WE blends us all together. If we were more of a WE there would be less of the Us vs Them. Well I can hope!

wk 4 topic: free post, my dream classroom

My dream teaching environment would have a class desk section for discussions and notes, and a lab section for well, labs. I would have enough tools for each student to use rather than 1 for every 4, depending on the science subject being taught. I would have computers for every student so research and lab results could be immediately shared and disaggregated. Students would be able to text answers to spot checks and students would be able to check progress of class and find misconceptions. 1/2 of class would be spent out of the classroom working with real scientists to assist research and see how science is useful outside of school. Add in a secretary to grade checkpoints and deal with some of the tedious paperwork and meetings and this would be paradise.

Wk 3 Reading Topic: The way things are

Especially in my current situation, accepting the way things are has been necessary. I could be like the story of the trip to Florida and be angry about weather, or in my case the loss of my job, especially when there are teachers in my building who have negative feedback on their evaluations and yet get to keep their jobs. There is even a teacher who sneaks cigarettes during the school day and sneaks off campus, leaving her kids unattended, yet she keeps her job. I could be very bitter and angry, reveling in the fact that my principal told me he is not sure how they will survive next year without their department chair. I am not a bitter person and sinking in the misery is not really in my nature.

As Zander says in chapter 7, I would be stuck, "unable to go on from there."


If I just accept, "presence without resistance: You are now free to turn to the question "What do we want to do from here?" (p. 101) And that is a question I have asked myself, and I answered myself, time to pack up and head back to New Hampshire. Maybe this is a new path for me to head to HS, maybe this is the kick I need to get to the College level. I will just need to accept that this is how things are, and change my expectations to fit my new surroundings.

wk 3 Topic: Response to Ashley Burch's Post

Ashley's original post:

Time to start looking at where to post. Still foggy on what to do for the Publishing/Leadership project. I hope to know what I'm doing by the end of the week. One resource I would love to publish to would be Edutopia. I have gotten most of my information and references from the magazine and two Edutopia groups I joined called Middle School, and Arts/Music/Drama. I don't know what I would do without Edutopia.

The farthest I've gotten in acquiring a submission for publishing is downloading the submission release form. I cannot submit without one. Along with that, I just need to once again, organize, organize, organize!

I want to submit into the section for the Arts, possibly in a feature section. I'll work on it.

Image from Edutopia.org


My response:

I as well would love to post to Edutopia, It has been such a wealth of information and it would be fantastic to be able to post to them. I am planning on downloading the submission form today and get on to posting. I also feel foggy about getting everything done, and there is so much to get done. I am trying not to worry or stress. Sometimes I am successful, sometimes I am not.

Keep working hard and things will work out!

Good Luck