Observation Reflection: iPads in the Classroom

On 3/12/12, half of the CSUSM Single Subject Credential program went to El Camino High School to observe two high school math teachers use iPads in their classrooms. My group observed the following classes: geometry and math analysis with one teacher, and geometry again with another teacher. Since I have been observing at ECHS the last several weeks, nothing was too new to me, but it was a fun experience to show everyone around and see my future students. As for reflecting on iPads in the classroom, these math classes use them almost always. Only sometimes is bookwork done at home. It apparently promotes student learning because students did considerably well in the classes, and they were able to ask questions of the teacher one-on-one. Furthermore, the students could look-up and store any information online at anytime in the class period. I believe that as long as students know where to find information and can apply it to a problem they are trying to solve then they will be successful in life. However, for standardized testing, these students may have a disadvantage because maybe they haven't gotten used to memorizing formulas and certain pieces of information. When the principal spoke during debrief, I learned about what makes the school unique - that they care the most about making sure students learn. This day of observing relates to the theme of EDSS530 because it is expected that everyone will use technology at their own pace, but there are certain requirements so that students learn enough to be competent in the new age of technology.

Are Grades Necessary for Learning?

Watching Dan Pink speak about how he took French for many years and always got an A, but now knows no French, shows something is wrong with our educational system. Also, this is an issue I have had throughout a good amount of my classes; where I pretty much just did the work and passed, but felt like I didn't learn anything. The difficult question to answer is what would happen if we took grades out of the equation? I believe that if we did, it would have to be a process. There would have to be some way in order for us to see that the students were ready to participate in class and complete their work simply so that they learn and not for a grade. I think it is more important that we grade based on individual student growth, and we shouldn't compare students against one another. Also, the students should have the opportunity to assess themselves, reflect on how they grew, and identify what they learned. These kinds of higher level questions increase student's cognitive development. In addition, students would probably, more often than not, learn more if they didn't earn a grade because there would be no set standard and the students would probably grow above and beyond what they would have if they simply got an A. 

Disrupting Class (Chapters 1-5)

1. Explain the difference between interdependence and modularity.  How is education currently organized?  
Interdependence and modularity are ways to describe the way a product's components relate to one another. If components are interdependent of one another, they are dependent on each other's design. If additions are interdependent, it makes the most sense for them to be created at the same time because the future is unpredictable, and if a lot of time and energy goes into one addition, hopefully the subsequent additions fit it. On the other hand, modular architecture allows for customization. The components will fit together, therefore they need to be well-understood, have to meet specifications, and have to be flexible. Our education is currently highly interdependent because we have standards that are not flexible and there are interdependent structures, such as hierarchy and physical. Customizing an interdependent product is expensive. 

2. Explain the disruptive innovation theory.  What does this have to do with schools?

The disruptive innovation theory explains struggles with innovation and how to succeed in innovation. The innovation disrupts the product's trajectory of improvement by bringing a good or service. These changes happen in order to benefit the nonconsumers (those who weren't using the original product). Therefore, the changes may not be better, but they are different. 

This relates to schools because changes to public schools have required them to adjust, and they have also improved. They have done a good job of preserving the important values while doing the best they can at new innovations. NCLB and Nation at Risk report are examples of disruptive innovation.

3.  Why doesn’t cramming computers in schools work?  Explain this in terms of the lessons from Rachmaninoff (what does it mean to compete against nonconsumption?)
Cramming computers into schools will not allow for student-centered classrooms. Computers have the opportunity, though, to disrupt current instruction and allow teachers to provide more individual attention. In terms of the lessons from Rachmaninoff, the idea of playing a phonograph instead of hearing live music relates to putting computers in a class and expecting them to teach instead of the teacher. Technology should only compete against nonconsumption, where there is no alternative to taking a class from the computer, that  it would be necessary instead of supplementary. 

4a. Explain the pattern of disruption. 
Disruptions first compete against nonconsumption so that the technology improves and the cost declines. Then, the technology starts applying original applications to the new plane to eventually create student-centric technology. This transition's pace follows an S-curve, which means that the initial pace is slow, then it steepens a lot, and finally it slows down and approaches the entire market.

4b. Explain the trap of monolithic instruction.  How does student-centric learning help this problem?
The trap of monolithic instruction is the idea that teachers must meet all of the same expectations for all students. Therefore more advanced or other classes are frequently unfunded for differently-abled students. Student-centric learning helps with this problem because teachers have more time to meet individual needs, and can push students to meet their furthest potential. Specifically, students can be taught based on their learning styles.

5. Explain public education’s commercial system.  What does it mean to say it is a value-chain business?  How does this affect student-centric learning?
Presently, education is a like a VAP (or value-chain) business, which means value-adding process. These types of businesses bring inputs of materials into one end, add higher value, and deliver the higher-value products to their customers at the other end. This affects student-centric learning because we have a lot of opportunities to improve on it, but at the same time there aren't many supports because it is new. 

Problem Based Learning

In the math methods class, we have been working on an assignment where we design unit plans with a local high school. The units are problem based, which means that a "big" problem is proposed, and the tools that are needed to solve it are the lessons to be taught subsequently. In most of these types of units (or at least ours), the students first decide what kind of information they know and need to know in order to solve the problem. I love this idea because with real-life problems we will not be told what tools we need to use or how to use them. However, there are ways to use our resources and prior knowledge to figure this out. Next, the students are guided and taught what they need to know. Students collaborate along the way and are interested in each other's thinking and ideas. Typically, what is collected at the end is a portfolio of work completed leading up to the solving of the unit problem. It has been an insightful and valuable experience to be able to plan and observe lessons for this assignment. If you are interested in learning more about PBL, check this out for strategies: http://www.studygs.net/pbl.htm

Educational Chats

This week, I participated in two educational chats, #iPadchat and #edchat. In general, it was nice to casually chat with people who are passionate about education and have all different connections to it. The two chats were vastly different though.
Edchat was so popular and the stream of information was moving so fast that it was hard to read the tweets. The topic was, "how do we know when our students are engaged?" I re-tweeted my favorite tweets, and added a couple of my own insights. Some common tweets included, "when students do not leave their seats when the bell rings" and "when they do not ask if the information is going to be on the test." I added that it is awesome when students quiet down their peers so that they can learn. At a few occasions, the chat started to get more deep by  people discussing how a teacher should be to make class engaging. A lot of people were re-tweeting the comment, "If we expect our students to be engaged, we (teachers) must be engaged." Something I found interesting and is often true is that teachers sometimes inhibit the engagement out of fear of how their class will look to administrators. In general, what I gained from this chat is that teachers being curious and active in classwork and lessons increase student engagement, and that can be best measured by talking to students to see what they are learning.
iPadchat was a lot less popular. I think maybe five people participated. However, I received a few great links, which I added to my Diigo bookmarks. So, from this chat, I increased my web presence and gained some resources.
Overall, it's fun to participate in educational chats on Twitter. The only occasional downfalls are that there aren't enough participants or it is overwhelming how many participants there are. The chats are great opportunities to increase one's PLC, learn something new, and reflect on what one knows and does already.

Reflection: Learning in New Media Environments

The YouTube Video, "Learning in New Media Environments" is about how we are often constrained by four walls in classrooms, and are not creating students who are ready to go out into the world and make a difference. The best part of the movie to me was at the end: the speaker makes a point to say that they actually failed in their concluding simulation because the students didn't solve the world's problems... but they failed in a "good way" because the students left not thinking about what they need to know for the test, but they left thinking more about how they can better get to know the world. As an educator, I am reminded how important it is that I give my students relevant information that they are able to apply to the real world. I don't want to give busy work; it is about quality over quantity. It is my goal to apply everything I teach to their unit and to real life. 

Dan Meyer on Real-World Math

Dan Meyer gave a talk on this at the GSDMC last weekend. Very interesting! Time to take my camera out and look for inspiration. This idea of making word problems more exciting can be used in any content area, not just math!