Week 4 Publishing and Leadership Project

Student Response Devices
used in my ARP

Welcome to my Publication and Leadership project. Throughout the past year I have worked on my Action Research project through the EMDT MS program. The goal of my ARP was to increase student motivation and achievement in at risk populations by creating a 21st century classroom. Throughout this year I have learned many things about technology, my students, and most importantly myself. The one idea that I came away with at the end of this process was, a 21st century classroom is not all about the technology. It’s about the atmosphere, the teacher and then students all working together to use the technology to its fullest potential. If you have the technology without the previous three you have a room with a lot of fancy equipment with no one to use or the passion to find out how to use it.


In the past weeks, I have been looking at different conferences that I could present my information at finally finding the Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Convention. I feel like my research would be a good fit for this convention. Another convention that I would also like to submit my presentation to is the International Society for Technology in Education.


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PETE&C
ISTE


Think Out Loud #1
Think Out Loud #2
Wimba Week 4

Week 4 Post #4- Wimba

I received great feedback from my Critical Friends about my project.  After receiving this feedback, I went through my presentation again and made many of the changes that they suggested.  

Feedback from Marty Denson:

Hi Ashley,

Just a little feedback so you can get things together for your Pub/Leadership Presentation. Hope you're feeling better.

The following questions are geared more toward a case study analysis or scenario analysis. (Based upon 1 student as an example):

On Slide #12 you indicated "Student Choice" as one of your bullet points - 

1. Can you give me a good example of one of the "choices" one particular student made? 

2. What inspired and/or motivated the student to make that particular choice? 

3. And, what was the result of the choice that particular student made?

This question is geared more toward a case study analysis or scenario analysis.

And lastly...

In looking at the Cognitive, Affective, and Psychomotor learning domains, what connections did the student make in the process of your cycles? Was there a behavioral change? Did they become more or less motivated in relationship to intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors?

Hope this helps you. 

Feedback From Susan Calland

Hey Ashley,

Your Presentation looks great as always!  On slide 2 the only way I could get to your video was to copy and paste the URL into a web page.  Is there a way to make the link connect directly?  Same thing on slide 12 and 15. Missing speaker notes on slide 17.  Everything looks wonderful and very specific!

Super work

Week 4- Post #3 Response to Susan Calland

I have noticed the same thing with my students.   I love the Mr. Miagi idea! I can see you in front of your classroom doing wax on wax off!! :)  I think, especially with our age group, our "wackyness" scares them just enough that they like us, and remember us.  Middle school students are always looking for acceptance and when they see their teacher put everything out there and not care about what people think it makes them comfortable.






Original Post:
Don’t hold back & participate wholly!
The chapter that definitely meant the most to me was chapter 9. I have noticed many times that the students in my 7th & 8th grade classes who are totally uninterested in school and completely uninspired, will give me full effort when I am my nuttiest! They may look at me and roll their eyes, but every time I am passionate about what I do and really into it, they are definitely paying more attention than when I am just giving notes or lecturing. It is so awesome to see that student that really doesn’t give a hoot about being in my class, study for a quiz or look at me and say, “Hey I get it!” The crazier I am, the more I can generate a spark from them. To get my students to remember waxing and waning moon phases, I do my Karate Kid, Mr. Miagi, stance with my karate move. I may look like a goof, but they remember the moon phases! I was at an awards assembly at the high school and a former student caught my eye when the speaker talked about “wax on, wax off”. Across the gym she mouthed to me, “was on, wane off” with a big smile on her face. She was in my class three years ago. Those are the time that I know that if I don’t hold back, they understand and remember so much more. They are also more willing to take a risk since I do.

Week 4- Post #2 Response to Marty Denson

Marty, as the others have said I total agree with you.  Giving students a small amount of freedom and choice causes their creativity to explode. During my cycle 1 of my ARP I let them pick what type of presentation they wanted to do and they could also choose who they worked with, as long as I approved it.  The look on their faces was priceless. They worked 10 times harder because they liked what they were doing, and who they were working with. 


Original post: 

The practice of enrollment, in many regards, sounds similar to what I have been doing for the past several months but didn’t actually realize that I was doing it. Perhaps many of us have been demonstrating this practice unknowingly. I have always believed that when you discover what truly interests individuals, you not only add that ‘spark’ within them, but within yourself as well.

Many of my students seem to enjoy music immensely, however, I have noticed that when it was time to incorporate music technology as a learning tool, they seemed to think that everything was going to be extremely technical. They initially viewed it as all technology jargon and intense engineering protocol, leaving no room for fun and enjoyment. It wasn’t until I spoke with them and probed to find out what their musical tastes were and suggested to them that they could learn, experiment, and discover with the musical styles of their choice. Many were surprised that I did not suggest that it had to be classical music, which they had been accustomed to hearing in all of their other courses. What I was most interested in accomplishing was allowing each of them to reach their full potential in performance techniques and how to use music technology to help achieve that goal. This approach, rather simple in my opinion, lit a fire in all of them. They became eager to get started and began to invoke a sense of creativity even I didn’t expect.

Once it was understood that they could use any style of music to engage in the learning process, they started working even harder and longer to perfect their original works, which was beneficial to the overall goals. I was completely overwhelmed with the shift in attitude by simply appealing to their interests. It was if those ‘steps to the practice’ of enrollment were evident in what was a natural process at that particular time. When you are passionate about what you do, I believe you can find ways to give individuals that spark that allows them to become much more engaged in whatever they are participating in. 

Week 4 Reading- Art of Possibility Chapters 9-12

I have really enjoyed reading the Art of Possibility and hope to reread it over the summer. I have done this with many “required readings” readings over the course of my education. For some reasons when I don’t “have” to read something I enjoy it more.
I really enjoyed the way the book presents itself with anecdotal tales. While reading this week, the first story in chapter 11 really hit a cord with me. Just a refresher, it was the story about the little girl undergoing chemotherapy and her teacher shaved her head so the little girl would not longer be embarrassed by her lack of hair. One of my students is currently undergoing chemotherapy for her second bout of cancer in her 10 short years of life. I was left thinking to I have that much commitment to my student, sure I donate money to buy her a game to play while undergoing treat meant but would I commit myself that greatly. The quote “ In the realm of possibility, there is no division between ideas and action, mind and body, dream and reality. Leaders who become their vision often seem uncommonly bravest to the rest of us. Whether from the middle of the action, or from the sidelines, they are a conduit for carrying the vision forward,” (p 172) really stood out to me. If everything is possible, that line between I have a really great idea, but how do I bring it to life would not longer exist. Reminding me of the William Arthur Ward quote, “If you can imagine it, you can achieve it; if you can dream it, you can become it.”

Think Out Loud Post #2

After working on my project I decided to go with a presentation. I will be submitting to the  Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Convention.  As the week progress I really started to enjoy reflecting on my work over the past year. I am excited to receive feedback tomorrow in Wimba. 

Week 3 Post #4- Wimba/ Think Out Loud # 1

After viewing the Wimba session for this week, I was left to think about my publishing/leadership project for week 4. I have to really think about what I want to do for this project. Right now I am leaning toward a presentation. I am fortunate to finally have a week of not too much planned so that I can spend a significant amount of time on my project this week. The Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Convention is a possibility for a conference to submit my presentation to.