Well, after working with Windows Movie Maker for the past four or five mornings, here is what I've come up with. Definitely incomplete, but I wanted to post it for my reader (thank you, Nancy) to see. I'll actually write about the process later... Or not: I am getting a video upload error. Crumb!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
THING 3: Storyboards - Margaret Mitchell, Watch Out!
With God as my witness, I'll never digitize an adobe file again! Whew: who knew that getting the digital images to appear on my blog would be the hardest part of this endeavor?
Actually, creating a storyboard was pretty consistent with my way of thinking about writing and presenting information: as an English teacher, I am always teaching organization; therefore, the storyboards were a natural for me.
I liked the idea of using Power Point slides, but since my home computer doesn't have that particular application and since I was too lazy to get up and actually find my laptop (perhaps I am more like my students than I care to admit...), I decided to download one of the forms available through PrintablePaper.net and plow forward. 45 slides later, and I was through!
Honestly, I am not sure that my kids would tolerate the repetition involved in making a storyboard in one form and then transferring the data into another: the tendency to produce one document that is continually modified is probably more consistent with their practices.
I think that they could do this with PowerPoint, and in retrospect, might have been a good idea even if it meant getting up out of my chair... My mother definitely would have had something to say about this level of laziness...
Actually, creating a storyboard was pretty consistent with my way of thinking about writing and presenting information: as an English teacher, I am always teaching organization; therefore, the storyboards were a natural for me.
I liked the idea of using Power Point slides, but since my home computer doesn't have that particular application and since I was too lazy to get up and actually find my laptop (perhaps I am more like my students than I care to admit...), I decided to download one of the forms available through PrintablePaper.net and plow forward. 45 slides later, and I was through!
Honestly, I am not sure that my kids would tolerate the repetition involved in making a storyboard in one form and then transferring the data into another: the tendency to produce one document that is continually modified is probably more consistent with their practices.
I think that they could do this with PowerPoint, and in retrospect, might have been a good idea even if it meant getting up out of my chair... My mother definitely would have had something to say about this level of laziness...
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
THING 1: Accessing Information: The Internet is targeted toward low-level thinking
As preparation for this second "thing", I decided that I would adopt the characteristics of my students.: I would wait until late (OK, relatively late by old peoples' terms) to begin; I would subject myself to multiple distractions, watching the College World Series and texting my family with scores and predictions; I would risk dropping crumbs onto the keyboard and enjoy a snack while working; I would venture no further than my electronic arm would reach; and I would still expect positive outcomes. Ah, the optimism of youth...
All teasing aside, these are the conditions under which my students work, and I hope that by appreciating their working environment I will be better able to guide them in the learning process. I can't expect the kids to work as I work; instead, I have to adopt their perspective.
So back to my narrative, I sat down at the computer ready to study Crime and Punishment. This weighty tome is one of the assigned summer readings for my English IV AP students, and given its complexity provides the perfect laboratory for my experiment with resources. It is a shoe-in for Cliffs Notes, right? The names alone - Raskalnikov, Svidrigalov, Dunia, Sonia, Lubetkin, etc - create a barrier of unfamiliarity that sends students running to the security of these "study aids." There is no doubt that students reading this novel will need support!
Seeing as how I have adopted the persona of my students, to find this support I will go directly to my computer, I-phone or other portable electronic communication device. I'd like to think that the kids might start with the library and actually hold a book, but chances of that happening are slim to none: it is late at night, and even if it wasn't, why go to the 'brary when you can just click or touch your way to the help you need? (Remind me to check out apps for literary criticism...)
Just for argument's sake, I did check out Meriwether and Aquabrowser for text resources available. Visually Meriwether appears dated and unappealing, so it was no surprise that the resources available there for a student struggling were limited: several versions of the novel and guess what? Cliffs Notes! Niiiiicccceee! Aquabrowser looked more promising, especially the web cloud Discovery Web and the sidebars for refining one's search; however, the sources were still mainly print - no e-books that this researcher could find- and required legwork that I just don't think my students are willing to undertake.
It is my conviction that students will rely on the electronic sources and that they will begin with the least common denominator of web searches, Google. Having a fairly good idea of what that type of search will return, especially considering the fact that my students will use the simplest search terms, I opted for two of the other search engines suggested. Maybe they would offer more promising returns? Bing, despite its flashy Jay-Z/JLo name, found nothing new, nothing different than I expect Google would: in fact, the first several links included Spark Notes, Grade Saver, Bookrags, Novel Guide, and Mega Essays. And what do they offer? Low level, superficial readings of the text and/or opportunities to engage in ethically low behavior! Ask.com netted similar choices: Spark, Cliff, Gradesaver, E-Notes... The one bright spot on the second page was a link to a DiscoveryEd lesson plan on Split Characters, but it was geared to a teacher's use over a student's comprehension.
I did find that if I changed the search term away from the title of the novel itself to include works like criticism, interpretation, or analysis the returns were greatly improved, but will my students know to do this? This is something I should consider!
Truly, the best sources for supporting complex literary thought came from the district's databases. Ebsco's Student Research Center and Literary Reference Center were overflowing with information. Even the plot summaries included there from Masterplots and Magill's operate at a higher level of thought, offering criticism and interpretation to enhance rich thinking rather than the oversimplification of the plot. And the true criticism? It is beautifully designed to offer new perspectives and challenge the prevailing and common interpretations offered up by the intellectual welfare system.
I did look at the social networking sites, but I couldn't find much, and emulating my students, if the answer didn't come quick and easy, I moved on. I can see the kids using Facebook to find out the library access codes, though! YouTube? There were some interesting dramatic productions and student projects there, but it is too early to see if those will be helpful.
So what have I learned through all of this? That we've got to get the kids off of the Internet and into databases and other credible sources. We already knew that, but how do we pass that learning on to them? That's a question for another day. It is 11:11, and my eyes are growing heavy. I know: pretense can only go so far... Good night and sweet dreams!
All teasing aside, these are the conditions under which my students work, and I hope that by appreciating their working environment I will be better able to guide them in the learning process. I can't expect the kids to work as I work; instead, I have to adopt their perspective.
So back to my narrative, I sat down at the computer ready to study Crime and Punishment. This weighty tome is one of the assigned summer readings for my English IV AP students, and given its complexity provides the perfect laboratory for my experiment with resources. It is a shoe-in for Cliffs Notes, right? The names alone - Raskalnikov, Svidrigalov, Dunia, Sonia, Lubetkin, etc - create a barrier of unfamiliarity that sends students running to the security of these "study aids." There is no doubt that students reading this novel will need support!
Seeing as how I have adopted the persona of my students, to find this support I will go directly to my computer, I-phone or other portable electronic communication device. I'd like to think that the kids might start with the library and actually hold a book, but chances of that happening are slim to none: it is late at night, and even if it wasn't, why go to the 'brary when you can just click or touch your way to the help you need? (Remind me to check out apps for literary criticism...)
Just for argument's sake, I did check out Meriwether and Aquabrowser for text resources available. Visually Meriwether appears dated and unappealing, so it was no surprise that the resources available there for a student struggling were limited: several versions of the novel and guess what? Cliffs Notes! Niiiiicccceee! Aquabrowser looked more promising, especially the web cloud Discovery Web and the sidebars for refining one's search; however, the sources were still mainly print - no e-books that this researcher could find- and required legwork that I just don't think my students are willing to undertake.
It is my conviction that students will rely on the electronic sources and that they will begin with the least common denominator of web searches, Google. Having a fairly good idea of what that type of search will return, especially considering the fact that my students will use the simplest search terms, I opted for two of the other search engines suggested. Maybe they would offer more promising returns? Bing, despite its flashy Jay-Z/JLo name, found nothing new, nothing different than I expect Google would: in fact, the first several links included Spark Notes, Grade Saver, Bookrags, Novel Guide, and Mega Essays. And what do they offer? Low level, superficial readings of the text and/or opportunities to engage in ethically low behavior! Ask.com netted similar choices: Spark, Cliff, Gradesaver, E-Notes... The one bright spot on the second page was a link to a DiscoveryEd lesson plan on Split Characters, but it was geared to a teacher's use over a student's comprehension.
I did find that if I changed the search term away from the title of the novel itself to include works like criticism, interpretation, or analysis the returns were greatly improved, but will my students know to do this? This is something I should consider!
Truly, the best sources for supporting complex literary thought came from the district's databases. Ebsco's Student Research Center and Literary Reference Center were overflowing with information. Even the plot summaries included there from Masterplots and Magill's operate at a higher level of thought, offering criticism and interpretation to enhance rich thinking rather than the oversimplification of the plot. And the true criticism? It is beautifully designed to offer new perspectives and challenge the prevailing and common interpretations offered up by the intellectual welfare system.
I did look at the social networking sites, but I couldn't find much, and emulating my students, if the answer didn't come quick and easy, I moved on. I can see the kids using Facebook to find out the library access codes, though! YouTube? There were some interesting dramatic productions and student projects there, but it is too early to see if those will be helpful.
So what have I learned through all of this? That we've got to get the kids off of the Internet and into databases and other credible sources. We already knew that, but how do we pass that learning on to them? That's a question for another day. It is 11:11, and my eyes are growing heavy. I know: pretense can only go so far... Good night and sweet dreams!
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Bringing it all together
What an optimistic title for this blog post, more importantly for this endeavor: "Bringing it all together." Those of you who know me well can appreciate the irony of this ambitious statement -- I never have it all together. In fact, the wingandaprayer method has served me well lo these many years of teaching, and I kind of like it.
At the risk of sounding too cavalier or casting myself in the wrong light, let me qualify that statement: After 21 years in the classroom some things become second nature and no longer require the legwork required in the early years of teaching, but I am forward thinking as teachers go: I am not a "file cabinet" teacher, and rarely do I execute the same lesson plan twice.
Teasingly, I describe my family as a group of complexity seekers: we are always looking for a better way to accomplish some task. From gumbo recipes to the vacation plans, we are quick to ask, "You know what we should do next time?" This familial trait carries over into my classroom: as soon as we finish an assignment, I am quick to ask my team how we should modify it for the next year's students.
Case in point, let us consider one of the major tasks of each year. As educators we are called upon by local, state, and national standards (if not the ethical standpoint of a modern educator) to encourage critical, independent thinking and thereby promote lifelong learning - a welcome relief from the days of rote memorization and skill and drill instruction. Yet students often fail to appreciate the liberation offered to them; instead they "just want to know the answer."
This conflict finds particular application in the study of language and literature. Despite our attempts to teach the type of thinking mentioned above and to bolster students' confidence in asserting their own, reasoned interpretations of literature, many prefer to rely upon the intellectual welfare offered by Spark Notes. (Or Cliffs' Notes, Baron's Guide, Pink Monkey, Novel Guides, etc. - they are all the same...) So quick to give up on their own ideas and adopt the easy answers and interpretations offered by these study aids, many of my kids resist the offer of free thought. (Ironic isn't it? But that's another post...)
Back to the topic at hand: my goal is to use the technology skills learned over the last two summers to create a product that addresses the conflict of critical thought and literary analysis. My hope is to create something that (in no particular order) 1) addresses the need for support while working with complex literature, 2) includes the role of direct instruction in understanding literary trends, 3) exposes the simplistic and reductive nature of superficial study aids, 4) offers some better alternatives that encourage deeper and more complex analyses, and 5) combines together to encourage students confident literary analyses.
What form this product assumes is yet to be seen: I've seen the videos offered on the Library2Play3 website, but I wonder if there is a better vehicle for delivery -- Maybe an interactive flipchart to be used on my ActivBoard? Hmmmm: anybody have an idea?
Whatever incarnation it takes, I know that the more technologically advanced and savvy the end product is, the better it will catch my students' attention. And as so many of their "cheats" to critical though come through electronic sources, I hope to show a better way to use those same mediums for a better outcome. So that's my plan for now, but given that my life is under constant revision, look for changes along the way. And when I'm done, too: I can hear myself already, " You know what I think we ought to do next time???"
At the risk of sounding too cavalier or casting myself in the wrong light, let me qualify that statement: After 21 years in the classroom some things become second nature and no longer require the legwork required in the early years of teaching, but I am forward thinking as teachers go: I am not a "file cabinet" teacher, and rarely do I execute the same lesson plan twice.
Teasingly, I describe my family as a group of complexity seekers: we are always looking for a better way to accomplish some task. From gumbo recipes to the vacation plans, we are quick to ask, "You know what we should do next time?" This familial trait carries over into my classroom: as soon as we finish an assignment, I am quick to ask my team how we should modify it for the next year's students.
Case in point, let us consider one of the major tasks of each year. As educators we are called upon by local, state, and national standards (if not the ethical standpoint of a modern educator) to encourage critical, independent thinking and thereby promote lifelong learning - a welcome relief from the days of rote memorization and skill and drill instruction. Yet students often fail to appreciate the liberation offered to them; instead they "just want to know the answer."
This conflict finds particular application in the study of language and literature. Despite our attempts to teach the type of thinking mentioned above and to bolster students' confidence in asserting their own, reasoned interpretations of literature, many prefer to rely upon the intellectual welfare offered by Spark Notes. (Or Cliffs' Notes, Baron's Guide, Pink Monkey, Novel Guides, etc. - they are all the same...) So quick to give up on their own ideas and adopt the easy answers and interpretations offered by these study aids, many of my kids resist the offer of free thought. (Ironic isn't it? But that's another post...)
Back to the topic at hand: my goal is to use the technology skills learned over the last two summers to create a product that addresses the conflict of critical thought and literary analysis. My hope is to create something that (in no particular order) 1) addresses the need for support while working with complex literature, 2) includes the role of direct instruction in understanding literary trends, 3) exposes the simplistic and reductive nature of superficial study aids, 4) offers some better alternatives that encourage deeper and more complex analyses, and 5) combines together to encourage students confident literary analyses.
What form this product assumes is yet to be seen: I've seen the videos offered on the Library2Play3 website, but I wonder if there is a better vehicle for delivery -- Maybe an interactive flipchart to be used on my ActivBoard? Hmmmm: anybody have an idea?
Whatever incarnation it takes, I know that the more technologically advanced and savvy the end product is, the better it will catch my students' attention. And as so many of their "cheats" to critical though come through electronic sources, I hope to show a better way to use those same mediums for a better outcome. So that's my plan for now, but given that my life is under constant revision, look for changes along the way. And when I'm done, too: I can hear myself already, " You know what I think we ought to do next time???"
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