Sunday, October 14, 2012
Recharged
This past Wednesday I had the opportunity to attend the hosa fall rally with 8 of my students. My students and I were greatly anticipating this trip since the beginning of the year, as we did not go last year.
Planning this trip got to be a bit of a pain initially because this was my first time going, and I really wasn't familiar the planning process. There's information on the website, but you have to do a scavenger hunt, or play web detective to find answers to simple questions. Quite frankly, I didn't have time for that, and I ended up growing frustrated with the process before the planning was all over with. On top of that, it was one of those "Murphy's Law Weeks," and I just wanted to get the trip over with.
I woke up the morning of the rally feeling drained and no longer excited about the trip. I got myself ready and arrived at our meeting place at the exact time we were scheduled to meet. There were already 5 students there, with smiling faces, ready to go! As soon as I saw my students something changed. I could feel that excitement that I once had starting to return.
Fall Rally indeed proved to be way more than I anticipated for the students as well as for myself! They all had a great time, and created memories that hopefully they will never forget. I had the opportunity to strengthen the bond that I have with my students, and I am grateful for it. It energized both myself and my students. We came back with lots of ideas and a whole new level of excitement about the future!
I'm a REAL TEACHER now!
I have officially become a REAL teacher. Last year, I was a part-time teacher. My schedule was heaven. I worked every other day. Running both of my offices was a breeze as a part-time teacher. I never got burnt out or did not concern myself when vacation was approaching. Well, I must say it finally hit me. The past week, I had the opportunity to enjoy my FALL break. I officially took an entire week of vacation with the exception to answering a few emails from students. Don't get me wrong. Teaching part-time doesn't compare to full-time. Although I'm teaching everyday, it is way easier than part-time. I'm better prepared. We are on 90 minute block schedules. That works for me. I have found that teaching the same lesson the next day, just perfects it. Teaching full-time has taught me how to manage my time better. My day usually starts at 4:30 am. Yes, I still workout in the mornings prior to school. I usually check into my offices between 3-3:30 pm. I work there until about 8-9 pm. Unfortunately, my evening unwinds with reviewing my lesson plans for the next day. I enjoy teaching Physical Medicine. The impact that I have on my students keep me very humble and grateful that God has chosen me to influence their lives.
Frog / Toad Licker
After reading Chris's post, I realized many things affect teaching and the students' learning process. I was shocked to find out that someone would actually lick a frog to get high, the first time heard it. I looked it up on the internet and found that a couple of sites included 'how-to' instructions. I believe we had a drug culture while I was in High School but it was not as bad as it is now. The students have tons of informational resources that they can use positively or negatively.
After the economic downturn, I started seeing more sleepy students. When I questioned them, they said they were tired. At first I thought it was from poor time management. But as I questioned them more, they told me they did not have food at home and only ate while at school. The counselors worked with me and we provided snacks for students through the guidance office. The students became more attentive and thanked me for caring about them.
Sometimes I find I attempt to lead the students to forget everything else and simply escape into a learning environment while they are in my class. As teachers, I think we all desire to make education the 'drug of choice' for our students.
After the economic downturn, I started seeing more sleepy students. When I questioned them, they said they were tired. At first I thought it was from poor time management. But as I questioned them more, they told me they did not have food at home and only ate while at school. The counselors worked with me and we provided snacks for students through the guidance office. The students became more attentive and thanked me for caring about them.
Sometimes I find I attempt to lead the students to forget everything else and simply escape into a learning environment while they are in my class. As teachers, I think we all desire to make education the 'drug of choice' for our students.
alphabet soup...
I have had a very eye open experience about what I like to call "alphabet soup". If any teacher decided to become an RN and jumped into a healthcare facility they would not be confronted with this "alphabet soup" that teachers deal with. It's appropriate to have a planning period during the day to grade tests, prepare lesson plans, scout a working copy machine and stand in line to make copies. But then....you are told.....you must give up that planning period to become part of the ...."alphabet soup". I had no idea what this was or what was required. So I made some quick texts/phone calls to adjust my plans after school since now I'd be staying late to make copies etc.....So off I went to the appropriate room and join the "alphabet soup" club. You know what I'm talking about .....IEP, RTI, 504, TKE, OAS, etc.....
It seems that in addition to teaching, monitoring, CTSOing, I am now in the "alphabet soup" club. There is always a meeting to go to, something to record on a system that is so cumbersome it takes hours to complete. It takes so much time away from the job I am hired to do and with so little experience, how valuable is my input at this point. I am curious if anyone else is in the "alphabet soup" club?
It seems that in addition to teaching, monitoring, CTSOing, I am now in the "alphabet soup" club. There is always a meeting to go to, something to record on a system that is so cumbersome it takes hours to complete. It takes so much time away from the job I am hired to do and with so little experience, how valuable is my input at this point. I am curious if anyone else is in the "alphabet soup" club?
FUNdraising
This month has been very productive with the launch of a few ideas I have had for fundraising for the culinary program. One is the CCA Culinary Cafe. Every 1st Thursday we serve pre-ordered lunch to our staff, the board of education staff, the alternative school staff and students. This was our inaugural lunch which consisted of Sun-dried tomato pesto pasta, grilled chicken, garlic bread, white/milk chocolate chip cookies from scratch and Sweeeeeeet Tea for $6. Our gross sales were a little over $320.
There are several things I love about this (besides the money). I pull a few students from my intro classes to help package everything and a few advanced students to help prepare. The students I tend to choose to help first are those who seem to have a problem with authority, who may be the class clown or who generally seem like they don't want to be there. So far, no one has turned down the opportunity. They get to come to my class shortly after I arrive and spend the day or 2 depending on what needs to done. This may be against a seasoned teacher's recommendation, however, my strategy was (and I have found) that spending time with me in this "different" type of setting gives them a bridge or better understanding of what our end result is - Foodservice Operations. They get to see me interact with other students from other classes, they spend my planning and lunch with me and even after school if needed. I believe being chosen makes them feel special and the perspective they have gained has given them a better attitude in class. They pay attention better and are more comfortable around me and in the kitchen even if they had not prepared anything yet. Knowing where the items are in the pantry has been a great help to their groups.
I am putting on the final touches but, coming up on October 29th, we will have our 1st meeting for our Culinary Club called The Upper Crust. This will provide time after school in a relaxed setting to work on baking and decorating skills as well as specialty items we don't have time to do in class. We have Frankenstein cupcakes, Spider bites and Candy Apples on the agenda for 17 participants. I'm excited!
We also have 5 Skills USA advisors (including myself) who came up with Fun Food Fridays and Muffin Mondays. Last week I did Nacho Tacos. You cut the side out of a small Dorito bag and fill it with taco meat, salsa, cheese, lettuce, jalapeno and sour cream to order. I find that the once the students see something different, they began to think outside of the box when putting together their plates. Between that, sweet tea and pickles, we made $200. The students really get excited about it and they like that we are doing it to make their costs cheaper when we go on trips or do events. Besides, they have bottomless pits for stomachs and never miss an opportunity to eat.
October has proven to be a busy month!
There are several things I love about this (besides the money). I pull a few students from my intro classes to help package everything and a few advanced students to help prepare. The students I tend to choose to help first are those who seem to have a problem with authority, who may be the class clown or who generally seem like they don't want to be there. So far, no one has turned down the opportunity. They get to come to my class shortly after I arrive and spend the day or 2 depending on what needs to done. This may be against a seasoned teacher's recommendation, however, my strategy was (and I have found) that spending time with me in this "different" type of setting gives them a bridge or better understanding of what our end result is - Foodservice Operations. They get to see me interact with other students from other classes, they spend my planning and lunch with me and even after school if needed. I believe being chosen makes them feel special and the perspective they have gained has given them a better attitude in class. They pay attention better and are more comfortable around me and in the kitchen even if they had not prepared anything yet. Knowing where the items are in the pantry has been a great help to their groups.
I am putting on the final touches but, coming up on October 29th, we will have our 1st meeting for our Culinary Club called The Upper Crust. This will provide time after school in a relaxed setting to work on baking and decorating skills as well as specialty items we don't have time to do in class. We have Frankenstein cupcakes, Spider bites and Candy Apples on the agenda for 17 participants. I'm excited!
We also have 5 Skills USA advisors (including myself) who came up with Fun Food Fridays and Muffin Mondays. Last week I did Nacho Tacos. You cut the side out of a small Dorito bag and fill it with taco meat, salsa, cheese, lettuce, jalapeno and sour cream to order. I find that the once the students see something different, they began to think outside of the box when putting together their plates. Between that, sweet tea and pickles, we made $200. The students really get excited about it and they like that we are doing it to make their costs cheaper when we go on trips or do events. Besides, they have bottomless pits for stomachs and never miss an opportunity to eat.
October has proven to be a busy month!
HOSA and Honey Boo-Boo
I survived my first field trip this week. I took 21 students to the HOSA Fall Rally in Perry, GA. It was a 3 hour school bus ride (one way!!). We left at 6:30 a.m., and got back to the school with all students picked-up at 7:30 p.m. To say the least it was a long day. I was nervous about my first solo adventure and the preparation required to pull it all off was considerable, so the question is.....was it worth it? And the answer is, yes. Thankfully, the students were positive, excited and well-behaved. I have a few student leaders who were extremely helpful and I think over-all it was time well spent. The students had a short competitive event and then an enjoyable motivational speaker with several thousand other HOSA students. The HOSA group who sat directly in front of us had the quasi-famous reality star "Chubs" in attendance. For those who don't follow the wildly popular reality show, that's Honey Boo-Boo's sister. My students had a ball getting their picture taken with her. However, what I think was the most redeeming quality of the day, besides the funnel cake, the snake-skin woman, and the hurley whirl, was the somewhat illusive gift of relationship. There is something about stepping out of the confines of the classroom with your students. I was still the teacher and they were still my students but a unique bond forms when the goal, at least for a little while, is to just have fun together. Alas, no standards were met or literacy leaps were achieved. Yet I dare to say that seeds were planted that day that will probably yield a more gererous harvest.
Week 8: Professional Community
Although I have only been teaching for a short time, I find that I really enjoy the students in the my classroom and enjoy the time I spend teaching. What I have not found enjoyable this year is working with other teachers. Even though I have limited experience I have unofficially been dubbed the head of the county department as well as the head of TSA. It has been frustrating to get the other teachers to get involved and to get their students involved. The teachers come on the trips, and attend the meetings but don't really take responsibility to get their students involved. I do not work in the same school with these teachers, and while I know it is my responsibility as the "leader" to get them involved and to fulfill the commitments, I feel like they should be taking more responsibility (I can't hold their hands all year, and next year they will have to have a TSA club on their own). These teachers are older than me (some by more than 10 years), and I feel they have more experience than me. I can see that teaching is so much more than just teaching in a classroom.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
OPEN YOUR EYE THIS IS SHOCKING
Well this week I had a Criminal Justice advisory meeting with local, state and federal law enforcement officer on Monday last week. We talked about some very imporatant issues that have to deal with teachers and students. The first issue that we disccused was about drug and alcohol abuse of teens. I learned about many of the new trends of teens that use drugs (how and what they hind the drugs in). There many new trends that have hit high schools across the south such as huffing Freon Gas from air conditioners units,Nutmeg and Bath Salts. Freon Gas-Freon is the trade name for a class of chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons, or CFCs, used primarily in refrigeration and air conditioning. (Reference 5) Freon and other refrigerants are toxic and can cause poisoning and even death. Refrigeration service workers are at risk due to occupational exposure, but exposure most often occurs during intentionally sniffing the gas, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. (Reference 4) Freon and other refrigerants are used by inhalant abusers to get high, an extremely. Nutmeg-There are many unpleasant, even dangerous, side effects. Overconsumption of nutmeg can often result in nausea, vomiting, dizziness and possibly convulsions. Their heartbeat starts moving up the ladder, and if somebody has an underlying heart condition, that is undiagnosed or unrecognized, you may have a tragedy on your hands. Bath Salt-READ THIS ARTICAL
SALEM, N.H. — Less than 48 hours after federal agents and local police raided a store for synthetic drugs, a local teenager apparently had a bad reaction after using them.
Police were called to a home on S. Policy Street late Thursday night after a caller reported a 17-year-old male was “flipping out.”
When police arrived, the teenager was “shirtless, lethargic and sweating heavily,” according to police reports.
“He appeared to be heavily impaired,” the report said.
Both the teen and his mother told police he had been smoking K2 and Crazy Monkey bath salts, according to police documents.
K2 is a brand name for synthetic marijuana. Those products were targets of a nationwide Drug Enforcement Administration effort Wednesday to shut down retail stores and manufacturing sites, and significantly cut down the availability of synthetic designer drugs.
Can You Dig It at 101 Main St. was one of four sites raided in New England, one of three in New Hampshire.
The pawn shop/tattoo parlor, which also sells “decorative” swords, pepper spray, adult novelties and clothing, pipes, rolling papers, DVDs and more, was swarmed by DEA agents, Salem and North Andover police Wednesday morning.
Some 76 cardboard boxes, marked as DEA evidence, were removed from the store Wednesday, filling two pickup trucks and a large SUV. No arrests have been made locally in connection with the sweep, dubbed Operation Log Jam, but local officials have said they expect that to happen at some point.
It’s the DEA’s show and, short of a press conference and news release Thursday, there hasn’t been a lot of specific information released. Repeated phone calls to the Boston DEA office have not been returned.
No one has said what kind of material was taken from the store during the execution of a federal search warrant. While local police were helping at the scene, it is in federal hands.
But Salem police will continue to monitor and investigate any activity around synthetic drugs, Deputy police Chief Shawn Patten said yesterday.
“Frankly, after the raids and working with the DEA, the officers found it ironic we would have an overdose of this type right after we had conducted that raid in close proximity,” he said yesterday.
The teen has not been charged and police can’t be sure he had taken K2 or bath salts, Patten said, but it seemed feasible.
“It’s consistent with use of those types of synthetic drugs,” he said.
The teenager was evaluated by Salem fire personnel and transported to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen.
He wouldn’t tell police where he got the drugs and said he was smoking alone, according to police reports.
Salem detectives spent some time Thursday visiting other stores in town that were suspected of or known to sell synthetic drugs, Patten said.
“Our detectives went around to all the other stores and advised them the stuff on the shelves was illegal and they looking for voluntary compliance before taking action,” he said. “All the stores we visited had already removed it from their shelves prior to our arrival.”
While Patten said police are happy with the level of voluntary compliance, they will continue to monitor activity and urge anyone who sees the products for sale to notify police.
He said police had been monitoring all the stores where they knew synthetic marijuana or bath salts were being sold, but the volume of activity and the inventory at Can You Dig It was much greater than at any other local business.
The store owner, Judith Tridenti of North Andover, has denied any illegal activity, according to her lawyer.
“There were several specific overdoses and issues that came out of that specific store,” Patten said. “We have had all the stores selling this merchandise under investigation. Can You Dig It was a larger supplier and was brought to the attention of federal investigators. They chose to include that store as part of the federal raid.”
If any store that has removed the items from its shelves starts selling them again, he said, charges would be forthcoming.
“One store owner told us the markup is enormous,” Patten said.
“He would buy it for $2 a pack and sell it for $20.” Several store owners told detectives they were unaware the products were illegal.
“I really believe the goal of the DEA was to shut off supply lines coming into the country, making it unavailable for sale in the U.S.,” Patten said.
“For us in Salem specifically, hopefully, it makes it more difficult for people to get, and easier for us to monitor and enforce.”
I was at a lost of words when I heard the new trends that are affecting our student that we teach. Teacher we need to be on the look out for these things that are happing they are hinding these things in lip stick, birth control packs, and they are even hiding drugs in bottom less cups.
SALEM, N.H. — Less than 48 hours after federal agents and local police raided a store for synthetic drugs, a local teenager apparently had a bad reaction after using them.
Police were called to a home on S. Policy Street late Thursday night after a caller reported a 17-year-old male was “flipping out.”
When police arrived, the teenager was “shirtless, lethargic and sweating heavily,” according to police reports.
“He appeared to be heavily impaired,” the report said.
Both the teen and his mother told police he had been smoking K2 and Crazy Monkey bath salts, according to police documents.
K2 is a brand name for synthetic marijuana. Those products were targets of a nationwide Drug Enforcement Administration effort Wednesday to shut down retail stores and manufacturing sites, and significantly cut down the availability of synthetic designer drugs.
Can You Dig It at 101 Main St. was one of four sites raided in New England, one of three in New Hampshire.
The pawn shop/tattoo parlor, which also sells “decorative” swords, pepper spray, adult novelties and clothing, pipes, rolling papers, DVDs and more, was swarmed by DEA agents, Salem and North Andover police Wednesday morning.
Some 76 cardboard boxes, marked as DEA evidence, were removed from the store Wednesday, filling two pickup trucks and a large SUV. No arrests have been made locally in connection with the sweep, dubbed Operation Log Jam, but local officials have said they expect that to happen at some point.
It’s the DEA’s show and, short of a press conference and news release Thursday, there hasn’t been a lot of specific information released. Repeated phone calls to the Boston DEA office have not been returned.
No one has said what kind of material was taken from the store during the execution of a federal search warrant. While local police were helping at the scene, it is in federal hands.
But Salem police will continue to monitor and investigate any activity around synthetic drugs, Deputy police Chief Shawn Patten said yesterday.
“Frankly, after the raids and working with the DEA, the officers found it ironic we would have an overdose of this type right after we had conducted that raid in close proximity,” he said yesterday.
The teen has not been charged and police can’t be sure he had taken K2 or bath salts, Patten said, but it seemed feasible.
“It’s consistent with use of those types of synthetic drugs,” he said.
The teenager was evaluated by Salem fire personnel and transported to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen.
He wouldn’t tell police where he got the drugs and said he was smoking alone, according to police reports.
Salem detectives spent some time Thursday visiting other stores in town that were suspected of or known to sell synthetic drugs, Patten said.
“Our detectives went around to all the other stores and advised them the stuff on the shelves was illegal and they looking for voluntary compliance before taking action,” he said. “All the stores we visited had already removed it from their shelves prior to our arrival.”
While Patten said police are happy with the level of voluntary compliance, they will continue to monitor activity and urge anyone who sees the products for sale to notify police.
He said police had been monitoring all the stores where they knew synthetic marijuana or bath salts were being sold, but the volume of activity and the inventory at Can You Dig It was much greater than at any other local business.
The store owner, Judith Tridenti of North Andover, has denied any illegal activity, according to her lawyer.
“There were several specific overdoses and issues that came out of that specific store,” Patten said. “We have had all the stores selling this merchandise under investigation. Can You Dig It was a larger supplier and was brought to the attention of federal investigators. They chose to include that store as part of the federal raid.”
If any store that has removed the items from its shelves starts selling them again, he said, charges would be forthcoming.
“One store owner told us the markup is enormous,” Patten said.
“He would buy it for $2 a pack and sell it for $20.” Several store owners told detectives they were unaware the products were illegal.
“I really believe the goal of the DEA was to shut off supply lines coming into the country, making it unavailable for sale in the U.S.,” Patten said.
“For us in Salem specifically, hopefully, it makes it more difficult for people to get, and easier for us to monitor and enforce.”
I was at a lost of words when I heard the new trends that are affecting our student that we teach. Teacher we need to be on the look out for these things that are happing they are hinding these things in lip stick, birth control packs, and they are even hiding drugs in bottom less cups.
From The Outside Looking In
I recently completed my "Observation" requirement as part of the NTI program, since I do not yet have a school. My mission was to observe a career tech class in my field (Law & Justice) over a 10 hour period. I conducted my observations at McEachern High School in Powder Springs. This was a very enlightening and exciting experience to say the least. I not only got the opportunity to observe teacher/student interactions and overall teaching environment, but I also had the opportunity to speak to each class as well. A total of six classes, each with over 30 students! The last class had 39! It was interesting to see "Classroom Management" in full effect! The primary teacher for this class was also a former graduate of Dr. Burns NTI Class, so that made the experience that much more special, to see NTI principles and techniques put into play!
Grouping Students not so Scary!
I guess what I want to share with my fellow teacher "classmates" is that I have really worked hard on the group assignments issue I had. I had terrible experiences with it last year and nearly "swore them off!". I have had to constantly remind myself that I inherited these classes half-way through the last school year with all of its problems and my bad experiences grouping students together for learning projects. I have learned a lot from our lessons on grouping students and have listened and learned from everyone's stories and experiences as well. Many of them I have put to practice over the last couple of weeks on smaller projects and my students have pleasantly surprised me. I now realize that the core of my problem last year was letting the students choose their own groups and boy, what a mistake that was! (And how naive of me!) The nuturing side of me has taken a step down and the more commanding side of me as a more knowledgable teacher of teens has stepped up. I now have more hetergeneous groups and it is working so much better. The other lesson I have put into practice is teaching these students the rules for working in groups and the expectations they should have from each other as well as meeting my expectations. Teaching social skills is not easy but they really do not come with many! This will be an ongoing process but I am up to the challenge. I have a cultural diversity project planned for them in the very near future. Let's hope these students continue to surprise me - in good way! :)
Oh, I have one last thought. I love the idea of the pencil activity for group work! I heard many of you did too. Think I better go run out and invest in pencil stock asap! ;)
Oh, I have one last thought. I love the idea of the pencil activity for group work! I heard many of you did too. Think I better go run out and invest in pencil stock asap! ;)
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Week 4 and 5
No, I do not believe that all information from the media or any other outlet are completely accurate or worthy of attention. A lot of it can be the product of the producer's opinion or perspective but not necessarily grounded in truth/facts. As with choosing food service vendors, you must always get your information (or product) from reputable sources. All of them are known to be biased in some way, based on how they report or how they present a topic and the type of light they want to shed on it. I typically trust the web for research more than any other source due to the fact that I have millions of sites from which to choose as a comparison.
Information literacy is the need for information and the ability to find the information that is needed (ie being resourceful).With my students, I will share with them that it is best to go with a site that is not a forum of opinions but preferably one that is an .edu, .org or .gov for fact comparisons.I think it is important to let them know that they cannot take one thing they find for gospel but to utilize all that is available to insure accurate information.
Information literacy is the need for information and the ability to find the information that is needed (ie being resourceful).With my students, I will share with them that it is best to go with a site that is not a forum of opinions but preferably one that is an .edu, .org or .gov for fact comparisons.I think it is important to let them know that they cannot take one thing they find for gospel but to utilize all that is available to insure accurate information.
Classroom Observation
Today I did the first part of my classroom observation. My task today was to complete my field assignment. Cudos to all of the employed teachers. That was a ton of information that I had to locate today. The work was actually interesting. I especially liked, as I observe the lesson for the day, Ms McDonald(Roswell High School, Cosmetology Department) asked me to include my little two cents in on the classroom discussion. My, I actually felt like a real teacher :-). I had to stop myself from talking because I really started to get into educator mode as I do when I'm teaching a color class or offering product knowledge. My thought process would seem a bit difficult for the students, so I do have to break things down in simpler terms. However, I thoroughly enjoyed my visit today. The class wasn't difficult and it moved along smoothly. Ms McDonald was extremely nice and very helpful.
Jury Duty
Hello Everyone,
I had jury duty today and I couldn't help but reflect upon who a "jury of our peers" is. I looked around and wondered what careers potential jurors have, what level of education they have, and most important if they have problem solving skills and can evaluate the quality of evidence. I hope their teachers were thoughtful and took them to the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy with objectives and questions. I didn't get selected to serve on a jury . . . I never do! Dr. J.
I had jury duty today and I couldn't help but reflect upon who a "jury of our peers" is. I looked around and wondered what careers potential jurors have, what level of education they have, and most important if they have problem solving skills and can evaluate the quality of evidence. I hope their teachers were thoughtful and took them to the higher levels of Bloom's taxonomy with objectives and questions. I didn't get selected to serve on a jury . . . I never do! Dr. J.
The Essence of Education
Teaching
is the essence of Learning and learning is the essence of Education. For our young
people to take their places as productive citizens and public-service leaders
of tomorrow, they must be inspired to learn today. Today’s technology has
advanced education to levels only dreamed of in past times. Educators today are
equipped with a vast array of tools, techniques and technologies to meet the
challenge of preparing students for the road ahead; it is up to the student to
receive from the teacher, apply and prosper.
“The Teacher Opens the
Door, It Is Up To The Student To Walk Through”
Sunday, October 7, 2012
S.E.X.E.S
Now that I have your attention, (set-induction).
Information literacy is the ability to locate, identify and critique information . It includes the ability to share this information.
When I asked a couple of my former students what they thought of my assignment they came up with S earch the internet/ media venue for the information.
E valuate the information for literacy and content.
X- Ray the information, look deeper, not just at the surface. What are the qualifications of the writer?
E ducate yourself, look for other views and how they measure up.Check for bias versus facts.
S tudy related material.
You would only have to look at a few websites and see that all information is not equal and biased to the point of being untruthful.Our thoughts are influenced by media-speak and our own beliefs. The internet has opened a whole new realm, but even when the only news source was newspapers the view could be skewed (The Great Boxer Hoax). We must be aware of what information we trust in and how honest they truly are.
I will continue to teach my students to question the information that they hear or view. To be critical of this information and to continue to educate themselves as information changes.
Information literacy is the ability to locate, identify and critique information . It includes the ability to share this information.
When I asked a couple of my former students what they thought of my assignment they came up with S earch the internet/ media venue for the information.
E valuate the information for literacy and content.
X- Ray the information, look deeper, not just at the surface. What are the qualifications of the writer?
E ducate yourself, look for other views and how they measure up.Check for bias versus facts.
S tudy related material.
You would only have to look at a few websites and see that all information is not equal and biased to the point of being untruthful.Our thoughts are influenced by media-speak and our own beliefs. The internet has opened a whole new realm, but even when the only news source was newspapers the view could be skewed (The Great Boxer Hoax). We must be aware of what information we trust in and how honest they truly are.
I will continue to teach my students to question the information that they hear or view. To be critical of this information and to continue to educate themselves as information changes.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
"She Was an Analog Girl, In a Digital World..."
Discussion Topic for Two Weeks: We are bombarded daily with information from the media, newspapers, magazines, radio, and the World Wide Web. Is all information equal? Is it accurate, worthy of our attention? How do you decide which information to take in and which to discard? What is information literacy? How will you teach your students about information literacy?
When speaking about information delivered via the web, things completely take a different turn. The other 3 (or 4 if you include television) have traditionally been how we have gotten our information. Even with those we have had the obligation to sift through it to get to what is legitimate. The internet gives us "real time" info. Now that we carry mobile devices and various electronic gadgetry, we can always be updated. Ultimately, in my opinion I think information that is pertinent to the individual, especially if it's critical in nature, should be the information that is taken in and evaluated. Information literacy at this point would simply boil down to one's ability to have the clearest knowledge of an occurrence, event or happening, that would give them a positive outcome first hand. For example... if there was information that the government was providing assistance with student loans to teachers, one who teaches would pursue this information and investigate what sources may be applicable to them. Once they find a credible contact and are able to obtain assistance, then the outcome is positive. What I would say and instruct my students to do is, invest time in internet research, but also, have dialogue with others who are doing the same research and compare notes. What can be found from this is that sometimes individuals gravitate to information that is tailored to who they are as an individual. If we are able to discern the "spin" given to pieces of information, then it allows us to make better assessments of our sources. With this in consideration, our mindset has to accommodate a new medium in which we receive information. As technology evolves, it would be safe to predict that the printed word will become a thing of the past and digital information will be the new source that we acquire knowledge. It would be the closest thing to speaking to an expert first hand.
When speaking about information delivered via the web, things completely take a different turn. The other 3 (or 4 if you include television) have traditionally been how we have gotten our information. Even with those we have had the obligation to sift through it to get to what is legitimate. The internet gives us "real time" info. Now that we carry mobile devices and various electronic gadgetry, we can always be updated. Ultimately, in my opinion I think information that is pertinent to the individual, especially if it's critical in nature, should be the information that is taken in and evaluated. Information literacy at this point would simply boil down to one's ability to have the clearest knowledge of an occurrence, event or happening, that would give them a positive outcome first hand. For example... if there was information that the government was providing assistance with student loans to teachers, one who teaches would pursue this information and investigate what sources may be applicable to them. Once they find a credible contact and are able to obtain assistance, then the outcome is positive. What I would say and instruct my students to do is, invest time in internet research, but also, have dialogue with others who are doing the same research and compare notes. What can be found from this is that sometimes individuals gravitate to information that is tailored to who they are as an individual. If we are able to discern the "spin" given to pieces of information, then it allows us to make better assessments of our sources. With this in consideration, our mindset has to accommodate a new medium in which we receive information. As technology evolves, it would be safe to predict that the printed word will become a thing of the past and digital information will be the new source that we acquire knowledge. It would be the closest thing to speaking to an expert first hand.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Life Before Google
A recent dinner conversation involved my 13 year old son asking me how I did homework "way back when you were a kid Mom, like- before google." Once I got over the coughing epidsode that resulted from the "way back when" comment, I taught my son a little something about ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. It went something like this:
Me: We had a set of red, leather bound books that were in alphabetical order and you could go look up information in them.
Son: You could look up anything?
Me: Well.....almost anything.
Son: How many books were in the set???
Me: About 10 I guess....
Son: That's all!? Ten books... I guess your homework was a lot easier back then than mine is now...........
So the thirteen year old had a point. While Encyclopedia Britannica was "safe" and the information was relatively accurate, albeit outdated on many occasions, it was morbidly limited when compared to the information highway available at our fingertips today. We have learned that with the vastness of available information comes the responsibilty to discern what is relative, accurate and yes, safe. As teachers, it is our responsibility to help these young whipper snappers of today navigate through the windfall of available information. It's a little odd that the problem is never the lack of available information but how to weed through the opinions and propaganda of the plethera of information to find truth. One of the ways that I accomplish this is to have several websites that I have researched myself as resources for my students. However, I never want them to be limited by my opinions of relevancey so they also have to site other resources besides the ones I have offered. Two great ideas from our digital literacy research that I will employ for my students is first for them to backtrack all websites and make sure that the root domain is reliable and the other is to use more than one search domain. While google may be the first step for many of our students today, it shouldn't be the only step. So in closing, fellow old-timers, do you think I could get anything for that set of Encylopedia Britannica on ebay?
Me: We had a set of red, leather bound books that were in alphabetical order and you could go look up information in them.
Son: You could look up anything?
Me: Well.....almost anything.
Son: How many books were in the set???
Me: About 10 I guess....
Son: That's all!? Ten books... I guess your homework was a lot easier back then than mine is now...........
So the thirteen year old had a point. While Encyclopedia Britannica was "safe" and the information was relatively accurate, albeit outdated on many occasions, it was morbidly limited when compared to the information highway available at our fingertips today. We have learned that with the vastness of available information comes the responsibilty to discern what is relative, accurate and yes, safe. As teachers, it is our responsibility to help these young whipper snappers of today navigate through the windfall of available information. It's a little odd that the problem is never the lack of available information but how to weed through the opinions and propaganda of the plethera of information to find truth. One of the ways that I accomplish this is to have several websites that I have researched myself as resources for my students. However, I never want them to be limited by my opinions of relevancey so they also have to site other resources besides the ones I have offered. Two great ideas from our digital literacy research that I will employ for my students is first for them to backtrack all websites and make sure that the root domain is reliable and the other is to use more than one search domain. While google may be the first step for many of our students today, it shouldn't be the only step. So in closing, fellow old-timers, do you think I could get anything for that set of Encylopedia Britannica on ebay?
Sunday, September 30, 2012
I have been reading many sources of information on the World Wide Web. It has changed the way I will teach my students and present infomation from the internet. Teaching my student on the subject of informational literacy they need to know the history. I will teach the three waves of Western History agriculture, pre-industrial, and pre-modern a good site that I found was http://www.uri.edu/artsci/lsc/Faculty/gilton/InformationLiteracyInstruction-AHistoryinContext.htm written by Donna Gilton. This will give student the information and media litercy that it takes to make them successful in the work force/society.
media, newspapers, magazines, radio and the Web
My
personal belief as to the media, newspapers, magazines, radio and the World
Wide Web being equal is simply NO.
Throughout the opportunities given to us to learn one becomes aware that
quite often a writer’s personal opinions are interwoven within the text being
reported. Within personal experience of learning, I believe online learning is
a key to learn with a more open mind on most subjects. This opportunity is due to there being ready
access to digital literacy, thus having access to information literacy. To be successful with this style of learning,
one must develop new skills. It certainly
is necessary to see, read, find, and these are just a few abilities one must
develop to be successful with online learning. Information literacy must be
evaluated by the user, which many times can only be done by extensive or
sometimes a little research. This is
definitely some of the skills along with the ability to decide what is current
and what material is not up-to-date.
When my students do research for a project, report, essay I require
their websites (sources) to be listed.
Then if there is a question to what is being reported, we can go back to
the referenced website.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Week 4/5: Information Literacy
According to (http://www.webs.uidaho.edu/info_literacy/) Information Literacy is the ability to identify what information is needed, understand how the information is organized, identify the best sources of information for a given need, locate those sources, evaluate the sources critically, and share that information. It is the knowledge of commonly used research techniques. Information Literacy is critically important because we are surrounded by a growing ocean of information in all formats. Not all information is created equal: some is authoritative, current, reliable, but some is biased, out of date, misleading, false. The amount of information available is going to keep increasing. The types of technology used to access, manipulate, and create information will likewise expand.
Since there are so many avenues to obtain information, I believe there isn't one main way to present it. You have to use various resources, because as stated in our CTAE course this past summer, a student's attention span is only good for about 10-15min and then they're lost. They need various ways to receive relevant material. Information literacy can be presented in classroom skits, powerpoint presentations, networking events specifically for students, or one on one interviews for a particular assignment. Of course, use of the internet, books,and periodicals are the norm.
Since there are so many avenues to obtain information, I believe there isn't one main way to present it. You have to use various resources, because as stated in our CTAE course this past summer, a student's attention span is only good for about 10-15min and then they're lost. They need various ways to receive relevant material. Information literacy can be presented in classroom skits, powerpoint presentations, networking events specifically for students, or one on one interviews for a particular assignment. Of course, use of the internet, books,and periodicals are the norm.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Week 4 and 5: Information Literacy
We are bombarded daily with information from the media, newspapers,
magazines, radio, and the World Wide Web. Is all information equal? Is
it accurate, worthy of our attention? How do you decide which
information to take in and which to discard? What is information
literacy? How will you teach your students about information literacy?
Use the following Link on Information Literacy (written by a vocational
education teacher in Australia) to help guide your response:
http://knowledgetree.flexiblelearning.net.au/edition07/html/c_blackall.html
As defined by Blackall (2005), digital literacy (synonymous with information literacy) is related to a persons ability "to access the internet; find, manage and edit digital information; join in communications; and otherwise engage with an online information and communications network". In a CTAE program digital literacy is very important as technology is constantly changing and everything in a textbook is not always the most updated information. As a teacher I decide what is relevant (what to keep and discard) based on the source that the information comes from. One thing about the internet is that good information is typically going to be available on multiple web pages, therefore cross checking sources is a possible option. Looking at dates is also key. Information needs to be accurate and up to date.
Every day my students use the internet to research a new technology and then write about it, to later share with the class. This has been a very valuable experience not only in that we learn about a lot of new technology, but also that I can spend this time discussing and building digital literacy skills. At the beginning of the year I provide them with credible sources that they can choose from, but they also are able to find sources on their own. When presenting the students are required to provide the source. If information seems far fetched or not accurate we could use this time to check the source, and its credibility.
As defined by Blackall (2005), digital literacy (synonymous with information literacy) is related to a persons ability "to access the internet; find, manage and edit digital information; join in communications; and otherwise engage with an online information and communications network". In a CTAE program digital literacy is very important as technology is constantly changing and everything in a textbook is not always the most updated information. As a teacher I decide what is relevant (what to keep and discard) based on the source that the information comes from. One thing about the internet is that good information is typically going to be available on multiple web pages, therefore cross checking sources is a possible option. Looking at dates is also key. Information needs to be accurate and up to date.
Every day my students use the internet to research a new technology and then write about it, to later share with the class. This has been a very valuable experience not only in that we learn about a lot of new technology, but also that I can spend this time discussing and building digital literacy skills. At the beginning of the year I provide them with credible sources that they can choose from, but they also are able to find sources on their own. When presenting the students are required to provide the source. If information seems far fetched or not accurate we could use this time to check the source, and its credibility.
Week 3: Surprise
What surprised you the most this week at school and why? (This could be
something about your own reactions to what went on, or something that
someone did, or anything else that occurs to you.)
Beyond just my regular teaching duties, I also play a big role in the Technology Student Association. When I was hired it was made very clear to me that this would be a part of my job description and that I needed to be prepared to spend a lot of time working with it. I did it last year and it is a lot of work, that the Career Academy has opened I have been put in charge of training the other three engineering teachers in the county about how to run a TSA program. This week I was surprised that despite my email reminders, and face to face discussions that no other teachers in the county signed up any kids for the association nor did they encourage any of them to attend the upcoming field trip. I confided in my assistant principal and previous mentor and it seems that it will be my place to talk to these teachers and find ways to not only get the kids involved but also these teachers.
Beyond just my regular teaching duties, I also play a big role in the Technology Student Association. When I was hired it was made very clear to me that this would be a part of my job description and that I needed to be prepared to spend a lot of time working with it. I did it last year and it is a lot of work, that the Career Academy has opened I have been put in charge of training the other three engineering teachers in the county about how to run a TSA program. This week I was surprised that despite my email reminders, and face to face discussions that no other teachers in the county signed up any kids for the association nor did they encourage any of them to attend the upcoming field trip. I confided in my assistant principal and previous mentor and it seems that it will be my place to talk to these teachers and find ways to not only get the kids involved but also these teachers.
YES READ THIS
Information Literacy is defined as the ability to define problems in terms of there information needs, and apply a systematic approch to search, locate, apply, and synthesize the information and evaluate the entire process in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. The information that we recive from radio,T.V., magazines, and the web are not equal. Some of the information that we recive are biased,misleading, and out of date. Due to the increasing technology it's very ease to access and munipulate information this will be a growing concern in the next few years. We as teachers need to teach our students that information literacy can be used for academic purposes such as research and group presentation. We also need to let them know that it is used in the work force the ability to find, evaluate, use and share information is an essential skill. A good example on how we can teach this to our students would be consumer decisions, such as which car or home to purchase, are critical.
Information Literacy
Information Literacy is skills needed to find, retrieve, analyze or use information. Everyone needs Information Literacy. Information Literacy allows students and adults to create creativity when researching various topics. Students cannot learn everything that they need to equip for college. Information literacy helps them to develop critical skills. This is an important skill needed for students and teachers. These skills extend beyond the classroom into the workplace and personal lives. It has pretty much become a survival skill. If you don’t know how to use it then you won’t survive technology changes. I will teach my students about information literacy by first exposing them to websites that give important information about Resources & Ideas. These sites provided information about on a wide variety of subjects. Once students learn how to use Information Literacy, they can think and analyze outside of the box when presenting projects or writing research papers.
All information is not equal
All information is not created equal. I prefer to get my information from the World Wide Web. Using the World Wide Web is very inconvenient and easier to access for me. Due to growing technology demands I have multiple ways to access it. The most convenient way is my cellphone. Unfortunately, you have to still be careful on the accuracy of information obtained. A lot of the information that is reported may or may not be worthy of our attention. It depends on whose reporting the information. The only other source that I may pay attention to is the news. The news is a source that is usually accurate. The only problem with the news is that I rarely get a chance to listen to it unless I am using the World Wide Web to access it.
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