EDSS 530

Visitors and Residents Reflection

                The “Visitors & Residents” video was very interesting to watch. One of the earlier comments made brought up the point of how some of the older ‘life-long leaners’ had been surveyed about their opinions of the technologies used today. One of the questions that popped up in my head was “What will my opinion be about technology 20-30 years down the line?” it also had me wondering about how different technology will be at that point in the future? I also understood some of the concerns that many of the people had about leaving a digital footprint. While I was an undergraduate student, I was also a Resident Advisor, and one of the things that I was warned about in my training during my first, and which I repeated to new RAs when I was a senior, was to be careful about what got uploaded on the internet. There had been a few RAs who had gotten in trouble because of a picture that had been put up on Facebook or because they had tagged the wrong person.  Even being in a fraternity, I made sure that my brothers did not take pictures of me that could possibly endanger my position.

                Another reason why I can understand some of the hesitation of putting too much information out there on the internet is because my father was a victim of identity theft, one of the examples spoken about by the speaker from the video. Because of this, my father was wary of what kinds of websites or information that I put ‘in the cloud’ while I was younger. Obviously I have outgrown such worries as long as I play it safe with what I put out there, but on the same coin it also touches on the point that the speaker made about different concepts of privacy throughout different generations. I do, however, strongly agree with the point of a separation between the personal and the professional life. While that might be particularly tricky with education, there are definite moments where I will draw the line between what I want connected to me socially and professionally.

                Another point that I really connected with was how the visitors like to pick and choose what they want to use from the internet, applications, and social networking. I am usually fairly task oriented, and there have been plenty of moments where a class has required a particular piece of technology that I might not have used before. Once the time comes to complete the assignment, I quickly pick up on what is need for the class, but might not venture off the path of the assignment and go looking around for what else the program might be useful for. I have been slowly changing that, trying to learn new applications for different pieces of technology, or using completely new pieces of technology that a peer might have told me about.

                I enjoyed the examples of the 2^nd Life program and its use in education. The point that really stuck with me was the idea that educators, if they want to use this avenue of technology for instruction, they would have re-earn some of that authoritative capital in this new setting outside of a classroom. It was interesting to hear about the examples of the two different classes, one where the tutor was a visitor and the other tutor a resident, and how they interacted in their classes. A question I want to know an answer about would be the ages of the two tutors, and their experiences with using such technology.

Are Grades Necessary?

I would like to say that no, grades should not be necessary in a school setting. I have seen some of the horror stories that are created because students are so worried about the grades that they are receiving on assignments. Last semester in my CPI, I was at a school where just about every single student was so caught up on what their grades were that they would be asking what they got on an assignment at the end of the day that I got it back from them. This blew my mind, since I had no time to actually grade them at that moment, yet they expected that the grade would already be posted!
Now I have the exact opposite situation at my CPII site, where very few students are concerned about their grades. So many of the students here have outside issues that many of them feel that school is the least of their problems. It makes me wonder whether grades are truly what the students should be after. I am more worried about whether the students are understanding and applying the content, rather than whether they could answer a test question correctly. I feel that there should be some other form of benchmarking our students, instead of giving them some letter that would have no meaning once they leave the education system. Right now we are in a system that relies so heavily on the grading scale, that it might limit some of the abilities of both the teachers and the students.

Disrupting Class Responses

1. Explain the difference between interdependence and modularity. How is education currently organized?

An interdependent system if one where there is a set structure or parameters of control. Each portion of this system is set in its specific place, to complete a specific task. In this system, there is little room for flexibility, and any change in the system will require major changes to the structure as a whole. Picture an old factory machine from the Industrial Revolution, with many moving bolts and cogs. Take one of those cogs out, or modify it in some way, and the entire machine no longer works correctly or comes to a halt.

A modularity is a structure where parts of the system are interchangeable amongst themselves. These parts are designed to work in an overall system that can also incorporate different, foreign parts within the system. In a sense, it has a very fluid design that will develop with change on a more positive level without being stuck in a fixed position or mentality. While the overall structure that the parts must maintain to be able to function, there can be new pieces of information or activity that can be included as long as they do not break the main foundation.

Currently, the United States has an educational system based on an interdependent model. Each state has a specific framework or curriculum that the teachers and administration must follow in order to run the system. In terms of California, there are state adopted content standards that educators must teach to. Change to any portions of these standards will most likely require major sweeping throughout the entire system for it to be viable once again. The education system we have is divided into four specific interdependency components. The first is temporal, where each grade level is dependent on the student having learned from the previous grade. The second component is lateral, where modification within a subject cannot take place as it would have expanding influences in the grade levels surrounding it. The third component, physical interdependency, focuses on the actual teaching within the classroom and is based on the abilities and activities available for the teacher to use in their planning and implementation. The final component, hierarchical, includes the local, state, and federal decisions made that affect the education system as a whole. These can have a major limiting factor in what teachers can and cannot do or teach within their classrooms, as well as putting added pressures on the teachers to meet specific goals.

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

The disruptive innovation theory focuses on the conflicts that systems or organizations might have with developing innovations. Another major focus is the capability of these organizations to be able to work with new innovations and be able to properly integrate them into their systems. A major focus for this theory is big businesses that have cornered the market on a specific commodity, which has a very specific set of consumers. However, a new company comes about that provides a similar item, but is focused mainly on a new audience of previously ignored consumers. This new product might be of a lower quality initially, but will soon begin to develop as a larger consumer population takes note of the product. Eventually this product or company overtakes the previously controlling company in consumerism, because their popularity and accessibility is greater than the older company.

                In terms of the US educational system, there has been little in the way of recent innovative disruption. However, there is a pendulum motion of the school system developing different sets curriculum based on the needs of the hierarchical leadership. At one point in time, there might be a need for schools to focus on the development of student skills that would be applicable in the workforce after they have left the education system. On another swing of the pendulum, the school system might require that teachers educate their students on democratic and equitable ideals for the betterment of society. Another swing might put a focus on specific subjects, such as math and science in recent years, to improve a country’s international standings in education. The focus of the school system largely becomes disrupted by the needs of the society at the time. If there is a drive for higher technological innovation, then there will be a focus on that in the schools. If there is a need for larger social or humanities-based education, then there will be changes made to the system for that purpose.

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 non-consumption?)

The main failing point of placing a one-to-one ratio of computers to students in the classroom is the lack of implementation and innovative use. From my time in the classroom as a student and as someone interested in becoming an educator, the main uses that I have seen for computers is research and writing. A teacher says that they are going to the computer lab for a day of class, and it usually devolves into the students researching a specific topic that the teacher has already prepared questions and predicted responses to. They then will use the computers to write about what they found, and this is usually the extent of their application. What might be a problem is the teacher’s familiarity with new software or apps that could really assist with the learning of the students, or maybe they are hamstringed by what they can do by strict district policies. Perhaps the teacher does not know what they can accomplish with the use of computer technology, and as such just uses it as a tool that supplements their normal teaching pedagogy. On the other hand, they might be limited to what they can have their students use and apply because of firewalls and blocks placed by districts that fear that their students might go to the wrong website, and as a safety block access to all but rudimentary web search databases.

                This connects to the story of Rachmaninoff, and RCA recordings. Those who were originally able to hear the concerts of Rachmaninoff and similar artists were those who could afford to do so without any major penalties. However, RCA Victor came up with the marketing plan to record such concerts, and instead of marketing to those who could already afford such luxuries, they provided their services to an untapped non-consumer market that did not attend such live concerts. Because they were provided services for a market that was not in direct competition with the live concerts, RCA was able to make major innovations. Now everyone had access to the music, even though it might be at a lower quality, but it was better than not being able to hear the music at all.

4. Explain the pattern of disruption.

There are four major phases of the pattern of disruption. In the beginning, there is the stage where the new disruptions or innovations serve a group of non-consumers. The technology will be continually improved upon, while at the same time driving down the costs of the new innovation. Once this has happened, there will be a growth of competition between the innovation and the original technology or company that marketed to the initial consumers (not non-consumers). These patterns of disruption usually follow an s-curve, wherein there is an initial genesis of the new innovation, with a steep incline developing as the technology advances, which will eventually regulate as markets stabilize with the innovations.

5. Explain the trap of monolithic instruction. How does student-centric learning help this problem?

The ‘trap’ of monolithic instruction is that it is developed in such a way to try to fit every paradigm of education under its roof in one nice package that will work for everyone! Obviously this is impossible, as it limits the capabilities for educators to teach in ways that will benefits all of their students, which also includes teaching in such a way that focuses on students’ specific learning capabilities. The monolithic model expects that all students learn in approximately the same way, and that the teacher should provide instruction in one form that meets the averaged needs of the students in terms of their learning styles.

                Student-centric learning can counteract the negative impact of a monolithic system b having the teacher focus on the individual learning needs of their students. This style of education allows a teacher to individually modify a lesson plan based on the abilities and specific differentiation strategies that have been developed by competent staff members. Whether this is for an English language learner, a student with special needs, or maybe a student who learns better throughout visuals or auditory presentations, the focus of student-centric learning is the individual student.

6. 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?

            Currently, the United States public education system is based on a VAP, or Value-Addressing Process. This process has a particular commodity brought into the system, wherein value is added to the commodity to create a more appreciable product at the end. In the case of education, the students are the commodity that are put the process. The added value is incorporated through the curriculum or learning objectives of the classroom throughout the student’s academic career from kindergarten to high school. The final product of the process is an individual who has graduated high school with a diploma, and can participate as a member of the workforce. A chain-value business is the particular system in which the VAP adds value to the commodity in question.

                The VAP can have both positive and negative consequences for a system of student-centric learning. Technology, in conjunction with educational programs and resources, can add further value to the students by increasing their technical skill set while also increasing their learning potential in an increasingly larger technical world. Such innovations could include software that focuses on specific learning styles. However, the implementation of such technologies and pedagogy would not be cheap for the school districts. It would require an expanded disruptive innovation in the coming years, especially in terms of availability and cost for production, before it could become 100% viable for all schools. It would also require the development of skills for the educators themselves to be able to properly integrate such technologies in their curriculums in a positive manner.   

El Comino High School Reflection

What does it mean to have technology in the classroom? This has been a growing question for schools over the last two decades, and the discussion continues to grow just as the level of technology does. This past week I had the opportunity to visit El Comino High School, where they have begun the inclusion of a one-to-one iPad course for their math department. It was definitely a sight to walk into the two associated classrooms and see an iPad at every seat for the students to use. The students of these classes were mostly sophomores, and the CAHSEE was coming up over the next two days, so the majority of the instructional time was for the students to review before their test. It was interesting to see the students pick up the iPads and go to the class’ website where they could access the study packet for the test. While this was the focus of the classes, the students and teachers were very interested in talking to us about some of the other uses of the iPads. One of the more useful options I saw for the iPad was the students’ ability to take a picture of any written notes they have and upload it to Evernote. The students then have the ability to access their notes whenever they are at a computer, as well as not having to worry so much if they were to lose the physical copy of the notes. One statement from a student really touched home with the use of the iPads: “they allow us to be more independent. We get to be more in charge of our learning, and we don’t have to be so dependent on the teachers since we can find things out ourselves.” Probably one of the best statements I could have heard from a student using the iPads in the class, as well as one that confirms my belief that there should be a stronger presence of technology in the classroom, as well as training for the teachers to be able to fully apply them to the students’ learning.

5/1 #edchat – Education for Professional Development

 
                One of the topics for one of the #edchats that I took a look at were the educational requirements of some states or schools for the hiring of teachers. In particular, there were several opinions shared about teachers who work in states that might require teachers to have their masters as well as their credential before they could step foot in the classroom. Some of the focus of this discussion revolved around the movement of the pay scale according to the educational requirement. One person in particular commented on whether it was a focus more on the money aspect rather than the professional and experiential development of the educator. Another topic was the incentives provided by districts to entice teachers to want to move up the tiered bracket, and whether they were appropriate for the teacher and the school. it seems that merit pay was attacked quite often by several of the contributors, and it made me wonder what such a huge problem was. Shouldn’t we want to not only improve our capabilities, but also be happy with accepting rewards for being willing to take on extra responsibilities in the school system? I know that I would be willing to volunteer for taking on different ‘hats’ so to say, but I also wouldn’t mind be rewarded for doing so, especially if those extra responsibilities take up a much greater deal of time alongside normal instruction.
5/15 #edchat – Using social Media for Teaching/Profession

                 One of the #edchats that I was able to observe focused mostly on the use of social media in and out of the classroom. There were many comments made by teachers, parents, and administrators on the use of sites such as facebook as tool for communication. In particular, teachers liked having their own facebook pages that they could use to keep in contact with their students. They were able to use them to coordinate homework calendars, remind students about important dates, as well as give them a heads up about upcoming events for the school. Another teacher really liked using it as a way to communicate with parents, as they allowed not only their students but also the parents to be friends on that page. I saw several administrators who created a staff facebook page as another way of communicating besides using a school-wide email bulletin. There were several comments about using facebook to share different teaching tips and lessons between their departments, and that this helped out with planning different staff meetings as well as staff events.