Apr
24
A Vision of K-12 Students Today
April 24, 2010 | Uncategorized | 29 Comments
On Friday I shared this video with Ms. Winokur’s class, and it received an indifferent response. After my initial disappointment, I resolved that my decision to share the video, without any prior discussion, didn’t afford them the opportunity to “wrap their minds” around the topic prior to digesting all the information presented.
This is a video about you. It’s a perspective on how you learn, and your future.
As you’re watching the video consider & respond to these questions.
1. What’s the author’s/designer’s purpose: to inform, to persuade, to entertain?
2. Who do you think is the intended audience for this video?
3. How do you think students learn best today?
4. What do you think is the message of this video?
I’m looking forward to this discussion!!
Apr
19
iPods, Cell Phones, mp3 Players OH NO!
April 19, 2010 | Uncategorized | 45 Comments
Students need to see that school is relevant to their lives. What you’re learning in school are things you’ll use in the future. Rather than lengthening the bridge between school and the real world, we need to be shortening it.
The petulant child in me screams, “How can we make school LESS relevant to kids’ lives? I got it. Let’s ban all the electronics kids value. Let’s create more of a distance between school and the real world! Despite all the hard work we’re doing trying to get kids to “buy in” to what we’re teaching (parents & teachers), let’s manufacture another reason why kids shouldn’t value what we’re learning in school.”
Our school policy is as follows.
“Radios, cell phones, cassette players, CD players, iPods, gaming devices, and other hand-held electronic devices are not to be brought to school unless requested by a teacher for class use. When such a request is made, the device must remain in the possession of the teacher during the school day.”
There it is, no electronics allowed here at school. Can you think of a time when a teacher might ask you to bring in an electronic device to school; maybe a digital camera? If I asked you to bring one in how would you feel about having to hand it to me for the entire day?
Does this need to be a blanket rule for all students from kindergarten to eighth grade? Yes, I can see this being a reasonable rule for students in kindergarten, first grade, second grade, third grade, even fourth grade; but middle school students as well? They’re already entrusted with $1,000 laptops, so it seems silly we’ll take away their iPods if they’re brought in.
That said, there’s no question they can be distracting and most inappropriate. Nobody wants to hear a cell phone going off in the middle of class; except, maybe, the person receiving the call. In fact, I’ve heard cases where kids took pictures of tests with their phones, then sent the pictures to all their friends who’d be taking the test later. I’ve heard of kids texting each other answers during tests.
Here are some pros & cons to consider.
Pros
* Cell phones are valuable should an emergency arise where a student must contact his/her parent immediately.
* Music can help students focus better.
* The school bus is quieter.
* It’s not the devices that are bad, it’s how we use them. Learning to use them responsibly and productively is of value to all.
Cons
* They can get stolen or lost.
* They can be a distraction.
* They can be used to cheat.
* School is the ONE place in the world where these outside distractions don’t belong.
* Teachers have enough to do. They shouldn’t have to police students’ electronic devices.
Is there middle ground? Is there a compromise between allowing them all in without restrictions, or not allowing them at all? Does it have to be all or nothing? What do you think?
Mar
7
Should We Let Cursive Die?
March 7, 2010 | Uncategorized | 32 Comments
21st century learning involves computers. It’s not all about computers. Computers can’t, and should never think for us. However, much of what we learn, and how we share our learning will involve them.
In the past, before typewriters and the internet, learning cursive was considered important to express oneself, and understand documents written in the past. The Declaration of Independence, The Constitution, The Gettysburg Address, etc are all written in cursive. If you didn’t know cursive you couldn’t read them, and many other documents that have shaped, and continue to shape history.
Think about what we read, and how we write today. Nearly everything we read, in books & online, is in print. Much, if not most, of our writing is done on computers, nearly always in print.
Is cursive writing dying? If so, should we let it? Should teachers devote valuable learning time teaching cursive? Should students be assigned more work to be written in cursive?
Here are some of the pros & cons of cursive writing.
Pros
-
Sometimes you just need to write by hand. Cursive is faster than printing.
-
Signatures are harder to forge in cursive.
-
You need to be able to read important historical documents.
-
It can be fun, and it looks cool. Computers have lots of fancy cursive fonts.
Cons
-
As long as your handwriting is legible, it doesn’t matter if it’s cursive, or printed.
-
Kids need to spend time learning typing skills rather than use time learning cursive.
-
In the future kids will be using keyboards for nearly all the writing they do.
-
Many historical documents can be found in print, online, or in books.
What do you think? Should we let cursive die?
Feb
13
Hats Off!!
February 13, 2010 | Uncategorized | 25 Comments
Sixth graders, this is a disrespectful, disease spreading child who is likely being raised by animals.
You ask, “Why?” This future criminal is WEARING A HAT INDOORS!
Do my remarks seem harsh? Are they a bit over-the-top? They are.
My purpose for leading this post with such hyperbole is last week Mr. Walters sent a staff email, titled “School Expectations”, detailing our zero-tolerance policy for wearing hats indoors, gum chewing, and inappropriate dress.
Gum chewing is gross (stuck on floors, desk bottoms, etc). Inappropriate dress is…well…inappropriate. What’s the problem with hats?
Whenever I speak with teachers regarding this they ALWAYS cite manners and lice. Here, then, are the obvious questions.
- Why is wearing a hat indoors considered bad manners?
- How, exactly, does lice spread?
I’ve done a bit of research into the matter, and have learned the following.
Removing one’s hat indoors dates back to the Dark Ages. Yes, the Dark Ages. When were the Dark Ages? They were the period of time following the fall of the Roman Empire, about 400-900. Yes, this tradition began over 1,000 years ago. It began as a form of military salute. Knights, yes knights, would remove their helmets as a form of respect, and as a way to signify they meant no harm.
Moving to more “modern” times, the 1940′s, it was common for men to wear hats outdoors. It was considered “bad manners” if a man was seen NOT wearing a hat outdoors. President Kennedy was the first President to be seen not wearing a hat outdoors. Are you seeing many men wearing fancy (see below) hats outdoors these days?
As I mentioned, the other argument against wearing hats indoors is the health one. Lice can be spread by kids sharing hats. True, this is ONE way lice spreads. Here are others.
- Lying on a bed, couch, pillow, carpet, or stuffed animal that has recently been in contact with an infested person
- Using infested combs, brushes, or towels
- Wearing clothing, such as hats, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, or hair ribbons, recently worn by an infested person.
- Being in close contact with a person who has lice
BESIDES HATS, lice can be spread in schools via the following: furniture, combs, brushes, towels, scarves, coats, sports uniforms, hair ribbons, being near people who have it, etc.
NEW RULE: Remove all furniture, combs, brushes, towels, scarves, coats, sports uniforms and hair ribbons, PEOPLE, and anything remotely possible of spreading lice from FBUS.
What do you think? Should kids be allowed to wear hats in school? Why, or why not? Here are some links for more information.
http://www.bcvc.net/hats/ (Hat Etiquette)
https://health.google.com/health/ref/Head+lice
* Update: March 7, 2010
Here are the poll results for, “Should kids be allowed to wear hats in school?”
Yes, kids should always be allowed to wear hats. 3 Votes
No, kids should never be allowed to wear hats. 0 Votes
Yes, kids should be allowed to wear hats, but there should be rules. 8 Votes
I can’t decide. 0 Votes
ClustrMap
