My Teaching Philosophy Movie

This was a great project!!

I learned so much from this assignment and have a wonderful keepsake from my MAT experience. I feel this movie does a great job of expressing my teaching philosophy. My students are the true stars of the show. I have been lucky to have wonderful classes full of enthusiasm and care. This project will not only help me remember my experience as a student teacher, but it will also remind me of why I became a teacher in the first place! Check out My Teaching Philosophy movie!!

Article Assessment #3

I. Your Info:

Your Name: Ashley Norman Email: ashleynorman3@gmail.com Date: 11/24/09

Article Title: Orchestrating the Media Collage Author: Jason Ohler

II. Overview of article:

Literacy is a complex term that is constantly evolving. The use of technology demands new forms of literacy.

Todays students are faced with massive amounts of media. Advents such as the Internet have not only allowed students to consume all kinds of new media, but create it as well. Educators must be aware of technology and help to give students the tools they need to be literate in the digital world.

Writing media can help students reflect on the media they have been exposed to. This article discusses eight guidelines to help teachers promote skills associated with digital literacy. Teachers should use a wide range of new media to enhance digital literacy. Students should be writhing, making art, working independently and collaborating to become digitally fluent.

III. Bulleted Reference Points:

• The digital society values individuals that actively create rather then passively consume new media.
• Media literacy is the ability to recognize, evaluate and apply the use of media persuasion.
• The eight Guidelines for Teachers include: shifting from text centrism to media collage; valuing writing and reading now more than ever; Adopting art as the next R; blending traditional and emerging literacy; harnessing report and story; practicing private and participatory social literacy; developing literacy with digital tools and about digital tools and pursuing fluency.
• In this era we need to look beyond general literacy to fluency
• “Fluency is the ability to practice literacy at the advanced levels required for sophisticated communication within social and workplace environments.”
• Some teachers are so overwhelmed by digital tools that they have been prompted to leave the profession.
• Teachers need to teach their students how to be digitally literate in order for students to succeed in todays society.
• “focus on expression fist and technology second- and everting will fall into place."

IV. Reflection and significance to you:

I liked how this article broke down the idea of literacy and gave practical suggestions for teaching literacy in todays classrooms.

Technology has changed the way people learn and how they take in information. As educators we must be aware of this and teach our students how to become literate in the digital world. If we do not give students technology skills they may not succeed in the future.

In a place like Alaska technology is often undervalued. However, many jobs even in a rugged place like Alaska require the use of technology. Take fishing for example, technology has drastically changed the way we fish. There are depth sounders, sonars, GPSs, radar, computers, radios and all kinds of gadgets that help us catch fish.

I would like to try blogging with my students or making a class web page. The internet is such a powerful tool and can help me communicate with students. The internet is also a great resource. There is so much information online that I plan on sharing with my students. I strongly agree that in todays society students must become digitally literate to fully succeed.

My Energy Project

My presentation was not all I hoped it would be. Unfortunately there were very few things I liked about my presentation. One strength I did note was that I seemed calm and confident. I spoke clearly and articulated the points I wanted to make. Watching myself teach was a true eye opener.

I noticed throughout the presentation that my voice changed. I started off very bubbly and enthusiastic and by the end my voice was calm and almost normal. I also used a lot of hand gestures when describing things. Some of my gestures made sense and added to the presentation. However, others were very distracting. I fidget and move around a lot. I also stumbled over several figures and words throughout the presentation.

Although it was necessary to read some things directly from the PowerPoint, I do think I spent too much time looking at the screen. This is defiantly something I plan on doing again. Being evaluated and told the things I need to change differently is not as effective as witnessing them myself.

You can view my video, it did not turn out the way I had hoped and I was rather disappointed. However, I enjoyed the project and thought evaluating myself was a very valuable experience. If you would like to view my Excel spread sheet or my research write-up click on the links!

My Energy Powerpoint

My energy project looked at money saved by riding my bike instead of driving to and from work. My Powerpoint presentation discusses the methodology used during this experiment including what data was collected and how long the research lasted. It also discusses the errors and limitations of my experiment. I included a spread sheet from Excel and some figures that were calculated using the data collected. Although I only rode my bike to and from school for one week I calculated monthly and yearly savings.

In order to compare my data I went online and saw what kinds of research was already out there. Surprisingly, there was a lot of information on this topic. I was able to find statistics and many articles that discussed riding bikes instead of driving. According to statistics put out by ABC News I drive 11.8 miles less one way to work than the average American. I also looked at strategies for saving gasoline including: driving less, car pooling and using public transportation. In the future I would like to explore other benefits of riding bikes instead of driving and collect data that factors in gas price and gas millage fluctuation. To see my Powerpoint presentation click on the link!

Article Assessment #2

I. Your Info

Your Name: Ashley Norman Email: ashleynorman3@gmail.com Date: 10/27/09

Article Title: The Read/Write Web Author: Will Richardson

II. Overview of article

The internet has changed drastically sense it was first developed in 1989. It has evolved from a text and data based tool to a place that shares a vast array of information.

The internet was originally used to compare data, now it is a place where millions publish text, pictures and videos. The internet is a powerful tool that has drastically changed politics, journalism, business and education. Many schools have been slow to adopt advances in technology.

Teaching students how to use technology is crucial in todays day and age. The new age of literacy is on the world wide web. We must teach students how to use technology effectively. Using technology in the classroom can enhance learning and better prepare students for the future.

III. Bulleted Reference Points

• The world wide web was developed in 1989.
• Overnight the Internet went from a number and text bases tool that was used by few to a colorful, graphical world of information that was used by many.
• We have created what author Douglas Rushkoff calls a “society of Authorship.”
• Regardless of their age many of today’s students are far ahead of their teachers in computer literacy.
• The teacher’s tool box consists of: weblogs, wikis, rich site summary (RSS), aggregators, social bookmarking, online photo galleries, and audio/video-casting.
• Technology will transform every aspect of business, government, society and life.
• Writing online helps with networking and lifelong learning.
• The future of education is collaboration
• Technology has changed the nature of learning as we know it.
• In the future there will be less paper use, more sharing, less work and more collaboration.

IV. Reflection

This article provides a lot of valuable information. I liked that they put together a tool box for teachers that suggest different technology tools to use in the classroom, many of them I had never considered.

I will defiantly use the information provided in the parent permission letter. I was glad this article discussed safety and how to protect students on the internet. I strongly agree with many of Will Richardson’s ideas. He makes great points about life long learning and the use of the internet.

Networking is a valuable tool for educators that can be used to help teachers deliver better lessons to their students. I really enjoyed Richardson’s videos, he is a good speaker and shared a lot of great information. Using the video clips helped me tie all this information together.

• The Question: How much money can I save if I ride my bike to school instead of drive?

• What is Out There: There are all kinds of articles and resources online discussing biking as an alternative to driving. I even found a webpage that can calculate how much money is saved if a person rides instead of drives (http://commutebybike.com/2008/06/18/gas-savings-calculator-put-it-on-your-site/).

• Data Needed to Answer the Question: I need to see how many miles I live from school. I also need to calculate the gas millage of my car and record the price of gasoline.

• Methodology for Collecting Data: First I will calculate the gas millage of my car. Next, I will clear my odometer and calculate the distance to and from school. I also need to record the price of gasoline at the local gas station. I will then use excel to create a spread sheet and calculate total cash savings.

Anthropological Assessment

For the anthropological assessment assignment we looked closely at the technological culture at our school. Paul, Kelly and I spoke with committee members, administrators and teachers to track down all kinds of information regarding technology at our school. I was impressed with Sitka High School when I looked closely at technology use. Almost every document I needed for this assignment was online and easy to obtain. Furthermore, Sitka High seemed very focused on teaching technology skills in the classroom. There are a wide array of technology courses offered at SHS including web design, digital photography and video production to name just a few. There is also a lot of specialty equipment that can be checked out by students and teachers. Sitka High School has all kinds of opportunities for students interested in technology and computer science.

Technology seems to be highly valued at SHS. The staff has professional development time specifically dedicated to technology. Teachers are required to learn how to use programs like Word, Excel and Power Point. I have been impressed with how technology focused the school district is. This year they are working towards making all kinds of technology improvements. There is a technology committee that meets every month to discuses technology issues and ways to improve technology within the district. One improvement SHS made this year was installing wireless throughout the building. Now students and teachers can use their lap tops to surf the web. Unfortunately, the school does not have lap tops for student or teacher check out, hopefully this will change in the near future.

There are computers in every classroom at SHS. There are also two computer labs, one that can be checked out by teachers for class use and one that is specifically used for technology classes. There are also 25 computer in the library that can be used by classes or individual students. During the day students have all kinds of technology resources, however, once the school day is over there are no labs or computer resources available to them. One thing that has been done to allow students to use technology outside the classroom is an after school computer club. Many students at Sitka High School seem interested in computer science and technology. Most of them have computers, cell phones, ipods or some kind of digital device. They seem to relate to technology and enjoy activities that involve the use of technology. Analyzing the technological culture at Sitka High School was very insightful and helped me understand the student population better. It is important to know your students in order to effectively engage them and create lessons that fit their individual needs.

For more information on My Anthropological Assessment check this out!

Article Assessment

Article Assessment #1

I. Your Info

Your Name: Ashley Norman Email: ashleynorman3@gmail.com Date: 9/29/09

Article Title: Educational Leadership Author: Marc Prensky

II. Overview of article

To effectively communicate with students, teachers need to let their students have a voice in the classroom. This article discusses the importance of listening to students in the 21st century.

Technology is constantly changing the way students learn. Teachers need to keep up with 21st century innovations in order to fully engage their students. Todays Teachers must continue their own education and learn along side their students. Often students can be a good resource for teachers when it comes to 21st century innovations.

For students to succeed in todays technologically advancing world they need to learn how to use technology. Teachers need to understand technology systems and tools to prepare their students for the future. Furthermore, students should be able to access technology even after school is over for the day. If the resources are available to students they can work independently and learn outside of the classroom.

III. Bulleted Reference Points

• “Digital native” refers to todays students who were brought up and born into the digital world.

• “Digital immigrants” are those who were not born into the digital world.

• Students may not be fully engaged at school, but they are fully engaged in their 21st century digital life.

• Students are often a teachers best resource for suggestions on which tools and technologies should be used to teach more effectively.

• Cell phones are one of the most valuable tools a student can have, but many schools currently ban their use.

• In Europe, Japan, China and the Philippines the public uses mobile phones as learning tools.

• Programming is the key skill necessary for 21st century literacy.

• The exciting half of a students education occurs after school.

• 86% of U.S. teachers say computer technology affects the way they teach to some extent

• 55.6% of U.S. teachers say computer technology affects the way they teach a great deal.

IV. Reflection and significance

I agree that student input is very important to providing effective education. If teachers listen to their students and allow them to have a voice in the classroom it can help teachers learn how to engage their students.

I want to give my students choices and allow them to become independent thinkers. The use of technology can allow students to become self-motivated learners and help them to become passionate about their own education. I plan on using alot of technology in my classroom. Videos, games, the internet, pod casts, blogs and networking tools can all be useful when teaching. Not only do they help to engage students, but they can also make my life as a teacher easier. Technology is a wonderful convenience that saves me a lot of time and energy. It is a valuable resource that should be used in schools. I was lucky enough to be born into the digital world. I grew up using technology and understand how valuable it is. As a future educator I have a lot of appreciation for 21st century innovations.

Futuring Reflection

How would you grade or assess Fox Becomes a Better person and School Train?

• I would give fox becomes a better person a B+. The student telling the story does a great job. The only reason I would not give her an A is because at times the story was hard to follow. It may have been because I was distracted by all of her movement and gestures, but after watching it twice I understood the full story. Overall I thought she did a good job and used just the right amount of digital editing. It was easy to watch and the animated scenes fit well with the story she was telling.

• I would give school train a B- because the purpose of the video is hard to identify. They used a lot of digital editing and it took away from their message. It was hard to figure out what they were trying to convey, because the effects were so overwhelming. However, in the end I was able to understand their project and enjoyed watching it. I would not give them a C because I think this is an extremely creative project that took a lot of effort.

What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic 2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like pod casting?

The biggest impact these developments will have in my classroom is the way my students receive news and the stories they are exposed to on a daily bases.

The advent of things like pod casts and RSS feeds allow subscribers to have up to the minute media information. Students expect media to be resent and easy to access. Often times students are not concerned with the media source, bias or reliability. As educators we need to teach our students how to filter information and form their own thoughts and opinions. Media is everywhere and is more easily accessible since the development of the internet.

The internet is an amazing tool that allows us to exchange information in a matter of seconds. However, we must teach our students to question online media sources and help them to find reliable information. Teaching media literacy is very important and can help students become independent thinkers.

How might you use Sabrina Journey as a model for something you would do with your own students.

I loved this video because I relate so well to it. I believe that many students throughout Alaska would relate to Sabrina's journey. This video could be used for many things including:

• Inspiration for students hoping to pursue secondary education.
• A tool to encourage Alaskan students to stay in Alaska.
• An example of digital story telling.
• Proof that it is hard to find a place as wonderful as Alaska!

About Me

I was born and raised in a small fishing community in Alaska. I enjoy spending time outdoors and traveling. I love laughing and having fun! I enjoy all things active and hope to inspire education in others and help them to make healthier decisions in their lives. I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things. My ultimate goal in life is to be healthy and happy.

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