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Below is a Storify of the TweetChat I joined on 10/21/14. This Storify was created by #RuralEdChat Proctor, Tammy Neil. LEARN TO MAKE SALSA(S) My mother is an awesome cook. Every weekend she makes homemade Mexican cuisine; enchiladas, tamales, pozole, chile con carne, or chiles relleno. She makes homemade tortillas with every meal. I love my food spicy, so my mom always makes either a red or a green salsa/sauce. I have friends who call it sauce whereas others call it salsa. So, if I say sauce or salsa I am referring to the same thing. One of my sisters is learning how to make the salsas. I am thinking of learning as well. I want to learn what makes her salsas spicy, I want to know what the ingredients are, and what makes the flavor of each salsa different. AUTHENTIC QUESTIONS 1. What Web 2.0 tool should I use to record my mother making the salsas, either green or red? 2. Are there similar recipes online? 3. Where can I publish my mom’s recipe? 4. What makes my mom’s recipe unique from others? 5. Where do I find recipes of salsas from other countries? 6. What tool should I use to keep a record of my progress at mastering this recipe? 7. Where should I upload my videos of making the salsa(s)? 8. Should I record my mom tasting my sister’s salsa(s) and mine, and then have her decide whose salsa is more like hers? 9. Is there a place where I can submit a video of individuals’ reactions tasting the salsa(s)? 10. Should I submit a video online teaching others how to make my mom’s salsa(s)? 11. How can I find the history/tradition of these salsa(s)? If there’s any. LEARN A DANCE Every country has its unique type of music and dances. I have students who are from Africa, Middle East, Mexico, Asia, and United States. As a way to learn more about them and to have them learn from each other, I am thinking of learning a dance from one of these countries. I can have students upload a video of them or anyone else dancing a traditional dance that represents their culture. Then I can create a survey for students and anyone else to vote for the dance they want me to learn. These videos will serve as tutorials for that dance. To involve students and community, I can also have students learn a dance from a country other than their own. During Christmas, my school has a talent show competition. I could either show a video of my process learning the dance or I can perform it. I could also showcase my students’ dances. AUTHENTIC QUESTIONS 1. Where do I have students upload their videos? 2. Should there be group or individual videos? 3. Where do I go to find traditional dances from different countries? 4. Where should I submit my videos performing the dance? 5. Should I create a slideshow of my progress and then, show the final product at the end of a video? 6. Should I submit my videos for feedback? If so where? 7. Should there be a voting competition and have everyone vote for the dance best perform? 8. What Web 2.0 tool is the best for editing and recording videos? 9. How could I create a documentary? 10. Should I incorporate my final product video with students’ one? CREATE A NEW CELL PHONE CASE There are a lot of cell phone cases in the market, and they are distinct in their own way. However, wouldn’t be nice to have a different case every now and then? I am thinking of possibly creating a case that changes color with temperature. Perhaps, create one that can change into three or more colors. For example, at 30 degrees Fahrenheit it could turn blue, at 70 degrees Fahrenheit it could turn orange, and at 90 degrees Fahrenheit it could turn red. This idea could take a year or so execute, but I was thinking that I could get a patent for this innovation. AUTHENTIC QUESTIONS 1. What technology is available to create a case? 2. Where do I find information about creating a case? 3. What tools do I need to execute this idea? 4. What are the restrictions and/or regulations on creating cases? 5. What type of material would I need to create the case? 6. How could I turn a material into different colors based on temperature? 7. How do I patent my idea? 8. What design, shape, and style can I use to make sure that the case stands out? 9. How many colors do I want available for the case? 10. What specific colors do I want my case use as it transitions between temperatures? RAISE MONEY FOR AN ORGANIZATION Another idea that I have is to raise money for a local organization with my students. I could have my students search local organizations and choose their top three via some sort of collaborative program. Once they choose the top three, they will all submit them and use an online tool to facilitate which organization will be chosen. We will then come up with a plan to raise for money using online and social networking tools. AUTHENTIC QUESTIONS 1. How do I teach students to search for legitimate charitable organizations? 2. What different things could we do to get people to donate money? 3. How do we get participants? 4. How do we get participants excited/motivated to donate time or money? 5. What tools should we use to advertise the event? 6. What tool do we use to survey the students for their top three organizations? 7. How have other charities advertise themselves online? 8. Where do I find information about planning online charitable events? 9. How do I contact the chosen charity for guidance? 10. What type of multimedia tools should we use to develop a campaign? This video reminds me of the book, Why School? by Will Richardson. It begins with how our students were taught to how they should be teach in the 21st Century. So, they can fulfill the requirements and obtain skills required for 21st Century jobs. Education has always changed, before students read a textbook, answered the questions found at the end of a story/topic. I recalled doing that in high school. Now, we have Common Core or I look at it as the new bible of education that caused California’s drought. The curriculum has changed and continues to do. The video emphasizes on the need that all students are capable of learning, becoming leaders. Which they are, but when a student has a background of or is experiencing socioeconomic, addictions, or behavior problems is hard to transition such students from what he/she is going through to focusing in class. All of my students receive free or reduced lunch. Some are homeless, some are refugees, and others are or have been in foster care. All of this factors can affect a student’s education. Therefore, it is not as easy to educate every student to be ready for the 21st Century job Industry as this video emphasizes. In a perfect world, every student could become an innovator, a leader, or a genius, but there needs to be support from everyone to make sure that it happens. Not all students come from the same background. Those who are fortunate have parents who provide them with their needs whereas others have to work to provide for their families. The video stresses the importance of educating our students for the new job industry. The curriculum changed to better prepare our students. The way we teach has changed as well, but it is up to the student if he/she wants to attend school. A lesson begins when the student is present. It is not a lesson without the student. References
This video was short, but very on point. It relates to education in many ways. It all starts with curiosity. Students can create their own learning and curriculum. Eventually, they become leaders. We expose students to collaborate in groups to create a product. They each learn from each other, there’s one who becomes the leader, and they work together to complete the assignment. Students are used to completing assignments for class because they have to. Educators have a curriculum to follow. If students had to complete a task because they were interested in it, things in our schools would be much different. If educators had more freedom on what to teach, students did not have state tests as often as they do, and districts had the resources to support an idea, students would become interested in attending school. For example, High Tech High School students are creating their curriculum under the supervision of a teacher. In the book, Why School? by Will Richardson mentions about one project that a class worked on. The project was on San Diego Bay. Their final product was a book, San Diego Bay: A Call for Conservation, which contains of all their research and findings. Students develop their own curriculum. They search what they want to learn about, what they are curious about. At the same time, they become teachers. They inform others of their new acquired knowledge. Overall, we need to stop teaching the curriculum. We should begin discovering it with students. References
I agree with what Michael Wesch talked in the video. Technology has changed the way we live. I remembered growing up in my village. Residents did not have a telephone let alone a cell phone. We never heard of the Internet, Google, Yahoo, Email, or computers. I learned of all different types of technologies when I came to the United States. I was shocked to find out what the Internet is use for and what one can do with it. I was fourteen years old when I came in contact with a desktop, eighteen when I had my first cell phone, and twenty when I had my first laptop. Technology changed the person I once was. I am able to connect with everyone in the World Wide Web. I can organize events, share events, and let everyone know where I am or what I am doing. Through email and now Twitter, I communicate with friends, classmates, and strangers. Technology is an area where I have acquired new learning. This is what I want my students to do, to move from asking the teacher for answers to asking themselves and using technology as a way to learn new skills. I plan on having my students collaborate in a project. I am thinking of a writing activity title, “Where were you……………” I will have them complete the phrase and have them share it with classmates via Google documents. I would have students implement this activity with their friends and/or family members. I am also thinking of having them create a video that shows their skills or a cause in which they are very interested. Perhaps students could choose a video of their choice and they can recreate it by adding their own spin to it. Unfortunately, technology is an arena that can be very frustrated for some. As a result, one can become afraid of using it, irritated, stressful, and not wanting to use it thereafter. References"Did You Know - Technology & Internet Statistics - YouTube." 2010. 31 Aug. 2014 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yrRn7rSif2Q>
About a week ago, I would have been a visitor. I did not have social media accounts. I only used the Internet to find what I needed to find. I went in and out of it without leaving a trace. However, I have recently created a Twitter and Weebly account. Furthermore, I have been in the internet more often than before. For instance, I have spent an average of six or more hours every day updating my Weebly, creating a Narrable, checking my Twitter account, and posting information on blackboard to communicate with my community (classmates). I used to be a visitor, but now I have joined the millions of people who are resident of the Internet. Dr. White describes the resident of the Internet as one who is visible and social, (White, 2009). I have become visible over the last week because I have reveal my identity, share information with others, have shared personal information, and “live online”. I view the Internet as a place where one can get lost because there is a lot out there for every persona. As a result, some enjoy the Internet whereas others are just not interested. Therefore, we have this myth that old people do not get technology, but kids do. “Prensky has now acknowledged that the issues around digital literacy go beyond age, and he now uses the phrase ‘digital wisdom‘ ", (Digital Residents, 2013). My younger sister is great with technologies. On the other hand, I am not. She has created cartoon drawings, is always learning something new online, is very social in Facebook, and is always online. She has been a resident of the Internet since she was in high school or prior to that. My parents are not visitors or residents. They have never used the Internet in their lives. So, I wonder if there’s a word for those who do not use technologies. References(2009). Visitors & Residents: The Video - TALL blog - University of ... Retrieved August 31, 2014, from http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2009/10/14/visitors-residents-the-video/.(2013). Digital Residents | Digital Fingerprint. Retrieved August 31, 2014, from http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/tag/digital-residents/.
I belong to the old school reform more than to the new school. As I grew up, I recall being in the classroom, listening to the teacher, doing what I supposed to be doing, taking test, and never collaborating with classmates. School has always been a territory where I feel safe and motivated. As I read Why School? I began to reflect on my teaching practices and students’ learning. They are learning, but how often would they use what I have taught them or remembered.
So, I have decided that I must make changes in my classroom, starting with me. I believe that I can commit to share with the world, be a master learner, talk to strangers, and discover the curriculum. I plan to fulfill these commitments by using social media since all of my students have Tweeter and Instagram accounts. I would have students communicate with strangers using their social media accounts to gather data about a topic in science, cells. I would give students the opportunity to do their research in their primary language. Once, they complete their assignment I would have students share it with the class by creating a Weebly account. Where school mates and anyone from the World Wide Web can comment on and/or visit. I do not believe that I would struggle with the other unlearning/relearning ideas. It would take me time to discover possibilities of how I can commit to them. As an educator, I have always enjoyed learning new skills. Therefore, I consider myself one who unlearns and relearns. As the world in education changes, I change with it. |
AuthorBe Yourself! Archives
November 2014
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