Jaybro88’s Weblog

Prior to enrolling in the Ecmp 355 class with Alec Couros, blogging was something I had heard of, but never thought I would do. I assumed blogging was something for people who spend all their days on a computer, and pour out every inch of who they are. I just thought blogging was not something for me. However, I sure was wrong. I think that blogging is an incredible journey for both educators and students. Blogging allows for new ideas and thoughts to be spread though out. As a future teacher I definately will bring blogging into the picture, there are so many possibilities with it’s use, and so many benfits for the children.

Asmy blog page began to lengthen, so did my comments. I think as a class we all began to feel the same way in a sence that feedback was always useful. I caught myself regularly checking to see if anyone had posted on a new post etc. Quite addicting! I think that sharing our opinions is the fun in it al, so I definately liked that element of the class.

I don’t particularily have a favorite post that I commented on simply because I thought everyone did an amazing job. I was very impressed with the writing as well the improvment in our writing. It goes to show that if a University student can improve their writing through the use of blogs, then all students will no doubtedly as well.

This has been an amazing experience for me. Short, but definately beneficial. My first year of University minus E.P.S 100 has been mainly non-education electives. I found this class so rewarding as it is something I am interested in as well can use in my future. Loved It!

I just put together a little video using windows movie maker. hope you enjoy

http://blip.tv/file/1004440

So, just like I do my bedroom and parts of my house… I get sick of the same old thing. So if anyone noticed, I changed the design of my blog. I honestly think I do well with change, and even though it’s just a design to a blog, I think it changes and brings in new ideas for me. I’m pretty sure this is exactly how my future classroom will run. Anybody in my school will surely be sick of the screeching of desks moving once a week. But hey just like I do well with change, I think it’s great for students as well. They need opportunity to communicate and work with other partners groups and even individually.

During my EPS classroom visits, I assessed a lot about the teaching styles of teachers just by the way there classroom was set up. In one classroom the teacher had student work basically on every inch of the wall, the desks every week were changed into random patterns every week. The teacher was quite free-spirited and was always all about the students, her classroom atmosphere was Fun, and I believed the students really did have fun with her. Then on the other hand I was in a classroom where desks were never changed and they were set up in the classic row by row. Her classroom was quite simple, and her teaching style was very strict. All in all classroom design can really say a lot about how you teach.

As we come to see a society built, Dependant and based upon technology, issues continue to grow and effect individuals media wise. We have evolved into a society that has created so many opportunities and possibilities with our access to technology and the web, however we’ve also evolved to take advantage of it in so many disgraceful ways. I went to a site called Media Awareness Network where we are introduced to some of the media issues out there.

One of the Issues, I was most interested in was online hate. What a scary subject. I view online hate as individuals who are suffering emotionally, taking there own personal conflicts and applying it to others and creating harm towards them. The website stated that “Hate Prongers” usually use the internet to promote their agenda. Look at situations like in Montreal when a frustrated, online hate blogger took things to the next level– fatality. The shooter was posting an online diary, which stated a lot of his intentions and his obvious ill mind. This is just one situation. It seems as though every school shooting we hear about, they make a trace back to online troubles. Back to the Media Awareness website, I think it’s creation is a good start in making the public aware of these issues. We quite often are people who don’t take initiatives until it happens directly to you or someone you know… News Flash, it could happen any day!! I think media awareness toward online hate, will help in projects like deconstructing hate websites, seeking these “haters” before the problems further etc.

We were fortunate enough to have a class on media in ECMP the other night. I am 19 years old, and definately not blind when it comes to knowing what’s out there. However I was shocked at some of the sites Alec showed us. When sites are created encouraging suicide, about mimicking people’s lives, racism etc. it’s hard to even wrap my head around who could create something like that. It’s sad really, and makes me want to vomit.

So I took a day to think about these sites that had been brought before my eyes. At first I had a reaction that made me scared of what our future would revolve into. As the web becomes such a significant part of everyday lives, I figured it’s inevitable that cyber bullying, racism, and other media issues will  diminish, there bound to increase and get worse. However I think I was wrong there. Were always going to have disturbed people creating unpleasant and unfair sites for the public. We also have a growing population who care about addressing these issues, as well a growing population who are connecting themselves to the world. Putting those 2 together, I think it’s easier for us to make these issues an awareness and help show the world how wrong they really are.

I think that in my future teaching career, my goal is not to hide these things to my students. Instead address them. I would love to create projects where my students can go online and blog to everyone about the problems the specific website has, and others ways of deconstructing the issues. I think my doing projects like that, students are taught that these issues are not acceptable.

Last Wednesday our ECMP class had the privilege of welcoming Dean Shareski as a substitute into our class. Dean split us into groups and shared with us some different Design slides. My group was given The following called Design Matters:

I thought this video was very well put together and definitely allowed me to pick out some key elements of design principles such as:

Instruction and Classroom Design- Dean reflected on society’s instilled image of what a school should look like and how it should be designed. A tall brick building classrooms filled with desks etc. are a few that come to mind. However the most important part of this principle is steering away from tradition and focusing on learning. School’s should be designed on creating opportunities for learning and creativity rather than limiting.

Planning- planning is such an important principle to use with students no matter the assignment/ project. Pre-planning makes a world of a difference in the end project. When given an assignment we often brainstorm how perfect it will look in our head and as we go along. In reality how often does it turn out like you imagined when transferring from your head to the screen, as Dean says, without pre-planning, your students are simply wasting time. Planning gives students a purpose and gives a teacher opportunity for assessment and help.

Imagery- I think that imagery is an important design principle simply because we are becoming a world so heavily dependent on images, and making them a part of our every day lives, We are becoming a more visual society. Incorporating visual imagery into presentations etc. can make a world of a difference in the quality as well captivating the attention etc. I’m sure if a toll was taken as to which engaged a student better text or visual, obviously visual would lead.

White Space- Back in my elementary days, teachers always stressed the importance of leaving no white spaces in posters, pictures etc. Every space should be filled up they would say. However I liked Dean’s view on white space. He explained the importance of white space. The quote “less is more” sums it up, by having less and keeping that white space, it allows us to shed light on what’s really important in the picture. If you have so much going on and not an inch of white space, it’s hard to grasp what the central idea really is. The white space principle creates emphasis on your topic.

Fall 2007, I took an EPS class, and had a presentation on social Justice. The Lecturer talked about integrating Justice into the classroom, listing some possible projects such as: Each child looking at the tags of their clothing, where it’s made and researching whether it came from a sweat shop,the point teaching about how wrong sweat shops are etc. and informing students to make good choice, preventing themselves and others from supporting the sweat shops by buying the clothing. I think this is a neat lesson, however Once again I did have the privilege of travelling to China and the Philippines, where sweat shops are very prominent. Initially I would agree to the fact that sweat shops are harsh places, where employees are not paid well and working conditions aren’t to standards. I talked to some locals in China, and they said that to these people, it’s not about the standards, it’s about the job. There are so many people and not enough jobs, so even a little bit of money means the world to them. So for us to try and take these places away, were also taking away jobs and lives. For the most part they are fortunate to have a job. I believe as a western society we seem to always be dipping our noses in others backyards, when in reality we have these things going on in our own.

Taking an ECMP 355 class with Alec Couros, has been an exciting process to what I have to look forward to, as well the possibilities as to what I can do with technology in the classroom. Alec has done an incredible job of creating excitement for us as well showing us the resources software and tools. However I think the best part of this information is actually seeing it put to action. I read up on a few blogs of teacher’s who incorporate technology even at very early ages. The blog of cboorom from Littleton CO, comes from a 4th grade teacher. She seems to be very enthusiastic about teaching with technology, I liked her comment “I created a highly protected blog for the kids to use. I would pose questions like journal questions, writing prompts, and reading comprehension questions on the blog. The kids loved it. We would look at the responses on Fridays to critique them. The initial blogs they wrote were weak. With some modeling and critiques the kids were posting quality blog responses. ” Not only is this a new style to teaching for the childen, but the kids are having fun and great results are being shown with the writing. This is similar to our ecmp class. Most of us are first time bloggers, in which I thought it was going to be a difficult time trying to blog, however I’m starting to love it and have lots of ideas! I do have a few questions for anyone out there… Ideally a kindergarten to grade 2 class is the area in which I would love to teach. I would love to start even trying to do blog activities that young… Any ideas of possible projects?

Here’s my mastercard moment I created with photo story 3 and uploaded with blip.tv

Like I had mentioned, I travelled to China last year teaching English in a city called Xi’an

Throughout my journey in China, I noticed something that I found quite strange.. the students had no computers to use. Not only did I notice this in my school, but I witnessed in others and talked with friends that these elementary schools had no computers for the students to use. Not only being a part of the ECMP 355 class but also from my own childhood years do I know the importance of experiencing and integrating computers into the classroom. This school that I was at had sooooo many kids, maybe that was an issue, however it seems quite ironic to me that they live in China where pretty much all computers and technology is made, and they aren’t even being raised into it?… Even the teachers never used a computer for lessons etc. it was a strict and distinct teaching style in which they lectured the kids didn’t talk or express their views, It was strictly teacher taught.

As much as I think Maury is a terrible show, I was so intrigued by his episode of most talented kids. Every child on that show blew me off the wall, and even brought out some jealousy in me haha.

I’ve danced all my life and know that activities and sports like it, are not easy at all. For most they don’t come natural one bit. However I really noticed something while watching these shows, the younger they are, the more they retain and are capable of. It’s so amazing to witness how spongy children’s brains are at young ages, and this episode goes to show how important it is to be a good mentor and teacher in these young children’s lives. I think as a future elementary teacher, what I do will really direct and shape their futures!