Change Project Story

Education has always been important to me.  Even when I struggled academically, I enjoyed learning.  Learning new things empowered me and built my confidence as an intellectual woman.  I began my work in education in 2008, when I graduated from Rhode Island College with a degree in Elementary education.  Since then, I have spent fourteen years working at an urban charter school.  As a first grade teacher, I found that I truly enjoyed working with the youngest of learners.  I have been a first grade teacher for eight years and a mom for ten.  Both of these roles have allowed me to reflect often about what I believe students and children need to learn.  Inside and outside of the classroom, curiosity, community, and careful listening have always been at the core of my beliefs, 

Michael Wesch empowered me to challenge the idea that disengaged students simply do not care about their education.  Oftentimes, there are other factors that impact their ability to come to school ready to learn.  Wesch taught me that learning needs to be meaningful to the student.  Teachers need to be curious about their students' interests and lives so that we can support them during their learning journey.  Similarly, Boyd challenged me to think about my students and the assumptions about technology, politics, access, and skills.  Both researchers shared similar perspectives.  Teachers should guide students to explore a variety of materials and tools to learn.  Similar to Boyd, I believe students need to be explicitly taught how to be critical users of technology.  One should not assume that a student “knows” how to use technology simply because they were born into that culture.  

In her text, The Power of Questions: A Guide to Teacher and Student Research, B. Falk (2005) stated that, “Young children learn through active exploration, social interaction, and guidance from adults, it is important, in addition to books, that they have classrooms set up with a variety of materials, that they have lots of opportunities to interact with them, and that they are exposed to a broad range of experiences with many different people, places, and things”( Falk, 2005, p.110).  This class and my Introduction to Classroom Research class has given time and space to think critically about a dilemma within my classroom.  I developed a research project around the question, “What happens to students' intrinsic motivation and pride during literacy centers when the expectation is to share their learning at the end of the session?   My question connects directly to my beliefs about how students learn which has now grown into my change project idea.    

My change project came from my reflections of my own teaching practice and my beliefs as an educator.   I believe that students’ curiosity needs to be considered as an important part of their education so that they can develop intrinsic motivation to learn and do well in school. 

Furthermore, students should have time and space at school to develop their own curiosities.  It is my role to help them to explore and ask questions about what they want to learn about.  I also believe that student choice and curiosity go hand-in-hand with developing intrinsic motivation. Finally, I believe that students of all ages need to be taught how to use technology, how to be critical consumers, and be empowered to be curious.  

Scott Noon would classify my technology abilities as a techno-traditionalist. I can use technology proficiently to accomplish basic tasks within the classroom.  For example, I am confident in my abilities to hook my computer up to show a Youtube clip or put on a movement break.  In addition, I am able to utilize Google to research and ask questions, use Google docs and slides to create presentations and complete assignments, and maneuver within Google Drive to access all of my district's electronic grading systems.  However, when it comes to my teaching practice, using technology to teach and engage student learning is an area of growth for me.  I am more comfortable using a document camera, paper copies, pencil, and chart paper throughout my teaching day.  My change project is going to push me to go outside of my comfort zone and utilize technology to differentiate and provide students opportunities to learn how to use different technology sources and provide them choice using multiple modalities.  

Next year, I will be transitioning into an MLL specialist role.  This means I will have an opportunity to be a bit more creative with my mini-lessons. My change project idea is to use my students' curiosity to build upon their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills.  I will do this by utilizing small group discussions to brainstorm a list of students' curiosities.  I plan to begin with topics that will be covered within the curriculum and move forward based on what their curiosities depict.  Once we have our list created, we will identify themes and create individual research questions.  Once research questions have been established, technology skills will be introduced.  Through explicit modeling, I will teach students how to navigate Google Classroom and their digital playlists.  I will then teach students how to access and critically analyze information.  Students will be able to use Getepic books, A-Z Reading, Storyline Online, PBS Kids, and Kids Youtube.  To complete this, they will be given options to use pencil and paper or to use a Google Document, utilizing the voice-to-text feature.  Lastly, in an ideal world, I would love for them to produce their final projects on Seesaw or Soundtrap. 

I know I will have challenges incorporating this digital aspect into my practice.  First and foremost, student chrome books.  Setting up students' devices so that they work without glitches is always stressful for me, especially since they will not be stored in my space. Secondly, students are not familiar with completing their work using digital forums.  It will be a new way to learn for them, too.  I am determined to keep my beliefs about how students learn at the center of my work next year.  In doing so, I am hopeful that I can begin to create learners who are intrinsically motivated to learn and critical consumers of the technology they are using. 

Resources:

Falk, B. & Blumenreich, M. (2005) The Power Of Questions: A Guide To Teacher and Student Research.  Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Why We Banned Legos

 

For my reading, I read “Why We Banned Legos: Exploring power, ownership, and equity in the classroom” by Ann Pelo and Kendra Pelojoaquin.  This story shared a wonderful tale about how two after school club teachers used observation to inform their instruction around the social justice issues of power, ownership, and equity.  

First, let's begin with the problem.  Legotown was assembled and created by a group of 8 year old boys. It was a collection of houses, buildings, air ports, and community  meeting areas which were created by a specific group of boys.  What was observed was that only a few boys held decision making power and they wouldn’t allow other kids to join in or if they did there were contingencies attached.  As lego town grew and materials became more precious, the builders began to exclude other children.  As these children were building their town, they were also building their assumptions about ownership and the social power it conveys, those that reflected a class-based, capitalist society.  Then one day, the structure was accidentally demolished during an outside event.  This is when the teachers decided to ban Lego and teach students about the social justice issues they saw playing out as Legotown was being created.  

The teachers decided to teach these social issues by creating games and activities that utilized Legos in a way that would teach the social issues at hand.   One game they did was teaching students about distribution of wealth and power.  Students drew a picture about what they thought power meant and discussed deeply about what it means.  Next, students explored power by coming face to face with the frustration, anger, and hopelessness that can come with being on the outside of power and privilege. ( p. 56)  To do this they created a Lego trading game.  Each Lego color has a point value.  Green was the highest at 5 points.  Students selected 10 Lego's and then had to add up their points.  Students were able to trade out lego bricks go get more points.  However, what they quickly realized is that if you had bricks with a high value, you did not want to trade it, so because whoever had the most points was able to decide the rules for the next game, this led to a lot of frustration.  The teachers also explored questions about how rules are made and enforced when they ought to be followed or broke (p. 59).  

After five months, the teachers felt as if Legotown could return with more guidance around how the play should look and sound.  This work time emphasized negotiated decision making, collaboration and collectivity.  They valued the importance of students practicing these skills together.  The children learned the value of collectivity and how shared power is a valuable goal.  

Check out this video on Lego Education.  Lego has education kids that teachers can use to incorporate STEM activities.  It is pretty interesting! 

Project To Do List

 1. Plan out structure and themes for paper.

2. Write story & Edit. 

3. Condense story into 20, 20 second speaking parts. 

3. Design slides and organize imagery to match speaking parts. 

4. Practice presenting. 

LASTLY........

                                                                           

Try a five minute mediation to refocus.

Screencastify Tutorial

ScreenCastify is a great tool for educators to create video resources for their students and parents. This link discusses the top ten benefits to using this extension as a video recording source.  It is an option that only works on Chromebooks.  I first learned how to use this tool during the COVID pandemic.  It is how I was able to provide instruction to my students.  I have also used this source to create tutorials for parents.  The free membership gets you 10 free videos with a length limit of 30 minutes.  

                                             

Step 1: Google Screencastify and click on the link. 

Step 2: Set up a free account.  

Step 3: You will be directed to download the extension. Download the extension.  

Step 4: Click on the puzzle piece at the top of your 

Step 5: A drop down box will appear.  Click on Screencastify.

 

Step 6; Before clicking on "desktop" and "record", be sure to click on set up microphone and camera access. 

Step 7: Select on sharing full screen or a tab.  Click on the screen and then click "share". 

Step 8: You will then be prompted to record with a countdown that pops up on your screen.  When it gets to zero, you will be ready to record.  When finished, click stop and your video will load.  There are lots of options on how to save and share your video.  The easiest way to share is to download the link or save it to your drive/desktop.

Check out these other tutorials from YouTube for more information!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuJ2lF9RkgE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7uScletiPc

Change Project

I believe that students’ curiosity needs to be considered an important part of their education so that they can develop intrinsic motivation to learn and do well in school. I also believe curiosity goes hand-in-hand with student choice. This past school year I noticed a decrease in student engagement during literacy centers. I had an opportunity during my Introduction to Classroom Research class to think critically about this dilemma and create a research design project around the question, “What happens to students' intrinsic motivation and pride during literacy centers when the expectation is to share their learning at the end of the session? This work and my beliefs about how students learn best have led me to my change project idea.

Next year, I will be transitioning into an MLL specialist role so that means I get an opportunity to be a bit more creative with my mini-lessons with my MLL students. My change project idea is to use my students curiosity to build upon their speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills by…..

1. As a small group, brainstorm a list of our curiosities.

To scaffold this so kids feel successful, I may start with topics I know they will be covering within 2nd        and 3rd grade and go from there.

2. Once our curiosity list is created, we identify themes that are similar.

3. Model creating questions about our curiosities so that each student has a question, of their choice, to learn about.

4. Use google classroom to individualize research material.

5. Create a digital playlist that will be accessible via their google classroom to access websites like: Get Epic,     A-Zreading, Storyline Online, PBSkids.

6. If accessible, utilize Seesaw so students have multiple modalities to gather information and share out         learning.

                                        

I know I will have challenges in doing something like this. First and foremost, student chrome books. Setting up students' devices so that they work without glitches is always stressful for me, especially since they will not be stored in my space. However, I am up for the challenge because I am determined to keep my beliefs about how students learn at the center of my work next year.

The Power of Pop Culture and Barbie

    As a child, I absolutely LOVED Disney movies and Barbie dolls.  We often frequented the local Benny’s store, ( click the link to learn more) where I would browse the newest dolls with so much desire to own a new one.  I spent many hours hiding away in my room creating a world that was all mine.  I would play out your traditional female roles: mom taking care of the house hold, teaching students, grocery shopping, cleaning, or conversing with neighbors.  My play acting was based on my lived experiences.

            Growing up, I quickly became aware that the Barbie doll did not represent what I physically looked like.  Her incredibly lean waist, long legs, and endowed bosom was not what I saw when I looked in the mirror.  Nor did any of the princesses that I watched in the movies.  My two favorite Disney movies, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid both had leading ladies who made me, at a very young age, begin to question my own body image.   As a “chunky” and “big boned” child, I often found myself feeling embarrassed by my curves, hiding them in baggy t-shirts and tights.  I became self conscious in anything that resembled a bathing suit or dance costume for an upcoming dance recital. I distinctly remember reading Bop magazine, desperate to be following the latest trends so that I could feel comfortable in my own skin.  This often led me to compare my body to that of  other T.V personalities. My self-esteem and perception of my “beauty” was continuously impacted by the popular culture of that time.  I have to wonder......if I had not had those female representations at such a young age, would my self-image have been quite so important to me so early on in my life?  Would I have been so self-conscious in my own skin? 

    Prior to this class, I never critically thought about the impact Barbie, Disney, or pop culture had on my self-image, confidence, and role as a white woman.  However, after reading Linda Christensen's article, I found myself reflecting on just that.  She stated that, "our society's culture industry colonizes their minds and teachers them how to act, live, and dream"(Christensen, 2016,p.175).  

I spent some time reflecting on my favorite shows growing up and through adulthood.  What I realized is that Christensen is onto something when she says, "often that world depicts the domination of one sex, one race, one class, or one country over a weaker counterpart" ( Christensen, 2016, p. 175).  The current industry does in fact instruct young people to accept the world as it is portrayed within the context of what is being played out.  When you look closely and critique media, you can see stereotypes, gender roles, marginalization of groups, and inequity's in the representation of particular groups.  

This learning makes me wonder what it would be like to live in a world where the media didn't have a hidden cultural agenda.  Because I am starting to believe that the media and pop culture that I consumed and continue to consume is at the root of many of my insecurities.  I am truly becoming a more critical consumer of what I choose to read and watch. 

"Digital native" VS. "Digital Wisdom"

        Boyd and Prensky have divergent positions regarding the term, “digital native”. Boyd (2014) stated that when, “Marc Prensky popularized the notion of digital natives, he never expected this metaphor to have a significant life”(Boyd, 2014, p.197) I would agree with that statement. I do not believe that Prensky had any idea that this term would have such an impact within our culture. Prensky argued that “digital native” means the young people of today are assumed to be digitally literate because they were born into an era where there has always been the internet. In addition, youth, “should be called “digital natives” because they are all ‘native speakers’ of the digital language of computers, video games and the Internet”(Boyd, 2014, p.179). Prensky used this term to imply that today’s youth inherently understand technology, its processes, and how to be critical consumers and producers of the content provided to them. To assume that because they have grown up with it and therefore are competent consumers of all things technology is, in my opinion, naive. Opposite this idea, Boyd believes that we cannot assume all youth are technologically literate for a number of reasons. Simply calling them “digital natives” implies they already know what it means to be a critical contributor within the technological world. The reality is that youth must must be taught how to be critical of the content they are consuming or producing and ask questions about its reliability and credibility, “Empowering youth requires much more than calling them native participants”(Boyd, 2014, p.183) I believe that adults and teachers, to some extent, believe that because our youth have grown up in a world that has always had the internet, they automatically understand new technology (Boyd, 2014, p.176). I also believe that Prensky was well intended when he used the term “digital native”. Personally, the use of this term within society frightens me. It implies an “us” vs. “them” mindset. “Digital native” also assumes and/or implies that young people have equal access to technology and technological experiences, when in reality, more privileged youth have more access and opportunities to develop their technological skills.

My beliefs resonate more with Boyd’s argument that, “The notion of the digital native, whether constructed positively or negatively, has serious unintended consequences. Not only is it fraught, but it obscures the uneven distribution of technological skills and media literacy across the youth population, presenting an inaccurate portrait of young people as uniformly prepared for the digital era and ignoring the assumed level of privilege required to be “native ” (Boyd, 2014, p.179).

I do believe that this term will have consequences if we do not reshape it into a phrase that acknowledges the gap in technology skills which is directly connected to youths' position within the culture of power. Furthermore, we need to teach our youth HOW to be critical consumers, HOW to QUESTION the content they read and see, HOW technology works, and provide equal access to learn these comprehensive skills. The more we empower our youth to be curious about technology, the more they will learn to be responsible and critical users.

Resources:

Boyd, Danah, (2014).  It’s Complicated: The social lives of networked teens. Yale University Press, New Haven and London. 

Introduction

 My name is Amy.  I just wrapped up my 8th year teaching first grade.  I am a mother to ten year old twin boys.  They keep me very busy! I enjoy cycling, yoga, being outdoors, playing games, and being present with the people who bring me joy.  My family and friends group are very important to me.  I couldn't be on this journey without their love and support.  I am in my last year of the TESOL masters program. I'm passionate about education and teaching students who speak other languages.  I find joy in helping them grow and acquire their language skills, all while embracing their first language skills.  Summer time is my time to rejuvenate and restore after the school year.  The ocean helps me to do that.