It seems like every year, there is a song that takes over my house during the summer. It ends up on repeat and I hear it many many times over the course of these three months. I enjoy music and have a wide variety of tastes, but these songs are some examples of summer songs in my household the last couple of years. Enjoy!
Something Just Like This - Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay
Feel it Still - Portugal The Man
Two High - Moon Taxi
Tuesday, July 31, 2018
Monday, July 30, 2018
What's a Grognard?
Grognard (noun)
1. an old soldier
2. A soldier of the original imperial guard that was created by Napoleon I in 1804 and that made the final French charge at Waterloo.
3. (games, slang) Someone who enjoys playing older wargames or roleplaying games, or older versions of such games, when newer ones are available.
From the French word grogner which means to grunt or grumble.
Well, I'm getting older but I'm definitely not that old. The third definition holds the key to this blog post. I'm one of a small percentage of Americans (it has a larger following and is more common in England and many European countries) that engages in the hobby of tabletop wargaming. Many people play games like Battlefront or Call of Duty and call themselves wargamers, but that's not what we're talking about here. When I try to explain what I do, people have a difficult time understanding what I mean, so I usually try to add pictures. Often, I simply give the answer...its like really detailed and convoluted chess. Sometimes it makes me nervous to share my hobby because I'm not sure how people will react to it.
Even within the small tabletop gaming community, I tend to stick with an even more specific genre and am known as a historical tabletop wargamer. This means my focus isn't on wizards, elves, space marines, or dragons. I focus on recreating real or realistic battles to simulate outcomes with or without changes to the variables. I've always been interested in history and specifically military history from an early age. I've read hundreds of books, my favorites are usually the individual stories of the soldiers. Just to be clear, I do not glorify warfare, but study it and celebrate those who served and sacrificed.
A large part of the hobby is the artistic component, where the gamer creates the game table through a variety of means and paints miniature models of soldiers and vehicles to use during gameplay. Often, when you purchase miniatures they are bare metal or plastic pieces that must be assembled. After that, you prime the miniature, give it color through paint, shade, drybrush, and finally base the miniature. It is quite the process. I started doing this when I was twelve years old and have finished thousands and thousands of figures in my time. Hopefully, some of my passion for this hobby is evident in my words, but I'll show a few more pictures to help you visualize just what this means.
Almost everything you see in the pictures from the ground up (literally) has been created and built by myself. The models are all vehicles and figures that I have painted. For reference, my infantry figures are 10mm tall - there are larger and smaller scales out there, but that's another post for another day. Needless to say, attention to detail and precision are key!
1. an old soldier
2. A soldier of the original imperial guard that was created by Napoleon I in 1804 and that made the final French charge at Waterloo.
3. (games, slang) Someone who enjoys playing older wargames or roleplaying games, or older versions of such games, when newer ones are available.
From the French word grogner which means to grunt or grumble.
Well, I'm getting older but I'm definitely not that old. The third definition holds the key to this blog post. I'm one of a small percentage of Americans (it has a larger following and is more common in England and many European countries) that engages in the hobby of tabletop wargaming. Many people play games like Battlefront or Call of Duty and call themselves wargamers, but that's not what we're talking about here. When I try to explain what I do, people have a difficult time understanding what I mean, so I usually try to add pictures. Often, I simply give the answer...its like really detailed and convoluted chess. Sometimes it makes me nervous to share my hobby because I'm not sure how people will react to it.
 |
| We spotted this M7 Priest a few years ago and my son had to have his picture taken with it...wonder who he takes after. |
A large part of the hobby is the artistic component, where the gamer creates the game table through a variety of means and paints miniature models of soldiers and vehicles to use during gameplay. Often, when you purchase miniatures they are bare metal or plastic pieces that must be assembled. After that, you prime the miniature, give it color through paint, shade, drybrush, and finally base the miniature. It is quite the process. I started doing this when I was twelve years old and have finished thousands and thousands of figures in my time. Hopefully, some of my passion for this hobby is evident in my words, but I'll show a few more pictures to help you visualize just what this means.
 |
| From a WWII scenario a few years ago. |
 |
| A shot from the woods of a German anti-tank gun. |
 |
| Another shot showing part of a town and some woods with an ambush. |
Tuesday, July 24, 2018
Don't Fence Me In...
I agree with certain components of Prensky's article Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants but there are also some ideas that Prensky misses out on. One of the first things I agree with was the idea that our current educational system does not meet the needs of the students who are in our classroom. In general, these students have a significant amount of access to technology in their daily lives and have grown up surrounded by technology. The current education system doesn't seem to compete with these tech wonders and for lack of better terms, it makes school boring. I also agree that instructors need to find a way to reach the students in a way that connects with them and not in the outdated language of an immigrant.
My disconnect with Prensky's idea is that the students are generally only consumers of digital media (watching videos, playing games, etc.) and they aren't active users of the technology in ways that will help them be successful. Teaching students to use technology as an academic tool is key in the process. In an earlier course I took, we discussed the use of game-based learning and one concern that I had with creating a video game for learning is that on my own I can't create something that can compete with what they play on their PS4 or XBOX One at home. It ends up looking like something a digital immigrant created and that a digital native will laugh at. One other issue I have with Prensky's article was that not all of my students are natives and not all of them speak that language. I have a number of students every year who have few (if any) tech skills and little understanding of the digital language (more on this with Wheeler).
In the McKenzie article, he takes issue with a number of Prensky's ideas and his comparison of Prensky to the early American nativists is an excellent analogy. McKenzie focuses on picking apart Prensky and shows a number of issues with the article as it is written. The Reeves article focused on categorizing based on popular social/cultural labels. There are a number of interesting tables of characteristics, but it focuses on generational characteristics to categorize people. I'm not totally comfortable with this approach and it seems more about generalizing people based on their age than any significant learning component.
The last item I read this week was the Wheeler blog post, which spoke about the importance of recognizing the individual in learning. This is something I attempt to practice as much as possible in my classroom. Each student in an individual and has needs that won't be met by a cookie-cutter approach, even if it's through the lens of corraling students into learning styles. Creating meaningful relationships with your students and checking in with them over the course of the year will yield much more fruit than assuming that you're hitting the needs of the student with a one size fits most approach. His ideas also counter some of Reeves ideas about placing individuals into categories based on characteristics. I think focusing on the student and their learning needs at that time will give the best opportunity for meaningful learning.
My disconnect with Prensky's idea is that the students are generally only consumers of digital media (watching videos, playing games, etc.) and they aren't active users of the technology in ways that will help them be successful. Teaching students to use technology as an academic tool is key in the process. In an earlier course I took, we discussed the use of game-based learning and one concern that I had with creating a video game for learning is that on my own I can't create something that can compete with what they play on their PS4 or XBOX One at home. It ends up looking like something a digital immigrant created and that a digital native will laugh at. One other issue I have with Prensky's article was that not all of my students are natives and not all of them speak that language. I have a number of students every year who have few (if any) tech skills and little understanding of the digital language (more on this with Wheeler).
In the McKenzie article, he takes issue with a number of Prensky's ideas and his comparison of Prensky to the early American nativists is an excellent analogy. McKenzie focuses on picking apart Prensky and shows a number of issues with the article as it is written. The Reeves article focused on categorizing based on popular social/cultural labels. There are a number of interesting tables of characteristics, but it focuses on generational characteristics to categorize people. I'm not totally comfortable with this approach and it seems more about generalizing people based on their age than any significant learning component.
The last item I read this week was the Wheeler blog post, which spoke about the importance of recognizing the individual in learning. This is something I attempt to practice as much as possible in my classroom. Each student in an individual and has needs that won't be met by a cookie-cutter approach, even if it's through the lens of corraling students into learning styles. Creating meaningful relationships with your students and checking in with them over the course of the year will yield much more fruit than assuming that you're hitting the needs of the student with a one size fits most approach. His ideas also counter some of Reeves ideas about placing individuals into categories based on characteristics. I think focusing on the student and their learning needs at that time will give the best opportunity for meaningful learning.
Sunday, July 22, 2018
When Leadership Takes the Wrong Path No One Survives
Allow me to introduce today's guest blogger - Dr. Nancy Larsen. Dr. Larsen is currently the superintendent of Kellogg Public School District #391 in the Silver Valley of North Idaho. She has a wealth of experience in a number of roles and is a former Idaho State Teacher of the Year (2000).
Keeping one’s head low so an employee doesn’t become the next target is a sign of leadership gone awry. When team members watch others be demeaned and wish they had the ability to change it, but don’t because it puts their job or livelihood in jeopardy, the system is broken. When a revolving door describes the in and out of people to the system, there’s a desperate need for a change. So, how does it get this bad?
No one goes into leadership wanting to be a failure; however, most individuals are not prepared to become a true leader and resort to being a manager. A leader inspires the desire for team members to want to perform because they admire and respect the person at the helm—leadership is based upon nurturing the human interactions within the system on a daily basis. On the other hand, a manager, believes themselves to be the most important part of the system and maintaining one’s ego becomes the first priority instead not ever experiencing the results of nurturing team members; any results are based upon fear and anxiety.
Of those organizations of which I have most felt a productive and satisfied member, I find my well-being and membership within the group as one to which I want to contribute—the desire to work and accomplish is deep. Of those organizations of which I have most felt disjointed from the group and marginalized, I find my feelings are those of dejection and desire to leave it behind. In both cases, the leadership has inspired my attitudes and thoughts.
There is a natural tendency in some individuals to become inspiring leaders, some are born with this talent; however, leaders can also be made. With mentoring, training, and patience leaders can emerge. More time needs to be spent analyzing those qualities which inspire and build up others so emulation can occur. Ongoing mentoring and feedback can refine and cultivate the person at the helm to create environments that perpetuate the desire to be part of a team; to create systems where people stay and want to be there; and, eventually, environments which are sought out by individuals who admire the work from afar.
Let’s not rush this…developing true leadership is worth the time it takes.
Keeping one’s head low so an employee doesn’t become the next target is a sign of leadership gone awry. When team members watch others be demeaned and wish they had the ability to change it, but don’t because it puts their job or livelihood in jeopardy, the system is broken. When a revolving door describes the in and out of people to the system, there’s a desperate need for a change. So, how does it get this bad?
No one goes into leadership wanting to be a failure; however, most individuals are not prepared to become a true leader and resort to being a manager. A leader inspires the desire for team members to want to perform because they admire and respect the person at the helm—leadership is based upon nurturing the human interactions within the system on a daily basis. On the other hand, a manager, believes themselves to be the most important part of the system and maintaining one’s ego becomes the first priority instead not ever experiencing the results of nurturing team members; any results are based upon fear and anxiety.
Of those organizations of which I have most felt a productive and satisfied member, I find my well-being and membership within the group as one to which I want to contribute—the desire to work and accomplish is deep. Of those organizations of which I have most felt disjointed from the group and marginalized, I find my feelings are those of dejection and desire to leave it behind. In both cases, the leadership has inspired my attitudes and thoughts.
There is a natural tendency in some individuals to become inspiring leaders, some are born with this talent; however, leaders can also be made. With mentoring, training, and patience leaders can emerge. More time needs to be spent analyzing those qualities which inspire and build up others so emulation can occur. Ongoing mentoring and feedback can refine and cultivate the person at the helm to create environments that perpetuate the desire to be part of a team; to create systems where people stay and want to be there; and, eventually, environments which are sought out by individuals who admire the work from afar.
Let’s not rush this…developing true leadership is worth the time it takes.
Thursday, July 19, 2018
How We Spend Our Time
As I am sure some of you can attest, being a teacher is a very time-consuming job. From late August to early June, we spend a significant amount of time at school doing, well...teacher things. I usually start my day at 6:00-6:30 and am one of the first to arrive at my school in the morning. I am not a morning person so you can imagine that it's sheer force of will that gets me there with a pretend smile on my face. From the first bell to the last bell we bust our tails making magic within the walls of our classroom. On conference nights we stay late until well after dark meeting parents, hearing concerns, and making plans to alleviate student issues. We spend time making calls to praise and work with parents. We create lessons, refine plans, and correct work. What it all boils down to, is that great teachers are hard workers.
If you haven't heard it, there is an old joke that goes "What are a teachers favorite months?" The answer is June, July, and August. I don't think it was a teacher who came up with that joke, just another person who likely has little understanding about what teachers really do. For one thing, I don't get paid for those months. My contract runs through the school year and I'm only being paid for those months. Like many other teachers (I've been surprised by the number of recent articles about this) I work a second job during the summer. In my ten years of teaching, I've only ever really taken off one summer when my daughter was less than a year old. Almost every teacher I know in my school has a side hustle - painting houses, doing yard work, bartending, waitressing, golf caddy, and I even know a few who give blood throughout the year to get a little extra money. Those of us not working an actual job are bettering ourselves through educational opportunities or spending time outside of contract hours refining our craft (or learning a new curriculum like I am this summer).
Even though I spend so much time working, my favorite moments are spent with my two kids. Jacob is twelve years old and Ellie is five years old. I'm lucky enough to have a summer "side hustle" that only involves a couple of hours a day during the summer and can be done in spare moments throughout the day. So, my kids basically get my full attention for three months during the summer. That means we go on hikes, swim, take day trips, make art, read, and basically jam as much as we can into those three precious months. It is fantastic.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that how we spend our time is something that's worth considering on a daily basis. Thinking about what is really important and prioritizing your actions based on that is something that everyone needs to consider. The power of saying "no" is something that I've learned in the last few years and it's helped me be a better steward of my time for sure. I find ways to work the mundane around what I really want to do every day and squeeze every ounce out of my summer days. It's important to me that I spend time with my kids, re-energize myself, and increase my level of happiness.
If you ever feel overwhelmed or burdened by your work life, I encourage you to step back, take a breath, and reconsider how you spend your time.
If you haven't heard it, there is an old joke that goes "What are a teachers favorite months?" The answer is June, July, and August. I don't think it was a teacher who came up with that joke, just another person who likely has little understanding about what teachers really do. For one thing, I don't get paid for those months. My contract runs through the school year and I'm only being paid for those months. Like many other teachers (I've been surprised by the number of recent articles about this) I work a second job during the summer. In my ten years of teaching, I've only ever really taken off one summer when my daughter was less than a year old. Almost every teacher I know in my school has a side hustle - painting houses, doing yard work, bartending, waitressing, golf caddy, and I even know a few who give blood throughout the year to get a little extra money. Those of us not working an actual job are bettering ourselves through educational opportunities or spending time outside of contract hours refining our craft (or learning a new curriculum like I am this summer).
Even though I spend so much time working, my favorite moments are spent with my two kids. Jacob is twelve years old and Ellie is five years old. I'm lucky enough to have a summer "side hustle" that only involves a couple of hours a day during the summer and can be done in spare moments throughout the day. So, my kids basically get my full attention for three months during the summer. That means we go on hikes, swim, take day trips, make art, read, and basically jam as much as we can into those three precious months. It is fantastic.
Sometimes I need to remind myself that how we spend our time is something that's worth considering on a daily basis. Thinking about what is really important and prioritizing your actions based on that is something that everyone needs to consider. The power of saying "no" is something that I've learned in the last few years and it's helped me be a better steward of my time for sure. I find ways to work the mundane around what I really want to do every day and squeeze every ounce out of my summer days. It's important to me that I spend time with my kids, re-energize myself, and increase my level of happiness.
If you ever feel overwhelmed or burdened by your work life, I encourage you to step back, take a breath, and reconsider how you spend your time.
Saturday, July 14, 2018
The Future and Automation
The future and automation have become a talking point at a number of events I've been to recently and it's also started to come up in casual conversations when I tell people that I teach robotics at school. It's definitely something worth discussing, so I'll throw some of those ideas out there and get some feedback.
Automation is a system where machines and their processes are used to do the work of a human being. Some of the first big appearances that automation made were in heavy industry - things like automobile manufacture, electronics, and machine production. Automation has actually been around a lot longer in more simpler forms (water wheels, mills, carts, etc.). When you look around in today's world automation is pretty much everywhere.
The main issue that seems to pop up in conversation is that automation will take jobs away from people. Granted, we are not talking about doctors, engineers, architects, etc. we are talking about menial and sometimes dangerous jobs - factory work, construction, mining, logging, food processing, food preparation, and other similar jobs. For more information check out some of the following articles:
End of the road: will automation put an end to the American trucker?
MIT Technology Review - Every study we could find on what automation will do to jobs in one chart.
Forbes - Jobs and Robots: 25 countries based on job loss potential,
End of the checkout line: the looming crisis for American cashiers.
And just because my students got a kick out of this when I shared it with them...
New McDonald's in Phoenix Run Entirely By Robots
The idea of automating our daily lives is not a new one, but it is definitely picking up steam. What do you, my dear blog readers, think of the issue? Is widespread automation a good thing, freeing people up to pursue more lofty goals than working in a fast food restaurant or is it a terrible idea that steals jobs from those who need them and will have a negative effect on society as a whole?
What is it?
Automation is a system where machines and their processes are used to do the work of a human being. Some of the first big appearances that automation made were in heavy industry - things like automobile manufacture, electronics, and machine production. Automation has actually been around a lot longer in more simpler forms (water wheels, mills, carts, etc.). When you look around in today's world automation is pretty much everywhere.
What is the problem?
The main issue that seems to pop up in conversation is that automation will take jobs away from people. Granted, we are not talking about doctors, engineers, architects, etc. we are talking about menial and sometimes dangerous jobs - factory work, construction, mining, logging, food processing, food preparation, and other similar jobs. For more information check out some of the following articles:
End of the road: will automation put an end to the American trucker?
MIT Technology Review - Every study we could find on what automation will do to jobs in one chart.
Forbes - Jobs and Robots: 25 countries based on job loss potential,
End of the checkout line: the looming crisis for American cashiers.
And just because my students got a kick out of this when I shared it with them...
New McDonald's in Phoenix Run Entirely By Robots
The idea of automating our daily lives is not a new one, but it is definitely picking up steam. What do you, my dear blog readers, think of the issue? Is widespread automation a good thing, freeing people up to pursue more lofty goals than working in a fast food restaurant or is it a terrible idea that steals jobs from those who need them and will have a negative effect on society as a whole?
Thursday, July 12, 2018
EV3 Components List
This blog post will be a list of components in a Lego EV3 Mindstorms education kit. Just to make viewers aware of what is included along with a description for each item.
Intelligent Brick - The EV3 Intelligent Brick is the brains for any robotics build. The programming that you create on the software is transferred to this component to allow the robot to move autonomously throughout it's environment.
Large Motors - These are aptly named, as they are the larger motor included in the kit. These provide locomotion as directed by the Intelligent Brick.
Medium Motor - This motor is a smaller motor with a different look and often a different function. I have had students use medium motors for moving their robot but generally, it is used for other functions. An example would be the motor to open or close a claw.
Gyro Sensor - Measures the pitch and angle of the robot, which allows the intelligent brick to react and can trigger programming based on those variables.
Touch Sensor - Is pretty straightforward. It works like a button and can be used in a variety of ways (as a button being the simplest). It can be used to help the robot avoid walls in one example of it's many uses.
The Color Sensor - This sensor can detect colors across the spectrum, as well as black and white. This is an extremely useful sensor as it can allow for changes in programming based on color variables. This sensor also allows a robot to follow a line, which we often use in multiple step problems in class (e.g. follow the red line to the first checkpoint and drop off the box).
The Ultrasonic Sensor - Is affectionately known in my classroom as the detached Wall-E Head. It uses sonic waves (like radar) to detect movement, objects, distance, etc. and allows for changes in programming based on those variables.
In addition to all of these great sensors and motors, Lego includes enough building pieces to construct quite an array of robots. Students also really enjoy combining kits to be able to build bigger and more complex robotic creations and it is amazing to see where their creativity leads them.
 |
| Image Courtesy of Lego Education |
Intelligent Brick - The EV3 Intelligent Brick is the brains for any robotics build. The programming that you create on the software is transferred to this component to allow the robot to move autonomously throughout it's environment.
Large Motors - These are aptly named, as they are the larger motor included in the kit. These provide locomotion as directed by the Intelligent Brick.
Medium Motor - This motor is a smaller motor with a different look and often a different function. I have had students use medium motors for moving their robot but generally, it is used for other functions. An example would be the motor to open or close a claw.
Gyro Sensor - Measures the pitch and angle of the robot, which allows the intelligent brick to react and can trigger programming based on those variables.
Touch Sensor - Is pretty straightforward. It works like a button and can be used in a variety of ways (as a button being the simplest). It can be used to help the robot avoid walls in one example of it's many uses.
The Color Sensor - This sensor can detect colors across the spectrum, as well as black and white. This is an extremely useful sensor as it can allow for changes in programming based on color variables. This sensor also allows a robot to follow a line, which we often use in multiple step problems in class (e.g. follow the red line to the first checkpoint and drop off the box).
The Ultrasonic Sensor - Is affectionately known in my classroom as the detached Wall-E Head. It uses sonic waves (like radar) to detect movement, objects, distance, etc. and allows for changes in programming based on those variables.
In addition to all of these great sensors and motors, Lego includes enough building pieces to construct quite an array of robots. Students also really enjoy combining kits to be able to build bigger and more complex robotic creations and it is amazing to see where their creativity leads them.
Tuesday, July 10, 2018
Links Post
Here are some useful links that have information about robotics and various things to do with Lego Mindstorms.
The Official Lego EV3 About Page - A great place to start for basic information about the Lego EV3 program and what the capabilities of the hardware and software are. There are some interesting videos as well as some basic information.
The Lego Education Page - This page focuses on the educational aspect of the Lego EV3 Mindstorms components and gives teachers a number of resources to use. Over the years they have started to make it difficult to find the information and the site seems to have a much more commercial focus now.
Lego Mindstorms: A History of Educational Robots - This is just a very well put together article about the history of Lego's educational robots, starting with the initial ideas in 1984 and coming full circle to the current EV3 Mindstorms version. I've shared this article with parents and co-workers in the past to give them some background for the tools we use in the classroom.
EV3 Lessons - Free Resources - One of my favorite resources for class ideas, the site features new robot designs and a number of programming lessons starting at the beginner level and moving into the much more advanced. I use a lot of the programming lessons and designs on this site with my more advanced students who are looking for extension and challenge in class. This allows me to let students take my robotics course multiple times over their three years at the middle school level.
Carnegie-Mellon University Robotics Academy - This program is where I started when I began the robotics courses six years ago. It gave a great base group of lessons that formed the core of my introductory section for the first few years. I still have some of the basic lessons embedded into my course, with modifications based on our equipment and time availability.
Dr. Graeme - EV3 Tutorials - Another great resource for EV3 lessons with the availability of an eBooks and tutorials. The author of this site also has some great videos posted on Youtube that give step-by-step instructions for a number of really exciting activities.
REC Foundation - Robotics Education - This site has a list of great resources using both the EV3 Mindstorms system and non-Lego options as well. I am beginning to find alternative sources for robotics equipment and lessons to keep my class up to date and this site had some great places to start.
Damien Kee - Lots of Great Information and Links - An absolutely amazing resource, Damien Kee has put together a great website for robotics in education. He has his own materials posted, but also highlights a number of other great websites to check into.
Danny's Lab - Cool Projects/Ideas - Lots of really fun ideas and extension projects posted on this site. You can tell he really enjoys building and programming Lego creations and I point a lot of my students who have EV3 kits at home to this site to give them a resource for fun ideas they can create at home.
There is a lot more out there and these are some of my favorites - I'm always looking for more information, so if you have something to share feel free to comment below.
Sunday, July 8, 2018
Blogging in the Classroom
In reading the materials from last week and this week, I am beginning to identify a number of ways that blogging can be a useful resource in my classroom. One particular use for blogs in my classroom that I am interested in pursuing is the use of an online blog to replace the daily journal entries that I have students work on. In the past, I have asked students to respond to a particular prompt at the beginning of class and asked them to write for approximately five minutes on the subject. This was all done on paper and the students turned in their journals at the end of each quarter. At the end of each quarter, I was left with a mountain of spiral and composition notebooks to sort through and grade.
Instead of focusing on a daily question, I see my students working on a weekly blog post that pertains to a certain issue (or possibly allow them a choice of issues to discuss) with their response due on Friday of each week. There are obviously a number of pre-teaching exercises that need to occur before my students are able to create quality blog entries and I'm in the beginning stages of this idea which means I also need to research the facilitation of this idea.
Reading through the Stiler and Philleo (2003) reading was an excellent way to read about the pros and cons of blogging in a classroom, albeit at a collegiate level. One statement in particular that caught my attention was that "the depth and breadth of student reflectivity appeared to be positively affected by their use of Blogger." Having students go deeper in their reflection is something I ask for consistently and if the use of a blog is a tool that will make it easier for students to do so, I am excited to use it.
Reading the Shoffner article, I really focused on the idea of meaningfully incorporating technology into the classwork. Having a better than 1:1 ratio of technology in my classroom creates access for every student and creates the opportunity my students need. The article mentioned and I have seen that students are coming into the classroom with previous experience in technology use. In my experience, the one area where students need help seems to be understanding how to use technology in an academic setting and not just for entertainment.
Shoffner, M. (2007). Preservice English teachers and technology: A consideration of weblogs for the English classroom. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 7(4), 245-255.
Stiler, G. M., & Philleo, T. (2003). Blogging and blogspots: An alternative format for encouraging reflective practice among preservice teachers. Education, 123(4), 789-797.
Sunday, July 1, 2018
A Welcome to the Reader!
Welcome!
A very hearty welcome to you blog viewer! This is a blog that I have created for use in my EdTech 537 course at Boise State University. While this blog is an assignment and will include a variety of assignments over the course of the class, I hope to also use this blog to convey information to my reader about two classes I currently teach and am very passionate about!
The first class is a junior engineering course that I teach in my current position to seventh and eighth-grade students. The class is focused on introducing students to a variety of engineering and tech-based concepts. Over the course of a semester, students are able to gain experience using HTML/CSS, Javascript, robotics, 3D printing, and structural engineering concepts. In addition to the hands-on experience, students also spend time exploring careers in engineering and focus on learning about a field of engineering that has a particular interest to them. The class is very hands-on and has a project-based focus throughout.
The second class is the robotics class that I teach to all grade levels at the end of the day during an enrichment period. The class is made up of everything from beginners to extremely advanced students. As such, I have a wide variety of material that I have made available to my students. We primarily use the Lego EV3 Mindstorms robotics program and equipment. I find the familiarity of Lego allows students a level of comfort and confidence as they start the program. The system is fairly easy to learn and the students can push themselves as far as they would like. This classroom is very project focused and I do everything I can to support the students as they expand their learning and create solutions to the challenges.
A little more about me...
I currently live in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho and teach at Lakes Middle School. I have been married for almost fifteen years now, with two wonderful kids aged twelve and five. I spend a lot of time outdoors in the summer, hiking and fishing mainly. It's nice to be able to get lost in the woods every once in a while. I currently teach sixth grade language arts for four periods a day and then teach the junior engineering and robotics classes for one period. I am an avid reader and enjoy watching baseball and soccer.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)