This week feels like a wrap up to me. I have completed such a large mass of work within the last two weeks that either I am a) completely ripped to shreds or b) one step closer to being prepared enough to say I deserve a Masters degree in LIS. Somehow, I feel like it is a bit of both. In this week's blog I wanted to correlate my real life experiences as of late to some of the readings we were asked to read and presentations that I watched from the online conference.
Last week I directed a storytelling activity for students in 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. They were excited to see me and a bit apprehensive to trust me with their attention. Along with telling them a story about a family's Thanksgiving traditions gone wrong, I guided them through making origami pilgrim boats and turkeys. It was very difficult, but I felt like they really enjoyed both the story and the paper folding activity. I have a personal view about student ownership in learning. When children are able to lend a hand in their learning process, be it an arts and crafts activity, discussion, blog, wiki board, or group presentation, the opportunity for the individual within each of them to come out is heightened. Rodd Lucier, one of the K-12 speakers told a story in one video take about guiding students through a learning experience by reminding them that they all have something to offer the world, almost like a super power. What a great way to address students; making them feel like they have a special addition for the world around them, something that will last. It is all about finding it, and that might be the hard part.
In simply folding origami squares these students were making mistakes, which I assured them might happen and that we would be able to persevere through them. One student crumbled his paper up and just as I was about to give him a new one, one of the other students next to him said, "Here, take mine, we can finish it together." I was amazed and surprised, but in a good way. They even managed to take the incorrectly folded paper and make it into a turkey. I wanted to point out to them that it was okay if the folds were not done correctly, because not all boats or animals are perfectly constructed and obtain perfect symmetry. It appeared that by the end of the activity that the students gained an understanding for this, and trudged through the instructions until they got the result they wanted. I believe they felt like they owned their project.
Another experience I had was on Tuesday of this week. I visited Cleveland Hill High School library to speak to their LMS about special needs accommodations. At first she was unclear if the school even had any, so she asked the schools technical specialist to come and talk with us. The specialist completely amazed me. Her extensive knowledge of technology and correlating it to UDL specifications, assistive devices, and learning styles was phenomenal. The school just acquired iPads, which have not yet been released for student use. The specialist described the many different options that students (both with and without disabilities) had while using the software. The article we were given to read this week about iPads applications fell in line with this. It is amazing to see just how many choices we have for our students. People automatically associate Apple products with entertainment. iPads are a clear example of just how much more these devices can do within the realm of technology and education.
So where does this leave us? Richardson spoke about the benefits of technology within his book all semester, but one quote this week struck me:
"If we fail to graduate students who are not able to create, sustain, and participate in these networks in safe, ethical, and effective ways, we've done them a disservice." (Richardson, 149)
His statement is a broad one about technology in education, yes, but it goes leagues beyond what it means at face value. We as information professionals have a duty to bring these advancements soundly into education. It will take so much hard work, and it will be scary to mold our educators into the proper models. Regardless of the downsides, it is possible and if done correctly will forever change the face of education forevermore.
No comments:
Post a Comment