Sir Robinson video Notes

Find three ideas you agree with, two ideas that surprised you, and one idea you disagree with or confused you.

Agree
1.We are teaching students 5 years into future, but we don't know what the future holds in 5 years.
2. If you're not prepared to be wrong, you'll be afraid to take risks.
3.If humans stay for 50 years, then life systems will go extinct. If humans all disappeared, in 50 years life systems will flourish.

Surprised
1. Everywhere on Earth, Math and language is on top and Humanities are on the bottom. Under Humanities: Music and theater on top and dance on bottom.
2.The story about the dancer, her doctor, instead of dosing her, told her she was a dancer. These days, doctors will just give her drugs and to calm down.

Disagree/confused
1.

Double Entry Journal #13

Chapter 6: Affinity Spaces

1. Give an example of a "community of practice" in which you are currently participating in.

Of course, being a musician, I am sort of apprenticing myself, but there's a more accurate situation. I work as a grill cook at the local Bob Evan's restaurant. There I have been an apprentice of the other, older, cooks for more than a year now. It has taught me everything I know about cooking there. These boys are experienced (the youngest one had been there for at least 2 years before I showed up) and knew everything about how to cook the food there, which really helped me learn.

2.Why is the term "community" better defined in relation to spaces rather than groups of people?

The author says that "community" is better defined in terms of spaces rather than groups because it is simpler. Too many questions are asked after the fact when they are separated in groups. In terms of a space, someone can ask a couple preliminary questions and be able to define the group more securely.

3. What is a "generator"? What is it's counterpart in school?

A "generator" is the "about" of a subject. It is the creator of ideas, and facilitator of thought. In school, it is what a particular class is about (i.e. math, science, art, reading, etc.) 

4. What is a "content organizer"? What is it's counterpart in school?

A content organizer is whatever helps the content make sense in context, and helps keep the learner informed and practicing that content. In school, it is basically the curriculum designed by the teacher.

5. What is a "portal"? What is it's counterpart in school?

A "portal" is anything that gives access to the space, or content. In school, it is compared to a textbook or teacher.

6. What do people have an "affinity" for in an "affinity space"? How does this inform your understanding of good teaching?

People in an affinity space have an affinity for the interest around which the space is created. This is not first and foremost the end all be all, but it is very important  to people in spaces. This helps with good teaching by showing me that the people can help, but it is the content that the people are involved with that helps the learning process most.

7. How do "affinity spaces" support inclusive classrooms? Choose two characteristics below to make connections between "affinity spaces" and inclusive classrooms.

Using a Common Language - Within a space, or a classroom, students and teacher use a common language within the  content of the class. When the teacher has students living the environment of a subject, the students learn the "language" or the life of that subject.

A Common Vision - This is true in all senses of a good classroom or affinity space. In AoM the common vision is to take over the map, and to succeed in a colony. In a classroom, the common vision is to learn.

8. How are traditional classroom different from Affinity Spaces?

In a traditional classroom, there is more of a community rather than a space. Too many extra beings can be included in the community that aren't a part of the community but count as part of the community.

Student Interviews

This blog is dedicated to a set of interviews I gave students in my clinicals.

Both students were 5th graders in Mrs. Dunn's General Music classes. The first student was in her first period class, and the second was in her second period class.

I began each interview with a few questions of my own (unrecorded) to get the students relaxed and ready to answer truthfully, questions included how are you, hows your morning, what'd you do this weekend, etc.

High Performing Student
Female, enthusiastic, confident, relaxed, good posture.
Seemed to be multi-talented, has hinted to piano lessons in class, and being a swimmer.

I: Do you enjoy school?
S: Yes!
I: What about it do you like?
S: It gets me away from home, sitting around. My friends are here too.
I: What words would you use to describe yourself as a student? What kind of student are you?
S: Respectful, good listener.
I: What do you do for fun outside of school?
S: Swim, I really like swimming!
I: What are some other things you enjoy?
S: Dancing around!
I: What is your favorite kind of music?
S: Christian Songs, I also like Rascal Flatts
I: How would your classmates describe you?
S: Same as before, respectful, good listener, and they like to call me a Know-it-all
I: What do you and your friends do together?
S: Talk, study together, and we like to have sleepovers
I: Tell me a good memory you have from school.
S: hmm... Well, when I got elected for student representative, also Christmas shows.
I: What does a student representative do?
S: We have meetings. We plan spirit week festivities.
I: What is your spirit week?
S: It's the week during the East-West game.
I: Any bad memories?
S: I got throw up on my shoe once from another student.
I: Anything else?
S: Once the toilet got clogged, that wasn't so great.
I: Can you describe your favorite kind of teacher to me?
S: Strict, I like structure. I also like one that keeps to my pace.
I: That sounds a lot like Mrs. Dunn.
S: Yeah, I really like Mrs. Dunn, she is probably my favorite teacher.
I: What is one thing you wish your teachers knew about you?
S: That's one thing I love about Mrs. Dunn, she knows a lot about me. I wish my teachers knew my parents were divorced, so that they don't load me up on homework. That way I can see my dad more often.


Struggling Student
Male, football player, seemed reserved and nervous to talk to me, slouching quite a bit in chair.

I: Do you enjoy school?
S: I like that I get to hang out with my friends.
I: What kind of student are you?
S: ... Smart, talkative.
I: What do you do for fun outside of school?
S: I like to play football, also watch it.
I: How would your classmates describe you?
S: um... fun. And that's about it I think.
I: Who are you friends with?
S: Mostly friends from football practice.
I: What do you and your friends do outside of school?
S: We like to play football video games, other video games, and football outside.
I: What is a good memory you have in school?
S: um... well, I'm class president. Also, the team is undefeated right now, that's pretty cool.
I: What about a bad memory?
S: When I got a "D" in math.
I: Do you like math?
S: No, it's hard.
I: What is a favorite teacher you've had?
S: My third grade teacher. At recess, she let us stay out to play longer than other teachers.
I: What makes a good teacher?
S: Not a lot of homework, or easy homework.
I: What's one thing you wish your teachers knew about you?
S: That I don't like homework. I also like to dissect things, those are my favorite days.

Double Entry Journal #12

Chapter 5: Learning and Gaming

1 What is the main argument the author is making in Chapter 5.

The author is arguing that the tutorials in video games tend to use a better use of learning than schools these days. By this he means that students are more engaged and have an easier learning curve in video games than in school.

2. What constitutes a theory of learning?

   A theory of learning is something that allows students to learn and still have a full understanding using increasingly difficult challenges. When students are allowed to explore and take things at their own pace, then they can learn the best.

3. Why did the author struggle to learn to play Warcraft III? What needs to proceed before good learning principles?

The author had troubles because he wasn't as motivated to move on, since he was unfamiliar with the games learning and design. Motivation for extended engagement needs to proceed before good learning principles.

4. How would have the authors struggle with learning to play Warcraft III been interpreted in school?

In school, the author would have been interpreted as being lazy and would fail a class.

5 What kind of learning experience might be better suited for at risk students?

"Horizontal learning" it is a way of learning that allows students to take their time. It allows students to not progress fast, but learn the basics on their own while building their way up the skill ladder when they eventually can relate the skills to real life events.

6. Why does the school-based interpretation of "at risk" lead to bad learning?

Schools tend to make "at risk" students go back for remedial classes and hold them back, because they don't progress fast enough, rather than at their own pace.

7. What do schools need to do to function more like a good game?

Schools need to use a more tutorial like approach or a more experience based approach. They need to let the students engulf themselves in the world of subject matter. Total immersion in an area of expertise lets students build those skills in a meaningful way.

8. What is different about how good games and school assess learners?

Schools use tests that assesses students in a way that uses meaningless knowledge rather than real world skills in meaningful situations, like a good games.

9. What are the attributes of a  fish-tank tutorial that make it an effective learning tool? How is it different than school-based learning?

fish-tank tutorial: uses hand-holding, multimodal means of learning, lots of redundancy, and the information is given right when it is needed. In "real life" situations, the tutorial gives the information the student needs to put the basic building blocks together to learn the greater knowledge in the end. 

It uses Vygotsky's zone of proximal development to help students learn and feel successful in their learning.

10. What is a sand-box tutorial? Why is effective? How is it different that school-based learning? 

a sand-box tutorial is when a real life situation is presented in a safe, clean way, like a real sandbox to a child. In a sandbox, kids can learn and explore the world in a safe, timely manner, just like in this same tutorial style. like the "quick start" in RoN.

11. What is a genre? Why is it important for good learning?

A genre is a type of something. In learning, it is always good to know what type of thing you're doing, that way you can structure your mind process to wrap your mind around it.

12. According to the author, what to learning and play having in common?

If learning stops, then fun stops, and eventually play stops.

13. How are the skills test in good games different from skills tests in school?

Skills tests in games are developmental for the learner and not evaluative.

 

14. How does RoN support collaborative learning?

It uses the multiplayer interface as well as the computer to build cooperation within the game.

Formative assessment blog

What is formative assessment?
Formative assessment is a form of assessment that uses the students quality of work to build techniques of better learning. Rather than a form of assessment that monitors student performance, it is one that enhances and improves performance. It uses proper timing, teacher comments and appropriate use of assignments to allow student achievement, and assessment happens during the process of learning rather than after

What is the CENTRAL purpose of formative assessment?
The central purpose is that of allowing students better confidence and a growing curve of learning. Rather than telling students they did something wrong, it shows them what they can do to improve upon only. This eliminates hurt feelings.

Connect a best practice in formative assessment to one research-based strategy.
Providing feedback, this includes using comments and peer and self assessment used in the formative assessment.

Give an example of how a specific assessment can be used formatively and summatively.

Using a rubric given to students to guide an assignment. Students can use what you'll be using as a grade to help build a quality assignment, but then the teach can use the rubric to do the actual grading. The rubric as a tool for the students and teacher is (to guide assignment) is formative, and the rubric as a grading tool for the teacher is summative. 

Give an example from your field placement related to formative assessment and timing.

In music most evaluation is formative. We must use everything we ask of the students as the students use of guiding assignments. We have videos with worksheets that need questions answered, we use listening assignments where students write down what they hear, we have coloring assignments. We can't use a lot of tests because that isn't an accurate depiction of a student's abilities. So participation in assignments needs to be used as assessment much of the time.

What are some strategies to help formative assessment be more effective when providing students with feedback? Use peer assessment strategies. As a student, having friends and people in the class provide truthful feedback was always more meaningful than a teacher giving the feedback.

Name two advantages to high quality formative assessment.

Teachers can identify struggling students and provide help much faster and easier. Students can build confidence and feelings of control better.

Double Entry Journal #11

Chapter 4- Simulations and Bodies

 This chapter emphasizes the importance of full emergence in subject matter for full understanding of that subjects vocabulary. When the author says, "learning doesn't work well when learners are forced to check their bodies at the school room door like guns in the old West," he means to say that the students can't merely sit around and work. As part of our culture of learning, we must use our bodies and our physical power as a means to learn about subjects. Students must have specific learning experiences rather than memorizing words. No one just reads, rather, the learner reads a specific material. According to the author, merely "reading" is not enough to gain a large vocabulary. He believes that one must actually experience the worlds that the vocabulary words refer to. Those words have a specific place in those places they belong. The meaning of the word depends on that words usage, as a word could mean something different in many different places. In essence, a words meaning comes from its usage in the subject. For instance in the sentence "My sister broke up with her fiance, so I'm off the hook for buying her a wedding present," the term "off the hook" means that the subject of the sentence does not need to buy his/her sister a wedding present any longer. In the sentence, "Them shoes are off the hook dog," "off the hook," means that the shoes are very much desirable and the speaker is interested in them. Finally, in the sentence, "Man that cat was fighting 6 people and he beat them all. Yo, it was "off the hook", you should have seen it!!" the term "off the hook," means that the fighter beating up 6 people at once was intense, ridiculous, and unexpected. 

     According to the author, the "work" of childhood is play. Children, when given the opportunity to play, are given the opportunity to learn. They can learn the true meaning of different aspects of life, for example, sharing, compassion, love, hard work, leadership, discipline, as well as vocabulary, basic math, and many other basics for subjects. I agree with this, as students are much more prone to want to play if they learn that they are doing something they don't like to do in the process of playing. One example the author uses when it comes to reading literally and cognitively is reading the instruction manual for a video game. This can be confusing with all of the new vocabulary introduced that requires explanation and rereading different sections, if one does not have the original knowledge of the game. By NOT reading the instruction manual first, the player can play the game and begin learning through doing, and when a question arises, they can refer to the manual, with the newer knowledge of the vocabulary they didn't know beforehand. 
     Although it is advantageous to read the manual, the literal meaning of a word may not be what is required to understand the word. There is a lot of implied meaning that goes in with a word in many subjects. By narrowing one's eyesight to the literal meaning of a word, the reader might become confused or frustrated completely by the word's meaning. In games, a player needs to be following rules to be identified as playing the game. The game, in real life, could be used in place of identity. One of my games I play is the game of music educator, and I am following the rules of learning to teach music, and teaching music, as well as getting my degree to graduate with a certification. Another game I play is that of conductor. I must plan rehearsals and keep the beat for the ensemble. I also play the game of friend. As a friend, I must be available to be talked to, I must also be compassionate and share my feelings with others.
     According to the author, good learning is learning that is done, rather than studied or taught. The learner needs to be actively engaged in an activity to be a sufficient learner. This can only be done through experimentation and experiences.