This lesson is designed as a workshop for fellow teachers in my district.

Educational Objectives

Assessment

Participants will be creating a powerpoint presentation that incorporates web-based content. If a participant currently maintains a blog or website, he/she will be encouraged to work in that format instead. The instructor will be checking to be sure that creative commons attributions are used.

Primary Teaching Strategies

In order to cover the wealth of information as efficiently as possible, the instructor will primarily use the didactic method of instruction. However, this will be supplemented with instructional strategies that promote engagement.

The deductive strategy is the most obvious choice, as partipants willl be applying specific rules to individual project examples.

The lesson will be scaffolded by the instructor as well, allowing participants to work according to ability. Those who need more help will have access to the instructor as well as additional online resources.

Finally, all students will participate in a simulation activity: that is, locating content shared under Creative Commons, importing content into a presentation of some kind, and providing appropriate attribution.

Required Time and Resources

The workshop will take approximately two hours to complete. A computer lab is necessary to give teachers hands-on experience. Presentation software is needed on the computers, along with internet access.

Series of Learning Activities

The workshop will take approximately two hours to complete. A computer lab is necessary to give teachers hands-on experience. Presentation software is needed on the computers, along with internet access.

As an educator, how can I use copyrighted work?

Fair Use (Section 107 of the 1976 Copyright Act)

Basic Guidelines

TEACH Act

This is so confusing!  Help!

Table of Copyright Guidelines

Copyright vs. Creative Commons

Why should I care about Creative Commons?

Reading a Creative Commons License

How do I find work licensed under Creative Commons?

Cultural capital not only produces distinctions among individuals, it also reproduces its own value. Schooling, which Bourdieu referred to as an agency of “cultural consecration and conservation” in which prevailing classifications are objectified, is central to the validation of cultural capital. As Mohr and DiMaggio observed, the school is one of the “centers of cultural authority which maintain and disseminate societal standards of value and serve collectively to clarify and periodically revise the cultural currency.” The school is one of the critical sites where forms of cultural capital are produced, transmitted, and accumulated, and where dominant systems of classification and evaluation are inculcated . This is accomplished within schools when they obscure the very character of cultural capital and the processes of its reproduction. Meritocratic ideologies are presumed to account for systematic variations in academic performance. Reigning methods of organizing, instructing, and assessing students are represented as intrinsic to and solely instrumental for teaching and learning. Within this context, cultural capital is recognized (i.e., perceived and honored) as legitimate competence, whereas its arbitrary and class-based character is simultaneously misrecognized.

The problem with a this “hidden economy” is that it perpetuates a system of social reproduction, where the powerful retain power.  When combined with the “bootstraps” mythology, responsibility for failure is placed on the system’s victims.

I should imagine that it would be fairly obvious at this point that I am fortunate enough to possess a fairly “lucrative” cultural and linguistic capital.  I am enrolled in an institute of higher learning and interact with authentic texts.  I possess a “standardized” (if sometimes overly formal) version of the English language.  However, this is not the only linguistic capital I possess.

I graduated from an urban, inner-city high school that has unfortunately been shut down in recent years (post-NCLB).   Fitting in (and staying safe) required me to learn a completely different linguistic code than I had previously used.  I was in a unique learning situation that I only became aware of in later years.  Code-switching–alternating between linguistic codes based upon context–was a valuable skill that I (somehow) managed to learn.

Talking in my natural dialect allowed me to interact with authority figures and staff in a way that was incredibly beneficial for me (if not downright unfair).   There is no denying that I was treated differently than my peers.  I was allowed to complete my senior English class as an “independent study.”  An administrator drove me to a bookstore during school hours.  I had coffee in the cafe and perused books that suited my interests.  When one was selected, two copies were purchased by the administrator (one for each of us).  I was allowed to read the book at my own pace, and have one-on-one discussions about the content of the book.  Looking back, it’s embarrassingly unfair.

However, there was an additional, highly restricted, side to my life here.  I did not eat lunch in the school cafeteria, instead eating in a teacher’s classroom.  I was allowed to get a friend from class if I needed to go to the bathroom, or else use a teacher’s key and use the teacher’s bathroom.  I was often referred to by an acronym that was used to identify all those in my social circle, and my identity became that of an other.  As a result, I learned to adapt.  I used words like “whack,” “ill,” and “mad sweet.”  I drawled, “Girrrrrrlllll!” when a friend said something noteworthy.  Although not considered to be “good” English, these adaptations were invaluable to me, and allowed me to exchange words for safety and acceptance.

It should be apparent from this that cultural and linguistic capital must be evaluated within a context.  No system is inherently “better” than any other, though some systems may be better in specific contexts.  As a future teacher, I consider this one of my most important literacy goals.     Students must recognize that the education system’s emphasis on “Standard English” is not due to its superiority, but rather it’s “exchange rate,” so to speak.  Mastery of this dialect provides a linguistic currency that can be exchanged for an economic one.  However, other dialects are equally useful in varied situations.  Codeswitching between dialects is the equivalent of an “English multilingualism,” and must be taught and encouraged.

Another great idea is to set up a blog for every student in your class. Rather than a spiral-bound journal that is quickly destroyed and often forgotten, a blog gives every student a voice. They can comment on others posts, giving valuable peer-feedback and helping to improve their own writing skills. Gloria J. Ladson-Billings, in an article entitled “I ain’t writin’ nuttin’: Permissions to Fail and Demands to Succeed in Urban Classrooms,” discusses what she calls “permission to fail.” She describes a scene in which a young girl refuses to write in her journal. The teacher’s response to this is, “That’s okay. Maybe you’ll feel like writing tomorrow.” With no incentive or impetus, this student is likely to go through life without ever exercising her rhetorical abilities. Ladson-Billings calls for a “culturally-relevant pedagogy,” and insists that reading and writing must be done for real purposes. Such teaching, she claims, “…is designed to help students move past a blaming the victim mentality and search for the structural and symbolic foundations of inequity and injustice.” What better way to empower and validate students than through a published journal that friends and family can easily access?

Finally, student blogging gives every child the ability to see what kind of work their peers are creating. What works? Whose journal was the most moving this week? Giving kids assignments in which they evaluate others blogs and the strengths and weaknesses therein improves everyone’s abilities.

Bachelor of Arts in Classical Archaeology

Spring 2005

ARTDES 101: Introduction to Drawing

ANTHRBIO 161: Introduction to Biological Anthropology

BIO 101: Biology and Human Affairs

CLARCH 221: Greek Archaeology

CLARCH 222: Roman Archaeology

CLARCH 382: Food in the Ancient World

CLARCH 427: Life in Pompeii

CLARCH 475: Archaeology of the Balkans

CLCIV 386: Greek Drama

ANTHRCUL 101: Introduction to Anthropology

ANTHRCUL 201: Special Topics in Anthropology

ANTHRCUL 298: Anthropology of Youth

ENGLISH 125: College Writing

ENGLISH 201: Special Topics in English

ENGLISH 223: Creative Writing

ENGLISH 239: What is Literature?

ENGLISH 240: Introduction to Poetry

ENGLISH 313: Literature Studies

ENGLISH 319: Literature and Social Change: Rhetorical Activism and the U.S. Civil Rights Movement

ENGLISH 325: Essay Writing

ENGLISH 331: Film Genres and Types

ENGLISH 349: American Theater: Drama

ENGLISH 367: Shakespeare

ENGLISH 401: The Bible as Literature

ENGLISH 469: Milton

FRENCH 102: Elementary French

FRENCH 103: Review of Elementary French

FRENCH 231: Second-Year French

FRENCH 232: Second-Year French, Cont.

Latin 231: Introduction to Latin Prose

Latin 504: Intensive Latin

LING 232: Language in Society

PHIL 232: Problems in Philosophy

POLISCI 111: Introduction to American Politics

PSYCH 111: Introduction to Psychology

STATS 350: Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis

Summer 2009

CEP 800: Learning in Schools and Other Settings

Instructors: Joseph Friedhoff, Brandon Blinkenberg

Description: Learning as an active, socially-mediated construction of knowledge in school, home, community, and work settings. What is learned, how it is taught and learned, and what learners bring to the setting.

CEP 807: Proseminar in Educational Technology

Instructors: Leigh Graves Wolf, Ken Dirkin

Description: Perspectives on educational technology, current theories, research findings, and methods of design and evaluation.

CEP 810: Teaching for Understanding with Computers

Instructor: Sue Way, Tammy Maginity

Description: Integration with productivity tools and web-based resources in school settings to improve teaching and learning.

CEP 812: Applying Education Technology to Problems of Practice

Instructor: Melissa White

Description: Applications of technology in K-12 settings. Define, implement, and evaluate technology based solutions to educational problems in school settings.

CEP 815: Technology and Leadership

Instructors: Joseph Friedhoff, Brandon Blinkenberg

Description: Professional development strategies. Project management, planning, and evaluation. Relationship building. Ethical and social implications of technology integration.

CEP 817: Learning Technology Through Design

Instructors: Leigh Graves Wolf, Ken Dirkin

Description: Design of educational tools and software. Designing for learners. Human computer interaction. Art and aesthetics of design. Iterative design. Collaboration in design.

CEP 818: Creativity in Teaching and Learning

Instructors: Leigh Graves Wolf, Ken Dirkin

Description: Value and relevance of creativity in education. Recognizing, analyzing, and supporting creativity in multiple contexts. Psychological, motivational, and organizational aspects of creativity.

CEP 822: Approaches to Educational Research

Instructors: Joseph Friedhoff, Brandon Blinkenberg

Description: Alternative methods of educational research. Identifying researchable problems in education and developing a research proposal. Applications of descriptive and inferential statistics for analyzing and critiquing published studies.

TE 803: Professional Roles and Development

Instructor: Emily Moore

Description: School-agency alliances for fostering student learning. Strategies for working with families and community groups to improve responsiveness of the school curriculum to student needs. Child advocacy in the school and community.

TE 804: Reflections and Inquiry in Teaching Practice II

Instructor:  Ed Smith

Description:  Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data on teaching, learning, and educational policy. Dilemmas surrounding research on practice. Appraising and reporting results of inquiry.

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

Spring 2008

CEP 416: Teaching and Learning with Technology
GEO 204: World Regional Geography
HST 203: U.S. History Since 1876
MTH 201: Mathematical Investigations I
MTH 202: Mathematical Investigations II
SME 301: Science for Elementary Schools
SPN 150: Intensive Review of Elementary Spanish
TE 150: Reflections on Learning
TE 250: Human Power and Opposing Social Institutions
TE 301: Learners and Learning in Context — Elementary
TE 401: Teaching Subject Matters to Diverse Learners
TE 402: Crafting Teaching Practices
TE 501: Internship in Teaching Diverse Learners I
TE 502: Internship in Teaching Diverse Learners II
TE 801: Professional Role & Teaching Practice I
TE 802: Reflection & Inquiry in Teaching Practice I
TE 803: Professional Role & Teaching Practice II
TE 804: Reflection & Inquiry in Teaching Practice II

Reading is not a knee-jerk reaction to identifiable symbols. It is much more complex than that and must be structured accordingly. Often reading instruction consists of choral reading, fluency, and the ability to identify details and main ideas.

Rather, I belive that reading is an event within a specific time and place. This event is the intersection between a reader and an author, a text, a linguistic code, a time, a historical understanding, prior knowledge, and situated perspective. Ten people will read the same text and NO TWO will experience the same event. This is the awesome part about reading. Likewise, one person can read the same text ten times, and NO TWO occurrences will completely correspond.

This makes the development of a coherent curriculum very difficult, but it also opens it up to a wide array of possibilities. However, there are certain things we can plan to make each literary event as successful as possible: pre-reading, reading, responding, exploring, and applying.

Pre-reading is as important (if not more so) than any other aspect of the event. Effective pre-reading situations activate children’s prior knowledge and “prime” them for the reading itself. They construct an understanding of context and experience, a frame that will be used to analyze the text. Without this framework, comprehension can be sacrificed. It is during this pre-reading session that students begin to develop a sense of purpose, and identify areas of personal meaning. This helps relevant information “trigger” these areas so that further connections can be created.

An effective pre-reading activity renders the actual stage of reading to be more than decoding symbols on a page. If the pre-reading is effective, than the reading consists of identifying meaningful information and building webs of knowledge. There are five main types of reading instruction, each with its own pros and cons: independent reading, buddy reading, guided reading, shared reading, and reading aloud to students. Independent reading, the most authentic experience, has the disadvantage of being hard to structure and assess. Likewise, reading aloud to student (at the other end of the spectrum) can be inauthentic and unmotivating. Effective reading instruction blends these approaches to give students a wide range of experiences and advantages.

Responding is sometimes the hardest aspect of reading instruction to elicit, especially among students who aren’t used to deconstructing and making meaning of a text. It is where students share connections and explore meanings. Whether in private (logs and journals) or public (discussions) forums, readers actively negotiate and expand their understanding of a text and its rhetorical situation. It also provides an immediate opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.

Exploring was always my favorite aspect of any reading lesson, both as a student and a teacher. It is here that students critically analyze a text. HOW do they know what they know? What support does the text lend their understanding of a situation? How can they defend their understanding and reasoning of this situation? This is also the time for the teacher to provide explicit instruction on strategies and textual elements that should be focused on, and is a prime opportunity for effective modeling.

Finally, the students apply their knowledge. This could take the form of any number of events. Projects are created, involving reading, writing, talk and drama, art, research, debate, or community activism. This is an opportunity to challenge students into high-level thinking situations. It is also a great place to instill motivation. If students are presented with authentic and meaningful problems and situations as a result of reading, not only will comprehension increase, engagement will as well. Without these opportunities, the entire reading event becomes valuless and pedantic.

Since Prensky’s writings, over-stimulation in society continues to grow exponentially, leaving me in a world where I can not do homework without also listening to my MP3 player, watching TV, and playing Freecell.

This refers to parallel processing and random access thinking. These hyperlinks are a prime example of this type of thinking and its inherent advantages. A new piece of information–in this case, a vocabulary word–is encountered in an authentic situation. While I still explain the vocabulary term in the following text, the hyperlink instantly takes my reader to additional information. The new vocabulary is placed into context with numerous pathways facilitating retrieval. In other words, the chances that my reader will remember this word in the future are greatly augmented.

Expanding technologies have changed the way we think so that this ability to process random and parallel information (rather than linear) is stronger than previously imagined. This means that not only will my reader have an easier time remembering the vocabulary word, they will easily pick right back up from where they left off in reading this blog post, making their learning not only richer, but more efficient as well.

I would like to point out a quote in the Wikipedia page regarding parallel processing, “You can buy a chess machine that beats a master but can’t yet buy a vision machine that beats a toddler’s vision.” While computers can now be made with multiple processors, there will never be as many as we have in the human brain. Furthermore, each time we process new information or create a new link between two prior pieces of knowledge, we are adding one more “processor” in our brains. This is why the humans always come out on top in dystopian fiction such as the Matrix where men battle humanoid machines. Our ingenuity is the result of a limitless number of neural “processors.” In essence, it is this ability to process parallelly that defines our humanity.

(BTW: I agree that Freecell is most definitely NOT fun.)

Kids in my classroom and work are “twitching” all over the place and can never sit in their seat, it is very hard for them to slow their pace and actually think through work rather then feeling the instant gratification or clicking a button or playing a game.

Perhaps it is because it is so completely entertaining to imagine the children in your classroom twitching throughout their day, but I’m at a loss here. I can’t think of a rebuttal, but then, I can’t identify the problem either. The younger generation is speeding up. They will have capabilities that we could not imagine as a result of this. Imagine what quick response time and immediate cognitive reflexes can do for job sectors such as aerodynamics, law enforcement, medicine, education…the truth is that I can’t think of one profession that would not be bettered by a quick response time. (Maybe massage therapy….)

To me, the problem lies not in my students, but rather in the pedagogical choices that aren’t meeting their needs. A short tangent to make my point: 100 years ago, it was scandalous and shocking for a woman to show her ankles. Today, I’m worried that todays headband might be tomorrow’s micro-miniskirt. The point is that social norms and values are in a constant state of fluctuation. The idea that these “overstimulated” children will grow up to run the world like our parents did is silly. My own place of employment is proof of this. We have toys hanging from the ceiling, yoga balls rolling around the office, and projectile nerf missles constantly threatening to knock my latte over onto my desk. Mind, this is the development team of a publicly-traded, nationwide, award-winning software company. My boss is young, the employees are young, and the workplace is young. We don’t do business like my father does. But the important thing to note is that we are successful and productive regardless.

I suppose my main point is that like differentiation, it is not the student’s job to adapt to OUR teaching philosophy, but rather it is our job to adapt our teaching philosophies to our students. Because the truth is that we are not preparing them for our world, we are preparing them for theirs.

The line between fantasy and reality for children has always been blurred but society is at a point where children are having a very hard time overcoming their “childhood imagination” and growing out of fantasy.

First of all, I would argue that it is our “childhood imagination” that has made all technological advances, from the wheel to space travel, possible. A strongly developed imagination, the ability to think outside the box, is what we all strive for, and not just recently. Adaptation and creative thinking are key for any species’ survival. The ability to imagine that a stick could be used to “fish” termites out of their mounds demonstrate that technology isn’t about the “thing” itself, but rather the way of holding it, of using it, that defines it as a technology. Without our imaginations, the scientific method could not exist, as there would be no means of devising hypotheses. Taking this further, no higher-level thinking would be possible without imagination, as it allows us to deconstruct a problem into manageable parts. These parts can be run through a series of tests in our simulation lab (imagination) to quickly and efficiently determine the best course of action to accomplish a specific outcome. Imagination is key to human survival, and we should nourish it rather than stifle it.

This brings us to fantasy, fairy tales, science fiction, religion, and mythology. All of these are facets of the same idealogical base. Joseph Campbell, a leading scholar in the field (and definitely worth reading–the man was a genius), once said, “Myths are public dreams, dreams are private myths.” Essentially, he is making the connection from imagination to the fantasy genre. Fantasy, therefore, is the collective imaginings that we share as a society. It is the place where actions are tested and evaluated. It teaches us the morals of a society, and exposes its injustices, more so than any documentary ever could.

There is a fable, a childhood story, an imaginary fantasy that teaches us about technology. It is by Aesop, and goes as follows:

A Crow, half-dead with thirst, came upon a Pitcher which had once been full of water; but when the Crow put its beak into the mouth of the Pitcher he found that only very little water was left in it, and that he could not reach far enough down to get at it. He tried, and he tried, but at last had to give up in despair. Then a thought came to him, and he took a pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped it into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. Then he took another pebble and dropped that into the Pitcher. At last, at last, he saw the water mount up near him, and after casting in a few more pebbles he was able to quench his thirst and save his life.

(Story acquired here.)

Although I have been familiar with this story my entire life, I first thought about the relationship between this story and technology after reading an article by Yong Zhao, who put it into its proper context. Four things happen here:

1. The main character identifies a problem.
2. The main character develops a goal to solve the problem.
3. The main character is prevented from attaining this goal due to external events.
4. The main character uses a technology (a tool) to attain the goal and solve the problem.

There is a lot going on here! Within the story, the crow identifies a problem, brainstorm, uses its imagination to visualize a solution, and creates a technology to reach this solution. Imagination, technology, and higher-level thinking are inextricably linked. But step back even further, get a little pomo, and we see that the use of the story as a means of metaphoric or allegoric communication engages the reader in an imaginative, higher-level thinking activity. The reader takes an imagined, fantastical situation and applies it to a concrete and immediate problem: the issue of imagination and technological innovation. Thus, both the content and the context of the story are of the utmost importance.

With the rise of obesity, adult-onset diabetes, and heart problems in America, the replacement of physical activity with digital is certainly a concern.

I don’t think that anyone is advocating the removal of physical education, recess, or health from the educational system. What we are trying to do is teach children how to make the best use of the tools that are available to them, while making the best use of the tools that are available to us. Technology provides new and exciting ways for children to interact with materials, and facilitates differentiation. Putting pictures in books doesn’t mean that children are less likely to read; it allows children to interact with the material in a visual manner, which enhances their understanding of the text. With technology, we can differentiate in a similar, yet infinitely greater, fashion.

Adult-onset diabetes, heart problems, and obesity have more to do with processed foods and a carnivorous, consumerist culture than with educational technology.

Children who lack the exposure, access, and cultural capital to certain technologies will be at a huge disadvantage, not only in their learning but also in the skills needed to enter a workplace that is becoming more digitalized.

This is my biggest point of contention. I believe wholeheartedly that technology is a key component of achieving social change. With technology, children are given the means with which to engage in authentic and meaningful activities. I believe that the new frontier of critical pedagogy rests in the technological revolution. The internet, with its proliferation of “free knowledge” and open-source code perfectly embraces the goals of critical pedagogy. Prestige is unnecessary when building a website, starting a blog, loading pictures, or investigating a topic. All children are given the means to access a wealth of free, immediate information, and to become a part of a community of learners.

Furthermore, in regards to issues of social and cultural capital, technology allows children to have experiences that would otherwise be denied to them. For example, the eighth-grade class of my middle school went on a field trip to Washington, D.C. The experience was a rich, rewarding, and provided great deal of cultural capital. To many middle schools around the nation, this type of excursion would be a dream come true. In the face of budget cuts and standardized assessments, there is neither the time nor money for arts and culture. However, technology can provide these students with access that they might not have had otherwise. They can take a “virtual field trip” using a map-mashup. GoogleEarth, government websites, online galleries, and audio recordings can allow children to navigate the streets of D.C., see where the white house is in relation to the Capitol, the Pentagon, or the Smithsonian. They can do math exercises where they chart distances and plan routes between locations. They can investigate the insides of government buildings, explore the exhibits and galleries of the museums, and listen to a famous speech while taking a 360-degree tour of the location where it was delivered. Students can write and publish a travel-guide, researching the area, writing about the sights, creating their own online-tour, etc.

All of this can be done using nothing more than an internet connection, a reasonably-working computer, and countless free web 2.0 applications. No fancy programs, no expensive software. It doesn’t get more proletariat than that. Technology can and should be used to bring knowledge to the people. It is our job to figure out how to make that happen.

A Class Photo from Rural Education Day

This past year, I worked in an urban, third grade classroom of eighteen boys and six girls. My students came from diverse cultural, economic, and social backgrounds, meaning that every day presented new challenges and opportunities. I planned for and accommodated a range of learning styles and abilities, although a common thread seemed to be high, constant energy!

Many of my students seem to be extremely limited in their experiences and opportunities — even internet access is a rare commodity. I was stunned to learn that most of my students had never seen the Great Lakes! When exploring Fractured Fairy Tales, I quickly realized that I needed to provide a crash course in the original Fairy Tales. Basic funds of knowledge that I had taken for granted growing up became involved areas of inquiry. This presented a unique learning opportunity, where I was teaching 3rd Grade Lessons with the assumption that I would need to cover basics usually reserved for younger students.

I am incredibly grateful for my vivacious students, generous cooperating teacher, and supportive field instructor. This incredible network produced an atmosphere where I was able to take pedagogical risks, secure in the knowledge that I had a powerful safety net swinging somewhere below. Only in this delicate climate can meaningful learning occur.

To learn more about my student teaching experiences in first and third grade classrooms, please reference my blog.

Final Movie

If you asked the people who know me best, they’d probably tell you that I was a teacher. They might mention that I was a technologist, or perhaps a ballerina, or a bride, or a caffeine connoisseur, or a travel junkie. They might have stories about the time I lived in Montreal, or spent those summers in Europe. When it comes down to it, I’m just a girl trying to learn as much as I can while exploring this little earth of ours.

Please pop in for a bit, have a look around and see where I’ve been and where I’m going. I’d love to know if we might be headed in the same direction, so contact me. I’d love to hear from you!