Worth the watch!

Do you have a growth mindset or a fixed mindset?  This video is worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc

#5 Goals and Growth Mindsets

It's just as important to take a look back at your goals as it is to set goals.  We need to see where we have been in order to see where we are going.  One of my goals of this course was to become a better user of technology.  I have already learned so much after 5 weeks in this course.  I never thought I would have created some of the products that I have created.  I never thought I would have my own blog, much less know how to link pages to it!   I aimed to become a better user of technology not only for myself, but also my fellow students.  During the final weeks of school I tried some of my new technology findings out on my kids.  I promise they didn't mind being guinea pigs.  :)  I allowed them to learn a new skill by using technology.   An article, during week 2 really stuck out to me.  If kids can learn how to do almost anything on youtube, why don't we utilize that thirst for knowledge and allow them to learn an academic skill?  The activity I tried worked, but it also needs a bit of tweaking.  I'll definitely use this activity many more times in the future.  

After the readings for this class, I would like to add another goal.  This is more of a personal or professional goal for me.  My goal is to foster a growth mindset with my students.  Too many times I see students fail, then give up.  I want them to see that failure is just a bump in the road to mastery.  

The video, "The Power of Belief: Mindset and Success", examines a growth mindset and a fixed mindset.  It also focuses on Josh Waitzkin and his growth mindset.  Not only is he a chess prodigy, but he is also a martial arts champion.  Once he mastered chess, but wanted to continue to learn.  He didn’t stop at being a chess champion.  He wanted to continue to grow.  I have mastered teaching elementary school math.  I have been a 5th grade teacher for 18 years, but I am ready to challenge myself to master something new.  That is one of the reasons for my drive to be certified to become a media specialist.  Just like Josh wanted to master martial arts, I want to master instructional technology.   I love that the video stated that after lots of hard work and many failures Josh became a great martial artist.  I have had done a lot of hard work in my career, and I have had many failures.  Those failures have given me a growth mindset to keep searching for the knowledge to become better.   A growth mindset if the key to success!  We need a growth mindset, and we need to share our growth mindset with others.  

I still feel like a fish out of water most times, but I am a life-long learner.  I am honestly enjoying this journey, although sometimes it is tough.  I think my goal to become a better user of technology is one that I will keep.   Technology keeps changing, so I need to as well.  I will also keep the goal of teaching my students how to have a growth mindset.   I plan on showing them the youtube video from this week.  If you haven’t seen it, check it out!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pN34FNbOKXc

Letting Go

As a parent I wanted to do everything for my son, but I soon realized that I would have to teach and model for him, then I would need to let him explore and learn for himself.  This meant that he would fail, but it would be up to him to find solutions for his problems with little or no guidance from me.  For example, when he wanted to learn to waterski and wakeboard we taught him what to do, but it was up to him to refine the skills he learned.  He fell down a lot at the beginning.  Now he can ski on only one ski and wakeboard with ease!  As parents we had to let it go, and now we can successfully watch him do what he loves!

Teachers need to let it go!  It's probably one of the hardest things we will do as an educator.  We need to give students the skills that they need to be successful, then we need to let them figure a solution out on their own.   Students should use inquiry to find the skills they need to solve problems.  Grant Wiggins explains in his article "Great Teaching Means Letting Go" that teachers often prompt and scaffold learning, but then we we provide them with chances to think on their on and figure it out.  

"...unless you back off completely, on a daily basis, in scrimmages as well as games, to see whether or not students draw appropriately from the repertoire in a timely and effective fashion in challenges that demand it, you really have no idea what they can do on their own."

After reading this article I have realized that I need to adapt more of these theories into my own teaching. I teach 5th grade math, and I realize that I prompt and scaffold without requiring students to make their own decisions. I need to focus on providing the needed skills, then letting go a bit so the students can make their own choices on solving the problems. Wiggins explained that this could be why some kids fail when it comes to high stakes testing. Now I realize that the students who are better problem solvers are also better test takers. Chris Lehman even mentions that we need to use more Inquiry based instruction in our teaching. I have said many times that they kids may know the content, but they don't know how to think! I'm going to let it go so the kids start thinking and solving problems on their own.

"Great Teaching Means Letting Go" by Grant Wiggins

All educators should check out this article.  I have been a teacher for 18 years, and this is spot on!  I realize that I need to let go at times for a better end product.

https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/great-teaching-means-letting-go/

Online Research: Tips for Effective Search Strategies

Reflective Searching

Do we have too much of a good thing?  Yes!  We often have too much information at our fingertips, but not enough time to look at it and analyze it all.  What's the answer to the problem of too much information?  I would say better searching techniques!

I am from Generation X.  I remember the excitement when my school had ONE computer on wheels that all of the classrooms shared.  We were so excited when it was our turn on the computer.  I took typewriting on a typewriter, not keyboarding on a computer.  I remember getting my first email address when I was in college.  I was born a long time before the Google generation, and I am trying my best to keep up with it!

I am like a Google generation searcher in some ways.  I too have fallen victim of searching, then skimming.  If an article doesn't tell me what I need in the first few pages I move on to something else.  I get squirreled by ads and by other interesting pieces of information.  I spend too much time looking when I should be refining my search.

This week I have struggled with the Google Challenge, but through that struggle I learned how to refine my searches.  Why haven't I paid more attention to the "advanced search" feature?  Don't get me started on the Google Image search...WOW!

Who knows, by the end of this class maybe I'll be able to proudly say I'm part of the Google Generation.

Is teaching keeping up with Technology?

Teaching has to change in order to keep up with today's technology.  I have taught 5th grade for 18 years.  I started teaching before classrooms had multiple computers and before we had a set of Chrome Books for my partner and myself to share.  We are almost at a one to one ratio for technology in my grade level.  That's amazing!

Technology has changed, so why hasn't teaching changed?  I have changed a little with my technology use in the classroom, but after reading several articles I realize that I need to change the way I teach with technology.  It's not enough to incorporate technology into my lessons. 

In the youtube video "Infowhelm and Information Fluency" I realized that we have too much digital information at our fingertips.  We are overloaded with information!  We need to teach kids how to organize, use, and apply this information.  Lightbulb moment for me! 

I realize that I am not fluent in the digital world.  Some days I don't even think I am literate in the digital world, but I am working on it.  I owe it to myself and to those I work with and teach to do the best I can.  Failures will happen, I've had several this week, but I will  continue to work so my teaching will keep up with technology the best it can!

Learning Goals

Goal setting is very important when it comes to learning.  You can rejoice when goals are met, and you can make a new plan if they aren't.  I sometimes feel like an old dog learning new tricks.  I have the desire to learn new technology tools, but sometimes I don't know where to start.  My goals for my FRIT 7234 class are to become a better user of technology.  I want to be more efficient not only for myself, but also my fellow teachers and students. 

I also want to better myself by making it through all of the learning modules that are presented in the class.  Not only will I learn from the modules, but I will also gain knowledge on how to possibly present learning modules to my students.