Sext-DING!

The 'ding' of a phone could end a life, as it did with Hope Witsell and Jesse Logan-- who are both assumed to have committed suicide because of the horrific bullying they experienced after sexting. I have mixed reactions to Hope Witsell's story. My first reaction: Where were the teachers? They must have been aware, or at least suspected, that Hope Witsell was being bullied by her peers. How could they have missed Hope being screamed at-- whore and slut-- by her peers in the hallway? I highly doubt that Hope was strong enough to mask her emotions all day, every day. Did teachers really not notice a change in her behavior, or did they perhaps notice and not think twice or, worse, completely ignore it?

Although some people complain about it, the strongly (sometimes overly) enforced Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) Laws in New Jersey may have prevented the death of Hope because teacher's may have felt obligated to say something if it was their legal responsibility to do so. On the homepage of almost every single New Jersey Public School website, there is a tab that instantly directs users to bullying policies, HIB Law policies, and usually a 'Reporting an Incident' document (or directions on how to report an incident). When I investigated the Beth Shields Middle School webpage, the school Hope was attending when she committed suicide, it took me forever to access the school's bullying policies. Eventually, I searched 'bullying' in the site's webpage and was directed to the appropriate links-- but it took a long time and in most cases there is no time to spend searching for bullying resources on a school's webpage.

Browsing through the Language Arts curriculum of Beth Shields Middle School, I discovered that there were little to no novels or texts that had themes of bullying embedded in them. Although I could not locate a complete book list, I found some novels that are suggested to seventh grade teachers by the school's media center. Many of these suggested novels are dated and lack issues relevant to seventh grade students-- like bullying and suicide.

I understand that students in seventh grade should not be reading novels with themes of suicide, death, and bullying-- but if seventh grade students are bullying other students so badly that one is driven to suicide, it's time to read/talk about it. Novels like The Hunger Games, 13 Reasons Why, and even The Scarlett Letter (they want dated novels, this one's perfect-- and still contains relevant themes that Hope probably could have related to) should be read at the middle school level if students are driving other students to kill themselves. They see much worse on TV and video games, anyway, and reading novels like these provide an outlet to discuss these disturbingly relevant and 'touchy' issues.

One last reaction I had to Hope Witsell's story: Why was she punished by the school? It does not make any sense to me that a young girl who made a "mistake" was suspended, while the students who were intentionally taunting her and circulating her picture were not at all (according to the article) punished. This forces me to question what we, as a society, are against-- a young girl who explores her sexuality in a healthy, non-physical way (after all, we do value abstinence), or a group of people who exploit a young girl's innocence. Gauging by how everything in Hope's story seemed to turn out, it seems that we are supposed to be against the young girl's very natural exploration of sexuality and should, instead, join the ranks to judge and punish her for her "crime."

Schools should be responsible for teaching students how to use technology by the standards that society deem appropriate. After all, students go to school so they can successfully integrate themselves into society. But schools should also be responsible for teaching students how to treat one another with respect-- no matter what the circumstances are. I do not care what she has done, it is completely unacceptable to call a seventh grade girl (or any girl) a slut or whore. The fact Beth Shields Middle School did not punish the students who bullied Hope Witsell, at least it was not mentioned in the article, disturbs me more than one sext. I wholeheartedly believe it is a much larger issue when a school punishes one young girl who sent one sext, and not a group of students who display behavior that is dehumanizing.

"Fair is foul and foul is fair"

Fair use is a legal defense (not a right) founded on the belief that the public is entitled to freely use portions of copyrighted materials for purposes of commentary or criticism. Fair use applies to education because many teachers utilize copyrighted material without legal permission. If caught, school's deny infringement and argue fair use. The line between infringement and fair use, however, is quite ambiguous. The U.S. Copyright Office acknowledges that the "distinction between what is fair use and what is infringement in a particular case will not always be clear or easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission." Although there are certain guidelines for fair use-- such as not impeding upon the nature of the work, borrowing only a limited amount of the work, and not changing the value of the work on the marketplace-- there are no specific limitations on the amount of work being borrowed.

The legal implications in the world of copyrighted work is confusing-- especially in regards to education. On the one hand, we have to question whether it is fair for schools to be deprived of material they cannot afford. On the other hand, we have to question whether it is fair for schools who can afford classroom material to be deprived of leniency. In order to please everyone (the people who have copyrighted work and the people who borrow copyrighted work for educational purposes), the rules and regulations are ambiguous and, in a way, paradoxical: "Fair is foul and foul is fair." The guidelines must become more strict or more lenient, favoring one set of people or the other. Regardless, more schools (administration, faculty/staff, and students) should be educated on the subjects of copyright, infringement, and fair use-- as this is the first time I am ever learning about it.

To Flip or Not to Flip, that is the Question: Flipping the Classroom

This post would be embedded in a unit on The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Students would watch it prior to investigating the BIG question: Is Jay Gatsby a hero?

The screencast recognizes stages of The Hero's Journey in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. I chose this film because it is one students are sure to have seen, or at least be familiar with. In addition to this screencast, I would provide students with links to resources that would enhance their understanding of The Hero's Journey (youtube video, readings, etc).

Upon watching this screencast for homework, students would bring samples of films and novels that include certain characteristics of The Hero's Journey to class and share/discuss their ideas. These ideas are what students would be assessed on because they would not be able to successfully identify films and novels with characteristics of The Hero's Journey unless they watched the screencast and/or browsed through the provided resources. After students share and discuss their ideas, they would then begin identifying components of The Hero's Journey throughout the novel, The Great Gatsby, and ultimately come to the conclusion of whether or not Jay Gatsby is a hero.

The learning objectives embedded within this lesson are to prepare students for analysis of a character's development, or journey, over the course of The Great Gatsby, as well as utilize technology to enhance their educational experience. This lesson also provides students with the opportunity to analyze the structure of a narrative and be introduced into the world of archetypes.

I think flipping the classroom is an ingenious idea. The technique really takes advantage of technology and enhances the overall quality of education that takes place both inside and outside of the classroom. To Flip!

Screenr, the Hero-r

 Screenr is an effective tool that could be implemented into the classroom for a variety of purposes. One purpose is to review students' work in real time.  Students could submit their work via e-mail and the teacher could read through whatever they submit one or two times before using Screenr to highlight key points/strengths and weaknesses. Students could even respond to the teacher's Screenr with one of their own, asking questions and explaining revisions. Students could also use the device as a tool to peer edit outside of the classroom.

Another purpose is to use Screenr as a form of assessment. The teacher could assign students a homework assignment in which they must utilize Screenr. Then teachers could assess whether or not each individual student is comprehending classroom material without, once again, reducing valuable class time.

Ultimately Screenr expands the classroom walls. Thus, activities that usually take up a whole class period, like peer editing, could be done during the afternoon/evening hours at students' own leisure. Screenr also allows teachers to assess student comprehension on a more personal level. By taking the time to devote no more than 5 minutes per student, teachers have the opportunity to establish interpersonal relationships and continue dialogue that happens within the classroom.

Presentation for Parents

This is an excerpt of a presentation I would present to parents at a future Back to School Night. This presentation would be used to inform parents about how 21st century skills were being integrated into the academic realm of English. I tackle the Information, Media, Technology strand of 21st century skills by communicating my intentions to utilize a variety of technological mediums, as well as present students with a dystopian/utopian unit that focuses on the influence technology has on both literature and the real-world society.

Creating this presentation was made easier after viewing the video Life After Death by PowerPoint 2010, by Dan McMillan. McMillan really displays what not to do in a PowerPoint-like presentation, including the presentation being saturated with unnecessary words and distracting images. He also does a hilarious font analysis, explaining how the font you choose is reflective of your personality.

ba BUM/ba BUM/ba BUM/ba BUM/ba BUM: Iambic Pentameter Podcast

For my podcast I chose to do a review of iambic pentameter. I simply reviewed points that would have already been discussed in class and read the first sentence of William Shakespeare's Sonnet 18, "Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?," which is an example of iambic pentameter. I then wrote my own sentence of iambic pentameter- With you I walk from dawn to dusk and back- and asked students to write their own and share via podcast.

Assigning students to complete a podcast allows the teacher to hear each of their voices (including the quiet ones that hesitate to speak in class). I also think students can benefit from listening to their teacher do a podcast, especially individualized ones- for example, a teacher reading a student their essay to them and making verbal comments throughout. I think using a podcast is extremely effective not only because they are easy to make and take very little time, but also because they extend learning beyond the forty-five minutes allotted to class time during the day.

Below is my podcast:

Podcast Powered By Podbean

   
   

Something Old, Something New, and Something...21st Century

Technological and 21st century soft skills, like communication and teamwork, are already being integrated into the curriculum. The core of a language arts curriculum is, or should be, communication. By strengthening the language and literacy skills of students, they are learning to engage in conversations with various texts, as well as communicate their ideas both orally and scripturally. Teamwork and other soft skills, such as critical thinking, solving problems, comprehending information, and making decisions, can be incorporated into any subject area with a little creativity from both teachers and students.

Teaching 21st century soft skills should not be "about teaching either academics or skills; [but] about blending the two and teaching one using the other" (The Value of Teaching 21st Century Skills). Academics are certainly a forum through which critical skills can be inherited, and skills are certainly tools that can be used to engage students in their academic studies. Both are interchangeable; one should definitely not be able to exist without the other.

Academics can not be eliminated from the school curriculum simply because they are the porthole to our past, present, and future. Particularly in language arts, where novels are able to give students insight into different periods of time (including the future), academics are the foundation of our existence as human beings- we "do not restart the world anew with each generation...we stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before us" (Critical Thinking? You Need Knowledge). The past cannot be erased. As humans, we need a firm understanding of where we came from, where we are, and where we are going. Literature is one way of gaining this sort of knowledge, which students need to acquire before developing critical thinking skills because one "cannot think critically without quite a lot of knowledge to think about" (Critical Thinking? You Need Knowledge). It is imperative that students continue reading canonical novels, such as The Great Gatsby and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, as well as Shakespeare's plays and ancient texts like The Iliad, because these are the foundations of our existence and, therefore, our knowledge- there can be no new knowledge without old knowledge.

This isn't to say that newer pieces of literature should be exempt from the classroom (every student should be reading The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher) but reading the classics before and in-between will only enhance students' understanding of contemporary literature.

"We cannot stand still" 

(The Value of Teaching 21st Century Skills)

This, perhaps, is the most important thing to remember about education- it must be treated like a living, breathing, and growing creature and cannot stand still. However, this does not mean that the past should be forgotten. The educational system must be considerate of the present and past in order to prepare for students' success in the future. The old and the new must be considered within the context of the 21st century. Technology and 21st century soft skills must be integrated into the curriculum, as they have become important parts of our society. But academics must persevere because they are central to our existence as human beings. There is room in our educational system for all of these old, new, and 21st century academics and skills to be addressed, and in many cases they already are.

My Week in Technology (2/10-2/16)

This week I inquired about the lack of technology in my cooperating teacher's classroom at Columbia High School. When I walked in on the first day (two weeks ago) I observed that the classroom was technologically equipped with one laptop at the teacher's desk and one overhead projector (the ancient kind that uses transparencies). I was shocked, to say the least. Overhead projectors were the thing to use when I was in elementary school, but with the Smart Board craze I really did not think that overhead projectors were still in use. Before confronting my cooperating teacher, however, I explored the rest of the school and actually found a lot of Smart Boards in classrooms that housed subject areas like mathematics, science, and history. So why did it seem that nearly all of the classrooms had Smart Boards except the ones with English classes? Well, during my second visit to the school I asked my cooperating teacher and apparently the school ran out of funding to equip the English classrooms with Smart Boards.

So we are traveling back to the Stone Age! In my future observations I am going to be sure to pay special attention to how my cooperating teacher utilizes the overhead projector and gauge whether or not it is effective to student learning. Thus far, she has used it to project directions for individual and group work, as well as the results of group work. For example, students were situated into groups and given a transparency on which they were instructed to write down important aspects of a particular chapter in the novel A Tale of Two Cities. These aspects included a brief summary, character descriptions, important themes/metaphors/symbols (it was much like creating their own SparkNotes page). The groups then displayed and presented their transparencies to the class. It was effective, but just seemed like a really outdated way of doing things. It will definitely be interesting to observe how else my cooperating teacher makes use of the overhead transparency- more details to come!

Wonderful Wikis

Out of all the TECH tools we have been introduced to in class thus far- Blogs, Web Design, and Wikis- my favorite has been the Wiki. I think the Wiki is an excellent technological tool to utilize in a classroom setting because it establishes a sense of community. Wikis allow students to collaborate and interact with one another through editorial access, as well as feel a sense of ownership and responsibility over their education. Plus the format of the site we used, Wikispaces, is accessible and easy to navigate. Of course it was a bit challenging at first, but with practice the posting of information became quite simple- almost second nature.

In relationship to the Core Curriculum Content Standards for Technology, grade 12, a classroom Wiki fulfills the CPI# 8.1.12.A.3- participating in online courses, learning communities, social networks, or virtual worlds and recognize them as resources for lifelong learning- located under Strand A: Technology Operations and Concepts. A Wiki is an online learning community as well as a resource that students can refer to anytime beyond their one year spent in a class. In regards to Strand B: Creativity and Innovation, Wikis also fulfill CPI# 8.1.12.B.1- design and pilot a digital learning game to demonstrate knowledge and skills related to one or more content areas or a real world situation. Although I am confused as to what a digital learning game means, students can definitely post information onto Wikis that demonstrate skills related to other content areas or real world situations. Wikis also accomplish CPI# 8.1.12.C.1- develop an innovative solution to a complex, local or global problem or issue in collaboration with peers and experts, and present ideas for feedback in an online community- which is located under Strand C: Communication and Collaboration. Provide students with a problem to solve and have them collaborate with peers and present their ideas for review and feedback through a classroom Wiki. Wikis can also be used as outlets to practice Digital Citizenship, covering all the standards in Strand D as well as Strand E: Research and Information Literacy and Strand F: Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision-Making.

One Wiki project I can think of in relation to The Great Gatsby (the topic I did my Wiki on for class) is creating a database for the 1920s. Allow students to choose a specific cultural, political, or economical aspect of society (theater, cars, the World Series, hospitality, sports, dance, fashion, real estate, advertisement, etc.) to research and contribute to an online Wiki database that their peers can refer to for background knowledge while reading the novel. Doing so, all the basic technological requirements of the Core Curriculum Content Standards for Technology, grade 12, are covered and the students are provided the opportunity to enjoy learning by researching how their interests existed during the Jazz Age. Plus students love Wikipedia (as do I), inform them they are making their own classroom version of it and their interest is sure to be sparked.

Wikis are wonderful! I truly can not see any negatives to using them, besides students not having access to a computer at home- but even then the Wiki can become part of an in-class project. I think these standards are appropriate for students to properly develop in this technologically-driven time. I do not know exactly how many job descriptions I see these days where applicants are required to have basic computer skills, but it is a significant amount! If skills are not acquired in the classroom, and students lack access to a computer in their homes, where will they learn? How could they possibly have an equal opportunity to become successful in this society without having basic, foundational technological skills? I believe these standards exist as a resource for educators and schools to ensure their students acquire the necessary technological skills. The standards are also flexible- easy to incorporate into any lesson or unit plan.

The Effective School Webpage

In this technological age it is important for schools to have easy-to-navigate websites packed with information and resources that are accessible at the click of a button. Many of the websites I initially encountered in my exploration were either blase, impersonal, or extremely superficial- with photo-shopped pictures of models, I mean students, who looked as if they were just stepping out of their latest shoot, I mean class. Every smile was white, every hair was perfectly in place, and every book was stacked from largest to smallest, held neatly in every students' arms. Schools were beginning to look like Stepford, Connecticut, and we all know that there is no such thing as a perfect school with perfect students. And there shouldn't be! Schools should embrace individuality and proudly display their real students, in any capacity, on their websites.

One school that has an effective website is Magnolia Public School. Before I even begin to navigate the site, I am instantly drawn-in by the individual pieces of student artwork that flash across the homepage. The art really personalizes the website and communicates that the school takes pride in its students individuality! The curvature design of the website is indicative that the school has an appealing personality, and the fifteen tabs on the top of the page are convenient for easy access to information and resources.

According to the article Why in the World Wide Web, the best school and district websites accomplish these four goals:

1. Appropriately introduce visitors to the school (the article specifically mentions that the site should be able to quickly communicate a school's mission, character, offerings to children, stance on new technologies, and overall spirit).

The Magnolia Public School website nicely introduces visitors to the school. Immediately entering the site I am able to process that the school values learning and achieving, as indicated by the slogan The Learning & Achieving School. I also know the school mascot, a mustang (not the car, the horse), and that there is enough school pride to at least acknowledge Mustang Pride on the homepage. The curvature and colors of the site (presumably their school colors) are indicative of the school's personality, as mentioned earlier, and with a click on the tab About Us, one is able to quickly identify the forty-six page Magnolia School District Technology Plan.

 2. Resources for an education family.

The Magnolia Public School website neatly provides fifteen tabs at the top of the page that include an abundance of information and resources appropriate for an education family. These include Cyber Safety links and information; links to Google Search Engine, You Tube Education, and Everyday Math Games; the yearly calendar (with dates and times of sporting events, club meetings, school board meetings, faculty meetings, etc.); school lunch schedule; overviews of various school departments; and access to administrative and teacher e-mail addresses and room numbers. The Links tab also provides access to classroom resources and blogs, organized and provided by individual teachers. Mrs. McNally provides a link to Classroom Chronicles, a math and science classroom blog that provides students with an overwhelming amount of resources that can only enhance their learning. Check it out by clicking here!

3. Opportunities to publish student works.

As discussed before, the Magnolia Public School website displays student artwork that flashes across the homepage.

4. Rich data locally connected on curriculum related topics.

Under Announcements in the right-hand column of the Magnolia Public School website, users have instant access to School Board News. Two important documents that are entrenched with local data pertaining to curriculum related tops can be found under School Board News: Magnolia Public School Strategic Plan 2012-2015 and the 2012-2013 School Budget. These two documents influence the curriculum and are important resources for students, parents, teachers, and administrators.

The Magnolia Public School website accomplishes everything the article Why in the World Wide Web suggests. One thing I know for sure, however, is that New Jersey public schools have some pretty awful websites, which is ironic considering the technological age we live in. Of course there are some good websites and even some great ones, but there are certainly far too many poor ones that lack important information and resources, as well as appropriate representation of the school and, most importantly, the students.

My Week in Technology (1/22-1/24)

Welcome to my first "Week in Technology" post! Once a week I will discuss the technology I have observed and used in both the Montclair State University classrooms and at my fieldwork site (Columbia High School). The theme of this week is projectors. In more than half of the classes I attended last week, projectors were used. At an orientation, a projector was used to project a PowerPoint. In my Art of Fiction class, a projector was used to show an episode of a television series that will thread learning materials together throughout the entire semester. And finally in my Language and Literacy class, a projector was used to project the course syllabus.

My feelings about the projector are quite simple: if used properly, it is a wonderful technological tool. In my Language and Literacy class, everyone had the course syllabus on their desks and to show it again via the projector seemed redundant. Personally, I believed its use in this instance to be unnecessary and wasteful. Obviously using the projector to show films that enhance student learning, as in my Art of Fiction class, is an excellent use of the device; especially in this technological age where learning of any kind has become extremely visual. Using the projector to display a PowerPoint presentation is another great use of the device, although the presentation itself could have been more interactive.

Ultimately I believe technology in the classroom must be utilized purposefully. Schools across the world are spending thousands of dollars on integrating technology into classroom settings and if these technological devices are used improperly or not at all, then there is no reason for their existence except to collect dust. Too often I have observed in public schools and seen Smart Boards either sitting in the corner (some still in the box) or not being used to their full potential. I believe projectors, although older technological device, are in a similar sort of situation: completely disregarded or  used "just cause."

My Technological History

As far as my technological history goes, I know how to use a computer in the most general sense (Internet, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, online shopping) but I lack any special, computer savvy skills. I was introduced to the computer at the age of ten when my father bought a Dell home for Christmas. The whole family, with the exception of my mother, was in awe. My sister and I were addicted. We would spend hours, days on the computer, mostly playing The Sims. Thankfully, however, we've met with our SA group (Sims Anonymous) numerous times and have limited our Sims playtime to a strict minimum.

As we all know, technology has made significant advancements in the past twelve years. The haunting squeal of dial-up ceases to exist and the computer monitor is totally out of fashion. I believe technology is an amazing resource. I couldn't imagine writing any sort of document without one and I am easily able to connect with friends and family that I do not see years at a time. I rarely get lost driving anywhere, I can call anyone at the tap of a screen, and it is faster and easier to organize presentations. I do, however, feel that we are becoming too reliant on technology. When Hurricane Sandy ripped through the tri-state area just last year, for example, people were freaking out because they were without any sort of technology for days at a time. People who found themselves simply without electricity did not know what to do with themselves and found the idea of reading by candlelight absolutely repulsive (I, of course, felt otherwise).

In terms of education, I believe technology must be better integrated into classrooms in order to really impact student learning. Technology integration, according to the Stratford Board of Education, is when classroom teachers use technology to introduce, reinforce, extend, enrich, assess, and remediate student mastery of curricular targets. Until this point, the most technologically integrated I thought a classroom could get was PowerPoint presentations and YouTube clips. The use of digital documents, Friends and Flags, graphic design, and GenYES, as discussed in the article "Four Takes on Technology," are brilliant examples of successfully impacting student learning through the integration of technology into classrooms. If properly planned, these resources are certain to engage students and enhance their understanding of curricular points far more effectively than classrooms that are technologically segregated.

What I really enjoyed about the video clip "Learning to Change- Changing to Learn" is the acknowledgement that the educational system must change with society. The "vending machine" answers standardized tests ask students for are no longer applicable in this society. One of the speakers in the video claims that society and our educational system should no longer be about memorization, as any sort of information we could possibly need is literally at the tips of our fingers, but about searchability, and "finding, validating, synthesizing, leveraging, communicating, collaborating" information.  Another speaker claims that our society is desperately in need of a different model of education, one where work demands the use of a wide range of skills: artistic ability, synthesis, context, teamwork, multidisciplinary, multilingual, multicultural. 

This article and video clip have begun to alter my feelings about technology because I never truly understood the concept of technology integration simply due to the fact that I have never been properly exposed to it before. Any sort of technology that was ever used in any of my classrooms as a student have either been really blase or have failed to work. I am starting to be persuaded that technology can be quite effective in classroom settings, however, I still do not believe that it should be at the center of every unit and/or lesson.

"Four Takes on Technology":
http://imoberg.com/files/Four_Takes_on_Technology_Allen_S.M._Dutt-Doner_K.M._Eini_K._Frederick_R._Chuang_H._Thompson_A._.pdf

"Learning to Change- Changing to Learn":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahTKdEUAPk

About Me

Greetings! My name is Jacob Burlas and I am an English Education major with a minor in Musical Theatre. I attend Montclair State University (MSU) and am currently a senior.  

 

When I first began attending MSU I was a declared Musical Theatre major, but teaching had always been on the back of my mind.  When I was two years old, I not only performed a one-man Wizard of Oz in the living room for my family, but I also taught my stuffed animals and younger sister the alphabet, or what I thought was the alphabet at the time.  At the end of my sophomore year I recognized that the pursuit of Broadway was leaving me academically unfulfilled and decided to declare a major in English.  I then applied to the Teacher Education program and, well, here I am! 

Majoring in English, I enjoy both reading and writing. Two of my favorite novels are The Fault in Our Stars by John Green and The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. I enjoy writing poetry, which is guaranteed to be filled with rhymes, and fiction of all genres. I aspire to be the next Theodor Seuss Geisel, or Dr. Seuss, but I have a lot of work to do on my illustrating skills first.   

In the future I hope to publish a novel and establish my own professional children's theater company. I am a confessed technological "dummy" (couldn't even make the font of this post match) and look forward to utilizing this blog as a forum to share my experiences learning about the integration of technology into the classroom.