Purposeful Podcasts

         Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular in today’s professional world as a tool for personal and professional growth.  Since podcasts don’t include any visual information, it is easy to listen and focus on the content, regardless of what you’re doing.  They can be played in the car, at your desk, or at home while you’re cooking.  Podcasts fill the air with stories and information, unlike listening to music, and are a wonderful way to become informed with little effort.  The popularity of this source of media is enticing many professionals to use the platform to reach out to listeners to share their personal and professional successes and failures with their audience.  Topics range from murder mysteries to personal economic strategies.  Listeners are tuning in at record rates and more hosts are jumping on-board to create more content.  These recordings are giving millions of people plenty of entertainment and education. 

         One of the professional podcasts I listened to was Vicki Davis’ 10 Minute-Teacher Podcast titled, “How to Motivate Teachers to Change.”  In this podcast, Davis interviews Joy Kirr, who wrote a book on how to implement gradual changes in the classroom for dynamic effect.  The two discussed how we as humans don’t develop overnight, but somehow, we expect that of our classrooms.  Schools are under tremendous pressure to help teachers innovate, but it’s equally important for educators to keep in mind the essential values, the reasons behind planned changes, and the desired result.  The two also discussed that is preferable to implement small modifications at a time, to help students feel more comfortable, before moving on with additional changes.  Kirr explained that educational shifts should always be made with the children’s best interest in mind.  Forcing change doesn’t work because the students won’t be happy.  They suggested teachers should visit other classes to share the successes and failures of implementing change which would assist teachers in tailoring their own plan of change for their specific class. 

         Within the Educate podcast, there is an episode by Emily Hanford titled, “Hard to Read,” which illustrates how American schools are failing kids with dyslexia.  It begins by highlighting the overwhelming number of students who struggle with dyslexia yet are undiagnosed.  Statistically, five to twelve percent of children have dyslexia; however, only 4.5 percent are diagnosed with a special learning disability that may not even include dyslexia.  The podcast describes the story of a boy named, Billy Gibson, how grew up with dyslexia, which was constantly overlooked by teachers.  Billy’s school disagreed with the test results obtained through private testing and denied him an IEP.  The cost to educate a child receiving special education is double the cost of educating other students in public school, which means school districts are less likely to offer those services.  Even though it’s a “legal requirement” for schools to identify children with disabilities and provide them with an appropriate education, schools still resist because of a running dispute about how to teach children to read.  The podcast discusses in-depth the reality of going through the school system with dyslexia.  The host ends the podcast describing how 41 states have recently passed laws that encourage schools to provide teacher training on identifying dyslexia, as well as providing a variety of laws and regulations.  

         While I enjoyed both podcasts, I was a bit underwhelmed by Davis’ podcast.  I didn’t gain a great deal of insight or additional information, which may be because I have been learning about this topic over the past few weeks.  I do have a greater understanding about the importance of teachers wanting classroom change, rather than schools forcing change upon them.  As for Hanford’s episode, I was much more intrigued because it’s a topic I know little about.  I listened intently about the shocking reality of children struggling with dyslexia, and the lack of support in many school systems.  It is imperative for teachers to be aware of each student’s skill set, and crucial for schools to fight for special education intervention, no matter the cost.  I also appreciated that both podcasts incorporated real-life stories and an industry expert, which made listening more enjoyable and better than the host discussing the topic alone.  

After listening to these professional podcasts, I can see myself using the podcast platform for my own professional growth.  By listening to other teachers, psychologists, and educators, I can broaden my range of knowledge on a variety of topics, like learning to detect reading disabilities. Hearing which methods are working for other educators will strengthen my awareness and expertise in the classroom. I will be able to implement suggested techniques, and perhaps share my own knowledge on future podcasts.  I like the possibility of listening to podcasts with my students, as a tool to engage their minds and spark their imagination, without screen time. 

Here are the links for the podcasts mentioned above:

https://www.apmreports.org/story/2017/09/11/hard-to-read

http://10minuteteacher.libsyn.com/how-to-motivate-teachers-to-change

Digital Citizenship Lesson for K-2 Students

With the expanding technology industry, it is more important than ever to teach children and students how to carefully navigate the Internet.  By using Common Sense Education’s idea for comparing the Internet to an online neighborhood, I was able to create a mini-lesson tailored for K-2 students.  

Here are the lesson objectives:

1.    Students will learn how the Internet can be used to explore new places and things.

2.    Students will be able to explain the three rules for traveling safely on the Internet.

3.    Students will be able to compare how real-world safety relates to staying safe online.

First, as the teacher, you should begin the discussion by asking your students to raise their hand if they have ever been on the Internet before. Then, ask what sites they visit frequently.  Once you have received some answers, you can then ask them to raise their hand if they have ever gone on the Internet without permission.  

After this initial discussion, you can explain how important it is to be safe when exploring sites on the Internet.  Once the discussion is over, show your students this video from Common Sense Education about Internet safety:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPHOsCnjMU4

After showing the video, ask your students how they think navigating the Internet is similar to navigating in the real world.  Brainstorm ideas about how to ensure they are on “safe” sites.

It’s important for children to understand the dangers of communicating with strangers online, and to foster an understanding of safe skills if they do encounter someone outside of their immediate circle.  By reading Mary Beth Hertz article titled, “How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students,” your students will better understand what topics to avoid when talking to strangers and how to protect their personal information:  https://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-younger-elementary-mary-beth-hertz

Encouraging class discussion about Internet safety will ensure your students think before entering an unknown site and potentially communicating with an unknown user.  If you feel your students have fully comprehended the importance of Internet safety, use this Kahoot quiz to test their individual knowledge: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/2e7ea005-2c20-4b48-ab2d-d1b25b3a1858

Common Core Standards:

-Grade K: W.2, W.5, W.7, W.8, W.10, SL.1a, SL.1b, SL.2, SL.3, SL.4, SL.5, SL.6, L.6

-Grade 1: W.5, W.7, W.8, L.6

-Grade 2: W.2, W.7, W.8, SL.1a, SL.1b, SL.1c, SL.6, L.6

ISTE Student Standards:

-3a, 3b, 5a, 5b, 6a

The Power of Project-Based Learning

         Project-based learning is founded on the belief that students develop a deeper knowledge through real-world experience and problem-solving.  This type of learning allows students to choose the direction of their learning through discovery, while ensuring it has significant academic relevance.  In Sarah Carter’s blog post, titled “Project-Based Learning Using Disney Movies,” she explains her innovate technique for analyzing popular Disney movies in AP World History class.  Her goal was for her students to use their historical knowledge to pick out inaccuracies within each film.  She created an assignment in which the students had to summarize the story, determine the origin of the film, determine the setting, identify any misinterpretations, determine what was happening in the world at that specific point in history, find the historical inaccuracies, and select two primary sources from people who were present during the time and location of the movie’s setting (Carter, 2016).  Despite being nervous about the results of the project, she said the presentations were elaborate and analytical.  The students gave her feedback saying the project was unlike any of their previous assignments, and they were refreshed by the freedom allotted to them (Carter, 2016). 

         Real-world experience is also important when planning project-based learning activities. Brenna Lamprey and Beth Reilly’s blog titled “Project Au-Some: Building Empathy and Collaboration,” goes in-depth about a fifth-grade class partnering with a preschool special education class.  What started out as a classroom read-aloud, quickly developed into a major program where Big buddies paired with Little buddies who volunteered to help the younger students participate in recess, P.E., and Special Olympics (Lamprey & Reilly, 2016).  The students were able to grasp a better understanding of severe gross-motor delays, helping them learn how to better assist their specific Little buddy.  The teacher, Mrs. Reilly, was able to help students create a lesson objective by giving them a list of developmental skills (Lamprey & Reilly, 2016).   The students then worked together to generate lesson materials and procedures, which allowed the students to become more conscious of the array of disabilities.  As a result, the students scored higher on their empathy tests and were able to change their attitudes and biases, positively affecting their interactions with others (Lamprey & Reilly, 2016).   

         After reading these inspiring articles, I truly see the benefit of incorporating project-based learning in a classroom setting.  I could see myself using students love for movies and media as a platform for key projects.  It is the perfect way to engage students and spark their fascination about a topic. As an aspiring teacher, I also want to implement the Big and Little buddies program I discussed above.  While it’s important to teach students academic subjects through traditional platforms, I think it’s equally important to develop well-rounded students.  By encouraging students to go outside their comfort zone and interact with those less fortunate or less able-bodied, they will develop a sense of compassion and empathy that can’t be learned from a book. 

         While these ideas seem ideal for learning, the reality of carrying them out might be difficult to execute.  You might face criticism from parents and the community, depending on the content and project you decide to undertake.  Funding for such programs may also be a big barrier to success in public schools.  After reading about successful project-based learning techniques, I wonder why teachers try so hard to create a structured environment when there are such clear benefits to letting students guide their own learning.

References

Carter, S. (2016). Project-Based Learning Using Disney Movies. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/project-based-learning-using-disney-movies

Lamprey, B., & Reilly, B. (2016). Project Au-Some: Building Empathy and Collaboration. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/blog/project-au-some-building-empathy-collaboration-brenna-lamprey-beth-reilly

Technologically Challenged Millennial

            The term ‘millennial’ doesn’t always insight praise when it comes to generational differences.  We are seen as lazy, distracted, and unmotivated.  However, millennials are also considered increasingly skilled with technology.  While this might be true for many millennials, it is less true regarding me.  Using the Internet is now a staple in education for students my age, not only for social benefits but academic benefits as well.  Millennial culture derives a lot of its momentum from the Internet and other computer-based technology.  My technologically challenged self finds it difficult to measure up at times.

            As challenging as it can be for me to navigate my way around the Internet, I do see enormous benefits regarding educational assistance.  As a student, I use the Internet constantly, but the main way it advances my learning is through the abundance of available resources on an unlimited number of topics.  I can easily access academic journals, online books, and websites which provide an excess of information for completing my homework and papers.  The Internet is a seemingly endless source of information; the tricky part is knowing when the information is faulty and when it’s trustworthy.  Unreliable sites and editable Wikipedia pages tend to be widespread and much easier to find than credible sources.        

            While the Internet is beneficial when used academically, I am also guilty of letting the Internet distract me from learning.  Facebook is a perfect example of a social network that acts as a magnet of distraction in class.  I find it easy to pull up Facebook and browse through the newsfeed during class, ultimately pulling my attention away from the professor.  There is a sense of idleness that I associate with Facebook, that makes it a compelling distraction from the task at hand.  Why pay attention to my professor rambling on about the quantum theory when I can read about the Museum of Medieval Torture in Prague?

            As an aspiring teacher, it’s important to consider the viewpoint of my students on topics such as Internet use.  While I have the ability to see both the positive and negative effects of the Internet on my learning, my students will be naive to the realities associated with easy Internet access.  They might view the Internet as the holy grail of fun and information, ignoring the slippery slope of unlimited and sometimes mindless access to information. As their role model, it will be important for me to encourage them to use the Internet as a productive learning space rather than a source for distracted entertainment.  By teaching them how to judiciously limit their use, they will be able to see both the benefits and disadvantages of using the Internet as a sole source of learning.  In addition, teaching them how to differentiate credible sources from unreliable ones will encourage thoughtful searching over idle scrolling. The primary lesson that needs to be taught isn’t how crippling the Internet can be, but how helpful it can be when used correctly.  I, along with my students, can always use a reminder about the importance of using the Internet as an advantageous tool.