Overall, I was pleased with the outcome of my project. I spent the last two months tweaking the pictures, toying with Windows Movie Maker to make sure my video was up to par, and simply perusing various websites in search of answers to any technical difficulties I was encountering with my Power Point presentation.
Of course, I’d always like to learn more. With the way technology changes, I always need to be on my toes. I am also happy with my new purchase: flash drive. I was able to transfer my pictures as well as video, which made my life so much easier in the end! Power Point could be used in the classroom in a variety of ways. We saw in Shade’s presentation how a young man used PP to present his graphic novel.
Since my project was a summation of the 2006 NYSEC conference, the only thing I could really do is update whatever new information becomes available regarding the conference – reviews, photos, etc. Truthfully, if we had scheduled the presentations over two nights it may not as been as stressful for everyone. Again, I’m happy with the outcome. I just hope everyone enjoyed it. The conference itself was an extremely memorable experience!
Chrissy
Education in Motion
Reading is Fundamental
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Before 506
I originally envisioned myself in a classroom that housed a multitude of bookcases, each generously loaded with a wide assortment of genres. There was a section of the classroom that contained a couch, or at least some comfortable chairs, which would serve as a discussion forum. The students were either reading the book of their choice, or he/she was animated, discussing various aspects of a book several students read for a literature circle. Their counterparts were primed and ready for a deep discussion, biding the time until it was their turn to speak. But as I have learned in my Graduate career here at SUNY Cortland, students don’t all learn in the same fashion, nor do they all share the same desire we do for literature...
--First paragraph of my reflection--
NYSEC Conference (Project 506)
Well so far I'm pleased with the way my Power Point presentation is coming along. I was a bit nervous, due to the fact that the NYSEC website was under construction for a brief period of time. But luckily, the site is back up and running just in time for Tuesday! I'm happy to relive this time in the semester, simply because it was a milestone in my career as a pre-service(prospective) teacher. I'm not going to say too much more because I'll use up all my material before showtime! I look forward to seeing all of you on Tuesday.
Chrissy
Chrissy
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Homophobia is Real
Anyone who took 663 with me knows that my review was written on the inclusion of gay themed literature into today’s classroom. Actually, I’m an advocate for YA literature in general, because I believe that every student can find representation in the wide variety of genres. I can’t say that I was shocked when I came across this article, but it saddens me to see that religious organizations’ opinions are still weighing down heavily on the introduction of the topic of homosexuality into the schools. With the influx of same-sex marriages, same-sex parents – how can schools deny what’s going on in the world around them?
This article, was especially upsetting because they dismantle the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN)’s 2003 National School Climate Survey, which is GLSEN's second national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. It is a crucial tool in the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) mission for fighting anti-LGBTQ bias in K-12 schools across the nation. This report provides details on the experiences of 887 GLBTQ high school students who were surveyed nationwide. Also, this study showed that school performance, grade point average, and college aspirations of GLBTQ students were also negatively affected among those who experience harassment.
In the article, they claim that that terms such as “homophobia” and “heterosexism” are bogus. The idea to incorporate gay themed literature into the classroom is to combat homophobia and reconstruct the heterosexist curriculum. Religious fanatics claim there is a pro-homosexuality agenda, which pushes students to experiment with their sexuality. The pressures on gay teens can be overwhelming--to keep secrets, tell lies, deny who you are, and try to be who you're not. No one has an agenda other than letting our children know that they can feel safe as they come to terms with their identity.
It is our duty as teachers to understand the needs of our students. We are responsible for their emotional well being as well as their academic standing. Adolescence was a difficult time with the onslaught of hormones – imagine if your feelings are not taken into consideration because they are not considered “normal.” No one should ever have to feel alone. If we could alleviate some of the stress that our gay youth experiences, perhaps they would feel comfortable enough to ask for help, rather than turning to self-destructive measures to deal with their misery.
Almost all schools have a heterosexist curriculum in that course content almost never recognizes that some of the most influential figures in art, literature, and history were gay or lesbian. The only image that most schools will allow is representations that focus on the negative aspects of homosexuality; oftentimes the negative stereotypes are reinforced as well, such as feminine males and butch females. But by excluding the topic of homosexuality and reinforcing negative stereotypes in the school system are we only harming GLBTQ youth? Homophobia affects all young people, regardless of sexual orientation. I as an educator want to promote a classroom where everyone feels free to express his or her true identity in a safe environment. By incorporating YA literature with gay themes and characters, we are offering representation to our GLBTQ youth, and we are educating our straight teens on an important issue that has long been in the closet.
Chrissy
This article, was especially upsetting because they dismantle the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN)’s 2003 National School Climate Survey, which is GLSEN's second national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth. It is a crucial tool in the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) mission for fighting anti-LGBTQ bias in K-12 schools across the nation. This report provides details on the experiences of 887 GLBTQ high school students who were surveyed nationwide. Also, this study showed that school performance, grade point average, and college aspirations of GLBTQ students were also negatively affected among those who experience harassment.
In the article, they claim that that terms such as “homophobia” and “heterosexism” are bogus. The idea to incorporate gay themed literature into the classroom is to combat homophobia and reconstruct the heterosexist curriculum. Religious fanatics claim there is a pro-homosexuality agenda, which pushes students to experiment with their sexuality. The pressures on gay teens can be overwhelming--to keep secrets, tell lies, deny who you are, and try to be who you're not. No one has an agenda other than letting our children know that they can feel safe as they come to terms with their identity.
It is our duty as teachers to understand the needs of our students. We are responsible for their emotional well being as well as their academic standing. Adolescence was a difficult time with the onslaught of hormones – imagine if your feelings are not taken into consideration because they are not considered “normal.” No one should ever have to feel alone. If we could alleviate some of the stress that our gay youth experiences, perhaps they would feel comfortable enough to ask for help, rather than turning to self-destructive measures to deal with their misery.
Almost all schools have a heterosexist curriculum in that course content almost never recognizes that some of the most influential figures in art, literature, and history were gay or lesbian. The only image that most schools will allow is representations that focus on the negative aspects of homosexuality; oftentimes the negative stereotypes are reinforced as well, such as feminine males and butch females. But by excluding the topic of homosexuality and reinforcing negative stereotypes in the school system are we only harming GLBTQ youth? Homophobia affects all young people, regardless of sexual orientation. I as an educator want to promote a classroom where everyone feels free to express his or her true identity in a safe environment. By incorporating YA literature with gay themes and characters, we are offering representation to our GLBTQ youth, and we are educating our straight teens on an important issue that has long been in the closet.
Chrissy
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Children Need Exercise
I have to include this article, because I commend anyone who tries to incorporate daily exercise into their children’s lives. Anyone will tell you that exercise is an excellent way to start the day. Claire Parker, who is a mother of two young boys as well as a former athlete, implements the 10-6-7 method: ten minutes - six times a day – seven days a week.
As a mother of two young boys myself, I was intrigued to see how she fared in her experiment. It seems that the boys were just as eager to participate – they opted to ride to school in the rain – rather than complain like most parents think would. Boys are often labeled as rambunctious and show a need to let off some serious steam, but wouldn’t exercise constitute as a serious form of recess?
What really struck me was that Claire mentioned that she noticed a difference in the boys’ behavior; they seemed more relaxed, even calm at times. She does note that some time in front of the “telly” is necessary for both herself as well as her children. Did I forget to mention that this all takes place in England?
The reason that I’m passionate about this cause is because people are so afraid that they are pushing their children into physical activity that they lose sight of all the benefits associated with daily exercise. Children have so much energy – believe me – I require an afternoon latte just to keep up! But seriously, if we structure activities for our children that are fun, or involve them in sporting events that will help them to let off some steam, then we are actually helping them to release some of the energy that they carry around all day.
As a mother of two young boys myself, I was intrigued to see how she fared in her experiment. It seems that the boys were just as eager to participate – they opted to ride to school in the rain – rather than complain like most parents think would. Boys are often labeled as rambunctious and show a need to let off some serious steam, but wouldn’t exercise constitute as a serious form of recess?
What really struck me was that Claire mentioned that she noticed a difference in the boys’ behavior; they seemed more relaxed, even calm at times. She does note that some time in front of the “telly” is necessary for both herself as well as her children. Did I forget to mention that this all takes place in England?
The reason that I’m passionate about this cause is because people are so afraid that they are pushing their children into physical activity that they lose sight of all the benefits associated with daily exercise. Children have so much energy – believe me – I require an afternoon latte just to keep up! But seriously, if we structure activities for our children that are fun, or involve them in sporting events that will help them to let off some steam, then we are actually helping them to release some of the energy that they carry around all day.
The Power of YouTube!
My husband and I are forever indebted to YouTube! (and Matt) for enabling us to post our movie at the last minute. We worked so hard and our son was very excited for everyone to see his athletic accomplishments. While we thought we had completed all the necessary stages for publication, we lacked one. I had burnt the movie to disk, but did not realize that there was a “Finish movie” step that was necessary in order to view the movie at a computer other than our own.
While we were slightly familiar with YouTube!, we had never really explored its potential. With the help of Matt and my husband via cell phone, we were able to resolve this conflict. It’s funny how we go through life never encountering various things, and then all of a sudden, they are everywhere. By this I mean that although I had heard of YouTube!, I never realized what a great tool it was. Of course, after the presentation, my husband immediately removed the video. I’m sure you understand that having a video of your child for all to see can be quite dangerous.
But overall, I was very happy with YouTube! I also warned my brother; because my sister was so taken with the YouTube!, she wanted to create a horror flick using this beastly picture I have of him. There was a 28 second clip we saw entitled “El Chupacabra spotted on a beach in Puerto Rico.” It was just some poor soul, who was slightly large, walking on the beach. Just think what you could do to your enemies who have no experience in the technology arena!! Needless to say, he’s been on his best behavior. It’s so important to know how to move around this new and changing world. My son woke me up the morning after my movie debut to ask me what everyone thought of his performance. I was so happy that I could tell him that they loved him!
Chrissy
While we were slightly familiar with YouTube!, we had never really explored its potential. With the help of Matt and my husband via cell phone, we were able to resolve this conflict. It’s funny how we go through life never encountering various things, and then all of a sudden, they are everywhere. By this I mean that although I had heard of YouTube!, I never realized what a great tool it was. Of course, after the presentation, my husband immediately removed the video. I’m sure you understand that having a video of your child for all to see can be quite dangerous.
But overall, I was very happy with YouTube! I also warned my brother; because my sister was so taken with the YouTube!, she wanted to create a horror flick using this beastly picture I have of him. There was a 28 second clip we saw entitled “El Chupacabra spotted on a beach in Puerto Rico.” It was just some poor soul, who was slightly large, walking on the beach. Just think what you could do to your enemies who have no experience in the technology arena!! Needless to say, he’s been on his best behavior. It’s so important to know how to move around this new and changing world. My son woke me up the morning after my movie debut to ask me what everyone thought of his performance. I was so happy that I could tell him that they loved him!
Chrissy
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Boys and School
I thought that this article was interesting, especially since a few of us in class have read Raising Cain. This article is yet another example of why multimodal literacies (visual, print, media, critical, sociocultural, and digital) work better in the classroom, because they ensure that all students will make some form of connection to the content. The truth is that children, especially boys, need room to move. Confining students, anyone for that matter, to a room and talking at them rather than with them can be detrimental to one’s health.
Michael Gurian, author of The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in Life and School, believes that boys are better at spatial- mechanical tasks and perform better in school when they are active. The article focuses on creating lessons for either boys or girls, but I think that if teachers incorporate audio or visual or digital forms of instruction that many children that were once lost in the classroom will have the opportunity to engage in the lessons.
Michael Gurian, author of The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons from Falling Behind in Life and School, believes that boys are better at spatial- mechanical tasks and perform better in school when they are active. The article focuses on creating lessons for either boys or girls, but I think that if teachers incorporate audio or visual or digital forms of instruction that many children that were once lost in the classroom will have the opportunity to engage in the lessons.
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