Self-Assessment

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

Website

I have created my website in freewebs.com. I am still in the process, but I have managed to link my blog, as well as some other sites that I believe would be beneficial. Am I going about it the right way? I would appreciate some feedback. I am not sure how to market myself, so any suggestions would be appreciated!!

As far as manipulating the site, it was pretty easy to navigate.

C

My website is in the upper right hand corner of my blog. I went through the steps of linking it to this post, but apparently I did something wrong!! I'm not as savvy as Dawn and her big, blue dragon!!

Movies on Demand

I just realized that I have not posted my thoughts on the whole movie process. Spielberg, I am not, but all kidding aside, I feel pretty confident (we’ll see what happens on Tuesday!). I did experience some technical difficulties, but with the help of my wonderful husband I was able to work out the kinks. Don’t worry; I did most of the work myself!

The theme of my movie has changed a bit, as you’ll see on Tuesday. I was going to throw the whole thing out and start fresh with a horror film, but I stuck to my guns and actually learned a thing or two about making a movie. Overall, I am pleased with the outcome.

Millenials, and Bobos, and Portfolios...Oh My!!

When I began the chapter on Shape-Shifting Portfolios, it immediately brought me back to Gee’s chapter in Alvermann on Millenials and Bobos. These adolescent resumes are becoming a staple in the educational journey of many middle to upper-middle class teens today. As far lower class students are concerned, portfolios may serve a different purpose than they do for many of the millennial youth who strive to become a part of the “elite group” in society. As in the case of Mario, he was simply trying to connect with his Mexican heritage.

My twenty-something cousins, who are obviously millenials, have extensive portfolios. The experiences that they have had in their young careers never cease to amaze me. Clare spent a semester traveling around the African continent, at times living in less than ideal dwellings, absorbing a culture sometimes far removed from her own. Her sister, Sarah, spent two semesters abroad, one in Italy and the other in Ireland. I am in absolute awe of how self-sufficient these young women have become.

After reading this chapter, I see that their portfolio increases in size and experience in all that they do throughout their college careers and well into their first job experiences. Clare, like Katie, is seeking work that will be fulfilling as opposed to seeking a high paying job. I thought the section of the chapter titled ”The Shrine” was a bit too much. While I think that establishing a meaningful portfolio will be helpful, I think that putting all one’s accomplishments on display illustrates arrogance.

I liked the example of Thomas who was opposed to the idea of portfolios until he became engaged with his schoolwork. I found it interesting that it wasn’t considered cool for boys to be smart. Who makes these decisions? But Thomas eventually quit sports, so that he could join the academic decathlon team. He became so invested in his learning that he made it his top priority.

Even though Mario, the last boy in the chapter, shared a very different story than the other two, he still was building a portfolio of knowledge and experiences that he felt were crucial to his life. Since reaching the status of the elite group will most often be out of reach for many lower class millenials, as the chapter states, it is our job as educators to guide our students towards experiences and knowledge that will help them achieve their goals in life.

Super Soaps

I thought that some of you might be interested in this review from BC (Blogcritics Magazine). The article focuses on the soap opera, Guiding Light, which has now teamed up with Marvel comics to create a super hero for the show. I caught the show today and the movie “Sin City” instantly came to mind. The story begins with Harley Davidson Cooper - may be more names now- being electrocuted, causing an abundance of electricity to flow through her veins. She plays a cop on the show, but now with her new super powers she rivals Robo cop. After they placed her in a skimpy, silver, teeny-weeny outfit I had to shut the show off. It was a bit goofy for me, but I do have to say that some of the graphics were pretty impressive. As the article discusses, many of the themes in comic strips are racy enough to be paired with tawdry storylines of the soap operas.

It seems that Radical change is not only being introduced to young adults, but to the housewives of America as well. I personally thought that the show was a bit off the wall (corny), but I’m interested to see what others think. Also, I thought that this online magazine, "Blogcritics" was pretty interesting as well. I’ll be interested to see what else they have to offer the public.

Chrissy G.

NYSEC… An Affair to Remember

I must concur with Dawn that this experience was exceptional. The only problem was which seminar to choose. As you know, my project for 506 will consist of a summary of the conference, which will discuss the various seminars, including our own.

As James has already stated in his blog, there was a mix of progressive and traditional English teachers at this conference. It was refreshing to see that a majority of teachers were interested in incorporating YA Literature into their classrooms, but they just weren’t sure where to begin. The difficulty lies with the canonized texts that are still required in the classroom.

This gave me a great idea for a seminar next year, which would involve crossing YA novels with canonized texts. The plan would be to research what novels were being taught at the various grade levels and pair YA novels that would complement these titles. The idea of the seminar would deal with strategies for rich, diverse, and contemporary lessons. An example would be “The Crucible” paired with Julie Hearns’ The Minister’s Daughter,” which also deals with witchcraft and trials or accusations.

My overall vibe after this seminar was that teachers would like to use these titles, but how to accomplish this feat without upsetting administration deters them from even trying. This way the students get the best of both worlds.

As far as technology, there wasn’t much present at this seminar. The seminar that we did attend, “It Isn’t Just About Books Anymore: Exploring Multimodal Literacies,” the tech person had to cancel. Thank God that Dr. Kjersti VanSlyke-Briggs, Dr. Stearns’ former colleague, was a brilliant woman (and next year’s conference president) and presented an inspiring seminar. I’ll elaborate more during my project. But the conference definitely lacked in this area. I’ll be curious to hear about NYSCATE.

As for our presentation, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised at the seminar’s turnout. Karen began with a discussion on Radical Change, introduced the panel, and then we separated into our various groups (Dawn has already listed them in her post). I had the most wonderful conversations with teachers about Middle Eastern YA Literature, as well as receiving feedback about how some of the titles are faring in the classroom now. I was excited to hear that they are being well received in the classroom.

I am so happy that I was a part of this experience. I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with. Congratulations Karen, Dawn, Matt, Jack, James, and Dave on a job well done!!! Also James, Tyesn successfully completed the fundamental skills and techniques of Shinjitsu do and was promoted to the level of 5th Kyu Blue (he received his blue belt in layman’s terms). Thanks for asking!

Chrissy G.

Project: NYSEC Conference

My ENG 506 project will focus on the 2006 NYSEC Conference, which we (Dr. Stearns, myself, Matt, Dawn, James, Jack, and Dave) will be attending in Albany. The plan is to interview teachers who are presenting the seminars as well as those teachers who are simply attending the conference.

I have formulated some basic (generic) questions that I will ask my interviewees. My original plan was to focus on specific individuals, but now I realize that will be an impossible task. Here are the questions that I have formulated so far:

1. Are you currently in the classroom?
2. If so, how long have you been teaching?
3. If not, are currently enrolled in classes, either at the graduate or undergraduate level?
4. What courses did you (or do you) find most helpful in your teacher education experience?
5. Do you or would you use technology in the classroom?
6. If so, what particular mediums do you or would you use? (i.e. iMovie, podcasts, PC’s, etc.)

Please feel free to add suggestions or criticisms on either my questions or approach to this project. I forgot to mention that I would be videotaping the process as well as a few seminars (including ours - sorry Dawn). Thanks.

Chrissy

Podcast

I have no idea how to self-assess when truthfully I have no idea where I went wrong. I followed the instructions that were given. In this technology class we have to anticipate that there are going to be some problems, yet no one did. I also felt a lack of support whenever I did express my problems. How are we supposed to learn to use these new tools if we can't understand where we went wrong?

The podcasts I viewed were wonderful, so I will respond and give those individuals (Charm, Jenn G) the praise they deserve. I personally was not impressed by the process.

Chrissy G.

New School

I have attached an article that appears in the October 2006 issue of Entrepreneur magazine. The main point of the article is that schools are failing not only the students, but the businesses as well. If students are not up to speed on the changes that are occurring in the world, particularly in the area of technology, businesses will suffer as well. These students after all are going to make up the prospective workforce. Unskilled labor (lack of technology) and cost factors (welfare costs rising) are just a few problems that are discussed.

What I found exceptionally interesting and irritating was that “big business” has not stepped forward to help. If businesses were to rise up and challenge these “bureaucratic regulations” we would have a better chance for a reform movement in education that is long overdue. You would think that a skilled workforce would be a top priority for these entrepreneurs.

C

Bravo to Shade!

It was really great to see the applications that we are both discussing and working on put to use in the classroom. It was obvious that Shade’s students put a lot of effort into to their projects, but it was also apparent that there was a personal touch to the work as well. If students are interested in what they are doing, they’re more apt to work to the best of their abilities.

It’s hard for those of us “pre-service” teachers to picture these new and innovative ideas in the classroom, so when we saw Shade actually making it happen it was source of comfort for us. Also, I was very impressed by the talent that was unleashed in those videos. I just wonder how many shy, quiet kids are out there who would come to life given an opportunity like Shade’s students. Great job. Thanks for sharing your classroom experiences with us.

Chrissy

Ayers Positive Spin on Education

As some of you know, there are a few of us that been reading Rochester’s “Class Warfare” for EDU 671. While Mr. Rochester may have some valid points regarding today’s educational system, his arrogant tone puts off many people. After dissecting Rochester’s continual abuse of the progressive educator, we have now moved on to William Ayers’ book “Teaching the Personal and the Political.”

Ayers’ fresh perspective on education as well as the art of teaching is stimulating. Where there is a problem in the classroom, Ayers models teachers who embrace the situation and call on the students for help; after all it is there class as well. One particular example Ayers uses is Eliot Wiggington. When Wiggington failed to entice his students, he humbled himself and asked for their help. The students embraced this opportunity to be heard and the class magazine “Foxfire” was born.

“Foxfire” allowed the children to collaborate on various activities in the school as well as the community. Wiggington confessed that he learned so much more about his students personally. The educational process should educate both the students and the instructor on a daily basis. As a few people had pointed out in our 671 class on Tuesday, both books are opinions on education and should be treated as such. It is our job to filter out the nonsense or arrogant babble, so that we can help to create a more productive classroom for all of our students.

Chrissy

Fear of the Unknown

It seems like our schools are so afraid of failure that they refuse to try anything new. We all know that there are serious discrepancies in how students should be taught, but we are also at a loss as to how to rectify the situation. According to King & O’Brien, teachers are so afraid of losing “control” (i.e. power over students), that they are shying away from anything that is unfamiliar. Rather than seizing the opportunity to learn something new from their students, teachers find student knowledge threatening. Aren’t we supposed to embrace new knowledge, especially that of our students?

I have to empathize with teachers who are willing to reject the notion of technological advances as play and who are willing to incorporate technology into the classroom, yet are unable to do so because they lack support from their superiors. King and O’Brien hit the nail on the head when they discuss the school system’s resistance towards accountability, in other words, "not in my backyard." If more schools aren’t willing to venture outside the traditionalist mindset regarding education, it will be virtually impossible to both help and entice our students in the area of academia.

Aside from sounding like a broken record, teachers need to recreate the English classroom according to changes in society. With that being said, finding out student interests and skills as well as honing in on our own skills, will create a rich environment to learn.

Chrissy G

Pew Reports

After reading the Pew Reports, I am even more convinced that we need to incorporate technology into the classroom. I know we originally approached this topic as a way to keep students interested in class work, but after seeing that a large number of students (about 33%) share self authored material – I now know it’s imperative.

If students were given the ability to create in a variety of mediums, such as their own websites or blogs, they would put forth more effort and creativity. Pew Research Centers main focus is to uncover on going trends in society today, so it is evident in the two reports we read this weekend that the use technology is rampant among teenagers. For those who frown on Internet use and video games, why not use an open mind and use a little creativity to incorporate these activities into the classroom.


I was originally one of those people who thought teenagers with cell phones were a bit ridiculous. Although I do still cringe at the bubble gum chomping cheerleader on the cell phone commercial, I now realize that they do serve a purpose. As a parent of two sons, I know that I’ll appreciate having a connection to my children when I’m not with them (yes, I will be checking up on them!). Also, when they need a ride or if any other difficult situation arises; they will have easy access to their parents.

I also noticed in the report that high-income households are among the majority that contained frequent teenage Internet users. Although I believe that to be true, I also believe that with the influx of computers in schools and libraries, most students will have the opportunity to log on.

Chrissy Gates

Attention Economy

Adolescents and Literacies in a Digital World sheds light on the emergence of technology in our society. Its draw is the result of what is referred to as an “attention economy,” which is the result of the “human capacity to produce material things outside the net capacity to consume the things that are produced.” This concept obviously makes sense when placed in the context of stars and fans. The more popular a person, novel, idea becomes the more “attention” it gets – the greater the demand of the public (society) becomes.

Technology (new technology) has emerged as we see in Lanham’s example of librarians. I immediately thought of my ability to connect to my public library and search their website (formerly the card catalog) from home. The librarians are still essential in maintaining the structure of the library, but now there are easier ways to access the information we need. Although the library has always been a popular establishment, the recent integration of new technology has helped to capture perhaps a larger audience.

Lanham and Knobel discuss ways that new literacies emerge with the economy of attention, such as contact displaying, Meme-ing, culture jamming, to name a few. The interesting part of the chapter is the challenge that schools face as how to integrate the new literacies successfully. A great point is made pertaining to learning difficulties (e.g. Lack of attention) and how new media may in fact help to reduce such “behavioral problems.” The overall gist of this chapter was about capturing attention. If we are believe that formal education works for all, we are sadly mistaken. If teachers ever hope to gain the attention of their students, they need to adhere to a curriculum that encompass student’s interests. We need to forgo the days of I speak and you listen.

Chrissy Gates

In Prensky’s article, Digital Natives/Digital Immigrants, Prensky sheds some light on why our students are so bored in the classroom. It’s really hard to argue that the incorporation of technology would not only benefit the students, but also in turn educate the teacher as well. Prensky’s analogy to a “native speaker” and “immigrant” allows the reader to realize the huge gap in understanding the world around them. Why not educate our students by incorporating new technological tools that will not only interest them, but ones in which they have also mastered. Having said that, Prensky also points out that this may not be as easy as it sounds. I believe that fear is the greatest deterrent in the implementation of technology in the classroom. I agree that teachers need to let go of their fears regarding technology and begin to understand the changes that are occurring in society today. He refers to “immigrants” by the thickness of their accent. When I read this part of the article, I immediately thought of my mother, who just recently began using the ATM (I know, scary). What is even scarier is that my mother-in-law, who has a much thicker accent, refuses to use the ATM to this day and opts for the clear glass tube (soon to be extinct) that magically transports through space and back into the bank.Prensky believes that one must combine legacy content (reading, writing, the fundamentals) with future content (digital/technological merged with politics, sociology, etc.). Essentially, the idea is to “learn new ways to do old stuff.” I loved the idea of recreating the history/geography classroom. History is absolutely fascinating if taught in the right context. How many times have we heard how boring history was when it could’ve been both enlightening and exciting? I fully agree that we as teachers need to pull out all the stops in order to grasp the attention and interest of our students. Chrissy Gates

Welcome to Modern English. This blog will look at the benefits of technology in the English classroom. As a novice, I will be learning as I post.