EDM 613 MAC Week 4 Free Post ( Presentation reflections)

As I have been working on my leadership presentation, I learned quite a few things!!!

1) I forgot to resize my pictures BEFORE I put them in my project- it makes sense now- I couldn't understand WHY it was so big!!! Plus the video clips in it as well.

2) 300 words for 1 slide is a lot of words and talking. I practiced this in front of my husband and he was a little anxious for the next slide to move along. I have been toying with the idea of maybe down the road having 2-3 pictures open on one slide as I am presenting instead of showing all at once. This is something I need to play with and perfect before my big day!!!

3) As part of my presentation, I am planning on a few engaging activities to illustrate my topic as well as give my audience the chance to see the effectiveness of technology. It would be great to have a link to an interactive web site for teachers to see and hear the same things as what I am saying. ( PLUS- I hate when power points are read to me- it would be much more effective to have a variety of media)

This overall has been a difficult project for me. At times I struggled with getting my words just right or having the right pictures. I want the world to know how wonderful technology has been for my working with kids with autism.

EDM 613 MAC Week 4 Reading "Art Of Possibility" Chapters 9-12

As I was reading the last of the book, I was intrigued by chapter 9's message. Better to do things in person. The author conveyed that this was not out of social reasons but much much more. By enrolling individuals into joining the venture through passion igniting passion, it appeared that No's become Yes more often. It was interesting to read how manipulation, cajoling, bribery, threats, or promises were not the basis of enrolling others into the action desired. Wouldn't it be so wonderful if more people could read this book and do what is right, not what is easy ( politicians perhaps?).

Chapter 10 quickly reminded me of a poem that I have always remembered from high school- Invictus ( movie of same name)


INVICTUS
by William Ernest Henley

OUt of the night that covers me,
Black as the Pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed

Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the horror of the shade
And yet the menace of the years
Finds, and shall find me, unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Chapter 10, for me, is about being Active, the maker of my own course. Don't be the victim.

The framework for possibility is mentioned in chapter 11. My favorite part is about the teacher who also shaves their head to show support for the child. What a beautiful selfless act. This teacher became a part of the solution, not a part of the problem. The vision of possibility as well as action started with the act of doing, not watching.

At the end of the book, Chapter 12 was about the WE factor. So many times, people in our lives want to use the blame sentence - YOU did this, He made me, THey were....As an educator, I hear frequently- but teacher- he made me talk. Parents say to me- but teacher, you don't give me kid enough attention.
I loved how We becomes a part of the conversation. Own the problem. Let's fix it together. What do WE both want out of this - the satisfaction of everyone'e needs becomes a priority instead of a one sided emotional crisis.

Most of all- The Art of Possibility puts everything on the table. There is not subliminal messages or closely guarded secrets priviaged to only a few. This book opens living and life up to everyone.

EDM613 MAC Week 3 Think Out Loud Post 1 of 2

My AR project revolved around using technology with students with autism and increasing expressive language skills. I have used literature to support this problem statement as well as used data collected to affirm that it indeed works. With the specific core information along with rich media, this could be a great presentation that reflects my work at Full Sail as well as in the classroom this year.My Leadership project will focus on how this is possible, what makes it work, and how I as an educator can help other teachers, parents, and caregivers give the gift of technology to special needs students.


I would be a better presenter than I would a published work kind of person. I want to motivate and get my audience excited about technology so I feel my emotions and visual presentation would come across better in person. I have been taking pictures and small videos to show this works. I have great references for further reading and also my own style of teaching with technology that can be replicated in any classroom with computers/Smart Boards and internet.

I am thinking of a staff development agency called Staff Development for Educators. It would be great to be a part of this professional organization and its array of conferences for teachers across Missouri.


http://www.sde.com/index.asp

EDM613 MAC Week 3 Free post- What is an Effective Teacher?

I have been reading for the past year about how education reform will remove the tenure system from public school districts and have evaluations in place to evaluate a teacher's effectiveness in the classroom. Race to the Top, No CHild Left Behind, Michelle Rhee in Washington D.C., the US rank in world education all weigh heavily on educators across the US. "Test scores, That's how we will evaluate teachers effectiveness".

So, are teachers truly effective if 100% of their students can pass average or above average on a standardized test?

Example- in a small rural district in Southwestern Missouri, a 3rd grade classroom was recognized for having one of the highest Math scores on a state test compared to other districts of same or even bigger size. The teacher was recognized by the governor, the school awarded a plaque, and written up in the newspaper This school had a relatively high percentage of free/reduced lunch, rural children who were bused from 1 hour away on county roads, and had transient and migrant families (farm work). Wow- what a great teacher!!! She is effective!!! However, that class studied Math skills 90% of the school day for the year. Little time was give to reading, social studies or science. Drills were practiced, worksheets written over and over, and released test items were studied. Practice tests were given over and over, tutoring was encouraged. Now, is this true effectiveness? I don't think so.... I think it is a travesty of the education system to honor this kind of teaching. Did the kids really LEARN or did they memorize? And since other skills were not taught, obviously that's not effective teaching ( but wait- the kids passed the test!- NOT) BESIDES the test, was there purpose or application? And I think it gives the wrong idea to parents....My kid got 95% on the TEST what do you mean he is failing the next grade?

my own children feverishly study their spelling words each Wednesday and Thursday nights for the test on Friday. They are so happy when they come with a good grade on the report card. The teachers are "effective", my children passed the test. But frankly, my children neither can use the words when writing or speaking or know how to spell them the next week. This makes me mad!!! This is CRAP!!! I don't care if all computers have spell checks and grammar corrections to fix it for them- this is a basic skill my kids should know. The grade DOES not reflect the ability!!!! I want my children to be made to apply these skills.

Effectiveness is a Fallacy.

EDM613 MAC Week 3 The Art Of Possibility Chapters 5-8

Okay, as I delve into this book further, i am noticing some things. First, Chapter 5 is a little more about the author and the orchestra. I was really focused on a few things. Engagement- something teachers want 100% of the time. And if we don't get it, we get mad or complain or toss a kid outta class. Roz and Zander said, "The eyes never lie ",.... isn't that the truth. I can always tell the faraway look on a child's face when they stop processing what I am teaching. I thought the conductor who traded seats with a player was very good. Each of them could see how both sides work. As a teacher back in school, I understand how easily it is to be distracted by noise, sites, sounds, internet cruising while I am working. I can only imagine what professors at Full Sail think when they really get a piece of work that is not even close to the directions....

As I have gotten older, I have probably applied Rule 6 a lot more when I was younger and more serious. I have to be appropriate all day and when i am at home relaxing- inappropriate things make me laugh!!! I have tried to incorporate that into my workplace with little quips or humorous videos/quotes, etc. I am not sure about the calculating or central self. I imagine that for the most part, all of us are made up of both. ( I could be totally off on this)... Like I said- Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. In the grand scheme of things, it may not be so bad!!!

Chapter 8 for me could be summed up with the saying- It is What it is. I was thinking of a boy taught in 2nd grade....He was so different- definitely marched to the beat of his own drummer. He was brilliant but his behavior was a little lacking- he would blurt out answers, answer the question with something totally off base, and draw answers instead of writing them and he knew everything about Lord of The Rings and Star Wars.He had a history of always being in trouble. I accepted that this child was like this and when I came to the understanding that I was not going to change him, I enjoyed him immensely. He was funny and creative and he gave me ideas of ways to teach that I never thought of ( Desert climate was like Tattooine). I think about him often and hope he is doing well.

I would like to suggest this book for my school's book studies. More teachers should have possibilities opened up for them with a new venue of thinking...

EDM 613 MAC Week 3 "AR Crunch Time"

Well, it seems like I just started my AR site a few months ago and here I am at the end. I cannot believe that all the bits and pieces of the research came together. I am so excited to see it have a shape and a form. My critical friends have been so supportive of me and really have encouraged me. The parents in my class were gracious enough to sign documents to give me permission to use images, videos, and document their children. My students worked very hard and enveloped the technology I have given them with zest and have learned many new things.

As we move into Month 12, My AR project will need fine tuning and errors corrected for final publication. The hard work is finished. The time has come for final approval and peer feedback. Now, I will create a masterpiece that can be shared with other educators.

I am feeling "finishing anxiety". What will I do with my time when I graduate form Full Sail? Who will give me positive affirmations and constructive criticism? Will I ever talk with my group mates again? I don't want to say goodbye, I don't want this to be over!!!

It took me 20 years to return to school and get a Master's degree. And now I am almost finished after 12 months. BAM- just like that!!! Why did I wait so long....I feel like I can do anything....


"Keep Moving Forward",

from Disney's Meet The Robinsons

EDM 613 MAC Week 2 Reading- The Art of Possibility

This week's reading was a little different than most of the other works used in my Full Sail program. This was not a text book per say or even a how to manual. This book was almost like a collection of thoughts, stories, and experiences from which the authors drew from (rafting, Picasso, photographs in an African Tribe) to illustrate their intentions...Rosamund and Ben Zander's book, for me and my line of work, could have almost been a door leading to the world of Autism. As I read through each chapter, i found myself thinking a lot about my students ....

In the first chapter, The First Practice, the authors basically ask- How do you see things? Most individuals have a perception or a predetermined point of reference in their heads.It's either this or that, nothing else. I hear teachers say all the time, " I can't re-invent the wheel". And when a student comes along that does not fit the middle of the road learning style or accepts a lesson for what it is, the teacher becomes angry or frustrated, blaming the learner for the problem. But what if a teacher could use each student they meet as a reference point? Possibilities would be endless the different ways to teach a lesson. As a teacher of students with Autism, my knowledge has been opened up and my teaching strengthened by the different ways my students learn. I am always amazed at the ways a child will interpret information and then apply that to their learning. Sometimes the ordinary and the mundane become incredible and sometimes the incredible becomes mundane. One of the students in my class sees the finite detail of things, the focus of his eye is uncanny. On the old penny, there is a teeny Abraham Lincoln in the Monument on the back. What if the way I taught the penny was to have the child always look for the Abe Lincoln, not that it was copper, or 1 cent, or any other basic description that defines "penny".

In chapter 2, Roz and Ben discuss the world of measurement. For children with autism, routine and identification and order of things provides security. For many people, this is a truth. There is a security in prediction. I thought it was interesting that examples given for integration in the world were experiences on an emotional level. For my students, pleasure is derived form sensory input- the feel of a swing, spinning, certain surfaces, pressure, and visual/auditory stimulation. I measure student's behavior based on observational data. This book is more intrinsic than what my teaching experience has shown. As for that matter, many adults are still motivated by extrinsic rewards as well. So this is probably the hardest part of The Art of Possibility.

Chapter 3, The Third Practice. Now this is where it gets interesting and connects the reader on a more personal level. Being an A student is a "possibility". This makes the assumption that everyone is the best at what they do. I reveled in the story about the Taiwanese student. I recently read and article, both on NPR and in Time or Newsweek (I get both so I am not sure) about Asian parents and what they expect from their children. The article went on and on about the strict educational practices, drill and skill methods and the education system that promotes hard work and discipline. The standard is A. Anything less then that is shameful for the family. I was thinking about students in my class. Many parents of children with disabilities want to keep them in a child like state forever. Responsibilities or maturing is not expected because they are special. I argue at meetings that this student in 1st grade, at 8 years old, will be an adult in 10 years ( 10 years goes quickly!!!). One of the things I do as a teacher is treat my special needs students like students. I expect the same level of learning as anyone else just in a different way. I measure success with what they can do...raise the bar and the students will increase abilities.

Finally, in Chapter 4, being a contributor is enveloped. But do not confuse this with success. My students contribute to my ability to be a better teacher. I contribute my knowledge and experience with other teachers. Each child in my class contributes to our classroom in different ways- laughter to lighten up the mood, working independently so I can help another child, or even
showing me where I put something that I forgot where I put it. Something is always better than nothing. Everything counts.

I noticed a sub title in this chapter- Ripples in a Pond. This was the name of a Diigo group site used by a Full Sail teacher. Rena Hanaway . I wonder if she read this book and saw a connection ...

EDM 613 MAC Week 1 Reflection post ( AR and LIT Review and Full Sail)

Well, here I am at month 11!!! My literature review has passed and with some minor details can be published on the AR site. The AR site has a list of a few things that will need to be taken care of- I was a little disappointed in the few blog posts from my critical friends. But Overall , I was pleased with my research and how it evolved and made my classroom a great place!!

I have a learned a lot this year as a teacher and a student. I think about the different ways kids learn and how I can do the best job I can do to reach all students through media technology.

Although a very hard year on me mentally and physically ( working full time, 3 kids, sports, and then Full Sail) I feel pretty good about coming to a close. The professors at Full Sail were always challenging yet caring for me as a person. I liked the personal attention from Full Sail people. I really loved meeting new people and creating friendships across the nation.

EDM 613 MAC Week 1 Reading Copyright Issues 1-3

I saw the Eyes on THe Prize series when I went to college in 1989. ( VHS tapes). How sad that I cannot give that legacy to my children!!! Fair Use and the greater good is a very gray area where one can argue all they want for the sake of education or preserving history.
It all comes down to money…..
And sometimes as my mother would say- instead of the owner/publisher/ artist just doing what is right- they would rather cut off their nose to spite their face!
I think media usage as well as fair/common use is also a question of ethics… not just what is right or wrong but how does it affect the big picture….
I just try to use my own stuff, as Andrea said. It is easier and less stressful that way.
And for Shephard Fairey- the AP got “free” press. That picture was more circulated and recognized after the artist got a hold of it….

EDM 613 MAC Week 1 Reading Copyright Issues 1-3

I have watched Good Copy/Bad Copy and some of it I have followed through online articles or news pieces. I think the Pirate Bay guys are going to do some time for copyright infringement- they went to trial and were found guilty. I found that everyone in this movie justified their actions by some means to an end- the artists want to create something new based on something that already exists and the lawyers and business execs want to protect the interests of their clients. I did like the variety of cultural views on artistic works. Sweden, Brazil, and USA…
I think overall as a teacher and a parent- it is my responsibility to teach my children that the consequences of copyright infringement is pretty severe- you will be fined and you will go to jail. Seriously, the music and film industries have millions of dollars to sue the average person. It is the same as stealing!!! I do agree with Girl Talk (?) that if getting permission was easier and faster, it may not be such an issue.
What an interesting debate here…

EMD 613 MAC Week 1 WIMBA-Course Intro and AR Activities

The initial Wimba session was a plethora of information. Dr. Professor Joe was able to recap all of the information from the videos that students were to watch independently. I liked the specific information about the AR project- who would ever imagine that I would present this as a "scholarly" presentation? Or have it ready for publication? This was the scariest moment for me in realizing that I am almost finished so I have to "walk the walk and stop talking the talk". Blogging is a very cool way to present ideas and opinions. It is also a way to put yourself out there so there has to be some degree of confidence and readiness to face the world. I look forward to putting it all together and being one step closer to graduating!!!
Although I am familiar with most of our classmates, there were a few new faces in the WIMBA session. It's good to mix it up!!!

EDM 613- MAC Week 1 BLOG INTRO

I am so excited to be in Month 11 at Full Sail. This has been an amazing chapter in my life and career. I have been able to use my technological skills with my students on the autism spectrum. Research supports that technology can increase expressive language and help students be a part of a verbal and active society.

This BLog will incorporate new media creations, thoughts, and opinions through professional and scholarly research.