I’m Not Beguiling My Brain: My Top 5 Movements in Thought in CEP811

April 24, 2015April 25, 2015Leave a comment

If there be nothing new, but that which is
Hath been before, how are our brains beguil’d,
Which, labouring for invention, bear amiss
The second burden of a former child.

– Shakespeare, Sonnet 59

I struggle with the idea of “new.”

Perhaps it’s because I over-interpret this word in the most literal possible sense. Or perhaps it’s because before even watching Kirby Fergeson’s series, I could tell in my heart, like Shakespeare, that “everything is a remix.” There are new ways in which we blend and use and understand, but it’s rare that the things themselves are truly never-before-seen new. Even the bemoaning of a lack of newness is ancient – Shakespeare was remixing Solomon after all.

So while I don’t think I’ve had any completely brand-spanking-new thoughts this semester, I can see how my thinking has been pushed to the next level in some ways. And while Shakespeare might argue that I’m “beguiling my brain,” I think I’d have an easy time convincing him that the stuff he remixed was worth the effort, and so mine have been, too. Not beguiled, just stretched.

Top 5 Movements in Thought

Remixing can be embraced and celebrated as an art form – it doesn’t have to be seen as a second-class citizen in the creative world and can even be a great way to talk openly about “intellectual property” and “piracy.” Thank you, “Everything is a Remix” for helping me to appropriately value and appreciate (instead of bemoaning) a lack of “newness.”
Technology tools aren’t going to solve the world’s problems, but they also aren’t a waste of time. I have a tendency to stick to a few programs and tools that I’m super comfortable with and excuse away my lack of curiosity by reassuring myself that pedagogy is more important anyway (“there’s no app for pedagogy,” right?). While that is true, tools are helpful and there are certain things we can’t do without the proper tools. Thank you Maker Kit exploration for encouraging me to explore again.
How we do what we do matters. Now obviously this isn’t a brand new thought, but I was reminded as we designed classrooms toward MakerEd purposes that so much of what we do as teachers is in the “how” not the “what.” How we organize the physical space was the focus here, but I thought a lot about other “invisibles” impacted my teaching too. It’s things like tone of voice, use of images and video, linking in fun or even the use of emoticons that seem to really impact my online teaching. Thank you classroom redesigns for showcasing the “how” for me again.
Focusing on students’ deficits only encourages us to forget the innate potential they have to make. Dougherty’s insistence that “we are all makers” really stuck with me. It’s not that some kids I teach have “it” and others don’t – the potential is there in all of them. It may be my job to wake them up to this urge to produce, but it’s still something they have, not something I’m transferring to them. Thank you, James Paul Gee for reminding me that most of them are involved in creation already, just outside of the school system!
I must practice what I preach. This is one of those long standing battles of any teacher, I think. It’s so easy to get lost in teaching writing or reading or creating that we forget to set aside time for our own learning and doing. If I’m to lead students into a life of innovation and creativity, I’ve got to be living that life myself.

References

Ajifro, A. [2014] Brain power. (Image file) Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/125992663@N02/14601014695.

Fergeson, K. [2011]. Everything is a Remix. (Video file) Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/14912890.

Dougherty, D. (2011, January). We are makers. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/dale_dougherty_we_are_makers.

Gee, J. P. (2010, Jul y 20). James Paul Gee on Grading with Games. Edutopia’s Youtube Channel. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU3pwCD-ey0#t=6.

Play: The Maker’s Natural Habitat

March 14, 2015March 16, 2015Leave a comment

Challenged to learn and reflect about “maker culture” this week in my new course, CEP811, I have found myself thinking again and again of play. The first run in with this notion came during the introductory TED Talked embedded in our weekly “lecture.” In it, the founder of the MakeFaire, Dale Doughtery, defines makers as “enthusiasts; they are amateurs; they’re people who love doing what they do. They don’t always even know why they’re doing it.”

And it occurred to me that I know two such people who exhibit exactly this kind of behavior on a daily, if not hourly basis. Here they are engaged in loving what they do without knowing exactly why they’re doing it:

You guessed it; these are my kids. My son, who is 3 1/2, and my daughter, who is almost 2, bear an uncanny resemblance to these makers. Things in our house rarely remain in the context for which they were intended. Mop handles quickly become swords and buckets repurposed as helmets, even though we do have toy replicas of those exact armor pieces.

Some how it’s just more fun to make your own!

How true I have found this in my own experience. It’s sort of fun to watch other people’s remix videos, but not nearly as fun as making your own. This week I was tasked to “play” with Mozilla’s Popcorn Maker, and was not disappointed to find myself delighted with the challenge to remake and recreate.

Sure there were moments when I bumbled and lost work, cursed poor key word search choices that made my searches less than helpful and the like. But those brief moments of “failure” were well worth the cost because in the end this new toy has opened up a plethora of new ideas for me to take back to my work with students and perhaps use again for my own purposes.

I think this is why play is so foundational for any “maker.” There’s the need to open oneself up to the new, to see past what something is and think instead of what it could be. The irony in some sense is that we all come into the world knowing how to play. My children, for example, did not have to be taught playfulness. Sure I do my best to put the time and right materials in their path, but they instinctively know how to approach things with curiosity and questions.

Oddly enough I don’t always allow myself the same creative space. It can be hard to find time to play. That is why this assignment (and this class as a whole) is so exciting to me. I am being forced to play!

Here are my first playful attempts at sharing why I believe play to be so fundamental to learning in general, but specifically related to the idea that we are all makers. Enjoy them for what they are! At the very least I hope this 60 seconds helps remind you of immense possibilities that open up when we encourage ourselves and those around us to play.

https://ajhenning.makes.org/popcorn/2tjn_

Remix Credits

Ajifro, Allan. (2012). brain lobes (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/125992663@N02/14599057004/in/photolist-of4Z2o-92HT9A-8QdsRC-dgDcuK-oeXdZK-niwG-4Epycp-61eaPC-jb66eP-5nzQc-nXLBxe-5kpAF6-nLhP2E-5jBQiu-8TawLT-nLhj1p-6JcP-5XW3z-di8EqH-7kFnkd-dTDfAz-MrnE-of4Z6G-dmktpf-7qPG4L-6SCgsW-645D1o-h99Qu-AT9vd-9qioh7-eaUFP-3MZj-kdiB-88vUCB-j4tu5f-4AkYYV-41f8EF-DWwGq-6Gczqr-7dntPk-5vGNkE-815VLA-4YKKw4-acgkdp-ptoyWg-sUk8Y-64zrPn-41f92i-h8UhV-81g12W

Askew, Nic. [DMLResearch Hub]. (2012 Oct 30). Connected Learning: Playing, Creating, Making [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9xyrAsCe0M

Bakken Museum, The. (2013). Inventors 5-11-2013-106 (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/thebakkenmuseum/9515341949/in/photolist-fuQBDP-fv5UYo-fv5UJG-fv5UDu-fuQANn-fuQA5r-fv5ThW-fuQzMn-fuQzCn-fuQztP-fv5SEu-fv5SAL-fuQyNn-fv5S6h-fv5RYN-fv5RQE-fv5RKu-fuQygF-fv5RBA-fv5Q1S-fv5PTU-fv5PmC-fuQvQX-fuQvKx-fuQvGt-fv5NYQ-fuQvt6-fv5NPS-fv5NFC-fv5NBQ-fv5Ny5-fv5Naf-fv5N3U-fv5MZE-fv73PQ-fuRK3k-fuRJWF-fuRJTB-fv73qU-fuRJLT-fv73kL-fuRJAa-fv739d-fv733J-fv72XC-fv72UN-fuRGwk-fuRG88-fv6ZFJ-fuRG2g

Beach, David. (2008). einstien (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/itsbeach/3047010197/in/photolist-5DfHYz-8wf7eH-8gdy2W-5HphhR-5gM1JK-6Rtq1-5UEvGw-5UEvCS-5UEvyy-PmyPh-PnaRB-3RvNrv-dciv5u-PmyNJ-PnaSe-PmySJ-PmyRu-PmyQY-PnaLi-PnaJ2-6YGFsn-53oxry-eAbogx-nHagYj-6BVqmw-5LyDL2-XfJv-dpsJWi-8sCLiA-46Lws-4oNPc1-m5ia1c-ct3HBf-ct3ETN-4DSYp2-5P6i87-kvzgMo-ysvjm-5CMYbN-4oJVt6-8kE2-8jatck-a3CU9G-eWFpU-bzG5xn-5gR4Pf-fQYU5-b8CKFv-dRn1mi-662mSZ

Edmondson, Bryan. (2013, Apr 3). Liquid Paint Abstractions [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D4CCEvCY5Y

epSos.de. (2014 Mar 20). Cute Asian Kids Play on Playground in Asia [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ7cxowF-qU

epSos.de. (2014 Jun 22). Cute Kids Play on Big Adventure Tower [Video clip]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9TWjAGO0O14&butteruid=1426272350301

_ghost. [Ultra Music |Free Copyright]. (2014 Oct 27). _ghost – End Credits [Video flie]. Retireved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvR25w9wc1U

Hug, Christina. [PechaKucha 20×20]. (2014 Jul 3). The Importance of Play [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK8mAvqPH30

Kohler, Thomas. (2013 Jan 26). Typical 2 year old play development [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTLvGd5Uz7s

Moy, Theen. (2013). Mechanic Workshop (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/theenmoy/8600795105/in/photolist-e72jJM-6MkH8z-7Xbb1C-deaGPD-deaGNL-dKNjMx-pad3Hi-7ZaU7M-aWhg3B-7iaYRS-7i72fV-7i9MB5-pw4xHL-pSH5gG-dkHU3h-8MSYuL-ct3wVy-cngrNb-ct3tcy-ct3v8u-iDUK8e-deaGRb-mcxLEN-e7yJsK-9tpPqc-6utnW8-6m8HVm-7QfDdy-7QciPZ-9xYBBe-5MHAGU-6utnWe-6utnWn-81bSq5-6utnWr-9vxaUu-9yT1Rf-gHNThf-emA9im-3KXNM2-9VGres-6xppyw-ebhyjj-e4R4cu-7MpAyj-88VwBK-7QciGk-bbK1oD-4DBSSp-4DG9FU

nchenga nchenga. (2008). I visited Martin Gyger’s art studio (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/chiperoni/2687643183/in/photolist-56uSFz-7rMzZD-7rRwnf-8NPAPM-9bNz1u-iZU638-7aQZdM-6XpyDg-4Z86gr-qMpSr-oVcJHL-9Ab7zj-4tK2hy-eiVBmU-4EZvKX-iZWcko-iZU6hB-qAQrqd-ppi7w1-5CFdtj-8AahcU-8sYnH-6GiaP9-aZBfFc-2TcPWt-eT7Jvc-edFD1E-e569RQ-2cQJY4-6a8HMo-91XpJs-nprqis-ro22Qa-ro9bfB-8LAh1R-r6G4TF-7TM7Er-9htavD—6a4xpg-pFGw7k-6a8J2Y-5ratiZ-5aaxnZ-f63Rxj-bmnmkr-owM9jz-dH928P-71cDBQ

SpankyNew. (2013). W.A.Y.L.A. Team @ Le Mur du Square Karcher (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/la_fessee/9400990855/in/photolist-fjJx4e-4Rsinu-3D34xe-2ZsSLd-6Kt1iw-6NgKwk-7PsHiH-e79CZU-9KxMvH-r7Ux6r-6oGdoM-dtMcpB-gXYvV2-r9HUYn-4G6ak7-8QpePB-8da2JA-7h4kAJ-6zXhpP-pmudeB-77mQBC-496hBH-gPbPjv-6S97HR-7ifE41-6URPUX-2heDRx-e3FmuC-7vR4uR-eTv4ig-raHzoV-7ig71t-3bg2PC-2D21aP-4iXMHR-eaNNyf-747aaw-78Sgrr-6YEPgo-53pHgA-dLPicb-6X1gbw-pHuMjj-6pXnCv-fyjg4o-7Kfrhc-8ZAo4N-fhrBpF-T5q97

TEDx Talks. (2013, Jul 10) “Cute is a Four Letter Word”: Sarah Curtis at TEDxSLC [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7y6ZgQCnvw

Wassan, Barnaby. (2006). Preschool Colors (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/barnabywasson/279913219/in/photolist-4Nh5fS-7h1sq3-qJCqp-eoSy2i-qBMU2K-6dkoxt-eBVFbe-6cyjpN-b8nnA-qJChY-qJBTb-qJCrZ-qJC65-6HYx37-5D6uCb-cXiLHC-cXiLpd-6t9WiR-6DoX32-5HNzBG-6DZKEd-5SWTXf-5pqcRG-qJBS1-6w2uFm-62eeXE-dYmA7s-6DZKEY-6pBadK-qJCiQ-6pBabi-qJCpL-5D6uV9-aCGZno-6vXid4-6vXi3M-qJC8F-jj6abX-6hWSDM-5Z6SFq-6pPizn-5qV4Dp-5ZRHVj-6M82hP-6znx1j-5Do6Wk-63G3Ky-4FiVD-6zisia-6HYxrd

Wikipedia. Edison in his NJ Laboratory 1901 (Online image). Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/Edison_in_his_NJ_laboratory_1901.jpg

Wikipedia. Carver1web (Online image). Retrieved from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Carver1web.jpg

Uni, Sydney. (2009). Chemistry Lab, University of Sydney (Online image). Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/sydneyuni/6981179151/in/photolist-bCUnkM-f3KEVv-bSBzXF-bSByVr-bDGPV9-bDGJbf-bDGEWm-6mVaah-aKB8op-bDGMKJ-cK5Qnm-8MRc4X-8MTV7Q-cK4BvG-a66nbQ-8gNyD8-5XianF-bELJpZ-aNo71B-aJeG9i-h7qK11-bk4uKW-bSBxr4-aKB8J2-cJQaJG-akEPZH-cK5kqE-4Zna9t-bDEg3m-9gFVjN-e4o6Gj-9qhc23-a66n6d-bDGHdh-nqDF43-6VPf9L-bkRNtj-bjUYDB-kVCF2i-dkb3rX-fqy1Li-cK3b8G-7DG9fG-4CZS2t-cK3DFu-6hTqbD-cm5SK7-75gTPs-cK4B8J-cK3PKh

“Every New Beginning Comes from Some Other Beginning’s End”

February 27, 2015February 27, 2015Leave a comment

If you’re a child of the 90s, you’ll realize I’ve just dated myself by quoting Semisonic.

If you’re a philosopher, you might be outraged/amused that pop culture introduced me to the wisdom of Seneca.

Sorry, my friend, it is what it is.

Consider me dated, melodramatic and unashamed.

At any rate, it’s true that as I wrap up CEP810 I’m aware that this is both an end and a beginning.

The End

The close of the course causes me to reflect on what I’ve done and learned and how I’ve grown as a result of CEP810. It’s been a stretching and fun experience, which is exactly what you’re hoping for in a class.

Here are my major takeaways from this semester:

Networking will be a part of any healthy teacher’s professional “diet.” Technology can make this easier than ever before. Twitter, for example, is not just for star-struck teenagers – it’s a powerful way to build a professional network. I’m amazed at how my first small step into this world has already given me lots of encouragement and great things to think about. Especially because I work from home, this connection to teachers on a larger scale has been really refreshing! Already I’ve been able to grab ideas to use with our students and resources that I’ve been able to push out to our PLC.

I have to be the kind of learner I want my students to be – I’ve got to practice what I preach. I can’t expect that they will think divergently and learn to repurpose tools if I won’t. I have to demonstrate 21st century skills in the way I live and the way I teach. My teaching has to first impact my own self!

Technology (like any tool) is only as good as the person wielding it. I need to expand my exposure to as many tools as possible, but I need to weave these into my teaching in a purposeful way. The “T” in TPACK is only a part of the equation; if Pedagogy and Content Knowledge aren’t also in balance, Technology isn’t going to rock anybody’s world. Not really. Awareness and ability to use a technology doesn’t automatically make it something that supports learning – that’s the job of the teacher.

The Beginning

In a real sense CEP810 is a beginning for me. Although I’m not pursuing the whole MAET at MSU, I will hopefully complete the Ed Tech Certificate. In this way this course is the beginning of my pursuit of that concentration. It is also the beginning of my pursuit of deeper understandings and more robust applications of the material we’ve covered.

Here are some questions I still have, and ways I see myself seeking their answers:

How will I use my network? It’s all well and good to have instant access to great ideas and encouraging colleagues, but that in and of itself isn’t going to do much good. The Dead Sea, after all, has plenty of input – it’s the lack of output that makes it unsuitable for life. If I don’t want to be that kind of educator, I’m going to have to find outlets (both within the context of my students and beyond) for all of the ideas coming my way due to networking. I’m experimenting within my current context, but I’ll be looking for ways to expand my use of my network.

How will I become an expert learner? The NLP pushed us to learn something new using online forums and YouTube. That was a great experience in terms of giving me insight into what informal, online learning can be like. I’m choosing to do my MATC program online, as well, and this has given me a great insight into my own online teaching as well. But if it stops there I think I’ll have fallen short. I need to find ways to engage in learning WITH and ALONGSIDE of my students, because I think that’s really where the example becomes powerful. When I was face-to-face with kids in the learning lab, that was simpler, but in a fully online community I need to regain this footing. We now have a “Group” feature in our online platform for WAY, and I’m excited to explore how this might be used to share learning experiences more organically with students.

How will I become an excellent wielder of technology? I have a few tools that I’m very comfortable with, but I think my first step for this one will be to expand my comfort zone. There were a couple of great lists provide in the middle of our course, and I’m hoping to revisit those. On the other hand, I don’t want to just start popping cool new things in for the sake of looking tech savvy. The second step will be to take a step back and critically review my curriculum to see what my big needs are. The hope is that by thinking through these things separately, I’ll be able to see authentic points of connection in the long run.

The Future

Education is changing and will continue to do so over the next century. We can envision a system revolutionized by a whole new way of living and try and give our students what they need to navigate this future. It’s an exciting time to be a teacher if you’re the kind of person who thrills at intellectual adventure. And really, as I’ve gone through this class and continue to think about the current state of education, I have a feeling that far from requiring a new kind of teacher, the changing world will require exactly the same kind of thinkers and doers that have always excelled at teaching and inspiring. The increasing rate of change complicates things, to be sure, but I am excited to try to meet this challenge with the same tenacity, creativity and adaptability that great teachers have demonstrated again and again.