Tag: metacognition

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

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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

  1. 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.”
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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!
  5. 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.

Teaching at Genius Level

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Repurposing in the Kitchen

This week in CEP810 I was introduced to the TPACK model and got my hands dirty in the kitchen.  It was a situation in which we had to repurpose tools to achieve an outcome.  Here’s my experience:

Mission: Divergent Thinking

Throughout this activity, I thought frequently of this excerpt from this TEDTalk, given by Ken Robinson because I could feel myself challenged to think divergently.

I wonder how most teachers would fair in this “cod example.”  Certainly there’s a need for divergent-thinking teachers as classroom situations are often less than ideal. Teachers regularly face this kind of square-peg-in-a-round-hole scenario.

If We Can’t, They Won’t

More resources and technology could potentially add value to the classroom, don’t get me wrong.  (Please don’t read this as “teachers should just use what they’ve got and be grateful.”)  But, no matter the resources, ideal circumstances will never exist – that’s just life.  And it’s why divergent thinking is crucial for teachers.  We must “repurpose” everything, as Punya Mishra, co-creator of the TPACK model, would say.  

I’d say that one of the best ways to teach divergent thinking is to have divergent thinking teachers. People who think divergently – who explore, create and share, according to Mishra – inspire this in others.  I gained inspiration from watching a colleague make-do in the kitchen this week.  Her tools weren’t the same, but seeing her think divergently to repurpose her tools, helped support my own repurposing once I started.

Too often we play by the rule, “Do as I say, not as I do.”  Too often we want students to think in wildly creative ways, without being will to do so ourselves.

This week I’m feeling reenergized to dive in, to repurpose what I have, and to teach at genius level.

Words to Live By: “Have Fun” – Networked Learning #3

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“Great Kid, Don’t Get Cocky!”

Last week I was feeling pretty good about my learning.  I’m still proud of my progress, but this week I overstepped what Vygotsky would call my ZPD and got frustrated. I read about depth of field, focal length and exposure compensation.  On paper it looked easy.  I created goals as looked forward to shooting my husband’s birthday.  Party day arrived and I didn’t get the shots I’d envisioned as I tried to juggle too much at once.  Discouragement set in. IMG_3428IMG_3437IMG_3434 IMG_3452IMG_3431IMG_3456 I bite off more than I can chew a lot and find myself whining about the outcomes. Needless to say, I often need Han Solo’s advice:

My Own Han solo

Discouraged by my inability to control shots, I sought advice on the forums.  I needed a Han Solo kind of response and, thankfully, that’s what I got! They didn’t tear me apart, and even had some positive things to say, but the big piece of advice was . . .stop shooting in manual.  Instead, learn the less-advanced creative modes, one thing at a time.  “Why would a beginner want to shoot in manual?” one asked – and it was a GREAT question to which I didn’t have a defined answer.  His point was, that I could trust my camera for more, until I had deeper knowledge and more technical control. Parting words from the most senior member were . . .”remember to have fun!”  In the swarm of information and unrealistic expectations  I was, indeed, forgetting to have fun.  The last couple of times I picked up the camera I’d dreaded it, something that had never happened before.  Without a descent amount of fun, I wasn’t engaging in an authentic way.  They set my sights on reasonable expectations that would provide me  challenge balanced with success, a great recipe for FUN! I went back to semi-auto settings, and was able to have that necessary fun.  I felt renewed in my desire and reassured that I didn’t need to do too much at once.  As a result I was able to sit back, enjoy and engage more with the people I was photographing.

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Thinking as a Learner

Here’s a snapshot of where I’m at in my process:

Thinking as a teacher

I use online forums and videos to teach, and  frequently think about these learning tools.  Being the learner in this situation, however, has shifted my perspective enough for me to gain some new takeaways and reaffirm other things I’ve known for awhile. From the forums:

  1. Guts are required to post publicly.  Every time I posted I felt vulnerable.  The positives that were observed kept me buoyed enough to keep me asking for help.
  2. Rapport and trust are built with quick response time. Feedback from REAL people was essential to my process.  I found myself checking the forums just as often as FB or Twitter.
  3. Positives are essential to critical assessment.  Even very well-meaning advice can “hurt.”  Positives help soften the blow.

From YouTube:

  1. Slow and straightforward is best.  I can tend to be too conversational during the instruction.  Personal is best at the beginning or end, not in the middle of instruction.
  2. Shorter videos are best.  More than 10 minutes for a tutorial and I would feel overloaded.
  3. No substitute for examples.

Personally, I think I will continue to use theses networks to learn more about my camera and photography. There’s a long road ahead, but I’m confident there are people willing and able to help me along the way. Keep checking my Flickr account for visual updates and remember . . . have fun!