Thank you Marcus Luttrell. I will never quit.

As a teacher, there are several things that I do not look forward to facing, such as a disagreeable parent, a stubborn student, lengthy assignments to grade, and weekends to work. But when I think of Marcus Luttrell, the Navy SEAL who was the 'lone survivor' from Operation Red Wings, I am inspired to face a parent with courage as he did. And when I think of how he dragged himself for miles with a broken back and numerous shrapnel wounds to evade the enemy, I am inspired to persevere and work with each student until they experience success. When I think of what it was like for him to lose his 'brothers' in the fight, I realize that grading is not painful at all. And when I think of the sacrifice Marcus and many others have made with their lives, I realize that a weekend of lesson planning is a small sacrifice well worth the effort. 

As a SEAL, Marcus exemplified what it meant to never quit. Teaching is tough, but by taking just one step at a time as Marcus did, parents are empowered, students gain confidence in themselves, learning happens, and lives are changed for the better. 

Thank you Marcus Luttrell. I will never quit.

Research Paper

Here is a research paper I just finished for a master's class called "Cognition & Technology." The title of the paper is Student-Created Online Materials to Engage and Challenge Younger Students. You can read it if interested.

I'm finished with my first of 5 summers of master's classes! Yahoo!! It was very informational and stimulating, but I'm excited to be done with homework and prepare for another great school year.

Google Earth Virtual Field Trip

Here is the first virtual field trip I have made with Google Earth.
Instructions on how to view:

1. Click on "Here" above, then download the .kmz file from the ge.tt site.
2. Make sure you have downloaded and installed Google Earth before opening the downloaded .kmz file.
3. When you open the file and successfully start the program, make sure to close the tips that pop up, then click on the little triangle to the left of "Geography Trip" folder on the far left side of the program's window. 
4. Double click on "UCAES!" to read the directions and start your adventure!

This virtual field trip will introduce my students to the basic geography of the earth as well as the potential of the Google Earth application. Specifically, it will familiarize them with terms like hemispheres, equator, latitude, longitude and prime meridian. They will also learn some interesting facts about each of 7 continents including where they are located and something they are well known for. They will learn unique tools in Google Earth, such as weather, historical imagery, and ruler.

Aside from the above learning outcomes, my students (or anyone who views this) will develop a broader view of our world, which will help them not take their home for granted (especially when compared with Antarctica's weather). This virtual field trip will help students learn to appreciate the unique highlights found on each of the continents, and hopefully interest them in finding out more about a specific continent and/or country. Plus, just using Google Earth is fun and engaging. You can't help but move the world around, playing with it like ball. I'm sure students will 'accidentally' come across things around the world that will fascinate them and distract them from the tasks just because the scenery is so amazing in the app. Hopefully they will see how our earth is similar in its geographical features, and be inspired to keep it beautiful and inhabitable.

By learning about our continents and interacting with Google Earth, my students will develop their respectful mind. They will understand the world and their place in it better. They will value the variety of scenery, history and culture around the globe and acknowledge how different theirs is from others. They will also develop their ethical mind by seeing their place in the world, and that even though they only take up a small space, they are responsible for doing their best to preserve and improve that space. Hopefully they will discover this by thinking about how everyone in the world, with that same healthy mindset, will help maintain a wonderful, beautiful place to live.

Developing the 5 Minds for the Future in My Students

Respectful & Ethical Mind Project

"Today’s students face a future where boundaries are abstract and global learning is critical. Tomorrow’s citizens must be global communicators, must be able to participate successfully in project-based activities, and must have collaborative skills" (2007, Reed).

In Howard Gardner's book, Five Minds for the Future (2006), he recommends 5 ways of living and thinking to be successful and productive in our 21st century globalized world. This post will discuss a classroom project that can be used to develop 2 of Gardner's proposed minds - the respectful and ethical minds.

Gardner defines a respectful person as one who "accepts the differences of others, learns to live [and/or work] with them, and value those who belong to other [groups]" (2006, p.107). By and large, my students do this pretty well, but it is easy to form a special or exclusive group because it provides them with some friendship security. As a teacher and Christian, it is always my goal to teach my students to follow the golden rule, found in Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets" (2011, NIV Bible). I think that describes a respectful person just as well as Gardner's. I always want my students to be inclusive of others, value everyone's unique contributions to life, and as Gardner recommends, "search for common ground" (2006, p. 125).

For Gardner, an ethical person is one who "is responsible - meaning they take into account the implications of their actions for the wider community that is affected by them, they have a set of principles and values which they themselves abide by no matter what, and ultimately embrace the virtues of truthfulness, integrity, loyalty and fairness" (2006, p.128, 136). As a Christian who believes in a loving Creator God that sees and knows everything, my ethics stem from what the Apostle Paul says in Colossians 3:23,24 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (2011, NIV Bible).

So, to help develop these two minds in my students, I need to model them as best I can as an example to them. If I cut corners here and there, there's no way I can expect my students to be respectful and ethical.

One project I could do in the classroom would be to have my students do a "Flat Classroom Digitween Project." This is a great way to not only connect my students with other students around the globe, but to have them collaborate on a specific task! In other words, students will do individual and collective research for a humanitarian purpose. They will listen to and value one another's work, they will learn to be responsible digital citizens and learners, and they will work toward the betterment of humanity! In the process they will learn how to use great collaborative tools such as Edmodo and Wikispaces. I hope to try it soon.


References

Gardner, H. (2006). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.

Holy Bible, New International Version. (2011) Biblica, Inc.

Reed, J. (2007, September 28). Global Collaboration and Learning. EdTech Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2007/09/global-collaboration-and-learning

Atomic Structure Glog

Click here to view my first glog. It will educate you about atomic structure and the periodic table of the elements in a fancy, interactive way! :) Since my students will be learning about this topic this coming year, I will have them explore this glog when we reach the chemistry unit in science class.

In case you are not familiar with a glog, it is basically an online poster that you can put videos, graphics, audio, text and hyperlinks on to. For us educators, it is like creating an online learning center where students can choose what order to learn things in, explore digital media at their pace and level, and even do interactive activities or quizzes in which a teacher can assess their learning.

I like learning centers (real or online) because they give students some autonomy and choices, which free them to be more in control of their learning. And we all know that students self-motivated even in the least bit will learn and enjoy their learning experience a lot more than information learned purely from extrinsic reasons like grades. And although the quiz in this glog will be graded, there is still a lot of optional information a student can look into if they have the time and interest to do so. In other words, I think it will be more effective versus learning from a lecture or textbook reading.

I think this glog will be a great way for students to be introduced to this topic versus a textbook too. I can basically let them loose on it, making sure that they stay on task at their computers, and that they are engaged in the topic. Another way I could use this glog is for students that finish another assignment early and want a bit more of a challenge or independence with the topic. They could spend a little time on the glog, or a lot. That's the advantage of this tool. Students can spend more or less time on it, which will naturally happen because of their varied skill levels and completion of other work. It could also be a motivator for struggling students to finish an assignment so that they have some extra special time to go do some activities online!



Here are the standards (learning outcomes) that will be accomplished from students doing this glog:

EALR 1 6-8 SYSA Given a system, identify subsystems and a larger encompassing system.

EALR 4 6-8 PS2C Explain that all matter is made of atoms, and give examples of common elements - substances composed of just one kind of atom.

GLE 2.2.2 Use organizational features and electronic sources (such as headings and numberings, CD-ROM, Internet, pull- down menus, key word searches, and icons) to access information.

A. National Science Education Standards for Grades 5-8

Physical Science (Content Standard B)

Properties and Changes of Properties of Matter

B. Benchmark for Science Literacy (American Association for the Advancement of Science - Project 2061) - for Grades 6-8 - The Physical Setting: 4D The Structure of Matter

Creativity & Technology in the Classroom

Here is a Q&A session I had with one of my students about creativity and technology in the classroom. His answers are in blue.

1. What do you like to create for fun at home or school?
I like to make drawings and pictures.

2. Do you like to be creative with schoolwork, or just do what you have to do get an A? Why?
It depends on the subject. For some (math, history, and science sometimes) I just like to get it done (textbook work). For art & hands-on stuff I like to spend time being creative.

3. What kinds of assignments/projects do you feel that you learn/remember the most from? Why?
Art stuff because I can look back on it and see it and remember. I also remember two of the projects we did this year very well - the one I did on a sea urchin and the other of a torpedo from the Industrial Revolution.

4. What do you enjoy more in school - when the teacher tells you exactly what you need to create, or when you have some choices/flexibility for what you can create? Why?
Choices, because I can be more creative/original/spontaneous. I can make it how I imagine it. I like making stuff.

5. Do you enjoy and learn better from books or online content? Why?
Online, because I can do it faster and obtain more information in less time. 

6. Is it more fun to do hands-on projects or computer-produced projects? Why? Is there a time and a place for each?
I enjoy hands-on things better, but also enjoy computer projects in which I get to digitally design stuff, or create models,

7. Do you think there are creative ways to learn all the subjects in school?
Yes, with hands-on projects or computers. Computers have a lot of programs that foster creativity.

8. What kinds of learning/subjects do you think computers are most helpful with?
Science, writing and math because you can get instant feedback to see if you're right or wrong about something, plus you can do an assignment faster typing versus writing it.

9. Do you think we use technology enough in our classroom, or should we use it more? How so?
I think we use it enough, although I would like to use it more since I like technology and computers. If students brought their own techy devices to school, I don't think they would be responsible enough to stay on task with their devices. They would need restrictions.

10. If we could do anything to our classroom to make it a better place to learn in, what would you suggest we do or get?
Making everything digital and having all assignments on the computer (besides the hands-on projects).

In summary, my student seems to remember things better when given a project that is hands-on, creative, and/or involves online technology. He also greatly enjoys creative freedom and the opportunity to use online technology to expedite his assignments. I would say that his answers accurately represent most of his classmates' feelings on this too, based on my observation of them in class.