Wk4 comment #2 - Susan Calland

Susan,

Great story on teaching your students the moon phases! I love it...Mr. Miagi is very pro at his wax on and wax off. =) Thanks for sharing it with all of us. It is always a compliment when you have a student you once taught recall some piece of information that you taught them and they have always kept it with them. That is one of the signs of a really great teacher. I agree that students do have a tendency at times to only seem to take notice when we do act a little "nuttier" than usual to really get a point across to them, but if that is what it takes to get them to sit up and pay attention then sign me up. I think you have a great insight into that fact that your willingness to take a risk with them helps them feel comfortable enough to take a risk as well. 

Susan's original blog post:

Don’t hold back & participate wholly!

The chapter that definitely meant the most to me was chapter 9.  I have noticed many times that the students in my 7^th & 8^th grade classes who are totally uninterested in school and completely uninspired, will give me full effort when I am my nuttiest!  They may look at me and roll their eyes, but every time I am passionate about what I do and really into it, they are definitely paying more attention than when I am just giving notes or lecturing.  It is so awesome to see that student that really doesn’t give a hoot about being in my class, study for a quiz or look at me and say, “Hey I get it!”  The crazier I am, the more I can generate a spark from them.  To get my students to remember waxing and waning moon phases, I do my Karate Kid, Mr. Miagi, stance with my karate move.  I may look like a goof, but they remember the moon phases!  I was at an awards assembly at the high school and a former student caught my eye when the speaker talked about “wax on, wax off”.  Across the gym she mouthed to me, “was on, wane off” with a big smile on her face.  She was in my class three years ago.  Those are the time that I know that if I don’t hold back, they understand and remember so much more.   They are also more willing to take a risk since I do. 

Wk4 comment #1 - Janene Neal

Image courtesy of Clker.com

Janene,

I love that you motivated two of your more troublesome students by having them create the content skill rap song.  What a great idea and it does sound like it was quite the experience for all of you.  Kudos on that!  I have heard that as a teacher it is sometimes wise to change at least grade levels every few years in order to not get burnt out.  I hope that you find your inner light again and continue to create opportunities for your students similar to the one you shared to ignite that same spark in them.

Janene's original blog post:

When I started teaching over ten years ago, I believe my whole body was filled with lighting ready to transfer to others. I wanted to relight a spark in my students, so they would be ready to take on the world.

Recently, I think my inner light has fizzled, and I see a dying light in my students.

Maybe it is the end of the year. Maybe I feel a little burned out. But when I read these last few chapters, I realized, I need to make a change in my thinking. I can still make a difference in my students’ lives. I can still light that spark.

How do I rekindle that feeling of making a difference? I know myself. I need to make a change with my professional life about every three to four years. Do something different like changing schools, positions, or curriculum. This really helps me with keeping my ideas fresh and new.

However, what about the students that have that darkness inside, but don’t want to let in the possibility of light? Every year, I try to motivate a student that just doesn’t want to work with me. Usually it’s a student that just wants to goof off, play around, distract others, and try to be the “cool/bad” kid. You all know them…we all have at least one in our class. This year, I just so happen to have two of them in one class. This is how I overcame this type of behavior. I gave both students a lot of leeway.

I let them work on a multimedia project together that consisted of a rap creation they created in Garageband Loops. I saw the spark...they showed the light.

Instead of me running around yelling at them to get to work, saying, “stop this”, or “stop that”, I provided my students with endless possibilities. My students found new technology knowledge, created a content skill rap song, minimized distractions, and had fun. I was able to do my job…which is mold young minds. WE all learned from this experience.

Wk 4 Reading: Art of Possibility Chapters 9-12

I loved Zander's words in Chapter 9 about us having the "infinite capacity to light a spark of possibility" right at our fingertips and that "passion, rather than fear, is the igniting force."  Oh how true those words ring.  That not only should we ignite a spark in others, but be willing to catch any sparks they may throw at us as well.  I must say that reading Chapter 11: Creating Frameworks for Possibility was right up my creative alley so to speak.  I know that I am the happiest whenever I am creating new things or even watching that creative spark in both of my daughters.  My 15 year old is able to do things with video that I only wish I had been able to do at her age or to have even had the opportunity to learn with the tools and technology she has available to her.  

I loved the story of the teacher who shaved her head because of the student who underwent chemotherapy and the other students were making fun of her baldness.  What a great way to take charge of a situation instead of letting it get out of hand and head into that downward spiral Zander speaks of.  I have a dream to teach and believe that dream is well within my "arena of possibility."  Zander made a really good point about how a vision does not require one to win, but merely to play into the possibility.  His words on how a personal crisis can lead to the creation of a vision that turns a life of possibility sang out to me about the past year or so of my life and how I have taken the my job loss and divorce not as a sign of failure, but rather as a sign to have a new beginning full of possibilities and dreams.  This book has helped me to realize that all the negativity about not having a job and never even being called for a job interview to teach does not define who I am.  My thinking either positive or negative is what defines me and my actions allowing me to choose to explore my own world of possibilities in order to move forward in my life and ignite that spark in others around me.

Wk 4 DB: Topic 2

Topic #2: What stands in between you and your dream job? Why do you deserve to work in a dream job environment? What do you bring to the table? Be specific. 

Great question and I must admit it really got me to thinking! I feel that what stands between me and my dream job is the current economy and job market for teachers.  I know that here in Oregon they are cutting not only teachers, but days from the school year as well with the $5 million in budget cuts for next year.  I try my hardest to stay up with the latest technology and trends to keep a fresh perspective.  I also am signed up to substitute teach for three different school districts here locally, so that I can become familiar with the staff at the various school districts I have been applying for positions at.   It is still hard though because without any prior teaching experience it is hard to get your foot in the door in sometimes what can be considered a very political environment.  As I stated in topic one that since taking the EMDT program here at Full Sail I have become really interested in teaching online, but I have no idea where to even begin that venture or what I would have to do, so that is another thing that is standing between me and my dream job.

I feel that I deserve to work in my dream job environment because I am a life-long learner.  I stayed home to raise my children and went back to college at 34 to fulfill my dream of becoming a teacher.  I completed my undergraduate program in three years because I was eager to get out into the teaching field and share my passion for learning.  I just didn't know that no one was going to be hiring teachers in Arkansas and that by the time I graduated there was actually a freeze on hiring teachers.  After my job position as an accounting supervisor being eliminated at the television network I was at in Arkansas and a messy year and half divorce I packed up my children and moved to Oregon for a fresh start.  I then decided to broaden my teaching experience by completing the EMDT program at Full Sail to hopefully give me new opportunities in the teaching field and keep me current with technology and teaching practices that are being used or should be used in schools today.  In short, I just feel like my passion for teaching and desire to learn should be shared with others in the hope to spark that same intensity inside of them for something they feel passionate about.

I feel that with my technology skills from working at a computer store for five years (1998-2003) creating estimates for school districts on computer labs, troubleshooting computers, installing hardware/software, and researching the latest technology for our storefront and customers that I have great technology skills to offer any school district.  I have also had my own web design and hosting business since 1996 giving me another great set of skills that I can bring to the table.  On top of that as I stated previously, I am a life-long learner who is always looking at all the new technology available and eager to share it with others.  I feel that all of these skills plus my current course study at Full Sail would make me a great asset to any school district who would be willing to give me the opportunity to showcase my skills for them.

Wk 4 DB: Topic 1

Topic #1: Briefly share what your dream teaching or presentation environment would be like, be specific about what such a place would include (beyond just the tech toys).

Hmmm...this one is somewhat hard for me because my dream job has always been to become an Art teacher, but when I went for my undergraduate degree in Arkansas there were no Art teachers in the schools. It wasn't until about a month before I graduated that they put it back into the schools and at that point I was not financially able to add another 60 hours in art courses that were needed to obtain that degree. Therefore, I went into Elementary education (P-4).  After completing my student internship in 2006 I was sure that if I couldn't teach Art that I would very much like to teach 4th grade in a school very similar to the one that I completed my internship at.  I was placed at a technology school where all of the classrooms had a Smartboard, projector, computer, and printer.  Then one classroom from grades 2-4 had laptops for every student.  It was amazing the things they were learning and with my technology background I was totally immersed in that style of teaching.  Unfortunately most school districts aren't that fortunate and are lucky to even have a computer in their classroom at all.  After taking my courses here at Full Sail online I have really become very interested in becoming an online instructor, but am not quite sure where I would even begin looking or becoming qualified for such a position.

At any rate, my dream teaching environment (regardless of the grade level) would be one where I could implement many of the strategies that we have learned during our time here at Full Sail. I loved the gaming strategies course and completed my Action Research on teaching social skills for the workforce using gaming, so I would love to be able to implement some form of game-based learning into my classroom.  Other than that being able to communicate with my class online through Schoology or a platform similar to Full Sail's would rate high on my list.  This has been an incredible journey and left me wanting to unleash my creativity and explore all I can do with the technology available to me.  I would love to share that passion and journey with other students. Just being able to keep the students engaged and in a comfortable setting is important as well.  Wouldn't it be great if classrooms weren't full of stark white walls and 30 or so wooden desks or tables tightly crammed into a small space?  Having the opportunity to teach others online from the comfort of their own home provides a much more personal feel to me. I know that it is not the same as being in a classroom full of students who are right there in front of you, but I really think I am tailored for the online atmosphere or at least one where I could integrate both the classroom and online aspects equally.  

Wk 4 Publishing_Leadership Project

There are two technology conferences that I would love to present my AR project at.  My first choice is the Games + Learning + Society (GLS) Conference.  Their website has a "call for papers" that specifically "encourages the submission of . . . innovative talk formats which focus on game design, game culture, and games’ potential for learning and society more broadly." I chose this conference because it is all about reinventing learning through games and simulations. The fact that they are looking for presentations on the potential for games in learning and society makes it a perfect fit for my AR project. 

My second choice is International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Conference.  I chose this conference because it is an international technology conference that is well respected in the education community. This year marks their 32nd annual conference. They boast to be one of the world's premiere education technology events, which is part of the reason being heard for my research in that type of forum would be a dream come true.

Publishing/Leadership Thinking Outloud Blog #1

Publishing/Leadership Thinking Outloud Blog #2

http://levonda.com/AR/Vickery LeVonda PubLeadProject.pptx

Wk3 - AR Abstract

ABSTRACT

In order to compete in the 21st century workforce it is necessary for people to gain the required  teamwork and leadership skills that are currently being highly sought after.   MMORPGs are highly social environments that provide the opportunity to teach these needed skills.  This action research project shows how this type of social learning highly motivates players to communicate effectively, work together as a team in order to coordinate and cooperate with one another, and lead their guild members through key quests and missions using the MMORPG, Guild Wars.  The findings of this research showed that participants felt communication and teamwork skills were learned using this method.  However, the finding showed leadership skills needed to be researched in more depth.