4-B-2 Brien Learning via RSS

I really hope to use RSS so that I can keep current with the latest and greatest research and ideas for each of the foundations courses I teach.  I like that I will magically find content sent to me.   I can read what I think is relevant, use ideas, activities, and suggestions from others that teach what I teach, and share everything with my students.   I can direct my students to blogs and RSS feeds that are thought provoking and intriguing.   I can’t help but think that the RSS I find would only help my teaching; I know it will help my students learn.   It’s an opportunity that I simply cannot pass up! 

Sue

This is a topic I use in my Educational Psychology course.  Please read the following mini-research regarding the issue of Character Education in schools.  (I apologize if it is over the word limit! J)   You do not have to follow any link that may show.

Since the 1960’s teacher education has downplayed the teacher’s role as a transmitter of social and personal values and emphasized other areas such teaching techniques, strategies, models, and skills (e.g., Nucci, 1986a). More and more the vision of a good teacher is as the good technician, the skilled craftsman, who has acquired those behavioral skills and strategies that the “effective teacher” research claims are related to achievement. However, the fact that “effective” is defined as the students’ scores on standardized tests of basic skills, but without reference to higher-order intellectual processes or concern about the students’ morals, is of concern to many parents and educators. Educational psychology, rather than philosophy and religion, has become the basis of teacher training (Ryan, 1989). In most cases, educational psychology focuses on the individual, separated from the social context. Additionally, modern education has been heavily influenced by the behavioral approach, which has proved adept at developing instructional methods that impact achievement as measured by standardized tests. In the opinion of most researchers in the area of character and moral development (e.g., Lickona, 1991; Nucci, 1989), additional emphasis must be placed on the philosophical “why” of education in addition to the technical “how.” The two educational goals most desired by both the public and educators–academic competence and character development–are not mutually exclusive, but complementary (Wynne & Walberg, 1985). Competence allows character to be manifested in highest forms and vice versa. For example, Stallings (1978) found a positive impact of attempts to improve student achievement on independence, task persistence, cooperation, and question-asking. Etzioni (1984) and Ginsburg and Hanson (1986) reported that students who were self-disciplined or more religious, hard working, or valued learning scored higher on achievement tests. Kagan (1981) and Wynne and Walberg (1985) argue that good character ought to be the more primary focus as it is a goal in reach of more children than is high academic achievement and can result in less alienation from the school.The relative lack of interest in character education in the last three decades has begun to change (Lickona, 1990). In 1987, the National School Boards Association proposed to the United States Department of Education a project, “Building Character in the Public Schools,” designed to enhance character development in the schools through involvement of more than 15,000 local school boards in this country. The project had two overall goals:

1. to heighten national awareness of the importance of character development programs in local public schools to the continued success and stability of American society; and
2. to encourage the establishment and improvement of character development programs in public elementary and secondary schools.

Bennett (1993) proposed a list of cultural indicators that he believes could be used as measures of the character of our society. In addition, he cited a number of social trends that he believes have impacted these indicators. The following table provides an overview of how these have changed from 1960 to 1990.
 

Even a cursory glance would indicate that our society is changing in ways that produce discomfort for most of us. While Gross Domestic Product (GDP—the amount of goods and services produced in this country) has risen dramatically relative to the growth in population, with a corresponding increase in spending on social programs, data on indicators that might be used as a measure of the nation’s character show movement in the opposite direction. This type of analysis is quite beneficial because it is at a level that includes the influence of all of the major social institutions that influence character development in our young people, not just schools. However, schools do have an important influence and we should use that influence judiciously.

Based on what you just read, briefly discuss your thoughts about having specific Character Education lessons presented every day in our schools?  Do you think those lessons can / do influence student achievement as some studies have indicated?  Should teacher education programs emphasize the teacher’s role as a transmitter of social and personal values?  

Hi,

Whew!  I think I just about have this down!!!  : )  I commented on two student blogs actually.  I forgot to give my blog comment link in the first blog.  You can read the comment here:

http://itc.blogs.com/mind11/2006/10/all_junk_food.html?cid=10

My comment to the second blog, Cena’s, is here: 

http://itc.blogs.com/mind11/2006/10/all_junk_food.html?cid=107041100#comment-107041100         

Have a great day! 

Sue

Hi Everyone,

I want my blog spot to be a place where my students can find their assignments, see the syllabus, (I call it a “silly bus”!), “hang out”, talk about their research, assignments, share lessons, ideas and activities with each other, and exchange some favorite Websites for information, videos, or sound files.  I certainly anticipate that they will ask questions of each other and me.  The impact on my practice and teaching will be that I come to know how my students learn, but also widen my own sphere of educational possibilities because I can connect with other teachers.  Not only will my students widen their networks, and nodes, I will too.  I envision their philosophies of education will be discovered, enhanced, and strengthened.  Their own understanding of how they learn, what motivations they have for teaching, and a host of other things will increase.

Web 2.0 will enhance my opportunity to discuss the various topics associated with the three foundations courses I teach.  Those courses are:  Philosophical Foundations of Education, Educational Psychology, and Foundations of Educational Research.  This will be another way in which I can connect with my students and vice-versa.  I believe that motivation for the topics will increase, writing skills will improve, and thought processes will strengthen.  Students will be able to connect with each other to discuss assignments and support each other no matter what.  The purpose of this blog is to provide a platform for my students so that they can discuss topics and issues that were brought up in class, share lessons, ideas and activities, or ask questions of each other or me.  It’s all good and way cool!

I particularly like the questions that David Warlick suggests and believe these will help me guide my students more specifically.  Those questions are:

• What did you read in order to write this blog entry?
• What do you think is important about your blog entry?
• What are both sides of your issue?
• What do you want your readers to know, believe, or do?
• What else do you need to say?

I really think these will be foundation for me and will need to be shared with my students so that they have a purpose for what they write!  See you. 

Sue

Hi Group,

I was about to get into singing the Righteous Brothers hit song, but just kept it in my head as I thought about the blog(s) I read.  I went to my grand-nephew’s blog about his internship in Australia.  Aside from the fact that he is one of my grand-nephews, and that it was part of an assignment, Ryan has created a blog that is interesting, informative, and aesthetically pleasing.  I think he discusses what he was doing in Australia very well, and the pictures he posted are terrific.  (Of course, any time I can see part of my family, I like it!)   I think I could use a few of Ryan’s ideas for the layout of the blog.  I like the color choice as it is easy on the eyes.  The blog site is:

http://web.mac.com/RyanBlackman/iWeb/Australia%20Blog/Home/Home.html 

Except for email, Ryan does not provide a way to comment on his blog.  I’m not sure why it is considered a blog really.  There is no exchange of communication except for the ability to write him an email.  (He has not written me back!)  He does have the RSS feed posted, and, of course, some fabulous pictures of the country and part of my family. 

This next blog was interesting to me because it has many ideas on how to use new Web 2.0 technologies in our classrooms.   It is not a student’s blog, but I’m still learning what is out there!  There are many links that discuss exactly what we are all about in this course.  http://www.teachersteachingteachers.org/ 

I think it is very “busy” and not that pleasing to the eye.  I have a thing about aesthetics and I think the same should be present for blogs really.  Who wants to read when other things are bombarding you from your peripheral vision? 

The following quote comes from:  http://chalkdust101.wordpress.com/ 

Those of us who engage in blogging, sharing Google docs, creating groups in Google, Yahoo or Ning or gathering instant input from Twitter, experience this type of camaraderie, this conversation and professional development on a daily basis. This face to face encounter among these teachers is only the beginning of what it could be. They want more meetings like this but what they haven’t yet realized is that, they need only 5-10 minutes a day using the right technology tools to help them continue these important conversations, to develop their notions of best practices in literacy instruction, share their ideas, gather input from others who are dealing with the same challenges. 

The explanation of blogging’s potential to help create professional camaraderie is good.  I like the layout of this blog.  It is not “busy”, and most of the comments are well thought out and presented.  I’m not sure how these folks can keep up with all of the places they are on the Web.  This guy has a ton of places where one could “see” him!!   My comment is on the blog, http://www.utechtips.com/?p=193 is here: 

http://www.utechtips.com/?p=193#comment-129281  

I decided to look at an elementary school’s blogical site.  Each year, the teacher sets up individual blog sites on her teacher’s blogical site.  The students were taught the ins and outs of blogging and spent time creating their own blogs.  One student posted a very funny essay on how it all began and “the look” of the teacher who walked them through the steps.  The students got to choose their own backgrounds and things they want included on the blogs.  Some blogs were very well organized and I could tell their writing improved from post to post.  I liked the color choices the students had, and even though the sites are pretty much the same in design, some students put extra things on their blogs to make them more personal.  The following site is the classroom blog with individual blogs by 5^th grade students: http://itc.blogs.com/minds/ 

I thought it was really terrific how the students talked to students in other countries and learned things from them.  All of the students were very sincere about blogging and they obviously enjoyed creating them, and using them. I hope they will continue to see the value in them.  Have a super day! 

Sue