While some would call it a job well done, I consider it a major victory. I was able to successfully make a delicious and tasty chicken parmesan! My goal for my Network Learning Project (NLP) for my CEP 810 was to learn how to cook a meal; however, I could only use online sources and couldn’t ask anyone in person for help. My journey began with looking up different recipes online to understand how to make chicken parmesan. I used pinterest as a starting point and began reading through different recipes others have posted. I found one that looked straightforward, however, I quickly found that I couldn’t visualize what needed to be done by reading the directions. The source also bounced to another site, which as a teacher I was a little skeptical about. Knowing I’m a visual learner, I decided to go to Youtube and continue my search. I began with learning how to cook the chicken, which presented itself as a challenge. In my search, there were far too many videos and I didn’t really know what was credible and what was not. In my first attempt, I followed the recipe from Natasha’s Kitchen. I waited two minutes and then flipped it over and let the other side cook. After two successful turns, I noticed that one side of the chicken was darker than the other and decided to leave it on longer to cook. However, when I finished I the chicken was burnt and the inside was over-cooked. Another challenge with this source was there were no directions for when I got to the pasta stage of the meal. As a beginning cook, I needed more information about this step. I decided to practice again. My second attempt of making the chicken was still unsuccessful. It seemed to be better seasoned; however, when I cut into the chicken it was under-cooked. I decided to return to Youtube for help. One chef I follow on social media is Gordon Ramsay, so I decided to watch his video on creating the perfect chicken. As I watched his video, I paused and practiced quite a bit. His video really helped me understand and learn the process, as he gave more specific directions. I also looked up a video on creating the perfect pasta. It went step-by-step and provided the visual aid that I need to understand. For some the process of learning to cook is easy, but for me it was extremely difficult. I wanted to ask my family for help when deciding how much seasoning to put on the chicken, but completing this project made me lean on different online sources. Throughout the process, there was a lot of trial and error. I had to determine what went wrong and use resources to research how to fix the issues for future attempts. During this process, I learned that I am a visual learner and was able to get more out of videos than reading a recipe. By the time I finally got the process down, I had used several resources to build on my prior knowledge and experiences - and in this case several failures along the way. This project showed me how much I previously relied on others. Having someone by my side showing me the different steps would have been a game changer for me. Learning through a computer vs. learning first hand are very different situations. In the future, I’d like to combine online resources and my own PLN, Personal Learning Network. I think using people from my network along with online experts and resources would be the best option for learning. In my classroom, I think it is beneficial for students to be exposed to different teaching styles and resources. They can determine which style works best for them, and make the changes necessary to adapt. While it was a challenge, through this quest to make the perfect chicken parmesan, I have come to the conclusion that online sources can add a higher value to my prior knowledge and professional learning network. References: Fox and Briar. (2019, March 4). Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan. Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3096293484157579/?d=t&mt=login Natashas Kitchen. (2020, February 28). EASY CLASSIC CHICKEN PARMESAN Recipe. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwSOwAe_IVY MasterChef On FOX. (2018, February 28). Gordon Ramsay Demonstrates How To Cook A Perfect Chicken Breast | Season 6 Ep. 2 | MASTERCHEF JUNIOR. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrpcnb0osM4 Gordon Ramsay. (2014, January 9). How To Cook The Perfect Pasta | Gordon Ramsay. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYhKDweME3A
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Stop Living in the Past!
Throughout the years education has evolved. Technology has become more available and has found its way into the classroom in different capacities. The way of thinking of teaching and learning has further developed. So what is 21st century learning? After much thought and research, I would define 21st century learning as being a combination of the 4 C’s: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. It is the shift from memorization of facts to the understanding of concepts and the ability to apply skills and knowledge. 21st Century Learning may look different in every classroom but the goal is the same. In my classroom, I try to incorporate collaboration, creativity and technology as much as possible. One main concept that I didn’t know about until CEP 810 was TPACK. TPACK is the combination of pedagogy and content knowledge and how to incorporate technology into a lesson. As an 8th grade social studies team, we look at what the students have to master and how we can use technology to fit the model. Our task for this week in CEP 810 was to create a 21st Century Learning lesson plan. My students are encouraged to work in groups, ask questions for understanding and clarification, have discussions, and use technology when available. One thing virtual learning has taught me is that my students know more than me. I was introduced to PBS Kids and on their website I had a student show me an American Revolution interactive game. I partnered up students and had them work through the game. I listened and viewed great discussions with partners and had them support one another when one of them got an answer incorrect. Hearing “Don’t you remember when…”, “We did an activity on that Tuesday with ...”, “You may not have been in class, but…” I think that 21st century learning is happening in the moments that we aren’t planning for. It also happens differently in each classroom because of the environment the teacher has created. I believe if a student feels like a valued member of the class then they are going to want to work harder, if they don't feel valued then they aren’t going to do the work. Another effect is the use of technology. In my classroom, when technology is being used, students are more engaged in learning which leads to a mastery of the outcome. Incorporating technology in lessons was all about availability, but with virtual teaching it’s about getting creative. For my lesson plan, the outcome was for students to look at the social and military factors of the British and Americans during the American Revolution. Integrating technology into my lesson plan required some research and collaboration. Ultimately, I chose to use Jamboard, a digital white board, for students to post answers and ideas. This enabled them to collaborate and communicate with one another in real time. I also used Brain Pop, a website with over 1,000 short educational videos for students, for my introduction into the causes of the American Revolution. This allowed students to visually see what we had been discussing in class. The lesson also included Padlet, a web app that lets users post notes on a digital wall, for students to work collaboratively on the differences between Britain and America. For my lesson, students will work within Padlet to create a digital wall on the strengths and weaknesses of British and American societies. They then will have to find pictures and political cartoons to showcase their understanding, which allows for creativity. Students will then share their wall and field questions and comments from other students, as they collaborate and apply their understanding of the concepts. Not all plans go accordingly, making adjustments on the fly is key. I think embracing those adjustments and altering your plan as you go to keep students moving towards the goal is what makes a teacher successful. Resources: Candace M. (2013, April 26). TPACK in 2 minutes. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=FagVSQlZELY For my CEP 810 class this week, I was asked to participate in a Twitter Chat. I have used Twitter in the past for personal reasons but found it to be for entertainment, not education. The first chat was a slow twitter chat; hosted by my instructor. She posted a new question each day, for 3 days, relevant to CEP 810 and the conversations we have been engaging in. We had to respond to each question and then respond to 2 other response posts. I found this chat to be an excellent starting point. I learned what activities teachers are doing in their classroom, different types of mentors, and how the school is shaping up. My next experience was a #edchat on Tweet Deck. This started out as a frustrating chat and by the end turned out to be a wonderful resource. Early on in the chat, there wasn’t much conversation going on. One follower posted a question which I answered, but then there was silence for the next 10 minutes. I decided to post a question about collaboration with students. I have been having a difficult time with student engagement in a virtual setting and wondered if anyone had any suggestions. Within minutes, I had someone else respond to my question and then I had @teacher2teacher ask if they could post the question to their feed. After this was reposted the responses came flooding in and are still coming in as we speak. I feel like a kid in a candy store, excited with every new response that has come through. To be honest, I felt skeptical of twitter, but after playing around with it I feel that I have added new people to my PLN to connect and collaborate with. It is nice to know that we are all in this together! After researching and attempting to define 21st century learning, I have come to the conclusion that 21st century learning has no concrete definition. This surprised me, as we are told to make sure we incorporate 21st century skills into our lessons. I had presumed 21st century learning simply meant using technology and computers in the classroom. However, after conducting research on many different platforms, I have come to the conclusion that what best defines 21st century learning is a combination of the four C’s: creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and communication. 21st century learning focuses on using technology but also with shifting education from testing and the memorization of facts to understanding and the ability to explain and apply concepts.
If you were to visit my classroom, you would see a 21st century learning environment. During our Cold War Unit, we were able to hit on many aspects of 21st century learning. In our Berlin Airlift lesson, students had to think critically on how to deliver a message. They chose a partner and reported to different sides of the room. Students were given readings about each side of Berlin, as well as a set of materials. They were instructed to figure out how to send a message to the other side of the blockade. They used information from various modes of instruction and applied the knowledge in order to problem solve, which is what I have come to find is 21st century learning. One thing that concerns me, as we move towards 21st century learning, is the lack of training for teachers as we push to increase technology along with application of learning. If we are moving towards this new style of learning there needs to be more ways to get all teachers on board and train teachers who may be stuck on past ways of learning. Sources Cited: Candace M. (2013, April 26). TPACK in 2 minutes. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=FagVSQlZELY Hallerman, S., Lewis, C., & Dresbach, B. (2019, April 23). What is a 21st century education? Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.battelleforkids.org/learning-hub/learning-hub-item/what-is-a-21st-century-education Rich, E. (2020, July 28). How Do You Define 21st-Century Learning? Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.edweek.org/tsb/articles/2010/10/12/01panel.h04.html 5 Ways to Prepare Your Students for the 21st Century. (2013, October 9). OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS. https://oupeltglobalblog.com/2013/10/09/5-ways-to-prepare-your-students-for-the-21st-century/ Chef is not a word that many people would use to describe me. However, cooking is something that I would like to master. In order to do so, I have to start somewhere. I decided that for my Network Learning Project I would attempt to create my favorite meal of all time, Chicken Parmesan. I began the process by doing a search on Pinterest, an image website where you can discover, post, and comment on different recipes, ideas, and styles. My initial search led me to a recipe using a crock pot, but after some more research I was able to find a recipe using a skillet. According to Bransford (2000), “experts acquire a great deal of content knowledge that shows a deeper understanding of the subject matter.” I am in the very beginning stages of becoming an expert and gaining a deeper understanding of how to make chicken parmesan. It is a learning process, but with failure comes success. The included image may look as though it was successful but it was taken early on, about 8 minutes into the cooking process. The end result was not consistent. Two pieces of the chicken appeared to be left on for too long and were burnt, while the other pieces were undercooked. Over the upcoming weeks, I will be locating a different source to learn how to know when the chicken is fully cooked and if I should be doing something specific like turning it every few minutes. This will help me to understand more about cooking chicken, which paired with other skills will contribute to me becoming an expert at making chicken parmesan. References: Images Credit: Brent Opperhauser, 2020 Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, Experience, and school. National Academy Press. http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?isbn=0309070368 When asked to discuss my PLN, my first thought was “What in the world is a PLN?” After some research, I learned that a PLN is a Professional Learning Network that connects you with people in your specific field and serves as a communication resource to collaborate in order to create and develop lessons and activities. To represent my PLN, I used the interactive website called Ayoa, a resource that allows the user to create mind maps. When I began mapping out my network, I thought it was going to be very small but, as I started thinking of who I collaborate with, my network quickly began to grow. I have taught for seven years at four different schools and three different grades; therefore, my network grew as I included colleagues from all of those teams. My Annapolis Middle and George Fox Middle networks are groups where I draw the most from in regards to engagement within my content and ideas I can use with my students. Another part of my network includes my family, as my mom teaches 9th grade Social Studies and my girlfriend teaches 5th grade. They are strong resources when I am looking for new strategies for differentiating instruction, such as advancement in my lessons or strategies for struggling readers. Technology is something I hadn’t thought about as part of my PLN, but has become a huge part in recent years. Many of my ideas and materials come from social media and technology resources. New ideas posted on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have helped guide me in creating virtual lesson plans and instruction for my students, by giving me ideas such as Jamboard and Brain Pop. Also having entered the program at Michigan State, my PLN continues to grow as I interact with peers and professors and gain more ideas and resources. Common Sense Education. (2017, July 21). What's a PLN? And 3 ways teachers can get connected [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju54C5A3RCw&feature=emb_logo TPACK and a Kitchen...Wait What?????? This week in CEP 810 we explored the idea of TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge). “PCK is a type of knowledge that combines content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. (See chart below). The spot in the middle shows a type of knowledge that teachers have” (Dillman, 2018). An example is “I know social studies” and “I know teaching” to become “I know teaching social studies to students. Our learning activity tools us from the classroom to the comfort of our kitchen. I asked my girlfriend to get me a plate, bowl, and a cooking utensil with no other directions or influence in her decisions. She picked a normal dinner plate, the biggest baking bowl we have, and a spatula. Then I face-timed my 2-year old niece and asked her to pick a number from a hat (between 1-4). She selected #1 which was to slice hard cheese for a cheese platter. Since the tool I normally would use in this situation wasn't available I decided to use the spatula. After about two slices, my patience ran out and I abandoned ship. As in the classroom with our students, we have to learn to adjust on the fly. Want to know how it ended? Check out my video below to see how the rest of the activity went! References: Dillman, B. (2018). PCK diagram [Image]. Used with permission. Candace M. (2013, April 26). TPACK in 2 minutes. [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=FagVSQlZELY Picture: https://www.alamy.com/books-computer-showing-textbook-laptop-and-portable-image270207332.html “The goal of education is better conceived as helping students develop intellectual tools and learning different strategies” (Brandford; 2000). Learning, understanding, and conceptual change are big ideas when it comes to increasing student achievement. Each of these ideas has changed throughout American history, from being three different ideas to each idea being embedded into one.
We are shifting towards virtual and visual learning faster this year than people anticipated but also think that it has long been overdue. Learning, Understanding and conceptual change are going to look more different than ever have. To further understand what each of this terms mean read my full essay here. When it comes to teaching Social Studies virtual I think my students will have an even better understanding of concepts. They come from a world of the phone, internet, facetime, etc. Why not keep with the visual perspective when it comes to teaching as well. We need to continue to evolve in education and promote visual learning. There may be push back and students who prefer the old way of learning, which is okay; but if you give them the option (every student wants to have choices) that you can put the power of explaining their learning and understanding in their hands. As a teacher we are asked everyday to wear different hats. A teacher, psychologist, listener, friend, mentor, manager, the list goes on and on. Now with teaching virtually in the mix, I feel that I have added even more hats to my collection. However, I’m only able to wear so many hats at one time and this is where the major challenge arises this school year. I feel like I can compare this year to the scene in The Dark Knight Rises where Bruce Wayne has to escape. In his first attempt, he rushes it and relies on something else (rope) and ends up falling to the bottom. In his second attempt, he relies on his strengths and patience to successfully climb to the top. As in teaching virtually, it is going to take patience and strength to conquer the year. The journey throughout the school year will be challenging but I am hopeful that, like Bruce Wayne, I have the tools to be successful. I was fortunate this week to add a tool to my belt. I was introduced to an application called Flipgrid. Flipgrid is a video application that allows anyone to post a short video about different topics or ideas. I was able to share my new knowledge with my students and had them create an introductory video at the start of the year. The common theme for this year is to keep learning and adding to your tool belt. My final thought for this week is teaching virtually is going to be a challenge. However, I do believe that using my strengths, experiences, and a little bit of patience, ultimately the school year will be an engaging and successful experience. *Dark Knight Rises Escape Scene
https://nealsilvester.wordpress.com/2015/11/03/three-spiritual-interpretations-of-the-dark-knight-rises-prison-escape/ |