3/15 Exit Slip

Today we talked about apprenticeship, universal schooling and lifelong learning eras, noting the various characteristics of each during the chapter presentation. School was the responsibility of the parents. Then it shifted to the state. Now it has shifted back to parents for young children and individuals for older children and adults. Expectations for education began in a cycle of social reproduction. It then shifted to a common education and success for all and social mobility. Now the goal of success for all still exists, but individuals and parents are setting their own expectations for what to learn and how to learn it (and be successful). We had a very insightful class discussion about customization which made me think more about it.

Educational content began with practical skills, shifted to general knowledge and are now includes learning how to learn at school and on your own. Pedagogy began by focusing on modeling and observing with scaffolding and provided one-on-one instruction. Then, it shifted to mass pedagogy (normal classroom structure). Now, it relies on interaction with technology, which is more interactive and effective as well as provides more feedback than previously. Assessment changed from observation to standardized testing to embedded instruction. The location changed from home to school to everywhere, any time, and in any place.

Culture is important because where they are effects who they interact with. First, school was in the home so families formed very close bonds. Then, children were educated in schools, separated by ages which lead to peer culture, which countered the adult culture from the previous era. Now, parents have been homeschooling their children so they do not form this peer culture. Since school can be anywhere, it creates a mixed culture (mixed ages). Culture influenced relationships between students and teachers. First, it is a direct approach, one-on-one at home. Then, it was mass education, not individualized in schools. Now, education can be customized by allowing students to choose what they want to learn. There is no face-to-face interaction, leading to a decrease in relationship bond.

We ended the presentation with a discussion on what changes, if any, should be made to education today. For example, magnet school provide come customization for students but students must be motivated to attend these schools and complete the work.

Cool Tools:
FlauntR-a free online photo editor. It is really easy to use and leach section is laid out for you. It has a lot of interesting and crafty options. A weakness is how to undo what you have done and it does not explain how to do the wall paper part on your phone. You can use this for anything that you can use a photo with.

Dweeber-an online social networking tool and a study website. You need friends (dweebs) to conduct study sessions so you need your friends and teachers to use the site.

SlideRocket-an online presentation tool. You can incorporate previous power points, it has many features, and you can share it with others. It takes a long time to load and create, especially if you use multiple features. It has a lot of tutorials to help you if needed. You can only get a 30 day trial.

Parentella-an online communication tool between teachers and parents. Teachers can share homework, news, coordinate volunteers, etc. It is free and easy to use. It really helps the home-school connection. Students are not really involved-this tool could be more helpful if students could be involved.

Contemporary Issues:
Online tutoring-it provides one-on-one assistance for students on a variety of subjects 24/7. It is usually done through online chats and interactive whiteboards. It usually takes up to 24 hours to receive a reply. It may be difficult if students' schedules do not permit them to go to office hours, etc. It takes up more time than it claims (it says 24 hours but sometimes it can take 3 days). Some think it gives students the answers. It may have reliability issues, especially if tutors are not trained, and the tutor may not be giving you his/her undivided attention.

Poverty and Learning-Risk factors: high mobility, irregular school attendance, and awareness of their disadvantaged situation. Some government funding exists to get technology to these families but there has not been much progress--is this okay instead of giving them money for food and shelter? These students are greatly affected by not having access to technology at home. The digital divide is widening. Is there a way to help fix this issue?

Video games as teaching tools-core curriculum in different video games for schools. They were geared more towards middle and high school. They are interactive and simulation. Children do learn better this way and it engages them. It could be effective if used correctly. I am not sure if I would use this as the core curriculum but I am trying to keep an open mind about using it. I think I would like to visit this school and see how it works. I would also like to see it used with younger children (like the ones I would be teaching).

We also learned how to do more in Scratch for our project. Now I have to figure out a topic.