Making Connections

Ever since I was a little girl, I have always wanted to be a teacher. I loved pretending to have my own classroom and make my family be my students. I would teach them lessons and then make them do homework assignments. In my family, education is extremely important. My parents always encouraged (and expected) us to do well in school. I looked up to my mom as one of my biggest role models. She was a teacher and occasionally, I would get to go to school with her. She would let me play with her students when I was younger, and let me read with them and help them with assignments when I was older. These experiences only solidified my goal of becoming a teacher. 

Throughout my schooling, my parents were always very involved. They would volunteer in my classrooms, provide supplies for my teachers, and go to every school event. At home, they were the same way. They would ask me about my day, and then pull out my folder to do my homework with me. Even before I was in school, we would practice reading, writing, and math skills. We had flashcards and whiteboards and books that we would work with daily. The involvement of my parents made me want that type of involvement for my students. 

Flash forward to now, where I am a first grade teacher, living my dream and loving it. However, one thing that always made me a little nervous was parents. I was always stressed about parent teacher conferences and worried about a parent email. This made it more difficult for me to communicate with my student's families, which, in turn, hindered them. I wanted to provide my students and their families with as many opportunities as they were willing to take to feel like part of the classroom and do what they can to support their child's learning. This leads to my why. 

I believe students learn best when all of the people in their lives are on the same page, working together to support them. Based on this belief, I have decided to create a class blog for my students' families to access. Within this blog, I will post weekly updates. In these updates, I will include the skills we are learning, upcoming events, reminders, and resources. Creating this all in one space allows families to have one location to get all of the information they need about their child's learning. I also plan to use this as a space to share photos with families. They will be able to see their children completing assignments and engaging in collaborative work. 

This blog will be used through blogger.com, the same blogging site used in this class. While I have used blogger prior to this class, creating a new class blog allowed me to explore some new features of the site that I had not used before. One of these features is the layout of the blog. Through experimentation, trial and error, and simply clicking around, I was able to create a layout that made the most sense for the purpose of the blog. I was able to create side bars with links to different resources that families would need access to. I also experimented with the themes and determined what theme would make the most sense for my blog. As I continue working on this throughout the summer and into the school year, I am sure that there will be many more elements that I will play around with and incorporate into the blog. 

Through creating this blog, I have determined that I will need to conduct introductory sessions or record videos on how to use the blog. These sessions and videos will be for parents and family members to learn more about the different features of the blog and how to use it to best support their children. In reading the text from Boyd, I learned that we cannot expect everyone to automatically know how to use technology. The idea of "digital natives" and "digital immigrants," while off putting, reminds us that technology is not something that everyone has known or has had access too, adults and children included. I cannot expect my students to be able to show their parents how to navigate the blog. Most of them have probably never seen a blog before, so it would not make sense for me to assume that they could help their family members figure out how to use it. "Rather than focusing on coarse generational categories, it makes more sense to focus on the skills and knowledge that are necessary to make sense of a mediated world. Both youth and adults have a lot to learn" (Boyd 180). In creating tutorials for families, I can help ensure that they have full access to the tools that are going to best support their child's learning journey. 

This project has made me think about Sherry Turkle's thoughts on technology in her TedTalk, "Connected, but alone?" Turkle talked a lot about how technology has a psychological power over us, which causes people to  constantly be on their devices. While in some instances this may be true, our society has transformed into one that has had to rely on technology to connect with one another through a pandemic. These circumstances opened many doors for technology and has allowed education to be transformed. Teachers learned about new ways to engage students through online activities. The creation of a blog, to Turkle, may seem like another way to avoid in person connection, when in reality, it opens the door to new types of connections. Through this blog, I will be able to connect with families who may not have the means to come to after school events, or have the option to pick up their child from school and ask me about something. The blog will be a way for me to convey information to my students' families in a way that is easily accessible to them. In her talk, Turkle says, "we expect more from technology and less from each other" (12:00). However, in creating this blog, there will be a mutual expectation between myself and families. They will be expecting me to keep the blog up to date so they can stay connected to their child's learning, and I will be expecting them to use the blog for the same reasons. In this instance, we will be expecting more from each other. Teachers and families need to work as a team to support students, and this blog will be one way to do that. 

This course really allowed me to unpack my why and my beliefs about teaching. I have been able to engage in text analysis and gain a new perspective on technology in the classroom, and in the world. Based on Scott Noon's framework for teachers assimilating to technology, I believe I am teetering on the line between electronic traditionalist and techno-constructivist. I am very comfortable using technology in the classroom, but it has mainly been by taking paper assignments and making them digital. However, I believe I am close to the techno-constructivist educator as I also use some technological resources that support the curriculum in a new way. I believe that my classroom blog will help to launch me into the techno-constructivist world. 

In an ever changing, technologically savvy world, it is easy to fall into the idea of allowing technology to take over the education of our students. However, if technology becomes our educators, how will parents and families stay involved? In his TedTalk, "A School in the Cloud," Sugata Mitra shares his ideas about creating a "school in the cloud." In this school, teachers will act as facilitators. They will pose a question, and students will use technology to find the answer and share their findings. This structure of learning is called SOLE (Self Organized Learning Environment). While there are elements of this form of schooling that would be beneficial, there are elements that would not. For example, giving students the opportunity to engage in self-guided learning would develop self-motivation and collaboration skills. However, to transfer the job of teacher to facilitator could put a damper on the home-school connection. As the facilitator, the teacher may be limited in how much they can find out about student's learning. Working in a group, some students may get lost in the shuffle, resulting in them not really learning, but rather just being pulled along. This results in teachers believing that a child is succeeding, when in reality, they could be drowning. 

My beliefs about creating a connection with all of the people involved in a child's life creates a disconnect between Mitra's ideas about the "school in the cloud." How is the facilitator going to know if each child is understanding? How will they determine which students need extra support? And how will they communicate this information to families? While I think Mitra's ideas about SOLE could help students learn, there needs to be a balance. SOLE creates self-motivated and collaborating learners. This is an amazing result to this type of learning. However, for my students, this is not the only way learning should occur. Students should be engaged in small group, individualized instruction, as well as given independent assignments that assess their progress. The information gathered from all of these pieces will help to inform students' families about their progress. 

This project has helped me put my beliefs about education into action. I have found a new way to create a connection with my students' families. This bond will create a better learning environment for my students, and help them realize that we are all on the same team. All of the people in their lives want to help them succeed, and this blog helps build the bridge between home and school. 

Martins Final Project Self Assessment

References

Boyd, Danah. “Literacy: Are Today's Youth Digital Natives?” It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens, Yale University Press, New Haven, 2015, pp. 176–198.

Mitra, Sugata. “Build a School in the Cloud.” Sugata Mitra: Build a School in the Cloud | TED Talk, https://www.ted.com/talks/sugata_mitra_build_a_school_in_the_cloud.

“Tedtalks: Sherry Turkle--Connected, but Alone?” 2013, Accessed 2022.

My Pecha Kucha

 Here is my Pecha Kucha presentation: 

Analyzing Disney

 I have always been a Disney fan and this is not the first time that I have had to look at Disney through a critical lens. I have seen Encanto a few times and have had sing along parties with my students, who were HUGE Encanto fans. Watching the movie and analyzing it in a new way really opened my eyes to some things that I had not noticed before. 

One of the discussions we had after watching the film was if this was a Princess movie. This got me thinking about the idea of Princess and what that means. This film challenges the traditional princess characteristics. For example, Luisa is portrayed as strong and with more traditionally masculine features. She has a deeper voice and feels a lot of pressure, as described in her song. However, she is also quite sensitive and starts to crack when she starts to lose her power. Isabella, the more traditionally seen Princess character has a complete transformation. She changes from dressing beautifully and being viewed as "perfect" to having a more colorful outfit and not caring what others thought of her. She transforms from the typical Princess into someone more comfortable in herself. 

Many people have also noticed the absence of a "villain." There is no clear identified character that is the bad guy that needs to be stopped. We discussed how Bruno could be seen as the villain. When he is first shown on screen, he has an ominous look about him and is dressed in all green. But, as we meet him, we realize he is not the villain. I have also seen people on social media saying that Abuela is the villain because she is only worried about the magic. She puts a lot of pressure on her family to be perfect and provide for the community. When the magic starts to fade, she does not seem to care about her family, but rather in how to save the magic because that equates to the worth of the family. However, in an article, they describe Dolores as the villain. She is the oldest cousin with supersonic hearing. She can hear everything and everyone miles away. This theory about Dolores explains that she is the villain because she is miserable with her gift. Being able to hear everything and everyone has put her into a sensory overload, resulting in her wanting the magic to disappear. Whether or not this is true, there are some supporting details that could portray Dolores as the villain. 

Overall, it was very interesting to view Encanto through this new critical lens. It has helped me to see that there is more to these films that just watching them at surface level. I am excited to analyze more films, even if it "ruins" Disney. 

Here is the link to my Princess Conventions Chart. 

"The Library that Target Built"

 Have you ever seen an ad to apply for supplies to be donated to your classroom? Or a store raffling off a classroom remodel? These seem like a great opportunity to get some extra funding and support for our classrooms and teachers. But we do not realize how damaging these "donations" can be to our school communities. 

In the chapter, "The Library that Target Built," Rachel Cloues describes her experience with Target and the Heart of America Foundation. In partnership, these companies remodeled two school libraries in San Francisco. These remodels consisted of new paint, new furniture, and most importantly, new books. While this sounds like a dream come true, for Cloues, it ended up being the exact opposite. The librarian was only allowed to select 200 books for the library. The rest were chosen by Target. Within these titles, only a handful of them were in student's home languages, and many of them did not reflect the diversity within the school community. In a school with 80% of Latino students, a handful of Spanish texts is not sufficient. 

This San Francisco school district had a strict anti-branding policy, resulting in logos not being allowed to be painted onto the walls, or included in the books. However, Target still found a way to promote their brand without these logos. NASCAR drivers and Target employees came to the school for an assembly in which the drivers would read picture books to the kids. However, there were logos all over the cars and clothes they were wearing. Although the school itself did not display logos, Target was able to advertise through the visitors they sent. This assembly inspired students to talk and write about Target for the rest of the school year. Cloues even notes a student going home and telling their mom, "The guy said they wanted you to buy stuff at Target!" (page 14) So the lack of logos did not deter Target from still selling their brand. 

When the library finally opened, it was an exciting day. Students were able to go into the library and check out the books and meet with Bullseye, Target's mascot (who sat in the new librarian's chair, while the librarian was pushed to the sidelines). At the opening, speeches were made by those leading the project and the school superintendent, but the librarian was never recognized or acknowledged. What message does this send to the community and the students? This library is for the students to enjoy, and without the librarian, they would not be able to do so. The librarian was never asked for any feedback or comments on how the project was done. There was no concern for the person who would be calling this new space "home." 

"If solid, adequate, and long-term public funding for schools is not available, it sets up the opportunity for corporations to provide for schools instead, on their own terms, and in a disturbingly patronizing way" (page 17)

This library remodeling cost $150,000. That is equal to the amount of profit Target makes in about 30 minutes. So, this amount of money is relatively nothing for Target. However, it is not about the money, but rather trying to create avid supporters of the business. When students were entering the reopened library, one of the Target employees said, "They'll be Target shoppers forever now, you watch!" (page 15). And this is true for all corporations. They are interested in adding people to their list of supporters, and less worried about creating something meaningful and helpful for the community. So while the idea of having a company sponsor your classroom seems like a great idea, for them, it is not really about giving back to the community, but about advertising. 

Kahoot Tutorial

Kahoot is an interactive, game based, learning tool that allows you to assess your students in a fun, engaging way. Kahoot allows you to use pre made quizzes or create your own to help your students learn. I was first introduced to Kahoot when I was in high school. It became a fun activity we would get to do occasionally with our classes. When I became a teacher, I was not sure if my students would enjoy it as much as I did. However, I was pleasantly surprised. My students absolutely love Kahoot. They constantly ask me if we can play one and have become really comfortable with the easy to use platform. 

Here is my tutorial: 

The School in the Cloud

 In his TedTalk, "Build a School in the Cloud," Sugata Mitra talks about the curiosity of children and their ability to learn something with little to no background. He talks about how he created "hole in the wall" computers and placed them in communities that would not normally have had access to these devices. Children found these devices and questioned what they were and why they were there. At first, they seemed confused, but after a short period of time, they were able to figure out how to manipulate the device to search the web, play games, and learn new concepts. Mitra would return to these communities and discover that these children were able to learn English, learn how to use the technology, and in one instance learn about DNA replication. It is an interesting and conflicting concept to think that children are able to figure all of this out with nothing but a device in front of them. 

Children navigating the "hole in the wall" computers

This talk got me thinking about the idea of "digital natives" and "digital immigrants." We live in a world where technology has become a crucial part of our schools, workplaces, and personal lives. However, for the children in this video, they do not have the same experiences. They have not been exposed to technology from an early age. But they were able to figure out how to use the computer. This makes me question what Prensky's thoughts would be. Would these children be considered "digital immigrants?" They had no prior experiences with technology, they were not born into a society with technology all around. But wouldn't that contradict his beliefs about youth and technology? It's a complicated idea. 

I also started thinking about the ideas of Sherry Turkle. She believed that technology was taking over the world, and we would eventually turn to technology to be our companions rather than one another. In my opinion, she would not have liked what Mitra had to say. Turkle believed in a world where connection; real, face to face, human connection needed to be at the forefront. There is a space for technology, but it does not need to take over the connections we make with others. Mitra believed that technology could replace the way that schools are currently operating. There simply needs to be a moderator (teacher) that poses a big idea question: How did the world begin? Where did dogs come from? How do we breathe? Then, the students take their technology and find answers to these questions. 

I am very conflicted in my personal beliefs about this idea of the "school in the cloud." On one hand, I think that the idea is very innovative and promotes a sense of curiosity and self-guided learning for our students. On the other hand, I cannot imagine removing myself from the role of teacher and becoming a facilitator who takes a step back from the learning process. Honestly, this has left me feeling a bit uneasy and not sure where I stand. 

Final Project: Brainstorm

 When I think about what my beliefs are when it comes to teaching, one big idea comes to mind: connections. I believe that students learn best when there is a connection between the student and the teacher and the teacher and the parent. All three of these people need to work together in order to have a successful learning experience. This belief led me to a few ideas for my final project. 

Ultimately, I am planning to create a class blog for parents to access throughout the school year. I teach first grade, and having parents involved in the classroom is extremely important. I just completed my second year teaching, which felt like my first year since my first year was mostly distance learning. I found myself really nervous when parent teacher conferences came around and questioning if I was doing enough to connect with parents. I would send home the occasional reminder, or message about a behavior, but that was it. This blog would help parents feel more connected to the classroom, which in turn creates a better learning environment for my students. When parents get involved in learning, students learn more. My intentions with the blog is to include weekly updates about what their children are learning. These updates will include photos and videos of class activities. They will also include resources for parents to access at home to further support their child's learning. This type of parent engagement would help to create a stronger classroom community between me, my students and their parents. 

I have had parents ask me for work to send home with the students, how they can better support them and what I need in the classroom. This blog will be a space for all of those things. I can post content resources: sight word lists, videos of the math concepts we are learning, extra practice, etc. I can also use this space to show families what we are doing in the classroom, share photo and video of activities and the things their children have created. It will also be a space for families to communicate with me. I will have a space where parents can send me emails, messages, make comments, etc. My hope is to better engage parents, which will better help students learn in the classroom.