I believe the 'traditional classroom' of a teacher being the sage on the stage is not as efficient as a teacher being a guide on the side; however, transforming the classroom into this format takes a lot of preparation, attention to classroom environment and peer dynamics, and in some cases, ensuring each student has access to the internet at home.
I do agree with Thornburg that engaging students via creating challenging learning environments in which creation, collaboration, and production are core factors will enhance student learning.
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HW: Find websites and other online materials: Save your URLs to your Del.icio.us or Pocket account.9/29/2016
- Accompanists/rehearsal leaders. High achieving students have opportunity to lead choral rehearsals in small groups and also to accompany the class on the piano. 2. What do you think about Alan’s concept of authentic work and the shift of control from teacher-centered classrooms to student-centered?
- I like the idea of students being self-sufficient learners; taking responsibility for their own learning via collaboration and creation! If that's what it means to 'shift control from teacher-centered classrooms to student-centered' then I agree with this shift in mindset. 3. What are your thoughts on the three myths? Do you have any myths of your own? - Myth: technology will integrate society - Myth: we will use the web to become a better educated society; more diverse - Myth: technology will make kids smarter A myth I see in schools: integrating technology in the classroom enhances student learning. The truth is, effective teachers who use technology effectively in the classroom may help students learn more efficiently. Integrating tech solely to 'integrate tech' or to say 'I have a 21st century classroom' is not in itself going to enhance student learning outcomes. Exercise 1: Post your reflection on What is Research? on your Weebly website and then respond to at least two other students.
Experience: from 2013-14 I participated in the Vacaville Unified School District sponsored Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment program. This was my first professional experience creating and conducting practical research in a real classroom setting. I chose an active research project that involved pre and post student assessments, analyzing data, collecting student responses and feedback via google docs, as well as the creation of a collection of documents, called inquiries, which included reflections and visual representations of the results of my research on student learning. I feel my successful completion of BTSA prepared me to be successful in this master's program. What is research? Effective educational research results in demonstrable improvement in student learning; whether the outcome of the project was successful or not, the data should help guide teachers or students to improve. Research may include, but is not limited to: a general inquiry, narrowing of the focus topic, analyzation of current practices or student data, reflection, adjustments, practical application, post evaluation, more reflection, and summarization. Exercise 2: Locate and read an article on an action research project. What is the problem or topic, and what are the research questions, that guide this action research study? What procedures were used to conduct the study? Summarize the types of data that was collected. Post your response on What is Research? on the your Weebly website. Google Scholar Action Research Project: 'Exploring student experiences of belonging within an urban high school choral ensemble: an action research study" http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14613808.2010.519379 The purpose of this action research study was to describe adolescent singers' experiences of belonging within one urban high school choral ensemble. Understanding student perspectives on belonging within music ensembles can assist choral educators, parents and administrators in order to more fully support adolescent emotional and social development in school. Tenth through twelfth grade students were selected from one northeastern high school choral programme in a large city within the USA. Twenty-six participants, in small groups of three to four students each, were asked to describe their experiences of belonging within the ensemble. Interview data were open, descriptively and analytically coded. Codes were gathered into categories. Five themes were developed, including choral experience as uncompetitive, sectional bonding as social bonding, singing as shared experience, chorus as safe space and trips as pivotal bonding experiences. Suggestions for future research include examining student belonging as part of choral teacher practices, studying school choral participation as stress reduction and investigating social belonging as embedded within group singing environments. Exercise 3: List or describe at least four things (eg. problems, things you would like to improve) within your classroom or school that interests you and that you might want to pursue further. Do you think any of the things on your list might be appropriate for an action research study? To be shared at our next meeting. 4 improvement goals: 1) Use technology effectively across the entire site (WCW and VP) 2) Demonstrably improve student learning through technology use 3) Gain access to technology that core teachers have ('sorry, no chrome books for choir, english needs them' : ) etc) 4) Providing non-affluent students access to technology at home I believe #2 may have action research study potential. Hi! I'm Colby Hawkins. My class website is: wcw.schoolloop.com/colbyhawkins. I direct the Vaca Pena Singers, Will C. Wood Mixed Choir, Women's Choir, Sylvan Choir, and the renown WCW Sylvan Singers. We look forward to our 2017 Ireland Performance Tour this coming April! I teach my courses using the ‘flipped classroom’ method; lectures are watched at home via our course app, 'Mr. Hawkins,' and homework is completed during class in collaboration groups. Instead of the sage on the stage, I aim to be the guide on the side. If you would like real, practical immediate tools that have helped transform my life from 'okay' to 'extraordinary' please give 20 minutes of your valuable spare time to listen to this Colby condensed 'Power Hour' audio book by Tony Robbins: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B-e2B2Dm4VUOTzEzUVVTNjloV0E. Fun facts: this summer I created and sold mobile apps using Unity3d on an online marketplace called www.Flippa.com. I own and maintain www.PalladiumApps.com, created with Adobe Muse, and www.HawkinsMusicStudio.com, created with iWeb. I am earning my master’s degree in educational technology because I enjoy using technology to engage students, would like the master’s degree pay bump, and ultimately, would like to find work as an education technology coordinator or administrator. Madilyn and colby hawkins, Washington Dc 2012 |
AuthorColby enjoys racquetball, playing the piano, and hanging with his beautiful wife, Madilyn. Archives
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