Digital Blog Post #B

    One of the concepts in the textbook that I found exciting was the Connecting Possibilities example of High Tech High. High Tech High is a group of charter schools originating in San Diego, California. High Tech High incorporates project-based learning with modern technology and real world experiences. High Tech High has three major categories of learning: Personalization, Adult World Connection, Common Intellectual Mission. Personalization gives every student an advisor who helps with long term goals and allows students to begin their digital portfolio. Adult World Connection places each student with an adult in the community to follow and requires each student to complete semester-long internships. Common Intellectual Mission means that they do not use tracking or higher placement, all children are on the same level.
    While I loved the idea of the school, I disagreed with some of the policies. Of the three policies I most agree with the Adult World Connection. I believe it is crucial that students learn how to interact with the world around them as adults before they graduate. As students enter college they are repeatedly told by just about everyone that "You are an adult now, act like it". But no one ever teaches us how to be an adult. We are expected to find a job, but are not given information on how to find one or any experience to help us get hired. I love that the Adult World Connection satisfies many of those issues. Through internships students are given experiences that will allow them to find jobs, as well as improve their chances of college acceptance and teaches them how to behave professionally.  By following an adult member of the community students can learn how to behave as an adult, which may be one of the best things a student can learn.

   The second concept I reflected on was the learning groups from the instructional methods section. The book briefly explains that learning groups work together to work out and solve problems.  I wanted to learn more about group learning so I found an article from Edutopia.org about Teaching Kids the Benefits of Working Together. From the article I learned that being able to work in a team was once an undervalued skill that is now considered an essential in almost all workplaces. While it is great to teach students a skill they will need in the workplace I also found out that there are many benefits to teaching students in small (or large) groups. These benefits include: Responsibility, Social Awareness, Self Management, and Self Awareness. While group learning can be difficult to facilitate, students see an increase in academic ability. This video about The College Preparatory School can help you determine if group learning is best for your class.

    The last concept I would like to reflect on is Digital Citizenship. The textbook talks about the importance in developing a students sense of safety and responsibility online. The book also defines Digital Citizenship as what everyone part of the digital community must know to use technology effectively and appropriately. While I believe that is a wonderful practice I also believe now is the time to reform the way digital citizenship is taught. After reading countless articles about how to teach digital citizenship I found that the most common method is to have children play silly games that explain the importance of safety and dull posters telling students not to be mean online. However, all that teachers appear to be doing is telling students what not to do, not actually teaching them. One can tell a child the right and wrong way to do something all day long, but until the student has practiced the lesson, they will not fully understand. Through projects such as online discussions or even blog and social media post based assignments students can fully practice the elements of true Digital Citizenship.

Resources:

 Collaborative Learning Builds Deeper Understanding. (2012, December 5). Retrieved February 05,
2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWEwv_qobpU 

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Munro, S., & O'Brien, M. (2006, October 19). Common Ground: Teaching Kids the Benefits Of Working Together. Retrieved February 03, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/common-ground

Paxton, S (2016, February 2)  High Tech High. Created with Toondoo http://www.toondoo.com/View.toon?param=9691452