PQ & CQ in Education and Final CEP 812 Reflection

In the final week of CEP812, we read an article by Thomas L. Friedman, published by the New York Times titled “It’s P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as I.Q.” In the article, Friedman discusses the great influence of technology on our society and discusses how in the last 10 years we have become “Hyperconnected”. He talks about the great potential of technology, but also the great problems that it has created. Friedman discusses the stress this technology revolution has had on the workforce and connected the unemployment issues with the growing need for technology skills.

 The technology skills Friedman talks about however is a more complex understanding of technology. In the article, Friedman references Craig Mundie, one of Microsoft’s top technologists, description about the problem. Due to the quickly changing and improvements to technology “the skill required for every decent job is rising as is the necessity of lifelong learning” (paragraph 5). Just understanding technology will not cut it for 21^st century workers. Friedman goes on to explain the qualities of a productive worker: “you will need to develop skills that are complementary to technology rather than ones that can be easily replaced by it” (paragraph 8). Finally, Friedman explains that successful and productive citizens need to be passionate and curious. “The winners won’t just be those with more I.Q. It will also be those with more P.Q. (passion quotient) and C.Q. (curiosity quotient) to leverage all the new digital tools to not just find a job, but to invent one or reinvent one, and to not just learn but to relearn for a lifetime” (paragraph 8).

This is exactly what TPACK Educational Framework intends to do. Teaching students to not only be problem solvers, but also problem finders. Giving students the power to innovate, critically think, and create provides students with some of these skills. Equipping students with the technological skills they need to connect, collaborate, and share their creations will allow students to become more active and engaged citizens.

For my final project, I have made an info-graphic, using Piktochart, to display how I demonstrate P.Q. (Passion Quotient) and C.Q. (Curiosity Quotient) in my profession and how I use technology to inspire students to be passionate, curious, and lifelong learners. Here is my INFOGRAPHIC.

In case you are a visual learner…

           

Curiosity Quotient (C.Q.)                              Passion Quotient (P.Q.)

 

As I reflect on the work I have done and the knowledge I have learned from CEP812 I think about solving complex & wicked problems by collaborating with my colleagues, limitations we face in finding solutions, and utilizing the “best” technological tools to improve education and meet the needs of all learners. In this course, I have probably done more educational and technological research than in CEP 810 and CEP 811. This process was important in helping me develop a better understanding of TPACK framework and how technological tools can help supplement learning of all students. Understanding the value in a participatory society and the necessity to teach students the importance of collaboration was laid out eloquently by James Paul Gee in The Anti-Education Era. In reading Gee’s work, I have developed a better understanding of “why people are stupid” and “the limitations we face in solving complex problems”. This information has helped me grow immensely as an educator and my understanding of how people interact and learn. I really enjoyed CEP 812 (Summer 2014) at MSU. I learned a lot and the time flew by. I really enjoyed collaborating with my peers our Wicked Problems Project and it was a great experience growing and learning with my group. I’m really proud of our final project and our F.U.S.E. Blended Learning Model of Education. 

 

REFERENCES

Friedman, Thomas (2013). It’s p.q. and c.q. as much as i.q. the new york times. Retrieved June 22 2014, from, http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/opinion/friedman-its-pq-and-cq-as-much-as-iq.html?_r=0.

Gee, J.P.  (2013). The anti-education era: creating smarter students through learning digital learning.  New York, New York:  Palgrave Macmillan

Wicked Problem Project – Rethink Teaching: The F.U.S.E. Learning Model

            Throughout the past six weeks in my Masters of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) class, CEP 812, I have been considering “wicked problems” of practice in terms of “Rethinking Teaching”. A Wicked problem is one that is so complex that it involves many variables and does not have one correct answer. Large-scale problems such as this  “require the search for new tools and new uses of old ones. And they require knowing when to stop asking one question and start asking a better one” (Gee, 2013, p. 144).  With a group of three of my peers in my class, we have collaborated our thoughts, issues, concerns, and solutions to “Rethink Teaching” in the 21^st century.

Our Wicked Problem is finding a way to limit direct instructional time to allow for more focus on student-centered learning.

In order to solve our Wicked Problem, we studied blended learning models, which incorporate face-to-face teaching with technology-based learning, to formulate our solution. We used our experiences in teaching, our understanding of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework, influences of James Paul Gee’s book The Anti-Education Era, and research based studies on blended learning effectiveness to form our solution to the Wicked Problem. We focused on three blended learning models and merged them to find an effective solution to our problem.

My group loved the idea of utilizing technology to rethink teaching and change the role of the teacher and the student in traditional classrooms. Traditional classroom models that fall short in a few areas and leave some learners unchallenged or too challenged. Our approach was to get a more student-centered approach where the teacher facilitated active learning. Our group liked principles of blended learning, but felt that each model tended to lack solutions to basic problems that we saw arising in educating 21^st century learners.

Our team hybridized elements of the Flex, Rotation, and Flipped Models to create a new model that lends itself to efficiency in the classroom: the F.U.S.E. Learning Model.  The F.U.S.E. Learning Model is Facilitated Unrestricted self-paced blended learning models in a Student-centered learning Environment.

Throughout this six-week process we met using Google Hangouts, collaborated using Google Docs, and used a multimedia approach to collaboration. We submitted a draft to our class last week and were paired with a peer from a different group to provide constructive feedback. Here is the feedback in a googledoc that I was provided with. It was very helpful and the suggestions of my peer review and my team members peer review were extremely valuable.

Here is a look at our final project in Blendspace. We curated our Google Document Essay, Infographic, and multimedia video to show our collaborative efforts and solution to our problem in one place. Please share, comment, and enjoy!

 

 

REFERENCES:

Gee, J.P.  (2013).  The Anti-Education Era: Creating Smarter Students through Digital Learning. New York, New York:  Palgrave Macmillan.

 

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge?  Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70. Retrieved June 19, 2014 from http://tpack.org/

Approaches to ADHD in Education

Foot tapping, leg bouncing, pencil tapping, desk drumming, humming, leaving the desk, and other movements can be extremely disruptive in a traditional classroom. But, what if I told you that this frigidity student is doing this involuntarily due to a learning disorder called Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder?

This week in CEP 812, we researched specific learning disorders and struggles that educators must be aware of to approach instruction. The learning disorder I researched was Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). This is a learning disorder that I see when teaching in many sections I teach. This disorder is very prevalent in our society, but it can be combatted with effective instruction if the teacher understands the impact on the student.

This week, we were tasked with outlining the key facts about what is understood about the learning disability. We were then supposed to research strategies and solutions for the problems that this learning disorder brings to the classroom. And finally, we were to find a technology tool that can help supplement instruction and support instruction  for this learning challenge.

The technology tool I chose to use is: Text2MindMap.com. This tool is a way to turn a list of terms or notes into a visual aid. This is helpful for students with ADHD because of their inability to organize their thoughts. This tool is helpful in making connections of concepts, prewriting for an essay, and studying notes. 

Here is my Screencast about the use and benefits of Text2MindMap in classrooms with students with ADHD. 

Click Here to view my Essay.

 

References:

DeRuvo, S. L. (2009). Strategies for teaching adolescents with ADHD: Effective classroom techniques across the content areas. San Francisco, Calif: Jossey-Bass.

Wheeler, L. (2010). The ADHD toolkit. Los Angeles: SAGE.

Brock, S. E., Jimerson, S. R., & Hansen, R. L. (2009). Identifying, assessing, and treating ADHD at school. Dordrecht: Springer.

Nigg, J. T. (2006). What causes ADHD?: Understanding what goes wrong and why. New York: Guilford Press.

United States., & National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). (2006). ADHD fact sheet. Bethesda, Md.: Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Ratey, J. J., & Hagerman, E. (2008). Spark: The revolutionary new science of exercise and the brain. New York: Little, Brown.

Limitations in Solving Complex Problems

This week in CEP 812 we read James Paul Gee’s book, “The Anti-Education Era” to find out reasons that hold humans back from solving complex problems. This is valuable information for educators to know and think about when approaching teaching. Gee explains that we must use educational technology and critical thinking skills to teach students to solve extremely complex problems. Gee describes many schools that are merely involved with standardization and grades. He is very critical of this model of educating and does not think this will create life-long learners capable of succeeding in our ever-changing world. 

In my essay, I explain the limitations that prevent us from solving big, complex problems smartly. I focus primarily on chapter 7, “Pitfalls along Our Search for Status and Solidarity”, professional experience relating to this concept, and teaching solutions applicable to creating 21^st century learners based on my understanding of this limitation. I will explain a key problem with solving problems is our inability to value empirical fact and truth over our value of fitting in with social structures. I will explain this further in my essay. 

CLICK HERE TO READ MY ESSAY

Enjoy and feel free to respond!

 

REFERENCES:

Gee, J. P. (2013). The anti-education era: Creating smarter students through digital learning.  NewYork, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.

Digital Literacy Lesson Plan (Economics: Government Spending)

In my educational technologies class we have studied how the learning process is essential for creating meaningful connections to students. The “learner centered” approach encourages the teacher to facilitate learning in a positive environment that encourages collaboration and a sense of classroom community (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking 2000, p.25). This is vital to student growth. My lesson involves all these principles in a technology-based lesson designed and inspired after reading Douglas Thomas & John Seely Brown (2011) and Renee Hobbs (2011).

This is a lesson for my economics class. The lesson is about government spending and budgeting. This lesson comes toward the backend of my class in the macroeconomics section. I teach seniors at a school district that has technological capabilities to fulfill this ambitious lesson. This lesson will require computer access and will take place over 4 or 5 days. This lesson will support “21^st century” learning and promote an objective of creating autonomous “technology-literate” learners.

       Douglas Thomas & John Seely Brown (2011) suggest that learning has evolved and thrives on changes and rapid sharing of the changes (p. 37). They illustrate that the learning process should involve play and “experimental learning” should replace the classroom (teacher led) model (p.37-38). To this point, I have created a lesson that establishes a space for students to learn by analyzing information and then USING it to PLAY.

In Renee Hobbs book, Digital and Media Literacy: Connecting Culture and Classroom (2011), she talks about the importance of designing lessons around open-ended essential questions (p.15). The “open-ended” question in this lesson is:

“Which is better – tax hikes or spending cuts – when it comes to creating a balanced federal budget?”

This question has no correct answer and is open for interpretation and opinion. However, after this lesson students should have an understanding for academic and meaningful responses to this question that represents their understanding of our economy.

New technologies: I am using are googledocs and moodle in this lesson. I am also giving students space to play/experiment, then reflect and share with one another about what they learned. I use scaffolding to show students how to interpret digital articles and how to collaborate with their peers to produce a meaningful product. Students will use online resources supported by my district such as the “moodle” (course management system). Moodle is a great tool for sharing student work with one another and creating online lessons and assignments that give students space to explore. I also used my class website (located HERE) to enhance organization and student ease in understanding objectives, while staying organized.

This lesson achieves the content objectives for my curriculum (HSCEs) and also achieves a greater objective of teaching students to be “21^st century” learners. This lesson promotes skills in digital literacy and collaboration with peers. It allows students freedom to express themselves in a meaningful way and collaborate with peers whom agree and disagree with them to make them a well-rounded individual. The complete lesson plan and rational can be viewed HERE.  Enjoy.

REFERENCES:

 Bransford, J.D., Brown , A.L., & Cocking, R.R. (Eds.). (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand, Oaks, CA: Corwin/Sage.

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky: CreateSpace?.