Paola Ricaurte is a professor and researcher at University Tecnologico in the School of Education, Social Studies, and Humanities. This large private university is located in Monterrey, Mexico where STEM students are not "digital natives," according to Ricaurte. She said they understand how technology works, but not how to work with technology. Use technology to advance your technology career. But what about students in other majors? Should they utilize technology to progress their studies too? Ricaurte says yes.
The trick is to make technology interconnected within your content she said. When we start separating the two, then it makes it hard to easily navigate a digital-savvy learning style. Her phD is from Mexico's National School of Anthropology. Google defines anthropology as, "the study of human societies and cultures and their development." Her expertise in all things humans was a refreshing look into the education system. The point of her mission to help students understand that their learning is so much bigger than the boxed in walls of a classroom.
0 Comments
This poem warmed my soul and filled the air with a sense of hope that the little things really do matter. It's sometimes exhausting to think of and perform all those little things, especially when you don't know if it's worth it, but when you see "shoulders relax" and people "feel seen," then I know my heart strings' efforts are put to good use.
I am fortunate to get to experience kindness more often than other people probably. I'm surrounded by a community that loves me with particular individuals who keep their arms around me all day, wanting to care for me at all times. Random deliveries of something I need that day or don't need will show up. I receive forgiveness regularly from these particular people who pick up the weight on my shoulders and put them on the ground. They softly lift my chin up and remind me to look up. Earth depends on the web of life, which includes our secluded web of human life. We depend on each other, thriving off of random acts of kindnesses. The flowers depend on the bees and we depend on the flowers to care for each other. So, save the bees :). I'm going to pull in a few of my favorite phrases I found while searching education resources on readwritething.org and ncte.org.
"It is important for students to know how to evaluate messages conveyed by the news media. Exploration of the artistic techniques used in political cartoons leads to critical questioning." -Read, Write, Think "This lesson makes a connection to popular culture by asking students to research and analyze contemporary and historic protest songs and to catalogue them in a class wiki." -Read, Write, Think I just want to say that I was really impressed with readwritethink.org and all of its lesson plan ideas. They seemed to be highly connecting and engaging to the students so I will definitely use this website more often and I'm glad I know that now. Using cartoons, music, critical thinking, and class wikis are all perfect examples of connected learning based on my knowledge/research so far. Self-pace investigations and online learning credit was listed under "online learning" resources on the NCTE website which I thought were helpful ideas of personalized learning for students. At one of the local middle schools, students earn "money" when they level up in their literacy scores. They can store up this credit to use in the classroom shop. They don't all have to reach the same benchmark, they just have to improve to be rewarded. I feel like this combines self-pacing and online learning credit in an effective way. I was seeing good results. "Connected learning combines personal interests, supportive relationships, and opportunities. It is learning in an age of abundant access to information and social connection that embraces the diverse backgrounds and interests of all young people." -Connected Learning Alliance
I want to support my students' interests, their relationships with the world/Earth, and create opportunities that engages these interests and relationships. "Learning is irresistible...when it connects personal interests to meaningful relationships and real-world opportunity." -Connected Learning Alliance I really like this bold statement by the CLA because we are curious creatures that often get our sense of wonderment smooshed by the education system. I'm excited to keep learning more about connected learning and how I can uplift my students' natural sense to learn. We like to like which is why our interests often become priority. We like to have interpersonal relationships with others and it is scientifically proven that we need others to 100% sane. We also like being successful so when opportunities are clearly visible and attainable, our piqued interests may be up to the task. Do you think that this is the case for yourself? I don't want to generalize here. One of the reasons I wanted to do this badge was because it is focusing on being relevant for the students even past the school walls. That's so important! Our environment is too complicated, large, and interesting to be limited. How can I give my students the tools to access this type of learning? The first time I heard the phrase "failing forward" I was watching Will Smith give a commencement speech at a University. It kind of hit me. When I trip on the sidewalk crack that mysteriously elevates itself since the day before, I usually fall forward. When I fail, do I fall forward too? Well, I want my students to fall forward if a sidewalk crack jumps out in front of them. When they're trying to find solutions to highly challenging issues, they're going to fail because let's face it, solving world hunger doesn't happen overnight. How do I create an atmosphere for my students to feel comfortable failing? I want to start with the concept of the forward motion. Making mistakes equips us with a better tool belt. Don't let the idea of being wrong hold you back from the next step of the journey. Pointing this out to students will hopefully allow them to be more aware the results of failing. There are two options. Which one will they choose? I'm going to support them in their bumps in sidewalk with matched expectations for the rest of the class. I don't remember any specific tests I took in middle school, but I do remember when we created an info-sheet for a doctor's office. I felt more useful. I wanted to use my knowledge that I had learned in that class to help patients coming into a waiting area. These design projects are supposed to be similar to this. Students need to apply their knowledge into a workable action for the community. Some examples given include: adding community gardens, creating a tourist brochure, making bus maps for better transportation, and cleaning up highways. There are lists and lists of ideas for students to implement tangibly. |
Greetings!I'm Kelly! I like to find beauty in what might seem mundane to us over time and bring to life what we experience each day. Check out the About Me tab for an additional look at who I am. Archives
July 2019
Taking an image, freezing a moment, reveals how rich reality truly is. |