Learning Styles: This is Something We Need to Talk About

I recently read a report on the variety of learning styles that people exhibit, and the implications of each. I decided that I wanted to take a test to find out exactly which category or categories I feel into. The results, while not startling, were very definitive. The following screen shots appeared after I completed my test:

I am an extremely auditory person according to the test. Being an auditory learning is not surprising to me, but I thought my learning style would be more well rounded and reflect many intelligences. The study suggest that I would be successful practicing in the written or spoken work. In my own personal experiences I have found it rather easy for me to absorb and retain information by simply listening. My friends often comment that I do not forget things that have occured in the past, and I suppose that is due to my ability to catalog my experiences. The articles suggested I would be wise to either record and scribe lessons and lectures. While I did take notes in many of my college courses, I never found that had a definite impact on my ability to retain knowledge. Although I will certainly say the suggestion to engage in conversation, debate, and word play are areas that excite me intellectually. As the study would also suggest, I do struggle at times to find personal merit in presenting my learning visually or though music. I also do not find hands on learning to be entirely enriching, although I will comment that I do love to cook, garden, build, and perform athletics. When I am in a situation where I need to learn how to do something regarding those hobbies, I typically do turn to the internet for written sources to research.

As a teacher this is intriguing to me, because it makes me compelled to have students complete this same task. This is not because I think it would impact my teaching style, as I feel I take a multifaceted approach regardless of my own personal preferences, but because I think it would be beneficial for students to know what areas are strengths for them. I think this would help them to frame more difficult types of tasks into a context that works for their strengths, but also to push themselves in appropriate directions when they are given a choice for how to complete their learning. As previously stated, I do not think this will change my current approach to teaching, but mostly because I already believe in presenting learning in multiple ways, and also in giving students a choice in how they extend their learning. All educators should be willing to mix up the way a classroom works. Lecture, Powerpoint, video, art, discussion, music, performance, and reading (to name a variety) all have a place in a classroom. They key is finding the right balance to make the content accessible and exciting.

Working with Creative Commons

I have spent time this past week looking at how copyright law, creative commons, fair share use, and other procedures work. As a teacher, I am often tempted to borrow materials others have presented and reuse them. Many are hesitant to take such actions, as copyright law seams unclear. There are some guidelines some prescribed, but as just a little research would indicated, most of those guidelines are words and not reality. The truth is, copyright law is very unclear. Some sources are entirely copyrighted, some hold partial protection, and others are free source and open to use and editing. Different types of media hold different levels and lengths of protection and that makes things rather confusing.

For any avid user of technology and media, the thing to consider should truly be, "how did I use the content?" If you can make a case that you used the media in a way that respected the content, but created something more than was already there, then you have probably satisfied law. For example, if you use music as a backdrop to a slide show, you've done nothing new or creative with the music, so this would not stand up. However, if you used the instrumental version of a song and laid down an original vocal track on it, then you have created something original. Picture and film can be viewed in a similar vain.

All this got me to think about images. In my own teaching I love to analyze images. As a teacher of world studies, this would be difficult as I have not traveled the world, therefore do not have personal photographs of the world. It is easy to find photos using a google image search, but that isn't always the best way if you intend to accurately site the true source. A couple of good tool for usable content is Creative Commons and Flickrs version of the creative commons. These are places where people put materials they actually want to encourage others to use.

This all inspired me to share some of my images on Flickr. Within a lesson I was reading, I saw a photo that is currently posted in Flickrs creative commons. The photo, taken by Joe Friedoff is titled, "Erickson Hall." I found this title interesting, as it is actually a picture of Munn Field with Spartan Stadium in the background. And so to help the internet community, I posted my own picture of Erickson Hall, with the name printed on the building.

I then continued through the site to look though other picture. I found a photo by user Ennadha of a peaceful protest in the Middle East. I would use this in my classroom to juxtapose the image that the US and world media tend to portray, which is of violent revolution. I think this picture helps to inform people that a mass majority of people in this region are rational and peaceful, just as is the case in any other part of the world.

Photo Attribution:

Original Image:   اختتام الحملة الانتخابية ببن عروس

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ennahdha/6267746396/

By: Ennadha

Feel free to view my Flickr photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/68924841@N04/

PC Maintenance and Security

 Using msconfig to speed up your PC's startup
I found a cool new way to manage my computers start up using msconfig. Using this function I can adjust what automatically starts up on my computer when I turn it on. You do not have to go through and change system preferences for each program, rather you can just use msconfig through the windows run page and work through it all in one spot. Many programs when installed designate themselves for startup. This causes computer to run much slower. I tested this on my brothers computer that wasn't working (internet not connecting), and we found that it was because he had multiple startup programs attempting to manage the wireless card. Thank goodness we checked msconfig.

Testing your firewall using ShieldsUp^®
ShieldsUp is a web based tool that checks your firewalls and basically will tell you if your computer is vulnerable to hackers getting though, and if so provide assistance in correcting such issues. Firstly, I was shocked I had never heard of Gibson (the creator of this program), as he apparently is wildly successful and his protective programs are among the leaders in each of their respective categories. This points to an ominous fact that I am not very safe at the current time. I am going to make some changes to my computer after running shields up, and this should help me from getting hacked by individuals or viruses in the future.
 

Using pop-up blockers
I did not realize that you could turn on a popup blocker, but make site exceptions to stop it from blocking individual popups you actually want (say from my bank). I was annoyed that for class we had to turn the blocker off, but now I can put it back on but allow my popup blocker to still load popups from angel and wikispaces! I also did not know the google tool bar added more blocking power than what my current browsers themselves provide. After watching this video, I did more independent research on good blockers and found another add-on feature that blocks popups and ads on sites. It is called ad-block. After installing it I took a look on many sites I frequent and noticed all ads had vanished. Sites look more content specif and friendly to the eye now. I love it!

Reflection on RSS after two weeks of use:

Using RSS has been an interesting experience. There are things I like about it, and things I am not as keen on. I decided after about a week to make iGoogle my homepage. I liked being able to see articles on various sites pop up instantly. I found that I visited my regular sites about just as much anyways, but educational sites much more. Honestly, a lot of that has to do with the fact that I do not regularity seek out articles on education, but rather wait until they find me. After seeing an Anderson Cooper piece on bullying in school, I shared the link with two teacher friends, Annie and Jenny. Annie decided to actually use the videoblog in her classroom. It was exciting for me because I am taking the year off and working part time at a non-teaching job and attending classes full time. It made me feel as if I am still having some influence in a classroom. 

To fully utilize having an RSS page, I think I will need to change the way I use the internet. I have a mac (which goes to sleep every time you close the screen) and I am not in the habit of ever closing my internet browsers, which means I rarely go to my homepage, because I am never getting “on the the first time.” What this means is that I only went to my RSS page when I was actively thinking about it, which is only a couple of times a day. That may sound like a lot to some, but for a person who spends multiple hours a day with their computer it is very little. If I want to fully realize the potential I will have to alter these habits.

Changing habits is tough to do, but I am definitely capable of it. Just as an example of why would be simply because I read a story called “Twitter on Snowday.” The basic of the story is that a girl woke to her father telling her she had a snowday, only to find out when looking on her twitter account there her phone that her teacher was still intending to provide a lesson for the day to his students, but through twitter. The idea was amazing to me. 1. I cannot imagine how that would even function, and 2. I can't believe the level of participation that the teacher experienced. But it is truly this story that inspires me to want to try even harder at learning how to use technology in the classroom. If someone had his classroom abuzz about history while home for a snow day. If those students can adapt to that, I can certainly start using RSS more often.

Getting Things Done: A look at David Allen

David Allen is an expert on organizing ones schedule and attempting to put oneself in a good position to complete tasks efficiently and well. There are some things I really like about David Allen's process. I particularly liked a couple of his early questions he suggest people consider when organizing various tasks: "Is it actionable? If no, toss it or put it in a file for a later time" and "Will it take less then 2 minutes? Yes, do it. No, then..." His suggestion that you're less productive when you are preoccupied by thinking about other things you have to do is exactly right. These two questions can help to alleviate most issues. If you cannot act on a potential tast, then you really can't concern yourself with it in the first place. And if it can be accomplished in a couple minutes, then you probably should stop putting it off. Past this point though, I think I envision my time management a little bit different.

For the sake of giving David Allen the benefit of the doubt, I decided I would give his process of organizing tasks a shot. I choose to use a google spread sheet, with multiple tabs (one of each of his 4 categories: Projects (you have a commitment to finish), Calendar (actions that must occur on a specific day or time), Next Actions – (actions that need to be done as soon as possible), Waiting for – (projects and actions others are supposed to be doing, which you care about). Each also had a column for date. That way I could use the spread sheet to organize categories, but have a built in calendar since you can reorder a spreadsheet by date too.

Honestly, I found the process somewhat annoying just because I already organize most of my obligations on a calendar anyways. As far as projects with undefined dates (e.g. extend driveway, repair roof, sand and paint basement walls, etc.), I don't find I have a problem with mentally organizing these and choosing to complete work when I have the time. If I simply have my scheduled tasks already in a calendar, I find it much easier to figure out when I have spare time for other projects. I am a person who prefers to look at deadlines. I think maintaining a calendar is a more useful macro management program for me. I think creating lists would help me on a micro scale though. I know whenever I have a big project it helps me to make a list ordering the task I need to complete. This helps me by making sure I do not forget something, and I can visualize progress.

Ultimately, I am going to continue to give the process a shot. Especially those two questions to ask when considering the value of completing smaller tasks. I still think my bread and butter will be my calendar though.

Social Networking should just be called living life like a normal person.

Networking can be a powerful thing, and as all things 21^st century, networking is now done through the internet. The clear kings of what is referred to as social networking are Facebook and Twitter, although for my business minded colleagues, they may cite LinkedIn. I have for sometime been a member to all these sites, plus more, although the frequency in which I use most of them varies. Most people tend to stick to a few niche sites. Overwhelming evidence would suggest educators would be wise to take a look at Facebook. I was a senior in high school when Facebook arrived on the scene, and lucky enough to have been accepted to college and granted a university email when creator Mark Zukerberg started added colleges to his small network. Today, Facebook is for everyone, having first expanded to include high schoolers, then people in general, and more recently businesses of all kinds. Facebook has meanwhile expanded its capabilities to include all sorts of applications. It would be my opinion that Facebook chat is singlehandedly responsible for taking down social giant AIM (AOL). The problem with Facebook is that it invites people to share themselves, and as all things internet, people tend to share too much.

When educators seek out ways to connect with their school communities, they are searching for a safe zone which will illuminate them in a positive light. Is ones Facebook page which includes post from their younger years, and from friends unaware of the importance of image the correct place to do so? I think no, and yes. When Facebook was first created you had to verify your account with a school email. Today, you can use any email you want. I am not going to bother looking up how many people are on facebook, because the truth is no one knows. How many fake requests have you gotten? How many friends declared they were done with the social network after losing their password or having deactivated their accounts only to come back weeks later with a completely new profile? That's the beauty of Facebook, you can start over with a fresh slate if you want. Or better yet, you can have two disguises like all public figures naturally do anyways (IN THE REAL WORLD).

During my student teaching, a friend who worked in the same school created an alternate Facebook on which students could friend. At first I thought it was an ill-conceived plan, but then after seeing the student excitement I began to think more about the idea. If I were in control of the content on my alternate page, what was there to really fear? I would build my profile stocked with the things I would already share with my students (I like to build, I love my dog, and I think learning is fun!), and perhaps a few more surprises they could find of things they might find relatable (look at me and my little brother at the MSU game). This would help establish myself as a real live person outside the confines of school. But it also would allow me to be heard even when I wasn't around. For example, I would sometimes post when we had upcoming assessments. Imagine, students typically look at their newsfeed to see what their peers are up to, now they will be faced with updates like, “don't forget about the big history test tomorrow!” Better yet, I was also able to connect with parents who also saw these updates.

Social networking might be something that is easier for me to adopt than others. Being a 24 year old, my vision of recreational computer use is rather similar to that of todays middle and high school students. Furthermore, because of my lifetime exposure to technology, I am a quick learn when it comes to using technology. In addition to using Facebook to update the classroom community on what's going on, I have also used class wikis. I have been asked several times by more experienced teachers why I bother, and how much time it takes. It seems that the most common reason people cite in avoiding technology is because it takes too much time. In truth, it becomes almost like a template. There is an order of operations to using any website. Once you establish an order, it becomes quite simple. I sometimes outline entire lessons using the internet as my platform, making it possible to post what essentially turns out to be a lesson narrative directly onto the web. I don't usually choose to make those post public, but the point is I could. Social networking can be social, it can be professional, but more importantly for myself and the generations which are currently our k-12 students, it is always second nature.

Studies say people are reading less books. They say we are no longer reading the paper (well, profit deficits are saying that). They say our creativity is lost. The truth is, young people today largely exist electronically. I probably spend at least a quarter of my day reading, it's just all by the cold blue light of my computer monitor. I'm sure there are people who would think that statistic is grotesque and sad, and in some ways maybe it is, but it is real. If we want to do a better job in reaching young people these days, then we'll have migrate to their territory. It isn't more difficult, it's just different.

BELOW are some screenshots showing my uses of social networking:

I joined MACUL space as part of CEP 810

I joined MACUL space as part of CEP 810

I was already a member of LinkedIn, but had not joined any groups until CEP 810 suggested I should. Funny enough, I received two requests for making new connections with former classmates after joining, and discovered a former HS classmate was also taking the same course and had also joined these groups.

I find twitter to be basically Facebook status updates. If Facebook would allow you to do topic searches, and had a privacy setting that allowed for famous people to have more flexibility in terms of who can post to/with them, twitter wouldn't even exists.

This is my personal Facebook, as you can see it has a lot more activity and information about me on it.

This is my student friendly facebook. I've blanked out their names for obvious reasons, but you can tell it is a little more bare bones. It does include an inside joke between students and I as my name (Schmidtenhoffer was my family name, but shortened after my family moved to the US. I told my students this during a conversation about immigrant assimilation. During the track season I coached, and students attempting to guess my middle name. Upon finding out it was James, my track name become JJ Schmidtenhoffer, and in class I was either Mr. Schmidt or Mr. Schmidtenhoffer. Another detail I'd like to highlight on here is a conversation with a former student. He messaged me indicating that he had not gone to school at the beginning of the year, and was not sure if he would. We had a long conversation through facebook chat where I told him why he should, and that I expected him to go in. Several days later I posted as my status that I wondered if he had. He responded saying he'd gone everyday since we talked. It is moments like these that make social networking particularly exciting, and our ability to connect with students that much more visible.

 

Google Calendars different than iCal, but better?

Prior to the assignment for CEP 810, I was using iCal to make a calendar to organize my obligations. I liked that iCal was really easy to edit, that that it could be exported as an entire Calendar, but I knew I had to give google calendar a shot too.

The first think I noticed that was different was that they made it really annoying to switch between colors. I think it is important to color code obligations, because of the fact that some things are clearly more important than others. By having everything color coded, one can more quickly determine which things are meant to be attended to first. To solve this dilemma, I made multiple calendars for myself. These included a calendar for personal obligations, my different courses I am taking, and even calendars for my favorite sports teams (MSU and the Detroit Lions). I wanted to embed these to my blog, but Google does not allow embedding of these calendars as a multi-overlay yet, which I did find annoying. I also do not like that it defaults to showing you a week as opposed to a months view. Overall, I am fine with it, but I do think they should make it easier to just combine all the calendars. Also, on iCal you can toggle between catagories and choose the topic (eg Personal) that you want the event to go under, thus saving you the time of toggling between categories and reassigning the colors.

ANYWAYS, picture below: