Jenny Knox wrote in her blog that, "It has taken longer than I expected for all the pieces and new learnings to begin to fall into a place where I can begin to see the connections and make sense of it all. I am thankfully edging closer to that with each class, reading, video, discussion, along with a whole lot of thinking." This captured my feelings really well, I'm also in the awkward position of not teaching in a classroom right now. I am using a friend's students for research, but not having my own classroom makes it difficult to pontificate on what I'm currently doing in my practice.
Last semester was over the summer, so I didn't really do any action research (per se) I was working with ex post facto data. I also felt like my DQ sort of got hijacked from my original idea, and I haven't done any new research yet, so I'm in a bit of a holding pattern. However, one of the things I'm looking at is the use of a digital tool for students to report on their reading. I've been reflecting lately on how I can teach the principles of design to the students so their products will be stronger. Will they even care? Are they likely to be engaged? Can I make the case that the principles of design matter in an English classroom?
I think for me the biggest connection's so far have been about my instruction design. Things like reading Baggio's book and realizing that my digital creations don't have to be big and flashy, and in fact they're better if they aren't. Thinks like, looking at the concept of digital citizenship and realizing that even though I talk about it with my students...I'm not talking about it enough. Somehow I have to find the time. I have always felt like I had a good eye for design, and I'm finding out that that's fairly true, but now with the info I'm getting from Baggio and Clark I know why things work or don't.
I wish I could talk about all they ways that I'm thinking and working outside the box, but I struggle with that a lot. I tend to be very conventional and I really struggle to come up with cool ideas unless I've seen someone do it before. How do you get better at being creative? At being a good out of the boxer?
Last semester was over the summer, so I didn't really do any action research (per se) I was working with ex post facto data. I also felt like my DQ sort of got hijacked from my original idea, and I haven't done any new research yet, so I'm in a bit of a holding pattern. However, one of the things I'm looking at is the use of a digital tool for students to report on their reading. I've been reflecting lately on how I can teach the principles of design to the students so their products will be stronger. Will they even care? Are they likely to be engaged? Can I make the case that the principles of design matter in an English classroom?
I think for me the biggest connection's so far have been about my instruction design. Things like reading Baggio's book and realizing that my digital creations don't have to be big and flashy, and in fact they're better if they aren't. Thinks like, looking at the concept of digital citizenship and realizing that even though I talk about it with my students...I'm not talking about it enough. Somehow I have to find the time. I have always felt like I had a good eye for design, and I'm finding out that that's fairly true, but now with the info I'm getting from Baggio and Clark I know why things work or don't.
I wish I could talk about all they ways that I'm thinking and working outside the box, but I struggle with that a lot. I tend to be very conventional and I really struggle to come up with cool ideas unless I've seen someone do it before. How do you get better at being creative? At being a good out of the boxer?