Archive for category education

Authentic Learning

Apr 1

Posted by John Howell in education, learning | 1 Comment

Where do I begin?

I’ll start with Authentic Learning.

My understanding of this is it’s an opportunity to utilize a variety of skills and talents to create something magnificent.  To have a rich experience filled with challenges and obstacles that allows you to use your strengths and possibly develop a certain skill set to solve problems.  To be able to design something you are passionate about and then share that with a larger community.

An authentic learning experience brings people together and gives them a chance to synergize and create something more wonderful than they could have done alone.  It is collaborative, yet there is an understanding and a call for creative autonomy within an interdependent situation.

Authentic learning experiences requires a plethora of effective personal characteristics that if used well, leave those involved with a sense of great satisfaction and accomplishment and inspires others.

Does such learning even exist?  If so, where?

Well my friends, I am here to tell you Authentic Learning does exist and it can happen on a stage.

We have just finished our second annual musical performance, Pirates of the Curry Bean, with about 60 elementary students from K-5.  It was a monumental undertaking that brought our entire community together.

I humbly witnessed the depth and breadth of talent that the parents of our school community brought with them to this production in order to give the students this authentic learning experience.

I was so deeply touched and moved while watching our young students day in and day out step up to the challenges that a full production like this offered.  Kids are quite amazing and can accomplish so much when appropriately challenged and given the support to succeed.

I am grateful to have been a part of this musical production and to have witnessed this amazing authentic learning experience in action.

From bended knee, I thank thee.

Media Literacy

Jan 22

Posted by John Howell in education | 1 Comment

I am working with our Library Media Specialist on designing a Global Warming Unit for fifth graders.

We signed up for a Digital Media Literacy workshop organized by Chris Sperry from Project Look Sharp who is training us on how to embed Media Literacy skills within the Science Curriculum. One of the goals for this workshop is to create a lesson plan that will be posted online.

Our work can be found at the Library Science and Teacher’s Alliance website where we are piecing together our ideas with the help of Chris.

At this point, my understanding of Media Literacy means to use a sense of critical thinking to be able to:

  • analyze and interrupt the bias of a particular piece of media
  • determine the credibility of a particular piece of media
  • gain an understanding of multiple perspectives on a single topic.

This type of thinking will have to be taught to my students.  It’s not easy and to be honest I am learning how to do these very important skills myself.

What does Media Literacy mean to you?

What are some examples of how you decode and analyze the media sources in your life?

Engaging in critical thinking when evaluating media messages
 Being able to evaluate the credibility of information from different sources
 Recognizing media’s influence on beliefs, attitudes, values, behaviors, and
the democratic process

Labor Day Ramblin’

Sep 5

Posted by John Howell in education | No Comments

Warning ~ a “talking head” video ahead ~ proceed with caution.

What better to do than talk to yourself during a long drive home.

In this case I happened to grab my handy dandy iPod Touch and document this momentary lapse of reason.  Please keep in mind that this is what I look like after a long weekend of hard labor in the landscaping business.  I am clearly in need of clean shave.

List of resources I mentioned in the video:

How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education

Jul 16

Posted by John Howell in education, learning | No Comments

How the Internet is Revolutionizing Education
Via: OnlineEducation.net

Paradigm Shifts

Apr 6

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“These significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

Albert Einstein.

As we move forward in education over the course of the next several years we will be faced with significant challenges.  Let us be mindful and open to the possibilities that maybe, just maybe we will have to be willing to experience several paradigm shifts in order to break through to real solutions.

Without a doubt, Stephen Covey’s synthesized ideas can be transposed into the field of education.  Here is a video of him speaking of Thomas Kuhn’s coined term, Paradigm Shift.

Synthesizin’

Feb 21

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I wrote a song…kinda.  Perhaps instead of using the word “wrote” I should use the word “synthesized.”  Lets try that.  I really didn’t write a tune rather I synthesized a set of ideas and then put my own music to it.

Give it a listen.
Lifted Line by jazzymiles

Lifted Line

Liberty will reign

in the face of tyranny

Yes, I too sing America

Yes we can

-

Make a difference

Letting go

Make a difference

remember the water buffalo

-

Ultimately it’s a wonderful life

Bright lights and blue skies

Ultimately it’s a wonderful world

with the love of a girl.

-

Is this what we do as educators?  We stand on the shoulders of those before us, synthesize of set of ideas, and then adapt them to our classrooms in a way that makes sense to us and our students.  And perhaps in the midst of that journey we may, just may create something original.

How The Marine Corps Has Prepared Me For Teaching

Jan 23

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I have to think that it was the 5 years that I served in the United States Marine Corps that has prepared for me for a lifetime of teaching.  As we move forward over the course of the next 5 years we will be faced with a variety of challenges within the educational system that will cause major disruption.

Are we prepared for this disruption?

As a Marine, we were constantly being told to, “do more with less.”  It was simply the way things were.  We accepted the challenges, created a plan, and enthusiastically worked together to accomplish training missions that we never thought we could.

Our bodies and our minds were brought to the edge on a daily basis.

After each training mission we would evaluate the outcome and make adjustments where necessary for the next set of training operations.

I see the work we are doing in education to be similar in many ways.  We are being asked to do more with less.  Between the national, state, and local mandates that are being pushed down, proposed budget cuts, taxation issues, and teacher accountability it’s no wonder folks are a little on edge.  However, I see a grand opportunity.

I believe we will be much more effective at what we do in 5 years. For those of us that come out on the other side, we will have gone through a process together that will make us, as we would say in the Marines, a tight unit.  It certainly won’t be easy going through challenging times but if we focus on what’s best for kids we can’t go wrong.

Here are a few ideas I jotted down about how the Marines have mentally prepared me for a lifetime of teaching.

Marines vs. Teaching

Oreo Cookie

Sep 21

Posted by John Howell in education | No Comments

It’s funny how some of our lessons seem to take on a life of their own.

A friend from school shared this video with me that she planned on using with her first graders and I just had to try it with my fifth graders too.   Take a peak

The video, although short certainly packs a powerful punch, and the students quickly picked up on the message.

I have asked the students to think of this Oreo Cookie commercial as we move into our new school year.  There may be those times when books are dropped or a student bumps into another as they make their way through the halls.  My challenge to them:

Find ways to be kind and helpful to one another.  Look for opportunities to help the younger students in the building.  You are the role models and leaders of this school and you can use the Oreo Cookie commercial as your guide.

This idea seems to be gaining momentum as I am overhearing the students call out, “Oreo Cookie” throughout the building as they find ways to be helpful and kind to others.  It’s certainly a catchy phrase and the message is most definitely something the students can “bite” into.

Nothin’ like spreadin’  some goodness!

It Is What It Is, Or Is It?

Aug 11

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I would love to share the detailed stories of my summer vacation telling you about my toes burried deep in southern sands or my spontaneous adventures of glory, but quite frankly I’d be lying.  On the contrary, I have spent this summer completely out of my comfort zone and it has made all the difference. 

Let me explain.

Tools.  Whether it be a hammer, wrench, or screwdriver, people who know me usually run the other way when they see that I have tools in my hand.  Perhaps I could give you a visual.  Ok, try this:  imagine blind folding yourself, spinning around a couple dozen times and then trying to hammer a nail…with your non-dominant hand.  This would give you but a glimpse of the show you would get when there are tools in my hand. 

Really, it’s no problem, it is what it is. However, this summer I have purchased a business that has required me to solve a variety of problems using lots of tools, and NOT Web2.0 tools either.  Luckily I have been working alone so no one has been forced to run the other way.

What I have come to discover (about myself) is that there are a couple of key elements or common characteristics that I have relied upon to manage my awkward time of problem solving this summer. 

  1. Patience
  2. Desire
  3. Perserverance 

Patience
Oh, there were times when it was lost but it was after I had a clear head that I was able to discover a solution.

Desire
It was ultimately my choice to purchase this business and because of that I desperately wanted to solve these problems.

Perserverance
Albert Einstein’s famous quote could be heard from me, usually through clenched teeth, “if you keep trying the same thing you will keep getting the same results John…”  When I found myself in a jam and those tools were in my hand I kept trying different solutions over and over again, sometimes for hours, until the problem was solved.

These have literally been the pillars of support that I have relied upon daily, and they have effectively become a habit for me.  I can hear Angela Maiers now adding that  attitude probably played a key role here as well, and I too would agree. 

As the school year is quickly gearing up and my time using tools in shadeless fields is coming to a seasonal end I am asking myself, “How can I can bring these lessons into my classroom?”  As we design our Class Vision this year I would certainly like to encompass these habits of mind starting on day one and have them become a common and daily language, habit, and attitude for all of us.

Learning From Passionate People

Jul 4

Posted by John Howell in education | 4 Comments

My Uncle Rich is steeped in passion for the great outdoors.  You can’t help but want to drop everything and get some fishing poles and head for the closest pond after hearing him tell one of his stories.  So, that’s exactly what we did.

Uncle Rich and Gavin

One of the bulleted items on this summer’s bucket list is to take the kids fishing and who better to lead us on our little adventure than someone whose love, knowledge and passion for fishing is literally contagious.  Perhaps he was inspired by his father, but Uncle Rich’s natural energy, rich knowledge, and love for the sport made it easy to get enthralled in his words of wisdom as he lead my children and I to the edge of a local pond.

As we got out of the van, grabbed our fishing gear, and walked through the tall uncut grass toward the seclusive water’s edge, Uncle Rich’s tone in his voice changed and he seemed to take on an elevated sense of excitement.   My two kids were glued to his every word.  He quickly setup the poles and baited the hook with Golden Shiners and within 60 seconds the fish were hitting our line.  I was completely immersed in the moment and couldn’t believe just how much fun I was having.

Watching Uncle Rich was like watching an artist at work.  He knew the language, knew how to move from bait to hook to bobber with finesse, and seemed to glide over the landscape as he was teaching Gavin how to cast and what to watch for.  It was without a doubt a well orchestrated event that was indeed an honor to be a part of; my children’s first fishing experience.

Uncle Rich Teaching the Kids

Learning from passionate people makes for an unforgettable experience.  My kids will never forget their time on the banks of that old bass filled pond.  Ultimately, our lives will be filled with experiences and wouldn’t it be wonderful if they were all lead by those as passionate as my Uncle Rich.  Learning does not have to take place in a classroom and it certainly does not have to take place from answering questions on a worksheet.  Sometimes learning takes place where you least expect it ~ at the edge of a pond.

Here’s a Flickr Set of more photos and videos.