Mark's+Page

=choice book presentation= =media type="custom" key="12374056"= =Technology tools for RRT=

media type="custom" key="11070860" = = = = =Return to class home page= =__**Wiki Experimentation**__=
 * 1) ==**Prezi example for checks and Balances in a US Government lesson**==

**__ [|Glogster for the classroom] __**

Imagine that you are writing a book with 5 chapters on education (Look to the course descriptions http://nlumarch2012.wikispaces.com/ for ballpark connections to Term 3 subject matter). Address all four of the questions below:

= Here are the first Five chapters of my book: = =__ Where are we Going? __= = Chapter 1: How can you get your school to connect to the real world? =

= Chapter 2:How can we make our students color blind? = = What do minority students see that I don't? = = = = = = = = = = = = Poverty is an "invisible" color. = = = = = = = = Diversity is more than skin deep. = = = = How do I properly prepare my students for a diverse world in a not diverse school? = = = = What are the pitfalls of teaching diversity? = = = = =

but also religion, economic status, family structure, beliefs, community involvement, etc.
= Chapter 3: What adjustments do we need to make for the new century? =

How can it work in my classroom?
=== Rather than using the core textbooks this could be an opportunity to explore a new piece of technology. Programs out there I would like to use but have not been able to take the time includes Prezi, using more aspects of MOODLE, GIS for geography classes, etc. === === Coauthors need to explore web 2.0 programs that can be incorporated into classrooms slowly so teachers do not become overwhelmed. Also contact new technology companies and resources to set up tutorials so I as an author can understand how new technology is out there and if it is appropriate for my classroom or just a toy. === = Chapter 4: Are we effective? =

Core textbook readings: Un-standardizing Curriculum ch 7, 8 and 9 and Educational Foundations ch 10
=== Co-authors, need to get connected with online educators and find out, what works, what doesn't. Find units within active curriculum when an assessment besides a test can be used effectively and still prepare students for the high stakes of an ACT. Analyze the specific goals and areas that state standardised tests covere so classroom activities can prepare them. Also find the latest resources. Preparing a student for a career that does not exist, or an irrelevant skill in the 21st century is not effective teaching. ===

Core textbook readings: Educational Foundations Part IV: ch. 21-25.
**__ Interview Assignment __**

Olec is a custodian at Mukwonago High School. Like myself he is 28 years old and while growing up wanted to become a teacher. The difference is that Olec went to High School in Vinnytsya Ukraine school number 13. Unlike many of our schools that are named after prominent figures in our national, world or local communities Ukraine numbers their schools. Vinnystsya is the capital city of the “state” Vinnystsya. The city population is around 500,000 (although a website put it at 350,000) and has 32 schools. Olec went to school number 13. Just like here where many schools have a rivalry for friendly and sometimes not so friendly competition school 13’s rivalry was school number 12, the “Russian school.” Now today both schools are very much Ukrainian but during the Cold War Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. Many schools throughout Ukraine and other Soviet states were made up of a population of students from Russian families that were relocated by the Russian government for work, military etc. School number 12 was one of those schools. They were right next to each other, one school functioning with the Ukrainian language, and the other functioning in Russian. The Soviet Union fell apart and Ukraine gained its independence in 1991. However the changes in the classroom were slow to come. Olec was in elementary school and despite the independence he remembers how much at the younger level he was taught __respect.__ When a teacher entered the room all students had to stand. If you had a question of were going to answer a question you had to raise your hand keeping your elbow on your desk and then stand once you were called on. He also remembered teachers teaching him how to sit in a desk. Back must be kept straight and arms folded on the desk. Students also had school uniforms. Boys had collared shirts, either brown or blue and a triangular scarf. Every week the collars needed to be removed, washed and reattached. Girls had to wear dresses every day with their hair up in either pony tails or pig tails with a hair piece with a decorative flower. Within the classroom and in town Olec continued to see portraits and statues of old Soviet leaders such as Lenin, Stalin or Gorbachev even after the Independence of Ukraine. The social studies curriculum was always changing as in the early 90’s the textbooks still talked about the positives of Communism but by the time Olec graduated Communism was vilified in their classrooms. Today there is a generation gap with many older people in Ukraine wanting the return of Communism while much of the younger generation wants to keep capitalism and democracy that they currently have. Olec’s experience as a student in Vinnystsya was rather positive. He was a good student who received 4s and 5s on his grade reports. In Ukraine they do not use the 4 point or ABCDF grading scale we use here in the states. Instead it was a 1-2-3-4-5 with a 1 being a poor score and a 5 being similar to an A+. However like all changing education systems they were looking at changing that system by the time Olec graduated and they were possibly going to change to a 12 point system. This would eliminate the need for a grade like a 3+ or 3-, if you earned what we think of as an A+ you would receive a 12, but if you got an A- you would receive a 10. The classrooms at school #13 had some requirements I think I would enjoy, and others I would not. For example, every classroom had a window. Since this is my third year at Mukwonago with no windows that sounds pretty good. The school was in the shape similar to a rectangle or square with a courtyard in the middle and made with three levels. Younger students would attend school on the first level, older students on the second and the oldest on the top level. However with was divided up still even more. The youngest students of the district would attend school in the morning from about 8:00am to 2:00pm, and the older students would attend school from 3:00pm until about 8:00pm. I’ve noticed a similar concept while traveling to Costa Rica where students would either go to school in the morning or evening. Within the classrooms, students stay in the same room all day. Instead of having the students travel from class to class for the different subjects, the teachers were the ones traveling from room to room. This is the aspect I don’t think I would like as much. I definitely like having my own room to organize, set up, etc. Discipline in Ukraine sounds similar to discipline here in the States. Teachers would have a book they would take notes in to provide students with behavior comments much like comments on our report cards. The desire to perform well in class came from home life and the value of education and behavior being taught by your family. However one difference has to do with enforcement of discipline. Even though teachers hitting students for punishment is not encouraged it was allowed if parents were ok with it. That sounds similar to my experience in Arkansas where students could be paddled by teachers or administration if parents signed a consent form. However Olec’s family was not ok with the discipline his brother’s technology education teacher used. Olec did admit his brother had a tendancy to cause some trouble at times, but when he came home with bruises on his throat from the tech teacher his parents were not pleased. Rather than going to the principal or authorities (I’m not sure what help would have been provided) Olec’s Dad went right to the tech teacher, grabbed him by the throat and presented the message, if the teacher doesn’t like it then don’t do it to the students. While education was free for all students they did have to work for it. One thing they were “strongly encouraged” to do was bring in paper or scrap metal to be recycled. The money made from the recycling would then go to the school to help fund the district. This is when the competition with the Russian school would some times come in. Olec remembered at one point, students from school 13 sneaking over to school 12 and stealing some of their scrap metal for their “recycling requirement.” Then it would be school 13 who received the money for it. Another way students had to help out was in the summer time, each student was required to dedicate one or two weeks to help with the maintenance of their school. Some students would paint, clean, any type of summer job, but they were not paid. It was part of their “education.” However if your family was willing to spend money and purchase the paint for the school, then as a student you would have less of an obligation to work in the summer time and you may be able to get away with no work at all.

As a secondary student, when you reach the 9th grade you can make a couple of decisions. One is the type of school you wish to continue on with. At 9th grade you can decide to focus on more of a technical school focus where you will learn skills that will help you with a job and/or get into a tech school. Or you can continue on towards a University path in which they prepare you for that type of further education. Of course 9th grade is also the age when students can begin dropping out if you choose to. Graduation requirements focused on standardized tests for each subject. If you did not pass, then you did not graduate. If you were unfortunate to the point where you did not pass you had to attend school one more year. If you still did not pass you were allowed out of the school but you received a different type of diploma than someone who did pass the tests. There were no “special” classes that students were allowed to select. They chose a career path and had to take a select group of classes for that graduation degree. The only choice you had as a student was what foreign language class you would take, and in school 13 your choices were English or German. Extracurricular activities did not exist within the school system either. There was not enough money in the district to provide those opportunities. However there were still club sports students could join that was free. Olec joined boxing for one year, until he went to a competition and got “destroyed.” He said it was not much of a contest, just very embarrassing as his dad was watching him get beat up from the sidelines. One year in and done for Olec’s boxing career. Going through school in Ukraine may have been quite different than going to school in the United States. It is interesting to me to think about Olec’s experience in comparison to mine. We are both the same age, born in 1983, graduating high school in 2001 and both going to school to become teachers. Outside of the differences in structure I think about the relationship I had with teachers going through school. Some I would visit their homes, talk with after school and definitely be able to get help if I needed it. Olec mentioned one Physics teacher that stood out in his mind where the teacher would just talk all hour, and at a fast rate. At the end of class he would ask if the students understood everything and if you raised your hand and said no, then he would tell you to look in this textbook and read these pages. That was your help. Olec studied for three years to become a teacher. His favorite subject was English and wanted to become an English teacher. He changed his mind when he did some observations and saw how much school had changed since he was there. His memory involved the respect issue, and students standing when a teacher entered the room. Today he says students will give their teacher the finger and are very disrespectful and that is something he did not want to deal with. He earned his teaching certificate but about five years ago decided to move here to Milwaukee with his wife. Since then he has been working within the education system but from the custodian angle, rather than as an instructional teacher. __

 **travbuddy**
One of my favorite websites would be travbuddy.com. I'm sure you could have guessed it may have something to do with traveling. Travbuddy is a social network for people who enjoy traveling and it provides an opportunity to share experiences and advice with other travelers from all over the world. If you find my page on there I am skimonty83. I have a few blogs of different trips, some detailed and some not. But it has been a good site to make contacts with people in areas we may be traveling to and finding advice on what to do while we are there.

Kickball Team. . . what an intimidating group you better not mess with us. We were a vicious force that day when we made our debut to a Fort Atkinson fundraiser. . . oh yeah and we almost won a game that day.

Below is a note taking sheet for an assignment when we read about The Prophet (Tenskwatawa) in US History class. It goes along with a primary source reading I have in a book at school.

Here is a youtube video I like to show students

when discussing Civil Rights and how violence

can be the wrong answer. It is an interview with

a former KKK leader who is now a reverend. He

shares his story about how a pastor defeated his

Klan with love rather than hatred.

media type="youtube" key="TBwIRq_hmjg?fs=1" height="385" width="640"

Irene: This YouTube link is great. I showed it to my son also. Thanks!
Powerpoint on reaction to the Great Depression

media type="custom" key="8076356"

Mark: I think I pass. Although I did try a little something extra. I wanted to create an anchor so I don't have to erase all the info from previous conversations and people coule click on a link and t

they would be sent down to another spot on the page. At least that's what I though the anchor did, but I made it and I don't know where it goes. However its there. So if you click on the link on

the top of my page "wiki experimentations" it will take you some place, I just don't know where. All of the info from tonights class (1/17/11) is on that page, except for the powerpoint. That did not

transfer over.

I think some possibilities with the wikis for class would be having a new page on the left hand side for each topic we decided on last week. From there we can post questions, reflections, links, etc

that seem to be connected to the topic of the page. We could work on the page for our group as we go, but then when a topic needs to be "presented" for an online class, that will be when the

rest of teh class will coment on that topic ..