LMAIS Technology Group-Spring Meeting

Our spring meeting for the LMAIS Tech Group that I'm part of took place at Lake Forest Country Day School on Thursday, April 19th. Our meetings provide a nice opportunity for everyone to get together to exchange ideas and talk about what everyone has been up to in the area of educational technology. I won't bore anyone with the details...instead I'll leave a link below for a summary of the meeting:

Spring Meeting Summary Link

As a side note, LFCDS recently completed a major addition and remodel project. As we prepare for phase II of our remodel, I would recommend that they be used as a resource. They did incorporate many green concepts and techniques (eg-bamboo flooring) during their process, even though it wasn't a LEED certified building.

Alfie Kohn and Michael Thompson

Pam and I recently attended a two day workshop with two dynamic presenters: Alfie Kohn and Michael Thompson. Alfie spoke about homework and also about learning and rigor. Michael Thompson spoke about the social lives of children and also about the changing roles of independent school parents. Here's a quick summary of my ( Gregg's) notes on Alfie's presentation: (I will share some of Michael Thompson's insights at a future faculty meeting)

Alfie Kohn - Homework

• No study has found any meaningful benefit in homework before HS. Does homework help with the love of learning?
  

Why is homework given if it does not have value?

1. We don’t ask meaningful questions about homework or anything. That’s the way it is!
2. We don’t trust children on how to use free time.
3. Attitude about use to research
4. Better get used to it – it will happen soon in US
5. Tougher standards – parents should not complain if no homework
6. Homework persists because we do not understand how learning happens

Do not give homework unless you can make a good case for it. Homework is OK if:

1. The assignment is likely to get kids to think more deeply and understand the material
2. If kids get more excited about the topic. Will kids like math more because of this?
3. If you did not design the homework, don’t assign it!
4. Ask kids their view – what did you think about the homework?
5. Try a week or unit with no homework. How did it affect kids?
   

Learning and Rigor

What one is doing vs. how well one is doing. - is the key question!

“An over emphasis on assessment can actually undermine the pursuit of excellence.” ( Carol Midgley, Martin Maen)

Effects of getting kids too focused on how well they are doing:

1. Less interested in learning itself
2. Preoccupied with their ability ( There are four reasons kids do well: effort, ability, luck, task difficulty)
3. Prefer easy tasks and quick completion
4. Devastated by failure
5. Quality of learning suffers
Research says giving grades will cause 1, 3 and 5

Other interesting notes from Alfie:
Good way to communicate to parents: Narrative reports
Great way to provide info: Conference with parents

Kids should collect information and share info with parents at conferences

Not the amount of motivation that’s important, it’s the type:

Intrinsic ( I like doing it) Extrinsic ( I am doing it for a reward e.g. grade)

-Extrinsic motivation erodes intrinsic motivation
-The more you reward students the more intrinsic motivation goes down
-Rewards lead to less generosity among peers

Reaching the Needs of 21st Century Learners

I just completed a fabulous Stritch class on nature and nurture of leadership and read a fascinating article about "digital natives and digital immigrants." One student's inquiry today asking, "did the Internet didn't always exist?" made me really reflect on this article. I thought I'd share it with you.

The premise is that the current group of students are digital natives... always having lived with the Internet and digital media as part of their lives. We, the adults, are digital immigrants (learning to use new technology as it is developed). Prensky touches on the idea of "twitch speed" processing for students to acquire information. Whether you're a big advocate of educational technology or more of a skeptic, there are some interesting discussion points in this article regarding how cognitive processing figures into all this.

~Will

http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky%20-%20Digital%20Natives,%20Digital%20Immigrants%20-%20Part1.pdf

Schwieters Returns From Space Camp- Out of this World

I attended Space Camp in Huntsville, Alabama from December 28th to December 31st of 2006. While at Space Camp, I attended the US Space Camp museum which chronicles the history of the US space program and the formation of NASA. The museum also contained life-size collections of all the rockets used by NASA as well as the current space shuttle.
The weekend program was outstanding with participants using the actually equipment used to train astronauts. The equipment included the 1/6 gravity chair, manned maneuvering unit, g-force accelerator and space shuttle simulator.

The weekend at Space Camp was excellent. The staff, facilities and program was better than I hoped and the weekend was one of the best professional experiences I have had. I plan to return in the next couple of years to attend another program.

Professional Growth Opportunity: The Middle School Institute at Gordon

This looks like a great opportunity. It's a working retreat for teachers who value feedback from their peers, believe that the multicultural classroom works best for all students and know that teaching is most effective when it is connected with the world beyond the classroom. You will have opportunities to present your curriculuar works-in-progress for critique by supportive peers. You will also develop ways that middle school students can become positive forces for community change. Finally, you will return to your classroom in the fall with practical ideas for sharpening your practice. The workshop takes place June 18-20, 2007 at The Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island. For more information see Gregg or visit the website www.gordonschool.org

Why Do They Act That Way? A Guide to the Teenage Brain

The most informative workshop I attended at the ISACS Conference, November 2006

Judy


Why Do They Act That Way? A Guide to the Teenage Brain
Presenter: David Walsh
Author: Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen
Suggested website: www.brainconnection.com

Adult brain and brain of middle schooler about same size (3 pounds) BUT teenage/adolescent brain is a "major construction zone" until about age 20!

Prefrontal cortex (the brain’s CEO) responsible for
-planning
-considering consequences
-managing emotions (impulses and urges)
-reflecting

Inefficient (less mature) prefrontal cortex leads to behavior that may be described as
-impulsive
-risk taking
-disorganized
-negative
-conflict seeking

[Humorous aside: Curfew is a surrogate pre-frontal cortex!]

Effects of hormones on boys
- Seven surges of testosterone a day that stimulate the amygdale (the anger and aggression center)
- “easy going 10 year old becomes fire breathing dragon at 13; surges of anger come seemingly from nowhere!” Prefrontal cortex is supposed to provide emotional regulation but it’s “under construction.”

Effects of hormones on girls
Ebb and flow of progesterone and estrogen

- impacts neurotransmitters – chemicals in synapses

-affects dopamine: feel good

- serotonin: mood stabilizer, relaxation, confidence

- norepinephrine: aggression, energy

With all of the changes and mood swings, it’s not unusual for a girl to complain that someone yelled at her or that she “hates her life” because the calming influence of the pre-frontal cortex is not available to help with “reality checks” and regulation.

Characteristics of adolescents due to hormone changes triggering the amygdala (anger and aggression center) along with immature prefrontal cortex (“the circuit to manage emotions")

- "Gas pedal to the floor"
- "Brakes on back order"
- Passionate
- Loyal


Interpretation of non-verbal clues (tone of voice; movement stance; facial expression; etc.)
In the adult brain, interpretation of non-verbal clues takes place in pre-frontal cortex.
In the adolescent/teen brain, this takes place in the amygdala (center for anger and aggression)
From Dr. Walsh: “Anger center in high gear; impulse control is out to lunch!”


How to calm the potential chaos:
Teens and adolescents need to make connections with caring adults. Build goodwill. Establish a positive base to fall back on during harder times.
CONNECTION GUIDANCE LOVE


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Alcohol and Drugs and the Teenage Brain

The teenage brain is a more easily addictive brain. The teenage brain has additional receptors for addictive chemicals (more receptors that need to be filled) eventually needing more addictive chemicals to keep up and plummeting without!

The hippocampus closes when alcohol increases. The hippocampus is the gateway to memory and excessive alcohol can create permanent shrinkage.

Signals indicating being affected by the chemicals go off sooner in the adult brain than in the less mature teen brain. So teens may be filling these receptors to the point of alcohol poisoning before getting an internal signal that they’ve had enough.

Reading about Reading

While visiiting a Middle School in Massachusetts last year I heard that the teachers theere were all used ideas from "Strategies that Work" by Stephanie Harvey and Anne Goudvis a abook about teahing reading. I watched the teachers there as they taught a lesson using ideas from the book. Intrigued, I obtained a copy of the book, read it. I have already used somee of the ideas in it to help me teach reading in 6th grade history. I recommend the book highly.