My favorite teacher...

With all the new technology we've been learning, I've been wanting to push myself into additional uncharted waters.... So....last week I was determined to produce my first podcast and send it out with my weekly department email. I was able to make a very rough podcast...with terrible production values...but I did do it. I interviewed a few students and asked who their favorite English teacher was and why...

If you're interested to hear, although I'm pretty embarrassed because I now know how to make it better... feel free to visit my curriculum webpage. Here's the link:

http://www.ccsdistrict.org:8081/hck/cgi-bin/frame.pl?page=podcast_page.pl&id=rudd_l

I'm hoping that teachers will appreciate my attempts to learn something new and try something for their own classrooms. It seems important to be willing to fail, and that's not easy to do in front of adolescents. :)

An interesting podcast

Here's an interesting podcast on reading motivation and African Americans. It's connected to Mary's inquiry a bit, but very focused on what and how to motivate students.

http://www.voiceofliteracy.org/posts/38155

Another Ted Talk about creativity...and how schools kill it....

I was researching through Ted Talks for my paper and found these videos. I can't use them, but they are fantastic, so maybe someone else could use them at some point.

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Ted Talks...An author with a purpose

Here is one of my favorite Ted Talks. A popular author who has reached out to schools, teachers, and the community...

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/dave_eggers_makes_his_ted_prize_wish_once_upon_a_school.html

Lankshear & Knobel's (2004) Principles of Learning

In Larson & March (2005) I just found an interesting connection to Lankshear & Knobel's (2004) connecting literacy and new technology. L & K developed four principals of learning that had been transformed by the integration of new technology and literacy. Their principles of learning are explained and then L & M (2005) indicate their thoughts about the changes.

Of the four, two are very connected to my inquiry paper study on identity and diversity. First is the principle of integrated learning. L & K describe this as learning that is "organic and whole". Learning that is connected to our identity. L & M further this explanation by adding that teachers must understand how Discourses are constructed and provide learning opportunities that open doors for those connections.

The second principle is the principle of productive appropriate and extension in learning. L & K describe this as giving learners the opportunities to learn without social conflicts. New learning should allow students to transfer discursive practices into new spaces. L & M add that students ought be able to bring their 'funds of knowledge' to their new experiences.

These two principles, while seemingly obvious on the one hand, are key to understanding part of the breakdown with diverse learners. Do teachers follow these principles of learning? Would more diverse learners be successful if more teachers did?

All the connections..

I really enjoyed tonight's presentations! BUT, now I keep thinking about all the ways my line of inquiry intersects with what we learned tonight. I really like the 'what's in your suitcase' symbolism Petra used. Since I've been spending time digging into identity theories and how identity impacts literacy, that symbolism made a lot of sense. Some of my difficulty, and the question I think many teachers and researchers struggle with, is how do you help diverse students understand that what's in their 'literacy' suitcase is valuable, but not always enough for "success" in our middle class, majority-ruled culture?

I guess I'm talking more about the skills they have in their suitcase than their past experiences...although even their past experiences and the way they have come to define the majority culture might be juxaposed to what might be 'acceptable'...

Of course, Rachel's research is aligned with my interest also because I believe if there is a bridge from the literacy of diverse students to a 'majority accepted' or SAE (Standard American English) literacy, it may successfully come via new, or alternative, literacies....

Great job ladies! A lot to think about!