Reflections
Summer Session:
What I learned this summer:
Eleven days of intense exploring, creating and sharing. That is what I experienced during the summer session of the MSU-Wipro Urban STEM and Leadership Fellowship. I explored Makey Makey, Google Cardboard, Little Bits and Strawbees during our Maker Play. I created my own website, Storify, i-Image, i-Video and Symbaloo. I shared all of this through Twitter, Facebook and my website. Now comes the time to decompress and reflect.
Besides the obvious technology that I learned, I grew as a person. During the Quickfires, I realized that it is okay if something is not perfect. Decisiveness was forced which led to reflection on mistakes. I enjoyed making the video story problem. It reminded me of the 3 Acts Math by Dan Meyer. This is something I will explore further during the school year. Technical issues with loading the video were frustrating but I learned that things do not always work the way you plan. I cannot assume that something will upload quickly. I need to allow for time and practice. This reiterates the concept that training for technology is key.
I learned that STEM begins with playing, then asking questions and seeking answers through the lenses of multiple disciplines. Introduce a big idea then keep coming back and add meaning to it. Make sure the big idea has enduring value. Before the fellowship, I never really understood what STEM was except for its acronym. Now I can embark on the school year with fresh insight.
Perseverance is key for exploring, creating and sharing. There will be bumps in the road but having a growth mindset will keep you moving. When working with others it is important to add on to what the other person said and use the phrase, “yes and…” This creates community which is essential for growing in STEM.
Brainstorming ideas for my ImagineIT Project proved overwhelming. For the past year, I have been wrestling with how I want to change my teaching practice. Some of my ideas include a Maker Space, real world connections, blended learning, standards based grading, problem based learning, flipped classroom and growth mindset. It was easier for me to eliminate ideas instead of choosing one. So which one would transform my teaching? After talking with Punya and Missy, I was able to focus my energy. I chose real world connections coming from the top down with the big picture of math and also the bottom up by looking at student misconceptions. With this approach, I will still incorporate my other interests but focus on awakening the inner mathematician in all of my students.
Surprisingly, I learned to parkour during the fellowship. This was something that I had not expected. When we organized our groups, we decided on the name, Parkour Monkeys. This stems from someone misinterpreting what I said, we liked it so we ran with it. Parkour is defined by Google as “the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping and climbing.” I feel that this is perfect for the fellowship. We teach in an urban environment and are constantly negotiating obstacles. With the experience of the fellowship we will now have the skills necessary to run, jump and climb with a community, not alone, and make a lasting impact.
What is new about this experience:
Two experiences stick out in my mind as being new to me. The first is the feedback I received from Missy on my Ultimate STEM prose for my amazing lesson. The feedback was constructive and allowed me to grow. I liked how she gave options on other things to try and my ideas were not right or wrong. As a student, I cannot recall having this open communication with a teacher that allowed for revision and further growth. I will carry this into my classroom as students work towards mastery of mathematical big ideas.
The second is how you can look at the world. Too long have I been in the traditional math student mindset where things are procedural and right or wrong. I have now stepped into the world as a mathematician who patiently observes, perseveres through challenges and collaborates with others. The first day of the fellowship we shared our favorite quote from Cosmos. I chose, “the obvious is sometimes false; the unexpected is sometimes true.” (Sagan, p. 352). This reminds me to open my eyes and see past assumptions. Seeing with new eyes was also evident during the letter photo challenge where we took pictures of letters created by objects and created the Great Ideas artwork. Of course, I cannot forget the olloclip which magnifies objects to see the beauty the naked human eye would miss. All of these experiences reminded me to unplug and look around myself.
Why this learning experience matters:
This learning experience matters to me. I was nervous venturing out of my comfort zone: going downtown somewhere that I was not familiar with, meeting new people and putting myself out there. I remember on the first day when we shared out our tweets about ourselves. I noticed how nervous I was. All of a sudden, all of this change and unknown hit me. One of my goals for the fellowship is to embrace this nervousness, this unknown and run with it. The best way to learn is by working as a community. I have to take risks for the sake of myself and my students. This experience has to matter to me.
How this summer’s experience will influence me in future:
This summer’s experience will influence me greatly in the future. I feel like I learned more about myself than anything else. I am still learning how to balance family, friends and work. First of all, I need to take care of myself. I usually think of the balance between those three things and forget to add myself. I need to eat healthy and get rest. If I’m not 100% or even 70%, then how can I fully participate and be engaged with today? I did try things that were out of my comfort zone but I still have a ways to go. That is why I am grateful that we have a year with the fellowship.
After watching the i-Video Film Fest, I spoke with another fellow about the amazing videos. She said that hers was not as high tech as the ones shown and it made her question why she was in the fellowship. This struck a chord with me because several times during these two weeks I doubted my abilities and talents. I told her how I felt and that we all had our strengths and we are learning through each other. Pushing each other to succeed. I cannot remember the last time I worked with so many go-getters. It definitely made me step back and re-evaluate what I was thinking. Why am I comparing myself to others when I should be focused on learning from them? I know it is human nature to compare but it is important to remind myself that we are here to help each other grow. I need to have a growth mindset if I expect my students to have one. Every moment there is an opportunity to learn; I just have to look. I must also remind myself to keep my big ideas simple. No one can do everything. The irony in the experience is that I kept looking around myself for the new outlook while the change was in myself the whole time. This fellowship was the light that created the pinhole through the leaves so I could narrow my focus.
How this experience changed what I think about teaching:
This experience changed what I think about teaching in several ways. With teaching, I must ask myself: what is my goal? what do I want to accomplish? what are the big ideas? where is the story that will stick? I need to focus on understanding and not knowledge. Students can demonstrate knowledge but this does not mean they understand it. Students are not empty vessels to fill. Each comes with his or her own understandings of the world that need to be valued. Help students re-see what is around them. Deconstruct their misconceptions.
There is too much passive learning occurring. Create “aha” or “wow” moments in my class, but remember to start with a moment of “huh”. Allow students to ask “what if” questions. Teach for aesthetic understanding where you allow the big idea to be relished, explored and valued. Have students explain, interpret and apply their understanding. Have students show differing perspectives, empathy towards others and self-knowledge. Remember you to be a guide on the side and not a sage on the stage. The goal is to uncover the curriculum and not cover it.
Technology plays a huge role in today’s society but how does it change learning? Nowadays you can Google or Youtube anything, so what should I teach my students? This goes back to understanding. Before technology, teachers held all the knowledge. Now students have the world at their fingertips. Let them explore. Use the tool of technology to build their own understandings. Technology takes care of the longtail of students who are not in the majority. Have students make their understanding public.
What I am taking from this experience and how I will use that when I go back to my classroom:
When I step back into my classroom, I will have new eyes. I will focus on the big picture of math through understandings and misconceptions. We will be mathematicians who explore, create and share our understandings. We will play and celebrate our struggles. I will have empathy for my students’ misconceptions and help them find where it begins. I will ask students about their current understandings. I will let them express what they know or else they will internalize it and not grow. If I let students state and test misconceptions then they will restructure their own understanding when not the same. I will allow for arguing time. By looking at the big ideas of math, I will design experiences that allow for students to make connections.
With all of this change, I must remind myself to take baby steps and keep it simple. What three things do I want my students to internalize? I must make math meaningful. “Math is around you, above you, beyond you. Open your eyes. Muddy your knees.” (Numbers in Nature, 2015)
Eleven days of intense exploring, creating and sharing. That is what I experienced during the summer session of the MSU-Wipro Urban STEM and Leadership Fellowship. I explored Makey Makey, Google Cardboard, Little Bits and Strawbees during our Maker Play. I created my own website, Storify, i-Image, i-Video and Symbaloo. I shared all of this through Twitter, Facebook and my website. Now comes the time to decompress and reflect.
Besides the obvious technology that I learned, I grew as a person. During the Quickfires, I realized that it is okay if something is not perfect. Decisiveness was forced which led to reflection on mistakes. I enjoyed making the video story problem. It reminded me of the 3 Acts Math by Dan Meyer. This is something I will explore further during the school year. Technical issues with loading the video were frustrating but I learned that things do not always work the way you plan. I cannot assume that something will upload quickly. I need to allow for time and practice. This reiterates the concept that training for technology is key.
I learned that STEM begins with playing, then asking questions and seeking answers through the lenses of multiple disciplines. Introduce a big idea then keep coming back and add meaning to it. Make sure the big idea has enduring value. Before the fellowship, I never really understood what STEM was except for its acronym. Now I can embark on the school year with fresh insight.
Perseverance is key for exploring, creating and sharing. There will be bumps in the road but having a growth mindset will keep you moving. When working with others it is important to add on to what the other person said and use the phrase, “yes and…” This creates community which is essential for growing in STEM.
Brainstorming ideas for my ImagineIT Project proved overwhelming. For the past year, I have been wrestling with how I want to change my teaching practice. Some of my ideas include a Maker Space, real world connections, blended learning, standards based grading, problem based learning, flipped classroom and growth mindset. It was easier for me to eliminate ideas instead of choosing one. So which one would transform my teaching? After talking with Punya and Missy, I was able to focus my energy. I chose real world connections coming from the top down with the big picture of math and also the bottom up by looking at student misconceptions. With this approach, I will still incorporate my other interests but focus on awakening the inner mathematician in all of my students.
Surprisingly, I learned to parkour during the fellowship. This was something that I had not expected. When we organized our groups, we decided on the name, Parkour Monkeys. This stems from someone misinterpreting what I said, we liked it so we ran with it. Parkour is defined by Google as “the activity or sport of moving rapidly through an area, typically in an urban environment, negotiating obstacles by running, jumping and climbing.” I feel that this is perfect for the fellowship. We teach in an urban environment and are constantly negotiating obstacles. With the experience of the fellowship we will now have the skills necessary to run, jump and climb with a community, not alone, and make a lasting impact.
What is new about this experience:
Two experiences stick out in my mind as being new to me. The first is the feedback I received from Missy on my Ultimate STEM prose for my amazing lesson. The feedback was constructive and allowed me to grow. I liked how she gave options on other things to try and my ideas were not right or wrong. As a student, I cannot recall having this open communication with a teacher that allowed for revision and further growth. I will carry this into my classroom as students work towards mastery of mathematical big ideas.
The second is how you can look at the world. Too long have I been in the traditional math student mindset where things are procedural and right or wrong. I have now stepped into the world as a mathematician who patiently observes, perseveres through challenges and collaborates with others. The first day of the fellowship we shared our favorite quote from Cosmos. I chose, “the obvious is sometimes false; the unexpected is sometimes true.” (Sagan, p. 352). This reminds me to open my eyes and see past assumptions. Seeing with new eyes was also evident during the letter photo challenge where we took pictures of letters created by objects and created the Great Ideas artwork. Of course, I cannot forget the olloclip which magnifies objects to see the beauty the naked human eye would miss. All of these experiences reminded me to unplug and look around myself.
Why this learning experience matters:
This learning experience matters to me. I was nervous venturing out of my comfort zone: going downtown somewhere that I was not familiar with, meeting new people and putting myself out there. I remember on the first day when we shared out our tweets about ourselves. I noticed how nervous I was. All of a sudden, all of this change and unknown hit me. One of my goals for the fellowship is to embrace this nervousness, this unknown and run with it. The best way to learn is by working as a community. I have to take risks for the sake of myself and my students. This experience has to matter to me.
How this summer’s experience will influence me in future:
This summer’s experience will influence me greatly in the future. I feel like I learned more about myself than anything else. I am still learning how to balance family, friends and work. First of all, I need to take care of myself. I usually think of the balance between those three things and forget to add myself. I need to eat healthy and get rest. If I’m not 100% or even 70%, then how can I fully participate and be engaged with today? I did try things that were out of my comfort zone but I still have a ways to go. That is why I am grateful that we have a year with the fellowship.
After watching the i-Video Film Fest, I spoke with another fellow about the amazing videos. She said that hers was not as high tech as the ones shown and it made her question why she was in the fellowship. This struck a chord with me because several times during these two weeks I doubted my abilities and talents. I told her how I felt and that we all had our strengths and we are learning through each other. Pushing each other to succeed. I cannot remember the last time I worked with so many go-getters. It definitely made me step back and re-evaluate what I was thinking. Why am I comparing myself to others when I should be focused on learning from them? I know it is human nature to compare but it is important to remind myself that we are here to help each other grow. I need to have a growth mindset if I expect my students to have one. Every moment there is an opportunity to learn; I just have to look. I must also remind myself to keep my big ideas simple. No one can do everything. The irony in the experience is that I kept looking around myself for the new outlook while the change was in myself the whole time. This fellowship was the light that created the pinhole through the leaves so I could narrow my focus.
How this experience changed what I think about teaching:
This experience changed what I think about teaching in several ways. With teaching, I must ask myself: what is my goal? what do I want to accomplish? what are the big ideas? where is the story that will stick? I need to focus on understanding and not knowledge. Students can demonstrate knowledge but this does not mean they understand it. Students are not empty vessels to fill. Each comes with his or her own understandings of the world that need to be valued. Help students re-see what is around them. Deconstruct their misconceptions.
There is too much passive learning occurring. Create “aha” or “wow” moments in my class, but remember to start with a moment of “huh”. Allow students to ask “what if” questions. Teach for aesthetic understanding where you allow the big idea to be relished, explored and valued. Have students explain, interpret and apply their understanding. Have students show differing perspectives, empathy towards others and self-knowledge. Remember you to be a guide on the side and not a sage on the stage. The goal is to uncover the curriculum and not cover it.
Technology plays a huge role in today’s society but how does it change learning? Nowadays you can Google or Youtube anything, so what should I teach my students? This goes back to understanding. Before technology, teachers held all the knowledge. Now students have the world at their fingertips. Let them explore. Use the tool of technology to build their own understandings. Technology takes care of the longtail of students who are not in the majority. Have students make their understanding public.
What I am taking from this experience and how I will use that when I go back to my classroom:
When I step back into my classroom, I will have new eyes. I will focus on the big picture of math through understandings and misconceptions. We will be mathematicians who explore, create and share our understandings. We will play and celebrate our struggles. I will have empathy for my students’ misconceptions and help them find where it begins. I will ask students about their current understandings. I will let them express what they know or else they will internalize it and not grow. If I let students state and test misconceptions then they will restructure their own understanding when not the same. I will allow for arguing time. By looking at the big ideas of math, I will design experiences that allow for students to make connections.
With all of this change, I must remind myself to take baby steps and keep it simple. What three things do I want my students to internalize? I must make math meaningful. “Math is around you, above you, beyond you. Open your eyes. Muddy your knees.” (Numbers in Nature, 2015)