Ah, the last EDT 610 assignment. I know I have said it before, but I am amazed at how much I have learned over the last few months. There are several reasons behind the rapid expansion of my technological skills:

(1) First and foremost, I was (comparatively) computer illiterate before participating in this class. I had a working knowledge of Word and Excel; knew how to use the Internet; and, could navigate my way with ease through most accounting software. In other words, I had enough skills to just get by. Before EDT 610, however, I had never created a PowerPoint or Publisher document – two of the most powerful applications in the Microsoft library. Unbelievable what can be done with these creative tools.

(2) The format of the class was perfect for someone with my limited skills. In much the way that someone would learn a foreign language in an immersion program, I became more technologically competent by either sinking or swimming in the techno-pool. Rarely did I consult manuals and I never used the class text (waste of money - should not have been listed as ‘required’). I just jumped into the applications and started playing. And I ‘practiced’ every day. It’s the only way – immersion.

(3) The assignments were directly related to current educational practices in schools across the country - schools, that is, fortunate enough to have access to computers. At the beginning of this class I knew nothing of how students are taught and how students learn these days. It was extremely beneficial as a teaching candidate to play the role of a student and to be assigned a PowerPoint, Newsletter and/or Web project related to a specific content area.

(4) Finally, I truly had fun working with the applications. I probably spent quadruple the time that more my more experienced classmates did in completing assignments, but I was learning as I was working. There is so much opportunity for creativity in PowerPoint and Publisher and I enjoyed having an infinite variety of formats, backgrounds, fonts, animations, etc. at my disposal. I am especially fond of newsletter publications. It is the ideal format for students both to demonstrate what they have learned and to teach others.

I plan to teach Secondary School Social Studies and it goes without saying the valuable role technology will play in my future efforts. The Internet is a particularly powerful tool in history and geography education. But a word of caution is in order. At one point, I downloaded a seemingly harmless item to post on this blog site. I wanted to add some spice to the usual prose I was presenting. The item in question came with a redirection virus. Thus, every time my blog was opened the viewer would be redirected to advertisements. A knowledgeable classmate knew how to fix it and I am both grateful and wary of straying far from convention ever again.

I am eager to apply my new-found skills to future courses. I feel so much more comfortable with previously unfamiliar practices such as unit planning and rubric development. And when it comes down to creating effective presentations – let’s just say I am ready.

"This Is The End"... (Thanks Jim Morrison)

No more classes... Only the Rubric Assignment, finalize the Unit Portfolio and compose the two page blog entry. This has been a tough course - all the more so as I thought it would be my easiest. Chalk that up to perceptions...

I do not like the seemingly accepted/presented style of rubrics. I think in more linear, one dimensional terms, although, I understand what Dr. Wang was saying: i.e rubrics must be, at minimum, two-dimensional. I would very much like to see students' thoughts on this type of evaluation...

Nevertheless, the importance of definitive and straightforward evaluation guidelines can not be dismissed. They are a necessary part of educational life. New to me, but that is not saying much as I am an older student and evaluation methods have changed significantly since I was in a pre-collegiate environment and in an unconventional educational setting (Alabama School of Fine Arts in its early years).

I am hungry and must eat now...

The Big Picture Among Many Big Pictures

We started EDT 610 with that ever ubiquitous, mysterious and confounding thing called "Unit Plan". And, yes, I was mystified, confounded, and filled with ubiquity. As I progressed through the semester, in a seemingly desperate race to complete one technologically intense project after another, I felt as though I had lost sight of that island called "The Unit Plan". But it was always there, always in sight - I just did not know it until now.

I am not a certified school teacher. I can only claim twenty years experience teaching expertise in the service and retail sectors of the horticultural field. But I do know this - you must feel absolutely comfortable and confident in the content you propose to teach. Just as you can not face greenhouse customers at the height of Spring, ignorant of the culture of available plant material, so you can not face a classroom of eighth graders poised to learn about Alexander the Great and the diffusion of Hellenistic culture and not know what and how you will impart knowledge.

This is where the Unit Plan comes into play. It is, with its essential question, unit and content questions, and related procedures, a blueprint for that big picture a teacher strives to teach. The amazing thing is, the creative process that generates teaching blueprints is an ongoing endeavor. This is the soul of teaching because, within every discipline, there exists infinite tangents. A teacher must focus on established national, state, and/or local learning standards and teach to those standards. A well-developed Unit Plan is insurance that, at minimum, these standards will be met.

The Unit Plan is not so scary now. I look at it as a to-do list. Fortunate for me, lists and I are old friends.

Playing 'Catch-up' After Virus Attack

Yes, it happened. I included a Mahatma Gandhi quotes upload on my site back in February. No problems for a few weeks and then, wham, immediately upon entering the blog it would 'redirect' to obscure advertisements. No more fancy gadgets here. It is not worth the risk. But Mahatma! Some things in this life must be sacred and pure... Nevertheless, I have learned my lesson. No more potentially damaging downloads for art's sake. And special thanks to John for identifying and correcting the problem.

I really am amazed at what I have learned in this class. Honestly, I thought it would be my easiest of the semester as I considered myself somewhat techno-savvy. How wrong I was. As I worked on the teacher support assignment today, I began to see not only how a given TEP course portfolio comes together, but how this particular portfolio represents, in varying degrees of intensity and effort, the daily activities involved in an educator's unit/lesson planning. I feel technologically confident and well-equipped as I move forward in my teacher certification courses.

Thank you Dr. Wang for your patience and structured guidance.

I can't believe I have gone all these years without giving PowerPoint the credit it is due. I am sure I have shunned the application because of my exposure to the abuses and misuses of PowerPoint. Far too many users simply construct their bullets and read them to the audience and there honestly exists nothing more frustrating and boring. It does not take much ingenuity to spice a presentation. The world would be a better place if more instructors would utilize PowerPoint as a creative tool and not a crutch or substitute for lack of subject knowledge.

Having just completed my first partial unit plan, I am amazed at the amount of thoughtfulness the activity requires. I now have a greater appreciation of what educators must do before they actually teach. Effective teachers, good teachers, through the process of unit planning, begin teaching a given unit with a clear vision of learning objectives and goals.

Perception

Washington, DC Metro Station: on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about an hour. During that time approximately 2,000 people went by, most of them on their way to work.

After 3 minutes: a middle aged man noticed the musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds and then hurried on.

4 minutes: The violinist received his first dollar. A woman threw the money in the hat without stopping and continued to walk.

6 minutes: A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and walked away.

10 minutes: A 3-year old boy stopped but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The child stopped to look back at the violinist again, but the mother pulled hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head back all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes: The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour: He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded.

Findings; No one knew this, but:

· The violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world,

· He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written,

· With a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.

· Two days before Joshua Bell sold out a theatre in Boston where the seats averaged $100 each.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste, and people's priorities.

The questions raised: "In a common place environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?"

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this: If we do not take a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made... How many other things are we missing?