Personal Connection:
This book raises some great points about education in the past and education today. Some of the comments and concerns that resonated with me helped me to reflect on my teaching as well as learning and here is why. I remember as a middle school student being handed worksheet and a textbook in history class. We were to read the chapter, and answer the end of chapter questions that followed. We were not allowed to help each other and when we were done, we moved on to the worksheet. If we did not finish the worksheet or questions in class, it became homework. I thought that is what students should be doing.  After moving schools at the end of the eighth grade, I found the same teaching methods from that history teacher. I remember after a couple of weeks, my teacher calling me up in front of the entire class (where I knew nobody) and  told me my grade out loud for everyone to hear. He said that I wasn't passing his class because I have not done any "current events". I remember being embarrassed and completely shut down inside. He had never even told me what "current events" were. I remember watching students get up in the beginning of class and talk about things that they found in the newspaper, but I was under the assumption that these students did this on their own, as not many students did it. Turns out, since I came at the end of the school year (two months left), most students had already reached their required number. What was being taught here? What was I learning? What did I walk away with from these experiences? The answer to all of these questions is "nothing". What a waste of time. I entered high school hating history. That could have been a time for learning how to read a text instead of just going through the motions of attempting to read something that was too difficult and then skipping most of it. Those skills of learning how to analyze and break down that text could have helped me for years to come. When was I taught how to learn? 
I think about last year and how I was coached as a teacher to educate my students on how to read a science textbook. I couldn't imagine just giving them a science textbook and letting them go. I really appreciated the ideas mentioned in this text on how to create learners.

    When looking at the 6 areas of unlearning and relearning ideas for educators that were discussed, I try to evaluate myself as though this were part of a rubric for my blended practices. There are those that stick out to me as more of a friendly face, and then there are those that seem to be more of an acquaintance.

            As for the friendly faces, these are the areas where I find myself to be more likely to take on without hesitation. “These may include the idea of being a master learner”, “Discover don’t deliver”, and “Do Real Work for Real Audiences”. I myself have been inquiring about bringing their community, and world around them, into the classroom. As I have been planning this with our health educator to tie in some cross content curriculum, what I feel we should look further into is how I can better equip them for future issues. I want my students to be able to identify issues that concern them, research that given situation, collaborate with peers near and far (possibly another school) and deliver their plan for addressing these matters. But first, I must put a focus on giving them the tools to become that learner in any situation and then allow them the freedom and not narrow or limit their creations.

            Now, for the areas that are not as familiar, I need to find a way around my struggles of sharing and talking with strangers. This may mean that I need to take one step at a time with the support of a teacher who has mastered this. I may need to “share” my ideas with others before acting on them and find what worked and did not work. Sharing should be something that is easy for me, and maybe I can say that the sharing between colleagues in class and at my work is easy, but I need to work on setting up more of an online portfolio of my work so that I may broaden my connection in my professional world. As for the talk with my students about identifying good vs. bad strangers, it may be difficult since my students are so young, but they need to learn this, as they are most likely using these tools at home and not receiving the education before jumping in to online conversations. It reminds me of our lesson last year on credible sources. I feel that I can definitely take these on, but these will just need more attention than some others.

 

 

Are you a visitor or resident of the internet?
    I see myself a a definite visitor to all aspects of the internet. As I was watching the video and reflecting on where I would fall on the continuum, I was clearly the "private" visitor that he was talking about. When Dr. White discusses how privacy is viewed differently between ages, I began thinking about all of the social networking sites that would be considered the "norm" for my students, yet are foreign to myself. I am someone who has chosen not to sign up for facebook, twitter, etc. in the past, and have only done so since starting this program. Just to give a few examples of my disconnection, I do not even have internet at home. I receive my important work emails through my phone, but generally am off-line after work.
    The theory of the visitor/resident is very clear. I see this difference between my friends and colleagues and although it is clear who shows a commitment to being visible, it is not necessarily a indicator of capability.  I appreciate the idea that just because one is not continuously connected, it does not mean they lack the knowledge or skill necessary for today's online media tools.