The title of the 703 class is Extending Human Capacity via Transliteracy. Well, it has certainly done what the title sets out to do, in my life anyways. I have been stretched through the exercises in this class, in ways completely unlike the stretching in the previous classes. At the beginning of the course, it was completely daunting to hear the list of items we would create: logo, infographic, executive summary, academic research poster, mini-documentary. However, knowing what the goals were from the beginning helped me pace myself...I know what you're thinking...I haven't necessarily been ahead of the game but if I wouldn't have known there were other big projects, I could have easily spent all my homework time for the 8 class periods on any one of these projects alone, especially the mini-documentary. As much as just saying that word made me sweat bullets initially, I really did enjoy the video making process. I think I like details...and if left unhindered, I can spend a lot of time on them...(not good for trying to get classwork turned in). I loved filming shots, editing clips, and putting the finishing touches on my project. I really struggled when it came to diving in to academic writing again after a long break. My research paper is really long...I thought I wouldn't be able to gather the right tidbits of information to condense into one academic research poster. Not only that but my tables and graphs are detailed and complex. I knew I would have to recreate some simpler graphs which meant sifting through and re-compiling data. Thankfully, one day I had a miraculous burst of energy and got tons done in one evening. As stated by my instructor and classmates, once I wrote the short executive summary of my paper, the pieces of the academic poster easily fell into place. I did have to recreate some data graphs but it was also a good refresher of all that hard work and interesting findings from research in the fall. I have learned through the Extending Human Capacity via Transliteracy course that accessibility is key. I wouldn't label myself a storyteller or an artist but if I don't employ some artistic and storytelling techniques in what I have to share, there won't be many listening to my message. And what good is one's message if no one hears it?
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Time management...It's been a kicker this year. This past week I had a week long (plus a day) spring break. I managed to dedicate some time to my mini-documentary and my capstone website pages but I also took some much needed time to relax. I focused in on cutting the minutes down on my mini-documentary but I am to the point where if I cut out any more of my A-roll content, my story doesn't make sense. I'm a little worried that I will have to re-record. But perhaps I can just re-narrate and create a voiceover. Since I used my friend's recording equipment (thank you Christian!), adding to my story line means asking to use the recording equipment again...I really dislike asking for help. This year has really made me face that dislike several times. As far as strategies to get my work done and focus my energies, over the course of this masters program, I've really only been able to work on Sundays and weekday evenings when things aren't crazy at school. The content assignments for this transliteracy course usually take me a few days because I need to retake shots or wait for a particular scenario in the classroom that I need to film. In the past I've run into trouble not finishing these types of assignments before my blog post is due and have felt like I can't write my blog until I can reflect on EVERYTHING else. Unfortunately only now I realize often that just won't be possible. So I'll reflect on what I can and continue to work on assignments until Thursday. A blog post is something I know how to do, whereas the assignments are usually something new or involve a skill I'm still desperately trying to develop. This means, they get put off, or I need multiple runs at them. I think translating what I've learned about time management and assignment completion to my students, I would say the following:
Photo by Marek Piwnicki on Unsplash This week we are reflecting on Touro University's values and how our research and subsequent growth, aligns with them:
But now the question is, how will I use what I've learned to make a change in the world around me? Undoubtedly, researching this topic in depth has changed the way I will continue to teach. I will continue to experiment with ways to help my students grow into even more independent learners who motivate each other to grow. I want to share what I've learned with others at my site but also understand that each teacher is on their own learning journey and they often feel their plate of practices is often full. Without being over-zealous, I'd like to at the very least, make sure that what I've learned is made available to any who would like to try it out and or improve on it. I feel that, if implemented correctly, peer teaching can not only alleviate the teacher load but leads to better quality instruction and higher student engagement which in turn, increases learning. It's a win, win, win! And why wouldn't I want to share that with others? As educators we all learn and "steal" from each other. Whatever I've learned is free for the taking. I want to deepen my understanding of my own research topic and broaden and improve my strategies. A big goal ever since last summer has been improving my social media presence. Over the pandemic year, I've relied heavily on Facebook groups for resources and learning. I've created a spreadsheet that I shared with other educators in a Facebook group specifically for Spanish math lessons in my curriculum and grade level and it has been a huge life-saver. I need to now broaden my social media horizon. I've learned a lot from fantastic educators who have shared what they know online and through social media. If I have anything to share, I'd like to make it available to others as well. |
Minna NummelinLife-long learner and dual language 2nd grade teacher. Archives
April 2021
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