Jonesybc.com - Blog

Anthropology: The lens I need to focus

9/22/2017

I feel like in my quest to "make the worse seem better" (Lady Gaga), in my narrowed view of the education world I lost sight of my human story. I spent a fair bit of time traveling in my 20's and learned some incredible things about culture and the human experience. I remember returning to my tiny little town feeling so small, and that my extensive university education was only leading me to my life education. I have continued teaching and in the last 10 years endured personal challenges that have also shaped my view of the world.
Until today, with the re-awakening of my traveler's spirit by the inspirational keynote speaker Wade Davis, I had forgotten how my human journey was influenced by the ethnosphere I have experienced in many different countries. I have been reminded of my threads woven in the world and how they are creating a tapestry of the life of Jones (Hmm... maybe a book title. Oh wait, too close to the "Life of Pi").
My escape out of Africa, as it were, was gilded with gold embossed tattoos of middle eastern culture and people. Over the past 10 years, as tattoos sometimes do, those cultural lessons and connections to people have faded in colour but permanently embedded certain filters from which my lens views the world. I was reminded today how truly paramount those filters are. The layers of filters thrust in front of your world view need to be deep and plentiful. We need to collect as many filters as possible, knowing that the world bank of filters is infinite.

Keyboard Warrior

4/10/2017

Disclaimer: This is entirely my opinion and I welcome debate. I used the terms they/them so as not to be binary or gender discriminatory.

I try not to be offended by other’s opinions and actually encourage debate about all topics, as it promotes growth for individuals and society. I am often the first to play devil’s advocate and to try to expand my horizons by viewing concepts from a different perspective. I find that “debate” has turned nasty on the internet. People don’t see, or maybe care not to see, the impact that their words have on others.
It's very easy to be a keyboard warrior who slices through issues with the deftness of a hot knife through butter. I imagine that the warrior feels righteous and justified in their thought patterns, and likely harbours a little narcissistic need to share their “enlightened” position with the ignorant masses (those individuals who believe, or are, something completely different from enlightened warrior). Here in lies the crux of my issue with keyboard warriors. Living as a minority in society, I regularly view the ill-informed enlightenment of others; I am often flabbergasted at the cruelty and mean-spirited evisceration of any and all individuals who are different from the so called “norm”. In the warrior’s pursuit to educate others, they reveal their own ignorance about issues. I have used the word ignorant/ignorance a lot here. Maybe I should define it, because I honestly feel that it captures the keyboard warrior's true status of subject matters they feel so entitled to discuss.

Definition of ignorance (according to Meriam Webster Dictionary)

ignorance : the state or fact of being ignorant : lack of knowledge, education, or awareness

Let me be clear. I am a sincere proponent of discussion and healthy debate, I see huge merit in being exposed to other perspectives; how else are you going to learn? I do not mean to stifle discussion; on the contrary, let us all engage in discussing regularly, deeply and thoughtfully. Let us be informed, curious and humble in our lack of knowledge. Arrogance of knowledge is the breeding ground for ignorance. I do not see one sided keyboard warfare as a debate.
Warriors attack their victims with vehemence and vigour, while hiding behind the shield of freedom of speech, thought and expression. They hide behind the front line defence that is the virtual anonymity of the internet and the screen from which their skin glows blue. There is an idiom that says “the pen is mightier than the sword”. In the digital age of social media, I think that idiom is more relevant if we change the pen to a keyboard. We are bombarded by the written word in small 140 character bursts. We feel well informed from shared unvetted information passed around like notes on a crumpled piece of paper, written in haste and circulated in malice and obtuseness. The seeming revolutionary access to infinite information has been rendered to schoolyard bullying.
The digital age of enlightenment has manifested itself in pockets of societal evolution; however, as a human race we continue to perpetuate the very principles that have, throughout history, brought civilizations to extinction. Racism, bigotry, sexism, and phobias of all kinds related to humans and the human existence continue to plague our globally connected society in increasingly polarizing and violent ways. Napoleon's manifest destiny today would be a numbered list, in bold, over a gradient background dotted with emojis and worded to reference the pop culture memes associated with the cultures he intended to destroy. Our modus operandi has not really changed; only our delivery has. I am reminded periodically that history does indeed repeat itself.
The keyboard warriors of today spewing propaganda and bias from a seat of perceived superiority is beyond frustrating to me. It is often down right desultory in its expansion of phenomena. It lacks true investigation and understanding. The question I often ask myself is: “From what place of woundedness does the keyboard warrior derive their vehemence?” In my experience the traumas of existence often fuel the fire of oppression for others. It is an intellectual conundrum to metacognitively understand the source of a keyboard warrior’s bullying, and simultaneously allow your emotional brain to have an aneurism over the intense hurt that it conjures.
I will continue to struggle with the dichotomy that occurs through interactions with keyboard warriors. I will use the online platform to spread positivity, love, and empathy. I will try to further my understanding of the primal need to create hierarchy amongst ourselves in order to feel whole. It occurs to me that this very exposition may, to some people, seem condescending and like the verbal mudslide of a keyboard warrior. The irony of sitting at this keyboard typing my thoughts is not lost. My intention is only to ask my questions and articulate my frustration. I hope that rather than incite pain and disgust, it incites thoughtful and investigative discussion around our use and misuse of a very global platform .

Green IT

5/18/2016

I have spent a considerable amount of time trying to integrate my passion for technology into our school culture. This has made me think outside the proverbial box about cross curricular application. I long for time to work with other teachers to co-teach, but alas this is very difficult to come by. I have connected with a few colleagues but we are really using our own time to get any projects done. I recently reached out to our Global Perspectives and Foods teachers. We have really been trying to create a sustainable food program at our school. One of the needs to commence this as a "winter" project has meant finding space and the ability to essentially grow food in a basement. We have the necessary room and lights now to tackle watering. Given the school schedule, there is not always someone in the building to water the seedlings. How do we get around that? This is where we come in. We brainstormed a way to water without actually being there. In other words, we Googled automated watering systems. Instructables has a million DYI systems. We made a choice, based on parts availability and the schematics presented. Away we went. There have been bumps thus far, and we are by no means there yet, but boy has it been fun! I will post a video of our process soon.

The first few weeks of the Challenge Course

2/25/2016

I have finally finished the entire course planning for all five courses. I have 3d game lab up and running in conjunction with MOODLE. All feedback from students and TTOC’s is that this is working well. This is blended learning at its finest. I will post the lore (in another post) with some of the projects done so far of the 2 games running simultaneously on 3d game lab. The Modeling and Animation 12 course is linked to the Modeling and Animation 11 course so that students interact with one another. I am incredibly lucky that my 12’s are so willing to help the 11’s and act as incredible mentors (Ben and Chance you guys are so amazing!).

The grade 10’s have had the opportunity to try their hand on and off with coding Python via codecademy, broken up by some challenges. Today, because it is a double block and we have more time, they had options: half choosing to work on scratch and code small games, and the other half choosing to work on a bridge challenge for span and weight using only cardboard. The results are phenomenal. I have included pictures and video of how amazing they all are!

My grade 12’s have been flying through Cisco’s A+ certification course and doing well. I am so glad they are so independent and self motivated; that is not to say we don’t spend time talking about what they are working on. I still feel like I don’t get to spend enough time with them as they are so good at soldiering on, and my other classes in this room need more attention. This may be the biggest pitfall of all the choice in this block, in addition to the crazy amount of front-end planning I had to do. It really was more hours than I can even count.

The 11’s are working effectively through their Comp TIA course. We have paired with the 12’s to do some mentoring and hands-on labs, as well as the online research pieces. I wish I could be there to do more of the hands-on stuff with them myself, but it's good practice for the 12’s and I fly in and out when I can.

All in all I think everyone is learning. The feedback from students has been positive as they have a lot of choice in what they do. The assessments I have been able to do thus far show that they are learning a lot. I haven’t heard that they feel neglected, but they don’t know what I would be doing if there were less classes involved. Maybe it's okay and I need to shift my thinking, but I still feel torn in too many directions.

I have had some inquiries from colleagues about how I plan so I thought I would include some screenshots of the spreadsheets I used to plan the modeling and animation course. I have pretty much used a similar process for each class. Thanks Carla for the organizational inspiration it has been a lifesaver! You are so on top of this. I am lucky to have someone on my island for a change. :)

This will remain a work in progress. Thanks to anyone following me, and I welcome feedback. Tweet me or comment here. I appreciate any tips and tricks.

5 classes in 1

2/3/2016

This has been an incredible test of my planning abilities. My current Computers course has 5 separate courses within it. I am not sure yet that this is a great way to do things. In fact, I feel incredibly torn and that I am not giving my full attention to anyone or anything. I think time will tell how this affects the outcomes of this course.
I am going to attempt to get the students to vlog a bit what this is like for them, but that is another planning piece. This is more planning than I ever did as a first year teacher doing 3 page lesson plans for every class for my program.
I think the only reason this is even remotely doable is blended learning combined with gamification and flipped classroom principles. Every course has an online element which allows me to stagger the time I spend with each course, effectively cloning me in the classroom. It works well in practice but requires so much more time outside of class to get everything ready.
I am using 3d game lab to gamify my 2 modeling and animation courses. The gamifying is great, but at the outset when skill building is key, I am having to rely on pre-recorded videos to teach skills so that I can spend time troubleshooting. This is where the flipped class principle comes into play for all.
Prerecorded snip-its of skills are required for all five courses. THAT'S A LOT OF VIDEOS!!! I have become fairly proficient at making videos over the last two years, and my foray into flipping in an academic course was an astounding success. I fear I will drown in this one. If I have it correct, I am going to have to pre-record about 3 videos a day to stay on top of things. On average it takes about 40 minutes to record and edit one minute of video. I think it is nearly impossible, so I am likely going to have to use a lot of Youtube content. That also takes time as I have to vet the video and find the one I am looking for.
So far, I have managed to keep everyone busy, especially me. I feel like I am not reaching the depth I would if were with a single group. I haven't even begun to talk about class composition. Taking courses that are primarily hands-on and making part of them self directed with text and video changes the dynamics for some struggling learners. I am going to have to figure that part out.
I am fairly impressed with the leadership opportunities a course like this creates. Leaders have emerged already in the first week. Students who will step up, help others and take a major leadership roll in the direction of their course have already become apparent.
I have had to create zones in my classroom to accommodate the podding of students in the courses. I am not going to go into my technical infrastructure details as it is a saga that I deal with daily. The physical space actually lends itself well to creating pods.
So far, I have mixed feelings about this endeavour. I am so glad that students have the opportunity to explore so many aspects of computing in a climate where classes of under 30 don't run, but I am torn as to whether I will be able to give the depth of knowledge I would otherwise.

This is definitely to be continued...

The Proof is in the Pudding

10/2/2015

We are coming up to unit test time for our first unit in Science 10. I had to be away for a couple of days and had the most wonderful opportunity to have a TOC use my flipped classroom philosophy and videos while I was out. It was like having a virtual version of me. I am so appreciative that my TOC was willing to even give it a go, as this is not standard and kind of experimental when it comes to public education right now.
The feedback I got was mixed. The infrastructure in our building let me down. The videos couldn't be streamed. The silver lining is that the kids have bought-in and a good chunk of them watched the videos at home the night before without prompting! I know that doesn't excite everyone but it sure does me.
The class was able to continue with the hands-on activity I had planned instead of a stand and deliver lecture and then the lab. There was more class time for actual application of concepts. I love flipping! I am curious as to how the views for the videos will change over the weekend before the test.
Thank you Robyn Joyce for being so flexible and willing to try this out in a classroom that you don't know; that shows incredible confidence and professionalism on your part.

Stats as of Oct 2

Flipping in an academic core

9/17/2015

I's been 2 weeks of classes and my first real attempt at flipping in an academic core course. The pace of creating video is tough, but the feedback is worth the work. By having a video under 3 minutes everyday, so much class time has been made available. We have done some really great hands-on and collaborative work. The students are presenting, and we are doing labs all at a rate that would not happen without putting a portion of the lecture in video format to be watched ahead of time.
I know that is just the beginning of flipping, and it has really allowed for the activities part of flipping. Students are still buying into the video watching before class. It is creating a culture, and they are pretty good at monitoring each other. Having a video review for a minute at the beginning of class is starting to force the trend and is working well. I might still be in the honeymoon phase of the semester, but I am really optimistic that this blended style of learning is going to really change my science course. Students like the Remind 101 aspect of the course and have come to anticipate the videos. If they have a night where there is no video, I hear about it!
My video production time is getting better but it is not a fast endeavor. A two minute video takes about 2 hours. Being able to upload a transcript for my international students and my hearing impaired students is pretty awesome.
I spend a fair amount of time for each of my classes writing, filming, and editing videos. Time is the con for sure; the pro's are a gargantuan list. I hope to have some EA feedback this semester, as I have one EA in my class. It will be interesting to hear it from a different perspective.

Au revoir for now

1/9/2015

I have really mixed feelings about this. I am so happy you get to head toward your dream, Jeff. I am, however, also very sad. I am losing an ally; you have been my partner in crime, when it comes to moving forward with pedagogy and technology use (and often misuse for some) in education. I have been unequivocally lucky to have met you right at the beginning of teaching at LV Rogers. From the first year when you handed over the computer science reigns, you were supportive, helpful, and innovative. Over the last 7 years, we have endeavoured to do many things at this school and accomplished a lot. I am proud of where we have been and look forward to the things we started here that have yet to come to fruition. It will not be soon that I forget. I am hesitantly taking over some of your tasks, as I feel I may not do them the justice. You have been the consummate professional. I wish you nothing but happiness and joy in your new job. I know we will remain friends. Good luck Jeff. May they know how great you are!

The return of parent teacher conferences

12/4/2014

I have to say that this year's parent teacher conferences were by far the most vibrant in years. I have never heard so many colleagues say, "I am full. They all want to talk". How fantastic! I have always thought that the best education for a student is one where all stakeholders are involved, and to see so many parents involved and curious is beyond wonderful. I think a great deal of the enthusiasm in our building comes from all of the amazing programs offered here. We have everyone excited about what goes on here and that is because the educators in this building are the best. Bar none the best!

MAKEYMakey Fun

11/19/2014

If you have seen the video at the top of my home page, you have had a little glimpse into what my day was like yesterday. I spent a year trying to get these wonderful tools into our school. I am so grateful Tim and Deb stepped up to let me get them here.
My day with the makeymakey's started with my students. These are some incredible people. They have the talent, curiosity, resilience, and perseverance we strive to show students everyday. I explained I want to let teachers try the makeymakeys out and I needed their help. I then unboxed the makeymakeys and got the heck out of their way!
I showed them what a makeymakey was and how it had been used. I showed them the task I wanted teachers to undertake and asked them to test it out for me. I had a two hour slot with teachers to fill with this activity. The students looked at the instructions (found here), quickly un-boxed the makeymakeys and blew my socks off. In 5 minutes, they had tested, completed, and confirmed that the scratch program we were set to use worked just fine. That was the end of my formal input.
It was then a flurry of "Jonesy, can we use this, can I try this?" "That didn't work. Now what do you think we should do next guys?" and a whole lot of "It works!". I haven't see them this excited before. They pleaded with me to bring them back for double block. "Jones, we really have to try and make a better power glove. I have so many ideas." I thanked them for trying out the teacher portion and, to be honest, got worried I had made it too easy.
After school, I set up the 3d printer and the makeymakey supplies in our Multipurpose room. I hoped that teachers would have even a sliver of the fun the students had. As I talked about what a makeymakey was, how the students had tried it and how teachers might use this in their courses, I felt the tension in the room rise. It was visible on the faces of most teachers. I thought I was sunk!
I underestimated the life long learner in my colleagues. They stepped up huge. They jumped in, even with their trepidation. They asked questions. They made mistakes and had some technology glitches that they just worked through. It was possibly the best experience observing teachers I have ever had. I got to see teachers be students and then reflect on that for their teaching. I was honestly in awe of their resilience with a very new situation. I hope every student watches the video so they can see that teachers model learning, that they themselves are still learning.
The tension left the room and all I could see was concentration, laughing and fun. Just fun! I want to be in the mix next time. I feel really fortunate to have watched all of this but at the same time wished I could have just been one of the kids.