My own "Teacher"Tube
I've been doing a good job of keeping my YouTube channel updated for my students in Grade 11 Pre-calculus. They are starting to catch on too as they begin to realize that videos will actually be uploaded and ready to go. I jumped from 29 subs (I know right, sad) to 38 in a few days, which means my students have been subscribing. I've also begun uploading in class demos I do for computer science. See my latest here (audio is horrible, recorded it with a really old crappy microphone I got from the school library). The fancy mic the school bought me arrived yesterday, so I'll have much better audio on the next one! Reading on Self-Paced Classrooms I recently read this article on one instructor's strategies in creating a self-paced classroom, and it got me thinking about my grade 10 computer science class. This semester, it seems to me like I have more students struggling than usual. Something in the water? No idea! So I was trying to brainstorm some ways in which I could help my students, and at that exact moment, my email inbox puked out that article from ISTE, or the International Society of Technology Education, which is a great organisation, I recommend checking them out. If you have 5 minutes and hate reading, you could just watch the YouTube video below on Self-Paced classrooms. The benefits are huge, and I hope to implement some of the suggestions, especially those on splitting up the class into those who get more direct instruction and those who consume resources more independently. I also liked the idea of a Google Form to help students reflect on their learning, which also allows the teacher know who they need to check in on more frequently. Some students also do NOT do well with a self-paced classroom, so I really thought the article's idea of only allowing students with a certain grade threshold to proceed with the self-paced material a good idea. Technology Addiction Lately I've been staring at my phone, which tells me how much of my life I'm wasting away on social media. Since starting this class, it's more than usual (but I think for mostly good reasons!) However, I read this quick article on how it's affecting teens and teachers from ISTE. Seems like most kids live in a home that has a mobile device, and over 50% of teens consider themselves addicted to their phones! According to the article, most teens spend about 8 or 9 hours on their phones! I wouldn't have believed it, but I've had days in the last month where I used my phone for over 6 hours for multimedia use... which for me is nuts, but I've been doing a lot of video editing and searching on it for this class and others, so that might be why. I found an interesting and quick video on how our phones are changing our bodies AND brains. Spooky stuff, just right after Halloween! Check it out: Conclusions So, I've decided that i'm addicted to my phone, (scary article, if you do some of those things you might have a problem like me!) but I don't know how to check my Twitter mentions. Such irony. D'oh! In light of how much we use our cell phones, do you guys see evidence in your classrooms or even outside of your classrooms that we are addicted to our phones? I gotta say, when I drive I like to play a game where I count how many people are driving on while using their cell phones. It's a depressingly high number of people... what do you think we should be teaching in classrooms to help combat our collective supposed cell phone addiction? Is it even possible to combat this, given how many apps work on our dopamine pathways, fueling the addition? Till next time, stay saucy, and also, STAY CURIOUS! saucily and curiously yours, Matteo PS: below is another reason I can't enjoy live concerts anymore. Just enjoy the show!
3 Comments
Amy McFarlen
11/4/2019 09:49:05 pm
One of the classes that I was able to work in during my internship was a self-paced classroom. It was very interesting to be a part of! It definitely requires a lot of work in the beginning - setting the classroom norms, routines, and expectations as well as finding or creating all of the required resources for students to work at their own pace. Despite the front-end work, I felt that the benefits were worth it. In a self-paced classroom the students who require additional instruction are able to receive it, while students who already have some background in the subject or catch on quickly can move on at a pace that is acceptable for them.
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Matteo Di Muro
11/5/2019 09:48:50 am
That's good to hear that you enjoyed the self paced classroom Amy. The front end work is quite a bit, I agree with you! Your students are also so lucky to have a teacher who actually addresses the topic of proper cell phone usage and etiquette.
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Brooke Alexander
11/5/2019 01:38:21 pm
Thanks for the post this week. Great discussion on phone addiction and the changes it is bringing to our brains, body and society.
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AuthorMy name is Matteo Di Muro, the original Prairie Boy, and I've been teaching since I was 14. I currently teach mathematics and computer science in Brandon. I try to keep on learning things, and I'm getting onboard with sharing with others, hence this site! Archives
March 2020
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