Shannon+Minton

=Shannon & Jennifer's Theory Presentation =

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= = =Book Reviews =

Christensen, Clayton M (2008), Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (ISBN978-0-07-159206-2) - Book Review
Christensen, professor at the Harvard Business School, co-wrote this book with Michael B. Horn and Curtis W. Johnson. Horn was a former student of Christensen's at Harvard and is now a co-founder of Innosight Institute, "a think tank, to apply the theories of disruptive innovation to solve social sector problems." Johnson is a writer and consultant and former college president who has been in favor of chartered schools in its early conception. Together the three men spent a two-year journey trying first to understand the educational system as it exists and then to apply Christensen's disruptive theory to the traditional educational system. From the Introduction to the Conclusion and at the beginning of each chapter, he poses scenarios at the fictitious Randall Circle High School that relate to the current state of education as well using it as an anticipatory set for the reader. Beginning in Chapter 1, he uses Howard Garner's Multiple Intelligences theory to set the stage for the book noting that each student learns differently, "one size does not fit all." From this claim he touts that disruption of the current methods of instructional delivery must change in an effort to promote learning and motivation in //all// students. This disruption can be seen in the form of computer-based learning leading to student-centric technology that meets the needs of the individual student. Their claim is that this disruption will only take place when there is a "vacuum of nonconsumption--the ideal place for student-centric online technology to be deployed," when for the lack of nothing else, //something// is better. He further claims, "Teachers can be learning leaders with time to pay attention to each student. And school organizations can navigate the impending financial maelstrom without abdicating their mission." His data predicts that a change could be easily observed within the decade with implementation of most courses being offered online.

Pros-
Offers extensive research and data to support his claims Offers realistic goals and methods for affecting disruption Randall Circle High School scenario is a plausible and relatable situation Offers reasonable explanation of potentially confusing data An easy and enjoyable read

Cons-
Can his business approach truly work in the educational realm? How does a "lowly" teacher present this theory to district administration to help affect change?

Opinion-
As an educator, I could easily visualize each scenario the authors presented. By the end of the Conclusion, I wanted to //run// to my principal, curriculum and technology facilitators, and superintendent to present this book as a start to affect change in my district, one that boasts that paradigms shifts are necessary to make changes. I will be looking for opportunities to approach my principal and facilitators with this book. I **highly** recommend this book to //all// educators in //all// aspects of the educational system. It's not until we have nothing better to offer our students that we will begin to see the disruption. I look forward to the change when I can //teach// and focus on the individual student again, not just be the bearer of the highlights and manger of classroom behavior.

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Bauerlein, English professor at Emory University, presents a long-winded argument as to why the achievement scores of today’s youth don’t reflect the technological resources available to them. His overall point is that students spend m o re time socializing on the Internet (i.e. MySpace, FaceBook) than using the Internet to help them better understand suc h things as current events, politics, or religion. He adds that their vocabulary is lacking and spelling has suffered at the sho rth and of instant messaging and texting. “Half the households have a video game player, and 49 percent of them hav e Inte rnet access (since 2003, of course, that figure has climbed steadily), while only 34 percent subscribe to a newspaper.”

Pros-
Offers extensive research and data to support his claims Offers thought-provoking reasons for lack of increased measurable knowledge

Cons-
Writes at a level where even the educated can get bogged down in the verbose prose and overstated resentment of technology Clearly favors traditional education and books over advancement in instructional delivery, including technology. May be perceived as over-stated and long-winded Data could be presented in a more organized fashion Makes assumptions of student interactivity with technology to fit his argument

Opinion-
As an educator and parent of three young adults over 17, I found the book almost offensive and frustrating to read. I could visualize Bauerlein sitting at his old typewriter (not electric) weeping over the advancements of today’s society wishing more people were reading traditional books. The author accuses educators as not being the mentors they should be because they are no longer the “sage on the stage” but have become the “guide on the side,” frowning on discovery-learning. When Donald Leu, professor at the University of Connecticut and former president of the National Reading Conference, stated (in 2000) that “research time might be better spent on exploring issues of how to support teachers’ efforts to unlock the potentials of new technologies, and not on demonstrating the learning gains from technologies…”, Bauerlein lashed back. His argument: “If students grow up thinking that texts are for interactivity—to add, delete, to cut and paste—do they acquire the patience to assimilate complex texts on their own terms, to read //The Iliad// without assuming that the epic exists to serve their purpose?” Did it occur to Bauerlein that by students cutting and pasting text, they are attempting to articulate effectively their own thoughts? When Todd Oppenheimer tours a high school in Maryland (known for its extensive technology) with a teacher, they observe “…students entering data into spreadsheets. But when he passes through by himself he spies the same students on the Dallas Cowboys Web site, joining a news exchange on favorite sodas, and checking out Netscape headlines.” Again, did it occur to Mr. Oppenheimer (or Bauerlein) that 1) students may have been finished with their assignment and have permission to be on those sites, or 2) that the data on those sites may have been critical to the data being entered into the spreadsheets? I found this book to be a frustrating read and would not recommend it to my friends.

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Marc Prensky, author of //Don’t Bother Me Mom, I’m Learning,// argues that the popular video games that children play (//The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, Half-Life, World of Warcraft, America’s Army, Grand Theft Auto//, etc.) can be seen as educational when considering the reading, strategizing, problem-solving, persistence towards mastery, and complex real-world applications involved in these video games. The majority of the book was directed at parents and how to interact positively with their children regarding the games they play. Prensky also offers some suggestions as to how educators can integrate these games into the curriculum. Having coined the terms //digital natives// (children) and //digital immigrants// (parents), his book is one more effort to bridge the ever increasing gap between the generations. “Games are not the enemy.”

Pros-
· Prensky offers this statement: “The key lies in just one word: //dialog//.” He suggests dialogue starters for parents to use as ways to talk to their children about the games without a threatening attitude being conveyed by their children. · He provides examples of how the many hours of game play is useful in the real [digital] world of surgeons, military, and corporate business. · He examines the benefits of the plasticity of the brain and how/why children process information differently than their parents. · He clearly outlines the differences between mini-games, those mostly played by //immigrants//, and the complex-games, those played by //natives//. · He provides healthy alternatives to use in game format (//DDR//, //Yourself! Fitness//, etc). · He outlines and defines the technological terms used most often by //natives//. · He offers suggestions for children to use their gaming abilities to earn big money (modding, LAN tournaments, selling their expertise, etc.). · He also provides a companion website to do more research on video games, what the educational benefits are, how/where it could used in school, and welcomes input from the public. ([|www.gamesparentsteachers.com])

Cons-
· Prensky makes many claims and uses statistics to substantiate his claims, but leaves the reader wondering how the data was collected or if it was even possible to collect such data. · For an educator, his suggestions for curriculum integration seem inadequate, at best. (A possible suggestion for his next book—target educators.)

Opinion-
As a parent of gamers, I felt that the book was enlightening and engaging. Prior to reading Prensky’s suggestions on dialog prompts, I had already begun to initiate conversation with my sons (ages 17 & 21) on the various topics in the book. It truly did open up conversation between us that allowed them to support their passion for gaming. I also learned they had a deeper concept of things I had never heard of until reading Prensky’s book (i.e. modding - see video inset for example, LANs, SMS, MMORPGs, spawning, P2P). If I wanted to know more about one of the topics, I could just ask one media type="youtube" key="l4DhRGbUlPA" height="127" width="132" align="right"of the boys! Having played //Mario Kart// and //Pokemon Puzzle League// with the boys, I can attest to Prensky’s claim that the //natives// have the ability to “filter out unnecessary things and identify and concentrate on the most critical things” is absolutely true. Prensky also maintains that counter-balance messages are essential for children to not only play the video games but to also get involved in other things, such as outdoor play, sports, reading books, and joining clubs while emphasizing on the equally important communication factor. Parents and educators must help children understand the difference between games and real world, non-violence versus violence seen in games: “…talking to your kids about their games, and providing such counter-messages, is the key recommendation of this book.” Complementing this message is advice on “addiction” to harmful games. As an educator, the book helped me to better understand my students “lack of attention” and “need to power down” for school. The book has also opened the door for me to use analogies in some current games to help teach a concept. Just recently we were working on adding and subtracting integers. I found the concept of positive clans/guilds and negative clans/guilds useful for some students to make the connection. While I don’t have the technological knowledge to design a game for 8th grade math, I feel more inspired to seek existing, potential games that could enhance my curriculum. I would recommend this book to any parent or educator. If you don’t believe every statistic and claim, it will at least enlighten you on the differences between the //digital natives// and //digital immigrants//. Feel free to do your own research!