Week Seven Reflection and Podcast

Chapter 14 described a lot of different information and focused on Human Performance Improvement (HPI).  I like how the chapter says that "The vision of HPI is relatively simple: achieve, through people, increasingly successful accomplishments that are valued by all organizational stakeholders: those who perform, their managers and customers, their peers and colleagues, shareholders, regulatory agencies, and ultimately, society itself."  We can take all of the roles that the book listed in that statement and assign them to people in the education world.  When we add mediums through which the performance and behavior is being delivered, we can then achieve the "improvement" part of HPI.  The chapter emphasizes that HPI is the accomplishment through people and that there are various means of reaching this.  I agree that this is how it is in the classroom.  I really like the idea on page. 136 that we really need to be thinking systemically versus using linear thinking and acting.  In this particular section, the book focuses more on the workplace, but it is true in the classroom as well.  We need to not be just thinking about the end number or end goal and step by step how to get there, we should have a system set up for our students-a web of options for each student to meet that ending goal.  I also believe that teachers need to focus on performance as well.  Instead of grading based on only right or wrong, we need to be sure that we acknowledge their "hard work, knowledge, and strong motivation" (pg. 137).  The book states in that sentence that "Hard work, knowledge, and strong motivation without valued accomplishment is unworthy performance."  This statement is arguable.  In my own classroom, I feel I would be willing to take all of that into consideration, but to what extent?  This is something that each teacher will have to decide for him or herself.  The chapter also discusses the future of HPI and how it is looking to be expanding.  I believe that it will but agree when it says that it "has emerged slowly but forcefully" (pg. 143).  I think teachers naturally use some of this in a classroom, but more will be developed specifically for education purposes.  




Check out the podcast that I found:  


http://teacherspodcast.org/


As described on their "About" section of the website (directly from teacherspodcast.org): 

"A New Generation of Ed Tech Professional Development for Educators is Here!

News, views, research and resources you can use are featured in every episode of The Teachers’ Podcast. The popular podcasting team of Mark Gura and Dr. Kathy King are teachers, ed tech experts, authors and professors.

Note that this is not your usual podcast, nor PD experience. Instead it includes fun, abundant resources and crisp insight from the perspective of what you can use today and tomorrow."

My own summary of the podcast: 

It is a bit on the casual side, but Dr. King and Gura really try to make good conversation about the use of technology in education.  Some of the podcasts begin with some small talk and some organization, but once they get into the subjects of focus, it is some good information that really makes you think about your own personal opinions on the topics.  They speak of things beyond in the classroom such as meetings, conferences, and methods to get people used to using technology.  They speak of different ideas to use students to help teach technology to their peers, parents, or anyone else involved in their education.  The podcast also uses a lot of networking.  They have several connections from higher education facilities, K-12 education facilities, and businesses from different states in the nation that are mentioned and referenced in several of the podcasts.  Dr. King and Gura feed off of each other's information and comments and get into some great conversation.  They give great examples of podcasting in the classroom, which I like because that is our topic for our class this week.  The examples that they gave are great and some that I would not have thought of myself.  

Podcasting would have a great value in the classroom.  Having lectures on podcast available to students would be a great tool.  If the student misses a day, this would hopefully eliminate the 5 or more students a day that come up to your desk and need explanation "What did we do yesterday?  I was gone, I don't get it."  Who has time for that!?  If the students were able to listen to a podcast of your lecture that day, they would be able to hopefully spend a lot less valuable class time trying to play catch up.  Another way podcasting could be used is for extra help with certain tough subjects.  Teachers could re-phrase or summarize a difficult topic on a podcast and refer to it for students who may need extra assistance with that certain lesson.  If the student has listened to the podcast and still does not understand, obviously the teacher would step in at that point.  Podcasting could be used to give examples of what the teacher is looking for in a speech or a presentation.  As a student, it is hard sometimes to know what the teacher is looking for exactly if it is a project like that.  I think it would be helpful to have different styles of the completed project available for things that would be acceptable to the teacher.  It would also be helpful to have a podcast of instructions for a large project posted so that parents and students can refer back to it.  It may help a teacher cover too for when the students argue their grades after they receive them.  :)