Just a fun break!

This movie is exactly as I feel about the process of my master's program. What's next?? Enjoy!

Online Learning environments...Classroom without walls!

Using a course management system (CMS) or a learning management system (LMS) to structure and organize a classroom outside the constrains of a physical classroom is not a new idea.  It is one that recently has been in the background of information I have been sifting through.  Many different educational bloggers have been proclaiming the usefulness as well as the benefits for the untraditional student.  I have begun to realize several benefits for the student as well as the teacher. This could be used as a virtual extension of my classroom.  I would essentially be teaching 24/7/365.

Educational Technology and our future....

Our influence becomes ever so important....

Universal Designs for Learning and Differentiated Instruction together with Technology

The following link is a voicethread I created that discusses UDL and DI and how they support each other.  Included are some ideas of how technology can support UDL and DI.

http://voicethread.com/share/1896030/

Enjoy!

UDL At A Glance

The following movie is an excellent presentation that clearly explains Universal Design for Learning (UDL). As I further study how to create more equitable access to learning, and providing students with opportunities to explore different learning opportunities, I find myself changing my teaching philosophy. Allowing for more project based learning, and cooperative group work my classroom can become more learner centered.

UDL

Here is a presentation I created that describes the components of UDL and tools to help in the classroom.


UDL prezi

Enjoy!

Week 8 Reflections and Ruminations

Throughout this course, I learned more about being a student. Many of the things that I require from my students I was faced with during the past eight weeks. With my tumultuous personal life interfering with my learning process. I wish that I had been able to explore each of the things we learned more in depth. Creating a unit plan with a problem-based learning lesson, a collaborative lesson, as well as a digital story was incredibly insightful. Each lesson grew and developed as my understanding of each was finally realized. It was not until I was creating my digital storytelling lesson plan that I could visualize exactly how this unit would flow, and how each part builds upon the previous lesson.

In regards to my GAME plan, I was not as successful. I had set high expectations for my students and myself. During this course, my class had access to the computers six times. During those periods, we discussed digital etiquette and how to respond respectfully online. We accessed Kerpoof.com to create, share, and discuss different items. It was just an introduction to a much bigger lesson. We spent the majority of the time with the laptops working on our keyboarding skills; I realized after speaking with other teachers that because of the requirements later in school my students were not as prepared as possible. I had to spend time having students learn and have a basic understanding of keyboarding skills. They are becoming much more comfortable with a keyboard and where to find each letter, it may not be perfect, but they are still learning proper techniques.

I have been introduced to many different professional learning communities online. I have begun following different educators on Twitter, following different blogs, and accessing websites that will help me to grow and learn as a professional educator. This has been the most valuable for me. I enjoy observing other educators with their successes and failures in our profession to find things that may work or things to avoid in my classroom.

I look forward to continuing to develop my GAME plan and identify more realistic goals for a short-term project, as well as identify a long term GAME plan for the rest of this school year and to prepare for next year. For the time being, I have many new technology tools to use within my classroom. One thing that I am very excited to begin using with the new quarter is www.kidblogs.com. I am looking forward to having students write blogs as a means to respond to their reading, as well as to discuss their own learning processes. Thank you for following along as I try to make sense of an overwhelming amount of information and resources!

Carrying out my GAME plan

http://macalchemist.com/wp-content/uploads/Game-Plan-300x199.jpg

As I further my exploration into applying technology into my classroom content, I developed a GAME plan that will focus my teaching. This week I am looking at the progress of my GAME plan. 

 

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Teachers: promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

Teachers:

Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

 

In carrying out my GAME plan, I will need to use my colleagues at my school, as well as within my personal network. Students will also need to learn how to appropriately respond to content online. By teaching lessons that include an online comment portion, students may safely practice and apply what we are learning in school. The use of blogs, wikis, and other collaboration tools will need to be at done at school, as there is a limited amount of technology available at students’ homes. This will require that students will need access to the laptop cart that is shared with the other 600 students at our school.

Before beginning this process, I need to clarify any permission forms that need to be signed by parents. Our district has a form that students need to sign before using the computer, but it is not clear about what and how students’ material is used online. Many of the struggles I am currently facing is the inevitable time. With so many mandates that already fill my time, I am struggling with fitting my GAME plan within my schedule. One of the things I need to do is to look at how I can use collaborative tools within my electricity unit, as well as giving them problem-based learning activities to challenge students to work together to solve a real-life problem. It is a challenge for third grade students to communicate in type, yet another goal of mine is to work on their keyboarding skills, or at least a beginning understanding of the keyboard layout.

So far, in my class we have talked about being appropriate online, and how to comment respectfully. Students have explored the creative side of www.kerpoof.com and I have plans to allow for the chat portion in the near future. We have a long way to go!

GAME Plan

   In reviewing the standards addressed in the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T) I am finding that there are many standards that I am currently working on, and many more that I am unsure of and how to effectively apply them. One of the standards that I would like to work on is focused on students collaborating to share their learning. The importance of learning to work together and how to seek others that can contribute on problems is becoming emphasized in the future workplace for students, as well as an important skill for educators in the changing educational climate. Another standard that I would like to focus on is teaching digital etiquette and how to use social medias thoughtfully and safely. I believe that my third grade students will be using social medias in ways that the creators never predicted. I am becoming more concerned for student’s online safety as the access to private information continues to be more accessible. To work on my goals, I have developed a GAME plan utilized from Katherine Cennamo, John Ross, and Peggy Ertmer (2009).

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.

Teachers: promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

Goal--To use technology tools to further enhance my students’ collaboration and sharing of their learning. To utilize blogs, wikis, and other collaborative tools to demonstrate their process of exploration and develop more meaningful learning opportunities.

Action--Using blogs, wikis, and other collaborative tools will allow for more communication among student’s peers, as well as professional resources. By using blogs, wikis, and other collaborative tools I hope to provide multiple opportunities for students to respond in multiple ways to further encourage their learning.   Students will be able to respond to essay questions, explore different visuals, as well as communicate and work collaboratively with other students on projects.

Monitor--To monitor or supervise student’s efforts in the process, I will continually evaluate the effectiveness and appropriateness of the students and their material. Collaborative activities provide for “both the processes and the products of learning.” (Cennamo, K., & Ertmer, P., 2009, p.39).

Evaluate--At the end of the project, or unit I will be able to evaluate student’s progress, as well as the effectiveness of the collaboration tool that was used. By having a log of the changes made within the wiki, and the blog postings and commenting occurring I will be able to identify student learning, and observe their growth within specific content areas.

I have become increasingly concerned about social medias and the influence they have on students. I am also concerned about how students use social medias, and their online safety. My second goal is based on social medias and how to stay safe and appropriate online.

4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.

Teachers:

Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

Goal--To provide a safe environment to communicate respectfully with their peers online. To learn and use other social medias to positively promote appropriate social interactions. I would further my goal to include finding professional communities to foster my own growth, and use the social medias to model appropriate digital etiquette.

Action--By using kerpoof.com and other websites that offer a closed chat room option, my goal is to teach students how to communicate appropriately with each other. Students will have a safe environment to share, be heard, and be safely monitored. I will seek other social medias, as well as other classrooms that provide opportunities for my classroom to interact. I will seek other professional communities to encourage my professional growth and for finding opportunities to work collaboratively.

Monitor--Through observation of the conversations in the chat rooms, I will determine if students are being respectful and being thoughtful of student’s safety. I will provide prompts for students to discuss to guide their conversations. By following the discussions, I can identify whether modifications should be made.

Evaluate--I will use a checklist to identify specific goals that students have mastered. I will also identify goals that I have accomplished and use the social medias and collaborating with other educators as a means to document my professional growth. According to Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer “self-monitoring and self-evaluation are considered essential components of self-directed learning.” (2009, p.11). The evaluation step is important to readjust and reflect on my growth, as well as the effectiveness of my goals.

References:

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Parental Involvement Voicethread

The latest project for my master's program was to create a voice thread that identified a need, problem, or situation I am confronted with in my classroom or school today.  I have created a voice thread that discusses the issue of parental involvement, and ways for educators and families to work together.

http://voicethread.com/share/1260546/

Cooperative Learning, Conectivism, and Social Learning

http://annejohnsrud.blogspot.com/2009/02/cooperative-learning-and-short-stories.html

Cooperative learning is one of my preferred methods of learning. I enjoy working with others, discussing the information, and problem solving as a team. Some students have a hard time working collaboratively, I believe that many of the issues stem from other behavior or social issues. Many of the trainings I have attended discussed ways of implementing cooperative learning effectively in the classroom. Now the focus is on implementing technology to work collaboratively with others. There are numerous multimedia tools available to help “students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning” (Pittler, p.139). When students are interacting academically, they are continuing to build their network of knowledge.

Dr. Orey discussed the zone of proximal development as being what a student is able to learn at this time. A student is ready for the information, it is not already known, or too challenging that they need a “more knowledgeable other” (Laureate, 2009). The social learning theories would describe the place where students and technology can act as the “more knowledgeable other”. According to George Siemens, students are able to access an abundant amount of information, and have a rich network of technology in the way they connect with other people and data (Laureate, 2009). It is this ability to instantly access information and connect with others that is the basis for the social learning theories.

Students are able to work cooperatively and construct their own knowledge by utilizing the amazing array of resources listed in our text. By connecting the constructivist and social constructivism learning theories, students can solve a problem by gathering data relying on other people or information available. Many of the resources listed in the text were things I had not heard of, yet I plan to find ways to thoughtfully implement in my future classes. One of my goals is to build a classroom that is more globally aware; by using keypals, students could connect in a timelier manner with other kids around the world. Through communicating and building a network outside of our locality, students can begin to understand the similarities and difference in the world around them. One strategy that I am already using is having a webpage with a shared calendar to communicate events with students and their families. It has been very effective for families as a window into the activities in our classroom. Even though I still write a weekly newsletter, I find that updating a webpage with events and other happenings is an easier method to inform families. The challenge is to support my families who do not have access to a computer or the Internet. I also use the webpage as a resource to collect bookmarks for our different units; students are able to access these links quickly and easily. By opening our classroom to a more global community, but being mindful of student safety and online responsibilities, my students will find new ways of constructing knowledge and creating their networks of learning.

References

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009a). Connectivism as a Learning Theory [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Siemens, G.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009b). Social Learning Theories [DVD]. Baltimore, MD: Orey, M.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism in Practice...PB&J

Constructive chaos is one description of the way my classroom operates. We always seem to be on the verge of taking flight to a new topic or direction in a lesson, but everyone is engaged. My students are actively learning within our lessons and at times their questions or responses guide how we will digest the information being offered, and how that information is being presented. My lesson plans are a list of goals for the day; our outcomes and curriculum lead us in a direction with many roads to traverse before we reach our final destination of understanding.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PBJ.jpg

According to Dr. Orey, the constructivist theory of learning states that students create their own meaning and constructionist theory states that students learn best by physically creating something. These two theories seem to be interrelated. How can you make something without creating a new meaning or idea of it? When making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, I am creating a new meaning and testing hypotheses of the varying recipes to improve my sandwich or to adjust it to fit what I am wanting. I encourage students to create hypotheses and have them “engaging in complex mental processes” (Pittler, p.202). Students are also applying this method of creating hypotheses to create their own understanding. Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works propose six tasks for testing and creating hypotheses. Students can predict and test their thoughts on how something would change, identify a solution with different parameters of a problem, changes to historical events, discover a need and create a solution, identify how or why something happened, and to make a decision with different variables (203). Hypotheses and the constructivist/constructionist learning theories are closely aligned. Students are given a problem and they have to create a hypothesis to solve the problem whether it is from physically creating something or just creating a new understanding of how the problem could be solved. 

Technology plays an important role in bridging all of the ideas from this week’s information. It is a way for students to gather information more quickly, to generate difficult calculations, and to share their learning with others. Applying the use of hypotheses and the constructivist/constructionist learning theories will help my students become more engaged in their learning. They will be more responsible for what they will get out of an assignment. I can be a guide to my students, but like leading a horse to water I cannot make the horse drink, nor can I make my students learn.

Resources:

Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Motion picture. Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories. [Educational video]. Baltimore: Author.

Cognitivism in Practice

While listening to Dr. Orey speak about elaboration in our resources this week, I was reminded of a seminar that I attended with my siblings when we were much younger. In my dad’s business his connections to other people and remembering who they are is very important. My dad felt that it would be important for us to strengthen our memory. So, we attended a memory seminar, in which we had to remember as much as we could of a list of about 20-50 items. The speaker taught us how to associate each thing on the list with something else like a person we knew or a memory of the item, to help embed the list into our long-term memory. This was my first realization of the power of associations with our memories. I find myself still using association to remember things.

When giving information in multiple ways, and applying it with some background knowledge, students can be more successful with storing the information and not just memorizing it for a test. The dual coding theory Dr. Orey discussed also connects to Dr. Patricia Wolfe’s idea when she spoke about the Dalmatian, and if students did not have background knowledge or memories to connect new information to they would not have real understanding of what a Dalmatian is, what it looks like, or what it smells like.

Our district has been using thinking maps (www.thinkingmaps.com/ ) for concept mapping. It is eight thinking maps to connect student’s thought processes. It has been extremely helpful for students to have a common language of the thought process they are using and which map would best organize the information to support that thought process. Students are also able to utilize the eight maps that best correspond with their connection to a topic, and the essential question they are answering. Our school has been very successful using these maps to support their learning. Applying thinking maps to note taking as described in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works will be an easy transition for my students. I believe that I can better prepare my students for note taking and summarizing by using the visual organization of the thinking maps. “Technology can scaffold, or provide support, while students are learning the summarizing process. It can also provide collaborative summarizing experiences that facilitate reciprocal teaching…” (p.120).  There are many different types of technology applications to support summarizing and note taking. Think tank (http://thinktank.4teachers.org/) as presented in our text is a resource that I will begin using with my third grade students. When organizing information for our informational reports, this resource can help students focus their writing and learn how to look for critical information. Helping students make connections with the information they are researching is an important part of the cognitive learning theory.

Resources:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Cognitive Learning Theories. (Motion Picture)

Picture from Capture Queen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/uaeincredible/811123579/

Behaviorism and Homework

While reading the chapters in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works that deal with homework, I started to feel defensive. I realized that I am deeply involved with the homework debate, and was taking it personally. I do not put a lot of emphasis on homework in my classroom, because of the issues it causes with families. Parents make a big deal if students do not finish their homework and expect consequences to come from the classroom. According to Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski “homework provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and to gain proficiency with their skills.” (p.187). This is the truth in homework, however many teachers and families mistake it for a chance to drill and kill. Homework should be a continuation of the learning from the classroom. Students should be given the chance to explore their learning without fear of consequences. The example of students exploring their effort in their assignments compared to their rate of success was a very powerful message as described by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski. I plan to investigate how I can have my third grade students graph something similar to see their results, like the students that used it before, I believe that my students would understand the value of effort in completing their assignments with thought and accuracy. I will continue to assign homework as practice but being mindful of the main purpose of enrichment of our classroom activities.

Behaviorism learning theory is an important part of running a classroom everyday. From the classroom management, procedures, and homework students need the repetitive routine and reinforcement to work effectively with their classmates in a cohesive manner. “Technology facilitates homework and practice by providing a wealth of resources for learning outside of the classroom, making it easy for students…providing ‘drill and practice’ resources that help students refine their skills.” (Pittler, p.189) Many technology resources available utilize the behaviorist learning theory. Some of the resources listed provide instant feedback on how a student preformed. I was excited to see that I have used some of the resources for practicing students understanding of a topic, before assessing them later. Students enjoy practicing things they already have some knowledge about, especially when they know that they are expected to know the information again in the future. When students are allowed to use technology to complete their homework, there is more interest in doing well and attempting more. They are provided with the instant feedback that is necessary to be effective practice. Many of my students use www.spellingcity.com to use a multitude of ways to practice their spelling words, and are able to instantly determine which words they need to focus on studying. I may not always be able to include technology to complete a homework assignment, but I will provide many different ways to practice, or further research a topic on a class website students can access.

Resources:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Podcast....Technology and Students

Here is the Podcast I created.  I interviewed four fourth graders and how they use technology.  It was very interesting to hear their thoughts on how they use technology and what they want to use technology for.  Even students are wishing that everyone had a computer!

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21st Century Skills website pondering....

The website for 21st Century skills is an amazing resource!  The front page was difficult to follow and reads like a textbook (ick!).  However, it can guide a reader through the the information about what 21st Century Skills are and how business are working with classrooms to fund the tools necessary.  The most helpful resource on the site that I found was the online tools.  I was able to research different lessons at Route 21 to help infuse my classroom with technology rich activities.  I was able to find a curriculum map for each content area.  It lists many different activities and projects to foster the skills for the 21st Century.  I plan on printing it out and using it as a guide to focus the project based tasks for my students.

I was disapointed, but not surprised, to see that Alaska was not on the list of states with the 21st Century Skills initiative.  No matter how much technology our state puts into the hands of our rural students, our state is still behind the curve.

The implications for my students, and myself are education.  I will look to the online tools to broaden my base of ideas for implementing technology in the classroom.  This site will also be a resource to use to remind myself of the type of students that are in my classroom.  For my students, we will look to the projects to get ideas of ways that we can implement more technology in the classroom.