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Week Five Assignments 4/1/2012

Week Five Reflection

Using technology tools, such as educational gaming, for formative and summative assessment is definitely an innovative method teachers can work to implement. I believe educational gaming will provide students the autonomy necessary to develop problem-solving skills that result in gains that exceed content mastery. Students now can pay attention to their successes and failures through these games or interactive activities, and they can collaborate to closely evaluate the development of their knowledge.

Solomon and Schrum, (2007) argue that when teachers collaborate to “plan their instruction and simultaneously plan ways to evaluate throughout the unit, they will develop a wide variety of interesting models (p. 170).” I think the model of using an engaging method such as gaming will open doors to meaningful discussion, discovery, and retention of material, and better yet, it will foster the mastery of problem-solving skills that students can take with them to future grade levels, and eventually the real world. Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Course-Embedded Reflection Assignment 4/1/2012  The experience of creating a technologically-sound unit of study during this course was both frustrating, and eye-opening. I initially ran into some difficulty because my group members all are elementary teachers, and I am a secondary educator, so there were some gaps in my understanding of how to reach younger students. Not only that, our content area for the unit we created was science, which has always been one of my weakest subjects. However, I took the opportunity to learn as much as I can about how to effectively implement technology into my curriculum, and I believe that I came out of this scenario project with a renewed passion for innovation and creativity in my classroom. Before beginning this course, I was aware of the need for teachers to implement technology into the classroom to foster students’ engagement and academic growth. I had knowledge of the new types of technology that are available for use such as web 2.0 tools, interactive designing sites for self-expression, such as Glogster or xtranormal.com, and even collaborative sites that help students monitor their progress and evaluate their learning with tools such as wiki spaces or blogs. However, this course caused me to open my eyes to //how// those resources can be used to benefit specific learner types. Differentiation is an important component of an effective classroom, and in order to make meaningful the variations of learning, teachers have to make an effort to outline the what, how, and why of student learning. These concepts were outlined in the UDL Networks outlined on the UDL site, and they helped me focus less on trying to be an expert at science, and more of a facilitator of how and why I wanted students to learn specific content. As a result, I found myself looking for ways to cater to the needs of each individual student in my lesson plan, and focusing the learning activities on helping students //see// themselves learning, rather than regurgitating information over time through one- dimensional assessments. This idea is supported by Rose and Meyer’s article, which suggests that “most traditional assessments are detached from instruction and practice…As teachers, we want to know how a student's knowledge and skills are changing during instruction and what is facilitating or hindering the change. We want to measure not only students' knowledge but also students' learning processes,” (2002).

My interaction with my colleagues was what helped me make it through this course. My team members significantly came through on making sure we communicated effectively, and we all brought in a range of perspectives that helped make our scenario solution more authentically sound. We used collaborative tools such as Google docs and Gmail to stay connected and informed on any changes or gains made during the course. Ironically, Solomon and Schrum talk about how effective technology use can add to meaningful collaboration. During my time collaborating with my team mates on Google docs, and through the class discussions in Epic, I was able to assess my own efforts and how strong or weak my contributions were. This has caused me to agree even more with the notion that using technology to facilitate student reflection can “empower” students as “thinkers, communicators, and authors,” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, pg. 81). My past interactions with my colleagues will influence my future learning experiences by causing me to look at a variety of views before constructing a lesson. More than anything, I’ve learned to ask around before I construct any plans for my units and activities. Teachers around us have great knowledge and skills that we may not possess, and what better way to continue as a lifelong learner, than to humbly ask of them for advice, support, and assistance in areas where we lack? Not only that, as a lifelong learner, I cannot walk away totally satisfied from this course with just being able to say that I accomplished creating a hypothetical solution to a problem. The real success would be for me to now go back to my secondary English classes and implement these strategies there. That means that some things I currently do are going to have to change. The questions and challenges that I face after this course leads me to wonder how I will pursue building a foundation for my students as I transition to a more technology-based curriculum in the future. Also, I am very interested in learning myself about how teachers have effectively implemented technology as a primary means of formative and summative assessment for the English language arts classroom. I want to make sure that whatever I end up choosing to include in my curriculum, it benefits each type of student, not just the middle achievers. Creating these plans using the UDL Network model will challenge me to be much more sensitive to the needs and learning styles of my students.

Perhaps the most striking concept I will take with me from this course is a comment made by Schacter in his 1999 article. He states, “the level of effectiveness of educational technology is influenced by the specific population, the software design, the educator’s role, and the level of student access to the technology,” (1999). Throughout the duration of this course, I was given many opportunities to practice developing strategies that address each of these areas, and I believe that I have gotten closer to understanding how to use technology effectively in the classroom. Resources: Rose D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Chapter 7. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Retrieved March 19, 2012, from [|__http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes__] Schacter, J. (1999). The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most current research has to say. Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from __http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf__ Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 77-98.

Week Four Assignments 3/24/2012 Week Four Reflection Learning by doing is one of the strategies my district values most. While reading and watching this weeks readings and videos, I developed a conviction about how I handle technology in my classroom, and a I felt encouraged to try a new approach to instruction. Project based learning is the main tool I can see being quite beneficial in my classroom. As a Pre-AP teacher and On-Level teacher, I see a wide variety of student types. Not only that, all of my students have background knowledge that can draw benefits for their peers. I like the idea of giving my students the opportunity to learn by doing, even to the extent of them being the teachers of the class. As stated in their book, Solomon and Schrum argue that "once the goal of enhancing teaching and learning through technology is agreed upon, there are many ways to accomplish it. One of the most successful is to use the technology to learn how to use technology, or as some might say, not just talk the talk, but truly walk the walk” (2007, p. 103). Giving students the opportunity to thoroughly study the content coupled with technology use allows them to take ownership of their learning, and encourages them to engage their minds well enough to thin critically and creatively. Seeking professional development for project-based learning and beneficial technology use in the classroom is something that I would like to approach with strategic purpose. English can be assessed in many ways, and while it can be fun to integrate blogs or wikis into assmessments, I want to make sure that I have the opportunity to collaborate with educators who have the experiences with developing worthwhile learning environments that cross curricular boundaries and include real-world knowledge. Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, New schools.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 99-116.

Week Three Assignments: 3/12/2012 UDL Book Builder URL: "Electricity City"

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UDL Reflection 3/15/2012 Creating this UDL was challenging, yet rewarding, because it caused me to seriously consider how I could not only help students master concepts, but also use technology in a meaningful way while doing so. I do not have much experience with elementary school, or science, so when my group chose to go with that age group and content area, I knew I had my work cut out for me yet again. However, after I considered the what, the how, and the why of what I thought students should learn, things became much easier. My lesson is geared toward the gifted and talented group of students in the scenario. The //what// students will master is the characteristics of the two types of electricity: static and current. The //how// of this assignment would require group collaboration in which students use a wiki space to share, reflect, and organize their learning. Finally, the //why// of their learning is to discover and share what their findings on electricity show about how important Benjamin Franklin—the scientist attributed to discovering electricity—‘s discovery is impactful to science and the world in general. While this assignment is rigorous, I plan to make provisions for all students to benefit from its content. I will include a voice to text application for students who are blind, and a text to speech application for students who are deaf. Additionally, the individual reflection portion of the assignment gives the gifted and talented student room to express himself in a more elaborative way.

3/12/2012 Personal Reflection: This week, I was able to learn more about how students can really benefit from technology in the classroom through effective planning and implementation. The readings helped me to see the theoretical gains that can be made in using technology to fit the learning styles of all types of students. However, I think the videos this week really hit home to show me how students as young as Cameron from the Edutopia video are competent and insightful resources when it comes to technology use. Learning what students find interesting, be it music from iTunes, or trends on youtube, there are many ways I can incorporate technology into my curriculum to keep students engaged and willing to actively participate in the learning process. Being an English teacher, it is especially important that I find ways for my students to develop an affect for reading and writing. I think taking advantage of Web 2.0 tools and collaboration practices will help my students warm up to the idea of communicating their thoughts effectively through written or oral means. I hope that once I am well versed in this type of implementation, students will be “empowered as thinkers, communicators, and authors,” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, pg. 81).

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, New schools.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 77-98.

Team Reflection

3/10/2012

This week, my teammates and I took a deep look at the educational scenario and began to determine how we wanted to approach solving the scenario “problem.” The main thing that comforted me upon first viewing the scenario was that there were several gifted and talented students because I teach Pre-AP and have had a good amount of experience working with this type of student. However, when I saw that we needed to also develop UDLs and solutions that would fit the same grade level, and most of my colleagues teach elementary while I have only taught secondary, I became a little worried.

That’s where my colleagues came in. Jessica and David seemed to have a great handle on practical means of integrating technology into a lesson for younger students, and right away, through our planning on our Google doc, we were able to gain ground on web 2.0 tools and strategies we can possibly use. We found acceptable TEKS to use for planning, and I soon began to feel more at ease about how our project would turn out.

This week, I’m going to focus on developing a UDL lesson for an important scientist whose research was important to the field of force and motion. I think that the lesson I create will be research based, and require students to use technology to organize and present what they have learned. My hardest task will be determining how to make this work for a younger grade level. I’ll rely on the TEKS to make that happen.

Week Two Learnings Post 3/4/2012 This week, I learned about the many methods in which one can use technology to enhance instruction in the classroom. Two that stuck most with me were how technology can encourage organization of thought for students and teachers, and how technology can inspire a self-directed, student-centered classroom environment that results in a higher level of responsibility taken by the student in his or her learning.

The Pitler text (2007) discusses how technology can assist students through organizing and brainstorming software. This interactive software teaches students the metacognitive thinking processes that they can applied while attacking rigorous academic tasks such as research, composition, or even math calulations. With this in mind, it is important to establish the worth of technology as a tool in the classroom, and steer young minds away from allowing technology to be a crutch. Instead, by teaching students thinking processes that are relevant with or without technology, students gain an autonomy of thought that will follow them to the real world.

Making student-centered, self-directed learning a priority often includes collaborative activities, but technology can assist in this process as well. With appropriate use of technology, teachers can transition from being the focus in the classroom, to being facilitators who prompt student learning. Students who interact freely and cooperatively learn to take ownership of their learning, and this creates a stronger sense of confidence in the student that results in their ability to take initiative of their own learning.

There are many positive findings listed in the Schacter article that highlight the gains of using technology in the classrooms. However, I think the most important finding in the article is the inconclusive one that claims “the level of effectiveness of educational technology is influenced by the specific population, the software design, the educator’s role, and the level of student access to the technology,” (1999). It’s important to remember that while we spend time researching programs and technologies that can enhance the speed and effect of education, none of that research and implementation is profitable unless we ensure that specific details are considered. Things such as our student’s demographical backgrounds and needs, teachers’ fluency with technology and ability to facilitate rather than dominate instruction, etc., are all factors that influence technology’s impact.

Page, M. S. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34(4), 389-409. Retrieved October 5, 2009 from the International Society of Education at __ http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Number_4_Summer_20021&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=830 __

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association fo Supervision and Curriculum Development, Chapters 1, 15-38.

Schacter, J. (1999). //The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most current research has to say//. Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from []

Week One Learnings Post 2/27/2012 This week, three important concepts were introduced in regards to technology’s role in the classroom: Constructivism, Connectivism, and the Cyborg theory. All three theories lend advantages and drawbacks, and all seem to reflect the range of personal philosophies and learning styles teachers and students have. The constructivist theory is a theory attributed to Russian psychologist Vygotsky that supports the idea that students come to a learning situation with some type of prior knowledge. Through a rich learning experience that can include student-centered instruction, hands-on learning, and collaborative learning tasks, students add to this prior knowledge, thus “constructing” a new level of knowledge. I find I relate most to this type of learning theory because it seems most practical to me. Technology’s role in the constructivist theory is to be a tool that opens up opportunities for more real-world problem-solving approaches toward learning. Connectivism lends itself to learning new levels of knowledge by mastering the technology market. Networking especially is championed in this format of technology use, which requires learners to become well-versed in knowing how and where to retrieve the information necessary to solve problems. This type of learning helps students to become more resourceful learners who are skilled in not just manipulating technology, but also understanding the purpose for each outlet of technology, and how its benefits correlate with different content areas. The cyborg theory is more like a movement of sorts to me. Warwirk’s dedication to this theory spans over a decade; he has had multiple surgeries to enable him to develop intelligences in revolutionary ways. Cyborg theorists support inserting chips into their bodies that are connected to their nervous systems, and these chips allow them to sense pulses of energy, as well as attain pools of information, almost like “downloading” a book to the brain without having to literally read through it. Honestly, I find this practice alarming and dangerous because while it seems convenient and innovative, it lends itself to an array of ethical, technological, and health problems that may not even have yet been detected. The gain, however, is that people who struggle in acquiring knowledge can now have access to a simpler way of understanding information. It will definitely be interesting to see how these three theories of learning evolve the face of education over time.