ELD+5364+Teaching+with+Technology+(ePortfolio)

Please visit my EDLD 5364: Teaching with Technology Group Googlesite:

[|EDLD 5364]



Week 5 Reflection:

As we get ready to close out this course, we had many opportunities to view and read many interesting people, ideas and strategies that will help any technology leader build referent knowledge. They saved the best for last in this weeks required reading. Chapter 8 of Pitler's book discusses the most important ingredient of ANY type of learning. We can be the best teachers in the best schools with the best tools but it comes down to none other than individual student effort. Making students cognizant of their individual effort can produce and instill lifelong learning habits. Whether you use spreadsheets, data collection tools or surveys, there are many ways to show students that learning is in their hands. I figure it is not a bad idea to empower students to take action about their individual effort. In the 21st century, it is very common to see employees evaluate their own performance as part of an appraisal or wage increase.

It's important to note that I chose this quote also for my Week 5 discussion board, **"Effort, is the wisest choice for someone who intends to achieve success or maintain it as it is the only one within an individual's control"** (Pitler, 155). Those of us in the classroom see firsthand how students will typically attribute their success or failure on outside forces. They play the blame game for everything. I tend to hear "I'm not good at science, My teacher hates me that's why failed, or teacher felt sorry for me so he just passed me even though I know I failed". This reminds me of which is usually taught during undergraduate courses (Self-Fulfilling Prophecy). If students think they will fail, then they probably will according to this law.

My favorite video from this week's selection was //Big thinkers: James Paul Gee on grading with games//. Much of what Mr. Gee said about video games in relation to problem solving made a lot of sense. He gives convincing rationale of why video games could quite possibly the new way of teaching those sought after skills: problems solving, collaborating and critical thinking. Although I feel confident that video games are great way to learn and practice these skills, I don't see video games in the classroom happening anytime soon unless radical changes occur to NCLB.

Sources: Edutopia.org (nd). //Big thinkers: James paul Gee on grading with games//. Retrieved on March 20, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works//. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 155-164

Self-Fulfilling Prophecy. (n.d.). //Changing minds and persuasion -- How we change what others think, believe, feel and do//. Retrieved March 22, 2011, from [|http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/self-fulfilling_prophecy.htm]

Week 4 Reflection:

This week's most insightful memories come from the videos. Most notably was Video 3 of 6 Project Learning: An Overview. I always enjoy experts talk about their philosophy on education. This expert, Dr. Seymour Papert, did just that. While most proponents of educational reform talk about meeting minimum standards and how schools should be high performing in order to complete globally, this expert disagrees. The quote that struck a cord with me by Dr. Papert was "The standardization is a guarantee of low standards because the standard I would like to see is thinking differently" (Edutopia). All of the schools shown in the videos had three things in common: 1. There was a high degree of technology present, 2. The students were all using higher level thinking to solve real world problems, 3. The students were having fun! This is a recipe of a perfect school.

We are educators in probably one of the toughest times. We will see a reduction of teachers in the classroom, overcrowded classrooms and less money to help teach our children. It will be tougher to teach with technology with limited funds. This is where we must utilize our technology skills and turn to Open Source and free web 2.0 tools. This week we read chapter 7: Cooperative Learning of the Pitler book. I learned about many free or low cost ways to engage students in a cooperative learning manner that incorporates technology. I read about keypals, webquests, web development, social bookmarking, and web based simulation games (Pitler, 2007). I followed many of the URL and found out that some of them were discontinued or have been significantly upgraded since the publishing of the book. In the videos we viewed this week there was a lot of simulation games going on in the classrooms. I see myself incorporating these games into my keyboarding course towards the end of the semester in an effort to improve collaboration learning through technology. In early April all of my students will create their own websites using Google Sites since they each a GMail account that they created at the beginning of the semester. I really enjoyed reading the example in the Pitler text about Mrs. Cox class. I think I will have them create a website in which they each choose a small business in the community and build a website to promote their business. They will need to visit the business, gather information, take pictures, get prices, organize time lines, etc. in order to complete the assignment.

Sources:

Edutopia.org (nd). //Project Learning: An Overview.// Retrieved on March 13, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/project-based-learning-overview

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology in the classroom that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.



UDL Book Builder URL: []

Week 3 Reflection:

This week was filled with very inspiring videos especially the 11 year from Indiana, Cameron. This child prodigy has the talent of filming, leadership and acting at such as young age. The most important idea to remember about this remarkable young man is his ability to self learn using rich media content on YouTube. I have reminded my students about the power of information sharing via YouTube and most of them have learned using this wonderful resource. For example, last year one student (a troubled one) managed to learn magic tricks watching YouTube videos. I am talking about a student who was constantly in ISS and always disrespecting other students and teachers. Not soon after learning about magic tricks, this student stayed out of trouble and managed to become more social to the other students through the power of magic. As he awed his fellow classmates, I couldn't help to notice the major transformation this young man had made. In this weeks discussion board I chose the following quote by his teacher Christopher Sluder "Cameron is a good resource because he knows a little more about the software than I do. Sometimes I know more than the kids and sometimes they are teaching me things, so learning goes both ways" (Digital Portrait: Cameron, Edutopia, 2011). Some teachers need to get with the program and face the fact that you are in a different era and teaching is a two way avenue. Technology has allowed for our students to learn quickly and easily a skill that may have taken someone a lifetime to achieve. As teachers we must be open minded and learn from our students, not just to empower them but to grow as professionals as well.

The four planning questions in planning for technology is the basis for designing our technology integrated lessons and activities. It is a good resource however after using CAST Lesson Builder, you can't help abandon these pages out of the book. It's not until you complete your learning unit that you realize that the four planning questions are essential and in fact improve your learning activities. I'd like to think of it as a checks and balance system. Chapter 6 of //Teaching every child in the digital age// focuses on designing instruction that focus on three networks: recognition, strategic and affective. As a keyboarding teacher, I find myself tailoring to my students affective learning all the time. I allow for students to choose their own content and sometimes their tools to complete assignments. I don't have a rubric per say but I emphasize the purpose of the project no matter which tool is used to finish the product. In the end, I evaluate the project and evaluate whether the finished product has accomplished the desired set goal. For example, I might ask that students provide me with a marketing tool to educate people about the digestive system. Some students may choose to use MS Publisher, others want to create a PowerPoint, and others may want to create a Photo Story. Either way, students are allowed the freedom to choose their weapon of choice and present to the class. Finally, students vote and critique on the best marketing tool and the winning group is offered the job.

Something I learned this week that I'm a bit ashamed to admit is the use of Track Changes and Inserting Comments. I knew about these tools however did not really know how to use it or how it can help students. According to Pitler, software such as MS Word and its built in Track Changes/Insert Comments features have the ability to "support robust and timely feedback". I was familiar with the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Scale and have seen many Language Arts teachers use it to improve their students' writing ability. I am slowly discovering that ordinary looking software such as MS Word have so many built in features that can help our students increase engagement and motivation. I can also use these tools to provide timely feedback to our students. I can honestly say "I learn something new everyday".

Sources:

Edutopia.org (n.d.) //Digital Youth Portrait -- Cameron.// Retrieved May 6, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-cameron-video

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007).//Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 41-58, 217-225.

Rose, D. & Meyer, A. (2002). //Teaching every child in the digital age: Universal design for learning.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved on March 6, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Week 2 Reflection:

This week readings answers a question that most people wonder about, "Does technology work?". Michael Page's article titled //Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status//, has relevant research that indicates that in most cases technology embedded teaching works. We know it works with the top performing students however we are in an accountability era that needs proof that it works for all. The research shows that the use of computers with "nontraditional" students results in students learning how to problem solve better, improve self esteem and an improvement in student achievement (Page, 2002). Another similar article, //The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement// also concludes that there is a tremendous amount of positive impact when using technology in the classroom. To those who have an interest in high stake scores, the use of educational technologies results in "positive gains in achievement on research constructed tests, standardized tests and national tests" (Schacter, 1999). As I wrote in this week's discussion board, the most memorable quote to me came from //The Impact of Education Technology on Student Achievement,// pg 10. The author quotes Dr. Martha Stone "One of the enduring difficulties about technology and education is that a lot of people think about the technology first and the education later" (Shacter, 1999). I think this quote will resonate in my head every time I hear complaint about technology. As technology leaders we must remind teachers that they cannot rely on just technology alone to solve their problems. Technology should supplement teaching not replace it. On a separate note, I yet to receive my textbook //Web 2.0 New Tools.// I ordered this book over two weeks ago and it has not arrived. I hope it arrives in time for Week 3 required reading.

Sources: Page, M.S. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on Students of low socioeconomic status. //Journal of Research on Technology in Educaiton, 34(4),// 389-409. Retrieved on February 25, 2011 from the International Society of Education at http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Number_4_Summer_20021&Template=/MembersOnly.cfm&ContentFileID=830

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 February 25, 2011, from http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf

Week 1 Reflection:

One of the most unusual persons I've ever seen came from week 1 video on the Cyborg Learning Theory. Professor Kevin Warwick actually implanted a chip into his body that allowed him to control his nervous system. I mean this is unreal only seen in Scifi movies. His theory of future learning methods is quite interesting but scary in a sense. From a medical standpoint its great however you must consider the negative aspect such as power and control some people might consider abusing.

The article that really opens my eyes about the use of constructivism in the classroom is that written by Debra Sprague and Christopher Dede. The principal observed and concluded that since "students are playing on the computers, more than studying; they aren't reading in the text or taking a test or writing out an assignment" (Sprague, 1999). Ladies and gentlemen, we are in the 21st century and this revolutionary way of learning is taking classrooms by storm. We need to adapt and enjoy our profession like Elizabeth Adrian (who doesn't seem to be working very hard). We need to embrace technology and not think of it as a burden to learning. If used properly it can produce effective learning classrooms as it did for scenario 1 teacher Elizabeth Adrian. On a personal note, this year (for the first time) I heard a veteran teacher who has taught Algebra same way for many years say "Wow, these kids work well on these computers and they work so hard". He added, "in fact it makes my job easier as I circulate the room to help those who need my help". The teacher realized the importance of technology and how it can help him become a better teacher. This particular teacher used MySatori program to test his students and get immediate feedback on where these students need the most help. He uses the data and reteaches or spends more time covering the objectives.

This week I found a very useful tool to share with teachers who may not be too familiar with technology and software. On page 13 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, there is a chart that help teachers decide which software to use based on planning questions and instructional strategies. I found this to be a very useful chart that could help digital immigrants choose the appropriate program for their desired learning goals.

=
Sprague, D. & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, Am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. //Leading and Learning, 27//(1). Retrieved February 21, 2011 from the International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede_constructivism.pdf=====

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Introduction, 1-14.