I came into this class with a beginner's knowledge of instructional technology. I have been a Mac user for four years and feel comfortable with programs like garageband, iMovie, Microsoft Office, and photoshop but did not really know how to incorporate these programs into the classroom environment. I am therefore pleased to say that I feel that I have learned a tremendous amount about instructional technology and feel confident to use it as a teacher. From novice to expert, I feel that I can use technology and the Internet as a trust-worthy resource for lesson-plans and to make learning more fun for students.
I am proud of the projects I completed this semester. The wiki I created, classpaint, is appropriate for me to use when I student teach this fall, as it directly correlates to a class my cooperating teacher leads called LINK (a career skills class). That being said, I will constantly revise it to make it look more appealing, as well as synchronize with the class better. After spending many hours on the movie I also feel as though I did the best work I could. Furthermore, it was beneficial to learn the ins and outs of SmartBoard tools since this is a program many teachers make use of in the contemporary classroom.
I will now move on from here with a sound grasp of instructional technology and the confidence to use technology abundantly. Blogs, especially, were something I was originally unfamiliar with and now I can use this practice in the classroom. After all, the world is constantly working to enhance technology and now I have several experiences (with work to prove it!) that will only strengthen my technological capabilities.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Week 6 EDCI 5825
I am glad I finally got the opportunity to sit down and read through my peer's blog posts. It was a learning experience in itself to investigate what others had to say about weekly readings. I found that many people had similar thoughts, while also bringing new perspectives to the material. Looking at everyone's voki was also amusing and it is interesting to notice how many different personalities there are. Through exploring the blogs I also gained some new creative ideas and ways to construct my own blog, as well as future blogs.
I really enjoyed TJ's blog, Journey. I think that it was very organized and one comment stood out to me especially. On June 14th, under the heading "Collaborative Tools," TJ wrote: "The knowledge of the 21st century learners is shaped by the environment. Collaborative tools and interacting with others is one way to gain knowledge because students are able to learn from the more knowledgeable other." I honestly never thought of technology in this way - as the "more knowledgeable other." Realizing this makes technology a standard and proves its significance in educational systems. TJ also suggests that learning is shaped by the environment, a common theme running through all of my classes this semester. The context of teaching is extremely significant since a student's comfort is dependent on it. Incorporating technology into both context (and content) therefore contributes a plethora of dependable resources to the classroom.
I really enjoyed TJ's blog, Journey. I think that it was very organized and one comment stood out to me especially. On June 14th, under the heading "Collaborative Tools," TJ wrote: "The knowledge of the 21st century learners is shaped by the environment. Collaborative tools and interacting with others is one way to gain knowledge because students are able to learn from the more knowledgeable other." I honestly never thought of technology in this way - as the "more knowledgeable other." Realizing this makes technology a standard and proves its significance in educational systems. TJ also suggests that learning is shaped by the environment, a common theme running through all of my classes this semester. The context of teaching is extremely significant since a student's comfort is dependent on it. Incorporating technology into both context (and content) therefore contributes a plethora of dependable resources to the classroom.
Monday, June 27, 2011
EDCI 5825 Week 5: Web Resources
The internet is making teaching highly collaborative by having so many resources - from lesson plans, to blogs, to podcasts, to virtual field trips, and the list continues. Teachers and administrators are helping each other by taking the time to create websites with these advantageous and accessible resources. As long as educators consciously evaluate websites and understand copyright laws then these resources are useful and should be used throughout the school year. Schrum and Levin suggest that teachers be familiar with copyright laws, especially as role models for students, and realize that documents, photos, videos, etc. can only be used without permission if they are in the public domain or fall under the doctrine of fair use (2009, p. 150). It is also pleasing to know that students can learn about safe internet use and these copyright laws with such resources as isafe.org and ISTE's (2011) Computational Thinking Resource to "prepare young learners to become computational thinkers who understand how today's digital tools can help solve tomorrow's problems," as well as classroom scenarios for secure internet use.
One website that would be particularly useful for my instruction as a special educator is ReadWriteThink. This website is great because it has standard-based lessons for grades K-12 that have been created and reviewed by certified teachers using current research. These trusted lesson plans can be used verbatim or adjusted to fit any curriculum. Since I will be in a 9th grade English class this fall I looked at one lesson I plan to use titled "Active Reading through Self-Assessment: The Student-Made Quiz." The objective of this lesson is for students to comprehend reading through inquiry and collaboration where they "work independently to choose quotations that exemplify the main idea of the text, come to a consensus about those quotations in collaborative groups, and then formulate “quiz” questions their group will answer" ("Active Reading," 2011). This website even includes printouts and theory to practice, which explains the importance of each individual lesson.
Another website I definitely plan on using is iCollaboratory. Once I am affiliated with a public school I will create a free account on this website and encourage my co-workers to do the same. As a first year special educator I will no doubt seek assistance and advice from teachers. This resources is an excellent way to discover answers to my questions, as well as network with certified teachers from anywhere in the country. I view it as a mentor site that holds a lot of information and ideas that are free to use. For example, on iCollaboratory (n.d.) you can find such projects as "A Day in Our Neighborhood," which has already given me the idea to plan a lesson in which students learn about the surrounding community. This resource also provides professional development workshops, project consulting, training, technical advice, and other helpful web resources, and so is an ideal resource for all teachers. Furthermore, once I have gained sound experience teaching I can also contribute to the site, giving back to the resources that have helped me.
Active reading through self-assessment: the student-made quiz. 2011. ReadWriteThink. Retrieved 27 June, 2011, from http://www.readwritethink.org/classroom-resources/lesson-plans/active-reading-through-self-30702.html.
A day in our neighborhood. (n.d.) iCollaboratory. Retrieved 27 June, 2011, from https://sites.google.com/a/collaboratory.northwestern.edu/collaboratory-home/welcome/home/what-s-new/adayinourneighborhoodstartsmay32010.
Schrum, L. & Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools. California: Corwin.
Week 5 EDCI 5065 Reflection
Todays brainstorming activity asking "What is a good teacher?" helped to inform my perception of an ideal teacher. I noticed myself focusing more on the emotional aspects of teaching first, including caring and patient characteristics. Being a supportive mentor in the classroom is therefore the teacher I aspire to be morally. In regards to cognition, though, I realized my beliefs of challenging students to explore their interests. A good teacher holds high expectations for her students while supplying immediate feedback in positive manners (i.e. constructive criticism, offering 1:1 support, praise). This reminds me of the model we completed on Mitra in regards to emotion and motivation. As a class we discussed the need to possess positive emotions so that joy can be a motivator, using the example of a playground.
I am glad we learned about the teenage brain today because it opened my mind to the physiological conditions of cognition. Watching videos, with breaks in between for discussion, was an excellent way to introduce this topic. I particularly liked the Born-to-learn.org video because it provided an insightfulness to the adolescent way of thinking. It gave foundation to the statement that a good teacher has to allow natural curiosity to flourish so that learning is encouraged throughout a lifetime. Risk-taking is a part of human evolution and so teachers need to encourage this in a safe way. Reverting back to the first paragraph in regards to supplying challenges, these videos challenged me to begin thinking of neurophysiology and how it influences learning. As a special education teacher I need to possess a sound background knowledge of the brain to understand how it effects individual students' performance. This plays a huge role in motivating students, especially in understanding the best way you, as a teacher, can model behavior and provide extrinsic motivators.
If students are intrinsically motivated then optimal learning will occur because they are driven by an interest and/or enjoyment in the material. Intrinsic motivation gives students a purpose to learn. Giving students freedom to pursue natural curiosities will provide creative opportunities. Creativity is so important because it is an essential skill for all people to have. Most jobs require employees to be creative and to be able to think on their feet. Teachers therefore have to perpetuate this creative aptitude in the classroom and can do this by allowing students freedom to explore the topics that interest them. Dan Pink supports this cognitive flexibility, suggesting that problem solving and creativity are driven by loosely bounded instruction. Of course the teacher has to provide guidance but ultimately the students are going to learn what they want. Mitra also supports this intrinsic motivation with his minimally invasive theory, suggesting a system of learning orientated around the self. The teacher's role, then, is to encourage this intrinsic motivation by openly discussing the difference between extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, acknowledging the importance of grades while making clear that learning is itself important, and encouraging a learning community in the classroom.
A Good Teacher...
A good teacher is patient. She believes that every student can successfully accomplish the learning tasks she sets out to teach everyday. A good teacher promotes self-determination in her students by being a self-determined individual herself. She is a type of professional role-model, representing positive values, enthusiasm, and a caring attitude. Inspiration. Each student should feel comfortable to talk to the teacher because they may be having academic or personal difficulties that need to be addressed. Openness. A good teacher may even sense that something is wrong with or upsetting a student and approach them herself. A good teacher is therefore intuitive and confident. Intuition. Flexibility.
A smile is a curve that often sets things straight. A good teacher always smiles because she wants to show that she is content to work with her students. Positivity. Optimism. She achieves the objectives for the day and provides a purpose for learning. She connects the curriculum with the students experiences in order to make the material relevant.
Week 4 T2P post:
If learners construct knowledge from knowledge they already posses then successful learning will occur as new information is built upon the pre-existing. Teachers should understand how her/his students understand a topic or subject so that she/he can understand the best way to teach or instruct the material. One way to do this is completing a KWL chart as a class. This way students get to engage orally in a discussion and the teacher can gage what the students already know and what they want to learn. Since the teacher is collaborating with the students, mutual assessment is promoted. Paolo Freire suggests that learning is thinking democratically and building upon existing frameworks. I feel that building upon prior learning motivates learners to expand on what they already know, make connections, and think critically. The moral/ethical implication here is that students will feel related to the topic because it is something they are familiar with; they already possess a disposition related to the topic being introduced. This is important because the teacher connects the curriculum with the students experiences in order to make the material relevant. Relevancy allows the students to realize that everything they are learning connects with something already known; therefore understanding that it is important. Making connections with something you already have an idea of or a backing experience to creates a bridge between the old and the new. You can then move on from there to embellish upon previous experiences/ideas, building a foundation and decorating the bridge to become a strong substance of knowledge.
A smile is a curve that often sets things straight. A good teacher always smiles because she wants to show that she is content to work with her students. Positivity. Optimism. She achieves the objectives for the day and provides a purpose for learning. She connects the curriculum with the students experiences in order to make the material relevant.
Week 4 T2P post:
If learners construct knowledge from knowledge they already posses then successful learning will occur as new information is built upon the pre-existing. Teachers should understand how her/his students understand a topic or subject so that she/he can understand the best way to teach or instruct the material. One way to do this is completing a KWL chart as a class. This way students get to engage orally in a discussion and the teacher can gage what the students already know and what they want to learn. Since the teacher is collaborating with the students, mutual assessment is promoted. Paolo Freire suggests that learning is thinking democratically and building upon existing frameworks. I feel that building upon prior learning motivates learners to expand on what they already know, make connections, and think critically. The moral/ethical implication here is that students will feel related to the topic because it is something they are familiar with; they already possess a disposition related to the topic being introduced. This is important because the teacher connects the curriculum with the students experiences in order to make the material relevant. Relevancy allows the students to realize that everything they are learning connects with something already known; therefore understanding that it is important. Making connections with something you already have an idea of or a backing experience to creates a bridge between the old and the new. You can then move on from there to embellish upon previous experiences/ideas, building a foundation and decorating the bridge to become a strong substance of knowledge.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Week 4 EDCI 5825 Technology/Tools
It was wonderful to read that the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) reported that in 2005 100% of American public schools had Internet access (Schrum and Levin, 2009, p.82). Despite the disparity in the quantity and quality of technology in public schools, this statistic is still impressive and proves that it is imperative to incorporate technology into lesson plans. As a special education teacher I plan to use technology as often as possible because it can improve students' quality of life while expanding on several important skills, including social interaction, organization, self-help, and independent functioning skills. Assistive technology is an effective approach to teach many students with learning disabilities, as it provides an interactive, user-friendly mean to attain knowledge. ISTE (2011) even perpetuates assistive technology and hosts a group (SETSIG: Special Education Technology Special Interest Group) to "advance knowledge concerning specialized technology products and effective practices for enhancing opportunities for children, youth, and adults with disabilities and for students who are gifted."
Technology is therefore a strategic tool to assist students with disabilities. For example, Daisy Talking Books is a great way to accomodate a student who has low vision. Daisy Talking Books are found in libraries worldwide and are multimedia resources with both large-text and image. Students can access specific points in the story whenever and wherever they want. These books are more than just audiobooks since they include navigation. Therefore, the low vision student can stay on track in class as he/she has the resource to do so.
Schrum and Levin (2009) write about virtual field trips, which would be a perfect tool to teach a student with a hearing impairment. A teacher would only have to locate and design a trip on a website such as Tramline and the student would be able to explore that area in visual depth. For instance, if the teacher were doing a unit on the United States government then the student would be able to go inside the capitol instantly. Virtual field trips truly give student the opportunity to see any part of the world.
A student with a broken arm would benefit from TeacherTube or SchoolTube. He/she may be absent from school quite frequently and so having access to these shared instructional videos from teachers and peers would help the student stay on track in regards to the workload. Watching these interesting, versatile, and dynamic videos are a fun, safe, and interactive mean for students to grasp concepts in different ways.
Finally, different modes of technology can be advantageous to a student with autism, as it can improve attention skills. Brainpop is an excellent resource for students and, as Schrum and Levin (2009) define it, it is a collection of cartoon videos that covers a broad range of topics, including English, math, science, arts, music, and health. Brainpop will therefore keep the student's attention while being an educational guide to curriculum. Technology therefore provides support to students of all ages and abilities. Now that most public schools in the country have access to the Internet they should be using the plethora of resources on the web as effective teaching tools.
ISTE. (2011). "SETSIG." Retrieved 21 June, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups/sig-directory/setsig.aspx.
Schrum, L. & Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools. California: Corwin.
Technology is therefore a strategic tool to assist students with disabilities. For example, Daisy Talking Books is a great way to accomodate a student who has low vision. Daisy Talking Books are found in libraries worldwide and are multimedia resources with both large-text and image. Students can access specific points in the story whenever and wherever they want. These books are more than just audiobooks since they include navigation. Therefore, the low vision student can stay on track in class as he/she has the resource to do so.
Schrum and Levin (2009) write about virtual field trips, which would be a perfect tool to teach a student with a hearing impairment. A teacher would only have to locate and design a trip on a website such as Tramline and the student would be able to explore that area in visual depth. For instance, if the teacher were doing a unit on the United States government then the student would be able to go inside the capitol instantly. Virtual field trips truly give student the opportunity to see any part of the world.
A student with a broken arm would benefit from TeacherTube or SchoolTube. He/she may be absent from school quite frequently and so having access to these shared instructional videos from teachers and peers would help the student stay on track in regards to the workload. Watching these interesting, versatile, and dynamic videos are a fun, safe, and interactive mean for students to grasp concepts in different ways.
Finally, different modes of technology can be advantageous to a student with autism, as it can improve attention skills. Brainpop is an excellent resource for students and, as Schrum and Levin (2009) define it, it is a collection of cartoon videos that covers a broad range of topics, including English, math, science, arts, music, and health. Brainpop will therefore keep the student's attention while being an educational guide to curriculum. Technology therefore provides support to students of all ages and abilities. Now that most public schools in the country have access to the Internet they should be using the plethora of resources on the web as effective teaching tools.
ISTE. (2011). "SETSIG." Retrieved 21 June, 2011, from http://www.iste.org/connect/special-interest-groups/sig-directory/setsig.aspx.
Schrum, L. & Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools. California: Corwin.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Week 4 EDCI 5065 T2P Reflection
Reflecting on our class, I feel as though we have followed some self-determination approaches. GNA let us discover, on our own, about one of the Big 6 theorists and collaborate in small groups to create a presentation. We therefore felt autonomy completing research on our own, felt competent by mastering knowledge of our theorist in small groups, and, finally, felt relatedness by hearing each other's presentations. I really like the idea of self-determination and feel as though it is an effective way to perpetuate intrinsic motivation; taking initiative in your own learning because you want to. I definitely plan to model lesson plans like this one completed in class.
If learners construct knowledge from knowledge they already posses then successful learning will occur as new information is built upon the pre-existing. Teachers should understand how her/his students understand a topic or subject so that she/he can understand the best way to teach or instruct the material. One way to do this is completing a KWL chart as a class. This way students get to engage orally in a discussion and the teacher can gage what the students already know and what they want to learn. Since the teacher is collaborating with the students, mutual assessment is promoted. Paolo Freire suggests that learning is thinking democratically and building upon existing frameworks. I feel that building upon prior learning motivates learners to expand on what they already know, make connections, and think critically.
1. If: learners construct knowledge from knowledge they already posses
2. Then: successful learning will occur as new information is built upon the pre-existing
3. Because: Teachers should understand how her/his students understand a topic or subject so that she/he can understand the best way to teach or instruct the material.
4. Evidence/theory: Paolo Freire suggests that learning is thinking democratically and building upon existing frameworks.
5. Moral implication: I feel that building upon prior learning motivates learners to expand on what they already know, make connections, and think critically.
Contextual data: Building upon existing frameworks
Pedagogical language: KWL, mutual assessment
Event/decision: Use knowledge you already possess to make connections to new knowledge
Link to spread sheet: Learning Theories Rules!
If learners construct knowledge from knowledge they already posses then successful learning will occur as new information is built upon the pre-existing. Teachers should understand how her/his students understand a topic or subject so that she/he can understand the best way to teach or instruct the material. One way to do this is completing a KWL chart as a class. This way students get to engage orally in a discussion and the teacher can gage what the students already know and what they want to learn. Since the teacher is collaborating with the students, mutual assessment is promoted. Paolo Freire suggests that learning is thinking democratically and building upon existing frameworks. I feel that building upon prior learning motivates learners to expand on what they already know, make connections, and think critically.
1. If: learners construct knowledge from knowledge they already posses
2. Then: successful learning will occur as new information is built upon the pre-existing
3. Because: Teachers should understand how her/his students understand a topic or subject so that she/he can understand the best way to teach or instruct the material.
4. Evidence/theory: Paolo Freire suggests that learning is thinking democratically and building upon existing frameworks.
5. Moral implication: I feel that building upon prior learning motivates learners to expand on what they already know, make connections, and think critically.
Contextual data: Building upon existing frameworks
Pedagogical language: KWL, mutual assessment
Event/decision: Use knowledge you already possess to make connections to new knowledge
Link to spread sheet: Learning Theories Rules!
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