I have enjoyed creating a game plan for this course. Although I did not fully complete my game plan I have begun to implement the plan into my classroom. The newsletters have been a hit with parents. By communicating through email parents are more likely to receive them and are able to communicate back to me without the fear that I may never receive it. The incorporation of technology has been slow progress but I have begun scheduling computer time in the lab for access for all students. Hopefully this will get the ball rolling with this part of my game plan.
With this game plan I have learned that not everything needs to be set in stone with a plan. I know things happen and lessons need to be changed based on many different things but when I always thought of a plan of action I am the type of person who creates a plan and sticks with that exact plan. With this game plan I have realized its ok to change the plan from week to week. It is a plan that is created to help me grow as a teacher. This concept will help me in my instructional practice especially when I start to incorporate more technology into my lessons. Technology is very unpredictable so this process will ease my inexperience with using technology.
This course has opened my eyes to many new technology applications that are out there. I plan to incorporate at least 2 technology lessons that I have learned about in each quarter. This will also help me to achieve my game plan of incorporating technology into my classroom. I have begun to have my students create game plans for themselves. This is a wonderful experience for the students because when they have a plan they are more likely to be involved and successful in the learning experience.
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Using the Game Plan Process With Students
In order for students to use a similar Game Plan as we have used in class I will have the students look up the NETS-S standards and we will go through them so the students are familiar with what the standard is saying. For my third graders I would probably make a poster that has more kid friendly terminology so they can better understand what the standard is saying. Once we have gone through the standards I will ask that each student write it down on a goal sheet that they will keep in a folder at their desk. I will also have projects that students can complete throughout the year listed on my board. The students will need to choose an assignment to complete and create their Game Plan for the assignment that they have chosen. The students will be given a certain time frame to complete the project and will be given time in class to work. This way I am there to facilitate and answer any questions. The students will be completing four projects a year where they would need to chose a different standard each time to work on. By giving students the option for the project that they want to complete it will be more meaningful to them and their Game Plan will mean something to them as well. If I was to give them a project to complete that they were not into then they would not be into the Game Plan either.
I think a Game Plan is a great way for not only students but also teachers to focus in on what they want to achieve. I felt that this Game Plan has made me really concentrate on incorporating technology into my lessons and become more technological. I hope that the Game Plan will be as beneficial to the students as it was for me.
I think a Game Plan is a great way for not only students but also teachers to focus in on what they want to achieve. I felt that this Game Plan has made me really concentrate on incorporating technology into my lessons and become more technological. I hope that the Game Plan will be as beneficial to the students as it was for me.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Revising My Game Plan
The biggest part of this game plan that I have learned is that I feel that I have set my sights a bit high to start off with. If I was to start this again I would start with something that I knew I would be able to accomplish to gain some confidence. It has been very frustrating with part of my game plan because I do not have much control over what technology I have in my classroom.
Although it has been difficult to incorporate technology into my game plan I have thought of a new idea as to how to begin maybe not for this year but hopefully for next. I have been looking into grants to help get some technology into our school. Since our principal and the board obviously do not have the money or the means to get us technology I guess it is up to me to get something done. My plan is to start drafting a proposal to begin the grant process. Hopefully this will begin the process of getting this part of the game plan started.
As far as my monthly email progress reports go I have had great feedback from parents. It is not just a monthly progress report but also a monthly newsletter about upcoming events. I have had some parents ask me to give more weekly reports but then the issue comes back to me having time. The monthly progress reports are time consuming but it is only once a month and I feel like I can handle this, but making it weekly just seems a bit much for me.
Does anyone have suggestions for grants? Are there any sites where I can try to find a grant that will help me get some technology into my school?
Although it has been difficult to incorporate technology into my game plan I have thought of a new idea as to how to begin maybe not for this year but hopefully for next. I have been looking into grants to help get some technology into our school. Since our principal and the board obviously do not have the money or the means to get us technology I guess it is up to me to get something done. My plan is to start drafting a proposal to begin the grant process. Hopefully this will begin the process of getting this part of the game plan started.
As far as my monthly email progress reports go I have had great feedback from parents. It is not just a monthly progress report but also a monthly newsletter about upcoming events. I have had some parents ask me to give more weekly reports but then the issue comes back to me having time. The monthly progress reports are time consuming but it is only once a month and I feel like I can handle this, but making it weekly just seems a bit much for me.
Does anyone have suggestions for grants? Are there any sites where I can try to find a grant that will help me get some technology into my school?
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Progress of Game Plan
This week I had a sense of accomplishment with my Game Plan. I sent home my first monthly report to my students parents today and got immediate feedback from those I sent via email. Parents said they loved this because sometimes papers that are sent home are lost some where between school and home. Parents also said it was nice to have something sent home that not only dealt with scores, but with their child's behavior, strengths, weaknesses and upcoming events. I am very happy with this part of my Game Plan thus far I just hope that I can keep up with it each and every month. Time is still my enemy!
As far as the other part of my Game Plan I am afraid I am just not getting very far with technology. Many of you have given me amazing feedback as far as what I could do to try to get technology into my classroom. Although my principal does seem very strict with this idea of keeping many sites blocked I have a feeling it is not really in her hands. She is just doing what is being asked of her. My whole county is having issues with getting onto educational sites. It seems that it is more of a county wide issue and not just a school issue. I do love though how they always preach to us teachers that we need to make learning fun and meaningful to students, yet we are still using overhead projectors and have 2 computers in our classroom. How can I make an overhead projector fun for the students to learn? When I am home I do like to search for different ideas on how to incorporate technology into lessons and what technology other teachers are using. In case one day I am blessed with technology in my county!
As far as the other part of my Game Plan I am afraid I am just not getting very far with technology. Many of you have given me amazing feedback as far as what I could do to try to get technology into my classroom. Although my principal does seem very strict with this idea of keeping many sites blocked I have a feeling it is not really in her hands. She is just doing what is being asked of her. My whole county is having issues with getting onto educational sites. It seems that it is more of a county wide issue and not just a school issue. I do love though how they always preach to us teachers that we need to make learning fun and meaningful to students, yet we are still using overhead projectors and have 2 computers in our classroom. How can I make an overhead projector fun for the students to learn? When I am home I do like to search for different ideas on how to incorporate technology into lessons and what technology other teachers are using. In case one day I am blessed with technology in my county!
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Game Plan Progress
My game plan has been coming along but not as quickly as I would have liked. I have been able to find lessons that I teach that would work nicely with technology. The only issue that I have is that a lot of sites that I would like to use with my students are blocked. I am tired of using Power Point and Word as my technology pieces but that seems to be the only type of technology that my school district is allowing for me to use. With creating tutorials for parents on my website I must admit that I have been slacking on that part of the game plan. It is not that I do not have the resources to complete this part of my plan because I could always get onto the sites at home and create them there to publish on my webpage, but the fact that I can never find time. This is something that I am going to have to make time for and figure out a way to make it work.
When looking over my game plan I think I might modify sending out progress reports to parents. I would like to modify this by sending home monthly progress reports instead of quarterly reports. It seems that even though I send home Friday folders with students graded work in them parents still like that communication with teachers. So at the end of each month I will send home a report that gives the students behavior, current grade, upcoming assignments, and events. This way parents will feel up to date. I could always get these out during my planning time and for those students who do not have internet access I could send home a hard copy for their parents to sign and return.
The one thing that I have learned so far is that you may start out with an amazing plan, but something will always have to be changed or modified. This goes along with teaching as well. No matter how great a lesson can be for one group it will more than likely need to be changed for the following group of students. Same with my game plan. Depending on how knowledgeabe my students are about technology next year will determine how quickly I can get into lessons with technology in them. If the students are unfamiliar with technology then I will need to take some time to teach them the basics before getting started. I also learned that your colleagues are a great resource. I have spoken with many of my colleagues who are having the same struggles as me. It is nice to know that I am not the only one out there who is frustrated with not being able to get on certain educational sites. Hopefully we can ban together to get something done about it.
Does anyone else have similar struggles as I do with sites being blocked? If so how did you manage to incorporate technology into your lessons? Are there other technology devices that I may still use without the internet that I am unfamiliar with? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
When looking over my game plan I think I might modify sending out progress reports to parents. I would like to modify this by sending home monthly progress reports instead of quarterly reports. It seems that even though I send home Friday folders with students graded work in them parents still like that communication with teachers. So at the end of each month I will send home a report that gives the students behavior, current grade, upcoming assignments, and events. This way parents will feel up to date. I could always get these out during my planning time and for those students who do not have internet access I could send home a hard copy for their parents to sign and return.
The one thing that I have learned so far is that you may start out with an amazing plan, but something will always have to be changed or modified. This goes along with teaching as well. No matter how great a lesson can be for one group it will more than likely need to be changed for the following group of students. Same with my game plan. Depending on how knowledgeabe my students are about technology next year will determine how quickly I can get into lessons with technology in them. If the students are unfamiliar with technology then I will need to take some time to teach them the basics before getting started. I also learned that your colleagues are a great resource. I have spoken with many of my colleagues who are having the same struggles as me. It is nice to know that I am not the only one out there who is frustrated with not being able to get on certain educational sites. Hopefully we can ban together to get something done about it.
Does anyone else have similar struggles as I do with sites being blocked? If so how did you manage to incorporate technology into your lessons? Are there other technology devices that I may still use without the internet that I am unfamiliar with? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Carrying Out My Game Plan
Resources:
In order to achieve my game plan I am going to need to use a few resources. In order to allow students the ability to use technology in my lessons I will need to create time in the computer lab in order to allow all students the ability to work with a computer. I will also need some feedback from my colleagues on what lessons they may have used that worked well with technology and what lessons did not lend themselves to good technology lessons. I would also like to do some readings on what might be some helpful tips when teaching technology lessons. Since this will be something new to me and my students I would want to make sure that I am giving them the best teaching possible.
Additional Information:
Since working with technology is something both new to myself and my students I would like to give my students a questionnaire on how comfortable the students feel in using the technology. I hear some of my students talking about Facebook and some other Internet websites that they use. But I would like to see how they really feel about using technology in the classroom. If students responses come back that they are uncomfortable with using technology then I will need to make sure I prepare them before I just start a lesson.
Steps So Far:
I have been able to take a look at some of the lessons that I already teach that I could add some technology into. I have also started to create a questionnaire that will help me identify how comfortable the students feel about technology. However there is still a lot more that I need to focus on in order for this Game Plan to be a success!
In order to achieve my game plan I am going to need to use a few resources. In order to allow students the ability to use technology in my lessons I will need to create time in the computer lab in order to allow all students the ability to work with a computer. I will also need some feedback from my colleagues on what lessons they may have used that worked well with technology and what lessons did not lend themselves to good technology lessons. I would also like to do some readings on what might be some helpful tips when teaching technology lessons. Since this will be something new to me and my students I would want to make sure that I am giving them the best teaching possible.
Additional Information:
Since working with technology is something both new to myself and my students I would like to give my students a questionnaire on how comfortable the students feel in using the technology. I hear some of my students talking about Facebook and some other Internet websites that they use. But I would like to see how they really feel about using technology in the classroom. If students responses come back that they are uncomfortable with using technology then I will need to make sure I prepare them before I just start a lesson.
Steps So Far:
I have been able to take a look at some of the lessons that I already teach that I could add some technology into. I have also started to create a questionnaire that will help me identify how comfortable the students feel about technology. However there is still a lot more that I need to focus on in order for this Game Plan to be a success!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Game Plan
Two areas that I need to improve on in the Technology Standards:
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.
Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
Goals:
1. Allow students to experience lessons that require them to use technology in order to learn.
2. To communicate with parents, peers, and students through a variety of digital medias.
Action:
1. Students will participate in webquest and research projects through the Internet.
2. Students will be asked to use blogs to communicate their thoughts through the lesson.
3. I will place video tutorials on my web page for parents and students to view with step by step examples of math concepts that we have covered.
4. I will send home progress reports to parents via email to those who have Internet access.
Monitor
In order to monitor my progress I will set out a few days a month to ensure that I have lessons planned with some type of technology activity planned. This way I am sure that I will include technology into my lessons. I will also plan one day a week to send out progress reports and update my web page with the tutorials. As well as ask for parent comments on if the tutorials and progress reports are helpful to them.
Evaluate and Extend:
Students will be able to identify what they find beneficial to technology lessons and whether or not they like using the technology or find it difficult. I will also communicate with other professionals and research other ideas on how to keep communication with parents and students up to date with the digital media that is available to date.
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.
Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
Goals:
1. Allow students to experience lessons that require them to use technology in order to learn.
2. To communicate with parents, peers, and students through a variety of digital medias.
Action:
1. Students will participate in webquest and research projects through the Internet.
2. Students will be asked to use blogs to communicate their thoughts through the lesson.
3. I will place video tutorials on my web page for parents and students to view with step by step examples of math concepts that we have covered.
4. I will send home progress reports to parents via email to those who have Internet access.
Monitor
In order to monitor my progress I will set out a few days a month to ensure that I have lessons planned with some type of technology activity planned. This way I am sure that I will include technology into my lessons. I will also plan one day a week to send out progress reports and update my web page with the tutorials. As well as ask for parent comments on if the tutorials and progress reports are helpful to them.
Evaluate and Extend:
Students will be able to identify what they find beneficial to technology lessons and whether or not they like using the technology or find it difficult. I will also communicate with other professionals and research other ideas on how to keep communication with parents and students up to date with the digital media that is available to date.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Evaluating Research Methods
Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.
In this scenario the qualitative method would be the best research method to use. This scenario is a case study design where "the data focuses on one phenomenon" ((McMillan & Schumacher, 2008,
p.136). This scenario is looking at the interviews of the students rather than number data. For qualitative research, "most of these data are in the form of words rather than numbers"(McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.26).
Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.
For this scenario quantitative research would be best used to answer the question. Within quantitative research the experimental design with more specifically being a true experimental design would seem to be the fit best. The reason for this is that there are two groups being looked at: one a controlled group and the other an experimental group. With a true experimental design there are random assignments. With this being a random assignment it "helps to ensure that there are no major differences between subjects in each group before intervention begins" (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.24). Since the researcher is manipulating who will receive the training the results will conclude which group has the fewest office referrals without any interferences.
Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.
This scenario would use the mixed-method design. The mixed-method design "combines quantitative and qualitative methods" (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.27). The counselor in the school is going to be collecting data on the attitudes of the students then will look at the data of the number of office referrals that are being filed.
Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.
I also feel that this would be mixed-method research with a explanatory design. The research is still using qualitative and quantitative data. The researchers would first give out the survey and use the data that was collected (quantitative) and then the qualitative data would be collected second to "elucidate, elaborate on, or explain the quantitative findings" (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.28).
References:
McMillan, J., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.
In this scenario the qualitative method would be the best research method to use. This scenario is a case study design where "the data focuses on one phenomenon" ((McMillan & Schumacher, 2008,
p.136). This scenario is looking at the interviews of the students rather than number data. For qualitative research, "most of these data are in the form of words rather than numbers"(McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.26).
Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.
For this scenario quantitative research would be best used to answer the question. Within quantitative research the experimental design with more specifically being a true experimental design would seem to be the fit best. The reason for this is that there are two groups being looked at: one a controlled group and the other an experimental group. With a true experimental design there are random assignments. With this being a random assignment it "helps to ensure that there are no major differences between subjects in each group before intervention begins" (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.24). Since the researcher is manipulating who will receive the training the results will conclude which group has the fewest office referrals without any interferences.
Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.
This scenario would use the mixed-method design. The mixed-method design "combines quantitative and qualitative methods" (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.27). The counselor in the school is going to be collecting data on the attitudes of the students then will look at the data of the number of office referrals that are being filed.
Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.
I also feel that this would be mixed-method research with a explanatory design. The research is still using qualitative and quantitative data. The researchers would first give out the survey and use the data that was collected (quantitative) and then the qualitative data would be collected second to "elucidate, elaborate on, or explain the quantitative findings" (McMillan & Schumacher, 2008, p.28).
References:
McMillan, J., & Schumacher, S. (2008). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Research Questions
My focus will be the impact of laptop use for student achievement with every student in the classroom having their own laptop.
I will be using the quantitative research method and the following questions will guide me in my research:
-Do students prefer to use laptops to learn rather than using the paper pencil method?
-Is there a difference in student achievement when using technology (i.e laptops) during classroom instruction?
-Does using laptops while learning keep the students motivated and engaged while learning?
Here are a few questions form this weeks discussion that will also guide me in my research:
-What is the best ratio for student to laptop? Is it 1:1?
-What happens to collaboration when each student has a laptop? Increased? Decreased?
I will be using the quantitative research method and the following questions will guide me in my research:
-Do students prefer to use laptops to learn rather than using the paper pencil method?
-Is there a difference in student achievement when using technology (i.e laptops) during classroom instruction?
-Does using laptops while learning keep the students motivated and engaged while learning?
Here are a few questions form this weeks discussion that will also guide me in my research:
-What is the best ratio for student to laptop? Is it 1:1?
-What happens to collaboration when each student has a laptop? Increased? Decreased?
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Problem Statement
Problem Statement:
I plan to determine what the impact of student achievement is on third graders when every student is given their own laptop in the classroom for learning purposes.
Who: 3rd Graders
What: The impact of student achievement when each student is given their own laptop for learning purposes
Why: Impact of student learning
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Class Reflection
Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology has opened my eyes to many new ideas. I have been exposed to numerous technology tools that can be incorporated into my classroom. I have learned that technology is a great way to instruct students and there are many tools that can be used that are fun and interesting to students. This class has opened my eyes as a teacher on the importance of having technology in the classroom. We are a technological world and our students should have the opportunity to use the technology while they learn.
An adjustment that I would like to make immediately in my classroom is the amount of technology that is being used by my students. I felt that I used some technology in my classroom but when I really stepped back to look at what was being used I noticed that I was using majority of the technology and not my students. I would like to have my students using the technology more and having me as a facilitator. I would like to start incorporating Voice Thread as well as more virtual field trips being used in my class. Voice Thread is a great opportunity for the students to make the learning more meaningful by creating a project and the virtual field trips allow for students to go places they may never get to go to in person.
Two long term goals that I would like to set in my classroom would be the following
1. Start next year with one technology lesson a week and then build from there. By the end of the year I would like to be incorporating more technology in my lessons a week.
-In order to achieve this goal I will be using this summer to plan out different technology that I could incorporate into lessons that I plan on teaching. Since I taught the same grade last year I know what lesson I will most likely be teaching so I can start to think which technology would go with which lesson.
2. Have the students monitor their own progress.
-To achieve this goal I myself must be familiar with the spreadsheet layout that I would like my students to be using. I will begin this summer by finding a spreadsheet that is kid friendly and practicing on how to use the program so that I can have my students monitor their own success next year.
An adjustment that I would like to make immediately in my classroom is the amount of technology that is being used by my students. I felt that I used some technology in my classroom but when I really stepped back to look at what was being used I noticed that I was using majority of the technology and not my students. I would like to have my students using the technology more and having me as a facilitator. I would like to start incorporating Voice Thread as well as more virtual field trips being used in my class. Voice Thread is a great opportunity for the students to make the learning more meaningful by creating a project and the virtual field trips allow for students to go places they may never get to go to in person.
Two long term goals that I would like to set in my classroom would be the following
1. Start next year with one technology lesson a week and then build from there. By the end of the year I would like to be incorporating more technology in my lessons a week.
-In order to achieve this goal I will be using this summer to plan out different technology that I could incorporate into lessons that I plan on teaching. Since I taught the same grade last year I know what lesson I will most likely be teaching so I can start to think which technology would go with which lesson.
2. Have the students monitor their own progress.
-To achieve this goal I myself must be familiar with the spreadsheet layout that I would like my students to be using. I will begin this summer by finding a spreadsheet that is kid friendly and practicing on how to use the program so that I can have my students monitor their own success next year.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Social Learning
Social learning is a great way for students to discuss topics with one another and learn from each other. An activity that I do with my students is jigsaw activities. This is where certain groups or students are experts on their particular topic and then share to the rest of the class. This activity is very beneficial in a lot of ways. For one students are able to become experts on what they are talking about so that they have the best understanding possible. Instead of students trying to cramp in everything they are able to focus on one topic and then listen to others discuss their topics. This allows for the students to do more of the teaching and allow for the teacher to be the facilitator.
Another activity that our county actually uses all the time is think, pair, share. My county has all the teachers complete the I do, We do, You do model of teaching. This allows for the teacher to model the skill, the students to work on the skill together, and then allow for them to work on it on their own. This is a great way to have the students communicate their thoughts and ideas to one another before really being on their own. It is a perfect time for them to ask any questions that they might be having and allow for their peers to help them better understand the topic.
Social learning is very beneficial for students to interact with others in their class or even around the world through technology while they are learning. Students will be faced with interactions in their work area so now is the best time to have them use the skill. Allowing individuals to communicate while learning is beneficial because it allows for more questions and discussion. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one!
Another activity that our county actually uses all the time is think, pair, share. My county has all the teachers complete the I do, We do, You do model of teaching. This allows for the teacher to model the skill, the students to work on the skill together, and then allow for them to work on it on their own. This is a great way to have the students communicate their thoughts and ideas to one another before really being on their own. It is a perfect time for them to ask any questions that they might be having and allow for their peers to help them better understand the topic.
Social learning is very beneficial for students to interact with others in their class or even around the world through technology while they are learning. Students will be faced with interactions in their work area so now is the best time to have them use the skill. Allowing individuals to communicate while learning is beneficial because it allows for more questions and discussion. As the saying goes, two heads are better than one!
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Constructivism and Constructionism in the Class
According to Dr. Orey, constructivism is the idea that individuals construct their own meaning. The constructionism approach is where individuals learn through building or creating and sharing with others. The authors of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, identified the strategies of generating and testing hypotheses, which correlates with the constructivist theory. Students who generate hypotheses are enhancing their understanding of the content by using a complex mental process.
I learn best through building and constructing things in order to grasp what is being taught. When someone is trying to lecture me I tend to zone out and not pay attention. However when I am able to construct something and bring meaning to the lesson I tend to grasp the concept much more. When students are able to build on the information that they are being taught their understandings of the material is better grasped.
Technology allows for students to be involved in the learning process. Students are able to create wikis, blogs, power points etc. These projects allows for the students to build projects that enhance their learning while working with others. When teachers have engaging interactive lessons students are more likely to be attentive and willing to participate and be engaged. For a field trip that my class recently went on I had my students use flip cameras to understand how we are helping the Chesapeake Bay. With the help of the flip cameras students were able to document what they learned on the field trip to make a movie. This now has not just become a lesson that they learned on a field trip but something they can keep with them.
Technology is a great way for students and teachers to create lessons that are meaningful. With technology lessons can be more meaningful and interactive. The constructionism theory allows for more participation and engagement in the classroom.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
I learn best through building and constructing things in order to grasp what is being taught. When someone is trying to lecture me I tend to zone out and not pay attention. However when I am able to construct something and bring meaning to the lesson I tend to grasp the concept much more. When students are able to build on the information that they are being taught their understandings of the material is better grasped.
Technology allows for students to be involved in the learning process. Students are able to create wikis, blogs, power points etc. These projects allows for the students to build projects that enhance their learning while working with others. When teachers have engaging interactive lessons students are more likely to be attentive and willing to participate and be engaged. For a field trip that my class recently went on I had my students use flip cameras to understand how we are helping the Chesapeake Bay. With the help of the flip cameras students were able to document what they learned on the field trip to make a movie. This now has not just become a lesson that they learned on a field trip but something they can keep with them.
Technology is a great way for students and teachers to create lessons that are meaningful. With technology lessons can be more meaningful and interactive. The constructionism theory allows for more participation and engagement in the classroom.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
How Do The Instructional Strategies Tie Into The Cognitivist Perspective?
Using different instructional strategies that Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski suggest help to incorporate the cognitivist approach into the classroom. With these strategies teachers are able to use different strategies along with technology to make learning more meaningful. With the help of technology students are able to learn new concepts and understand that there are more than one way to learn something.
Cues, Questions, and Organizers are a great way to help students think at a higher level. By using questioning during a lesson students must now think instead of giving one word answers. One way to do this is to allow students to use and organizer. Many students may want to say more to the question being asked but may have a difficult time getting their thoughts out. With an organizer it will reduce the one word answers and allow the students to think more and lay their answers out so that they can see what they are answering. Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works suggest using United Streaming. They say "use this educational video collection to create an advance organizer at the onset of a learning activity (2007, p 83). This will allow visual learners to see what they are discussing through an organizer rather than trying to collect their thoughts in their head.
Summarizing as described by the authors of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works is where, "teachers work on helping students separate important information from extraneous information and state the information in their own words" (2007, p119). With this students will be able to get what is important out of the information rather than sit there and reiterate everything the teacher just stated. Using technology for summarizing and note taking is a great way for students to get the idea of keeping the important details. For instance on page 129 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works a character trait note-taking template was created. This allowed for students to focus in on what they needed to know i.e. different traits and examples from the book, instead of having students write a lot of information that would not really be helpful. By having an organizer to take the notes their note taking would be more beneficial in the long run when the teachers ask them questions or they have to complete an assignment on it.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Cues, Questions, and Organizers are a great way to help students think at a higher level. By using questioning during a lesson students must now think instead of giving one word answers. One way to do this is to allow students to use and organizer. Many students may want to say more to the question being asked but may have a difficult time getting their thoughts out. With an organizer it will reduce the one word answers and allow the students to think more and lay their answers out so that they can see what they are answering. Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works suggest using United Streaming. They say "use this educational video collection to create an advance organizer at the onset of a learning activity (2007, p 83). This will allow visual learners to see what they are discussing through an organizer rather than trying to collect their thoughts in their head.
Summarizing as described by the authors of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction That Works is where, "teachers work on helping students separate important information from extraneous information and state the information in their own words" (2007, p119). With this students will be able to get what is important out of the information rather than sit there and reiterate everything the teacher just stated. Using technology for summarizing and note taking is a great way for students to get the idea of keeping the important details. For instance on page 129 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works a character trait note-taking template was created. This allowed for students to focus in on what they needed to know i.e. different traits and examples from the book, instead of having students write a lot of information that would not really be helpful. By having an organizer to take the notes their note taking would be more beneficial in the long run when the teachers ask them questions or they have to complete an assignment on it.
References:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Behaviorist Learning Theories in Today's Classroom
Behavior learning theories are still with us as educators today. The behavior learning theory is where a reinforcement and punishment technique is used to get the desired outcome. Two strategies that Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski established were reinforcing effort and homework and practice.
Reinforcing effort strategy discusses student’s attitudes and beliefs about learning. If a student has the attitude that they do not want to be in school than their work is going to show that they do not want to be there. If their attitude is more of a positive manner than their work is going to show that they care about what they are learning. As Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski suggest, “the instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” (2007, pg 155). Although the student needs to place some effort in their learning the teacher as well needs to make the learning …… As teachers we need to understand what the students interest are so that we can incorporate that into our lessons. With this the students will be more interested in the material being taught and instead of thinking they are learning they will be having fun!
The other strategy is homework and practice. Homework is a tool for not only practice for the students on the lesson that was taught but reinforcement for the teacher that what was taught was understood by the student. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski state, “As an extension of the classroom, homework provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and to gain proficiency with their skills” (2007, pg 187). Students are able to practice what they were taught in the classroom at home to reinforce the skill. But with that the teacher needs to make a conscious effort to keep track of what they students did at home in case the student has seemed to misunderstand how to complete the task. “Because it is easy for errors to slip in when students are practicing, teachers should give feedback as quickly as possible” (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007).
There are many ways for students and teachers to keep track of homework and progress throughout the year. Technology is a great way to have students keep track of their homework and test progress. With a spreadsheet students can calculate their averages. Students could also use blogs or websites for ways of communicating homework issues or questions to the teacher and or other students about concerns with topics discussed in the classroom. This would allow the teacher to reinforce those students who look not only to her for help but to others in the classroom and also to those students willing to help others out.
Reference:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Reinforcing effort strategy discusses student’s attitudes and beliefs about learning. If a student has the attitude that they do not want to be in school than their work is going to show that they do not want to be there. If their attitude is more of a positive manner than their work is going to show that they care about what they are learning. As Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski suggest, “the instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances students’ understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning” (2007, pg 155). Although the student needs to place some effort in their learning the teacher as well needs to make the learning …… As teachers we need to understand what the students interest are so that we can incorporate that into our lessons. With this the students will be more interested in the material being taught and instead of thinking they are learning they will be having fun!
The other strategy is homework and practice. Homework is a tool for not only practice for the students on the lesson that was taught but reinforcement for the teacher that what was taught was understood by the student. Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski state, “As an extension of the classroom, homework provides opportunities for students to deepen their understanding of the content and to gain proficiency with their skills” (2007, pg 187). Students are able to practice what they were taught in the classroom at home to reinforce the skill. But with that the teacher needs to make a conscious effort to keep track of what they students did at home in case the student has seemed to misunderstand how to complete the task. “Because it is easy for errors to slip in when students are practicing, teachers should give feedback as quickly as possible” (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007).
There are many ways for students and teachers to keep track of homework and progress throughout the year. Technology is a great way to have students keep track of their homework and test progress. With a spreadsheet students can calculate their averages. Students could also use blogs or websites for ways of communicating homework issues or questions to the teacher and or other students about concerns with topics discussed in the classroom. This would allow the teacher to reinforce those students who look not only to her for help but to others in the classroom and also to those students willing to help others out.
Reference:
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Final Thoughts on Last Class
Well the 8 weeks for my Understanding the Impact of Technology in Education, Work, and Society is coming to an end. With the course ending I have realized how much of an impact technology has in our society. With activities such as podcasting, blogging, and creating a wiki I have become more efficient in technology myself. I am now more aware of how to incorporate technology into my lessons in my classroom and how to relate to my students more with technology. I was very impressed when I did my podcasting that many 3rd graders are very comfortable with technology. My students are comfortable in using technology and yet I am still learning some of the devices that they use. The world is changing quickly!
One way that I plan on increasing student achievement is to talk to my students. The students are the ones who know how they learn best. I am going to talk with my students about what they would like to see in the classroom. I want to get their take on what I should be doing in my teachings. Not only can my students learn from me but I can learn from my students as well. It is naieve of me to think that only teachers have great answers. My students have taught me a lot over this course about technology. With that in mind I am now going to foster their knowledge into my lessons.
Two goals that I have for the next two years is to try to get more technology for my school. We only 2 computers per class and a limited amount of Elmo's. In order to get more technology for my school I plan on writing a grant with some of my coleuages in order to get the technology that we need for our students. It is sad to see that our students are not able to learn by using some of the greatest technology. I also plan to incorporate more technology within my lessons. I plan on having a blog next year for not only my students but for my parents as well. I feel that with a blog both parents and students can be discussing things that go on within the class not only during the school year but over the summer as well. For instance if a student (or should I say a parent) would like some extra practice over the summer I can easily send them links or work with them through blogs. There is no reason that learning can not take place just because school is not in session.
One way that I plan on increasing student achievement is to talk to my students. The students are the ones who know how they learn best. I am going to talk with my students about what they would like to see in the classroom. I want to get their take on what I should be doing in my teachings. Not only can my students learn from me but I can learn from my students as well. It is naieve of me to think that only teachers have great answers. My students have taught me a lot over this course about technology. With that in mind I am now going to foster their knowledge into my lessons.
Two goals that I have for the next two years is to try to get more technology for my school. We only 2 computers per class and a limited amount of Elmo's. In order to get more technology for my school I plan on writing a grant with some of my coleuages in order to get the technology that we need for our students. It is sad to see that our students are not able to learn by using some of the greatest technology. I also plan to incorporate more technology within my lessons. I plan on having a blog next year for not only my students but for my parents as well. I feel that with a blog both parents and students can be discussing things that go on within the class not only during the school year but over the summer as well. For instance if a student (or should I say a parent) would like some extra practice over the summer I can easily send them links or work with them through blogs. There is no reason that learning can not take place just because school is not in session.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
You Tube Video Regarding My Students Technology Experience
Here is a video where I ask 3 of my students questions about the technology that they have access to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHENjR2J6R0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHENjR2J6R0
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Feelings About The Partnership for the 21st Century
After viewing the site for The Partnership for the 21st Century I started to think about how great this would have been if this was around when I was in school. I look at the focus topics that they discuss and it goes deeper than just the basic subjects. It goes into the economy and how to think in diverse situations. Education today is lacking so many of those skills I feel like students are not prepared for what lies ahead of them career wise because they have not been equipped with the information yet. It is great how a program wants our students to succeed not only in the classroom but in the future as well. With this program you can really see how students can benefit in school and when they are out of school as well. As a teacher I would feel more confident that my student can make it out in the real world.
One thing that surprised me about the website was that my state was not listed for State Incentives. It is funny how the state wants a push for education and technology to work together and how just the other day I had to take a technology survey to see where I stood with technology for the state but we are not incorporating programs such as this to help our students out? We talk about how our students in my county are not living up to their potential or are not making it past high school. Did we ever think maybe it was because of what and how we were teaching the students? My brother who was an average student in high school went to college for maybe a week and quite. When I asked him why he said it was too hard and too much work. So what is wrong with this picture? Wasn’t high school supposed to prepare you for this? After that my brother went and got a job as an electrician, and still hated working and hated the hours but of course loved the money. He would complain about never getting to see his friends because he had to work all the time. What did he think life was a big party? If we are not teaching students that they need to work hard in order to achieve in life, what are we teaching them? This website showed me that there are ways to prepare our students for the future but it is up to us as educators to make that happen.
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php
One thing that surprised me about the website was that my state was not listed for State Incentives. It is funny how the state wants a push for education and technology to work together and how just the other day I had to take a technology survey to see where I stood with technology for the state but we are not incorporating programs such as this to help our students out? We talk about how our students in my county are not living up to their potential or are not making it past high school. Did we ever think maybe it was because of what and how we were teaching the students? My brother who was an average student in high school went to college for maybe a week and quite. When I asked him why he said it was too hard and too much work. So what is wrong with this picture? Wasn’t high school supposed to prepare you for this? After that my brother went and got a job as an electrician, and still hated working and hated the hours but of course loved the money. He would complain about never getting to see his friends because he had to work all the time. What did he think life was a big party? If we are not teaching students that they need to work hard in order to achieve in life, what are we teaching them? This website showed me that there are ways to prepare our students for the future but it is up to us as educators to make that happen.
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
How Can I Use This?
Taking a look at how easy blogging is I would love to start using it in the classroom. I thought that this would be a great opportunity for me and my colleagues to create a blog to exchange lesson plans and ideas on certain issues. This would be a great way to discuss a lesson with someone in a different state that may have some new interesting ideas. We plan as a team in my school but it is always good to get new ideas!
Since I teach third grade many of them are limited at home on what they can and cannot use. So having them complete homework or assignments online through a blog may not work very well. If I taught high school or maybe even middle and think this would be a great opportunity for students to discuss issues and comment on each other’s work. For my classroom with the limited internet access that my students use I would have to use the blogs in my classroom. My class has to complete a research project on a subject that the whole class will vote on. Last year my students researched Egypt. I would use the blog as a place for students to share what information they found while researching. For my classroom blog I would have the students submit post based on the research that they found. I would have students pick a certain topic to research on Egypt so that everyone is participating. One student would be the expert on the food, one person the expert on the education ect. This would allow them to complete a group assignment but still independently doing their own work.
I never really thought about blogging before but it is a great way for educators to get students actively participating. If you have any ideas on how I could incorporate blogging more into my classroom please feel free to share your ideas. I am always looking for new ideas!
Since I teach third grade many of them are limited at home on what they can and cannot use. So having them complete homework or assignments online through a blog may not work very well. If I taught high school or maybe even middle and think this would be a great opportunity for students to discuss issues and comment on each other’s work. For my classroom with the limited internet access that my students use I would have to use the blogs in my classroom. My class has to complete a research project on a subject that the whole class will vote on. Last year my students researched Egypt. I would use the blog as a place for students to share what information they found while researching. For my classroom blog I would have the students submit post based on the research that they found. I would have students pick a certain topic to research on Egypt so that everyone is participating. One student would be the expert on the food, one person the expert on the education ect. This would allow them to complete a group assignment but still independently doing their own work.
I never really thought about blogging before but it is a great way for educators to get students actively participating. If you have any ideas on how I could incorporate blogging more into my classroom please feel free to share your ideas. I am always looking for new ideas!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
The Changes
When we look back at how the school system were ran when we were in school, we can see a vast amount of changes. We can see today how technology is playing a part in the way the lessons are presented, how education is so focused on testing rather than understanding, as well as government funding others rather than education (which is rather important). I always say, how can teacher's who teach the children of our future be paid average and yet put in a vast amount of time and deal with so many issues? How is it that some schools have a vast amount of technology while others have no technology at all? If we want our students to succeed in this world why are we not giving them each an equal opportunity? Why are we not giving each child an opporunity to strive to be the best they can be? By schools not having the technology we are hindering great educational moments. The school I am currently teaching in is still using over head projectors....you know the ones whose bulbs burn out more than you use them. We do have Elmo's and projectors; however, there are only 2 per grade so between 7 of us we rarely get to use them. We do have computers, but if you want to research something or show a movie you better start the computer up about a half an hour early. They are soooooo slow that it is not even worth using. A school that I used to be at had Smart Boards in each classroom and the latest technology. Can you imagine the learning that takes place in that school? Students are excited and interactive. They want to participate and are always paying attention. Technology is a great way to enhance learning in the classroom! If I had a Smart Board when I was in school I would have raised my hand more rather than trying not to be called on. All I am saying is technology is a great addition to education. Let me know what you think about this issue!
Introduction
I started this blog to discuss issues about Old school ways of teaching vs New school teachings as well as what education was like before technology and now. Times have changed when I was in school which wasn't that long ago. It is amazing how just the basics of teaching's has changed. This blog will allow educators to comment on this issue and give their thoughts and ideas about the school system that we are teaching in today.
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