Final Reflection EDUC-6712I-4

As the 8 weeks comes to a close, I feel like the information I have learned will greatly impact the way I teach, the way my students learn, and the way my classroom is run. Learning about the new literacy skills has shed light on alternate ways of teaching reading. It made me think about the next step in reading education. Being a second grade teacher means I am still teaching basic skills when it comes to fluency and comprehension. Many of the techniques and lessons second grade teachers use is the same techniques and skills I learned as a second grader. Although those skills are still very much needed - it is also important to prepare our students for the ever changing technological world. Being that it is ever-changing, students need to learn the skills to adapt to that change and prepare themselves for new concepts and ideas. I think that is where the new literacy skills differ from traditional literacy skills. Students are learning ways to grow with change through critical thinking and problem solving skills.

The most striking revelation I had in the course was that integrating the new literacy skills into my existing teaching style was less complicated than I had anticipated. I love that I had the opportunity to plan out an entire unit based on the skills. I found that much of what I was already doing easily connected to the new literacy skills. I just needed to do some minor tweaking to include all of the skills within the unit. It showed me that when keeping the new literacy skills in mind when planning, I can work off my existing plans to make them even better.

I think I am a changed educator because of this course. By having a clear understanding of the new literacy skills, I can better prepare my students for the digital world. These new skills make for a more well-rounded learner and can translate to all subjects and learning areas. The skills promote critical thinking and higher-learning strategies which my students will use anytime they are faced with something new. Not including these strategies within my lessons would be a huge disservice for my students.

One professional goal I will be working on is planning one unit per subject that builds on the new literacy skills. My goal is to use them before this school year ends. Using the skills across the curriculum will show my students the benefits of the skills as well as build on their prior knowledge each time we start a new unit. This will also be beneficial for me because it will get me into the routine of planning with the new literacy skills in mind. Another positive aspect of planning with the new literacy skills and implementing them in my classroom is being able to share the great things they are doing in my classroom with my colleagues. So many of my veteran colleagues are wonderful teachers but are also a bit hesitant to any change when they can't see the benefits of it. By being one of the first teachers in my school to use the new literacy skills and plan with them, I can share the great things they are doing in my classroom, any units I have planned, as well as show some of my students' work.

The course may be over but the information I am taking away will carry on to my classroom. I am eager and ready to let my students take these skills and learn from them to become better thinker and better students.

Reflection: Final Blog Posting for EDUC-6711I-4

During the past 8 weeks, I have had the opportunity to dive back into the basics of different learning theories. When I started this course, I thought I had a firm understanding of my own personal learning theory. In my classroom, I thought I was basing my instruction around Howard Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Theory as well and a good bit of social learning and constructivism. After looking deeper into the different theories the majority of my instruction holds true to what I first believed but I also see a little bit of all of theories in my instruction. I see cognitive learning when I use the senses to teach a concept as well as graphic organizers. I use behaviorism when I use interactive games through the Smart Board and computer lab. All of the theories of some place in my classroom.

The biggest adjustment I think I will make in my classroom when it comes to integrating technology is giving the students more control over the technology. Making technology more student-based by having them use it to create artifacts of their learning is something that I want to start doing this year. Two tools I want to take advantage of this year is the VoiceThread and the Virtual Field Trips. The VoiceThread is my favorite. There are so many possibilities for using this with my second graders. I plan on using this tool as a learning tool by letting them work together to make artifacts of information they learned and respond to each other with what they learned (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). I also like the idea of students using it to share stories they have written - complete with their voice telling the story and their pictures. I then would like my students to practice responding to literature with text to text, text to self, and text to world connections as response to their peers' stories. This is a great way to incorporate cooperative learning into the classroom (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). The virtual field trips are a great way to get my students engaged in our social studies' units. Our entire curriculum focuses on our state of Georgia - the past and the present. Using the virtual field trip as an instructional tool with the Smart Board will allow them to easily see what life was like when the settlers first came to Georgia (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). The VFT will present a wide variety of images and facts so that my second graders can relate to the life of Georgia settler.

After this course, there are many goals I have for my classroom. The first is to rework many of my units so that I am incorporating learner-based technology. Some portion of the technology I use is instruction based - which is not bad, just in need of some work. Taking my PowerPoints and making them more interactive is one way of tweaking my lessons. Another is taking Dr. Orey's (2001) advice and eliminating text from my PowerPoints and trade them for images so that my students can relate what I am saying to what they see. And lastly, using the tools I learned in this course so that my students can develop their own learning while I work as the facilitator. My second goal is to extend my classroom community to the virtual world. By using tools such as the VoiceThread, Podcasts, and Blogs - my students can interact and learn from one another in new ways. This is a big goal because my students are still very young and need to take baby steps when learning how to use new tools. So, for this to work, I need to introduce one tool at a time and work with my students on not only how to use the tools but how to use them effectively.

So as I leave this course, I leave with a positive outlook on what my classroom will look like. I am excited to use what I have learned to see my changes enhance student learning as well as give each student a voice and a role in their own learning.

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008b). Program thirteen. Technology: Instructional Tool

vs. Learning Tool [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology.Baltimore: Author.

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved

from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom

instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

My Voice Thread

Click here for my Voice Thread.

Cooperative Learning

I really enjoyed reading about cooperative learning this week. It is something I use quite a bit in all subjects. Whether it be literature circles, science labs, or problem solving in math - my students enjoy taking roles in their groups and working together for a common goal. Establishing roles in a group is something that should be taught and practiced in the beginning of the year. If time isn't spent covering proper group etiquette, groups can be one-sided where only a few do the bulk of the work. Another important part of cooperative learning is discussing problem-solving skills with the students. As a second grade teacher, many of my students come into the classroom without the proper skills to diffuse conflict on their own. Many of my students resort to telling on one another. The great thing about cooperative learning is students learn to problem-solve on their own (especially when it comes to settling conflict in a group). To teach my students the importance of group etiquette, we assign roles for each member. I took this idea from my literature circles and applied them to other subjects. When students know what they are expected to contribute, the groups run smoothly and they make the most of their time together.

When it comes to integrating technology with cooperative learning, my sources are limited. I so very much would love to start blogging but my school has prohibited the use of them for security reasons. Most networking sites are blocked as well. The most integrating we do for cooperative learning is when students use the computer to create an artifact of the knowledge they learned as a group. From the websites mentioned in our book, I really liked ePals. Connecting with classes all over the world sounds like an interesting idea. Anyone out there in the same boat? What are some of your suggestions for teachers with limited access to networking sites?

Constructionism

I love project-based learning. I am also a fan of problem-based learning. The sad thing is, every year I am feeling as if I am losing that aspect in my classroom. Last year, we were so strapped for time that I ended up saving my giant math project for the end of the year- after the state standardized test. My students soaked it up. In the project, they created a restaurant in which they had to market, budget, and create for their fellow students. We incorporated so many things we had learned over the year. If I would have had the time to do it mid-year, I would have. They learned more from the work they did on their own than any book could have taught them.

Even though my big projects were pushed to the back burner, I still try to incorporate small assignments in which my students produce an artifact to share with their peers. Mini-labs and web-search assignments are things I try to incorporate as often as possible. Something as simple as contributing a slide of what they learned for a whole-class Powerpoint that will be printed and shared is a quick way to assess how the student interpreted what they learned.

In the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski, 2007) it discussed generating and testing hypotheses. This links with the constructionism theory because students are examening their own schemas and testing for accuracy. Sometimes they will assimilate their thoughts to meet that hypothesis and sometimes they will accomodate their thoughts to meet their hypothesis (Orey, 2007). I like that the authors took the hypothesis beyond science and talked about incorporating it into other subjects.

As a part of our unit on famous inventors, I encourage my students to think of a day to day problem they might have that could be fixed with a simple invention. They write about it in their writer's notebooks. To build on the constructionism theory and follow one of the tasks mentioned in this weeks chapter, I am debating on turning this into a bigger project in which students used the website (www.bkfk.com/howtoinvent) that was mentioned in our book. I may even go as far as having the students build a model of their invention and tie it into economics with marketing. The thing about project-based learning is it does take a lot more planning than traditional methods but the reward is definitely there. Any suggestions on how to make this appropriate for 7 and 8 year olds would be appreciated.

Cognitive Learning

To me, the cognitive learning theory is all about making as many connections to a concept as possible so that it is easier to retrieve from the long term memory at a later date (Orey, 2008). This means using as many tools as possible to communicate one concept. In our video this week, Dr. Orey discussed the theory of Elaboration which is the primary mechanism for storing information in the long term memory. We use this theory when we make a concept memorable through connections in the brain. This is particularly enhanced when we integrate our senses in a lesson.

One particular useful tool is the inclusion of graphics and visuals that relate to the concept we are learning. When students can see what the teacher is talking about, it is easier to remember it. That is why I am a big fan of virtual field trips. We can talk about what a place looks like and even show some really nice pictures, but when a student can experience an actual tour from their classroom, it trumps traditional teaching methods. Other than actually being their themselves, it is a much better method than describing a place with words or still-life pictures because it creates a more vivid image in their brains and makes for a better memory.

I took the idea of a virtual field trip and used it for our science lesson on the life-cycle of a butterfly. For this lesson we do a number of things - we make flip books, we read non-fiction texts, we read fictional text such as The Hungry Caterpillar, and we have actual caterpillars that will eventually become butterflies. All of those are great tools to make mental connections in the brain but nothing is more powerful than watching an actual caterpillar emerge from it's chrysalis as a butterfly. With our live butterflies, we miss a lot of the action when we are not in the classroom so I searched for an online video that showed the event. I managed to find a great one that I was able to access at school on the PBS website - http://video.pbs.org/video/1063682334/chapter/1/search/butterfly The video is very long but I mapped out the exact times it could show the event (49:20-43:44). Just in those six minutes, the students were amazed at the transformation that was happening right before their eyes. The strong visual made a huge impact on what they were learning.

We then took that information we learned and made a flow chart (graphic organizer) to map out the information we just witnessed. In my class, we are huge fans of Kidspiration and we use it a lot to develop our own graphic organizers. This is a great tool to use when stating the goal (Essential Question) and then developing a systematic way of answering that goal through a graphic organizer (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007). This is just another visual tool that assist the students in storing the information they are learning into their long-term memory.

-Ashley

Behaviorism in the Modern Classroom - Application 2

Behaviorism is one of the oldest learning theories still used in today's classroom. The ideas John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner brought to the classroom centered around achieving a desired response based on reinforcement (Orey, 2001). Reinforcement can be positive or negative and sometimes teachers may also use punishment. Many teachers use behaviorism when it comes to classroom management plans. They will use positive reinforcements (such as rewards) when students do something well. They may also use negative reinforcement (ex. taking away homework for a night) when a student deserves it. At times, teachers may also use punishments to stop an unwanted behavior (laps at recess) (Orey, 2007).

In the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski (2007) used a form of behaviorism to encourage effort. In the chapter Reinforcing Effort, they suggested using a rubric to foster effort in the classroom. With the rubric, students earn points for the notes they take, the attention they give in class, their participation (questions and answers they contribute), their homework, and the amount of studying they do. The rubric is the tool they use to encourage effort and discourage lack of effort. Students are required to keep up with their points on a spreadsheet to determine their weekly overall grade. This is where the technology becomes important because students can convert their spreadsheets into graphs to see their growth (the reinforcement) and where they need to improve. They can then come up with personal goals for the following week.

When I was young, homework consisted of math problems from a book, papers, projects on poster boards, and worksheets. While they served their purpose of providing practice of a skill or showing what I have learned, they all had one common flaw. I had to wait until the following day or sometimes longer to see if I had done the assignment correctly.
When it comes to homework and practice, using technology has an added bonus - immediate feedback. This is something behaviorists use when wanting to reinforce concepts and skills. Through the text, I learned a great deal on how technology can really enhance the homework experience. Even something as simple as using a work processor can make homework better. Using spell check, the thesaurus, and even a grade-level rating system gives students an understanding of the quality of their work (Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski, 2007). Using spreadsheet software for math problems is a fantastic way for students to review their work and check for accuracy. And finally, my personal favorite, is using multimedia websites or programs (such as games) can make homework not only fun but give students immediate feedback on questions answered right or wrong. With technology, students are reinforced while they are working instead of waiting until the following day to see if their work was done correctly.

After reading this weeks resources, I thought about my own classroom and how I use behaviorism for homework and to promote effort. For homework, some days I will assign students to play a math game to practice their facts. I will also assign game sites that focus on reading or a concept we are learning in science or social studies. Parents will have to sign off letting me know their child played for a certain amount of time. Usually, I require 15 minutes. Some website I use are:

http://edweb.tusd.k12.az.us/ekowalcz/math/elementary_web_sites.htm

http://coolmath4kids.com/

http://www.starfall.com/

http://www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us/MinorES/phonics.htm

References:

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

Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

“Behaviorist Learning Theory” featuring Dr. Michael Orey.

Reflection of What I've learned in this course

As this course comes to a close, I sit back and think of all I have learned through this journey. This course was so beneficial because it opened my eyes to the many possibilities and reaffirmed my ideas that technology has a much needed place in the modern classroom. But even above my realization, I have learned new skills to take with me and use with my students. Before this course, I had never heard of the term -"Web 2.0" and had never used many of the tools that we used in the course. I have occasionally blogged but never really thought about using it in the classroom. I had never dreamed I could make a podcast on my own but did it successfully. I had also never used or heard of a wiki until I experienced it in the class.

Armed with these new tools, I am embracing a new outlook on how a classroom should function and what is most beneficial for my learners. Using technology in the classroom is not just about replacing out dated ways of doing things with something new and more efficient and effective. It is about taking these tools and searching for ways to do something totally different and change the way our students process and learn new concepts. This falls right along with what Dr. Thornburg says when he uses the phrases "Doing things differently vs. doing different things." When we take these tools and turn them into something a student would never experience if they had not existed, we are changing the way our students process information and learn key concepts. Taking it a step even further, when we use these tools that encompass the "21st Century skills", we are encouraging learning through collaboration and interaction among classmates. We are heading into the direction of a learner-centered classroom. The concepts the students are learning and the knowledge they are building comes from the work and information they are learning through one another and with the use of technology. The teacher has now become just a guide, steering her students into the right direction to let them take ownership in the learning process.

Now that I know how to use the tools and have come up with ways to incorporate them into the classroom, I am eager to share my knowledge with my colleagues. I want to continue to think up new ways to use the tools in the classroom. I also will continue to use refer to the blogs I discovered at the beginning of the course. Many of them had extremely useful advice and ideas to better my classroom when it comes to technology. The best way to continue to expand my knowledge and encourage student growth with the use of technology is get in there and just start trying it out the classroom. I can learn so quickly through experience as well as think of new ways to incorporate the tools in my classroom.

I have two goals for myself so I can transform my classroom environment to better reach my students needs with technology. My first goal is to have all the second grade teachers in my cluster come together to brainstorm ways of using technology for the betterment of our students. We all are in similar situations when it comes to the amount of technology we have exposure to as well as we share an understanding of how our students think and what they need. To accomplish this goal I want to start a blog among the second grade teachers. With this blog, we can share lesson ideas as well as brainstorm ways to push through the obstacles we face on a daily basis. I know my weakness is a lack of creativity when it comes to thinking out of the box with the use of technology. If two heads are better than one, imagine what we can accomplish when we put together 50 heads! My second goal is to seek and search for ways to bring in more technology to our school. My biggest obstacles is lack of technology. I want to incorporate all that I have learned but with one computer in my classroom, it can be a little difficult. My plan is to seek out additional funding through grants. Our cluster brings in a lot of money from the foundation they set up in the community. With the money they earn, they distribute it to the cluster schools. The only catch is, you have to write a proposal and have data and/or specific ways the money will be used to better student achievement. My goal is to complete a proposal for additional technology in the classrooms after collecting much needed data with a small study group in the classroom.

Podcast

I recently interviewed a few adults in my community about their use of technology. I interviewed adults ranging in ages from 18-48. I was surprised to see the differences in the way each person used technology. Check it out and let me know what you think. My first podcast

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills

I recently had a chance to look at the website for The Partnership for 21st Century Skills. This is an organization that has made it their mission to inform schools on the importance of incorporating 21st century skills in the k-12 classroom. The skills they find most important are ones that I believe students should know. The use of technology is a skill they will need to know when they are ready for the workforce. The site is easy to navigate and provides resources and tools to start using these skills in your classroom. From what I have read, I like what I saw. By bringing together the education world, business communities, and policy makers we are all working together to ensure our students are prepared for the digital world.

What first initially surprised me about the site was the amount of computer companies that are apart of the organization. My critical side reared its head and I started to think maybe this is just another way for the large corporations to make money by getting their products into our schools. But the more I thought about it, the more sense it made---who better to be apart of the movement than the companies making and promoting the newest technologies? I was also surprised about the effects this movement would have on our economy. When our students are brought up with the necessary skills to succeed in the business world, we are keeping up with our global competitors and ensuring jobs.

I didn't disagree with anything on this site. Their beliefs are very similar to my own. I see the need of integrating 21st century skills into the classroom. Preparing students for the workforce is a part of educating them.

This website is a great tool for teachers who see the importance of incorporating technology into their classrooms. The implecations of doing so, promote student growth in 21st century skills and prepare them for our ever-changing digital society and work force. This site is also a great tool to encourage fellow teachers to begin using technology in their classrooms.

Using a blog in my classroom

As a second grade teacher, most of my students are still learning to read and write - let alone use technology indepedently. I began to throw around some ideas on how to incorporate blogs in the classroom.

The first is simply a communication tool between parents and teacher. I work at a school with very active and vocal parents. They like to stay informed at all times. They also like to have input in the classroom. At my school we are required to send home a friday newsletter each week to inform parents of upcoming events, homework for the following week, and any other classroom news parents should know about. Many times, teachers are rushed on Fridays to get it copied and send it home by the afternoon. Our administration has discussed plans of going "green" and requiring teachers to have a website instead of a newsletter. My idea is to use a blog instead of a newsletter or a website. I can post students work, classroom news, homework, and articles I found interesting for parents to read. The blog is unique because parents have the opportunity to respond, ask questions, and give ideas. The communication lines are now open as compared to the past where I may get five emails asking the same question about a school event or homework assignment.
I can eventually see myself posting podcasts of students reading their published pieces, and sharing videos of science experiments.

If I were teaching an upper elementary grade, I might consider using a blog for reading workshop. Now, students respond to literature in the form of letters to the teacher. How great would it be to have students respond to each other through a blog? Students could ask questions, give comments, and encourage critical thinking.

These are just my first initial thoughts for a blog. Right now, they are just ways for "doing things differently" instead of "doing different things". I hope as I get more comfortable with blogs and wikis, I will come up with more ways of incorporating them into my classroom.

Welcome!

I hope this blog sparks some educational conversations about integrating technology into the classroom. I look forward to discussing new ideas and learning from fellow educators.