I am proud to say that throughout the EME 2040 class I have learned how to use numerous tools that will aid me in my future career as a teacher. The class has taught me how to stay relevant with modern technology changing so quickly.
As far as tools and projects for the class, I really enjoyed them. The textbook was clear and concise so I didn't feel like I was given any excess information that I didn't need to know. Everything inside the text was clear and relevant to what we were learning in the class. It also helped out very much by providing clear examples of how the subjects are present in modern day classrooms. As far as the projects go, they were great and very creative. They also made me feel like I was putting something together for my own classroom, especially the lesson plan. I also really enjoyed to creation of our own webpage in the portfolio assignment. You can access the portfolio by clicking here.
Although I did like many of the assignments. I prefer working individually, so there were a few assignments that could have gone much more smoothly had I been able to just do them myself. That is on me though, not the class. I also know that I could have done much better in the course if I had set the proper amount of time aside to work on the assignments. Once again, that's my fault as I have a tendency not to perform well in online classes. The only other thing I found difficult was the portfolio because I struggled to find the right perspective to write from. Mostly it was the switching from student to pretending to be a teacher. Other than that the assignment was very fun to complete. In addition, I struggled with this blogging website, not because of the posts as assignments, just the website because it would constantly cause a pop up saying I had logged in from a different location, when I had not. I would have much preferred using wordpress.
As far as learning outcomes, I definitely think the course helped with my critical thinking skills which were necessary to analyze the text and write blog posts on the three terms we chose. This also helped me to provide unique examples for these terms. The course also helped me to reflect on the ways technology can support managing a classroom throughout the numerous projects we completed. All of these projects can be accessed through my teacher web page project.
Works Cited
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Wednesday, April 27, 2016
Additional Projects in Collaboration with Weebly
Website Evaluation Rubric:
Collaborative Lesson Plan:
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4
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3
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2
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1
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Authority |
The authors is credible and knowledgeable of the subject he or she is discussing. He or she either meets the qualifications from experience in the field or knowledge obtained through proper institutions. 4 points |
The author is credible and knowledgeable by either experience or knowledge through proper institution but not both. 3 points |
Although the author does not share where or how he or she obtained the knowledge to be considered credible or only exemplifies knowledge on personal experience. The exception doesn’t make the rule. 2 points |
The author does not have the necessary qualifications. 0 points |
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Accuracy |
The accuracy of the information is either peer reviewed or confirmed through similar credible research and lacks any fallacies. 4 points |
The accuracy of the information is peer reviewed and confirmed but does contain minimal fallacy. 3 points |
The accuracy of the information is greatly out weighed by the fallacy and the information is not confirmed or peer reviewed. 2 points |
The accuracy of the information is not peer reviewed or confirmed and is littered with fallacies. 0 points |
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Objectivity |
The website lacks corporate sponsors and advertisers that could potentially taint authors writing with biases. 4 points |
The website doesn’t have corporate sponsors but does have advertisements. The authors writing does not seem to be tainted. 3 points |
The website has corporate sponsors and advertisements that are mentioned in the information. 2 points |
The writers work is completely overtaken by biases and information provided by corporate sponsors and is littered with advertisements. 0 points |
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Currency |
The time stamp of the last update to the page is current and provides reader with the most modern and up to date information provided. There are no broken links to cited websites for information. 4 points |
The last time stamp is up to date and the page seems current, but does not have the most up to date information. 3 points |
The last update is from too long ago, although some of the information may be applicable. There are broken links to websites that cite the authors research. 2 points |
The information is way too outdated to be applicable and all of the cited website links are inactive. 0 points |
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Coverage |
The information that is presented adds value and insight to the topic you are researching. The information goes beyond what is needed to provide in depth information on the topic. 4 points |
The information presented is relevant to the topic you are researching but does not have the depth needed to be considered complete coverage. 3 points |
The information presented is not very relevant and does not completely cover the topic. 2 points |
The information has nothing to do with your topic and has not depth in coverage. 0 points |
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Ethics |
The resource is written ethically, citing all work that is referenced or used in the making of the article. All citations are formatted correctly. 4 points |
The resource cites all work that is referenced but does not cite any sources that are not quoted directly. The citations are formatted correctly. 3 points |
The source does not cite the information in text but has some works cited at the end. The citations are not all formatted correctly. 2 points. |
There are no relevant citations and they are not formatted correctly. 0 points. |
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Publisher (If Applicable) |
The publisher does not influence the writing and does not have corporate sponsors that could incorporate bias into the writing. The publisher has a credible background with current qualifications. 4 points |
The publisher is credible and has the necessary qualifications but the writing seems tainted by the sponsors of the publisher. 3 points |
The publisher is not very credible and the writing is completely tainted with bias. 1 point. |
The publisher has no credibility or qualifications and the writing is completely tainted with bias. 0 points |
Website Critique: Education Partners
There are so many important aspects that build upon the quality of a resource used for any type of research. Based on the module and personal experience these aspects include: authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, and coverage. In addition, I believe the ethics involved with the article as well as the authors publisher is incredibly relevant. The website I chose to critique was educationworld.com and the specific article is “Starting Technology Early in the Classroom is Crucial to the Future”.
One of the major contributors to an article or websites credibility is the authors authority. In this specific instance the author is very qualified to be discussing technology considering Navindra Persuad’s MBBS, MPH, and PHD which specializes in infectious disease prevention; however, it does not qualify Persuad to discuss how to incorporate technology into a teacher’s classroom. Based on the rubric above I would rank the authority of the author at a three because despite the lack of qualification from an institution, the author does have some experience working with kids in the classroom. Does this mean that he is the person to be teaching and creating lesson plans for the students? No, but it does mean that he has seen some of the effects technology has had on students.
Furthermore, accuracy is also an important puzzle piece in regards to a quality website. In this case, all of the information provided is presented well and with accurate citations of said information. Truly, the article does a great job of explaining and providing examples of how students could use the information they are learning in school and apply to todays technology. Therefore, based on my rubric, I would rate this website with a four.
Moreover, objectivity is also very important to a website. In this case, the website lacks objectivity. Although I am not aware of any major corporate sponsors, the advertisements featured on the websites would greatly benefit from the addition of this education into the school system. For instance, one of the advertisers is college board who would greatly benefit from this addition because they would be able to create and sell not only new text books but also new standardized tests. As a result, I would rank the website a two out of for in objectivity.
In addition to the above mentioned, currency is also incredibly important. The website neglected t share a publication of update of the article; however, because of the technology mentioned in the article I can confirm that the information is current. Also, by clicking on the sister article I was able to find a publication date. Because of the difficulty finding a publication date or update I give this category a three.
Coverage is one of the strongest points of this article. The author touches base with most every situation that could be taken into account. Not only that, but Persuad also provides numerous clear examples of how technology in the classroom is applicable and beneficial to education. For instance, he claims that students could use algebraic equations in order to land a miniature helicopter on a pad in the field and other similar examples. Therefore, I give the article and website a 4 on coverage.
The two additions to the rubric consist of ethics and the publisher. To begin, the article and cite also follows basic ethics. Persaud and other contributors are credited when they needed to be and there previous work related to the topic is linked to the article published on education world. Also, educationworld, because it is a .com website is not always the best resource compared to peer reviewed scientific articles, but based on the credibility of the authors, I was able to verify that the quality of work published is decent. Therefore, these categories have received a four in ethics and a three for the publisher.
Overall, education world is a good place to browse for information in the world of education; however, it may not be the best or worst source for a formal research paper. Also, the qualifications needed to verify a website or author and incredibly important. These include authority, accuracy, objectivity, currency, coverage, ethics, and publisher. All of these are ways to identify reliable sources and are invaluable.
Works Cited
Maloy W. Robert, Et. Al. (2007). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Pearson
Persaud Navindra, (2015). Education World. educationworld.com
N.a. n.d. Management Sciences for Health. MSH
Collaborative Lesson Plan:
LESSON TITLE: Banned Books Debate
Grade Level(s): 9-12 Subject(s): Language Arts Lesson Length: 2 Class Periods Prepared by: Brandon Roshon, Kathryn Diaz, and Meredith Morgan
Grade Level(s): 9-12 Subject(s): Language Arts Lesson Length: 2 Class Periods Prepared by: Brandon Roshon, Kathryn Diaz, and Meredith Morgan
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Overview: To explore the culture significance of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath/ To Kill a
Mockingbird, and why these books clashed with the then American cultural that banned it.. And, to
create a PowerPoint of what the student feels most resulted in the ban.
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Standards: Reading Standards for Literature - Craft and Structure: Adapted from LAFS.910.RL.2.6 –
Analyze John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath (1939) for the cultural representations that clashed
with U.S states and encouraged banning.
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Learning Objective: Students will be able to understand the significance of the political views
expressed in the novel, and why the cultural representation of American sentiments and areas saw
that it be banned. Students will then create a PowerPoint
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Materials/Resources Needed: Computer/laptop. Physical or digital copy of The Grapes of Wrath.
Microsoft PowerPoint.
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Introduction: The instructor will introduce the lesson with a discussion about some of the more
popular books in today’s educational practices and how they used to be banned. (Ex. The Catcher
in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Grapes of Wrath)
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Lesson Activities:
Day One:
Direct Instruction: Separate the class into groups and assign each group or let them choose, and allow each group to choose which book they would like to focus on for their debate, the choices being The Grapes of Wrath or To Kill a Mockingbird. Also, have a group prepared to oppose the banning of the book. Allow the students diligent time to research the controversial issue related to the book using academic data bases on their technology. Then allow the students time to discuss how to format a discussion with well thought out reasons the book should or should not be banned in schools. Day Two: Allow the student groups to put together a brief speaking outline of the arguments they have formed on whether or not to ban the books. The students should divide up the outline so that they each have a portion of the debate to participate in. Once the speaking outlines are complete, have enough class time to listen to the debate and decide which group had the best argument. A fun twist would be allowing the peers listening to the discussion to vote on who won the debate. The Students are to have reflected upon the debate based on what they remember from the debate and research in order to create a power point presentation in which they will detail what they learned about why the books were banned culturally and for any other reasons. This allows the students to assert or change their own opinions based on the classes arguments. The powerpoint will be turned into the instructor as a homework assignment and assessment for the lesson to ensure students were grasping the concepts. |
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Strategies – ESE/ESOL: Because the work is being done in a group, some one who needs extra
support will receive it from their fellow group members. By allowing them to work together, the
student in need will always have a helping hand. These students will also receive somewhat
simplified direction. This lesson plan also allows for multiple methods of evaluation, so even if the
student struggles in one area of the lesson, they will be able to bounce back in another.
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Strategies – Integrating Technologies: PowerPoint. Any articles or databases that a student wanted
to read, so as to not base, but bolster or shape-out an opinion.
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Evaluation/Critique of Educational Software/Web-based Resource: [Describe your reasoning in
selecting the software/web-based resource you used for this lesson – why was it selected? What
makes it enhance the lesson and make it effective?]
We chose to use the Academic One File or Gale in order to increase the quality of the discussion by providing students with responsible sources of information This enhances the lesson plan and makes it more effective because the students have to source their information throughout the debate in order to successfully deliver quality information. This prevents students from just googling something and providing the class with an opinionated and non-scholarly reply to the argument at hand. The students will then convey these thoughts through the presentation they submit either using prezi, power point, or another software program. PowerPoint is efficient and effective. It is also a smart application for creating a presentation that summarizes a thought out point. |
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Summary: The summary of the lesson will come when the students present their final powerpoints
and recollections on why the books should or should not be banned based on culture and other
various reasons. This allows the students to recap the novels and review their research and
arguments.
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Assessment – Type: The assessment of the students will come during the debate. The arguments
will demonstrate how much effort and knowledge they gained on the subject because they will
have to know the topic in order to truly refute an argument. Further assessment occurs when they
present their final powerpoint which includes their reflection and opinions on the topic at hand.
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Educational Theorist: The learning theory this lesson applies to is cognitivism because the students
are actively learning through memory by having to, on the spot, react to arguments in order to
counter them. Students are also gaining knowledge through the hands on research they are doing
and problem solving in order to ensure that their refutation of the argument is the better by
figuring out a way to disprove the opposing sides view points.The students would have to be able to
transfer their thoughts from their head, to paper, and then verbally to ensure that they are getting
the most out of their experience.
There are also possible connections to other content areas such as history, public speaking, and literature. |
Sunday, April 24, 2016
The Struggle for Digital Equality
Digital Blog Post F
With the continuing advancement of technology, the difficulty of ensuring that every student receives and equal digital education has become more and more challenging. However, it is crucial that every student, no matter the social, economic, or political alignment. Therefore, the perspecitves on digital inequality, social infomatics, and BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology are extremely important in making sure that every student is receiving an equal technological education.
Moreover, for those who are unaware of what digital inequality is, according to the text it is the perspective which "holds that simply adding more technology to homes or schools will not, in and of itself, address differences in access among social groups." This explains that more technology isn't always the answer to the problems that technology creates itself. This inequality is apparent in the classroom if a student is unable to obtain some sort of technology outside of the classroom like other students may be able to. I knew that this was an issue in classrooms everywhere, even when I was a student, but never thought about it to this extent. Digital inequality truly puts a perspective on how many students struggle to get the digital education they need outside of the classroom and sometimes even in the classroom. Not every school has the funds to ensure that every student has some sort of tablet, laptop, or desktop despite how influential they are in today's education. This truly made me think about possible ways that technology could be integrated into every classroom and accessible to every student no matter what their social, economic, or political status. The only thing that is still picking my brain about the topic is how to make technology accessible to every student in and outside the classroom.
Furthermore, another important topic for technology in the classroom is social infomatics. According to the text, social infomatics is an "analysis where technology's impacts are considered within the context of larger social, economic, and political realities, as well as social and racial differences." Just like how we live in our daily environments that shape us, "'Technology and the social system continuously shape each other." For those students who are unable to access the internet from home, they may gain high quality learning experiences from local libraries that are technologically equipped and open during after school and activity hours like nights and weekends. This technology could also be accessible at schools or community centers. However, all of this could be jeopardized: " If municipal, state, and federal budget cuts reduce library funding and hours of operation, then government policies extend rather than minimize digital separation between social groups." Even though these community centers and libraries are available to students sometimes, there are immense differences between students who have twenty four hour access and those without full access to the latest technologies. These students tend to fall behind their peers in skills and competencies in terms of technology. Once again, I understood that students did not have the type of access they should but not to this extent. I also know that these public libraries and community centers are doing their best to get these students access to the the most updated technology in order to bridge the gap between students. One of the things that still confuses me however, is how political alignment would affect a students ability to access technology.
Another important item to discuss is BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology. This program, as stated by the text invites students to "bring whatever technology they have at home or school for use in daily learning experiences." For those who do not have their own technology their are local resellers pinpointed by the schools that students could buy or rent inexpensive technology such as laptops and tablets. This program allows students at schools with out the budget to provide laptops for every student to still have increased technology use in classrooms. There are many critics of the BYOT program that claim that it would increase the gap between students because some would be coming to school with the latest smartphone while others would be coming with out of date technology. However, in this case I truly believe the benefits would outweigh the consequences. I knew about the BYOD programs because my high school incorporated one; however, it was just kickstarting and the school wasn't too concerned about making it their main priority. At least it was in the beginning phases. I understand BYOT completely and understand that for some, finding the technology to bring could be difficult. But this is an instance where the school could support those students and provide technology. Therefore, instead of providing the whole school with computers, they're just providing those who need it. Because of this, the costs of providing technology would greatly decrease.
Overall, there are numerous solutions to the problem of the technology gap and schools and government are trying their best to ensure that each students needs are met. It is incredibly important that students, teachers, and officials recognize this issue and attempt to do their best to ensure that every student gets the education they should.
Works Cited
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Visual done using Piktochart and accessed on April 24, 2016
With the continuing advancement of technology, the difficulty of ensuring that every student receives and equal digital education has become more and more challenging. However, it is crucial that every student, no matter the social, economic, or political alignment. Therefore, the perspecitves on digital inequality, social infomatics, and BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology are extremely important in making sure that every student is receiving an equal technological education.
Moreover, for those who are unaware of what digital inequality is, according to the text it is the perspective which "holds that simply adding more technology to homes or schools will not, in and of itself, address differences in access among social groups." This explains that more technology isn't always the answer to the problems that technology creates itself. This inequality is apparent in the classroom if a student is unable to obtain some sort of technology outside of the classroom like other students may be able to. I knew that this was an issue in classrooms everywhere, even when I was a student, but never thought about it to this extent. Digital inequality truly puts a perspective on how many students struggle to get the digital education they need outside of the classroom and sometimes even in the classroom. Not every school has the funds to ensure that every student has some sort of tablet, laptop, or desktop despite how influential they are in today's education. This truly made me think about possible ways that technology could be integrated into every classroom and accessible to every student no matter what their social, economic, or political status. The only thing that is still picking my brain about the topic is how to make technology accessible to every student in and outside the classroom.
Furthermore, another important topic for technology in the classroom is social infomatics. According to the text, social infomatics is an "analysis where technology's impacts are considered within the context of larger social, economic, and political realities, as well as social and racial differences." Just like how we live in our daily environments that shape us, "'Technology and the social system continuously shape each other." For those students who are unable to access the internet from home, they may gain high quality learning experiences from local libraries that are technologically equipped and open during after school and activity hours like nights and weekends. This technology could also be accessible at schools or community centers. However, all of this could be jeopardized: " If municipal, state, and federal budget cuts reduce library funding and hours of operation, then government policies extend rather than minimize digital separation between social groups." Even though these community centers and libraries are available to students sometimes, there are immense differences between students who have twenty four hour access and those without full access to the latest technologies. These students tend to fall behind their peers in skills and competencies in terms of technology. Once again, I understood that students did not have the type of access they should but not to this extent. I also know that these public libraries and community centers are doing their best to get these students access to the the most updated technology in order to bridge the gap between students. One of the things that still confuses me however, is how political alignment would affect a students ability to access technology.
Another important item to discuss is BYOT or Bring Your Own Technology. This program, as stated by the text invites students to "bring whatever technology they have at home or school for use in daily learning experiences." For those who do not have their own technology their are local resellers pinpointed by the schools that students could buy or rent inexpensive technology such as laptops and tablets. This program allows students at schools with out the budget to provide laptops for every student to still have increased technology use in classrooms. There are many critics of the BYOT program that claim that it would increase the gap between students because some would be coming to school with the latest smartphone while others would be coming with out of date technology. However, in this case I truly believe the benefits would outweigh the consequences. I knew about the BYOD programs because my high school incorporated one; however, it was just kickstarting and the school wasn't too concerned about making it their main priority. At least it was in the beginning phases. I understand BYOT completely and understand that for some, finding the technology to bring could be difficult. But this is an instance where the school could support those students and provide technology. Therefore, instead of providing the whole school with computers, they're just providing those who need it. Because of this, the costs of providing technology would greatly decrease.
Overall, there are numerous solutions to the problem of the technology gap and schools and government are trying their best to ensure that each students needs are met. It is incredibly important that students, teachers, and officials recognize this issue and attempt to do their best to ensure that every student gets the education they should.
Works Cited
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Visual done using Piktochart and accessed on April 24, 2016
Monday, April 4, 2016
Digital Blog Post E
Chapters four, nine, and eleven offered numerous ideas for opportunities in the classroom. Of these new ideas, three that stood out to me as effective ideas include; understanding by design, service learning, and pre-assessment. There are multiple ways these could be successful in a classroom if presented correctly.
Furthermore, understanding by design, or UBD, is an approach to curricular development, presented in books written by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. The three main stages of UBD are: one, identifying the desired results; two, determining evidence that is acceptable; and three, planning the instruction and goal for learning experiences. The first stage would be considering what the instructor wishes to result from the lesson for the students. This would then lead to developing essential questions and enduring understandings. The second stage would allow for the teacher to come up with ways to assess the students and the progress they made throughout the lesson plan. Third, would be planning the experiences the instructor wants the students to have and then also how the instruction would take place. As for my ongoing career, UBD seems like an extraordinary way to develop a lesson plan when you may be stuck on certain ideas. Especially since the development is backwards, I feel if you're in a rut, it would definitely be a new take and allow for some extra creativity. This connects to what I already knew, because I'm aware of the traditional take on lesson plans, but I have never actually heard of moving backwards through them. I really think that by working backwards a more thorough lesson plan could be presented.
The second concept that stood out in chapter eleven was service learning. According to the text, service learning refers to outside the classroom, experiences by students that feature both service and learning. Personally, this was one of my favorite ways to learn and I know that future students will also find this beneficial. Service learning often teaches students commitment and responsibility, in addition to time management. There are many opportunities for service learning, no matter where a student is located as well. In my career, I wish to employ as much service learning as I'm allowed to. I know that certain schools even have designated classes for this. For instance, high schools often allow students with jobs to take this type of class, in which they only show up for the period once a week, but turn in their timesheet for work to prove that they have been putting in the hours for service learning. The ideas presented are connected to what I already knew because I participated in service learning by volunteer coaching for a local non profit volleyball club. I spent countless hours working in the gym with girls and boys teaching them the sport and I learned numerous amounts of patience, and understanding from doing so. Overall, I think that this is a well thought out idea and could be beneficial to a multitude of different student types.
Another concept that would reap beneficial in the classroom is pre-assessment before a lesson to understand what level of understanding the students already have of the concept. Pre-assessments occur before an instructor introduces a new lesson or topic. It's a way for teachers to determine what the students already know in order to gauge how to inform the students further without boring them. Not only is this a great way for the teacher to engage their students, this is also a great way to keep the teacher amused because they're not running through the exact same lesson plan all day because it would differ by each class periods knowledge. I think pre-assessments are a great way to keep the classroom energy up and make sure that each student is getting the exact amount of attention that they need. The pre-assessment doesn't need to be a huge test that the students have to take, it just needs to some how gauge how much the students understand about the concept, whether it just be the instructor asking the class a couple of questions verbally and engaging in a discussion.
Overall, there are numerous ways to engage your students, but these are just three that stood out to me the most. I really enjoyed these chapters and thought they had much to offer. Understanding by design, service learning, and pre-assessment allow for high students interest in the lesson at hand.
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Shearer, Lance. Naples Daily News. "Naples New Years Beach Clean up Part of Broader Effort". January 1, 2016. Web. 3 Apr. 2016
Poster done using Tackk
Chapters four, nine, and eleven offered numerous ideas for opportunities in the classroom. Of these new ideas, three that stood out to me as effective ideas include; understanding by design, service learning, and pre-assessment. There are multiple ways these could be successful in a classroom if presented correctly.
Furthermore, understanding by design, or UBD, is an approach to curricular development, presented in books written by Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe. The three main stages of UBD are: one, identifying the desired results; two, determining evidence that is acceptable; and three, planning the instruction and goal for learning experiences. The first stage would be considering what the instructor wishes to result from the lesson for the students. This would then lead to developing essential questions and enduring understandings. The second stage would allow for the teacher to come up with ways to assess the students and the progress they made throughout the lesson plan. Third, would be planning the experiences the instructor wants the students to have and then also how the instruction would take place. As for my ongoing career, UBD seems like an extraordinary way to develop a lesson plan when you may be stuck on certain ideas. Especially since the development is backwards, I feel if you're in a rut, it would definitely be a new take and allow for some extra creativity. This connects to what I already knew, because I'm aware of the traditional take on lesson plans, but I have never actually heard of moving backwards through them. I really think that by working backwards a more thorough lesson plan could be presented.
The second concept that stood out in chapter eleven was service learning. According to the text, service learning refers to outside the classroom, experiences by students that feature both service and learning. Personally, this was one of my favorite ways to learn and I know that future students will also find this beneficial. Service learning often teaches students commitment and responsibility, in addition to time management. There are many opportunities for service learning, no matter where a student is located as well. In my career, I wish to employ as much service learning as I'm allowed to. I know that certain schools even have designated classes for this. For instance, high schools often allow students with jobs to take this type of class, in which they only show up for the period once a week, but turn in their timesheet for work to prove that they have been putting in the hours for service learning. The ideas presented are connected to what I already knew because I participated in service learning by volunteer coaching for a local non profit volleyball club. I spent countless hours working in the gym with girls and boys teaching them the sport and I learned numerous amounts of patience, and understanding from doing so. Overall, I think that this is a well thought out idea and could be beneficial to a multitude of different student types.
Another concept that would reap beneficial in the classroom is pre-assessment before a lesson to understand what level of understanding the students already have of the concept. Pre-assessments occur before an instructor introduces a new lesson or topic. It's a way for teachers to determine what the students already know in order to gauge how to inform the students further without boring them. Not only is this a great way for the teacher to engage their students, this is also a great way to keep the teacher amused because they're not running through the exact same lesson plan all day because it would differ by each class periods knowledge. I think pre-assessments are a great way to keep the classroom energy up and make sure that each student is getting the exact amount of attention that they need. The pre-assessment doesn't need to be a huge test that the students have to take, it just needs to some how gauge how much the students understand about the concept, whether it just be the instructor asking the class a couple of questions verbally and engaging in a discussion.
Overall, there are numerous ways to engage your students, but these are just three that stood out to me the most. I really enjoyed these chapters and thought they had much to offer. Understanding by design, service learning, and pre-assessment allow for high students interest in the lesson at hand.
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Shearer, Lance. Naples Daily News. "Naples New Years Beach Clean up Part of Broader Effort". January 1, 2016. Web. 3 Apr. 2016
Poster done using Tackk
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Digital Blog Post D
After having read chapters eight and ten, three concepts have clearly stood out in my mind as ideas that could really alter the flow and creativity in a classroom. In chapter eight, microblogging seemed extremely interesting and like a valid tool to incorporate every once and awhile into assignments. As for chapter ten, the two terms that interested me were differentiated instruction, or DI, and word clouds.
Furthermore, microblogging stood out to me because I had never really heard the term before and didn't realize there was a specific word for this. The textbook defines microblogging as a publicly accessible online post in which communicators use a limited number of words and symbols. The book also cites Twitter as an example for microblogging. There are many ways in which this could be incorporated into the classroom. Immediately, I had the idea that it would be fun to allow students to participate in an assignment during which they would have to use the microblogging format to explain a definition of a word for a vocabulary assignment. This would help the students to ensure that they are being concise and to the point with their work. In this case, I had not previously known that there was a term for this shortened form of blogging, but have heard of Twitter and the basic concept. Overall, I think that this would create a challenge for students and allow them to learn to be direct and concise with the information they're trying to convey. However, I don't think this type of writing style would work well in certain situations.
Moreover, another concept that intrigued me in chapter ten was differentiated instruction. According the text, differentiated instruction is "an instructional approach in which teachers create different educational experiences as ways to meet the learning needs of individual students." This is something that I think is extremely important because it's tailored to work towards improved learning for each individual student despite the different needs that need to be met in order for the student to succeed. Once again, I was familiar with the concept of the term but did not realize there was a different name for this term. However, I am a bit challenged to believe that this would work in every classroom especially based on the amount of students. This type of instruction is something that I could see working in a small classroom as opposed to a large one with numerous students.
In addition, chapter ten also introduced me to the world cloud. This is a visual representation that can display large amounts of written text in a visually engaging format on a computer screen. Software programs are able to take the most frequently used words while excluding conjunctions, prepositions, and other small words so they may highlight the most important words. These are extremely intriguing visual images that would draw students attention to the screen and subject. For instance, after having the class write a report on a book or novel that had been read and discussed, a teacher could use the software to create a word cloud as a tool to share the students most frequent and important concepts associated with the book.
Although, there were many interesting terms presented in chapter eight and ten, microblogging, differentiated instruction, and word clouds are those that stood out to me the most.
References
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Visual done using piktochart accessed 6 Mar. 2016
"Picture G" Image in piktochart by Meredith N.d. accessed on 6 Mar. 2016
http://www.wordle.net/
Furthermore, microblogging stood out to me because I had never really heard the term before and didn't realize there was a specific word for this. The textbook defines microblogging as a publicly accessible online post in which communicators use a limited number of words and symbols. The book also cites Twitter as an example for microblogging. There are many ways in which this could be incorporated into the classroom. Immediately, I had the idea that it would be fun to allow students to participate in an assignment during which they would have to use the microblogging format to explain a definition of a word for a vocabulary assignment. This would help the students to ensure that they are being concise and to the point with their work. In this case, I had not previously known that there was a term for this shortened form of blogging, but have heard of Twitter and the basic concept. Overall, I think that this would create a challenge for students and allow them to learn to be direct and concise with the information they're trying to convey. However, I don't think this type of writing style would work well in certain situations.
Moreover, another concept that intrigued me in chapter ten was differentiated instruction. According the text, differentiated instruction is "an instructional approach in which teachers create different educational experiences as ways to meet the learning needs of individual students." This is something that I think is extremely important because it's tailored to work towards improved learning for each individual student despite the different needs that need to be met in order for the student to succeed. Once again, I was familiar with the concept of the term but did not realize there was a different name for this term. However, I am a bit challenged to believe that this would work in every classroom especially based on the amount of students. This type of instruction is something that I could see working in a small classroom as opposed to a large one with numerous students.
In addition, chapter ten also introduced me to the world cloud. This is a visual representation that can display large amounts of written text in a visually engaging format on a computer screen. Software programs are able to take the most frequently used words while excluding conjunctions, prepositions, and other small words so they may highlight the most important words. These are extremely intriguing visual images that would draw students attention to the screen and subject. For instance, after having the class write a report on a book or novel that had been read and discussed, a teacher could use the software to create a word cloud as a tool to share the students most frequent and important concepts associated with the book.
Although, there were many interesting terms presented in chapter eight and ten, microblogging, differentiated instruction, and word clouds are those that stood out to me the most.
References
Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.
Visual done using piktochart accessed 6 Mar. 2016
"Picture G" Image in piktochart by Meredith N.d. accessed on 6 Mar. 2016
http://www.wordle.net/
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Digital Blog Post C
While reading chapter five of the textbook, there were multiple concepts that stood out and warranted some discussion. These concepts could not only greatly impact teachers but also students. The three most interesting concepts that caught my attention were E-books and readers, electronic note taking, and cognitive load.
The first concept of E-books and E-readers is something that greatly intrigued me. We've all become greatly familiar with the great things these devices are able to accomplish. Depending on which reader is used, there are a variety of different capabilities. Inviting E-books and readers into the classroom is a marvelous idea not only for the students but also for the school. E-books are much less expensive that hard cover and paperback textbooks and would greatly help the schools budget. The initial expense may be hard to overlook, but the long term would be worth the initial investment. Not only that, but carrying an E-reader around is much less difficult than carrying around multiple heavyweight textbooks for seven classes. The portable and lightweight dimensions of the device would also be easily stored and the battery life is tremendous. Not only that, but on school grounds there are ways to restrict certain applications that could distract the students from the lesson so that no longer poses an issue.
Another very important concept is electronic note taking. Taking notes electronically is much more effective than taking notes on paper for a multitude of different reasons. It is much quicker to type than to write down on paper making the notes more detailed and coherent than those taken with pen and paper. The notes also tend to be more organized. For instance, one of the issues with taking notes is it is difficult to save space in certain areas in case of additional information learned later; however, with electronic note taking there is always a way to make additions to the notes. Because of the extra organization and fluidity, students are better able to focus more on the content and meaning of the lesson. There are also multiple applications that would allow students to access notes from multiple devices for both the students and teachers.
Furthermore, another concept a bit different from the first two is cognitive load. Cognitive load occurs when an information rich website distracts learners from the main ideas. This is especially prominent when researching. Students often find information rich websites that have so much information that it is difficult to find the points they actually want and can clutter their research with unnecessary facts. This has become considerably common in the internet age.
Overall, these concepts have the capability to greatly impact technology in the classroom and would really make a difference as far a note taking and research is done. As a future teacher, these are definitely items I would concern myself with.
Works Cited
Maloy W. Robert, Et. Al. (2007). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Pearson.
Animation done using Padlet
The first concept of E-books and E-readers is something that greatly intrigued me. We've all become greatly familiar with the great things these devices are able to accomplish. Depending on which reader is used, there are a variety of different capabilities. Inviting E-books and readers into the classroom is a marvelous idea not only for the students but also for the school. E-books are much less expensive that hard cover and paperback textbooks and would greatly help the schools budget. The initial expense may be hard to overlook, but the long term would be worth the initial investment. Not only that, but carrying an E-reader around is much less difficult than carrying around multiple heavyweight textbooks for seven classes. The portable and lightweight dimensions of the device would also be easily stored and the battery life is tremendous. Not only that, but on school grounds there are ways to restrict certain applications that could distract the students from the lesson so that no longer poses an issue.
Another very important concept is electronic note taking. Taking notes electronically is much more effective than taking notes on paper for a multitude of different reasons. It is much quicker to type than to write down on paper making the notes more detailed and coherent than those taken with pen and paper. The notes also tend to be more organized. For instance, one of the issues with taking notes is it is difficult to save space in certain areas in case of additional information learned later; however, with electronic note taking there is always a way to make additions to the notes. Because of the extra organization and fluidity, students are better able to focus more on the content and meaning of the lesson. There are also multiple applications that would allow students to access notes from multiple devices for both the students and teachers.
Furthermore, another concept a bit different from the first two is cognitive load. Cognitive load occurs when an information rich website distracts learners from the main ideas. This is especially prominent when researching. Students often find information rich websites that have so much information that it is difficult to find the points they actually want and can clutter their research with unnecessary facts. This has become considerably common in the internet age.
Overall, these concepts have the capability to greatly impact technology in the classroom and would really make a difference as far a note taking and research is done. As a future teacher, these are definitely items I would concern myself with.
Works Cited
Maloy W. Robert, Et. Al. (2007). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Pearson.
Animation done using Padlet
Friday, February 12, 2016
Revision of Digital Blog Post B
Revision of Digital Blog Post B:
Addition of two concepts
Upon reviewing chapter three once more, I stumbled upon two additional concepts that also intrigued me. These concepts include active learning and learning groups. In my opinion both of these tie into my first post on cooperative learning.
To begin, one must first understand the concept of active learning as defined by the text. Active learning means that students are able to physically and mentally or cognitively get involved in the learning process. There are many ways in which a student could ensure that students are able to actively learn. For instance, getting students involved physically in an activity. For example, say that after reading a work of literature the teacher asks the students to compare and contrast the difference in characters from the current book and previously read work. Instead of just going over explanations of the similarities and differences the students would personally do something to compare and contrast ideas and information as opposed to listening about the subject by lecturing, watching videos or even reading about the topic. The class could make a large t-chart and each student could write on large pieces of paper, some differences, they could then go and hang those ideas on the giant t-chart. Getting students physically involved is a great way to keep them entertained with the class and subject while ensuring that they are learning what they need to out of the lesson.
Secondly, the use of learning groups can be extremely positive in the classroom environment for a multitude of different reasons. The term learning groups is in reference to students working out problems together amongst their peers in a specific way that helps elicit high quality explanations and performances. The number of people in a group can vary. By having students participate in learning groups they are able to gain analytical ability in numerous ways as opposed to those submitted to them in a teacher's lecture. Instead of having just themselves as an outlet to bounce ideas off of, they now have multiple other peers that will be able to modify and edit each others ideas to aid in the process of presenting these higher quality answers and concepts to turn in. There are so many ways that this could be used in a classroom but just to submit an example; a learning group could have to read and analyze an article which they would then have to share the concepts and ideas related to the article with the class in an oral presentation. By having the students work in learning groups as opposed to individually, many more concepts and ideas are going to be revealed because multiple minds are working towards a common goal instead of just one. This could also directly relate to cooperative learning if done correctly as well.
Overall, active learning, learning groups, and cooperative learning, are all strategies that would do wonderful things for student learning if formatted correctly in a classroom.
Works Cited:
Maloy W. Robert, Et. Al. (2007). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Pearson
Secondly, the use of learning groups can be extremely positive in the classroom environment for a multitude of different reasons. The term learning groups is in reference to students working out problems together amongst their peers in a specific way that helps elicit high quality explanations and performances. The number of people in a group can vary. By having students participate in learning groups they are able to gain analytical ability in numerous ways as opposed to those submitted to them in a teacher's lecture. Instead of having just themselves as an outlet to bounce ideas off of, they now have multiple other peers that will be able to modify and edit each others ideas to aid in the process of presenting these higher quality answers and concepts to turn in. There are so many ways that this could be used in a classroom but just to submit an example; a learning group could have to read and analyze an article which they would then have to share the concepts and ideas related to the article with the class in an oral presentation. By having the students work in learning groups as opposed to individually, many more concepts and ideas are going to be revealed because multiple minds are working towards a common goal instead of just one. This could also directly relate to cooperative learning if done correctly as well.
Overall, active learning, learning groups, and cooperative learning, are all strategies that would do wonderful things for student learning if formatted correctly in a classroom.
Works Cited:
Maloy W. Robert, Et. Al. (2007). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. Pearson
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