TechTeach Blog

Week 8 Reflection: EDUC-6715I New and Emerging Technologies

2010-08-15T14:07:00.000-05:00

This activity really does open my eyes to all the possibilities to students in the classroom. Of course, there are always challenges that may get in the way. I have built a good rapport with my team and the principal is usually very open to letting us try new things. I know I cannot do everything all at once, but I want to start with one assignment or project at a time. Slowly introduces these tools to students will help them get a good grasp on the concepts. I want to keep in the loop with emerging technologies by attending the TECC conference in Minneapolis. I have attended this conference that last two years and have really benefitted from it. Watching teachers come in and give us new ideas and how they use the tools, is very helpful. I want to bring new tools and technology into my school. The more I use it and share with my staff, the more staff will hopefully try it out. I know it may be difficult for some to get on board, but if I can be as helpful and available as possible, I think it will make my colleagues feel more comfortable. I am also on the district SMART board committee. This could be something I bring up to this committee as it is a technology experienced group involving the whole district in Elementary. I have learned a great deal from colleagues in this course and hope to keep these pieces in mind as we start the new school year. I will continue to use what I have, learn from what I have done, and build new experiences with what I have learned. I am not experienced in writing grants, but I know a few people who I could go to for guidance. If I can get people to work with, I think we could start some neat activities and real world projects with the students in my school.

Week 8 Reflection

2010-06-20T08:55:00.001-05:00

Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction are very important pieces in a classroom. I have found that many tools and resources I already in my classroom while others are not. There are so many wikis, blogs, and websites that my group has shared in the social network that I am excited to use. I will use these resources when I am planning a unit or lesson. I will think about the students needs in my class and what the students need. If there is a student that struggles getting thoughts on to paper, I could use www.wordle.com. The students can create a word cloud using the words that help describe what they need. If a student needs extra practice with math skills, they can go to www.mathplayground.com to find many reinforcement skills. In the beginning of my lesson, I will want to use visuals and concept maps. This will help the students build background on the lesson and make learning more universal.
With the school year at a close, I am excited to have time to plan the best ways to make my classroom more universal and differentiated. I will be moving to a new grade so I can not say exactly how it will look and what resources I will use. I will definitely want to see if there would be a way to have some computers set in my room. I also want to put together some folders organizing different sites that have been very meaningful to me that I will be able to find quickly when a student needs it. I also love the surveys the students can fill out to help me learn their interests, learning profile, and multiple intelligences. Those will be great to use in the beginning of the year!

Week 7 Reflection

2010-06-17T15:42:00.000-05:00

Using a social network is a great and easy way to share ideas. I have been able to learn about so many different tools from others this way. This tool would work well when students are working on group projects. We could also use it as a way to help students become responsible for sharing work the parents would like to see. A group member shared this website, http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/Choice+Boards. This wiki has so many neat templates and strategies to use with students. Having concrete tools at my fingertips is what works best with me. I will also be thinking about the technology I can bring into the classroom. I have learned about the great websites that I will keep on my desktop. When I need something, I will look there first. I also know all the technology tools I have available to me at school. I use the SMART board everyday. I also will make sure to have the laptop carts available. This website, http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/MathSquareForm.asp, also has a great way to make math facts fun. Some students need to be side tracked with “fun” in order to learn. When teachers are competing against video games, we need to get creative.

Final GAME Plan Reflection

2010-04-18T19:31:00.001-05:00

Overall, I am very happy with my GAME plan. It was very interested to see how the GAME plan had helped me throughout these few weeks. I also was excited to see my GAME plan in action. I brought some professional development opportunities to the staff development committee and they approved so I was able to give all staff a half-day to focus on building technology lessons. I am still in the process as I have two more groups to go! From the groups I have already worked with, I have only heard good things. One of the biggest things teachers struggle with is finding time. I have now given staff the time so they are hopefully that much more comfortable using the technology. This time has also helped me become a better teacher using technology because I am teaching teachers how to use it. I have created and built up my own collection of lessons that I am able to use. Not only have I used them in my homeroom class, but also I am able to use the technology with the after school program and with the students I tutor. My next piece of technology is bringing the wiki back. I started a wiki in the beginning of the school year and have not used it since. I have a science experiment where I want groups to collaborate on their findings. When the technology is prepared well ahead of time, it makes the class period go so much more smoothly.

GAME Plan

2010-04-12T16:54:00.000-05:00

The GAME plan is very helpful in laying out goals and making sure they are followed each week. I enjoyed have the time to reflect on the goals that were made. It was nice to see that the goals do not need to be set in stone. As you go through and practice the goals, changes are made to help reach the goals. The GAME plan included goals, actions, monitoring, and evaluate and extend. This process has helped me grow and challenge myself to become a better teacher who uses technology. When sitting down and writing specific actions that I plan on taking gives me a place to start my goals rather than putting it off. As I am going through my goals, monitoring myself helps me reflect on how I am doing. I noticed that I was doing a good job with some parts of the goals and there were areas where I needed a little boost too. Evaluating and extending will help me continue to grow and change my ideas as needed. It is a smooth continuous cycle.

This will be a great process to layout with my students because we develop goals for our Responsive Classroom management. They have four goals in a variety of areas and I could add a fifth goal relating to technology. Once the students have their goals, we could discuss the actions they need to make that goal work while monitoring themselves throughout the year or assignment, and finally evaluate how they did. Once the students have a good grasp on their ideas, I could sit down with them individually to go through the goal they want to accomplish so I can support them in their efforts. While I continue to grow professionally and design technology lessons, the students will keep me on my toes to learn new technology to creatively bring in to the classroom.

GAME Plan Update

2010-04-05T21:04:00.000-05:00

So far, I have learned about the SMART board Toolkit and different things I can do with it. I have also seen how I can easily bring in technology to my class. I had a graph on my SMART board that the students needed to fill out based on their information they got from their science experiment. I was able to model how to create the graph with my information. The modeling helped students understand how to do it. I have also created a “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” game on the SMART board. Using this game as a science review, helped students review in an interactive way. Next week, I am receiving training on SMART boards and will bring that back to my staff on Tuesday. I will continue to work towards using technology each week and continue to grow professionally. A new goal I want to set is bringing in different types of technology, like more Web 2.0 tools. Also, I have noticed that I keep my website up-to-date, but maybe one or two families visit the site. I want to update my website because I have families using it, so I need to find ways to get families going to the site more often. To help me reach these goals, I want to hear what other teachers do to have families use the website. I feel that the staff at our school does not have many families visiting the websites. They might be too simple and e-mail is easier for many of them. I need ideas on that.

Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress

2010-03-29T20:02:00.000-05:00

My actions are realistic. When looking at where we are in the school year and what I can bring to the staff and students, I do not want to make drastic changes. I will continue to train staff and look into workshops this summer. I do feel that my students are more ready for new technology projects at this point. With the weather getting warmer, students have a hard time sitting still. Getting the students working in groups and moving around will keep them focusing on school work. I have learned how everyone has different views on using technology in the classroom. Many staff members shy away from technology because it does not work they way they need it to work. I would like to learn new ways to reach all staff members to encourage them to use technology with their students. If students used technology starting in first grade, they would have an easier time when they reach fifth grade. I am starting from scratch with most of these students, and it would be nice to get technology into the hands of students earlier. By having training sessions and giving putting my projects on my website, hopefully will make these more appealing to staff members.

Monitoring My GAME Plan Progress

2010-03-23T14:26:00.001-05:00

I am finding the information I need. I have a few trainings coming up, so I will be preparing for those. I am working with staff that has a lot of new curriculum this year, and SMART board training has been put last on the list for many. With that in mind, I need to make sure I am training the staff in a positive manner so they feel comfortable with it. I do not feel that I need to do any modifications at this point. My goals include some long term and short-term goals. There may be a point where I decide there may need to be some changes, but I feel good at where I am. If I add too many new pieces, it would make it difficult to get anything finished. I have learned that there are many places out there that will help me incorporate technology. Having websites and lessons readily available is a huge help when it comes to bringing in technology. Something that I had been thinking about is how will my goals be changing. To continue to improve myself and the technology I use, I need to always be ready for the changes. After my classes at Walden, I want to keep up with the new practices. What are some ways that I can do that?

Carrying Out the GAME Plan

2010-03-15T19:53:00.001-05:00

In order to carry out my GAME Plan I will need to keep up-to-date on professional development opportunities. My school district has a variety of workshops throughout the year that I can look into. I could also look at taking graduate classes. I would be curious as to where I could find great opportunities elsewhere if anyone has some ideas.

For my second goal, I will need to visit with colleagues on technology they use and look online for lessons that have used technology. I think it would be great to join an interactive group on-line. I would need additional information from someone who could get me the place to look for that. So far, I have been able to keep up on making one technology lesson each week. I have a variety of tools available to me, but I know that the students will want to try new tools as the year goes on. I also have set up three training dates with my principal so I can train staff on the new toolkit tool in the SMART boards.

Developing Your Personal GAME Plan

2010-03-10T17:48:00.002-06:00

NETS-T Indicator: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

Goals: - Continue to be a SMART board coordinator in my school district

- Attend TIES technology conference each December to learn about new technologies and ways to incorporate them.

- Train staff on new ways to incorporate technology

Actions: To achieve the goals I will meet with the SMART board committee throughout the school year, I will attend the TIES technology conference and take notes, about new ideas to bring back with me. Put into place one or two items I learned at the conference right away. Teach and share information with the staff about important pieces I learned at the conference, and make sure I am available to help the staff when needed. Also, train staff on new ideas with the SMART board. We have so many technology tools available to us, and I can help bring these pieces to the forefront

Monitor: I will stay up-to-date with SMART board committee meetings. Continue to plan training dates with the principal. Continue to check the TIES website for conference details. Write all training dates and meetings on my calendar.

Evaluate and Extend: I will make sure lessons and tools I learn will get used each year. Many times after a first lesson, it needs to be adjusted to meet the needs of the learner better. I will make those changes after each lesson to be ready for the next time I use it. I will have an evaluation after each training session to make my presentations better for the staff.

NETS-T Indicator: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Goals: - Take time each week to build one new lesson with technology

- Give multiple technology tools to use in final projects

Actions: Take one prep time each week to build technology lessons, whether it is related to the SMART board or Web 2.0 tool. Talk to the students about some of their favorite technology tools to use within lessons to increase motivation and ownership. After learning new tools to use at conferences and my masters class, I can incorporate those into projects the students have. For example, rather than using paper and pencil, I can give the option to share with a VoiceThread or Podcast.

Monitor: Write “technology lesson building” in my plan book each week. I will only focus on that lesson during that block of time. When planning projects, I will always include at least one piece of technology for students to use. I will add those tools into my daily lessons so students are familiar with the different technology tools available to them.

Evaluate and Extend: After each week, I can reflect on how the lessons went and how many of them I did. Some weeks I will be doing a few different technology lessons. With that, I can see which subjects I could add

Transitioning from Knowledge to Synthesis - Reflection

2010-02-22T20:25:00.002-06:00

One of the most striking revelations, yet it sounds simple, is how to find reliable sources. I never went into as much detail as I did this year with the research process. Students use the internet all the time and most understand the non-linear steps. Digging in deeper to the searching for reliable sources made the process go smoother and I could tell the students really looked closely at the sites.

According to David Warlick, “The technology is coming from the students, it’s personal” (Laureate, 2009). I have never been trained on how to teach students on how to use the internet safely. For the most part, I taught myself by experimenting and practicing. This class has given me a better understanding of what to look for and how to find information in a safe, reliable way. I will definitely continue to use the tips, worksheets, search engines, and searching techniques with my students. This process also helps the students dig deeper in those questions they are curious about. The internet has given students the ease of having answers to questions right at their finger tips. Now, I feel more confident helping students get to the right answers in a timely manner. One professional goal I have for myself after taking this class is to continue to use questioning techniques throughout the year. Students better understand how to use technology to find answers, and I want to challenge the students to keep asking those questions. In order to make this happen I will bring question strategies into the discussions we have. When students have questions, we will write them down so we can look into finding answers. I will also continue to model this by coming up with questions that I am curious about and finding the answer by doing a think aloud.

Personal Theory of Learning

2009-10-26T20:16:00.001-05:00

I think my beliefs have stayed the same, but are now more defined. My original thoughts were that students gain knowledge from prior knowledge, students have different learning styles, and follow the social constructivism view to learn in group settings. After this course, I still feel comfortable with those thoughts, but I have understood that we use parts of all the theories at some point. For example, behaviorism has students track their own efforts as we do with multiplication facts. In addition, my schools’ management approach rewards positive behavior and has consequences fit the behavior.

I definitely wish I could easily integrate all the pieces of technology right away. At this point in the year, we are waiting to get our four laptop carts fixed, which puts a damper on the use of technology. However, I definitely want to bring in the voicethread. This presents a great way learn from others too. Another tool I would like to use is a concept map. It is an easy way to organize information for students. With a SMARTboard, it will be a great way to have students move information around on their own.

One long-term goal I have is in integrating technology is finding more interactive pieces for my students to use on the SMARTboard. We just got the interactive boards this year and I have struggled to find time to build more interactive lessons with the students. I have mainly been using it as a teacher-directed approach. To achieve this, I need to cut out time to create one lesson each week for the students. I want to start by using a word sort program for the students spelling words. The second long-term goal is to create multimedia presentations with the students. This is something that I would like to use cross-curricular. To reach this goal I will create a template for the students or at least think of some areas that we need a fun project. Over the summer, I can get the materials all ready and have it for the up coming school year.

2009-10-15T11:47:00.000-05:00

http://voicethread.com/share/651719/

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

2009-10-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Social learning theory is working and connecting with others to construct knowledge (Laureate, 2009). There are many different ways to connect students to gain an understanding in their learning with technology. “Multimedia is a natural environment for cooperative learning” (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). This environment gives tasks where students have specific roles and responsibilities. In this way, they need to use each person in order to get the project finished. Everyone brings something different to the group. This would be a great way to end a unit by bringing all the learning together. There are also WebQuests. This is a great way to help students focus on the “information rather than looking for it (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). It also enables the teacher to add higher order thinking to the project. One collaborative program that was not mentioned is the wiki. I started using the wiki this year with my students. We started the year interviewing another student in the class and posting the interview on the wiki. I would like to continue using it as a place students’ add updates to what is going in our classroom. The struggle with it is that only one student can make changes at a time. All of these pieces help students gain an understanding of the subject area by being involved in their learning. Social Learning Theory uses interactions while being engaged in constructing something (Laureate, 2009). Getting students involved keeps them from being lazy, and gets them motivated to learn.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

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

Constructivism in Practice

2009-09-29T16:43:00.001-05:00

“Constructivism is at present the most influential force in shaping contemporary education” (Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J., 2008). With that, it is important to understand the resources that correlate with the constructivist constructionist learning theories. The tools we will use are learner centered. The students will take responsibility for their own learning, and use “external artifacts” to understand the content (Orey, 2001).

The first resource I looked at was generating and testing hypotheses in the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. The students will be able to learn with technology and understand the goals. Technology can also help students “spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data” (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). Students can use a spreadsheet to gather the information. Instead of taking class time to gather work, students will let the computer do that. To take it a step further, the teacher can create a template so the students do not need to take more class time creating the spreadsheet. The Internet has great resources for students to get real world examples and data. The background knowledge will be built while students make decisions and teat the outcome.

Students also can use project-based learning. This is learner centered. It increases students motivation, gives students choice, and enables students to access more information (Orey, 2001). With constructionist constructivist theories, students build their understanding from external artifacts that fit into what they already know or accommodate the information. The way one person perceives the information might be a little different to the next students. Either way, they are gaining an understanding. By using project-based learning, students understand the information in a way that works best for them. If one website or spreadsheet does not work for them, they can choose a different one while getting the same information.

Overall, students gain their understanding by using artifacts and information in a way that fits their learning style. Spreadsheets and project-based learning are two examples of tools to use with students.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

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

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

Cognitivism in Practice

2009-09-22T20:05:00.000-05:00

According to Lever-Duffy and McDonald, the cognitive learning theory is a “mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental manipulation, is stored, and is finally used” (Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J., 2008). They continue to say, “cognitive theorists explains learning in terms of how one thinks” (2008). With that, we looked at a couple strategies that correlate with these principles.

“Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers” are all strategies to help students “retrieve, use, and organize information” (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). This is a very similar process that cognitive theorist feel that learning takes place. Students need to retrieve the information through our senses, store and organize the information, and finally use the information. By giving students cues and questions, gets the students to retrieve information from prior knowledge. The graphic organizers are great ways to get students to organize the information with how they are thinking.

“Summarizing and Note Taking” is the second strategy we looked at. These pieces help students synthesize and separate important information while putting it in their own words (Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K., 2007). There is a lot of information given to students each day. If they are not able to make a connection to it, it will be lost. Summarizing and note taking takes information and “manipulates” it to better understand. Then, when a student is to retrieve it again, they will have made a connection to remember it.

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

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

Behaviorism in Practice

2009-09-14T20:32:00.000-05:00

According to the behaviorist theory, “all behavior is learned” (Orey, 2001). With that, some behavior can be un-learned and replaced with new ones. One way a teacher might follow this theory is by modeling behavior and academics (2001). The beginning of the school year is a time where this is used a lot. Even though most fifth graders know how to line up at the door, take out their books, and sharpen their pencils, I still model this during the first week. It is used to set the expectations for the students. We also have an afternoon break. If students misbehaved or did not finish homework on time, they have to stay in a break to finish it. This is called a negative punishment (2001).

Not only is the behaviorist theory incorporated into the management of the classroom, it is also brought into the instructional strategies. The book, Using technology with classroom instruction that works, states that students do not always understand the importance of effort (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007). It is important to show students how it is important so we need to teach students the how important it is. Students take external factors and blame their failures on them. Pitler, Hubell, Kuhn, and Malenoski gave an idea of creating a spreadsheet about effort (2007). The rubric lays out five pieces that make up effort in the classroom. The students can think about the effort they put in throughout the day. Multimedia is also a great way to incorporate the behaviorist theory. Part of this theory is drill and practice. There are many computer games that students can play to strengthen their understanding of a topic. “Practicing with multimedia allows students to shape the experience to their individual learning style and increase their level of understanding to mastery (2007).

Be using technology, we can teach many students who have lost confidence in themselves to regain motivation to succeed. As I mentioned in the beginning, some behaviors can be un-learned and replaced with new ones.

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.

Responding Effectively to Disruptive Student Behavior

2009-08-07T12:26:00.001-05:00

“The reality is that teaching requires that educators be able to handle a wide range of student behavioral challenges and a broad array of academic challenges” (Jones & Jones, 2007). Behavior problems will happen when students are not interested in the lesson or unable to accomplish a task. Not only do we need to keeps students engaged, but we also need to handle in the behavior issues quickly and effectively right away.

When misbehavior occurs, the first step is to make contact quietly with the students is the first strategy I would like to respond to disruptive behavior. The outcome is to get the students back on track without bringing attention to the behavior or disrupting the lesson. This is a great strategy because it will get the students back into the mainstream lesson. According to the Teacher Behavior Continuum, describe by Dr. Charles Wolfgang the first step is relationship-listening that include looking and naming (Laureate, 2008). Sometimes a quick reminder is all students need to get back on track.

The second strategy is to remind students of the classroom rule or procedure they are not demonstrating. The outcome will keep the expectations in mind and become responsible in the actions they take. It leaves if off the teacher and on the rules the whole class made. I had a teacher model this in my class last year. Instead of forgetting the rules through the year, they are used. This strategy will describe the behavior and procedures that are being neglected while re-directing the behavior.

The next strategy is to provide students with choice. The outcome will have students choose a positive choice in a respectful manner. Students like to be in control of decisions they make. The choice gives them that control. Jones and Jones says, “this responds to student’s needs for competence and power and helps to reduce their perception that someone is trying to control them or is going to do something to them” (Jones & Jones, 2007).

The last strategy I would like to implement is to see if the student needs some assistance, acknowledge it, and provide the assistance. By doing this the students will get the correct tools or answers they need to finish the work, and reduce misbehavior that may occur. Have student think about what they need to help them finish it. This will keep the students on track while not bringing behavior to attention and showing them an easy way to solve the problem at hand. Dr Vern Jones says in, Resolving Minor Disruptions, to keep the disruptions quick and to the point while staying calm (Laureate, 2008).

By following these strategies to respond to disruptions, I will have a safer inviting classroom.

As Jones and Jones write, “the manner in which educators respond to irresponsible student behavior should help students learn new skills” (Jones & Jones, 2007). Problem solving with students gets them involved in the consequences. Jones and Jones began chapter 9 discussing how an authoritarian, power approach differed from a problem-solving approach (2007). With an authoritarian approach, it would change the type of relationship that I would want to create in the classroom.

The problem solving techniques I would want to use next year are Glasser’s seven steps to effective problem solving (2007). The outcome I would want would be a quick process that involves the students involved so they understand what they did and how to solve it. In the DVD segment, Problem Solving to manage severs and chronic behavior, Sarah Rudzek talks about the importance of students’ self monitoring (2008). The problem solving method is getting the students to monitor their actions while holding them responsible. The students would then make responsible choices because they understand the process and see where they made a mistake. “The focus on observable behavior also enables you and the student to realistically analyze the effectiveness of the plan” (Jones & Jones, 2007). This plan will be able to fit right in to the Responsive Classroom approach. To solve problems it is important at my school to get the students involved with what the decisions are to be. If it is something that is related to the whole class, we have morning meetings everyday. During this time, we do community-building activities, but it can also be used for serious discussions when needed throughout the year.

As far as putting this plan into effect, it will take a little time to make it a habit. I want to be sure to be consistent with the process so students really know what to expect. Something I need to work on is dealing with the present behavior. Most of the time the behavior is not following one of the classroom expectations that the class made themselves. I need to reflect on those with the students so it is the students’ responsibility rather than the teacher.

I think this will have a very positive impact on the students. I feel like I have still been in the “figuring out” stage on working with behavior problems. I did not have the consistency that is needed. With this approach, students will not feel punished and embarrassed. Many students have home lives that are difficult. They come to school to feel safe and the misbehavior may come from how they live at home. As teachers, we do not want to make anything worse, so helping them teach these life skills will help the students.

A difficulty will be to find time to meet with the student. Most of the day is full with students and teaching. Our new reading and spelling curriculum has the teacher working in one of the small group stations. The same will be similar with math. If the teacher needs to be with the students during class, I would need to meet with the students after class, during recess, or break. Ideally, this method would reduce the amount of times the teacher would have to meet with the students, but that probably would not be the reality.

Overall, this method is an easy way to handle the misbehavior. I look forward to putting this plan into action and see how it goes.

Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Creating an effective classroom learning environment [Educational video]. Models of Discipline. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2008). Creating an effective classroom learning environment [Educational video]. Resolving Minor Disruptions. Baltimore: Author.

Conclusion: A New Mind-Set Reflection

2009-06-24T10:13:00.000-05:00

This course has defined many ideas that I have heard about, but could not quite grasp the concept of the use in the classroom. So many Web 2.0 strategies are available to us, for free! I can not guarantee that I will implement all of them right away, but I hope to work with a few of them, and possible lightly add some others in slowly. I love trying new things. When they do not work very well, I make sure get rid of it, or change it to make it work better. The students will use technology more often, and I want to make sure they are able to take more ownership so the students are collaborating and problem solving together.

Will Richardson writes, “every student will have the ability to contribute ideas and experiences to the larger body of knowledge that is the Internet” (2006). Students will be able to virtually go places that we are talking about. I can use Flickr to show pictures of erosion or places we are talking about in a book. I will use blogs to discuss books or topics in science or math. “We live in a world where it is commonplace for technology to be used to do different things, not just do old tasks differently” (Thornburg, 2004). I realized that I was doing old tasks in a different way. This class introduced me to a variety of ways to bring technology into the classroom in a meaningful way.

My perspective has not changed much to be learner-centered. I have been teaching for two full years. My undergrad degree pushed us to be more learner-centered. I make sure I am there to guide the students more than to lecture at them. There are definitely times when teaching needs to happen, but I use ways to get the students to collaborate with other students as much as possible. It also gives me a better understanding of what the students understand and where they need help. In Bates and Phelan’s article, Characteristics of a globally competitive workforce, they say, “Organizations need employees who are flexible and can easily adapt to the changing dynamics of the work environment” (2002). Sitting in a classroom staring at the teacher is not going to get the students to become flexible. I have students working independently, in pairs, in groups, and I hope to start having students work globally.

There is an abundant of resources to expand my knowledge. This class helped me set up a Delicious account. I have also set up Google Reader with some great blogs, wikis, and websites I can use to read about the latest research. Technology changes so often and with Web 2.0 we can get the information so quick. As a teacher, reading all of the students’ blogs would take a long time. With Google Reader, I can subscribe to each one, and “scan through all of the class content in one place, make sure it’s all appropriate, and click through to a particular post if you want to comment on it” (2006). This is a huge time saver for teachers. My school district always has professional development classes throughout the year. The technology classes are always a favorite of mine, so I will make sure to continue to update myself at those too.

My first long-term goal is to use podcasting more in my classroom. For one, I would like to use it help teach. Second, I would like students to create podcasts for projects and possible a weekly review of our week. The challenge of this is to make sure the school has all of the application to make it work. The second challenge is to do this enough so the students can work on this in a timely manner. I will need to work with our technology specialist in my school to help me get this up and running. I do not have anyone in my school that works with podcasting right now, so this would be something new to add in. Most Friday afternoons we have an open. I could dedicate this time to working with podcasts in the classroom. It might be hard to have the whole class doing them at the same time because of the background noise, so I could have a couple of stations the students could take turns with.

The second long-term goal is to create a classroom blog. There is so much information to communicate to families that do not always get home. A blog would be a quick way to add information while asking questions that other families might also have. Ultimately, this would save time. A challenge would be to get the parents to use it. I have a website, so I could attach the blog to the front page. Most parents are used to e-mailing, so it might take a couple more steps for them to go to the website. I struggled to have parents go to my website already.

When I looked back at my checklist from week 1, I noticed a few areas that I will be improving. The first point was “Model reflective practices and engage students in activities that promote self-reflection and self-examination of their own learning.” I will make sure to have students reflect on their own work. I might have them fill out a rubric or write a few sentences. Another statement says “Enable students to take responsibility of their own learning by providing tools and resources that allow them to mange their own learning goals, plan learning strategies, and evaluate their progress and outcomes.” Now that I have learned about so many tools, I will be able to introduce them to my students. Finally, “Promote the development of leadership and technology skills in my students and colleagues.” Many of my colleagues have been asking me about the different projects we did in this class. I will continue to keep them motivated in using the technology and I will help them in any way I can.

Overall, this class has introduced me to so many tools, and I look forward to using them.

Bates, R., & Phelan, K. (2002). Characteristics of a globally competitive workforce. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 4(2), 121

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press

Thornburg, D. (2004). Technology and education: Expectations, not options. (Executive Briefing No. 401). Retrieved from http://www.tcpdpodcast.org/briefings/expectations.pdf

21st Century Skills

2009-05-27T19:53:00.001-05:00

“There is a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces” (2004). I think the information on this website is where all states need to go. I was surprised that there were only a few states have taken the initiative. It does seem like a lot of steps to get started. The website says you need to “get commitment from the governor and chief state school officer and submits an application to P21 that describes the state’s plan to revise standards, create assessments and implement 21st century skills professional development programs” (2004). I wonder if many states have very similar standards, but they have not gone through this program. Getting my masters specializing in integrating technology is helping me become a better educator of the 21^st century. There are a great number of businesses on board which will only help get more schools started. Reading the mission statement as well as the “P21 FAQ” page it shows how important technology is for students and for teachers. We need our students to grasps on to the future, and we are the people who need to bring it in. This is where we are headed, if schools are not already there. I enjoy using and learning about 21^st century learning, and I hope I will continue to add this excitement in my classroom.

http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php

Ideas for Blogging in Classroom

2009-05-12T17:39:00.000-05:00

I would like to start using the blog for students to post answers to discussions topics. My 5th graders have many literature circles throughout the school year. I would like to post different questions about parts they have read to increase critical thinking. After a little practice, I could have the students come up with the ideas they can chat about over the blog. I use a “chat sheet” now where they students write down three ideas they want to chat about. This could easily be done on a blog. The blog would be helpful because everyone is participating and I can read what they students have to say even if I am not with there group. Another idea is to use it at the beginning of a unit to get students to start thinking about the topic, like a KWL chart. Students could share what they already know about the topic. One of my favorite parts about the blog is that it gets all of the students involved. The students are reading more ideas than what might be shared out loud in class. It is also a great tool for integrating reading and writing. I teach math, reading, writing, spelling, and science, and the blog could easily be used in any of those subjects.

Getting Started

2009-05-04T09:31:00.000-05:00

This is my first blog that I have set-up. I am excited to see how it goes! I am now in the last month of the school year. We will finally be finishing our state testing next week. I sometimes wonder how hard the students try on the tests. For one, they know they aren't getting graded. Also, they have so many different tests these last couple of months, that they get tired of them.