Blog: Share any thinking and design steps, progress, challenges, and/or successes you have had during this course. Have you evolved as an innovative thinker? My development as an inovative thinker astounded me: Whew, what highs and lows this journey has included! Given the timing of my professional and personal challenges, I had to really struggle through the angst of not-knowing how to do something/many things (like using these ed tech tools for the first time, not having time to complete assignments when due, etc.) and feeling stuck and holistically yucky about not-knowing how I could possibly connect my first DQ to its evolved DQ version. The affective aspect of this evolution will make my learning journey MEMORABLE and a joy to reflect on when I am fully done! SO -- Wow, I had a major a-ha moment this evening! I have been stuck throughout this entire semester and right up to the end trying to figure out how could I possibly evolve my potential prototype--which is supposed to be INNOVATIVE--from my narrowly-focused AR DQ "How Managed, Threaded Discussion Affects Reading Engagement for Fourth Graders During Sustained Silent Reading" to "How Technology Supports/Sustains Learning for English Language Learners." I have been preoccupied with this chaotic thinking to the point of not sleeping well for weeks! The a-ha stems from my recognizing that (1) students loved using the Edmodo program/app to type responses to their self-chosen reading books -- the responses showed their high levels of reading engagement by sharing their feelings about what they were reading (not just what the story was about, although that was usually included to provide context); (2) students loved writing for an authentic audience, their peers; (3) students eventually wrote book reviews about their readings; (4) while some students read several passages of different texts, most of the students completed their entire book because they enjoyed reading about a character or the whole story; (5) students were excited to see if anyone wrote a reply to their responses, so they were usually eager to use Edmodo to share their reading experience. Therefore, I finally realized this specific use of technology was so beneficial in supporting their learning that the use of technology had to be expanded and made more easily accessible for all students (especially ELLs) if I were to create a resource site filled with screencasts and recordings of how to use more ed tech tools for a variety of situations, which they could refer to at any hour of the day/night to help them create a product, organize their critical thinking, collaborate, and communicate with the peers. Did you notice that the 4Cs were addressed? Of course, the resource site will help to move students' learning through the various SAMR model levels of technology integration because students will be able to use technology in ways they were not yet introduced. The prototype categorizes how/what situations the technology can be used; for example, brainstorming/mind mapping, writing, infographics, collaboration, presentation, and the like. In addition, what makes it innovative is that a shared resource of this type is not available--to my knowledge--in our Napa Valley Unified School District nor at our school site. Not only could our students use it to develop their entry-level tech skills and apply the learning in various situations such as PBL presentations, PSA infographics, etc., but also their parents and other teachers could use the resource site! I'm totally stoked at this moment. I hope I can get to sleep now because I finally figured out how to make the leap from a very specific use of technology with just 32 of my students to a broader use of technology with a wider audience. Blog: What is gaming & gamification? What are you playing? What are your students playing? What are examples of gamification that we encounter regularly? There are differences between gamification (game thinking and game mechanics) as used throughout our daily lives and games played to learn/review content. An example of gamification occurs when an experience such as shopping or purchasing beverages is rewarded by extra perks like "buy 10 and get 1 free" -- however, to get the reward, one usually needs to register with a company such as Safeway or Starbucks. Another important example of gamification is tracking one's fuel consumption or trying to attain higher miles per gallon by viewing the automobile's dashboard, especially on the new vehicles with digital readings or graphics. My husband and son enjoy the challenge of trying to drive more efficiently than the other and prove it by showing the miles per gallon they've attained when using my 2006 Prius, which has the dashboard reading and graph. I agree in the value of gaming, especially in terms of "mastery learning" as a method of instruction which establishes a level of performance that all students must master before moving on to the next unit (Slavin, 1987). This approach was found to improve students' scores by a full standard deviation better than the traditional method of teaching through lectures. According to Gabe Zichermann's TED Talk, games make kids smarter! Further, Zichermann asserted games that based in problem solving--which most of them are--increase "Fluid Intelligence" by
In Jane McGonigal's TED Talk, she exhuberantly (her own self-identification) stated that games can make a better world, especially if everyone started playing games that included real-world scenarios and challenges. The games she created to help transform/heighten social awareness include "World Without Oil," "SuperStruct," and "Evoke." According to her research, the results showed people who played these games came up with hundred of innovative ideas to preserve, sustain, build, and expand our abilities to survive better in our world. During class, we read an article that deepened our understanding about the usage of ST Math as a learning tool that was used in a Kindergarten class; it was the prime example of how games could be utilized for learning in this article. ST Math is a learning management system (LMS) because it includes Instruction, Practice, Assessment and a record of class progress. It allows for differentiation through individualized self-pacing based on mastery of each unit/concept/skill before moving on to the next. It encourages another method of teaching and learning, that is, games as a supplement by reinforcing concepts, acting as a math assistant not a teacher, and intrinsically motivating students to learn. As a classroom management tool, it can allow teachers and students to have 1:1 time while others are engaged in ST Math. The article further reminded us that the teacher/student relationship is irreplaceable for social emotional learning (SEL). I use Class Dojo (a class management tool) and GoNoodle (videos for movement breaks/in-class P.E.) with my students. Those tools gamify student behavior: students earn badges or points that can upgrade their avatars when I note they are meeting the appropriate behavior expectations. Digitally, my students use Sumdog for Math, ST Math, Khan Academy, Code.org, and typing.com to learn content while they play games to learn content. My students also choose to play content-learning games at home using Cool Math. Non-digitally, students use our Bridges Workplaces math curriculum games as well as Banangrams for vocabulary development. I'd like to try Kahoot soon because almost everyone in our cohort said they use it with their students who love it! Blog: Share any thinking and design steps, progress, challenges, and/or success in creating your prototype. Huge angst: How can I possibly evolve my potential prototype--which is supposed to be INNOVATIVE--from my narrowly-focused AR DQ "How Managed, Threaded Discussion Affects Reading Engagement for Fourth Graders During Sustained Silent Reading" to the broader DQ "How Technology Supports/Sustains Learning for English Language Learners"!?! I have been preoccupied with this chaotic thinking to the point of not sleeping well for weeks! I need to start practicing deep breathing, stretching, and meditation to get through this thinking process of an actual product! This learning journey is both exciting and exhausting! Blog: Consider your own evolution and growth in TPACK - especially since joining this cohort. How have you had to wrestle with the “wicked” TPACK challenge with regard to your project? The TPACK model is intended to help me explore what knowledge I might need to acquire and how I might plan with all three domains in mind to provide an enhanced student learning experience. This is what I understand, so far (note: for clarity, pedagogy is being defined as the method, art, science, profession of teaching):
Blog: What tools did you choose and why? What worked and what didn’t? Exploration of classroom use and application: What are barriers to your use or student use? How can video be used as an assessment tool? The two tools I chose were Jing and Vocaroo because they were extremely user-friendly! With Jing, I took a screenshot, cropped it, then recorded my voice and used the mouse to point at the text I wanted the audience to focus on. Vocaroo was even easier to use because there was minimal set-up (I had to plan ahead as to what I was going to record/create a script). In both cases, the end products were emailed: the Jing presentation was sent to my 4th and 5th grade colleagues regarding the need for ELA CORE replacement classes and associated preparation to determine who would teach the classes and which students would have to be placed in them; and the Vocaroo recording was sent to the families of my 4th grade students clarifying the expectations of homework. What I worked best was how convenient it was to use these tools and the personalization that comes with hearing a live voice with expression and nuance instead of just reading text. These two tools were wonderful methods of quickly sending out information. On the other hand, what would not work for me is using tools that would be time-consuming at this point because my numerous responsibilities are already verging on the breaking point of sanity/insanity. I barely have time to complete these assignments although I LOVE the classes the content, classmates, and instructors! Lesson Planning beyond the pacing calendar's expectation of using district-adopted materials could be harmful to my health; that is, research for finding just the right video or graphic, then setting up all the acoutrements, etc. would be counterproductive because I have experienced getting a "gotcha" for not using district-adopted curriculum during one of my recent teacher evaluation observations. So, that is a huge concern/obstacle for me! I will have students create Jing presentations and Vocaroo recordings to demonstrate their understanding of content or to explain what they have learned, so those end products can be used as assessments. Personal note: After getting caught up on this and my other classes' missing assignments, I will create a flipped lesson to try with my students. The assessment will be the product my students share with me, given the criteria I expect them to include. Blog: Continue building a bridge between your practice, your action research and what you are learning. Muse about anything that inspires you, observations, reflections, experiences, connections, dilemmas....what’s innovative about what you’re planning to do this semester? How are you thinking “outside the box”? How's this for thinking outside of the box??! I apparently needed this important creative musing at this point of my learning journey to see the beauty in this process!!! 6-word poem about me, about us, about our journey together! Learning Openly Voraciously Integrating New Groundedness This newly-created poem will be placed in my classroom and home space as well! Blog: How can infographics be used in my classroom? When students create infographics, they are using information, visual, and technology literacies. Those infographics can be used as an assessment of their proficiency levels regarding content knowledge and skill/use of technology in their presentations. For example, after learning about the school-wide BEST expectations as well as about digital citizenship, my students were required to create a poster, slide deck, Powtoons, make-believe play, or use other methods such as traditional paper and pencil, poem, etc. to demonstrate what they learned. I was able to access formatively through informal check-ins with me their developing proficiencies. Here are examples from two of my students' infographics to demonstrate their understanding of the BEST rules (One student's name was purposely blocked) and of digital citizenship: Blog: How does SITE apply to you as a learner, your student, and/or your audience(s)? In all categories (students of all ages, their parents, my colleagues, and myself), the SITE model must be applied. It is important to consider first the learners' background, interests, goals, challenges, opportunities, and accessibilities in context when designing instruction. While we are all different in many ways, the most crucial aspect of learning must be that the information is relevant to each of us within the context or situation of learning. For example, if I am going to learn how to swim, it is of utmost important that I be taught in the water with a live instructor rather than from only watching a video about how to swim (breathe, proper strokes, keep eyes open, what to wear, etc.). By the same token, if I want my students/their parents to learn how to use a technical program such as Edmodo, it would probably be best if I show them how to access the website and/or app. In that case, the instructional information would probably be best delivered through a screencast recording I made, which could be watched repeatedly and at different times for their convenience to heighten sense-making of the required procedure and its relevant usage for the assignment. It is also important for socio-economic-cultural and practical purposes to know whether of not they have access to the Internet at home and/or have the opportunity/ability to go to the public library to use the computer before I assign any technical lessons outside of the classroom. Flipped-lessons could be problematic for students without technology access outside of the classroom. Keeping the SITE model in mind also forces me to consider the obstacles my learners/audience may have. Blog #1: How can/should social media be used to help you develop/collaborate/communicate as a professional? What are the critical issues to consider? Currently, I use Twitter as well as Facebook to access/share chats and information concerning the latest information about education to provide professional develop for myself and other colleagues/classmates. As a part of my professional learning network (PLN), I follow mainly Edutopia, WeAreTeachers, KQED Mindshift, ASCD, and Buck Institute as well as #edchat, #edumuses, and #pblchat to learn and contribute comments about classroom management; pedagogical strategies for academic content; best practices for teaching struggling learners, students with various learning challenges (dyslexia, dysgraphia, etc.) advanced learners, and students with limited English proficiency; social/emotional/behavioral strategies through positive behavior implementation and support; brain-based teaching and learning; and inquiry-based learning. In the classroom, my students and I utilize Edmodo to develop reading engagement through threaded discussions among the students and myself. Students share their perspectives about the books they are reading -- connecting characters and plots to other texts, current events, and personal experiences. Through Edmodo, I have witnessed students engaging respectfully and excitedly not only about the books they are reading, but also about the books other students are reading. I have seen comments such as, but not limited to: "I can't wait until I get to read your book when you're finished," "I know how you feel about ___ because ___," and "What I love so is ___ because ___." Critical issues have not occured with my students because they know I am managing/can view/delete these discussion threads. They have not been disrespectful in their responses to each other when using Edmodo. However, I have experienced a few students being disrespectful in emails. In those cases, alongside directly speaking with the students involved, I have contacted parents to let them know of their child's inappropriate use of technology and reminded everyone to technology responsibly. So far, no student has lost priviledges to use technology in our class because the inappropriateness was corrected. Critical issues that would need to be considered if we were to expand beyond Edmodo and email include cyberbullying, identity theft, plagiarism, and exposing student inappropriate content on the Internet. Because of these concerns, it is imperative that students are explicitly taught about Digital Citizenship and how to report inappropriate use of technology. Blog #2: What would you do if you were to come across an inappropriate post made by one of your students outside of the school. Do you address the post and, if so, how? Whom do you involve in the conversations? What considerations must you make in determining your course of action? If I knew of any inappropriate post made by any of our students outside of school, I would immediately inform our school administrator and let him/her know what I saw, when I saw it, and on what website the posting existed. Our district is very clear about us teachers not having social media contact with students to limit any potential liabilities. |
AuthorJulie C D Meyer-Houston began her exciting journey during Spring 2016 as a grad student in Touro University - California's Innovative Learning program to earn her Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree, which focuses on Social Justice & Equity and the use of technology in education. Archives
December 2016
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