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):
|
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
Categories |