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.
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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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