How This Innovative Learning Masters Program Changed Me - Video
Click on this link to survey my learning journey from start to end of this Masters program.
Capstone and Poster Presentation vis-a-vis Screencastify Recording
Click on this link to view my recorded presentation. It is an executive summary of my Capstone Website, Action Research, and Defense Poster.
Capstone Video
Click on the video's arrow shown below to watch about the success 4th grade students had by using Edmodo to increase reading engagement and writing production.
How Technology Supports and Sustains Learning for EL Students (Current DQ)
My original DQ for the actual action research I had completed was: "How Managed, Threaded Discussion Affects Reading Engagement of Fourth graders During Sustained Silent Reading." However, my focus changed from the use of one managed threaded discussion via Edmodo to the use of several tech applications to support students in most aspects of their collaborating, writing, reading, creating, communicating, displaying, research recording, and presenting. This is my current statement of inquiry: "How Technology Supports and Sustains Learning for EL Students." The intended audience includes all fourth grade students as well as their parents and teachers. My last blog for EDU 791 provides more detail about this DQ change/redirection.
Possible Hook: What Digital Tool Deepens Reading Engagement and Increases Writing Capacity?
(Initial Draft 3/4/2017)
Through the aims of this action research study, it was determined students were more engaged in their reading because they had (a) choosen the literature they would be reading, (b) used Edmodo (an internet-based, threaded discussion tool) to record responses to their self-determined literature, and (c) had opportunities to interact with their classmate’s Edmodo postings. The benefits of using this Web 2.0 tool were deepened reading engagement and increased writing capacity by all 4th grade students who participated in the study.
Home Page Intro: (Initial Draft 3/4/2017)
The California Common Core State Standards (CCCSS) for College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading notes that students should also acquire the habits of reading independently and closely, which are essential to their future success.
According to the April 2016 Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the 2014-2015 Smarter Balanced assessments (SBAC) revealed that high-need students (economically disadvantaged students, English Learners, and students in foster care) are far behind other student groups in achieving Proficient and/or Advanced levels in meeting California Common Core State State Standards (CCCSS). If those results repeat to become a continuing trend, high-need students will not become as successful throughout their paths into adulthood as their proficient peers. Therefore, districts, schools, and teachers need to address this achievement gap by examining their practices at both macro- and micro-levels, particularly those associated with literacy.
According to the April 2016 Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) report, the 2014-2015 Smarter Balanced assessments (SBAC) revealed that high-need students (economically disadvantaged students, English Learners, and students in foster care) are far behind other student groups in achieving Proficient and/or Advanced levels in meeting California Common Core State State Standards (CCCSS). If those results repeat to become a continuing trend, high-need students will not become as successful throughout their paths into adulthood as their proficient peers. Therefore, districts, schools, and teachers need to address this achievement gap by examining their practices at both macro- and micro-levels, particularly those associated with literacy.
Critical Friends Analysis of Learning Innovation Lab: Dearborn, Gottfried, & Vale
Dearborn:
Without the words to clarify the intent of her message, I would have assumed her logo represented diving and the use of technology to attain diving and/or swimming skills. Based on my perusal of her website, it appears her intended audience is teachers because the content includes her statement, "Teachers, ..." and the resources are for teachers to use. Effective presentation on each page?: On each page, she used transliteracy to convey her intended message using videos, infographics, graphs, pictures, and links to samples of her students work. I especially liked her comparisons showing change in pictures, graphs, and data. Logo-Relationship to content: Her logo relates well to her contents because she provides numerous paths to show how technology can be used to dive deep with students throughout the learning process.
Gottfried:
I assume this logo is about blogs related to schools, which could be written by anyone at the school site about the school he or she is attending or working at. Based on her introductory video, her intended audience includes anyone who will bring blogging to their school, which I believe targets not only teachers and students, but also administrators, parents, and community members who watch that video become inspired by its message. Her website effectively presents her intended message with the use of infographics, graphs, photos, and videos to support her thesis on the important use of blogs for students/future professionals. The story she provided was a perfect example of how her student was able to get an internship as a graphic designer because of the student's blog post, which documented and demonstrated her ability to create graphic designs--even as a 9th grade high school student! Ultimately, her logo colors and simple word choice presentation clearly related to her content about school blogs and their value.
Vale:
Without the words, this logo appears to represent a community of connected members. The color choices are warm and friendly, which causes me to feel positive about whatever her presentation is about. The words in her logo complement/support the graphic. It appears her intended audience included other teachers because her website describes the importance of having a close-knit classroom community to assure students feel connected, therefore, they will perform better--academically, socially, and behaviorally. She also provided examples of assessments for teachers to share with their own students. Her use of transliteracy through infographics, videos, and pictures was effective in conveying her intended messages on each page, as required. Finally, it was wonderful to read how her cohort helped her through the different stages of designing her ultimate logo choice. Because of their critical friends feedback, the logo design related well to her content.
Without the words to clarify the intent of her message, I would have assumed her logo represented diving and the use of technology to attain diving and/or swimming skills. Based on my perusal of her website, it appears her intended audience is teachers because the content includes her statement, "Teachers, ..." and the resources are for teachers to use. Effective presentation on each page?: On each page, she used transliteracy to convey her intended message using videos, infographics, graphs, pictures, and links to samples of her students work. I especially liked her comparisons showing change in pictures, graphs, and data. Logo-Relationship to content: Her logo relates well to her contents because she provides numerous paths to show how technology can be used to dive deep with students throughout the learning process.
Gottfried:
I assume this logo is about blogs related to schools, which could be written by anyone at the school site about the school he or she is attending or working at. Based on her introductory video, her intended audience includes anyone who will bring blogging to their school, which I believe targets not only teachers and students, but also administrators, parents, and community members who watch that video become inspired by its message. Her website effectively presents her intended message with the use of infographics, graphs, photos, and videos to support her thesis on the important use of blogs for students/future professionals. The story she provided was a perfect example of how her student was able to get an internship as a graphic designer because of the student's blog post, which documented and demonstrated her ability to create graphic designs--even as a 9th grade high school student! Ultimately, her logo colors and simple word choice presentation clearly related to her content about school blogs and their value.
Vale:
Without the words, this logo appears to represent a community of connected members. The color choices are warm and friendly, which causes me to feel positive about whatever her presentation is about. The words in her logo complement/support the graphic. It appears her intended audience included other teachers because her website describes the importance of having a close-knit classroom community to assure students feel connected, therefore, they will perform better--academically, socially, and behaviorally. She also provided examples of assessments for teachers to share with their own students. Her use of transliteracy through infographics, videos, and pictures was effective in conveying her intended messages on each page, as required. Finally, it was wonderful to read how her cohort helped her through the different stages of designing her ultimate logo choice. Because of their critical friends feedback, the logo design related well to her content.