Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
Finding Courage to Continue
Most may notice that I have not made an entry on my blog in quite a long time. I started this as a required part of my Masters degree program and now I have decided to continue it. Prior to taking my courses on Web 2.0 literacy, I had never experimented with publishing my ideas on the web beyond social networking sites such as facebook. I now feel a little more confident in what I have to say and welcome feedback as I process my thoughts along this journey of teaching.
The onslaught we have felt here in the US against us as teachers has been to a great degree, almost unbearable. With demands to bring students to meet top performance standards measured by rigorous standardized tests, impatient parents who demand stellar grades, and recalcitrant, unmotivated students, some educators may forget why they chose this field in the first place. Yes, I have felt distraught to the point of losing sleep. But I always return after a great deal of internal deliberation, often seeking feedback from colleagues, refreshed and re-determined not to let my students down. I cannot give up on them. It is not that I believe that I am their hero in the night, but I believe in the cause of attempting to open their minds to the possibilities of what is possible.
A friend just recently reminded me after giving my errant answer to the question: what do you teach, answered, “ I teach Social Studies to ninth, tenth, and twelfth graders. I was told that my answer should have been, “I teach ninth, tenth, and twelfth grade students Social Studies (I did not argue by reminding him that he asked “what” and not “whom”). He reminded me that my primary focus of my teaching should be the students and not necessarily the content. I have no problem with that. My thoughts exactly! The question is when.
My main struggle this semester has meet that of motivating students. I believe that time spent at the beginning of the school year getting to know our student’s learning profiles and styles will help tremendously by informing how we teach. The data need cannot always be “hard” and “measurable.” We are teaching humans not inanimate objects without feelings. The spectrum of variables with which teachers face in the classroom certainly makes instruction less seamless than if each child was an automaton. So where do we go from here? The four-day school week? The extended day? Integrated learners? What is more clear now than ever is that we are asking the same questions that were asked forty years ago. What will be the answers?
The onslaught we have felt here in the US against us as teachers has been to a great degree, almost unbearable. With demands to bring students to meet top performance standards measured by rigorous standardized tests, impatient parents who demand stellar grades, and recalcitrant, unmotivated students, some educators may forget why they chose this field in the first place. Yes, I have felt distraught to the point of losing sleep. But I always return after a great deal of internal deliberation, often seeking feedback from colleagues, refreshed and re-determined not to let my students down. I cannot give up on them. It is not that I believe that I am their hero in the night, but I believe in the cause of attempting to open their minds to the possibilities of what is possible.
A friend just recently reminded me after giving my errant answer to the question: what do you teach, answered, “ I teach Social Studies to ninth, tenth, and twelfth graders. I was told that my answer should have been, “I teach ninth, tenth, and twelfth grade students Social Studies (I did not argue by reminding him that he asked “what” and not “whom”). He reminded me that my primary focus of my teaching should be the students and not necessarily the content. I have no problem with that. My thoughts exactly! The question is when.
My main struggle this semester has meet that of motivating students. I believe that time spent at the beginning of the school year getting to know our student’s learning profiles and styles will help tremendously by informing how we teach. The data need cannot always be “hard” and “measurable.” We are teaching humans not inanimate objects without feelings. The spectrum of variables with which teachers face in the classroom certainly makes instruction less seamless than if each child was an automaton. So where do we go from here? The four-day school week? The extended day? Integrated learners? What is more clear now than ever is that we are asking the same questions that were asked forty years ago. What will be the answers?
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Reflection
My vision of my role as an educator has become significantly wider since completing this course – indeed this entire graduate program. Technology in all its facets, especially digital technology has become undeniably important for 21st century teaching and learning, and will continue to become more important as time goes on. Learning is greatly enhanced by the methodologies that can be applied through digital technology from the earliest phases of formative assessing, learning how students learn, and the products, which they make. This course allows me to narrow the gap between the digital natives and myself, a digital immigrant. For this, I am truly excited.
My plans for the upcoming school year with regard to the use of technology in my instruction include the using of surveys from the Differentiation Station that our class has set up. I will choose the most appropriate surveys for my incoming freshmen classes and administer them during the first week of school. Survey monkey is one of these tools for evaluation that I use to learn more about my students learning styles and preferences.
I have come to understand how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been developed and motivation behind its creation. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), through its website has offered a vast amount of empirical evidence showing how the brain works in relation to learning, with its recognition networks, strategic networks, and affective networks, giving great insight into how students learn. CAST has also shown that rather than asking the learner to fit into a designated curriculum, that the curriculum should be based on the learning needs of the individual learner. Based on this evidence, I now can differentiate my instruction to that all my students can access content area knowledge.
Despite the fact that accessibility to technology is inconsistent and unpredictable in my school, I will plan my lessons to take full advantage of the digital technology that is available. I will set up wikis and blogs through Google groups for my students to work collaboratively. I will teach them how to check websites for ownership, authorship, and authenticity, and I will teach them to use technology create products that convey the breadth and scope of their understanding of content. Bray, Brown and Green (2004) have discussed the benefits of digital learning for all learners, but especially for those who are learning disabled. (p.34).
Our differentiating station in its creation has become a great “go to” resource for our group and I believe will continue to be in the future. It serves as a great resource for us as educators to create classrooms supported by digital learning from surveying students to evaluate their learning styles, preferences and intelligences, to sites for UDL and differentiation. I am sure that I will return to it often and continue to contribute to its growth over time.
One of my biggest concerns has been addressed in this course with regards to differentiation of instruction, and that is giving students more autonomy in the classroom. The thought of breaking away from the teacher-centered classroom where all seats are in five or six neat rows to one where students are engaged in inquiry-based collaborative learning is both exciting and scary. I am very confident, however, that if I spend the time preparing for this new approach by getting to know my students so that I can better prepare for how I will teach.
References
Bray, M., Brown, A., & Green, T. (2004a). Looking at gender, culture, and other diversities in the classroom: An overview. In Technology and the diverse learner: A guide to classroom practice (pp. 1–18). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Center for Applied Special Technology. (2009). UDL guidelines, version 1.0. Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines
My vision of my role as an educator has become significantly wider since completing this course – indeed this entire graduate program. Technology in all its facets, especially digital technology has become undeniably important for 21st century teaching and learning, and will continue to become more important as time goes on. Learning is greatly enhanced by the methodologies that can be applied through digital technology from the earliest phases of formative assessing, learning how students learn, and the products, which they make. This course allows me to narrow the gap between the digital natives and myself, a digital immigrant. For this, I am truly excited.
My plans for the upcoming school year with regard to the use of technology in my instruction include the using of surveys from the Differentiation Station that our class has set up. I will choose the most appropriate surveys for my incoming freshmen classes and administer them during the first week of school. Survey monkey is one of these tools for evaluation that I use to learn more about my students learning styles and preferences.
I have come to understand how Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has been developed and motivation behind its creation. The Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), through its website has offered a vast amount of empirical evidence showing how the brain works in relation to learning, with its recognition networks, strategic networks, and affective networks, giving great insight into how students learn. CAST has also shown that rather than asking the learner to fit into a designated curriculum, that the curriculum should be based on the learning needs of the individual learner. Based on this evidence, I now can differentiate my instruction to that all my students can access content area knowledge.
Despite the fact that accessibility to technology is inconsistent and unpredictable in my school, I will plan my lessons to take full advantage of the digital technology that is available. I will set up wikis and blogs through Google groups for my students to work collaboratively. I will teach them how to check websites for ownership, authorship, and authenticity, and I will teach them to use technology create products that convey the breadth and scope of their understanding of content. Bray, Brown and Green (2004) have discussed the benefits of digital learning for all learners, but especially for those who are learning disabled. (p.34).
Our differentiating station in its creation has become a great “go to” resource for our group and I believe will continue to be in the future. It serves as a great resource for us as educators to create classrooms supported by digital learning from surveying students to evaluate their learning styles, preferences and intelligences, to sites for UDL and differentiation. I am sure that I will return to it often and continue to contribute to its growth over time.
One of my biggest concerns has been addressed in this course with regards to differentiation of instruction, and that is giving students more autonomy in the classroom. The thought of breaking away from the teacher-centered classroom where all seats are in five or six neat rows to one where students are engaged in inquiry-based collaborative learning is both exciting and scary. I am very confident, however, that if I spend the time preparing for this new approach by getting to know my students so that I can better prepare for how I will teach.
References
Bray, M., Brown, A., & Green, T. (2004a). Looking at gender, culture, and other diversities in the classroom: An overview. In Technology and the diverse learner: A guide to classroom practice (pp. 1–18). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Center for Applied Special Technology. (2009). UDL guidelines, version 1.0. Retrieved from http://www.udlcenter.org/aboutudl/udlguidelines
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Reflecting on my game plan
Using the GAME plan to develop an entire unit proved to be challenging, but it helped me to stay focused throughout the process. I became more aware that if I am to teach an entire unit using digital technology particularly for collaborative research and the production of a digital project, I had to get many facets in place. I am truly hoping that I can develop a unit that can be applied during the spring semester. There were quite a bit of challenges specific to my school that did not allow for complete implementation of a web-based unit, nevertheless I believe that it can be done even when given the limited resources and support presently available. Cennanamo, Ross and Ertmer (2009) explained the importance of teachers not organize instructional strategies relying on technology as simply another source of information for students to draw upon, but more importantly, that teachers should: “organize instructional strategies that leverage digital technologies as developmental tools to be used by students as a resource stimulus for inquiry, perspective taking, and meaning making…” (p.289).
I believe that the most important new knowledge I have gained from following my game plan it to properly investigate the availability of resources for use in the digital classroom. I also became more aware of how students can actually engage in inquiry using digital technology and learn essential content at the same time. The new knowledge I have gained will certainly impact my instructional practice in many ways. Firstly, I must look ahead to plan for any possible roadblocks where the availability of technology is concerned. I see that if I am to influence any change at all in my school I must get the attention of those who have access to technology and are willing to take it a step further. My classes must have access to working computers with Internet access in order to fully experience digital inquiry and collaboration. As it stands we are struggling to get working plug outlets in some rooms.
Immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration in Social Studies as a result of my learning from this course include using technology everyday for information and inquiry. I want to implement digital storyboards as an immediate goal and then a long term goal of problem-based projects. I have seen the benefits of using other technology resources to differentiate instruction and I realize that students enjoy learning by using podcasts, film, and PowerPoint presentations.
To sum up, I am now even more aware of the huge responsibility I bear to turnkey this new knowledge about digital teaching and learning. To be quite honest, it is quite scary. With so many veteran teachers not wanting to embrace 21st century teaching and many newer teachers who prefer not to it truly seems like an uphill battle. Much of the infrastructure of older school buildings, especially in big cities does not support full incorporation of Internet use. I will continue to find new ways to use digital technology for teaching, learning, and evaluating student work in my classroom.
Reference:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (1 ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
I believe that the most important new knowledge I have gained from following my game plan it to properly investigate the availability of resources for use in the digital classroom. I also became more aware of how students can actually engage in inquiry using digital technology and learn essential content at the same time. The new knowledge I have gained will certainly impact my instructional practice in many ways. Firstly, I must look ahead to plan for any possible roadblocks where the availability of technology is concerned. I see that if I am to influence any change at all in my school I must get the attention of those who have access to technology and are willing to take it a step further. My classes must have access to working computers with Internet access in order to fully experience digital inquiry and collaboration. As it stands we are struggling to get working plug outlets in some rooms.
Immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration in Social Studies as a result of my learning from this course include using technology everyday for information and inquiry. I want to implement digital storyboards as an immediate goal and then a long term goal of problem-based projects. I have seen the benefits of using other technology resources to differentiate instruction and I realize that students enjoy learning by using podcasts, film, and PowerPoint presentations.
To sum up, I am now even more aware of the huge responsibility I bear to turnkey this new knowledge about digital teaching and learning. To be quite honest, it is quite scary. With so many veteran teachers not wanting to embrace 21st century teaching and many newer teachers who prefer not to it truly seems like an uphill battle. Much of the infrastructure of older school buildings, especially in big cities does not support full incorporation of Internet use. I will continue to find new ways to use digital technology for teaching, learning, and evaluating student work in my classroom.
Reference:
Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaningful classroom use: A standards-based approach (1 ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Rvising my GAME plan!
Wow! What a difference a week can make. I realize now that many of my lofty expectations have to be demoted a notch or two. I was able to have a brief word with our journalism teacher who happens to have her finger on the pulse of technology-based instruction. She often has hes students using the prized laptop collection. She mentioned that because of the inconsistencies with the availability of internet access, it might be difficult to really launch such an ambitious project, nevertheless, she was willing to consider it next year.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Evaluating Your GAME Plan Progress
It has been five weeks now since I have set my goals using the GAME plan. It is becoming more apparent that I will have to implement my original plans for the film later. It will require a tremendous amount of organizing and logistics in order to make it happen. Even though I could easily use my computer and webcam to film, it will take a little longer to organize this for the entire class. I am not giving up on it though, but I may have to table it until the next semester which will start in February.
I am sure that I will be able to set up the podcast assignment this semester.
How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
Since our focus in the AVID program is more geared to traditional paper-based reading and writing activities, I have not moved forward yet with the technology aspect yet.
What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?
I have learned that designing lessons that engage students in authentic situations and provide them the opportunity to conduct meaningful research helps them to learn content with greater depth.
What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
How to properly evaluate student work that is web0based research.
How will I adjust my plan to fit my current needs?
I can clearly see that my school's current focus for its goals is not in the direction of new technology methodology for teaching and learning. We have just implemented our first online grade book which teachers are just getting used to. In addition to that, teachers and administrators have just started collaborating via Wikis.
Diane
I am sure that I will be able to set up the podcast assignment this semester.
How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
Since our focus in the AVID program is more geared to traditional paper-based reading and writing activities, I have not moved forward yet with the technology aspect yet.
What have I learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice?
I have learned that designing lessons that engage students in authentic situations and provide them the opportunity to conduct meaningful research helps them to learn content with greater depth.
What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
How to properly evaluate student work that is web0based research.
How will I adjust my plan to fit my current needs?
I can clearly see that my school's current focus for its goals is not in the direction of new technology methodology for teaching and learning. We have just implemented our first online grade book which teachers are just getting used to. In addition to that, teachers and administrators have just started collaborating via Wikis.
Diane
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Enriching Content Area Instruction by Using Technology
I am very excited about using technology in its entire spectrum to teach and reinforce content in the classroom and beyond. While the use of technology is gradually gaining acceptance in my teaching environment, there is still much to be done in terms of funding, maintenance, and facilitating of technology resources that would allow for the full pedagogical experience. After reviewing the indicators set by the National Education Standards for Teacher (NETS-T), I have decided on these focal points. My GAME plan (Cennamo, Ross, and Ertmer, 2009) will aim to accomplish the following:
•My Goals are to:
o(Performance Indicator #1): Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and
o(Performance Indicator # #): Model Digital-Age Work and Learning.
•Design lesson plans that use some aspect of digital technology (possibly by making short videos or podcasts)to address various learning styles of students and that will promote content learning.
•Research the availability of technology available in my school that will facilitate such learning activities and reach out to support staff and administrators for help.
•Evaluate student performance by having them keep learning logs and conduct small frequent assessments to determine students’ grasp of content.
•Incorporate new technologies for extended learning activities beyond the immediate classroom to collaborate with and include a broader learning community.
•My Goals are to:
o(Performance Indicator #1): Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity and
o(Performance Indicator # #): Model Digital-Age Work and Learning.
•Design lesson plans that use some aspect of digital technology (possibly by making short videos or podcasts)to address various learning styles of students and that will promote content learning.
•Research the availability of technology available in my school that will facilitate such learning activities and reach out to support staff and administrators for help.
•Evaluate student performance by having them keep learning logs and conduct small frequent assessments to determine students’ grasp of content.
•Incorporate new technologies for extended learning activities beyond the immediate classroom to collaborate with and include a broader learning community.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)