Spotlight on Emerging Technology: Online Learning in K-12 Schools

My presentation for EDUC6715 can be found here:

http://prezi.com/tegz2rxw2ihy/spotlight-on-emerging-technology-online-learning-in-k-12-schools/

Reflection EDUC6714

After completing EDUC6714, Reaching and Engaging all Learners through Technology, I have realized that the amount of resources I have gained will help me successfully implement differentiated instruction and principals of UDL into my classroom and my lessons. Throughout the course, I was put into a differentiation station group where every member contributed their thoughts, ideas and work along with resources for everyone else in the group to view. Every member collaborated together and shared helpful information, which allowed me to learn from everyone else.
Some of the resources that I gained from my differentiation station group members are different websites, which will give me new ideas about how to incorporate new differentiation tools in my lessons and add the principals of UDL to my classroom and lessons. One website I have already used is www.voicethread.com. This website is amazing because it allows the teacher to create an account and add students to groups. Each group of students can work on a digital story, at their own pace, using technology to differentiate the instruction. Students can work in class or at home, because it is a web-based program. This website will work beautifully with my Spanish classes, because I can have them talk about certain topics being studied in class, personalize their stories, create stories for an authentic audience, and the coolest part is that students can comment on each group members’ product, allowing for communication in the target language outside of the classroom, using Spanish for pleasure.
Another website I found useful is http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/. This website has different ideas for incorporating UDL into classrooms and lessons. It has an abundance of ideas to use, and I have found two ideas particularly useful. The first idea is incorporating the web-based presentation program called Prezi. I gave this website a trial run during my open house for parents, and they really loved it. I told them that their students would be doing presentations similar to the one I presented to them for open house night and they really seemed to enjoy that idea. The second resource I found from the UDL toolkit website is the website called bubbl.us. This is an online graphic organizer creator, where students can make their own graphic organizers and show the teacher how they understand a concept according to their own minds. Students will be able to work at differentiating levels, creating their won graphic organizer and explain their knowledge via an online tool.
I have a lot of immediate adjustments I have already done in my classroom in regards to using new technology tools to implement principals of UDL and differentiated instruction into my lessons. One adjustment I started last week was starting a VoiceThread project. Students had to go out to eat at a restaurant of their choice, but then critique the restaurant in Spanish. They had to take photos and create a digital story. All students will comment on their peers’ presentations as well, which will be a good way for students to use their Spanish outside of the physical classroom. Another adjustment I have already started is planning each unit with at least one project per unit, which allows for differentiated instruction and incorporates technology. My next project for next quarter will require students to collaborate through a wiki, uploading projects using voki.com. This class has opened my eyes to many different tools that are available to help differentiate instruction and allow for all students to learn in their own way and at their own pace. It has been extremely helpful to me because I have already started to change how I do things in my classroom.

Week 8 Reflection

After I took a look at the GAME plan I developed and followed throughout this course, I realized that I was able to accomplish most of the goals I set for myself for the new school year. My two goals were to: engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources and to promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative processes. What I realized from the GAME plan that I developed is that I learned how to become a self-directed learner because of the four phases of the GAME plan. As Cennamo, Ross and Ertmer (2009) have stated, the GAME plan helps individuals “think about and take steps to direct [their] learning process, specifically while learning about technology and how to integrate it into the curriculum” (p. 3). The GAME plan I created really helped me stay accountable for the goals I set and “as [I] set goals, take action, monitor [my] learning, and evaluate [my] progress, [I] take control of [my] own learning process” (Cennamo et al., 2009, p. 7). Although most of my goals were met using the GAME plan, I am still waiting to hear back from my principal about getting an interactive whiteboard, since this was part of my goal in my GAME plan. I finally emailed him, and have not heard back. Once the school year starts, I will speak with him in person.

Because I participated in developing my own GAME plan, I was able to learn a plethora of new information as a result of following my plan. I not only learned a lot of information dealing with implementing technology into the content areas, but I also learned a lot about how the GAME plan can be used with my students as well to help them become better self-directed learners. Since teachers are now creating lessons and curriculum to help prepare students for jobs that are not even created yet, it only makes sense to use the GAME plan in instruction so students practice becoming better self-directed learners.

This course allowed me to discover and try out many different technology tools used to help students learn content through technology integration. Because of this course, I have a few immediate adjustments I will incorporate for the next school year. I have decided to set up class wiki pages, and to have students do a problem-based learning activity each year. I am starting small and then will create problem-based learning lessons for each quarter. I will have students upload digital projects onto their wiki pages such as digital stories and URL’s to other projects done online. Students will also experiment with creating voicethreads and starting their own blog for reflecting in both English and Spanish. I have already written one unit plan thanks to this course that I will be ready to implement into my classroom the second month of school. I am excited about what I have learned and I cannot wait to integrate the new technology I have discovered in this course into my classroom! I think my students will be so happy and motivated to learn!

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning

Week 7: Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

Over the past few weeks, I have learned what a GAME plan is. I have developed my own GAME plan as a student in this Master’s course, where I have decided in what NETS-T standards I can become more proficient. Through the GAME plan process, I have learned all about setting a goal, creating an action plan and then monitoring and evaluating my progress. I was able to identify which NETS-T standards in which I was not proficient and set a goal to become proficient by the end of my plan. This to me is a great way for anyone to accomplish a goal because it keeps a person accountable on their progress.

The NETS-S and the NETS-T interrelate because they are both a set of national standards, and they encourage the use of technology in school and life outside of school. The teachers are the ones designing the lessons and the students are the ones learning how to participate in the technological lessons created by the teacher. They ensure that both a teacher and a student are prepared for 21st century learning. Both the NETS-S and NETS-T can be implemented easily by either a teacher or student developing their own GAME plan. I will use the GAME plan process with my students just as I was instructed to do so in this Master’s course. I will use the GAME plan process with my students so they can be held accountable for their learning. Setting goals and monitoring and evaluating the action plan used to set the goal is a great way for any student to learn persistence. I have decided that with every project, I will have my students develop a plan. They will choose a NETS-S in which they would like to develop proficiency and a goal for the project on which they work. This will be a very valuable tool to teach every student about achieving goals.

Revising my GAME Plan

What I have learned so far that I can apply in my instructional practice is the GAME plan strategy. It has helped me see how it would come across to a student, how it helps, any challenges I come across I can fix before I have the students use this strategy. I am still working on my two goals, although I have made a lot of progress thanks to this current master’s course. I have come up with a lot of different lesson I can use for my first goal and I have learned a lot about online reflections with this class. I will have my students reflect using blogging next year and I will have developed a unit plan when this course ends that will help me with this second goal. I sent an email to my principal about getting a new interactive whiteboard, so I am waiting for a reply. If the reply is good, then I will have met all my goals! If the reply is a no, then I will be persistent and keep trying!

Based on the NETS-T, I have already come up with a new learning goal I will set for myself next year. Since I will finish with my Master’s degree in December 2010, I will make it my goal to engage in professional growth and leadership so I can be up to date with new technological advances in education. This current program helps me stay up to date, but when it is over, I will have to keep learning and take a leadership role to show others the benefits of technology integration.

Next time I use the GAME plan, I think I will be more active in my approach from the start. This time since it was new to me, I did not start on being active in my plan until the second week, and I think I could have got a lot more done if I had started earlier.

Evaluating GAME Plan Progress

Update on my GAME plan:

In evaluating my GAME plan over these past few weeks, I have seen that I have accomplished a lot of what I wanted to accomplish. A few things I cannot accomplish until the school year begins. My actions were very effective in meeting my goals, because rather than just saying what my goals were, I actually had to dig to figure out how to meet a goal I set. I have learned a great deal about how to set goals and monitor progress towards meeting a goal. I now know how I can apply this strategy for my students to use as well. I can use this for my instructional practice and my students can use this for their learning. I still have a few things I need to learn. I still want to know whether or not I will get an interactive whiteboard. With this tool I will be able to do a lot of new activities and students will enjoy it as well. My principal will let me know at the beginning of the school year about this. If I am granted this, many new doors will open for me! In order to continue incorporating technology into my lesson plans to support learning, I need to adjust my plans to not include interactive whiteboards at this time, and just plan as if I will not have one. Then, if I do get one, I will modify as needed.

How is everyone else doing in meeting their goals?

Monitoring my GAME Plan Progress

This week, I have been looking over my GAME plan and have thought about how I can continue to progress toward the goals in my GAME plan. I am finding some good resources that I need for my first and second goals, even though some of the resources I need will not be available until the beginning of the school year. So far, I have not found that I need to modify my action plan. I have learned that there is a lot of work in the action part of my GAME plan and finding resources is not easy. Still, I have not had any new questions arise. Here are the goals I have been working on:

1. 1(B) engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

2. 2(C) promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

Because most of the action in my GAME plan will start at the beginning of the year when I have my students in class, I haven’t been able to do a whole lot yet, but I have decided that I will talk to my principal about getting an interactive whiteboard at the beginning of the year. For my first goal, in order to help my students explore real-world issues, I have decided that these websites will work well with the content I teach:
www.maps.google.com
http://www.inkpot.com/news/
http://www.live-radio.net/european.shtml
www.youtube.com
www.teachertube.com
**The program Google Earth was recently installed on my school computer, which will be of use, too.

For my second goal, I would also like to add blogging and voicethreads to my list of ways students can reflect, using collaborative tools. I will be setting up these accounts at the beginning of the year. I have learned last week that blogging is a good way to have students reflect to a prompt, and then they can comment on their peers’ reflections as well. Voicethread will work in this same manner when doing performance tasks.

I will see you all next week as I continue the GAME plan!!

Carrying out my GAME Plan

Last week I started to develop my own GAME plan, as Cennamo, Ross and Ertmer (2009) state, to help me “think about and take steps to direct [my] learning process, specifically while learning about technology and how to integrate it into the curriculum” (p. 3). My action plan discusses the two different goals I have: engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources and promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

For my first goal, I will need to make sure that I will have access to Net Books and that they will always be available. I will have to reserve the tech cart well in advance, so in August I will start investigating what days I will need them, and I will reserve them on certain dates to make sure I will have them for the students. If something goes wrong and I am unable to have the Net Books, I will take my students to the computer lab for a backup plan. The computers will work just as well. In order to get an interactive whiteboard, I will need to talk with my principal directly and ask about getting one. I still have to do this, but I do not know if I should ask him now or wait until August when I go back to work during our in service days. As for websites, I am currently looking on the internet and bookmarking websites that are valuable for my students learning Spanish. I have them bookmarked on my delicious site, so I will not lose them.

For my second goal, in order to start my action plan, I stated that my students first need to know how they learn best, by determining their strengths and weaknesses. In order for them to know this, I will have them take an assessment online at: http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.html. This website will help them see how they learn best. According to the results, I will also take a look and see what they say so I can plan the best way for my students to reflect using collaborative tools. One way of having my students reflect collaboratively is to have them create wiki’s as a group, giving them a concept or idea and they create a wiki to demonstrate their knowledge. I would use www.wikispaces.com for this activity. Another idea I have is to have students create their own mind maps using http://bubbl.us. This tool would show me how they see a concept or idea in their own mind, and they can reflect on it after using their mind map as a reference. Reflections could be on their own blogs, using www.blogger.com.

References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J. & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use: A Standards-Based Approach. (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Developing my personal GAME plan

After reviewing the National Education Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers website, I realized that I am more proficient than I thought I was in using technology. This Master’s course has really helped me think about technology and its importance in the classroom. Because of the previous courses for my degree, I feel that I do well with modeling digital-age work and learning, promoting and modeling digital citizenship and responsibility and engaging in professional growth and leadership. I feel I do well with meeting these standards, but I still need to work on the first standard, facilitating and inspiring students learning and creativity and the second standard, designing and developing digital-age learning experiences and assessments. In order to work on these two standards, I will be using the GAME plan, as illustrated by Cennamo, Ross and Ertmer (2009) to help me “think about and take steps to direct [my] learning process, specifically while learning about technology and how to integrate it into the curriculum” (p. 3).

GOALS:

The two performance standards I need to work on are:
1. 1(B) engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources and

2. 2(C) promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

ACTION:

1. In order to take action for my first goal of engaging students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources, Cennamo et al. (2009) suggest that I need to “determine steps [I] can take to meet [my] goal within a reasonable timeline” (p. 10). In order to become proficient in my first goal, I will need to decide what technology tools I feel will be of best use in my classroom. I have three different ideas: interactive whiteboard, NET books and websites. I will need to talk with my principal about getting an interactive whiteboard, my school is in the process of getting NET books and I will need to see what websites would be of best use with world language students.
2. For my second goal of promoting student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative processes, I will first need to be able to identify the ways in which my students learn best, in order to creative lessons in which I will get the best student reflection. An example of this is if I find that my students learn best visually, I can have students create mind maps or concept maps using digital tools, and then have them reflect based upon the visual tool they created. In order to determine how my students learn best, I will conduct a survey (either using surveymonkey or finding a survey online which will help students find out their different learning styles). After reviewing the results, I can tailor my lessons to best fit their needs.

MONITORING:

As I work on these goals by taking action, I will need to take a step back and look at how my planning is going. As I take action to achieve my learning goals, I will need to “monitor whether [I am] making sufficient progress toward [my] goals and reflect on whether the strategies [I] have chosen are working” (Cennamo, et al., 2009, p. 4). I will ask myself these questions before going forward:
• Are my goals being met?
• Do I need to modify my actions?
• Do I need to do more research to meet my goals?
.

EVALUATING:

During evaluation, I will reflect on what went well and what I did to change something, so when I look back, I will remember the process I went through to be successful. According to Cennamo, et al. (2009), the most important question I need to consider is “whether [I] was successful in meeting [my] goals (p. 5). I can then ask myself what I would do differently in the future.

As for my students, as I work on my two goals, they will undoubtedly be involved in the process, so I will also have my students give me feedback as to what they thought worked and what did not work, and how I can work to better meet my goals.


References:

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology integration for meaning

classroom use: A standards-based approach (Laureate Education custom edition.

Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Reflection for EDUC 6712

Upon completing the course, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, I realized how important the teaching of new literacy skills is to every student in today’s society to prepare them for the 21st century. One quote I read at the beginning of the course that stuck with me and really summed up the importance of learning new literacy skills was written by Jukes and MacDonald (2007), “The illiterate of the twenty-first century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn” (p. 1). The most striking revelation I had in this course was that there are new literacy skills that need to be addressed in the curriculum, and that these skills are important for every student to know by the time they graduate from high school. It is taken for granted that every student knows how to use these new literacy skills, so teaching students step by step is a very important way for students to become exposed to these skills. I also have realized that the way in which I teach will allow these literacy skills to be added into my lessons and units seamlessly. I usually model for student ahead of time during a lesson or unit what I want for them to do, and by including these new literacy skills, this will be very easy to do. I can model for students how to ask questions, how to research, how to synthesize the information and how to then communicate the information in their own words to an audience. Each step of the way can be modeled for a seamless production.

The knowledge and experience gained from this course will influence my teaching practices in the future in two different ways. The first way my teaching practices will be influenced from my knowledge and experience from this course is before I do an inquiry project with my students, I will have already practiced the skills on my own, therefore, most of the bugs will have been worked out before my students practice on their own. Since this course gave me personal practice with each piece of an inquiry-based unit plan, I will know how to go about it with my students. Secondly, my teaching will be influenced because I have learned many different ways to assess that students have successfully learned each new literacy skill. There are a multitude of assessment strategies from Eagleton and Dobler’s book, Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet Inquiry. This book provides handout examples for every step of the inquiry process and provides pre and post assessment strategies. I will use many of these when assessing whether students understand the new literacy skills or not.

One professional development goal that I would like to pursue that builds upon my learning in this course is going to be a gradual goal process. The first part of my goal will be to include one online inquiry-based learning project next school year for my first year Spanish classes. This will build upon my learning in this course because I will use what I learned and will adapt it to fit with my first year Spanish curriculum. I will also have to do the project on my own first, to work out any problems beforehand. After I successfully implement one online inquiry project, I will then add one inquiry project for my second year Spanish students. Once I have both classes that I teach doing an online inquiry-based project next year, the following year I will proceed to doing two projects each year, and then hopefully the third year I will have students doing one online inquiry-based project every unit. I have four units each school year for each level of Spanish that I teach. I am going this gradually because I want to take time to perfect each unit project, so there are no problems and it is well organized. I have chosen the goal of eventually implementing an online inquiry project for every unit of study into my curriculum because, according to Eagleton and Dobler (2007), “If we want to prepare today’s students to excel in tomorrow’s workplace, we had better start teaching them to be web literate” (p. 4).

References

Eagleton, M. B., & Dobler, E. (2007). Reading the Web: Strategies for Internet inquiry. New York: The Guilford Press.

Jukes, I., & MacDonald, B. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf

Evaluating Research Methods

Scenario 1: Ten students are available for in-depth interviews. Participants will be selected based on their involvement with the peer mediation program. They will be observed over three weeks. Analysis will attempt to determine issues concerning peer mediation.

For this scenario, peer mediation would be best researched by using qualitative research. The reason for this is because qualitative designs “…emphasize gathering data on naturally occurring phenomena. Most of these data are in the form of words rather than numbers, and in general, the researcher must search and explore with a variety of methods until a deep understanding is achieved” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p.26). With this scenario, it is evident that the participants will be observed over a period of time, and the observation will occur in a natural setting.

Scenario 2: Two classrooms of students are selected. There are 30 students in each class; each group will have similar demographics—age, sex, race, socio-economic background, etc. Classes will be randomly divided into two groups of 15 students. Of these two groups, one randomly selected group will get training on peer mediation and the other group will not. Thus in each classroom there will be one group that is trained in peer mediation and one that is not. Analysis will occur on which groups have the fewest office referrals.

The best research scenario for this scenario would be quantitative research, because this type of research uses “…numbers, statistics, structure and control” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p. 23). This particular scenario would use an experimental design, because the researcher has manipulated what the participants will experience. In regards to experimental designs, according to McMillan and Schumacher (2006), “The investigator has some control over what will happen to the subjects by systematically imposing or withholding specified interventions” (p. 23). After the experiment is conducted, “The researcher then makes comparisons either (1) between subjects who have had and others who have not had the interventions or (2) between subjects who have experienced different interventions” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p. 23). This type of research fits this scenario because the researcher controls one group on what the subjects will experience and keeps the other group natural, and does not provide peer mediation classes.

Scenario 3: A school counselor is interested in knowing how student attitudes affect the value of peer mediation to decrease the number of office referrals that are being filed for inappropriate interactions.

I believe that this scenario would be best researched with the action research method. According to McMillan and Schumacher (2006), “action research is the process of using research principles to provide information that educational professionals use to improve aspects of day-to-day practice” (p. 174). With this scenario, the counselor conducting the research would use action research to improve the school’s day-to-day practice. In addition, the person in this scenario who conducts the research is the counselor, which is typical in action research. Since this research is only being conducted in one school setting, not in a more general context, it also fits action research because, “the intent of action research is only to address specific actions in a single context, while applied research seeks to have implications for the field more generally” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p. 174). This scenario would best be studied by using action research because since the is on a solution to common every day problems in a school, “the results of action research tend to be localized” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p. 15).

Scenario 4: Peer mediation has become widely used in many schools. The feelings of those involved in the process are little known—either from those doing the mediation or those receiving it. The ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey will be given as pre- and post-tests to 40 students participating in mediation. Follow-up interviews will be conducted on a bi-monthly basis.

This scenario requires a mixed-methods approach, in which quantitative research will be used to determine the feelings of people participating in peer mediation or those giving the mediation. Since the feelings will be researched using the ZASK-R Acceptance Preference Survey, the results are quantitative. After giving a pre and post test using this survey, qualitative research will be used by doing follow-up interviews regularly. This type of research design allows the researcher to get a more in depth answer to a research problem, with number results as well as answering the questions “why” and/or “how”. Because there is more than one research method being used, researchers “are not limited to using techniques associated with traditional designs, either quantitative or qualitative” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, pp. 27-28). In addition to using mixed methods, this scenario would be using the explanatory approach, where the quantitative method is used first, by conducting surveys, then followed by the qualitative method, where interviews are used, to “elucidate, elaborate on, or explain quantitative findings” (McMillan & Schumacher, 2006, p. 165). The authors also believe that, “The use of mixed-method research designs, which combine quantitative and qualitative methods, is becoming increasingly popular because many situations are best investigated using a variety of methods” (p. 27).
References:

McMillan, J. H., & Schumacher, S. (2006). Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry (Laureate custom edition). Boston: Pearson.

Writing the Research Questions

Problem Statement

I plan to research if high school students studying Spanish at the intermediate level who use on-line translators and other electronic devices to help them complete their work have higher achievement levels than students who use traditional non-technological ways to complete assignments such as complex thinking skills.

Who: Intermediate high school Spanish students
What: The use of on-line translators to do the work
Why: Impact on student achievement levels when on-line translators and other electronic devices are used instead of complex thinking skills.

My research questions are:

1. How does student work completed from using notes completed in-class and from in-class practice compare to that of a student who has used on-line help to complete their work instead? (Difference question)

2. Does supplemental technology use outside the classroom improve students' achievement in the Spanish classroom? (Relationship question)

3. Is there a positive relationship between technology use in the high school Spanish classroom and student learning (achievement)? (Relationship question)
As a result of the different types of research questions I will be looking at, I will
be using a mixed-methods research approach, using both quantitative and qualitative
methods.

As a result of the different types of research questions I will be looking at, I will
be using a mixed-methods research approach, using both quantitative and qualitative
methods.

General Problem Statement

My general problem statement is as follows:

I plan to research if high school students studying Spanish at the intermediate level who use on-line translators and other electronic devices to help them complete their work have higher achievement levels than students who use traditional non-technological ways to complete assignments such as complex thinking skills.

Who: Intermediate high school Spanish students
What: The use of on-line translators to do the work
Why: Impact on student achievement levels when on-line translators and other electronic devices are used instead of complex thinking skills.

EDUC6711 Reflection

Initially, my personal learning theory I developed focused primarily on the cognitivist learning theory and that students learn best with this theory. Lever-Duffy and McDonald (2008) stated that, “cognitivists focus on learning as a mental operation that takes place when information enters through the senses, undergoes mental manipulation, is stored, and is finally used” (p. 16). To me, that learning theory made the most sense, but after reviewing all the other learning theories, I have decided that not one learning solely working alone is best. I feel that incorporating each learning theory into lessons in different ways maximize learning for all students. I feel that incorporating only one theory all the time is not enough to maximize student learning.

The adjustments I will make in regards to my instructional practice with technology is to try to incorporate it more often. I rarely use technology with my students, and from this course, I have learned about a lot of different options with using technology. Two technology tools I will use with my students are virtual field trips and creating voicethreads. These two technology tools will allow students to work cooperatively and will also incorporate the contructivist learning theory, which is a good addition and will help enhance my students’ learning. Students will also develop a sense of empathy as we explore the Spanish-speaking world using virtual field trips, which is one of our school district’s outcomes and indicators.

The first long-term goal change I would like to make to my instructional practice regarding technology is to incorporate a student-lead technology project for each quarter for each Spanish class (first and second year) that I teach, so students are creating a project using technology tools for each unit (I have four big units each year). The second long-term goal change I would like to make is to not loose sight of which learning theories to use with different technological tools to best help my students learn. Instead of plugging in a technology tool into a lesson, I want to be able to plan it out knowing why I am using the tool rather than just doing it to say I am doing it. I will meet this goal by reflecting on my lessons each year and start planning my activities now, while the information is fresh in my mind from this class.

References:

Lever-Duffy, J. & McDonald, J. (2008). Theoretical Foundations (Laureate Education, Inc., custom ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

My VoiceThread!

Here is my VoiceThread URL:

http://voicethread.com/share/883808/

Enjoy!

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

Social learning theories emphasize that one constructs knowledge based on the society of which someone is a part. Dr. Michael Orey (2001) believes that in a classroom setting, when teachers choose to implement instructional models based on social learning theories, “the need for collaborating among learners and with practitioners in the society” is stressed. Dr. Orey (2001) also discusses that “Social constructivist approaches can include reciprocal teaching, peer collaboration, cognitive apprenticeships, problem-based instruction, webquests, anchored instruction and other methods that involve learning with others”. All of these instructional methods emphasize the social constructivist learning theory.

Based on my research this week, I found a few ideas that correlate with the principles of the social learning theories. One instructional method I read talked in detail about cooperative learning. Cooperative learning, according to Dr. Orey (2001), “promotes social interactions; thus students benefit in a number of ways from the social perspective. By having the students explain their reasoning and conclusions, cooperative learning helps develop oral communication skills”. A way in which I can use this method in my classroom is to have my students conduct interviews with a partner in Spanish, or in groups of four, and the students will have to share their findings with the class, using some sort of presentation tool to accentuate the presentation (Students can use visuals in PowerPoint, a VoiceThread, iMovie, etc.). In Spanish, students will have to pay attention to correct verb conjugations, grammar and tenses when speaking to one another and paraphrasing to the class.

Another tool which correlates to social learning theories and cooperative learning is using shared bookmarking. According to Pittler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski, “Now all a teacher has to do is bookmark her best resources on a social bookmarking site and make one link to it that stays at home or at school without having to remember a lot of URLs” (2007, p. 150). My World Language Department will be working on creating a social bookmarking site in two days to which we will all be contributing. Later, we will allow our students to have access to our Spanish resources via our classroom websites.


Another neat teaching tool about which I read this week is working with VoiceThread. This web-based program gets students working collaboratively on a task and then they are able to share their information not only with class members but with the community people all over the world. The projects I will have my students create will allow for each student to be able to receive feedback from the teacher and their peers. One example of using VoiceThread with my students is to have them create a restaurant review. Focusing on the preterite tense in Spanish and restaurant vocabulary, students will record their experience of a restaurant visit, taking pictures of the restaurant and the food they ate to upload to their VoiceThread. I will require students to comment on at least two other VoiceThreads.

References:

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivism in Practice

Generating and testing hypothesis and the constructionist/constructivist theories of learning go hand in hand. In this week’s resources, the technological instructional method, generating and testing hypothesis was discussed and I was able to see what this has in common with the learning theories studied this week. As Dr. Michael Orey (2001) states, constructionism “builds on the ‘Constructivist’ theories of Jean Piaget, asserting that knowledge is not simply transmitted from teacher to student, but actively constructed in the mind of the learner. Learners don't get ideas; they create ideas. Moreover, constructionism suggests that new ideas are most likely to be created when learners are actively engaged in building some type of external artifact that they can reflect upon and share with others”. When I remember the classes I took when I was in high school, I seem to always remember the classes and lessons in which the students were taught someone hands-on, where we were able to create our own knowledge and create some sort of project displaying that knowledge of the concepts being studied and what it meant to us. We then were able to present it in one way or another, so others could understand the material in a different way.

The example which uses technology, generating and testing hypothesis, relates to the constructivist/constructionist learning theories because students are not only engaged actively in what they are learning, they are creating something to demonstrate their knowledge, which also proves they know the facts and information dealing with that concept. “When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding of the content” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 202). By using spreadsheets to display the information, this will help students “…[interpret] the data rather than [gather] the data” (Putler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 203).

I am thinking about some ideas with using technology to use generating and testing hypothesis with my students, but for Spanish class I am actually running into a wall. Does anyone have any ideas on how I can use this instructional method with my students with the Spanish language? I could always have students relate the instructional method with the Spanish culture. Any ideas?

References:

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Cognitivism in Practice

This week’s resources allowed me to explore the principles of the Cognitive Learning Theory and the tools which relate to this theory. Cognitive Learning Theories, according to Dr. Michael Orey, “revolve around the information processing model” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), which means that through ones senses (external stimuli), information is received. This information is then stored in short-term memory and will only go into long-term memory if it is rehearsed and if connections are made so one is able to retrieve the information from long-term memory. The more the information is rehearsed and the more connections are made, the easier the retrieval process will be.

The instructional strategy, using concept maps, is a great idea of how one could implement the cognitive learning theory into instruction. A concept map can help students take a complex concept or idea, break the concept down into smaller concepts and words and link all the ideas together to create personal connections for each student. I have been thinking of all the possibilities for concept maps in my classroom, and I have come up with some ideas in which I will have my students create maps using the preterite tense in Spanish. They can group verbs in groups, create sub-groups according to their knowledge, and then link other groups together. I am also eager to try the concept maps with the preterite and imperfect tenses. This concept of having two past tenses in Spanish tends to confuse the English speaker, so the maps should be of great use. These will be great review activities after they have gained all the prior knowledge to complete the tasks.

The other instructional strategy, virtual field trips, seems very interesting. I had never heard of a virtual field trip before this week’s resources, and I am already thinking of one lesson in particular for which I can implement this strategy. In addition to teaching grammar concepts, I simultaneously teach about the Spanish-speaking world and the many cultures that exist within that world. For certain cultural topics or certain places in the world I focus on, I can bring that learning to life with virtual field trips. I have done some research tonight on some virtual field trips and I have found quite a few which will work with my lessons. According to Dr. Michael Orey, these field trips will create a “powerful episodic experience” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). I am looking forward to starting these field trips this coming semester!

References:

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theories [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program six. Spotlight on Technology: Virtual Field Trips [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Behaviorism in Practice

Before reading this week’s resources and watching this week’s media, I had been lead to believe that the behaviorist learning theory would only due harm to students' learning in the classroom. It was not until after reading about the different theories of learning that I realized that in order to help each student learn, one must incorporate many different aspects from more than one learning theory rather than only using a single theory. Many of the resources from this week and last week mention that students need to learn in multiple ways to make strong connections to the material being taught and that all learning theories have one thing in common: the the learner should be actively engaged.

As I read through the chapter, “Reinforcing Effort”, I read about a strategy that included creating rubrics for students, from a spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel. If teachers use rubrics, Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn and Malenoski believe that “The research tells us that not all students realize the importance of effort. Many attribute their success or failure to external factors” (2007, p. 156), and that “One easy way to help students make the connection between effort and achievement is by using a spreadsheet like Microsoft Excel” (2007, p. 158). The way that this strategy correlates to the behaviorist theory is that students are able to see their performance according to the rubric and what was expected of them. They will get immediate feedback as to where they are at on the rubric scale. This results in a reward if the student receives the grade he/she desired, or a punishment if they did not get a good grade. Students can then assess how to improve next time from the given feedback. Students will track their success over time, to gain an understanding of the correlation between effort and success, too.

In the chapter “Homework and Practice”, there are many strategies explained that also directly correlate with the principles of the behaviorist learning theory, because most of the strategies presented deal with remediation of course material in classes. An example of this is using online websites for remedial and skill practice. Online resources “have an inherent appeal and generate immediate feedback that allows a student, parent, and teacher to monitor progress toward mastery” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p. 195). Some programs even have students print out certificates showing their progress and performance. This type of strategy provides students with immediate feedback on how they are doing, either rewarding them or punishing them for their behavior (whether they do well or poorly on an activity).

In my classroom, I still use the behaviorist learning theory as needed. I use online practice websites for my Spanish classes, and I have my students check their work and print out their results so I can even see how they are doing. I feel that today in the classroom, the behaviorist theory is still important, as long as it is not the only theory being used. There are many other opportunities teachers can take to increase the learning for each student. Below are two links to websites I have used which are based on behaviorism. I use many others, but these are just two quick examples. Each quiz allows students to check their work. I make them prove they did the work by printing it out with 100% correct. They can go back to change their answers as many times as they need to.

Examples:

http://conjuguemos.com/home/docs/nologin/spanish_fillin_grammar_7.html

http://www.studyspanish.com/cgi-bin/verbs/verb_drill.cgi

References:

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Week 8: Reflection

After reflecting on this technology course, I have found that my technology skills have improved, I have learned more about the teaching and learning process, my perspectives about learning have changed, I know about many different ways to continue learning and I have set goals for the future in respect to teaching with technology.

This course helped me develop my own technology skills as a teacher each week. Every week I was to complete a different project, all of which included technology. I learned not only what wiki’s, blogs and podcasts are, but I also learned how to use them. I also learned how these could be used in my classroom. I also was able to learn about an RSS reader, create a reader account and be updated on other classmates’ blog postings instantaneously. What has helped me the most in developing my technology skills is implementing a web 2.0 tool into a lesson plan. This really made everything in this course come together as one big piece for me. When I finished my lesson plan, I realized that I can use technology a lot more than I currently use it right now. It is not as intimidating as I originally thought. I can also work on getting my students using more technology.

I deepened my learning of the teaching and learning process because of two different reasons. One, I learned a lot of valuable information through the articles that were assigned to read and through the videos the class watched for each week. I learned many different pieces of information, but what stuck with me the most is that there is such a thing that exists called a “Digital Native” and a “Digital Immigrant”. I now know that one can learn from each other. I also learned that experience is more important than content. It is hard for me to think this way, but now that I am aware, I will keep this in my mind as I design my lessons. I also learned a lot about the teaching and learning process by being an active participant in class discussions each week. By hearing what my other classmates had to say and responding to them, I learned a lot about the experiences of others. I also got some great insights and ideas from one another. Others were also able to comment on my own postings. I received some valuable information from these activities.

I am in the process of changing from being teacher-centered to learner-centered. It is a hard transformation to make, so I have been working in it slowly. For example, when I teach a new concept in Spanish, I now hand them a sheet that has a few sentences dealing with the grammar structure we will be studying. I have students talk about it in groups, thinking about the similarities and differences they see in each example, and then they make predictions based on the compares and contrasts they make. After the class talks about what each group discussed, we move on with the lesson. I like to give my students some thinking time before I jump into teaching them something new.

There are many ways I can continue expanding my knowledge of learning, teaching and leading with technology to increase student achievement. Since this was my first technology course at Walden, I can stick with this program and continue to take the other prescribed technology courses to learn more about what I can do with technology. I can also attend workshops, go to optional workshops provided through my district, and keep up to date on current research, technology and practices for achieving higher student achievement.

I have set two long-term goals for transforming my classroom environment. The first goal I have set is to do a technology project each quarter for my second year classes. That will be a total of four opportunities for students to create their own projects using technology. I will achieve this goal by starting to create the lessons early. I already created one lesson for next year dealing with my first unit which is food in Spanish. Now I will work on the second unit project, and possibly be able to implement it as early as this year if I work on all the nuts and bolts. Hopefully by next year, I will have worked on all four unit projects and will successfully be able to implement them right away. The second goal I have set is to work on getting my world language department to be as open to trying new things as I am, or at least add one project or activity that includes technology into their lessons. I will achieve this goal using baby steps. I will talk about what I learn in my Master’s program, highlighting all the new areas of technology that I feel would work great in the Spanish classroom. I will then share my ideas, get feedback and tailor my lesson to fit what others feel will be successful. Hopefully after tweaking my lessons, my colleagues will want to use the lessons as well. I will also ask for their creative ideas for future lessons.

As I looked over my checklist from week one, some of my answers have changed since finishing this course. I have now designed lessons with the goals in mind, and then found the best piece of technology that will fit with those goals. I also now have a vision of how I want my classroom environment to evolve, and I am working on creating that new 21st century classroom environment.