Course Reflection

As this course, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, comes to a close, I reflect on everything I have learned about helping my students use and understand the internet and how to use it appropriately to research. Teaching new literacy skills is something that I see more teachers focusing on now and in the future. These new skills are essential for students to be successful in their future. They are also essential for making sense out of the mass flow of information available at our finger tips everyday. I’ve had a few revelations about teaching new literacy skills. One is that students come into your classroom at all different levels of computer knowledge, so it is imperative to be able to scaffold lessons appropriately. The teacher should also model different techniques for finding information frequently. If students see how you are thinking as you are modeling for them; it helps them to understand the reasoning behind it.

Everything I have learned in this course will definitely influence my teaching practice. I have had the opportunity to create a wonderful inquiry-based unit plan on Weather. It has given me experience with creating lessons and assessments on developing essential questions, locating and evaluating internet resources, synthesizing resources, and communicating effectively. I know more concretely understand how to design lessons for each step of the research process and tailor them to students needs. I think my greatest learning experiences during this course were evaluating websites and assessment strategies.

I have several professional development goals. My first goal, of course is to get my own classroom and move up from being a teacher’s assistant. Once I do that, I would like to take part in some type of teacher group (or possibly even lead one) on integrating technology. I would like for teachers to have the opportunity to share what they are doing with technology in their own classrooms and also experiment with new things. In order to do that, I would probably talk with other teachers at the school I would be working at and see if I could get enough that are interested. I would also have to talk with administration to see about getting the resources we need to learn ourselves.

Think Out Loud Website Evaluation: www.savetherennets.com

The assignment for my class at Walden was to evaluate a website from a given list. I used Screen Toaster to record myself navigating the web page and evaluating it. This was a great assignment because it demonstrates how important it is to be able to think critically when evaluating the reliability of a website. The most difficulty I had with this assignment was getting it to upload to youtube and my blog. It seemed to take a long time to upload even though the video is only a little over 10 minutes long.

Reflection: Personal Theory of Learning

As the course I am taking, "Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology," comes to and end, I have reflected on my personal learning theory developed in the beginning of the course. During this course, I was able to collaborate with other teachers and learn more about how educational technology can be used effectively in the classroom. I've gotten many ideas for new things that I can try with my students.

How would I modify my personal theory of learning? In my original assignment, I stated that learning was based on experience and is unique for each individual. I also mentioned how it is important to understand how the brain works and that students learn through making connections. Teachers need to be open to different teaching and learning styles. Throughout this course, I have learned more in depth about learning theories that I already knew of and also a few new ones. If I were to modify my personal learning theory, I think I would add in more about students working together to create and build knowledge together and the benefits of students using technology. I would focus more on a student-centered classroom and technology as a learning tool.

There are some adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration based on what I have learned during this course. This course has helped me to further understand the difference between technology as both an instructional tool and learning tool. I would like to try to focus more on using technology as a learning tool, where students are more engaged and using the technology. Another adjustment I would like to make would be to give students more choices for completing assignments. I think that when students have more choices, they feel they have more control and gain more interest in what they are doing.

Two long term goals I have for technology integration are keeping up to date on new technologies that could be beneficial for my students and integrating more opportunities for students to use technology during daily lessons. I think it's important to keep up to date on technology because so many new things come out all the time. During this class, I learned about different programs that I had never heard of before that would work great in a classroom. I would like to try and collaborate more with other teachers and professionals about how they use technology. I also said that I want to provide more opportunities for students to use technology because I haven't had a chance to really do so yet. Once I get my own classroom, I will keep everything I have learned throughout this course and previous ones in mind. I feel that I've learned the most beneficial ways of integrating technology and how to make it most meaningful for the students. Technology can be an amazing tool for both the teacher and students.

Voice Thread

I love the idea of using Voice Thread. I think it would be a great addition to use in classrooms. I found it rather easy to figure out and upload to. I like how there are so many options for adding comments: text, voice, by phone, etc. Programs like this one make learning much more personal. You can choose to have your voice thread be public or only allow certain users. Comments can also be moderated. Using voice thread reinforces the learning of material you are presenting. I found that it was easiest for me to write down what I wanted to record and then record it. After that, I also typed in the text in case viewers are unable to hear my voice. I had trouble getting my voice to come up loud enough on the website. By presenting information in a variety of media at once, it helps students who have different learning styles and also reinforces what they’ve learned.

I would probably use voice thread for students to share something that they created. Students could upload pictures of a project or part of a power point presentation and explain it or ask questions for their peers to answer or comment on. Students would also have the option of showing parents or others their voice thread being that it can be accessed from any computer with internet. Voice thread could also be used as an assessment piece. If students use it to present a project they created, it shows how much they learned and understood.

I think that using voice thread would have a positive impact on student learning. Students can choose to represent information in a way that works best for them. Students would also be more engaged and interested in what their peers have created and what feedback they receive. Students would also be learning more about how information can be shared and interpreted over a large audience.

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

This week, I was able to learn about newer learning theories and different instructional strategies and tools which reflect those theories. Social learning is all about students working together. In his DVD presentation, "Social Learning Theories," Dr. Orey discussed students actively constructing and conversing with other students to better understand what they are learning. A teacher, Karen Casselman, demonstrated how she has students work together and stated that when students work together they are able to talk about ideas and build confidence (Laureate, 2008).

One way to have students work together to construct knowledge is through collaborative learning. Cooperative learning is a specific kind of collaborative learning, which is sometimes confused with it, as they are similar terms. The difference is that in cooperative learning, students are assessed as both a group and individual (Orey, 2001). I like the idea of using cooperative methods because students get to teach one another and establish stronger interpersonal relationships. When I was student teaching, I tried to have students work in groups for several mini projects or activities. I had a very successful experience using the "jigsaw" method in a third grade classroom. In the online text, this method is described as, "Each member of the small group researches one part of the question/content for a certain amount of time. The members of the group come back together. Each memeber teaches his/her part to the rest of the group (Orey, 2001)." The way I describe it, the students are assigned a base or home group and then go off into "expert" groups and come back and teach their home gorup what they learned about the specific topic. Students each learn bits of information and teach each other in order to construct a meaning of the whole together. The lesson I did was part of a unit on China. The students taught each other about the capital city, Beijing, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Terra-cotta army. I divided students into groups of four and went over information in packets that I handed out, which they would be filling in. I had students count off by 4's to form expert groups. At expert groups, students had reading and pictures to look at and discuss. They also had to fill in answers on the packets they received, which they would be teaching to their home group. Overall, this activity worked out well. The one thing you have to make sure of is that students are clear on directions and how they will be moving about the room and from group to group. As long as they are clear on what they should be doing, it should run smoothly.

Cooperative learning correlates with the principles of social learning in several ways. In the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, Pitman states that when students work in cooperative groups, they construct meaning for new knowledge by interacting with others (Pitman, 2007). The social learning theory has a focus on students being able to teach each other information. Technology can also be used as a tool for students to help teach each other. I think the future will hold more students collaborating online. There are so many websites that students can share information on, even to students in other countries.

I havent discussed Connectivism yet. From what I've read, there is controversy over Connectivism being a learning theory. Connectivism is learning in a network world. According to Dr. Orey in his presentation, "Connectivism as a Learning Theory," "Learning is the act of forming networks and navigating networks of knowledge (Laureate, 2008)." Connectivism is learning how to apply and organize a constant flow of new information. One of Connectivism's defining principles is that, "what we consider to be right today may tomorrow be considered wrong (Orey, 2001)." Everyday information is changing and growing, we need to prepare our students for making decisions.

Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Connectivism as a learning theory. [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. [DVD]

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008).Social learning theories. [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. [DVD]

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. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Constructivist Consturctionist Learning Theories

With a first glance, constructivist and constructionist almost look like the same word and can be confusing. After going through the resources this week, I got a clearer understanding of the difference and also learned how different instructional strategies can correlate with these theories. In the DVD presentation, "Constructionist and Constructivist Learning Theories," by Dr. Orey, he defines constructivism as "a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his or her own meaning." Next, he defines constructionism as "a theory that states people learn best when they build an external artifact or something they can share with others" (Laureate, 2008). Constructionism builds upon constructivist ideals and focuses on the building of an external artifact. This artifact should be something that an individual can reflect upon and share.

A topic in the book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, is "Generating and Testing Hypothesis." When students formulate hypothesis and follow through with the steps to testing that hypothesis, it can definitely relate to constructionist theories. One important point made by Pitler is that generating and testing hypothesis can be applied to all content areas (Pitler, 2007). Most of the time when people hear the word hypothesis, they think of Science. I know that is the first thing that pops into my head. One of the recommendations to teachers is to provide a way to guide students through generating and testing hypothesis. This relates to the constructionist theory because it requires the teacher to take on more of a facilitator role. Students are more in control of their learning and the direction of it. This chapter also discussed several different ways that technology could be used to enhance the process of following a hypothesis. Pitler explains that technology allows students to spend more time interpreting data rather than gathering the data (Pitler, 2007). This is an important advancement. Years ago, students would have to "write out" everything. I think that this feature of technology also relates to constructionist ideas because it allows students to create a more unique meaning to themselves. They focus more on what the data means to them and what connections they can make with it rather than "Did I add or subtract something wrong?" I still think it is important for students to be aware of how to do things the long way just to know how they arrive at an answer or how the computer gets there.


There are many instructional strategies that correlate with constructionist principles. I think it's important to remember that there are an infinite number of ways that students can create an artifact, especially with using technology. For example, when you have students make a PowerPoint, they are creating something that they can reflect on and share with others. I particularly liked an example from the DVD presentation I mentioned earlier. A teacher, Lynda Donovan, shared a lesson where she had her students first choose a novel. The students would then take notes on the novel to depict a certain scene they liked. Next they would choose about 20 of those phrases to use to create an artifact on Microsoft Publisher. On Microsoft Publisher, students created a four page booklet. For the first page, they chose an image from Google as their cover. The second page was an opinion poem on what they liked and recommendations. the third page they included their found poem from their novel and were asked to put the poem in a shape that related to the story. Page four was an explanation. I found this lesson to be a great example of letting students be creative and make something that is meaningful to them. this project offered students several choices. Part of the constructionist theory is giving students choices and putting them more in control of what direction they are going to take. Here, we saw that the teacher set up the basic structure, but then students took off with their own original ideas.

Resources:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Constructivist and constructionistlLearning theories. [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. [DVD]

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

Concept Map I Created for a Virtual Field Trip to a Dinosaur Exhibit

Click here to view on Spinscape:
http://app.spinscape.com/spinbitz/index.cmd?command=open&map=14303&authToken=

Learning Strategies & Cognitive Theory

Part of the cognitive theory, according to Dr. Orey in his presentation, "Cognitive Learning Theories," is making connections between pieces of information being learned (Laureate, 2008). It is important to know how the mind and memory itself works when giving students large amounts of information to organize and learn. We also have to teach our students to use these tools effectively. Some students may not know the proper way to take notes or summarize. Concept mapping is an example of organization that replicates the network model of memory (Laurette, 2008). There are several cognitive tools that exist for assisting learners in organizing information. Learners construct meaning in a way unique to themselves (Orey, 2001).

Our text book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, by Pitler, presents two strategies, "Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers" and "Summarizing and Not Taking." Each of these chapters provided several examples of how to integrate technology in way that promotes higher level thinking. The first chapter l mentioned looks at introducing new content to students and how you can help students activate their prior knowledge. Once this happens and you begin to tell students what they are going to be learning about, they should have a way to organize the content and focus their learning. One reccomendation by Pitler (2007), which I felt was very important was, "Teach students how to use graphic advance organizers" (p.74). If students don't understand how to use a graphic organizer, they are not going to be able to benefit from it's purpose. When you present new material, it is good to ask students questions that make students think or come up with inferences. Kidspiration and Inspiration seem like great tools to use for students to organize information. Teachers have the ability to add graphics, sound, and video, which reach different learning styles. Another great thing is that these organizers can be used as assessment pieces. Students can be given a blank organizer at the end of a unit and fill in the necessary text and drawings (Pitler, 2007). One way that these tools relate to the cognitive theory is that they utilize computers as a "mind-extension." The online text, "Cognitive Tools," states that, "When students work with computer technology, instead of being controlled by it, they enhance the capabilities of the computer, and the computer enhances their thinking and learning" (Orey, 2001). Using advance organizers helps students to visualize the information they are learning.

The second chapter I mentioned was, "Summarizing and Note Taking." Being able to pull out important information and synthesize it is a skill students must be taught. Pitler (2007) states,"To effectively summarize, students must delete some information, substitute some information, and keep some information" (p.119). I was surprised that I had never figured out that Microsoft Word has an AutoSummarize Tool. Students can use this tool to see if their writing has the main idea they were aiming for. One strategy I liked for note taking was the inverted T, which can be used in PowerPoint as well. Facts and notes are recorded on the left side, drawings and representations on the right, and a summary under the bar of the T (Pitler, 2007). Another new strategy to me is collaborative note taking using software such as a blog or wiki. Students can use these web pages to add and edit information as a group.

Overall, I feel that technology is a great tool for students to organize information in a way that appeals to them as individuals. Students can choose layouts or different types of concept maps that work best for them. They can also add images or other media that make personal connections for them to better understand new material.

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Cognitive learning theories [Motion Picture], Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. [DVD] Baltimore: Orey.

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.

Behaviorism in Practice

Behaviorism is used in most classrooms in one form or another. Teachers are constantly giving students reinforcement, whether it be positive or negative and setting consequences. In an online text, Melissa Standridge shares components of behavior modification: specific desired outcome, development of a positive, nurturing environment, identification and use of appropriate reinforcers (intrisic and extrinsic), students developing patterns of success, reduction of the frequency of rewards, and evaluation of the effectivness of the approach (Orey, 2001).

The book, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, by Pitler, has two chapters that discuss "Reinforcing Effort" and "Homework and Practice," which relate to behaviorism. The chapter, "Reinforcing Effort," explains the benefits of having students track their own effort they put in to their work in relation to grades and gives examples of ways to do so using educational technology. Pitler (2007) states, "reinforcing effort enhances students' understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning" (p.155). One principle of behaviorism is that consequences occur immediately after a behavior (Orey, 2001). Once students start to track their own efforts/behavior they will begin to see the consequences and what earns them good or bad feedback. Using a rubric to first explain to students the different levels of effort helps students see more specifically what behavior will be rewarded. Students can then create a chart or graph to track their effort and see the relation between their effort and grades they earn (Pitler, 2007). Using tools such as these can also be used to teach replacement behaviors. If a student tracks their behavior and what gets them to a desired outcomes, they will begin to understand what they can do to improve their behavior. It's great to have a written out rubric of what students are tracking as well as have them create a visual to actually see the data.

The second chapter I mentioned, "Homework and Practice," Practicing is a way for students to adopt and shape what they have learned (Pitler, 2007). This relates to behaviorism because as Standridge mentioned the online text, "shaping is the process of gradually changing the quality of a response." The desired behavior is broken down into units which are reinforced as it progresses towards the overall goal (Orey, 2001). Usually homework will focus on specific concepts learned of a bigger unit. Once students have mastered the smaller parts of the whole, they move closer towards the goal (the whole). Technology has a lot to offer when it comes to homework and practice. Multimedia allows students to shape experiences to their own learning style and provides immediate feedback and scaffolding (Pitler, 2007). There are also several educational websites that provide interactive practice with immediate responses and explanations. Students are also able to choose what they wish to work on and at what level. This creates more opportunities for success and also opportunities for them to want to challenge themselves.

Resources:

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.

Has anyone ever been to Wordle.net? (http://www.wordle.net/) It's a neat tool to make word clouds. I thought I would share it. You can put in your own words, pate the link of a web page that has an RSS feed, or enter a delicious user name to get their tags. Once your cloud is created, you can edit the style of it, such as the font color and type. They can be printed out or saved to Wordle. This could be a good activity to do with your class. You might use it for vocabulary words, key words to a chapter you are reading, or for review. It just seems like a fun alternative to regular class work. Check it out!

You may be able to see mine better at this link (http://www.wordle.net/gallery/wrdl/784072/Teaching_Blog)
I used my blog address to make this one.

*Final Reflection for Integrating Technology Class*

After completing the course, "Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society," I feel that I am more aware of how much of an impact technology can have on learning and what advantages there are to using it. This was also the first class that is directly related to the specialization I chose, so it made me more enthused to continue this program. This is just the beginning of learning how much I can do with technology in my own classroom!

This course also helped me to develop my own technology skills because I learned several new things and got to experiment with different tools that I haven't used before. Some of these were creating a wiki, blog, and podcast. Doing these assignments helped me to realize all of the different ways that these tools could be used in a classroom. I think it is important for a teacher to first have experience with technology that they would be using in their classroom. We learn by being involved in things. Technology brings a new excitement to teaching. There are so many more possibilities.

My knowledge of teaching and the learning process has definitely been deepened. Learning today is way more project-based. Students are taking more control of their learning. I've learned that the role of a teacher has morphed into more of a facilitator. This course has also opened my eyes to just how much students are doing outside of the classroom that isn't reflected inside the classroom. There are so many times in schools that technology has been seen as bad or as a distraction to learning. In a DVD presentation, "Bringing the Fun into Teaching with Technology," a teacher, Houston, stated that we should look at the ways technology can be beneficial and I agree with that.

I have definitely seen that learning today is more learner-centered. Before all of this technology was available, a teacher was the main source of information. Today, that has changed. Students now have access to all kinds of information, usually immediately. Students bring ideas to the classroom and it is our job to show them how to sort out, organize, and evaluate them.

I will continue to build on my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology to increase student achievement. One way I can do this is to continue to stay updated on current technology and to make sure that I involve myself in my own learning process. I'm not going to be afraid to try new things. I was a little nervous about creating a podcast for this class, but in the end found out that it was a fun process and that there were many ways pod casts could be used in the classroom. The process of making a podcast has many steps, which require planning and organization. I think by keeping myself updated and willing to try new things, it will help increase student achievement by breaking down the walls of the classroom. I will be able to connect what students are learning in school with what they are learning out of it. Also, students will be able to learn about things that are interesting to them as individuals.

Two goals that I would set for myself long term would be to collaborate with other professionals in my field about best practices for using technology in the classroom to enhance my own professional growth and to put into use some of the strategies I have learned in my own classroom. For the first goal, I plan on talking more with teachers I work with and also looking out into the global community. This course has helped informed me of more ways to seek out professional blogs, wikis, and more that are related to specific things that I am interested in. I could talk to teachers from different areas just to get input on how they do things and what works for them and what doesn't. I have already started to do that right here through my online class at Walden. :) As for the second goal, I do not have my own classroom right now being that I am a Teacher's Assistant. I will continue to pursue a teaching position and I feel that being involved in and completing this Masters program will help set me apart from other applicants. I have gained so many great ideas from just this course alone and I plan on implementing them as soon as possible.

Podcast Assignment: Technology Survey

For this assignment, I interviewed three teachers at my school and asked them different questions relating to the types of technology that they use. I was unable to interview our students because most students that I work with are non verbal. All teachers I interviewed are female. Their ages range from 24-60. Their teaching experience ranges from seven months to 38 years. I enjoyed doing this assignment because I got to try something new myself and I also got input from my colleagues about how they feel about technology and what they would like to see more of.

The questions I asked were:
1.) How much time do you spend using technology on a daily basis in relation to school-related activities or work?
2.) What kind of access do you have to different kinds of technology in your school/home environment?

3.) How interested are you in learning how to use new technologies in the classroom/personal use? What kinds of technology?

Vision for the 21st Century

The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/

My first reaction to this website was that it looked inviting and easy to navigate. The goal of this organization for education is to build collaborative partnerships among education, business, community, and government leaders. This is a site that I am going to have to continue to explore over time because it is a lot to take in all at once.

This site has a ton of useful information! I found a bunch of resources in the "tools and resources" tab and then clicked on "online tools." If you click on "Route 21," it takes you to links that show how "21st century skills can be supported through standards, professional development, assessments, and curriculum and instruction." The direct link for these resources is: Browse 21st Century Resources. The sites are rated using a star system. You can also browse by support system, skill, or knowledge.

Another important section of this site was the professional development assistance section. Here, there is a list of companies and organizations that provide administrator and educator training to states, districts, and schools. There also links to presentations and videos of presentations by the partnership. They have also put together a guide, called the "MILE Guide." This is a "guide for 21st Century Skills to assist educators and administrators in measuring the progress of their schools in defining, teaching and assessing 21st century skills."

Something that surprised me was the amount of resources available. This is something that all teachers can go to and benefit from. There are even lessons that include teacher and student plans, rubrics, presentation strategies, links to sites for worksheets, and reflection paper ideas! This is something that I feel I can definitely use in the future to benefit my students. There was another thing I found surprising. I was wondering if the states that are listed under "state initiatives" are the only ones involved in this program. That would be only 10. Why so few? Is there anyone reading this who lives in one of the states listed? If so, how is this partnership benefiting you and your students?

I didn't see anything on the site that I disagreed with yet. Everything seemed to be very well organized and relevant to the skills that will be needed for our students in the future. Did anyone one else find anything that they disagree with or found questionable?

This site has many of the same ideas that David Thornburg and Chris Dede speak about in the DVD presentation for my Integrating Technology class. In his presentation, "Skills for the 21st Century," Dr. Thornburg discusses 21st century skills. These included critical thinking/problem solving, oral and written communication, teamwork/collaboration, diversity, information technology, leadership, creativity and innovative thinking, life long learning, self-direction, professionalism, ethics, and social responsibility. Essential skills also include Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. P21 (Partnership for 21st Century Skills) outlines these same qualities on their website. I included a graphic representation of their framework below. In the framework, they are called outcomes and are listed as core subjects and 21st century themes, learning and innovation skills, information, media, and technology skills, and life and career skills. There are also support systems such as standards, assessment, curriculum and instruction, professional development, and learning environments.

After browsing this site, I get several implications for both my students and myself. Students need to be prepared for different types of jobs that will exist in the future. The world around us is shifting and changing, so we need to mold our education system to fit with that. Students are going to need different types of skills than before to be able to keep up with the competition and new technology out there. We as teachers also need to keep up with it. The future is calling for more creativity and that is what we need to instill in ourselves and our students.

Some Ideas for Using Blogging in my Classroom

I am amazed at how many different ways blogs can be utilized in a classroom setting. An assignment for the class I am taking is to propose an idea of how I could use a blog in my classroom. I currently do not have a classroom of my very own, but am a teacher's assistant. I work with a population of students who have Autism and many of them are non-verbal. Our classroom has six students, ranging in age from 7-12. Although many of them may not be able to physically use blogging, I did come up with some ways that our classroom could use it.

Using a blog is a way to connect ideas. The teachers in my classroom could use blogs to connect and communicate with other educators who are working with a similar population of students. We could share ideas and suggestions about different teaching strategies. It could be a place to discuss things with other people who are familiar with what you do.

Another idea is to use a blog as a class portal. Our class blog could be used to communicate information and updates about the class. This would probably be mainly for parents, due to privacy issues. I really think this would be a great idea, especially for the type of school I am working at. It is a residential school, so this would be a great way for parents to really keep updated on what their children are doing being that they don't get to spend as much time with them. We could use the blog to post any upcoming special events, school news, information about Autism, activities that our class is working on, the class schedule, and so much more. We could also provide helpful links for parents.

I also really like the idea of having an E-Portfolio. Blog portfolios can be much easier to manage and organize. We could take pictures of student work and track progress over time.

A blog is a good tool for the instructional context because it offers so many different possibilities. Both the teacher and students can benefit from it. If your students are not able to actually blog themselves, you can use it to communicate with parents and the community about what is going on at your school and in your classroom. You can communicate with other professionals who are knowledgeable about or are in a similar teaching position. I know that when I do get a classroom of my own, I would definitely like to take advantage of what blogging has to offer and let my students get a hands on experience with it. Just think of the audience they can reach. It could be other grade levels in their school or another class on the other side of the world. When students blog, they are learning critical thinking skills and how to appropriately respond and communicate to others. They are also learning new ways to organize information and find things that they are interested in. Besides writing, blogs can also be used to share images and videos.

The world outside is changing and our classrooms need to keep up with it! :)

iPods in the Classroom?

While reading through some educational blogs, I came across the idea of using iPods as an educational tool. I thought it was really interesting and looked into it further.

I found this video :

This video shows how iPods are used for special education. The teacher has students who are mostly non-verbal or have hearing loss. This applies to me because the students that I work with are also mostly non-verbal. I work with students who have Autism, so I thought that this might be something I could learn from. The teacher and interpreter talk about how they made videos of interpretations of books and signs for parents to learn, voice memos back and forth for parents, video portfolios, and learning vocabulary. One idea I like is creating video portfolios. I've always like the idea of making portfolios to evaluate students, but making a video portfolio really puts a different twist on it.

Besides using this type of iPod seen in the video, there is also a lot of talk going on about the iPod touch. I found this blog (http://mrjonesed.blogspot.com/2008/01/ipod-touch-in-classroom.html) that discusses how the iPod touch can be used in a classroom. Also, this website (http://learninginhand.com/ipod/touch.html) that explain using the iPod touch for blog posting, applications, web apps, audio, video, podcasting, photos, and much more.

What are your opinions about using iPods? Does anyone have any other examples of ways they might be used in the classroom?

Understanding Technology

Hi everyone! I decided to use this blog that I had created for our last class. I want to try to maintain it so I thought continuing it would be a good idea. As we know, the internet and fast growing technology is changing the way our students learn. I liked a question posed by Will Richardson, "What needs to change about our curriculum when our students have the ability to reach audiences far beyond our classroom walls?" This is one to think about.

CREDE Standards in my Classroom

The CREDE standard that I believe is most obvious in my classroom is "teachers and students working together." My classroom is a 6:1:6, so each student has an aide. I think of it as each student having their own personal teacher and then a main instructor as well. We provide assistance to our students as needed. At times, they may even need hand over hand assistance, and others not. In the afternoon, we rotate which student we are working with by week. I always work with the same student every morning and then in the afternoon, I have a different student. The student in the afternoon will stay the same for one whole week and then change the next. This way, I get to work with each student in the classroom. By working with the students so closely, you really get to establish a good relationship with them.

We also engage our students with challenging lessons. Each student has individual goals to meet. Everyday these goals are worked on until they are mastered. Once they are mastered, a new goal is set in place.

Enhancing Learning For All

There are so many strategies and resources out there to be used in your classroom. With so many different types of learning, it is important to be able to adjust your teaching style and come up with new ideas as your students change and the times change.

Every year, there are more and more English Language Learner's coming to our schools. We need to know how to best support them and provide meaningful learning experiences. Two things that I think work very well are using visuals and group work. The use of visuals can go a long way. You can pair pictures with vocabulary, use diagrams, or use technology to create presentations. Students also usually enjoy working in groups. You can use different kinds of groups in your classroom. You can group students with different levels, the same level, ELL's together, or even have yourself as part of a group. Students are more likely to perform at a higher level when they know that the success of the group depends on it. Working in cooperative groups promotes social and academic language interactions. This is a great strategy for English Language Learners.

Being Culturally Responsive

Along with the five CREDE standards are Dr. Eugene Garcia's five R's and T.
The five R's and T are:
Respect
Responsive
Responsible
Resourceful
Reasonable
Theory-driven

When I think about these words, I think that they are all very much needed in order to have a positive and supportive classroom environment. Without these things, a student is not going to feel comfortable or engaged in learning. One thing that I really liked that Dr. Garcia stated in his presentation was, "Children learn to see themselves as others see them and then adapt to that identity." If we don't give students the respect they deserve, they are not going to have a positive self image and the confidence they need to be life long learners. As teachers, we must also teach students how to respect each other. Students come from all different backgrounds, along with their parents. Showing respect goes a long way when trying to receive support from other people in your students' lives. A parent is not going to feel willing to be more involved with a school unless they feel respected.

Next is responsive. To me, responsive means being an effective communicator. You also need to give students time to talk and be there to listen. You can learn a lot by listening. In agreement with Dr. Garcia, I also think that it is important to understand cultural differences in talk. Everyday classrooms are becoming more and more diverse. Different cultures have different ways of perceiving things, such as gestures or expressions. You could be doing something that you are unaware of that is disrespectful in another culture. It is important to always keep an open mind and not be afraid to ask questions or do some of your own research.

Being responsible means that you are accountable. It is a teacher's job to ensure that everyone is involved and engaged in daily activities. It is also a teacher's responsibility to have a positive attitude and assist students in finding what works best for them as individuals.

Resourceful is another aspect of culturally responsive teaching. As Dr. Garcia says, "Diversity should be a resource, not a problem." Students learn from each other and we learn from them. With so many diverse backgrounds, there is so much to learn. Use what your students bring to the classroom as an advantage.

Always important is being reasonable. Being reasonable just means using your head. Like I said before, don't be afraid to ask for help or go find out something on your own. No one knows everything. Dr. Garcia brought up knowing what not to do. So if you don't know exactly what to do in a situation, at least you can come up with things you know not to do and go from there. Being reasonable in a classroom also means coming up with realistic,challenging, and fun lessons. I also think that being reasonable goes along with being fair. Treat all students fairly. Select consequences and rewards that are directly related to what the task is.

The "T" for theory-driven is how teachers approach learning and educating children. Theory-driven means that you have done research and are open to new ideas. You know what you are responsible for as a teacher and know how to react in different situations. You also understand children and how they learn.

Standards for High Quality Learning Experiences

How do we ensure that ALL students have high quality learning experiences?

Dr. Roland Tharp presented five standards for achieving this goal which were derived from the Center for Research on Education, Diversity, and Excellence. The five CREDE standards are as follows:
1) Teachers and students working together
2) Developing literacy and language skills across the curriculum
3) Connecting school to students' lives
4) Engaging students with challenging lessons
5) Emphasizing dialogue over lecture

I agree that these standards help ensure that students will have a high quality learning experience. Although, I think that in order for teachers to correctly implement these standards, they would need some type of professional development, lessons, or examples of activities that serve as an example as to how to use this correctly. These standards are good, but sound pretty general. Someone might read them and go, "Of course!" or "That sounds easy." It might seem that way, but I think the more teachers are trained in how to do this correctly, the better the outcome will be. We also learn from each other. It would be good for teacher to get together in small team meetings to discuss ways that they can use these standards in their classrooms. Teachers could create activities together and share them. A good way to model working together is for students to see teachers working together.

Dr. Tharp spoke about Vygotsky and the movement from total assistance to the zone of proximal development to assistance no longer needed. He said that, "the task of teaching is to provide assistance at the time it is needed." The zone of proximal development is what a student can do with and without help. It is the job of the teacher to figure out when and how much to assist a students. This involves a lot of observation of the student in different settings and learning arrangements. It is important to know what kind of assistance a student needs in order to still make activities fun, but at the same time challenging.

Learning is a Process

According to Nieto (2008), multicultural education is a process and "no one ever stops becoming a multicultural person, and knowledge is never complete" (p.52). She also states that multicultural education primarily involves relationships among people. Right now I am in the process of learning and I know that I will be a life-long learner. I don't think it is possible to be done learning because our world is ever changing and becoming more diverse and more advanced. Also, each year teachers get new students. I know that I learn a lot from the children I work with now and learned from the students I had when I was student teaching. Since each child is different, you learn new teaching strategies to meet their needs. I also learned about my students' backgrounds, which helped in understanding them more. I think it is important to establish a caring and trusting relationship with your students, so that they feel comfortable asking question or sharing their own ideas with you. We have to remember that even though a school setting might not seem to be very diverse, the larger community is and we need to prepare our students to be open minded and inquisitive about it. In Nieto's (2008) book, Affirming Diversity, she references James Banks saying, "the main goal of a multicultural curriculum is to help students develop decision-making and social action skills" (p.54). This helps students realize that there are a variety of ways in seeing the same situation. If teachers model for and prepare students for seeing different perspectives, it helps them to be more open minded and accepting of others. Being open minded will hopefully lead them to want to seek more information or learn more about what they become interested in.

References:
Nieto, Sonia & Bode, Patty. (2008). Affirming diversity. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

Beliefs and Attitudes Influencing Teaching

A teacher's own beliefs, attitudes, and values can influence their teaching whether they notice it or not. These things are so built in to the person already, that they may not even notice how they come out in their teaching or actions. As a teacher, it is important to be constantly aware of what you are saying and how it can affect your students. In order to be aware, you need to first become aware of your own beliefs, attitudes, and values. In the article, "With New Eyes," Kelly explains that we must be willing to consider our own biases, including beliefs about social class (Kelly, 1999). Kelly (1999) states that "often erroneous assumptions about single-parent families, welfare, and conditions in the homes and neighborhoods of communities often translate into reduced expectations for the students who live there" (p. 2). Therefore, teachers should take time to reflect and become aware of there own biases so that they do not let them come out in their teaching. If you find you are bias of something, you can take the time to ask yourself, why do I feel this way? Determine why and for what reason you have those feelings. After that, look into that particular idea more and find our more about it. You may not feel the same way anymore. A lot of time things are assumed just from society and people around us, when we really just might not know enough. It is impossible to know everything about every culture and background. The key is to just be aware. A teacher might be confused about why a student does something the way they do or how they react to a certain situation. This could be a result of the student's own background and the teacher's unfamiliarity with it. For example, eye contact is a big one. In other countries, children learn not to give direct eye contact. It can be seen as aggressive or rude. If I found myself in a situation something like this, where I was unsure why a student was responding in a particular way, I think I would first talk with fellow teacher to see if they knew something more or a reason for it and then do my own research on that child's background to see if I could come to some kind of conclusion. I agree with Nieto (2008) that we should also be aware of beliefs that we have that "may be based on spurious assumptions or stereotypes" (p. 4). Stereotypes, I believe are a big issue. People are quick to assume things about groups of people who they really have know idea about. When working with diverse populations, I want to take the time to try and familiarize myself with as much as I possibly can about their backgrounds. This will help me be able to understand my students better and be more effective as a teacher.

References:

Kelly, Kathy. (1999). With new eyes. (Vol. 2, No. 7) Classroom Leadership, 3 pgs.

Nieto, Sonia & Bode, Patty. (2008). Affirming diversity. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.

Diversity: Finding My Own Identity

One of the first steps in becomming a teacher is examing your self and your own values. This is also true for being able to promote mulicultural learning in your classroom. Nieto (2008) states that their [teacher's] practices may reflect their experiences (p. 4). We grow up in different environments and some may be more or less obvioulsy diverse than others. I think that a lot of the time when people think of multicultural, skin color or language are the first things that pop into their heads. When in fact, there are several kinds of differences. These include gender, religion, abilities, class, etc. Our world is a diverse place and our students have every right to learn all that they can about it. I like to think of diversity in a sense that we all have different life experiences. No person is the same as another or has had the same experiences even though it may seem like it on the outside.

So, to begin, I am going to reflect on my identity. Who am I? This is not a simple question because it involves so much. If I am talking about race, culture, class, language, and gender, it is simple. I am White, Italian and English, middle class, speak English, and female. But what does this say about me? Some people are very involved in their culture, others are not. To me, I believe who I am is more about what I have experienced and the environments I grew up in and the people I have come in contact with. I know that I am comfortable with who I am. I do not think that I am better than anyone else. I have not really wished to be part of another group, but I have wondered if and how my life might be different if I were. I have curiosities about other people's lifestyles. I also wonder how other people view me and the so called "group" or "groups" I am a part of. I don't really think these groups define people. I feel I was lucky to have grown up and be schooled in a diverse population of people. These people have helped shape who I am. We learn from each other and it is always good to see things from a different point of view.

When do I notice culture? This is another good question. Obvious differences in culture tend to come from the outside, like language or color. Another is traditions or celebrations. When I find something that is different from what I am use to, I tend to become more interested in it. Now that I am on my way to being a teacher, I think about culture more. I know there is a deeper meaning to culture and it is just a matter of bringing that out. What are some ways that you notice culture?

References:
Nieto, Sonia & Bode, Patty. (2008). Affirming diversity. Boston, Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.