EDLD+5364+Weekly+Reflections

EDLD 5364 Teaching with Technology

__Course Reflections __

Week 1 Reflection

The title of this course definitely excited me. This is the course I have been waiting for the past year. Teaching with Technology is exactly what I am striving to accomplish on my campus. Of the learning theories that we explored during Week 1, I am drawn to Constructivism. This is a theory that I believe in and have incorporated into my classroom. The most important aspect of constructivism is collaboration. Today students use technology to collaborate continuously outside of school. The logical step would be for students to use what they know and are familiar with to collaborate for learning in school as well. The teacher can no longer be the sole deliverer of information; students need to develop their understanding of the content through exploring, social interaction, and collaborative projects (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, 1999). Although constructivism is a learning theory, the teacher’s role is vital in the process. It comes back to the teacher truly knowing each student—building relationships. The mission statement on our campus is “to teach the way each child learns.” To fulfill that statement it is imperative that teachers get to know their students’ learning styles, interests, and abilities. Using the data collected, “teachers encourage student inquiry by asking thoughtful, open-ended questions and encouraging students to ask questions of each other” (Sprague and Dede, 1999). Student-centered learning naturally takes students to higher-order thinking through evaluating and creating, especially with technology. Teachers must engage students in their learning and provide choices—perhaps a blog, podcast, or directing a video to present their learning. These activities require students to work as a team and to communicate which will “prepare them for self-directed lifelong learning and a way to develop workplace skills” (Solomon and Schrum, 2007).

I am finding that this class is bringing together many of the topics that we have discussed in isolation in previous courses. By understanding learning styles, data mining, and the classroom uses of Web 2.0 tools, it has allowed me to see a broader picture of teaching and learning.

__References __

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 7-44.

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. Retrieved on October 4, 2009 from []

Sprague, D. & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, Am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1). Retrieved October 4, 2009 from the International Society for Technology in Education at []

Week 2 Reflection

Although one hears all the time about classroom diversity and differentiation, this week’s readings and videos provided me with a deeper understanding of what teaching and learning should look like in the diverse classroom. Everyone’s brain is different and learns different; “the way we learn is as different as our fingerprint or our DNA” (Lessonbuilder.cast.org). It is important to understand the three brain networks and how they relate to student learning. All three networks—reconciliation, strategic, and affective—requires the teacher to provide variety and flexibility in the learning environment. Of the three networks, I see the affective network as the most significant. Engagement and motivation, the //why of learning//, must be present to attract students to the //what and how of learning//. Using “technology allows teachers to differentiate instruction more efficiently by providing a wider variety of avenues for learning that reach students of divergent readiness levels, interests, and learning styles" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).

This week we also revisited setting learning objectives. When setting learning goals, teachers should be specific but adaptable to student input and interest. To set goals that are more meaningful and personal to the class, gathering data from students can be helpful. It can provide information about what students already know as well as any misconceptions that may exist. It can also determine where the class interest lie on the topic to be taught. Technology can be utilized to personalize and communicate learning objectives with individual students.

__References __

Lessonbuilder.cast.org (nd). The Brain Research. Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">: International Society for Technology in Education

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Week 3 Reflection

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">WOW! This week was fully packed with learning. There were many activities to create individually as well as continued work on our collaborative group project. Although I am going to make it and complete all the assigned work for the week, I feel it was entirely too much for one week's learning.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Research shows that the more immediate feedback is in classroom settings, the greater its impact on student behavior (Kulik & Kulik, 1988). Technology makes feedback more efficient and effective for teachers and students. When feedback is immediate, students are able to self-correct and eliminate misconceptions. As with any aspect of technology, on-going professional development is necessary for teachers to take advantage of the technology options that are available for immediate feedback. Not only does technology afford for immediate feedback, it also engages students. Clickers have proven this in many classrooms. They offer the feel of a game while at the same time providing data for teachers to evaluate student learning.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">This week we also experimented with Book Builder and Lesson Builder by CAST. Both websites provided a great framework for including differentiation in your classroom. Providing flexible methods and materials is the backbone of the Universal Design for Learning framework. It provides for differences in students’ recognition, strategic, and affective networks (Rose & Meyer, 2002). It really relates back to student-centered learning and students having the flexibility to customize both their learning goals and expression of their learning. The day of the teacher lecturing and expecting every student to complete a cookie-cutter assignment are gone. It is time for teachers to embrace differentiation through technology and to become facilitators in the classroom.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">__References__

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Kulik, J. A., & Kulik, C. C. (1988). Timing of feedback and verbal learning. Review of Educational Research, 58, 79-97.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from []

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Week 4 Reflection

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">I enjoyed both the readings and the videos this week. The resources provided great examples and scenarios that classroom teachers, technology teachers, and technology facilitators can utilize. I have always enjoyed cooperative learning both as a student and as a teacher. As stated by Rosenstock in this week’s video, one’s most memorable learning experiences include those that are project-based, collaborative, and authentic. //Authentic// by providing a sense of community, risk of failure, recognition of success and a public display of the work or product created (Edutopia.org). Keeping students energized, focused, and challenged can be accomplished through well thought out plans that include front-loading students, graphic organizers, and rubrics to help students understand the expectations (Pitler, 2007).

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Just as important, this week also focused on technology professional development. As we all know, for technology integration to occur in the regular classroom it requires on-going, just-in-time professional development. Solomon & Schrum outlines many specific illustrations of how Web 2.0 tools are being integrated into all curriculum areas and all grade levels. Although, administrator support is imperative to achieve the desired level of technology integration on a school campus and the faculty must take ownership in it as a shared goal (Solomon & Schrum, 2007).

__References__

Edutopia.org (nd). //High Tech High Taking the Lead: An Interview with Larry Rosenstock.// Retrieved on Oct. 5, 2009 from []

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 139-154.

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, New schools.// Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 99 – 116.

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Week 5 Reflection

<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Without putting forth effort, most are not successful. It is important for students to see the correlation between their effort and their success. Using technology to track effort over time will provide the evidence for students to see that their effort does pay off. I liked the effort rubric in this weeks reading. It “gives students a clear idea of what effort look like” (Pitler, 2007, p. 156). When students reflect using the rubric, the relationship between their effort and success (or failure) will be evident.

I am a believer in authentic assessment. When planning a unit or lesson, there is an array of Web 2.0 tools that can be used by students to demonstrate that they have mastered the objectives. “If educators work together to plan their instruction and simultaneously plan ways to evaluate throughout the unit, they will develop a wide variety of models” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007, p. 170). Assessment should not only occur at the end of a unit, but should be ongoing through the learning process. Formative assessment helps to determine how well the students and the teacher are doing (Solomon & Schrum, 2007). To prepare students for what they are expected to accomplish, sharing the lesson or unit’s objectives through a rubric is key.

__References__

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0 new tools, new schools. Eugene, OR : International Society for Technology in Education.