EDLD: Week 5 Reflection

This week’s assignments focus on how students are obtaining information. For the most part teachers are being provided with older, more traditional resources to use to help teach students such as textbooks. Meanwhile, students are not as motivated as they could be. Howard Gardner also mentioned how using and integrating digital media into teaching is hopefully going to rejuvenate him as well.  (Edutopia.org) If the equipment, software, and training were made available to teachers then I am sure it would rejuvenate their teaching styles and methods as well.  Most children learn to use a computer of some type before school ever begins yet we place a textbook or a page of notes in front of them and expect them to memorize facts they probably are unable to connect with. Many of the speakers and the text focuses on using multimedia technology such as interactive gaming to increase students ability to problem solve as well as to motivate students and to peak their interest in a topic. We, as educators have to be able to provide students with more up-to-date ways to obtain the information we want them to learn. In order to prepare students for the careers of the future, we must update our ways of teaching students now.

Edutopia.org (nd). Big Thinkers: Howard Gardner on Digital Youth. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-howard-gardner-video

EDLD 5364: Week 4

During this week’s reading assignments, there was a strong focus on project based explorations, project learning, and schools focusing on science and technology content tailored to students’ interests.  By focusing on students’ individual interests put students in charge of their own learning. Various ways to learn content and display the knowledge gained was also evident.  By making learning experiences meaningful and tailoring the experiences to their interests, students were able to learn more and become more motivated about their learning.  By incorporating more science and technology into students’ learning, teachers are preparing students for real world careers through hands on experiences. These learning experiences also give students an idea of possible career choices before they have to make a choice for college. I think providing students with opportunities for real experience is an excellent idea for preparing them for decisions to be made later in life.  These opportunities could serve as great experiences to help students determine what they really want to do with their lives. Learning experiences like those described this week during the readings and videos would have been very helpful to me in deciding my career choice.

Bookbuilder URL and Reflection

BookBuilder URL
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=65222&page=1

Reflection of BookBuilder Assignment:
I had never used Bookbuilder prior to this assignment. I found it pretty simple once I started playing around with it. There are numerous capabilities in Bookbuilder that I would like to go back and explore.  I enjoyed creating my sample book and can see how it would be useful in a classroom setting.  An electronic book created by the teacher to target specific content would be very beneficial and helpful to students of all abilities. Audio could be added to help students who have visual impairments as well as students who do not read at a sufficient level.   The use of images, text, audio, and characters would also motivate students throughout the learning process.  The Bookbuilder features options that would serve teachers and students in many ways.

UDL Lesson Plan - Conservation Efforts: Recycling

UDL Lesson Plan and Reflection

CAST’s UDL LESSON BUILDER

Lesson Overview

Title:	Conservation Efforts: Recycling
Author:	Stacy Garner
Subject:	Science
Grade Level(s):	5th
Duration:	1 day (60 minutes)
Subject Area:	Conservation Efforts: Recycling
Unit Description:	Students will understand the effects of human activity on the Earth.
Lesson Description for Day:	Students will explore recycling as a conservation effort.
State Standards:	SC 5-3.6 Explain how human activity (including conservation efforts and pollution) has affected the land and the oceans of Earth.

Goals

Unit Goals:	Students will understand causes/effects of pollution and how conservation efforts can help the Earth.
Lesson Goals:	Students will identify how recycling can conserve resources and reduce waste and pollution.

Methods

Anticipatory Set:	Question: What do you do with items when you finish with them? For example cans, newspapers, plastic bottles?
Introduce and Model New Knowledge:	·         Video Segment Reduce, Reuse, Recycle from ETV Streaming http://app.discoveryeducation.com/core:player/view/assetGuid/DC017882-602F-41AC-B22F-DBECD3631439   (RECOGNITION NETWORKS) ·         Guest Speaker from SC DHEC: Action for a Cleaner Tomorrow Program ·         SCDHEC Website: Pull facts and information regarding pollution and conservation  ·         http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/lwm/recycle/education.htm   (Provide notes for the Hearing Impaired, Provide hands-on opportunities for the visual impaired) (RECOGNITION NETWORKS)
Provide Guided Practice:	Discussion with classmates - Create a list, diagram, written explanation, or other way to explain the importance of conserving resources and reducing, reusing, and recycling items. Share with the class. (AFFECTIVE NETWORKS) ·         10 GT: Begin researching local recycling centers and determine which types of materials they recycle and what items can be made from the recycled materials. (RECOGNITION NETWORKS) ·         1 Visual Impaired - Hands on Sorting Activity (Reuse it, Recycle it, Throw it away) (STRATEGIEC AND AFFECTIVE NETWORKS) ·         1 Hearing Impaired - Hands on Sorting Activity (Reuse it, Recycle it, Throw it away) ·         Remaining 18 - Hands on Sorting Activity (Reuse it, Recycle it, Throw it away) Discuss why you made that choice (AFFECTIVE NETWORKS
Provide Independent Practice:	·         10 GT:  Students will use computers to locate information and create a slide show or other means of communication to share findings. (STRATEGIC NETWORKS) ·         1 Visual Impaired - Reading Passage with Online Quiz on Recycling, Conservation, and Pollution (use of headset with oral reading provided) (STRATEGIC NETWORKS) ·         1 Hearing Impaired - Reading Passage with Online Quiz on Recycling, Conservation, and Pollution ·         Remaining 18 - Reading Passage with Online Quiz on Recycling, Conservation, and Pollution (All students will have the option of using the headset with oral reading if desired) (STRATEGIC NETWORKS)

Assessment

Formative/ Ongoing Assessment:	Teacher Observation, Student Responses, Sorting Activity
Summative/ End Of Lesson Assessment:	Online Quiz with Immediate Feedback (STRATEGIC NETWORKS)

Materials

ETV Streaming Video Segment – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Items for Sorting

Facts and Other Information from SC DHEC

Guest Speaker from SC DHEC

Online Quiz

Computers

Headsets/Headphones

CAST2006 Adapted from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org 2

REFLECTION OF LESSON:

During the creation of this lesson, I realized that I do not have a lot of experience in dealing with students who are blind or have a hearing impairment. Preparing activities that accommodate their needs took additional planning and thought. I found this lesson to be a little more challenging that my typical lesson plans in regards to including the three networks. Thinking through an entire lesson with the "what, how, and why" does not seem that difficult at all, but then the various levels of students that you must address came into play. Planning a lesson to include technology while meeting the needs of so many different levels of students is a challenging task. I believe this lesson meets the needs of the students described in the scenario. There were a couple obstacles to overcome in the development of this lesson including, how to plan activities that provide students with multiple ways to learn the information and how to accommodate the two students who have a greater difficulty with the learning process. Throughout the entire planning process, I tried to consider all students and to provide everyone with multiple means of learning the content and ways to show what they learned.

EDLD 5364 - Week 3 Reflection

During this week's assignment, viewing of videos, and readings, I have developed a deeper understanding of the UDL layout. The objective of a UDL is to reach students of all learning styles and ability levels. By addressing all of the students' needs through a variety of strategies and methods, more students will be successful. The videos of the intermediate school student who uses technology to make movies and uses a green screen was amazing. One part of it when the teacher said the student actually tutors her was awesome. (Edutopia.org)  Students know so much about technology that often times, I think adults underestimate what they can really do. I intend to incorporate more technology based assessment tools into my own lessons in order to provide more immediate feedback to my students and to determine which students need additional help in specific areas as we progress through lessons from day-to-day. Waiting until test day is too late to determine students do not fully understand the content.  By creating a UDL plan and incorporating technology based assessments, instruction and learning will surely improve.

Citation: Edutopia.org (nd). Digital Youth Portrait -- Cameron. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-cameron-video

EDLD 5364 - Week 2 - Reflection

During the week 2 assignment of EDLD 5364, I gained knowledge regarding many available resources for using technology in the classroom to address students’ many different learning styles. I also deepened my understanding of how I should be creating lessons to meet the needs of a variety of students. Through the integration of technology and computer-based instruction, students can work at different levels and at different paces. I was also interested to read that a study found computer-based instruction made a significant impact on their learning. “Students learn more in less time when they receive computer-based instruction.” (Schacter, 1999) Currently, my classroom is a science lab with no student computers. This week’s reading assignments and videos have made me really think about getting technology into my classroom or making arrangements to reserve the computer lab for student use.  I was also interested to find how technology can bring students together and allows them to make connections through interactions with others. Any way in which I can help students make connections to content material and classmates is well worth the time and energy required to make a difference.

Citation: Schacter, J. (1999). The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most current research has to say. Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved from http://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf.

EDLD 5364 - Week 1 - Part 1 of 2

Week 1 Assignment Part 1 of 2

This week I have learned many things regarding learning theories and teaching strategies using technology. I became very interested in the examples provided about how to create more student-centered learning environments instead of teacher-focused classrooms. This is an area that I continuously try to do, but I find myself quite often doing all of the talking.  An area that I had not put much thought into was the Cyborg theory. The video this week really made me think about the direction we may be headed in when dealing with all of the new, developing technology. Linking up ourselves to computers and even other people to transmit information sounds a little scary to be honest. While reading about the other theories, I found that my teaching style relates very much to constructivism.  I believe teaching and learning must connect the unknown to what students already know in some way. If students can make a connection with some sliver of prior knowledge, they may be able to comprehend the content and retain the information better. I also learned a lot about connectivism. I really liked the idea of building internal (neural) and external (resources) networks to process information. I was taught while I was coming through school to be a life-long learner. Connectivism is all about staying current through continuous learning.