District technology plan

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Reflection on Knowledge learned in Week 5: Reinforcing Effort

I suppose we all have those students in our classroom who seem to consistently give little or no effort. The fact that I struggle to reach these guys bothers me greatly. When I notice these students who seem apathetic, disengaged and producing work below average I want to know right away is it me or is this a student who has no clue that if he just tries harder he will see more positive results. One of the first things I do is check with other teachers to get feedback on how they may be doing in their other middle school classes. I have yet to find a student that does not exhibit the same behavior in most all classes. I teach desktop publishing and find it surprising that there are those that still do not put effort into their projects in my class, especially when they are able to experience state of the art workstations with industry standard software (Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign). So how do I get them to believe in themselves? After reading the chapter on Reinforcing Effort I am very encouraged by some of the strategies mentioned on how to get students to realize the importance of believing in effort. One strategy in particular is the use of the Effort Rubric. I consistently use rubrics for all assigned projects, so this one strategy caught my attention. “Research tells us that not all students realize the importance of effort. Many attribute their success or failure to external factors” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007, pg. 156). I also was interested when I read about using the Effort Survey. I believe that if I were to have my students participate in a survey on effort then introduce the an effort rubric at the beginning of the year while they are fresh and perhaps have a more positive attitude due to a “new beginning”, then I could possibly reach these students who really don’t see the connection between effort and achievement. After all, Pitler et al. (2007) state that research indicates that students can change their beliefs and make a connection between effort and achievement (Pitler et al., 2007, pg. 156). This encourages me and gives me hope that I can and will be able to reach these students!

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

Professional Development

Professional development has always interested me and as I read through this week’s readings this particular topic seized my attention. Professional development is a facet of our education system that I feel needs special attention if we are to expect educators to successfully integrate technology into teaching and learning. I believe that there are training opportunities in the area of technology made available to teachers, but what I am hearing and have experienced is that there doesn’t seem to be the follow through or support. After attending workshops teachers complain that they still do not know what to do with it or how to implement in an already packed curriculum. Cuban, 2001; Laffey, 2004; Norris, Sullivan, Poirot, & Slloway, 2003; Williams & Kingham, 2003 clearly point out “Unfortunately, even though massive amounts of money have been spent on training educators, we have not seen a real difference in the ways technology has been integrated into the classroom” (as cited in Solomon & Schrum, 2007, pg. 100). I believe where we need to start is with leadership modeling the use of technology. Schrum (1999) states “Many studies of educators’ lack of technology implementation have found that the lack of accountability from administrators on their actually accomplishing technological goals as the most influential in practice” (as cited in Solomon & Schrum, 2007, pg. 111). There are so many ways administrators could integrate technology in their leadership role. For example districts could make available videoconferencing technology for training. Many teachers have never experienced a video conference. Also, administrators could require the use of blogs, wikis, or Google docs for collaboration during teacher’s learning community. If teachers learn how to use the tool to accomplish professional tasks then how much easier it would be for them to realize its place in the classroom as a learning tool for the students. Educators need more than just attending training and going back to the classroom to try and figure out how to make it work of fit in. Teachers are no different than the students they teach; it is not enough to hear and experience it for only a few hours. They need time on task, just as their students do. “One of the most exciting opportunities for professional development is to allow members of a community to participate in the creation of a goal, plan, or direction…Wikis present the ideal manner in which to accomplish this and, at the same time, educators learn about the potential for using this tool in their classrooms” (Solomon & Schrum, 2007).

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

Universal Design for Learning

“Universal Design for Learning is a philosophy that enables teachers to re-examine the critical components of education - like instructional materials, objectives, methods, assessments, and such - to design rich lessons that incorporate multiple ways of gaining information and knowledge” (Jackson, n.d.).

Using the UDL Lesson Plan template each member of our team designed lessons on animal adaptations for a 5^th Grade Science class. We designed specific lessons focusing on the various types of adaptations including migration, physical, behavioral, mimicry, and camouflage to be taught following the introductory lesson that would target solutions for our scenario. As a group we focused on designing our lesson with the four planning questions in mind: what will students learn, which strategies will provide evidence of student learning, which strategies will help students acquire and integrate learning, and which strategies will help students practice, review, and apply learning?

After designing my lesson on Mimicry I chose the most appropriate technologies to support that lesson and made sure that each activity was “Network-Appropriate”. As Pitler, Hubbell, Kuh, & Malenosk point out if "applied effectively, technology implementation not only increases student learning, understanding, and achievement but also augments motivation to learn, encourages collaborative learning, and supports the development of critical thinking and problem-solving skills (as cited in Schacter & Fagnano, 1999, p. 3). I felt that the readings helped prepare me in understanding how to support the diverse recognition networks, diverse strategic networks, and affective networks when planning my lesson. The chapter on Designing Instruction from the Cast website has valuable resources for teachers in choosing teaching strategies suited to each of the brain networks. This website will be an invaluable source for me as I lead teachers in modeling and designing lessons that utilize technology to meet the needs of diverse learners.

References:

Jackson, R. (n.d.) Lessonbuilder.cast.org. Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved 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.

Reflection on Knowledge learned in Week 3: Making Individualization Work with Flexible Media and Tools

The readings and applications this week have been extremely interesting. I have learned how using technology can make differentiation an easier task than conventional ways of teaching. There are a plethora of tools available to assist teachers in reaching all students. Today you will find it difficult to walk in any classroom that does not fit the scenario that we are designing our UDL (Universal Design for Learning) lesson for this week. Each year my classes will encompass the gifted and talented, special needs with IEPs, the learning disabled that have 504 modifications, and English Language Learners as well as others that do not fit neatly in these categories. Each student is unique and each learns differently. It seems with the changes in giving all of our students a free and appropriate education in the least restricted environment that our 21^st Century technological advancements have come just in time! I can’t imagine continuing to try and meet the needs of such a diverse classroom without the help of technology. The reading on the three brain networks was enlightening. “We can accommodate diverse learners by using a repertoire of teaching strategies suited to each of the brain networks (Rose & Meyer, 2002). The research at Cast.org has made it easy to understand each of these three brain networks, Recognition Learning, Strategic Learning, and Affective Learning, and choose technology to support each of these areas where students may struggle. What I found most interesting is that students can all be meeting the same learning goals but using different media and tools to get there. With professional development, support, practice and experience I believe all teachers will be able to pair technology and effective instructional strategies for helping students “acquire and integrate new knowledge” ((Pitler, Hubbel, Khun, & Malenoski, 2007).

References:

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 February 18, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

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

UDL Book Builder: A Technology Tool for Learning

Click here to view my ebook made on the Cast.org website.

"Universal Design for Learning (UDL)) is a set of principles for curriculum development that give all individuals equal opportunities to learn" (Cast.com, 2001) . Through the use of flexible media and tools teachers can meet the needs of diverse learners. One of these tools that I experienced this week was making an ebook or what Cast.org refers to as their Book Builder. I enjoyed learning how to make this interactive book and found myself not wanting to limit myself to only the minimum three pages. I finally had to stop due to time constraints for meeting other assignment requirements this week! This is definitely a tool that will engage many learners in the classroom. It will fit the needs of the gifted and talented students as well as the lower achieving students. This tool can also be used for students who are struggling readers and English language learners. Students building ebooks can benefit using this tool as it support strategic learning by offering feedback. The text-to-speech enables students to hear how their writing sounds when read aloud and then to revise as they work (Rose & Meyer, 2002).



References:

Cast.org. (1999-2001). About UDL: What is universal design for learning. Wakefield, MA. Retrieved March 12,2011. http://cast.org/udl/index.html

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 February 18, 2011, from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter6_5.cfm

EDLD 5364 - Teaching with Technology

Reflection on Knowledge learned in Week 2: Technology and the Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status

Through the course of week two I learned more about the results of research on how technology has positive effects on students of low socioeconomic status particularly in their self esteem and the area of mathematics. I found it particularly interesting that it was centered more on the aspect of their self esteem. This made perfect sense. In my teaching experience it seems that the students with the lowest self esteem are the low socioeconomic groups. It goes without saying that when there is low self esteem there is also low performance and achievement. Many of my students in this subgroup do not have access to the technology that their peers have. This puts them on an unequal playing ground socially as well as academically. At the beginning of each year I send out a questionnaire to parents about their child. One of the questions I ask is if they have access to a computer and if they have access to the internet. I want to find out early on the students that I know will need more specialized instruction. As I receive these questionnaires back from the parents I notice the correlation between those students that do no have access to technology at home and being labeled as “At Risk” in our district. I feel it is important to make my desktop publishing lab available before and after school. Students can come in four mornings and four afternoons during the week and use my lab for whatever needs they may have, whether it is for tutoring, more time on an assignment we are working on, or needing to work on an assignment for another class. I have even had friends of my students come in to work that are not taking Desktop Publishing. Something that I am trying to start up at our campus is a computer club where students can come in a learn more about how to use software packages for creating dynamic products for school and home. My purpose in this is to offer students in the lower grades (sixth and seventh) more exposure to technology. I agree with Page (2002) that if we increase technology in the U.S. classrooms we may see this as an important step for low socioeconomic citizens to rise up from poverty (Page, 2002).

Page (2002) argues that children in technology-enriched classrooms appear to score higher on standardized tests in mathematics, to take control of their own learning environment, to work well in cooperative groups to accomplish a common task, and to place worth in their ability to be productive students and citizens (Page, 2002). I often get students who come back to visit me years later and tell me how much they learned in my class and how it has helped them to be more successful in high school. I also receive comments from teachers that they can tell which students are taking my class by the work they produce and the knowledge and self esteem they possess. I believe one of the things that truly motivate and capture my students interests is that we use industry standard software programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. As my students master the tools they learn in my class I get to experience first hand the increase in their self-esteem and the work they produce. It is exciting to see them grow in their expertise in manipulating the programs. "Students gain a sense of empowerment from learning to control the computer and to use it in ways they associate with the real world” (U.S. Department of Education, n.d.).

References:

Page, M. S. (2002). Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status. Journal of Research on Technology Education, 34(4), 389-409. Retrieved February 27, 2011, from https://www.lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=1702535

U.S. Department of Education. (n.d.). Effects of technology on classrooms and students: Increased motivation and self-esteem. Retrieved from http://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html