Final Blog-679

Assessments can be found in many forms and be used for multiple purposes.  No one likes taking a quiz or a test or even hearing the word assessment, but it’s part of learning and reflecting.  One of the biggest things I will take away from this course is that I have found more engaging ways to assess my students.  I can even have them be part of writing their assessments.  Quizlet and Quizzes are two ways to do this and I can’t wait to try it with my students.  I think they will love it.  By analyzing different types of assessment tools, I was able to explore the different components and find the best way to use them.  This link will show the comparison of two tools and feel they offer comparable opportunities for assessment:  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jF6ZJp_irAc_TIDUwV8Bi3b1_OoAD7b5VNERbmRVqFs/edit#slide=id.p

Rubrics...as stated in class, I have a love-hate relationship with them.  I dislike writing them and feel that it can limit student creativity.  However, I absolutely love how students have a set expectation for the assignment and can reflect back to make sure they have met those expectations.  This link shows our process standards for students to self-assess where they feel they are as a student in regards to behavior and study habits. There is also a link to a rubric for math problem-solving.  Rubistar was amazing to use and was so easy to connect the activity to a grade level standard.  In the future, I would like to incorporate more tech and Canvas might be a good avenue to do this.  Link to Rubric

Finally, Genius Hour. This is probably one of the things I am most excited to try out next year.  After watching how much our class enjoyed that time to research a concept of their choice, I can only imagine how my students will feel.  Genius Hour also closely relates to how we as adults would research something.  For example, I needed to dispose of a bunch of paint cans but wanted to do it the right way.  Having that time in class allowed me to figure it out. I would like to come up with a format for students to share what they learned without taking up too much class time.  Link to Genius Hour

Overall, I learned a lot of new assessment tools to implement with my students next year so they are not only taking an assessment but also learning and reflecting back on their learning.   In addition, I can reflect back on my teaching and alter teaching strategies if necessary.  

Course Reflection-679

There were three takeaways from this course that I feel will help me as an educator when incorporating technology into my classroom.  The first was learning about Genius Hour. It was nice to participate in our class while learning from others and our specific topic.  I have now properly disposed of all the extra paint I had in my house! Learning about Genius Hour was also nice to think about how to integrate this for my students.  When we first went 1:1 and students received their Chromebooks, they naturally wanted to jump right in and check it out but didn't quite know where to start.  I had the students explore the site “Wonderopolis” and they had fun researching random questions they didn’t have the answers to.  When given a choice in our learning, we tend to be more invested and create a product of pride rather than just checking boxes off a to do list. Another thing I am excited to use next school year is Quizlet.  I feel this will be so engaging for students and allow them to learn and study content in a way that best fits their learning. Finally, I really enjoyed working with Rubistar. Depending on the assignment, I feel that rubrics can provide a lot of foundation for students.  It gives them the expectations so they are able to make sure all the components of their work are secure. As a teacher, I despise making rubrics because there can be so many loopholes if something is not worded properly. By clicking a grade level standard, Rubistar generates a rubric which can then be modified based on what is needed.   

Educational Technology 678-Final Blog

Educational Technology 678- Final Blog

            After completing this course I found the tools we learned about were easily integrated into the classroom.  I felt that a lot of these tools could have also been used by my students.  There are two assignments in particular that I found interesting and have used one in my classroom already.  

Flipped Learning is something that took me a while to warm up to.  While it creates independence in our students and their learning, my concern is that it would take away from the communication and interaction with one another. What is advantageous in flipped learning is that students can learn at their own pace, rewatch a tutorial or lesson that is being presented, and if they're absent, they can easily be caught up.  In my flipped learning lesson, we were learning about figurative language so I chose three components and provided examples.  

Link to Flipped Learning

           Another part of the coursework that was new and easy to integrate into my classroom was a PBL.  I chose a topic that was coming up which was “Watery Earth”.  I introduced our science unit with the PBL to engage students by having them choose a water crisis they were interested in reporting on.  I kept the question very general so the students could use the 4 C’s: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication to research and present their information with others, to the class in a creative way.  While in traditional PBL students are given one guiding questions, I felt that wasn’t enough for my 4th graders and so they needed more questions to make sure they were presenting all of the important parts of the water crisis.  In addition, students were so eager to jump on the computer and start the tech part of their project without taking the time to do the detailed research.  This was after I had presented them a paper organizer to use while they were researching.  Due to students working in groups, I was able to meet with more students each day and even leave comments with suggestions on their project.  We begin presenting next week so I’m excited to see the final product.  

Link to PBL Outline

In addition to a Google Slide, these students are also going to pretend they are scientists and create actual models of what is happening in Mexico City.

Link to student example

           Reflecting back on this course, these are just two assignments that I feel made an impact on my learning and growth as a teacher.  It will also make an impact on my students and who they are as they navigate curriculum.  

Course Reflection-678

One part of the coursework that was new and easy to integrate into my classroom was a PBL.  I chose a topic that was coming up which was “Watery Earth”.  I introduced our science unit with the PBL to engage students by having them choose a water crisis they were interested in reporting on.  I kept the question very general so the students could use the 4 C’s: critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication to research and present their information with others, to the class in a creative way.

Due to not having a lot of background knowledge about PBL’s, it was extremely helpful to not only look through the resources but to also receive feedback from peers on my PBL outline.  I feel that due to the suggestions, my introduction to the class was much more influential and the results will meet and possibly exceed the expectations.  

I have grown as an educator by taking more risks.  What once seemed over my head in terms of technology is now becoming second nature.  Specifically, with the PBL, I was able to provide my students with a variety of ways to present their research while integrating technology.  This ranged from using Google Earth to identify where the water crisis was taking place, to linking videos to show interviews and news broadcasts.  The class was so self-directed in how to make that happen within their small group and I’m looking forward to seeing the final product.  

To continue my learning I would like to create more opportunities for flipped learning.  I think as teachers, we have a hard time giving up control of our classroom, but this is when even more learning can take place while we facilitate.

Multimedia Tools in Education-677 Final Blog

Multimedia Tools in Education-677

Final Blog

As I reflect back on the work completed in this course, there are two assignments which stand out the most.  These two projects are something I probably wouldn’t have done on my own, either scared off that the tech component would be too difficult, or that it’s something I wouldn’t necessarily use.  

The first is a classroom newsletter.  I had always wanted to create a newsletter for my classroom but asked myself, will parents even read it? How much time will this take out of my already busy schedule?  In the article, “Effective Communication via a Classroom Newsletter By: Janelle Cox, there is a section called, Effective Communication: Less is More.  She states, “Oftentimes teachers tend to make their newsletters too wordy. They have so much that they want to say that they just ramble on, and it ends up looking more like a letter than a newsletter. Try to avoid long, wide paragraphs. If it’s important to note that students will need a sports jersey for jersey day then don’t put that in the middle of the newsletter. If you want your message to stand out, then the best way to do that is by breaking up your information into short paragraphs and bullet points. Try to keep it to about ten words per line and format it so it is in columns.” After looking through the resources from this Module, I’ve realized a newsletter can be pretty simple, but opens the doors of communication even more. The newsletter doesn't necessarily have to be long, drawn out, paragraphs.  It should be short and to the point highlighting only the most important information.  After speaking with some parents they would rather bullet points to read, one less thing to add onto their already busy schedules.  Below is a link to an example of what I would like my newsletter to look like which is a goal I am setting for myself next year.     

Link:

View the Original Page

Another project that I was apprehensive about was creating a book trailer.  I have  seen this done before and it just seemed too far away from what I am capable of in the world of technology.  It wasn’t the easiest project I completed, and I’m sure there was an easier and more tech savvy way of doing it, but in the end I was proud at the fact that I had accomplished something I would not have tried otherwise.  In the article, “Test Their Knowledge Using Student-Created Videos, by Nicholas Bourke, he states, “Today’s students are digital learners, and they typically enjoy working with technology. Movie making can be a very motivating way to incorporate elements of project-based learning because it allows students to develop their creativity. They want to produce a quality product that their classmates and others will enjoy viewing.”  If I want my students to be creative and take risks  as digital learners, then I need to be able to do the same.  In the future, I am excited to try different techniques.  Below is a link to the book trailer for The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, by Kate DiCamillo.   

Link:

Download Edward Tulane Book Trailer.wlmp

In conclusion, with each course that I take I am willing to make more mistakes.  It has been through the countless mistakes made while creating projects, I have learned what to and not to do and even some shortcuts.  What is even more powerful is that I am able to share this with my students, ask for their feedback, and learn from them.  I’ve really enjoyed learning from other teachers in this course as well and how easy it can be to integrate ideas into the classroom. 

Course Reflection: Multimedia Tools in Education
Augmented Reality VS. Virtual Reality

“Augmented reality enhances experiences by adding virtual components such as digital images, graphics, or sensations as a new layer of interaction with the real world. Contrastingly, virtual reality creates its own reality that is completely computer generated and driven.”  This is a quote from the article, “Virtual Reality vs. Augmented Reality”.  It was interesting to read about the similarities and differences of both these technological advancements.  

I do not have any experience with either one, other than video games, but could see how this could easily be woven into instruction given the proper technology.  I’m always a little leery on the new technology craze.  While I feel it certainly enhances learning and adds the element of engagement, I am always concerned about how it takes away from standard communication skills.  Does it create a world where we no longer need to meet face to face and in the long run, how will that impact us as a society?  Then I watched the Ted Talk with Meron Gribetz and I appreciated how he explained that these new technologies can actually “extend the human experience” instead of distracting us.  

It then made me think about how it would connect with my classroom and science was the first subject that came to mind.  Whenever we have an experiment, it is typically done in groups or as a demo.  Students are always so eager to get their hands on the materials and learn from them.  By using augmented reality, I feel this would allow all students to experience the learning at the same time, rather than waiting their turn.  Another subject I thought augmented reality would be useful in is Social Studies.  I used to teach 5th Grade where we focused on American History, teaching from as early as the American Revolution through WWII.  Our world is very different now as it was during these times in history, but how engaging would it be to use augmented learning or even virtual reality to allow students to travel back in time and feel like they were actually living during those times?  They would be able to see first hand what the streets looked like, the way people dressed, what a typical home might look like, or even the local grocer.

Course Reflection: Throughout this course I have learned a lot of new ways to integrate technology into my classroom.  I have even tried a few of the ideas presented to us and my class was very receptive to it.  At times, I even asked some students what they thought of a project, the book trailer specifically, and used their feedback to enhance it.  They too, know that I’m still working through the glitches of technology, but I think that gives them a model of how even as adults, we are continually learning.  

Graphic Design

Let’s face it, even as adults having a visual representation of something is much more engaging than reading a text-only article.  Colors, interesting fonts, and the organization of the graphic makes us want to read on.  

Graphic design would be valuable to my classroom because many of my students, too, are visual learners.  We have been recently learning about text structures in reading.  Not the most exciting thing to teach!  I was brainstorming ways to teach this information in our non-fiction unit and decided to split the students up and have them create a Google slide on ONE of the text structures.  Students were given a rubric of the information to be included.  The class was required to collaborate when creating these slides which will later be presented to the class.  Of course, the first thing they did was find and image/graphic to represent their text structure.  It’s almost as if this graphic helps them to scaffold the information they are learning and later teaching others about.  

Incorporating graphics helps us to support the learners in our classrooms in so many ways.  For example, when we watched a movie  about the southeast, I said a way they could take notes is to draw pictures of what they see in the video.  Rather than writing down a sentence about oranges being a main fruit coming from that region, many of them drew an orange with a quick label.  I feel this benefit all students but particularly students with 504’s and IEP’s.  The actual act of reading  and writing tends to be most difficult for these students.  If I could give them a different strategy of learning the content, just representing it in a different way, it will allow them to be on the same playing field as their peers.  

Next week we are beginning our Midwest region unit.  Before talking about the others states in the region, we focus on Illinois.   Students are required to choose a landmark, person, or important representation of Illinois and write a paper and create a poster.  As a way to introduce the unit, I could easily make a Google Drawing, and plan on doing so for the graphic design assignment.  Through this introduction, I can highlight some of the interesting facts about Illinois to engage the students as they consider their own topics.