EDLD 5364: Week 5 Part 1

People these days can be taught through technology to succeed in today’s world. Schools can stress collaborative work and innovation with learned tools. Games are a way to have fun and learn at the same time. Games don’t separate learning and assessment, but are constantly giving assessment throughout the game. Students can use games for educational purposes and not even realize they are having fun and learning at the same time. Games give language just in time. It gives you the language you will use in the next few actions to accomplish a task. Rather than reading a textbook and trying to learn the information, games are able to prompt and give feedback while the student is learning. Modern kids see all the modern media converging at the same time rather than one media at a time. This is creating a cross platform for kids to use multiple skills at one time. Games also create passion communities that students find common interests among other people. If students are interested and engaged, they will want to learn more and at a deeper level of understanding.

Teachers need to be given the opportunities to learn and use technology with their students. Students probably know a lot more that the teachers do, and creating an environment where the students and teachers could both learn at the same time would open up a new level of collaboration. Textbooks, politicians, and tests have driven the curriculum for many years, but using digital tools and technology should allow the teachers and students to step out of the box by exploring and learning together rather than teaching to a test. Our economy is technology driven and we are not preparing our students to be productive adults if we are keeping them from using technology in school. Many schools require students to “power down” when they walk through the school doors. That’s as bad as handing them a worksheet to finish rather than giving them a computer and letting them learn interactively. Our schools have to be prepared to change with the times rather than getting stuck in the past. A long as we teach to the curriculum, we will not be able to integrate and use technology to its fullest. We are cemented into the concept that we must teach to a test and that all the standards implemented by our states must be taught and learned by our students. If we are so concentrated on the test and standards then we are missing out on helping our students become amazing, unique adults that can think for themselves and problem solve. Life is not a multiple choice test and all students do not learn in the same way. Get to know your students. Some of them just might amaze you.

EDLD 5364: Week 4 Part 1

Professional development for teachers is very important.  We are to integrate technology into our curriculum, but we are expected to do so with very little training and follow-up. A new method of professional development provides for using technology that offers support in two ways. First, it clearly states that additional experiences are going to prove useful and support teacher’s confidence. This method is much more effective than the traditional one-day sessions usually comprising of four hours after school when everyone is tired and wanting to go home. Secondly, developing communities of practice allows teachers to learn by participating in the social world through activities, contexts, and cultures. Members of the community are often engaged in common activities that take form in group collaboration to pursue professional goals and interests.

When reading about McREL’s research on cooperative learning, groups should not be based on ability levels, should be small in size, and should be used consistently but not overused. There should be a variety of criteria for grouping students and groups should be kept to a minimal size. Informal, formal, and base groups should be used depending on the complexity and duration of the assignment. Technology such as multimedia, web resources, and communication software can help with cooperative learning.

EDLD 5364: Week 3 Part 1

Planning a lesson is very important to ensure that all learners will be reached. The planning process should be guided by core questions such as “What will students learn and what strategies will provide evidence, will help students acquire and integrate learning, and will help students practice, renew, and apply what they have learned?” Teachers should structure lessons based on their state standards. In order to assess if learning is happening, instant feedback and recognition should be evident. Students should use summaries, questions, non-linguistic representation, and advanced organizers to acquire and integrate learning. Technology can be a powerful tool in order to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of the students. In order to practice, review, and apply learning, students should use homework, creation of testing hypotheses, and identify similarities and differences among content.

Providing feedback is a powerful tool for students. Feedback should be corrective, timely, and based on specific criterion. There are several technology resources that can be used to provide feedback for students to teachers such as data collection tools, web resources, word processing applications, and communication software. Using feedback from authentic resources can be a powerful motivator. Students can use the feedback to correct misconceptions and review comprehension while teachers can use the same information to track progress.

EDLD 5364: Creating an eBook with BookBuilder

I had the opportunity to create an eBook using BookBuilder. My eBook is titled Economic Patterns of Early Texas Indians. This was an interesting experience and I had fun with the creation. My eBook can be found at the following website:

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=87fddf51be369a5792040256f74a94eb&sid=9600

EDLD 5364: Creating a UDL

Using the UDL Lesson Builder was a new experience for me since we have different criteria for lesson building in my district. We use curriculum to explore, engage, explain, evaluate, and elaborate the concepts. Thinking about learning as far as a brain function was also new to me. Rather than thinking of the lesson in one dimension, the IDL and brain strategy networks helped me see the lesson from many viewpoints. This actually helped me considering my students are a variety of learners and learn in different ways. This helped me to differentiate my lesson to meet the needs of my learners. This strategy allowed me to align my lesson so students could gather facts using technology. They will then be able to plan and perform activities in order to strengthen their comprehension. I want to challenge my students and keep them engaged and excited about learning and I believe using the UDL layout will allow me to make sure I have added all the necessary components.

EDLD 5364: Week 2 Part 1

In the state of Texas, we teach according to a set of standards that our students are suppose to learn, Unfortunately, Texas hasn’t found a standard it doesn’t like. For example, in 7^th grade Science there are approximately 44 knowledge and skills standards to be taught within the school year. Of those 44, approximately 12 of the standards are tested on the STAAR test, I know that our first question to answer when planning a lesson is: What knowledge and skills do I want my students to have at the end of the lesson, but more frequently we ask ourselves: What do they need to know to pass the test? We spend a great deal of class time teaching standards that aren’t tested rather that teaching kids how to apply what they learn to real life.

            Students have a high motivation and interest when they are allowed to set learning goals and methods of assessment. I have found that students are generally harder on themselves and peers when grading projects and assignments. Classrooms are full of diversity whether it be culturally or academically. Using various methods of technology such as word processing applications, organizing and brainstorming software, data collection tools, web resources, and communication software can give all students the opportunity for success.

            When contemplating lesson planning and organization, Universal Design Learning (UDL) is a method that has become quite common. UDL applies built-in flexibility to curriculum and improves access to learning for all students. Multimedia tools can be used to create learning materials that are more flexible than textbooks. With the use of UDL, educators are able to make the information as well as learning accessible to all students. A successful learning environment supports and challenges students to recognize essential cues and patterns, master skillful strategies, and engage in learning while minimizing barriers. The UDL framework supports multiple, flexible methods of presentation, expression and apprenticeship, and for engagement. This structure allows students of varying degrees of academic and cultural diversity to succeed.

            Technology is becoming integrated into the classroom and curriculum as an increasing rate. I believe using the technology is fascinating and can really get the kids involved. I wonder though how students are to interact with technology assignments when they do not have access to the Internet at the home. How can I ask students to use a blog or wiki outside of school hours if they don’t have access? I have thought about trying to give them time during the class period to go to the library and use the computers, but by the time we finish our class discussions and activities, there isn’t any time left. I am literally teaching bell to bell. I have students that are more worried about having food, running water, electricity, and shelter rather than having Internet access to complete assignments.