Online Teaching and Learning

There are many technologies that qualify as an online experience that I would be able to use in my classroom. As a music teacher for 3^rd through 5^th graders, however, it is difficult to create an online experience since my school does not have adequate access to computers.

In the past I was a technology teacher for 4^th through 6^th graders and used many of these technologies. One that was easy to implement in my curriculum was WebQuests. I have actually used quality WebQuests in every teaching position I have had. These have proven to be fun, educational, and interactive, and they have also helped students develop some lifelong learning skills.

When I created my WebQuest last year, I used it to integrate Social Studies into the technology curriculum.  I had my 5^th grade students complete a WebQuest on European explorers, which is a unit that they study in their 5^th grade classroom. The students seemed very excited to learn their material in a different manner than they had before.

When using a WebQuest, I first modeled what a completed project would look like by showing the students an example project. This gave them some idea of what they were going to be expected to do. We had already discussed and practice accessing information on the internet, so I then reminded the students some of the skills we had already mastered. I also gave the students’ time for guided practice and independent practice, which took up most of the assignment. I felt that the students were well prepared for this assignment both technologically and content-wise.

I think that because of the age group I teach, RSS readers are a difficult technology to teach. I believe that elementary age students may not get the purpose or idea of RSS readers, and how to use them for educational purposes. I also feel that teaching elementary students about online resource validation may be a difficult process. These students are just learning how to access information, and though I feel it is important to teach them proper search strategies and resource validation, it may be a little too soon. This age group is more apt to use websites that their teachers lead them to in order to find information.

Wiki

This week I created my first wiki page.  I set up my wiki for my personal learning community at my school.  My PLC consists of the “Encore” teachers, and we are in the process of creating our plan for the rest of the school year.

This page gives us the opportunity to communicate without actually meeting, since we have extremely busy schedules during the school day. This will also allow us to share new ideas in a real time format. Whenever any of us find something interesting online, or have an idea that pertains to the rest of the group, we can share it instantly and not have to worry about forgetting. 

  

https://smit1466.wikispaces.com/

UDL Guidelines – Educator Checklist for Cyber Safety Lesson

My lesson plan had many aspects of the UDL. The UDL checklist did however make me change or add a few items to my lesson that I had previously not considered. I discovered that I need to be more explicit in my teaching of key terms before letting students begin independent work. I also need to account for students who may need more structure than this lesson originally allowed. This checklist was beneficial to me as a teacher as it made me view the strengths and weaknesses of my lesson in a way that I previously would not have. Below is a link to my UDL Checklist for my lesson on cyber safety.

UDL Guidelines Checklist for Cyber Safety Lesson Plan

MERLOT Peer Review

One resource I found on MERLOT was a cyberbullying StAIR presentation. Below is my peer review and evaluation of the presentation

Quality of Content:
1. Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills?
• Yes
2. Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline?
• Yes
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
1. What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used?
1. Explanation or description of the topic/stating the problem
• A PowerPoint kiosk that teaches what cyberbullying is and how to prevent it.
2. Demonstration of the curriculum/exploration of the problem
• This kiosk explains the topic, provides ample examples, quizzes the learners, and asks how to handle different scenarios.
3. Practice using the curriculum/analysis of the outcomes from solving the problem
• After each video or article you are asked questions to check your learning.
4. Applying the curriculum to "new" problems/application of the outcomes to other problems
• You are asked to read through 3 different scenarios and choose how the people in the scenarios should respond.
2. What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials?
• Students are asked to take the knowledge they’ve learned about cyberbullying and create a blog post about what they’ve learned.
3. What are the characteristics of the target learner(s)
• The target learners are 5th-8th grade.
4. Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials?
• I think students would like the ability to link to videos and webpages to get additional information.
5. Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline?
• This lesson uses Microsoft PowerPoint, which can be found in most schools.
6. Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals?
• You could present this lesson to a whole class using a projector, or you could have individual students complete this lesson using a computer lab.
7. Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify?
• There are no specific goals listed in the presentation.
8. Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily?
• Yes
Ease of Use:
1. Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct?
• Yes
2. Does the user get trapped in the material?
• No
3. Can the user get lost easily in the material?
• No
4. Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses?
• Yes
5. Does the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use?
• Yes
6. Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software?
• No
7. Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students?
• Yes
8. Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students?
• Yes

Learning Styles

Growing up I have always known that I learn better when I can see what is being explained.  After completing the Learning Styles test I know for sure that I am a Visual Learner.  When reading through the visual learner’s definition I found myself saying this is me!  I tend to sit towards the front of classrooms so that I can see the teacher at all times.  I also like to see visual representations such as charts, graphs, and pictures. 

When teaching technology I tend to teach to the visual learners as well.  I always have the projector screen up and going so students can see what I am doing on the computer as I explaining a new concept.  I find that some students don’t even look at the screen and my explanations are enough for them, but I always remind students that as I am explaining what we are doing that they can look at the screen to be able to see what I am asking them to do.  I feel that I teach really well to the visual and auditory learners.  As a computer teacher I really struggle teaching to the kinesthetic learners.  Students each have their own computer and are completing different tasks, but I don’t allow students to roam or move around the classroom much for fear of computers crashing down.  I try to break up my 50 minute classes into a warm up or discussion, mini lesson, and work time.  Breaking the lesson into chunks helps keep all of the students’ interest for most of the period. I am interested to see how other tech teachers meet the kinesthetic learner’s needs.     

Although it is impossible to teach to all of our students different learning styles, I try really hard to make my lessons interesting both visually and orally.  I also try to find as many interactive activities for my students as possible.  I try to make sure that students have an opportunity to see, hear, do, and say something every class period.

Personal Learning Reflection

At the start of CEP 810 I listed 2 main goals for myself.  I wanted to increase my knowledge of different programs and websites that I could transfer into my curriculum, and I wanted to learn more about technology so I could be our buildings “go to” person.  In the last 5 weeks I have gained more knowledge about new technologies and how to make my life more streamlined than I have in the last 5 years. 

My first goal for this course was to gain knowledge of new programs or websites that I could utilize in my 4-6 technology curriculum.  I currently teach my students Microsoft Productivity Tools.  In the first session I learned how I could use Office Live, Google Docs, and Open Office to teach students about online productivity tools and how to use these tools in a collaborative way.  I was also excited to learn about Zoho and Prezi.  Both are collaborative presentation tools my students would love to utilize.  

Internet safety and copyright laws are two topics that I teach my students about.  I’ve gained some great safety tips to share with my students, such as copy and pasting any link into the Google search bar to see if the link is a scam or virus before they ever click on the link. Citing sources and using copyright free images is a constant struggle when working with students.  Attempting to explain the complicated copyright laws is a struggle.  The YouTube Disney video is wonderful, and I am looking forward to sharing it with my classes.  I also found the chart from Technology and Learning to be a user friendly chart when explaining what is allowed and not allowed when using others ideas, images, or products.  Creative Commons is also a great resource for students to use when looking for copyright free products.    

Digital storytelling is a topic that I had heard about prior to this course, but not one that I had taught.  I have learned so much about digital storytelling through my groups SIG project. For all of our great resources check out our SIG Delicious account.  I am looking forward to having my 4^th graders use Kapoof, and teaching my 5^th and 6^th graders how to use Microsoft’s Photo Story 3.  I believe digital storytelling is an excellent example of integrating Language Arts and Technology.  

Personal Learning Networks, Getting Things Done, and Netvibes are all three things that were introduced to me, and that have changed how I function.  At the start of this class I considered my Personal Learning Network to mainly consist of my colleagues at work and my peers through MSU.  CEP 810 opened my eyes to the many different PLN’s available within a click.  I have become an active member of Twitter and I am constantly checking to see what other tech teachers are saying.  Joining MACAL’s Ning has also provided me with a wealth of knowledge, and new ideas to try out in my classroom.   

Netvibes is a wonderful site where I can view all of my PLN blogs, websites, and social networks at one time.  Instead of spending time moving from website to website I can use Netvibes as a one stop spot where I can read up on technology trends, and what other technology teachers are doing in their own classroom.  I have discovered three teacher blogs where I have gained so many wonderful ideas that I can not wait to implement into my own curriculum.  Cool Cat Teacher, Ask a Teacher, and EdTechSandyK are three blogs that I have recommended to several of my colleges. 

David Allen’s Getting Things Done is a concept that I had never heard of.  This has tremendously changed how I function as a teacher, a student, a wife, and a mom.  I found a great free site (www.gtdify.com) and my husband and I have been using it religiously.  We share the same GTD account so we both don’t have to put some of the same projects down.  I can see what I need to get done today, tomorrow, this week, and this month in one click.  I know where my priorities need to be and if I complete all my tasks I can easily see what I should accomplish next.  I have noticed that the process of getting my endless to do list out of my head and into the GTDify page has reduced my stress tremendously. 

My second goal was to be able to be a “go to” person for technology in my building.  I have gained so many useful resources from this class.  I have decided to put together a Prezi presentation for my building administration on some of the beneficial websites our teachers should be utilizing.  I also want to present the idea of starting a collaborative Delicious account where teachers can post their useful websites and links.  As teachers we are constantly looking for new ideas and lesson plans that work, and at times we feel as if we are on an island all alone.  A school Delicious account would allow our teachers to share what they have found that works in one easy to access spot.  If teachers include detailed summaries, and tags we can easily create a collaborate site filled with countless resources for all. 

A new goal I am setting for myself, and hopefully the other technology teachers in the district, is to set up a K-12 technology portfolio system for our students.   Using the Michigan Educations Technology Standards and the National Educational Technology Standards for Students I would like our district to align our curriculum K-12 and see how we can successfully integrate other subjects into teaching technology.  This is a huge undertaking, but I believe it is a necessity for our students to be successful in today’s tech savvy world.  I believe using the TPACK model   would help us successful complete this task. 

Creative Commons

I've just discovered Creative Commons. This is a free search engine that filters copyrighted products. You can use the search engine just like any search engine and what is brought up are materials that can be used without fear of copyright infringement.

I found the following image by completing a Creative Commons search for computer classrooms. This is an image that I could potentially show my students of what a computer lab would look like in a college setting. I would ask them to compare/contrast our computer lab to the lab in the image.  I could also ask the students what they like about this lab compared to ours.  Our school district is considering technology update and it would be interesting to see what the students would like to see updated in our lab compared to the adults.   

Photo Attribution:

Original image: "Desktop PCs Warwick"
File:Computer lab showing desktop PCs warwick.jpg

User:Emijrp/Commons/es/10
By:User:Mike1024
Released under Public Domain.

This is an image I took of Alcatraz in May of 2009.  I added it to my flicker account and created a creative commons copyright.