Final Reflection
Last night we presented our final projects where we took existing lessons and enhanced them using technology. In my case, I evaluated processes and procedures within my workplace and determined ways to use technology to enhance our professional learning community.
While my workplaced has evolved quite a bit over the years, our organization has continued to fall back on old habits of communication, including over-use of email and print resources. Through my coursework I've been introduced to a variety of online tools that could be introduced to my staff to improve lines of communication and cut down on the amount of paper used to support new processes & procedures. One of the most valuable tools I learned about was Google Sites because it provided me with a location to store documentation, as well as facilitate communication (via an annoncement page and calendar, and collaboration through discussion boards).
The site has been live for about one month now, and the feedback I have received has been really positive. Overall, my staff members are finding it to be a valuable resource where they can obtain documents in one central location. People are beginning to participate in the discussion boards: Educational Resources and Mimio Lessons. For the most part, several have posted lessons and links to sites / articles they think might be of interest--the next step is to get others to reply to the posts in order to get more of a conversation going in regards to those initial posts. I talked to the staff about it yesterday during our staff meeting--we looked at the site and I had some teachers come up to share their posts. We talked about what we liked about the sites, what might not be as useful, etc. and I then demonstrated how that discussion could continue outside of our monthly meeting times by replying on the discussion boards. It's new, and it's only been up for a few weeks, so I realize it will take some time to reach it's full potential; but I'm very pleased with the results thus far and feel that I am well on my way of meeting my objectives.
This course helped me to consider learning strategies through the process of creating the company Intranet in Google Sites. I was able to see that although I am not teaching in a classroom, many of the learning strategies used by classroom teachers apply to the professional development I conduct for my staff. I took the learning strategies into consideration as I evaluated the site I created, and proceeded to add or tweak what was already there to meet my objectives of improving communication and fostering a professional learning community.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Friday, April 8, 2011
Week 5: CEDO 525 Enhancing Learning Materials through Technology
Reflection: Identifying Similarities and Differences, Homework and Practice, and Generating and Testing Hypothesess
Q: What kinds of technology can I use to help students identify similarity and differences?
Identification of similarities and differences can be accomplished a variety of different ways, and the use of nonlinguistic representation and graphic organizers can help reinforce understanding that helps students apply the strategy to other contexts. There is a wealth of technology resources that can help organize details as students make comparisons. Word processing programs come standard with tables, as well as drawing tools. There are auto shapes in Microsoft Word & Powerpoint that allow users to draw arrows, circles, etc. and you are able to type in the autoshape without having to draw an extra text box. Using word processors, you are not limited by templates; it's a blank canvas. Powerpoint also has organization charts that can be used to illustrate relationships between concepts. Spreadsheet programs are also useful in making comparisons; especially when there is data that can be calculated to demonstrate a point. The data can be converted to graphs/charts that are valuable way to support the comparison via the use of non-linguistic representation. Other applications that help facilitate comparisons and classifications include Webspiration, Kidspiration, Mindmeister, and Wallwisher to name a few.
Q: What is the purpose of having students do homework and practice outside of the classroom?
One of the common complaints I've heard from students when working with them in supplemental services has to do with the purpose of homework. Many see it as busy work that is an extension of what they were doing in the classroom--and upon reflection, I think that is how I also so homework (for the most part) as a student. While it is important for students to dedicate time to extending their learning of concepts introduced in school to truly gain ownership of the skills, it is equally as important for us as teachers to clearly communicate the purpose and what they can expect to get out of the exercise.
If I were a classroom teacher today, I might try to assign homework that requires taking the concept learned in class and apply it to something relevant to life outside of school. A few examples, depending on the subject: Apply operations of "parts of numbers" (fractions, decimals & percents) to your favorite recipe. Use excel to demonstrate how changing the number of servings impact amounts of ingredients. Elapsed time: Create a 30 second ringtone of your favorite song--what is the beginning and end time? email your file to share in class. Classifying living vs non-living things: look in your backyard and classify living vs non-living things. Organize your comparison in a table or spreadsheet. I would like to think that by taking the skill learned and practiced in the classroom and applying it to tasks that students can relate to will lessen the question of "why do I have to do this?" Of course, there are limitations based on the resources available to the students outside of school so the creating part of these tasks may have to be modified or completed in school.
Q: What technology can be used for Generating and Testing Hypotheses?
The process of generating and testing hypotheses is most definitely on the high end of Bloom's Taxonomy: students develop a hypothesis based on information they are provided, then investigate, analyze, question, and draw conclusions. Because this can be a complex process, the use of technology to gather, organize and present results can be extremely helpful for students. Students can use technology to research topics and gather information--Internet resources or electronic encyclopedias are just a couple of options. Spreadsheet software can be especially useful to organize and present the information: Data tables can be created to organize information as it is gathered, and the data can then be converted into a graph or chart to help provide a visual representation of the findings.
Q: What kinds of technology can I use to help students identify similarity and differences?
Identification of similarities and differences can be accomplished a variety of different ways, and the use of nonlinguistic representation and graphic organizers can help reinforce understanding that helps students apply the strategy to other contexts. There is a wealth of technology resources that can help organize details as students make comparisons. Word processing programs come standard with tables, as well as drawing tools. There are auto shapes in Microsoft Word & Powerpoint that allow users to draw arrows, circles, etc. and you are able to type in the autoshape without having to draw an extra text box. Using word processors, you are not limited by templates; it's a blank canvas. Powerpoint also has organization charts that can be used to illustrate relationships between concepts. Spreadsheet programs are also useful in making comparisons; especially when there is data that can be calculated to demonstrate a point. The data can be converted to graphs/charts that are valuable way to support the comparison via the use of non-linguistic representation. Other applications that help facilitate comparisons and classifications include Webspiration, Kidspiration, Mindmeister, and Wallwisher to name a few.
Q: What is the purpose of having students do homework and practice outside of the classroom?
One of the common complaints I've heard from students when working with them in supplemental services has to do with the purpose of homework. Many see it as busy work that is an extension of what they were doing in the classroom--and upon reflection, I think that is how I also so homework (for the most part) as a student. While it is important for students to dedicate time to extending their learning of concepts introduced in school to truly gain ownership of the skills, it is equally as important for us as teachers to clearly communicate the purpose and what they can expect to get out of the exercise.
If I were a classroom teacher today, I might try to assign homework that requires taking the concept learned in class and apply it to something relevant to life outside of school. A few examples, depending on the subject: Apply operations of "parts of numbers" (fractions, decimals & percents) to your favorite recipe. Use excel to demonstrate how changing the number of servings impact amounts of ingredients. Elapsed time: Create a 30 second ringtone of your favorite song--what is the beginning and end time? email your file to share in class. Classifying living vs non-living things: look in your backyard and classify living vs non-living things. Organize your comparison in a table or spreadsheet. I would like to think that by taking the skill learned and practiced in the classroom and applying it to tasks that students can relate to will lessen the question of "why do I have to do this?" Of course, there are limitations based on the resources available to the students outside of school so the creating part of these tasks may have to be modified or completed in school.
Q: What technology can be used for Generating and Testing Hypotheses?
The process of generating and testing hypotheses is most definitely on the high end of Bloom's Taxonomy: students develop a hypothesis based on information they are provided, then investigate, analyze, question, and draw conclusions. Because this can be a complex process, the use of technology to gather, organize and present results can be extremely helpful for students. Students can use technology to research topics and gather information--Internet resources or electronic encyclopedias are just a couple of options. Spreadsheet software can be especially useful to organize and present the information: Data tables can be created to organize information as it is gathered, and the data can then be converted into a graph or chart to help provide a visual representation of the findings.
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Week 4: CEDO 525 Enhancing Learning Materials through Technology
Review: Clay Shirky on institutions vs. collaboration and Clay Shirky: How cognitive surplus will change the world
This week our class reviewed the two Clay Shirky videos listed above that both spoke to the changing paradigm of collaboration.
In the video Institutions vs. Collaboration, Shirky compares traditional collaboration (setup, intention, costs, etc.) that requires an institution to be constructed in order to facilitate the sharing of information, to the current and future of online collaboration (open source, little to no overhead, non-exclusionary). In this video, Shirky pointed out the fact that in the new platform for collaboration the amount contributed is not equal, but value can be found in every piece of information shared. In the traditional institutional collaborative setting, value is placed on the number of contributions made, and those who do not pull their weight are taken out of the equation. I was struck by this insight, particularly when Shirky applied the concept to open source applications--even though someone might only have one idea to contribute, that idea could be the key to the success of the project as a whole.
Shriky's talk about How cognitive surplus will change the world was an insightful look at what can happen consumers of information take it to the next level of creating and sharing their contributions with the online community. We are a society making the transition from consumers to people who not only consume but also create and want to share our creations with others. With that desire as well as the tools to facilitate creation and sharing, comes the need to define the value of information out there. Shirky's approach to this topic does not discount the entertainment value of many of the products out there; he simply categorizes it has having more of a communal value in which certain groups of people will be drawn to the work that has been shared. Shirky categorized products that have more of a global impact as having "civic value" and it is this type of product that will contribute to changing the world. Regardless of the category in which a contribution falls, it is a step in the right direction of participating in the new world of collaboration.
Reflections: Cooperative Learning & Reinforcing Effort
In the past, I have attempted to facilitate cooperative learning in a meeting environment where the participants were interacting face to face. My organization meets once a month and during that short amount of time we have a lot of ground to cover, so the cooperative learning often gets the short end of the stick. In response to that need for a professional learning community where my staff can contribute without the time constraints of a physical meeting, I've created a company Intranet. I've included discussion boards on the Intranet site where staff members can share lessons and resources they've found to be effective in their Title I classrooms. We use the mimio interactive whiteboards, so this forum allows staff members to share interactive websites as well as mimio lessons they've created to support lessons that are unique to our diagnostic-prescriptive program. The company Intranet is a relatively new tool, and some staff members are more active on the site than others, but I hope to continue to drive participation and get everyone to see the value in this tool, as well as the opportunity for collaboration outside of our monthly meeting times.
Reinforcing effort is something that comes naturally with school-aged students, but can be a bit more challenging when working with a group of adults. In the past, I've attempted to recognize staff members who were able to meet organizational goals at each of our monthly meetings, but I found that not everyone appreciated being in the limelight. Currently, I make a point to email specific staff members to recognize their efforts: For example, I run reports and follow up with areas that need attention. If I see improvements upon the next report run, I am sure to let the individual know their efforts are noticed. With the implementation of the new Intranet site, I can use the announcements page to recognize staff members for their contributions to the organization; or to simply share good news on a personal note (birthdays, babies, etc.) to help connect our staff, which happens to be spread across 10 different locations. I believe that for the most part, people respond positively to being recognized for their efforts; and whether it is in a classroom or in a business, positive working environments will lead to more success and higher productivity.
This week our class reviewed the two Clay Shirky videos listed above that both spoke to the changing paradigm of collaboration.
In the video Institutions vs. Collaboration, Shirky compares traditional collaboration (setup, intention, costs, etc.) that requires an institution to be constructed in order to facilitate the sharing of information, to the current and future of online collaboration (open source, little to no overhead, non-exclusionary). In this video, Shirky pointed out the fact that in the new platform for collaboration the amount contributed is not equal, but value can be found in every piece of information shared. In the traditional institutional collaborative setting, value is placed on the number of contributions made, and those who do not pull their weight are taken out of the equation. I was struck by this insight, particularly when Shirky applied the concept to open source applications--even though someone might only have one idea to contribute, that idea could be the key to the success of the project as a whole.
Shriky's talk about How cognitive surplus will change the world was an insightful look at what can happen consumers of information take it to the next level of creating and sharing their contributions with the online community. We are a society making the transition from consumers to people who not only consume but also create and want to share our creations with others. With that desire as well as the tools to facilitate creation and sharing, comes the need to define the value of information out there. Shirky's approach to this topic does not discount the entertainment value of many of the products out there; he simply categorizes it has having more of a communal value in which certain groups of people will be drawn to the work that has been shared. Shirky categorized products that have more of a global impact as having "civic value" and it is this type of product that will contribute to changing the world. Regardless of the category in which a contribution falls, it is a step in the right direction of participating in the new world of collaboration.
Reflections: Cooperative Learning & Reinforcing Effort
In the past, I have attempted to facilitate cooperative learning in a meeting environment where the participants were interacting face to face. My organization meets once a month and during that short amount of time we have a lot of ground to cover, so the cooperative learning often gets the short end of the stick. In response to that need for a professional learning community where my staff can contribute without the time constraints of a physical meeting, I've created a company Intranet. I've included discussion boards on the Intranet site where staff members can share lessons and resources they've found to be effective in their Title I classrooms. We use the mimio interactive whiteboards, so this forum allows staff members to share interactive websites as well as mimio lessons they've created to support lessons that are unique to our diagnostic-prescriptive program. The company Intranet is a relatively new tool, and some staff members are more active on the site than others, but I hope to continue to drive participation and get everyone to see the value in this tool, as well as the opportunity for collaboration outside of our monthly meeting times.
Reinforcing effort is something that comes naturally with school-aged students, but can be a bit more challenging when working with a group of adults. In the past, I've attempted to recognize staff members who were able to meet organizational goals at each of our monthly meetings, but I found that not everyone appreciated being in the limelight. Currently, I make a point to email specific staff members to recognize their efforts: For example, I run reports and follow up with areas that need attention. If I see improvements upon the next report run, I am sure to let the individual know their efforts are noticed. With the implementation of the new Intranet site, I can use the announcements page to recognize staff members for their contributions to the organization; or to simply share good news on a personal note (birthdays, babies, etc.) to help connect our staff, which happens to be spread across 10 different locations. I believe that for the most part, people respond positively to being recognized for their efforts; and whether it is in a classroom or in a business, positive working environments will lead to more success and higher productivity.
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