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.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Week 3 : CEDO 525 Enhancing Learning Materials through Technology
This week as part of our assignment we were given the task of comparing and contrasting three web based advanced organizer applications. I chose to look at bubbl.us, Webspiration and Mindmeister. All three applications are online tools that are capable of creating concept maps.
I found bubbl.us extremely easy to use: I was able to jump right in and start an organizer with very little effort or time invested in learning how to use the tool. I can see bubbl.us being leveraged in a classroom situation where a teacher might want to start mapping a concept out "on the fly." Bubbl.us did not have much to help someone looking for ideas to get started--you essentially begin with a blank slate containing one button that says "click here to start." It's pretty basic in terms of the graphics from what I could tell, but it certainly gets the job done in a quick and easy fashion.
Webspiration is an online application that has a lot to offer. There are a wide variety of tools, templates, and graphics available in the free version; which was surprising to me. I found this application to be a little less user-friendly than bubbl.us in the sense that I would definitely have to invest some time to learn how to create my own graphic organizers. I really like the fact that Webspiration has an extensive library of templates and see that as a true value-add when it comes to using this application.
Mindmeister.com was the third application I checked out and while it essentially offers what the other two applications offer, the look and feel is completely different. It has more of a "tree" look and contains buttons that can expand or collapse a list, much like a directory in Windows Explorer. The webs created in Mindmeister can become quite intricate, yet by using the expand/collapse buttons the presenter can direct an audience's focus to a particular detail. Of all three online applications, this seemed to be the most cutting-edge and interactive. I look forward to investigating Mindmeister further.
Reflections:
Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers:
I believe the use of an advanced organizer can help guide an instructor through the process of effective questioning and prompting through the use of cues. Using something as simple as a KWL chart can effectively set the course for learning a new concept in most any subject area: The teacher will be able to identify through the use of this advanced organizer what the students know, which will help guide the process of providing cues that trigger students’ memories; as well as learn what the students want to learn in order to pose questions that keep them interested and engaged in the lesson.
Nonlinguistic Representation:
Nonlinguistic representations are mental images and physical sensations that can attach meaning to new ideas or concepts. I think the evolution of technology has helped to facilitate more nonlinguistic representation of new content into the classroom. Today it is relatively easy, provided the tools and accessibility, to conduct a google search on any given topic and come up with an image or sound to help reinforce learning. Teachers can attach clip art to vocabulary lists, or pull up a Discovery Ed video to demonstrate what life is like in another part of the world. Bringing nonlinguistic representation into lessons provides a rich experience from which students will be able to attach some meaning of their own.
Summarizing and Note taking:
In my experience, summarizing and note taking is something that hasn’t been explicitly taught, yet expected to happen with success as students move on to middle and high school level. Summarizing reminds me of the dreaded story problems in math: you need to delete some information to really get to the heart of the question. Summarizing also requires you to analyze a selection and determine what stays, what goes and how to put it in your own words. Note taking is also the ability to filter out what is important and what is secondary in the material / information presented. Both require time invested in learning the strategy in order to become successful. I believe that through teacher modeling, frameworks and examples, and opportunities for practice with feedback can lay the foundation for effective summarizing and note taking skills.
I found bubbl.us extremely easy to use: I was able to jump right in and start an organizer with very little effort or time invested in learning how to use the tool. I can see bubbl.us being leveraged in a classroom situation where a teacher might want to start mapping a concept out "on the fly." Bubbl.us did not have much to help someone looking for ideas to get started--you essentially begin with a blank slate containing one button that says "click here to start." It's pretty basic in terms of the graphics from what I could tell, but it certainly gets the job done in a quick and easy fashion.
Webspiration is an online application that has a lot to offer. There are a wide variety of tools, templates, and graphics available in the free version; which was surprising to me. I found this application to be a little less user-friendly than bubbl.us in the sense that I would definitely have to invest some time to learn how to create my own graphic organizers. I really like the fact that Webspiration has an extensive library of templates and see that as a true value-add when it comes to using this application.
Mindmeister.com was the third application I checked out and while it essentially offers what the other two applications offer, the look and feel is completely different. It has more of a "tree" look and contains buttons that can expand or collapse a list, much like a directory in Windows Explorer. The webs created in Mindmeister can become quite intricate, yet by using the expand/collapse buttons the presenter can direct an audience's focus to a particular detail. Of all three online applications, this seemed to be the most cutting-edge and interactive. I look forward to investigating Mindmeister further.
Reflections:
Cues, Questions and Advanced Organizers:
I believe the use of an advanced organizer can help guide an instructor through the process of effective questioning and prompting through the use of cues. Using something as simple as a KWL chart can effectively set the course for learning a new concept in most any subject area: The teacher will be able to identify through the use of this advanced organizer what the students know, which will help guide the process of providing cues that trigger students’ memories; as well as learn what the students want to learn in order to pose questions that keep them interested and engaged in the lesson.
Nonlinguistic Representation:
Nonlinguistic representations are mental images and physical sensations that can attach meaning to new ideas or concepts. I think the evolution of technology has helped to facilitate more nonlinguistic representation of new content into the classroom. Today it is relatively easy, provided the tools and accessibility, to conduct a google search on any given topic and come up with an image or sound to help reinforce learning. Teachers can attach clip art to vocabulary lists, or pull up a Discovery Ed video to demonstrate what life is like in another part of the world. Bringing nonlinguistic representation into lessons provides a rich experience from which students will be able to attach some meaning of their own.
Summarizing and Note taking:
In my experience, summarizing and note taking is something that hasn’t been explicitly taught, yet expected to happen with success as students move on to middle and high school level. Summarizing reminds me of the dreaded story problems in math: you need to delete some information to really get to the heart of the question. Summarizing also requires you to analyze a selection and determine what stays, what goes and how to put it in your own words. Note taking is also the ability to filter out what is important and what is secondary in the material / information presented. Both require time invested in learning the strategy in order to become successful. I believe that through teacher modeling, frameworks and examples, and opportunities for practice with feedback can lay the foundation for effective summarizing and note taking skills.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Week 2: CEDO 525 Enhancing Learning Materials through Technology
This week we read Susan M. Brookhart's article, Feedback that fits. I thought this was an excellent resource that provided specific examples to help begin the process of providing formative feedback to students. I agree that feedback provided in a constructive, yet positive way, can motivate students to strive for improvement. As I reflect on this article, I go back to my experience as a supervisor in a Title I program where my teachers have such limited amount of time with their students. Providing feedback is a fantastic way to motivate these kids to love learning, yet the teachers don't seem to have enough time to provide the formative feedback--or it isn't a natural thing to do for many, so the "good job" and "way to go" are often what I hear when going out to site visits. I plan to share Brookhart's article with my staff to get people thinking about the way they provide feedback to their students.
Reflections: Setting Objectives, Providing Feedback, Providing Recognition
I learned that helping students set objectives for themselves in the learning process helps to give them more ownership. While I have always viewed it as the teacher's role and hadn't really thought of students in the role of setting objectives, I have always believed in collecting data from the students to help drive instruction; which is, essentially, a way of having the students involved in this process. I learned that it is as simple as using a survey or a KWHL chart to facilitate students setting objectives for lessons.
The types of technology I can use to provide feedback include student responders, email, voice messages, eyejot videos, and more. What I have learned is the importance of the feedback being as immediate as possible in order to make a connection with the student(s). The feedback will be most effective when it is specific to the task being evaluated and suggestions for growth are included.
I can think of a time we used an award ceremony to provide recognition for our Title I students. Students were recognized for exceptional progress, stellar attendance and positive attitudes. This event was extremely successful and had a lasting impact on our students’ attitudes toward learning in the Title I room. Recognition does not always have to be presented in such a grand scale, but in order to motivate the group as a whole, this mid-year event helped students and teachers to hit the home stretch of the school year feeling a sense of renewal.
Reflections: Setting Objectives, Providing Feedback, Providing Recognition
I learned that helping students set objectives for themselves in the learning process helps to give them more ownership. While I have always viewed it as the teacher's role and hadn't really thought of students in the role of setting objectives, I have always believed in collecting data from the students to help drive instruction; which is, essentially, a way of having the students involved in this process. I learned that it is as simple as using a survey or a KWHL chart to facilitate students setting objectives for lessons.
The types of technology I can use to provide feedback include student responders, email, voice messages, eyejot videos, and more. What I have learned is the importance of the feedback being as immediate as possible in order to make a connection with the student(s). The feedback will be most effective when it is specific to the task being evaluated and suggestions for growth are included.
I can think of a time we used an award ceremony to provide recognition for our Title I students. Students were recognized for exceptional progress, stellar attendance and positive attitudes. This event was extremely successful and had a lasting impact on our students’ attitudes toward learning in the Title I room. Recognition does not always have to be presented in such a grand scale, but in order to motivate the group as a whole, this mid-year event helped students and teachers to hit the home stretch of the school year feeling a sense of renewal.
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Week 1: CEDO 525 Enhancing Learning Materials through Technology
This week we kicked things off by discussing and reflecting on what constitutes effective learning and effective teaching. As part of this exercise, I reviewed two articles: Principles of Teaching and Learning and A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of teaching and learning.
I first took a look at Principles of Teaching and Learning from the Carnegie Mellon Enhancing Education website. The principles discussed for both Teaching and Learning were familiar and supported much of what we do in the program I supervise for Title I students. The company I work for has developed a program that is goal oriented, with the objective that students will gain mastery of skills they missed along the way.
I found the Teaching Principles truly aligned with the approach taken in our Title I skill development program. It is critical to the success of our program, and the success of our students, to take the time on the front end to gather information and put together a targeted plan with a reasonable number of goals to be met within a term of instruction. I liked principle #4 where it states "Coverage is the enemy." So many classroom teachers who come to work in our program have a difficult time adapting to the focus of our program--we only see our students 120 minutes per week, so in order to see progress it's important to prepare lessons that focus only on the goals. Attempting to cover too many different topics or concepts can lead to confusion and/or students not able to reach goals within the set time period. I also liked the final principle that spoke to self assessment as an educator and using the data to help make decisions regarding effectiveness of curriculum and whether or not it is time for change.
The Learning Principles were also very helpful. While I think the teachers I supervise are in tune with their students and have a good sense of what motivates them, I believe there is a need to slow things down and take the time to have meaningful conversations with the students about what they are learning. I also think time constraints in our program, and the nature of the students we are working with, often translate in teachers making many decisions for their students rather than coaching the students in making appropriate decisions. This is a skill I have seen missing in our classrooms and one I've been encouraging my teachers to integrate into their teaching styles. Easier for some than others.
The second article, A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of teaching and learning , was more of a case study done by Hersh C. Waxman, Meng-Fen Lin and Georgette M. Michko out of the University of Houston. I found this to be a challenging read due to the technical nature of the information presented. I also found that most of it focused on documentation of sources and what constituted a valid vs invalid case study. The overall conclusion that technology had a positive impact on student outcomes back in 2003 reflects what I believe to be true in 2011. The integration of interactive whiteboard technology in our Title I program has greatly improved student engagement, motivation to attend and participate in class. I strongly believe when students are engaged in learning it can only have a positive effect on student outcomes.
I first took a look at Principles of Teaching and Learning from the Carnegie Mellon Enhancing Education website. The principles discussed for both Teaching and Learning were familiar and supported much of what we do in the program I supervise for Title I students. The company I work for has developed a program that is goal oriented, with the objective that students will gain mastery of skills they missed along the way.
I found the Teaching Principles truly aligned with the approach taken in our Title I skill development program. It is critical to the success of our program, and the success of our students, to take the time on the front end to gather information and put together a targeted plan with a reasonable number of goals to be met within a term of instruction. I liked principle #4 where it states "Coverage is the enemy." So many classroom teachers who come to work in our program have a difficult time adapting to the focus of our program--we only see our students 120 minutes per week, so in order to see progress it's important to prepare lessons that focus only on the goals. Attempting to cover too many different topics or concepts can lead to confusion and/or students not able to reach goals within the set time period. I also liked the final principle that spoke to self assessment as an educator and using the data to help make decisions regarding effectiveness of curriculum and whether or not it is time for change.
The Learning Principles were also very helpful. While I think the teachers I supervise are in tune with their students and have a good sense of what motivates them, I believe there is a need to slow things down and take the time to have meaningful conversations with the students about what they are learning. I also think time constraints in our program, and the nature of the students we are working with, often translate in teachers making many decisions for their students rather than coaching the students in making appropriate decisions. This is a skill I have seen missing in our classrooms and one I've been encouraging my teachers to integrate into their teaching styles. Easier for some than others.
The second article, A meta-analysis of the effectiveness of teaching and learning , was more of a case study done by Hersh C. Waxman, Meng-Fen Lin and Georgette M. Michko out of the University of Houston. I found this to be a challenging read due to the technical nature of the information presented. I also found that most of it focused on documentation of sources and what constituted a valid vs invalid case study. The overall conclusion that technology had a positive impact on student outcomes back in 2003 reflects what I believe to be true in 2011. The integration of interactive whiteboard technology in our Title I program has greatly improved student engagement, motivation to attend and participate in class. I strongly believe when students are engaged in learning it can only have a positive effect on student outcomes.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Internet Resources: Week 4
This week we took a look at copyright law and fair use, as well as Creative Commons; which are both important issues when considering use of technology in the classroom. There are many tools and techniques that make the process of "lifting" another person's creative work quite easy to do. The sharing and collaborative nature of the internet makes claiming ownership of one's creative and intellectual property difficult to control. One of the resources we tapped into is a YouTube video: Copyright 101 for Teachers which looked at copyright law and fair use from a more traditional perspective. We also refered to http://creativecommons.org which is a vast resource that helps consumers of information found on the internet know our limitations when it comes to how specific products can be used or adapted, and steps that need to be taken in doing so.
We also addressed Internet safety for children, which is a critical topic in an educational setting. Some of the resources we investigated include:
We also addressed Internet safety for children, which is a critical topic in an educational setting. Some of the resources we investigated include:
- Children’s Internet Protection Act: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/cipa.html .
- Internet Safety for Kids: http://www.komputers4rkids.com/Protection.html is a huge clearinghouse of resources for teachers and parents related to keeping children safe on the Internet.
- Government Publications: http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
- The Wise Kids website: http://www.webwisekids.org/index.asp?page=parents
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)