Week 4: It's all about Intergrating !

This week contain some really beneficial reading material that I will be able to use for next school year and I am so excited. I truly thought the article in regards to the MTI program was great and had some fabulous ideas on how to implement these various strategies to assist with the creation of high-performing learning systems within the schools. The (3) phases that is used to formulate and support high-performing learning is:

• Planning
• Determination of site readiness
• Administer teacher technology survey
• Help students achieve challenging content standards
• Develop implementation plan
• Select initial mentees
• Implementation



Howard Pitler
 http://www.classroom20.com/profile/HowardPitler

• One-on-One Mentoring
• Whole-Staff Workshops
• On-line Administrative Meetings
• Re-administered teacher technology survey
• Transfer
• Development of a year-two implementation plan
• Select year two mentees
• One-on-One Mentoring
• Whole staff workshops
• On-line administrative meetings
• Administer a final teacher technology survey

Citation: Pitler, H. (2005). McRel technology initiative: The development of a technology intervention program final report (Contract Number ED-01-CO-0006). Aurora, CO: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED486685)

The quote that I can really identified with in this particular weekly reading came from

Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, Chapter 7

" We each have our own baseline of anxiety and comfort and find different kinds of tests easy or difficult" (Goleman, 1995).

 

This quote basically summarized the thoughts and feelings of assessments and how these standardized tests are really inadequate tools used to measure each student learning. “We" as educators have said countless times that each student is different and learn differently from each other. There are even studies and countless articles and books over differentiate learning and learning styles but, yet we still administered the same type of test to every student. What is wrong with that picture? Students should be allowed to use the daily support with their assessments if they are allowed to use in their daily lessons, by taking away the students support system, students are basically being set-up for failure. To really know if a student is learning is through observations and talking with students to see what is really working and building a system of on-going assessments to build the confidence of students.

◦Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Chapter 7. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Students as well as teachers learn differently so, as technological leaders we should be able to have an array of tools to use to effectively teach, collaborate and assess both students and teachers learning.

 

 

eBook Link for CAST

This is a great tool for teaching a mini-lesson to a creative tool for an assessment. You can upload pictures and it has little talking characters, very hands-on.

eBook (S.T.A.N.D) Bullying

Teaching with Technology Part 3

During this week readings the main focus was over UDL and the purpose of this planning process. Universal Design for Learning also known as (UDL) can be used to provide individual students with appropriate instructional support and challenge through Recognition which is done through representations this known as  activating the students prior knowledge with the use of media and/or vocabulary. Another principle known as Strategic which is basically action and expression allowing the students plenty of options for expressing themselves as well as providing models and feedback through students actively working on the task at hand. The last one is known as engagement, and the focus is mainly on students' interest and whether they are motivated and challenged in their learning. Digital tools will allow the UDL plan to be more efficient in getting the students involved and motivated in their learning. Digital tools can be integrated in all three of the Networks in order for students to be successful.

Below you will see a breakdown from the UDL Website of the 3 Networks:

To support diverse recognition networks:

• Provide multiple examples
• Highlight critical features
• Provide multiple media and formats
• Support background context.

To support diverse strategic networks:

• Provide flexible models of skilled performance
• Provide opportunities to practice with supports
• Provide ongoing, relevant feedback
• Offer flexible opportunities for demonstrating skill.

To support diverse affective networks:

• Offer choices of content and tools
• Offer adjustable levels of challenge
• Offer choices of rewards
• Offer choices of learning context.  

• Citation: Cast.org (2009). Model UDL lessons. Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved from http://udlselfcheck.cast.org/
• Citation: Cast.org (2009). Cast UDL book builder. Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved from http://bookbuilder.cast.org

UDL Lesson Plan Reflection

I must admit this week's assignment was very time-consuming and vague. I felt I was on a week-long maze. The UDL template was very easy to use and it kept me on task. It help me to keep up with the three different principles of Network which consist of Recognition (The What), Strategic (The How) and Affective (The Why). It is imperative that the lesson incorporates the goals, the methods, the materials and assessment. Questions that one should ask oneself in regards to lesson planning in the UDL plan are the following:

1. What is my goal?
2. What are the barriers?
3. Did I incorporate the UDL Principles?

Students need to be able to use representation, action and expression and last but, not least Engagement in order to eliminate student barriers.So these principle need to be embedded in the lesson. 

• Citation: Cast.org (2009). Model UDL lessons. Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved from http://udlselfcheck.cast.org/

Below is my UDL Lesson over Bullying

We’re all in this together...S.T.A.N.D

(Stand tall against negative domineer)

Lesson Overview

Title: We’re all in this together...S.T.A.N.D (Stand tall against negative domineer)

Author: Devin Singleton

Subject: Bullying Awareness with integration of content areas

Grade Level(s): Grades 6-8

Duration: 1 week

Sub-Subject Area(s): Math, Reading, Language Arts and Technology

                                                                                           

Unit Description: This lesson is part of a bigger unit that focuses on Bullying. Bullying has played such an important but, negative role of many students’ lives that it has taken a life on its own. This topic has been on the news in recent years so much, that the school systems as well as political arena has made efforts to make a stand against bullying and to try to provide some protective measures against bullying by providing awareness and enforcing laws within the state’s education codes. Students will have the opportunity to participate in several activities to support their learning as well as share their learning about the effects of bullying, how to become a S.T.A.N.D student, all the while incorporating real-world learning through state standards for Math, Reading, Language Arts and Technology.

Lesson Description for Day: In this lesson, students will identify the types of bullying and find where these occurrences take place through reading articles and/or book excerpts about bullying, viewing video clips and self-reflection on own personal experiences of bullying of themselves or close friends. Students will then apply that information by creating a survey that their fellow peers can take. Students will then disaggregate the data to identify what is going on within their school in regards to bullying. Students will use this disaggregated data to determine what the cause of the bullying is and how the students can effectively make changes to reduce the occurrences of bullying or stop it altogether. Students will recommend a plan to bring awareness to bullying which will include a school-wide pledge S.T.A.N.D against Bullying using the acronym as well as a school-wide public service announcement through some sort of media platform of their choosing.

State Standards:

Texas State Standards for 6th Grade-8th Grade (Math)

6.10.D   Solve problems by collecting, organizing, displaying, and interpreting data

7.11.B   Make inferences and convincing arguments based on an analysis of given or collected data

8.13.A   Evaluate methods of sampling to determine validity of an inference made from a set of data

Texas State Standards for 6th Grade (Reading)

(12)  Reading/Comprehension of Informational Text/Procedural Texts. Students understand how to glean and use information in procedural texts and documents. Students are expected to:

(A)  Follow multi-tasked instructions to complete a task, solve a problem, or perform procedures; and

(B)  Interpret factual, quantitative, or technical information presented in maps, charts, illustrations, graphs, timelines, tables, and diagrams.

(13)  Reading/Media Literacy. Students use comprehension skills to analyze how words, images, graphics, and sounds work together in various forms to impact meaning. Students will continue to apply earlier standards with greater depth in increasingly more complex texts.

Students are expected to:

(A)  explain messages conveyed in various forms of media;

(B)  recognize how various techniques influence viewers' emotions;

(C)  critique persuasive techniques (e.g., testimonials, bandwagon appeal) used in media messages; and

(D)  analyze various digital media venues for levels of formality and informality.

ISTE Standards for (Technology)

Creativity and Innovation

a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas,

products, or processes

b. Create original works as a means of personal

or group expression

Communication and Collaboration

a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers,

experts, or others employing a variety of digital

environments and media

c. Develop cultural understanding and global

awareness by engaging with learners of

other cultures

Research and Information Fluency

b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize,

and ethically use information from a variety of

sources and media

c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital

tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks

Technology Operations and Concepts

Understand and use technology systems

b. Select and use applications effectively

and productively

c. Troubleshoot systems and applications

d. Transfer current knowledge to learning

of new technologies

Digital Citizenship

Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible

use of information and technology

b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology

that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity

c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for

lifelong learning

d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship

Goals

Unit Goals:

1. Students will identify the signs of bullying.

2. Students will classify the types of bullying into 4 groups.

3. Students will identify the types of sampling.

4. Students will use appropriate graphical display to represent data.

5. Students will create a proposal for prohibit bullying in school using data collected from the survey.

6. Students will effectively use the appropriate technological tools to create a final product.

Lesson Goals:

1. Students will identify the signs of bullying in individuals. (Recognition Network)

2. Students will classify the types of bullying into four groups based upon the characteristics that they see, or read through given scenarios. (Strategic Network)

3. Students will identify the types of sampling and pick the type of sampling that most appropriate for their data collection. (Recognition and Strategic Network)

4. Students will pick the most appropriate graphical display to represent the data that they collected. (Strategic Network)

5. Students will research proposals to help model the proposal that they will create based upon the data collected from the surveys. (Affective Network)

Methods

Anticipatory Set:

Give each student a piece of notebook paper and instruct them to crumple it up, stomp on it and really mess up the paper but, ensuring not to tear the paper. Then instruct the students to stop and unfold the paper, smooth it out and look at how scarred and mess up the paper is. Then instruct the students to tell the paper that it’s sorry. Despite saying sorry and trying to fix the paper, point out to the students that the paper still has scars left behind and that those scars will never go away no matter how hard you try to fix it. Explain to a student that’s what happens when a child bully’s another child, they may say sorry but the scars are there forever. Next instruct the kids to write down how they felt in regards to the exercise and what the overall meaning is in regards to this exercise and what he/she learned from this exercise.

 (Affective Network)

Source Cited From: This entry was posted on September 10, 2012, in Child Mental Health, Family, Parenting and tagged anti-bullying, bully, bullying, Child, Children and Young People, intervention, Parent, therapy, Violence and Abuse, Youth. Bookmark the permalink.       

Introduce and Model New Knowledge:

Introduce bullying by watching a video clip to introduce the different forms of bullying (Recognition Network).  We will discuss the different forms and create a chart with it characteristics (Strategic Network). We will also read several stories from students who were bullied and identify those signs that show that students are being bullied. Talk about the new vocabulary words in regards to bullying as well as sampling. Students will get a short lesson over the types of bullying. Students will be put into a group where they will be given different scenarios and the students have to identify what form of bullying it belongs to and place that scenario on the big board under its appropriate spot. Once all scenarios are placed on the board then the class will have a class discussion on the results (Affective Network).

Provide Guided Practice:

Students will work together as a group to read an article on bullying and the hot spots. Students will also read other articles about the causes of bullying and after reading these articles formulate questions (3-4) so, they can create a survey online using Google doc. Students will view a how-to video on the steps of formulating questions to create an online survey. Students will then complete a sampling worksheet as group to identify the types of sampling and when those types of sampling are biased and unbiased. Students then will use their knowledge of sampling to determine when it’s the best way to collect data. Once that dialogue is done students will then get the ipads and start collecting data by getting the students throughout the school to take the survey on Google doc. Students will then work as a group to decipher the data from Google doc (Strategic Network).

 Provide Independent Practice:

Once the students have the required data, students will take a question as well as the data collected for that question and create a graphical display for that information collected using create a graph software. Students will create a slide on the group’s Google presentation with the

their graphical representation. Students will also find a video to embed in their Google presentation slide. The student will also give a short description on one of the types of sampling with examples. Students are working by themselves but, are still collectively creating a final group product which is the Google presentation. The independent practice will consist of identifying a type of bullying, graphical display of the chosen survey question, identifying a type of sampling and explaining as well as video clip about bullying on the group’s Google presentation (Affective Network). Students will then create an eBook about a story of bullying incorporating what they have learned.

Assessment

Formative/Ongoing Assessment:

Teacher encourages class and group discussion on each transition of the lesson to make sure students are on task and understand what should be accomplished and to answer any questions that a student or a group may have.

Summative/End Of Lesson Assessment:

At the end of the lesson, the group of students will have uploaded a link to their Google presentation on-line to the class blog. Each individual student will have posted up an end of the lesson reflection on what they learned and explain the purpose of this lesson. The project will be evaluated on the following items:

1      Did the student effectively identify the types and causes of bullying?

2      Did the students pick the correct type of sampling and was able to explain why he/she chose that type of sample?

3      Did the students effectively use the technological tools provided as was able to come up with an on-line teaching tool about bullying while incorporating math?

4      Was the student able to communicate effectively their learning on the class blog?

5      Did the student create an eBook that creatively showed all of what they learned through this bullying lesson?

Materials

●     Articles over Bullying which will be found in live binder

●     Projector

●     Computer

●     Board

●     Scenarios cut up to give to groups

●     Ipads

●     Student Volunteers

●     Google Presentation

 Websites:

●     create a graph

http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/createagraph/

●     Book Builder

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/

●     Google

http://google/com/

●     Live binder

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=828909

Teaching with Technology Part 2

This particular assignment cover the aspect of  technology and its integration in learning goals for students as well its impact of student motivation and self-esteem. I have been steadily integrating technology in my classroom for the past 3 years in my classroom. I am very happy to see that I am on the right track and a lot of the ideals and suggestion, I have been implementing or have already done. It has been a great learning experience and by taking this course I can see concrete evidence that I am on the right track. I need to continue to master the art of integrating technology into education so, that students are building on their critical thinking skills, so that their performance on academic high-stakes assessment will continue to increase. In one of the readings, there was a great quote that I could identified with which came from Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning.

 

[It will be] to advise, guide, and encourage students wading through the deep waters of the information flood. [Educators] will thrive as mentors, tutors, backseat drivers, and coaches. They will use the best skill they have . . . to nudge, push, and sometimes pull students through the educationally crucial tasks of processing information: analysis, problem solving, and synthesis of ideas. These are the heart of education, and these are the activities on which our time can best be spent. (O'Donnell, 1998, p. 156)

 

There are so many tools out in the web world from A-Z that can enhance any lesson and capture any student attention. We just have find the right tool that will effectively get the students to accomplish their learning goal. Evidence has shown that students in special population take more to technology because it makes classes more novel because many do not have these resources at home. So as educators we need to use this to our benefit. We need to make sure that these tools reach all aspect of our students multiple intelligence.

Teaching with Technology

I have started a new course entitled Teaching with Technology. I am enjoying the course already and it's just the 1st week. I have read some really great articles from "If I am teaching this way, am I doing my job?" to "Social Networking Technologies in Education". Many of the readings gave thoughtful questions on the  education sector and its relationship now with technology to its potential relationship in the future. Of all the articles and readings that were covered for this week, I truly identified with this quote most of all from Thomas Friedman. 

Josh Haner/The New York Times

“In the future, how we educate our children may prove to be more important than how much we      

            educate them.”                                                                 

(Friedman, 2005, p. 302)

This quote from the New York Times columnist and Pulitzer winning author Thomas Friedman speaks about how the all-powerful West is slowly disappearing due to the technological revolution. With new gains in technology it is quickly changing the dynamics of how the world operates and it’s a global change in all facets of the everyday mechanics of life. Businesses are embracing this new change because it means being more efficient and with efficiency comes more revenue. This could pose a problem because this allows for outsourcing of jobs in other countries leaving the United States in a bind. So the quote that Friedman speaks of holds great weight.
 We have to educate the children in the states to be highly competitive in the realm of technological change and teach them how to use these tools efficiently so, that they can make great contributions to the world as well as provide a source of income for themselves later on in the future that seems to be changing more and more every day. We have to seriously think about how are we teaching these students and how will it prepare them in the future. Being a teacher myself we have been programmed to think that students will only learn if we tell them what they need to learn and test whether that information has been taught through countless standardized assessments. Yes, standardized assessments are quick but, it doesn't truly show what the students knows and it doesn't show how that student will use that information to solve pertinent problems.
 "We" the teachers need to learn that students learn by doing, creating and sharing their findings in a structured manner. "We" the teachers need to learn to give up our role of being in control to being a facilitator in our classroom. We have to give up the traditional role of teaching, standing and lecturing while students are quietly taking notes to a classroom that is vibrant with enriched-thought provoking questions and answering of students collaborating with each other to create a end product that is an reflection of their learning. 

We want to avoid doing this by all means if we want the students to have chance to be part of the future of technological change.

 While in the process not to resort to this means of teaching.

But to encourage innovative learning with the use of technology to enhance the learning goals to promote critical thinking skills as well as collaborative learning.

Here is a video by Deb Combs on what Educators should inspire to be and do in the education sector.