EDLD 5364 Week 3 Reflections

Readings and Videos:

This has been a very rough week for me.  I have been sick all week, missed two days of school, and am having technology issues that are proving to be very frustrating.  I am glad I must reflect on the readings and videos and not on other aspects of this week. 

I enjoyed watching the two Digital Youth Portrait videos about Luis and Cameron.  I do wish there had been a portrait about a young lady who enjoyed and embraced technology though.   However, both of these young men were very inspiring.  It was fun to watch them with their peers as well as adults who looked to these young men to teach them about the latest and greatest in technology.

Luis used technology not only to connect with his friends, but also as a way to encourage his younger brother and have fun with him, and he mentored other young kids through the 4-H Tech Wizards program.  He helped his parents embrace technology as well in helping them learn how to pay bills online. 

Cameron used his love of computers not only to make movies and announcements at school, but also to help himself improve his hockey skills.  Of all the things captured in his video, this was the most innovative.  Another thing Cameron did that I appreciate as a teacher, was creating videos to help his teacher illustrate a concept in math class.  So many students are visual learners, and being able to watch a video that clearly illustrates a confusing concept is so helpful. 

The videos showed that both boys were able to use technology to solve problems and work with others to do the same. 

The video, Top 10 Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom, provided some good reminders on how to use the Internet more effectively in the classroom.  I will be honest, a lot of times I use the Internet as a babysitter when I am busy doing the fifty other jobs expected of me besides actual teaching.  I do many of the things listed, but one thing I need to work on is tip four, “Create your own interactive exercises.” (boxoftricks.net, nd)

I enjoyed reading Chapter 6 of the Rose and Meyer book, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, as well as Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools by Solomon and Schrum.  Rose and Meyer have great information pertaining to brain networks and using UDL in the classroom.  The quote that stood out to me this week was from the first page of Chapter 6.  “As our knowledge of the distributed processing in the brain grows, we know that the students do not have one kind of intelligence or one way of learning; they have many.  To accommodate these many ways of learning, we can use what we know about how each brain network operates to make our teaching methods and curriculum materials flexible in specific ways.” (Rose & Meyer, 2002)

Solomon and Schrum discuss several tools in our reading this week, but the one that really stands out to me it the use of blogs to improve the writing process.  My district, especially the high school, is focusing on improving our students’ writing abilities.  Bringing blogs into the classroom as a tool to improve skills seems like a great idea.

There was a lot to do this week, and I feel like I only scratched the surface.  Did I mention three week progress report grades are due, and I am not even close to being done with those?

UDL Lesson Plan:

Creating the UDL lesson plan was somewhat complicated.  Our group decide to use 9th grade biology as our content area.  None of us teach science, only two of us are even in the classroom and we teach CTE type classes.  Needless to say, I had to look up terms like succession, ecosystem, stability, biomes, and various other science terms just to get started.  I am very grateful to one of my co-workers who helped me by providing a unit and lessons to help us create our UDL lesson plans.  At first, I was not sure why a UDL lesson plan was any different than the lesson plans I am supposed to create every day.  As I read and worked on the CAST.org site on my eBook, I realized that UDL simply means I need to address all of my learners, whether, special needs, GT, or regular ed. students.  Figure 6-1 in the Rose and Meyer online book, Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age was very helpful. As I was planning my lesson, I could look at that list and make sure I had activities and learning experiences that addressed the Recognition, Strategic, and Affective networks.  I do not know if my lesson plan is what the professors at Lamar had in mind when creating the assignment, but I learned a lot throughout this very extensive week of work.

eBook:

Creating the eBook was actually a fun process.  The CAST.org book builder is not the most user-friendly program I have worked with, but it allows you to change font, font size, use bullet points, change alignment, and add pictures.  I chose not to work with the audio portion of the book builder, but if I create another one for my classes, I might try it.  As I have mentioned in my other reflections for the week, I have had technology problems and been sick, so I am feeling the time crunch.  I can see how looking at an eBook might help some students grasp the main points. I can also see how having a student, group, or class create the eBook would help reinforce learning.

References:

Boxoftricks.net (nd). Top 10 Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiisteObuhk

Edutopia.org (nd). Digital Youth Portrait -- Cameron. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-cameron-video

Edutopia.org (nd). Digital Youth Portrait -- Luis. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-profile-luis-video

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, New schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, 77-98.

EDLD 5364- Week 2 Reflection

EDLD 5364 - Week 2 Reflection

Until this week, I really had no concept of UDL.  I did not really know what it stood for or what it meant.  As I watched the CAST videos, it dawned on me that although I may not have ever heard the term, I had always incorporated UDL in my classroom.  The quote I used in my discussion board this week from the Rose and Meyer reading really stood out to me because it helped me come to this conclusion. 

"The challenge posed by greater diversity and greater accountability is to enable students with widely divergent needs, skills, and interests to attain the same high standards. To transform the pressures of diversity into opportunities for all learners, we apply insights about learners who don't "fit the mold" to helps us create flexible curricula and tools that will work more effectively for everyone. In this way, the challenges we face as educators inspire us to reconsider the way curriculum is designed and the way schooling is conducted." (Rose & Meyer, 2002)

I have always had a diverse classroom, and I make modifications for most, if not all, my students based on their individual needs.  Not all of them have an IEP, but I do adjust based on the student.  However, over the years, other teachers made me think that this practice was not okay.  If I modify for students without an IEP, how does that make my modifications for my special education students actual modifications?  After watching the videos and reading through the chapter about UDL, I realized I have always done what needs to be done for my students.

Another quote from the same text also had an impact, especially after I went back and watched all four videos from the CAST website again. “Technological advances have equipped educators with tremendous new instructional resources in the form of computers and digital media. New technologies offer us the opportunity to respond to the multifaceted individual differences in our student population by providing more varied media, tools, and methods.” (Rose & Meyer, 2002)

The first video, The Diversity of Learners, did not really tell me anything I did not already know.  Each student is unique.  According to the Special Education teacher interviewed in the clip, “One size fits all definitely doesn’t work.”  I see this on a daily basis.  Just helping my students log on to our classroom computers for the first time the other day was eye opening in this regard.

The video about brain research was very interesting.  I do not really ever think about neuroscience, but the way Dr. David Rose explained the three brain networks really made sense.  As I was watching the video, I was thinking back to my Accounting class on Thursday.  I watched as all but one of my students used all three networks as we learned about how “transactions affect the accounting equation.”  Looking back, I recognize how they first went through the recognition network.  What is an asset?  Then we discussed how each transaction would affect each side of the equation and the used the strategic network.  How is the equation affected?  What increases?  What decreases?  Are both sides affected? Last, but certainly not least, I saw their affective networks engaged.  They were asking questions, taking notes, and asking for clarification to help understand the why!  A very exciting and happy day for this nerd of an accounting teacher J

The last two videos about Universal Design and UDL were interesting.  I think the point that stood out the most is when Dr. Anne Meyer said, “UDL mirrors the universal design movement in architecture and product development.”  She then gives a couple of examples, but the one that stood out and actually put this entire philosophy into perspective for me was the example of curb cuts.  They are designed for people in wheel chairs (special needs), but who else uses them?  Parents with strollers, people who may have trouble walking but are not necessarily designated as special needs, people pushing just about anything that they do not want to bump off the curb. Not all of my students need extra help, but I have a lot who do for various reasons and they do not have an IEP or 504 paperwork.

What I take away most from our readings and videos this week is this.  Technology, as it has developed over the years, has given us as educators the opportunity to customize our lessons for each student.  UDL practically begs us to “customize for individual differences in each of the three brain networks.”  (lessonbuilder.cast.org)

Lessonbuilder.cast.org (nd). Diversity of Learners. Retrieved from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Lessonbuilder.cast.org (nd). The Brain Research. Retrieved from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Lessonbuilder.cast.org (nd). Principles of Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Lessonbuilder.cast.org. (nd). Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos

Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 1. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

EDLD 5364 - Teaching with Technology - Week 1 Reflections

Web Conference Reflection – Week 1

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Saturday, August 31, 2013 web conference due to previous engagements.  I attempted to attend the first scheduled web conference on Thursday, but then was advised that it had been cancelled.

I went into Blackboard to watch the recording of the Saturday morning conference so that I could get some clarification on a couple of questions I had about the assignment, but there was no link to the recording.  Thankfully, we have a good group on Facebook, and they were able to answer some of my questions.  Also, I know that the IAs and Dr. Abernathy are always available if I have any questions. 

Although my Internet connection works at my house, I have a hard time staying connected to web conferences or Google Hangout.  During the school year, I try to stay at school to attend the web conferences because there I have no problem staying connected in my classroom. 

I look forward to the week two web conference.

Readings and Videos Reflection – Week 1

I really enjoyed the readings and videos this week.  I finally feel justified in my teaching style.  I never knew what to call my teaching style, but after watching the videos and reading the readings, I realize that I have always tied the way I teach to both constructivism and connectivism theories.  I may have some students who would like to be cyborgs, but that theory never comes up in my classroom.

In the video, Building Knowledge:  Constructivism in Learning, John Abbott explains that constructivism means that one never learns anything from scratch.  New ideas relate to something you already have in your brain, and with this information you construct bigger and bigger frameworks of knowledge.  I am paraphrasing a bit, but when he said that it really struck me.  Because I teach Career and Technology, my job is tie my students’ learning to what they already know and help them build on it.  I use what they learn in math to make sense of the formulas and functions we use in Excel.  My favorite part of the video was at the very end.  Abbott says, “A good teacher is trying to teach a child from where they are now by expanding what they already have.” (Abbott, 2008)  This is what I try to do with my students daily.

After I watch the first video, I was excited.  I had a theory name to label my teaching style.  Then I watch George Seimens discuss connectivism. I realized I encourage this as well in my classroom.  He talked about how other theories (behaviorism, constructivism) all happen within the head of the learner, whereas connectivism takes place not only within the neural networks of our minds, but also the external networks of our environment.  “The learners themselves, the connections they form with each other, databases, other sources of knowledge is really the primary point of learning.  The network the learners create becomes the learning.” (Seimens, 2007)  I encourage my students to learn from one another, the Internet, me, other teachers, and their parents. George Seimens later says, “Knowledge is really about the distribution that occurs across an entire network.” I think if we are to be lifelong learners, we need to learn from those in our lives. I would like to do some more research about both constructivism and connectivism. 

Although I watch the video about Cyborg theory, I was a little freaked out. I almost could not take Professor Warwick seriously, but I could tell just how serious he is about what he does.  I appreciate his willingness to be his own test subject, and I do understand that there are some benefits to cyborg study, when it comes to amputees and individuals who are paralyzed or have nerve damage.  Despite my reluctance to buy into everything he talks about, Professor Kevin Warwick does make a very valid point.  In referring to humans, sometime in the near future, being able to implant a chip into our brains for improved or enhanced memory function and the reluctance or disbelief people have in accepting this, he says, “That is not something we’ve done in the past.  Humans have always gone along with progress.”  (Warwick, 2008)  He is right; we do look for the next version or the improved product.  Why would we stop with our own brains?  We enhance other parts of our bodies.  So, as weirded out as I was, Professor Warwick does make some excellent points.  Just do not look for me to have anything implanted in my arm or brain anytime soon.

I have reflected on the videos quite a bit, but I also enjoyed the readings.  The excerpt from SEDL, Learning as a Personal Event:  A Brief Introduction to Constructivism, contained some really good information about constructivism.  It helped build on what I had learned from watching John Abbott’s video.  Sometimes all these theories get jumbled up, and one never does get a clear picture or example of how it is applied in the classroom.  There were excellent examples in this article.  One thing that stood out was that “constructivist learning theory tells us we learn in a variety of ways.”  (SEDL, 1999)  This statement ties into technology in the classroom.  Not every lesson needs to include technology for the sake of including technology, but we can use technology as a tool to help students learn, discover, and build upon prior knowledge.  Further into the article is a statement that really stood out. 

Students are the stars in learner-centered classrooms. They bring knowledge and information gained from past experiences, things they've read and seen, things they have heard and talked about. Their previous understandings are the foundation of whatever learning they will glean in the classroom. Just as detectives are responsible for solving a crime, students are responsible for solving problems. (SEDL, 1999)

I think sometimes teachers do not understand what their own role is in the classroom if they are not lecturing in front of the class.  This article is very clear to state that a teacher becomes the instructional leader and provides structure for the students’ learning.

Another article that I really enjoyed and quoted in my discussion board this week was the article by Sprague and Dede, If I Teach This Way, Am I Doing My Job:  Constructivism in the Classroom.  Reading this article helped me feel better about my classroom management and my teaching style.  I think I have said that a lot in this reflection, but it is what really hit home this week.  There are multiple quotes from this article I could expound upon, but I will only pick one.  “Constructivist teachers allow student responses to drive lessons, shift instructional strategies, and alter content. This does not mean that if students are not interested in a topic, it should not be taught. Instead, students’ knowledge, experiences, and interests occasionally do coalesce around an urgent theme. When events occur that exert an irresistible pull on students’ minds continuing with preplanned presentational lessons is often fruitless (Brooks & Brooks, 1993).” (Sprague & Dede, 1999)  I change my lesson plans from time to time because I do allow my students’ responses to sometimes guide the lesson.  I know when they are trying to just get me off topic and when the need to take the other path is real.

The other articles and readings from the books were interesting this week, but these two articles were what really captured my attention.  I look forward to learning some more about constructivism and connectivism and how technology enhances these theories in the classroom.

References:

Abbott, J. (nd). Building Knowledge: Constructivism in Learning. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F00R3pOXzuk

Siemens, G. (nd). The Changing Nature of Knowledge  [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcTHndpzYg

Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. Retrieved from http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/intro2c.html

Sprague, D. & Dede, C. (1999). If I teach this way, Am I doing my job: Constructivism in the classroom. Leading and Learning, 27(1). Retrieved from the International Society for Technology in Education at http://imet.csus.edu/imet9/280/docs/dede_constructivisim.pdf

Warwirk, K. (nd). Cyborg Life [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB_l7SY_ngI