Blog Phase 3 Reflection

Part I

Throughout the last two years of finishing up my Bachelor’s Degree with NAU, I have looked over my Philosophy of Education time and time again. I feel that at this point in my school career, my philosophy has not changed much. I still hold myself to offer each and every student that walks into my classroom an equal chance to learn and grow with my help. I still think that it is important to let my students be a part of the lessons and activities. After taking this course, I see that technology should be a big part of my teaching in the classroom. In today’s world, technology has become almost a necessity in the classroom. I still see it important that we integrate and teach the right way to use technology in the classroom.

I knew that technology needed to be used in the classroom. I now also know the importance of integrating how to correctly and safely use technology in the classroom as well. I now understand that technology can be integrated into the classroom in a variety of different ways. I have the experience of using iPads and SmartBoards in the classroom. These technologies allowed me to do interactive activities with my students as well as keeping them interested. Other ways that technology can be used in the classroom would be:

·      Seesaw

·      Edmodo

·      Kahoot

·      QR codes

·      Google Docs

These are a few examples of technologies that I am interested in using in my future classroom. They are all programs that are easy for both teacher and student access as well as easy to use. I will try to use a source of technology on almost all my lessons when it allows. My hope is that my students will see the fun and excitement in it just as much as I do.

Part II

Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

1. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

I have done and will continue to promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness in the classroom by integrating fun, learning activities that involves new technologies. This will help to get my students excited about learning something new. I will be by their side learning with them while they explore new creative ways to complete their tasks. Students will be told that they will have the opportunities to try new things and think creatively.

2. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

I will engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources by providing opportunities for research projects. Real-world topics will be assigned and research will be done using multiple resources in the digital world. Classroom discussion and research can be done to help solve authentic problems together as a class discussion and community.

3. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

I will promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative processes by having my students self-evaluate. My classroom will be a “safe zone” meaning that my students will not have to be scared to ask for help from the teacher or other classmates. Students will also be encouraged to collaborate with each other to create new exciting ideas.

4. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

I will model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments by making myself present. Students, colleagues and others will be invited into the classroom so that we can all learn together. Whether that is me, the students, or another person teaching an activity to learn something new. If my students are having trouble with learning something, a new technology or not, and I do not know much about it, I will make sure that I put in the effort to learn right alongside them and support them.

Rationale:

I would approach this standard this way because I think that it is important that I am a support system for my students and engage them in any way that I can.

Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

1. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

I will design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity by using tools that are relevant for them. Students will be encouraged to think outside the box when using digital tools and resources, but will not be forced to create something they are not capable of.

2. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

I will develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress by having them participate in an online/computer based journal. Students will, again, be encouraged to think outside the box and push themselves. My students will use this journal to set goals they want to meet and plan a way to meet them.

3. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

I will customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources by knowing what each of my students are capable of. I will hold them to standards that I think are fair for each student. If I notice students struggling with something, I will make the proper modifications and personalize their learning experiences and environments.

4. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

I will provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching by assessing my students with each activity they do. Assessments will consist of a variety of formative and summative assessments that will be completed either by hand or using technologies in the classroom.

Rationale:

I would approach this standard this way because I feel that it is important that my students feel comfortable with the new things they are learning along with being successful with them.

Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning 

1. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

I will demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations by offering my students the opportunities to use technology. My students will be given the opportunities to continuously work with technology to practice and become comfortable. My students will also be given the opportunity to use what they already know in new technology situations during different types of activities such as creating a blog or information page.

2. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

I will collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community member using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation by creating my own blog or videos. Programs like Seesaw will be used to communicate with the people around me. Things such as upcoming events, homework assignments, kudos etc. can be posted on these types of programs.

3. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

I will communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats by the use of an online program such as Seesaw or Edmodo. Like I stated for the previous element, these programs are a great, easy way to keep in touch with students, parents and peers. It allows for me to post about what is happening in my classroom while keeping my students and parents in the loop of things.

4. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

I will model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning by showing students how there is so much right at our fingertips. Class projects will be done, lead by me, using the technologies that we have available.

Rationale:

I would approach this standard this way because I know that it is important that my students have a role model in the classroom. That role model is going to be me. It is my job to work with my students and make sure that I am teaching and doing everything in my power to help my students be successful.

Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

1. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

I will advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources by providing my students with the information and practice that they need. Activities will be done where students will look at different information and the way it is presented.

2. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

I will address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources by making myself aware of each of my students’ home and in class abilities. I will always keep in mind that not all of my students will have the same capabilities as I do at home. That means that just because iPads are a huge hit right now means that each of my students has one at home that they have access to. I must keep in mind that assignments and activities should be built so that every student can use what they have to complete it. I will also know how each of my students learn and what type of activity or technology will work best for them.

3. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

I will promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information by making sure that I first learn how to use the new technologies. I then will teach my students the correct and safe way to use technologies through different activities. A lesson will be done about how what is said on the internet is not always true and things that can be said can be hurtful. There is a right and a wrong way to speak using technologies just like there is when you are having a conversation with someone.

4. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

I will develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools such as video chats, education clips and videos, and webcams. Presentations can be made by others when we are learning about new cultures and traditions.

Rationale:

I would approach this standard this way because my students need to know and understand that they are responsible for their actions. It is my job to teach them how to use technologies responsibly.

Micro Lesson #2

Our micro lesson two was a group project using QR codes to practice solving math word problems. 

Instructional Decisions/ Teaching: Discuss the implementation process and describe

What went well and what didn’t go well during the implementation of your lesson?

During the implementation of our lesson, I feel that everything went very well. I feel that the students were interactive and engaged with the lesson as well as learning about a new technology that is out there.

How well was the alignment of objectives and standards maintained?

I feel that the alignment of objectives and standards was maintained very well. I feel that we were able to have our students meet our objectives along with meeting our standards.

Describe any modification made during the implementation of the lesson.

A modification that was made during the implementation of the lesson was the layout of the QR codes for students. We realized the importance of having the QR coeds spread out far enough so that the students would have room to complete the activity. We also made the modification that each student can complete their worksheet the way that they felt comfortable. There was not a format for the equations to be written or solved.

Mechanics

What technologies did I use for the teacher and the learner?

The technologies that we used for the teacher and the learner were QR codes. This allowed the student to scan the QR code to see the math problem they had to solve as well as have an answer key for both the students and the teacher.

How were the technologies used (by whom and in what manner)?

The QR codes were scanned by students and the teacher using a phone, iPad, or iPod.

Was my lesson within the correct time frame?

Our lesson was within the correct time frame because students were able to take their time on their problems and still move on to the next activity. It would be ideal to use this technology in small group or center format so that each group of students has the chance to work on the activity, but in a scattered format.

Assessment of Learning

Digital Artifacts (at least 2)

These can be found blow in my blog post titled “The Aftermath of QR Codes”.

Describe your students’ level of success in achieving the standards and objectives for your lesson based on your assessment.

The students seemed to have achieved our standards and objectives. All students could solve the word problems correctly as well as successfully use the QR codes.

Describe the level of success you had in teaching the lesson.

I feel that we achieved in teaching this lesson to our full potential. I feel that the students had fun learning what we taught to them. Students seemed to understand our content.

·      How do your individual reflections support this?

I feel that the students had fun learning what we taught to them. Students seemed to understand our content

·      How do the comments from your classmates support this?

Our classmates had nothing but supportive comments about our lesson. Most have never used a QR code before and loved that they were learning something new along with a new way to use them.

What did you learn from designing and teaching this lesson and how will you use this in the creation of future lessons/learning activities?

I learned that there are endless possibilities when it comes to teaching with technology. The more fun you make it as a teacher, the more fun your student will have with it. In future lessons, I will make sure that I am excited about what I am teaching and how I am teaching it so that my students will be too.