CEP 800 - Lesson Implementation Reflection

Lesson Implementation Reflection

Lesson Plan           

            For my lesson, I introduced and taught my second grade reading students about the eight parts of speech.  I kept my lesson basic and relatively simple to avoid frustration and confusion.  Originally, I had anticipated spending one thirty-minute session discussing the parts of speech and another thirty-minute session assessing my students’ understanding through our wiki.  However, once I began, I realized that it would take longer to provide sufficient examples so they could translate the terminology into understanding.  Therefore, I spent two sessions explaining and one assessing.

Implementation

            I teach a group of nine students in second grade.  They are all proficient readers and understand the basics of composing sentences.  Since we have already discussed nouns and verbs, I provided them with those words, but asked for their definitions.  They were able to quickly provide accurate definitions and examples.  While adverb, adjective, and pronoun were less known, with an initial example, they were able to give sufficient examples that demonstrated understanding. 

            As I had anticipated, understanding conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections was a little trickier.  However, with minimal prompting, they quickly grasped a preposition’s purpose.  The same was true for interjections.  Conjunctions were the only part of speech where my students tried, but did not quite grasp the concept.  To re-teach this part of speech is on my upcoming agenda.  Other than this minor setback, I am pleased with how well the lesson flowed and the information my students learned and applied with their writing and identifying of the parts of speech.

Reflection

            My students now possess a better understanding of the eight parts of speech.  But only through re-teaching and review will these concepts “stick” and be correctly used.  I appropriately assumed that because we have discussed some of these terms already, my students would have general knowledge upon which I have expanded. 

            By writing out the terminology and allowing the students to question and answer, they were able to gain a deeper perspective of the material.  It will remain to be seen if the information is retained as we revisit these concepts throughout the school year.  Perhaps by not having them immediately write down the terms, they did not store the information, but through the presentation of figuring out the words and asking for examples, they may have retained more than I anticipate.

            Learning takes place through questions and answers, not simply lecturing.  By allowing the students to orally provide their own examples, I could instantly assess whether they understood the concept or not, and I could correct them if they had misconceptions.  I readily witnessed the Information Processing module of the Cognitive Theory of Learning as I introduced new words.  This naturally segued into Cognitive and Social Constructivism as they worked aloud to create meaning for these new words and make connections to their prior knowledge base.  Additionally, with Piaget’s work in mind, they also assimilated these terms into what they already knew and expanded upon the words.

            This knowledge supplemented what we have learned and are currently learning in our reading program.  We have discussed nouns, verbs, and pronouns, so it was not entirely new.  As we continue with our reading, we will re-examine these terms, thus enhancing writing and learning.

            Some of my students are naturally more outspoken than others, but since there are so few of them, it is relatively easy to track who has and had not yet shared, thus ensuring that everyone has an equal opportunity to share.

            To make this lesson a success, teachers must know and understand the parts of speech to ensure that their students are not being unintentionally misguided.  Also, they need to understand the writing level of their students so that the content has meaning for the learners.

            To assess their learning, I asked students to orally give me examples as we learned.  On the third day, we went to the computer lab where I asked them to compose and post sentences on their wiki page.  They were held accountable by completing the posted tasks on our wiki home page and composing appropriate sentences. 

            Technology played a significant role in assessing the students’ knowledge by giving them the opportunity to contribute their individual thoughts to their wiki page.  A distinct advantage is that not only could I see what they were writing, but also they can access each other’s pages and make comments on their sentences and provide assistance to each other without having to solely rely on me as a source of information.  In facilitating learning, students will have this work saved onto their pages.  They can then add and expand upon what they have learned at a later date.  Additionally, the technology affords them the advantage of being able to monitor their own progress.  I also found that my having the students type their responses, it created less frustration by having them erase misunderstandings.  They were more willing to delete a sentence and try again rather than erase and rewrite as we have done in our notebooks.

            I expected my students to use their wiki page to compose sentences based on the parts of speech.  We have just begun using wikis in October, so they are very excited to learn and contribute to the knowledge base we are creating.  The only major questions I encountered were how to spell words.  It is reassuring to know that they are concerned with correct spellings, especially when I am looking for content and clarity of information.  I responded to their spelling questions by assisting and telling them to break the words into chunks.  This often helped them figure out the words with little help.

            The students made sense of the content within their wiki page by asking questions to me and to each other.  I encourage them to ask their neighbors questions for deeper understanding.  It is very helpful because by having another student explain to them, it not only helps them understand better, but the explaining student develops the vocabulary necessary for conveying the correct explanation.  Also, with the wiki, since they can view and comment on each other’s work, it fosters and enables positive collaboration.

Wicked Problem Project

Wicked Problem - How can distance be taught to students ensuring that they understand the concept so it can be used in a real-world setting?

Wicked Problem Solution - For students to successfully grasp the concept of distance, we will teach them geocaching.  Using a mobile device with GPS capabilities, students will learn how to download latitude and longitude coordinates, search within the community, and input this information into a computer mapping application such as Google Maps or Google Earth.

Technological Content Knowledge - Distance will become a tangible variable that can be manipulated for understanding by having students explore with GPS devices and compare with maps on the Internet.

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge - By using either dedicated GPS units or mobile devices in addition to computer mapping applications, these teaching strategies will allow students to have a practical, real-world experience in calculating distance.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge - In order to help our students understand distance, I need to know what they know.  This will be accomplished by discussing physical, topographic, and road maps.  Students will be encouraged to ask questions in order to acquire the same basic understanding of maps.  I will use this information to explain the hemispheres, latitude, and longitude.  This will directly lead to understanding GPS.  By combining these elements, students will have a concrete representation as we go outside and use our GPS devices to find pre-determined locations.  

Group Leadership Project

     For our Group Leadership Project, we decided to create a presentation regarding wikis.  It is a quick overview of what wikis are, benefits of using one, and how to setup an account for an educator to use in a classroom.  

     To deliver the content of our project, we chose several methods.  A PowerPoint presentation was first used.  Within the PowerPoint, a Jing based on how to setup the educator wiki was embedded.  For our narration, an audio program, Audacity, was used to record our script.  Finally, our presentation was uploaded to YouTube in order to share it effectively.  We chose these methods of delivery because the PowerPoint enabled us to present the material and easily embed the wiki Jing.  There are many options we could have used to record the narration, so this was a personal choice made by Julie based on its availability and ease of use.  

     Working within a group for a presentation when we are all located at different places with no chance for us to meet face-to-face is always a daunting challenge.  However, I am constantly amazed how we are able to synchronize our online time in order to collaborate and lay the foundation for a project.  During the development process of the final project, I learned how we could use Google Docs to share files and receive immediate feedback.  This was especially helpful as we had three different areas of technology converging in order to create one flowing, cohesive, final project.  

     If I had to develop a similar project again, instead of waiting for one person to finish and send out their progress, I would want to coordinate a schedule with the group members so that we could receive vital progress reports and updates on given days.  This would ensure that feedback could be provided and changes implemented.  Our group functioned very well, but not having a common time to collaborate after our initial web conference, it sometimes became a matter of "hit or miss."  A definitive schedule that could be shared through Google Docs or even an email program would be beneficial so everyone was constantly aware of what progress was being made and who may need extra support.  This would ultimately relieve unwanted stress and headaches as deadlines would enable all participants to know when to expect a product and provide feedback.  

Mobile Learning Lab

     For this lab, I joined Classroom 2.0 and read a lot of posts about using cell phones in schools.  I work at an elementary school, K - 4, so we do not have a lot of students with mobile devices.  However, after reading posted submitted by other educators, it is interesting to see how they are embracing this technology and using it to create a bridge to their students.
     I also tried the site www.polleverywhere.com.  I have never heard of this site before and found it to be fascinating.  What a great idea: to have instant feedback from all students without the risk of someone not answering because s/he was embarrassed.  I think that this would be incredibly helpful in almost any educational environment because it gives voice to the students without the most boisterous ones taking over, and it enables the teacher to receive immediate feedback, so that s/he knows what material is understood and what needs to be retaught.  What an excellent idea!  I have attached a screen shot of my Classroom 2.0 comment.
     I would like to use polleverywhere with my classes.  Granted, I work with elementary students who do not have cell phones/mobile devices, but since the site gives a web address, I can direct my students to that site and receive the same information as if they were texting.  I am just very impressed with the concept.  This would be helpful when asking students about a particular concept or even if they had finished a writing assignment we were working on.  However, the major challenge for me with this is locating a projector for the students to see the instant results.  Also, I do not have but one computer in my classroom, so this would only be effective when we go to the computer lab twice a week.  But I must admit that my biggest challenge when it comes to using a cell phone (in particular) in the class is that I don't have one.  Yeah, you read that right.  I do not own a cell phone.  Yes, I embrace technology, but when it comes to cell phones, I am a pariah.  I used three different computers in order to try out this poll though.  Here is a link to the poll and the results are pasted below as a screen shot.

Part A - Brainstorm Session

            After some last minute glitches, our group managed to get into the Vyew room for our web-conference and brainstorm session.  We used the chat feature because the microphones were not working and the feedback was too much.  Regardless, we managed to accomplish all of our preliminary goals.

            For our Group Leadership Project, we have chosen to create a PowerPoint presentation that will teach educators within our districts about wikis.  We chose this topic because we each have a basic, limited knowledge of wikis and want to learn more.  We feel that by immersing ourselves into this material, we will be able to craft a presentation that will benefit not only our learning experience, but for those with whom we share our knowledge, they too will benefit.  Also, by learning about, creating, and understanding the nature of wikis, we will be able to guide students in their learning, thus enabling them to become contributors to the global content of the Internet. 

            To facilitate the learning about wikis, we debated the pros and cons of several tools.  We like Jing, but since the typical account only allows for up to a five-minute recording, it would not serve our needs because we need ten minutes.  Therefore, we have decided to use PowerPoint. 

            Tai Kimmerly and I will work on the script.  We are collaborating through a document setup in Google Docs, therefore, we anticipate finishing by the 27^th of July in order to edit and receive input from our group before we submit our final product.  This will enable each member of the group to voice their concerns or provide input is a technical detail was missed or misconstrued.  Nichole Humitz will create the wiki using Wikispaces.com.  Not only will she create one, but we, as a group, have decided to each explore the technology in order to become familiar with it and fully understand its capabilities and benefits so we will feel comfortable sharing our knowledge with our colleagues.  Karen Delaney will construct the PowerPoint based on our script before exporting the file to Julie Gill who will narrate our project.  Once it is complete, the file can be exported as a movie file, which can then be distributed and posted among the group.  Additionally, we will all work on the storyboard aspect of this project to ensure that the important criteria for understanding a wiki are present.

            For our Brainstorm Session, we used Vyew.com.  While it seems to have many promises, it was difficult to get the meeting started.  First our room was not open, and then it would not let all of the users enter.  I finally managed to send a link to our group members and we were all successful.  We tried the voice chat, but a microphone was not working and then the feedback we were getting was unbearable.  We finally opted out of sound and typed our questions and answers in the chat window.  This was a suitable solution because we were able to keep a document of what was said.  You can read our chat notes on our Google Doc at this link. 

            Some advantages for using this tool to discuss our project were immediate feedback, voice and text chat options (unfortunately, voice would not cooperate), the ability to download a transcript of what was said, and the fact that it is a web-based application, meaning: we did not have to download any software in order to use this service.  These all helped us to collaborate, especially the transcript because we can easily refer back to that document for guidance as we work through this project.

            Some disadvantages to this tool were difficulties in entering the meeting room, voice chat was less than ideal, and I did not quite get a full transcript of what we discussed.  However, I did get the most important parts, which took place near the last part of our session.  Due to these factors, especially when dealing with deadlines, I doubt I would use Vyew.com again.

            However, due to Tai missing our meeting, I met with her this week on Skype.  I am a new Skype user, but it was very easy to use.  Our video connection was instant.  We could see each other and share our work with ease.  We had not been on each other’s contact lists, but immediately found each other.  This made our meeting go fast and easy.

            I did not have any disadvantages with Skype.  Like I said, it was an easy application to use.  The only thing about it that I do not like, but will go over, is the fact that it is an application that must be downloaded in order to be used.  But that is a minor issue when compared to how difficult it was to use Vyew.

            Here is a link to our meeting, which is posted on YouTube.

Web-Conferencing

            Our group chose the web-conferencing application of “Vyew” for our meeting.  Needless to say, we were not impressed.  The concept of the site is very promising, but we ran into a lot of bumps along the way.  First, no one could initially get into the room.  I set it up a few days ago and everyone was ready at launch time, but we kept getting error messages saying the meeting room could not be opened.  Finally, I found a link that I sent everyone through our emails and they were able to follow it and enter successfully. 

            Our next issue was with sound.  There were four people in our group, but we experienced awful feedback and echoes.  It was very annoying, so we finally simply decided to use the chat box and conduct our meeting in that manner.  Needless to say, it is a good thing we are all proficient typists.  Once we adjusted the chat box to a suitable length, we were able to discuss the class and ask each other what we wanted to study for our upcoming Group Leadership Project.  Ideas flew back and forth very quickly.  I was pleased that Vyew.com did not lag too much when it came to using the chat feature.  Everyone was able to keep up with the conversation and provide their input and make the voices and opinions heard.  In that respect, our meeting was very successful. 

            If we were to meet again via web-conference, I would not use Vyew.  It had too many issues for us to work productively.  I have literally only used Skype about three times before now, so I would probably lean in that direction for a future meeting.  From what I have learned and used with that program, sharing and setup was easy.  It was simply a matter of “calling” someone and having them answer without the need to setup a “meeting room.” 

            I think that web-conferencing has many promises, despite our somewhat negative experience with it tonight.  When we were able to communicate via our microphones, communication went quickly.  However, by typing out our answers, we have a quick visual record of what was being said.  I recorded our session using QuickTime, but seeing that we simply typed our discussion, that did not seem necessary.  Once we were done, I pasted our conversation into our Google document for future reference.

            To use a web-conferencing tool in the classroom would be an amazing benefit for students.  We could easily schedule a live meeting with students in other schools or professionals we would like to interview based on work we are learning.  This tool would enable students to understand that even when we are separated by distance, we are still connected through technology.

Part B - Application of TPACK

            For my Wicked Problem, I want students to understand the concept of distance.  In order to begin their understanding of this issue, I have chosen to incorporate GPS units and/or smartphones, and Google Maps/Google Earth into my solution.  This technology will support my teaching strategies and methods by allowing students to have a real-world experience in calculating distance.  It is one thing to look at a map, whether it is on a wall or computer screen, but to have students go outside and locate a specific, given point based on directions and/or geographical coordinates using their GPS devices as guides, they are gaining tremendous experience that cannot be duplicated through simulations. 

            Distance will become a tangible variable that can be manipulated for understanding by having students explore with GPS devices and compare with maps on the Internet.  To see a visual representation on Google Maps of what we plan to explore and then going out into the field, students will have a distinct opportunity to make the connection between scale and distance.  It may look like a distance is simply a matter of inches on the computer, but in the world, they can experience how far the distance actually is.  This will give them a clear sense of how a map’s scale is calculated.  They will then be able to use this information to translate distances to other locations we may study, thus providing them with a richer understanding of how far something is and the estimated time it would take to travel that distance, either by foot or a mode of transportation.

            The pedagogical content knowledge for the solution of helping students to understand distance is to begin with the basics of understanding what my students know.  We will discuss the different types of maps, focusing on physical, topographic, and road maps.  This overview will allow students to ask questions in order to acquire the same basic knowledge of maps.  From there, we will delve into how latitude and longitude are used to mark exact locations on a map.  With an understanding of these key elements, we will then discuss Global Positional Systems (GPS).  Using GPS and latitude and longitude, it will enable us to utilize online maps, such as Google Maps and Google Earth, and therefore give students a concrete representation of the concepts before we go outside and locate places using our GPS devices.  Also, visual representations will be presented in a variety of manners from globes and wall maps to images on the computer screens.  This will enable all students of various learning styles, to gain the most from the initial presentations.  Also, once we begin to explore maps on the computer, it is my hope that students will work individually so that I can actively monitor their progress and help alleviate any frustrations or difficulties.

Part A - Description of Need or Opportunity

            An educational need that I have come to recognize in our curriculum is that students have difficulties translating distances.  They understand and recognize distance, but to a certain degree, it is an abstract concept that does not translate well for them.  Students need to understand the concept of distance not only because of state standards, but because, regardless of what they choose to do in their lives, distance will always be a factor.  If students are given the tools and opportunities to explore and understand distance through math and social studies, in particular, their understanding will increase, leading them to possess a real-world skill that can (and will) be used throughout their lifetimes.

            My solution to this wicked problem is to provide students with a variety of tools that will enable them to calculate distance as something tangible where they can experience it first-hand.  This will be accomplished through training students to read and use a handheld GPS unit, create and participate in geo-caching activities, and using Internet-based map applications such as Google Maps.  These approaches to guiding the students in understanding distance will give them hands-on experiences that will easily interpret in a real world situation.  My proposed approach is reasonable, however, the greatest cost will be to obtain GPS units for students usage, which start in the low $100 range.  Ideally, it would be great to have one per two students, but from some of the reading I have done, by assigning students different roles, placing students in groups of four or five is workable, thus lowering the cost substantially.  Having extra units available in the event of equipment failure is something that should be considered. 

            The possible alternatives for students would be to simply learn about distance using Internet-based applications, locating familiar locations (their homes and the school), and relating distance in that regard.  In comparison, it is very low-cost, but at the same time, students are not being granted the opportunity to explore distance through a hands-on approach.

            I anticipate using this tool, geocaching and Google Maps in particular, throughout the school year, with the major emphasis being at the beginning of the year.  I believe that the students would benefit in many academic areas if the solution to my wicked problem were integrated into their classes. 

            In order to accomplish this, teachers would need training to understand the need and why this is so important.  Workshops with follow-up training would be offered to assist teachers in feeling comfortable with the purpose and technology.  Due to the proliferation of smart phones, teaching teachers would be relatively easy because most adults have access to such a device.  Not only can they serve the most basic communication functions, but also with downloaded apps, they can be utilized as GPS devices for this problem.  However, due to hectic classroom schedules, I anticipate that the majority of learning would be done in the computer lab. 

            I would like to use this solution throughout the year for third and fourth grade students.  Obviously, the first year would be a transitional year for both grades, but in the following years, the older students would simply need a refresher course to remember the finer points.  They would also be helpful in assisting the younger students to understand and thus become a source for answers.  Additionally, the older students would also be able to delve deeper into measuring, calculating, and understanding distance due to their previous exposure to the problem.  They could spend more time doing and less time learning the concepts.

            Giving students the opportunity to learn through a hands-on approach will provide them with immediate, tangible feedback that will enable them to apply their knowledge with multiple subjects.  Performing a simple search for “geocaching” in Google provides over 23 million hits!  Even though many of them are not relevant, there are certainly some notable exceptions.  Opencaching.com is a site that I would use as a resource because of its easy approach to explaining geocaching.  It also has a comprehensive list of caches you can participate in and add to.  Performing a search for “Geocaching in the classroom” also provides over half a million sites.  These are particularly interesting because they are about the benefits of using geocaching in education!  Moving at the Speed of Creativity has a great article about the basics of geocaching and how it can be used with students.  It is a few years old, but highly relevant.  BrightHub.com also states how this works in a wide array of disciplines such as the obvious of math and science, but also social studies, literature and composition studies, and even Physical Education and Art. 

            I would also use Google Maps and/or Google Earth so students could begin to make a visual connection with where we are located and where we have been.  This will enable them to create an online portfolio of locations.  Understanding the distance between these locations would then give students the basic tools for translating known distances in known locations to unknown locations.

            I plan to start the initial research into implementing this aspect into our current curriculum during this course.  This will give me the time to formulate how I want to incorporate more hands-on experiences for students.  Obviously, giving students the opportunity to work with understanding distance will come once school is in session starting in late August.  As my class assignments are still unknown, I will have to make my plans flexible and be ready for implementation.

            I will know that this project is successful because students will be able to understand distance.  Not only will they be able to identify latitude and longitude, but also they will be able to translate these concepts onto maps and locate various given points.  Additionally, teachers and students being able to demonstrate proficiency and fluency with the various technologies used will provide feedback so that changes can be quickly implemented and improvements made.

Final Reflections - CEP 811

            When integrating technology, I have learned that since all students enter the school with various levels of technology skills, I need to have my lesson planned with UDL guidelines in order to meet the learning needs.  This is something that needs to be anticipated because I will never have students who all have the same understanding.  It is a fact.  But by being prepared and ready for multiple scenarios, I will have a quality lesson ready for students to learn with outcomes they can use in further studies and projects.  Aside from skills, I also need to anticipate cognitive abilities.  This strategy will enable all students to be engaged learners from day one without hesitation.  Understanding the different learning styles will further enable me to guide my students toward success rather than frustration.

            Integrating web-based technologies helped me think about and evaluate the uses of technology by enabling me to actively participate in using FTP and MERLOT.  I was able to upload my coursework to a remote server and provide a web address for its location.  This was a great tool to learn and understand because I understand how to share my work on a global scale. 

            At the beginning of this course, I wanted to understand how to utilize and integrate technology into my teaching.  The various assignments stretched my mind to think beyond the traditional uses of the computer and the Internet.  In particular, having learned about WebQuests, I was able to have a student work on one near the end of the year.  It was incredibly helpful by enabling me to understand the greater role technology can (and will) play in my future teaching. 

            I want to continue to discover new available resources through WebQuests and MERLOT to enhance my teaching.  These assignments gave me the hope that teaching does not have to be a solitary mission.  As educators, we want our students to succeed, so by contributing useful information and lessons to various sites, we have created this network that will flourish and give our students amazing new learning opportunities.  To reach these goals, I will continue to learn more about the resources available and document my work so others may use it, modify it, and benefit from it.  

Personal Learning Reflection

            Based on the past eight weeks, I have learned a tremendous amount of new, relevant information regarding Web 2.0 technologies.  I am excited over the prospect of what I can do with these tools in my school setting.  Initially, I wanted to focus on learning more about blogs, RSS feeds, and web-based applications.  However, after learning more about the bigger picture of social networking and “the cloud,” I want to work at learning how to integrate these tools into my learning network as well.  Utilizing free applications in our budget-uncertain times will only serve to aide our students in understanding the vast resource of the Internet that will be gained through contributing content and collaborating with our peers, near and far.

            I experienced growth in my learning, particularly in collaborating with others.  This was accomplished through several different avenues, but all equally important.  First, working with my SIG forced me to consider four other people and their thoughts and ideas as we worked together to complete a project.  Not only did we collaborate on our final project, but also we created a proposal in Google Docs, researched in Diigo, and presented in Prezi.  It was a positive experience, and even though I was skeptical, I am glad I had the opportunity to work and learn in this manner.

            One area where I would have liked to learn more is “cloud computing.”  I have a basic understanding of it through the information presented in session 7, but I would have liked to learn more about it.  I have a better understanding now, but at the same time, I want to know more.  The only thing that perhaps sometimes limited my learning and growth was the time factor.  When I learn a new application or register on a new website, I need to know what it’s about and understand how it works before I can fully immerse myself into working with it.  This is not a bad thing it is simply how I work to learn.  Unfortunately, with the time factor, this is something that is beyond our control.  I learned how to better budget my time and work on multiple assignments in order to complete my assigned tasks.

            When integrating technology, I have learned that since all students enter the school with various levels of technology skills, I need to be ready to instantly modify my lesson to meet their learning needs.  This is something that needs to be anticipated because I will never have students who all have the same understanding.  It is a fact.  But by being prepared and ready for multiple scenarios, I will have a quality lesson ready for students to learn with outcomes they can use in further studies and projects.  Aside from skills, I also need to anticipate cognitive abilities.  This strategy will enable all students to be engaged learners from day one without hesitation.  Understanding the different learning styles will further enable me to guide my students toward success rather than frustration.

            Integrating the Internet helped me to actually consider it as a tool.  I have a firmer grasp of what it means to contribute to the Internet rather than simply taking.  I want to instill the idea of becoming a producer to my students so they can see the benefit of belonging to this global society that will only become more intertwined as they progress through school and into higher education.   

            Even though I was reluctant to be a part of a group for our SIG, I found that I liked working in a collaborative environment.  I may never meet my group members face to face, but I know a lot about them already.  They are passionate about what they do and for doing their best work.  This assignment was an outstanding example of good teaching with technology because it required our group of five people, spread throughout the world, to coordinate schedules and produce content.  It never felt like one person was taking over or had to work harder than the others.  There was a tangible, mutual respect for each other and our ideas.  It demonstrated how technology could be used with students to formulate an idea and create meaningful content.

            One of my goals for this course was to gain a better understanding of Web 2.0 technologies so that I would have the confidence to teach my students about these tools.  To reach this goal, research was my main objective.  Inadvertently, through my SIG, other projects, and an additional class, I have gained the confidence and understanding to teach students about these new skills.  Research did play a big role, but it was only part of the picture.  I have increased my knowledge base, but through continued learning and exploring, I will discover new methods to teach students about the potential of these tools.  Through teaching them, I anticipate being taught as well.  My other goal involved finding mentors to assist me as I work toward understanding.  Once again, my SIG, although students as well, they taught me great skills about working with others and sharing information for the greater good.  Our projects never felt like one person was in charge, but as previously stated, we all had the same common goals and a mutual respect.

            I have no new goals per se, but rather an expansion of what I have already stated.  I want to learn more about Web 2.0 technologies, but now I want to begin the integration process.  This will certainly be a challenge and may take me most of the upcoming school year, but as I use these ideas and tools and introduce them to my students, I anticipate a deeper appreciation and understanding that will form.  Winning over the students will not be the true challenge however.  Demonstrating to our staff and administration the value of Web 2.0 technologies and how they can ultimately only benefit our students and their future learning will be the true issue.  It would be nice (and ideal), if I simply stated that I was going to do this.  Unfortunately, since I do not have my own class and must rely on other teachers and their needs, it may be quite difficult to implement any immediate change.  However, to start our staff and students in a Web 2.0 direction, I am considering working with students involved in our Gifted and Talented program.  This will spark an interest among our higher learners, and by doing so, we will gain the (positive) attention of our administration, which, in turn, may lead to a much larger implementation of these tools within our K – 8 district.  It is a long road, but one that we need to travel because many of our students are already running ahead in the distance.

Creative Commons Lab

     Photos and images are an excellent manner in which to bring new elements into a classroom.  I would use images to launch discussions regarding places of interest, geography, geology, as well as for writing prompts.  Depending on our current focus, the writing could focus on one of the five senses or emotion so students could absorb and interpret specific information without feeling overwhelmed.  Additionally, I would use images at the beginning or end of a unit to emphasize our learning.  Comparing and contrasting is another method that would be helpful for students to understand a certain concept.  With math, students would be able to see a visual representation of a concept.  For example, when teaching students about balancing equations, showing them a picture of a scale with two numbers on one side and another number of the other, they would be able to see what number was missing.  This would enable them to more fully grasp the concept and gain understanding.  With images in education, the possibilities are countless.


Oregon Coast
Link to Flickr image: Justin Wright
Photographer's website: www.lifeofjustin.com
Creative Commons License
     Ah, the power of water and geology!  I originally had a great picture from Yellowstone National Park, but it disappeared.  :^(  So I found a different photo.  This picture of the Oregon coast was taken by Justin Wright.  The captions for his photos were all the same, but very liberal.  Therefore, I have done as he has requested and posted a link to his website.  I like this picture because of everything taking place all at once.  It is chaotic and beautiful.  What a site to visit, I would imagine.


Photo: Going-to-the-Sun Road, Glacier National Park, Montana
Taken by: Duane B. Karlin

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
     I took this picture last summer while in Glacier National Park, about 40 miles from my home.  Unfortunately, I visited the park on a weekend, so there was a lot of traffic and nowhere to park at the summit, so after literally driving in a circle for about 20 minutes, we turned around and drove back down to the valley.  Click on the picture description to see this one and others.

RSS Lab Information

This is a reply I made in the blog Beth's Thoughts on Technology in the Classroom regarding how advanced students often fall to the side in education because teachers need to focus on students needing their immediate assistance.  

Updated screen shot of my Google Reader page.

Here is a blog I am following from NPR and their topic on Education.

RSS Page Reflection           

            As I began learning more about tracking my RSS feeds, I was initially overwhelmed.  In the past, I have used my mail application for downloading feeds.  It was convenient and present upon opening my mail.  I was reluctant to try Google Reader because it was new and foreign.  However, I spent some time working with the application in an attempt to understand it because I would like to be able to access my feeds from virtually any computer with an Internet connection.  After getting the hang of Google Reader, I am pleased that I gave it a chance.  Indeed, it is easy to subscribe to feeds and see, at a glance, what new information has appeared since I last checked.  The accessibility alone makes learning how to use it worth the effort.

            Aside from the recommended feeds, I have other areas of interest that I subscribed to in order to stay informed.  Each day, I am amazed at the amount of new, posted information.  If I were to look at these sites on a daily basis and try to find what was new, it would take more time than I am willing to sacrifice.  I have noticed that some feeds update more than once a day while others may post something new once a week.  Unfortunately, I have also come across a few feeds that have promising information, but nothing has been updated in months.  Still, as I scan the older headlines and skim for information that may help me in my teaching (and education), I find useful nuggets that are pertinent, thus demonstrating that old information is not necessarily out-of-date information.

            From the news feeds that I have been tracking, I have learned about is “the filter bubble.”  Basically, the article from cnn.com said that online hubs of social activity on the Internet track what you “like” and view to customize what you see and filter your search results.  This is more than intrusive, it is taking away our right to explore the world and seek out new directions because a program is “telling” our computer what is really important to us.  I also learned that PBS is launching PBS LearningMedia for the upcoming school year.  It will focus on high-quality media that will be available to teachers and students.  As it is PBS, it is free, but there will also be a premium service that “will enhance the free content.”  I like this idea, but there were not many details about the media offered.  I anticipate hearing more about this service as fall 2011 draws closer.

            In my classroom, I can envision using an RSS reader page to point my students toward information regarding a particular unit or lesson we may be studying.  Planning ahead and creating a list of suitable feeds will enable students to open the reader and start locating the necessary information without having to wade through endless searches that often result in frustration and little or no results.  Having everything set up ahead of time will allow students to spend more time learning rather than searching because what we want to know has been delivered to our reader.  As students become more adept at filtering information, they will be able to search for feeds to add to their own reader to further enhance their interests and learning.