#9 Reflection

Is Technology Integration Important?

Technology is used in one form or another in every aspect of our lives. My 75 year old grandma uses it to text her grandkids, even my 3 year old nephew uses it to watch movies on YouTube or listen to his favorite songs. 

Naturally our high tech lifestyle will become a staple in the way we teach in our classrooms. Students do not remember a time in their life that they didn't have an ipad or tablet of their own. Students are very tech savvy. 

In the classroom I can see how every subject can and will be able to link to technology. I could see how to use it for math and reading, but I was surprised to see how it could connect to social studies content. When we used the Finch Robots to learn about the native animals to Utah and how it could connect to coding, that was amazing! Students would totally love to create their own habitat and animal. This is a fun alternative to the traditional report and tell the class. This is a creative and technical way to share the same information. 

I also loved making the stop action movie. It was fun to be creative and share information using technology, movement and music together. My kids loved the movie that my group made so much that they told their school teacher about it and they watched it as a class. My child's teacher loved the idea, I bet she ends up doing something similar with her class. 

Technology allows students to create, edit, lean and engage to subjects like nothing else does. I enjoyed doing the different technology projects during this class much more than I thought that I would. My future students will feel the same way I did when a project is finished and they are able to say, "Look at what I made! Isn't it amazing?"

Blog #8 - UDL Engagement

 Blog #8 - UDL Engagement
        The way that students learn now days is different than ever before. It used to be that a teacher would teach a lesson and students would sit at their desks quietly and then complete a worksheet. My how the times have changed! Teaching has become much more student based and hands on. The flipped classroom is becoming more common, when students go over material at home and then come to class to clarify content learned and apply it to real life situations. A webquest is a perfect way to way to incorporate a flipped classroom. By participating in a webquest students can learn content at their own pace have one-on-one instruction and stay engaged.
       A study performed by Janet Strickland, State University of West Georgia compared the use of WebQuests with traditional instruction. I was surprised by the results, the summary of the study concluded that webquests are not ideal for every lesson. While webquests are a wonderful tool for integrating technology into a classroom and adding variety to instruction, teachers need to be mindful of the content they are covering and make sure that the webquest supports their inquiry arch.
       I plan to use webquests in my future classroom. I can see how it can be effective with differentiation and accommodations as well as keeping students engaged. With all teacher tools there is a time and place to use a webquest.

Work Cited 
 Strickland, J., & Nazzal, A. (2005). Using webquests to teach content: Comparing instructional strategies. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online serial], 5(2) Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/volume-5/issue-2-05/social-studies/using-webquests-to-teach-content-comparing-instructional-strategies

Blog #7 - Why Coding?

Why Coding?

      Kids now days use technology in all aspects of their lives and they are good at it. Coding is a great way for students to apply their math and science lessons into a real world, hands on application. As a teacher having students code can be integrated into many lessons, having students participate in groups, researching and presenting a topic using a coding system like SNAP. 

      A teacher in Onslow County, North Carolina, Gretchen Robinson uses robots with students at Northwoods Elementary School of Technology and Innovation:

      "Robinson sees students’ willingness to engage, to collaborate and to work on a lesson for as long as it takes to understand the content as positive signs of learning. “They want to work with the robot for as long as possible,”    Robinson said. “Every time their lesson is done they’re disappointed.” She’s also quizzed students on content after they’re done working with the robot and has found them to have a greater grasp of the information."

      My goals as a teacher is to engage my students while giving them hands on experiences that they will use in the real world. I also want to build their self esteem as they build and code their robots. Students get a sense of pride and accomplishment with their finished products. 

ISTE Standard

1) Empowered Learner- Students leverage technology to take an active role in choosing, achieving and demonstrating competency in their learning goals, informed by the learning sciences.

Works Cited

KQED News

Blog #6 - UDL Action & Expression (Summative)

UDL Action & Expression (Summative)

        What kid doesn't want to control a robot? With technology in the world becoming more present in our everyday lives it is important for students to know how they work and be comfortable with using them. Using Finch Robots is a wonderful way for students to experiment with technology.
       For example, in Chicago "... CPL is the first library in the nation to lend out Finch Robots, which were invented by the Carnegie Mellon University Create Lab as a user-friendly introduction to computer science learning and the art of programming. Finch Robots support more than a dozen of the most commonly used computer languages and environments, including several appropriate for students as young as 8 years old."
      If a student can play a video game they are capable of using Finch Robots and writing code. My goal is to connect the Finch Robots with a standard students can either work together  in groups or on their own to make a presentation. Students will have completed a complex task without even realizing it because they are having fun. Students will see that they are capable of doing hard things, they will feel empowered.

Works Cited

https://www.chipublib.org/news/finch-robots-land-at-cpl/

#5 UDL Action and Expression

Why is UDL important ?

Many studies show that the more senses a student can use the more connections they will make to a subject. The article discusses UDL and the ways in which students can be offered choices and options that engage and give them opportunities to practice skills that they learn.

Principle 2 :Action and Expression can be in my classroom as an assessment. By using the different media such as Wordle, Answer Garden, Popplet, Storybird, etc. the students are able to show me what they know rather than tell me what they know. This is a stress free way for students to be creative and share what they have learned. A great think about this sort of assessment is that I, as a teacher, can see what a student has understood and fill in any gaps that they may have from a lesson. My goal as a teacher is not only to help students to make as many connections as possible but allowing them to express the connections they have made. 

Works Cited

Rao, Kavita and Caroline Torres. "Supporting Academic and Affective Learning Processes for English Language Learners with Universal Design for Learning." TESOL Quarterly, vol. 51, no. 2, June 2017, p. 460. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=edb&AN=123649455&site=eds-live.

Blog #4 UDL Representation

What is Multiple Means of Representation?
 Every student has a way that they learn best. There is not one way to teach a group of students. With each lesson there should be various ways to learn about a topic, that's what Multiple Means of Representation is.The more ways that a learner's senses can be used in a lesson the more connections can be made. When more connections are made the more learning and remembering will occur. If we can see something, hear something, read something and do something we are going to remember it and apply it in real life situations. When there is connections and applications made by students they will learn.  Here is a great example of Multiple Means of Representation from the article: 

Teaching Elementary Students with Multiple Disabilities to Participate in Shared Stories

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
by Judith Viorst.

Adaptations           Book was shortened (page  removed and lines were cut from text).
 
Repeated story line        Terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day

Objects used to promote   Gum, candy bar, cereal box, shoes
  meaning while reading 
                                                
Character name               Student's name used for character--Alexander
  adaptation                                 
                                                                                                
Surprise element added    When the lights burned out in the story, the lights were  turned off in the classroom       
  near end of story                        
                                               
                                                                               
A goal in my future classroom is to provide learners with different options to learn. Through group work, technology, artistic expression and oral presentations there should be a way that each student is comfortable learning about a topic as well as sharing what they know

Works Cited

Browder, Diane M., et al. "Teaching Elementary Students with Multiple Disabilities to Participate in Shared Stories." Research and Practice for Persons with Severe Disabilities (RPSD), vol. 33, no. 1-2, 01 Jan. 2008, pp. 3-12. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.uvu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ838735.

Blog #3 Digital Citizenship

Who is a Digital Citizen?

If you are reading this blog, then YOU are! Now more than ever technology is everywhere we go, we carry it in our pockets and its in our classrooms. As teachers we use our online communities to connect with other educators to enhance, extend and enrich our lessons.

Why is being a Digital Citizen important?

You may be thinking that students in your classrooms are too young to have digital footprint, however, many kids have a digital footprint before they even start school! Having technology readily available is an amazing opportunity. With each wonderful opportunity a child is given there is a need to teach a responsibility.

According to Mike Ribble District Administrator for the Ogden-Manhattan School District in Kansas:

"Digital citizenship focuses on using technology in an appropriate way while enjoying its vast capabilities and becoming more productive."

Digital Citizenship in Schools, 2nd Ed., identifies three main categories—respect, education and protection (or REP)—to guide the use of technology in schools, at home and in the community. These are broken down in three ways and a total of nine underlying areas of focus:

Respect: Digital etiquette, access and the law.
Educate: Digital communication, literacy and commerce.
Protect: Digital rights and responsibilities, safety and security, and health and wellness.
A great way to start teaching digital citizenship through Google apps, such as Google Docs or Google Slides. Using these apps is a safe way for students to work with others on a project that is monitored by the teacher. Using these apps also are a great way for students to navigate the internet while collaborating with a group.

How would I use this?
I would use these apps as a tool to teach Digital Citizenship while simultaneously having the students present Social Study presentation on a group Google Slide about their state