678 Artifacts & Reflections

 

 USF 678 Effective Technology Integration into Lessons and Curriculum 

This course gave me new perspectives into how design the curriculum in my classes and new approaches to utilizing the technologies I have available to me.    Specifically the time we spent investigating Project Based Learning and how to properly design a Project Based Learning experience was very helpful.    

The Backward Design  concept will be one that I use as I begin retooling my curriculum.

3 stages of Backward Design

1. Desired Outcomes   2. Acceptable Evidence   3. Learning activities

By starting with the end in mind, I will be able to create learning activities that are more impactful towards meeting the learning goals.

The following is a summary of what I got out of each module:

MODULE 2 - Tech Ed tool investigation

Name	Tech Tool (Hyperlink to the Tool's Website)	How would you implement this tool in your classroom?	Where does this activity fall on the SAMR model? Support your placement.
Paige Schoolman	Piktochart	Piktochart is an online graphic design tool.   Inside of the tool there is a massive library of templates and graphics that can be used to create infographics, flyers, posters, and social media graphics.    In my computer applications course I would teach students how to use the Piktochart tool to create infographics,, posters, and social media graphics.   Additionally I would use Piktochart to create infographics to facilitate learning in my presentations.	This tool falls in the Augmentation range of the SAMR model.  Piktochart is not as complicated as a professional tool like photoshop but provides a lot more options than consumer level tools like Google drawing. The graphics and templates inside this tool help me  and the students produce higher quality graphics that we were not able to create in the previous tools we have used.
Paige Schoolman	Blogger	In my computer applications course, I would use Blogger as a semester long Portfolio project.  At various times throughout the semester students will be given time to reflect on what they have previously learned and how those skills can be transferred to situations outside the class.   Additional assignments will be given to allow the students to personalize the blogger with their accomplishments and skills.  They will be given time to reflect on learning in other classes with the goal of teaching them how to develop an ongoing Portfolio that creates positive Digital Footprint for the student.	In my courses we have written reflections on learning in a google doc.   Using blogger and creating an Digital Footprint falls in the Redefinition level of the SAMR Model.  No longer are the reflections a static document that only the teacher and student read.   Integrating turns this reflection activity into a live webpage that can be viewed and searched for by the world.  Students will be able to continue to add to this digital portfolio throughout their academic and professional lives.
Paige Schoolman	Moot extension in Google Chrome	Moot is an extension that can be added to the chrome browser and allows the user to embed voice recordings into a Google Doc, Slide, Sheet, as well as Google Classroom.  I plan to implement the Moot tool in a couple of ways.   Provide formative feedback to students.  I can record a moot in the comment section of Google Classroom allowing me the ability to give verbal feedback to my students at anytime.  Students could also comment using the Moot extension.  Provide modified directions by embedding a Moot recording of the directions to my students.	In my usage of Moot it is falling in the Augmentation level of the SAMR model.   In both of the scenarios I used, the Moot extension is being used in place of typing & reading.  This is an improvement especially for students with reading disabilities.   Students will have access to the directions no matter what their reading level is.

Module 3  

In module 3 I took a deep dive into EdImagine and David Conley’s work on developing college and career readiness skills.  Conley breaks down post-secondary readiness into 4 key components:

• Think - problem formulation, research, interpretation, communication, precision/accuracy
• Know - Structure of knowledge, Attitudes toward learning, foundational knowledge/skills
• Act - Learning skills & techniques, Ownership of learning, learning techniques. 
• Go - college choice/fit, reasoning for attending, financial aid, college culture, self-advocacy

In Conley’s, Keynote at 2012 Oregon education Association Education Symposium,  he discusses the importance to “Get more students ready to succeed in college and career… not just achieve a score on a test.”  Workers need to be able to formulate problems, not just answer a problem that is given to them.  In doing so they need to collect information, interpret data, and come to a solution with accuracy.   There is a process that needs to be taught in school on how to become problem solvers.
 

Links to an external si

While Conley does not specifically speak to Project Based Learning, his philosophies lend to the the theory of project based learning.   Students gain knowledge and skills as they are working to answer a larger authentic question.  This parallels what happens in the workforce and is a skill that is transferable to any industry.   

Conley spoke about how the traditional learning system is linear.  You learn 1 skill that builds on another skill and so on until you acquire all the skills a class requires.   Conley proposes to change that model to one that  Looks at the big picture first and develop learning around the accomplishment of of the big picture goal.  This is strikingly similar to the Project Based Learning model.

This deep dive struck me as part of the CTE department we are focused on creating life-long learners and giving students opportunities to apply their learning to the real world.  I appreciate Conley’s approach that a students knowledge/skill level in a given area are not permanent.   They have room to grow.  21st century workers need to have a broad range of skills and must be able to adjust during their career to learn new skills.  According to Conley, teaching the skill of learning should be a top priority in schools.  Students today will work in many different occupations throughout their lives. Knowing the process of learning a new skill will be vital for their flexibility in future employment opportunities. 

Module 4 /5   Project Based Learning

Project based learning  vs  Doing Projects in class  

Source

In these modules, I  was able to take time to investigate what project based learning is and isn't and practice the thought process of designing a project based learning experience.

Linked below is a self paced Intro to Project Based Learning in-service that I designed for these modules.

Intro to Project Based Learning -  Presentation    |    PBL - Planning Worksheet 

MODULE 5 DISCUSSION  - FLIPPING THE CLASSROOM

Linked is the Video Links to an external site.that introduces the font formatting tools in Google Docs.   I chose to use WeVideo because that is the product our school has a subscription to.  I have used Screencastify, iMovie, and Filmora in the past.   

Reasons I like Wevideo include:

•  It is available on  a Chromebook for ease of student use.
•  Easy to use interface for beginners
•  Massive library of professional video and audio content. 

In a flipped learning application this video would be attached in a google classroom post the day before the class would be assigned the 211 assignment.  In a flipped learning environment students would have access to this video to watch before class or could take the first 5 minutes of  class to watch the video and begin working on the Formative Assessment.   The teacher would be free to walk around the classroom and work 1on1 to help students work through the formative assessment activities.   Students would be able to watch, pause, and rewind the video if they missed a concept.  Additionally, this resource would be available throughout the students time at our School so they could reference back to the skills in any of my videos for years to come. 

In a self-paced flipped mastery-learning classroom, this video would be linked into the directions for the 211 assignment as well as linked in the unit outline for Google Docs.   In the self-paced environment student would be responsible for watching the video learning the skills/tools from the vide and then applying those skills to the connected formative assessment activity.  During class students could be all working on different assignments at the same time at their own pace.   As the expert in the room I would be able to walk around, work 1on1 with students, develop relationships and guide students in their technology education journey. 

MODULE 6 DIFFERENTIATION / GRANT WRITING 

In the discussion we were asked to pick a definition of differentiation that we liked the most

I am choosing the definition by ASCD (Links to an external site.):
Differentiation is a teacher's reacting responsively to a learner's needs.  

By using this definition, I have been differentiating instruction my whole career.  We may not have called it by this name 20 years ago but working with students and adjusting learning paths and strategies has always been part of my teaching philosophy and practice.  My goal is to have students leave my classroom at the end of the semester as more efficient technology users no matter the path or sequence they complete the tasks.    

Over the summer, I have been planning out a way for students to choose their own path in my computer courses. Similar to the “Playlist”  in the Cult of Pedagogy blog (Links to an external site.)   I am using google docs to create a hyperdoc for each of my 6 units.    Students will be given the opportunity to choose which order to accomplish the learning objectives of the class.  By watching instructional videos and completing formative assessments activities the students will be able to gain the skills for each unit at their own pace. 

Grant Writing

I was amazed to find the vast amount of options available for grants.  This section of the module helped me gather my thoughts on where I have needs in my class and where I can go to seek out monetary assistance. 

Module 7 -  1:1 Integration

As a computer education teacher, I have taught in a 1:1 classroom for my entire career.  These are the issues I have encountered over the years.

• Devices are a distraction.   While it may be difficult at times to catch students attention in a traditional classroom, putting devices in front of them with the whole internet at their fingertips makes catching their attention during presentations even more difficult. My solutions:
• Teach from the back of the room.   I have learned to arrange my classroom in the back of the room so I can see all of their screens when I am demonstrating new skills.   From this vantage point I can see almost every students screen and know they are on the same application as me and are performing the tasks that I am demonstrating. 
• Verbal Cues.   When I really need them to focus and lock in on a specific skill.  I will walk to the front of the room and say “Let me see your eyes”.  I wait until every student is physically looking at me before I continue with my next point.   Lots of times the students think they already know everything in my class.  I use this verbal clue to let them  know that what I am about to show them is new and important.   I also use the cue “hold onto your hats, cause I am about to blow your mind.”  This is another cue that what I am about to teach something new that they will want to make sure they hear. 

• Time Management.  I have found that in computer classroom the devices make staying on task difficult for some students.   The culprits are usually easily identified early in the semester when assignments are not being turned in consistently.  

• • I use proximity cues and adjustments in seating charts to put them closer to where I am so I can keep them on task. 
  • Administrative Software.  I have technology in my room to view the activities of the students.   If there is a particular website that they are accessing, I will block that website to try to remove the distraction along with having a conversation about time management. 
• Devices as a Resource.   This is the Good of 1:1.   I have found having devices is more good than bad.   The devices are a great resource for students that finish early to work on other classes or explore a application tool at a deeper level.   I treat this time as a reward.  If you do your work and get done early, the rest of the class is yours.

 For this section we had to make a  STUDENT TECHNOLOGY AGREEMENT.  Here is the Technology Agreement I created for my classes. 

Module 8 - Fake News

Here are a few tips that I got from the readings and my own experiences  that I would give my students when testing the validity of a source:

1. Check the URL.   In the  Washington Post article  they showed the example of a website that looked like ABC News.  But the URL did not match an official ABC News URL and in reality the url indicated the website was based in Columbia. 

2. This is my own suggestion:   Does the headline match the majority of the Article?   I find a lot of articles that come across my social media news feed or google news feed that have headlines that have Outlandish statements but when you actually read the article only a small portion of the article talks about the headline and the headline is written out of context.    To me that would be a suggestion that the author had ulterior motive to their article most likely to put a political cause or person in a negative light.

3. Check other Sources.   If you find an source tends to skew to the right or left of the political spectrum.  Seek out an alternative source from the other side of the political spectrum.  News organizations have been pretty clear the last decade as to which side of the spectrum they sit.  Want a conservative perspective look at Foxnews.  Need a liberal perspective seek out CNN.     See both sides of the argument and find the ‘truth’ probably somewhere in the middle.