EDLD_5364

Week 5 “Caught in the act of trying hard”…that is a quote on a bulletin board from an example in our book, //Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works// (pg 162.) I was actually surprised by the direction chapter eight took us this week, pleasantly surprised. In light of the current media sensation over a fallen sports hero, I believe we need to re-examine who our students’ role models are. Pitler goes on to say, “When students have well-known or personal stories from which to learn, effort is reinforced, and students begin to take more responsibility for their own success.” Through various methods, it is important for teachers to demonstrate that others too have had struggles in the classroom yet were able to work hard and achieve success. We need to find more "real" role models, instead of sports figures and movie/TV stars. Students need to see peers who have similar struggles that have been able to work hard and achieve their goals.

I noticed a trend with our video assignments and readings this week, which I’m sure is not an accident ;-), I was inspired by all the visionaries. As I read more and more with this course, I am becoming aware that if we want to give our students the best and most engaging learning experience, many things need to change. In the videos, there were many “movers and shakers”...they motivate me to want to be a “mover and shaker.” I was just speaking to my AP, who had been a teacher for many years and after that, an Instructional Technology Specialist in our district. We talked about a vision for our school and changes that we would like to see. There are at least five teachers retiring this year, and I mentioned what a wonderful opportunity she has to fill those positions with teachers that are forward thinking and also share a vision of a school that is strong in project-based learning, technology-rich and all students are treated with fairness and respect. I am also referring to fairness in all assessment also and when I speak of that this week; I have to refer to __ Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning, Chapter 7. __ A quote from that chapter that had a real impact on me was, “Generally, educators have interpreted "fairness" to mean that assessments are uniform in format and administered in a standardized fashion the same test is given in exactly the same way and under the same conditions for each learner.” This is so true, and I have never looked at it this way. Actually when I read it, I thought…”guilty”. We had a staff meeting this week and our AP brought up a point that I had to stop and think about, "Don't just give an assessment to assess, use it as a tool. Also, seriously look at your assessment and consider whether you are evaluating the work that students learned through engaging lessons, are you being fair to your students?" And one last question I remember her asking, "Are you giving the students multiple opportunities and multiple tools to demonstrate what they know?" Of course, this would create more work for the teacher at first - thinking outside the box is not easy. And also, many teachers would be opposed to it because that isn't how TAKS does it! But, as teachers become more familiar with on-going assessments and student learning focused on collaboration, hopefully we all take a step in the "right" direction. The CAST videos were very informative and I enjoyed the perspective of a day in the life of an average 6th grader (Cameron) and High School Senior (Louis) and how technology is an integral part of that day for both students. I was impressed with Cameron’s Chroma-Keying abilities and creativity. Because I am the broadcast coordinator in our elementary school, I took special interest in how Cameron and his teacher used the green screen during their school announcements. In our class textbook, **Web 2.0 new tools, new schools,** (pages 89-90) Soloman & Shrum state, “The potential for new journalists to learn skills that may be used throughout their careers is exciting”. I have twenty students on my broadcast team and I frequently wonder if I have the next Lisa Ling or Anderson Cooper. I remind my students often that if they become a reporter/producer/cinematographer; they must list my name in the credits. I started to peruse the website they suggested ([|www.rtnda.org/hsj/]), and am looking forward to exploring this site when I have more time to look in-depth at what it has to offer. I also found extremely applicable to my position as our broadcast coordinator the //Rights and Permissions// section in our textbook, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (p. 223). This is a daily topic with my broadcast team and I hope the students are learning to be creative writers without the aid of someone else’s words, and to be creative illustrators coming up with original works of art for our broadcast announcements. I do not have to question if my students are learning during our time together…they show me every day learning and growth and on many occasions, I am learning from them! WEEK 2 I am thrilled that you have exposed me to the CAST website. I am presenting a half day professional development in February on “Using Technology to Meet the Needs of Diverse Learners.” I feel I was given another wonderful resource to share with teachers. I found I was spending so much time exploring different books in the UDL Book Builder and perusing lessons in the Strategy Tutor Teacher Website that I was neglecting my other obligations. J I also will refer to the current research discussed in “The Impact of Education Technoogy on Student Achievement” by John Schacter. Much of this research corresponds and collaborates with what I plan to share with teachers during my professional development. While reading from our textbook, “Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works,” I was immediately drawn into chapter one by the opening paragraph, especially the sentence regarding “establishing a direction for learning.” We need to remember that we are on a course that will change based on our students’ diverse needs. I also found Pitler’s examples very informative. I appreciated having some applicable tools to apply to my teaching. I learned how to save a template, a different way to look at a KWHL chart, some ideas to use Inspiration and Kidspiration and more about on-line surveys and rubrics. Page’s research also was relevant to my school and students. As teachers, we have been exposed to a world with computers for so long that we have to be reminded to step back and reflect on where our low socioeconomic students are coming from and the importance of exposing them to technologies that they normally would not have the opportunity to explore.
 * Week 4**
 * Week 3**

WEEK 1 Week one of EDLD 5364 has been hectic in my personal life so I have felt a little behind. I found this assignment difficult, but am grateful for the opportunity to review and summarize what I had read. Here is the summary of some of what I have learned this week.


 * Constructivism Theory:** The purpose of learning is a search for meaning. A student has to construct his or her own meaning to learn, not just memorize the “right” answers and regurgitate someone else’s meaning. What I found very interesting was that constructivism calls for the elimination of grades and standardized testing. Instead, assessment becomes part of the learning process so that students play a larger role in judging their own progress. I would like to see how that would go over with the Dept. of Education.


 * Connectivism Theory:** Learning happens in many different ways, a theory of learning that only considers one dimension excludes a large part of how learning happens. Learning can take place in a community, a network, or a database. Knowing where to find information is more important than knowing information. The nature of this Lamar on-line Masters programs is based on this theory.


 * Cyborg Theory:** I found the You Tube video very interesting and was mesmerized by the futuristic element of Warwicks experiments. I can't see this becoming a standardized human procedure anytime soon. We are a nation that does not embrace change.

While we strive to understand learning, it can be overwhelming with different theories, one even involving becoming a "superhuman." We have to remember that our students need to be engaged, exposed to "real life" learning, and given learning experiences that provide differentiation and that are overall preparing them for the 21st century workplace and world.