EDUC+5364+-+Teaching+with+Technology

=**EDLD 5364 Week 1 Reflection - November 22, 2000**=  This has been one of those weeks where I have seen the coming together of my classroom with my grad studies. My GT students are working on independent research projects. They get to choose a topic that they are interested in, and develop that. This ties closely with the constructivist theory. The students are bringing their prior knowledge and experiences together, with their interests, to learn something new, and to create something to demonstrate their learning. They are being provided many different ways to get their information - books, internet, interviews, anything that they can find that will help them with what they want to learn. "By putting students in charge of their projects, offering an interesting relevant context for the work,and providing a recognizable structure to build on, the teacher has increased the likelihood that the students will connect with the curriculum"(Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). //Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism//. Retrieved on October 4, 2009 from []). This is what I am hoping will happen; that students will learn and connect what they are studying to their own life.

One of the things I would like to do is to create a class blog so that the students could discuss their research with each other, but I am not sure if my district will allow this. I will have to investigate this. I want to be certain though that I am not doing this just to bring in technology, but that there is a sound reason behind it. I want to make certain that "Learning how to learn will become the new curriculum" (McPheeters, D. (2009, March). Social networking technologies in education. //Tech and Learning//. Retrieved October 4, 2009 from []); the students are teaching themselves. I have to become the person on the side who is a guide. Again, the constructivist theory is at play. 

I do want the students to use technology in their research and presentation, but I want to make sure that I do not depend on that. Technology has "great potential to enhance student achievement and teacher learning, but only if it is used appropriately. ...Technologies do not guarantee effective learning, however. Inappropriate uses of technology can hinder learning..." (Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). //How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school// (Expanded edition). Ch. 9, pp. 194-218. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Retrieved on October 4, 2009, from []). So I will need to make certain that I do not rely on the technology to do the teaching, but that I take the lead, allowing the technologies to be used for support.

I have learned a lot this week about the different learning theories, and their implications upon technology use. As I have already stated, and has been stated during our discussion board postings this week, we must learn how to use the technology, and allow students to use technology, but we also need to have our schools and districts support what we are doing. Unless the technology is readily available, teachers will continue to be reluctant to invest the time to learn how to use it in their classroom, and we will miss out on a great learning opportunity.

=__WEEK 2 - November 29th, 2009 __=  What a week – I hope that this will make sense as I try and share what I have learned this week. I’m sure you don’t want to hear about how uncomfortable it is to sleep on hospital floors, couches, chairs, etc. It has just been a long two weeks. ON TASK-   I have particularly enjoyed the readings in Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). //Using technology with classroom instruction that works.// Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Chapters 1, 15-38. As I was reading the book, I kept thinking of people I need to tell about this book. This is a book that anyone could use, as it is simply written, with practical ideas and suggestions. I was particularly interested in the information on Inspiration. I have heard of Inspiration through the ReadWriteThink website, but had never really looked at it myself. Now I plan to go to school tomorrow to see if we have Inspiration (and if not can we get it), as I see this as such a practical tool that I could use immediately. I liked the KW**H**L – the how is important, and I think that is something I have been missing in my use of KWL. I also liked the use of a survey to determine objectives. The method used by one teacher makes so much sense. Again, this is something I will try. The article “ Technology-enriched classrooms: Effects on students of low socioeconomic status ”  by Page, M. S. (2002), really fit my world. I teach in a school where half of the students come from low socioeconomic homes, and I see daily the difference it has when they get to use technology. I will not forget one student last year, who did almost no work, but when I took him to the lab suddenly he was interested in doing the assignment and in helping others. He proved what the article was saying about technology enhancing interest and motivation to learn. I found the article about the impact of technology (Schacter, J. (1999). //The impact of education technology on student achievement: What the most current research has to say.// Santa Monica, CA: Milken Exchange on Education Technology. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from ttp://www.mff.org/pubs/ME161.pdf)// interesting. In almost all cases there were definitely more benefits from the use of technology. I guess my question then is if we know this why isn’t more done about itThe final article by Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. (Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the Center for Applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 1. Retrieved on October 5, 2009, from [] ) provided some good ideas for our group project. I had just finished brainstorming with our group when I read this article, and found that it provided solid ideas that we can use. This article supported Dr. Mason’ s comments in her lectures regarding UDL. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“… <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype';">UDL supports [is] differentiated instruction <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">… <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype';">wherein teachers individualize criteria for student success, teaching methods, and means of student expression while monitoring student progress through ongoing embedded assessment <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">” <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype';">. Many good ideas were suggested on how UDL supports much of what we are already doing. I also enjoyed going to the CAST website. I had not done so before, or don <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">’ <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype';">t recall doing so, and found a lot of good resources that I will be able to use in the classroom. <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-ascii-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt;">“ <span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype'; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.0pt; mso-hansi-font-family: 'Palatino Linotype';">Brain-based research suggests each individual learns differently and we need to design tasks to help students best understand the what, hows, and whys of learning (Dr. Mason, 2009). This site definitely supports that goal. To end off this reflection, I must mention our group discussion. It was interesting to see how four teachers, from different backgrounds, grade levels, subject levels, etc., can work through the ideas and come up with a working plan. We have much discussion left to do, but we now have a topic, plan, etc. They are a great group to work with.