The Last Blogpost for EDU 533

The Finale

         Part 1: Your final assignment of the course is your course reflection. Here you will discuss what you Learned (The L of the KWL) from the beginning of the course to now. In this blog posting, please discuss the remaining course objectives you have recently met that were not met at the midterm of the course. List them out and discuss how you met them. This also where you reflect upon where you began before this class and what you have learned that will help you in your future as an educator.

         I have learned so much from the beginning to the end of this class. It has been a really interesting journey and I have learned a lot. I feel like one of the most important things a school must teach students is, how to be successful in their lives. Students must leave school having the knowledge and skills necessary for them to work, socialize and live on our planet. Technology has become a vital part of our world. I will go over how the class objectives have helped me understand and learn skills to help me become a great teacher.

         Objective 1 is, learn ways to promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding. It has been reinforced in this class that teachers do not need to have every single answer. If a teacher creates genuine discussions and the class has questions that no one can answer, that shows the students are engaged and are probably using higher order thinking. Gone are the times when teachers would stand in the front of the room and lecture and the students would soak up the knowledge like sponges, with technology students can have a world of knowledge at their fingertips. Getting kids in groups and having the teacher join the groups has become a great way to allow students to share and grow ideas that they think up.

         Objective 2 is, demonstrate an understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology. Since everyone in our class has an undergrad degree, we all know ways to cite our sources, or we have bookmarks reminding us of how to cite. I was appreciative of learning about images and the correct way to use them and credit them. I have learned that there is no universally correct way to cite an image but I have been using an accepted method to cite all of my image sources since learning the way during a homework assignment.

Red Apple from Wikimedia Commons

         Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum is the 3^rd objective. This is a very important topic since our schools and thus, our classrooms, must comply with these standards. It is extremely important I know these and follow them since I want to be a teacher, and I want to be a teacher for a long time. It was nice to get some practice in how to implement the standards with our lesson plan and webquest assignments.

         Objective 4 is, demonstrate an understanding of the use of assistive and adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student. I think we learned clear and easy ways to use technology to help students. Students with 504s or IEPs will benefit from multimedia lessons using videos, images, games or other interactive activities. Enrichment can be achieved by having students research and learn more and take topics further. There are computer programs that allow users to put on headphones and listen to whole books, and other programs that can listen and type what a person says into a microphone. All of these programs can be used to assist a student. Objective 5 is, evaluate and reflect on emerging tools and trends by reviewing current research and professional literature. We did our big literature review paper for this topic. We also learned with our textbook, TED talks and other Internet searches but I feel we learned so much more from utilizing the tools and discussing the trends. We have learned how to make intro videos to hook students into a topic, make webquests for students to learn from and how to make a blog so that the world can read about our classes’ adventures.

         The final objective is, turn theory into practice by completing 5 hours of related field experience. This was an amazing experience. I got to watch a teacher, who is know for integrating technology, in his classroom. The class project was world explorers, but the technology piece was that the class was partnered with another class in Sophia, Bulgaria! What a great use of technology!

         While some of these objectives were met before midterm I feel they were firmed up during the second half of the term. These were all very important topics to learn. These will all help me be a good teacher. I appreciate learning the standards so I know my goals and requirements in the classroom. I have learned a lot about how to use and implement technology. I will definitely use all the skills I have learned in my future classroom. One of the most important things I have learned is that I should be a lifelong learner.

         I knew a little before this class. I had seen teachers at my school work with student’s in groups. I had seen teachers say they did not know the answer to a student’s question. I had seen the use of technology some in classrooms. I enjoyed seeing a 5^th grade classroom form their own experiments and show the properties of the states of water. Working in a school has given me those experiences and that is why I decided to become a teacher.

Part 2: Answer the following question: Why is it important for all teachers to integrate technology into the lessons they teach, regardless the age of the students? Discuss what may be barriers to technology integration and how you as the teacher can overcome them. Using what you have learned throughout the course, please provide examples and information to support your answer. Within this blog entry, please discuss some web2.0 tools that would assist with technology integration.

         It is important for all teachers to integrate technology into lessons because we must prepare future generations for their whole lives and technology will be a huge part of their lives. Jobs, communications, knowledge and many other things will have technology incorporated into them, if they don’t already have it. I look at EDU 533 and we are becoming teachers, we still need to stay current with new technologies and how to implement them in the classroom. We have learned that educators should be lifelong learners, it is the best way to help our students achieve their full potentials. With our knowledge and with technology our classrooms can help students learn and grow more than the past classroom models. We can use multimedia lessons to help students understand and experiment with knowledge. We can Skype with other classes, authors, scientists or anyone in the world with an Internet connection. We can use Edmodo to give students a place to talk about assigned videos. We can then use blogs to talk about what we have learned and our thoughts.

         If we have trouble integrating technology and ideas into our classroom due to staff or parents being against or afraid of the ideas, we could turn to online communities for encouragement, support and ideas to help teach the staff or parents about the benefits and advantages of integration. The budget and supplies may be a barrier to integrating technology into our schools or classrooms. We can use whatever is available and be thankful for what we can use and do with those devices. We can turn again to our online communities or our schools’ communities to ask for assistance and support.

New Hampshire Elementary Education Standards

Ed 612.04  Elementary Education.  The elementary education program for grades K-6 or K-8 shall provide the teaching candidate with the skills, competencies and knowledge gained through a combination of academic and supervised practical experience in the following areas:

          (a)  In the area of curriculum and assessment, the ability to:

(1)  Design, administer, and use the results of informal assessments to meet individual needs;

(2)  Use the results of standardized tests, observations, and daily student performance to plan instruction; and

(3)  Help K-6 or K-8 students develop the ability to assess their own progress as learners;

          (b)  In the area of planning and instructional strategies, the ability to:

(1)  Use the following strategies to promote student learning:

a.  Development of student literacy, including reading instruction that leads to development of student strategies for word recognition, decoding skills, and reading comprehension;

b.  Development of student writing skills, including writing process, usage, and grammar; and

c.  Development of student mathematics skills, including number systems, number series, algebraic concepts, informal geometry, measurement, data organization and interpretation skills;

(2)  Apply fundamental skills of social interaction, problem solving, and higher order thinking and to foster development of these skills in students by integrating them into all subject areas;

(3)  Use enthusiasm and appropriate language and behaviors to provoke interest, curiosity, and engagement in learning for all subjects;

(4)  Demonstrate understanding of all subject areas through the proper use of subject specific language, behaviors, and skills;

(5)  Use literature and artistic expression as teaching tools in all subject areas;

(6)  Use developmentally appropriate practices to create authentic learning experiences crucial to teaching elementary students; and

(7)  Integrate effectively a variety of content areas into a holistic, thematic approach to teaching;

          (c)  In the area of communication and collaboration:

(1)  Knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of various personnel, including principal, speech language specialist, speech language pathologist, occupational therapist, special education administrator, and paraeducator, indigenous to elementary schools and districts;

(2)  Ability to effectively access and collaborate with school district personnel to support student learning; and

(3)  Skill in using a variety of appropriate, constructive communication strategies that effectively engage families, parents, and guardians in discussions of children’s growth and development;

          (d)  In the area of professionalism:

(1) Knowledge of the laws governing the education of all learners and ability to use that knowledge to create an inclusive learning environment;

(2)  Ability to understand how the dynamics of the classroom and the teacher’s own behavior and skills can impact students’ behavior and learning; and

(3) Ability to create systems managing time, space, and discipline that effectively promote learning and a positive classroom climate;

          (e)  In the area of technology:

(1) Ability to discriminate between developmentally appropriate and inappropriate use of technology with children;

(2)  Skill in utilizing technologies effectively to assist student learning; and

(3)  Knowledge of how to provide equal access to the digital world;

          (f)  In the area of language arts content, the ability to:

(1)  Explain the usage of structure, grammar, and orthography of the English language;

(2)  Analyze, interpret, and evaluate the elements of literary works, including fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry; and

(3)  Apply knowledge of the influence of social, cultural, psychological, and economic factors to the acquisition of language and language learning and to the teaching of literacy;

          (g)  In the area of mathematics content, the ability to:

(1)  Explain the meaning and use of numbers and the standard algorithms for the 4 basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division;

(2)  Explain basic algebraic concepts, representations, and formulas;

(3)  Explain the proportions of geometry, including relationships and theorems in figures and shapes;

(4)  Explain standard units of measurement; and

(5)  Organize and interpret data through the use of visual displays, probability, and statistics;

          (h)  In the area of social studies content, ability to:

(1)  Explain world geography and its effects on human, physical, political, and economic systems;

(2)  Explain the pre-history and early civilizations to those of the current day, including their developments and transformations;

(3)  Explain United States history from European exploration and colonization to current developments and transformations;

(4)  Explain the nature, purpose, and forms of local, state, national, and international government;

(5)  Demonstrate a working knowledge of the tools, goals, and areas of study in anthropology, sociology, and psychology; and

(6)  Explain basic micro- and macro-economics; and

          (i)  In the area of science content, ability to:

(1)  Explain, in the area of earth science, the structure and the process of the earth system and its relationship to the universe;

(2)  Explain, in the area of life science, the structure, function, and healthy maintenance of living systems;

(3)  Explain, in the area of physical science, the structure, property, and interactions of energy and matter;

(4)  Apply the inquiry process an educational standard of science pursuant to RSA 193-C:3,III(a) through the use of scientific inquiry; and

(5)  Apply an awareness of history and nature of science to an inquiry process an educational standard of science pursuant to RSA 193-C:3,III(a) illuminating the history of science.

Source.  #2055, eff 6-16-82; ss by #2714, eff 5-16-84; ss by #4632, eff 7-1-89; EXPIRED 7-1-95

New.  #6366, eff 10-30-96, EXPIRED: 10-30-04

New.  #8229, eff 12-17-04; ss by #8725, eff 9-9-06

Webquest

Here is my Webquest for my EDU 533 Learning through Technology Class. Here is my lesson plan for the Webquest.

CIPA Tagxedo

Here is a Tagxedo I made of keywords about CIPA the Children's Internet Protection Act.

ISTE 2011 Closing Keynote: Chris Lehmann (full)

An insightful speech about using technology in the classroom and getting students more engaged and excited in topics. Yes it is long but it has some good points.

My Field Experience and Interview

I recently got to interview and observe in a 5th grade classroom for my EDU 533 class. I really like 5th grade and hope to teach it when I graduate. It was neat to see technology being used in an actual classroom and the opportunities it allows. Read all about it in my paper.

EDU 533 Digital Story, Science Lesson Intro: What's the Matter?

Here is a complimentary digital story video intro to the lesson plan, What's the matter?

Science Lesson Intro: What's the Matter?

Song and Picture Credits:

Song from Animoto Music Library.

Carpet Stain, By Stephani Spitzer on Flickr.

Jello Cubes 8-3-09 5, by Steven Depolo on Flickr.

Water-Molecule-Vector, by Ilya Sedykh on Flickr.

Monterey Ocean View, by David Glover on Flickr.

Frozen Ice Cubes IMG_1021, by Steven Depolo on Flickr.

Water Vapor, by Mads Johansen on Flickr.

Light through clouds, by Florin Gorgan on Flickr.
Gorilla picture from Animoto ImageLibrary.

miny BP in my garage, by michael on Flickr.
Jitterbug_dancers, by New York World-Telegram on wikimedia commons, Public Domain.

Melting Ice Cubes, by jar () on Flickr.

Tovolo Perfect Cube ice trays, by Kenn Wilson on Flickr.
Stick in the mud, by thecoffeeguy on deviantart.
Polarbearonice, by U.S. Geological Survey on wikimedia commons, Public Domain.

Robert's First Animoto Take iii

Robert's First Animoto Take iii Because some things get better with time.

Robert's First Animoto

Robert's First Animoto

Potential Student Artifact from Lesson Plan

Second Post for Lesson Plan on edmodo:

How would the states of water be different if they switched random properties? What would that world be like to live in?

If some random properties of water in a gas state changed it may have definite shape. Even if the water in gas form was in a large room or outside it would only fill a certain area, let's say a cube 3 ft cubed. If a person walked through that cube they may notice a moisture change while their body is in the cube. It would be similar to living with constant fog in defined areas. It could also have a molecular structure similar to a solid's usual structure since it has a defined area. It may have wavy sides since its molecules may not be as organized as the usual solid's structure.

A Link to My Diigo Library Page

My Diigo Library Page

Pencil Grips, My Student Artifact

Pencil Grips, a photo by APMus on Flickr.

I am uploading this picture because I feel it shows an important part of school. One student I work with needs help with skills other students do not have trouble with. The student has OT help and is learning how to hold a pencil correctly using a pencil grip. Something as simple and overlooked as a pencil grip can become a tool to help a student succeed and master a skill.

My First Lesson Plan, What's the Matter?

Enter your name and specific age group(s) to use this lesson: Robert Coffield,  5th grade

List the Web site you found your lesson on:  Collaborated with Stratham Memorial Teachers, Kate Bucklin, Jess Valenti and Steve Gagnon, to create this lesson plan.

“Big Idea” this lesson plan supports: This lesson will teach about the states of matter using water as a solid, liquid and gas. It will emphasize the properties of the states i.e. how energy and molecular motion relate to states and how temperature can affect the state.

Lesson Plan Component	Criteria
Title - Name of Lesson	Whats the Matter?
GSE’s/GLE’s/ Frameworks/Common Core/NETS- Standards (listed under Course Documents)	NH Grade Level Expectations: Science :Physical Science 1:8:2.6 Represent or explain the relationship between or among energy, molecular motion, temperature, and states of matter. [PS1(5-8)SAE+MAS-4] Science :Physical Science 1:4:2.1 Recognize that substances can be classified by observable properties. Science :Physical Science 1:4:2.2 Explain that some materials can exist in different states; and describe the distinct physical properties of each state of matter. Science :Physical Science 1:4:2.3 Explain how some materials, such as water, can change from one state to another by heating or cooling. ISTE/NETS Standards: 5. Digital Citizenship Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship 6. Technology Operations and Concepts Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. a. Understand and use technology systems b. Select and use applications effectively and productively c. Troubleshoot systems and applications d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies Possibly, if online discussion(s) starts: 2. Communication and Collaboration Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
Lesson Objective(s) - The Student can or will … using a verb from Blooms Revised Taxonomy Sub Categories Each of the categories or taxonomic elements has a number of key verbs associated with it Lower Order Thinking Skills (LOTS) Remembering - Understanding - Applying - Analysing - Evaluating - Creating - Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)	Students will show the ability to: Identify the properties of three states of water Explain how and why water changes states due to temperature Explain how and why energy and molecular motion changes in different states Structure, plan and produce a presentation to show the properties of a state of water
Materials - What will they need to complete this assignment? Be as specific as possible.	Students will need a home device with internet connection to view the at home lecture. Students will need an edmodo account linked to the class’s page. Students will need paper and pencils for in class notes during discussions and planning the presentations, or students can use internet connected devices to take notes and/or create their presentations. Students could use google docs or similar sites to create their presentations and would need necessary accounts for the sites. Students could also use available materials to use as, or make, props for the presentations.
Anticipatory Set - Prior Knowledge - How will you “hook” students prior to teaching the lesson	Presumably, students would have some prior knowledge from past grades’ science lessons about the three states of matter. I would make the evening lecture interesting, engaging and explain how water, in its different states, is everywhere. The post lecture comments could start interesting questions or topics that could lead into in class discussions.
Procedures - What will student and teacher do? Best practices - Ask 3 questions here to promote higher order thinking related to lesson plan.	This is a lesson using a flipped classroom approach where the lecture is created using the app, educreation, and the students watch it the night before the in class lesson. The lecture would cover the properties of the three states of water and how temperature can affect which state water is in. After watching the lecture students would comment about the topic on edmodo, they could start a discussion about a certain part of the lecture or just leave a brief comment about their favorite part. The in class lesson would start with a short discussion addressing any difficult questions posed or any confusion or questions about the lecture. The class would then break up into three groups giving each group a different state of water. Each group would discuss the properties of the given state and then create a presentation of the state emphasizing properties. Many different forms of presentation would be allowed as long as it could show the necessary information i.e. glogs, posters, a show, etc. In the presentations the groups would need to answer the question “What evidence proves the distinction between their state of water and other states?” Groups would do their presentations for the other groups and teacher. The teacher would move from group to group and listen to discussions. The teacher would pose the question, “What are the similarities and differences between the states of water?” and listen to the groups’ answers. If a question arose that could be answered by the lecture the student would be directed to ask group peers or directed to that part of the lecture via a nearby computer. After the presentations the teacher would have the students comment on edmodo about, “How would the states of water be different if they switched random properties?” And “What would that world be like to live in?” Students could finish the comment at home if we run out of time.
Closure - How will you have students reflect on what has been learned in this lesson?	I would have a google docs survey to assess the students’ knowledge of the properties of the states of water. Included at the end of the survey would be questions about how they thought the lecture and in class groups went and if they liked or had trouble with any part of the lesson. A self assessment would be the last question, “I deserve this grade ____ because…”.
Assessment- Assessment is directly correlated to stated objectives (listed above) and provides an opportunity for every student to demonstrate progress toward meeting the objective(s)   Create a rubric that shows objectives relating to project. - Assessment can be completion of project. Something student creates.	There are a lot of things to assess in this lesson. Many of them would be mostly completion based. As long as the post lecture comment was on topic and proved the student watched the entire lecture a full mark would be awarded. Participation in the group and presentation would be mostly completion based as long as effort and good teamwork was seen from student. The student’s self assessment may play a role, depending on how honest and detailed the reasoning is, as well as if the student’s name came up in multiple students’ group assessment answers. The second online comment would be graded mainly on effort and completion. The presentation would need to show that the group understood and correctly explained the properties of the state of water. The post presentation survey would show the individual student’s knowledge of the properties of the states of water.
Modifications/ Accommodations Lesson plan includes appropriate modifications and/or accommodations for students needing enrichment, remediation, or alternative strategies Students with IEP - Individualized Educational Plans or 504’s would require modifications or accommodations -	Students wanting more enrichment would be free to research more about the topic and share, via comment(s) on the classpage of edmodo, about their findings. Students could also have discussions about the given topics via edmodo. Students’ parents, hopefully, are able and willing to help students understand the information in the evening lecture. Students could come into class early to talk with teacher about the topics to better understand the content. Students could have peer, teacher or aide support to be successful during the group planning and presentation phases. Students without a home device or without internet connection could come in early and view the lecture or special arrangements could be made so the students would see the lecture before class.

Literature Review Week #4 Making Good Digital Citizens

            The use of technology and social media is a growing trend in schools these days.  In my Learning through Technology class we have discussed the advantages and the necessity of using technology in our current or future classrooms.  Preparing students for their futures is an important part of education and technology is going to continue to be a part of everyone’s future.  Teaching students how to appropriately use social media has become an important part of school curriculum since more and more teachers are using social media in the classroom.

            In the article, Promote Good Digital Citizenship: 10 Ideas For Rich Academic Student Discussion Online by Michael Gorman, Gorman talks about the guidelines teachers can use to teach students to be good social media citizens.  He uses the example of posts or comments on a discussion board or blog.

            Gorman’s first two ideas are that students’ discussions about a topic should include creating, evaluating and synthesizing information about the topic and that the teacher should use the discussions as a gauge for how well the students understand the topic.  The first idea uses the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy of Cognitive Domain.  Since the teacher should use the discussions more as a

Image from quapan on flickr

barometer for class understanding Gorman’s third idea suggests that if discussions are graded it should be for participation.  Gorman’s fourth and fifth ideas are that students should treat the discussions like they would a paper report they were handing in to be graded.  Discussions should have proper grammar, punctuation, spelling, concise ideas, and stay on topic.  All references should be cited, no plagiarism.  Posts can be seen by anyone online so they need to be respectful, considerate, and keep the student’s identity safe.  Gorman’s next point emphasizes the use of the World Wide Web, make the discussions interesting with videos, links or pictures.  Why be boring and bland when the Internet can be used to liven up a discussion?

Image contributed by writer

The next two ideas Gorman gives are to keep in mind the concepts behind the discussion board and make a rubric to help guide the students’ thinking and learning.  Gorman says to keep the 21st century competencies in mind when writing the rubric.  Model good digital citizenship and comment on students’ discussions.  And the final idea from Gorman is to encourage students to start their own discussions. 

            Michael Gorman is an acclaimed connected educator.  He is a blogger and teacher who has won numerous awards.  He has presented at many school technology conferences focusing on integrating technology and 21^st century skills into schools.  He is a consultant for four organizations and is an advisor and contributor to the magazine I found his article in.

            Digital citizenship is an important topic that all teachers should teach their students.  While reading Gorman’s article there were some concepts I did not understand so I investigated and found some information about them.  This is my first class in my adventure to become a master of education so some common concepts are still new or vague to me.  I explored those concepts and shared the links in case others are interested.  I was still confused exactly what 21^st century competencies were so I read this article from the 21^st century competencies page.  I learned that the competencies and Bloom’s higher levels require creative thinking and the evaluation or analysis of knowledge.

            Since I am going to be an elementary teacher I was interested in how best to teach digital citizenship to my demographic.  I found a helpful article by Mary Beth Hertz about this exact idea.  Hertz writes that children as young as 6 use social networks in online games or sites about their favorite TV shows.  Hertz uses storybird and schoology to give her students freedom to write comments and learn from mistakes in a safe and monitored environment.  Learning correct practices is also important so students do not become cyberbullies.  After exploring these sites, I may use them to create a safe and fun learning environment to teach my future students about proper digital citizenship.

Image from Massachusetts Education Secretary Paul Malone on flickr

            I feel I should have a good understanding of what I am teaching before I try to teach students the information.  I agree that teachers do not need to have all the answers, as I have seen teachers at my school admit they do not know the answer to a student’s question.  However, I do believe that a teacher should have a good understanding of important concepts.  Digital citizenship has become a significant part of the classroom and will gain importance in the future.  Technology will become a larger part of classroom learning therefore digital citizenship will be as important as an anti-bullying or plagiarism speech. 

           

Learning Outcomes:

Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning:

Learning and using correct digital citizenship will be an important part of a student’s life since technology is becoming more integrated into all jobs.  Students will have the skills and knowledge to be successful and be good digital citizens.

Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance students’ technological literacy:

Digital Citizenship will provide students with the tools needed to use sites like storybird, schoology or any social media site safely and responsibly.  The article also gives connected educators the ideas of how to implement good digital citizenship in the classroom.

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology:

Understanding and teaching good digital citizenship will cover all of these practices.

Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student:

Michael Gorman’s second and third ideas come to mind.  Using blogs or discussion boards as a gauge to see how well students understand the topic may be better than having the students’ grades hinge on their posts’ quality.  Also, using different media in the blog or discussion board may help students understand and learn the topics based on different learning styles.

Evaluate, adapt and reflect upon emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature:

I feel my learning sphere has grown since the start of this assignment.  I used the Internet and found information about a new and important topic, digital citizenship article, and researched topics I knew little or nothing about such as Bloom’s Taxonomy and 21^st Century Competencies.  I found an article about how to teach digital citizenship in an elementary setting.  I feel digital citizenship is important to teach students since the world is connected by technology.