Week Four-Web-Conference

This week's web conference was very informational about this week's lesson.  Seems like there was quite a bit of conversation about what was being asked in assignment.  Questions about the ebook were also being asked. Personally, I really think that we needed the week three web conference.  I had a ton of questions and just had the rubric to go on and did the best I could with the help of my two members of the group.

Week Four-Reflection of Readings, Videos, Activities

There are times in your personal and working life that you go  'AHA!'.  I reached that moment this week.  As I was reading the selections, listening to the videos, reflecting over past workshops I have been in this year, links began for me as a teacher, facilitator and for my future classroom redesign.  Collaborating in google docs has wheels turning in my head about how I can make this happen in my math classroom.  I just need some lap tops or IPADS yes, about 10, well for now the work stations will have to do.  Assigning partners to work with not in the class, not in the school, but somewhere in the state to work on an assigned math project. So onward I pursue to find such students in the world and what project would I have them do.  I truly believe my students will love this.

Implementing math in collaboration will take some creative lesson planning.  I mean after all, we do teach math computation as an individual skill development.  I can see teaching probability and statistics collaboratively much easier than area and perimeter.  Maybe looking through some project based learning activities will give me some ideas.  

Week Three Learned Tinkerings

Another great week in learning, I think.  I feel like I may be dense, because I had to keep reading over and over to get the hang of what was needed for the desired requirements.  I like the structure to the UDL lesson template.  It is all encompassing and really individualizes education for students.  Learning all the components of the lesson as well as understanding what each part does to complete and prepare for the next step in learning.
I learned about the six big goals of technology.  I knew of these because we have state standard for technology that we are to be teaching in our regular content area.  I really love the ISTE simple list of technology goals.
I also learned how to move my way through the CAST website to make a lesson and an Ebook.  I do not like all the words on this website.  I really wish it was a lot simpler looking.  I just was overwhelmed with the words everywhere.  Cannot wait for another week this week!
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/download.php?op=download&book=73960&down=13379

Week Three-Teaching with Technology

Welcome Week Three!!  Oh MyLanta!!  So many questions, so much to do and google docs is a pretty neat little device...I am excited about what all I have learned and am learning...there was no web conference, but we (my Group) did meet about three times this week.  I have quickly learned I am the novice and the colors at the top of a Google Document are very important.  One must not change colors because it matches the colors of the viewers.  No! No!  One must follow the colors at the top of the document.  We had a bit of a misunderstanding due to me not having the right color text.
I really like Google Docs and learning to work within the document.
With the lesson done, the ebook complete, trying to figure out how to share is the next task.  Had a great week.

Week Two Findings from Web Conf Call

First important item I learned is always run your internship plan through Dr. Boral!! I am a fast learner, I knew this in the first 5 minutes of the web conference where we spent 20 minutes or so on this topic.  Second thing was to keep it simple!!  Now I have applied this theory in many areas of my life --but have now understood one more use for this theory.
The last item of importance I learned was this week --the third and the fourth require a large amount of collaboration with my project team.  AND no web conference this week..thank you for reading.

Teaching with Technology Week Two

Wow!  Hit the road running!  With information hitting me left and right, I am starting to get a feel for the Project and links to the Universal Designs for Learning, and the Assessment in a Rubric form, as well as working with diverse learners.  Center for Applied Special Technology Web site where the UDL is housed along with a host of resources.  I am amazed!!
Technology is entering classrooms at a much slower rate than the business world as stated in Technology Enriched Classrooms article.  And is there any question like why?  I am positive that the money issue has something to do with it's slow emergence.  Another factor, is educating teachers to use technology.  Many studies show that technology does help low socio- economic students.  I have experienced in class that technology increases   learning for all students.  Just try a Poll Everywhere question and the get your cell phones out to answer it, and see what happens--after the gasps of breaths and your reassuring nod!  
So many studies revealing the link of technology to student achievement. Schacter's article lists several studies done in the late 1990's of math scores increasing by 13 weeks, along with state test scores and national scores showing improvement.  With that knowledge, why have educators and leaders not made more of an emphasis on the use of technology?  

Teaching with Technology Week One

This week has been marked with a whole new world opening for me.  This world is a world I wanted to open but honestly just haven't made the time to explore and learn.  Funny how taking a class forces you to make those steps--guess I will die owing college loans then!!
In Week One -I learned of the different learning theories--Constructivism theory, Connectivisim theory, and the Cyborg Learning theory.
I can see many parents who posess the competitive nature for their child to be the smartest in the class definitely implanting the chips into the children so that they may have the top scores on the PSAT, SAT, and ACT.  Honestly, I think this is a bit radical and the beginning of robotic students that I find a bit inhuman.
Connectivism theory is possibly what has been current models of instruction during the late 1900's of education.  With learning a cloud outside a student's world, it is almost like a foreign planet that we go to visit every now and again.  I truly see a more personal experience with models of kinesthetic learning much more effective and less of a foreign planet.  When a student can hold it, see it, model it, is a root of education--yes connecting to it.  That connection might be through a video game of Angry Birds to model a parabolic function, or a combat video game to model factorials, or simply algebra tiles, or integer disks for students to master the concepts.  Whatever it might be, starting with the symbolic modality and working three or four problems is not the answer to learning.
Lastly, Constructivism, is my favorite, Knowledge is constructed in multiple ways, through a variety of tools, resources, experiences, and contexts. (Southwest Educational Development Laboratory, (1999). Learning as a personal event: A brief introduction to constructivism. As I read this week, I placed into practice.  I have a class of 3 to 4 angels.  They truly are angels.  It was a casual conversation of jingles to commercials that spawned an example of an algebraic expression this week.  'Fishy, Fishy' was heard through out the hall of my school this past week.  By simply counting, the word 'fishy' and 'mc' a simple expression was created and linked to student's learning to english and math from their 'world'.  I thought to myself that wasn't in the lesson plan however, I sure had their attention and linked them to a different world of patterns and words though.  Also, instead of talking about somebody they were singing "Fishy, Fishy".  
Lastly, I found so affirming the Am I Doing My Job? article.  I love my job--I really love practices where is says it is okay for children to be the commander of their learning, aka constructivism theory.  

Can you say GOOGLE? 
Loved the simple world of google.  Google Docs and the Presentation site were fabulous.  Also did some exploring into creating a video for the opening of the presentation.  
Also explored into some research for the project, 'The Indelible Link',  and another article, 'Simulation Technologies in Higher Education:  Uses, Trends, and Implications.'  
Lots of Happy, Happy Happy going on here. Happy Learning that is.  Have a great week!