EDU 533 Blog Post

EDU 533 Final Blog Posting

The same expectations I had going into EDU 533: Integration With Technology, are the same expectations I feel have been fulfilled upon completion of the class.  Despite the numerous amount of technological resources in society, I feel I have an above average familiarity with all technologies offered.  If I come across a technological resource that I am not not comfortable with, I don't hesitate to explore all that it is capable of offering.  Though I may feel I am good with technology, I do sometimes find an obstacle when trying to explain own understanding of it to my students.  EDU 533 improved my understanding and implementation of this ability drastically.  This provided a great benefit to me and my students.   

Patti Sullivan, the professor of EDU 533, not only introduced us to a wide variety of educational technological resources that are at our disposal as teachers, but also made sure that we guided ourselves through the use of each one.  This independency had us rely on skills and knowledge we individually have long developed throughout our educational career while creating a more substantial social network.  Eventually as the weeks went on, we became a self reliant collaborating classroom.  Rather than asking the teacher questions upon our first stumble with a problem, we would inquire with each other surveying different ideas or concepts, still working towards the same goal.  It reminded me of the hidden curriculum many schools implement.  This is where schools have multiple agendas to ensure the success of their students.  The hidden curriculum where a school will try to improve their student's social skills while  building their academic foundations.  All through one curriculum or lesson plan.

Some of the actual academic skills I have learned and have already incorporated in my classroom are the creation of my blog for EDU 533, an integrated technology lesson plan for my discover a culture curriculum, and a creation of a web quest for access by my students for various resources.  Understanding these academic skills from EDU533, I hope to create one of the above resources for each curriculum I use so my students can learn and have access to the content at all times if need be.  The concept this class instructed me on in regards to use of technology in the classroom I believe is the way students need to be engaged and learn.  Society is changing for the better through the use and understanding of technology.  For students to ensure their success in the world of fierce competitors, technological skills are a must, whether you have access to them or not.  It is to a student's benefit that they acquire these skills through their educational career to improve their STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematical) skills.  This will allow them to be viable competitors in a world where technology levels the playing the field for all.  EDU 533 provided this tool for my own success in regards to be able to become a elite teacher who hopes to provide a never ending learning experience to my students.

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Integrating Technology

Learning with Technology Interview – Real World Technology Use

This past week, I had the pleasure to sit down with a high school marketing teacher and interview them about education today.  The purpose of this interview was to gain an educator’s perspective on integration of technology in the classroom in the 21st century..  The teacher  I was able to speak with has been teaching for a number of years in our district.   They have taught the classes of ICT; Information and Communication Technology, and now are currently teaching Business Marketing.  Also, they have had the experience of teaching at multiple schools within our district, giving them an opportunity to validate if there is consistency in the district’s implementation of technology to students various classes.  I asked five basic questions to guide the interview gaining their knowledge, beliefs, and learning expectations regarding the integration of technology in the classroom.  The five questions were as follows:

o How important do you think the integration of technology into a teacher’s curriculum and lesson plans are? Why?

o Do you have requirements on the amount of  knowledge of technology you expect your student to learn by the end of your curriculum?

o How do you implement these standards and requirements to satisfy the learning expectations?  (Software, Lesson Plans)

o Does the difference in student’s academic ability to complete the required work according to your lesson plan affect the implementation of the curriculum?

o Is there anything you would change about the required use and/or standards of technology in the classroom for both teachers and students?

The teacher’s beliefs on the importance of the integration of technology into a teachers curriculum they believed was extremely significant for a variety of reasons.  Integration of technology in the classroom allows a teacher to mix and match multiple teaching styles in a single instructional period.  A teacher can do a lecture.  They can also implement and use PowerPoint as an assistant to add notes their lecture if they so choose.   A teacher can maybe use a podcast in efforts to keep the students aware and engaged, giving them a different voice to hear.  There were many options at their disposal. Their department also uses Mimio, which the teacher greatly praised.  Mimio is an educational package their department has ordered which emphasizes

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adaptive instruction with their students.  Mimio takes commonly used resources in the classrooms and puts an interactive spin on them for group instruction, formative assessment, collaborative learning, and student centered interactive learing. Mimio provides downloadable programs for all subjects and curriculums that can be used on smart boards, whiteboards, or even projectors, making teacher's resources interactive for the further engagement of students.

These commonly used teachers resources, which they felt provided great assistance with both, teachers ability to bring course content in a more engaging way, and for students a more conducive environment to be motivated and enjoy learning in.  Despite the variety of resources that are at a teachers disposal, for both students and teachers, there are requirements that are expected of the student in both classes, ICT and Business Marketing.  ICT is required course students are expected to successfully complete their freshman year to be able to take business marketing in their later years of high school.  The teacher explained that ICT was a class that taught students the basic use of the software provided in Microsoft Office Suite. Software such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and Publisher.  In the Business Marketing course, the curriculum builds upon those learned skills of Microsoft Office Suite in ICT, through consistent application in various projects throughout the curriculum.  
In Business Marketing, each project places a strong emphasis on the key parts of each individual software application in the Microsoft Office Suite.  Through successful completion of each project, the final project incorporates use of all the skills learned through group collaboration among the students.

                         

On the opposite spectrum, the teacher did notice there is variations in students learning abilities when I inquired about whether or not the different academic abilities of the students affect the teachers ability to consistently implement similar content for all students despite their availability of resources.  Some students come in with a extensive knowledge of technology as opposed to some who don’t even  have access to technology outside the school.  For that reason, they make it their departments responsibility to emphasize the concept of “teamwork”. They expect students to  collaborate on the projects distributed throughout the curriculum.

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The teacher stressed how it may be a complication for the all the teachers in the department to consistently reach all students.  The problem that this presents in regard to the implementation and learning expectations with students was answered by a simple solution. Students are asked to consistently share, guide, and instruct each other on the common goal set and required by teacher’s lesson plan.

As for how the teacher felt about the current standards set for both teachers and students in concerns to the integration of technology. Respecting that technology is not the teaching style or even a personal priority for all, they felt there should be a base foundation of expected knowledge for all educators.  Going back to their belief of the significance of integration of technology within the classroom, if technology is going to be, not only a powerful asset to a student’s future, but may even be a required skill in many careers nowadays, there should be a common use of it in all classrooms.  An example is students being required to use a digital portfolio.  This digital portfolio of the student is accessible by all teachers.  If the student is working on an assignment required by the Social Studies department, keeping it in their digital portfolio the English department can access it and proofread the assignment through the student’s digital portfolio.  The training of this basic use of a digital portfolio for teachers and cross collaboration among departments would be instructed to teachers through workshops.

The interview from this teacher definitely gave me another perspective on the integration of technology in the classroom.  I strongly agreed when the teacher respectfully, technology may not be the teaching style or even a personal priority for all teachers, but it’s the student’s future we are building that takes precedent despite our priorities.  The use of technology is vital to the student's success, whatever path the student chooses to go.  Educators can and should keep their style, but at the same time, as times change,  educators need to adapt their personal styles with these changing times in order to ensure we are providing the most adequate education for our student’s future endeavors.

Digital Story - Ivan Pavlov: Classical Conditioning

This a digital story on Ivan Pavlov's Classical Conditioning.  Enjoy!

Discover a Culture Slideshow: The Republic of Colombia.

Hi All and Everyone,

  Im here to upload a slideshow that takes a quick glimpse into the Republic of Colombia.  The beauty of this slideshow is that it wasn't done by me, but better yet, by two students of mine.  It's a project in our sociology class where the students discover a culture of their choice.  The lesson plan I used to implement this project is here (Discover A Culture Project LP).  To access the slideshow, you will have to click  the Hyperlink below where it says CLICK HERE!!!, or on the picture itself.  Once you get to the slideshow, just be sure to hit: Present in the upper right hand corner which will begin the Slideshow.  Then press the Directional Button Right to move the Slideshow forward.

I hope you Enjoy!

!!!CLICK HERE- The Republic of Colombia -CLICK HERE!!!  

If They Can Continue to Tweet, Students Can Learn and Teachers Can Teach.

Literature Review

If They Can Continue to Tweet, Students Can Learn and Teachers Can Teach.               

 My first question to all of my Juniors and Seniors the first day of school is, "Who has used their phone to tweet on Twitter or give a status update on Facebook in the past two weeks?"  The majority of them usually raise their hand slowly showing curiosity, but certainty at the same time.  As they view around them all the hands that are raised in unison, hands get higher and higher, faster and aster.   They gain more confidence and excitement from the feeling of being a part of the in-crowd with their own peers.  My rebuttal to them with my own sense of confidence and excitement of their participation in showing off their popularity is simply, "Thats great to hear because if you can do either of those, you have no excuse to ever miss a homework.  Feel free to tweet of post a status update on your newly acquired knowledge."  It usually doesn't go the way my students expect it to, or in their favor.

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The Vicki L. Philips and Lynn Olson's journal article "Teachers Connect with Technology" expresses the need for schools to promote the collaboration of technological resources among teachers and students to enhance the ability for teachers to teach, and students to learn in a more productive and effective fashion.  The article informs about the desire teachers have expressed to receive assistance in using technology in their curriculums for various subjects.  The content teachers are expected to relay to students while still satisfying state standards is proving to be a burden for some.  Some teachers work well with technology, and others lack a base foundation of any form of technology.  I notice this at the school I currently work at.  We have a great faculty without question.  We all do a great job of implementing and reaching students in all subject areas.  Our district also does a decent job of providing us with the necessary resources to complete this task in order to meet our school's mission statement and the state standards.   For resources, my school extends to the whole school community the ability to create a free school specific Gmail address and use of all the Google Apps.  This resource expedites and enhances communication, file sharing, and use school databases for the administration, teachers, students, and student's parents.   My students and I enjoy this resource and benefit from it's use tremendously.  

The combination of Gmail (Email Client), Google Drive (Online Storage), Google Forms (Online access to created forms or assignments), and Bitly (Shortens and creates new URL address') allows me to give my students access to all of the class's notes and assignments on any device that can access the internet, anywhere they are.  Despite cramming the sandbox with 4 different apps, they really play well together.  What happens on one, translates to other seamlessly with the click of a few buttons.

 

Google Apps+Bitly = No Excuses for Homework (3,1453 Likes)  

It may seem like it increases the workload for the teacher despite the idea they are trying simplify the formula for the success of their student's.  For the teacher, though, they may have the easier task.  We explain to students how to access the materials and assign a due date.  Remember, if they can admit they can Tweet, then they can learn.  Once the complete the assignment and submit it, the apps are able to sort any information as preferred or even grade it as each is submitted. 

The Assignment Sorted for Teacher

The Assignment For Student

 It works wells for both parties.  The grades are complete and the students receive feedback expeditiously.

Looking back at this, I do have to remember that this is technology I personally feel comfortable with inside and outside of school.  The school didn't have to teach me much for me to be able from this. This appreciation of this technology isn't shared by all. Its the same for me with some of the technology my colleagues use that could benefit me, but I don't feel comfortable with using.  The article clearly expresses this as a main concern because  this is a common occurrence that some teachers run into.  The ease or difficulty some teachers may have implementing their lesson plans for their subject as opposed to their colleagues due to their personal knowledge of technology varies.          

For example, a school that may have every classroom equipped with a Smart Board to ensure success for the teacher and students.  This can still have either a positive or negative effect on their teaching methods.  Some teachers ability to teach using this technology may gain great benefit because of their comfort with it.  This may hinder other teacher's ability to teach because of unfamiliarity.  Philips and Olson's article point this problem out by stating that the little training in the area for implementation of a curriculum through technology greatlyvaries.  Philips and Olson give an explanation to bridge the gap between teachers, their needs to collaboration among all teachers, curriculum experts, and other educators in they wish to  meet their school's mission statement and the state standards.  This collaboration if successful, won't have the feeling of it being forced down teachers throats because the effect it will have for all involved.  They state that when these groups come together to reach the goal expected, it draws a shared trust, expertise, and experiences to improve instruction.  Two organizations that support this structure of collaboration are the LiteracyDesign Collaborative  and the Mathematics Design Collaborative  through which groups of teachers, curriculum experts, and other educators work together to create high-quality, useful lessons and research based instructional tools satisfying the State Standards.  

The article by Philips and Olson on the use of technology by teachers does a great expressing the needs technology in the classroom and also offer possible solutions this challenge may present.

Thank you for visiting DB's ELE Lounge.

The purpose of this Blog is to present a positive perspective on different topics that affect education.  Society is constantly changing the way education is implemented.  There are both positive and negative things that occur everyday and influence education.  If it positive, we should embrace it and make use of the benefits it allows for.  There may even be some times that positive benefit may not be being used correct.  It may even be being abused calling for us to dutifully respond to it.  If it is negative, we shouldn't just sweep it under the carpet, but rather take a look at it and see if we can make use of it in other ways and at least learn from it.  The point is, instead of knowing the obvious, it's healthy to try to think different and see a different perspective.  Even if there isn't a problem that needs to be fixed.  Thinking from all perspectives and angles is how we, a society together, will minimize obstacles and will be able to continue to excel in the right direction.