Course Reflection
The course has provided me with weekly opportunities to stretch my technology muscles and envision some creative ways to support my students' learning using technology. The ISTE Standards for Educators is one way to measure how the knowledge from the course can translate into the classroom. I've taken each standard and detailed how activities and tools from the course connect. ISTE Standard for Educators 1.Leaner. 1b. Pursue professional interests by creating and actively participating in local and global learning networks. – Our group work within class was the creation of a national learning network. Each week with a group project allowed us to engage, plan, and execute activities that can support student learning and growth within a subject area. 2.Leader. 2a. Shape, advance and accelerate a shared vision for empowered learning with technology by engaging with education stakeholders. – As a national learning network, we are the education stakeholders bringing to the network a variety of skills and perspectives. In working through group assignments, we rotated leadership in creating activities for student engagement. 3.Citizen. 3b. Establish a learning culture that promotes curiosity and critical examination of online resources and fosters digital literacy and media fluency. The use of applications like Padlet, Thinglink and Quizizz are rooted in this standard with interactive aspects that engage students in discovery learning using a variety of online tools. 4. Collaborator 4a. Dedicate planning time to collaborate with colleagues to create authentic learning experiences that leverage technology. Many of the tools (Quizizz, Padlet, Thinglink, Edpuzzle, Zoom) require educators to know the material and plan accordingly for students to have authentic learning experiences using technology. Each of the tools gave us a variety of ways to make that happen. 5. Designer 5a. Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs. – The video assignment aligns with this standard by allowing the teacher easily accessible tools to adapt and personalize content that will support different learning styles and abilities. 5b. Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning. – The first activity in creating a lesson plan and survey was centered around using standards to drive the activities created for the lesson. 6. Facilitator 6b. Manage the use of technology and student learning strategies in digital platforms, virtual environments, hands-on makerspaces or in the field. – The course site is a great example of this standard. The site provides learning experiences, extension activities and resources to deepen the opportunity for learning on a digital platform. 7. Analyst 7a. Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology. The tool Rubistar, Kahoot, Edpuzzle and Quizizz are tools utilized in this course that provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate acquisition of knowledge. Blog Reflections This activity (blog reflections) was a good way to deepen the learning through virtual classmate engagement. I never saw this as a tool until this class. In grouping students, you are able to create a connection and build some sense of community. This activity required use to negotiate, collaborate, and commit to others. It was helpful to break up the assignment of responding to the questions while getting to see what others are thinking and have experienced. In my teaching, I would use it to help students reflect other’s work in a meaningful way. Comments on Blog Reflections The comments on the reflection questions were a chance to learn and expand perspective. It’s a virtual online writing dialogue. The comments are helpful if we were required to respond to them as the receiver or provide a new piece of information as the giver. That exchange actually provides the layer of engagement that goes beyond just checking off a box. In my teaching, the comments would have an outline for students to follow for some uniformity and require a response so that both students can extend the learning. Videos The course videos were pretty good. I appreciate the attention to different learning styles and providing a clear visual aid that aligns with the reading. Week three with chapters 4-6 had videos that were full of good foundational information. I learned more about technology and software that are necessary for fully cultivating a digital education space. Additionally, Week six with chapter 8 gave me some new pieces of information to extend my learning around using videos. Individual/Group Hands-On Projects The projects for the course do a good job of connecting the reading with interactive activities. The course site was by far my favorite because I learned the most. We selected Google Sites for our website which forced me to do more with the program. Since we had an assignment, it made the trial-and-error to get the site done more educational than just taking a class on how to set-up a site. Additionally, it was nice having others to learn from and hear about how they were able to successfully post and/or integrate outside technology. The group learning for this project gave each of us true ownership of a great final project. Some challenges with the applications and programs is having adequate time to master them prior to using with students. My learning curve comes with applicable experience with the tools. Many of the technologies from this course are now in my tool kit of resources to support the work I do with my students. Rubistar really changed my game on providing students with a guide on how assignments and activities will be graded. Edpuzzle combined with Kahoot and Quizizz will allow for more interactive opportunities for students between classes and with me. My future learning goal is to extend my knowledge with multimedia tools including Adobe Suite, Audacity, and Garage Band. I want to increase my technology skills around the creation of educational media.
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Reflection
Chapter 9 #1 Assume that one of your students tells you that an enrichment class at your school has developed a website and that every student’s name and picture will be available on the website as a talent directory. What concerns do you have about this discovery and how would you approach your colleague and your school to address these concerns? My initial concern is that the enrichment class teacher was unaware of policies that protect the rights of students including publicly displaying their name and likeness online. I would further probe the student to see if certain precautions were taken to gain permission from school administration and student parents. My approach would cover five steps: -Relationships: If the colleague in question and I have limited interactions, I would locate (quickly) someone within the department that I know well or is directly engaging with them on a regular basis. -Facts: I would take the information from the student including getting access to the communications related to said website. This allows me to have some additional information besides what the student claims. -Communicate: I would attempt to make the initial communication in person by just inquiring about the talent directory and getting information from them on how students are being included/listed. -Educate: I would share with them the school and district policy about student information and see if there is another way to have a directory that works within the confines of the policy. -Document: I would send an email my colleague recapping our conversation and include school administration or my direct supervisor to ensure that everyone is aware of what took place The biggest piece for me is that the default is lack of knowledge so providing my colleague with information is key. Chapter 10 #1 Project ten years into the future. You have now been a classroom teacher for the past 7-8 years. Technology has probably changed significantly between the time you completed your student teaching and now. What options have you considered – and perhaps taken – to stay current in technology? The interesting thing about this question is that it is my current lived experience. I began teaching in 1998 with a single computer in my classroom. We were just starting to use a program to input grades while still using a physical gradebook. I’ve been fortunate that my jobs have encouraged professional development around technology and learning new applications to support classrooms. I take full advantage of all opportunities that allow me to learn a new skill and expose me to new and innovative tech tools for educators. My current option that I am taking is the Graduate Certificate in Instructional Technology. As an educator during and prior to the pandemic, it’s critical to know what technology is being used and what kinds of tools are projected for the future. Schools from K-12 to graduate schools are using technology to deliver innovative and progressive curriculum in an effort to reach more students. Learning Experience: The final group project was to create a course site based on the topic we selected for our lesson during Week 5. Our subject was English and the lesson was MLA formatting. In creating the site, we decided to use Google Sites which proved to be a great idea! We've been using Google docs since the beginning of class to sign up for the reflection questions and share information throughout the class. My jobs over the past decade have used Google Suites in a variety of ways. I've taken some courses to assist in navigating the products including Google sites. I was interested in creating sites and even attempted for two years. The learning curve was too steep and the time for full understanding was even more limited. Fast forward to this class, I was happy to know we would be using Google Sites. Learning is much more powerful in the moment and with group support. This project was perfect for a team of five in that everyone could take full ownership of an aspect. Each aspect held equal importance and allowed each of us to exercise creativity. My section was Resources. Honestly, I thought it would just be a combination of our previous assignment as resources. Thank goodness I read the requirements! This page called for five or more websites that students could use to support our MLA lesson. I took some time just searching for some different types of resources and ultimately decided to have a mixed set to address the various learning styles of students. In addition to the websites, I wanted to have videos on the page for students to access. It was important to make sure students with different learning styles could find a resource that would support them. So, there are over a dozen options. ENJOY! Project 11: 6th Grade English Course Site (REVISED) My Learning Experience: This week was about assessments and evaluation of skills taught using online tools. In teaching diverse learners, we have to also provide a variety of ways for those learners to show what they have learned. Quizizz and Kahoot are cool and engaging ways to assess student knowledge. Kahoot can only be done during live engagement while Quizizz can service both synchronous and asynchronous learning. I have used Kahoot and find that both students and adults really get fired up when answering questions. It's pretty cool. Quizizz has some nice tools as well including tracking student progress. Rubistar is awesome and changed the game in how I provide metrics for evaluation. I really like this site and think it's something I will definitely will be using to create rubrics. We also explored extending learning by providing resources and spaces for students to seek more knowledge. Our designated tools were Padlet and Thinglink. Both tools provide the same thing - a resource page for students that can be centered on a single topic or for a general subject. The biggest difference is that Padlet works like a bulletin board where you can post things (videos, pictures, notes, etc) related to the topic for students. Depending on the permissions, students can also post notes and add to the "pad". Thinglink actually uses a picture to drive the review and hyperlink parts of the picture. The hyperlinks can range from a note, a voice message, video, or another picture. Padlet is the most user-friendly and provides a great way interact with students. Thinglink has some benefits, however, the interface and cumbersome navigation make it difficult to fully embrace. It does offer a way to diversify information to support different learning styles. Overall, this week was full of some great tools. Project 9: Padlet Link: Padlet Thinglink Links: Thinglink - MLA Formating Thinglink - Getting Started Thinglink - MLA 101 Thinglink - MLA Organization Thinglink - MLA Diagram Project 10: Rubric Project 10: Quiz via Quizizz Reflection
Chapter 8 #2 Reflecting on your experience with the following subjects, (language arts, mathematics, history, science, music), which ones do you think would be adaptable for distance education and which ones would not? Why? Would there be a difference in adaptability depending on grade level? The short answer is that all subjects are adaptable for distance learning. So many programs offer online classes and do them well, long before the pandemic and the race to get online to keep students engaged with learning. However, some subjects offer more opportunities for enhanced learning and activities related to the lesson can be taken up a notch or two. The two subjects I feel that have the greatest amount of opportunity is Language Arts and Music. Both subjects have a plethora of layers that can translate well through distance learning. An example with English is an interactive composition tool like Google Doc to have students collaborate on a story by taking turns with different prompts or tasks for each person related to the lesson and the assignment. Additionally, by default the English class deals with reading, writing and comprehension mainly so more online tools cater to that area. As for music, it is an endless portal of access to sounds and songs to help heighten a student's awareness of music. From learning how to play an instrument to reading music to writing song lyrics, the amount of online resources that can connect to music is vast. History and mathematics (especially for practical purposes) are strong contenders. The difference in adaptability is coming from three different areas - grade level, learning style, and access to resources. The teacher must plan and execute with those three areas in mind for an optimal learning opportunity for all students. Technology can divide, however, there are greater opportunities to provide connections, commonalities, and compassion when using technology in an intentional, meaningful way to support student learning and growth. Learning Experiences This week was a needed break from group work and a chance to create assignments individually based on our agreed upon lesson topic - MLA. In hindsight, the topic is simple enough to create additional layers, however, another topic would provide some greater opportunities for diversity in the assignment layers. Overall, the assignments were pretty simple to complete. I have done screen captures for conferences and find Zoom to be the best option for me. I like how you are able to have an audio only and video file when you record. It's how some people record podcasts since it is fairly easy and if you need less than 40 minutes it is free! The video editing was for me like riding a bike - I've used iMovie, Final Cut, and Premiere to edit. I selected iMovie for its simplicity and ease of use. Plus, it is a free program on my computer and required no additional program downloads. I wanted to trim the beginning of the video and the end which took me a while to perfect. After several attempts, I opted for the separate clip feature and just deleted the unwanted clip. The Edpuzzle video tutorial must be from a paid account with so many options. The free version I as using was pretty basic and easy to use. I will be sharing this resource with my colleagues. I will also be using this next year as I have a video a week challenge I'm working on to push my team to engage more with students. This week's projects were straightforward and made me see how simple it is to make a video more engaging and interactive to encourage student learning. Project 6 - Screen Capture Project 7 - Video Editing Project 8 - Interactive Video Reflection
Chapter 7 #2 Many are concerned about the use of social media in school. Describe your views of the pros and cons of using social media. How will you use this tool in your classroom and what are your greatest concerns in doing so? As a creative educator, I enjoy using multimedia to present new information and repurpose prior knowledge to support student learning and development. Social media is a worthwhile tool for student learning. It also gives rich prompts for classroom discussions, diverse displays of knowledge, and convenient sharing opportunities for students to display work. The most important aspect of using social media as a learning tool is protecting student identity, student information, and access to students. I feel there are several reasons that social media should be avoided and integrated in the classroom. Some pros of using social media in the classroom are they can add support for instructional experiences, propel lesson deliver and instruction, increase student engagement, and supports diverse learning styles. Some cons are the rate that technology can change may require needed skills and access that are barriers for both students and teachers, privacy can be limited depending on the tool, and all students do not have the same level of information literacy. Social media in my classroom takes a layered approach. My favorite one is Twitter. It's easy to use even if students do not have accounts. I typically save a thread and share it in segments and have students discuss the starting tweet and what it means. Additionally, I am able to have students search for hashtags and topics to find diverse views and perspectives to help drive a robust discussion. My biggest concern in using Twitter is the language and having to be careful that I read the entire thread and edit any profanity or overly negative comments. Some students think Twitter is outdated and I have to help them understand how relevant and current Twitter is in the social media space. The other social media outlet I use frequently is LinkedIn. I use it mainly with seniors in getting them ready for the professional world and it connects nicely with our lesson on social media responsibility. My biggest concern with students in using LinkedIn they don't really understand it's value and how important it can be for their personal and professional growth. Learning Experience This week the project was challenging in a good way. As a group we were able to learn the importance of communication and still continue move forward to get the project done early. The project this week had three group activities and one individual activity. Kimberly and I were charged with developing the survey. The ten different questions for the survey had me reviewing other surveys and stretching my inquiry muscles. I really liked the topic - MLA formatting. I use APA for everything and have little to no experience with MLA. I was able to learn a lot by doing this project and even noticing how my colleagues at my job have students use MLA when submitting papers - mainly the English and History classes. We have a very supportive group. Everyone contributes in big and small ways to help get the job done. Overall, our strength is communication and I appreciate how responsive we are to successes and challenges within the group. Lesson Plan (Project 2) Survey (Project 3) Google Doc (Project 4) Google Slides (Project 4) Prelecture "Podcast" (Project 5) Group projects even on the graduate level can be challenging, even difficult. When I see group assignments, it gives me a level of anxiety until I’m able to size up the members. So far, our group is sizing up really well. From the onset, Eli and Sarah have been eager to set a tone of collaboration and effective communication. We established a text group during the first week and use it regularly to communicate. This week I realized how generous, supportive, and smart our group is! We had already established an open communication channel, so it was easy to manage roles and outline tasks for project completion. Our Zoom call on Monday set the tone for us to know the project workflow, member responsibilities and timelines (deadlines). All of us are busy and understand how important it is to respect the impact of your pacing on the entire group. We organically worked to get the project done well in advance of the Sunday deadline. Our decision on what subject to use was done with ease and based on the strength of several team members. We selected Science as our topic which made me a little nervous (I have a strong aversion to science…just too many why questions). Sarah took the lead with the lesson plan and I followed. She gave a great outline, and I was able to add content for using technology and some creative elements to extend the lesson. I also provide input in the budget/rationale. The best thing about our group is that we are open to ideas and suggestions. In reviewing the budget and the lesson plan, the Google doc allowed me to give input and make suggestions that everyone could follow. Additionally, with the live document, we were able to see edits in a timely fashion to make the adjustments need to finish early. I’ve used Google docs in the past and it does work well when you have several people completing the same document. Eli did a great job on the classroom designs. I’m interested in learning more about the program he used. Creating classroom models and just models for some lessons, the capabilities of the program seem like a great fit for what I need. While Science is the one subject I keep far away, I am proud of the work we’ve done on frog dissection. I learned a little bit as well reading up on the lesson plan ideas. Go STEAM! Looking forward to how we rock out Project 2!
Chapter 4 #3
Give two examples of technologies that were used when you were in middle school (it could even be as simple as the chalkboard). How have those technologies been transformed and what replaced them today? My middle school years happened during the late 1980’s so the most technological thing we had was the overhead projector. The other example of technology would be the chalkboard. The chalkboard merged nicely into the whiteboard and then more recently the SMART board that captures what you write on the whiteboard in various formats This is extremely helpful in math classrooms when students need more relevant examples of work. My 6th grade English teacher, Ms. Palmer, and her sentence diagrams would have really enjoyed this new technology. The overhead projector is also the SMART board in one version of sharing information from a worksheet or paper onto a screen so that the class can see it. Also, using a projector connected to a computer to display a worksheet, paper, or activity for the entire class to see and interact with in real time. If you could choose only one of today’s technologies for your classroom, which one would it be? Why? If I had to choose one of today’s technologies for my classroom, it would be classroom devices (computers or tablets) that have streaming and broadcasting capabilities. I really enjoy guest speakers, short films, and using mixed media to help extend a lesson. I enjoy engaging with educators and students from different parts of the world (pre and post COVID) so that my students are exposed to a variety of things. Additionally, if my students have their own devices I can easily diversity their learning experience. Chapter 5 #4 Teachers must often use whatever resources are available to them in order to enhance and support learning. How would you go about investigating the learning software that is available to you in your school? Learning software at my school is typically shared at the beginning of the school year during our Pre-Service Week. Each year, we are able to given a list of what's available (most are instructional based). My investigation usually starts with our Technology Coordinator which is school based to see what I can access just because I'm an employee. My secondary level investigation is with our district based technology support team that can remotely manage your computer including downloading software and/or giving you access to said software. Who would you ask and how would you go about acquiring what you feel you need? If I felt a need for a technology hardware, I would contact the school based technology coordinator to see if that's something we have and how to get it. If it's a software need, our school's operations manager would like me know which budget line is applicable and the process for getting the request made and approved. One of the great parts about working in Washington, DC, is that we get access to quite a few things since technically we also work for the government. Every school within our district is a member of a cluster of schools. Each cluster has a technology manager that sends regular information about what technologies are available, host trainings and sessions, and has weekly office hours. My technology manager (Ms. A) is also someone I could contact when investigating and inquiring about something I feel I need technology wise - hardware or software. Chapter 6 #2 Learning content within the framework of a language that is not your native language can be challenging. Consider how you would respond to this challenge. What technologies would help you if you were facing learning new content in another language? I currently work in school with over 40% of our students speak another language primarily Spanish and Amharic. It creates some challenges when information is shared and I face this battle multiple times a week. The technologies that I would need in learning new content in another language are text-to-speech options, dual language materials, translation services, and a language-line to help process the content when other services lack a clarity. Aside from the challenge for me to learn foreign content, it's also a communication barrier when delivering information to students. We have 24 hour service that provides use with an interpreter for over 10 different languages to help facilitate conversations with parents and students. Chapter 1 - #1 Assess your own technology skills and list three areas in which you could improve your abilities. The three areas that I can improve my abilities in technology are:
How competent do you believe you are in order to teach in a technology-rich environment? I feel pretty competent to teach in a technology-rich environment. I currently teach 6-12 online in which learning is mainly asynchronous and I’m charged with finding ways to engage with students to build relationships. What other opportunities would you search for to become even more proficient in the use of technology in the classroom? In order to become more proficient in the use of technology in the classroom, I would do three things – observe, practice, implement. The observation of how others use the technology and student engagement. My practice comes from actually using the tools in a small way to get more comfortable with the tool. I would also practice by using the tools in non-education spaces to extend the learning. Lastly, I would work to implement the tech tools within my work in ways to support student learning and strengthen my knowledge. How would you go about improving in these areas? The way I would go about improving my abilities in these areas are:
Chapter 2 - #3 What technologies are of most interest to you to support the teaching and learning strategies you prefer? The technologies that are the most interest to me in support of teaching and learning strategies that I prefer are:
How will you prepare yourself to use these technologies in your classroom? I am preparing myself to use technology in my classroom by taking classes over the summer like this one. I also am teaching over the summer and using some of the new tools to work out the kinks and see how students respond to them. Additionally, I am participating in a district led workshops that are focused on training teachers on current and new tech tools. I have also joined in discussions with our district technology department geared towards improving teacher access and utilization of tech tools approved and paid for by the District. Chapter 3 - #3 This chapter described how proper planning ensures success in teaching and learning. Describe two activities (not educational in nature) in which you have been involved in the past which were NOT successful due to lack of planning. Two activities that were not successful due to lack of planning are centered around my documentary filming that was slated to happen December of 2019, February 2020, and then March 2020. My co-producer was responsible for securing the people and I was responsible for the content of the filming. We lost money and ultimately didn’t get the footage because of last minute planning. The ongoing issue was that we waited to the week of filming to start scheduling the interviews which caused a few challenges – mainly the subjects’ inability to shift due to our poor planning. The other activity was teaser focus group screening and discussion. We talked about the event and had a free location to host it. The original conversation happened almost two months in advance and the teaser was edited and ready to go. We only have 10 RSVPs and only three people actually showed up. This was pre-COVID. We had a moderator and a panelist who came prepared for a robust conversation with a group of people. What lessons can you draw from those experiences that will help motivate you to plan for instruction? A few lessons learned from these experiences that motivate me to plan for instruction:
If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. That resonates across all areas and career fields. Hi, I’m Carletta!
I’m finishing up my first year in the EdD Higher Education program. I currently work as a high school counselor at the premiere alternative school in Washington, DC. I have worked in DC as a school counselor for a decade and prior to that work, I worked in Georgia as a teacher and counselor for almost five years. My first major in college was accounting with a partial scholarship from INROADS, Arthur Andersen Accounting Firm (formerly), and several small scholarships earned while in high school. I learned quickly after coming home after my freshman year and working for the local YWCA that I wanted to work with young people. I changed my major (two more times), moved back to Georgia, and transferred colleges. It was a lot in two short years and I was ready to finish my BA and start working. I was blessed to get a long-term teaching position before I officially graduated and landed a full-time permanent job just a few months later. I stayed in the classroom two years before going back to school for my Master’s in Education - School Counseling. It has been one of the best decisions I've made in terms of career moves. Becoming a school counselor would equip me with skills I would need to navigate so many aspects of life – professionally and personally. In learning, I learned that I retain best when I see and do. The kinesthetic part of my brain grasps quickly and the audio/visual side does a great recap/replay of the information to make sure it sticks. The touchy-feeling part of me also enjoys engaging with people and giving out nice big hugs. COVID has halted my hugs to strangers and people outside of my central circle. I will be so excited when I can greet people with a hug. I am fortunate that I get loads of hugs (and some times kisses) from William, my 4 year-old son. He gets that hugging spirit from his mama! Technology has come a long way. I remember when I was teaching we were just using email and many of us would just find the person to let them know what we needed. I also remember writing notes and having my students deliver them to the teacher. We had some great times passing notes and making students our “inter-school mailroom staff”. Now, I program emails to go out, set calendar announcements, and get lost in a social media scroll when I should be studying. My favorite social media platform is Twitter followed by LinkedIn. I’m on Facebook and Instagram. I do have some support in posting to my youth development company’s pages and working to get some help with my production pages. I’ve taken a few LinkedIn course and recently completed the Marketing Certificate. I’m a premium member so plan on really using some of the services to improve my engagement and interactions on the platform. I have Clubhouse (CH) on my iPhone and have made a goal to join the stage and talk more this week. I wanted to speak 5 times and made it to three of five. Some of these rooms are really about folks who just want to get you in and listen to them talk. I need to find the CH etiquette book because I might need to brush up so I know when I really should exit left. Anyone else on Clubhouse (CH)? The age of using calendar invitations was lost on me for a long time. One thing I’m learning is that it really does help you keep up and plan your day. I still keep a paper calendar that I write in almost every day. My new process is that I must establish a calendar invitation for anything I really want to remember. In my school, the running joke is if there isn’t a calendar invite – it’s not happening. My teaching philosophy is that everyone can learn. I’m the menu educator making sure you can learn your way which means a variety of options to show knowledge and demonstrate competency. From taking a test, writing a paper, making a video, or drawing a picture, or crafting a creative piece, the way I assess my students will lend itself to give them control of their learning and provide an option to show what they’ve learned. The foundation of learning is caring about your students and understanding that learning is a marathon not a sprint. The purpose of this blofolio is to exhibit the work I’ve done in ITD 645 and how my growth will positively impact my work in schools and beyond. |
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