Online Learning Presentation

My presentation is at the bottom of my teacher page(To link click on the title Online Learning Presentation and it will take you to the page where my presentation is at under attachments). The instructional gap that I identified is Social Studies for the fifth grade students that are in Title 1 math intervention. These students are currently being pulled during Social Studies.

Final Blog Post

Creating a self directed learning plan called a GAME plan was a very effective process that I look forward to using in the future. I really like the Action, Monitor, and Evaluation pieces of the GAME plan. I coach football and baseball as well as teach fifth grade. In all three situations I set goals with my students and players. After setting goals the goals are either achieved or not. Following the GAME plan will give me as well as my player and students the tools to think about the process needed to complete the goal.

My GAME plan yielded an excellent list of math tutorials that I am posting on the class website as well as posters around the classroom. I am planning on challenging students with these tutorials as well as using them as an instructional aid for students who are struggling to learn through the standard textbook curriculum. As I begin to implement these tutorials into practice I’m sure that I will be making many adjustments along the way.

After creating my content area unit plan that integrated; a problem based learning lesson, an online collaboration tool, and a digital storytelling lesson, I see that I need to take more risks to earn the rewards. I am always afraid that getting away from the textbook lessons will take too much time and students will not learn the content that is needed. The unit plan that I created has proven that the content can be learned by engaging students with technology that allows them to challenge themselves with the content. I look forward to implementing new units and lessons that will include technology with the content in the future.

Using the GAME Plan with Students

To implement the GAME plan process with my fifth grade students, I will first have to teach them each step of the process with a scaffolding technique. I will probably use my GAME plan for this class as an example. Slowly releasing the power to the students I would like them to create and execute a GAME plan in NETS-S 6-Technology Operations and Concepts-students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

My thoughts are to have my students choose a technology tool that we will use in fifth grade that they are not familiar with or that they might want to review and explore in greater detail. (Wiki, VoiceThread, PowerPoint, Search Engines, Accelerated Reader)

Set Goals

• Choose a piece of technology that you would like to learn how to use.

Take Action

• Determine the steps that will help you meet your goal.
• Examples-Experts, another student who has advanced skills, librarian, online tutorials

Monitor

• How well is your action meeting your goal? Are you learning useful information? Should you modify your actions?

Evaluate

• What did you learn? How can you apply what you learned?

Any assistance in this process would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Revising the GAME plan

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice? What goals are you still working towards?

• I have learned that there are some excellent computer tutorial programs available for free and for a price.
• I have compiled a list of free computer tutorials for my students to explore.
• I have found computer tutorials that will enhance critical and creative thinking skills
• I am still working towards engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership. When school gets back in session I will finish completing my action plan to share a digital tool once a month with my Professional Learning Community.


Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?

My next GAME plan is to implement student response systems into my classroom. My school district is piloting an assessment program next year. With this pilot is a student response system. I would like to create and follow a GAME plan to implement these tools into my classroom.

If you are not ready to set new learning goals, how will you extend what you have learned so far?

To extend what I have learned so far I would like find ways for my students to have time at school to explore the math tutorials that I have found. Many of my students do not have access online at home. I will need to work with my colleagues to be creative with our daily schedule so that my students have time to explore these resources online.


What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

The biggest change I will make next time is to focus in on one specific skill, concept, tool, goal or content. This process has gotten a little jumbled up over the last six weeks. I believe that if I narrowed down my goals and actions the GAME plan would be much clearer and more efficient. I have found that even when you think you have time there is never enough.

Evaluating the GAME plan

I feel like my GAME plan has been a mini success so far. I believe that time will allow me to complete this GAME plan to a bigger success in the future. Many of my actions will be taking place when school gets back into session. I also have not had enough time available to synthesize the information like I would like.

The small success so far is finding and implementing a math tutorial program into my fifth grade classroom. Following my action plan I have been able to compile an excellent list of resources that are available on the web for free. I am going to take these resources and list them by the content strand that my students can explore on each site. After I have finished my list I am going to make posters of the list throughout the classroom for students to use. I still have some questions about one tutorial program called accelerated math. To answer my questions and to hopefully complete my GAME plan, I am going to attend a training on accelerated math at our local ESD in October. This training will hopefully provide the information that I need to make a decision about pursuing accelerated math as a district funded program.

Monitoring the GAME Plan

I feel that my game plan is right on track to achieving the goals that I have established. This process is taking a little bit longer than I expected. So more than anything I need to continue to complete my action plan when school gets back in session from summer break.

Thanks to everyone who offered comments and suggestions last week to help me find more information and resources about math tutorials. I am going to continue researching the information that I was given last week. I am also going to make one small modification to my action plan. I had taken an action to contact colleagues at my building through email, requesting any information they had on math tutorials. After receiving information on my blog last week I am going to extend this to some neighboring school districts that are in our athletic conference.

After last weeks exploration in UDL principles I am even more excited to bring a math tutorial program into my classroom. If I can find a program to fit the needs of my students this could be an excellent technological tool to help me provide experiences that students need to become enthusiastic about learning. One tutorial program so far that I am very interested in is Accelerated Math. I have requested more information from their website. The tutorial program appears to be very individualized. Students take a placement test that tarts them at their appropriate level; the program also appears to give quick and easy data to the students and teacher monitoring progress.

Some new questions that have arisen are will the free tutorial programs online meet the goals of the tutorial that I am looking for? How much does a math tutorial program cost? What will my principal think about purchasing a math tutorial program?

Carrying out the Game Plan

Resources & Information to Complete the GAME Plan

Goal 1 Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Standard B- develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

Actions to Take

• Conduct reading and research on the Web about math tutorial programs.

• Post an information request to all my colleagues through email.

• Ask my Walden University classmates for assistance on their experiences with math tutorial programs.

• Meet with my district tech-coordinator when he is back in his office from summer break.

Steps Taken

• I reviewed the textbooks companion website and linked to Mrs. Linquist: The Tutor.

• I also reviewed information on a math program called accelerated math.

• I sent out an email request to colleagues at my elementary school.

Goal 2 Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
Standard B-exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building as well as developing the leadership and technology skills of others.

Actions to Take

• Schedule a meeting with my Principal to share the technology skills that I have learned with my professional learning community.

• Choose one skill each month to share with my colleagues.

• Work with my grade level team to share methods to infuse technology into the content.

Steps Taken

• None-I will set up a meeting with my principal after summer break. I will also meet with my grade level team in August when we meet before the beginning of the school year.

Game Plan-NETS-T

Before starting this master’s degree program at Walden University, I needed strengthening in all of these NETS-T indicators. After completing the course work and developing new technology skills, I feel that I have gained more confidence and proficiency. With that being said, it is an ever changing world that we can never stop learning in or we will fall well behind.

One indicator that I would like to strengthen my skills in is to design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments. Specifically, standard b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress. To complete this goal, I would like to learn more about computer tutorials. I would like to find a math tutorial that my fifth grade students could use to meet standard b. The action that I will need to take is to review different math tutorial software. I believe that my district tech-coordinator would be a good resource to start with. I will also reach out to colleagues about their experiences with math tutorial software. I would like this tutorial to be a tool that challenges the students’ creative thinking skills. To monitor this goal, I will need to evaluate the different tutorial software to make sure that it meets the criteria that I am looking for. To evaluate and extend my learning, I want to identify the techniques that could be used best for my students. I would like to find the best ways to allow my students to be successful when using the software.

The second indicator that I would like to strengthen my skills in is engaging in professional growth and leadership. This program has increased my excitement about infusing these new technology skills into my classroom. I would also like to take a leadership role in sharing what I have learned with my intermediate grade level team. Standard b. exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building as well as developing the leadership and technology skills of others. The action I would like to take is to take a leadership role and present the skills that I have learned at a professional learning community meeting. To monitor this goal, I will need to make sure that I am prepared to take this leadership role. I believe that we are not preparing our students for the technology skills needed for the future, and I would like to help my colleagues by sharing what I have learned throughout this program so far.

New Literacy Skills Reflection

Before taking this class, I had a vision of how my fifth grade classroom would look after I had integrated many of the skills that I have learned throughout this program. This class has helped me begin to understand how I can make this vision a reality for my students. This course has shown me that it is real easy to get caught up in students’ final products and loose sight of the important steps that are along the way. So the biggest revelation I take from this class is breaking down the final product in an inquiry research project and teaching the step-by-step literacy skills that are essential to prepare students for today’s online world. Before this class, I didn’t understand the skills that are important for students to be successful online. I also placed too much emphasis on the final product and not enough on the learning that needed to be taking place along the way.
Going forward, I will work to implement the QUEST model of internet inquiry research into my classroom. This implementation will be a step-by-step process teaching students how to navigate the internet using new literacy skills such as; questioning, searching, evaluating, synthesizing and communicating. This process will not be quick and easy. Many of my students lack the essential skills that are needed, but I now feel that I am equipped with some skills that are going to help these students be successful. These new skills have made me excited to teach and learn along with my students as we begin to master the ability to read and learn on the Web together.

One professional development goal that I would like to pursue is to put this inquiry based internet model of learning into action in the intermediate grades at my elementary. First, I will need to explore this model with my students but hopefully after I have learned more about this model I will be able to promote these skills to my colleagues. To get help with this plan, I will need to meet with our district technology coordinator and our district technology committee to see if there our any trainings available in our district or region that would be helpful. I believe that this goal would make a big impact on our students. Getting teachers to work together would be a very powerful tool to develop a different way of teaching for many educators.

Learning Theory Reflection

Looking back upon my “Personal Theory of Learning” I still believe that students learn best when they are active participants in the learning process. When students are active and engaged in learning, they are able to connect to the learning and make it meaningful to them. When students construct and manipulate the information, they make connections that allow them to remember and recall the information much better. I still am in support of the Constructivist Learning Theory. However, I have become more ecliptic in my approach to learning after taking this class. I have a greater understanding of all the different learning theories and the strategies that help students learn with these different perspectives in mind. I am looking forward to implementing these new strategies and tools into my classroom. I have already begun using mind maps with my students on a regular basis.

Two immediate instructional practices regarding technology that I would like to implement are the use of VoiceThread and PowerPoint. These two tools will allow my students to actively use technology as they are learning content. These tools also approach student learning using multi-sensory applications that provide students with the opportunity to represent their knowledge in a variety of techniques.

Two long-term goal changes that I would like to make are to get more computers in my classroom or get the district to provide a lab on a cart, and the second goal is to transition my technology tools from instructional to learning tools. These two goals go hand in hand together. The more access to computers the more opportunities I will be able to get technology into my student’s hands. I will also continue to seek district-sponsored professional development after I have completed this masters program. I am going to be taking two technology courses Advance PowerPoint, and Advanced Google Tools this spring.

Social Learning Theory

Social learning theories are based on the belief that students actively engage in constructing artifacts in a social setting where students can have conversations that help contextualize the information. According to Beaumie Kim, “individuals create meaning through their interactions with each other and with the environment they live in.” “Meaningful learning occurs when individuals are engaged in social activities.”(Orey, 2001)

Using the strategy “Cooperative Learning” as an instructional tool in the classroom definitely promotes the ideas of social learning. Cooperative learning allows students to construct meaning and knowledge together by working side by side with other students. “By combining teamwork and individual accountability, students work toward acquiring both knowledge and social skills.”(Orey, 2001)

I really liked the two-week movie project that students constructed about a famous mathematician in cooperative learning groups. I really like that the students not only work together to do the research, but they are working together to teach the information to other students. They become the so called experts in the field. These students are creating an artifact in a social setting that will make the learning meaningful and fun for the students.

Orey, M.(Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

VoiceThread

Here is the URL to my VoiceThread. My problem is where to go with a student who is struggling to write.
http://voicethread.com/#q.b883774.i0.k0

Constructivism in Practice

Constructionism is a theory of learning that believes students learn best when they build some sort of artifact that allows them to construct their own meaning. Basically students need to have first hand experiences with the content so that they can construct knowledge through experiences. Technology tools presented this week are used to allow the students to conduct these experiences with the content presented in the classroom.

I really enjoyed reading and learning about the interactive savings and investment spreadsheet created in Microsoft excel in Ch. 11 of Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Mrs. Omar designed three scenarios for students to hypothesis and test using Microsoft Excel. The students were able to enter the data and manipulate the information. After the students conduct the test by entering the data they get to see the results in a line graph and compare these results with their hypothesis. This activity is allowing students to experience and create an artifact that shows understanding of savings, investments, and interest rates. The students are an active participant in the learning that is taking place.

I also believe that Dr. Orey’s example of using PowerPoint with students is another great way to engage students in a constructionist tool. When using PowerPoint the students are engaged in creating some sort of artifact that they can present. The artifact that they are constructing is a direct link to the knowledge that they are creating. I shared the pamphlet idea with one of my colleagues that teaches language arts and she thought it was an excellent idea and is going to try it next quarter on a book project. I also believe that I could easily adapt this pamphlet idea into a social studies unit.

Constuctionism alone is not the answer to all the problems that we face as educators, but it is an essential piece to the puzzle that we must allow are students to experience.

Cognitive Tools

Cognitive learning theorists believe learning is a process that takes place as information enters through the senses. The information is processed and stored in short term memory and long term memory. Short term memory can store and process 7, plus or minus two, pieces of information at one time. To become long term memory, the information is connected to other information and is stored as a declarative memory, procedural memory or an episodic event. The more connections students build the more information they can store and remember.

This week’s resources are full of excellent cognitive tools to enhance instructional strategies. Concept mapping helps keep the information manageable and organized in a manner that replicates the network model of memory. Combining concept mapping with brainstorming questions helps students make connections to the content that will enable them to store the information. Using visual representations in concept mapping is also a very effective tool in helping students store and remember information. I also enjoyed the rule based summarizing for note taking in Microsoft Word. It will help students keep the information manageable focusing on the content that is important. I am looking forward to trying this with my fifth grade class during a social studies lesson. Another example that I found to align with cognitive principles is the Virtual Field Trip. The Virtual Field Trip builds numerous connections to stored information and can help create episodes that become stored in long term memory. These cognitive based tools can help increase student engagement, understanding, and ability to recall information.

Behaviorism in Practice

This weeks learning resource, Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, explored two strategies that closely align with principles of the behaviorist learning theory. First, “Reinforcing Effort” and relating it to immediate feedback is an example of reinforcing desirable behaviors and punishing or presenting no reinforcement for undesirable behaviors. This strategy uses each student’s level of effort and its relationship to achievement. If students gain positive rewards for high achievement due to putting forth effort, they will continue to put forth effort in the future. An example that my fifth grade team and I use to reinforce effort is a bulletin board in the hallway titled “Excellence Requires Responsibility”. Every student gets their mug shot photo placed on the board. If they have a missing assignment, their photo is removed from the board. At the end of each quarter, the students who have remained on the bulletin board receive some sort of positive reinforcement.

The second strategy, “Homework and Practice” is another example of using behaviorist methods. Not all homework and practice activities are alike, but some homework and practice activities require immediate feedback to the students. Almost every teacher that I have observed uses some form of positive reinforcement or negative reinforcement after students have completed homework. This feedback provides students with a stimulus that increases the probability that the students will do it again or will correct the mistakes made. Students need to practice concepts and skills that they have learned, so they become proficient. For example, fifth graders need to learn the multiplication table. To become efficient with the multiplication table, students need to practice over and over improving on their speed and accuracy of recall. Students receive immediate feedback by answering quickly and accurately. After reading the spreadsheet software section in the text, I could have the students record their results every week in Microsoft Excel and then graph the information in a bar graph or line graph charting their results and progress. There are also examples provided in the text that present information in a programmed instruction format. One of these examples is Eddie Awards. The EdAlive program is formed to help every child flourish when their sense of self-worth is affirmed. I could not explore the entire program without purchasing the program, but the tutorial gave affirmation when responses were correct. I understand that behaviorist methods alone are not enough to meet the needs of my students, but they are valid in some situations to help students learn.