Intro To Technology Reflection

So Long, Farewell...

a)      What are my key learnings from this course?

I learned a great deal about powerpoint and google tools.  While most people have been skilled in powerpoint for years, I have never known how to use the detailed tools in the program.  The video recording aspect with powerpoint can be very useful as well for posting long term information for both students and other teachers.  This will enable me to post information on things such as projects, teaching strategies, parent presentations, etc. that will not be lost after the face-to-face presentation.  The google tools provide an excellent way to collect information in a table and share information with both collegues and students easily.  I find both of these tools very useful.

b)      What activities and assignments were most and least useful and why?

The tech skills assignments were the most useful because they encouraged me to utilize the technology in a manner that I would be able to implement in my classroom.  This made me more likely to use the new technology ideas in the future.  New technology is great, but without the motivation to spend time figuring it out I often put it on the back burner.  The tech skills assignments forced me to spend that time trying them, so now I could easily use them again.

My least favorite assignment was the TIP project.  I understand the idea of creating a use for technology to meet a need, but the outline of the TIP project did not seem to emphasize that aspect as much as it did understanding a format. 

c)      Textbook Opinions:

I found the textbook very easy to read!  It was easy to find information and clearly written.  It also offered an extensive amount of great strategies.  I would use it again.

d)     Course Improvements:

-          In class I felt like we spent a lot of time on the same types of technology (video conferencing).  It would have been nice to practice and fully dive into a few good resources by working on assignments (additional assignments if needed) in class so that we could walk away with additional resources.  The 3^rd class especially felt very repetitive, and I felt like we looked briefly at too many resources.  (I will forget most of them that I did not use myself.)

-          My district is not looking to adopt any software that costs money.  I would prefer to spend our time only studying the free online applications as a result.

-          The layout of the course was great!  (Dates of face-to-face courses, schedule of assignments, etc.)

-          I would love to spend more time using the google tools for my own classes through this course.

-          I would have preferred to have the face-to-face classes in the morning so that they did not take up pretty much an entire Saturday.

-          The coursework was very manageable, and evenly spaced throughout the course.  Thank you for that!

Horizon Report Analysis

Horizon Report for 2012 K-12 Educational Technology Trends

– My Thoughts/Experiences

What are the new technologies to watch for?

     1)    Mobile Devices and Apps

     2)    Tablet Computing

     3)    Game-Based Learning

     4)    Personal Learning Environments (PLE’s)

     5)    Augmented Reality

     6)    Natural User Interfaces

What is my experience with these technologies?

Game-Based Learning

I've seen and tried to implement Game-Based learning for years, however it usually appears on review days or days with an altered plan (such as after testing or at the end of the year).  Games incorporate competition though, which in turn can motivate students even more to try and figure out what they need to know to win the game.  This helps them to fully understand concepts in a more engaging way!  Last year my geometry students created games covering different units of the curriculum and really enjoyed it!  The hard part is finding time to play them L. 

Mobile Devices and Apps

I also have a little experience with mobile devices ad apps since my school has incorporated the bring your own device (BYOD) plan this year.  It is a great learning tool with tons of potential, but I don’t have any classes where all the students have these devices.  I originally planned on having the students work in groups where at least one person had a smartphone or mobile device, but then I felt like that would be showing off which students had these expensive devices.  I worry that students will feel pressure to buy a smartphone or feel insecure without a high-tech device of their own.  I don’t want to highlight economic status differences in class.

Are Trends Affecting my Teaching and Learning?

Yes!  It is impossible not to let the current trends affect your teaching and learning approaches if you want to continue to reach your students in the best way possible.  I have found that the fourth trend in the article, “People expect to be able to work, learn, and study whenever and wherever they want”, as impacted my teaching the most.  I myself expect to be able to access any document I need, refer to calendar dates at any time, and re-access information when I need it.  For this reason I have implemented the flipped classroom this year in one of my classes.  I create videos of my lessons for students to watch at home.  This way they can learn on their own time and at their own pace.  They may also go back and review the lessons at any time.  The more difficult homework problems are done in class where they have the opportunity to collaborate with peers and I am there to offer guidance and support.

I also find the sixth trend on challenge and active learning making an impact on my teaching.  This can be difficult to meet because I find that facilitating an environment where students can learn through real experiences and exploration is difficult.  When I have tried strategies that are truly exploration/active learning strategies I tend to want to assume all students will actively engage and seek to learn the material.  This is not always the case though, and so learning how to manage this type of classroom is critical.

What Challenges are Most Relevant for a High School Math Teacher?

Nearly all of the challenges stated in the article are relevant to my current teaching. 

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      -  Digital media literacy continues its rise in importance as a key skill in every discipline and profession, especially teaching.

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      -  K-12 must address the increased blending of formal and informal learning.

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      -  The demand for personalized learning is not adequately supported by current technology or practices.

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      -  Institutional barriers present formidable challenges to moving forward in a constructive way with emerging technologies.

We must adapt to remain relevant with student learning styles and cultural trends.  Every other aspect of society does!  It is difficult to change and learn the new technology.  It is also very difficult to figure out what the new standards of knowledge should be at each level and how to assess them appropriately with the new technology.  Students do not all learn the same way and technology is a great way to differentiate, but how do we still teach and set the standards for everyone?  These questions will not be answered until we teachers meet them face-to-face and try different things.

What Challenges are Least Relevant for a High School Math Teacher?

All of the challenges are relevant, but if I had to choose one that was least relevant for my teaching it would be the outside learning. 

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      -  Many activities related to learning and education take place outside the walls of the classroom and thus are not part of traditional learning metrics.

Students learn a great deal outside of the classroom, and each student learns different things.  I think it is great to encourage that and link students’ outside knowledge to inside curriculum, but ultimately we need to teach students how to think and process information in a way that they can individually take and link to their outside knowledge.

Computer-Access for All…it’s an issue in schools

The article, “The Future is in the Margins: The role of technology and disability in educational reform, by Rose and Meyer addresses some very interesting points.  Web-based communication and media has replaced traditional print media in many cultural aspects such as advertising, communication and entertainment.  However, I also think that it is important to remember that in all of those privately owned corporations employees all either have or are provided high-tech, up to date computers to use both at work and at home.  While the web-based strategies utilized by corporations in the media industry would drastically transform education, education still must meet the needs of every student.  There are still millions of families who do not have computers, or if they do there is not a reliable internet connection or fast modem to keep up with new technologies.  If web-based strategies are truly going to transform education students need easy access to updated computers with reliable internet access at school and at home.  I find it very difficult to create a web-based lesson where students are to continue and finish at home when there are students in the class that will not have the same opportunities at home.  While school computers are great, computer labs are not open every day before and after school and on weekends. 

Finally…a way to differentiate that doesn’t alienate students or require hours of extra prep time!

            It was very interesting learning about how the brain works through the new research.  If our brains are constantly growing and molding then it would make sense that each person may learn at different paces.  The internet-based education design easily enables students to move on quickly or spend extra time looking up additional resources.  It also provides students with options of obtaining information.  They can read the text, watch videos, utilize online manipulatives, and listen to text being read.  No teacher can provide all of these methods in a traditional-style of class.  Students also do not have to feel alienated or embarrassed by their preferred method because each student is working in their own method at their own pace.  I think this is a great idea!  I wish I could just turn my classroom into a computer lab!  This also follows UDL guidelines of multiple representation with customized displays and illustrations through multiple media forms.  Other UDL guidelines followed are varied response methods and optimized individuality and autonomy.  All are great for students!

Classroom Management in a web-based learning environment…

            One final area of concern is classroom management.  In a corporate world adults are responsible for their assignments, and employers can terminate their position at any moment for inappropriate computer use or not completing work efficiently and effectively.  In a classroom you are dealing with children and adolescents who oftentimes do not want to be there and/or have other priorities at the moment.  With the wide array of content on the internet it will be very important to come up with a strong classroom management plan in regards to internet use.  This follows with the textbook chapter on legality and ethics in computer/internet use in schools.  

Differentiate Instruction with Technology

         Why differentiate?!  Doesn't PreAP vs. Regular count as differentiating?

          Differentiating instruction is such a crucial need for students, but can be very difficult to implement well.  In my freshman algebra and geometry classes students’ math skills are across the board.  In regular their skills range from gaps in prior education and learning disabled students to students who are brilliant, yet choose not to be in PreAP for various reasons.  In PreAP I have everything from students who could teach themselves to students who struggle but work hard and/or just want to be with their friends.  This creates a strong need for differentiation.

I am only one person!  How can I teach more than one way?!

            Ensuring that all students are exposed to and given the chance to master skills for the same assessment content and date can be a challenge.  Also, I am only one person, so teaching various students in the same class different levels of instruction while keeping the rest of the students on task can create issues.  However, in math there are oftentimes multiple approaches to the same problem.  I teach the whole class at the level of the majority of the students.  Then, when students work problems individually or in pairs I walk around and show advanced students quicker approaches to the problems.  At the same time I show struggling students more approaches to breaking down steps and simplifying the problems.

Differentiating through the Flipped Classroom Method:

            The flipped classroom I have implemented in my PreAP geometry class enables much more differentiation because students have more freedom to work at their own pace.  They can re-watch videos of lessons or fast-forward through parts they feel confident in already.  The SMART program I use to video lessons in addition to my website through http://www.weebly.com/ enable me to distribute information and concepts to students in a much more student-centered manner.  In class they work in groups to collaborate and practice sample problems together.  This provides me with more time to work with students where they are at.  The downside to this approach is that I do not see a way it could work effectively in a class where the majority of students do not have computer and internet access at home.

Differentiating with a Graphing Calculator:

            The graphing calculator can provide a means of differentiation as well.  Students with learning disabilities can be taught calculator steps to ease basic computations and help them to move more quickly to the concept at hand.  The calculator enables advanced students to see the practicality of the content and computer programming skills as well.  Technology is a great resource for differentiating instruction.

Discussion Boards in the Classroom: EDU 6384 - Week 2

Discussions boards are becoming increasingly more popular in education and can be very beneficial in giving every student a voice.  Traditional math classes provide little opportunity for discussion and student ideas.  Oftentimes the packed curriculum calendars barely leave enough time to cover the content much less discuss further ideas.  A discussion board would provide students with an opportunity to review concepts while researching real-world applications to those concepts when class time is limited.  Students could discuss the real-world applications and interesting career paths that utilize these careers.  This would provide insight to various unknown college/career paths as well as help students become increasingly engaged in the content.  Motivation to study can be much easier to find when the purpose is clearly known.

However, discussions of current math content could be very difficult and time-consuming for students because math symbols, equations, pictures, etc. are not easily typed on a computer.  Ruday (2011) stated that “Is it worth the time and effort?” should be considered by the teacher.  Geometric proofs that can be written in paragraph form, abstract explanations of concepts, and some verbal concepts could benefit from discussion boards, but many mathematical concepts need equations or diagrams with the discussions.  Discussion boards such as sidevibe.com or others that provide an outlet for discussion while linking to other sites and/or pencil and paper work could be very beneficial because students can write an explanation and carry on conversations with peers while linking to example problems, pictures and online manipulatives to demonstrate their point.  Students often do not know how to explain what they are accomplishing in math, and a discussion would create a means for students to learn this skill. 

Discussions in this course provide everyone with a voice and the opportunity to share ideas and responses without the pressure of needing to come up with something great on the spot.  Students can read, re-read and spend time thinking before responding.  This provides us with more intellectual discussions and more insightful ideas.  As an online class the discussions provide a means of collaboration as well because students are reminded that they are not in the class alone.  Discussion posts that are time-consuming to access are read less frequently, though.  Social media sites such as facebook and twitter provide small discussion opportunities where it is easier to read each person’s post or intro to their post than not to.  If the EDU 6384 discussions were set up in this manner I believe it would be more beneficial.

Ruday, S. (2011). Expanding the possibilities of discussion:  A strategic approach to using online

discussion boards in the middle and high school english classroom. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 11(4). Retrieved from http://www.citejournal.org/vol11/iss4/languagearts/article2.cfm

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