Week Six Essential Question

How does teacher experience change how they view technology integration?

Teacher experience has a major factor on their view and perspective of bringing in, using, and implementing activities with technology within their own classroom with students.  After reading this week's essential question I thought about one of the chapters in our text book that discussed the generation gap between not only students and teachers, but teachers and teachers as well.  It discussed the "Millenials" as teachers who have had more exposure to technology than veteran teachers who were not part of the technology era and may not have had much experience with it.  In today's society, it is common for almost every household to have at least one computer, but in earlier eras this was not the case.  Growing up with technology, internet, and other digital resources has been very beneficial in the aspect of exposure, familiarity, and understanding of its capability, function, uses, and benefits.

From my own personal experience at Charlotte Avenue, I have experienced this generational gap in regards to technology.  I do not know how many times I have been asked to fix someone's Outlook, figure out text or something on a veteran teacher's iPhone, attach a document on email, or retrieve a document off of SharePoint.  These are just a few examples of what I witness on a day to day basis.  In conclusion, a teacher's experience influences their ability or view on integrating technology within their classroom because they may not be as familiar on how to utilize it. I feel the more comfortable a teacher is with technology, the more a person will reap the benefits of incorporating it into his/her classroom.  Like Chapter 2 in our book states, it is essential to be collaborative with members of our team, because you can help fellow coworkers become more comfortable in using technology which hopefully changes their perception of integrating and bringing in some of the "digital age" teaching and utilizing technology to help their students learn.  Showing teachers that technology is not as "foreign" as they believe will hopefully show them that technology is definitely within their grasp and they are capable of bringing it into the classroom to enrich their students' learning.

Week 5 Essential Question

How can tools be used to increase understanding? Why can digital storytelling be an authentic assessment? Could digital storytelling be used in your classroom as an assessment? Should students publish their work?

Tools in general can be utilized to increase understanding in all areas of the curriculum.  I use manipilatives all the time with my students to make concepts such as making arrays or counting more concrete.  In regards to technology, there are many tools that can utilized in order to aid students in their learning and understanding of a concept or concepts.  For instance, my students and I just did a lesson on adjectives and nouns.  Using the Mimio they had to come up the board and sort the words at the bottom into their specified category (noun or adjective) and then explain their thought process.  In addition, whether using an overhead or a projector with document camera, I think the children get more out of completing a problem with them or going over an assignment step by step using the actual paper or supplies they will use and demonstrating in front of the class or small group.  If the children have a question about a problem they are working on, I find that technology is a great tool to project that problem on the board to explain, clarify, and deepen my students understanding of what they are working on.  These are just a few examples of how technology tools can be used to aid in learning.  There are many more and I could continue, but I think the idea is expressed.


Digital storytelling can be an authentic assessment if used in the correct manner, just like everything else.  Students, through digital storytelling, need to have the basic skills of sequencing, ordering elements, character development, understanding of concepts in the story, problem, solution, story development, the 5Ws.  In regards, to ideas and being able to create a story line, absolutely it can be used as a form of assessment.  Digital storytelling could be used in my classroom if I had the proper resources in order to implement it.  As of right now I have three computers in my classroom, which is hard to cram 22 students around or even have three groups with 7 and 8 students in each group.  In addition, in order for the programs they are using such as Animoto I would have to ensure that the connectivity is fast enough in order for them to load and be able to work on the story without interrupting or disconnection.  This would be a great place for iPads to come in.  Students creating Storybooks on the iPad and then connecting it to the projector would be amazing.  So all in all, storytelling could be an authentic assessment if used correctly and when you pinpoint what you are looking for.  I could tie in spelling and conventions, but as far as penmanship and formation of their letters, I would look elsewhere to evaluate.  It  would be the same as them creating a story with paper, pencil, and crayon, but it would be a different way of presenting the story, which is something I am explaining to them.  That information can be displayed in a variety of ways to present the same information (example: graphs).


As far as second graders are concerned, i do not think that their work should be published.  It could be displayed in the classroom and posted on the website with a password for viewing from home.  I would not feel comfortable posting their work for the whole world to have access to unless it was anonymous and no attachments to individual students.

 

Week Four Essential Question: How can you engage all students?

There are multiple answers to this essential question.  With any students no matter how old, I feel that developing a relationship with the students is very beneficial.  Learning about your students and their interests as well as letting them know more about you creates a "family" unit within the classroom, but this may be easier to establish within the second grade classroom rather than high school (I wouldn't know) since I have my kids all day.  I feel that developing that relationship with the children first is crucial because when there is mutual respect between the students and the teacher, the students are willing to put forth their full effort and work their hardest for your approval.

I have found that humor is absolutely crucial with my students.  If their is a boring subject, changing how I talk about it (talking with excitement for example) or trying to create a fun activity with what I am teaching can be key to keeping them engaged.  I think of it like a performance.  If the children are bored they are going to zone out so it is my responsibility to keep them engaged and interested in what I am doing.  I try to keep them on their toes so they are watching to see what I will say or do next or if I feel like I am loosing them to reel them back in.  If I see they are tired, we get up and do some stretches or move around a little just to reset their focus.  Relating concepts to their life or incorporating things that interest them really keeps them engaged because they had that prior interest before you began. 

Tying in technology, my kids are beyond enthralled when I use to MimioTeach, MimioView, and projector.  They literally inch their chairs closer and closer until they are practically on top of me just because they are so interested in what we will be doing with these amazing resources.  I tell them that only the most attentive and concentrated students will be able to come up to the board to answer questions and use the Mimio and instantly they are sitting up straight, chairs are pushed in, and they are zoned in on what I am saying. They ask to use the technology about 100 times a day everyday, even though we do use it everyday, but they want to use it for everything!  I have even had coworkers ask what I was teaching because when they walk by they tell me they are so enthralled at what I am teaching at the front of the classroom that if Gronk walked by they wouldn't even notice.