Reflection

As this course comes to an end, I can´t help but feel a little sad. The time I spent in the whole program was wonderful and I learned so much from the teachers and my peers alike. I wish all of you lots of success as teacher leaders in the integration of technology in your school districts.


I am so excited to start using emerging technology in my classes as well as inspiring my administrators and colleagues to start using them as well. As was stressed by Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., Smythe, T. (2009) in the Horizon Report, there are new technologies which will be adopted within the year, others in the near future and others still, in four to five years time. All the tools I had opportunity to try out seemed so wonderful and will be able to be used in the classroom by me or by other teachers. I had the opportunity to see some tools that are fantastic for student motivation and commitment. I have seen other tools that would work so well in some of my colleague’s classrooms because of the specificity of the work they need to do with their students. After this course I realize that what I knew about technology was not really much compared to what I have come to learn, especially in this course. I also realize that I still have a long way to go and that I need to be prepared to adapt new technologies in my classroom and that I need to guide my fellow colleagues so that they too may do the same.

Our students are the twenty first century digital natives who use technologies on a daily basis and we as educators need to implement these technologies as educational tools to support, transform, expand, and deepen students learning. Brann, A., Gray, T., Piety, P. J., & Pacuilla H.S. (2010) believe that there are five key dimensions of science education for struggling students which are:

1. Physically doing science or “getting a mechanic grip” on the natural world

2. Visualization, representation, and modeling

3. Science literacy, vocabulary, and discourse

4. Questions, argumentation, and use of evidence

5. Student engagement and identity with science

Multi-user virtual environments for professional development and for student participation in learning networks such as teen second life, skoolaborate and flatclassrooms fulfil these dimensions. I have already started using some cloud based and collaborative tools such as voicethread, blogs, wikis, prezi, glogs, webquests, surveys, virtual field trips and simulations. I have already motiveted some of my colleagues to start using some of these tools as well.

www.flatclassroomproject.org

Flatclassrooms are ideal for activities that are performed on a worldwide scale where students are able to exchange ideas and experiences that will definitely be extremely beneficial for all involved. One of the flatclassrooms projects this year is “the way the World Wide Web changed the world” which is ideal for my “Science, Technology and Society” students which have a module on Technology. This is a wonderful opportunity for these students to learn more about technology and share their ideas and thoughts with students in the same program from schools anywhere in the world.

http://www.skoolaborate.com/

Skoolaborate is a Multi-user virtual environment prepared for educational purposes so it is the ideal setting for educators to use with their students. My “Quality, Environment and Security” and my “Science, Technology and Society” students have a learning module on sustainable development which gives me the ideal opportunity to have them do a project on sustainable constructions and have them construct a sustainable home in this virtual environment.

I enjoyed the videogames and know that there are many wonderful games out there. I just wish there were more good games for secondary school science. Hopefully they will start appearing soon. I saw good math games and good games for younger students.

I am going to commit to the purpose of changing my colleague's views on the integration of technology in the classroom and I am going to keep myself updated with the emerging and the disruptive technologies that may be of use in education. I have also joined the Kappa Delta Phi Honor Society, which is a good way to keep myself updated on what is new in education and educational technologies. I am also thinking of continuing my studies at Walden.

Maria

Brann, A., Gray, T., Piety, P. J., & Pacuilla H.S. (2010). Using Technology to Support Struggling Students in Science. Center for Implementation of Technology in Education.1-23.

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition, Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Online Learning in K-12 Schools

We do already have Moodle at our school, which goes from 10th through to 12th grade. This Education Management System and collaborative learning environment is used by very few teachers and mostly is just used as a file storage where students are able to access extra resources for their courses, very few teachers use moodle for quizzes and even less use it as a collaboration tool or online comunication device.

I have therefore chosen a presentation using glogster to motivate the teachers in a further use of this tool.

http://doloresjardim.glogster.com/Moodle/

Rcampus which is also a very good comprehensive Education Management System and collaborative learning environment with very interesting features for those who definitely do not appreciate Moodle.

McLuhan's Tetrad

Mc Luhan´s Tetrad considers four complementary aspects which are:
Enhances
Obsoletes
Retrieves/rekindles
Reverses.
This tetrad of the effects of technologies is simultaneous.

Computer-based learning suppliers transform schooling by introducing technology to compete against non-consumption.

E-books:
This technology ENHANCES through innovation by supplying online versions of school textbooks. This technology is already starting to appear through virtual learning environments for students supplied by the book editors and some books also have e-versions. These e-books could eventually also contain content for differentiated instruction, supplying specific content for all students, at all grade levels as well as comprehension levels. Christensen, C and Horn, M (2008) state that computerbased learning software must be introduced disruptively, by letting it compete against non-consumption. They also state that software makers should customize software for different learning types.

This technology OBSOLETES and replaces the heavy books which also contain content that the students never learn but have to carry around with them throughout the school year. With ebooks the technology may provide for the different learning styles of students substituting the normal books that, although the editors try to appeal to all students are not able to. Computer based books could have multiple paths leading students to study through different processes according to learning style. It could turn the learning process much more individualized.

This technology RETRIEVES/REKINDLES information from the past, the fact that the student gets access to the information they are looking for without having to waste time searching through several chapters in books and contouring around unnecessary content, brings us back to the times where teachers would give the notes to the students which only contained the content she wanted them to learn at that moment. They just got the information they need. This technology would go further giving the students what they need respecting their individual learning styles.

This technology may eventually be REVERSES by being substituted in the future, by online libraries, or one big information center, with accessible content to everyone at every grade level all over the world. It can also be replaced by something else we do not imagine that can appear and that can revolutionize the course of education, another disruptive technology.

As Thornburg, D. (2008) states:
“A new technology carries with it the seeds of destruction paving the way for the next one to follow.”

References:
Christensen, C. M., Horn, M. B., & Johnson, C. W. (2008). Disrupting Class: How Disruptive Innovation Will Change the Way the World Learns (1 ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.


David, T. (2008). Emerging Technologies and McLuhan's Laws of Media. Thornburg Center for Space Exploration, 1-8. Retrieved July 9, 2010, from http://www.tcse-k12.org

Universal Design for Learning and Differentiated Instruction

As I reflect upon this course I think of the guidelines given by the three principles of the Universal Design for Learning which parallel the learning components and networks in the brain: recognition, strategy, and affect:

1.      Provide alternative formats for presenting information (multiple or transformable accessible media)

2.      Provide alternative means for action and expression (write, draw, speak, switch, graphic organization tools, etc.).

3.      Provide alternative means for engagement (background knowledge, options,

             challenge and support).

I discovered in Differentiated Instruction the answer to many questions and doubts I had about reaching every child. I came to realize that I could match content to the different learners differentiating according to readiness, I also discovered how I could try to compact content for more able students, use learning contracts and differentiate product depend on the student´s level of readiness, interests and learning profiles. I am thinking of using surveys to determine the students learning styles, learning profiles and their readiness in order to determine the preferred style of my lessons.

I have already started working with the technology tools that we have been learning about throughout the masters program and have been introducing these tools in my lessons and have given the students the possibility to use the technology tools that work best for them, having students prepare projects and work use technology they identify with. I have come to realize the importance of diverse tools for instruction in order to motivate students with diverse learning styles. It was fascinating to learn about some of the assistive tools for students with learning difficulties. With these tools students will all have the opportunity to learn the content they need to using the technology to overcome their shortcomings. I plan to use the summer break to master all these tools in order to start using them when they are needed in my lessons.

This course gave me the opportunity to see how enriching the experience of exchanging and sharing with peers that we have come to know through posts in the discussion board and work groups using wiki, google groups and skype is. With the wonderful resources my peers in the differentiation station and I were able to find for determining learning styles and preferences, assessment tools, curriculum materials, assistive technology, instructional technology I will be able to start taking steps to become a better teacher, using differentiated instruction. I will be starting with tiered projects.

As many of my peers pointed out throughout the course, many of us have used some differentiated instruction through intuition, not having any planned support; this has been given to us through this course. We now need to move forward one step at a time.

Maria

Surveys

MY SURVEY

I tried to prepare a survey that may give me an idea of the learning interests, a little of the multiple intelligences and learning styles. This information may give me the students profile.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CQMNKZ2

INTEREST SURVEY

The interest survey I prefer for my students is found at:
http://www.union.k12.sc.us/ems/Teachers-Forms--Student%20Interest%20Survey.htm

This is a nineteen question survey which is quite complete. The survey covers interests in reading, travel, movies, food music, sport, hobbies, friends and curiosities. The students are also surveyed to find out how they are capable of analyzing their friends and themselves.

LEARNING STYLE SURVEY

The learning style survey I appreciated the most is the survey found in:

http://www.engr.ncsu.edu/learningstyles/ilsweb.html

This learning style survey belongs to the NC State University, but is very interesting for my students. It has 44 interactive surveys which will be able to give us a complete idea of the students preferred learning styles. They may be visual, auditory or kinesthetic learners.

MULTIPLE INTELLIGENCES SURVEY
The multiple intelligences survey I chose is the survey in:

www.mvanhecke.net/MI-Survey.doc

This survey is a very complete and interesting multiple intelligence survey which is composed of 55 questions that determine:

Verbal Linguistic Intelligence;

Logic Mathematical Intelligence;

Intrapersonal Intelligence;

Interpersonal Intelligence;

Visual Intelligence;

Musical Intelligence;

Kinesthetic Intelligence;

Naturalistic Intelligence.

There is a section for the results which sums up the preferences very nicely.

LEARNER PROFILE
The learner profile information I prefer is:

http://daretodifferentiate.wikispaces.com/file/view/Learner_Profile.pdf

This site contains a learner profile which is absolutely wonderful. It is in a card shape and yet contains all the information needed, such as: learning styles; interests, favorite subjects and multiple intelligences.

Maria

Reflection

I have been successful in reaching the goals I set for myself and have had digital-age learning experiences and assessments that I already started implementing with my students. As suggested by the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) teachers should allow individual students to access active learning:
• Use out of several media formats to access information; I have started using
some of the tools I have learned in this course with my students in order to successfully reach the NETS-T goals I set out for myself which were:
1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments;
2. Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership;

I feel that this course has had the snowball effect on me, as it started rolling it became bigger until it turned into an avalanche; As I learn more I discover many more tools and procedures to learn. I have already started preparing my personal eportfolio and have started working with tools, such as o lesson builder, unit builder, rubrics, standards and target sets, which are in our Taskstream portfolio.

The immediate adjustments I will make to my instructional practice regarding technology integration in my content areas as a result of my learning from this course are:
• Provide students with more choices in the media , tools and context in which learning will take place;
• Have students demonstrate concepts and skills through the use of varied models of expert performance to allow students to identify with preferred mode;
• Provide multiple examples for multiple intelligences(visual, auditory, kinesthetic)using varied digital tools;
• Provide opportunities to practice skills with various levels of support, and provide ongoing, relevant feedback using digital rubrics and lesson builders;
• Include activities with varied levels of difficulty to challenge students at all levels of ability with a variety of tools.

Maria

GAME Plan Process with my Students

The technology standards and indicators outlined in the NETS-T are necessary for us as teachers to develop for ourselves before we are capable of effectively developing the NETS-S in our students, and as ours is a never-ending process, so is that of our students. We need to be motivated, and need to motivate our students to become self directed lifelong learners.

I will use the GAME plan process with my students to help them develop proficiency in the technology standards and indicators outlined in the NETS-S, which are:
1. Creativity and innovation.
2. Communication and collaboration.
3. Research and information fluency.
4. Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.
5. Digital citizenship.
6. Technology operations and concepts.

Setting out GOALS:
• Such as use of models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.
• Incentivize the use of digital learning environments so that students may interact, and collaborate with peers.
• Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners from other cultures and countries.
• Learn how to plan strategies to guide inquiry.
• Learn how to locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
• Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.
• Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.
• Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.
• Understand and use technology systems.

APPLYING:
• Create a social networking site for the students to interact collaboratively. I created a site for a lesson in Ning.com.
• In the future I plan to have them interact in the “flatclassrooms” program with students from other countries, starting off with the topic of global warming and natural resources.
• Have them develop a project, promoting research using the QUEST model.
• Have them use different digital tools to present their final projects.

MONITORING:
• Monitor the development of their work throughout the process in order to readapt if some student is having difficulty.

EVALUATING:
• Formative evaluation throughout.
• Summative evaluation of the final project using a rubric.

Maria

Revising my GAME Plan

The two NETS-T goals I set out to reach were:

1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments;
I intended to incorporate digital tools and resources to maximize content learning and develop knowledge skills and self development attitudes in my students.

2. Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership;
I intended to keep myself informed as to current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of students learning as well as teachers learning.

So far I have learned about the existence of different social networking tools that I had never heard about. Wiggio is a tool that I loved because as with the other social networking tools, with this one we are able to have videoconferences with our students when it may be necessary, for example before an important event such as the proton acceleration at the CERN. I was warned by mail that I could link into a certain site to see the collision. With Wiggio I would be able to be with my students to view this event and discuss it with them on the spur of the moment.

I also enjoyed working with Ning which is very much like a wiki although it seems to have greater facility in uploading different types of media. It is also easier to personalize. We are also able to twitter or publish on facebook using this tool.

I am still trying to prepare the e-portfolios for my students. I thought of being able to complete that during this break but I have had to complete the schools security and evacuation plan for evaluation, as we have had many changes because of the optical fibers that had to be installed throughout the school and as the school needed control rooms we had various modifications which affect the overall security of the school. All these excuses to say: I have not reached this goal yet.

When I look at the NETS-T goals I feel that I need to meet all these goals because they are all very important. I cannot meet some and then stop to go off to meet others, they are all linked to one another, therefore I have started off slowly getting myself accustomed to the process and then just have to join in more and more goals. This is a never-ending process.

Next goals:

Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
I want to demonstrate fluency in technology systems and transfer my current knowledge to new technologies and situations. I want to collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation. I also want to model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to be able to locate, evaluate and use information resources to support research and learning.

Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibilities
I need to advocate, model, and teach safe, legal and ethical use of digital information and technology. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. I also need to develop and model global awareness engaging with colleagues and students from other cultures, using digital age communication and collaboration tools.

Maria

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program ten. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Colaboration, Part 1 [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program ten. Spotlight on Technology: Social Networking and Online Colaboration, Part 2 [Motion picture]. Integrating technology across the content areas. Baltimore: Author

Evaluating my GAME Plan Progress

Evaluating my GAME Plan Progress
1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
• How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
I feel that the students are corresponding very well to these digital age learning experiences. I have already started getting work that I have started uploading, with the students´ authorization, to our adult education site. I have still not completed learning how to create a e-portfolio, I am expecting to have time this following week to get into this.

• What have I learned so far that I can apply in your instructional practice?
I have learned that there are some problem based learning strategies I would like to include.

• What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I have still to learn about many new digital age tools to be able to implement them in the learning experiences.
I have heard of Rubistar and have seen the site, although I need to experiment, preparing a rubric using this software.

• How will I adjust my plan to fit my current needs?
The plan does not need adjusting, it needs constant updating.

2. Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership
• How effective were my actions in helping me meet my goals?
I have been learning, but as I get to know more, I realize that I still need to carry on because this process does not end.

• What have I learned so far that I can apply in your instructional practice?
I have learned some more information about Problem Based Learning that may be of utmost importance to my colleagues that are involved in the adult education program with me.

• What do I still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?
I can only say what I need to learn based on what I know now, yet tomorrow I will need more because when I learned what I thought I needed to learn I just discovered that behind that there is so much more. I have to keep an open mind and realize that the more I know in this field the less I feel I know, so I will just have to try to keep up (this is the phrase I could use to be kind on myself).

• How will I adjust my plan to fit my current needs?
My plan is open ended, so I just need to monitor and evaluate periodically to see if I maintain my goal and just carry on engaging in my professional growth as well as leading my peers in the same direction.


Maria

Game Plan Progress

The steps I have already taken toward meeting the goals established for learning about technology and technology resources.

1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.
i. Finding the information and resources I need?
I have already started incorporating the digital tools where they have helped my students develop skills they did not have. They have started using tools such as webspirations for concept mapping, survey monkey for surveys and polls, they have already started using and preparing prezis, voicethreads, glogs, moviemaker, powerpoint and blogs.
I have still to learn more about the creation and how to implement the use of Digital Portals. I have been reading about them and how to create them but have not yet got down to producing one. If anybody can give me some support I would appreciate it.

ii. Do I need to modify my action plan?
I think that the students are enjoying their work, so I think this is the way to go, and continue without stopping.

iii. What have I learned so far?
I have learned that students, even adult students, try to do the same as other students when they like the product that the other students have produced. As I am working with adult students, and they have had a days’ work when they arrive at my lessons, some of them do not want to learn new ways to do things because it takes longer, but when they start seeing the results of the work done by other colleagues they want to try out the tools themselves and are able to do better research because they are so much more motivated.


2. Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership
i. Finding the information and resources I need?
I am searching for the information I need, some information I have already managed to get other information has been much more difficult to access.
I have also been trying to keep myself informed about what is new in other educational blogs and it is quite challenging yet interesting getting new ideas, because it is so important for us to exchange our thoughts and ideas. We get so much richer in capacity to innovate and prepare different learning opportunities for my students.

ii. Do I need to modify my action plan?
I do not think that I should modify my action plan, I must organize myself in a better way to be able to apply it properly.

iii. What have I learned so far?
I have learned that if I monitor the blogs on a daily basis I am able to keep myself informed about what is being posted by other teachers and this is important as we all have drawbacks and we are able to learn with one another and learn from all those that know much more than we do in certain areas. I myself have learned so many interesting things about education of younger students, the challenges and the compensations.

iv. What new questions have arisen?
I have come to realize how much I have been missing out on. I thought I knew so much about technology and meanwhile I have come to see that I have just come out of the Stone Age.

Maria

Reviewing GAME Plan

1. Design and develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments:

Resources:

· Computers with internet access;

· Survey monkey, webspiration, audacity, webquests.

· Voice Threads, PowerPoint’s, Movie Maker, Glogsters, Prezi’s, blogs and sites used to share final products that students will present and finally become artifacts in their personal portfolios.

Information...

• on how to use the internet and evaluate the search engines;
• on how to validate the information on the web;
• on how to research for information on the web;
• on how to use digital tools they will need.

Learning strategy:

• I will ask the students to start off by analyzing a webpage.
• I Supply worksheets and podcasts explaining the steps they should follow to do their research.
• They would then search for the information they need, evaluating them, synthesizing and then transforming this information into a product that is theirs.
• They will perform their surveys using the online surveys,
• They will organize their concepts using concept mapping tools.
• As their program does not contemplate laboratory experimentation (adult students) they may use simulations when they need to understand some concepts better.
• As these students are not all doing the same work at the same time, my contribution is individual to each one of them.

2. Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership:

Resources:

· Computers with internet access;

· Blog; RSS feed; portfolio

Learning strategy:

I need to view and answer the blog postings on a more regular basis. I have being viewing the posts although not as often as I should, but have failed to interact with my colleagues on a more regular basis on their blogs. I am able to view the blog posts each time I use my search engine because the blogs I have iGoogle as me homepage (as the page opens I see who has posted on their blogs). When searching the web and I am able to view the posts quickly before proceeding with my work, if I have a minute.

Maria

GAME Plan

My GAME plan for two indicators in the NETS-T.

1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and assessments.

Goal: I intend to incorporate digital tools and resources to maximize content learning and develop knowledge skills and self development attitudes in my students. With my adult students I realized that they need to research certain themes and present their conclusions, using word documents. My goal has been to firstly help them do effective research on the data validity using the proper processes and tools to do so, then prepare a presentation form other than word document making their learning experience richer and more diversified.

Action: They will analyze the validity of websites as they do their research on the various topics. They will then prepare the presentation of their work using different technologies to do so.

Monitor: I will monitor the work they do, how they analyze the sites, which tools they use and then also monitor the diversity of tools they decide to use, and also monitor the tools the tools they appreciate most, using them in other subjects with other teachers after having learned how to use them in my classroom.

Evaluate and extend learning: We are able to evaluate the adult motivation through, attendance, enthusiasm as they come to the lessons eager to work and learn more about the topic they are studying and the method they will use to present their work.

2. Engaging in Professional Growth and Leadership.

Goal: I intend to keep myself informed as to current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of students learning.

Action: I would start in this course using the RSS reader in order to be able to visit each of my group members’ blogs, review their GAME plans and see if I may be of assistance and gladly accept the assistance of my fellow colleagues.

Monitor: I will try to view the blogs on a daily basis and monitor the updates to the blogs and view how many blogs entries I have made.

Evaluate and extend learning: View my blog participation throughout this course and reflect on my learning experience in order to be able to enhance my students and fellow colleagues at schools’ learning experience with this tool.

International Society for Technology in Education Home. (n.d.). International Society for Technology in Education Home. Retrieved March 11, 2010, from http://www.iste.org

Reflection: Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom

This course gave me the opportunity to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses regarding information literacy skills, as well as those of my students. Knowing that the internet is a powerful tool and that is able to inspire us, although it may also be intimidating. Students need to develop their own evaluation skills to enable them to use internet resources on their own outside the classroom.We should provide them with the opportunity to know how to conduct meaningful searches, developing their new literacy skills.

The construction of an activity for searching and evaluating content on the internet and including it in my inquiry based unit plan using screentoaster was wonderfull. This tool along with other social networking tools such as voicethreads and blogs are wonderful tools to evaluate the validity and reliability of internet resources. This course was very important to help me cultivate better the critical evaluation skills in my students.

I was wonderfull to construct activities for their inquiry-based unit plan that address the internet resources evaluation and synthesis as well as effective communication.

One of the most interesting experiences I had was with the flat classrooms. The opportunity to have our students collaborate with colleagues around the globe is absolutely awesome. Some of the web 2 tools I am planning to integrate in my classrooms are the voicethreads, virtual fieldtrips, blogs, prezis, glogsters, powerpoints, movie maker films. I would also like my students to use the webspiration concept mapping tool as well as a survey tool which is called surveymonkey and is so helpfull with the surveys the students need to do. As for bookmarking, I also feel that it is important and will start using it properly myself and introduce this tool to my students.

As I advance through these courses I see so many new things that do help us so much with these digital natives which are our students.