Reflection

This course, Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction and Technology, has created a strong impact on me. Considering the fact that it is always good to learn new information, I am extremely satisfied at the culmination of this course. When I think of my teaching practice, I am energized and excited about the new information I have learned. When I started this course my philosophy was simply to incorporate technology in the classroom. My students have varying interests many of which include group projects and some have been exposed to creating their own blogs. I want to tap into that source of creativity that exists.

This course has taught me how to create concept map using an interactive. I am accustomed to the pen and paper format that I occasionally use, however, the interactive can be made more meaningful in my math class. I have also been introduced to voicethread. Initially I did not see how this could help me in my math class, however, after exploring the application I now realize that it is a great conversation tool and it can also be used to help to clear up misconceptions that students have in solving problems. I intend to use this application in my classes. Another application that I found to be useful is the virtual field trips. I had fun using thefutureschannel.com in my class while I was being observed by my principal. He was mightily impresssed. Virtual field trips I find is a very useful tool since the distractions are limited and students get to view exactly what you want them to view. It also helps if your school is suffering from budget cuts and only non-expense trips get approved. This application will be used as much in my classes as I possibly can use it.

My long-term goal in regards to technology is to have all my classes participate in at least one instructional technology tool each day. Technology will help them in terms of reinforcing concepts learned. It will also help me in terms of classroom management in that, students who have mastered the skill and have helped one of their classmate who is struggling can move ahead while the others practice their skill to gain mastery. Technology will help to address the different learning levels and styles that exist in a typical classroom. I would also like to see the math department embrace the use of technology in the classroom remembering that we are teaching students who need to be challenged not only by the level of work they need to learn but also in terms of creativity and work that interests them. I believe that this will make a difference and our students will stop complaining and saying that 'school is boring.'

Voicethread

Hi guys
I posted a voice thread on cursing in the classroom. Here is the link. It is pretty short. Let me know what you think.

voicethread.com/share/785618/

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

In this weeks reading and video presentation I viewed a presentation on connectivism and social learning. In particular Dr. Orey in social learning spoke about social learning. His explanation of a group activity in cooperative learning was really enlightening. In this method he described placing students in groups and giving them subtopics to review then regrouping by placing all the students with the common topic in one group. After they have conducted their research collaboratively they return to their original group and are responsible for teaching their group members their topic and putting the final project together. I see this as connecting the small parts to create a large picture. It is a matter of divide and conquer. In implementing this responsibility in our classroom we are definitely preparing our students for work in the 21st century. Most organizations, in carrying out projects will delegate responsibilities to different departments and then expect that when it is time for collaboration they can complete the big picture which leads to success.

Constructionism and Hypotheses

When one thinks of constructionism one envisions building blocks, and the other tools that go with the trade. We also think of workmen wearing their hard hats. They are equipped for their job. This is the exact impression we need to have when we think of how we teach our students. Constructionism refers to the need to have first hand experience in building stuff (Laureate 2005.) It deals with equilibrium, assimilation and accommodation. As human beings we want to constantly be in a state of equilibrium and if per chance we experience disequilibrium we assimilate the situation and make accommodations so that we can return to that state of equilibrium (Laureate 2005.)

Our aim is to build our students higher level thinking skills. One way to do this is through generating and testing hypotheses. This can be done right across the curriculum not just in science. Technology can play a vital role due to new developments that now allow students to spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering it using spreadsheet software, data collection tools and Web resources (Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, Pitler, 2007.) As an educator moving forward in the 21st century my duty is not to engage my students in tedious, monotonous, useless calculations but to provide them with information so that they can apply their knowledge of the topic and tools to synthesize their understanding through collaboration with fellow classmates.

Thus we find that generating and testing hypotheses will go hand-in-hand with the constructionism theory where students are guided to synthesize their thoughts from information gathered to make decisions that will help them as they mature into adults.

References: Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., Malenoski, K., Pitler, H., Using Technology with classroom instruction that works, McREL 2007

Laureate Education Inc, custom edition.

Cognitivism in Practice

This week's resources presented my highlight into the cognitivism practice. Dr. Orey in his video spoke about how information is processed in the brain. He made reference to the fact that people remember more images and use a process of elaboration theory where information is stored in the long term memory. (Laureate Inc, 2009). Our students remember less of what they are told and more of what they do. As educators we also have to be aware of the different learning styles that are in our classroom and thus gear our lessons to accommodate and facilitate such learners. We want our students to store the information they have learned in their long-term memory but the reality is that our students will not even remember what they did in the last 24 hours. School is of little importance to some of them and so getting them to remember important information can be difficult.

Concept mapping is a wonderful tool to help students organize and see the bigger picture. I use concept maps during a topic. My students are presented with a graphic organizer in which they fill in the topics we will be covering for the topic in Algebra class. Then as each lesson progresses they write a key word, definition and/or interesting fact in the subsequent nodes. I believe this concept map helps them to see the big picture and when it is time for us to summarize each topic and ultimately the chapter they have a visual representation which they can refer to.

I like the idea of the virtual field trip but as a teacher of mathematics it is more difficult for me to find information/websites that have virtual tours related to high school math such as Algebra, Geometry, Algebra2. I however did find something useful at www.brightstorm.com. This is an interactive website that allows students to listen to tutorials and practice at their own pace. I am adding this one to my collection of websites.

Instructional Strategies that Embed Technology

Two instructional strategies that embed technology include "Reinforcing Effort" and "Homework and Practice." Effort is the most important factor in achievement. Research shows that the level of belief in self efficacy plays a strong role in motivation for learning and achievement. Reinforcing effort enhances students understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes and beliefs about learning (Marzano, p.155). The behaviorist learning theory focuses on reinforcing effort. Since some of our students come from diverse family situations where sometimes there is little or no focus on education, these students may not realize the importance of effort and believing in themselves. So we have to use reward strategies to get them to believe that they can. It is our responsibility as educators to not only teach content but to teach the hidden curriculum to our students. Homework and Practice give students a chance to review and apply what they have learned. Homework should be relevant to their classroom experience because we want them to do their work independently with little or no help. As always feedback is vital. Feedback should be meaningful. Comments such as 'nice job' and 'great' are considered weak. Feedback should also be given within reasonable time for it to be effective.

We also have to give enough time for practice. In the teaching of subject such as mathematics it vital that students be provided with as many examples of varying degree and be allowed to practice as many questions in order to reinforce learning of a particular topic. Marzano, in his book, Which Strategies will Help Students Practice, Review and Apply Learning, says 'students need about 24 practice sessions with a skill in order to achieve 80% competency (p. 187)

In looking at the correlation between homework and practice and reinforcing effort we can incorporate technology effectively. Sometimes technology can become mundane and tedious. By careful planning and integration it can aid in students learning. Even if my school has been classified as schools in need of improvement, technology can help to achieve this. If we engage in meaningful technology activity that has clear guidelines and students have a clear understanding of the task they need to complete then technology will prove to be an effective learning and reinforcement tool.

Learning Continues

Hi everyone.
This course seems to be interesting already. I hope to become proficient at bridging learning, theory and instruction to be the best for my students. Looking forward to working with you all.
NOD

Reflection

When I started this course eight weeks ago I was quite naive to the different tools that existed to create a technology rich classroom. Here I am eight weeks later more confident with the practices that I can implement in my classroom.
As a 21st century teacher of math I have learned about various web 2.0 tools such as web logs, wiki, podcast and voice thread. I was a little apprehensive initially but with guidance and direction from my instructor I gained confidence in applying these tools. I have come to realize that my first duty as a teacher is to prepare students with the knowledge and skills required to have the competitive edge in today's work world. I have tried to create a more student-centered classroom and moved away from the teacher-centered environment. I still take charge of the content and foundation skills that I want them to learn but more time is spent working collaboratively in groups to solve problems and incorporate more web 2.0 tools.
I understand more that our students have all this technology that they use everyday in their lives and by incorporating it in their daily lessons school can be a little more exciting for them. When they are held accountable for their own learning we encourage them to be independent thinkers and great problem-solvers.
The main reason I am pursuing this masters in integrating technology in the classroom is because I want to expand my knowledge of teaching, learning and leading with technology in order to increase student achievement. I will be incorporating blogs as a means of giving the students a voice to discuss their feelings in a positive light and to offer constructive criticism and practice their communication skills. I want to use wiki as a means of collaborative group projects. Most of my students today enjoy working in groups. By encouraging them to produce their work by using a wiki they will have a medium that even in years to come after they have graduated from high school they can look back to see their work they produced. I am still unsure how I will incorporate podcast in the teaching of math.
One obstacle I face is that we have to teach to the test. My goal is to incorporate more technology to reinforce concepts learned and required for passing the state tests. This should increase scores since students will be able to practice even when they are not in a school setting. Incorporating the web 2.0 tools will also allow them to speak about their individual problems with a particular topic or skill and receive feedback that will help them to be more proficient.
My other goal is to encourage as many of my coworkers to embrace this new tool. Too often we change our method of teaching by instead of lecturing we place the same notes in a power point presentation. Nothing has really changed but how we deliver the content. In incorporating web 2.0 tools we not only change the way we transfer information but create more responsible leaders for the 21st century. Students learn how to work together and take responsibility for their learning.
It sure was great meeting many new people. I especially liked working with my groups. I was challenged to ask more meaningful questions and write more challenging posts. This course really took me a little out of my comfort zone but it was a great challenge. I really learned a lot.

My first podcast

http://nicky1d.podbean.com/

21st century skills

I was particularly fascinated with the 21st century skills website. I initially clicked on the video on Math at the pond since my content area is Math to view the video. I was impressed with the way the teacher had those elementary students busy in her math class. This is one way of looking at math in the real world. We expect that children must learn the six basic areas of math in number systems but had we previously connected it to their everyday life? She made very good use of the smart board in her daily routine. I was impressed that these students were so engaged and behaving quite responsibly in carrying out their everyday routines. In such a situation you find students who want to come to school everyday because they want to know what fun thing are we going to do today. It helps them to be more responsible and to feel valuable.
While exploring the website I realized that this practice was in West Virginia. The State Superintendent of Schools in West Virginia in 2007 proposed his initiatives and executed his plan to prepare more students for success in the 21st century. He reiterated our general concern as teachers which always is are we really preparing our students for success in a competitive world? Our students are competing with other students from other nations, for instance Japan and Korea where they have resources at their convenience also discipline. Are we giving our students the edge, the advantage for success? This made me think of the teacher who has been teaching Algebra for thirty years using the same lesson plans, not using manipulatives and that is their idea of teaching success. How does this method help students who are kinesthetic or visual learners? I believe we are shortchanging our students.
I gave my students a group project to do recently and my coworker walked in and saw them on task. She commented by saying I never use manipulatives let alone projects in my room. I have no time. It made me go HMMMMM... And we are preparing our kids for 21st century work environment. Her approach may work for her since she only has the honors kids but can I really do that with students who have learning and behavioral issues. I don't think so.

In summary I appreciated this article because it gave a detailed insight of what it really takes to prepare students for success in the 21st century. There were even professional development outlines that could be shared on our mandated PD days. I think it is a good idea, that way we actually learn something useful on such days.

How can I integrate blog into my math curriculum

I have been wondering how I would integrate blogs into my classroom and I have resolved that I will be using it as a closure activity to each topic. I am in the process of sending home opt-out letters to parents so they can decide if they want their students participating in this activity. I found this really cool math blog that I want to follow. It is http://wildaboutmath.com

My classroom blog

I am very excited about setting up a blog for my classroom. I teach ninth grade Algebra and twelfth grade Algebra recovery this year and already I am imagining using the blog as a means of writing assignment. I usually have my students write letters to other students who have been absent explaining what the lesson was about and giving their classmates pointers on how to solve a particular problem. Now I believe I can take this same paper and pen activity and make it into a blog activity. I am also thinking of posting the daily assignments, reminders and announcements on the blog. I have to get permission from my AP and Principal first before going ahead with this plan. I ran the idea by my English AP and she was excited about it. She even recommended that I do a PD on this on our designated PD day in November. I told her sure. I was also thinking that it would be a very good forum for my principal to communicate with his teachers and students on a large scale since we do not have general assembly.

Updated feeling

This is starting to feel great. I am enjoying every minute of this.

Parents responsibility to homeschooling

Can you believe it? Some parents actually believe that when they enroll their child in cyberschool their job is finished. I was appauled at the fact that one could think this way. When you opt to take your child out of the traditional classroom setting, you become responsible for that child's future. Not many parents are quite ready for that transition, yet they want their child to be homeschooled. Yes it is good to have options, however if you are not ready and willing to face the responsibilities that rest on you as a parent then you are not fit to mar your own child. That child needs to be in a disciplined setting. I feel annoyed when parents say 'o thats the teacher's responsibility.' So what is your role in the whole scenario. Even when children attend the traditional classroom setting the parents are responsible for ensuring that their child completes the required assignment each night. If they have opted to do cyberschool they should have the time and patience to supervise their child as they try to accomplish the various tasks online and or on the computer. Not think that 'o my child is smart, he can just look at the computer and know what to do.' No one is underestimating the capacity of your child however they are judging you and your mental health because you must be a little off to think that cyberschool does not require strict supervision.

So to all the parents who are thinking of cyberschool make sure you understand the awesome task that lies in your hand in supervising your child to ensure that they succeed.

My first blg

Whew this is all new to me. I am actually writing my first blog in history. I am excited yet I feel like I am not yet ready for this challenge. I teach high school math and I am pursing my Masters in Instructional Technology at Walden University. I am enjoying the course so far and I am confident that at the end I will be an expert at this.