Final Reflections - CEP 811

I have learned a lot about teaching with technology in the past eight weeks in this course.  One thing I have learned is that using technology will not necessarily make you a better teacher.  However, if you integrate technology as a way to increase effective teaching strategies then you can provide students with great learning opportunities.  One way that I have seen this is through the application of UDL principles.  Integrating technology into lessons can often make lessons accessible to students that normally would have had barriers with the lesson.  For example, providing audio to a slide show presentation allows a student with visual impairments to have access to the same learning material.  Integrating technology such as podcasts can allow teachers to add audio like that.

Web-based technologies like WebQuests have helped me re-evaluate my use of technology in teaching.  Previously, I thought that having students research content using the internet was a way of incorporating technology in the classroom.  Now, I realize that there are more effective ways to integrate technology by finding or creating WebQuests that are more guided and provide more variety of learning opportunities using the web.  

I would say that I have met and exceeded my goals for learning about technology integration into the classroom in this class.  Through exploration of web site creation, I have been able to design a Google Site that I will be able to use in my classroom when school begins in the fall.    

I have a couple specific goals for integrating technology in my classroom and one goal that will be long-term and continuous.  The short term goals include finding WebQuests to meet some of my content and adding to my classroom website.  My long term goal is to continue to stay up to date on an ever changing technological world.  The technologies that we are using to teach with today and teach our students about, are likely to be replaced by new technologies in the near future.  I plan to stay updated on new technological capabilities by subscribing to educational technology blogs and sites on an RSS reader.  

810 Personal Learning Reflection

Over the past seven weeks I have learned quite a lot about teaching with technology.  After reviewing and reflecting on my Personal Growth Plan, I believe that I have accomplished many of my goals and improved on my skills with technology.  My primary areas of growth have been in the areas of creating meaningful Google Sites and expanding on my knowledge of Google Docs.  I can attribute most of my growth in those areas due to the completion of our SIG Project.  Through the course of that project, I learned how to set up a Google Site that is easy to navigate and how to embed video and Google Docs.  Also, I learned how to set up Google Forms as a tool in Google Docs that allows me to have an answer sheet within my web site to collect assessment data.  

Of course, there are areas that I would still like to learn more about with integrating technology into my classroom.  Although, I have been introduced to topics in mobile learning and have explored using cell phones in the classroom, I would like to have more concrete ideas on how I would like to apply this in my classroom.  I feel like I would need more time to get a better understanding of some classroom polling sites to get the technology classroom ready for me.   

Overall, I have been happy with my growth in using technology in the classroom.  Before taking this class my use of technology in the classroom was limited to PowerPoint presentations and researching topics using the internet.  Now, I am familiar with many technologies that will help students learn better and I am ready to implement them starting next school year.  Most importantly, I feel I have the background knowledge and motivation to continue to improve my use of technology in the future.    

Throughout this course I have learned that its not just about using technology in the classroom but integrating it to help teach more effectively.  Using Google Docs allows students to collaborate on assignments and allows teachers to give effective and immediate feedback.  Also, I have learned about lessons that follow the TPaCK structure that are most effective when combining technology, content and pedagogy.  When used correctly, technology can add to a lesson and help motivate students.  

There are so many ways to integrate the internet to improve technology in teaching.  In today's world it is important to make sure students are prepared with the proper skills for the 21st century.  With this in mind, integrating personal learning networks for students is important.  They can use twitter, social networks and social bookmarks to stay connected with learning opportunities.   

The assignment that I thought exemplified good teaching and technology was our SIG project about Google Sites and Docs.  I feel like it is a good lesson for the TPaCK standards.  It provides technology, differing pedagogical aspects, and the proper content for students to learn best.  

As stated above, I feel like I have met the goals of my Personal Growth Plan.  I feel like I have learned about using mobile devices in the classroom (although I would still like to learn more).  Mostly, I feel that I am ready to implement a classroom website using Google Sites and that I can use Google Docs in a variety of ways.  

One of the most important things that I have learned from this class is that technology is constantly changing and we need to make sure we keep up with it in education.  My new goals are mostly to continue to learn about new technologies that I can use in my classroom.  Also, I hope to learn more details about some of the technologies I have learned about, such as classroom polling websites.  My plan is to continue to use my RSS reader to make sure I stay updated on new technologies I can use in my classroom.  

Online Teaching Experiences

It is important for students to have many experiences with online learning.  Not only are online learning experiences mandatory, but they develop many 21st century skills that students need to be successful in today's world.  Also, they can provide great opportunities for students to learn in a variety of ways and learn the content necessary for the topics being studied. 

One of the most applicable resources for my students would be the use of WebQuests.  My students are all at different places in their curriculum at any given time because I am at an alternative and adult education center.  As a result, WebQuests can provide the necessary content and instruction whenever the students are ready for lesson.  The cool thing about WebQuests is that you can find different ones to meet the content that you are trying to teach.  I found one called "What is the Mole???" that could help teach content about the mole and mole conversions. 

A couple different pedagogical strategies could be accomplished by using WebQuests.  WebQuests could be used for classroom projects in which the teacher would like the students to explore the material using inquiry rather than providing all of the content themselves.  WebQuests are perfect for this because they are more directed than regular internet based research assignments.  The appropriate links for exploration are given to the students rather than having them find the best content by searching the internet.  Also, I like to give supplemental material to students that allows them to choose the assignment they would like to complete.  I think WebQuests would be perfect for this type of lesson because they can often provide a different perspective other than the resources that were being used in the classroom. 

Unfortunately, not all online learning experiences are applicable to all students.  For example, interactive discussions online and podcasts would not work for my students because of the lack of resources available.  Specifically, the computers in my classroom do not have microphones and therefore would not allow students to have discussions or record their voice online. 

Wikis Lab

I created a Wikipedia article for my school because there was not one present already.  I encountered some difficulty getting started and citing my source but eventually was able to provide a nice little article about my school.  I added information about what the school is, where it is located, and its mission statement.  The article could definitely be expanded on in the future.  

Here is a screenshot of my Wikipedia article.

Here is a link to the Wikipedia article that I created for Harrison Center.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Center

I also created a wiki called kwhymewiki that has a home page with embedded widgets and another page with a link to my blog.

Here is a link to my wiki.
http://kwhymewiki.wikispaces.com/

Creative Commons

Incorporating images in the science classroom is a must.  It is especially important because many of the topics we talk about are microscopic and using images can help students visualize for better understanding. The Periodic Table is an image that is essential in chemistry.  As a chemistry teacher, I am constantly using the Periodic Table to show students how they can gather information about the elements.  Having Creative Commons as a resource makes it easier to gather images, such as the periodic table, and use them comfortably with the proper permission.  Below is an example of an image of the Periodic Table that I could use in my classroom.  

 

Photo Attribution: 

Original Image: "periodictable2"

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5043/5350444403_ec3d692283.jpg

By: Mrs. Pugliano 

Released under an Attribution-Share Alike License 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/deed.en  

Here is a link to a picture I posted on Flickr.  The picture is from a lab in which we were investigating the length of day versus the changes in leaf color.  

Photo Attribution:

Original Image: "Changing Leaves" 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2311/5792638544_61f2880678_m.jpg 

By: kwhymer

Released under an Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike License 

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/

Learning Styles

I have had a lot of experience working with learning styles over the past few years.  I taught at a school for three years that focused on teaching students with different learning styles.  There is not much doubt in my mind that every person learns differently.  However, I have a hard time believing that we can find out exactly how someone learns best by taking a five minute quiz.  

I have taken a couple different learning style quizzes.  It seems like every time I've taken a quiz the results have come out differently.  With that being said, I think I have found which ways I learn best.  One strategy that instructors have used that has been effective for my learning style is using real world examples.  I feel like it helps me relate a concept and then be able to apply that knowledge later.  Another way is learning through inquiry labs.  I feel like putting the information together myself and working with hands on material helps me understand new information better.  Of course, some types of lessons have been less effective for me.  Listening to lectures has always been difficult for me to grasp information as I am not an auditory learner.  Lectures have always been more effective for me if I have visuals to go along with it.  

It is very difficult for teachers to incorporate all learning styles into every lesson.  There are times when a teacher needs to introduce new material in which a lecture and notes is the best option available.  Instead, teachers should focus on having a variety of lessons to meet many different learning styles.  As a science teacher I do this by having students ask questions, research material, learn from data tables and charts, work with hands on models, do labs that require movement, and many other types of lessons.