Course Reflection

I began this class as a recent College graduate, wondering if this was the correct Career path for me.  I believe that it’s an intriguing, important profession in which people could get much fulfillment when results are yielded by their students.  As a Social Studies teacher, I would gladly utilize these course objectives, along with those from other classes, in order to better educate my students and be sure that they are achieving learning through their own Reflections. I’ve already discussed the course objectives, written in my Midterm Reflection, but I believe that each of the course objectives was discussed in more detail in the past few weeks. I’ve learned that it’s critical to integrate technology into the classroom because upcoming students are Digital Natives, even more so than myself. I grew up during the late 1990’s and 2000’s, when technology was getting more and more advanced.  Today, there are children who can utilize even more technology than their counterparts of the past decades.  Technology is necessary in order to better educate the students of the future because it’s not going anywhere, it’s going to remain and become much more important than currently is.

 It’s important for all teachers to integrate technology within the lessons they teach, regardless of the age of the students, because technology is usable by people of every age in the 21^st century.  Given time, people have the ability to learn how to use various technologies for different tasks in their lives.  Technology within lessons gives children the ability to learn more skills, which can be applied to both their school and home tasks. For example, utilizing a WebQuest Web 2.0 tool could greatly affect the learning done by the students.  Depending on the source, it is relatively easy to use by people of numerous ages.  For Digital Natives especially, this a great method for them to learn and apply their knowledge through something other than Research Papers, Testing, etc. because it allows the students to create something of their own, which is conducive for learning at both the home and at the school. Unfortunately, technology has the potential of being expensive, which could affect whether or not a School System decides to implement said technology into their classrooms.  However, various companies and organizations offer grants to both School Systems and teachers, who are able to get various forms of technology into their classroom for little to no money; which is great for both the students and teachers, who are able to use it for their work, both at home and at school.  In my opinion, another barrier to utilizing technology may be the teachers themselves.  Some teachers, be they younger or older, dislike technology and would rather teach their students by utilizing other forms of teaching.  Currently, it is mandatory in some School Systems to integrate technology within the Classroom and Curriculum; hopefully this trend continues into the future because it would alleviate the desires of the teachers who don’t wish to integrate technology.

Lesson Plan Web 2.0 Artifact

The Battle of Verdun, 1916 - The 1st World War

http://animoto.com/play/osFb87CFzknHBOpQFQAVRQ

SC

Healthier Testing Made Easy: The Idea of Authentic Assessment (http://www.edutopia.org/healthier-testing-made-easy)

It’s crucial to assess work authentically because as described in the article, research has been revealing, to the field of education, that testing and other older forms of assessment aren’t furthering the learning of students.  Wiggins states, “A good local assessment system does more than audit performance. It is deliberately designed to model authentic work and to improve performance. The aim of teaching is not to master state tests, but to meet worthy intellectual standards. We must recapture the primary aim of assessment: to help students better learn and teachers to better instruct.”  Unfortunately, the requirement for passing state tests and midterms/finals is considered to be more important by certain people than the actual learning which could be done by students if they were to be able to be assessed differently.             The days of solely lecturing and testing should be forgotten because students around the world have different learning styles and are best assessed by multiple methods, not just one method.  Students will be increasingly different as the 21^st century progresses from the generations of the Past because of their use of technology and necessity for multiple assessments during their school career. 

According to the article, “Students overwhelmingly report that the single most important ingredient for making a course effective is getting rapid response on assignments and quizzes.  An overwhelming majority are convinced that their best learning takes place when they have a chance to submit an early version of their work, get detailed feedback and criticism, and then hand in a final revised version. ... Students improve and are engaged when they receive feedback (and opportunities to use it) on realistic tasks requiring transfer at the heart of learning goals and real-world demands."  This was reiterated during the article and I believe that it’s crucial to this discussion because the research clearly reveals to people that students greatly desire teachers to respond to their work and critic it relatively quickly because they are of the mind that this allows them to revise their work and begin the editing and/or revision process, which furthers their learning. This process also appears to further engage the students because they are constantly working on their project, not waiting and waiting for their work to be handed back to them with little to no feedback or comments.  If this is the case, students probably place the work in their folder and never look back upon it; the learning which could’ve occurred is gone.   

   As a recent College graduate, my experience with teacher feedback was extremely varied.  Some of my professors handed us back our research papers and projects with numerous comments, suggestions, etc.  Certain classes would be solely devoted to revision amongst our classmates and professors.  Whereas, other professors would have little to no class time devoted to editing and revision amongst students and little to no feedback on our work.  This made it difficult for us because we wanted to receive some sort of feedback on our work, which research shows furthers the learning done by the students.   

            In order to effectively assess students, teachers should help them by giving them feedback upon their work and in my opinion, giving them class time to work with their peers through editing each other’s work.  Projects should have clear and concise objectives which will hopefully allow the students to learn what you are attempting to teach them.  As time progresses, students will change even more and assessment shouldn’t stagnate because it will harm the learning which could be done by your students.

Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning

Throughout this course, we have definitely demonstrated an understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.  For example, our Literature Reviews were largely centered around the use of technology in the classroom.  I watched a video called, Digital Storytelling using the iPad by Sam Gliksman.  It promoted the use of iPads in the classroom through their use of various Apps centered around Digital Storytelling.  Students would be able to use the Apps to create Postcards, Lifecards, Videos, Photo Projects, etc.  These Apps are great methods by which students can create some sort of Digital Storytelling project.

    Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance students’ technological literacy

In this class, we have evaluated and used numerous technologies so far.  These will definitely enhance content instruction and advance our students’ technological literacy throughout their school career. We were required to review and dissect two videos about technology in the 21^st century; which were: Growing Up Online and Distracted by Everything, the Digital Nation.  Essentially, we were able to learn and understand that children growing up in the 21^st century are going to be required to utilize technology in and outside of their school and work careers more so than previous generations.  By teaching them about Digital Citizenship and the use of numerous technologies, we are preparing them for their current and future endeavors.

Design meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments

In my opinion, our experience with the use of Scratch emphasizes our design of meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments.  We were able to work with and begin to understand Scratch during our conversation with Dr. Fadjo; who is a proponent of the utilization of Scratch in the classroom.  In my opinion, it was difficult at first but after tinkering with it, I was able to create a decent video.  I can see that this sort of project would be very good for students who enjoy creating and/or designing their own projects, instead of sitting through lectures, debates, etc.  Also, this is a great method of assessment because after the completion of the project, the students would be able to witness their own work come to life. 

     

Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources

As a class, we have been demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources throughout our experience with posting on Blogger.  Through Blogger, we have been discussing various uses of digital tools and resources which will greatly enhance the learning done by our potential students in the future.  Also, these entities will enhance the knowledge of the teachers because they will be able to utilize more technology and be better prepared to educate children.

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology

In my opinion, we have definitely demonstrated a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal, and moral practices related to digital information and technology through our discussions about Digital Citizenship.  We learned that in regards to Digital Citizenship, students should understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and to practice legal and ethical behavior.  If we don’t teach students about Digital Citizenship, they will not be able to effectively utilize the internet and its numerous resources.  Teaching children about this phenomenon will help curb some of the worse online problems affecting children, such as cyber-bullying, kidnapping, etc.    

Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum (e.g., NH Curriculum Frameworks, ISTE (NETS-Teacher/NETS-Student) and NH-ICT Literacy Standards for K-12 Students

We have only just begun to work on this learning outcome through our beginning stages of our Lesson Plans.  In my experience, I am using the Frameworks because I’m associated with the Social Studies aspect of Education.  After the completion of our Lesson Plan and the Web 2.0 project, we should have a much better understanding of the implementation of state and national standards within the curriculum of various schools.  

Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student

            Once again, we have only just begun to work on this learning outcome through our beginning stages of our Digital Storytelling project.  As far as I know, we are all working with the program known as Animoto.  I can definitely visualize the effective use of this in the classroom by both teachers and their students.  This is a good method in which learning activities can be personalized and differentiated among students.  Students will be able to create and design their own video while gathering useful technological skills for the future.  

   

Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature

Personally, I believe that portions of this learning outcome have been met throughout this class but it should be completely fulfilled by the end of the course. Participation in local and global learning communities is important because it allows teachers to gather more and more information about the Educational Community and newer and newer forms of technology; which will be utilized by teachers and their students in the classroom.  We have been reviewing some current research and some professional literature about this phenomenon but not too much.  Hopefully, we will have a greater understanding of this learning outcome after the completion of other classes within this program.   

Dr. Fadjo’s presentation was very interesting and informative, especially when describing literacy.

(https://mail-attachment.googleusercontent.com/attachment/?ui=2&ik=ed85840202&view=att&th=1370a0b504f574f6&attid=0.1&disp=inline&realattid=f_h1pecorl0&safe=1&zw&saduie=AG9B_P_Op4aMwGy9apXOXX_e4kTI&sadet=1336822989550&sads=17U_N5oJ7BO-gRJDThoM4BWEk_s)

 I never truly thought about what literacy truly meant; I just defined it as someone who could read novels, books, etc.  Whereas, illiteracy defined someone who couldn’t read novels, books, etc.  He went on to describe other states of literacy: such as computer literacy, medical literacy, etc.  The four things we do: Comprehend, Compose, Analyze, and Communicate, and the four things upon which we act: Symbols, Constructs, Depictions, and Representations also intrigued me.  In his words,

“To comprehend is to grasp something mentally or to understand.  We typically define something for ourselves by defining it on our own terms. If we are asked to demonstrate that we comprehend something, we communicate it through dialogue and evaluation, both formal and informal.” (Fadjo, 2012)

Comprehension is very important because students can read something which just goes right over their head until it’s done; whereas, if a students both reads and comprehends, they are able to learn something concrete from their reading material or other thing.

Personally, I enjoyed using Scratch and I can see its potential use for students.  (http://scratch.mit.edu/) However, I believe that it would take much more time to teach to students than one week.  I wish that I had downloaded it earlier and used it prior to last week.  I believe that my only difficulties were timing-based towards the end of the project.  I couldn’t get the two characters to speak to one another through the use of the green button so I assigned them the a,s,d buttons.  I largely figured it out through trial and error and notes I had taken during Dr. Fadjo’s presentation.  The website was also a helpful resource because I was able to see other projects and what Scratch was truly capable of given more time to work with.  In hindsight, I could’ve asked my other classmates but I didn’t think of it at the time. 

Scratch could definitely be used in the classroom because with time, students could create truly great projects on their own or with group members too.  I believe that it’s easily applicable to Math, Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, etc.  While browsing the Scratch Website,  I saw projects devoted to each of these subjects so I’m assuming that it could be used for nearly every subject which students are going to encounter throughout their school career.

Personally, I could picture myself using Scratch with a Social Studies Classroom because of the large amount of projects witnessed on the Scratch Website.  There were projects devoted to the American Revolution, the War Between the States, etc.  I would have to acquaint myself much more with the Scratch Program because I’ve never truly worked with any computer programming myself.  With time and experience, I can easily see Scratch being used to help students learn about nearly everything.

Growing Up Online, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/view/, and Distracted By Everything, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/view/, were about the use of the internet among both children and their parents/teachers.  In my opinion, Growing Up Online focused more on the use of the internet by children and its effects on their personalities, home and school lives, etc.  Whereas, Distracted by Everything focused on both the children and their parent’s opinions and concerns about potential internet use at both the home and the school. I noticed that by the filming of the 2^nd film, the technology being utilized by both the children and their parents had changed dramatically.  All of the devices being used by the children were first and/or second generation products in the first film, with fewer applications and abilities.  By the filming of the 2^nd film, the devices being used by the children were much more advanced, with more capabilities and functions.  To some people, this could be seen as a problem because the technology is going to become more and more advanced with time and both parents and children will be affected by it.   

            Personally, I believe that multi-tasking can be both a good and bad thing, depending on the person involved.  I agreed with the MIT Professor in the 2^nd video when she said that students today need to be stimulated; she felt that multi-tasking wasn’t good at all during classes or homework time because it distracted students from their main task or purpose.  Of course, most of the students felt otherwise because they believed that they were great at multi-tasking.  It interested me that certain research showed that these students were, in actuality, awful at multi-tasking.  I agree with her that it’s a problem while in the classroom or doing homework but I feel that it’s less bad in other aspects of one’s life.  For example, I’ll have the television on in the background while reading a book and absorb the content from each and be able to describe both to someone else. My parents are the exact opposite because they will turn of the television before they read their book; they claim that it’s distracting to them because they are attempting to focus on their book, not anything else.  I believe that it depends on the person because some people have difficulties focusing on numerous things whereas some people have absolutely no difficulty doing so.

            I believe that there is addiction to social networking sites and video gaming around the globe, as emphasized by the emergence of Internet Rescue Camps in South Korea, mentioned in the 2^nd film.  However, addiction isn’t an epidemic because many children don’t become addicted to these things.  Everything in Moderation definitely applies to internet use because as with nearly everything, heavy internet use can have negative effects on children.  This phenomenon could be considered to be a new way of living because younger children are using the internet more and more that their siblings and  parents.  For example, my sibling uses the phone and the internet much more often than myself; however, she isn’t addicted to it because she isn’t constantly online or on her phone or neglecting her schoolwork.  She understands that there are other means of socializing with her friends and family.  I believe that we should be concerned but it’s becoming easier and easier to notice addiction over prolonged use of the internet.  Children who become addicted should be helped and other children should be warned about the potential of internet addiction by both their parents and teachers.  

             Personally, as a person who plays video games relatively frequently, I believe that they aren’t a waste of time because they are oftentimes a means of learning something or socializing with friends.  I graduated from R.W.U. College over a year ago and still commune with my friends when we get together on Skype and game together.  For us, it’s a means of communicating with each other while being entertained; it’s much more enjoyable hearing a friend’s voice over Skype than just Facebook-Chatting an old friend.  Today, there is an entire genre of video games devoted to education so I don’t believe that it’s a waste of time at all.  If people understood video games more so, they would realize that they can both educate and entertain their audience. 

            Personally, I have always understood that a decent number of parents are aware of what their children are doing online.  When I was younger, our household computer was located in the dining room, where our parents could monitor its use by us.  In the 1^st video, the household computer was located in the kitchen because that Mother was often in the kitchen, either using the phone or doing other activities.  I realize that not every family is similar to mine or the one in the video, there are children out there who have parents who don’t monitor their use of the internet at all.  I believe that it’s the responsibility of both parents and teachers to teach children about internet safety and digital responsibility, not necessarily the Government or Local Community.    

            Many children and adults are indeed ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information on the internet without realizing the consequences.  We were always taught to be very careful of what we put onto MySpace or Facebook because various Organizations and Companies are able to glimpse profiles of their applicants.  This information could definitely affect the applicant’s ability to get a position in said places.  Also, Colleges could potentially view profiles of potential students and decide whether or not this potential student was right for their College.  People should care about this because it will affect their lives greatly; it’s much easier to be careful and aware of what you post on social networking sites than to be reckless and post detrimental information.  This could also apply to the danger of Online Predators because these sorts of people are able to glimpse profiles of various people and attempt to contact them personally, over the use of e-mail, chat, or phones.

                    Overall, these were very interesting and intriguing documentaries about the use of the internet among both children and their parents. I knew about some of this information beforehand but it was informative to hear other people’s viewpoints about this topic.  Having a younger sibling, I have seen this near-constant use of technology but it’s not necessarily a bad thing in if done in Moderation.  Before children become addicted to the use of technology, their parents and teachers should teach them about proper internet use, ethics, and digital responsibility.    

Digital Citizenship

Before taking this class, I’ve heard about Digital Citizenship but was unaware of its true definition.  According to ISTE, the International Society for Technology in Education, Digital Citizenship “occurs” when students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students should advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology, exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity, demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership for digital citizenship. (http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx)

I never truly understood its importance until understanding how pervasive technology truly is in the 21^st century.  Personally, I utilize Skype, Facebook, and participate in Online Gaming with both my friends and other people around the world.  I can only imagine that younger children are utilizing technology, both at home and at school, more and more everyday. Teaching Digital Citizenship at an early age will help them leaRN and understand how to be ethical online.

      The article, Why Teach Digital Citizenship, (http://www.techwithintent.com/2011/05/why-teach-digital-citizenship/) was very interesting to me because the students seemed very enthusiastic about their teacher and her teaching them about Digital Citizenship. They mentioned giving attribution if using someone’s work and having their permission to do so because plagiarism is becoming an epidemic in school districts across the country, both intentionally and unintentionally.  Plagiarism is treated very seriously and can result in expulsion. Teaching them about plagiarism and citing sources at an early age may help curb this phenomenon in the future. Digital Citizenship should be taught by both Parents and Teachers because it isn’t just a school-related subject; children should be responsible online, at both home and school, possibly even more-so at home because they aren’t as restricted online at home, in most cases.

Personally, I don’t believe that technology should be banned in schools because it is truly integral to  children of  the 21^st century. Students are online all the time, whether its Skype, Facebook, MySpace, etc.  The article, 'Banning Is Not the Answer' to Mobile and Social Tools in Schools,” (http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/04/11/banning-is-not-the-answer-to-mobile-and-social-tools-in-schools.aspx)  intrigued me because it argued that policymakers shouldn’t just consider the negative impacts of technology, they should consider the positive impacts as well before deciding whether or not to restrict Social Media and Mobile Devices. The 4 Critical Observations interested me because they reiterated realities we have discussed in class.  For example, the fact that Social Media and Mobile Devices are in widespread use by both students and teachers, both at home and at school.  School districts are beginning to adapt their own policies because of the students’ current interest in technology.

Overall, this topic is extremely intriguing and relevant to both students and teachers of the 21^st century because technology isn’t going away; it’s going to continue to grow and expand throughout this century. School districts should realize this and adapt their own policies regarding technology. Teaching Digital Citizenship, by both teachers and parents, is important and should be done at an early age so that children will be responsible and ethical in their online interaction with other people around the world.

Digital Storytelling using the iPad

For my literature review, I chose this Webinar, Digital Storytelling using the iPad. (http://simplek12.com/tlc/on-demand/storytelling-ipad/)

Sam Gliksman, the founder of the iPads in Education Website, (http://iPadEducators.ning.com) is a Director of Ed. Tech at a California high school.   In this Webinar, he discusses the potential of students utilizing iPads in the classrooms.  The forum for his website is populated by roughly 3,000 teachers and administrators who discuss their opinions and methods about this opportunity.

 He tells us that Digital Storytelling is about the passing of information, whether factual or fictitious, from a teacher to student or even from a student to another student. It is a means of expressing knowledge through images, video, audio, etc.  In the beginning of this Webinar, he took a quick survey of who currently uses an iPad in their classroom or school, 56% of the viewers were currently doing so.  iPads are quickly becoming popular for school use because they are simple and easy to utilize among both teachers and students.

Digital Media is important in our current society because many children love technology, it keeps them engaged and interested in education.  Technology has always shaped education but for centuries, education has been text-based.  This method is cost-effective and simple; however, students are inundated with technology outside of school and quickly grow bored with textbooks, lectures, and frequent quizzes and tests about said textbooks and lectures.  With Digital Storytelling, a teacher can keep these students interested and active during their time in school.  Gliksman described a few different iPad Apps which students can utilize in order to create digital media. 

By using the iPad camera, his students were able to tell a story by using a single picture; these were called Student Photo Projects and both he and other teachers have been using this function of the iPad to help keep their students active and engaged in learning.  This helps students turn an abstract concept into something real; which they can actually touch and show to other students in the classroom.  One possible science project could be to go outside with your students and have them take pictures of trees, leaves, rocks, bugs, etc. and later on, research and analyze these pictures in order to better understand who or what lives in our environment.  Another possible project could be to have your students take pictures of various objects and identify their shapes with their corresponding geometric shapes.

Personally, I was interested in his 2^nd iPad App called Lifecards.  In this App, students are able to use up to 4 of their own photos and design their own Postcard.  The Postcard could also contain text, maps, images, stickers, effects, etc.  If I were to use this App for my future students, I could have them write to various historical figures and “tell” them about their accomplishments, achievements, and their effect on our current time.  In order for students to better understand Caesar, they could ask him what his life was about, whom and where did he fight across Europe, what activities did him and other Romans enjoy, etc. and then later, research and analyze him by library research or internet research. Since these are the students own questions, I’d assume that they’d be interested in discovering the answers.  Gliksman suggested students using 1^st person narratives on say, a travel around the globe with Marco Polo or Columbus experiencing the wonders of exploration.

By listening to this Webinar, I learned how the iPad can effectively promote student learning in the classroom by actively engaging students; rather than just being lectured to and being told to take notes for future quizzes and tests. With this new information, and the iPads in my classroom, I could increase my students’ interest in learning through using this technology. Going forward, my teaching practices could change even more because Apple releases newer and newer Apps for the iPad; Gliksman reiterates, throughout the entire Webinar, that iPads are effective for students’ learning because students are able to easily use the technology to learn and express themselves through the various visual, media, and audio functions.  Lastly, I believe that I, along with other future teachers, would be able to share this information from Gliksman’s Webinar easily through discussing the potential of utilizing iPads in the classroom.  

    

               

#1 - Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.

#2 - Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to

advance students' technological literacy.

#5 - Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices

related to digital information and technology.

#7 - Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources

to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student.

#8 - Evaluate, adapt and reflect upon emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global

learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature

Week 1 - Intergrating Technology

After viewing this video, I couldn’t agree more that technology should be integrated into the classroom. When I was growing up, there were a couple computers in my elementary school classes; most of our teachers never bothered using them at the time because they were relatively old and outdated. By middle school, we began using our computer labs because newer and better computers were bought by the school to replace older models from the early 90’s. These computer lab sessions helped us learn how to use and operate computers with an actual teacher whose specialty was computer information. With even more technology in the 21^st century, as depicted in this video, I would say that technology should be integrated more and more into schools in order to help prepare students for college and their future careers. Many of these potential careers require proficiency in computer use and the use of various softwares, such as Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.  These things could be taught to students at an early age; however, budget issues and other problems affecting schools could hinder this opportunity for 21^st century students. - SC