Connections to Educational Technology
Developing information literacy, technology skills (in students)
Image: http://mellott.wikispaces.com
For the project-based learning activities students will be engaged in during the course of the year, my students will discover what information they need, find that information to help support their learning and then determine what tools will be the right ones to present their findings. There are a variety of tools available on the web.
In order to help students with finding the information they need, it will be important for them to have an understanding of search strategies they can utilize to best find information on the web. I will guide students through a series of search strategy activities found on the 21 Things for Students website.
ReadWriteThink.org has an abundance of resources for teachers, broken down by grade level, discipline and learning objective. This can be a great tool for finding ideas for project-based learning. I found a nice critical thinking lesson that incorporates technology through digital photography and presentation software.
For more information and resources: http://informationliteracy2convenient.weebly.com/
In order to help students with finding the information they need, it will be important for them to have an understanding of search strategies they can utilize to best find information on the web. I will guide students through a series of search strategy activities found on the 21 Things for Students website.
ReadWriteThink.org has an abundance of resources for teachers, broken down by grade level, discipline and learning objective. This can be a great tool for finding ideas for project-based learning. I found a nice critical thinking lesson that incorporates technology through digital photography and presentation software.
For more information and resources: http://informationliteracy2convenient.weebly.com/
Meeting the diverse needs of students, assistive technologies, particularly through the idea of Universal Designs for Learning (UDL)
Image: http://usergeneratededucation.wordpress.com
Universal Design for Learning is an idea that focuses on creating lessons that will meet the needs of ALL students, rather than focusing on the needs of just one group of students. This model fits in perfectly with both project-based learning and the flipped classroom. UDL focuses on three primary goals in planning lessons:
Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D., in her blog post on UDL and The Flipped Classroom, ties together the use of experiential learning, UDL and the flipped classroom. Experiential learning is most effective, she says, when it "employs the whole learning wheel, from goal setting, to experimenting and observing, to reviewing, and finally action planning. This complete process allows one to learn new skills, new attitudes or even entirely new ways of thinking." When the flipped classroom model is used in conjunction with project-based learning, a form of experiential learning, we see a model that provides an opportunity for all students to be successful learners.
For more information: https://jjams-udl.wikispaces.com/
- Present information and content in different ways
- Differentiate the ways that students can express what they know
- Stimulate interest and motivation for learning
Jackie Gerstein, Ed.D., in her blog post on UDL and The Flipped Classroom, ties together the use of experiential learning, UDL and the flipped classroom. Experiential learning is most effective, she says, when it "employs the whole learning wheel, from goal setting, to experimenting and observing, to reviewing, and finally action planning. This complete process allows one to learn new skills, new attitudes or even entirely new ways of thinking." When the flipped classroom model is used in conjunction with project-based learning, a form of experiential learning, we see a model that provides an opportunity for all students to be successful learners.
For more information: https://jjams-udl.wikispaces.com/
Social and ethical uses of technology (particularly digital equity, intellectual property, and copyright) and healthy practices in the use of educational technology
Image: http://goo.gl/7Z65Q
Digital equity, equal access to digital tools and resources, will be extremely important as I look to flip the classroom and have students and their parents utilize the class website regularly. Not every family within the district I teach has internet access at their home, but our community provides access through the public library and with the increased number of iPad and laptop carts in our building (and district) this year students should have much more access than they have in previous years. Most of my students have an iPod Touch or a cell phone that allows them to play mp3, mp4 and other media files, thus even without internet access at home, I can provide students with any required video files before they leave school via their personal devices or on a USB flash drive.
As students complete research for their projects and prepare their presentations it is extremely important that they know and understand copyright, fair use and creative commons. These are complicated ideas, even for adults to fully understand at times, but I will have students watch a fun video to introduce the idea of copyright and lead them through how to search for items through Google safe searches using items under creative commons license.
I provide more information on copyright, fair use and creative commons for teachers and students in one of my websites created in MAET 2011 (with Keith Kingsbury and Kimberly Powell).
For more information and additional resources: http://chi-phi-mu.weebly.com/
As students complete research for their projects and prepare their presentations it is extremely important that they know and understand copyright, fair use and creative commons. These are complicated ideas, even for adults to fully understand at times, but I will have students watch a fun video to introduce the idea of copyright and lead them through how to search for items through Google safe searches using items under creative commons license.
I provide more information on copyright, fair use and creative commons for teachers and students in one of my websites created in MAET 2011 (with Keith Kingsbury and Kimberly Powell).
For more information and additional resources: http://chi-phi-mu.weebly.com/
Using technology to facilitate/develop creativity and critical thinking skills
Image: Angela Clark-Pohlod
Project-based learning in itself is a more creative way to learn and requires much more critical thinking on the part of the students and the teacher. Adding in the technology of the website and flipped classroom, as well as the project presentations students will create using the various technology tools previously outlined in this website, serve to further facilitate and develop creativity and critical thinking skills in students. Students will be encouraged throughout this unit and the course to think critically and to be creative.
For more information and additional resources: http://msukeytopics.weebly.com/ and http://creativitytools2convenient.wikispaces.com/
For more information and additional resources: http://msukeytopics.weebly.com/ and http://creativitytools2convenient.wikispaces.com/
Using technology to engage in professional development and leadership
Image: http://rossier.usc.edu/
As an educator, I think it is so important for teachers to go back to school or attend conferences, putting ourselves in the role of student, to be able to better understand and relate to how our students feel in our classrooms. If we never take this opportunity we are truly missing out. Education, both that of my students and myself, is extremely important to me. I believe that if I want to be the best teacher I can be for my students I have to continue to learn for them, with them and from them at every turn.
I consider myself to be a leader in technology within my district, as a member of our K-12 technology committee. I help to make decisions about the technology plans for our district and deliver professional development with my fellow committee members for staff throughout the district. In addition, I have presented at the MACUL conference, the MSU Educational Technology conference and MACUL's Mobile Learning Conference for the past several years. It is always an amazing experience to share what I am doing in my classroom with fellow teachers and to learn from them, as well. My presentations can be found here.
For more information and resources: http://pd-leadership.wikispaces.com/
I consider myself to be a leader in technology within my district, as a member of our K-12 technology committee. I help to make decisions about the technology plans for our district and deliver professional development with my fellow committee members for staff throughout the district. In addition, I have presented at the MACUL conference, the MSU Educational Technology conference and MACUL's Mobile Learning Conference for the past several years. It is always an amazing experience to share what I am doing in my classroom with fellow teachers and to learn from them, as well. My presentations can be found here.
For more information and resources: http://pd-leadership.wikispaces.com/