EDLD 5364 - Course Embedded Reflection - Teaching with Technology

The "Teaching with Technology" course has enhanced my knowledge base as the campus technology facilitator.  Through this course I have not only had the opportunity to create an entire science based unit for third graders along teacher professional development lessons; I also had the opportunity to collaborate with two of my graduate classmates via Google Docs.  We took not only hardware, software and Web 2.0 tools and incorporated them into our unit but we had the opportunity to learn how to create an ebook online.  Our learning process created a project based unit that integrated tools for the diverse learners in our scenario based classroom.  We meet the needs of all learners through the use of a MOBI (interactive slate), a SmartBoard, the use of video in Discovery Education, designated websites with research and games, an ebook creation site on CAST, PhotoStory 3 project and concluding assessment using the Classroom Performance System (clickers).  All of these tools were used to teach our classroom a unit of study on animals, food chains and ecosystems.

We could not forget that this unit may be used in other classrooms besides our own, therefore the creation of professional develoment was needed.  We, as a collaborative group, created lessons for using the ebook site, Kidspiration/Inspiration software and Microsoft PhotoStory 3 site.  Throughout this course not only did I learn to teach with technology but I learned through the readings and videos how much technology needs to become an everyday occurance in our 21st student's classrooms.  According to both Mr. Gee and Mr. Barab from the Edutopia videos, schooling must be about solving problems and creativity through the use of technology and collaboration and not from memorizing facts from textbooks.





Edutopia.org (nd). Big thinkers: James Paul Gee on grading with games. Retrieved on March 21, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video.


Edutopia.org (nd). Big thinkers: Sasha Barab on new-media engagement.  Retrieved on March 21, 2011 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-sasha-barab-video.


Pitler, H. Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, Chapter 1, 15-38)


Rose. D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Alexandra, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Available online at the center for applied Special Technology Web site. Chapter 6. Retrieved on October 5, 2009.

EDLD 5364 - Week 5

The exciting learning that took place this week for me was to watch (several time, I might say) the "Big Thinkers" videos from Edutopia.  I was excited to learn from both James Paul Gee and Sasha Barab about how important it is for today's students to be involved in innovation and creativity and not just memorizing facts from textbooks.  Schooling today must be about solving problems, finding solutions and doing it collaboratively.  Both video speakers emphasized the use of gaming or new media literacies to reach our 21st century students - gaming creates learning environments in which problems are solved.  Textbooks should only be for reference material to obtain more information. In gamining, failure can be a motivator because students will return using what they have learned in failing to succeed the next time.

Teachers must be allowed to be professionalized again and allowed to create their own curriculum instead of being told what to teach and when to teach it.  The tools that are used in today's classroom are not the tools student's use outside of the classroom.  As teacher's we need to embrace these technology tools and bring them into the classroom and into our student's learning environments.

EDLD 5364 - Week 4

After much video watching, book readings and group collaboration.  Our group has now tied in the actual technology projects based on brainstorming and UDL design.  It has been exciting to see how this entire unit study of animals, food chains, and ecosystems has come together.  We have designed a unit that will address students of all needs from Gifted and Talented to hearing and sight impairred.  Our technology projects include research, interactive websites, use of software such as Kidspiration and PIXIE.  We have incorporated tools such as the MOBI and SmartBoards that are found in the classroom.  We have also used Web 2.0 tools such as Glogster.edu. The concluding assessment will be a project created in groups on an assigned biome, using PhotoStory3 and then presented to the class. 

This week has been exciting for me as a Technology Facilitator - I enjoy seeing how technology can make a project or unit of study come alive for our 21st century learners.  When I was in the elementary school level the past six years, I would have loved to had my third grade teachers implement this project. 

EDLD 5364 - Week 3

Throughout week 2, our group learned about the UDL principals and design and in week 3, we now applied those principals and created a set of UDL lesson plans based on a unit of ecosystems. Our group choose a unit on animals, plants and their ecosystems.  We divided the unit into three parts and each member of the team choose a piece of the project.  The excitement of this week was actually taking a unit of study that occurs every year in the third grade classroom and incorporate technology.  We analyzed our classroom scenario, focused on the techniques highlighted in our readings and integrated our learning from the UDL website into our group assignment.  In the end, we have an exciting project that not only educates students on ecosystems but we have incorporated many technology tools that will excite and engage all students at all learning levels.

UDL - Ecosystems Unit

EDLD 5364 - Week 2

Teaching with Technology - Week 2 has presented an opportunity to learn about UDL (Universal Design for Learning).  This type of design for curriculum allows for lesson(s) to be created incorporating differentiated learning.  The days of a teacher-centered classrooms must go by the wayside and more learner-centered classrooms should take the place. The UDL lesson plan accomodates learning for students from gifted and talented, to learner difficulties, to those students with physical impairments.  The materials and methods teachers can develop into their lessons will allow students greater opportunities to learn through the use of technology.  Technology allows for the differentiated learning to take place through new instructional resources in the form of computers, digital media and assistive technology tools. Teachers should provide multiple ways to engage students interest and motivation through the use of UDL lessons.

EDLD 5364 - Week 1

The knowledge that I have gained in the first week of "Teaching with Technology" includes three types of learning theories.  These theories include Constructivism, Contectivism and Cyborg.   Constructivism is based on students constructing new learning based on their baseline knowledge.  In a constructivism classroom, students are more involved in the traditional classroom.  The are synthesizing information and they ask more questions.  The classroom is learner-centered instead of teacher-lead.  A Contectivism classroom is where learning is considered to be a continual process and more about knowing where to find knowledge needed within various methods. The Cyborg theory is based on how humans interact with machine.  Watching the videos on futurist Ray Kurzweil, was to me, a bit scary. I truly enjoy technology but not to the extreme of effecting the human brain, nervous system, etc.

I also enjoy learning about how to use Web 2.0 tools and integrating these tools into the high school curriculum.  The tools that I have discovered from this book, have already begun to be used in my school and I look forward to learning more from the book, "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works" and how to use adaptive tools into the classroom.