Final thoughts on technology and tech class....

• How your view of instructional technology has or has not changed over the course of the semester.
• The quality and appropriateness of what you have learned/created this semester.
• Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology.

After learning about all the types of technology that are currently available, I can see how much teaching and learning have changed over the years. It is exciting that there is so much information available on line, and that students (and teachers) can benefit from other people's ideas by reading blogs, wikis, internet projects and more. As we have been learning in other classes, collaborative learning is an excellent way to engage students and motivate them to learn successfully. Not only can they collaborate with their classmates in the classroom, they can collaborate online with people they've never even met.  

We learned about a lot of different types of technology, sometimes it was hard to keep them straight and understand their differences and applications. Looking back at it all from the vantagepoint of the end of the session, I do see uses for everything we were shown, although I don't know that I will use everything in my classes. At least not in the immediate future. My favorites (and most likely to be used) are wikis, Smart presentations, shared documents and internet workshops. Those are all things I can and will use effectively in my math classrooms. Probably some of the "quiz" type applications also. There were times when I was extremely frustrated because the new information was coming at me very quickly and I couldn't keep up with it, so I got "lost" frequently during the classroom demonstrations and instruction. When I spent time afterwards, with help from the instructor, classmates or just on my own, things became clearer and I was able to use the new technologies. For me, and probably for the others also, I think a written explanation of the technology would have been extremely helpful. Starting with step by step instructions on how to set things up, how to edit them, save them, share them etc. In fact I would STILL like to have that for future reference!

I am relatively comfortable going forward with most of the technologies we've learned and used this term. I will continue to play with things to get better at using them and to learn about some of the capabilities I didn't have time to explore during this term. I will certainly be receptive to learning about and incorporating technology in my classroom. It will be interesting and educational for me and my students.

Week 6-homework for tech class "Other people's blogs..."

This week, I used Google Reader to read through some (most) of my TCPCG colleagues' blog posts. The Reader makes it very easy to find the posts and navigate through them. By far, it is a more efficient way to access them than going through a list of links and clicking on individual URLs.

I was struck by a few things as I read through all the posts. Well, I was struck by quite a number of things but I will only mention a couple.

First, there are so MANY websites and types of technology available  that it will take a long time to learn about all of them and figure out which ones work best in our own classrooms and teaching style. I am sure this is an ongoing evolving process, as our classes change each year, and our teaching skills develop, and new technologies appear on the scene. It is clear that today's classroom and the classrooms of the future will be very reliant on technology to enhance and supplement the curriculum. How fortunate that today's children are quite comfortable with technology and in many cases prefer it to personal interaction. The interactive technologies- wikis, internet projects, and many websites, for example,  will appear to be "all technology" while still fostering relationships and collaboration between students. They may work together more comfortably in this way than working together at a table in a classroom.

I also noticed that while we each had different websites that we noted as our "most likely to use" sites, there were a lot of votes for wikispaces, which is one of my favorites. It can be used in a variety of ways: to document or supplement material covered in class, as a communication tool between students, parents and teacher, as a forum for discussions among students, as a repository of completed projects, as a link to assignments posted on google docs, or links to websites for research and help, a place to view news and current events, and more.
It can incorporate many other sites and technologies- Vokis, calendars, projects, images, google documents, videos, screencasts, links to other websites. Kind of one-stop shopping!
It will be my go-to technology for quite a while I  think.

Sheri mentioned a website of internet etiquette (Netiquette) that she would be using and Lori expressed concern about the advisability of using internet websites that connect users with users in other countries to create on line communications, when using it as a resource for school children. Both of those comments serve as a reminder that we can appreciate and utilize these resources but we must remain vigilant and cognizant of inherent dangers and problems.

On a non-technological note, I really enjoyed reading other students' blogs about learning theories. Each person has a different interpretation of the theorists' views. It helps obtain a well-rounded understanding by listening to everyone else's ideas in addition to my own. (that would be "assimilation and accommodation" of ideas from "more knowledgeable others"...) Amazing how many ways there are to view theories and learning and how in the end, it all starts to connect and come together. Whew!

Websites I will definitely use in my high school math classroom!

My student teaching classroom has a computer lab attached. I hope when I begin my own teaching I will have good access to computers also. Websites provide an excellent resource to help students understand new math concepts, whether they need help with a specific problem, or just a general grasp of bigger ideas.

I have found two web sites I will be using- one to address each of those uses.

Dr. Math is a question-and-answer site designed to help students solve math problems (Drexel University, 2009). It is sorted by grade, subject and topic. Each problem is worked out in detail, and the explanations are written in plain English, very easy to understand. I may use it myself to find alternative ways to explain a new concept I will introduce in class!

Another site I am very interested in is the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (Utah State University, 1994-2010). I like to use manipulatives to demonstrate mathematical concepts. Sometimes it is hard to find the objects that are applicable to the idea, or they are not practical to work with in real objects (too large, expensive etc). This site allows us to use them interactively online, providing a visual imagery which can help students understand more abstract concepts.

There are many good sites and more are appearing all the time. I am sure I will find new ones to use, as I search the web for interesting ideas.

References:
Drexel University (1994-2009). Ask dr. math.
retrieved from http://mathforum.org/dr.math/


Utah State University (1999-2010). National library of virtual manipulatives.
Retrieved from http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

LT week 5- Final Reflection

We have learned so much in the past 5 weeks, theorists and theories and applications and even physiology. It will all be relevant and helpful as we go into our teaching careers. I have also learned a lot about myself AS A LEARNER. I hope I will be able to apply these new insights to my own teaching in the future.

I now realize that I need time to assimilate and accommodate new information. I have a love of learning and a curiosity about most everything, so new information is welcome, but I find that I have not had as much time as I need to think about all I have been presented.  I'm sure in coming months and years I will understand the connections and implications much better than I do today.
I also note that it has been difficult for me when given a task to focus on only one aspect or response to a question, as I always have multiple responses and "angles". I'd like to think of that as balanced and open-minded, it may just be that I don't follow directions well.
It has been a source of frustration all session that I do not feel I have produced my "best possible" work, as there have been severe time constraints all along. I have met all the requirements and deadlines, but I am not totally happy with what I have done. I know I could do better, I would have LIKED very much to do better. "Good enough" is not an option I am comfortable with for my own work.

When I am teaching, I will try to gauge my students' comfort with their assignments to proactively address frustration and pressure. I want my students to learn, and I want them to enjoy the process and feel that they have participated and responded to their best abilities. If that means the assignments should be smaller in short time frames , or given later deadlines for larger projects, or having touchpoints to assess progress, then I hope I will do that.

One last T2P Blogpost-

If students are given enough time and resources to put in the effort they want to, they will learn successfully and feel good about their work, because they have some control over their learning process and have time to reflect and retain their new information. According to Piaget, learners need to assimilate or accommodate new information, connecting it to their existing knowledge framework. And Dan Pink believes learners are motivated to learn to achieve mastery over a subject that they feel is important.  A good teacher will give her students the opportunity to feel they have produced their best work and learned to their best ability in order to build their confidence and self esteem and feeling of competence. The positive emotional response they feel will encourage them to continue to learn and put forth full efforts as they progress in their education.

LT week 5- A Good Teacher

A good teacher cares about her students, both in their academic development and in their emotional (affective) domain. She will focus on each child as an individual, understanding that one child's circumstances, needs and goals will not be the same as another's. She creates a classroom environment that provides safety and freedom and community in order to give her students an optimal environment in which  to learn successfully. She takes the time to get to know each student, so she will be aware of any problems or influences from outside the classroom that might affect his/her ability to pay attention and think about the  classwork. She will notice if a student is struggling and needs extra help or attention to assist them in grasping new concepts. She encourages her students to explore and participate with confidence that they will be heard and respected. She welcomes feedback about her teaching and examines her practices to try to improve


From last week's T2P-

IF: If lessons are presented in a variety of styles,
THEN: then students will learn more effectively 
BECAUSE: because the lessons will appeal to their own preferred learning style and they will feel more comfortable and confident performing the tasks. 
CONTEXT: Regardless of personal preferences, some subjects are more easily presented and understood in one style than another.
EVIDENCE: According to Howard Gardner, each person has strengths in particular intelligences and learns better when they  use their preferred intelligence to process information. 
MORAL IMPLICATION: A teacher whose practices rely on traditional lectures and texts is not taking advantage of all the ways that students can be engaged. If students are given opportunities to learn material in their preferred styles they will feel more interested and more "recognized" as individuals with different talents, and may understand new material more easily. At least they will put more effort into the process, which will improve their success as a learner.
REVISED MORAL IMPLICATION: A good teacher will consider her students as individuals with different interests and abilities. By presenting material in ways that will stimulate their curiosity and enjoyment she is demonstrating her caring and attention to their preferences while providing them opportunities to learn and grow. People need to feel cared for and respected and feel a connection to the people around them (ie the teacher and classmates). Students who are given tasks they find relevant to their interests will put more time and effort into learning. This will create in them a joy of learning that will lead to growth in their academic and personal lives for all their lives.  

Technology Tools for students with special needs

This week we have been learning about software and devices to assist students who have impairments and disabilities.

• If I had a student with a hearing impairment, I would try to use some sort of speech-recognition software that could translate spoken lessons in the classroom to written text for the student to read. The new iPad has a closed caption capability which would be useful for the student when viewing a video or movie. Many lessons and learning activities do not involve oral/aural work, so they would need no special assistance to complete those assignments.
• A student with low vision has several options depending on the severity of the impairment. All e-readers have adjustable font size so the text can be magnified to ease reading. They also usually have brightness and gray-scale adjustments to heighten the contrast for easier reading. For students with more severe vision impairment, a few e-readers have text-to-voice capabilities. The Kindle has text-to-voice, but does not have spoken menus, and a totally blind person would be unable to navigate through the system without assistance. So that particular e-reader would only be appropriate for a student who cannot read much text but can read a little, for brief moments. Amazon is currently working on a new version that would have full voice command for all areas of its use. They will also include a very large font for people who can read text if it is magnified in size. Other e-readers have voice command for all aspects of their use and so would be usable by students with any level of vision impairment. (Wikibooks. Assistive technology in education/ebook.) DAISY talking books are available on a multitude of platforms and can be downloaded to most personal computers for use with Word for example. The DAISY software converts text to speech and even has markers, a listener can go directly to specific points in the text, like a chapter or a particular heading. (Wikibooks. Assistive technology in education/daisy.) DAISY would definitely work well for a student with any visual impairment.
• A student with a physical impairment, like a broken arm, preventing them for writing, typing, or even holding a textbook to read, would benefit from the use of speech recognition software. The student would be able to use the software to perform tasks on the computer like typing papers, doing internet research, reading assignments from instructors. some software works as an overlay on a screen allowing the user to "select" points on the screen by identifying increasingly specific areas to home in on the point they wish to select. (Wikibooks. Assistive technology in education/speech recognition software.)
• An autistic student, who does not speak, could possibly use text to speech software to create a "voice" that would do their speaking for them. Activities using text and interactive visual learning do not require any speaking at all. Many of these activities are available on computer platforms and could be used for this type of student.

Software and devices are constantly being upgraded, enhanced and developed, so in not-too-distant years there are sure to be even better and easier ways for disabled students to learn successfully and independently.

Reference list:


Wikibooks. Assistive technology in education/ebook. Retrieved from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/eBook


Wikibooks. Assistive technology in education/daisy. Retrieved from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/DAISY


Wikibooks. Assistive technology in education/speech recognition software. Retrieved from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Speech_Recognition_Software

LT Week 4 T2Ps

T2P (first)


IF: If lessons are presented in a variety of styles,
THEN: then students will learn more effectively 
BECAUSE: because the lessons will appeal to their own preferred learning style and they will feel more comfortable and confident performing the tasks. 
CONTEXT: Regardless of personal preferences, some subjects are more easily presented and understood in one style than another.
EVIDENCE: According to Howard Gardner, each person has strengths in particular intelligences and learns better when they  use their preferred intelligence to process information. 
MORAL IMPLICATION: A teacher whose practices rely on traditional lectures and texts is not taking advantage of all the ways that students can be engaged. If students are given opportunities to learn material in their preferred styles they will feel more interested and more "recognized" as individuals with different talents, and may understand new material more easily. At least they will put more effort into the process, which will improve their success as a learner.





T2P (second)

If: If a teachers's pedagogical practices reflect her trust and belief in her students' abilities and curiosity,
Context: in an environment that allows them to explore and share with others
then: they will be successful learners,
because: they feel empowered and free to work on their own and collaboratively to "own" their learning
Evidence: Deci and Ryan's Self Determination Theory proposes that intrinsic motivators like curiosity and desire to learn are more effective motivators than extrinsic motivators like rewards. They also list three conditions that foster high quality learning: Autonomy, competence and relatedness.
Moral implication: People who feel they control their learning experience and results and feel connected to others through their work will learn more effectively than those who feel stifled and controlled by rules and teachers in an authoritarian environment. They will pull themselves up to a higher understanding much more successfully than a teacher can push them up.


link to my comparison of theorists

Reflection on today's class-

The presentations given in class by our "triad" groups provided a lot if information in a useful and sometimes entertaining way. It was much easier to listen to a variety of people talking and showing slides than it would be to one person talking for an hour or two. (Easier on the talkers too). We learned about many theorists and their theories, and heard from a range of viewpoints in the  class, students as well as instructor. At times, some people in the group didn't agree with the theories being presented, or only partially agreed. We had some good discussion, particularly of my group's theorist- Howard Gardner, and reached some mutual agreement and affirmation of some of his ideas and pretty much rejected some of his conclusions. It was good to see that the group could have different opinions, and share them without fear of reprisal or criticism. As we heard other opinions, we adjusted or clarified our own ideas. Truly a collaborative discussion.

T2P (third)

If: People present their own ideas in a group discussion

Context: When the instructor facilitates an environment that encourages a free exchange of ideas

Then: people will strengthen and solidify their understandings

Because: they were given additional information to add to their existing base of knowledge, to assimilate or accommodate, as appropriate.

Evidence: according to Piaget, learners will either assimilate new information if it fits into their existing framework, or accommodate to the new information, if it doesn't fit into the framework but adds a new dimension.

Moral Implication: It is important to provide an atmosphere of trust and freedom of thought and speech to encourage the open exchange of ideas without reprisals. Students who feel confident and safe in the classroom will offer their thoughts and opinions which creates and enhances a good learning experience for everyone in the group. That participation and "ownership" of the process is the difference between learning and force-feeding. Students can memorize information and parrot it back again,  but they must discuss, question, and debate in order to truly know and understand the concepts. 

My Voki!

Collaborative Projects using Technology in my (future) classroom

I've been thinking about some ways I can create AUTHENTIC collaborative projects in my classroom when I begin teaching...

I will definitely want to set up a class wiki. I will put up problems to be worked on by groups or the entire class, where students can post their comments, questions, and solutions to the problems. Individual contributions to some of these might be for extra credit!

I would also post powerpoints or videos demonstrating some of the more complicated processes I did in class, as sometimes students need to see things more than once, and may pay attention better on their own watching a video than in the distracting classroom. As noted by Schrum and Levin (2009), today’s students are “digital natives” who are used to receiving their information and communication via technology (page 10). Presenting my lessons to them electronically might even be more effective than a classroom presentation. I would ask them to post or message me with any questions or ideas they had regarding my lessons (or of course, they could ask me at school). 

Later on, I would like to give the class a project to prepare a lesson themselves, using their choice of media- videos, powerpoints, whatever. When they have completed it, I would check it for accuracy then it could be posted publicly to allow other students to benefit from it. I would probably have several smaller groups create separate lessons, the whole class working on one lesson would be rather unwieldy.

I intend to try to maintain a connection to the “real world”, showing how the algebra or trig or geometry that we are learning has applications to problems and professions in the world outside the classroom. I would charge the students with the job of looking for connections (through internet searches, talking to adults in their lives, reading newspapers watching TV and more) and entering them on the wiki. The class would keep an ongoing list of connections, and could even connect the connections etc. I would also link to stories or articles that relate to the math we are doing, or have done, or even to math in general, to emphasize to the students that it IS part of everyday life.  I would encourage the students to also post links to any stories and articles they find that are relevant to math in the real world. Commenting on the links would also be strongly encouraged (and a good way for me to see who is actually reading the articles). If there were especially thought provoking articles we could get a good discussion going online.

All of these activities would correspond to one or more of the NETS-S Standards, and in fact in total these activities address ALL of them;  contributing to  the wiki and collaborating on group projects would address standards 1 ,2, 4 , and 6; researching information regarding math and professions on the Internet would meet standard 3; adhering to ethical standards of citations and credits would meet standard 5 (ISTE, 2007). These projects and activities would also meet the NETS-T 2008 Standards for Teachers (ISTE, 2008).

References-

Schrum, L & Levin, B (2009). Leading 21^st century schools. California: Corwin.

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2007). National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-students/nets-student-standards-2007.aspx

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-S). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers/nets-for-teachers-2008.aspx

Week 3 LT2

This week we focused on various Learning Theories. We learned basic information about 4 theories- Behavioral, and 3 Cognitive theories- Constructivist, Developmental and Social. The we did independent research on an assigned theorist to share with a group in the class. Then still later, in small groups we researched yet another theorist and created presentations to post on our class wiki for others to share.

In a (very small) nutshell: Behavioral Learning Theory says that people learn as a response to outside stimulus.  These theorists also stress positive and negative reinforcements to promote desired behaviors and eliminate undesirable ones. Constructivist Learning Theory says people learn by either incorporating new information into their existing knowledge base (assimilating) or adding it on (accommodating) if it is different but connected to their base. Developmental Learning Theory presents stages of development that people pass through at specific ages as they progress from very concrete thinking into more complex abstract thought. Social Learning Theory says people learn through social interaction with others.  With the assistance of a more knowledgeable helper, a person can learn to do more than he/she is capable of doing independently, thus developing into a new stage. Learning can drive development.

I was assigned to independently research Lev Vygotsky the "Father of Social Learning Theory". I appreciate this theory as I believe strongly in collaborative learning and it fits well with this theory. I will definitely be using group work in my teaching, providing opportunities for more advanced students to coach fellow students to progress in their understanding of concepts just beyond their independent capabilities.

In our group research in the afternoon, my group researched Howard Gardner, the proponent of Multiple Intelligences. These are not universally accepted although they do have a strong following. Mr Gardener was working with children of all ability levels as well as adults with brain damage and discovered that people did not fit into neat categories of intellectual ability (smart, average, etc) but rather that they had stronger "intelligences" in some ways than others. He identified eight types of intelligence- logical, musical, linguistic, kinesthetic, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic and spatial. He believed people have particular strengths in learning in some ways more than others, and it would be best to teach to people's strengths. I do think there is some validity to this idea. I doubt that I will try to label each student as having particular characteristic intelligences, but I will attempt to appeal to a number of different preferences in my lesson designs. It will make the lessons more interesting in any case, as they will have a variety of elements and not be repetitive in the same format all the time!

I did find the format of today's class to be invigorating, as well as exemplifying many of the theories we studied. With our homework in preparation, we set up a knowledge base upon which to connect more information learned in class (constructivism), and working in several small groups throughout the day (social), along with some independent research and a collaborative project (social), a number of our "intelligences" were also tapped- linguistic, spatial, kinesthetic, inter- and intra-personal for sure.  A good reinforcement of what we were learning all along.

Week 3 LT1

Q- Bloom level 2 (I agree-  this relates to comprehension)- Describe the components relevant to understanding Skinner's theory.
Skinner focused on behavior. He believed in cause and effect- certain triggers and circumstances will create a response. He also promoted the use of positive and negative reinforcement to encourage desirable, or discourage undesirable, behavior.

Q- Bloom level 5 ( I agree- this is definitely a "design" type of response which is level 5-synthesize)- If you were a teacher how would you use Skinner's Behavioral Learning Theory as a way to develop a classroom management tool? Provide a specific example.
If I wanted to encourage students to work collaboratively in groups with active participation by all members, I would monitor the behavior of the groups to see which groups were working most effectively. Those that  appeared to demonstrate all the expected behaviors would be rewarded by being allowed to take their group outside to work on their own Those that seemed not to be adhering to the norms needed for collaborative work would be kept in the classroom to work under the supervision of the teacher.

Q- Give an example of how you could incorporate abstract thinking into your class. (This question was not labeled- I would put this as a "design" type response, and thus another Bloom level 5- synthesize).
For beginning learners of calculus, to introduce differentiating functions, I would use a function of position. The first derivative of this would be velocity ( the change of position over time) the second derivative would be acceleration (rate of change in speed over time). I would start with a physical model of a car on a track. Demonstrate the position at start (0) then at some points along the track. I would then move the car and have students note the time to move from one point to another to calculate velocities. Similarly we could talk about acceleration. I would then ask the class to think of OTHER processes that would have applicable measurements (aging comes to mind- I would hope they came up with that or other ideas...) So we would scaffold from the instructor demonstrating a concrete example toward the students showing their comprehension of the abstract idea.

Learning Theories week 2

Today's class focused on teachers' beliefs in how learning happens, and how a teacher's beliefs and attitudes carry into the classroom, with effects they may not intend or realize.
We began with a class discussion of metaphors- how each of us would describe teaching and learning as a metaphor. It was very interesting to hear all the different ways people viewed the teaching/learning process, from animal social behavior, to gardening and boating and more.
We discussed several articles we had read for homework. First Yero's article presented  us with anecdotes and examples of teaching that was not effective or successful. The conclusion we drew from her article was that teachers need to be very aware of their own beliefs and preconceived ideas, and critically reflect on the effect those might have on their teaching and their students. We all felt  this article had a pretty negative tone. GNA assured us that Yero's book in total was much more positive and upbeat. Hansen's article was more uplifting, he presented examples of teachers who related well to their students, modeling wonderful interpersonal skills and attitudes toward learning. From this article, we concluded that  while it is important to maintain order  in a classroom, a teacher must not control the students.  Some structure and familiarity is helpful to students as it provides an environment in which they feel comfortable and safe. It is important to respect yourself and be confident as a teacher and also to respect and  have confidence in your students. In an environment of trust and respect, they will rise to your expectations. Mutual enhancement leads to flourishment.
We watched several video clips of very different teaching styles. We saw teaching that was extremely controlling and repetitive, rote memorization. We saw teaching that encouraged students to develop their own ideas and creativity, and challenge traditional standardized beliefs. We saw teachers who encouraged individual experimentation and exploration as well as active collaboration and exchange of ideas to enhance their own understanding.
We began to learn about different types of growth and learning throughout our lifetimes- spiritual, Physiological, psycho-social, emotional, cognitive, gender, ethnic, and others.
Finally,in our Intel teams, we revisited our Learning maps from last week. Making new maps and comparing to our previous ones, we could see how we are viewing learning differently already. The different Intel groups had very different ways of designing their maps again. Our Intel group changed our focus from breaking down "Learning" into small, detailed, often disconnected pieces, into a map showing all the ways we receive information and knowledge and the actions and processes we use to give that "input" meaning, turning it into learning.

If students are given the opportunity to learn both independently AND collaboratively, and if they are given the freedom to explore alternatives to their fullest creativity, then they will learn successfully and effectively, rather than merely memorize information presented to them, because they will be fully engaged and vested in the learning process. They will feel it is THEIR learning  rather than someone else's teaching. That is, to me, an important distinction.

Learning Theory week 1

The first day of class needed to cover a lot of ground. We started with some introductory ice-breaker discussion which helped everyone get comfortable with oral participation.
We had a lot of group work, in pairs and later in larger groups. It is interesting and enlightening, or "broadening" to compare one's own answers to those of other people: it is a good method to give people a chance to see from different viewpoints. The collaborative group work is educational on several levels. First, the sum of experience and ideas is always greater than those of the individual. The collaboration process itself is useful too to strengthen our skills at partnering with others.
I found it very significant that only a small portion of our time and energy was spent on writing and listening to the instructor "lecture". Rather, most of our time was spent thinking, discussing and building on what was said and done earlier in the day.
When the class period extends for such a long time (6 hours), it is extremely helpful to have a variety of activities, involving changing partners, group discussions, even moving furniture! All that change and activity helps keep energy and interest from flagging.
I enjoyed and appreciated that the people in our class, including the instructor, were able to express, and listen to, varying and sometimes opposing viewpoints, without judgement or prejudice.
I think maintaining a classroom atmosphere where people respect and listen to each other and feel free to comment or question what's been said is a great way to reinforce the learning process.
It's helpful to me, and I'm sure to the others in class, to observe specific techniques that were used by the instructor that we can use later in our own teaching. Cold-calling is a way to make sure everyone has an opportunity to participate. More flexible group discussions are also important as the flow of ideas and contributions happens naturally then. Asking students to write some reflections or responses then turn them in, is a good way to evaluate (assess?) students' understanding  of the day's lessons.
Assessing students' performance is clearly a continuous process, not one that is done at particular fixed points in the day or term. The instructor needs to be aware of each student's participation and interest level, as well as their understanding of the material and its significance and connection to other concepts. Today was a long, busy day., but an extremely productive one. Subsequent class days have a lot to build upon.


If people have a strong passion and desire to grow and excel, then, even if they come from different environments and experiences, they will be motivated to succeed in learning. Sources of motivation for our class members are varied. They include supportive families, teachers with enthusiasm and high expectations, love of children (our own or others) , desire to make a difference to people who need help and more.

If a teacher employs a wide variety of learning activities throughout the daily lesson, then students will successfully learn because they have processed the lesson through a variety of senses and experiences which will connect to students' different strengths and preferences.

How do people learn?

Viewing the "Science is Messy" video, we saw the teacher demonstrate his beliefs in how people learn. He gave his students the opportunity to explore a problem on their own, breaking into groups which were free to pursue their own choice of process, given specific materials to work with. After the groups worked on their own, he brought the group together, showing  his belief in the collaborative process enhancing individual endeavors. As the class discussed their project, they learned from the other groups, leading them to additional ideas of their own. The teacher posed "leading questions" and offered suggestions, but did not GIVE the students the CORRECT answers. Rather, his prompts and encouragements allowed the students to discover ideas and conclusions themselves.

In the arena of science, students develop competency by feeling confident and curious to explore on their own. They need to be able to experiment, and to think for themselves as they collect, analyze, and evaluate their data and synthesize their findings to formulate conclusions. Collaboration with others to compare findings and question their processes and conclusions helps to strengthen and solidify their analysis. Using one's creativity is essential to view the evidence and problem from a variety of viewpoints and to "compose" the evidence to create a product or solution.

T2P: If students are given the opportunity to learn both independently AND collaboratively, and if they are given the freedom to explore alternatives to their fullest creativity, then they will learn successfully and effectively, rather than merely memorize information presented to them, because they will be fully engaged and vested in the learning process. They will feel it is THEIR learning  rather than someone else's teaching. That is, to me, an important distinction.

Internet Instructional Models

There are four types of instructional models that use the internet. They are all different but have some similarities and commonalities.
Internet Workshop, Internet Project, WebQuest and Internet Inquiry ALL include the students seeking information online and all involve collaboration or sharing of information with others.

WebQuests and Internet Workshops are teacher-driven, responding to specific questions or lessons designed by the teacher. The workshops are simpler, generally one question or theme that requires the students to go to defined sites to find information and then share results in a classroom "workshop". Somewhat different, the WebQuest is an entire lesson online, using web-based information that the students need to go online to research. Both these models would seem to be fairly quick to complete.
      
Internet Projects and Internet Inquiries are more elaborate and would likely take much more time to complete over an extended period than the first two methods.
Internet Projects also have a lot of teacher participation, and are more collaborative than the other types, as they are a coordinated project between classes at different locations, all working together through the internet.
Internet Inquiries are the least like the others. Although the student does seek information online, the activity is much more independent and student-driven. In this type of model, the students take an active role in deciding what is researched, what the results mean and how to share their conclusions with others.

They all have an important place in instruction today as they provide opportunities for student to develop their computer/internet literacy, collaborative skills, problem identification and independent research skills.

I have asked my coordinating teacher for my student teaching (in the fall) what technology is available to our students and what experiences she would like to incorporate in the classroom. I knew, from our earlier meeting, that SOME classrooms have Smartboards and there are computers at the school for use during class sometimes. I think we cannot assume students have access to computers and internet outside of school. I don't know if it would be appropriate to expect students to do internet-based activity for homework, as they might have trouble getting access. Perhaps we could suggest they stay after school to do the work, or go to a public library?
She has just replied that we will have a Smartboard in our classroom and in fact I will be doing ALL my lessons on the Smartboard. The Smartboard system has internet access and is loaded with a TI-84 graphing software (like the calculator). They have a Beyond Questions Student Response System with 30 remote controls. They also have "shared documents" that I will have access to. I am also able to do a video blog if I wish. It's not a requirement but might add something fun to my teaching. Our math classroom is connected to a computer lab with twenty computers that are connected to the internet and have math software (geo sketchpad, algeblaster, green globes graphing software microsoft office etc.).
Some of this is familiar to me. Most is not. Lots of new interesting technology for me to learn!

I can think of several ways I would like to incorporate some of these internet instructional models in my classroom next fall. First, I would like to give the students a list of bookmarked websites where they can find help or extra practice if they don't fully understand the material we've covered in class.
I would also like to include in my teaching some discussion of ways math is used in "real life". One of the websites I found has a section of all the professions that use math in some way (there are hundreds!). So I would set up an Internet Workshop first, asking the students to go to that site and find several professions that use math and report back to the class (or a smaller group maybe). Then as a follow-up activity, I would assign an internet inquiry where the students are to research a profession of their choosing, on their own and design a presentation however they prefer- video, powerpoint, oral, blog, written report. Another internet-based activity I want to do is a daily or weekly activity where students go to a website to do a "problem of the day" or read a posted article.
These activities will benefit the students in many facets of their learning. First, they will strengthen their math skills and understanding through the "help" websites and the "daily problem" sites. After doing the research for the Workshop and Inquiry models, they will learn more about collaboration and presentation by reporting back their findings to the group. And through ALL of these activities they will gain familiarity, literacy and proficiency at using technology and internet -based tools. These skills are increasingly demanded by the academic and professional worlds as more technological tools are developed. As teachers, we have a responsibility to prepare our students for the world they will live in and we would do our students a grave disservice if we did NOT prepare them to meet these demands and expectations. As noted by Schrum and Levin (2009),  we must include information literacy, critical media literacy and ICT literacy in every subject we teach. The students "will be left behind unless they gain these skills" (p 10).  The National Technology Standards for Students (NTS-S 2007)  recognize this critical need as the standards have been revised from having knowledge of technological tools and concepts to utilizing and applying those tools with creativity and critical thinking (Schrum and Levin 2009, p. 14).

Reference:

Schrum,L. & Levin, B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools. Location: California. 

Websites I can use as a math teacher

This week in classes we talked about teachers' dispositions and attitudes towards their students. We also evaluated our individual learning preferences. And we also touched a bit on assessments. I've been looking at a lot of sites online and have found a bunch that look promising as references for me as I begin to formulate my own teaching persona.

This one has a huge amount of information. There are video "classes" for educators for many subject areas, for specific age ranges. I've been looking at Math for high school level. Today I have been looking at the video classes relating to classroom assessments. I am happy to see that they are speaking about teaching math more as a way of thinking, of learning to problem solve and consider alternatives, not just to memorize formulas and retain factual information.  I will look to this site for idea on presenting opportunities to my math students to learn in a variety of ways- written exercises and reading text (independent, verbal and visual), watching videos or demonstrations on the board or smartboard (verbal, aural, visual), working in collaborative groups (social, oral), using manipulatives or models (kinesthetic, independent or social). This site also offers a variety of methods to assess a student's demonstration of their knowledge.There are many ideas I can use to gauge my students grasp of concepts through different approaches- observation, questioning, discussion, building models, explaining to others and more.
http://www.learner.org/



This site belongs to a math teacher who offers on line courses and tutorials in algebra and math fundamentals (for fees). However, she also has some online content which is free. And a few of the sections are very interesting to me, dealing with helping students with math anxiety, and with recognizing and working with different learning styles. I'll want to find more detailed information, and will continue to seek it online and in other media, but this site is a good starting point. I like her "poster" of Math Student's Pledge. It is a succinct way to convey to students best practices to help them be successful engaged students. It tells students to pay attention, to re-frame explanations in their own words and to ask questions in class. They should seek extra help if they need it and would benefit from working with a "study buddy". These are all good ideas to help student learn in a variety of ways- independent, collaboratively, using their own words, to test their understanding. They should actively participate in class, questioning anything they don't understand.
Her "Math teachers' 10 Commandments" provides the same sort of best practices for TEACHERS. This list provides reminders to respect all the students as individuals and recognize their differences in learning style. It points out that a teacher must gauge each student's understanding and provide support as needed, not to treat the class as a single entity. And it stresses the importance of fostering a classroom environment full of active participating students, taking on leading roles in their own learning experience.
Good reminders.
http://www.mathpower.com/



This blog isn't about lesson plans, assessments or styles, but I was pleased to find it. It tells about ways in which math plays a role in everyday life. THAT is a questions student always ask, and if they aren't asking it they are thinking it! If we want students to be thinking about problems and situations and formulating strategies and solutions, we need to provide them some context and real world connections. This site will be very helpful to me to frame my lessons so that the problems and concepts connect to things that the students can understand and have an interest in. It also will give me ideas to design lessons and problems using realistic scenarios which will help the students visualize the problems. Using these ideas I can present to my students ways in which math will be part of their lives for the years beyond school and report cards.
http://www.learner.org/interactives/dailymath/

my life so far...

Exciting year ahead!

My name is Barb. I am going to teach high school math when I complete the TCPCG program. I have a BS in Math from UConn and worked for years in the insurance industry.

I took a 12 year break from insurance work when I moved overseas with my family. We lived in Indonesia and Thailand. I volunteered extensively, both at the international schools and in an organization of expats supporting the National Museum Bangkok.

My interests for years now have centered around exploring and learning about foreign cultures, mostly Asian. I read a lot, mostly fiction. I love my pets and animals in general. I am not very high-tech. My tech experience is limited. I can use Excel, Word and Powerpoint, and I love Facebook and Email. (I also text and check email on my Blackberry but don't use it for anything else but phone calls.)

Now, here I am. Classes start in just a few days. I am a little nervous but really excited. Lots to learn in the coming months.