Moodle

http://kbalko.edu.glogster.com/moodle/

Reflection

Another class down and yet another time that I feel more equipped to support the needs of my students. This class has been beneficial in the sense that our district is really pushing the DI strategy or way of thinking. By participating in discussions with other teachers from all over the US, I have found that not only is this universal, it is also a learning process with everyone. Many of us are on board and ready to do what it takes to reach all learners, but we also see that DI and UDL need to be implemented in baby steps so as to not get overwhelmed quickly.

Our google group was a great way to share ideas and resources. I enjoy hearing what other teachers do and by sharing resources we cut our own searching time in half. Working along side colleagues is a fantastic way to network ideas that are proven and true. I have gained a lot of information and made some new friends through this program at Walden.

Technology is my most favorite way to implement DI. Students at the first grade level do have some learning style tendencies, but are still at the stage that they love school and anything that comes with it. Therefore, playing to all learning styles is the way to go. Technology allows you to reach the audio, visual, kinestetic and musical profiles the easiest. I use my SMARTboard for everything...reading, math, and science/social studies. The kids are at times more versed in how to use it and this is their first time ever seeing a SMARTboard.

Thank you fellow colleagues for sharing your wisdom and it has been a joy getting to know you and learning from you!

Final Reflection

This class has made me realize that I need to teach little first graders all about technology because their futures depend on it. Future, as in their education as well as their life after school. Teachers are expected to keep up with the times and prepare students for jobs that do not exist yet. Wow! What a challenge!

My GAME plan is to continue learning about technology in a professional atmosphere. I have already been through some PD while in this class. I have learned how to create an Avatar, integrate iTouches into my lessons, utilize iMovie using my Flip Camera and I created a classroom website in iWeb. I believe that using this technology will increase student engagement and provide meaningful and purposeful lessons.

I have also investigated the use of VFT in the classroom. I am thrilled at the places I can "take" my students to. I will widen their horizons with the click of a button and a projection on a SMARTboard.

Although these students are merely 72 months, they are at times, ahead of the game and me! I love that I get to introduce these little kiddos to new technology before anyone else.

GAME plan check up

After referring to the NETS-S I have found that I am on track for assuring my students meet their standards. I feel that the communication and collaboration standard is the one I meet the most. I utilize a class website that also incorporates a blog for the parents and students to participate in.

I look forward to introducing my students to:

• iTouches
• Class blog
• Class website
• SMARTboard
• Lap top cart
• Flip Camera

All of these technologies that are available to my class will be useful in fulfilling my requirements to the NETS-S standards.

Revising the GAME plan

As I mentioned in my last post, I am going to use a pod cast or create something in Gargeband instead of trying to continue to find a VFT. This does not mean that I have given up on VFT because I think they are awesome. I just feel that I need to look into a VFT that can be used to engage learners in another area. I have found some really fun "destinations". Just need to figure out where they can fit into our content. :)

This past week during my training at the 21st Century Academy, I learned about a site called Glogster and I love it. I may try to also incorporate this into my plan.

School is nearing quickly and I am anxious to utilize all that I have been learning. It's hard to take some of these classes during the summer and not have the ability to "try out" a lesson or technique.

Evaluating My GAME Plan Progress

Can you say stressed???? That is the progress I am making. I have given myself 4 canker sores over technology "stuff".

My GAME plan (and personal life) have been on hold for the week...virus on home computer, 21st Century Academy started. I did get a Flip Camera and 6 iTouches for my classroom...so not all bad.

With that said, my post is late since I've had a virus. Sorry!

My new iTouches have made me think even more about the use of VFT in my classroom. I am excited because students will be able to have time to go back and explore at their own pace on the iTouches. This will take place during center time. I have still not found a VFT suitable for first graders on the subject of American symbols. I am very flustered and am thinking about scraping the whole VFT idea all together. I may search for an online video or podcast instead to support my content. These can still be utilized with the iTouches.

As far as my goal in PD, I am pretty sure I had a crash course this week in everything technology for the classroom. Fun stuff but very overwhelming...in a good way. My problem is I want to implement everything, but time is my enemy. Anyone know how to add hours to your day?

Check out my new class website I made in class:

http://staff.findlaycityschools.org/kbalko/Home.html

I would love to hear your thoughts on the ease of navigating and the worth of content. Thanks!

Game Plan Progress

With the help of classmates, I have found other VFTs to utilize in my classroom. I am still searching for a quality VFT that would benefit my first graders. The unit I am looking to find a VFT for would be American Symbols.

My GAME plan for the professional development standard begins next week on Monday. My classes for 21st Century Academy begins along with receiving all my new gadgets. I am excited to get started, yet not willing to give in to the end of summer.

I feel very good about my progress. Thanks to my classmates for sharing tips for VFT.

Carrying Out Your Game Plan

What resources will you need to carry out your plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?

• Lap top
• Internet connection
• Reliable web site
• SMARTboard
• Airliner

What additional information do you need?

• A standard for First graders in Ohio that would have a virtual field trip possibility
• Where I can find VFT that are age appropriate

What steps have you been able to take so far?

• I have reviewed my curriculum map as well as State standards to begin looking for a good fit.
• I have searched the web for a few possibilities.
• I have discussed with a co-worker what a VFT is and have asked for their input.

I have looked at several VFT sites only to realize that most of them expect you to read about a picture. To me this is NOT a VFT. A few courses ago, we watched a video about VFT a teacher utilized in her classroom and it was absolutely wonderful (Abraham Lincoln/Ford Theater)...I cannot even locate that particular VFT. I am quickly becoming frustrated.

We do a unit on U.S. symbols and I would love to find one that would work for this. Ohio is quite a trip from D.C. and N.Y. and I thought it would be fun to show them these monuments through a VFT. However, all I can find are ones that have a picture and a lot of words. I can do a google picture search and do this myself. I would not call this a VFT.

Has anyone found a great site for VFT that are really VFT and not just pictures with captions?

GAME Plan

As a teacher we need to constantly be learning ourselves. We need to find ways to make our teaching style better, our environment more creative and our lessons more engaging. With this said, I plan to implement 2 NETS-T (National Technology Standards) into my classroom.

The first would be: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

My plan would be to introduce virtual field trips to my students. By allowing the children to explore places that are too far away or too expensive to visit, I will still be able to make the students to feel like they have been there in person. I will need to find age appropriate tours and make sure that the sites are not blocked by our server. Once these things are in place students will be able to engage. I would like to work on the whole group and then after watching me navigate the site, I could put the web address on the computers in the computer center for them to continue learning.

My second NETS-T: Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership.

I have been accepted as a 21st Century Academy Teacher within my district. This is a year long training that I will be gin by the district in the area of technology. This was a position that had to be applied for with an essay and application. The districts goal is to teach us so that we can teach our peers during in services and within our own buildings. This opportunity does not begin until the end of July. I will be able to implement the tools and techniques I have learned at Walden as well as the Academy into my classroom. By being in the Academy, I will be allotted new technology gadgets for my classroom. This excites me and I look forward to implementing these new techniques.

Reflection

I believe the most striking revelation that I had during this course was how I really could teach these literacy skills to first graders. Each time we went through a new strategy, I would think to myself, “No way.” Yet each time (after a lot of thought) I was able to find a way to bring the strategy or skill down to a six year old’s level.

The two skills that stand out the most from this class are the questioning piece and how to review a site for relevance. Dr. Armstrong talked about the importance of asking questions to support our students in 21st century skills. By asking a question, we are allowing students to think bigger and better ideas. We are teaching them that there is more to know than what is already familiar to them (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009). First graders love to play 20 questions, but when asked to write a question they generally write a telling sentence. We have used KWL charts and Infinity charts and that helps guide their thoughts to a questioning format (Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K., 2007). However, it is not until the end of the year that they begin to catch on.

David Warlick suggests that students need to validate the information they find and the sites or resources they use (Laureate, 2009). During my calendar time, we use weather.com to check the temperature and forecast, however there are often times that advertisements pop up and we discuss whether or not they look like information that is silly (we are first graders) or if the information looks like something we would like to learn more about. This is only the tip of the iceberg with these little ones, but by asking them questions about something they are looking at, I am at least modeling a problem-solving task.

From this class, I will take away the knowledge that technology in the lives of my students touches everything. At home, they may not be learning the proper way to utilize the Internet or how to validate the usefulness of information they are accessing. Beth Phillips’ ABC strategy will help me to introduce this skill (Laureate, 2009). I want to also teach my students the importance of giving credit where credit is due. I would assert that this would only help them as they further their educational career and need to write essays or research papers. I am laying the foundation for future work by modeling this technique and making the process important. I agree with Dr. Armstrong that teachers have a responsibility to model good ethical use of digital technology (Laureate, 2009).

My goal for the upcoming year will be to incorporate voice threads. First graders are often able to tell you what they have learned from a unit, but cannot write it out or their pictures mean something to them, but I have no idea what they drew. For example, when I teach about Abraham Lincoln, children could log on and tell me what they know about Abe (no writing needed). This clear statement about what they have learned will make it easier for me to assess what they have really learned and not what they know how to spell. I have been accepted into the 21^st Century Academy for Teachers that is run by our school. I am excited to show the district what I know based on my masters program. Likewise, I am excited to bring new ideas to the district; especially those that I have explored while here at Walden that may be blocked by our server or we do not have access to. As the first primary teacher to be accepted into the program, I am thrilled to show the district what Walden has taught me.

References:

Kuhlthau, C. C., Maniotes, L. K., & Caspari, A. K. (2007). Guided inquiry: Learning in the 21st century. Westport: Libraries Unlimited.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom. Baltimore: Author.

Reflection

I feel that my theory of learning has not really changed since the start of this course. Rather, I believe in my theory of teaching more. I am able to see more clearly the reasons and benefits behind the way that I teach.

I have several short term goals for intergrating technology into my classroom. Immedietly, I would like to explore the new SMARTboard software that was pushed through to us this week. There are so many more ways that I can use my board than just reading and calendar. I have slowly started using it for my math lessons and would like to start using it daily to enhance learning. Another strategy that I would like to implemnet would be the online content mapping. My students will be able to use this to think through the information they learned in a topic. Of course we will need to do this whole group, but it will be a way of introducing them to something they will later do on their own.

Long term goals include getting a voice thread account for each of my students. I would love to use this technology as an assessment for a unit. My students are still learning to write, but would have a lot to say. This would let them tell me what they know without writing ability hindering their voice. I would also like to finish completing my class website by adding a page that would be a link to a blog for parents to interact with each other and myself. These two strategies most likely will be worked on during summer break when I have more time to explore and learn.

Talking with other teachers and sharing ideas has empowered me to try new things....even with first graders. I am excited and very ready for summer break so that I can get started.

Voice thread

This is a link to my voice thread. Enjoy!

https://voicethread.com/#u749326.b898077.i4784749

Cooperative or Social Learning

I believe if used correctly, putting learners into cooperative/social groups to work together is a fantastic idea. I have seen the benefits in my own classroom. There is so much bonding taking place and children feel safe with their peers to share their thoughts and ideas.

The biggest concern is whether this is THEE way. There is no real one way. However, I do believe that a teacher willing to give cooperative learning a try will see the benefits out weigh the "benefits" of paper and pencil type activities. For some, school is the one place where their voice can be heard and appreciated. I love that each child has something to offer and at times the unexpected child is the one that wows me when I listen in on conversations as they work together.

They, the students, have unique ways to teach each other. Why not let them work together? This week I introduced a new step in our Writer's Workshop....peer editing. My little first graders were so excited to wear the teacher hat and help their peers. They took their jobs seriously and did a super job.

Maybe those that buck at this type of learning or teaching do so because they do not start off explaining the boundaries and the objectives clearly. As a group, we had a discussion on the purpose for peer editing and how it works if done one way and how it can go wrong very quickly if not done correctly. When they are working in their groups, I am still right there listening in and adding my two cents. I do not sit at my desk and correct papers. I am still facilitating learning.

I strongly believe in cooperative learning!

Constructivist Theory

In our reading this week there was a lot about note taking and cues. As I teach my first graders, we usually start a lesson with an affinity chart. I pass out post it notes and they draw or write something they know about the topic we are about to start. Then they post them on chart paper and as a class we read all responses together. Throughout the week as we learn more about the topic we refer to our chart. We make adjustments to our chart through out the week and add or take away post it notes and learning takes place. The final day of our unit is spent reviewing and talking about all that we had learned. This is our version of note taking and the children seem to like it. "Summarizing and note taking focuses on enhancing students abiltiy to synthesize information and distill it into a concise new form" (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn,& Malenoski, 2007, p. 119).

We also utilize Webs and Venn Diagrams on the SMARTboard where we sort parts of a story, spelling patterns in words, and facts from a unit. Graphic organizers are another fantastic idea for children to cognitively learn. They are able to store away information and remember the unique and engaging ways they were taught. They need to be able to wrap their minds around what is being taught and this reinforces the theory of how the mind/brain thinks and processes (Duffy and McDonald, 2008, p.20).

Cognitive Theory

I believe the brain is capable of taking information and separating everything one is exposed to and compacting learned information into little files. Information that is used regularly is filed near the front of the brain and the information rarely used is sent to the back. If information is never called upon, eventually the brain will decide to throw the file out.

Cues, questions and advance organizers are great ways to start a lesson. I always try to pull prior knowledge when I introduce a new topic or continue on from something the day before. Not only does asking them to remember information keep their file at the front of their brain, it also makes their brain "keep" the file. Pitler, Hubber, Kuhn and Malenoski made the statement that starting a lesson in this fashion allows teachers to "enhance students' abilities to retrieve, use and organize the learned information" during a particular topic or unit (2007, p.73).

Cognitive Theory also bases learning through a deep understanding of information. Summarizing and note taking make this process easier (Pitler, et al. 2007). I teach first graders and I have never asked them to take notes. However I do summarize and review with them. I have found "Cowboys and Chickens" to be a fun way to practice and summarize what we have learned. This activity takes place on my SMART board. I use the shape maker to draw shapes and gather pictures that would trigger thoughts from the topic and hide them behind the shapes. I call student's names to come to the board and they get to choose a shape to move. Once they reveal the picture or word hidden, they tell the class what they know. I always hide at least one picture of a chicken and a cowboy behind a couple of shapes. When a student finds a cowboy they all yell "Yeeee-Haw" and if they find a chicken they all yell "bawk, bawk" and flap their wings. This activity stimulates their brain "files" and helps them to review or summarize their learning. By adding the fun element, everyone stays focused and gets excited to take a turn...just in case thy find the cowboy or chicken.

Utilizing these concepts will encourage a life time of learning and remembering.

Behaviorism Theory

The Behaviorist Theory is based on the ideas that you should reinforce desired behavior and punish undesirable behavior. I believe the strongest link to the behaviorist ideals is to reinforce good behavior. Students with behavior problems (in my experiences) have come from dysfunctional homes and need to hear positive somewhere. Posting class rules that were developed with the class and referring back to them as needed is a good way to reiterate what is expected.

Homework & Practice: another area of Behaviorism is the idea that a lesson can cause a behavior or require a behavior. I believe that homework is a product of this theory. Daily, students learn new things and are asked to build on their learning experiences. By practicing at home, the students are helping to embed these new ideas and theories. This is also another way to add an intervention or remediation to a student's day.

Reinforcing Effort Strategy: Working hard pays off...slacking off does not. This is a hard concept to teach first graders. School is still fun and games to them. Teaching 1st graders can be trying when convincing them to work hard at reading because it is the foundation of all learning. My class works hard because they want to please me or their parents. Getting parents to show up for conferences or answering their phone when their child is sick at school is hard, let alone asking them to help with homework or actually bring their child to school because they (the parents) needed to sleep in. The belief in one's self plays a major role in success and motivation (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn & Malenoski, 2007, p.155). I try to motivate my students by helping them set class goals and individual goals. A celebration at the end of the goal period is a super motivator for 1st graders. In my classroom, I help the class set goals and we pick a reward to celebrate with when we reach our goals; eat with the teacher, crazy hair, pj day, etc. During my student teaching experience, I had a super teacher to learn these skills from. Likewise, my first year, I had a mentor teacher that guided me through my PRAXIS and she did a fantastic job of modeling behavior expectations. According to Dr. Orey, "human behavior is learned" and I had a good learning experience with these two teachers.

Technology is a logical way to support struggling learners. The games or programs can be tailored to fit their specific needs and add another layer to reinforce their learning. Utilizing technology also makes it easier to collect data for IEP or SAM meetings, since the program will collect and graph individual success or struggles.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). Bridging learning theory, instruction, and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.