Kerry Whitman's Second Grade Stories

Online Learning Powerpoint

2010-09-30T21:31:00.012-04:00

I have uploaded my powerpoint on online learning. I hope you can share your thoughts about it with me. Do your students have access to online learning? Is is full time or supplemental? I am a monitor for my district's Cyber School. At this point, I have only ever had secondary students. This year I will have two elementary students. I am looking forward to seeing how successful they can be.
Please share your thoughts with me.

I apologize for not having sound. I narrated this and when I transferred it to my blog, I lost the sound. I tried several different software share sites but was not able to recover the sound.
Kerry

Reaching and Engaging All Learners through Technology

2010-08-14T17:43:00.002-04:00

As we come to the end of our class, Reaching and Engaging All Learners through Technology, I am amazed at how much information I have learned. After discussing UDL with my principal, I found out that she was unaware of it and I was able to share the basic information with her. As stated by Rose & Meyer (2002), the central practical premise of UDL is that a curriculum should include alternatives to make it accessible and appropriate for individuals with different backgrounds, learning styles, abilities, and disabilities in widely varied learning contexts.
The first thing I will implement in my classroom will be using interest surveys and learning style profiles with my students. I will also ask the parents to complete a survey about their children. These surveys can be completed online and information collected automatically. In this way, I will have a better feel for my students and can provide lessons that are adapted to their needs and abilities. The intent of differentiating instruction is to maximize each student's growth and individual success by meeting each student where he or she is and assisting in the learning process (Hall, Strangman, & Meyer, 2009).
The resources I have gained through the Differentiation Station will be shared with my principal and my colleagues. These resources are so varied and useful; I especially like the sites that share a multitude of sites such as http://udltechtoolkit.wikispaces.com/Literacy+tools . I can access information on literacy, math, science and other subjects as well in these resources. I plan on using videos from YouTube or United Streaming to provide auditory and visual learners more information. With the use of my Promethean Board, I will be able to create and use interactive lessons that will be spark their interests and meet the different needs of my students. The use of technology will engage and motivate my students. In addition, I plan on removing barriers to learning by providing larger fonts for readers, who have difficulty seeing and reading with audiotapes for learners who need to hear it as well as see it. I will be more cognizant of barriers such as these and will search for solutions for struggling students.
I plan on focusing my work on differentiating lessons as I go through this year and the next few. It is a process and one that I will continue to make. As Carol Ann Tomlinson (1999) stated, plan to be better tomorrow than today, but don’t plan to be finished.

Hall, T., Strangman, N., & Meyer, A. (2009, November). Differentiated Instruction and Impleications for UDL Implementation. Retrieved July 30, 2010, from Center for Applied Special Technology: http://www.cast.org/publications/ncac/ncac_diffinstructudl.html
Tomlinson, C. A. (1999). Differentiated Classrooms: Responding to the Needs of Al Learners. Association for Supervision and Curriculum.
Rose, D., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age: Universal design for learning. Retrieved from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/

Reflection

2010-06-22T12:03:00.001-04:00

My GAME Plan was focused on Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments and Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. With the first standard, I worked on finding more interactive lessons to incorporate the use of the Promethean Board. I researched sites to find activities and collaborated with other second grade teachers. The second standard that I focused on was communicating more with parents through my website and finding out what parents needed most from my website. What I learned from this experience is that I have many options to try and sites to use. I am more aware of the process of setting goals and identifying the steps I need to take. The evaluation process is the most valuable step as I step back and reflect on what it is that I have learned. What can I do differently or how do I redirect my focus are two questions that I should be asking myself.

By using the GAME plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009), we practiced a strategy that we can then use with our students. Setting goals and planning the steps to reach those goals are very important to self-directed learning. The goal of any teacher should be to help students become more self-directed and life-long learners. In addition, the monitoring and evaluation is extremely important. Learners need to describe what they have done and explain what resulted and why. This is because when we stop to think about what we have learned and to reflect on how we learned it, we actually achieve a deeper understanding of the knowledge in different situations (referred to as transfer), which is yet another hallmark of creative thinkers (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). The GAME plan is a great tool to use to help our students focus, monitor, and evaluate. By experiencing it ourselves, we are better able to assist our students as they work through it.

This class gave us the opportunity to learn from our colleagues about different ways to use assistive technology, integrate technology in the content areas, and share ideas for lessons. Technology can be used in many ways to establish authentic contexts for learning and to engage students in authentic intellectual work including the construction of knowledge, disciplined inquiry, and in finding value beyond school (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). In sharing our ideas, we have gained new insights for the use of technology, not just for the sake of using it but instead to integrate it into our content areas to better support our learners and facilitate growth and learning.

Key to effective reflection is the ability to go beyond a simple description of what happened to consider why it happened, how it is connected to other events, and what adjustments should be made to subsequent actions based on this understanding (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). In reviewing this course, Integrating Technology into the Content Areas, I am amazed at how many different things I have learned and want to try in my classroom. I am very excited to use my Content Unit Plan at the beginning of the year. I purposely created the plan for this unit for the beginning of school in the fall so I could engage my students and incorporate technology right away. With the Unit Plan, I will be using Problem-based learning, social collaboration, and digital storytelling to hook my students and get the ball rolling. I hope to continue using these strategies in other content areas.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, OH, USA: Cengage Learning.

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

2010-06-15T16:19:00.001-04:00

Using the GAME Plan Process with Students

As I compare the NETS-T and NETS-S, I find that they correlate with each other. The standards for teachers are set up so that they are modeling concepts in technology. The refreshed ISTE NETS will provide a framework for educators to use as they transition schools from Industrial Age to Digital Age places of learning (International Society of Technology in Education). By modeling digital citizenship and developing digital-age learning experiences for our students, we are incorporating technology into our classroom and making it real for our students.

The GAME Plan process is important to share with our students as it helps them to be self-directed learners and provides a framework for students to follow. When using it in the classroom, students become familiar with the process and can then apply it elsewhere in their learning and lives. Setting goals, taking action, monitoring progress, and evaluating progress are all parts of the Plan and each step guides students to meeting their goals or adapting the steps to reach the goal.

The GAME Plan can be used in teaching students to think critically, solve problems, and make decisions: NETS-S #4 Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. The GAME Plan is a strategy that teachers can use to develop the critial thinking skills and give direction to the students. Learners who “think about thinking” and apply strategies to regulate and oversee their learning are often referred to as metacognitive learners (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). This is a lifelong skill that needs to be modeled, taught and practiced. Through our use of the GAME Plan, we experienced the ease of using the framework to help us think critically about our goals and how to meet them. After going through the experience, we can model for and teach our students to be lifelong, self-directed learners.

In preparing for this blog, I found this wiki on the ISTE site and thought it was helpful for teachers to incorporate the standards into their classroom. I especially liked the student friendly names for each of the standards. This is more meaningful to me as a second grade teacher,who is sometimes unsure of how to bring technology to my younger students. Check this out : http://nets-implementation.iste.wikispaces.net/Student+Friendly+Standard+Names

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, OH, USA: Cengage Learning.
International Society of Technology in Education. (n.d.). ISTE. Retrieved June 15, 2010, from http://www.iste.org/

Revising GAME Plan

2010-06-08T21:00:00.002-04:00

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

For many students with disabilities, access to the curriculum will require the use of technology, specifically assistive technologies. The effective use of these technologies can make the difference between successful and unsuccessful educational and social experiences for students with disabilities (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). Some of these things that I can use in my classroom are the tools to assist learning and meet the needs of the diverse learner. MouseKey features found in the Windows Accessibility Panel can provide modifications for some students and Narrator provides text-to-speech ability.

What goals are you still working toward?

I will continue to work on my website through the summer months. The district is upgrading the site and I will be able to update my website when it goes through. I will create a survey for parents to complete with all the other Back to School paperwork so I can identify their needs and wants.

Based on the NETS-T, what new learning goals will you set for yourself?

1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

I am going to focus on more reflection with my students since I feel that is rather lacking in my curriculum. It is a very important step in the learning process. I will incorporate more blogging and social networking in my lessons. Since most of my students have little resources, I need to accommodate their needs by using strategies that promote learning and engagement.

What learning approaches will you try next time to improve your learning?

I am intrigued with Problem-based learning and will try to utilize this kind of inquiry-based learning in my lessons. I think students thrive on self-directed learning and this is the focus I want to take. This will require the use of more questions that challenge students to think deeper and writing journals for students to reflect on their learning and where it is taking them. Reflection allows students to abstract from their experiences what they felt, thought, and learned (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009). I will try to employ this strategy for my own learning as well.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, OH, USA: Cengage Learning.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) located at http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/
2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf

Evaluating my GAME Plan

2010-06-01T21:48:00.000-04:00

Evaluating my GAME Plan

How effective were your actions in helping you meet your goals?

In reviewing my GAME plan and what actions I took, I believe that the steps I took to meet my goals have been helpful. I have been viewing different sites to look for interactive whiteboard lessons. I have accumulated quite a few and will be able to see where they will fit into my curriculum. With my website, I have been working on updating it since I attended the SchoolWires conference. Once the district updates the site, I will be able to access even more ways to improve my site.

What have you learned so far that you can apply in your instructional practice?

I have found many IWB lessons to use in my classroom and have already tried one with my students. It was successful and students really were engaged in their learning. Whiteboards support interactive learning environments that promote discussion and opportunities for participation in small-group or whole-class settings (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

What do you still have to learn? What new questions have arisen?

I attended the Schoolwires Conference as Tech Liaison for my building and it was very informative. I am excited to get updates for our school site. I hope this update will include a counter widget. If not, I am not sure how I can determine the number of visits made to my site. If anyone has suggestions, I would be very grateful. As always, I am looking for new ideas to incorporate technology into my classroom.

How will you adjust your plan to fit your current needs?

When the new school year starts, I will be updating my website and starting off the year with a fresh new outlook. Before this year ends, I hope to get a survey completed by the parents as to what is the most helpful part of my website. This way I can really focus on giving the parents what they want and need. I will continue to visit other teachers’ sites to look for good ideas. My goal will be to start a blog for my students before they come to school and continue it throughout the year.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, OH, USA: Cengage Learning.

Kerry

Monitoring my GAME Plan

2010-05-26T19:05:00.002-04:00

Monitoring my GAME Plan

This week I have been working on putting a counter on my website to count the number of visitors to my classroom website. I do know that parents access this information to get Spelling Lists but I am not sure what else is being viewed. We went on a field trip two weeks ago and I am getting the photos ready to put on as a slideshow. Parents were sending me their photos to use so this has taken some time.
Some questions that are being asked this week:

Are you finding the information and resources you need?
With my website, I have enough information and resources but I need time to implement this. Because my website is through the district server, I have to be at school to manage it. I can access the site but not make changes to it. This impacts my time available at school to work on my site. I plan on staying late this week to work on my GAME plan ideas.

In regards to my Smartboard lessons, I have been bookmarking some great sites for lessons. I need to look for areas in my curriculum that need some technology ideas. As stated by Cennamo et al (2009), it’s important to emphasize that technology it should only be used when it facilitates learning, and not simply as a novelty. So I want to be sure I am using the lessons as a way to inform my students rather than just entertainment.

Do you need to modify your action plan?

At this time, I feel my GAME plan is working as planned and I do not need to modify any part of my plan.

What have you learned so far?

By using this format, I am learning a new strategy to use with my students. This helps to break down the steps to complete a task. As we teach our students to be self-directed learners, we can identify with the strategies we are teaching. It gives us a better feel for the process. Learners who “think about thinking” and apply strategies to regulate and oversee their learning are often referred to as metacognitive learners (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009).

As I read through the blog posts of my classmates, I am aware that I am not alone in my thinking about the use of technology into my classroom. I see that others are working towards similar goals and I can learn from their journey as well.

What new questions have arisen?

I wonder what else I can do by using the GAME plan to help me be more organized and thoughtful about my experiences? This could be a good tool for my Supervision Plan with my principal.

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, OH, USA: Cengage Learning.

Kerry

Resources and Information for GAME Plan

2010-05-19T21:01:00.007-04:00

In order to start the work on my GAME plan, I need to focus on what materials or resources I need to accomplish my goals. With the first standard: 1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. A. Teachers should design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

My goal is to develop learning experiences using the interactive whiteboard to promote student learning and engagement. I need to find resources for interactive whiteboard lessons. I will preview some lessons from sites bookmarked on my Delicious site and others listed here.

http://www.bgfl.org/bgfl/15.cfm?s=15&m=429&p=250,index

www.learningtoday.com/corporate/second-grade-interactive-whiteboard-lessons.asp

http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/learn.jsp

http://www.prometheanplanet.com/index.

http://www.waukeshaschools.com/WIT/SmartBoard/specificapps.htm

I will contact other second grade teachers through my second grade NING and ask for suggestions and interactive whiteboard lessons that are already available. Then I will connect the lessons to my curriculum. When I see areas in the curriculum that do not have interactive whiteboard lessons connected to it, I will create those corresponding lessons.
I will need to design the Rubric for comparing the lessons and its impact. I will assess the student engagement, content, interactivity, and interest level of each lesson. I will keep track of this information in a Reflective Journal or possibly on a blog.

For the second standard: 2. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning. C. Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
I want to design my website to be more interactive and informative to parents and students. Some of the resources I will need for this goal are to attend the Schoolwires Conference and learn about enhancing my website. With this training, I can find out new ways to communicate with my parents and students. I need to add a survey to my website or send it out so parents can tell me what they would like to see on the website. I will add a counter widget so I can track the number of hits on my website. In addition, I can visit other teacher websites to get ideas on how to improve my website.

Developing a GAME Plan

2010-05-13T20:11:00.004-04:00

I want to bring in new ideas to foster interest and develop 21st Century Skills for my students. As Mark Prensky (2008) states, Educators would figure out ways to use, build on, and strengthen students' reservoirs of knowledge. In making the decision to get my Master’s Degree, I knew I had to update my skills to incorporate more technology. Last week I read about the Game Plan (Cennamo, Ross, & Ertmer, 2009), which is a plan for self-directed learning and by using this system, I can decide the focus of my learning and how it will take place. After referencing the ISTE (National Educational Technology Standards and Performance Indicators for Teachers), I was able to identify the areas in which I need to improve. I will monitor my learning and evaluate my progress. I chose two areas in which I would like to focus and created a GAME Plan for myself.

1. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-T.

A. Teachers should design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

G- Set Goals
My goal is to develop learning experiences using the interactive whiteboard to promote student learning and engagement. I would like to design lessons in the content areas that increase student knowledge and creative thinking.

A- Take Action
I will research different websites for appropriate lessons for my content areas and collaborate with other second grade teachers to share information and lessons. I will develop a new lesson in a content area each week for at least four weeks.

M- Monitor
For monitoring, I will use the initials WB (Whiteboard) on my lesson plans. I can track the number of times I use it for my lessons quite easily. I can monitor the different content areas that I reach also using this system.

E-Evaluate and Extend Learning
The evaluation of my lessons using the interactive whiteboard will be through a Reflective Journal. After completing each lesson that I designed, I will rate it using a rubric for student engagement, content, interactivity, and interest. I will comment on the good parts of the lesson and what I need to change. If needed, I will save artifacts from the lesson to help fine tune the activity.

2. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
C. Teachers communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

G- Set Goals
I would like to increase my communications with students and parents using my website, and blog. I want to design my website to be more interactive and informative to parents and students.

A-Take Action
I will attend a SchoolWires conference to learn more about the different features that are available to use on my website. I will spend 30 minutes per week on developing the website and keeping it up to date. I will visit other teachers’ websites to get new ideas for implementing on my website.

M- Monitor
To monitor my website, I will survey parents and students to find out what they use most often and what was most helpful to them.

E-Evaluate and Extend Learning
To evaluate my communications with parents and students through my website, I will use a counter to track the number of visitors and track posts to my blog.
I hope to hear your thoughts about this plan and welcome any suggestions that you have to help me adjust my GAME Plan.

References

Cennamo, K., Ross, J., & Ertmer, P. (2009). Technology Integration for Meaningful Classroom Use. (M. Staudt, & M. Stranz, Eds.) Mason, OH, USA: Cengage Learning.

National Education Standards for Teachers (NETS-T) retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForTeachers/2008Standards/NETS_T_Standards_Final.pdf on May 12, 2010.
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the Lights. Educational Leadership , 65 (6), 40-45.

Reflection

2010-04-18T21:04:00.005-04:00

In reflecting on my Walden University class, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom, I have learned a great deal. One of the most important things I learned is that I have to be proactive with my students in teaching them how to use the Internet safely and efficiently. As Sara Armstrong stated (Laureate Education, Inc., 2009), for me, inquiry requires deep thinking about a topic; asking important questions that are open-ended and that allow us to explore in ways that haven’t been done before. This is what I am striving for in my classroom. I want my students to be involved with solving their problems stemming from questions they have created. Using the Internet to seek out answers is one method of inquiry. With this method, students need to be taught how to evaluate websites for credible and reliable information. Then they need to be able to synthesize this information and make connections to their background knowledge to transform it into new knowledge. These steps are part of the new literacies that students need for the 21st Century learning. Knowing how, when, and where to locate useful information on the Internet, or on an Intranet, will become an increasingly important component of the literacy curriculum, especially because the availability of information resources and search technologies is expanding rapidly, increasing the importance of effective search strategies (Leu, Kinzer, Coiro, & Cammack, 2004).
Communication is also key to the new literacies. It is how students respond to the information on the web and how they make sense of it. It is their way of connecting with others to understand and share the information. I came across this video from Judy O’Connell’s keynote address for ‘Pandora’s Box: Fresh Start in a New World’ for FCP10-1 (O'Connell, 2006) which speaks to all topics in this class. I embedded the video because FCP10-1 stands for Flat Classroom Project 2010-1. We learned about making the walls come down when students can collaborate with other students in different countries. Learning is authentic and students are engaged in getting their questions answered and finding out what is important to them.

more about "Flat Classroom Project 2010 - 1", posted with vodpod

Jukes, I. (2007). 21st century fluency skills: Attributes of a 21st century learner. Retrieved from Committed Sardine: http://www.committedsardine.com/handouts/twca.pdf

Leu, D. J., Kinzer, C. K., Coiro, J. L., & Cammack, D. W. (2004). Toward a theory of new literacies emerging from the internet and other information and communication technologies. In Ruddell, R.B. & Unrau, N.J., (Eds.), Theoretical models and processes of reading (5th ed.). (pp. 1570–1613). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

O'Connell, J. (2006). Flat Classroom Project. Retrieved 04 17, 2010, from Hey Jude Learning and Living in an Online World: http://heyjude.wordpress.com

Evaluation of Tree Octopus Website

2010-03-27T10:00:00.006-04:00

This week I evaluated a website for my Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom class from Walden University. We were required to make a screencast of our computer as we commentated our process of evaluation through a "think-aloud". This was a helpful experience since now I know the steps to take if I should want to make a tutorial video to share with others. I learned that I need to use a script to make sure I discuss all the points that I want to make. Also, this experience taught me to search out more videos to explain the process of making the screencast. After learning about evaluating websites, I can share that information with my students. Sometimes our students (especially the younger groups) think the teachers know everything and that they need to be like that. By showing them this website and asking questions to which I do not know the answers, I can show my students the process they should take to find their answers. I also became more aware myself of how I should be critically thinking about websites and using the information I gather with discretion.

While showing my students this website, I talked about how this website, in particular, had fooled people. They were really caught on the fact that they saw pictures of the Tree Octopus so it must be real. Unlike print material, it's not as clear whether you are reading fiction, nonfiction, editorials, or advertisements on the Web. Therefore, thinking critically about the information on the screen is imperative (November, 2008). After viewing this website, my second graders were very interested in other websites that they could evaluate and practice their skills.

One of my students had been talking about UFO's and how he saw videos of them on Youtube. This lead us to discuss if UFO's really existed and how would we find out. The students are starting to lead the discussions with their questions and what they want to know. It is a very exciting process and a big change for the teacher!

Please click on the link below to access my video of my evaluation of this website.

November, A. (2008). Web Literacy for Educators. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Corwin Press.

2010-03-24_2146

Reflection

2009-12-20T15:15:00.001-05:00

As this class, Effective Bridging of Technology and Instruction, comes to a close, I can reflect on the changes that have occurred in my personal theory of learning. Through the study of the different strategies introduced by Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski (2007), my ideas toward my own theory of learning have been modified. I am aware of various strategies that will help my students prepare for the future and create opportunities for them to extend their learning.

I still follow Gardner’s theory (1983) of multiple intelligences. I believe that students have strengths and weaknesses and it is important to include different learning styles in my teaching. What has changed is the approach to teaching for the multiple intelligences. One is a teacher-centered approach, in which the instructor incorporates materials, resources, and activities into the lesson that teach to the different intelligences. The other is a student-centered approach in which students actually create a variety of different materials that demonstrate their understanding of the subject matter. The student-centered approach allows students to actively use their varied forms of intelligence (Giles, Pitre, & Womack, 2003). This more aptly identifies the direction I want to take with my instruction.

I believe the biggest change in my personal theory is that I want my classroom to be student–centered rather than teacher directed. Ideally, my students will construct their own knowledge using learning tools and I will act more as a facilitator of their learning. I want to incorporate more concept maps so my students can build their own learning and make connections to their prior knowledge. As a constructivist, Bruner knows that learning occurs through problem solving. Through the active process of discovery and trial and error the student can uncover the interrelationships between concepts and ideas, which allows them to gain knowledge about “new truths” (Arndts, et al., 2009). By using software such as Inspiration, my students can access many different diagrams, charts, and concept maps to help them organize and maximize their thinking. I can assist in scaffolding their learning.

In regards to technology use, I want to encourage my students to use technology as a learning tool. Webquests and Voice threads are activities that I will incorporate into my classroom. These are helpful for building cooperative learning as well as communication skills. Through cooperative groups, my students will learn how to cooperate, communicate, and collaborate all of which are needed for the future workplace.

As I complete my class, I am encouraged to set some goals for integrating technology into my classroom. This has been a particular interest of mine for some time now. I hope to bridge the gap between my use of instructional tools to giving my students learning tools. One of the tools that I want to share is the Interactive Whiteboard. Presently I do not have one in my classroom but we have access to one that I share with other classrooms down the hall. I plan to have my students be in charge of it and have them use it as a learning tool, whether they use it to manipulate shapes like tanagrams or to present information they learned to other classmates. The interactive whiteboard should be just that: interactive.

The other tool that I hope to integrate into my technology repertoire is using virtual field trips with my students. This type of activity broadens their horizons and gives them a view of the world around us. My school is located in a very rural area with very little access to cultural events and educational sites. By accessing virtual field trips, I can transport my students to Hawaii to see a volcano or to an observatory to see the stars and constellations. It will enhance their engagement in the lesson and increase learning and retention.

As the New Year approaches, we all make resolutions and I am no exception. I have noted some changes for the good in my personal learning theory and how I can put these changes into practice. I hope to facilitate more student-centered learning with cooperative groups and project-based activities. The instructional strategy of cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). I envision my students taking the lead in their learning and using learning tools such as Web quests and Voice threads to practice communication skills. Students in social learning experiences perform individual tasks to achieve a shared outcome, and in the process must communicate, share, and negotiate to achieve their mutual goal (Palmer, et al., 2003). By incorporating more technology tools into my classroom, I hope to extend my students’ learning and help them to be better prepared for their future.

References

Arndts, M., Cabelu, W., Wisniewski, Edwards, J., Goldstein, J., Stewart, M., et al. (2009, May 29). Bruner. (E. D. G. K. Clabaugh, Editor) Retrieved December 19, 2009, from New Foundations: http://www.newfoundations.com/GALLERY/Bruner.html

Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: the theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Giles, E. Pitre, S., Womack, S. (2003). Multiple intelligences and learning styles. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved December 19, 2009 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Palmer, G., Peters, R., Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching and technology. Retrieved November 28, 2009, from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. (J. Houtz, Ed.) Alexandria, VA, USA: ASCD.

Voicethread

2009-12-02T21:34:00.004-05:00

I hope you will visit my voicethread and share some good ideas with me.

http://voicethread.com/share/779433/

Thanks!
Kerry

Connectivism and Social Learning in Practice

2009-11-30T17:00:00.001-05:00

Cooperative Learning was in the spotlight this week for our readings. It is a process, which requires knowledge to be discovered by students and transformed into concepts to which the students can relate. The knowledge is then reconstructed and expanded through new learning experiences. Learning takes place through dialog among students in a social setting (Palmer & Streetman, 2003). There are many benefits from using cooperative learning strategies such as students retaining more information; students feel it is a safe and nurturing environment, and better synthesis of material due to discussions and explanations within the group.
The instructional strategy of cooperative learning focuses on having students interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Through the interactions, students learn new things from each other. Social learning is observational learning; students watch each other and how they perform different activities. Technology can play a unique and vital role in cooperative learning by facilitating group collaboration, providing structure for group tasks, and allowing members of groups to communicate even if the are not working face to face (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). Students learn how to use technology from watching others, discussing it, and participating in it.
Creating videos, participating in a virtual research community, communicating globally with other students, and webquests are examples of different activities that integrate technology into the classroom. These activities promote social learning and facilitate students learning from each other. Fortunately, most human behavior is learned observationally through modeling: from observing others one forms an idea of how new behaviors are performed, and on later occasions this coded information serves as a guide for action (Price, McFadden, & Marsh). Other uses of technology in social learning are collaborative organizing, shared bookmarking, simulation games, and communication software. These activities also encourage social learning through collaboration, communication, and cooperation. Educators today have many options to encourage and develop social learning in the classroom.

Palmer, G., Peters, R., & Streetman, R. (2003). Cooperative learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved November 29, 2009 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. (J. Houtz, Ed.) Alexandria, VA, USA: ASCD.

Price, B. J., McFadden, A., & Marsh, I. G. (n.d.). Learning Theories-Bandura. (A. M. Barrie Jo Price, Editor) Retrieved November 28, 2009, from Emtech.net: http://www.emtech.net/index.shtml

Constructivism in Practice

2009-11-25T17:11:00.001-05:00

This week we read about the Constructivist Learning theory and how knowledge is unique to the individual who constructs it. For constructivists, knowledge is a constructed element resulting from the learning process ((Lever-Duffy & McDonald, 2008). We also read about generating and testing hypotheses in Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). This strategy really fits under the Constructivist theory since students are problem solving, questioning, and testing information to build an artifact of what they have learned. By using technology, the students can spend more time interpreting the data rather than gathering the data (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007).
Project-Based Learning is a teaching and learning strategy that engages learners in complex activities (Hans and Bhattacharya, 2001). Students are guided to solve authentic problems, collaborate with others, and create and design a presentation of their findings. In project-based learning, students are encouraged to use technology to gather and test their hypotheses. This instructional strategy correlates to the Constructivist Theory as it encourages students to build their own meaning and construct their learning by the progression through the project.

Han, S., and Bhattacharya, K. (2001). Constructionism, Learning by Design, and Project Based Learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved November 23, 2009 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/
Lever-Duffy, J., & McDonald, J. B. (2008). Theoretical Foundations. In Teaching and Learning with Technology, Third Edition. Boston, MA, USA: Pearson Custom Publishing.
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. (J. Houtz, Ed.) Alexandria, VA, USA: ASCD.

Cognitivism in Practice

2009-11-17T22:38:00.004-05:00

This week our readings focused on the Cognitive Theory of learning, which centers on information processing. In James Hartley’s 1998 study(as cited by Smith, 1999)it was suggested that learning results from inferences, expectations, and making connections. Instead of acquiring habits, learners acquire plans and strategies, and prior knowledge is important. Through cognitive tools such as concept mapping, summarizing, note taking and advance organizers, teachers can promote students’ learning by helping them to organize information and make connections to former knowledge. Many cognitive tools have multiple roles. Their roles allow students to interact with information in order to acquire, synthesize, create, and share new knowledge (Robertson, Elliot, & Robinson, 2007). Using spreadsheets to calculate large amounts of data helps students to focus on higher level problem solving rather than rote calculations. It helps the student to analyze information and create new knowledge. Combination notes, a method suggested by Pitler et al (2009), help students to make connections using pictures and words, which is a very powerful tool for promoting student achievement. All of these cognitive tools help to get information from the short term memory to the long term memory. They scaffold information, which allows the student to make associations to stored information, which creates new knowledge.

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

Robertson, B., Elliot, L., & Robinson, D. (2007). Cognitive Tools. Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. (M. Orey, Ed.)

Smith, M. K. (1999) 'The cognitive orientation to learning', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/learning-cognitive, Last update: September 03, 2009.

Reinforcing Effort and Homework

2009-11-11T23:49:00.001-05:00

In defining behavior, behaviorist learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner. Behavior is directed by stimuli (Standridge, 2001). Reinforcement is a key factor in shaping behavior.

In this week’s resources, we read about “Reinforcing Effort”(Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhm, & Malenoski, 2007). By the title alone, it implies that it is connected to Behaviorism. Students are asked to track the amount of time spent studying a subject and the score they received on a test. By spending more time studying, the student can see the benefits in their higher scores. This is a type of shaping or behavior modification. The student is reinforced by the good grades. The instructional strategy of reinforcing effort enhances student’s understanding of the relationship between effort and achievement by addressing their attitudes an beliefs about learning (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhm, & Malenoski, 2007). Technology enhances this strategy through the use of spreadsheets. It is much easier to format a spreadsheet to make the calculations automatically. It makes tracking easier and more immediate.

After the classroom experience of acquiring and integrating new skills knowledge, students need time to practice, review, and apply this learning so it can make it permanent (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhm, & Malenoski, 2007). Homework is one way to practice these skills. Frequent practice - and practice in varied contexts - is necessary for learning to take place. Skills are not acquired without frequent practice. Having students practice a skill or concept enhances their ability to reach the expected level of proficiency (Smith, 1999). Again, technology has a distinct advantage with its multimedia flair. Students are willing to practice skills using websites or software programs because it is more interesting and fun. These activities reinforce correct answers with flashing lights or special effects. The reinforcement is what makes it connect with the Behaviorist approach. It is immediate and exciting.

The instructional strategies of reinforcing effort and homework as practice are based in the Behaviorist approach because of their reinforcement of positive actions. Those actions create more positive reinforcement through the good grades they support. With technology, these strategies become more interesting and challenging to the students. This, in turn, creates more reinforcement.

References
Pitler, H., Hubbell, E. R., Kuhm, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works. (J. Houtz, Ed.) Alexandria, VA, USA: Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning.

Smith, M. K. (1999) 'The behaviourist orientation to learning', the encyclopedia of informal education, www.infed.org/biblio/learning-behavourist.htm, Last update: September 03, 2009.

Standridge, M. (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. What is Behaviorism? (M. Orey, Ed.)

Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology

2009-11-05T20:56:00.002-05:00

Greetings Walden Colleagues,
Here we are starting out a new class on technology and learning theories. It is a difficult time to start a class; report cards are due and the holidays are soon to start rolling in. I am hopeful that I continue to learn as much as I have in the past four classes. This certainly has been an eye opening experience for me.
My district has started a new Math series for elementary this year, Everyday Math. It surely takes a lot of work for me to prepare but I do think the students are making gains. I do like that it spirals and students get a chance to make progress in those standards again. We also are working on inquiry-based teaching which is a change for most of us. We are taking turns teaching inquiry lessons to each other(K-12) all together in different subjects. It is a different kind of learning experience for us!
If anyone has taught inquiry based lessons at the elementary level, I would love to hear how you implement it.
Thanks!
Kerry

First Day of School

2009-09-02T20:55:00.004-04:00

Today was our first day back to school. I enjoyed meeting my new students. I sent out letters last week introducing myself and asked them to post to our blog on the school website. Out of 21 students, I had 5 write on the blog. I guess that was a good percentage since this is probably the first time most of them have been asked to do something like that. I hope I get better responses later on during the school year. I really want to encourage technology this year.

I was hired as the Technology Liaison for my building this year so I will be putting my experiences to work. I've already had to set up the Smartboard Room and set the projector and laptop up for the faculty meeting. I am sure those are some of the easier things I will be asked to do.

I am getting ready to start my next class, Creating an Effective Classroom,for my Master's program,. I hope it will be useful and help me be more productive. There seems to be alot of change in our district and sometimes it can be overwhelming.

We started a new series in Math this year, Everyday Math. It surely takes alot of time and effort to get everything together. My students seemed to enjoy the game we played today. I am hopeful that it will raise our PSSA math scores next year! If you have taught Everyday Math, I would love to hear from you.

How I Spent my Summer Vacation

2009-08-15T17:36:00.007-04:00

I spent this summer working on a class for my Master’s Program in Integrating Technology in the Classroom from Walden University. My class focused on blogs, wikis, and podcasts as well as incorporating 21st century skills. I learned so much about using technology and how I can use it right away in my classroom. I am very excited to start school and try out these new strategies and activities.

More importantly, my outlook changed towards incorporating technology and I discovered that how I was used to teaching was not meeting the needs of my students. I learned that 21st century skills like collaboration, communication, and critical thinking skills were very important and severely lacking in our educational system today. There remains a profound gap between the knowledge and skills most students learn in school and the knowledge and skills they need in typical 21st century communities and workplaces. (Partnership for 21st Century Skills) After visiting the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website http://www.21stcenturyskills.org, I found some really interesting and helpful sites to use to make my lessons more appropriate for the 21st century learners. After reading Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (Prensky, 2001), my goal is to engage the digital natives and use technology to enhance learning.
My own skills in using technology have improved greatly through blogging, making a wiki, and podcasting. I am lessening my “accent” as a Digital Immigrant by using the computer more productively, multi-tasking, and reaching out globally to find new ideas on the Internet. I have more confidence in my skills and capabilities and I am ready to share them with my students.

My knowledge of teaching has deepened through the readings and resources of this class. I chuckled after reading Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants (Prensky, 2001), I related to it since I have four college students of my own. Their ability to multi-task, create multi-media, and use social networking has always amazed me. What surprised me was that the United States was so lacking in meeting the needs of our 21st century learners.

By changing my focus from teacher-directed to a more student-centered classroom, I will allow my students to direct their own learning. I will facilitate and guide them through the steps they need to meet their own goals. By using project-based learning, encouraging global communication through Skype and blogs, I will continue to expand my knowledge and at the same time, guide students through technology to reach higher student achievement.

I have set some goals for myself while I study for my Master’s Degree. First, I hope to look for more funding and grants to get Promethean Boards in all of our classrooms in order to have more interactive lessons for the students. I will work with my district’s Technology Director to search for and help to write grants. I will contact different corporations to see if they are able to help us with this goal. By explaining the connection between the school and their workforce, they should be willing to help us to help themselves.

Next, I plan on working with district administration to revisit technology guidelines for cell phone usage and blocked sites due to filters. In the Digital Disconnect, the Pew study found that in many schools at present, policies focus on restricting access rather than facilitation of instructional use. (Bull & Bull, 2003) I plan to address the use of cell phones as an effective tool for instruction and collaboration.
Finally, I hope to start a Tech Club to give students access to the computer labs after school hours. They can use this time to work on homework, research, or extending their own curriculum. Again, I will need to work with the administration to get approval for the use of the labs and money to pay for staff.

In looking back over my summer, I have learned a great deal and it has encouraged me to set my sights on increasing the use of technology and incorporating 21st century skills into my classroom. I hope to use the experiences in blogging, podcasting, and wikis to increase student engagement and achievement.

Bull, G., & Bull, G. (2003, Dec/Jan). The Digital Disconnect. Learning and Leading with Technology .
Partnership for 21st Century Skills. Learning for the 21st Century A report and mile guide for 21st century skills.
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon , 9 (5).

Thinking about incorporating technology into your classroom? « Literacy is Priceless

2009-08-06T18:48:00.001-04:00

This is an interesting video about using the web 2.0 tools in our classrooms. It gives us a way to use cellphones and engage our students! Great ideas! It came from the Busy Teacher's Cafe blog.

more about "Thinking about incorporating technolo...", posted with vodpod

Integrating podcasting into your classroom

2009-07-30T17:05:00.001-04:00

Here's a video about podcasting. It has some good ideas on how to use it in the classroom.

more about "Integrating podcasting into your clas...", posted with vodpod

Podcast-Student Use of Technology

2009-07-30T16:32:00.004-04:00

PLEASE CLICK ON TITLE FOR PODCAST:
In response to my assignment for my class on the Impact of technology on education, society and the workplace, I interviewed four students to identify their use of technology. According to Mark Prensky(2001), students born after 1982 are determined to be Digital Natives based on the amount of media and technology use they have. Anyone born before that is a Digital Immigrant. The students I interviewed were Digital Natives but did not use their technology to the same extent as my own four college-age children. They are truly Digital Natives with their constant texting, Facebooking,listening to music, and TV viewing all at the same time. This seems to prove my theory that the older the student, the more social the uses of technology.

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. On the Horizon , 9 (5).

Evaluation of Partnership for 21st Century Skills Website

2009-07-23T14:10:00.003-04:00

I spent some time exploring the Partnership for 21st Century Skills website, http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/ and was amazed by the sheer magnitude of information that I could access. At first, I found the website to be difficult to negotiate until I dug deeper. On the home page, there was only one page of information and it did not seem very impressive but then I went into the Resources and opened up several sites that focused on 21st Century Skills. I especially like the SOS for Informational Literacy, http://www.informationliteracy.org/ that gave examples of lessons using informational literacy skills. The resources range from K-12 and beyond; it focuses on some interesting topics for students and strategies for incorporating them into the curriculum. There were so many sites to check out that I will be very busy visiting them and finding out how I can put them to good use.
What surprised me about this website was the states that are involved with this initiative and more importantly, the states that were not listed. It was very interesting to look at the different companies and corporations that supported this project. The fact that big business supports education should come as no surprise since their future rests on the education of their workforce.
The implications that 21st century skills have for my students are far-reaching. Hopefully, school will start to look and feel different to them. They will be more engaged, more involved in their learning, and more interactive. Change needs to happen soon so they can increase their informational literacy skills. They need to learn how to cooperate, collaborate, and communicate in a global society. As for myself, I need to change as well. Blogs, wikis, and interactive learning need to have a place in my classroom. I hope to incorporate more group work so my students learn how to work in a team, problem-solve, and think outside the box.
What other ideas can we use to integrate 21st century skills into our classroom?

Why let our students blog?

2009-07-19T13:00:00.004-04:00

This video by Rachel Boyd is helpful to educators who are not certain how to use blogging in their classroom. It has many ideas on how to incorporate blogging into the student's daily routine.

more about "Why let our students blog?", posted with vodpod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whm3pxqkvB8

3 Steps for 21st Century Learning

2009-07-13T16:34:00.006-04:00

This video helps educators see the purpose behind using technology in their classroom. It would be very effective to use to promote technology in the classroom.

more about "3 Steps for 21st Century Learning", posted with vodpod
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yCB4i7GJuM

How to Use Blogs in Second Grade

2009-07-06T21:56:00.013-04:00

Blogs are the wave of the future and the future is now. As Richardson (2009) notes, blogs are a collaborative space as readers become a part of the writing and learning process. It is a way to interact with others and make your ideas known. In the video, Shift Happens-Globalization; Information Age (2007), former Secretary of Education Riley is quoted as saying that we are training students for jobs that don't exist yet. We, as teachers, need to incorporate more technology into our classrooms. We need to encourage students to take it to the next level of interaction.

Blogs are a great way to start using technology in the classroom. It is a great way to respond to a prompt or to start a debate but how does it happen in second grade? At what grade can students participate in a blog? I am going to start with my second graders blogging in school to a journal prompt. I will have to divide the group up into four groups of five and then each day of the week, a group will get to use the computer to blog to a certain journal prompt. After each student posts his response, they can read over the blogs of the other students.

Eventually, I will have them responding to each other's posts too. I think it will have to be scaffolded for them. At first, this will be a showcase for their work but later on, I hope to have them think critically about what others are posting. Because this lesson is based on writing to a prompt, it will be a great forum for them to use. It will also give them an authentic purpose for their writing. I hope it will help them write purposefully and edit their work before posting.

I am very interested in what you have done in your classrooms. Does anyone else have any ideas on blogging in second grade?

I did read a post from another blog, teacher Patti Harju and would like to include it for your use. I think it is most helpful in that she is a second grade teacher who has already started blogging with her students. http://2teach.edublogs.org/2009/01/31/student-bloggers-the-update/

Richardson, W. (2009). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA, USA: Corwin Press.

Fisch, K. (Producer) (2007, February 8) Did You Know? Shift Happens. United States, YouTube.com

New Look

2009-07-03T17:01:00.002-04:00

I decided to change the layout of my blog because it was quite busy and hard to read. I hope this will make it easier to read and comment. I just found out that the upstairs floor is clean so I can get into my classroom anytime now. I am anxious to get started and get it ready yet I feel like I haven't had much of a break. Between the two different classes that I am teaching and the class that I am taking, I feel the need to do something I wanted to do. So, that's what I did. I read Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. What a hoot! I love her series with Stephanie Plum, the bounty hunter. It really was nice to sit back and read something just for pleasure! I guess I can relate to my students who just want to read what THEY want to read. How do you handle reading for your students? Do you have a list or do they get to choose what they want to read?

Everyday Math Series

2009-07-02T17:09:00.000-04:00

Here it is, the middle of the summer (almost) and I'm already thinking of the new school year. Last night my husband and I went to the town carnival to see the sights and help out with the Bingo Booth. I spent most of my time talking with old students and looking at faces of potential new students. I'm already getting excited to meet my new students and see "the places we go" next year.
We are starting a new math series, Everyday Math, and it looks quite formidable. I am glad we are getting the E-suite component . I think being able to access info from home or other places will be helpful. If you have used Everyday Math, I'd like to hear your comments and suggestions on how to get started. We had our first training on July 1st, and will have another one at the end of July. Please let me know what your thoughts are!

TECHNO-Frenzy

2009-07-01T17:13:00.000-04:00

I've been reading and reading blogs of others and I am very confused as to what it means to me. I am just starting out and it is still very technical to me. I don't Twitter or even know exactly what it is. Should I know all of this stuff to teach second graders. What does it mean to my classroom?

Purpose of Blog

2009-06-30T21:18:00.000-04:00

Second Grade Stories is about events, ideas, and lessons for second grade. I teach in a small rural elementary school in Central Pennsylvania. I have been teaching second grade for 11 years and love it!
I'd like to have a place to share information with other second grade teachers and hope that others will share their ideas too.