Personal Reflections

When I first signed up for this course, I had no idea what to expect. I thought the course might be just a basic introduction to programs such as Excel, PowerPoint, etc., and I might not get much out of it. Boy, was I wrong! The programs and topics we are covering are much more interesting, but also much more challenging. I am a definite novice when it comes to pretty much everything we have studied, and I feel like I've been living in the Dark Ages...I had no idea some of these things even existed. I had never heard of Inspiration and had no clue what Web Quests were.
At first I felt overwhelmed by all this unfamiliar territory, but I'm beginning to feel a bit more comfortable with it. I'm so glad we have so many outside resources to turn to, otherwise I know I would be completely lost and/or living in the computer lab during lab hours. The books are great, as are the iTunes tutorials and the resources on the MD 400 website. To be honest, I sometimes feel a little lost or behind in class and am hesitant to ask for help for fear of sounding dumb or slowing the class down. So it's good to know that there are lots of places I can turn for answers to my questions.
One thing I definitely didn't anticipate was the amount of time I would have to dedicate to doing work; Professor Langran did give us fair warning at the beginning of the semester about that, and she was right! The projects are definitely time-consuming, so one of my goals for the rest of the semester is to manage my time better so I'm working on projects more consistently instead of in spurts.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the class and what we're covering. I feel like I'm discovering a whole new world! It's a great feeling to overcome some of my frustrations and be able to figure out how to navigate this complex but fascinating world of technology.

Value Added for Uses of Technology

The many uses of technology we have discussed so far this semester could be very valuable in certain classroom contexts. In keeping with UDL's principle of reaching every student no matter what their learning style, different approaches could be taken with the same topic using programs such as Inspiration to appeal to visual learners or for students who like to map out their thinking to see how things connect and relate. So far, the technology we have covered caters mainly to visual learners, but ast the UDL article points out, there are other technological resources available for other kinds of learners.

A big advantage of using technology in the classroom is its convenience and efficiency. Instead of wasting time going from book to book, students can often find what they are looking for all in one place. Using the internet to access websites such as the VCDH website would be a great way to make a potentially dry subject to some students - history- really come alive. Maps, journal entries, newspaper articles, all easily accessible in one place- can help students piece together their own version of historical events. Webquests would be another good option for curious students to take an active role in their own education instead of sitting passively and being lectured to. Tailoring a lesson to suit each student's needs and interests can be accomplished effectively through the use of technology if the teacher can incorporate it effectively so that it becomes part of her lesson instead of an afterthought.

Inquiry-based learning

Since first hearing about inquiry-based learning last semester in my "Supporting Science and Health-Based Inquiry" class, I have found this method of teaching very intriguing. I have never used it as a student or a teacher, but I would like to try it someday when I have my own classroom. I know from my experience that kids love doing hands-on activities and prefer them over traditional lecture and reading-based lessons. While inquiry-based lessons definitely take a lot of time for the teacher to carefully plan and prepare, I think it is worth it. Kids learn so much more when they're engaged and connected to the material because their learning is fueled by their natural sense of curiousity.

Inquiry-based learning would be great to use for teaching science. I have seen a great example of it done by 5th graders at Two Rivers Magnet School in East Hartford recorded on DVD for the "Dig In" Curriculum Embedded Performance Task. In it, the kids dug up their own soil and studied its properties guided by their own questions. The kids worked well together and stayed on task despite little teacher input. Throughout the whole process, technology was integrated seamlessly through the use of computers, SmartBoards, and PowerPoint presentations. I found the whole process fascinating and would love to be able to try something like it. It would be difficult for me to do now, especially with my second-graders, but it is a new way of thinking about teaching that I will definitely keep in mind for the future. I could see myself using it not only for science, but also in language arts and other subjects.

Standards

As someone who is pursuing a degree in elementary education, it is hard to narrow my focus for the semester to just one standard. Since I am currently teaching reading and science, I will focus on those two areas for now. The standards are as follows:

For English/ Language Arts, Grades K-4: Reading and Responding, Content Standard 1: Students will read and respond in individual, literal, critical and evaluative ways to literary, informational and persuasive texts.

For Science, Grades K-4: The Earth's Atmosphere, Content Standard 9: Students will understand the composition and structure of the atmosphere, including energy transfers, the nature of weather and climate, and the effect of the atmosphere on human activity.

I can link visual learning with digital imagery and Inspiration to these standards by using simple concept maps to organize ideas in both reading and science. They would be useful in comparing and contrasting, breaking down complex concepts and showing how certain ideas or characters are connected. Images would be especially good to use during my weather unit, and I could find some way to incorporate them into a simple PowerPoint presentation or other multimedia format.

Universal Design for Learning Concept Map

Here is my Inspiration concept map for the Universal Design for Learning reading. I tried to demonstrate UDL's origins and how its central premise can be applied in a school setting. I didn't mean for some of the circles to overlap but that's what happened when I made the font bigger. I would have made it bigger still but I didn't want to distort the image any further.

Photoshopped "Silky"

Here is a digital picture I manipulated using Photoshop. The original picture was in color, but I made mine look old and worn by "antiquing" it. I blurred it, used the gradient tool, changed the hue to make it look sepia and put another Gaussian blur layer over it. I also decreased the opacity and added a few "scratch" marks on top. It doesn't sound like much, but since I have never used Photoshop before, this took me quite a while to do.

I found the original picture on pics4learning.com, and I chose a chicken because I used to live on a farm with chickens who became like pets. I had two of the kind pictured here- appropriately called Silkies, since their feathers are so soft and "silky".

Response to Dexter's Article

In "eTips: Educational Technology Integration and Implementation Principles", Sara Dexter explains how educational technology can be successfully integrated into both individual classroom and school settings, as well as what conditions are necessary for that to happen. She points out that teachers must be clear on what they want students to learn and how technology will help them achieve their goal(s). Technology shouldn't be used just for its own sake, but rather as a means to an end; it should have a specific purpose or reason for being used. In addition, technical support must be provided, and every member of the school community should be involved in some way or at least have a say in the way technology is used.

Dexter's "eTips" seem very practical and relevant. It is true that technology can be a very useful tool to measure and increase learning in the classroom. At the school where I work as a teacher's assistant, our second-grade classrooms have four desktop computers which students use to do "CCC" (Computer Curriculum Corporation), a program - customized to each student's level- that helps student develop their reading and math skills and tracks their progress over the course of the school year. This program is used in every grade. In the older grades, students have laptops available in the classroom to work on their writing assignments in class. The fifth grade teachers have also set up a website for their classes where students can access homework assignments and post responses. We are also fortunate enough to have two full-time technology specialists who are able to help troubleshoot any issues teachers may be having. Occasional staff development meetings are held regarding technology, and presentations about using databases and PowerPoint have been made. All in all, my school has relatively ideal conditions for integrating technology into the classroom.