The Technology Compliation

Before this course, I thought technology was this abstract concept that had little if anything to do with classroom instruction. Also, being blind to the abilities and interests of today’s school children, I did not think most students would even have the slightest clue of what to do if technology was introduced and used in a classroom setting. I quickly found out the contrary. Today’s students are actually digital natives, and often times can teach me a thing or two about using technology (especially when it comes to video games and the like). With all that said and with all have learned about technology and its usefulness and practicality in the classroom, I would like to mention a few ideas I will be sure to incorporate into my classroom instruction.

I really like the idea of the digital movie making. I believe this will give students the ability to create something much more original and even more concrete than the typical written reports or traditional presentations. I also believe that it can be more informative and entertaining for the students as well as any potential audience. Not saying that school should be purely entertaining, but let’s face it, when things are fun to do, they are more likely to get done and usually the individual gets more out of doing it. Also, the different ways of making a digital movie including the digital movies with no sound, just words and pictures or the movies with sound and pictures, or even movies with all three. For me, the digital movies represent an excellent way to tap into a variety of student abilities and interests all while meeting instructional and educational goals and objectives and not being intrusive on the learning process.

Before using the blogs, wikis, and podcasts myself, I honestly thought that most people used those tools to gain a voice and publicly express opinions that may not be heard elsewhere. Now, while I still believe that to be true in some case, I have seen the actual usefulness and practicality of blogs and the like, especially in the educational arena. Upon exploring a plethora of educational artifacts on the web including teacher webpages, I have seen the different uses of blogs, wikis, and podcasts for instructional and classroom management purposes. I can definitely see myself using one or more of these tools as an instructional and or classroom management tool (especially when to keep in touch with parents and other education professionals).

A third technological tool that I have found very useful for my future classroom is the use of PowerPoint. We are all aware of the boring PowerPoints that many people unintentionally assemble and present for a variety of reasons. With the help of my professor, I have found a new degree of respect for the traditional PowerPoint. With the addition of a few details and effects that may be unknown or overlooked, boring PowerPoints can become universal design for learning PowerPoints and effectively be powerful instructional tools. More than just words on a slide, PowerPoints can be used to peak the learning styles of a variety of individuals and can be excellent enhancements to traditional lectures. PowerPoints can also be used to provide students with an alternative form of creativity and assessment.

Thanks to my professor, my eyes have been opened to the wonderful and useful possibilities that technology has to offer. I can honestly say that I will be sure to incorporate many of the technologies available. I am excited about the possibility of using these technologies to improve my classroom instruction and management and to build on my knowledge base and technological saviness.

Technology and Alternative Assessment

I am beginning to feel a little redundant, but one of the opportunities I see inherent in using technology-based methods to assess student learning include the ability to incorporate a variety of student capabilities or multiple intelligences and allow the student to express his or her knowledge in a manner more conducive to the student. Also, the ability to give student choices and develop their abilities in other areas including technology when using technological based methods of assessment.

I also think the use of such methods takes away from the monotony of traditional instructional and traditional assessment. Perhaps the use of non-traditional assessment methods can only give students a chance to be more successful, but can also make the students more motivated and interested because the assignment or assessment presents something new and different.

Related to the chance for students to use creativity, alternative assessments can provide a more in depth look at learning. Going beyond traditional assessments allows students and teachers to beyond surface knowledge and explore and express knowledge and connections that cannot be provoked by pencil and paper assessments.

On the other hand, there are some potential challenges. One challenge is the vagueness or lack of explicit directions and expectations that can come with non-traditional assessment. Given a pen and paper assessment, most students know what to do, regardless of how well they can do. However, given a more abstract assessment such as PowerPoint presentation, e-portfolio, and digital movies, just to name a few, the expectations and directions can easily become clouded. Non-traditional assessments cannot be assessed as easily and readily as traditional assessments where there is usually just one right answer, contrastly, different interpretations of the same object, the likelihood that there is more than one right answer, and having different teachers grade the same project can highlight the differences in expectations and interpretations. Of course, this could be easily be remedied with clear expectations, model projects, and rubrics, this does require an extra step for educators and also requires a more objective mindset.

Nonetheless, to me, the benefits of such non-traditional assessments outweigh the potential costs and or challenges. In an era where assessment and accountability are such hot topics and student ability is more diverse than ever before, the need for non-traditional instructional methods and assessments is heightened. I look forward to implementing such strategies and methods in my classroom and I hope that as non-traditional forms of instruction and assessment become more mainstream, that the benefits will be heightened and any challenges will be smoothed out.

Implementing UDL in the classroom

The incorporation of UDL principles in classroom instruction presents some opportunities and challenges that may or may not be easily overcome. However, if used properly, there is no reason that the use of UDL instruction cannot significantly add to instruction and learning. Also, UDL in the classroom can be a fun and additional manner for ensuring student and teacher success.

Opportunities
Of the first opportunities that came to mind when thinking about incorporating UDL principles in the classroom includes the increased ability to differentiate instruction so as to meet the needs of a wider range of students. As we discussed in class, one PowerPoint presentation can involve many different features, all of which would appeal to learners in different ways. For example, a UDL PowerPoint could include music for auditory learners and pictures and graphs for visual learners. Also, interactive links can be included with the PowerPoint or used as extension activities to supplement instruction and learning.
Another opportunity provided through UDL instruction includes the breaking up of the monotony that can come with traditional classroom instruction. I wouldn’t recommend a UDL activity be used every day and maybe not even every week, but on the occasions when it is used, it would definitely be a welcomed change for students and teachers. It would also reinforce the idea that there are multiple ways to effectively learn and teach.

Challenges
I see three main challenges that could prevent the use of UDL principles and technologies in the classroom. First is the availability of the equipment that would allow a teacher to employ UDL techniques and principles. Because not every school is fortunate enough to have a lot of technological equipment, incorporating these alternate forms of instruction can be nearly impossible. Second, teacher knowledge on how and when to the technology in the classroom could also pose a problem. If the teacher is unfamiliar with and or accepting of the technology, then there is automatically a serious obstacle to using it in instruction. Third and related to the second challenge for UDL instruction is the philosophy of the school and the school environment including faculty/staff expectations and beliefs. If there are certain criteria and expectations placed on instruction and learning, UDL principles may or may not be a welcome addition to the school and classroom environment.

In the classroom
One way I can see using UDL in the classroom would be offer alternate methods for students to view the same material. For example, I can use PowerPoint notes and a movie clip of the same information and allow students to view one or both during instruction. This allows me to address the needs of more than one type of learner and make instruction more interactive.
A second way that UDL principles could be incorporated in my teaching would be through the use of PowerPoints that include many of the various features such as sound, graphs, pictures, and interactive links that will engage students during instruction. Relatedly, while using UDL PowerPoints in my instruction, I can print out student copy of the notes for students to fill in and add to during class. Specific attention could be paid to the points during the presentation when sound, graphs, pictures, and links are present so that students are connecting their learning in a number of ways such as writing the notes, visually seeing the notes, and an auditory portion of the notes. Through this, I am bound to catch the variety of students who learn in different ways as well as reinforcing concepts. A third way I could use UDL in my instruction includes offering UDL options as methods for assessing student learning. This would allow students to use the knowledge gained during instruction and technological knowledge to represent what has been learned. It would also provide a more accurate representation of student learning because through the options, students would be allowed to choose the best fit in accordance with their learning and abilities and use that tool to their advantage.

Conclusion
Overall, I hope to instruct in an environment that is both nurturing and encouraging of UDL principles as well as a variety of other instructional and learning approaches that can be used separately or together. I think if educators keep in mind that the ultimate goal is the success of the student, and then the use of such principles and approaches will not be met with so many obstacles. However, until that time when such acceptance of UDL and similar principles is widespread and the availability of the materials needed to incorporate such technology is available at all schools, educators will continue to challenged with how, when and what to use to ensure proper instruction and student success.

Universal Designs for Learning (UDL)

Universal design for learning is an educational reform approach aimed at improving student learning. The key elements in universal design include accountability standards, teacher accountability to ensure all students succeed, learner differences and effective uses of technology, opportunities to use communication technologies to reach diverse learners, and instilling flexibility to maximize learning for all students. Using this approach, instruction can be structured so that the majority if not all learners are reached on some level. I see it as similar to the multiple intelligences theory, which advocates for instruction that employs different abilities. If a teacher uses the multiple intelligences theory to guide her instruction, then he/she is almost sure to incorporate universal design for learning and likely to help all students learn in ways most compatible with their abilities. This would mean that instruction would include lessons and activities that touch on logical, linguistic, spatial, bodily, naturalistic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal abilities. Incorporating the use of technology could complement any of these intelligences and be used as a method for reinforcing or adding to the concepts presented. Technology can also be used as the primary tool and one or more of the intelligences can be incorporated to complement the technology and ensure that the student(s) is learning in the method more conducive to their abilities.

PowerPoint can be used as a tool in the universal design for learning because it uses technology and usually does not impose particular or strict boundaries on student creativity. Students can be given an assignment that requires the use of PowerPoint, but as long as the there are no boundaries placed on how or what the students can do with PowerPoint, multiple intelligences and other more personal aspects of learning can be used in the assignment. For example, a musically smart person may choose to use audio in their presentation while a linguistically smart person may choose to use poems, stories, and other written forms of expression in their presentation. Using PowerPoint in combination with UDL principles such as ensuring all students succeed and addressing diverse learners and learning abilities along with multiple intelligences, the instructor can assess student knowledge and comprehension without stifling creativity, but yet highlight individual abilities.

Technology in My Practicum

I am doing my practicum in a kindergarten class. I have not seen very much technology incorporated in the classroom I am in or any of the other classrooms I have visited. In my class, attendance is taken electronically, the students often listen to songs using the computer or record player (yes, an actual record player), and from time to time, when work is completed, I will see a few of the students working on computer games that reinforce what has been taught and or introduced in a previous lesson.

My technology inventory showed that my placement school has quite a few different resources available that could potentially be brought into the classroom. However, I do see bring such technology into the classroom as I get the feeling that my school is more traditional and perhaps has not embraced all that technology has to offer. I could be wrong though; perhaps I have just not observed the right classrooms and teachers.

I would like to see more technology in the classroom. From what I am learning in my Technology methods course, I seeing potential for incorporating technology into the classroom that I never thought was there. However, because I am just beginning my teaching career and I have very little experience as a classroom teacher, I am little cautious about bringing technology into my teaching (at least initially) because I am not sure how much value it would add to the lesson (at least the way I would incorporate the particular resource into my teaching). It would be helpful to see actual classroom teachers using more technology in their instruction, because it would give me a better idea of how I could use it and it would also put all the "theory" I am learning into practice.

I do not see where training (at least for the students) and access would be a problem in relation to bringing more technology into my placement classroom. As it has been said many times before, the students are digital natives, so the technology is inherent for them. I think the problem lies with many educators who are resistant to using technology due to their own fears and bias. I am not too sure about the technology orientation of my cooperating teacher. While I do not see her use a lot of technology in her instruction, I do not take that to mean that she does not know how to use the technology. I just take it to mean that perhaps her style of teaching does not choose to incorporate much technology. However, perhaps on the other hand, if she was introduced to more technology and the ways in which it could be used in the classroom, she would be more likely to use it in her instruction. On the flip side, I do think logistics could be an issue, especially since there is no computer lab; my classroom only has seven computers which are shared between 17 students, the teacher, and the paraprofessional. The media center has even less computers for students, so that is not an option. In this case, using technology that necessitated students having their own computers or less than three students per computer would not be feasible.

Nonetheless and despite the logistical and preferential challenges in my placement, based on the knowledge I have of how children learn, best practices for classroom teachers, and other guidelines, I think technology would engage the students, making instruction and learning easier on both the students and the teacher. Having opportunities to learn that appeal to the students (and often, technology is the avenue on which that can be done), could serve as way to kind of "trick" the students into learning. If they are having fun with what they are doing, they are not going to think about the instructional or school context behind it, but rather they will be so engrossed in having fun, that the learning will come even easier. This makes me think of the Oregon Trail game that so many of us played as elementary students. I can remember that when I was playing this game, I was not thinking about learning the social studies material involved in the game; I do not even think I realized that the game was more educational than entertaining. I just know that I became so engrossed in trying to successfully complete the cross-country trip that nothing else seemed to matter. I can also remember the disappointment I felt when something tragic happened and the game was over or when it was simply time to stop the game and move to some other classroom obligation.

With that said, I believe if educators could find ways to engage children in learning in the same ways that many games and other "fun" activities engage children, then technology can and will find a productive and necessary place in classroom instruction.

I can only hope that one day all the current talk of the possibilities of technology for the classroom will be realized and more educators will embrace technology.

Games and Simulation in Education

I do think that the notion of viewing a concept from various viewpoints is a good idea to help students understand practical and real life situations, but I also wonder that while such a feat may be practical for adults and older learners, how practical is it for younger children who have not developed as wide a body of knowledge and the life experiences that help in understanding situations and concepts from different viewpoints? To one extent, I think this approach can be modified for any learner, but on the other than, I know that for kindergarteners and many younger learners, they and that which is most immediate to them is often the only things they know and the only things they think about, so that makes me wonder would practical and effective such an approach would be for those learners. Also, I wonder about older learners who are more stubborn or stuck on a particular viewpoint and refuse to view situations and concepts in differing manners. However, I also know that when playing games, individuals are often able to choose to represent different characters; and that can be likened to viewing the same situation from different perspectives especially when you think that each character often has a different agenda and a different reason for its significance. So if somehow characters and viewpoints on more educational issues can be meshed, than I believe the potential for effective use of games and simulation for educational instruction is heightened.

The concept of using an anchor for instruction relates to the notion of giving students something personal which helps them understand and retain knowledge. I can relate to the passage on mathematics in the real world because I can remember asking my math teacher(s) what I was I going to need a particular concept for; especially when I was taking higher level math courses such as trigonometry and calculus. Using the anchor methods of instruction, I think games and simulation can definitely be incorporated into classroom instruction because many students are already interested in and often play video games and the like for hours on end. Although altering such games so that they may be more educational may be an initial turn off for students, I think if that games are made educational, but still exciting and challenging in the same way as the typical video game, then educational video games could definitely peak students interest and be used as a tool for instruction.

The Marc Prensky video clip had a lot of good points, especially when he discussed how kids want to be engaged and have a desired to learn, so therefore learning is more effective when it is engaging. I definitely agree with Prensky’s assumption that engagement is more important than content because it is impossible to get the content knowledge is one is not interested. While it might be possible to get some knowledge from non-engaging materials, to maximize such learning, the more engaging, the better. Prensky also outlined how games engage children through the decision making, the complexity, the feedback, and the pacing. Also, Prensky’s statement about children learning how, what, where, when, and why from games lends itself to the idea of multi-disciplinary learning. If students can use games to teach them how to ask and find the solutions to such questions, then they can use that knowledge to figure out the how, where, what, when, and why of more educational issues.

I was a little frightened by the idea that games will eventually replace teachers, especially in the K-12 arena; and I am not sure how effective or close such an idea is to reality, but it does make me wonder. If kids can learn all they need to know from gaming, then what is the practical use of classroom teachers? On the other hand, I am not worried because while I do believe bringing gaming into the educational arena is potentially a great tool for maximizing instruction and learning, I do not think that gaming is the end all, be all to the various educational dilemmas, and I would hope that teaching and teachers would always be needed and useful instruments in education and the learning process.

Web-Based Research in the Classroom

There is a wealth of knowledge on the internet; some good, some bad. However, it seems that sometimes the fear of getting “bad” or incorrect knowledge makes many hesitate to use information from the internet. Nonetheless, there are a lot of accurate and useful website that are often overlooked due the numerous inaccurate websites and lack of knowledge about how to decipher useful and accurate information from information that is not useful and inaccurate.

I remember being told by teachers to only use information from websites that end in .gov, .edu, .org, and the like to ensure that I am getting good information. And that makes me wonder, should I even bother with .com websites? It seems inevitable that I would have to deal with .com websites because those type website are the majority domain. I also refuse to believe that every .com website is useless or that every .gov, .edu, or .org website is golden. Any website can have information that is inaccurate that may be because of purposeful or non-purposeful error on the part of the person(s) in charge of the website.

I also remember getting the rules for internet searches which include using Boolean operators, which have proven very helpful in narrowing search results and getting accurate information. While being specific and using as many keywords as possible can help, sometimes it narrows the results too much and the user us unable to find what he/she is looking for. I also think the search within sites option may also lead to results that are too limited.

Knowing what one is looking for (facts, opinions, narratives, statistics, etc.) is also helpful is determining which sources to use. The nature of the reason for wanting information is key in choosing sources because if one is doing a research project, then he/she will want the most accurate and fact-based information, however, for more playful endeavors or casual browsing, perhaps such authentic information is not a priority.

All in all, I think the search advice to know what one is looking for and the purpose of the search (leisure, academic, etc.), using Boolean operators, evaluating the source of the information (author, year of publication, organization, etc.) and the CARS checklist are good ways to ensure that search results are the most appropriate, useful, and accurate.

The teleresearch model is good for helping individuals, especially those inexperienced or unsure about how to do a useful internet search proceed through websites and information while making sure that he/she is using decent websites and obtaining useful and accurate information. The model starts with finding information and gives the user a variety of sources that may be useful, next, and then users are able to explore a topic which leads him/her to a leading website on the topic. Thirdly, users are directed to a website that further narrows their topic. The fourth step allows users to locate and use interactive websites that support their research. In the fifth step, students get a hands-on look at the topic, allowing the research to become more personal and hopefully more accurate. In the sixth step, the findings of the research are published using the sources gathered from the previous five steps and the information deemed most useful. This model represents a good way for users to narrow down searches and get quality information and then publish their information as a means to display their findings and help others who may be searching the same topic. Models such as this ensure the likelihood that accurate and useful information is available on the internet.

The Historical Scene Investigation is a good way for teachers to find primary source documents that may not be readily available. In this manner, teacher can bring in more accurate information and give students multiple perspectives on historical issues. This source represents a method for going beyond textbook information and supplying learners with a bigger picture of historical events. The Historical Scene Investigation website is a compilation of historical events put together as crimes that need to be solved. It is up to the user(s) to use the available evidence and information to form logical conclusions about the historical event. The site contains information about little known historical events, which further allows students to get a bigger picture of history and formulate opinions and knowledge based on more in-depth information (beyond textbooks). The site contains teacher notes so teachers know how to introduce to guide students through the activity and student notes which give students advice on how to investigate the case, the evidence, the clues, and finally the asks students to propose what happened. This site is excellent for critical thinking and broadening the learning experiences and knowledge bases of students.