Integrated Unit & Lesson Plan Reflection

I choose to present my sixth-grade Global Warming WebQuest/lesson plan because it was part of my integrated technology unit. I found that presenting part of a lesson was harder than presenting the whole lesson itself. During my presentation, I felt that I had to provide my audience with some background on what my “students” had already done and where they were going before I could begin my assignment of delivering part of the lesson. Being the first person to present was also tough because I did not have the opportunity to “follow” anyone’s lead or make adjustments to my lesson and presentation as I learned from other people’s presentations.

Successes: I believe that my lesson went well. I was clear in my role as a sixth-grade teacher, provided clear and simple oral and written instructions and managed the class properly. I was able to provide enough content/background knowledge so that students understood where I was going with the lesson, why it was an important topic and what was expected of them. I was pleased that the class was engaged with the WebQuest and enjoyed the links.

Areas to Work On/Weaknesses: I wish that I had more time to have students work on the WebQuest. However, due to the fact that I was assuming that the class was a group of sixth-graders, I had to role play and explain the process of the WebQuest before they could begin-- just like I would with a “real” class. This is what I would normally do with my students before starting any new task or assignment. All in all, the class did have a chance to play with the links on my WebQuest and even gave me a few helpful suggestions on how to improve the final product.

As for how the content and the pedagogical domains worked with the technological domain, I believe that the WebQuest lesson incorporated what my “students” had learned about global warming and created an opportunity for them to further their knowledge through a technologically based unit (WebQuest). The integrated unit and lesson allowed for students to role play, collaborate, expand their knowledge, reflect on their learning and collaboration process, apply new knowledge and synthesize what they have learned through the creation of a multi-media collaborative project and presentation.

TPACK: Using the TPACK model really helped as I began to plan my integrated unit, lesson plan and WebQuest. The model helped me establish and organize what I already knew (content knowledge), how I wanted to go about teaching the unit (pedagogical knowledge), as well as, helped me determine the best way to integrate technology into the unit (technological knowledge). TPACK really serves as a road map for teachers because it forces one to assess the goals and objectives of the lesson. I will definitely continue using it in the future.

NETS for Students

The 2007 revised NETS for Students is a very comprehensive document. NETS includes essential personal and career skills that students should have if they are to successfully compete in the global digital world, such as: creativity, innovation, communication, collaboration, research and information fluency skills, as well as, critical thinking, problem solving and decision making skills, digital citizenship, and technology and operations concept skills.

NETS cover major academic and career oriented areas that students will need throughout their lifetime. Students need to be able to construct their own knowledge, think critically and innovatively, and be able to apply and transfer such skills in their careers and in their daily lives to new situations. Although, no educational system can provide students with all the skills and knowledge they will need in the real world, educators can teach students how to learn and how to locate and apply new knowledge to different situations. This is what life-long learning is all about.

Good communication and collaboration skills will also be key qualities students will need in their personal and professional lives. Failure to communicate and collaborate with others efficiently and effectively can lead to job loss, missed opportunities, and lack of personal friendships. Global awareness and cultural understanding are also key components to a well rounded education. We live in a multi-cultural world and must learn to communicate and function effectively in a variety of situations and with a variety of people. Being open to new experiences and people would take students a long way in life.

I believe that the NETS are a good starting point and agree with all that is covered. However, as technology continues to expand and new innovations are created students will need to gain further skills. In the mean time, what NETS has covered would allow students to adapt well and gain whatever new technology skills are necessary in the future.

As a future School Library Media Specialist, the NETS hold a particular meaning for me because my role in the school is to teach students technology and information literacy. I will be collaborating with teachers to help integrate technology into the curriculum and improve literacy for all students. The NETS for Students and NETS for Teachers are standards that I will be working with on a daily basis.

Educational Software Models

Question:

We have looked at three very different types of computer software used in education (drill/tutoring; teacher-directed inquiry; and constructivist, student-directed inquiry). How do you see possibly using them in your classroom? Do you gravitate to one type versus another? Why? Or how might you coordinate the different types of software?

Response:

As a former English teacher, I have used both direct instruction and a constructivist student-centered approach to my teaching. However, I have never used any type of educational software in my classes. If I did have the opportunity to use such teaching aides, I would probably like to work with a program that incorporated a little bit of all three models: drill and tutoring, teacher-directed inquiry, and constructivist/student-directed inquiry. I believe that all three have value if used with the correct learning outcome or the concept to be learned.

For example, as an English teacher, I have to teach writing and literature. In my teaching of writing, I often focus on making sure that students understand writing as a formula: introduction, body, conclusion and revision, etc. I also need to make sure that students understand the basic elements of grammar/parts of speech before they attempt to write. I believe that the understanding of basic grammar allows students to self-edit, revise their work, and think about how and why they are writing what they are writing. Questions like does this sentence make sense? To what or whom is this pronoun referring to? Etc. In this case, an educational program that helped review, through repetitive practice is something that I would find valuable because students need to practice seeing and using “proper” grammar before they can become better writers.

Additionally, an educational software program that incorporated both teacher-directed inquiry and constructivist student-directed inquiry would also be of value. I believe that most constructivist student-directed inquiry educational software programs must have some level of direct instruction in order for them to be successful. It may be an instructional mini-lesson but if it is giving a lesson about a concept or topic it is still direct instruction.

I also believe in the value of a student-directed inquiry model but only when it is facilitated by a teacher. Students today are very used to multi-tasking, are easily bored and distracted, therefore leaving them alone to “discover knowledge” without direction is not a good idea. This would especially be the case for those students who need scaffolds and differentiated coaching or assistance. As educators, we cannot assume that all students learn in the same fashion or rate but must always offer them a variety of ways to achieve and be successful.

All in all, I do gravitate toward one method or another depending on what I want the student to learn. Therefore, my teaching style is very versatile depending on the situation, student, or concept that I need to teach. I would coordinate the different types of educational software depending on what I needed to accomplish at the time and the best approach to teach such concept(s).

Kaiser Family Foundation Study

The Kaiser Family Foundation study was a real eye opener for me especially the number of hours that kids spend using non-academic technology like cell phones, texting, video games, and Facebook. I know that kids today are well immersed in technology and are often referred to as "digital natives" and I think that as educators we can tap into their love of technology to enhance their learning in the classroom. Kids today can multi-task better than most adults and learn about technology with better ease than adults. However, as I mentioned in a previous blog post, (January 27, 2010: New York Time's Education section called If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online), I do not believe that such multi-tasking and full technological immersion is all that good for kids especially when it affects their education both personal and academic.

Human beings are social beings and need human interaction in order to grow spiritually, emotionally, intellectually, etc. People often use personal social interaction, body language, and social cues to better understand themselves and others. Through social interaction people tend to learn about compassion, empathy, love, trust, and kindness. What I fear most about people's technological immersion is that people may be losing their perspective on what is "real" and becoming less sensitive to the issues of the "real" world. I do not believe that what we need to be fully human, good, honest, kind, compassionate, and respectable citizens, mothers, fathers, daughters, and sons can be learned through artificial media and technology. Like everything in life, kids need balance and I believe that only through balance will we all become better human beings. What I believe to be missing from the excessive use of non-academic technology among kids today is the human factor that allows for personal sociability and growth.

In terms of educational technology, I am all for technology in the classroom as long as it is appropriate. I do not agree that educators should incorporate technology just to include it in the curriculum and wow parents and school boards. Educational technology should support the curriculum, state learning standards, and enhance student learning. I believe that kids today must be exposed to technology but they also need to learn how to interact with others on a personal level that does not involve a computer if they are to become tomorrow’s leaders.

Sources:

Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. A Kaiser Family Foundation Study. January 2010. http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/8010.pdf

Response to: New York Time's Education section called If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online

I just finished reading the article in the New York Time's Education section called If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online (site link http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/education/20wired.html).

The article discussed the growing social networking technology usage among kids: texting, video games, YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. and how this increase affects their socialization. I think that what technology is doing to our kids is making them better multi-taskers. However, is this really a good thing? Does multi-tasking help or hinder us? Is the human brain capable of juggling five things at once and actually completing them all without error? Think about texting and driving. Research has shown that human beings are incapable of doing both without injuring or killing themselves or others. We just cannot give everything our 100% attention while multi-tasking.

Perhaps I am not thinking broad enough or over generalizing the issue, but I have witnessed kids "studying" while listening to their iPods, signing along, and texting. I understand that I am of a different generation, and thus, will probably never understand or even become as efficient a multi-tasker as our digital natives. However, as a teacher, I have seen the product quality of what kids actually turn in decline more and more over the years. I have also witnessed the growing detachment that kids have toward adults and society. I have witnessed them shrug at human loss, natural disasters, bullying, etc. It is as if they cannot empathize with the world around them or even see themselves as part of the world.

Now, is this just a "natural stage" for the young? Perhaps. Am I turning into my mother? I hope not! I know that teenagers can be very self-centered and can sometimes not see beyond their own realities but what about self-centered adults who cannot empathize either? Can we blame technology? The media? Or our society in general? Perhaps, we have all reach a stage or era called, "The _ell with it!"

I guess my question is how can we use technology to draw kids and adults in toward a community i.e., family, education, social activism, etc.? How can we use technology to help kids become critical thinkers, information literate, and ethical and responsible citizens? How can we bridge the growing gap between kids and adults? Parents and children? Can we bridge this gap with technology? Or, should we turn off all technology and reach out to one another in a more personal way? I understand that for some technology is a way of reaching out to others. However, I do also believe that there needs to be a balance between the human connection and the technological connection.

Sources:

New York Time's Education section called If Your Kids Are Awake, They’re Probably Online (site link http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/20/education/20wired.html).

Philosophy of Education

After re-reading my ten-year old philosophy of education statement, I realized that it has changed but not much. My old statement focused on teaching students the value of community, social responsibility, and diversity through literature. Today, I still believe in teaching students to value social responsibility, diversity, and the notion of community. I believe it is important for students to see themselves as more than just individuals, but as part of something larger, something better, greater. I believe that we as a society have been programmed to go about our lives each day like robots needing to get the "job" done, whatever that job may be. This type of thinking allows us not to see how all the parts fit together and thus makes us look at life and each other as less valuable, less human.

Teachers and librarians today can instill the values of social responsibility in students by finding ways to engage and involve them in the learning process. One way to do this is through the use of technology. Technology in education is not new but a growing trend. Today, students can communicate with people all around the world. What was once small and local is now large and global. Technology in education allows students the opportunity to get involved in the world. Teachers and librarians can help students by teaching them how to become information literate and ethical users of technology and information by creating research-based and project-based learning opportunities involving technology. By doing so, teachers and librarians allow students to go beyond the old Power Point and poster presentations and become invested in their own thinking and learning.

Sources:

Munroe, Randall. XKCD: A webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. Date Accessed 17 January, 2010. http://xkcd.com/220/