FINAL REFECTION

The final phase of the Blog reflection is due by the day your class would meet during finals week. You should reread the entries throughout the Blog and the feedback you received from your peers, then reflect on the overall experience.

Part I

• Now that you have completed ETC 447, reread your first blog post (philosophy of education and use of technology).
• In a paragraph or more describe how and why ( or why not) your philosophy of education has changed during the semester.
• In a paragraph or more describe how you think you will use technology in education

ANSWER: My philosophy of education has definitely NOT changed. I made it very clear that I have a constructivist approach to education, and I believe that in my lesson plans I have held fast to this approach to learning. In all of my lessons I had students creating a piece of work, and I also had them interact with one another in some sort of way. I am glad that I was able to show my philosophy of teaching through my lesson plans and integration of technology. I also think that I may have loosened my grips on the idea that students need to be shown that technology is not a life line. I have realized that there are a lot of resources available for students to learn from technology, as long as students are able to use it as a tool and not an answer book I will feel successful in my teaching.

I can see myself using technology in the classroom through the multitude of tools available for creation. Students can create virtual pieces of art, they can create books online, there are tools for creating videos, voice recordings and even Venn Diagrams. I think it is especially important that I am able to adapt in my technology use, based on the resources available to me at whatever school or district I am in.

Part II

• In your final comprehensive reflection you should address all four of the Standards listed below and describe how you did OR would be able to do each of the four elements under each standard: For example, for Standard 1, Item 1, you should provide an example of how you did use technology OR would use technology to promote, support and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness in ways that would facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity.
• With each standard include a rationale for why you would approach each standard in the way that you have described.

Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

1. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

In my first lesson plan I had students building a virtual home where they used math calculations to see how much it would cost to build this home that they have just created. This lesson had students using creativity, innovative thinking, inventiveness and I was able to walk around and support student learning and promote their “building” of their homes that they took responsibility for.

2. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

In lesson plan one students were using the internet to create a virtual home. This lesson used the real world authentic experience of creating a home.

3. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

In this house building lesson, students had to use the thinking, planning and creative process to create their virtual homes. I would develop this lesson more to have students working together to design this house, and then they could post reflections to each other's homes to get peer feedback, this would support the use of collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students understanding.  

4. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

I would use the idea of collaborative knowledge and construction by having students work together as a class to create one large virtual home, I would bring in a guest speaker to answer questions about the best ways to build a home. I would show them a forum where they could ask contractor’s questions to show them how to use virtual learning environments.

Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

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

In my third lesson plan I had students exploring the internet to learn about different cultures. They had to use their information that they learned to create a Venn Diagram on Kidspiration. They had to adapt their relevant learning experiences to incorporate the information onto a digital tool that supported their learning.

2. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

I really thought that my house building lesson plan had students take charge of their education. Students were managing their own learning, and were able to communicate with me about their own personal assessment of their online building process.

3. customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

The house building lesson plan was completely customized and personalized to the student since they were the ones who created it! Also in the math portion of the lesson, students who were gifted created larger houses and had to participate in solving problems that were more difficult, while the less advanced students created smaller homes and were able to use different materials such as manipulatives and calculators to help meet every student's personal abilities.

4. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

I have used multiple different forms of assessment in my lesson teaching. I used formative assessment as I walked around and asked students how they were doing while they created Venn Diagrams on Kidspiration and while they were building houses online. I used a mandala coloring sheet to summatively assess how well students were able to identify shapes. I used these assessments to adapt my instruction and in giving students more or less time to complete their work.

Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

1. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

I used many different tools throughout this semester. I used the smartboard, youtube videos, online building websites, google docs and surveys, Kidspiration etc. I believe this shows that I was able to demonstrate fluency in technology. Students were able to show me there transfer of current knowledge to new technologies through writing down their culture on a Venn Diagram and then comparing it to another’s culture or situation.

2. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

I would love to have students use Skype in the classroom in order to reach out to different community members, cultures and people of different expertises. This helps students get a different view point and serves as a very valuable resource.

3. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

I would create a class website where students and parents would be able to access different information about our class. This website would also contain surveys and forums.

4. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

I would model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze and evaluate information resources to support research and learning by showing kids how to properly use the internet. Then have students create a class website that shows their understanding of the technology and digital world.

Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

1. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources

Having a classroom website that students create, would have students advocate, model and teach safe, legal and ethical use of digital information and technology. In this website they would have to include their ideas for respect on copyright, intellectual property and the appropriate documentation of sources.  

2. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

I would make sure to never give students assignments that required them to use resources outside of the classroom. You never know what students do or do not have access to, so it’s important to stay aware of their tools. I also will always keep in mind students ability levels and will always remember that there are so many different diverse students. Having students use one another as resources and also having students motivated learning, you can help to meet every student's ability level.

3. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

I would promote and model digital etiquette by having my students create a website that discusses positive and responsible social interactions related to technology and information. They could then use this information all year long and use this website as a source to check whether or not they are using technology responsibly.

4. develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

I modeled cultural understanding and global awareness by having students look at other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration and then had them create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting their culture to that of a different culture. I could develop this to have my colleagues come in and share their own personal cultures to show students that there can be different cultures even within the school.

Lesson 3 Phase II: Reflections on Lessons Implementation

1. Instructional Decisions/Teaching (InTask Standard # 9): Discuss the implementation process and describe
• What went well and what didn't go well during the implementation of your lesson?

I think that the students really liked the story for a launch activity. The story, “Sandwich Shop” was presented in 2D drawings with a lovely narrator who changed her voices per each character. All the students were engaged in the video which set me up to have an even better lesson. Students were excited to find out more about other cultures, and everyone chose a different area of the world, which I thought was pretty cool! One thing that could have been better would have been if I had known about the Google research tool where you type “kids” at the end of your search. This was students can find things on the internet that are appropriate and easier to comprehend. I’m really glad I learned about this tool during my lesson. Goes to show how much you can learn from your fellow colleagues.

• How well was the alignment to objectives and standards maintained?

The Kindergarten standard that I chose was: “Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas : 4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.” I believe that my students were able to describe familiar people, places, things and events within their own description of their personal cultures.

The objective that I wrote reads, “After independant research, students will create a Venn Diagram comparing their culture, to that of another culture giving at least three examples of differences of each culture, and three examples of similarities between the two.” Every student was able to independently research, and create a Venn Diagram, where each of them gave three examples and three similarities between their own culture and that of another.

• Describe any modifications made during the implementation of the lesson

When I first tried to play the story book video on my computer, the sound was not working, so I instead played the video on one of the student’s computers so that they would still be able to watch the story and everyone could see and hear.

2. Mechanics:
• What technologies did I use (for the teacher and the learner)?

I played the storybook video on a computer.

Students used their computers, the internet and Kidspiration.

• How were the technologies used (by whom and in what manner)?

I used the computer to play the storybook video on youtube.

Students used their computers to log onto the internet and look up different aspects of another culture. They then used Kidspiration to create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting the cultures.

• My lesson was within the correct time frame

The lesson was within the correct time frame because students had enough time to listen to the story, research a different culture, and create a Venn Diagram comparing the cultures.

3. Assessment of Learning (InTask Standard # 6): Refer to Assessing Student Learning
• Include at least 2 digital artifacts that demonstrate what you or your students (peers) have created as a result of your lesson

Emma’s Venn Diagram:

Janae’s Venn Diagram:

Jamie’s Venn Diagram:

• Describe your students' level of success in achieving the standards and objectives for your lesson based on your assessment

Since I was assessing students based on the following rubric which was created off of my standard and objective, I think that every student would receive full credit for their Venn Diagrams. Every student was able to give 3 similarities between the two cultures, 3 differences in their culture and another culture.

Rubric:

4	3	2	1
Student gave 3 similarities between the two cultures.	Student gave 2 similarities between the two cultures.	Students gave 1 similarity between the two cultures.	Student gave no similarities between the two cultures.
Student gave 3 examples of differences in their culture.	Student gave 2 examples of differences in their culture.	Student gave 1 examples of differences in their culture.	Student gave no examples of differences in their culture.
Student gave 3 examples of differences in their chosen culture.	Student gave 2 examples of differences in their chosen culture.	Student gave 1 examples of differences in their chosen culture.	Student gave no examples of differences in their chosen culture.

• Describe the level of success you had in teaching the lesson
• How do your individual reflections support this?

Since all of the students received full credit for this lesson, I really feel that I did a good job in teaching this lesson. These students achieved everything that my objective asked of them... which is always good news.

• How do the comments from your classmates support this?

When asked “What could have been described and developed more?“ one student answered, “nothing.. it was the greatest lesson plan EVER”. I feel like this was probably my best lesson plan to date. I was also very happy that Jamie told me about the Google Kids tool. I really appreciated that she was willing to help me.

4. What did you learn from designing and teaching this lesson and how will you use this in the creation of future lessons/learning activities.

I was definitely excited to learn about the Google tool “kids” while teaching this lesson. This is actually a super useful bit of information to have as a teacher. It can really help kids with their researching skills in the beginning years.

While I was creating this lesson plan I found a lot of video’s on youtube of read-aloud books. It was like adding thousands of stories to your own personal library. It is nice to know that when I become a teacher, I can easily find books online that engage students.

Lesson Plan 3

I. RATIONALE:

Provide a reason for teaching the lesson. (i.e. Grade level curriculum, meets the common core standards/Arizona’s College & Career Ready Standards)

Students should learn this information, because it not only supports literacy comprehension, but it also has students exploring different cultures and broadening their global understanding.

II. OVERVIEW

Grade Level: Kindergarten

Subject(s): Language Arts

Topic of Study: Diversity

Time Allotment: 30 min

Standards: Kindergarten : Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas : 4. Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

Objectives: After independant research, students will create a Venn Diagram comparing their culture, to that of another culture giving at least three examples of differences of each culture, and three examples of similarities between the two.

Reflection: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Planning Instruction What do the students need to know prior to the lesson? Students will need to know how to research and hopefully be able to find keywords. How will prior knowledge and experience be assessed? This could be a really good lesson to teach at the beginning of the school year. It would be a good way to assess whether or not students know how to research, and also how well they are able to work with technology. Also since it is a lesson on diversity and cultural acceptance it would be a good thing to present to your young kids early in the year. How will you use this information in the planning process? This information will help me to determine the rest of the school year and how much technology instruction students will need in the future. Why should the content of this lesson be taught at this grade level? Cultural tolerance should be taught as early as possible to avoid prejudice. Also comprehension is the most vital part of literacy because if you can’t actually understand what you are reading… why read at all? How do the objectives that you have for the lesson align with the standards? The objective asks that students research to create a diagram comparing their culture to that of their own. The standard asks that students, “Describe familiar people, places, things, and events,” during this lesson students have to describe their own culture, in order to compare it to another.

III. IMPLEMENTATION

Procedure:

Launch: To begin the lesson I will show the youtube video of a read aloud of the story, “Sandwich Swap” by Her Majesty Queen Rania Al Abdullah.

After we hear the story we will have a discussion about diversity and how quickly hatred can spread if we are not careful.

Then we will talk about what our culture looks like, then other peoples culture.

I will then turn students to their desks and they will log on to Kidspiration where they will enter the English portal and select the Venn Diagram. I will tell students that on this Venn Diagram I want them to compare their culture to the culture of someone else. They must have three similarities and three differences at a minimum. I will tell them that they are allowed to use the internet as a tool for finding information on different cultures.

Students will take a screenshot of their Venn Diagrams for grading.

Technology Integration:

We will all watch a read aloud on youtube together, then the kids will use Kidspiration to create a Venn Diagram as well as the internet for research.

Differentiated Instruction: Describe how you will differentiate the instruction for each of the following:

• Cognitive delay: Students will have a lot of independent time to delve into different cultures. I will be able to walk around and help each student. After I help them find a resource they would like to use then the Venn Diagram becomes a little simpler for them.
• Gifted: I will ask that these students find really interesting facts, and not simplify their comparisons.
• ELL: Suggest that the ELL students compare their culture to the other cultures that they have seen. This should make research easier since they probably will have seen at least one other culture in their lifetime. I will also have a copy of the “Sandwich Swap” in their native language.

Reflection: Designing Instruction (InTask Standards 7 and 8): Why are you using the instructional methods you have described? I really like that I am having kids compare cultures. It begins the process of developing an open mind within kids, realizing that sometimes our differences come from the different things that we like. The book will engage the kids, then being able to talk about themselves and their own culture will make the Venn Diagram be more fun for them. How do the instructional methods align with what you know about best practices (think about your methods classes)? We know that the best way that kids learn is by having responsibility and engagement in their lessons. I think that this lesson will definitely keep them focused on the very important material. How are you engaging students in creative and higher order thinking? Not only are students using the internet to delve into a new culture, but they are participating in the act of global awareness. They are finding new information and dissecting their own culture to become more aware of others.

IV. ASSESSMENT

Procedure: Read Assessing Student Learning (Include a description of how you will determine the students' success in meeting the standards and objectives of the lesson (You must include what artifacts and activities will be assessed as well as a description of the assessment process))

My assessment will be the screenshot of their Venn Diagram.

Instruments: (Include [or link to] any tools that you will be using to assess your students (i.e.. rubric, checklist, worksheet, test)

Rubric:

4	3	2	1
Student gave 3 similarities between the two cultures.	Student gave 2 similarities between the two cultures.	Students gave 1 similarity between the two cultures.	Student gave no similarities between the two cultures.
Student gave 3 examples of differences in their culture.	Student gave 2 examples of differences in their culture.	Student gave 1 examples of differences in their culture.	Student gave no examples of differences in their culture.
Student gave 3 examples of differences in their chosen culture.	Student gave 2 examples of differences in their chosen culture.	Student gave 1 examples of differences in their chosen culture.	Student gave no examples of differences in their chosen culture.

Reflection: Planning Assessment (InTask Standard 6): How does the assessment align with the standards and objectives of this lesson? Standards: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail. Students will be assessed on whether or not they were able to provide details about their own culture, compared to others Objectives: After independant research, students will create a Venn Diagram comparing their culture, to that of another culture giving at least three examples of differences of each culture, and three examples of similarities between the two. Students are being assessed on whether or not they are able to find three similarities, and three differences of both cultures. How does the assessment demonstrate student engagement in higher order thinking? The assessment shows whether or not students were able to find keywords in order to make similarities and differences, which also means that they had to dissect the research that they have done. They are using higher order thinking and becoming more culturally aware.

IIV. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

In this section include any examples you have created for the students, resources (software, web links, books, crafting items, etc.) and other necessary items

Kidspiration

Book:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvEr6FsVoBI

Reflection: How does your lesson meet each of the ISTE NETs Standards? How does your lesson meet Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity ? Students are creating, researching and gaining cultural awareness in context of their own lives. How does your lesson meet Standard 2: Provide Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments? Students are researching, reading an online book, and using Kidspiration to create a Venn Diagram. How does your lesson meet Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work & Learning? I am showing students how to use these tools (Kidspiration, research and youtube) to find out more about other cultures and thus gain a more open mind. How does your lesson Meet all four elements of Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility by: advocating, modeling, and teaching safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources. addressing the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources. promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information. developing and modeling cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools. This is exactly what my lesson is doing ……...