Reflecting on Instructional Strategies:
Identifying Similarities and Differences:
This strategy is one I use frequently to help students develop deeper understandings of topics. In my World Cultures class, which focuses on studying different regions around the world, I spend a great deal of time having students compare and contrast different things such as countries, religions, governments, culture, and more. My experience has taught me that this strategy allows students to connect more with a topic. For example, many students do not have a great understanding of different religious beliefs around the world. I always have students research and complete and advance organizer comparing the world's major religions. This activity has helped provide meaning and understanding of the different beliefs and practices following by Christians, Muslims, Jews, etc. Technology has provided great resources for information and also great tools as advance organizers.
Homework and Practice:
My focus on homework and practice has changed through my teaching experience. Initially when I started teaching, perhaps too fresh from college and still having a bitter taste in my mouth from homework, I did not assign a lot of homework and sometimes in class would have students engage in "busy work" just to survive on certain days. When reflecting back I understand why there were times that I did that as all young teachers have "survival" days but there is no doubt that my practices have evolved. When assigning student homework or practice I give it a great deal of thought. Everything that my students do I align with learning objectives and try to create structure and organization. Technology has allowed me to create activities that are more engaging, because they are often interactive and provide instant feedback, and I feel that students are getting a great deal more out of them as a result.
Generating Hypothesis:
There has been a recent movement in history education that encourages students engaging in historical inquiry, which requires them to generate a hypothesis to answer a historical question. Many people do not realize that much of history is open to interpretation and it is a changing and evolving phenomenon. This has led to many history teachers to move away from simply being sources of content, to becoming facilitators as students research, analyze, and investigate historical questions. Technology provides access to a seemingly unlimited library of primary source documents, which are the basis of historical inquiry. There are also many websites that allow students to interactively engage in inquiry and it is easy to create activities like webquests that allow students to explore documents and information.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Thursday, September 22, 2011
CEDO 525 Entry Four
Reflecting on Clay Shirky TED Videos:
institutions vs. collaboration and How cognitive surplus will change the world and How social media can change history:
Upon watching Clay Shirky's videos it really has caused me to consider the "revolution" of sorts that he is describing. We have known for years that the computer and Internet are drastically changing many aspects of society but they are truly revolutionizing information and communication and even changing the meaning of what they are. Most countries and organization work on a top down structure however that is being turned upside down as limits are pushed and things like social media, cooperation into infrastructure, and cognitive surplus are changing the way information is gathered and distributed at their most basic level. At no point in human history has it been possible for so many to people to contribute so much in so many ways. It really makes me realize how much has been missed out on throughout history whether it would be an innovation, an idea, a question, or who knows what else. While globalization has interconnected people for decades it is not until now that there are seemingly unlimited mediums of communication and information exchange. Skirky did proclaim that he could not predict what all of this means or where it is ultimately heading but it seems to become more clear by each new innovation that there has been a major shift and we need to be ready for and get good at it!
Other Interesting Observations:
The importance of a cultural value of generosity emphasizing social constraints. Really made me rethink some of the ways that student situations are handled.
The vastly underrated and underused cognitive surplus that this world has and how the "revolution" will bring it to the forefront.
The sometimes blatant ineffectiveness of an institutional setup.
Reflecting on Strategies:
Cooperative Learning:
Cooperative learning is an oft-used strategy by many teachers but may not always be used in the most effective manner. Organizing groups can be a challenge as most students first choice is to be with their friends. Good cooperative learning forces students not only to be productive in groups with their friends but also exposes them to different people and personalities than they may be used to. The reality of most situations is that there is a need to be able to adapt and cooperate with different people. At the same time however it is also necessary for students to be able to be productive with their friends as well.
The teacher's role in a cooperative learning activity is as a facilitator. Groups need some freedom in order to learn how to problem solve and collaborate but many students need some degree of direction. I have found in my experience that a well structured activity with clear steps and tasks creates an environment where there is more group success and students tend to be more accountable to themselves and their group. Many students do not contribute because they are lazy or unwilling, but more often because they do not feel involved or do not understand the task. Teachers can prevent this by creating clear structure and direction.
Technology has played an impact in cooperative learning by creating a medium of communication, organization, and production. Groups no longer have to only meet face-to-face as tasks and communication can be completed electronically. This has a positive effect as it may be a more comfortable way for some students to contribute to their group and my classroom experience using technology in a cooperative environment has been very effective.
Reinforcing Effort:
Many students do not always clearly understand the value of effort and simply will do enough to keep their parents and teachers off their back. In order to promote effort it is important for teachers to track and communicate about it to students. There is generally a strong correlation between effort and achievement. By tracking effort and also by having student track and reflect about their effort, it is more likely that they will see that their effort and achievement are usually aligned.
Technology, like in many other aspects, has created more ways communication and tracking. Teachers has many mediums to send feedback to students regarding their effort. There are also ways for students to reflect and evaluate their effort. There is also several ways that outstanding effort can be recognized and communicated to a mass audience, which also acts as a motivator for many students.
institutions vs. collaboration and How cognitive surplus will change the world and How social media can change history:
Upon watching Clay Shirky's videos it really has caused me to consider the "revolution" of sorts that he is describing. We have known for years that the computer and Internet are drastically changing many aspects of society but they are truly revolutionizing information and communication and even changing the meaning of what they are. Most countries and organization work on a top down structure however that is being turned upside down as limits are pushed and things like social media, cooperation into infrastructure, and cognitive surplus are changing the way information is gathered and distributed at their most basic level. At no point in human history has it been possible for so many to people to contribute so much in so many ways. It really makes me realize how much has been missed out on throughout history whether it would be an innovation, an idea, a question, or who knows what else. While globalization has interconnected people for decades it is not until now that there are seemingly unlimited mediums of communication and information exchange. Skirky did proclaim that he could not predict what all of this means or where it is ultimately heading but it seems to become more clear by each new innovation that there has been a major shift and we need to be ready for and get good at it!
Other Interesting Observations:
The importance of a cultural value of generosity emphasizing social constraints. Really made me rethink some of the ways that student situations are handled.
The vastly underrated and underused cognitive surplus that this world has and how the "revolution" will bring it to the forefront.
The sometimes blatant ineffectiveness of an institutional setup.
Reflecting on Strategies:
Cooperative Learning:
Cooperative learning is an oft-used strategy by many teachers but may not always be used in the most effective manner. Organizing groups can be a challenge as most students first choice is to be with their friends. Good cooperative learning forces students not only to be productive in groups with their friends but also exposes them to different people and personalities than they may be used to. The reality of most situations is that there is a need to be able to adapt and cooperate with different people. At the same time however it is also necessary for students to be able to be productive with their friends as well.
The teacher's role in a cooperative learning activity is as a facilitator. Groups need some freedom in order to learn how to problem solve and collaborate but many students need some degree of direction. I have found in my experience that a well structured activity with clear steps and tasks creates an environment where there is more group success and students tend to be more accountable to themselves and their group. Many students do not contribute because they are lazy or unwilling, but more often because they do not feel involved or do not understand the task. Teachers can prevent this by creating clear structure and direction.
Technology has played an impact in cooperative learning by creating a medium of communication, organization, and production. Groups no longer have to only meet face-to-face as tasks and communication can be completed electronically. This has a positive effect as it may be a more comfortable way for some students to contribute to their group and my classroom experience using technology in a cooperative environment has been very effective.
Reinforcing Effort:
Many students do not always clearly understand the value of effort and simply will do enough to keep their parents and teachers off their back. In order to promote effort it is important for teachers to track and communicate about it to students. There is generally a strong correlation between effort and achievement. By tracking effort and also by having student track and reflect about their effort, it is more likely that they will see that their effort and achievement are usually aligned.
Technology, like in many other aspects, has created more ways communication and tracking. Teachers has many mediums to send feedback to students regarding their effort. There are also ways for students to reflect and evaluate their effort. There is also several ways that outstanding effort can be recognized and communicated to a mass audience, which also acts as a motivator for many students.
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
CEDO 525 Entry Three
Reviewing Online Tools:
This is a free concept mapping program that allows users to register (maps can also be created without registering but will not save) and create concept maps connecting different “bubbles”. The program is very easy to use and has a fast learning curve, even for people who may not be very proficient in technology use.
Other features are a collaborative function that allows multiple users to modify a project. Concept maps can also be exported as a different file type such as a jpg or png image and can be printed. Maps can be zoomed in and out of and users are offered the ability to change colors and fonts.
A weakness of the program is that there are some limitations in terms of creativity. There does not appear to be a way to add media such as images, audio, or video and there is not hyperlink option.
Bubbl is a tool that teachers could use on an interactive whiteboard, tablet computer, or possible for a group or individual assignment. It does have limitations but the cost (free!!!) makes it more viable than other similar programs.
This is a popular program used to create high quality concept maps. The program is very easy to use and like Bubbl has a fast learning curve.
The program offers a variety of features including file exporting, collaboration (with the pro or business version), along with a mobile app, and more. There is also features that allow media and hyperlinks to be added to into a map allowing for higher quality and more creativity. There are also a variety of themes available for users.
The major downside of Mindmeister is the cost. There is no free version available. There are three different plans with more features offered with each upgrade. It would be an excellent tool for a teacher in any subject but the cost may be prohibitive for many teachers and schools.
This is a program that offers a free online library of graphic organizers (or what they call “Thinking Guides”). Nearly any type of graphic organizer is in the library or could easily be created and added by a user. Registering is easy and all features are free.
The most impressive feature is all of the editing features available. Each graphic organizer contains an extensive toolbar that allows users to customize it to their needs.
Sharing and collaborative features also make this a useful tools as multiple users can work on the same project. Another feature that is interesting is the ability to comment on projects which allows for valuable feedback.
Of the three tools reviewed, this seems to have the most potential as teachers could find seemingly unlimited ways to use this free and versatile tool.
Strategy Reflections:
Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers:
One of the greatest parts of teaching that in many cases can make it an artform is the ability to facilitate higher level thinking in students. With so many sources of information available for anyone to access, it is becoming more necessary for educators to help students decipher and question information. And the high amount of information can also at time be difficult to sort through. Providing cues helps students understand the content they are going to experience while questioning gives students an opportunity for deeper understanding. There are many programs available that can help facilitate student learning by helping them better organize and focus on key concepts. Most students, especially lower level learners, have a difficult time comprehending unfamiliar
content without some sort of assistance. While teachers should encourage independent learning they still do have an important role as a facilitator. I have found that using advanced organizers is an excellent way to assist students in answering questions and understanding cues. After exploring some of the online programs such as exploratree or bubbl, technology has great potential uses to improve the use of advance organizers.
Nonlinguistic Representation:
Visual type of learners at times have a very difficult time understanding and processing information that is purely auditory or in narrative format and nonlinguistic representation is an excellent differentiation technique. By seeing visual forms of a concept it allows learners to better connect key points and objectives. With technology it has become much easier for teachers to create high quality nonlinguistic representations of concepts by making graphic organizers, showing images, or creating symbols. Students also have a variety of programs available to create their own visuals as well. In classroom settings I have found nonlinguistic representations as an excellent way for students to process concepts, especially in areas such as relationships between events and vocabulary.
Summarizing and Notetaking:
Whether listening to a lecture, doing research, or reading it is essential that students are able to understand and record key points and be able to understand what they were supposed to learn. Many students feel the need to copy every single word or none at all but it is truly a skill to be able to notetake and summarize what they have learned. This is a skill that often gets lost or forgotten as many teachers assume students have it. With the increasing availability of mobile devices in the classroom it would be beneficial for teachers to find ways to use them. Recording information electronically gives students a better way to organize and review their notes and summaries which will give them a better understanding than more traditional notetaking techniques do.
CEDO 525 Entry Two
Feedback that Fits Reflection:
Providing students timely and meaningful feedback is a very important part of the learning process. It is something however that is more complicated and sensitive than most teachers know. Feedback can be provided in a variety of ways whether it is written, oral, or electronic but it must be timely. Students need the feedback to be able to make adjustments or corrections in their understanding of a learning target and it will only be effective if it is received by the student in a timely fashion.
Feedback should also be relatively positive. Although comments such as "good work" or "nice job" are not particularly effective, negative comments can have a devastating effect on students who struggle or have low self esteem as it may in a way confirm their self-doubt. Therefore, effective feedback points out strengths in the students work with meaningful and positive observations.
Meaning feedback critiques the work by challenging, making suggestions, or asking critical questions. While negative comments can have a negative impact on student learning, critical questioning can help students look more critically at their work and help them take more ownership in their learning.
Overall, providing meaningful and effective feedback to students is not as simple as most seem to believe. Teachers must find ways to help students re-examine their work and learning while focusing on the learning targets. This important step in the learning process needs to be well understood by all educators.
Exploring Resources:
Rubistar:
An online rubric-making program. It allows registered users to create and save rubrics. The site is free to use and is easy to use. It also contains a vast library of rubrics that can be used or edited by anyone. Personally I could use the site as a reference but still prefer to create my own personalized rubrics on a word processor as this site does not seem to offer any obvious benefit beyond doing that.
Quia:
An online assessment maker that allows educators to create online quizzes and assignments. The website could be a very valuable tool as it allows for quizzes and assignments that students take and submit online. It also has data analysis that could be a valuable reflective tool for teachers. This is a tool that I am definitely interested in using although the cost seems concerning and Google Forms could do many of the same things.
Reflecting on Strategies:
Setting Objectives:
Students walk into most of their classes with a varying degree of abilities and prior learning. One of the things that causes many students to struggle is simply that they have a difficult time deciphering key learning targets. A step that many educators skip is setting and communicating learning targets (objectives) to students. Setting objectives is the equivalent of revealing the destination before leaving on a road trip, it seems like common sense but is often left out. This should be done before lessons and when assigning projects or assignments rubrics should be used to guide students. I have found in practice that providing student objectives has led to much better comprehension and has especially helped struggling learners.
Providing Feedback:
Giving students feedback on achievement and effort is a very important step in the learning process. Too often students learn and are assessed with little knowledge of how or where they are at in terms of meeting learning standards. Technology has made it much more easy and efficient for teachers to provide feedback. Email, commenting, and response tools have given students and teachers quick ways to measure where they are at. Feedback should be authentic and positive while being truly meaningful. Thoughtless or negative feedback can actually have a negative effect by reinforcing self-doubt or not having much meaning to a student. Providing comments that praise strengths and encourage the student to critically examine their work, often by asking them questions, can be a great benefit to the learning process.
Providing Recognition:
Positive recognition can help all students, especially those who may have confidence issues. Many students go through school feeling average as they may not be on the honor roll and may feel lost in the shuffle. Finding ways to positively recognize student achievement can have a great effect by motivating students to continue quality work. This also is a step that makes learning more authentic as positive recognition as displaying student achievements allows for a real world audience to see what they have done, and that incentive often increases student motivation as well.
Providing students timely and meaningful feedback is a very important part of the learning process. It is something however that is more complicated and sensitive than most teachers know. Feedback can be provided in a variety of ways whether it is written, oral, or electronic but it must be timely. Students need the feedback to be able to make adjustments or corrections in their understanding of a learning target and it will only be effective if it is received by the student in a timely fashion.
Feedback should also be relatively positive. Although comments such as "good work" or "nice job" are not particularly effective, negative comments can have a devastating effect on students who struggle or have low self esteem as it may in a way confirm their self-doubt. Therefore, effective feedback points out strengths in the students work with meaningful and positive observations.
Meaning feedback critiques the work by challenging, making suggestions, or asking critical questions. While negative comments can have a negative impact on student learning, critical questioning can help students look more critically at their work and help them take more ownership in their learning.
Overall, providing meaningful and effective feedback to students is not as simple as most seem to believe. Teachers must find ways to help students re-examine their work and learning while focusing on the learning targets. This important step in the learning process needs to be well understood by all educators.
Exploring Resources:
Rubistar:
An online rubric-making program. It allows registered users to create and save rubrics. The site is free to use and is easy to use. It also contains a vast library of rubrics that can be used or edited by anyone. Personally I could use the site as a reference but still prefer to create my own personalized rubrics on a word processor as this site does not seem to offer any obvious benefit beyond doing that.
Quia:
An online assessment maker that allows educators to create online quizzes and assignments. The website could be a very valuable tool as it allows for quizzes and assignments that students take and submit online. It also has data analysis that could be a valuable reflective tool for teachers. This is a tool that I am definitely interested in using although the cost seems concerning and Google Forms could do many of the same things.
Reflecting on Strategies:
Setting Objectives:
Students walk into most of their classes with a varying degree of abilities and prior learning. One of the things that causes many students to struggle is simply that they have a difficult time deciphering key learning targets. A step that many educators skip is setting and communicating learning targets (objectives) to students. Setting objectives is the equivalent of revealing the destination before leaving on a road trip, it seems like common sense but is often left out. This should be done before lessons and when assigning projects or assignments rubrics should be used to guide students. I have found in practice that providing student objectives has led to much better comprehension and has especially helped struggling learners.
Providing Feedback:
Giving students feedback on achievement and effort is a very important step in the learning process. Too often students learn and are assessed with little knowledge of how or where they are at in terms of meeting learning standards. Technology has made it much more easy and efficient for teachers to provide feedback. Email, commenting, and response tools have given students and teachers quick ways to measure where they are at. Feedback should be authentic and positive while being truly meaningful. Thoughtless or negative feedback can actually have a negative effect by reinforcing self-doubt or not having much meaning to a student. Providing comments that praise strengths and encourage the student to critically examine their work, often by asking them questions, can be a great benefit to the learning process.
Providing Recognition:
Positive recognition can help all students, especially those who may have confidence issues. Many students go through school feeling average as they may not be on the honor roll and may feel lost in the shuffle. Finding ways to positively recognize student achievement can have a great effect by motivating students to continue quality work. This also is a step that makes learning more authentic as positive recognition as displaying student achievements allows for a real world audience to see what they have done, and that incentive often increases student motivation as well.
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