Digital Blog Post # L- Chapter 12

Integrating Technology and Creating Change as Teacher Leaders

This is the final chapter of the book and is basically giving information on how to be the best leader in a classroom while using technology. Educators are now seeing the benefits of using technology in the classroom but are also still sticking to the basics a good median between technology and old school.

Interesting topics:

1 Stages of Technology Integration

2 Writing Grants

3 Bring Your Own Technology Programs


1.)

Here is a link to view the flow chart using Gliffy.com

2.) A struggle for many teachers is the fact that they will have limited resources to do their job. It can be a serious frustration that becomes a wall for even the best educators. Although there are ways that teachers can get funding, specifically writing grants or presenting their project to organizations that can provide funds to them. It is  skill that may take some time to develop but will serve as a very valuable asset to get outside funding for almost any tool a teacher may need. Just like everything throughout this book it can be used with technology and the book calls this Crowd Funding, which is using an online website that specifically helps with raising money for classrooms the two websites provided are Kickstarter.com and PeerBacker.com. Being a good teacher requires individuals to be very passionate but more importantly adaptive even when presented with an issue that seems out of their control.

3.) An interesting topic that appears in the book concerning the participation gap between those students who come from more privileged homes and those who dont. The problem is a teacher has to move through a school year trying to give lessons that allow the same level of access to information which can be difficult. This is especially true with technology because not all students will have access to it or at least the same level of technology. There are some programs that are trying to bridge that gap and one of them is the BYOT (Bring Your Own Technology) program which is pushing for students to bring their own technology into the classroom. Now, this initially sounds like a good idea because it will definitely cuts the cost of what schools will have to spend but at the cost of still having gaps. Some aspects of it are useful but there are several flaws with this program. First, for students that have access to the highest quality of technology it may give an unfair advantage to those with older models. Also adding to the fact that the devices (phones,tablets and laptops) that students in these kinds of programs will be different. A teacher will need to know how to operate different software which will take additional time and training. This take on the participation gap may not be the solution but it isn't completely wrong because as technology becomes more and more advanced becomes more available to more people. So it may be possible one day to use this program.

References

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post # K - Chapter 6

Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps

In this chapter the focus is on organization, virtual field trips, and virtual schools. Staying organized is a huge part of being a teacher but not everyone is as organized as they should be at the beginning of their career. Using the internet opens up many doors if used properly, it can become whatever someone needs it to be. The two other issues in the post are similar and will talk the benefits of the internet for students in the classroom and at home.

Topics of Interests:

1. Managing Information 
2. Virtual Field Trip
3. Virtual Schools

1.) To create this chart Pikrochart was used for information about the website please click the link.



2.) A teacher that transitions from a non-technology filled environment to a technology rich one can appreciate of how convenient the internet makes things. In this case its with field trips, younger students are walking sponges that take in a good majority of what they see and hear. This is why field trips can be so effective for their growth. Although, there can be complications which is normal they can put a real damper on the overall mood of a class if plans change. Luckily, technology allows for virtual experiences that an educator can use to send their students wherever they can imagine. With a little bit of creativity using Google maps in a lesson plan can give students excitement to learn and understand different cultures. Having students work together or separately it doesn't matter the benefits will still be there. Although, virtual field trips should not take place of the real thing only when needed because it is in the end still happening within the four walls of a classroom.

3.) An interesting topic brought up in this chapter is the separation of agreement on having completely virtual schools. A virtual school is a school that has students learning primarily from online courses and as beneficial as technology can be is a complete online school year a good thing? To much of good usually has adverse effects with foods and the same applies with having schools totally online. The book discusses having k-12 virtual classrooms which is fine but over time may  interfere with the human interaction that younger children need to develop. Moderation is important because there can be no denying that technology isn't helping students but things like collaborative work become very difficult. At higher age groups having a mixture of online courses with in class schooling would be ideal which is a practice that some schools are taking up, this is called blended learning.

References

Maloy, R. (2011). Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps. In Transforming learning with new technologies (Vol. 2, pp. 130 - 151). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.

Digital Blog Post# J - Chapter 11

Engaging Students in Performance Assessment and Reflective Learning

This chapter is relatively short but contains very good information for teachers about creating portfolios and adding information to it making them more appealing to potential school. It also sheds light on the value of providing different ways to assess students that can help students engage further into what they have learned.

Three important topics:

1. The Role of Assessment in Teaching
2. Elements of a Teacher Portfolio
3. Democratic Schools and Classrooms

1.) Educators are tasked with evaluating their students at any level and assessing what they have learned in the classroom. Teachers also must be evaluated by their supervisors to ensure that what is being taught is correct, meeting the standards of the school. The typical way that evaluations or assessments are done is by giving a test but the book provides three other ways this can be done.

• New Teaching Assessment : How supervisors will assess a teacher's work
• Student Assessment : How you will assess students' learning and your own effectiveness as                                      a teacher.
• Student Self Assessment : How students will participate in the assessment process.

It should be obvious that new teachers are assessed and also students as well but what is interesting is the last kind of assessment discussed. Student self assessment, which is helpful for the students in that it asks the question,"What have you learned?" which should take some time for them to answer. It is an alternative or even a task that can be added on to an end of semester exam for example. Which requires students to self evaluate, this not only helps them better understand what they've learned but also provides the teacher information to add to their own records.

2.) Evaluations are inevitable for current and future teachers, and being prepared for them is very important to becoming a good educator. One of the best ways to be prepared is by creating an electronic teacher portfolio, which the book describes as a "collection of educational and professional materials stored in an electronic format".  In the past this was done and stored in large paper files but now that we have been gifted with technology all of the information can be stored on a flashdrive or in the cloud. It also allows easy access to those who need to see

 A teacher portfolio should contain the following:

• A Resume
• Teaching Philosophy
• Lesson Plan
• Level of Experience
• Academic Experience

3.) Here is a video found through I.D.E.A (Institute for Democratic Education in America) that gives  statistics to paint a picture of what schools in America focus on and what they should focus on. The organization is rich with information and ideas on bettering the American schooling system.

                                   

Found on YouTube credit to goodideafolks 

The ultimate goal of all teachers should be to help students achieve their greatest potential in and outside of the classroom. Although this is true it seems as though schools are just preparing students for the next big standardized test. There is a place for standardized testing, they should not be thrown out of curriculums, but they should not be prioritized the way that they currently are. Students are individuals that have strengths and weaknesses just like everyone else. What should be prioritized teaching students to learn more about themselves, engage them in lessons that show them what they may be able to achieve one day. 

References:

• Maloy, R. (2011). Engaging Students in Performance Assessment and Reflective Learning. InIn Transforming learning with new technologies (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 276 - 293). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson/Allyn and Bacon.
• Make Your Voice Heard: Discover Democratic Education. (2010, March 10). Retrieved April 5, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_LbZ3XcfK4
• Institute for Democratic Education in America | IDEA. (n.d.). Retrieved April 6, 2015, from http://www.democraticeducation.org/