Educational Technology
Thursday, April 21, 2016
Professional Development Priorities of 1:1 Initiatives
In his article, “Professional
Development: Priorities of 1:1 Initiatives,” Albert Galeas shares his experiences and
findings from taking part in the roll out of a 1:1 initiative in a Mississippi school district. Supporting a 1:1 initiative
is very demanding and requires many steps.
In carrying out the process, Galeas found one of the most critical steps
for implementation is providing teachers with consistent professional
development. Galeas learned in his
experience when approaching professional development, it is most effective to first
teach the tool and then teach instructional strategies for implementing the
tool. Knowing, understanding, and
feeling comfortable with the technology first, Galeas found teachers were more
likely buy in and put the tool to use.
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Best Technological Ways to Increase Engagement in the Classroom
Snehansu, K. (2013). Best
technological ways to increase engagement in the classroom. EdTech
In this
article, author Kumar Snehansu, provides useful technological tools and
strategies teachers can use in their classroom to engage students in active
learning. In the article he provides
technology related suggestions specific for primary age children and then
suggestions geared toward secondary and higher education. He reported the education dropout rate is
10-15% each school year. The reasoning
varies from student to student, but one reason for drop out was due in part to
a “loss of interest toward studies.” As
we are moving toward technology rich educational settings, it important we know
how to utilize these tools in the classroom.
At the primary
level Snehansu suggests iPads to foster creativity and provide interactive learning
experiences for students. Another tool he
suggests is using videos, animations, and humorous videos to create excitement and
interest in learning activities. He also
said the use of email with parents was important at the primary level to
communicate and keep parents informed.
I was shocked
by the number of dropouts each school year, especially 10-15% at the primary level?! I think he is right that education is changing. In my opinion, technology is what we need to
make a positive change in education. I
can see the difference technology makes in my classroom with the limited tools
I have. During center time, my students
are most engaged and able to sustain attention for the longest period of time when
they are using the ipad or computer. Throughout
the day, I supplement lessons and activities with videos and songs. The beat from the music, animations, and movement
makes learning both fun and engaging for students. Not
only do I use technology to support instruction but I also use it for classroom
management purposes.
I think some
teachers are hesitant to incorporate technology into the classroom because of
the unknown. With proper training, support,
and guidance, I think a 1:1 environment where all student have access to a device can provide a
powerful educational experience.
Wednesday, December 9, 2015
Learning to Read with Multimedia Materials
Research
Center- Center for Implementing Technology in Education. Learning
to read with multimedia materials.
http://www.cited.org/index.aspx?page_id=144.
This article outlines benefits and provides tips for
incorporating multimedia into the 4 main areas of reading instruction- phonemic
awareness, phonics, fluency, and comprehension.
Research shows these are vital areas to provide students with explicit
instruction as these skills are necessary for success in reading. Much research has been conducted on ways to
enhance literacy instruction and support struggling readers. Researchers have been making great efforts to
enhance literacy instruction through the use of technology. According to the Center for Implementing Technology
in Education (n.d.), “technology and the understanding of how to support
reading instruction and achievement have both advanced.” Multiple studies reveal multimedia integration
into literacy instruction can positively support students’ learning. The
article provides tips based on research for integrating multimedia into the
classroom. It is important to note
multimedia materials should be used to support and supplement explicit
instruction; they should not be used as a replacement.
Phonemic Awareness
Students need to be
able to hear sounds in words and understand that these sounds can be
manipulated. For some students this
skill comes naturally while others it has proven more difficulty, especially
for English Language Learners. Multimedia
programs have been shown to improve students’ phonemic awareness “because they
are able to animate the relationships between oral language and print, therefore
concepts are less abstract.” When choosing a program to support phonemic
awareness, the article recommends choosing an individualized program to provide
differentiation. With an individualized program each student can learn and
advance at their own pace. The article also
recommends a program that focuses exclusively on print and language concepts
and skills.
Phonics
Students also need to understand phonics rules and spelling
patterns. The article states multimedia
computer and video based programs have proven to be an effective means for
supporting phonics instruction and improving students’ word recognition skills.
Animated videos and computer based games
create an engaging, memorable way to understand word knowledge. Animated videos and interactive games present
concepts in a way that makes these skills more concrete for students.
Fluency
Fluency is necessary for comprehension and can be improved
upon through continued practice reading and rereading texts. Multimedia programs can support fluency
instruction. The article recommends
programs with text to speech and speech recognition features. These features provide students with word
recognition and fluency guidance/feedback.
Suggested programs are Reading Tutor and Reading Assistant.
Comprehension
Comprehension is understanding what we read. Multimedia programs can support comprehension
instruction “through the use of pop-ups, linked questions,
online resources, and animated reading coaches or e-tutors who engage in questioning,
prompts, and think aloud”(Research Center, n.d.). Students who struggle with reading comprehension
tend to have low language and vocabulary skills. The article suggests multimedia programs with
vocabulary links and supports to assist with comprehension. Recommended
multimedia supports for comprehension include iSTART and Thinking Reader.
After reading this article, I reflected on the ways I am
currently utilizing multimedia to supplement and enhance my literacy
instruction. During my literacy block I
use a lot of YouTube videos/songs to supplement my phonics instruction. One of my class’s favorites is the Have Fun
Teaching letter videos. My students’
attention is immediately captured by the upbeat music. Kindergarteners find the video’s images and
letter stories silly and quite humorous.
I also like the kinesthetic piece where the students skywrite the
letters using the visual cue. The Have
Fun Teaching videos are a tool I utilize on a weekly basis to supplement and
reinforce our skill of the week. These
videos can reach your auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. We also use the Heidi Songs sight word and
phonics songs in my classroom. The songs
engage the students and make the skill more memorable and fun for
students. Often times when the kids are
writing, I hear them singing one of our Heidi Songs to help them recall which
phonics skill to apply or how to spell one of our sight words proving to be useful
tool for students. I also use our Pearson Reading Street videos
whole group to introduce and demonstrate the comprehension skill we are
focusing on during the week. After
watching the video, we discuss the skill.
I find the videos to be developmentally appropriate for kindergartners
and a good visual for understanding comprehensions skill.
I also use multimedia tools to support reading instruction
during literacy centers. This year I am
using Earobics to support my students who are struggling with phonemic
awareness. I find the program is stimulating
for my students who are difficult to engage during our whole group Heggerty time. I would love for all of my students to be
able to use this program. Unfortunately, I have a limited supply of devices and
program licenses.
I would like to find more tools to incorporate into my
comprehension instruction. Is there a
tool you like to use to aid comprehension instruction? Can anyone recommend an individualized
comprehension program that is developmentally appropriate for kindergartners?
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
Making and Taking Virtual Field Trips in Pre-K and the Primary Grades
Kirchen, Dennis J. (2011, November). “Making and taking virtual field trips in pre-k and the primary grades.” YC Young Children, 66, 22-26.
The article “Making
and Taking Virtual Field Trips in Pre-K and the Primary Grades” by Dennis
Kirchen discusses virtual field trips in the classroom setting along with their
benefits and limitations. “A virtual field trip (VFT) is a
technology-based experience that allows children to take an educational journey
without leaving the classroom. These
multimedia presentations bring the sights, sounds, and descriptions of distant
places to learners” (Kirchen, 2011).
Children are able to learn about and explore places that may not be
possible to visit due to cost, time, transportation, safety, and/or feasibility.
The article
explains the two types of virtual field trips- predeveloped VFTs and teacher
made VFTs. Predeveloped VFTs can be
found through various websites on the internet.
Predeveloped VFT are already created and set up, but the limitation is that
they cannot be modified. It is important
teachers preview the VFT to see if it is age and content appropriate for their
students. Teacher created VFTs take a lot of time for
teachers to put together and prepare, but it allows the teacher the ability to
customize a field trip that is age and content appropriate while incorporating
features specific to his/her students’ interests.
Virtual field trips have several benefits that
Kirchen describes in this article. When
a traditional field trip is not possible, VFTs give teachers an alternative tool
to provide their students with knowledge and experience. Teachers can take their students anywhere
using VFTs- out of state or outer space.
Virtual field trips give teachers control of the learning experience. They can be sure the field trip is meeting
the intended standards and/or learning objectives. In the article Kirchen discussed a time a
teacher took her class to the zoo, because they were learning about lions. When they got to the zoo, the lions were not
on display that day. Using VFTs teachers
are sure their field trip is giving their students the intended experience that
aligns with their learning objectives.
Limitations of
VFTs include improper use and accessibility.
Kirchen says teachers should not use VFTs to replace a traditional field
trip or just to use technology. It
should be incorporated into a unit of study that involves a variety of
activities and experiences. Another limitation
is accessibility. VFTs require the use
of technology that may not be accessible to some teachers. The teacher must also have technological
skills to facilitate and/or make a VFT.
VFTs can benefit
and enhance student learning in ways that would not otherwise have been
possible. When facilitating a VFT in
your classroom, it is important to prepare for the trip just as you would a traditional
field trip. Students should be exposed
to pre and post activities to enhance and optimize their experience.
This article
stood out to me, because my district recently limited the number of field trips
a class could take to one per school year.
Some schools/classes in the district would take 2-3 field trips per year,
while other schools/classes only had the means to afford one. The district did this to create fairness and
consistency across the district. Working
in low income school, I have a lot of students who have not yet been given the
opportunity to explore outside their neighborhood. A lot of my students have never been to the
city, visited a farm, swam at beach, or saw animals at the zoo. Not having these experiences, they lack
background knowledge and understanding of these places. Background knowledge effects students’ comprehension
of a text. I think virtual field trips
would be a great way to build students’ background knowledge and give them the
opportunity to learn about and explore places they have never been. For example, our reading program has a
reading unit that is based around life in a big city. Incorporating a VFT to Chicago would be a
fun, engaging way to build students’ knowledge of city life prior to reading. My school did a school-wide Under the Sea
unit to prepare for an “Under the Sea Literacy Extravaganza” family night. A VFT accessed online, made by the teacher, or
through the use of Google Expedition would have been a great culminating activity
to conclude our under the sea unit.
Tuesday, July 14, 2015
Teaching With Technology: Step Back and Hand Over the Camera! Using Digital Cameras to Facilitate Mathematics Learning With Young Children in K-2 Classrooms
Northcote,
M. (2011). “Teaching with
Technology: Step back and hand over the
cameras! Using digital cameras to facilitate
mathematics learning with young children in K-2 classrooms.” Australian
Primary Mathematics Classroom, 16 (3), 29-32.
In this article, Maria
Northcote discusses ways to enhance mathematic instruction through the use of
digital cameras. At the beginning of the
school year, Maria gives each student the opportunity to take home a digital
camera for one night. It is the student’s
responsibility to take photos of math that are present in their life as well as
their family’s lives. Maria compiles
these photos to later use and incorporate into future math lessons, activities,
and games throughout the school year. This
project gives Northcote insight into her students’ perception of math. Students’ photographs for the use of instruction
and activities “provide them with a familiar context in which to situate their
mathematics learning” (Northcote, 2011, p. 30).
Northcote then
describes ways she incorporates digital cameras into her lessons throughout the
school year. Examples of students’
digital camera use: Northcote has her students take pictures of each other’s
shoes or hair to then make a pictorial graph.
When learning about shapes, she has her students take pictures of shapes
they see in the classroom. She uses the students’ photographs during learning
games to practice identifying and describing the shapes of objects. Northcote’s students also take pictures of a
collection of objects at home, school, or in the environment when practicing counting
groups of objects. She saves these pictures
and uses them for students to write story problems in their math journals when
studying addition and/or subtraction.
Northcote found by integrating digital cameras
into the classroom, students were more involved in the learning process. Use of digital cameras “can increase
participation in classroom activities to a level where children are valued as
active contributors to the classroom learning environment” (Northcote, 2011,
p.32).
While reading, I
was able to make a connection to the learning activity described at the
beginning of the article. In one of my
elementary education reading courses, our first assignment was to go home and do
a “literacy dig.” The next day we were
to bring in pictures or objects from our everyday lives that had print. This was a powerful literacy activity that
demonstrated the importance of literacy skills as text is all around us in our
everyday lives. I think this same
activity would be a great way to introduce why we learn math at school. Students will sometimes question and ask “Why
do we have to know this?” The teacher
can use this activity and refer back to the pictures the students took to show
them math is all around us and a part of our daily lives.
The use of
digital cameras is an interesting way to incorporate technology into math. According to the article, “Handing over
cameras to young children can increase their level of ownership and interest in
the process of learning about mathematics” (Northcote, 2011, p. 30). Students’ interest and motivation for learning
increases when they are able to make connections and relate to the lesson. Digital cameras allow students to be active
participants in the learning process.
Shared Reading Goes High Tech
Child, P. “Shared reading.” Reading Rockets. Retrieved from: http://www.readingrockets.org /strategies/sharedreading
Gill, S. & Chhanda Islam, R. (2011). “Shared reading goes high tech.” Reading Teacher, 65 (3), 224-227.
According to an article from Reading Rockets, shared reading is “an interactive reading experience that occurs when students join in or share the reading of a book or other text while guided and supported by a teacher. The teacher explicitly models the skills of proficient readers, including reading with fluency and expression. The shared reading model often uses oversized books (referred to as big books) with enlarged print and illustrations (Child).” In a primary classroom, shared reading is a critical component of daily literacy instruction. Shared reading benefits students by increasing and enhancing students’ literacy skills. The article, “Shared Reading Goes High Tech” by Sharon Gill and Ruth Chhanda Islam, discusses ways to incorporate interactive whiteboards into shared reading instruction. The authors note using interactive whiteboards for shared reading experience is convenient for teachers and engaging for students (Gill &Islam, 2011).
Shared reading is often taught using large text or a big book. This allows students to follow along with the text during choral reading to improve students’ fluency and understanding of print. According to Gill and Chhanda, rather than spending money on big books and posters, and/or taking the time to write out text, teachers can conveniently enlarge text using a document camera and projector making the text large enough for all students to see (2011). Teachers also have the option of creating visually appealing PowerPoint slides to display the text and an option to include images (Gill &Chhanda, 2011).
Post reading, teachers use the text to practice reading skills and strategies with their students. The teacher may ask students to locate sight words, find word patterns, identify phonic skills, or sequence sentences. Interactive whiteboards have multiple, engaging tools that are readily available for student to interact with the text. Students can engage with print by magnifying word, highlighting, using colored pens, or moving text by dragging (Gill and Islam, 2011). Gill and Islam provide sample lesson incorporating these tools into lessons- touching and dragging lines of a poem to sequence and put the poem in order, using the highlighting tool to highlight sight word, or using the drawing tool to cover a word and have students try to figure out the word using context clues (2011). “IWBs get students' attention because the board incorporates the sights, sounds, and stimulation that different types of learners thrive on. Many teachers feel that the bright, colorful print, especially if it moves and makes a sound, captures students' attention, maintains their concentration, and motivates them to learn (Gill & Islam, 2011).”
I think that interactive whiteboards would be a beneficial tool for carrying out shared reading instruction. It provides another format for students to view and interact with text in a format other than a book or a pocket chart. Students are motivated by technology, and I feel lessons using the interactive whiteboards engage students in learning and increase participation in the lessons. Once a week my class gets to use a SMARTboard during LMC. All of my students want to be called to participate therefore, they are motivated to focus and pay increase attention to on the lesson or activity at hand.
Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Why Teachers Love ClassDojo for Classroom Management?
Bharti,
B. (2014, June 8). Why teachers love
ClassDojo for classroom management?
EdTechReview. Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/1261-
why-teachers-love-lassdojo-for-classroom-management/
EdTechReview. Retrieved from http://edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/1261-
why-teachers-love-lassdojo-for-classroom-management/
The article “Why Teachers Love ClassDojo”
gives a quick overview of what ClassDojo is and how it works. ClassDojo
is online classroom management tool for teachers to track student
behavior. Teachers set up an online classroom and assign each of
their students an avatar. Teachers can reinforce positive behavior
by rewarding students points and/or deduct points for undesired behavior. The
students are notified why they were awarded or deducted a point.
The article then highlights 3 benefits of integrating ClassDojo into the
classroom.
1. Improve
Behavior- According to the article, student behavior improves due to the
motivation to earn points. When a point is earned, they are informed
the reason for their point. Students enjoy being noticed and
recognized by their teacher for positive behavior.
2. Save
Time- Instructional time increases because the program allows
teachers the ability to track and record student behavior in quick
manner. Students also transition quicker because they are motivated
to be recognized for being ready to learn and earn points.
3. Communicate
with Parents -Teachers also have the opportunity to communicate student
behavior with parents via ClassDojo. Teachers have the option of
printing students’ weekly report to send home and/or parents are able to signup
to be able to login to ClassDojo to view their child’s data.
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