Class Reflection

            This class has both opened my eyes to many new things and also reaffirmed things that I had already learned about technology in school. Many of the things taught in this class are things that our school district is trying to implement. The schools all realize that these students are wired differently and need additional technical support to understand their lessons. They cannot just sit quietly and listen to a teacher lecture throughout the course of the school day. Implementing technology in the past has been accomplished by adding some lower tech items; replacing chalk boards with white boards chalk with dry erase markers. Then the changes started to be more advanced, putting computers in the classroom, adding interactive white boards and Apple iPads. This course also had the wisdom to note that not only must the resources change, by adding all the hardware, but the teachers must change and create ways to use this new technology to enhance student learning. Technology doesn’t teach students, teachers do. If we want to reach the students of today, we need to learn how to work with the technology. Just having an interactive board doesn’t mean anything unless the teacher finds innovative ways to use it to engage the students. This course has also come with a book that will be a great resource for years to come in finding other areas of help. It has links to sites that allow teachers to teach their students how to blog, where to find additional resources besides the traditional Google search. When taking classes in the past, many students, even adults don’t want to purchase the textbook, or sell it back immediately after class is over. But this book has some great links that I discovered that I will continue to look into long after the class is over.

           The uses for what has been taught in this class are almost endless. I have just started at a new school this year whose focus is innovation and technology. Taking this class, I feel I have quite a few more ways to deliver this type of lesson to my students. It talks about using some software that I am familiar with; Kidspiration software for understanding words and numbers, and audio recording programs like Audacity.  There were also so many more links to software and services that I had never heard of before. It will be great to be able to break the molds on the traditional diorama this year and make a movie or a podcast instead! It may level the playing field if all students are introduced to the ways to produce these new reports. Maybe even having the students complete all their work at school. It is always obvious when some students get too much help from their parents on one of these “old school” projects. It will also allow teachers to save some of the students’ things digitally on DVDs and give them to the parents. In years to come when all the paper and drawings have faded, it might be fun to watch your child discuss his assignment or watch a movie that they have developed. Technology is a difficult thing to keep up with, just when you think you know it all, it changes. Things are changing so quickly, that it is hard to keep up. Teachers need to keep an open mind when it comes to implementing things that work in the classroom Taking classes like this one can help get teachers aware of all the inexpensive technology at their fingertips. Some of the items may be expensive, computers and projectors and the hard ware; but once installed it is easy to find inexpensive ways to keep these items new and fresh for our students. Technology is here to stay and taking classes like this one, online as well as in person will help keep our teachers a step ahead of the curve. Letting the students become the new creative forces in their education. 

Challenges with Implementing Audio and Video Resources

       

                 More school districts are trying to find innovative ways to teach today’s young. They are growing up in a visual and auditory boom of information. They are no longer learning in the traditional ways of books and lectures. We must move forward with the times and teach students the same way that they live. Video, still pictures shown on large screens and audio are some of the ways to reach the youth of today. They are moving too fast to be able to sit and listen to a lecture or only read out of a book. School districts are facing some challenges in working to obtain adequate audio and video presentations for the classroom. There are several concerns; discussed here will be cost and finding proper videos and audio for use in the classroom.

          Cost is always a concern for any district. Many districts have lost money since the government isn't funding as many programs as they once did. Another concern is the implementation of the common core. Many of the books schools are currently using are outdated and need to be replaced in order for student to master these new standards. Then on top of all that, a principle has to try and order video equipment for students to record their own lessons, or audio equipment so they can tape their written papers. For some districts, these types of luxury items must stay a dream until they can purchase more essential items.  Even though these items are a necessity for the young people today, board members may feel they are an item that is not necessary and opt for the more traditional textbook upgrade. It is often difficult for the community to help a school rally for these newer technology items. Many people can’t agree on which type of items need to be purchased. They also feel that these items are not necessary and wonder why schools are wasting their money on these expensive items. Schools have to get their districts and other districts in the same area together to show people that these items are essential to the development and education of the children. I always here this saying when I take a technology class, “Many jobs that young children will be working on when they graduate from college haven’t been invented yet”. I believe this! If the United States wants to continue to be a major player in the global economy they need to invest in the education for these young people.

           The next large challenge to overcome is finding videos and audio that is acceptable for use in the classroom. Even many children’s movies are rated PG or above, and permission has to be obtained for a student to watch anything “worse than” a G rating.  Teachers will be spending exorbitantamounts of time trying to find video or audio that they can use. They also need to be careful about copyrights. Will there be a new position created in districts for a person to find and screen video and audio that can be incorporated into the new common core standards?  Most likely no, the teachers will be responsible for finding the items they want to use in their classrooms. If a great video is found, will the teacher be able to share it with others or will the districts need to look at contacting the holder of the copyright? This could cause some legal and financial concerns. It is always very intimidating wondering whether you are using a video found on line legally or if there are other things you need to take care of first, before it is shown to the class. To bypass this concern, will districts ask the teachers to create their own video or audio productions? That would help with the legal concern, but it takes us right back to the financial concerns about being able to purchase all the equipment that is necessary. Teachers could probably do a great job putting something together, but would they have enough time? If the students did the work and starred in the video, would they have to have permission from their parents before anything was posted online-or even shown in the classroom? All of these question and concerns come up over buying vs. creating your own. There are costs associated with both.  Whichever way districts choose, or maybe they will institute a combination of the two; they will need to develop rules and regulations for these new programs. Students need to have exposure to these different technologies to learn, but they must also be kept safe from others who may use these student videos in other ways.       

Instructional Technology and Media

                 Instructional technology and media are part of the “wave of the future” and for good reasons. All I hear in seminars is that students are wired differently today. This belief is based on the fact that many have technology all around them on a daily basis. They have access to the World Wide Web at home, while gaming, or even watching their favorite movies streamed via Netflix. They are bombarded with technology in many hand held devices such as iPods, iPads, tablets, and even smart phones. There are very few students who don’t have one of the devices that I mentioned. Many of them are getting these devices while they are very young. Now compare that type of world to their educational settings. Sometimes technology ends when they walk into a classroom. Many school districts can’t afford, or will not allow their students to use technology in school. That is why many believe students are not doing well in school.

          The instructional technology and media that is available to school districts and teachers seems to be endless. It is often difficult to try and look through all the options that are available to find something that will work for your classroom while also adhering to state guidelines. In our district, Mesa Public Schools, we are lucky as some of this research is done for us. We have instructional specialists who search for technology and instructional material that will meet state standards. Many teachers also supplement that by continuing to search on their own. The reason all this research is necessary is our students. Students have many different learning styles. Some can listen to a lecture and understand the information. Some can follow along while watching a video and that helps them understand. Others need a hands on approach to make the material stick. With all these different learning styles, various approaches to the lesson need to be discovered. The wonderful thing about technology is that it is right there at our fingertips. If a teacher has a lesson planned and all the students understood the material, she may want to look up some additional information to further supplement the lesson. That can be done on the fly without taking up too much class time. A teacher never knows for sure how much time the students will need to fully comprehend the material. If she thought it would take longer and had multiple ways to present the material she may want to hold off on presenting it all and move on to something that would enrich the lesson. On the other hand, if the students didn’t understand the material, having this back up of other methods would help the students even if it took several days. As a teacher, one has to have several modes of instruction planned for each lesson. Gone are the days when a teacher lectured, the students took notes, and the material was absorbed without any other method of delivery.

           Another method that could use technology would be to have students use an interactive board for a writing class. Students could use the board when editing a paragraph so they could physically move the sentences around. They would be able to change the location of sentences within the paragraph and see that the paragraph flows more smoothly. The same type of approach could be used when having the students identify parts of speech. A student may have to physically move a word into the correct category on the interactive board to show their understanding. Having the students listen to a speech by the original speaker would add to the lesson. When we were discussing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. what he stood for, why he had a holiday named for him; we discussed his famous speech. We read through the words and tried to understand what it meant to the people during that time. The students had a discussion and came up with some good ideas. Then we listened and watched the speech and it opened up a whole new discussion. Many students had never seen Dr. King in anything but a still photo and most had never heard his voice. The students noted his booming voice, the clothing worn, and the police presence-things that were not brought up in the original discussion. The impact on the class intense and the discussion went on for several days. With all the new technology and media available, students should be able to find something that works for them. The teacher is going to have to be more of a facilitator in making sure that many different modes or styles of teaching become part of all lessons.         

Benefits and Challenges of using Electronic Instructional Material and Media

         There are several ways of looking at electronic instructional material. Media that is electronically delivered can be both a positive and a negative. If the media works and does not detract from the lesson, it can be a positive. If the media stops working, takes a long while to “load”, somehow interferes with student learning or the main objectives; then it could be a negative. Electronic material and media are like any other type of instructional media; if used too frequently or without purpose students may easily get bored.

        

         Electronic media could be a problem if a school or district cannot afford the same media for everyone. If only some classrooms or teachers received the material, it may be difficult for them to work together to collaborate on lessons. Some older buildings may not be able to support the extra wiring needed for projectors or interactive boards. There may also be an issue training teachers how to use any of the electronic material. Some teachers may be set in their ways and not want to implement the newer electronic media. They may feel forced into trying to use the newer technology. If teachers don’t feel comfortable teaching in this way, they may not learn how to effectively use this material and the students may not have any enhanced learning experiences. It may actually have the reverse effect; giving the students the idea that the newer learning materials are just as “boring” as the lectures and worksheets of the past.               

         Some benefits to electronic instructional materials could be a renewed love of learning for the student and the teacher. Some students may learn better using this new method. Electronic learning would allow the student to go places that they may otherwise not be able to visit. A teacher could enhance a lesson by having the students supplement their learning by completing online research. The teacher could develop interactive lessons, computer enhancements, and even use “Clickers” to test for understanding in a different way. Getting the district to invest in some new infrastructure that will support any new enhancements is a great first step. The school could then take it to the next level and allow the teachers to collaborate on lessons and new ways to teach. Thinking outside the box and working on new ways to teach is always a benefit to the students. Whether it is with electronic or traditional methods, students always win when the teachers are working hard to present the best possible lessons. 

Visual Literacy

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         Visual literacy is the idea of creating and interpreting visual stimuli. It is more than just being able to read and write. It is the idea that a person can “read” a picture. A picture can be interpreted to help a teacher explain a topic to students. By using a visual, students get a better idea of the topic being discussed. The text identified two approaches; input and output strategies.  Input is what I discussed in the sentences above. It also includes analyzing multimedia and video programs. The output strategy uses writing to help students express themselves. It could also include the students producing their own visual presentation.  It is important to think of a student’s culture or upbringing when we teach with visuals. A student who has no background knowledge of a subject may not be able to produce a picture in their head. A student that has knowledge of the subject may be able to help the other students develop a picture or describe the topic being discussed. Many of our students do not have culturally rich backgrounds that bring a lot of life experiences to the classroom. They need the teacher and other students to help them fill in the gaps they have in their learning.

       There are several reasons a teacher would incorporate visual literacy into the eLearning environment. One reason that I mentioned above, would be if a student does not have any background knowledge of a subject. It would help them put an image with a word or description so they could understand. If the teacher was discussing a topic where the students had no point of reference, like ancient Roman togas, a picture could show this Roman style of dress. It would be easier to describe the togas from the picture then it would be to use out of date words that described the clothes. Another reason to use visual literacy would be to help motivate the students. Students would be more interested in a topic if they understood what the teacher was talking about. Students in my class have worked on a book study that featured a main character who carved a totem pole. The totem pole featured different animals to show the man’s values. None of my students knew what a totem pole was and they did not seem really interested in them. When I showed them several pictures online, they thought the poles were interesting and wanted to create one of their own. Sometimes having a detailed picture shows the students exactly what the teacher is trying to teach. Other times, a simple hand drawn example is better if students are expected to figure out how something may fit together or work. A more detailed picture may actually be more distracting in that situation. The teacher may decide what type of visuals to show, or give the student free reign to find visuals on their own. Either way, visuals enhance the students’ learning. Visuals put the same picture in students’ minds and allow the teacher to have a common place to start a lesson.

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The graphics were found on the following sites:

1. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGVVCGVRfVdAcMaSP_JLIznltQhU47So853wr8DCIOJyMbAwMgqoQ1ZvqxyRsJmW52BIeIjvXNwBY9swYkPLAO481slalWnToFRy3HqQv6SNAcMHwjApeQVJZ4fwZHRevBnlr1au5CpDA/s1600/Visual+Thinking.jpg

2. https://www.google.com/search?q=visual+literacy&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=sNTzUeayHefNigKP-IGIDA&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1517&bih=497#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=HNDy4ymuJh3ggM%3A%3BnmgU63eVhYl5nM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.learninglive.co.uk%252Fteachers%252Fprimary%252Fliteracy%252Fmaterials%252Fvisual_literacy%252Fvisual_img.gif%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.learninglive.co.uk%252Fteachers%252Fprimary%252Fliteracy%252Fmaterials%252Fvisual_literacy%252Findex.asp%3B443%3B402  

 

The Teacher in an eLearning Environment

     Typically, when I used to think of a teacher in an eLearning environment, I thought of a faceless, voiceless entity that sent feedback, and posted a grade for work submitted. My thoughts instantly went to a distance learning program because that is what I was introduced to when I started taking nontraditional classes. My first exposure was a science class that was presented through the television. I had a book to read, a program to watch on a public broadcasting station, and I needed to visit a predetermined site to take tests. The teacher was there to answer any questions that I had, but for the most part, I went through the program, following the syllabus and turning in my assignments on time. The teacher in an eLearning environment may be more of a facilitator than a traditional teacher. Teachers in this type of environment may work with their students in a synchronous setting where they have some interaction with the students. Lessons are presented, students may instant message, Skype or use other means to interact with the teacher. Some students are expected to be online at a specific time of day; the teacher is also online and delivers the lesson on the computer. Other online programs have the student working at their own pace reading, watching or interacting with the lesson; but the teacher is not present online at the same time.  I find that many online programs deliver their lessons following this asynchronous method.  Both types of online classroom settings have all the material that the students need on their student page, articles are hyperlinked, homework is attached; the teacher has all this material ready to go when the class begins. Students are able to review and reread any materials that the teacher has placed in their “classroom”. The teacher is contacted by email, phone or even face to face if the program is in the same city as the student. Teachers must be sure their lessons are well constructed and easily followed since they are often not online with the students.  In an online environment, teachers have to be available to offer timely feedback, answer questions relating to their material, and even offer technical support if a student is having issues.

Teachers in a face-to-face environment have to perform many of the same tasks as an online instructor. They need to be able to answer questions, offer feedback and in some cases offer technical support. They also have many different challenges. In the traditional environment, teachers have to deal with interruptions to their day; specials, fire drills, classroom visitors. They must be able to deliver a lesson to the entire class, even if a student is acting out, sick, or just not ready to learn. Their delivery method is real time, and usually the lesson isn’t recorded or saved somewhere so the students can review it at a different time. The students are expected to “get it” the first time it’s delivered. Remediation is often offered at lunch, after school or in correspondence with the parent. Due to the tight schedule of the school day, there isn’t a lot of down time where the teacher can stop, answer questions and reteach the lesson. Individual instruction can’t take place because there are too many students and only one teacher. Some on-on-one time may be available if the teacher has an aide or an assistant. The main difference is traditional teachers are in front of the students, in the classroom at the same time. The lessons are often more teacher lead, with students following along, or answering the questions the teacher has predetermined. Both the online and face-to-face instructors are starting to change their method of teaching. Student lead instruction is emerging as the “new way” to teach. The students are more actively involved in the lessons and with just a brief introduction expected to explore the lesson with minimal teacher involvement. Some differences between the two types of delivery methods may disappear in the future with this new style of teaching. Teaching is going in the direction where students need to discover things, develop questions on their own, and struggle. Having a teacher in front of the class delivering a long, formal, verbal presentation is a thing of the past. Students will be expected to step up and take a more active role in their own learning.

The Differences between Teacher-centered and Student-centered Instructional Strategies

The Differences between Teacher-centered and Student-centered Instructional Strategies

        Teacher centered instruction dictates that the teacher directs the learning. She may be delivering the lesson in presentation form to the whole class so everyone hears the same information all at once. The  teacher can accomplish this by giving a lecture, showing a video, or using an overhead. This method should be u when the information needs to be delivered to the entire class. This ensures that the entire class gets the same information. If the teacher needs to show the class how to process a difficult procedure; then she may use a demonstration to show the class. In an elementary school situation, the students may not be able to work with chemicals or items that may be harmful. The teacher may lead the instruction so the students will be exposed to the content of the lesson, but not be handling harmful elements. Another way a teacher may use teacher centered instruction is when a student or several students do not understand the lesson. She can take a small group and use direct instruction to re-teach the lesson using a different method. This method could include videos, a computer generated lesson, or maybe even step by step worksheets. That process ties in to another use of the teacher centered instruction, “drill and kill”. Named by students who feel like they are doing the same type of problem until they are killed by the repetition! Students often need to process a lesson a few times to make sure they understand the concept; math and spelling often use this process.

        Student centered instruction has the students at the center of the learning. A teacher may introduce a topic, but then she steps back and lets the students discuss and develop their own learning. Students are encouraged to pursue the topic and take it in different directions. A student may raise a question about the book they are reading. Instead of the teacher answering the question, the students discuss what they believe the author meant. Getting to the correct answer isn't always the goal in student centered instruction. Having the students develop communication and problem solving skills is often the goal. In implementing the new common core standards, the students need to be able to think at a higher level, problem solve and support their position by evidence found in the text. In order to develop these traits, students must be allowed to struggle and search for answers. When they get out of school, students won’t find many situations in life that come with a set of multiple choice answers. They must be able to think and determine solutions on their own.

         In the paragraphs above, different situations for the roles of the two different instructional strategies were discussed. When and how you would implement the differing strategies was developed. The main difference between teacher and student centered instructional strategies is who is at the helm, who is presenting the instruction. Teachers still need to plan and strategize on what lesson they want the students to learn, but in student centered instruction, they act more like a facilitator than a teacher. They are guiding the topic, but letting the students discover and determine where the lesson will go. Students learn by doing. Some of my most memorable lessons were when students discovered things on their own. They were much more excited when they discovered the answer and didn't need me to lead them.

Differences between Technology and Media

Differences between Technology and Media

Technology encompasses a wide array. Technology begins with the equipment that brings the computer and all its peripherals to life. One can think of the actual CPU, monitor, mouse and keyboard as the basics. Add to those pieces the web camera, projector, scanner, printer. Some may also add an interactive white board, and some classroom response systems. All of these items, used in conjunction make up a technology rich classroom. Using these components to allow students to get information at their fingertips, and store it for later use is all part of technology. All of these pieces of technology are important, but how does the information get to the student?

That’s where media comes in. The technology mentioned above is a big part of the picture, but it has to be accessible to the students. That is where the software, internet, video, audio, manipulatives and even the people come into play. Accessing the technology is what the media is used for, and that is the main difference. Technology keeps reinventing itself every few months; newer, faster, more compact desktops and laptops. Tablets are a newer member of this group, as well as the interactive white board. For the most part, technology is well defined, and just keeps improving. The software is what makes everything work, and is redone more often. It seems that one version of a software comes out and then soon after it is revised and improved. Media is what we use to run the technology.

Both media and technology have a role to play in the K-12 eLearning environment. It depends if the eLearning is done with the student completely online, only interacting with a teacher via the computer, or if eLearning is done in a traditional classroom setting with all the technological enhancements. Technology is the hardware that schools decide to purchase to give the students the most access to the digital world. Some school districts invest more heavily in computers, some like to add more of the accessories. Some feel that technology is so important, that they offer a wide variety of items from interactive white boards, to iPads for each student and Apple TV in the classroom. Media would vary from a basic use of text in reading something from a book, or online to incorporating video, and/or audio into a presentation. It would also include the use of people teaching to the whole class, or small groups, using visuals or manipulatives. An eLearning environment would be rich in both media and technology, giving the students the best chance at an education that would prepare them for their future.