Artifact 2: Technology and the 21st Century Learning Space Design

This was by far the most fun project that I worked on.  Thinking about and then designing a 21st century classroom lead me to think about how I use the classroom, but also on how I'd like to be able to use my classroom.  With 1:1 devices in my students' hands, the need to have access to chargers was a priority for my design.  After that I wanted to have a space for a green screen so that students weren't trying to record in the hallway or unsupervised in the MRC.  I also, wanted furniture that was flexible and could be moved as needed for group work, projects, or presentations.  Finally, I wanted my room to be cozy and able to meet the various movement needs of my students.  Some other great features are a printer, a pet, and couch!  Check it out:

Artifact 1: Educational Technology Leadership Slideshow

This first artifact was a report on the state of teacher needs in my district.  It points out the fact that even though we are an advantaged district with funds for technology, the need to provide teacher training in this area still exists.  Fancy tools alone don't increase student learning.  Teachers need to know how to implement tech tools within their lesson plans to engage learners and teach the standards in ways that develop critical thinking, problem solving, and collaboration.  This isn't a one and done staff development day.  It needs to be ongoing and differentiated to help teachers meet their goals and close the skills gap.  Below I've attached my slideshow pointing out this need in my school district.

Managing Educational Technology Services Reflection

This was by far my most challenging class for two reasons.  First off, hubs, firewalls, and data speed are not something that I deal with on a day to day basis.  These are the items that make me dial 9-1-1 to our tech department.  Secondly, working with a group of six busy adults, all who work at different buildings in our district, made completing a group project seem overwhelming at first.  However, as with each of these classes, the take-away has been tremendous and I felt like I really learned a lot.  I may not ever put to use the hardware side of this class, but by going through the process of developing a district-wide technology plan, I know have an even greater respect for what the coaches, technicians, and IT department do.  I had no idea what was truly involved in a technology plan.  From the teacher's perspective it seems simple; give us iPads, load them up with apps, have a parent consent form.  However, I discovered that budgeting, repairing, disposing, and providing for professional development all play key parts of a well run technology plan that prepares 21st century learners.  I was happy to discover some of the good things that our District has in place like a help desk, coaches, and hardware replacement cycle.  Moreover, I was also able to see some of the areas in need of improvement, such as: professional development, more technology coaches, the need to address the digital divide, and a better way to be sure that we are educating our students on digital citizenship as well as plagiarism and copyright laws.

Artifact 2: Walk-Through Form

Several years ago, our district participated in walk-throughs done by administration.  The focus was Depth of Knowledge, but to me they weren't really beneficial because the feedback wasn't there.  All we got to see was a spreadsheet of numbers.  This didn't tell me, as a classroom teacher, anything specific about what I could change or how to do it.  In thinking about technology use and using the 4 C's, I created a form that I feel is definitely teacher friendly and if used in conjunction with some good old-fashioned conversation, I think very powerful.  Being on the other side of a walk-through helped me to see it's value.  So I've included a link to my form.

Artifact 1: Professional Development

How do you reach educators and support staff when collectively they are at all different levels?  Where is the pre-test for that?  I think the answer to that question for staff development is - choice.  We have to give several opportunities for choice so that teachers and all others, from support staff to psychologists, can reflect on what they need and what they want, to grow.  One of the things I am most proud of is my PD day menu.  During this professional development day, I gave educators choice and a variety of learning opportunities that would help them in their classrooms right away. Take a look...

21st Century Educational Leadership Reflection

This has been my most loved class so far.  I love planning things from lesson plans to vacations - I'm your girl!  So being able to plan professional development is right up my alley.  However, the challenge of it is real.  My biggest fear in being a teacher leader is not having all the answers.  When I left education to be a stay at home mom, I really felt I was at the top of my game.  After returning to the classroom, it was quite a struggle to not only keep up but to catch up.  So much had changed.  I immediately felt as if I was behind the eight ball.  After being back for eight years now, I finally feel like I can be in the position again of a teacher leader.  Partly because I went back to school and feel more confident in technology use.

Now the challenge becomes implementing all that I have learned and helping other teachers to step on board.  I love the #observeme movement.  This is one of the first ways that I think I can help be a teacher leader.  By showing my professional colleagues that I'm open to others seeing what I'm doing in my classroom on a regular basis, I feel that I would be taking that first step towards growth for myself and others.  If I open up my room, maybe others will too.  Learning from each other is one of the most satisfying, powerful, and easiest things to do.  Teaching can be isolating, but it doesn't have to be.  I want to help us be more reflective of our teaching and I really just want some great ideas!

Also, running or even sharing at a staff meeting is another way to be a teacher leader.  The resources on emails and hosting staff meetings were very informative.  It is nice to see that principals feel that they too have staff meetings that bomb and others that are great.  There is so much to learn from them.  Often after attending a conference, we are asked to share out with colleagues.  I can now be more effective on how I do this.  Taking into account that there will be teachers and support staff at all different levels and stages.  Providing choice, making it fun, giving the chance to move or be creative.  These ideas that we try to implement in the classroom also appeal to adult learners.  Most importantly, adults don't want their time wasted.  They want to know how this "new thing" will benefit them and be allowed time to practice in a safe and non-threatening way.  This upcoming October, I'll be sharing what I learned in Defined STEM training at a faculty meeting and I'm ready!

Capstone Project

Well...let's just say that working on our Capstone Project is the ultimate in terms of the 4 C's.  We're having to use creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication in order to get this project rolling.  Probably the biggest struggle is the size of our group. We have a large class and so the natural tendency is to break into smaller groups where we can actually discuss our ideas and put a plan together.  This is similar to the class size that we're used to teaching and it also reminded me of when our grade-level teams get together for collaboration.  Anything bigger than about 6 people is difficult when the end-result is the production of something.  This will also prove to be a challenge when we're looking to coordinate a time to get together in the future to finish planning and roll it out to our District.  The help of a teacher to facilitate us was very beneficial in the first stages.  We will need a person to step into this role if we meet again as a large group.

Another difficulty in this project is the collaboration piece of it.  My group is in charge of the promotion, yet we were unable to effectively design anything because the details of the challenge had not yet been fleshed out.  We are relying on them to figure out the challenges first, so that we have accurate information to advertise.  We also came across a dilemma of a which digital tool to use.  We wanted one that we all knew, had the bells and whistles we were looking for, and yet was collaborative so we could all work on it at the same time.  We started we Piktochart and then discovered it wasn't collaborative - or at least we could figure it out.

Going forward, in order for this Capstone Project to be successful, we will definitely need to coordinate some time to work together.  We will need to effectively figure out the best time, date, and place to meet so that we can have the majority of people present.  We will have to share out our ideas and action steps with each of the sub-groups so that we can be effective in the way that we roll out our challenge and manage the results.  There is a huge risk in doing anything district-wide.  Will we be able to hit our target audience, get them to be as passionate about this as we are, and follow through on communicating the results and celebrating the accomplishments of the participators?  If it is done well, it could be a huge step in growing our capacity as a staff.  It can boost comrade and help our cohort to be seen as teacher leaders within our district.  If it is rolled our poorly it will certainly be a negative reflection on our group and seen as many other new initiatives are seen - the flavor of the day.

I feel my strengths are that of organization and communication so I know that I will do my part to organize us and communicate our tasks, goals, and follow-up plans.  I will also work hard to communicate to the other groups and will follow through any task that I'm given.  I think that one way to do this is to come up with a schedule by working backwards from our end goal.  If we create a  list of goals with deadlines and then assign who is responsible, it will help us to stay on track.  I think this was started already, so we just have to tweak it and hold each other accountable to it.  Oh and snacks are always a plus!

Here we go again...

I'm entering year two of my technology endorsement cohort and it's been an amazing journey.  When I signed up I wasn't sure what to expect and in all honesty, I just was looking for a path to a pay raise.  Now that we're close to finishing, I'm so glad that jumped on board. It's been such a great experience and I feel even closer to many of my colleagues. These classes have definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone and as a result I'm taking risks in my classroom and trying new things with my students.     The tech tools that I have learned about are only the beginning. I've taken away so much more. I feel inspired to add more PBL to my classroom, teach my students about digital citizenship through a badge system, and step up as a leader in my school on using the 4 C's. Looking forward to collaborating during these next three classes - #Lifelonglearner

Artifact 2: Making SMART goals

One of my goals for next year is to have my students keep digital portfolios.  My hopes are for students to become more involved in understanding the learning targets and teach them to set their own goals and have several opportunities to reflect on those goals and their learning plans.  Students would use their portfolios to document their goals and evidence of growth towards those goals.  They could also include showcase items.  Students would share their portfolios with their parents and hopefully be able to build upon them in the next school year.  I've included my goal setting sheet below.  Here is also the link to the reflection page that I plan to have student use to think about their preparation for tests.  By using "feedforward" conferences and having students revise and learn for mastery, I'm hoping that students will become more invested in their learning.  Reflecting on my own learning during this class, I felt that I discovered how technology can definitely enhance assessment from the ease of creating assessments and rubrics to the immediate data that technology can provide us through formative assessments. Digital portfolios are just another wonderful benefit of technology, and a great way for students to see their growth over time.

Artifact 1: Digital Badges

One of the things that I explored was the creation of digital badges and a pathway to earn them. I decided to think about communication and create three different pathways. When I reflected on the skills I wanted my students to earn, I realized that there are many components to communication, but I wanted my students to focus on safe, effective, and respectful ways to communicate when using technology. These are the badges that I came up with. I wanted them to be similar but yet different to represent the key ideas. As I used Google Draw, I became more and more comfortable with it and the power of what it could do. I will certainly continue to use it for badges and also infographics.

To collect these badges, the students needed to complete the activities for respectfully blogging, safe sharing online, and writing an effective email.  These are tasks that I want my fourth grade students to be able to do.  Here are the scaffolded activities in each pathway.  

 

Assessing and Improving Student Achievement with Technology Reflection

As with all of the classes along my journey to feeling more confident in technology and using it effectively in the classroom with my students, this class has taught me so much.  One of the greatest advantages in education, I believe, is the ability to quickly assess students so that the data provided can be acted on in a timely matter.  Technology has made this possible.  The classroom is such a dynamic place.  Teachers may be masters of the content and curriculum, but they just never know how their students will receive it, question it, use it, or understand it.  Formative assessments are now easily given and with the help of tech tools, they can be graded almost instantaneously.  What does this mean for the teacher and students?  Teachers can now use that feedback to form groups making them more flexible and fluid than ever before.  In the past, this process of grading a formative assessment meant either quickly trying to grade them while students were doing busy work, or taking them home at night which meant the data couldn't be used until the next day.  That's a whole evening of possible homework that maybe is too hard or too easy for students.  Formative assessments put an end to instruction that doesn't meet student needs.

To add to that, technology opens the doors to more personalized learning for students.  Just as teachers are able to tailor their guided group instruction to student needs, technology also provides teachers with many platforms that aid in individualized instruction.  There's no more "waiting to learn," for students.  A tech tool such as IXL or Freckle will assess students, fit activities to the needs of the particular student, provide immediate feedback, and offer examples and videos to help students who may need additional instruction.  These tools don't by any means eliminate the teacher, but when used as part of the instruction, open many doors to students with reteaching or enrichment opportunities.  It also means that students can learn for mastery.  There isn't just one path for everyone.  Some students will take longer or need different tools, but teachers have more options to meet these needs today than ever before.

And then there's the grading discussion...unfortunately, it will probably never go away because of how it's rooted in our society. But education is evolving and using performance-based assessments, rubrics, self-assessments, and portfolios just got easier with the use of technology. One of the main ways I see grading changing in my classroom for next year is bringing back the use of student portfolios.  Requiring students to better understand the learning goals, create goals for themselves and learning plans, as well as collect the evidence needed to prove that they've met those goals, puts the student in charge.  The teacher works as the coach alongside to help them reach their goals and redirect as needed.  I want to see my students as conductors in their education and not passengers.

Digital badges, learning games, and gamification also help to engage and empower our students.  As the world changes, so must education.  We are preparing students for jobs that don't even exist yet.  I want to make my students into life-long learners by letting them see that learning is fun.  Teaching content through games and having students practice in a way that is entertaining and rewarding keeps them wanting more.  Our students today have just begun their learning journey.  Let's make it a positive one that meets every kid where they are and opens the doors of possibility.

Artifact 2: Professional Development

This last assignment was one of the more challenging ones.  It made me pause and really consider the frustrations I have experienced with "one-size fits all" type sessions that have seemed a waist of my time. Also, to plan a PBL experience for adults while teaching them about it was involved, and I can now appreciate more the hard work that goes into the planning and preparation of our staff development days by district committee teams and coaches.  This also helped me to see that by teaching someone else how to do something, you really learn it better yourself.  I feel like after doing this assignment, that the the concept of PBL and the integral parts to planning and implementing it are within my field of competencies.  So I carry back to my class the strategy of having my students be teachers in effective ways.  They will concrete their own learning and others will benefit from their guidance.  It's a win - win all around!  Also, I will be doing the PBL I designed and can't wait to integrate even more PBL this year!

Link to Professional Development 

Artifact 1: Flipped Classroom

I choose to include this infographic with an embedded screencast, because I learned so much from creating it, and also because I can see creating more of these for use in my 4th grade classroom.  In order to create this, I used the Piktochart application which I had never used before.  It is an amazing tool for creating infographics.  I decided to use it because I had read somewhere that you could insert videos and I thought- what a great way to combine the use of an anchor chart by making infographic and a screencast.  What a perfect flipped tool!  This has inspired me to create more and really try to use some flipped learning in my math class. Next year I can envision having students read the infographic and watch the screencast as homework.  I will take the time to teach them how to take  structured notes so that they are accountable for doing it and then I will be able to more effectively use class time to help students. The switch for me from being the sage on the stage to a guide on the journey will be refreshing and hopefully impactful to my students and their learning.

My Flipped Learning Anchor Chart with Screencast

Effective Technology Integration into Lessons and Curriculum Reflection

Through this class I have stretched myself and learned many new things.  Understanding the different philosophies behind technology integration was key and really helped me to confirm as an educator that just using tech in your classroom isn't enough.  We must be deliberate and thoughtful about when and how we use it so that students are learning content, along with technology skills and critical thinking and problem solving skills in order to be effective in this ever changing 21st century.  Preparing student for jobs and careers that don't even exist yet can be an overwhelming task, but knowing that I am empowering my students to be life-long learners with the skills to read critically, think deeply, collaborate, and communicate effectively with technology helps me to know that they will be successful.

One of the ways that I will continue to learn is through the Applied Google Skills.  I had no idea that this existed.  In this class we tackled one, but now I know a place I can go to for ideas for my students, and also just to learn new tech skills for myself.  I even think that these applied skills lend themselves to professional development use.  What a great find!

I also really began to understand what flipped learning is and how I could see myself using it in my own classroom.  Before this class, I really thought it could only be used and effective at the middle school level and above.  But when thinking about math class in particular, I really like the idea of having videos that students can access outside of school for learning and review.  I think parents alike will appreciate this too, so I'm making it a goal of mine to try it out next year.  Seeing others' videos and screencasts from this class were inspiring and having to make one of my own, got me over the fear of hearing my own voice.

Exploring The Grid Method

          I decided to explore The Grid Method since I was unfamiliar with it.  I visited the resource website and watched the video of the Spanish teacher who has tried it in her classroom.  The Grid Method website states that it is student centered, competency based, and allows students to learn at their own pace.  The teacher's role is that of facilitator and guide.
         As I watched the video, I found that the grid method, at least how this teacher was doing it, was just a way to organize the assignments for a specific class.  Basically, the teacher sets up a table or grid with the assignments that students should work through.  Her grid had dates and links to videos, slideshows, online quizzes, and tests.
        The pros included that students could work at their own pace and had check in points to see how they were doing such as quizzes.  They could wait until they felt they had mastered the vocabulary or grammar skills before they took the test.  I think this is highly motivating for your conscientious and advanced students.  There is no more waiting to learn.   The cons, however, are that students could get behind if they do not use their time wisely and in this particular class, the activities did seem very worksheet orientated with no chance for oral practice.  Because students are working through content at their own pace, class discussions and group projects were not included which I think are essential.  To me this seemed like an online class and better suited for junior high students and older.
             With that being said, I do find value in possibly using this method in my classroom for certain subjects.  As this Spanish teacher stated, it is more difficult to use with content such as Social Studies because there can be more than one right answer, so I think this method lends itself to subjects like math and vocabulary.  I can definitely see the value of implementing The Grid Method for math where there is flipped learning happening.  In my fourth grade classroom, we have daily math homework, so I could see assigning students a video to watch and take notes on and then setting up a grid with assignments to work through for the unit.   During class, I would work as a facilitator to help students with concepts and check in to answer any questions. If I set it up with self-grading formative assessments, students would get immediate feedback and know whether they needed to review or move on.
               I would definitely like to try this for a unit in math and see how it goes.  My only hesitation is the responsibility that it takes.  Some fourth grade students simply lack the maturity to manage their time effectively.  I will have to know who these students are and monitor them closely to make sure they don't get behind.

Citations

Settanni, Sarah, director. How to Use the Grid Method in Your Classroom. Mr. & Mrs. Social Studies, Youtube, 11 Nov. 2018, youtu.be/p4kTquq9g5k.

“What Is the Grid Method?” Teach Better, teachbetter.com.

Artifact 2: Book Trailer

Creating a book trailer was my favorite assignment from this class.  I love making video slideshows of family pictures and am very familiar with iMovie.  However, I never thought of using it to create a book trailer.  I created a trailer of a book I was going to use as a read aloud in my classroom.  I played it for my students and they couldn't wait for me to start reading the book.  It was a great way to get them hooked.  In a couple of weeks, my students are going to create their own book trailers for a book they read.  Then I'll be creating QR codes so they can easily see their classmates trailers as well.  The kids are so excited, I know some of them are already secretly creating trailers because they just can't wait to use this fun technology.

Lifeboat 12

Artifact 1: Creating a Screencast

Creating a screencast was the most intimidating aspect of this class.  However, it really wasn't that hard.  Yes, I had to try it a couple of times, and yes I still find things that could be better about it, but I'm super proud that I did it and now I'm inspired to make more.  One way I plan on using this technology in the future is to show students who are absent from class how to do their assignment at home or as a tutorial for parents who want to help their child at home.  Both of these would be a powerful way to use screencasts in the classroom.  The one I created was to show parents how to log onto Seesaw.  Next year, I will post this to my newsletter so that parents have a resource in case they don't know how to get started.  I also think having students make screencasts for their First Grade buddies on how to do use a certain application would make them feel so good.  Here's mine!

Multimedia Tools in Education Reflection

This class really challenged me to try out some technology tools I had never used before or even thought about using in the classroom.  Podcasts and screencasts always seemed very intimidating to me and something I always thought only others did.  Learning how to create them so that I can use them to enhance my students' learning was mind opening.  Now I am thinking about a million different ways I can utilize screencasts to support student learning and even assist the parents of my students.  I also think having students create them would be a great way for them to teach each other - once again showing what they know.

I also found great power in learning about audio recordings in the classroom.  Understanding the research behind students listening to books and the great vocabulary, complex story plots, and fluent reading they're exposed to when putting on the headphones, made me feel better about letting and even encouraging my students to listen to books.  In fact, it reminded me to encourage my reluctant readers to give it a try.  One student was so proud of the fact that he finished a book that he came in with a big smile on his face and couldn't wait to check out another Play-away from our MRC.

Finally, I enjoyed the chance to explore graphic design tools.  I had never used Google Draw before and trying it out gave me another tool that I can now use to make classroom posters, flyers, and art for websites and student handouts.  Plus, I can see the value of teaching my students to use it as well.  Students love to use technology and seeing the wonderful pictures they can make using it, only encourages them and helps keep them engaged.  For those who find drawing with paper and pencil to be difficult, using graphic design tools opens up a whole new window of opportunity to be creative and proud of their work.  My goal is to continue to create more of my own original artwork for classroom posters and learn how to print them on our poster printer.  That way, I can tailor them to my students and what our classroom community needs.

Incorporating Graphic Design in the Classroom

Being able to create graphics using tech tools today is comparable to being able to color inside the lines back when I was a kid. It's a skill students need to have in this digital age.  Thank goodness it's a fun one for most kids and thanks to all the evolving tech tools available, it's getting easier and easier to do in the classroom.  I love creating things that are visually pleasing but it does take time.  I would certainly like to create and share more graphics with my students since having key visuals really does help, but more importantly giving them the tools and time to create their own is crucial.  By having students create their own graphic designs around their learning, we're supporting them as they learn in different ways.  This not only appeals to our creative and visual learners, but to all learners.

As a society, we're expected to absorb and react to information at a neck-breaking pace.  Visuals allow us to do that.  That's why the saying, "a picture tells a thousand words," is so true.  Having a visual helps us have an anchor for our knowledge and a way to organize and retrieve it from our brain.  So as we're looking to support the learners in our classroom, having common visuals to refer to, or asking students to make their own, is definitely one way to help our students cement their knowledge.

Myself and another teacher co-sponsor our school's student council.  We host school events throughout the year, and advertising for them is a big part of that.  I made the image on the left in Pages for a parent flyer for our STEAM night.  We needed a logo that wasn't copyrighted and we wanted it to be uniquely ours.  What's funny is that I made this, and then a student made a hand drawing.  Neither one of us had seen the each other's work.  Look at how similar they are! Teaching our student council members some of these tech tools for graphic design seems like our next activity!  We certainly have some very creative and talented students who would love to learn how to make cool graphics.  Student Council ended up using both of these on posters and thank you notes.  Isn't there just something about kids' drawings that make them so endearing?

My graphic design

Student's Beautiful Artwork

Artifact 2: Using Padlet to Collaborate

The most favorite and most challenging collaborative activity was Classroom Connection assignment.  In this assignment, I chose to work with a teacher friend of mine from awhile ago.  We paired up our fourth and first grade classes to learn about Keystone Species.  My fourth graders worked on researching and writing about different animals that were keystone species and the first graders asked questions about them.  The last step was to have my fourth graders reply back to the first graders with a video response.  The kids really loved sharing their learning and becoming the experts on the animals and ecosystems.  Knowing that first graders would be looking at their art, asking questions, and then listening to their video responses provided an authentic audience for my students.  It encouraged them to do their best work and really take pride in it.  Here's the link to the Padlet we used: https://padlet.com/ringstrup/n2ca3vfxrj6n

In reflecting on this activity, I think I might use Flipgrid next time because of the ease of the video feature, but I like how the first graders were able to post their questions in response to the fourth graders' artwork of their animal.  This was my first try at connecting with another class outside of my own school.  It was a little intimidating at first, but now that I've tried it, I can see so many other ways to use this kind of connection to bring learning to life for my students.  This first grade class was similar to the students that I teach other than their age.  I would love to connect with a class in another country or socioeconomic status to help my students also gain empathy as well as knowledge about other cultures.

Artifact 1: Collaboration using Google Slides

One of the collaborative activities I plan to do with my students is based on the nonfiction reading we did during our guided reading groups.  Students read about the transcontinental railroad and other engineering accomplishments such as the Erie Canal and the Hoover Dam.  Our essential question being: What are the effects of technology on people and the environment?  This activity would require students to work together to evaluate American engineering marvels and choose one to create a slideshow presentation on.  Students would then have a chance to vote on the engineering marvels for a special display in the Museum of Science and Industry.    
                                         https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zwsSawtKkLzRTm-  
                                         u992VaQVuG48xXJTiNBWD3wnwJ7Y/edit?usp=sharing

I can't wait to do this with my students because it requires them to think deeply about the reading that they have already done and then go back to research more.  Then as a group they must evaluate and decide together to support one engineering marvel as the best.  This requires them to find support for their opinion and be persuasive.  The discussions will be rich and meaningful and the collaborative nature of this activity will be highly engaging for students.  

Collaborative Web Tools in Education Class Reflection

            My journey continues and this time leading me even further outside my classroom's physical walls.  Learning about collaborative technology tools has allowed me to see how it's now possible for my students to easily collaborate with each other.  I have always been a teacher who worked to design projects and learning where students could work together because collaborating brings so many advantages to the classroom: discussing, deeper thinking, sharing, cooperating, decision making, and evaluating.  In the past, this always had to be done face-to-face.  Now students can use tools like Google Suites to collaborate with each other and even with students in other classrooms.  Real-time internet based applications let students see each others' work, chat ideas, and work together at any time and anywhere.  This is mind blowing and opens the doors to so many possibilities!  Taking this class allowed me to learn about new tools to do this effectively and gave me the chance to apply them in my classroom.  I have learned some of the great applications of these tools and also some of their limits.  As I've tried them in my classroom, I've also learned better ways to manage the use of these tools and leverage them for the best and most efficient learning opportunities.