All Things Hawaiian

FINAL BLOG REFLECTION -Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology

2011-08-15T09:42:00.000-07:00

Reflect on your Personal Theory of Learning you developed in Week 1. Summarize any modifications to your personal theory of learning you have made as a result of your learning in this course. How has this course deepened your knowledge and understanding of learning theory and the use of educational technologies?
- In reflecting on my personal Theory of Learning I developed in week 1 I realize that initially my understanding of constructivism and constructionism was a bit skewed. I say this because in connection to using technology as a learning tool I really was not using it in that way. I was primarily using technology in my classroom as a teaching/instructional tool. So I have learned that the best way to teach technology and to use it as a learning tool is to get the technology in the hands of my students. The Hawaiian Proverb that comes to mind is, "Ma ka hana ka ʻike", which means, ʻThere is learning in doing." So I have come to learn that I need to balance my teaching of technology so that my students will have experiences using it and not just watching me use it.
Describe any immediate adjustments you will make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration as a result of your learning in this course. Identify two technology tools you would like to use with your students and how the tools will support or enhance your students' learning. How has your repertoire of instructional skills expanded as a result of this course?
-I will be adjusting my instructional practices by incorporating more ways for students to use the technology. Two technology tools I would like to use with my students are the VoiceThread and PowerPoint. I think that these two tools will support and enhance my students learning because it involves putting together pictures and words to formulate ideas and put it in a medium that can be saved and reviewed later. I would most definitely say that my repertoire of instructional practices have expanded as a result of this course because I have been exposed new and different technology tools that I can implement in the classroom having had the experience to use them in this course. I also got a lot from my fellow classmates different ideas on how to use the technology tools taught in this course for Units, student reports and class projects.
List two long-term goal changes you would like to make to your instructional practice regarding technology integration and outline a strategy for achieving them.
-Long-term goal changes:
1. Provide more student-centered learning.
The way that I can make my instructional practices more student centered is to scaffold and build upon what my students already know about technology and taking from there. I also, would like to incorporate more of the arts so that students can use their creativity and apply it to their learning and grasping of new concepts.
2. Integrate technology in all the subject areas I teach.
I intend on doing end of the unit projects that require my students to use technology as a medium for showing me what they have learned, know, understand and can do.

Voice Thread- "My Classroom"

2011-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

Here is my go at doing a Voice Thread showing different aspects of my classroom. Please take a look at my voice thread and leave me your comments.

Mahalo.

http://voicethread.com/share/2164627/

The Social Learning Theory

2011-07-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

I am of the belief that social learning is the primary way people construct meaning. If you think about it every bit of information we know to be true had to have been validated by someone or some kind of resource. Also, going back to Dr. Michael Orey teachings on what learning means, he has said, that learning is, "Making connections and strengthening them." Given what Dr. Orey has defined learning as, the Social Theory aligns with the idea of making connections because it is based on social networking that is engaging in collaborative or cooperative learning. As the saying goes, "It takes a village/community to raise a child". Dr. Orey shared this week about the "Jigsaw Strategy" where students are group based on mixed ability levels to complete an assignment together were the responsibility for learning and understanding the material is a collective affair. Looking at the Social Learning Based Technology tools previewed this week open doors for learning in a new ways with edublogs, voicethread, facebook, google docs, and others. All the things that I am learning have up until this week has continually reinforce my drive to incorporate technology as much as I can in my classroom. But one of the challenges that I am having is with FERPA. FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act this along with other policies and regulations coming form my Department of Education limits information that can be used. I am learning that there is a lot of red tape when it comes to posting your thoughts online as a teacher on facebook or using a class blog although there is a lot of good that can come out of it there is also things that can go bad and my Department of Educations is really sensitive about posting student work online with pictures, names and information. I am trying to learn more about what things are DOE approved and trying to call the office that handles technology in our district, but I have not yet acquired the answers I seek. Overall, my belief stands that the Social Theory is the primary way we construct meaning.

Week 4: REFLECTION ON CONTRUCTIONISM & CONSTRUCTIVISM

2011-07-25T04:09:00.000-07:00

I learned a lot this week about constructivism and constructionism. I learned new ways of using technology as a medium for building ideas and publishing work. I have been doing research on various technology tools to learn more about how I might be able to use it in my classroom and found that there are so many possibilities. I am about to start my second year of teaching and I have so many things that I want to do with the things that I have learned thus far. I plan on using a blog for my class as a tool to communicate with my students and parents. I also would like to start a newsletter produced by my students to publish their work and share what they have learned. I also would like to collect a bank of interactive links that my students can use in class and at home to get practice on math skills, typing, games that are fun and build their academic skills. Dr. Orey has helped me to see that students need more then just paper and pencil worksheet assignments to learn and make their learning meaningful for them. I also just found that my Department of Education has a way teachers to create a website using the DOE server here at this link: http://nssb.k12.hi.us/webpage.htm. It has guides and the steps to set it up. So, I have a lot of homework to do before school starts to try and get this going to use with my students and parents.

Constructivism and Constructionism

2011-07-21T12:01:00.001-07:00

In considering the types of learning experiences described in this week's resources from the learner's perspective and the instructor's perspective I have come to an understanding that these approaches have transformed the roles and responsibilities of the teacher and students. To understand the transformation of roles and responsibility of teachers and students, it is crucial to understand two words defined by Dr. Michael Orey, "Constructivism" and "Constructionism". According to Dr. Michael Orey, "constructivism", is a theory of knowledge stating that each individual actively constructs his/her own meaning" and "constructionism", is when students are engaged in learning and the the process of creating an artifact. In reflecting on my learning this week I realize that my role is to allow for students to create and build things cognitively and physically. A quote that my Art Professor in college said once was comes to mind, "Creating is part of the Human Nature and how we gain meaning in this life." I feel that my role as a teacher is to give students the tools to create and to build. We as teachers must learn to step back at times and allow our students to make their ideas come to a reality. With this idea of trial and error as Mrs. Donovan mentioned in the video resource that her students go through this process in order to figure out how to construct something the way they want it. In any case creating something new does take time and effort. In the video one of Mrs. Donovan's students commented that it took her several times to get her text to take on the shape of a gumdrop and that she got frustrated at one point. But she also mentioned how her teacher Mrs. Donovan helped her and taught her how to use the different fonts, spacing and the changing of font size and color to manipulate the text in to the shape she wanted (Laureate Education, Inc., 2010). I interpret Constructionism and Constructivism to be powered by the right hemisphere of our brains. Being an Art Major I love to incorporate art and opportunities for my students to create with their hands. The only thing that can be challenging is knowing how much time is needed for such projects and really understanding what tools and materials will be needed. Time is a challenge. Time, has always been somewhat of an ordeal or conflict for me as a teacher as well as a student. It takes me a while to formulate my ideas the way I want them. Hence, taking me a lot longer than most to construct my ideas. So what is my point? My point is we teachers need to take into account processing time. So as teachers we must always take into account not to lead them to everything but to steer them in the right direction and allow them to figure things out and find their way. When we as teacher give them opportunities to prove to us and themselves what they can do, that can be such a rewarding experience. Creating and building is all about taking ownership of something and that is when learning is meaningful to our students. So technology tools that can assist this type of learning that were shared this week that I liked and some that I use in my classroom are:
1.http://voicethread.com/#u314.b409.i848804
This is a way of collaborating online. I am not sure how I will use this in my class yet. But I know I can use this with my colleagues.
2.http://www.zunal.com/
This is a site that I came across when browsing and learning more about webquest. This is free and easy to use because you don't have to deal with html codes. I will try to play around with this and create my own webquest to use this up coming year. Webquest are, A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners' time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners' thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis and evaluation. (http://edweb.sdsu.edu/WebQuest/overview.htm)
3.http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/online_project_based/
This is a great resource for teachers. There is a fee if you really want to take advantage of everything it has to offer. But I think I will subscribe because a lot of what I previewed are things that I can use.
4. Power Point
Dr. Orey talked about power points and as a teacher I use them to teach mini-lessons but I think it would be fun for my students to create a power point on their own as he suggested, I just don't know if it is age appropriate for grades K-1. This question has led me to another question, "What technology tools are age appropriate for K-1?". I think I might have my students do new vocab powerpoints that explain the meaning of the word, how it is used, what it looks like? and so forth.

All of the sites that I have mentioned right above are useful sights that can be used to construct ideas and address constructivism and constructionism. In any case with technology there are different applications for these technology tools and really it requires time on these sites and playing with it to see how it can work for you.

-Kawehi Kammerer

References:
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2009). Program number 5: Cognitive learning theories [DVD]. Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology. Baltimore, MD: Author. (2005). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

WEEK 3: Cognitive Learning Theories

2011-07-17T13:40:00.000-07:00

So here is my concept map for teaching "What is a character?"

https://grapholite.com/Viewer?fileid=3755

This week I am learning about how we all think and how we recall information that is taught to us. I learned this week that concepts maps are tools that help us to remember information better because it is organized graphically as a visual aid. Dr. Michael Orey of the University of Georgia explained, that in order to get sensory input to short term/ working memory to our long term memory we need to use concept maps. According to Paivios, "Dual Coding Hypothesis, which is the idea that images are remembered better than text."

Please take a look at my concept map and leave me a comment.

MAHALO!

Old School vs. New School

2011-07-11T03:17:00.000-07:00

Kawehi-

When reading your post, a couple of things came to mind. First, I agree totally that there are just some things that require drill and practice. Multiplication facts are an example of this. In third grade here in Arizona, we teach what multiplication means (groups of) but knowing the facts is a necessity has students get older.

The other thing that came to mind when reading your post about the combination of 'old school' and 'new school' is the idea of standardized tests. Do you ever wonder if we are testing kids by 'old school' standards, but are teaching them by new world standards?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I do think about the 'old school' and 'new school' often. I think that new teachers are the minority in schools, especially with all the budget cuts and tenured teachers being protected by the union. Here is a link to a pdf with information on Idaho's "Students Come First Plan", www.standwithluna.org/uploads/1/7/4/2/1742616/factsheet.pdf According to this source, "States across the country are working on laws to eliminate, and phase out or reform tenure. Colorado, Delaware and Rhode Island have already approved legislation that will tie a teacher’s tenure to performance..These states recognize that tenure may have been a rite of passage in the past, but it now serves as an obstacle to improving schools." So to connect this to your question, my thoughts are that we are teaching students that require us to think in terms of the times. What worked yesterday may not work today. We must always be reflective in our practices and know that to improve our teaching practices to meet the needs of students we need to reevaluate them and check if everything is still working right. Just like a car you have to take preventative actions by servicing your car regularly. If something is wrong you can address it before it get out of control or so bad you have to replace the whole thing. So just like we now fix new cars by taking a diagnostic we need to really figure out which parts needs fixing, or if it is really bad then we might just need to get a new car. Sorry to talk in analogy but that's how my mind works. I can't say that we are all teaching new world standards but there are a few of us and we are still testing kids by 'old school standards'. Until we figure out how to fix the areas that need fixing will be driving a car that may not be performing correctly.

WEEK 2: Behaviorism, Education and Technology

2011-07-07T09:07:00.001-07:00

EVERYONE: Initial Post
   *Do drill and practice, remediation, and traditional tutorial programs have a place in today’s classroom?
-I feel that drill and practice, remediation and traditional tutorial programs do have a place in today's classroom. If you think about sports, athletes are put through drill and practice to perform on game day. Remediation to specifically target desired skills that need addressing. Traditional tutorial are like sports clinic. So, does all of this transfer into the classroom. Well according to B.F. Skinner operant conditioning is the method of reinforcing the desired behavior. I as a teacher do this on a daily basis. I try to reinforce good behaviors in my class by giving stars, stamps, happy faces, prizes, stickers,...etc. Students do respond to it. Traditional ways of teaching using drill and practice have in fact worked because I am a product of it. All those many flash cards, memorization of facts, and recalling information. My thoughts, though are that it should not be the primary way of teaching. I think that a lot of seasoned teachers are from the age of drill and practice who have difficulty deviating from traditional practices they are so accustomed to. I feel that our schools run drill and practice methods especially with testing being the drive and focus for determining the effectiveness of our schools. So in my estimations in order for schools to exceed the testing expectations it must go beyond just drill and practice and incorporate the a balance use of the right hemisphere of the brain. To balance the drill and practice with fun and creative is to allow students to enjoy learning instead of dreading it or to lack in structure.
    *Are there instructional situations when behaviorist technology applications are appropriate and effective?
-Yes, I do believe there are instructional situations when behaviorist technology applications are appropriate and effective. Some examples are:
1. interactive flashcards.
2. modeling how students can utilize online math games.
3. Power Points with trivia questions that have smiley faces for the correct answer.
4. Using computer time as a reward.
5. Online tutorials to demonstrate step by step instructions.
    *Given what we know about the evolving understanding of how people learn, is there still a place or behaviorist learning theory in today’s classroom and instructional technology? If so, how is it best incorporated? If not, why not?
-All of my responses up to this questions supports that idea that given what is known about the evolving understanding of how people learn the behaviorist learning theory is still applicable in today's classrooms and instructional technology. The relevancy of the behaviorist learning theory in today's classrooms and instructional technology is how well we teachers infuse the old school with the new school. The idea of if it is not broken then don't fix it can be viewed as outdated. In today's world what was new can go old real fast. So in an ever changing world I feel it is important to remember and to hold to traditions that work but to also stay abreast on what is new and try to make connections with the old and the new.

-Kawehi Kammerer

WEEK 7: GOALS & REFLECTION

2011-06-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

WEEK 7: Final Posting Continued...

Set two long-term goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?
Refer to your checklist from Week 1. Have any of your answers changed after completing this course?

GOAL 1: LACK OF FUNDING FOR TECHNOLOGY-Get funding to set-up my class with the right technology to enhance student learning and my teaching practices by researching grant opportunities. (I just found this link provided by a teacher of possible grants for technology http://www.teacherscount.org/teacher/grants.shtml#pdscitech) GOAL 2: TECHNOLOGY FOREIGNERS-I can share what I have learned with other teachers and how it can benefit them by sending them my blog link. I also am thinking about teaching a technology class in the community.
In my teaching practices I feel that I have addressed the following often in my classroom:

-Model reflective practices and engage students in activities that promote
self-reflection and self-examination of their own learning
-Provide students with multiple and varied opportunities for using technology
tools and resources to support the learning
-Provide students with opportunities for sharing and presenting information in
multiple ways, with a choice of medium (text, multi-media, graphics, etc.)
-Work to promote best practices in technology integration by researching,
evaluating, selecting and sharing new tools for classroom instruction
-Participate in developing a vision for technology integration and
communicate the reasons for using technology across curricular areas
-Promote the development of leadership and technology skills in my students
and colleagues
-Model appropriate integration practices by designing a technology-rich
classroom environment in which technology tools support student-centered
instructional practices
-Seek out other professionals, both at my school site and in the larger global
community, with whom I share best practices and build

WEEK 7: Final Posting

2011-06-20T09:53:00.000-07:00

In Week 7 I have been asked to address the following questions:

In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?
In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?
In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?
In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?

As a professional teacher this course has helped me to develop a better understanding of how to use technology in the classroom and develop skills needed to implement new things such as podcasting in my classroom. I think the one thing that has influenced me greatly is gaining the understanding that using technology is a learning process. I know now that the important thing is that I am exposing my students to ways that they can use technology to enhance my student learning and my own teaching practices.
The ways in which I have deepened my knowledge of the teaching and learning process of using technology is by having the courage to try new things. I think because technology is advancing so rapidly for example now we have the ipad 2 it is critical that I as teacher stay fresh on the new technology that is being developed. This does not mean I or we as teachers have to go and buy everything that is new that comes out, but to read blogs, reviews, view podcast, youtube, and other resources to know what is out there and how these technological tools can enhance our teaching practices.
Essentially I have come to better understand that Technology can not replace us as teachers but has indeed change our roles as teachers. Now that I know NETS standards and P21 or the 21st Century Skills that my students need I can apply what I have learned in this course to meet these standards and provide students with the skills they will need for tomorrow.
The ways in which I can continue to expand my knowledge of learning, teaching, leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement is to collaborate more with other teachers that are using different technology tools in their classrooms such as those that are in this course and continue to view and share each others blogs on trying new technology tools addressing pros and cons. Also, subscribe to technology blogs to help me keep in the loop on technology that can be useful to me in the classroom. The primary goal that I have is to understanding that my expansion of knowledge will be sometimes learning along side with my students as well as even learning from them. If I can be open to the new possibilities and manage keeping students safe and give them the know how to use new things responsibly then I feel that I can increase student success in my classroom because I will be providing them the opportunity to express themselves using technology and preparing them for the future.

One quote that I think sums up my thoughts comes from a Maori proverb that says, "Focus on my strengths and my weaknesses will disappear" This proverb can be viewed in light of our students. If we as teachers focus on the strengths of our students and reinforce their strengths then they will overcome their weaknesses. They are digital learners so as teachers we need to validate what our students know and reinforce it. MAHALO DR. KRAUSS! I will do my best to apply what I have learned in this course throughout my life not only as a teacher;)

Check out these sites for more information on NETS Standards (National Educational Technology Standards)
and P21 (Partnerships for the 21st Century)

1. http://www.iste.org/standards.aspx
2.http://www.p21.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=254&Itemid=120

WEEK 5: Student's Today

2011-06-11T15:57:00.001-07:00

Here is my first ever podcast on technology usage on kids age 1-6. Check it out and leave a comment.

http://kawehi2011.podbean.com/2011/06/11/technology-usage-of-kids-age-1-6/

Living in the 21st Century I I

2011-05-31T03:40:00.000-07:00

For Week 4 Application I have been asked to review the website: Partnerships for the 21st Century Skills. In reviewing and navigating through the site I felt as though this was the evidence I needed to show my collegues the whole spectrum of preparing our student for the 21st century and what it actually means. My favorite thing is the diagram that graphically lays out what the 21st Century skils looks like in an overall educational perspective. The one aspect that I liked most reading about was the Life Skills aspect the first point was on Flexibility and Adaptability. It is so vital that students of tis day and age realize the need to be flexible and adaptable because the world of teachnology is ever changing rapidly. If there is one thing my students need to know is basic essential skills to search out what is new and be able to read about it, view in video form, talk about it, and pick it up quickly so they stay fresh on what is out there and up and coming.

Blogging

2011-05-12T03:05:00.000-07:00

I am doing my Masters in the Science of Education with an emphasis on Integrating technology in the classroom. I am currently learning about blogging. I have kind of already taken a course in technology in my undergraduate work that taught me how to blog. But in this course we will be covering more than just blogging. So anyways my assignment is to:
1. Spend some time playing with your blog space to see what is possible and familiarize yourself with the features available. Consider what types of activities that you could use your blog for that are specific to the subject and grade level that you currently teach.
2. Post an idea for how you might use a blog in your classroom. What purpose would the blog serve? Is it a place for students to interact about content? Is it a showcase for their work? Is it a place to share learning with the larger community? How does using a blog enhance the lesson? Include your grade level, content area, and your rationale as to why a blog is a good tool for the instructional context.
In thinking about the task I have been given I feel a blog is a place to showcase your thoughts and express yourself. I would use it primarily as a tool to communicate with parents and to showcase students work or things that my students are learning or have done. I would almost treat it as a Newsletter. As far as instructional context I can easily assign homework and have students go to the blog to access links that I have set up for them to practice addition on a math link or have the list o vocab words that my students will be responsible for writing and using in a sentence for Language Arts homework. There is so many things I can do. In doing this assignment I have really got myself to really see endless possibilities of what I can do to enhance my teaching practices.
Here is a link to a blog I commented on...this is one of my classmates blog:http://kheinemann.edublogs.org/2011/05/10/blogs-in-the-classroom/comment-page-1/#comment-6

Kolohe Kai

2010-03-04T01:38:00.000-08:00

So I've been told that Kolohe Kai are Castle High School students...anybody know if that's true or false? N-e ways dey get some mean songs...listen to dem and sample their jams...if you like dem as much as I do den support local music and buy their CD.

So long time to wala'au

2010-03-04T00:52:00.001-08:00

My son and I kayaking in Kahana. My new hobby and weight loss program. So much fun!! Hopefully I get the results I'm looking for.

2009-12-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

"Sister Wallace

Texas Houston East Mission

Provo Missionary Training Center

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604"

Why aren't there enough Hawaiian Immersion Teachers?

2008-02-08T01:23:00.000-08:00

Well first think about the teacher shortage in regular education, now think of the Hawaiian Immersion Program, the teacher shortage in Hawaiian Immersion is worst. Hawaiian Immersion teachers are rare and hard to find. It is very difficult to get people interested in Hawaiian Studies because people don't see Hawaiian Studies as something that will get them a prominent job. Most people that live here in Hawai'i go into areas that will help them in the field of tourism. Basically most people don't find Hawaiian Studies and Hawaiian language attractive and practical in pursuing a sustainable career.

Why I chose to be in Education?

2008-02-04T11:35:00.000-08:00

I have the desire to be an educator because there is a great teacher shortage. I want to be a Hawaiian Immersion Program teacher. The Hawaiian Immersion program is setup for students of any race here in Hawai'i to be immerse in learning the Hawaiian Language. Instruction in the class is taught in Hawaiian. The purpose of this program is to help revive and perpetuate the Hawaiian language. In 1896, the Hawaiian language was banned from schools causing a major decline in the Hawaiian culture and language. I want to help in the preservation of the Hawaiian language because I feel that it is vital for the Hawaiian people and as a Hawaiian I feel that it is my kuleana or responsibility to do my part in preserving our language.