Educational Technology

CEP 822 Intro Post

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:53:00 -0700

Hello! My name is Lisa Myers. I live in Traverse City, MI and have taught second grade for the last four years at Central Grade Elementary School. A little over a year ago my husband-to-be and I eloped in Fiji. We just built a house, so when I’m not teaching or working on class assignments I am busy with house projects. In my free time I love to enjoy the beauty of Northern Michigan summers by biking, SUPing, or lounging in my hammock with a good book. I also love to travel! I am very excited to be completing the MATC program with this course.

In the first clip, The First Day, I was reminded of the first day of school and the importance of setting the standard from the moment students enter the classroom. A first impression is very important. Mr. Prezbo was not assertive and trusted that the kids would go to their assigned desk. Unfortunately this did not happen. Chaos ensued as he passed out bus passes to the wrong students and got even worse as the students exited the classroom without listening. I think this is a good reminder of the importance of understanding the demographic and culture of students you are teaching. Mr. Prezbo took for granted a simple thing such as having students go to an assigned desk. Possibly with some communication with colleagues about these students Mr. Prezbo would have been better prepared on how best to communicate with them so he could have potentially avoided that mess and gave a better first impression. When Mr. Prezbo told Randy to just take a hall pass it was clear he did not understand these students. Randy took Mr. Prezbo’s trust for granted and stole a whole stack of hall passes.

In the next clip, Detention and After-School Bonding, it still appeared that Mr. Prezbo did not have a good handle of these students. He was making exceptions for students in detention and allowed all of them to leave “just this one time” when the students started listing reasons for needing to leave. It does seem like Mr. Prezbo is starting to try to get to know the students on a personal level when he was talking to a couple of the boys outside of school. I’m wondering if this will work in his favor or if the students will take advantage of him. Based on what a few students shared about their home life it seems that they face many troubles and really need to think about survival.

In the fourth clip, Sharing a Happy Moment, it seems that Mr. Prezbo is finally starting to understand the students and learns that the way he will reach these students is by connecting content to their life. When he discovered their interest in poker and gambling he quickly thought about how he could relate gambling to what he needed to teach the kids. The kids were so engaged and wanted to learn about the odds on dice. This really shows the importance of connecting content and curriculum to students interested, especially with difficult students to earn respect. Like Mr. Prezbo said, you need to “trick them into thinking they aren’t learning and they do.”

Group Leadership Project

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 12:26:00 -0700

For the group leadership project I was asked to collaborate with three other classmates to create a professional development tutorial on a technology of our choice. During part A of the project I "met" with my group members on Vyew to discuss possible technologies to teach and the logistics of the project. Our group decided to teach about the uses of Blogger by creating a tutorial using Camtasia. During part B our group continued to collaborate and created a storyboard and script for our presentation. We chose to use google presentation to create our storyboard and script. Check out the tutorial below!

What tool did your group use to deliver the PD tutorial? Why?

Our group chose to use Camtasia to deliver the tutorial. As a learner I prefer to see a step-by-step tutorial of what needs to be learned. This allows the viewer to pause and review areas of the tutorial they would like to see again. I thought the use of Camtasia would allow our group to not only verbalize, but also show each part of how to use Blogger effectively.

What did you learn during the development process of the final product?
I found it to be very easy to communicate and collaborate with a group solely through the use of technology and the internet. I learned a lot about Camtasia, and had to do quite a bit of troubleshooting to figure out how to put all the pieces together to make our final product. I also found that using technology and creating deadlines allows everyone to work at their own pace and complete the assignment when it is convenient for them. This is a great feature of using online collaboration tools such as google docs.

What would you do differently if you had to develop a similar product again?

I thought our group worked together very well. I offered to put all the pieces of Camtasia together and edit the final project. This proved to be much more difficult than I had anticipated. I own a Mac computer, and the version of Camtasia on a Mac is completely different than the PC version. When my group members tried to send me their files they were not compatible with the Camtasia version I had. After many different attempts to get their files and a lot of troubleshooting, I finally found a solution! I asked my group members to share their portion on screencast. Then I logged onto their screencast account and downloaded the mp4 to my computer. Then I was able to import the media into my Camtasia account. That being said during my next group project I will do more research to make sure that all technologies jive, so I can avoid a headache at the last minute. I enjoyed using Camtasia and would definitely use it again. I found it to be very user-friendly, and after watching a few tutorials the editing process it was very easy to edit as well.

Wicked Problem Project Final

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Thu, 21 Jun 2012 08:29:00 -0700

For the Wicked Problem Project I was asked to use technology to address a problem of practice or educational goal. In this blog post you will read about the educational problem of practice I addressed, the technology integrated solution, and the application of TPACK to my solution. Below you will also find a video summarizing my Wicked Problem Project.

My Wicked Problem: For the wicked problem project I see an educational need for students to have the ability to view mini-lessons of a concept taught, especially in the area of math. Many of my students need to review addition and subtraction strategies, while others have mastered the concept and are ready for a challenge. Addition and subtraction is something we continually practice and learn more efficient strategies for throughout the entire school year. By the end of second grade, students are expected to add and subtract by breaking the number into tens and ones.

My Solution: As an elementary teacher I feel that I spend a good amount of my time assisting students who do not understand a concept or need more assistance to master a concept. Because I devote much of my time to these students, I do not feel like my higher achieving students are getting the challenge they deserve, especially in the area of math. My technology integrated strategy is to create short lessons using jing and powerpoint that will review the various strategies for addition and subtraction that have been taught throughout the school year. Multiple students will be able to view the jing lessons at once using an ipad. While students are reviewing and practicing this concept, I will now have the ability to work with students who have already mastered the concept and are ready for a challenge.
At the second grade level students have a difficult time “teaching” each other a concept. They often want to give their classmates the answer, instead of taking the time to try and explain the process. This is why I believe creating math tutorials using jing is a great option to assist students in learning efficient addition and subtraction strategies.

Application of TPACK: TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The purpose of the application of TPACK is that when integrating technology into teaching and learning it should address all areas of TPACK, not just using technology to use technology. For the wicked problem project I see an educational need for students to have the ability to view mini-lessons of a concept taught, especially in the area of math. Many of my students need to review addition and subtraction strategies, while others have mastered the concept and are ready for a challenge. I plan to use jing to create tutorials for my students to view. Here is my application of TPACK:

Technological Pedagogical Knowledge: I have chosen to use jing to create a guided math tutorial. Using jing will allow me to model a math problem for students. They will also have the option to review the modeled problem by starting the tutorial over as much as needed and have the ability to work at their own pace. As the tutorial continues students will use pencil and paper to attempt a guided practice problem. At the end students will be given an independent practice problem. They will be asked to pause the tutorial to practice an independent problem. Once they have completed the problem they can resume the tutorial to view another modeled problem and have instant feedback.

Technological Content Knowledge: Giving students the ability to view the tutorial as much as needed, as well as the option to pause the video and work at their own pace will assist in making the content more intellectually accessible. As a learner myself I know there are some topics that require multiple readings or watching videos more than once for me to understand the concept. My students are the same way. Having a tutorial for addition and subtraction strategies at their fingertips will allow them to pause when necessary and rewind if a part of the concept still isn’t clicking.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Using a tutorial to allow for guided practice through the steps of solving an addition or subtraction combination, as well as giving the students the ability to pause the tutorial and solve problems independently with instant feedback will make the content more intellectually accessible. Through the use of the tutorial created through jing, guided practice can be done at the speed of the learner. If the learned needs to review a step, they can rewind the tutorial and watch it again. Once students feel they are confident with the process they can practice a problem independently, then check their work instantly. This will aid in correcting any misconceptions before students are sent to work on their own. Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required.

Professional Learning Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Tue, 19 Jun 2012 06:39:00 -0700

Professional Learning Plan on Prezi

Part D: Findings & Implications

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 16:23:00 -0700

Last week I was able to implement my wicked problem project with two students in my second grade classroom. Using jing and powerpoint I created a math tutorial to assist students who needed more support using the tens and ones addition strategy. Here are my findings and implications:

Formative: Did the project get implemented as planned?
While other students were working on math problems or playing math games I implemented my wicked problem project with one of my students. Part of the implementation was to use an ipad for students to view the tutorial I created. When I attempted to connect to the tutorial link provided by jing, it would not connect on the ipad. I quickly switched gears and had the student use my computer to view the tutorial. Other than the use of a computer rather than an ipad my project was implemented as planned.

Summative: Evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice
After getting each student setup at a computer and giving a quick explanation of what they needed to do, both of my students were able to use the tutorial independently. One of the students who used the tutorial struggles with work independence. I was very interested to see if technology would improve his ability to be on-task. I was pleasantly surprised to see this student was able to follow along, was fully engaged, and completed the guided practice and independent practice when prompted to do so on the tutorial. This was a huge sign of success to me. I spend a huge amount of time supporting this student, and the fact that he was engaged and on-task for ten minutes independently was a huge success! The other student was able to complete the guided practice and independent practice independently as well, and answered the questions correctly. Due to the time of the school year I wasn't able to see if either of their skills transferred into daily learning, but I found the tutorial to be successful in the little time I had to implement it.

How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
As I mentioned in my podcast, I would like to find a way to create the tutorial quicker and easier. I have heard that the latest version of word and powerpoint has a whiteboard feature, which would be a great way to show each step of adding and subtracting as I'm recording with jing. This would allow students to watch me step-by-step, as if I were in front of them teaching on a whiteboard in class. I love using jing, and plan to continue using it. It is very user-friendly for both the creator and the viewer. One downfall of jing is the time-limit of five minutes, but I don't feel I would need more than five minutes to record since I have places within my tutorial where students need to pause and practice independently.

What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?
As I mentioned above the whiteboard feature in the latest version of powerpoint and word could be great tools for creating tutorials. Anyone who is looking for a whiteboard feature to create presentations or tutorials should look into the newest version of powerpoint and word.

In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do?
I found the tutorial created through jing to be very successful for my students. I have thought about creating tutorials with extension activities or challenge activities for my high achieving math students versus creating tutorials for students who need additional support. Either way I found the idea of the tutorial to be very beneficial and successful in my classroom.

Mobile Learning Lab

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 09:02:00 -0700

After learning more about mobile learning, I was excited to explore mobile learning opportunities to use in my classroom. I explored many of the articles including the Innovator Educator Blog, 10 Ideas for Using Cell Phones in the Classroom, Ipods/Ipads in the Classroom, & Podcasting: Using Podcasts in the Classroom. Podcasting is something I have used in my classroom, but would like to use more of. I have used it as a way for students to share their writing, and practice reading with fluency.

What ways are you thinking about integrating mobile technology into YOUR classroom?
I created a poll using polleverywhere.com. Unfortunately, my school year has already ended, but I decided to create a poll to use at the beginning of next year to use as a "getting to know you" activity. I thought this poll would be a fun way to incorporate technology and help students get know each other in our classroom. I could see using polls for a quick assessment of student learning after an activity, quizzes, or even to collect data and analyze during our data unit in math. I love the idea of using wordle to create an image of the results. My class could easily see which response was the most frequent by how large the words were. This is a wonderful visual for my second graders.

Another way I have used mobile learning in my classroom was when my students performed different reader's theater performances last week. I had one student who really did not want to be involved in the acting part of the performance, so I had him use the classroom ipad to take a video of each performance. I would like to use video more often in my classroom.

What challenges (or inspirations) do you foresee?
One challenge I see is the ability to use cell phones in an elementary classroom. My students are 7 and 8 years old, so most do not own a cell phone at this age. I enjoyed the video which showed three 5th grade students and their enthusiasm for learning with technology, specifically cell phones. This school was able to provide all students with a cell phone through a grant, which is something that would need to happen in my building in order to make cell phones accessible to all students.

Data Visualization

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 05:52:00 -0700

Using a free visualization tool website I had the opportunity to explore several resources available to assist with data visualization. Here is my reflection on my experience exploring data visualization tools:

What tools did you try?
I looked at a few tools, including 1001fonts, Prezi, Wordle, & TimeGlider. Prezi is a great resource to create a new style of presentations. 1001fonts was fun to explore. I will download some new fonts to use for newsletters. Wordle is a fun resource. I could see using this resource for an activity on adjectives, or even as a way for students to introduce themselves at the beginning of the school year.

What are you representing in the visualization you created?
I chose to use TimeGlider to create a timeline of the history of San Francisco. I use the Social Studies Alive curriculum in my second grade classroom. One chapter I teach is the history of San Francisco. We discuss the gold rush of 1849, how the population grew drastically, and then the earthquake and fire of 1906. I created a timeline of a few key events we discuss using TimeGlider. Here is a link to my timeline. I also included an image of my timeline.

What questions or "ah-ha" moments arise when thinking about representation?
I enjoyed the opportunity to explore several data visualization tools available online. While watching Karl Gude's video on Visual Information, he said something that I thought was very important and fundamental for teaching, "Words, words, words. We need to force ourselves to look at information differently." Then he shared his solution, "Show it. Why? They notice it, they get it, they remember it." Students of any age do not want to just sit and listen to a lecture. They want visuals, representations, etc. As a learner I know how important visuals are for me, so as a teacher I do my best to incorporate representations into my lessons.

Part C: Implementation

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 07:38:00 -0700

This is Part C of the wicked problem project where I discussed the implementation of my wicked problem solution. Check out my podcast to listen to how my implementation went including any surprises, unexpected bumps, and delights.

listen to ‘Implementation’ on Audioboo

Part B: Storyboard & Script

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Sat, 9 Jun 2012 18:44:00 -0700

Our group has been collaborating through the use of Google presentation to create our storyboard and script for our tutorial on Blogger. Click here to view our storyboard and script.

Each member of the group is creating a tutorial on some aspect of blogger.
Aubrey- Setting up a new account, starting your blog, & design options
Nancy- Creating a new post
Lisa- Adding links & images
Kim- Adding comments & sharing

We will all use Camtasia to record our section. Then each group member will send their part to me and I will edit the final product.

Group Leadership Project Part A: Brainstorm Session

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Wed, 30 May 2012 14:54:00 -0700

For the first part of the Group Leadership Project I was asked to use a web conferencing tool to meet with my group members and have a brainstorm session. Here are my thoughts on the session:

What web conferencing tool did your group use?
Our group chose to use Vyew as our web conferencing tool.

What were the advantages to using the web conferencing tool to discuss this project?
An advantage to using a web conferencing tool is that everyone is present and can collaborate at once. I like this better than sending multiple emails to each other, or even collaborating on a google doc. We were able to make the commitment to "meet" and get the work done in a timely manner. Another advantage is that Vyew has the option of creating multiple pages. Our group decided to create a page for each area of the project we needed to discuss. This helped us stay focused on each task and not get sidetracked thinking about other parts of the assignment.

What were the disadvantages to using the web conferencing tool to discuss this project?
A disadvantage to using the web conferencing tool is that is can be tricky to coordinate multiple schedules. Luckily, our group didn't have too much trouble, but meeting at 7:30 on a work night isn't my first option for getting class work done. Another disadvantage to Vyew in particular is that it doesn't have the option to record sessions. In order to record a web conference session you would need to use another tool. I chose to use Jing to record an overview of our meeting after it was completed.

To view an overview of our meeting click here.

Part B: Application of TPACK

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Mon, 28 May 2012 06:56:00 -0700

PART B: Application of TPACK:
For part B of my Wicked Problem Project, I was asked to apply TPACK to my wicked problem solution. TPACK stands for Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The purpose of the application of TPACK is that when integrating technology into teaching and learning it should address all areas of TPACK, not just using technology to use technology. For the wicked problem project I see an educational need for students to have the ability to view mini-lessons of a concept taught, especially in the area of math. Many of my students need to review addition and subtraction strategies, while others have mastered the concept and are ready for a challenge. I plan to use jing to create tutorials for my students to view. Here is my application of TPACK:

What is the TP knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how does the technology you have chosen support the teaching strategies and methods you have chosen?)

I have chosen to use jing to create a guided math tutorial. Using jing will allow me to model a math problem for students. They will also have the option to review the modeled problem by starting the tutorial over as much as needed and have the ability to work at their own pace. As the tutorial continues students will use pencil and paper to attempt a guided practice problem. At the end students will be given an independent practice problem. They will be asked to pause the tutorial to practice an independent problem. Once they have completed the problem they can resume the tutorial to view another modeled problem and have instant feedback.

What is the TC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically does this technology make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about representation.)

Giving students the ability to view the tutorial as much as needed, as well as the option to pause the video and work at their own pace will assist in making the content more intellectually accessible. As a learner myself I know there are some topics that require multiple readings or watching videos more than once for me to understand the concept. My students are the same way. Having a tutorial for addition and subtraction strategies at their fingertips will allow them to pause when necessary and rewind if a part of the concept still isn’t clicking.

What is the PC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically do your pedagogical choices make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about how the student will experience the content given these instructional strategies.

Using a tutorial to allow for guided practice through the steps of solving an addition or subtraction combination, as well as giving the students the ability to pause the tutorial and solve problems independently with instant feedback will make the content more intellectually accessible. Through the use of the tutorial created through jing, guided practice can be done at the speed of the learner. If the learned needs to review a step, they can rewind the tutorial and watch it again. Once students feel they are confident with the process they can practice a problem independently, then check their work instantly. This will aid in correcting any misconceptions before students are sent to work on their own.

Wicked Problem Project Part A: Description of Need or Opportunity

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:51:00 -0700

For the Wicked Problem Project I was asked to use technology to address a problem of practice or educational goal. Click on this link to view the google doc of my Wicked Problem Project Part A.

Podcasting Lab

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Fri, 18 May 2012 17:23:00 -0700

Check out my podcast.

CEP 812 Video Bio

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Sat, 12 May 2012 09:45:00 -0700

Check out my video bio to view my CEP 812 personal introduction.

Personal Learning Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Sun, 14 Aug 2011 10:54:00 -0700

Learning about UDL guidelines and applying them to the Weather Report lesson I created was very beneficial for me in learning about effective teaching strategies. These guidelines really opened my eyes to how technology can be such a huge asset in a lower elementary classroom. In a lower elementary classroom you have such a variety of reading levels, so the simple tool of text to speech is very valuable. I really liked the website Vozme, and I also loved the feature included in powerpoint to add a sound recording. This is such a great tool to use and takes a frustration out of learning for some students. Another thing I learned about effective teaching strategies was the importance of reaching the TPACK “sweet spot” by blending knowledge of technology, pedagogy, and content when creating a lesson. After evaluating the TPACK webquest it was interesting that a lesson may be strong in content, but very weak in other areas, such as technology. The strongest lessons were those that addressed and blended all three areas.

Finding effective ways to integrate technology in a lower elementary classroom has been one of my main goals. After learning to create a StAIR, and creating my own StAIR for learning coin values, I have found that this is a very valuable tool for a lower elementary class. A StAIR is a great way to create a teacher guided activity and incorporate tutorials, online activities, or videos, while still allowing students to work independently. This is definitely something I will use in my classroom.

A new goal I have for myself is to be conscience of the UDL guidelines, as well as TPACK, as I create lessons. Making a few changes to a lesson to incorporate more UDL and blending the content, pedagogy, and technology will make my lesson plans much stronger.

Online Teaching Experience

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Fri, 5 Aug 2011 05:50:00 -0700

In a lower elementary classroom an online experience that would work well with students is a webquest. Webquests can be used to teach any content area, and can also be used to teach cross curricular. The focus could be on science or social studies, but also ask students to incorporate some reading and writing tasks. When using a webquest students are able to see a task defined for them, the teacher can even model an example of the task, and then students have interactive practice through games, or use other internet resources, where they apply what they have learned.

One technology that might be harder to use with lower elementary students is interactive discussions with experts. I believe this would be a challenge due to the lack of an actual person coming to the classroom and the short attention span of lower elementary students. Another online experience that might be challenging is an online project. I feel it would be very overwhelming for students to learn how to organize all the information to create an online project.

Wiki Lab

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 13:21:00 -0700

I created a wikispace to describe the curriculum in second grade: Wikispace This could be used for parents to view throughout the year.

On wikipedia I added a little information about my school, Central Grade. I wanted to share how large the school is, so I added the amount of students and the different classrooms in the building.

UDL Checklist

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 12:30:00 -0700

Using a first/second grade weather lesson plan I created I analyzed my lesson using the UDL checklist. I was surprised to find some wonderful ways to enhance my lesson plan.

UDL Checklist

MERLOT Evaluation

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Wed, 6 Jul 2011 07:35:00 -0700

STAIR Elapsed Time

Quality of Content:
Provided is a STAIR activity for students to practice elapsed time. Students are able to practice a variety of elapsed time problems and also watch a youtube video modeling how to solve elapsed time problems. This is a great reinforcement and practice of an important concept for students to grasp in second/third grade.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
This STAIR would be beneficial to use as a reinforcement tool and/or drill practice of elapsed time. Students need to have a basic understanding of telling time before learning about elapsed time. This would be a great tool for students to use to apply the curriculum to “real-life” problems. After using this material, students should have a greater understanding of how to solve elapsed time problems and strategies to do so.
Ease of Use:
This STAIR is very easy to use. Students are asked an elapsed time question and if they answer correctly they move to the next question. If they answer incorrectly a helpful hint is provided for each wrong answer that addresses why the student possibly chose that answer. Students click a return arrow to try the question again or, if answered correctly, click a forward arrow to move on.

Personal Learning Reflection

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:18:00 -0700

One thing I have learned about effective teaching strategies when using technology are all the options to incorporate collaboration and teamwork through technology. Using technology can be an effective way to meet many different learning styles, especially students who learn well through collaborating. Another important thing I have learned is how important it is to use technological tools appropriately and use them to enhance learning, not just use them. I loved how this course was setup to use a variety of technological tools, but always with a higher goal of learning in mind. For example, we were asked to collaborate with a group to create our SIG proposal and used Google docs to do so.

The use of the Internet has helped me grow my personal learning network and find some wonderful tools to use in the classroom. One of my favorite lessons was learning about the RSS reader through Google. I have always wondered about the additional tabs in my gmail account, but never knew how to use them. I am glad I had the opportunity to explore Google reader, calendar, and documents in this course. The RSS reader has helped me stay more connected to educational issues & follow educational blogs that include wonderful teaching ideas; all with little effort.

I believe the assignment that exemplifies good teaching with technology was my SIG project. The group I worked with created a presentation about Storybird. For a lower elementary classroom it can be difficult to find appropriate technology that students can use as an effective tool, but Storybird does just that. First, my group collaborated on a Google document for our SIG proposal. I loved being able to work on one document together, and with such ease. At one point, two classmates happened to be working on the document at the same time as me and we were able to start a chat about what we were working on. The ability to collaborate on a document all at once is very neat. Second, the ability to collaborate on creating a Storybird for our presentation was great. I love the idea that two students can be at different computers and collaborate on one story.

Because the school year has ended, I have not been able to meet many of the goals set in my Personal Growth Plan. I absolutely plan to begin the next school year with two of my goals in place. First, I will begin the school year by collecting parent emails to use Google docs for newsletters. Second, while viewing the SIG presentations I was very intrigued to learn more about the capabilities of Moodle. One goal I had was to use more online tools for homework. I would like to assign more online homework opportunities and quizzes for students and parents to work together on at home. Learning more about Moodle for me is taking an aspect of an old goal and now creating a new goal to explore Moodle and find what aspects would be beneficial in a lower elementary classroom. Another goal that was not met in this course was to learn more about the capabilities of excel. This is a great tool as teacher to collect data and drive instruction, and also a great tool for students to input and graph data.

Learning Style

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Mon, 30 May 2011 13:54:00 -0700

After taking the learning styles quiz I scored the highest in intrapersonal. This didn’t surprise me because I am very independent, self-reflective, and introverted person and learner. Even today as a teacher I learn best by doing, then reflecting on what I learned and how I can improve. In school I struggled with classes that were focused on lecture and whole group discussions. I never wanted to participate because it wasn’t “my thing.” I still remember dropping my junior year economics class because each class was a lecture. I was learning nothing from his class and was panicking that I would not pass. I learn best when a concept is modeled and I can independently practice the concept directly after learning it.

Meeting the needs of all my students can be difficult. I focus on having a variety of activities in a given unit and making the culmination of the unit meet all learning styles. If a lesson can include ways to meet the needs of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners I will try to incorporate them all into a lesson. I think the most important thing is allowing choice within lessons. During reader’s workshop in my classroom students have the opportunity to read with partners, read individually, and also meet with me in a group setting to learn reading strategies and have discussions about books within their groups. I have a variety of manipulatives available such as retell ropes and wooden checkmarks to practice checking for understanding to support kinesthetic learners.

Creative Commons

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:00:00 -0700

Photo Attribution:
Original Image: Waterfall in Donegal, Ireland
Image URL: Waterfall
By: Becky
Creative Commons License

Reflection: I like to incorporate images into many aspects of my teaching. The waterfall image above could be used during a water unit to discuss how water flows and takes the shape of the space it is in. When creating powerpoint or prezi presentations I like to incorporate images from the web to give the audience a visual example.

View Image

PC Maintenance & Security

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:45:00 -0700

Which tutorial did you choose?
1. Blocking spam in gmail
2. Installing RoboForm
3. Exploring the settings of Firefox

What was one thing you learned that you will definitely be sharing with others?
1. I learned how to filter emails. I never knew you could choose specific email addresses and have any messages from that email filtered to spam, deleted, or moved directed to an archived area.
2. RoboForm is a great way to store all your logins. I have a file at home where I have all my logins and passwords written down, but this is a great way to keep them safe electronically.
3. After learning about RoboForm it was great to see another way to store logins and passwords. I like that Firefox has the master password option so your computer is still protected if someone gets access to it.

Was there any information that surprised you?
In all three tutorials I was most surprised by not knowing about these features. It is amazing how much is available through gmail and also through Mozilla Firefox. I think I will take some time and explore each of these further.

Getting Things Done

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Fri, 13 May 2011 17:56:00 -0700

I started my Getting Things Done process on a Monday when I was feeling overwhelmed by the tasks for CEP 810 and also the week ahead in my own second grade classroom. I have always been one to write down a “to-do” list, so this activity was right up my alley.
I organized my process by sticking with paper and pencil because there is something very pleasing to me about crossing a task off my list. I might try an alternative and paper free method eventually, but feel I would have a hard time not being able to physically cross off a completed task.
It was a little different and time consuming going through this process the first time. I read through each task and made some notes about each one. Next step was to organize each task. I don’t usually add dates to my list, but this was the most helpful part for me. Visually seeing which activities needed to be done and when was very helpful and put my mind at ease.
I feel the process was very beneficial for me. As soon as I wrote down my tasks for the week I felt a weight lifted from me. I have noticed during my first year of teaching that I am responsible for remembering a lot of things! Writing tasks down is very necessary for me. The added step of organizing helped put priority on certain tasks, specifically ones that had a due date.
I will continue using the GTD process. The quote included in the activity by David Kekich, “Anxiety is caused by a lack of control, organization, preparation, and action,” is very true in my life. I never go into a day of teaching unorganized or unprepared because I get high anxiety and feel out of control. This process helps me ensure all tasks get completed and I can feel prepared and ready for each day.

Social Networks

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Ann) — Sun, 8 May 2011 15:49:00 -0700

Social networks can be used in a variety of ways professionally and personally. With the options of school choice growing, social networks can help parents and students gain awareness of different schools. The use of a social network to promote the school or district you teach in can be very powerful. Social networks are also a great way for parents to stay involved and make a building have a greater feeling of community when everyone is connected.
On a personal level I found a great connection with a quote in the article, “Social Networking Goes to School.” The author discusses how teachers can use social networks to find new teaching ideas worldwide and not feel so isolated to their classroom. I find this very true. Facebook allows me to listen to co-workers in my building and other buildings share teaching ideas or even just share a funny story from their day. It is great to have such an easy way to connect and network with each other. As a lower elementary teacher I don’t push for my students to be involved in social networks, but I think it would be great to have a classroom facebook page for parents and students to follow.

Educational Technology

CEP 822 Intro Post

Group Leadership Project

Wicked Problem Project Final

Professional Learning Plan

Part D: Findings & Implications

Mobile Learning Lab

Data Visualization

Part C: Implementation

Part B: Storyboard & Script

Group Leadership Project Part A: Brainstorm Session

Part B: Application of TPACK

What is the TP knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how does the technology you have chosen support the teaching strategies and methods you have chosen?)

What is the TC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically does this technology make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about representation.)

What is the PC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically do your pedagogical choices make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about how the student will experience the content given these instructional strategies.

Wicked Problem Project Part A: Description of Need or Opportunity

Podcasting Lab

CEP 812 Video Bio

Personal Learning Reflection

Online Teaching Experience

Wiki Lab

UDL Checklist

MERLOT Evaluation

Personal Learning Reflection

Learning Style

Creative Commons

PC Maintenance & Security

Getting Things Done

Social Networks