Blog Phase III: Comprehensive Reflection

ETC 447 Blog Phase III: Comprehensive Reflection

Part I

            As I reflect on my philosophy of learning and taking everything I have learned from this course into consideration, my philosophy for the most part has remained the same. I do however, intend on incorporating the use of technology into my philosophy after being able to explore in depth the many ways technology can be integrated successful into the classroom. Entering the teaching profession now, I know that technology will be continuously developing and the students I will teach will be more and more technologically savvy. Being willing and able to stay up to date with the developing technologies and putting forth the effort to educate myself on those programs will be added to my philosophy to show myself as continuously willing to educate myself.

            My understanding of “technology integration” has drastically changed after taking this course. At the beginning, I simply thought integrating technology was having students use technology in the classroom but I now understand that integrating technology is more in depth. Students need to be able to not only use technology but produce artifacts of their learning through technology. I plan on integrating a Google Classroom in my future classroom which will allow students to be interactive with their learning as well as provide them the opportunity to learn in a blended classroom. Through this blended classroom setting I can implement differentiated learning to ensure the individual needs of each of my students are met.

Part II

Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

Rationale: I approached this standard by knowing and understanding the importance of student’s creativity and learning. When students can be creative, they can learn, and if I am able to provide them with a creative opportunity for learning the product will be meaningful and authentic.

            In my lessons, I facilitated and inspired student learning and creativity by allowing students to create their artifacts with no limitation on the design or layout. In my Statehood Timeline Lesson, students had the opportunity to design their timelines in any way they wanted. A photo was required, but when implemented, my students (classmates) created their artifact, they each created something different and unique that showed their personality and how they learned. By engaging my students with a very fun and catchy anticipatory set for my Statehood Timeline Lesson, students became engaged and interested in the creativity of the video, which then generated their thinking as to what they would be learning that day. This also makes real-world connections because having the knowledge about the 50 states in our country is important knowledge to know as a citizen of the United States of America. After each lesson, class discussion is facilitated and students can then reflect on the content of what they learned along with participating in peer academic conversations. Throughout each lesson I gave in this class and will give in the future, I will encourage peer collaboration with virtual environments to allow students with different individual needs to learn on a level that will benefit them. As a teacher, I must understand and realize that students might not always learn from me as their teacher but may learn more effectively from a peer or a virtual learning environment.

Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Rationale: I approached this lesson by implementing technology based programs that students used to create an artifact of learning along with gaining the experience of using digital-age tools that can be used in the future of their education.  

            In both of my provided lesson plans, I have integrated multiple digital tools that students will use to demonstrate their learning of the standards and objectives. I successfully integrated the use of Smart Draw and Google Classroom, the Smart Draw program was used in the lesson as an assessment tool and students were assessed on their ability to create a digital timeline as well as incorporate and provide information that linked to the standard and objective of that lesson. Within the Smart Draw program students were also encouraged to use their creativity when creating their digital artifact and incorporate images into their timelines. Utilizing the Google Classroom in my Statistics and Probability Lesson, students were submerged into a technology-enriched learning environment where they could become active participants in their own learning. The Google Classroom provided areas for students to located materials for the lesson, samples of work that needed to be completed, and areas where students could collaborate and communicate with each other.

 In both of my lessons, I differentiated my teaching and learning strategies to reach the many diverse learners, I implemented peer collaboration, modified assignments, and visual and audio instruction. Throughout each lesson both formative and summative assessment were used; during anticipatory sets and guided practice I formatively assessed students to ensure the understanding of the provided content. If at this time students seemed to be struggling with the content I would then pull them for small group during the independent practice portion of the lesson. Each lesson also had a summative assessment where their artifact of learning was formally assessed. This allowed me as a teacher to see if the standards and objectives that were covered needed to be retaught or if students had mastered the objectives of the lesson.

Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning 

Rationale: I approached this standard by knowing and understanding the importance of modeling how students can use the technology provided for them in the classroom to promote their learning.

            As a teacher, one of the most important aspects your students need to know about you is your continual ability and desire to educate yourself. Being able to learn and model new technologies that are being used in the classroom is important and will also demonstrate to students that learning never ends. If a teacher models that they are always willing to learn something new, then students will also take on that perspective. As a class learning new programs can be beneficial and inviting parents to also learn these tools make a student-teacher-parent relationship successful during the year. In my Statistics and Probability Lesson students created a survey via Google Forms which used information to support research and learning. Students learned how to create these surveys through a digital tool and master the standards and objectives. The use of this program allows students to evaluate their learning as well as poll individuals to obtain data.

           

Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Rationale: I approached this standard by modeling digital citizenship and responsibility and will always implement in my future classroom a social contract that will outline the guidelines and expectations of students regarding appropriate behavior with technology.

            In the beginning of every school year students will partake in a social contract that will outline the expectations of how students safely use the technology in the classroom. As a teacher, I will always display the same safe, legal, and ethical use of technology and hold students to the same standards. My students will always be provided with differentiated learning strategies and lesson to ensure that the need of each individual child has been met. In my provided lessons, I incorporated visual, audio, and kinesthetic learning opportunities for each student to reach every type of learner. Students were also encouraged to use peer conversation and collaboration to help each other with how to use the technology used in the lesson.  By creating the Google Classroom for my Statistics and Probability Lesson, students could practice their responsible social interactions when using the Google Classroom. With the Google Classroom layout and design, which is like social media, students can use appropriate social interaction skills that they will use throughout their education and everyday life. Students were also able to develop a cultural understanding through the Statehood Timeline Lesson by researching information of different states in the country. Students also were engaged and collaborated with their peers during this time and were encouraged to learn and use the seal or flag of each state for their timeline.

Statistics & Probability Micro Lesson

Below is the link to the Google Classroom that was created for our Micro Lesson. The code to join our Google Classroom is linkv3h. 

Micro Lesson Google Classroom 

In this Google Classroom you will be able to find the Lesson Plan, Prezi, and an example of a Survey via Google Forms students will use as a model when they create their own in our lesson. 

Also in the Google Classroom you will find student's technology-based artifacts of learning they created. I have provided direct links to some of these surveys our students have created:

Student Survey 1

Student Survey 2

Student Survey 3

Lesson Reflection: Phase I

Reflection: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Planning Instruction

            Prior to this lesson students will need to know how to navigate Google Classroom and how to join the classroom created for this specific lesson. Students will also need to be familiar with using Google Forms to create their artifact which will be a survey. The student’s prior knowledge can be assessed as the teacher circulates the classroom. Since Google Classroom is like social media websites and applications, students should be somewhat familiar with how to navigate their way around the Google Classroom set up for this class and lesson. I will use this assessment during the planning process by making sure to implement tools and programs students can be successful using.

            The content of this lesson should be taught at this grade level because this is a foundational skill which they will build on in the next few standards they will cover. Students must understand the basic concept of collecting sound data and understanding sample sizes. The objectives we have chosen for this standard align by having students can produce valid and appropriate samples. This lesson should be taught towards the end of the year so students can understand expressions and equations and graphing so they can then input the information from their statistics and probability into translatable graphs.

Reflection: Designing Instruction (In Task Standards 7 & 8)

            For the anticipatory set, students will play a short game of Family Feud, this method and strategy taps into student’s previous knowledge of game shows and relates it to real-life. Students also will become engaged at the fact they will be competing in a friendly game which will then transition into the lesson and show students how statistics and probability can be connected to everyday situations. Students can then take their understanding they obtained from the anticipatory set or from prior knowledge and apply it to the artifact they will develop. The artifact students will develop will also allow students to create a very complex or simple survey if the information that will be assessed is included. Students will be firstly engaged during the anticipatory set which will engage their competitive side and allow them to collaborate with their peers to play a few rounds of Family Feud. Going off the anticipatory set and focusing on the lesson, students will need to use their higher order thinking to be able to select an appropriate sample size to survey and can explain why they chose that sample size for their surveys.

Reflection: Planning Assessment (In East Standard 6)

            The assessments for this lesson align with the standards and objectives by assessing their artifact of learning. This artifact of learning will display the development of a question and the implementation of the survey which will also demonstrate the student’s understanding of the sample group they chose. If students are successful in producing a survey with a correct and valid sample group, this will show the teacher that they have comprehended the learning of the content of the lesson along with the objective. The assessment will demonstrate the student’s ability to engage in higher order thinking by seeing the complexity of their survey. This will also be reflected in the sample group and their execution of the survey, students must be able to successful conduct a survey along with creating the survey. Although the step of executing the survey might not take place until a later time, this will get students thinking ahead on how they can successful conduct and poll their sample group they have chosen. The student’s individual needs will be met both in the formative and summative stage of assessment, students who show some confusion during the formative assessment can be monitored throughout the lesson and given extra support to ensure their artifact meets the summative assessment requirements.

Reflection: How does your lesson meet each of the ISTE NETs Standards?

            Students in today’s classrooms always are engaged when technology is integrated in a lesson, therefore by utilizing Family Feud as an anticipatory activity, students will become engaged and with then facilitate their learning and creativity through their own creation of a survey. As stated before the complexity of the survey is dependent on the student and allows for students to design their survey to their liking. The development of the survey through Google Forms provides students with the ability to learn the program and can use what skills they have learned in the future. Students will have already have had a course in their classroom about acceptable and appropriate behavior and etiquette regarding the technology they use in the classroom. A social contract will be developed in the beginning of the school year and reviewed before each lesson that integrates technology. The teacher will also follow the guidelines of the social contract that is implemented to model the expected behavior and use of technology in the classroom.

Lesson Reflection: Phase II

Instructional Decisions/Teaching (InTask Standard # 9):

            When implementing this lesson, and beginning at the anticipatory set, a Family Feud game, our group came to a hurdle when some students were unfamiliar with the game Family Feud. We then had to take some time to discuss and explain how the game of Family Feud works and how the content of the game questions is survey centered. After this discussion with the students concluded and they seemed to grasp the concept of the game we played a few rounds of Family Feud and briefly discussed the sample sizes of each survey question. Following the anticipatory set, we went over the Prezi which overviewed fair sampling, sample size, and random sample. After those were discussed with the class, students then were assigned their research topics. Students then began their artifact development. Students could easily develop a survey via Google Forms.

            During the lesson, we, as the teachers, realized that some of our 7^th grade standards were more fitting for some similar 6^th grade standards. Our assessment was designed in a way where we would need to rework our standards to also match our objectives. The standards and objectives would be more fitting and appropriate when teaching a lower level statistics and probability. During the implementation of the lesson we had to make some modifications to the anticipatory set to include a discussion of how the game worked and then modifications to the objectives after we gave the lessons to ensure the standards and objectives aligned with the assessment.

Mechanics:

            We, as teachers, used computers, and the websites for Prezi, Google Classroom, Google Docs, and Google Forms. Students also need to utilize Google Classroom and Google Forms to create their artifact of learning. Students used Google Classroom to obtain the information provided, such as the Prezi and sample survey. Students also utilize Google Classroom to submit their artifact of learning for assessment. The teacher used Google Classroom to upload the information and materials students will use for the lesson as well as use Google Classroom to receive and then grade the student’s artifacts of learning. Our lesson was within the correct time frame even with the small modification of discussing the anticipatory set. Due to some of the confusion during the anticipatory set, we did not play as many rounds of Family Feud as we had hope the students could play. We decided to make this decision to keep our lesson on track and within the expected time frame. Since students were familiar with Google Forms they could easily begin creating their artifact. This lesson was appropriate for the time frame indicated because the content was somewhat complex and could even be extended if needed for clarification.

Assessment of Learning (InTask Standard # 6):

            Above in this blog post are three artifacts students developed in this lesson. Our students demonstrated mastery of this lesson and could also successfully describe their sample group. Students also displayed creative thinking in the development of their surveys. Some students included photos along with their selections and others included a theme for their survey. After reviewing the standards and objectives regarding student’s assessments, students were not completely successful of meeting the standards that were given at the beginning of the lesson. I feel that after revising the standards and objectives to align with the lesson and standards students will be able to successfully achieve the standards. I, as the teacher, was successful in teaching this lesson and integrating technology for students to create a technology based artifact of learning. By reflecting on the lesson and looking at the standards and objectives I realize the effectiveness of reflection. The feedback also given by my peers helped to give insight into what I might need to revise when I teach this lesson again. My classmates were helpful in brainstorming how to revise and match standards with objectives after the lesson was given to help improve the overall lesson and assessment aspect.

What did you learn from designing and teaching this lesson and how will you use this in the creation of future lessons/learning activities.

            After designing this lesson and incorporating the numerous technology tools, I learned that putting forth the extra effort into creating something such as a Google Classroom allows students to stay connected not just during a lesson but in the classroom setting in general. I plan on creating a Google Classroom in my future classroom to keep students connected and able to utilize technology as much as possible. I also learned that making sure the standards and objectives match the assessment of learning for students to can master the content. In the future I will continue to use a reflection process to assess myself and the lessons I teach, this will allow me to see changes that need to be made in regards to the mechanics, instructional strategies, and execution of my lessons.