PLO 1 & 2

This lesson demonstrates PLO 2 "Demonstrate knowledge and skills in current and emerging instructional technologies."

It also demonstrates PLO 1 "Demonstrate knowledge and skills related to learning using technology."

Teachers must posses a certain knowledge of trends, issues and emerging technologies in order to offer students rewarding and effective learning opportunities.

SOCIAL NETWORKING LETTER OF REQUEST

Dear Principal Sorensen,

            You may be aware of the benefits of social networking in education. The use of social networks in the classroom helps students develop the 21^st century skills they need to succeed in the real world. The use of Facebook and other social networking sites among students demonstrates their popularity. These sites allow users to use technology to connect, build communities and share content. Ning allows users to build customized networks that can be used exactly as they choose. Because of the functionality of Ning, and experience that student already have using social networks, educators can use sites such as Ning to their advantage in the classroom. The use of social networks for teaching and learning allow instructors to facilitate a strong sense of community among the students and encourage personal interactions that can lead to the creation of new knowledge and collective intelligence.

            Ning is an online service that allows users to create their own social networks and join and participate in other networks. Users determine the sites appearance and decide whether their site is public or private. The sites can contain photos, videos, other network members, events, groups within the network and communication tools such as forums or blogs. Ning is a no cost service and there is no limit on the amount of networks a user can join (Pigee, 2010). In addition, setting up a Ning does not require any technical skills.

            The educational benefits of Ning are numerous. First of all, it has the ability to enhance discussions between students because it facilitates the sharing of personal and other information which creates an intimacy among them.  Second, Ning fosters and supports discipline-specific social networks which allows for collaboration across geographical boundaries. This is especially important in distance education where students do not get to meet face-to-face. A third and practical example of the classroom benefits of Ning involves the technologies provided by this network. Ning provides for use of blogs, message boards and chat rooms (Pigee, 2010).  In the classroom, teachers can introduce an assignment using a blog or message board and the students can respond using the comment feature or they can create their own blog or posting to the message board.

            Educators prefer Ning over other social networks because they want online discussions with their students that are separate from their personal lives. Students can use Ning for homework responses and to further discussions outside of class. Some students struggle with speaking in class, before a crowd or among their peers.  “While education must transform students, it must also recognize the way they think and communicate” (Kurthakoti, Boostrom,  Summey & Campbell, 2013). These students can use this network to share ideas and discuss topics in a comfortable setting.  Ning also allows teachers to collaborate and share ideas and curriculum.

            As stated the users are in control of their own Ning, and while this can be a plus for educators there is also a downside to this. Being able to control the dynamics of a social network leaves most networks in a constant state of change. Whereas, change can be a good thing this type of constant change can confuse users because there is no specific model of organization and function to best meet the needs of the users. In addition, because users can join multiple networks this leaves the burden of managing multiple personal networks. Finally, because Ning hosts all of the content for the networks on its platform, some organizations will be reluctant to  use the service for important or sensitive material (7 Things to Know About Ning, 2008).

Sincerely,

Shundella Hudson

References:

Kurthakoti, R., Boostrom, R.E., Summey, J.H., & Campbell, D.A. (2013) Enhancing classroom effectiveness through social networking tools. 

Marketing Education Review, 23(3). 251-264. Doi:10.2753/MER1052-8008230304

Pigee, J. (2010, January 31). Technology taps greater learning power: Technology taps greater learning power. Hawk Eye,The (Burlington, IA).

7 Things to Know About Ning. (2008, April 1). . Retrieved May 2, 2014, from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7036.pdf

PLO 7 & 8

• This lesson demonstrates PLO 8 "Demonstrate the ability to make informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of learning and leadership" 

• It also demonstrates PLO 7 "Utilize technology to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings." 

In action research teachers must know how to  collect and analyze data and apply the results to issues in their classroom.

Supporting Learning and Leadership with Technology

            Not only must teachers know when to implement technology into instruction, they must also know how. Implementing technology into instruction involves careful planning and know-how that allows the students to learn from and with the technology being used. In addition, there are ethical concerns and issues that teachers must address before using technology in the classroom. As classroom leader’s teachers must equip students with knowledge and necessary information so that that their privacy is protected and they do not infringe on the privacy or rights of others. Teachers themselves must know certain information about the students learning styles and preferences. The activity used in this paper “demonstrates the ability to make informed decisions regarding the use technology in support of learning and leadership”.

Principles and Theories

             In the activity used in this assignment the teacher does research on the student before deciding how to use technology to support learning. This allowed the teacher to learn about the behaviors, attitudes and learning preferences of the learner. This activity is constructed based on the Constructivist learning theory. This theory allows students to be active participants in the learning process. The intervention in this research is the use of computer games to get the student interested in reading. This is done to improve the students overall reading fluency and comprehensions skills.

            This assignment also addressed some ethical issues regarding teaching, learning and leadership. The individual is a minor and the teacher or researcher had to acquire certain permissions. Because the redesign for this activity calls for the researcher to share the information with other teachers in the district, it is important that the participant’s privacy is maintained and that everyone involved adheres to certain ethical principles. Sharing the information collaboratively will help create a database of information for teachers within the school district. Wagner and Ice (2012), discussed the impact of “Big Data” and one of its key distinctions can be applied to the lesson used in paper.

With Big Data you can easily get false correlations, for instance, "On Mondays, people who drive to work are more likely to get the flu." If you look at the data using traditional methods, that may actually be true, but the problem is why is it true? Is it causal? Is it just an accident? You don't know. Normal analysis methods won't suffice to answer those questions. What we have to come up with is new ways to test the causality of connections in the real world far more than we have ever had to do before. We no can no longer rely on laboratory experiments; we need to actually do the experiments in the real world.

Traditional research methods are often irrelevant because they do not address the specific needs of the classroom. Using action research, the teacher is able to address specific and individual needs relating to their actual classroom. The redesign for this assignment allows for sharing and collaboration because teachers benefit more from research they collect themselves as opposed to using traditional research methods.  Sharing and collaboration will allow the teacher to gain other perspectives, ideas and insights that may have been overlooked.

Challenges

            One of the biggest challenges with this activity was trying to find a lesson that best expressed the learning outcome. Once the lesson was found, trying to decide which learning theory best described it was difficult because it can appears to be a mix of several learning theories. The Cognitive theory views learning as an active process that occurs within the learner and which can be influenced by the learner (Dabbagh, 2006).  Additional research had to be done in order to determine whether or not this lesson was based on this principle or the Constructivist principle. However, because the lesson allowed the learner to build personal interpretation of the world based on experiences and interactions, (varies methods used by the researcher) it was concluded that this lesson relates more to the Constructivist view of learning (Dabbagh, 2006).

            Teachers must structure activities and learning environments so that learners are fully engaged in their learning. Active learning such as the concept presented in this paper has many challenges that both the teacher and student must address.  In addition to ethical issues, teachers must also change the way they think about teaching and learning.  Successful implementation of technology can change the way teachers and students manage, store, and share their work to enhance learning. The role of the teacher or leader in using technology in instruction is to make the use of technology in instruction as effective as paper, pencil, and book methods of instruction.

References

Dabbagh, N. (2006). Instructional design knowledge base. Retrieved from http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm

Wagner, E., & Ice, P. (2012, July/August). Data changes everything: Delivering on the promise of learning analytics in higher education. Educause Review, 33-42. Retrieved from http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ERM1243P.pdf

PLO 6

This assignment demonstrates PLO 6 "Evaluate technology resources to facilitate effective assessment and evaluation."

Assessment and Evaluation Using Technology

         
   Assessments and evaluations are important in order to gauge learning and comprehension of knowledge and concepts. Technology can be very effective in helping teachers, trainers and instructors assess and evaluate learning and program outcomes. Technology, however, has the potential to do more than just make our current approach to testing more efficient. A growing number of testing and learning experts argue that technology can dramatically improve assessment and teaching and learning. Technology allows for the collection, analyses, interpretation and effective communication of learning outcomes. The activity used in paper demonstrates effective use of technology in assessing and evaluating the success of a program.

Principles and Theories

            According to the Cognitivism perspective the “focus of instruction is to create learning or change by encouraging the learner to use appropriate learning strategies.  This perspective also states that learning results when information is stored in memory in an organized, meaningful way” (Instructional Design Knowledge Base). The lesson used in this paper requires learners to use the internet to view material and answer a list of related questions.  The revision of this lesson allowed students to create their own questions.  A self-questioning strategy, such as the one used in the revision of this lesson can help students understand what they read. Newby, Stepich, Lehman, Russell and Ottenbreit-Leftwich (2011) state that the “act of creating questions does not lead directly to comprehension. Instead, students search the text and combine information as they generate questions; then they comprehend what they have read” (p. 67).

Challenges

            The revision for this lesson was fairly simple. The most important thing was gaining a clear understanding of the program learning outcomes. Once this was established the process of selecting a lesson took minimal time because all that was required was to search through existing assignments. The program learning outcomes consisted of using “technology resources to facilitate effective assessment and evaluation and utilizing technology to collect and analyze data, interpret results, and communicate findings. The use of the computer to access the internet, student generated questions and recording the information in a student blog post successfully met these requirements.   

The Lesson

What do you know? 

The students already know the history of the Harlem Renaissance such as where it began, why it began and some of the key influences. They also know about the music, dance and art that were inspired by the Renaissance.

• What do you want to know? 

I want to know if the students understand or are able to identify or describe the significance of the Harlem Renaissance on African Americans.

• What are you trying to measure, determine, or define? 

I want to measure how students relate the literature, dance and music created during this period to African-American culture. I want to determine if the student’s comprehension of this subject lead to a complete understanding of the Harlem Renaissance on American culture. 

• How will you collect and record information. 

I will collect them information in student journals where they will record responses to various questions about the Renaissance.

EDU697 REVISION: I will allow the student to post the answers in their class blog posts.

• How will you report the information you collect? 

I will report the information I collect by informing students of their understanding and accuracy of the subject. This will be done through a grading rubric where the students will earn a specific amount of points for each response in their journal. I will also use this information in planning to discuss with other teachers so that we can access what we as teachers need to add, improve or delete from this lesson series in order to further student learning and comprehension and meet the course objectives.

• Are all interested groups included in planning and conducting the needs assessment?

The groups included in this assessment are responses from the previous year’s student surveys, the grade level planning staff and myself.

ABSORB ACTIVITY

Instruction:

 As you have learned, beginning in 1904, Harlem, centered around 135th Street and 5th Avenue, became a Mecca for middle-class African-Americans moving north from Hell's Kitchen, Clinton, and other neighborhoods in New York City. Black intellectuals, writers, and other artists were among the first inhabitants of Harlem, the home of the New Negro movement, as the literary and cultural aspects of the renaissance came to be called (ARTSEDGE: Drop Me Off in Harlem. (2014). 

Today you will use the computer to tour images, music and watch videos presentations of the Harlem Renaissance. You will also listen to an informational film that describes important aspects of the Renaissance and how it affected not only African-American culture, but the American culture as well.

 You have been given a handout with a list of questions. Read over the questions before you view the websites. You will record a separate response to each question in your student journals. The questions are designed to test your comprehension of the Harlem Renaissance. Feel free to ask any questions before you begin.

When you are ready to begin, log on to http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/interactives/harlem/faces/. There you will see pictures and image of artists, get to sample music and watch videos on the Renaissance.

EDU 697 REVISION: The student must view the grading rubric before beginning this assignment which details how it will be assessed.  The students will generate their own questions and record the responses in a blog post. This will allow the students to share and view questions posed by other students to further their comprehension of the lesson.

            Assessments and evaluations are crucial to teaching and learning. From homework and pop quizzes to standardized tests, assessments play a vital role in helping determine how well students learn. Technology offers new ways to conduct assessments, allowing educators to offer richer testing experiences and to gather feedback on a more frequent basis. In addition, technology offers ways to transfer learning from short term memory to long term memory which is one of the main principles of Cognitivism.  As seen in this lesson, technology allows for the collection, analyses, interpretation and effective communication of learning outcomes.

References

Instructional Design Knowledge Base (http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm)

Newby, T. J., Stepich, D. A., Lehman, J. D., Russell, J. D., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2011). Educational technology for teaching and learning (4th ed.).Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc. 

PLO 5

This assignment demonstrates PLO 5 Exemplify ethical practices of technology usage

Ethical Practices of Technology Use

            Ethics is more than just choosing between right and wrong. Most people confuse what is ethical with what is legal. These are similar terms, however; they are different. An action may be legal but unethical, or illegal but ethical. Many people use the internet for research and in doing so they violate ethical and legal practices. It is important that before students do internet research that they are aware of plagiarism and copyright laws. Before classroom teachers allow students to use the internet for research or any other type of work, they must equip students with knowledge concerning ethics and the use of the internet so that they exemplify ethical practices of technology usage.  

Principles and Theories

            The Constructivist theory states that learning is an active process of constructing rather than acquiring knowledge. The lesson used in this assignment asks students to do research using the internet. The teacher serves as a guide who facilitates the lesson through mentoring. The purpose of the lesson used in this paper is to link information that is already known by gathering data, drawing conclusions and answering questions from research information. In the Constructivist view this type of learning allows learners to practice reflective and high-order thinking skills in order to answer questions or form solutions (Dabbagh, 2006).               

            The use of the internet in this lesson allows students to actively research information and apply skills and knowledge. In doing so, the student must remember the ethical rules of conducting internet research in order not to violate copyright or plagiarism laws. In redesigning this lesson the instructor prepares the learners not just for the task, but for using the tool in the real world (Dabbagh, 2006).  The students are also allowed to conduct interviews in the lesson.  Students will have to recall and reflect upon prior knowledge in order to adequately and properly record the details for this assignment. 

Challenges

            Redesigning the lesson required changing the instruction so that the students could conduct research and formulate their own questions. The greatest challenge in redesigning this activity was how to decide if students were using ethical practices in recording their research findings. It is often difficult to prevent plagiarism and copyright infringements not because students are dishonest, but because they do not know the rules concerning the two. In redesigning this lesson, the instructor must review and remind the students of internet protocol when it comes to conducting research.

The Lesson

CONNECT ACTIVITY AND NEEDS ASSESSMENT

• What do you know? 

The students have chosen professions and careers that they would like to pursue as adults.

• What do you want to know? 

I want to know why the students chose their specific profession or career.  In addition, I want to know if the students are aware of the job responsibilities, skills and requirements for the profession or career they chose.

• What are you trying to measure, determine, or define? 

I am trying to determine whether or not the students know how to evaluate, select and organize information. I want to determine whether or not the students can draw conclusions from research and set realistic and appropriate goals. In addition, I want to determine whether or not the students can search various sources to find answers to questions.

• How will you collect and record information. 

The students will use the internet and other classroom resources such as books or magazines to research their chosen profession.  I will also allow the students to conduct interviews with people who work in their chosen professions. The students will answer questions pertaining to their research and record them in their student journals. The journals will be submitted for grading.

• How will you report the information you collect? 

I will inform the students about their scores through one-on-one discussions. I will also report the information on the student’s progress reports. In addition, I will use this information in planning to discuss with other teachers so that we can access what we as teachers need to add, improve or delete from this lesson series in order to further student learning and comprehension and meet the course objectives.

• Are all interested groups included in planning and conducting the needs assessment?

The groups included in the planning are the grade level planning staff, students, professionals being interviewed and the teacher.

  

CONNECT ACTIVITY

Instruction:

Objective: Using resources selected by both the students and the teacher, the students will

 research their future careers/professions and summarize their findings with no errors in spelling and grammar.

Purpose: The purpose of this lesson is to link information that is already known by gathering data, drawing conclusions and answering questions from research information.

            Prior to beginning this assignment the students chose a career or profession they would like to pursue after high school.  The lesson will begin with the teacher explaining the purpose of the lesson. The teacher will explain to the students that the lesson is about locating sources of information and gathering conclusions. Whereas, the information being gathered is important; the teacher will emphasize to the students the importance of knowing how to analyze and summarize the information.  

            Next, the teacher will present the students with the following list of questions. The teacher will explain each question in detail and allow the students to ask questions.

1.     What are the educational or technical skills and requirements for your chosen career?

2.     What is the average salary/wage in your state for the career or profession chosen?

3.     What are the job responsibilities or requirements for your profession?

4.     What is the current employment rate for this profession?

5.     Discuss the available job markets for this profession.

6.     Based on your research, why do you think this is the appropriate profession for you?

  The students have reference books and magazines available for use in this assignment. Some students have also conducted personal interviews with professionals.  In addition, the teacher will provide the students with the following web resource:

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm

The teacher will inform the students that the source of the information for each question needs to be recorded.

EDU 697 REVISION: Prior to beginning the lesson the teacher will review and discuss with the students the rules for citing and using information gathered from the internet. The students will review the information about their chosen profession and formulate their own list of questions. The students will use classroom resources and conduct their own internet searches to find information. The teacher will answer questions pertaining to the lesson and assist students who need help in their internet search.

            Research activities can be extremely frustrating, especially if students do not know how to make connections between what they already know and their lives. It can also be unethical if students do not know how to cite and properly use the information they find.  The internet can be a valuable tool for conducting research if the users adhere to certain ethical practices. Information obtained must be properly cited so that the owner of the information is given credit. Classroom teachers must teach and equip students with internet ethics and fair practice rules before they allow them to conduct research online.

References:

Dabbagh, N. (2006). Instructional design knowledge base. Retrieved from http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm

May 2013 Occupation Profiles. (n.d.). U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved July 2, 2014, from http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_stru.htm

PLO 4

 This lesson demonstrates PLO 4 Apply research to support learning in a technology-enhanced environment.

Since 2007 when the first e-reader appeared on the scene, the number of devices available for displaying digital text has greatly increased. “These technological advances have created high hopes among many teachers, administrators, researchers, and policy makers, who believe that the digital devices offer great promise as instructional tools for literacy education”  (Biancarosa, & Griffiths, 2012).  The article entitled Technology Tools to Support Reading in a Digital Age, discussed how teachers can use technology to promote higher levels of literacy in students. We live in a technologically advanced society and students come to school with a vast knowledge of how to use most technological devices.  With this being the case, many teachers feel that incorporating the use of such technological tools in the classroom can only enhance the learning experience. According to the article e-readers help students develop early reading skills. They also help students with visual and language-based disabilities. They can also be beneficial in helping students develop procedural, conceptual and knowledge skills which foster reading (Biancarosa, & Griffiths, 2012).

When I worked in the school system, we worked with Leapfrog technology which was similar to modern e-rearders. I found this technology as a great supplement to the teacher instruction. First of all, it allowed for independent reading which is important to younger readers because it gives them a chance to learn and explore things on their own.  Secondly, this technology allowed students to focus on a specific reading skill based on their individual needs. This is something teachers cannot always fully address because of time and classroom size.  Also, this meant that students were getting just what they needed from the technology and not being drilled with the same concepts over and over.  Just as the article stated “technology can be more than a tool for drilling students on skills; it can be a tool for acquiring the vocabulary and background knowledge essential to becoming a skilled reader (Biancarosa & Griffiths, 2012). 

Biancarosa, G., & Griffiths, G. G. (2012). Technology tools to support reading in the digital age. The Future of Children, 22(2) Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1519298203?accountid=32521

PLO 3

This assignment demonstrates PLO 3 

"Design learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the needs of all learners."

Supporting the Needs of All Learners

Imagine sitting in a classroom where the teacher lectures and the students take notes. The students are in turn expected to perform exercises or take tests based on the teacher instruction. This type of instruction is all too familiar and does little to promote creativity or support learner needs. In order to be effective, instruction should be designed to support learner needs.  Effective design provides learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies that support the need of all learners. The lesson presented in this paper has been redesigned to demonstrate the use of instructional design principles and theory.

Designing to Meet the Needs of all Learners

There are many factors that affect how people learn. These include the environment, life experiences, beliefs, culture and even socio-economic statuses. Classroom teachers have many things they must consider before designing instruction. Every student will respond and perceive instruction based on their individual learning preferences. Because of this, when teachers design and implement instruction they must consider the learning style needs of each individual student. Whereas, designing instruction to support the needs of every individual learner may seem impossible; it can be done.

            Learning styles refers to the different ways in which information is learned, processed and retained. According to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences “we are all able to know the world through language, logical-mathematical analysis, spatial representation, musical thinking, the use of the body to solve problems or to make things, an understanding of other individuals, and an understanding of ourselves” (McCoog, 2007, p.25).  Whereas, the strength of these intelligences may differ for each individual they still play a major role in determining how people learn and retain information. Therefore, instruction that is based on the “one-size fits all” approach will not meet the needs of learners.

            Teaching and has evolved from instruction based on rote classroom procedures, and this in part explains why the “one-size fits all” approach does not work.  Today’s world places a greater demand on learners. Learners today must acquire skills that prepare them for social collaboration, teamwork and high-order reasoning to solve complex problems. Therefore, classroom activities have shifted from passive learning to active learning where students actively search for needed information and learning experiences, determining what is needed and seek ways to attain it. In accordance, the teacher must design learning activities and experiences that allow for active and hands-on experiences while at the same time supporting the individual learning preferences of each student (Newby, Stepich, Lehman, Russell, & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, 2011).

            Technology can be instrumental in supporting learner needs. It gives teachers access to resources and materials that accommodate the multiple intelligences of learners. There is no doubt that we live a technologically driven era. Most students come to school with a vast knowledge of computers and other technological devices.  As mentioned earlier, today’s world places demands on students that require them to learn certain skills. These skills which are referred to as 21^st Century skills require that students possess knowledge in specific areas in order to maintain and compete in the real world. If the goal of education is to prepare student for the real world it is important that they attain these skills (McCoog, 2007).  

            When it comes to individual learning needs technology can supply a host of benefits for every type of learner. Teachers must make a conscious effort to design instruction based on learning needs. Technology can be used to allow student to create projects that reflect their own learning styles. For instance, students can use PowerPoint to create presentations that meet their needs with a minimal learning curve. Using such technology in such ways allows the concentration to remain on the learning itself.

 Lesson

            The lesson for this assignment can be found at: http://ssh397.wix.com/mshudson.

Challenges

            This lesson already contained activities that use technology-enhanced instructional strategies. The revisions made were to the Venn diagram activity. In the first version a Venn diagram was provided for the students. The challenge was to think of a way in which the students could best present their ideas using a form of technology. Because the technology needed to be meaningfully implemented, the decision was made to let the students create their own diagram. This allowed the students to better organize their ideas as they saw fit and the student were  better able to apply concepts related to the assignment.

            According to Cognitive Theory the “focus of instruction is to create learning or change by encouraging the learner to use appropriate learning strategies. Teachers/designers are responsible for assisting learners in organizing information in an optimal way so that it can be readily assimilated” (Dabbagh, 2006).   By allowing the learners to create their own diagram the learning that takes place became personal and relevant.  Because the information is stored in an organized and meaningful way, the students have a better chance of learning and mastering the concept (Dabbagh, 2006). 

            Most people have an idea of what learning means but they cannot accurately depict how it takes place or the process of how it happens. What they can do is describe characteristics that are favorable or conducive to learning and attaining knowledge. When asked how students learn they describe conditions or factors that relate to students learning needs.  Therefore, when designing instruction to support learner needs these same considerations must be made.

  

References

Dabbagh, N. (2006). Instructional design knowledge base. Retrieved from http://cehdclass.gmu.edu/ndabbagh/Resources/IDKB/models_theories.htm

McCoog, I.J. (2007). Integrated instruction: multiple intelligences and technology. Clearing House, 81(1), 25-28

Newby, T. J., Stepich, D. A., Lehman, J. D., Russell, J. D., & Ottenbreit-Leftwich, A. (2011). Educational technology for teaching and learning (4th ed.).Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.