1. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
-An online presence is just as important to keep safe as it is a real life presence and because of this, I definitely want my students to know how they are expected to utilize digital information and technology. This type of modeling should be considered at all age levels, especially considering how easily influenced some people can be. Early on, I would definitely go over general guidelines and rules for my classroom and how students are expected to use digital information and technology and as the year progresses, model appropriate behavior as well as the respect for copyright and appropriate documentation of sources. Technology and information is an incredibly broad spectrum and because of that, I feel as though there's a lot of things to learn about it all that cannot necessarily be taught and instructed in one sitting but instead, over time.
2. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
-The great thing about digital tools and resources is that if something doesn't work out, there's bound to be an alternative. In this course alone, I was able to provide my students with activities that seemed to be relatively universal from student to student, though this could change in a larger classroom. However, in this class, I provided students with several different approaches to lessons and gave as much creative freedom as I saw appropriate, though guiding them with websites and activities that were still relevant to the lesson.
3. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
-I feel as though digital etiquette and responsible social interactions in relation to technology should be treated as though technology was not being used at all. Things should not be different online with the help of moderate anonymity and because of this, I would definitely do my best to promote digital etiquette. I'm a firm believer in treating others the way you would like to be treated and I would reiterate this to my class when working with digital-age technologies that would be used in the classroom environment, with the hopes that it would even go beyond that too. Again, I would explain appropriate digital etiquette to my classroom rather early on and be clear in expectations; if students know something right away, I feel as though it's easier to nip it in the bud should they go outside of classroom expectations for digital etiquette.
4. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital communication and collaboration tools.
-One of the most important things I believe I've learned as a future educator is realizing and understanding that each classroom will be diverse. That being said, I think that there are great tools to use and utilize to develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness and can also work really well with collaboration too. When I think of collaboration, I immediately think of involving peers, whether they are generally of the same cultural background or not. To me, there's a rather large difference between learning about a culture from someone who is not of that background and learning about a culture from someone who understands it because they are a part of that. Because of that, I think that cultural understanding is often more effective when presented by someone of that specific culture. In my classroom, I would use digital tools and communication to allow students the opportunity to share their background and culture, allowing myself as an educator to learn more about the student personally as well as developing cultural understanding along with my class.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
1. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
-The fluency and understanding of technology, I feel develops over time the more a person uses a certain technology systems and I believe that this sort of understanding should happen before - or even during - the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. That being said, in my classroom, I know that I would have to consistently use certain technologies in order to become fluent in how they work and what they do. Similarly, I can only expect the same from my students. Because of this, I would certainly utilize any technology systems in my classroom in any way that I can as necessary, allowing students to become more familiar with them and to use them as a tool to enhance their learning experience.
2. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
-When people consider digital resources and tools, I feel as though a lot of them would first jump to social media. Of course, social media can sometimes be seen as inappropriate but I feel that if used correctly, could be a really great tool for classrooms to have in order to interact and collaborate with peers and outside members, such as members of the community. A class web page could be a great tool, as it allows the instructor the freedom to share student success and innovation while being relatively accessible, though still allows contact to the instructor should there be any questions or to collaborate. I feel like this is really rare to see, even now with technology and digital tools being so prominent in an education setting, but at the same time find it to be rather innovative as well. It really shows that the instructor would like to hear feedback from those outside of the classroom and encourages participation and collaboration from many people, rather than limiting it to just students or even colleagues.
3. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers, using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
-With the amount of presentation techniques being readily available in the digital age, I find that it would be rather simple - and fun! - to find a way to effectively communicate with students, parents, and peers. Again, some form of a class website would be fun to utilize, using it as a bulletin boards of sorts that would allow educators to provide information to the classroom and beyond, as well as posing questions with the ability to receive feedback. Communication is key and that is definitely something that I have to keep in mind when working with a classroom of my own, also keeping in mind that I would be expected to communicate with people that are not just my students.
4 Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
-Modeling the way digital tools can and should be used for the sake of locating, analyzing, evaluating and using information found in order to support research and learning can be as simple as utilizing the proper behavior when approaching a digital tool. In other words, giving examples to students in regards to how information found should be used can become pretty clear just by having the educator do it themselves. That being said, in my classroom, I would probably ensure very early on in the academic year that students can and will use digital tools effectively but appropriately as well. What to do and what not to do are, of course, included in basic classroom rules so I think that going over digital and technology expectations would be tied in with that.
-The fluency and understanding of technology, I feel develops over time the more a person uses a certain technology systems and I believe that this sort of understanding should happen before - or even during - the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations. That being said, in my classroom, I know that I would have to consistently use certain technologies in order to become fluent in how they work and what they do. Similarly, I can only expect the same from my students. Because of this, I would certainly utilize any technology systems in my classroom in any way that I can as necessary, allowing students to become more familiar with them and to use them as a tool to enhance their learning experience.
2. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
-When people consider digital resources and tools, I feel as though a lot of them would first jump to social media. Of course, social media can sometimes be seen as inappropriate but I feel that if used correctly, could be a really great tool for classrooms to have in order to interact and collaborate with peers and outside members, such as members of the community. A class web page could be a great tool, as it allows the instructor the freedom to share student success and innovation while being relatively accessible, though still allows contact to the instructor should there be any questions or to collaborate. I feel like this is really rare to see, even now with technology and digital tools being so prominent in an education setting, but at the same time find it to be rather innovative as well. It really shows that the instructor would like to hear feedback from those outside of the classroom and encourages participation and collaboration from many people, rather than limiting it to just students or even colleagues.
3. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers, using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
-With the amount of presentation techniques being readily available in the digital age, I find that it would be rather simple - and fun! - to find a way to effectively communicate with students, parents, and peers. Again, some form of a class website would be fun to utilize, using it as a bulletin boards of sorts that would allow educators to provide information to the classroom and beyond, as well as posing questions with the ability to receive feedback. Communication is key and that is definitely something that I have to keep in mind when working with a classroom of my own, also keeping in mind that I would be expected to communicate with people that are not just my students.
4 Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
-Modeling the way digital tools can and should be used for the sake of locating, analyzing, evaluating and using information found in order to support research and learning can be as simple as utilizing the proper behavior when approaching a digital tool. In other words, giving examples to students in regards to how information found should be used can become pretty clear just by having the educator do it themselves. That being said, in my classroom, I would probably ensure very early on in the academic year that students can and will use digital tools effectively but appropriately as well. What to do and what not to do are, of course, included in basic classroom rules so I think that going over digital and technology expectations would be tied in with that.
Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
1. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
-With the technology that we have nowadays, I feel as though it's pretty simple (almost second nature, even) to incorporate some digital tools in lessons to promote student learning and creativity. In this course, I was able to do this by creating lesson plans specifically for using technology in the lesson, or at least knowing that digital resources are out there. I allowed my students to play mini-games on the Internet that were relevant to the lesson being taught and allowed them to use digital resources when either doing research about space or creating a video when studying a book. I truly believe that the use of technology can enhance a learning experience and with the wide range of resources out there, there is bound to be something that every student can use, or at the very least, something for each student.
2. Develop technology enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
-Again, I think that a blogging platform would be pretty ideal in this case, as it allows students to express themselves in their own terms, giving them the freedom to explore when necessary and reflect on their knowledge and goals. It's a fantastic way for students to track their progress, potentially without the pressure of knowing that a teacher will be assessing their progress. Instead, when left in their own hands, I feel as though students can sometimes succeed more when they set goals for themselves rather than live up to the expectations of others.
3. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
-Digital tools and resources are incredibly abundant and accessible to both students and educators, and I think that it's important to keep in mind that digital tools and technology does not necessarily mean easy to use. Technology is used to enhance experiences and sometimes just to make things relatively easy, though different learning styles and strategies may not find doing something because it's easy to be rather enriching or meaningful. That being said, I would certainly make any adjustments necessarily to the lesson or curriculum in order to make sure that each and every student is getting a learning experience out of the lesson. I'd definitely utilize anything that I could to enhance learning, such as video examples found for visual learners, reading along to presentations or lessons displayed on any other digital artifact, etc. With the amount of technology and digital resources, there should not really be an excuse for being unable to accommodate the educational needs of students, no matter what they may be.
4. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
-With different learning styles within the classroom, it may be necessary to have varied assessments with the lessons being taught. Formative and summative assessments are equally important, as student progress and end goals are prominent in the classroom and should be considered when creating or even considering different types of assessments. In my classroom, I would provide smaller assessments throughout a lesson or project for the sake of tracking student progress before having a final, bit larger assessment towards the end to ensure that students grasped concepts thoroughly. With this, I could plan what needed to be done in the future, especially with the smaller assessments as the students go along. If necessary, I could make any adjustments to the lesson as needed.
-With the technology that we have nowadays, I feel as though it's pretty simple (almost second nature, even) to incorporate some digital tools in lessons to promote student learning and creativity. In this course, I was able to do this by creating lesson plans specifically for using technology in the lesson, or at least knowing that digital resources are out there. I allowed my students to play mini-games on the Internet that were relevant to the lesson being taught and allowed them to use digital resources when either doing research about space or creating a video when studying a book. I truly believe that the use of technology can enhance a learning experience and with the wide range of resources out there, there is bound to be something that every student can use, or at the very least, something for each student.
2. Develop technology enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
-Again, I think that a blogging platform would be pretty ideal in this case, as it allows students to express themselves in their own terms, giving them the freedom to explore when necessary and reflect on their knowledge and goals. It's a fantastic way for students to track their progress, potentially without the pressure of knowing that a teacher will be assessing their progress. Instead, when left in their own hands, I feel as though students can sometimes succeed more when they set goals for themselves rather than live up to the expectations of others.
3. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
-Digital tools and resources are incredibly abundant and accessible to both students and educators, and I think that it's important to keep in mind that digital tools and technology does not necessarily mean easy to use. Technology is used to enhance experiences and sometimes just to make things relatively easy, though different learning styles and strategies may not find doing something because it's easy to be rather enriching or meaningful. That being said, I would certainly make any adjustments necessarily to the lesson or curriculum in order to make sure that each and every student is getting a learning experience out of the lesson. I'd definitely utilize anything that I could to enhance learning, such as video examples found for visual learners, reading along to presentations or lessons displayed on any other digital artifact, etc. With the amount of technology and digital resources, there should not really be an excuse for being unable to accommodate the educational needs of students, no matter what they may be.
4. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
-With different learning styles within the classroom, it may be necessary to have varied assessments with the lessons being taught. Formative and summative assessments are equally important, as student progress and end goals are prominent in the classroom and should be considered when creating or even considering different types of assessments. In my classroom, I would provide smaller assessments throughout a lesson or project for the sake of tracking student progress before having a final, bit larger assessment towards the end to ensure that students grasped concepts thoroughly. With this, I could plan what needed to be done in the future, especially with the smaller assessments as the students go along. If necessary, I could make any adjustments to the lesson as needed.
Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
1. Promote, support, model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
-As a future educator, promoting, supporting, and modeling creativity in the classroom is one of my main priorities and I hope to demonstrate that as best as I can in my classroom. In this course, I was able to practice this skill by allowing my students (peers) to have a bit of creative freedom within the lessons. On lesson in particular that I felt really harnessed students' creativity was the creation of a short film when teaching The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The instructions given were intentionally rather vague for the sole purpose of wanting to see what my students would come up with on their own with this bit of freedom they had in class.
2. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
-Luckily, we live in an age where news can be found with one Google search so there's always going to be a resource at hand when it comes to identifying real-world issues. That being said, in my classroom, I would certainly want my students to utilize these sorts of tools in order to keep up with real-world issues and solving authentic problems. I would implement some type of assignment, whether it be required or simply for extra credit, giving my students the opportunity to explore the issues going in the world and presenting them to the class as though they were reporting the issue themselves. Of course, there would definitely have to be a clarification between news (gossip, pop culture, etc) to actual real-world issues (politics, societal views and changes, etc) in order to make the lesson meaningful and to have students truly understand the issues and problems while having the content easily accessible to them as well.
3. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding, thinking, planning and creative processes.
-Student reflection is incredibly important and I think that it's interesting to see the progress that a student is making during a lesson or throughout the class in general. That being said, I would enjoy using a blogging platform like we did in this class in order to clarify what students are thinking and why they are wanting to do things a certain way. A blog is the perfect place to discuss these sorts of things; I feel as though a lot of people to find blogs to be an online journal, a relatively safe place to reflect on things so I would want that sort of mindset to carry over to the classroom as well. Promoting student reflection could be a regular thing and to be really honest, it's a lot more fun than writing reflections!
4. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others face-to-face and virtual environments.
-Creating a comfortable classroom environment is a bit difficult, especially considering that all students are different and do not do well with others watching. There's a sense of judgement among students that lingers, I feel - at least that's how it's been in nearly every classroom that I've been in, especially in high school. However, a classroom definitely shouldn't be hostile or a place where students could feel judged, so perhaps a virtual environment would be a bit of a better alternative. Virtually speaking, it's relatively easy to stay in contact and connect to collaborate with others via social media or even education boards such as BbLearn. That being said, utilizing some sort of online presence may not necessarily be a bad idea for teachers to have, especially because they are not always with their students and students are not always with their teachers. Having a virtual environment of sorts may eliminate any roadblocks, seeing as it would be easier to communicate and touch base with others as needed.
-As a future educator, promoting, supporting, and modeling creativity in the classroom is one of my main priorities and I hope to demonstrate that as best as I can in my classroom. In this course, I was able to practice this skill by allowing my students (peers) to have a bit of creative freedom within the lessons. On lesson in particular that I felt really harnessed students' creativity was the creation of a short film when teaching The Perks of Being a Wallflower. The instructions given were intentionally rather vague for the sole purpose of wanting to see what my students would come up with on their own with this bit of freedom they had in class.
2. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
-Luckily, we live in an age where news can be found with one Google search so there's always going to be a resource at hand when it comes to identifying real-world issues. That being said, in my classroom, I would certainly want my students to utilize these sorts of tools in order to keep up with real-world issues and solving authentic problems. I would implement some type of assignment, whether it be required or simply for extra credit, giving my students the opportunity to explore the issues going in the world and presenting them to the class as though they were reporting the issue themselves. Of course, there would definitely have to be a clarification between news (gossip, pop culture, etc) to actual real-world issues (politics, societal views and changes, etc) in order to make the lesson meaningful and to have students truly understand the issues and problems while having the content easily accessible to them as well.
3. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding, thinking, planning and creative processes.
-Student reflection is incredibly important and I think that it's interesting to see the progress that a student is making during a lesson or throughout the class in general. That being said, I would enjoy using a blogging platform like we did in this class in order to clarify what students are thinking and why they are wanting to do things a certain way. A blog is the perfect place to discuss these sorts of things; I feel as though a lot of people to find blogs to be an online journal, a relatively safe place to reflect on things so I would want that sort of mindset to carry over to the classroom as well. Promoting student reflection could be a regular thing and to be really honest, it's a lot more fun than writing reflections!
4. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others face-to-face and virtual environments.
-Creating a comfortable classroom environment is a bit difficult, especially considering that all students are different and do not do well with others watching. There's a sense of judgement among students that lingers, I feel - at least that's how it's been in nearly every classroom that I've been in, especially in high school. However, a classroom definitely shouldn't be hostile or a place where students could feel judged, so perhaps a virtual environment would be a bit of a better alternative. Virtually speaking, it's relatively easy to stay in contact and connect to collaborate with others via social media or even education boards such as BbLearn. That being said, utilizing some sort of online presence may not necessarily be a bad idea for teachers to have, especially because they are not always with their students and students are not always with their teachers. Having a virtual environment of sorts may eliminate any roadblocks, seeing as it would be easier to communicate and touch base with others as needed.
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