Problem:
The problem I chose to focus my WICKED Project on was providing students with access to non-fiction materials that support struggling readers. I teach in a K-1 Library Media Center and I often have beginning readers or struggling readers that engage in various forms of research. I do purchase leveled non-fiction books to accommodate their reading levels, but technology has been a big push in our school. So I provide access to non-print sources as much as possible. However, most online non-fiction resources are much too difficult for elementary students to read and understand independently. I would like to find a program that supports our students with access to rich non-fiction sources and provides support for struggling readers.
Solution:
After reviewing many wonderful and abundant sources that support my problem I chose World Books Encyclopedia Online as my solution. They have a kid version that I was especially interested in because it is geared towards younger students. I feel that this program maintains an even balance as a TPaCK solution and here's why...
TP knowledge for the solution:
World Books Kids Online offers a few features that will allow students to be successful in their independent research. One of the features that I was most impressed with was the "Hear-to-Text" option. Students can have the online encyclopedia article read to them. This is great for struggling readers, as well as, practicing readers because they can follow along as the computer reads each sentence to them. In addition to this feature, the articles are written for an intended audience and are age appropriate. World Books has different levels of difficulty in online encyclopedias depending on the age of students in your school. This is a great way to hopefully implement this program district wide. Moreover, in all the levels of World Books, videos and images are included for student's research. This is a great tool for visual learners. Overall, this software meets my pedagogical belief that students are offered multiple ways to learn information and can do so independently because it's very easy to navigate.
TC knowledge for the solution:
This technology makes the content more intellectually accessible because the information provided is very up-to-date, which is one of the perks of being an online resource. As most people, World Book Encyclopedias are a very well-known print series. They update their volumes yearly, but are very expensive to repurchase. Therefore, some libraries in turn can sometimes offer students out-of-date and older material when doing research. With World Books Online, their encyclopedias are continually updated and you don't have to purchase the new volumes yearly. It's all included in your subscription.
PC knowledge for the solution:
My pedagogical choices make the content more intellectually accessible by making it a priority and acknowledging that students learn differently. The content is introduced to students in various formats. Students can listen to audio to help them follow along or help them though difficult words, videos and images are provided for visual learners, and there are features that allow students to compare subject by content. Students' uniqueness is recognized with this program and they have options of how they would like to acquire or view that information. It is ideal for a library's resource where independent research is a desired outcome.
Works Cited
Reading Rockets. “Hooking struggling readers: using books they can and want to read.” Reading Rockets, 2011.
World Books Online. "World Books Kids Online." World Books, Inc. 2011.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Final Reflections for CEP 811
1. What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?
Some of the things that I’ve learned about using effective teaching strategies when integrating technology is to use technology only when it will enhance student learning. Some people fall into the mistake of trying to use technology for the sake of using technology. It’s understandable since it’s an ever-changing area and there’s always something new and innovative coming out; but to better our teaching and student learning, we should use it when it fits into our content. Otherwise, our teaching objectives may be lost in the learning process by focusing on the technology or other objectives. And when you do use technology appropriately, it’s important to get feedback from students to ensure that our teaching goals and objectives are being met. There are so many ways to use technology to get feedback from students and to assist in teaching lessons which will engage students and motivate them to learn and succeed.
2. How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?
Integrating web-based technologies helped me think about and evaluate technology uses because I was able to use the technologies myself. So I was able to evaluate how easily a technology was to navigate though and see firsthand what that technology offered. Therefore, I could find uses for it in my teaching curriculum and where it would fit in nicely. Also, I was able to investigate the pros and cons and what each technology program had to offer. It really gave me the opportunity to explore with different technologies before trying it out with students.
3. How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?
One of my biggest goals was to familiarize myself with different technologies that I wasn’t aware of or comfortable using. I have definitely met that goal by taking this course. I’ve been exposed to technologies that I have not heard of and others that I was aware of but never before used. I had some great learning experiences and really was able to explore hands on with new technologies. Also, I was refocused on what your ultimate goals should be when using technology and to make sure that students are benefitting from its use.
4.Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?
My new goals will mostly be to utilize some of the new technology I learned about with my students. Since this course was over the summer I explored by myself or called on friends and family to help assist with getting feedback using these technologies. I’ve formulated many ideas of how I can incorporate these technologies in my classroom after I was able to explore for a little. The type of web based technology that I was most interested in would be that of surveying or any technology that allowed me to check for immediate feedback as an assessment of student learning. Assessment is an extremely important aspect of teaching. Creating surveys was easier than I thought and can be very specific for any content area I teach. I definitely plan on using this tool when school starts in the fall. First, to see what students already know as a pre-assessment, and then, to assess after teaching new material. I think this will be a successful implementation of technology in my classroom setting.
Some of the things that I’ve learned about using effective teaching strategies when integrating technology is to use technology only when it will enhance student learning. Some people fall into the mistake of trying to use technology for the sake of using technology. It’s understandable since it’s an ever-changing area and there’s always something new and innovative coming out; but to better our teaching and student learning, we should use it when it fits into our content. Otherwise, our teaching objectives may be lost in the learning process by focusing on the technology or other objectives. And when you do use technology appropriately, it’s important to get feedback from students to ensure that our teaching goals and objectives are being met. There are so many ways to use technology to get feedback from students and to assist in teaching lessons which will engage students and motivate them to learn and succeed.
2. How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?
Integrating web-based technologies helped me think about and evaluate technology uses because I was able to use the technologies myself. So I was able to evaluate how easily a technology was to navigate though and see firsthand what that technology offered. Therefore, I could find uses for it in my teaching curriculum and where it would fit in nicely. Also, I was able to investigate the pros and cons and what each technology program had to offer. It really gave me the opportunity to explore with different technologies before trying it out with students.
3. How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?
One of my biggest goals was to familiarize myself with different technologies that I wasn’t aware of or comfortable using. I have definitely met that goal by taking this course. I’ve been exposed to technologies that I have not heard of and others that I was aware of but never before used. I had some great learning experiences and really was able to explore hands on with new technologies. Also, I was refocused on what your ultimate goals should be when using technology and to make sure that students are benefitting from its use.
4.Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?
My new goals will mostly be to utilize some of the new technology I learned about with my students. Since this course was over the summer I explored by myself or called on friends and family to help assist with getting feedback using these technologies. I’ve formulated many ideas of how I can incorporate these technologies in my classroom after I was able to explore for a little. The type of web based technology that I was most interested in would be that of surveying or any technology that allowed me to check for immediate feedback as an assessment of student learning. Assessment is an extremely important aspect of teaching. Creating surveys was easier than I thought and can be very specific for any content area I teach. I definitely plan on using this tool when school starts in the fall. First, to see what students already know as a pre-assessment, and then, to assess after teaching new material. I think this will be a successful implementation of technology in my classroom setting.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Group Leadership Project
Here is the link to our Group Leadership Project Video:
http://voicethread.com/share/2163294/
1.What tool did your group use to deliver the PD tutorial? Why?
Our group used VoiceThread to deliver our Professional Development tutorial because it would allow us to guide our viewers step-by-step through the program we chose for our project, which is Glogster. We thought it would be easier to do a presentation with a tool that had a voice feature and accepted other forms of media so that we could insert multimedia image and videos.
2.What did you learn during the development process of the final product?
I learned a lot more about the program because everyone in our group found out different specifics about it. Also, I was able to see how using these technology tools could be managed with students from a firsthand experience. Some aspects weren’t easy, so I saw what worked and what some of the bumps in the road could be. For example, splitting up specific jobs was manageable yet some media types were not as compatible as others. We had to figure out how to convert them so that everyone and every program would accept it.
3.What would you do differently if you had to develop a similar product again?
I think our process was good overall; however, if I were to do anything differently, I would be more specific of what we had in mind for the project. I thought we were specific enough with this project, but I think some bumps in the road could have been avoided if we planned it even more thoroughly.
http://voicethread.com/share/2163294/
1.What tool did your group use to deliver the PD tutorial? Why?
Our group used VoiceThread to deliver our Professional Development tutorial because it would allow us to guide our viewers step-by-step through the program we chose for our project, which is Glogster. We thought it would be easier to do a presentation with a tool that had a voice feature and accepted other forms of media so that we could insert multimedia image and videos.
2.What did you learn during the development process of the final product?
I learned a lot more about the program because everyone in our group found out different specifics about it. Also, I was able to see how using these technology tools could be managed with students from a firsthand experience. Some aspects weren’t easy, so I saw what worked and what some of the bumps in the road could be. For example, splitting up specific jobs was manageable yet some media types were not as compatible as others. We had to figure out how to convert them so that everyone and every program would accept it.
3.What would you do differently if you had to develop a similar product again?
I think our process was good overall; however, if I were to do anything differently, I would be more specific of what we had in mind for the project. I thought we were specific enough with this project, but I think some bumps in the road could have been avoided if we planned it even more thoroughly.
Professional Learning Plan
Below are the text version and the link to the Voice Thread I created for my Professional Learning Plan:
http://voicethread.com/share/2178659/
My professional learning plan includes the use of Video or Presentation Web 2.0 tools. It’s almost an extension of the goals I made when I took CEP 810. I wanted to do more with young students building with Web 2.0 Tools. I have reached most of the goals since I have had students use Glogsters, Wallwisher, PhotoStory, etc. to complete projects. It was a great learning experience for my students and for me as well. However, I’ve learned a great deal about the use of video tools throughout this course, that I’m interested in continuing in that area and applying it to my professional setting. I will begin teaching in a high school this Fall, which is a big switch for me since I worked at a K-1 setting last year. With this change, I would like to change some of my teaching styles and I think Video Web 2.0 tools will definitely have a place in my library media center. My first real exposure to tools such as; Jing, Screencast, VoiceThread, etc., were from assignments in this class. I learned about many of the capabilities these programs have and how well they can help you teach and learn. There is still more I wish to learn. Jing was a little difficult for me to grasp, so I want to push myself to practice using that more, so that I can use it in the field. However, I think high school students are the perfect students for this goal because they were brought up in the digital age and will be more than capable to experiment with these tools with me. It will be a change from my K-1 experience where I needed to guide the students through all steps and assist in almost every aspect. High school students will be able to move on independently and freely use their creativity.
I plan on using tools such as these in my classroom and I would like to use scaffolding as my pedagogical teaching strategy. When I begin this new year at the high school, I would like to create some of these interactive videos within my library to help guide students in whole groups, small groups, or individual learning experiences within the media center. For example, I would like to use these presentation tools as an introduction to the library media center, introduce new books and authors when students go to the OPAC cataloging computers to locate books, and as tutorials on how to use or locate other resources within the library. Fortunately, the high school library media center has many student computers and I would like to set up these videos on the desktop of the computers to easily help assist students when needed. Also, when I’m teaching research lessons or other units of study, I would like to incorporate these tools where needed. Therefore, as the year goes on, all students will hopefully have had exposure to these videos as learning tools. Next, I would like students to create videos of their own by becoming the “teacher” in the videos. I will instruct students on how to use these tools. Then, I would like them create their own videos on specific topics of study. Projects are created using PowerPoint or writing an essay all the time, but I think it would be more engaging for students to use other programs to present their findings. This will be a great learning experience for students and a more meaningful route to learning material. I also believe this will be helpful to students with their future endeavors.
Those are my goals for the upcoming year at my new job placement. If all goes well, I hope to continue to use Video Web 2.0 Tools as a learning and instruction tool and add on to it. Who knows, maybe I can begin conducting distance learning courses for students in clubs or groups in the following years. I feel excited and ready to begin this goal.
http://voicethread.com/share/2178659/
My professional learning plan includes the use of Video or Presentation Web 2.0 tools. It’s almost an extension of the goals I made when I took CEP 810. I wanted to do more with young students building with Web 2.0 Tools. I have reached most of the goals since I have had students use Glogsters, Wallwisher, PhotoStory, etc. to complete projects. It was a great learning experience for my students and for me as well. However, I’ve learned a great deal about the use of video tools throughout this course, that I’m interested in continuing in that area and applying it to my professional setting. I will begin teaching in a high school this Fall, which is a big switch for me since I worked at a K-1 setting last year. With this change, I would like to change some of my teaching styles and I think Video Web 2.0 tools will definitely have a place in my library media center. My first real exposure to tools such as; Jing, Screencast, VoiceThread, etc., were from assignments in this class. I learned about many of the capabilities these programs have and how well they can help you teach and learn. There is still more I wish to learn. Jing was a little difficult for me to grasp, so I want to push myself to practice using that more, so that I can use it in the field. However, I think high school students are the perfect students for this goal because they were brought up in the digital age and will be more than capable to experiment with these tools with me. It will be a change from my K-1 experience where I needed to guide the students through all steps and assist in almost every aspect. High school students will be able to move on independently and freely use their creativity.
I plan on using tools such as these in my classroom and I would like to use scaffolding as my pedagogical teaching strategy. When I begin this new year at the high school, I would like to create some of these interactive videos within my library to help guide students in whole groups, small groups, or individual learning experiences within the media center. For example, I would like to use these presentation tools as an introduction to the library media center, introduce new books and authors when students go to the OPAC cataloging computers to locate books, and as tutorials on how to use or locate other resources within the library. Fortunately, the high school library media center has many student computers and I would like to set up these videos on the desktop of the computers to easily help assist students when needed. Also, when I’m teaching research lessons or other units of study, I would like to incorporate these tools where needed. Therefore, as the year goes on, all students will hopefully have had exposure to these videos as learning tools. Next, I would like students to create videos of their own by becoming the “teacher” in the videos. I will instruct students on how to use these tools. Then, I would like them create their own videos on specific topics of study. Projects are created using PowerPoint or writing an essay all the time, but I think it would be more engaging for students to use other programs to present their findings. This will be a great learning experience for students and a more meaningful route to learning material. I also believe this will be helpful to students with their future endeavors.
Those are my goals for the upcoming year at my new job placement. If all goes well, I hope to continue to use Video Web 2.0 Tools as a learning and instruction tool and add on to it. Who knows, maybe I can begin conducting distance learning courses for students in clubs or groups in the following years. I feel excited and ready to begin this goal.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Part D - Findings and Implications
To prove that using the program World Book Kids helps students who have difficulty reading; especially non-fiction material, I have some ideas of how I can use formative and summative assessments to collect data. I plan on using formative assessments by using rubrics on our non-fiction projects that are completed in the library media center using World Books Kids Online. Prior to our “big” projects, I would like to hold a lesson directly on the use of World Book Kids as an introduction to the program and using online sources as a means to collecting information. Afterwards, I would create an assessment or quiz to give students so that I know how successful my lesson was and if the program really helped to address their needs by observing whether they were able to successfully complete a task and gather non-fiction material a given topic. This assessment would have to include information that tests navigation through the program and content questions, so that I can tell students were able to successfully acquire information. My summative assessments would include having an end of year review. This could be done through a written review, but I think more interesting results would be through an interactive Webquest. I would ask students to partake in this online assessment to see how well they can acquire information within the program, decode it, and navigate through the program. This assessment will help test students to see if they understand how to find information with this site and if it proves useful for researching. I would like to include questioning that leads towards students’ learning styles as well to evaluate whether they prefer using this online program versus print or other library sources. I believe these assessments will help me evaluate the usefulness of this program of addressing the needs of my students. As the year moves on, I can edit the assignments or the assessments based on the students’ feedback and my other observations.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Online Teaching Experience
There were so many technologies listed in the Michigan Merit Curriculum’s Online Experience Guideline that I would like to use. I think the technology tools that would work best for my students are the interactive visual activities. One of the many technologies I would love to use is the Online Virtual Fieldtrips. I have never conducted one of these myself yet, but I’ve assisted my mentor with one. We took a virtual fieldtrip with 5th grade students to a science institution. The 5th graders were studying bats or nocturnal animals as one of their science topics. So after learning more about bats, they came to the library media center prepared with well-thought out questions and were able to see real-live bats. They had a great online experience because unlike TV or educational videos, they were able to interact with the presenter and the animals. Based on their questions and comments, the students were able to direct the flow of the presentation. Needless to say, they were all very much involved and engaged throughout the entire presentation. In addition, virtual fieldtrips are ideal for a library media center because it is even more difficult to plan and budget for “real” fieldtrips in our setting than in a classroom setting.
If I were to do an online experience like this virtual field trip, I would follow the same pedagogical strategies as my mentor. She assisted and collaborated with the classroom teachers in their bat studies and research which led up to the virtual field trip. By that time, the students were well prepared with adequate information to be able to properly address an expert with their individual concerns or questions that they hadn’t found the answers to when they researched. It seemed to flow well as far as a well-rounded learning experience. Students were able to express their newly found information in a practical, real-life situation making their learning more meaningful.
My students are younger and I know this article mentioned its focus on middle school and high school students; however I could still implement many of these learning experiences but there were some that would be more difficult to do with younger students. Those would be the technologies that involved greater student independence. For example, the interactive discussions with students, communicating through a blog, Learning Management System and RSS Feeds may be difficult for a 1st student to navigate through; although not impossible. These could still be used successfully with young students, but probably wouldn’t have as great of a benefit as it would with older students. The focus might swerve away from the content to be learned and focus more on how to utilize that technology. As young students, I think they would benefit more from the exposure to these technologies and utilizing visual technologies since they haven’t yet mastered their “voice” in writing or sometimes even basic writing skills; especially not typing skills. Exposure would be great as they move forward in their educational learning experiences, so that they are prepared for the technologies that the higher grade levels are utilizing.
If I were to do an online experience like this virtual field trip, I would follow the same pedagogical strategies as my mentor. She assisted and collaborated with the classroom teachers in their bat studies and research which led up to the virtual field trip. By that time, the students were well prepared with adequate information to be able to properly address an expert with their individual concerns or questions that they hadn’t found the answers to when they researched. It seemed to flow well as far as a well-rounded learning experience. Students were able to express their newly found information in a practical, real-life situation making their learning more meaningful.
My students are younger and I know this article mentioned its focus on middle school and high school students; however I could still implement many of these learning experiences but there were some that would be more difficult to do with younger students. Those would be the technologies that involved greater student independence. For example, the interactive discussions with students, communicating through a blog, Learning Management System and RSS Feeds may be difficult for a 1st student to navigate through; although not impossible. These could still be used successfully with young students, but probably wouldn’t have as great of a benefit as it would with older students. The focus might swerve away from the content to be learned and focus more on how to utilize that technology. As young students, I think they would benefit more from the exposure to these technologies and utilizing visual technologies since they haven’t yet mastered their “voice” in writing or sometimes even basic writing skills; especially not typing skills. Exposure would be great as they move forward in their educational learning experiences, so that they are prepared for the technologies that the higher grade levels are utilizing.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Part B - Storyboard and Script
Our group is moving right along on our Group Leadship Project. It took us a little to get started and get used to continually monitoring the Group Discussion Forum, but once all of were on the same page, then we became pretty productive. We used Google Docs to begin the script so that all group members could collaborate. It seems to be a great choice for us. Below is the link to our Google Doc which contains our script and storyboard, thus far. I put together the script and storyboard for the introduction, examples, additional information, etc. Dianne put together the script and some of the storyboard for the tutorial. Sarah and Andrew provided feedback and editing help. For the next half of our project, Sarah will be putting together our scripts and storyboards on VoiceThread and Andrew will complete the tutorial storyboard and record a video of the tutorial; while Dianne and I edit and offer feedback. We're getting close to our final product!
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tt-yxc0bJkUvHeMPjqEffV_4g5ruSm61g84gHTl4slA/edit?hl=en_US#
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tt-yxc0bJkUvHeMPjqEffV_4g5ruSm61g84gHTl4slA/edit?hl=en_US#
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Part C - Implementation
In the VoiceThread podcast below, I report about the implementation of the program World Book Kids as a solution to the problem of reading difficulties that students encounter, espeically when reading non-fiction.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Mobile Learning
The tools I used was Poll Everywhere. I invited people to respond through the link and mobile phones. I got a few responses and the links to the live charts are below.
I would like to use this surveying technique in my classroom; especially because I will be with high schoolers next year. I think this would spark their motivation instantly. It can be done quickly and easily and the results can be posted on the smartboard. One of my local schools, Haverstraw Middle School, was on the video where the students used their cell phones in class. It was very inspiring. I also like the use of flip cams and podcasts. So much can be done with them and students can gain valuable learning lessons by capturing footage and editing it. Also, being in the library media center, I would like to incorporate e-Readers. Kindles and Nooks are becoming more and more popular and I would like to have this option in my media center to encourage students to read in any format.
Some challenges I forsee with the technology I'd like to incorporate into my class are budget and usage. These new technologies can be pricy to jumpstart and our school budgets are getting smaller. I would hope I could find some affordable solutions. Also, with every new change in the library media center, there needs to be a way to implement rules and regulations so that the equipment doesn't get abused or misused. In addition, how do I make sure there's fair usage and all students have equal access to the technology? There would definitely need to be a thought out plan of how to implement these new technologies.
Question 2: http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/LTExMDcwNTAyODk/web
Question 3: http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/LTEzNTYyNzc4MzA/web
I would like to use this surveying technique in my classroom; especially because I will be with high schoolers next year. I think this would spark their motivation instantly. It can be done quickly and easily and the results can be posted on the smartboard. One of my local schools, Haverstraw Middle School, was on the video where the students used their cell phones in class. It was very inspiring. I also like the use of flip cams and podcasts. So much can be done with them and students can gain valuable learning lessons by capturing footage and editing it. Also, being in the library media center, I would like to incorporate e-Readers. Kindles and Nooks are becoming more and more popular and I would like to have this option in my media center to encourage students to read in any format.
Some challenges I forsee with the technology I'd like to incorporate into my class are budget and usage. These new technologies can be pricy to jumpstart and our school budgets are getting smaller. I would hope I could find some affordable solutions. Also, with every new change in the library media center, there needs to be a way to implement rules and regulations so that the equipment doesn't get abused or misused. In addition, how do I make sure there's fair usage and all students have equal access to the technology? There would definitely need to be a thought out plan of how to implement these new technologies.
Question 2: http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/LTExMDcwNTAyODk/web
Question 3: http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/LTEzNTYyNzc4MzA/web
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wiki Blog
I added a little bit of information to my new school's Wikipedia site. It was really minimal basic information about school colors, mascot, and nickname. I didn't want to add anything that my new employers wouldn't agree with :) I've never added to a Wikipedia page, so I found it to be a very neat experience. Also, it was fairly easy, so I hope they do monitor their sites well. I also found it interesting because I teach students to find reliable sources and this gave me real insight in what I've been teaching them all along. Below is the screen shot of what I added.
I also created wiki site using wikispaces.com. I created a sign up sheet for my library media class to help other teachers collaborate on lesson ideas with me. I think this will be a very valuable tool for me to use in the Fall. I can probably edit it more when I know the new year's schedule. Below is the link to my wikispace.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Part A - Brainstorm Session
My group's brainstorming session was a great learning experiences. There were some aspects that went well and some that didn't. We used www.anymeeting.com for our web conference and this website offers some great resources: screen sharing, anyone can present, chat options, video/mic options, recording, etc. Therefore, some of the advantages of using a web conferencing tool was the ability to show our group members exactly what we wanted to online without having to be in the same physical location. We were able to look at an abundance of material from our own computer by sharing links or our screens. We also shared specific examples and demonstrated how to use specific tools to our group members. However there were a few disadvantages, we came across many technical issues. Some of us had a difficult time logging in or getting kicked off, switching presenters could be tough, and we spent a lot of time figuring out it before you could discuss content. If we were to meet in person, I don't believe we would have wasted so much time. Also, some equipment wasn't working for all group members, so we couldn't all communicate in the same way. Again, this wouldn't be a problem if we went in person. If we were to use it again, I think we would be better prepared. Like all technology, it was a trial and error experience.
Overall, our group had a productive afternoon and were able to meet all our meeting's goals. All group member's were present and active participants. We chose to pursue the technology, Glogster, and will be presenting with VoiceThread. We have divvied the assignment into 4 parts: writing script (due by July 26th), develop storyboard (due by July29th), slide creations (due by Aug. 5th), and create slidecast (due by Aug. 9th) and we will all review/edit the end product. We tried to separtate it all as fairly as possible. Below is the link to our group meeting:
http://www.anymeeting.com/msutech/E950DA80864F
Overall, our group had a productive afternoon and were able to meet all our meeting's goals. All group member's were present and active participants. We chose to pursue the technology, Glogster, and will be presenting with VoiceThread. We have divvied the assignment into 4 parts: writing script (due by July 26th), develop storyboard (due by July29th), slide creations (due by Aug. 5th), and create slidecast (due by Aug. 9th) and we will all review/edit the end product. We tried to separtate it all as fairly as possible. Below is the link to our group meeting:
http://www.anymeeting.com/msutech/E950DA80864F
Thursday, July 21, 2011
UDL Guidelines
I found it interesting when completing the UDL checklist because I thought my lesson was pretty well rounded and gave students many different learning experiences. However, there were some aspects that could be changed to better meet the needs of our learners. I found that I needed to give students a little more structure by including sentence starters and a reflection checklist, as well as, maybe giving them a little more freedom in which technological tool they want to use to display their findings. With these changes, I'm sure my lesson could be more successful and I could probably keep reflecting on what worked and what didn't. Below is my checklist:
Non-Fiction Zoo Animal Research with Blabberize – Diana Nicaj
| UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist | |
| Your notes | |
| Feature: Able to zoom in on images and interactive maps | |
| Feature: Provides text to speech option | |
| Feature: Includes images and videos | |
| Feature: Provides dictionary | |
| Feature: Option to hear dictionary (text to speech) | |
| Feature: Offers text to speech | |
| Feature: Research program offers world language option but must be purchased and while using Blabberize students can speak any language but probably should be monitored with a rubric | |
| Feature: Provides many diagrams, illustrations, images, and videos | |
| Feature: Began lesson by drawing on students’ personal experiences with zoos | |
| Feature: Books and research software bold and separate big ideas | |
| Feature: Teacher guides students throughout their research on their animal in the library | |
| Feature: Students take notes and decide what is most important to include on their Blabberize | |
| Your notes | |
| Feature: Students respond interactively with SmartBoard, take notes, and share with peers | |
| Feature: Students explore work independently and collaboratively | |
| Feature: Text to speech option | |
| Barrier: Final project was already planned out with using Blabberize | |
| Barrier: Did not have sentence starter worksheets for their script | |
| Feature: Students moved at their own pace and tried to meet their own expectations/goals | |
| Feature: Students followed a rubric throughout the project | |
| Feature: In addition to the rubric, students were given a task checklist | |
| Feature: Students had rubrics and checklists | |
| Barrier: Reflections were done with me verbally, not as independent as I would have liked |
| Your notes | |
| Feature: Students chose the animal of their choice | |
| Feature: Students related topic to personal lives | |
| Feature: Students were aware of what tasks needed to be completed during each visit and how much time we had | |
| Feature: Because of topic and computer tools being used students were motivated and engaged | |
| Feature: Rubric served to challenge and motivate students as well as teacher feedback | |
| Feature: Students had opportunities to collaborate and communicate with peers when brainstorming and researching | |
| Feature: Students were given valuable and timely feedback | |
| Feature: Teacher provided feedback and assisted with use of rubric | |
| Feature: Teacher modeled and gave examples individually and as a whole class of how to overcome possibly ‘bumps in the road’ | |
| Barrier: Reflections were done verbally rather than written |
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Part B - Application of TPACK
After reviewing many of the wonderful and abundant sources that support struggling readers with non-fiction sources, I have chosen to pursue World Books Online as a solution for my problem.
What is the TP knowledge for the solution?
This technology helps support my teaching strategies and methods because it allows for students independent study. When students come to my library media program, I initially introduce the tools they’ll need for their exploration/research. I, then, urge them to explore these tools independently. This can be a struggle or nearly impossible for students who cannot read the difficult text that non-fiction items usually contain. Therefore, this software, specifically World Book Kids Online, offers a few features that will allow students to be successful in their independent search. One of the features that I was most impressed with was the “Hear Text” option. Students can have the online encyclopedia article read to them. This is great for struggling readers, as well as, practicing readers because they can follow along as the computer reads each sentence to them. In addition to this feature, the articles are written for an intended audience and are age appropriate. World Books has different levels of difficulty in online encyclopedias depending on the age of students in your school. This is a great way to hopefully implement this program district wide. Moreover, in all the levels of World Books, videos and images are included for student research. This is a great tool for visual learners. Overall, this software meets my pedagogical belief that students are offered multiple ways to learn information and can do so independently because it’s very easy to navigate.
What is the TC knowledge for the solution?
This technology makes the content more intellectually accessible because the information provided is very up-to-date, which is one of the perks of being an online resource. As most people know, World Book Encyclopedias are a very well-known series. They update their volumes yearly, but are fairly expensive to repurchase. Therefore, some libraries wait a few years before they purchase the updated version of their encyclopedias, which in turn can sometimes offer students older material when doing research. With World Books Online, their encyclopedias are continually updated and you don’t have to purchase the new volumes yearly. It’s included in your subscription. I found out from a local representative that subscriptions vary from approximately $695.00 for small districts to $0.55/student for larger districts. This price can change depending on your school size or whether you’re purchasing for an individual school or the entire district. In comparison to the $1000+ for print copies of World Book Encyclopedias per year, this is a good deal. Therefore, with the online subscription students will gain much easier access to information rich articles that contain updated and factual information with images and videos to help them research.
What is the PC knowledge for the solution?
My pedagogical choices make the content more intellectually accessible by making it a priority and acknowledging that students learn differently. The content is introduced to students in various formats. Students can listen to audio to help them follow along or help them through difficult words, videos and images are provided for visual learners, and there are features that allow students to compare subjects by content. For instance, students can choose two animals of their choice and compare them by looking at numerical charts, facts, photos, and the other various charted information provided. The content within the World Books Online Encyclopedias is very rich and provides information within a variety of formats. Students’ uniqueness is recognized with this program and they have options of how they would like to acquire or view that information. It is ideal for as a library’s resource where independent research is a desired outcome.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Part A: Description of Need or Opportunity
The educational need that I plan on addressing in my WICKED project is providing students with access to non-fiction materials/resources for struggling readers. This is an issue that I see almost every day. I am the library media specialist in a K-1 building and the students are at all different levels of reading abilities. However, this issue remains true throughout students’ educational years. There are always some students who don’t have an equal opportunity to score or learn as well as others because of this difficulty. It can set them back and I would like to find a solution or tools that can help me address this issue to hopefully give students a more equal opportunity to engage in learning.
What I propose to do for my WICKED project is find educational tools that will help aide and support our struggling readers. With the various Web 2.0 Tools that are available to us, there may be many free or cost-efficient solutions. Also, I want to look into affordable software and leveled reading books that addresses this issue. By attempting to meet this need, our schools will benefit as a whole, and hopefully, students will have a higher success rate throughout their educational years.
The scope of this solution will expectantly be district wide, so that students of all ages know that the options they have to receive support. Some software programs have district wide packages that are still age appropriate for the different grade levels. In my specific area of interest I would like to find programs that would be appropriate for the entire library media program so that all of our library media specialists have these tools accessible to their information seeking skills lessons. If we incorporate and introduce these tools in our typical researching units, students will expectantly know when and where to access them. It is my intention that by introducing these useful tools and teaching students how to use them, they’ll be able to view these resources as lifelong learning tools not only in school, but also in their future endeavors.
There are a few software programs and websites that focus on this same issue. One of which is Reading Rockets. One of their beliefs are, “However, it is important for teachers to take on that challenge. It is up to us to provide Charles and his buddies with accessible reading materials in school, so that they may build the attitude and strategies necessary to become readers for life.” (Reading Rockets, 2011). This website offers a wealth of videos, audio books, and leveled reading books to support their cause. In addition, there are some encyclopedias that have gone online and offer an abundance of information. They have many features that may help with my cause. That is what I hope to do. Give students the reading skills and opportunities needed to improve their reading, as well as, to know how to access supporting resources when they’re having difficulty. It will help make their time in the library more enjoyable rather feeling like they have a problem to tackle. “One of the keys to help struggling readers is to provide them with books that they can and want to read” (Reading Rockets, 2011). I hope to help develop students with confidence in reading and a desire to read for information or pleasure through our library media program.
Through this course, I plan to choose one resource to begin implementing within my building and to address this issue. I prefer a program that addresses researching and non-fiction material because that type of reading usually consists of more difficult vocabulary. Also, I would like to find a resource that is suitable for young students, as well as, older students. I want to organize the information I find about this resource to help me weigh my options and know its strengths. I believe gathering this information and classifying it will help me in the fall when I begin my new job placement. I will be moving from the elementary to the high school, so I would like to evaluate our subscriptions and resources to make sure that I include resources that will cater to struggling readers as well.
To be sure that my WICKED project is successful I will be able to look at our school’s resources and see a balanced program that offers equal opportunities for all. In addition, I hope to see students utilizing these resources with comfort and their needs being addressed.
What I propose to do for my WICKED project is find educational tools that will help aide and support our struggling readers. With the various Web 2.0 Tools that are available to us, there may be many free or cost-efficient solutions. Also, I want to look into affordable software and leveled reading books that addresses this issue. By attempting to meet this need, our schools will benefit as a whole, and hopefully, students will have a higher success rate throughout their educational years.
The scope of this solution will expectantly be district wide, so that students of all ages know that the options they have to receive support. Some software programs have district wide packages that are still age appropriate for the different grade levels. In my specific area of interest I would like to find programs that would be appropriate for the entire library media program so that all of our library media specialists have these tools accessible to their information seeking skills lessons. If we incorporate and introduce these tools in our typical researching units, students will expectantly know when and where to access them. It is my intention that by introducing these useful tools and teaching students how to use them, they’ll be able to view these resources as lifelong learning tools not only in school, but also in their future endeavors.
There are a few software programs and websites that focus on this same issue. One of which is Reading Rockets. One of their beliefs are, “However, it is important for teachers to take on that challenge. It is up to us to provide Charles and his buddies with accessible reading materials in school, so that they may build the attitude and strategies necessary to become readers for life.” (Reading Rockets, 2011). This website offers a wealth of videos, audio books, and leveled reading books to support their cause. In addition, there are some encyclopedias that have gone online and offer an abundance of information. They have many features that may help with my cause. That is what I hope to do. Give students the reading skills and opportunities needed to improve their reading, as well as, to know how to access supporting resources when they’re having difficulty. It will help make their time in the library more enjoyable rather feeling like they have a problem to tackle. “One of the keys to help struggling readers is to provide them with books that they can and want to read” (Reading Rockets, 2011). I hope to help develop students with confidence in reading and a desire to read for information or pleasure through our library media program.
Through this course, I plan to choose one resource to begin implementing within my building and to address this issue. I prefer a program that addresses researching and non-fiction material because that type of reading usually consists of more difficult vocabulary. Also, I would like to find a resource that is suitable for young students, as well as, older students. I want to organize the information I find about this resource to help me weigh my options and know its strengths. I believe gathering this information and classifying it will help me in the fall when I begin my new job placement. I will be moving from the elementary to the high school, so I would like to evaluate our subscriptions and resources to make sure that I include resources that will cater to struggling readers as well.
To be sure that my WICKED project is successful I will be able to look at our school’s resources and see a balanced program that offers equal opportunities for all. In addition, I hope to see students utilizing these resources with comfort and their needs being addressed.
Works Cited
Reading Rockets. “Hooking struggling readers: using books they can and want to read.”
Reading Rockets,2011.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
MERLOT Evaluation
I chose to evaluate the resource found in MERLOT at: http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=337199. Or you can directly access the resource by visiting: http://www.wordle.net/
Quality of Content:
The quality of the content of Wordle is valid. What I like about it, is that it’s open-ended. It allows the user to utilize its features in many creative ways that can address various educational concepts or skills.
Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:
One of the best features this site offers is that it is very open-ended; therefore, it can be used in different stages of the learning process. In my content area of library media, I see it most easily used in the “Applying” stage. Students can create “Wordles” to display what they’ve learned or what they want others to take back from their work. It helps sum up information learned and points out important key aspects of a topic by making that word larger than the rest or taking the shape of the main idea. Some examples of using this program with the library media learning goals would be for summing up encyclopedia articles, book reviews, describing literary characters, having peers guess what a given topic may be with descriptive words as clues, poetry, etc. There are numerous options of how to use this program to fit your teaching-learning goals; however, a common learning objective would be for students to be able to use various descriptive words to convey a message, which is a common language arts standard. The characteristics of the learner are having the ability to summarize content, recognizing the main ideas, and using descriptive text to express the information. I believe this program gives students and teachers a perfect opportunity to develop and utilize these skills and does so in an entertaining manner. It’s engaging software that will gain students’ interest and can be molded to fit many curricular areas and learning goals. In addition, this software is free and user friendly. I believe teaching-learning goals are easily identified and are versatile to many needed goals. The software also allows room for advancement. If students are fairly strong users of the program, they have the option to explore advance features which give them more control over their World creations.
Ease of Use:
This site is very aesthetically pleasing and extremely user friendly. It allows various ways to input your information and your options are clearly stated. The content is light so the user does not get trapped or lost in material because the user is the one who will be inputting in the majority of the content themselves. The user has the option of getting feedback either by visiting the FAQs or by submitting concerns in the discussion forums. From what I can tell, the site is fairly free of technical issues and the support offered enables you to overcome any obstacles you may face. Wordle is a very attractive site for students to use because it displays their own words in a fun, creative way. Learning how to use the site should be quick but for students who want to explore further, advanced features are readily available as well.
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