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*Amanda Spahn*
Reflecting on the Development of My Educational Technological Literacy
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Contents:
1. Technology Operations and Concepts
2. Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences
3. Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum
4. Assessment and Evaluation
5. Productivity and Professional Practice
6. Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues
7. Final Reflection |
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I. TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS AND CONCEPTS.
Teachers demonstrate a sound understanding of technology operations and concepts. Teachers:
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A. demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills,
and understanding of concepts related to technology (as described in
the ISTE National Education Technology Standards for Students)
B. demonstrate continual growth in technology knowledge and skills to stay abreast of current and emerging technologies.
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Throughout this course, my
understanding of technology has greatly increased. My website
demonstrates my understanding of using technology in an educationally
appropriate manner. I have created a webquest, podcast, and designed a
website to showcase these accomplishments. As I progress in student
teaching I plan to upload more lesson plans, and even my work samples,
onto my site. This website will serve as my educational portfolio in an
electronic organizer. I will be able to verify my ability to create
lessons that touch on subjects across the curriculum, such as one
lesson that integrates math and writing (see Math Stories lesson under
my Lesson Plans page). I also plan to use technology with my students,
and have sketched out a proposal for a lesson involving podcasting.
With my subscription to ISTE, I will have a resource that comments on
the latest trends in technology and how apply it in the classroom.
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Exhibit 1: My Website
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II. PLANNING AND DESIGNING LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES.
Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology. Teachers:
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A. design developmentally appropriate learning
opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies
to support the diverse needs of learners.
B. apply current research on teaching and learning with technology when planning learning environments and experiences.
C. identify and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.
D. plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.
E. plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment.
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I designed a
webquest using a template created by Mark Bailey. The webquest asked
students to investigate the lives of lesser known Corps of Discovery
members, by working collaboratively in groups of 4-5 students. I
provided a list of websites for students to use in their
investigations. These websites have been verified for accuracy, and I
have checked them for inappropriate content.
After groups have gathered enough information,
groups will create a final project that incorporates some background
information on the Corps member of their choice, as well as a mock
interview with the person. These pieces can be presented in one or two
formats: a "radio" podcast or a written "magazine" article. The final
project gives students a chance to use technology at different levels.
For groups who feel they would rather deliver their information
verbally, they may create a podcast in the style of a radio program.
Students may create a slide show of images to accompany their podcast.
If
groups would prefer to create a magazine layout, they may choose to
design a few pages that could be seen in a magazine, including images,
captions, sidebars, and other written multimedia. For groups who want
to experience both mediums, they may choose to write their background
information in a magazine format and present their interview in podcast
format. One way to empower students is to give them choices that will
showcase their strengths.
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Exhibit 1: Webquest
Exhibit 2: My Website
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III. TEACHING, LEARNING, AND THE CURRICULUM.
Teachers implement curriculum plans, that include
methods and strategies for applying technology to maximize student
learning. Teachers:
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A. facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards.
B. use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs of students.
C. apply technology to develop students' higher order skills and creativity.
D. manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment.
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I have demonstrated my
understanding of using technology to fulfill content standards in a
proposed project that supports a learning environment of a diverse
group of students. As a MAT student at Pacific, we were given the
opportunity to apply for a technology mini-grant. With the use of a few
digital voice recorders and GarageBand, students can create a podcast
that demonstrates higher level thinking. In the proposed lesson,
students are asked to interview a geological feature, such as a volcano
or fault. This may seem abstract, but by interviewing an actual
geological formation students will be synthesizing their understanding
of information they have researched in a unique way. Students who may
not be as strong at writing reports could find podcasting to be an
outlet for communicating their understanding.
I also uploaded an assortment
of lesson plans onto my website. Though not all of them have direct
links to technology I have created some of the lessons with help from
online resources. For example, in my introductory United States Land
Regions lesson I used a blank, outlined map of the United States for
students to draw the land regions as they were present by their peers,
after a short group investigation. Each group of students was assigned
one of the five land regions, and following that groups would present
some basic information to the rest of the class, such as the boarders
of the region, a prominent landform, and at least three states in the
region. By using a blank, outline that students that is easily to
label, students can create their own basic understanding of United
States land regions when they draw and label the boarders for each
region.
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Exhibit 1: Lesson Proposal
Exhibit 2: My Lesson Plans
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IV. ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION.
Teachers apply technology to facilitate a variety of effective assessment and evaluation strategies. Teachers:
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A. apply technology in assessing student learning of subject matter using a variety of assessment techniques.
B. use technology resources to collect and analyze data, interpret
results, and communicate findings to improve instructional practice and
maximize student learning.
C. apply multiple methods of evaluation to determine students'
appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication,
and productivity.
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In my webquest, the
students' assessment has
been designed to give students a choice as to the degree of technology
they would like to use in their final product. Groups can use two
technological mediums for presenting their final projects: a podcast or
a written magazine layout. Both assessment strategies enable students
to demonstrate their understanding of the webquest's content. To
demonstrate their understanding, students will be expected to research
the websites provided, and read the websites for a purpose. They will
be answering specific questions that will be included in their mock
interviews, podcasts, and/or articles. It will be up to students to
determine the relevance of information they encounter, and then they
will synthesize their findings to create the final projects. The final
project is designed to communicate the culmination of their findings.
Students will be using higher level skills, such as evaluation,
synthesis, and even creation, to show and tell about their Corps
member.
Students will also be working in a group, which
naturally lends itself
to the creation of an assessment of their cooperation with fellow group
members. Because students are responsible for answering questions for
their interviews, podcasts, and/or article group members will need to
investigate multiple websites. Each individual does not have to look at
every site. The project was designed for students to share
responsibility and be supported by their fellow group members. It is up
to groups how they decide to divide the researching of
websites, but most likely each student will get a chance to view and
research a website. Their participation in the research process and
over all contribution to the project will be based on their use of
technology, as well as their cooperation with fellow group members.
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Exhibit 1: Webquest
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V. PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE.
Teachers use technology to enhance their productivity and professional practice. Teachers:
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A. use technology resources to engage in ongoing professional development and lifelong learning.
B. continually evaluate and reflect on professional practice to make
informed decisions regarding the use of technology in support of
student learning.
C. apply technology to increase productivity.
D. use technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents,
and the larger community in order to nurture student learning.
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On my website, I added a section for cataloging my lesson
plans. Right now the collection is small, but I have already had the
opportunity to create lesson plans in multiple subject areas. Some of
the lesson plans even incorporate more than one subject area. I look
forward to uploading lesson plans from my work sample onto the site. My
hope is that my lesson plans page will serve as a portfolio (and
organizer!) as I continue to increase my repitoire of lesson plans.
Webquests are one way to increase learning productivity.
The internet can be used as a tool for learning, and it has many
resources to offer. Some sites, such as NASA or National Geographic,
provide "one-stop-shopping" research for student investigate specific
topics. As teachers, we need to be aware of resources that provide
current infromation. Textbooks can become obsolete in a matter of
months. Technology provides some of the most up to date resources for
both students and their teachers.
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Exhibit 1: My Lesson Plans
Exhibit 2: Webquest
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VI. SOCIAL, ETHICAL, LEGAL, AND HUMAN ISSUES.
Teachers understand the social, ethical, legal, and human issues
surrounding the use of technology in PK-12 schools and apply those
principles in practice. Teachers:
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A. model and teach legal and ethical practice related to technology use.
B. apply technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities.
C. identify and use technology resources that affirm diversity
D. promote safe and healthy use of technology resources.
E. facilitate equitable access to technology resources for all students.
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My website demonstrates legally and ethically appropriate
uses of technology. All of my images are my own, except for the image
displayed in my webquest. The image is being used for education
purposes, and I have clearly designated where I found the image by
citing its origin under the Resources heading. The fractal images that
occur throughout my site are creations from a free program, Apophysis.
I credited the program and listed the website where it was downloaded.
My web creations meet the ISTE standards of ethically and legally
appropriate applications of technology.
In my webquest, I have demonstrated that I can use
technology to promote diversity. The webquest specifically asks
students to investigate a Corps of Discovery member other than Lewis or
Clark. The webquest encourages students to research Corps members, such
as Sacagawea, the Shoshone woman, or York, Clark's African-American
slave. I have gathered and examined each website listed in the
webquest, for students to use as resources for researching information
that will help them complete their final task. Students will work in
groups to explore these websites and serve as supports for their fellow
group members. Working in groups allows students to seek help from
their other group members if they are not clear on certain directions,
or they may need assistance with technology. Students can help each
other answer questions before going to the teacher. This webquest
promotes educationally appropriate uses of technology as well as
presents students with a lesson in diversity. By working in groups,
students participating in this webquest are able to share their
strengths with other group members, regardless of their knowledge of
technology.
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Exhibit 1: My Website
Exhibit 2: Webquest
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Final Reflections
Throughout the duration of this course, my
understanding of technology and its application in education settings
has been greatly enhanced. I can definitely see my self using webquests
in my future classrooms. Teachers should not be afraid to use web
resources, as long as they have been carefully evaluated for accuracy
and student appropriate content. I also plan to use podcasting for
future class projects. Students should become familiar with other means
of technological mediums that translate understanding. Adults seek
knowledge through newspapers, magazines, television, radio, and the
internet. Students should have the opportunity to experience these
mediums, even in the early years of elementary school.
I have also become more familiar with Macintosh
computers. They no longer frighten me, and I feel comfortable using
programs such as GarageBand and iMovie. I would also feel comfortable
using these programs in the classroom. This technology is easy to use,
after a bit of exploration. With a little guidance, students can create
their very own projects using either software. Projects could vary from
a student created film acting out the process of a volcanic explosion,
or even a podcast featuring an interview with Earth during an
earthquake. Scripts come alive with technology, and students are
provided with a richer experience they will be more likely to
remember. |
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