Fruita 8/9 Tech Talk

Interactive white boards such as SMART Boards and Promethian Boards are becoming more prevelant in our schools today. Schools are finding new and innovative ways to infuse technology with learning everyday. I have decided to do some research on this topic to see if the learning that is occouring due to the interactive white board is worth their cost in this time of recession.

My new problem statement is:  I plan to measure the effects of using interactive white boards with high school students based on their achievement on regular classroom assessments.

My research questions are:

• Does the use of interactive white boards increase student achievement on classroom assessments?
• What is the relationship between student exposure to interactive white boards and achievement on classroom assessments?
• What frequency will be allowed to qualify for the study?
• What assessments are being used?
• How are the boards being used?

Looking at these questions, I feel that therer are both quantitative and qualitative questions. I think the majority of the questions are quantitative and will require the collection of data. However, I do think that I could have students do some self assessment or surveys to answer some of these questions. This would be an example of qualitative nonexperimental design. I am planning on collecting some of my own data as well as researching other peoples literature. I believe that this will give me a good balance and make it more interesting for me.

As I was thinking about what to research on, many topics came to mind. The one that stood out the most was incorporating interactive white boards into the classroom. With the way the economy is right now, it is hard to justify the spending that much money on this wonderful technology. I want to see the difference in growth between students who are involved in lessons using this technology, and students who only have instruction given them using this technology.

This week I am deciding what to do research on interactive white boards. I have come up with an idea that incorporates interactive white boards and achievement level variations when students use the white boards compared to when the teacher instructs with the white board.

“I plan to measure the effects of interactive white boards in student centered lessons versus teacher centered instruction on achievement of high school students.”

Who: High School Students

What: Student centered lessons versus teacher centered instruction

Why: Achievement

When I look back at my personal theory of learning, I feel that I am still consistent with my belief that the constructivist learning theory should be the predominant theory. I truly believe that student learn more and retain knowledge better when they are making or doing something. The one modification that I will add to my personal theory is incorporating more social learning into my lessons. I think social learning and constructivism go together perfectly. I want to have my students communicating and working with others at the same time as they are constructing something. This is going to be a great learning tool for me and for my students.

There are some adjustments that I am planning to make in regards to my instruction. I am going to incorporate more technology to make my instruction more interesting and hands on. I really enjoyed learning about VoiceThreads, Web Quests, and Virtual Field Trips. I already have plans to include these technologies in some of my lessons. I am going to use VoiceThread to critique student artwork. This will be a great way to get my whole class involved in the critique. I also am planning to set up a Web Quest that teaches student’s how technology has evolved. With this, they can hypothesize where technology will lead us in the future.

I am setting two goals for myself that deal with changing my instructional practice and integrating technology. The first is to continue to learn and experiment with new technologies and be a lifelong learner. I feel that I can accomplish this goal by doing what I am doing right now, finishing my masters in integrating technology. When I finish my masters, I am going to get my credentials in business so that I can continue to teach 21st century skills. The second goal that I am setting is to not be afraid to try new things in my classes. I find myself being conservative sometimes and not exploring things like new technologies. I feel that I am learning to break this mold by continuing my education. Currently, I am using new technologies and familiarizing myself with new skills. This is making me get out of my comfort zone which will aide me in attaining my goal.

This week I learned about the social learning theory. There are many things that I like about it and that I already use. I think that this theory goes right along with the 21st century skills that I am teaching to my students.  There are also some negatives to this theory, responsibility being the biggest. I teach 8th and 9th grade students and at times I fell the maturity level is that of a 5th grader. The other problem that I face is the fact that not all students have access to the internt and the technology required to be a “Social Constructivist” (Orey 2008).

This week I learned about a new website that is called http//voicethread.com. This is an incredible site where people can put together images, videos, text, music, or whatever media they want. With a finished product, they can then share their creation with others and recieve feedback. I am planning on using this in my graphic arts class. I think this will be a great way for students to critique each others art work. I think I will have my students put together a portfolio online using this website. They can then narriate the presentation as their artwork plays like a slide show.

A voice thread is a prime example of social learning. There are many different ways that teachers might use this resource to increase student learning. It is visual, it can audio, and students can respond and communicate to what they have seen and learned. According to the text Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works, “The instructional strategy of cooperative learning focuses on having stusents interact with each other in groups in ways that enhance their learning” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 139). A voice thread fits this definition perfectly.

Here is a link to a voice thread that I created for my business class dealing with the 4 Factors of Production, http://voicethread.com/share/654008/

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

While reading about generating and testing hypotheses, I learned some  important things. “When students generate and test hypotheses, they are engaging in complex mental processes, applying content knowledge like facts and vocabulary, and enhancing their overall understanding for the content” (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 202). There are six different tasks that I can infuse in my instruction to help student generate and test hypotheses (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007). I believe that all six tasks correlate with the constructionist theory. This theory is about making a product or constructing something. I believe that we can use these strategies together by generating a hypotheses, building a product, and analyzing if the outcome was what we predicted.

The example that I am going to use incorporates the decision making task with the constructionist learning theory. I am having my 8th grade students create a survey in which they will hypothesize what they think the data will show from the survey. We will first discuss the factors that we think will influence our data. Next, the students will design 10 questions that we will be able to graph, a data sheet to hold the information, and a Power Point that has 10 graphs from excel displaying the data. When looking at the graphs, my students will be able to determine if their hypothesis was accurate and if not, why.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The cognitive learning theory basically tells us that the human brain is similar to a computer in the way that it processes information. There are many different instructional strategies that I learned about this week. “The instructional strategy cues, questions, and advance organizers focuses on enhancing students’ ability to retrieve, use, and organize information about a topic” (Pitler, Hubbell, Huhn, & Malenoski, p.73). All three of these techniques are ways to differentiate our lesson to help students be able to learn, organize, and retrieve information that we have taught them.

 Note taking and summarizing are also great examples of instructional strategies that correlate with the principals of the cognitive theory. Taking notes on important information is one way to store that information so that a student may retain it. I believe that in those notes, students should decipher what to write down and what is important. This is a summarizing technique (Pitler, Hubbell, Huhn, & Malenoski). I also believe that students should try to make connections to things they already know so that the new information is linked to a previous experience, a picture, or previous knowledge.

 Lastly, two instructional strategies that I really liked and plan to use in my teaching are virtual field trips and concept maps. I believe that these two strategies appeal to me the most because I am a hands on, and visual learner. The concept maps allow students to see nodes of information and link them to other nodes that have some commonality. Also, the concept maps allow you to save you map and print it in outline form so you can type a paper or essay (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). The virtual field trip is an instructional strategy that puts the learner as close as possible to being on an actual field trip by using the computer and Internet. This is great because students feel like they are actually somewhere else experiencing something. Those experiences that we create are easier for students to pull out of their brain when we ask them to remember something.

 All of the cognitive instructional strategies that I learned about this week are going to be useful. I found myself wondering how I could infuse each of these strategies into what I am already doing. I can tell you this, the next unit that I teach, I will be taking my class on a virtual field trip.

 Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program five. Cognitive Learning Theory [Motion picture]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Baltimore: Author.

Reinforcing effort is a prime example of the behaviorist learning theory. The behaviorist learning theory tells us that behaviors are learned. By reinforcing or punishing behaviors, teachers can guide students to the behavior that is desired. Academically, by charting a student’s effort in correlation to their assessment, students will be able to see how their grade increases or decreases due to the effort they feel that they exerted (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007). When a teacher reinforces or rewards those who are putting in effort, other students see this and will, in theory, put forth more effort. Most all students want to be rewarded, so those who are not rewarded put forth more effort so they too may be recognized. The same principle applies to homework and practice. The behaviorist theory says behaviors are learned. A teacher rewards and punishes students to get them to achieve the desired skill in homework or in practice of a skill.

In my classroom, I try to meet the needs of all of my students. One way in which I do this is by rewarding students who are deserving of praise. I try to not point out negative behavior most times, but on occasion, have to give reminders and deal punishments to students to maintain positive classroom behaviors.

No matter what the technology used, word processing, spreadsheets, multimedia, or web resources, I can apply the behaviorist learning theory. I can get students to perform in the way I want using reinforcements, both positive and negative. A technique that I picked up this week that I am going to start conditioning my students to use is, searching within the Microsoft Word program. I think this is a great alternative for students to do research without getting on the internet (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, Malenoski, 2007). I believe that the behaviorist theory can work as a tool for teachers, not a rule. I also believe that it has a different effect on different students, so it will be important for me to diversify my teaching strategies to meet the needs of my students.

Pitler, H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M. & Malenoskil, K (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

• In what ways has this course helped you to develop your own technology skills as a professional teacher?

This class has been a real eye-opening experience for me. I had heard about a lot of the skills that we learned in this class, but until now, I had not utilized them. I am now running a blog, participating in a wiki that my group set up, and I have two podcast stations set up, one for myself and one for my classroom. I will now take the things that I have learned in this class and apply them into my classroom. I am going to start with a podcast in my Media Productions class and a blog in my two business classes. Now that I have learned how to operate and use these skills, I can see how beneficial they will be in my classroom. I am excited to implement them next year.

• In what ways have you deepened your knowledge of the teaching and learning process?

I think the biggest thing that I took from this class in regards to the teaching process and the learning process is, I as a teacher need to become more of a facilitator. I need to do a better job of teaching 21st century skills. The skills included are not just computer and internet skills, but job skills as well. Students today learn in a differnt way than students did when I was in school. Technology and information has become the center of learning. Teaching in a computer lab, you would think that my students are getting flooded with exposure to technology. They are being exposed, but not to the extent that I now feel they should be.

• In what ways have you changed your perspective from being teacher-centered to learner-centered?

Like I previously mentioned, I now feel that in the classroom, I should be more of a facilitator rather than the leader. I want to be able to guide my students and assist them rather than give assignments out of a text. I have never been a huge textbook teacher, but I want to incorporate more projects into my lessons and have my students become more proficient in finding data on the internet, rather than from the text. I feel that I need to not have as many limitations on assignments so students can be creative and learn to become better problem solvers. I also am planning to do more group work and work on communication skills, one way I am planning to do this is our class blog. 

• In what ways can you continue to expand your knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading with technology with the aim of increasing student achievement?

I feel that there are many ways to improve my knowledge of learning, teaching, and leading in the field of technology. The first step for me to continue to learn to increase student achievement is to do exactly what I am doing right now. I need to finish my masters program. I am learning not only about technology, but also about being a professional, working with English as a second language students, and classroom management and creating a good learning evnironment. These three classes along with the technology based classes that I have, and will take, will surely increase student learning. Secondly, to teach students 21century skills and technology skills, I must “practice what I preach.” This class has been great because we have learned and used new skills that are becoming daily skills. Now that I am becoming comfortable with these things, I feel confident in teaching them to my students and expecting them to use them. I am also the Tech Rep for my school so I am constantly involved in technology and advances. I am responsible for the teachers at my school being “up to par” with their computers and the use of our technology. This along with collaboration will also aid to increase student learning.

• Set two long-tem goals (within two years) for transforming your classroom environment by which you may have to overcome institutional or systemic obstacles in order to achieve them. How do you plan to accomplish these goals?

My first goal is specific to myself, I will continue to be a life long learner with emphesis on technology integration in my classroom. I will accomplish this goal by finishing my masters program and implementing blogs, podcasts, and wikis into my class.

My second goal is to break down the wall between my school and studetns in regards to the usage of technology at school. Currently, studetns are not permitted to have Ipod’s or MP3 players at school, and they are not permitted to have a cell phone at school unless it is before school, after school, or at lunch time. I plan to meet this goal by bringing my concerns to the tech committee and eventually to the administration. As a tech committee, we need to put together a presentation on why these tools are important to student learning and achievement.

Here is a link to my podcast station. This week I interviewed three students from my class about what technologies they have and use both at home and school. I also found out what shortcomings my students thought my school had when it came to technology.

 http://www.gcast.com/u/adecker/main

After spending some time looking around the Partnership for 21st Century Skills Website http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/index.php, I found that this was an informative website. One of the things that I liked the most was the availability of resources. This website offers resources such as Publications available to download, online tools like databases, guest speakers, and professional development opportunities. I found there to a large amount of information to help teachers educate  tto become successful in the 21st century work force. I also found the 21st Century Skill Incentive Fund Act to be quite an amazing offer. This act states that the government will match funds with a state who that teach strong core courses with 21st century skills. I am sure many states already do this and know nothing about the funds.

This website, along with many other resources that I have been reading and watching, is pointing to one conclusion. Students in the United States are lagging behind in the 21st Century Skills. They are implying that our students are currently and will in the future, be settling for jobs they may not desire. The desirable higher paying jobs will be given to those who are qualified, and right now, that is people from other countries who are being taught these important skills. It is our jobs as educators to lead the charge in turning this situation around. We need to persevere in Science, Math, Technology, and Engineering. We need to teach our students business education skills such as Collaboration, Decision Making Skills, Problem Solving Skills, Leadership, and Professionalism. In doing these things, we will be better preparing our students for success in the working world, and in life.