E-Portfolio Reflection

• I have developed skills that have changed my view of technology, teaching, and learning. Like many aspects of life, history seems to repeat itself. Within creating a curriculum there are three focal points that should be addressed: Subject matter, society, and the individual student. Curriculum has come a long way from the colonial era where there was no real need for formal education or subject matter. If there was formal education it was often based on societies views upon religion. Currently we have seen a push for Tyler’s model of curriculum where there is a linear subject based approach to curriculum. With the technology that I have learned to integrate into the classroom, I will be able to focus on the goals and the priorities of learning rather than the end result. The process throughout being digitally literate is far more useful in our students’ future than that of a traditional classroom.
• Working on the E-Portfolio has helped me to think about and demonstrate my strengths and skills and become a more self-directed technology learner and a better teacher. Within the article, Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement: The REFLECT Initiative (2007), Dr. Barrett clarifies how electronic portfolios could be very beneficial to a classroom and to the student. “To effectively use portfolios for assessment, a learning organization needs to establish a culture of evidence. Evidence in an electronic portfolio is not only the artifacts that a learner places there, but also the accompanying rationale that the learner provides: their argument as to why these artifacts constitute evidence of achieving specific goals, outcomes or standards. Furthermore, just because a learner makes the claim that their artifacts are evidence of achievement, in "high stakes" environments, the evidence needs to be validated by a trained reviewer, using a well-developed rubric with identifiable and specific criteria." I have learned this statement to be true to some extent when I have had my students working on their in-room portfolios that were tangible not electronic. I believe this to be true even more so about electronic portfolios.
• The themes and patterns that emerged from my E-Portfolio were that of furthering my career. Everything that I added, from the pictures, to the spiritual autobiography, to the examples of my work were to showcase the skills that has made me a good teacher to a potential employer.
• The impact that making an E-Portfolio has made on me academically, professionally, and/or personally has been phenomenal. Not only can a student/teacher use e-portfolios for the process of learning, they can initiate conversations that teach educators different ways to alter their content and use student suggestions for different elements in the classroom. The effect of maintaining a reflective portfolio has great potential to support deep learning and ownership of the learning process. The learning process throughout this project has taught me a great deal about myself and what I have accomplished as an educator. There is something greatly uplifting about seeing all that you have worked hard for in one website that you can freely show others to improve your opportunities in the workforce.

Barrett, H. C. (2007). Researching Electronic Portfolios and Learner Engagement: The REFLECT Initiative. Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 50(6), 436-449. Retrieved June 11, 2010,from http://www.helenbarrett.com/portfolios/JAAL-REFLECT3.pdf

Imovie Reflection

Danielle and Erin and I created an IMovie about digital Blooms Taxonomy and Constructivism. Blooms Taxonomy has evolved from basic classroom higher order of thinking to defined ways of critically thinking by creating, publishing, blogging etc. Constructivism ties in with the higher order of thinking in that the foundationally based thinking skills need to be in place in order to get to that next level that highly qualified teachers are supposed to be at.

Using a mindmap in the beginning helped with the brainstorming process. Since we had already worked with garage band and the podcast assignment the process went a lot faster on the audio part of the project. I worked on the script while Danielle did part of the research and found some pictures. After creating a power point, we took a screen shot and made all of our power point pictures that we then dragged into the IMovie. It was slightly difficult to integrate the music, soundbites, and the voice over, but soon we figured it out. We were able to find royalty free soundbites that went along with our pictures. Danielle also found a friend who composes music, so that part of the project was very simple. Using smart art and google images using a strict filter to obtain royalty free graphs about blooms taxonomy and constructivism.

Google Doc/Site collaboration site: googledoc

Bibliography:

Blooms and ITC Tools. (n.d.). Educational Origami. Retrieved June 15, 2010, from http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/Bloom%27s+and+ICT+tools

The Connected Classroom. (n.d.). Dell. Retrieved June 15, 2010, from http://www.techlearning.com/article/8670

McKenzie, W. (2004, March 1). Technology Constructivism. Educational World. Retrieved June 15, 2010, from http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech005.shtml

Project 3 Podcast Assignment Reflection

Abstract:
The intention behind this podcast was to educate life long learners about digital citizenship and literacy. The members of my group gathered information from a plethora of resources to give a top down affect of the positive and negative affects of having a digital footprint, how being responsible on the internet can contribute to your success, and what tools digital literacy can give to the average teacher, parent, life-long learner etc.

Reflection: I found the process of implementing what we have learned to be pretty much on target. Our mindmap helped us organize our thoughts on what we would like to do before going on with the actual script writing. It also helped with putting the subjects into sequential order before beginning. Erin and Danielle were very open with what they wanted to do and we quickly learned what each other's strengths were and where our talents could best be useful. The tutorial on garage band was fairly self explanatory and we easily navigated through the process. Overall this was an assignment that I feel comfortable using within the classroom to accomplish tasks such as completing a presentation and submitting it via podcast in order to integrate differentiated instruction.

Bibliography

Center for Digital Literacy. (n.d.). Center for Digital Literacy. Retrieved June 9, 2010, from http://digital-literacy.syr.edu/

"Cyber Ethics." Symantec - AntiVirus, Anti-Spyware, Endpoint Security, Backup, Storage Solutions. 19 Feb. 2007. Web. 8 June 2010. .

"Cybercrime.gov." Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Web. 9 June 2010. .

Harris. "YouTube - Digital Footprints - Your New First Impression." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. 09 Nov. 2009. Web. 8 June 2010. .

Koppel, Ted. "Koppel on Discovery : Your Digital Footprint : Discovery Channel." Discovery Channel : Science, History, Space, Tech, Sharks, News. 10 Sept. 2008. Web. 8 June 2010. .

Madden, Mary, Susannah Fox, Aaron Smith, and Jessica Vitak. "Digital Footprints | Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project." Pew Research Center's Internet & American Life Project. Pew Research Center, 16 Dec. 2007. Web. 8 June 2010. .

"News and Announcements Display Page." CMS. Cyprus Neuroscience and Technology, 26 Jan. 2010. Web. 8 June 2010. .

Perez, Sarah. "Calculate Your "Digital Footprint" with New Tool from EMC." ReadWriteWeb - Web Apps, Web Technology Trends, Social Networking and Social Media. 24 Mar. 2009. Web. 8 June 2010. .

"Rules in Cyberspace." Welcome to the United States Department of Justice. Web. 11 June 2010. .

Visual Literacy: An E-Learning Tutorial on Visualization for Communication, Engineering and Business. (2008, February 7). Visual Literacy: An E-Learning Tutorial on Visualization for Communication, Engineering and Business. Retrieved June 10, 2010, from http://www.visual-literacy.org/
Click Here to see our Collaborative Google Doc

podcast


Digital Citizenship and Literacy Podcast by Danielle Johnson, Erin O'Leary and Malinda Mansfield is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.

Toss the Traditional Textbook: Revamping a Curriculum

Having an open source based text curriculum would idealy less financially straining and if teachers are creating it (which most of our schools do not let our teachers integrate their input into the curriculum) then you would think that you would be focused on the student's need in a less prescriptive way of developing the curriculum. One of our reading Common Core Standards is to integrate theme across genres. How easy would that be in an online diverse learning community? "For public schools, however, there's a snag in realizing this vision; districts generally may buy primary textbooks only that their state has approved for adoption. (Most universities fall under no such restriction, and Connexions already boasts the content for any college student to print up a complete electrical-engineering textbook.)" This is true, since a majority of implementing curriculum is based on our stake-holders. Indiana has a strong influence from text-book adoption. This is such an unfortunate conundrum....kudos to El Paso for at least trying.

Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0

Despite "social learning"- Employers still want to see that degree. When Brown and Adler spoke of the educational needs saying, "If access to higher education is a necessary element in expanding economic prosperity and improving the quality of life, then we need to address the problem of the growing global demand for education, ... the world is changing at an ever-faster pace. Few of us today will have a fixed, single career; instead, we are likely to follow a trajectory that encompasses multiple careers. As we move from career to career, much of what we will need to know will not be what we learned in school decades earlier. We are entering a world in which we all will have to acquire new knowledge and skills on an almost continuous basis." It reminded me of my own current situation. I was recently laid off and went to the unemployment office to inquire about a grant that would help you with school funding. I thought that this was a perfect opportunity to alleviate some of the financial burden and since I have only 5 classes left, it would match up pretty darn close. This is the response I got after knowing that I was almost done with the Master's program at IUSB, "Well, this program is really for those people who could increase their chances of getting a job." I couldn't help but to look at her like she was a complete imbecile when I said, "Well, if a school is highering an English Teacher, would they more likely higher the English teacher with a bachelors or a masters degree?" Of course, I fought and now I have to write a proposal stating how it would help me in the workforce. Good god, do they not understand that you can't get anywhere with out a degree and soon it won't be good enough just to have a bachelors?

Lifelong Learning Video

Schools Kill Creativity...what? no way!

This speech does remind me of the curriculum theorizing; Critical-Exploratory. (Exploratory Curriculum) It's based upon the idea that diversity in individuals should be celebrated. Isn't that what Ken Robinson was talking about? I think in terms of what he feels as the past or present not being up to par with the curriculum's integration of creativity is best applied if all teachers are willing participants in the future. I will have to say that I feel that I am fairly creative in the classroom. Could I implement more creativity within my classroom environment. Sure I can, but we then must go back to previous articles which spurred many conversations about the classroom isn't always going to be fun and entertaining (Engage me or Enrage me).

Creativity in my own classroom is used through scial context, personal experience, and different perspectives. It has everything to do with the individual student and while they are applying something from their own lives, they are accidentally learning the concept or the state standard that was the original objective.

Project to Information and Communication Website and Mind Map

Click http://sites.google.com/site/memorialchargersjuniorlaclass/home for website link.

Reflection:

When I started working on this project I felt overwhelmed and not so confident on completing this task. I started a Google search for examples on teacher websites and realized what a great tool this could be within the classroom. I found teachers that had a blog on their site for students to reflect on readings, like what we were taught that we could do in the beginning of this class. Somewhere between learning about it and actually seeing it work with other educators, I started to feel a little less apprehensive and more excited about this assignment.

Using Inspiration for a brainstorming activity really help generate ideas that I wanted within my website. Later, I realized that implementing every single one of my ideas is just not possible with a project like this. However, editing it before the next school year starts will be an opportunity for me to add the items that I would have liked to add.

The actual framework of the website was very confusing and I forgot a lot of what we learned the first time in class about linking and things of that nature. Once I wrote it down (duh, visual and kinesthetic learner) I was able to manipulate the tools within the website no problem. Actually it was quite gratifying to see what I had accomplished (designing links, adding pictures, web pages, and attachments). It was a similar feeling to when I used to paint and would have this beautiful finished product to show off.

I do plan on using what I have learned to make an even more innovative interactive website for my future classroom. I also plan on creating a website for my husbands' auto body shop. I think there are a ton of possibilities that we could utilize here.

Blooms Taxonomy

I think as educators, we integrate the higher levels of Blooms Taxonomy without even realizing it. If I am teaching cause/effect through internal and external conflict and I model a scenario where I analyze the effects of that particular scenario, and then ask them to "Create" a scenario that collaboratively they will work on analyzing the effects, labeling whether or not it is internal conflict or external conflict and then choosing a different path to change the outcome of the scenario, I have hit at least 2 different types of higher order thinking.
As I am a reflective teacher in general, I noticed that the students scored higher on their independent graphic organizers and their summative assessments simply because I had them on their feet using critical thinking. As a result, the students totally get it. I have to teach internal and external conflict every year the the sophomores that I had last year, were bored with this standard, because they already understood it from the time that I had used the activity before. I think labeling what we do is the most difficult part. My questions for the quiz did not originally fit into the rubric that Alex used, but I did integrate it into my web quest. My position is that it isn't one size fits all, but we do need to be reflective as to how we are using it and making sure we are using it.

Copywright 101

It is very difficult to teach in-text citations and works cited pages to students. Even though I will show the students how to format it and then later give them ways to cheat like using easybib.com or bibme.org . I still get students who will think that citing a source is simply copying and pasting the URL onto their works cited page. However to say that, you need to only, "Create all graphic and textual content from scratch: if it is original, no copyright issues should be encountered. This means teachers as well as students would not copy and paste ANYTHING from the Internet or from other electronic sources: no text, no images, no audio files, no video files, no animations, or anything else." is nearly impossible when you are trying to enforce rules that will apply to them when they get to college.
We as educators do have a responsibility to teach students about copy wright laws and our legal obligations as citizens. Especially in a time where students are downloading music and movies like crazy.
I will have to say that I am guilty of being fraudulent myself. I should have asked permission in the legal way to show my students "Helen of Troy", but because I was in a time crunch and didn't "feel" like doing things the right way, I went ahead and showed the movie. After being lectured about copy write laws and the responsibilities I have as a teacher and the many many fines that a school could acquire by my actions, I decided that perhaps next time, I will get permission the right way.

Track Star Assignment

Trackstar & gForm Web-Based Assessment Lesson Planner


My Trackstar Number is: 409022

My Google Form Published Link:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHQtOEFHRGt5X1VTSmlrOWRLZkFyQ2c6MQ

1) The topic and target student age group is:
Theme: The American Dream in, “Raisin in the Sun” 11th Grade English

2) The state standard(s) this lesson will address are:
11.3.2 Analysis of Grade-Level-Appropriate Literary Text: Analyze the way in which the theme or meaning of a selection represents a view or comment on life, using textual evidence to support the claim.




3) My learning objectives are:
1. Readers identify the foundations of The American Dream and apply that same theme to “Raisin in the Sun”
2. Readers compare text to life as they analyze the foundations to which Hansberry wrote “Raisin in the Sun”
3. Readers recognize allusion as a part of literature.



4) For each of your 5 websites create a question for assessment and the answer. Plan your assessment in the form below.

I. Website Name: Women of Color Women of Words
A. URL: http://comminfo.rutgers.edu/~cybers/hansberry2.html
B. Annotation
1. Task: Do you remember when you were seven years old? Think back about where you lived, struggles you may have gone through, and what you did on a daily basis. After reading through the website, create a diary entry from the perspective of a seven year old Loraine. Title your diary entry: “Dear Diary” and date it: May 19th, 1937.
2. Purpose: To relate to the author during this time period.
3. Assessment: Defend your position in regards to Loraine's childhood home being vandalized several times?
4. Answer: Answers may vary, but should include key words: racial descrimination, discrimination act, and/or segregation

II. Website Name: A Dream Deferred
A. URL: http://www.cswnet.com/~menamc/langston.htm
B. Annotation
1. Task: Remember what we learned about allusion and the title of our play, “A Raisin in the Sun”. After reviewing your notes on allusion, read the poem "A Dream Deferred" by Langston Hughes, think then use the template below (copy and paste into a word document) to compose your own version of the poem based on your own life.
“Dream Deferred” Mad Lib
What happens to a _______ ________?
noun verb
Does it _______ ________
verb adverb
Like a _______ in the _________?
noun noun
Or _______ like a _______—
verb noun
And then _______?
verb
Does it _________ like __________
verb adjective
_________?
noun
Or ________ and ________
verb verb
___________—
adverb
like a ________ _________?
adjective noun
Maybe it _______ ________
adverb verb
like a _______ ________.
adjective noun
Or does it _________?
verb

Original by Langston Hughes Adapted by __________________________
(Write Your Name Here)

2. Purpose: To recognize allusion and to relate to the author of “A Raisin in the Sun”

3. Assessment: The title of “A Raisin in the Sun” is alluding to Langston Hughes’s “A Dream Deferred”. What might happen if you combined a title of a song or poem with your life?
4. Answer: Answers may vary, but can include: allude, allusion, alluding

III. Website Name: BNet White Flight
A. URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_g1epc/is_tov/ai_2419101315/
B. Annotation
1. Task: After learning about “White Flight”: pretend you are a reporter for the Elkhart Truth assigned to report the integration of Clybourne Park (in Chicago) by the Younger family. Write a three paragraph news article detailing their arrival, and the events that may, or may not have occurred after their arrival.

2. Purpose: To integrate what they have learned about segregation in the Chicago neighborhoods during the 50’s.

3. Assessment: What would you give as solutions or add to the United States Supreme Court declaring residential segregation unconstitutional?

4. Answer: Answer Varies, Looking for key words such as: Racial, water fountains, bathrooms, resturaunts, or schools.

IV. Website Name: Sparknotes “A Raisin in the Sun”
A. URL: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/raisin/canalysis.html
B. Annotation
1. Task: Analyze one character from “A Raisin in the Sun” using the biopoem format (you will need to copy and paste this format onto a word document):

Line 1: First name
Line 2. Two character traits that describe the character. ______________ _____________
Line 3: Relative of __________________
Line 4: Lover of __________________ (any person, place, or thing)
Line 5: Who feels __________________ ________________ & ______________
Line 6: Who needs __________________ (can be a physical, emotional, or real world need)
Line 7: Who fears __________________
Line 8: Who gives __________________
Line 9: Who would like to see __________________ (what in their future?)
Line 10: Resident of __________________
Line 11: Last name

2. Purpose: To incorporate what the students have learned about their surroundings in the 1950’s with what they have learned about the Younger family.
3. Assessment: Take what you have learned about round and flat characters and classify which type of character Walter would be?
4. Answer: Round

V. Website Name: Google Images
A. URL: http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7TSHB_en&q=pictures+from+harlem+in+the+1950s&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=LlwCTOlmzf7wBqiR3JwP&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CDEQsAQwAw
B. Annotation

1. Task: First take a look at the images found on Google Images. These pictures capture what life was like for African Americans living in South Side Chicago during the 1940s and 1950s. Take your time to view and analyze these images. What do they tell you about the society of South Side Chicago? Does the theme: The American Dream take place in these images? What might life have been like for a poor African American family living in South Side Chicago During the 1940s and 1950s? After taking these questions into consideration; create a 5-7 sentence journal entry as one of the people you found interesting from the pictures.

2. Purpose: To take deeper meaning to “The American Dream” through images and reflect upon those pictures.

3. Assessment: If you could choose one word to depict what it means to have “The American Dream” in the south side of Chicago in the 1950’s, which word best fits this time and place?

4. Answer: Freedom

Goddard's Article

"Access Through Technology". I do think that teachers have become more sensitive to the needs of our disabled students. When Goddard stated that we need to also include the interests of our disabled students, it reminded me of a student at our school. She is completely blind and wasn't born that way so she's had to learn a whole new way of taking in communication. She has been with another teacher this whole year and then all of a sudden, this semester, she showed up on my roster. Now, please don't get me wrong, I would have done my best to accommodate her, but her previous teacher and I both agreed that it would be in her best interest to stay with her instead of change to a new classroom environment.
Why would they place her in a new class anyway? Her previous teacher had built a relationship with her, matched the best teaching style to her needs, and had the resources available to give the student the most affective learning environment. I think this is where it gets difficult: not only do teachers need to be aware of what student's with disabilities need to have stability, but guidance councilors, administrators, librarians...etc.
children with disabilities video

Differentiated Instruction and Implications for UDL Implementation

Having experienced teaching differentiated reading, I was very curious to read what this article had to say. In congruence with what I have experienced, everything seemed to be fairly accurate. However I did have an issue with the quote that insinuated that collaborative work was a main component. "Flexible grouping is consistantly used...Learners are expected to interact and work together as they develop knowledge of new content." If this is truly differentiated, then whether they worked in a group or not is up to the individual child and their teacher. I had a few students who, because of their learning styles, worked better independently. Differentiated reading worked in all my classes except one. That class had too many variables that it was too difficult to carry out the lessons.

oops

ok, so I thought I added the link but it simply made it so that the title of my previous post takes you to the link. oh well, live and learn.

"Engage Me or Enrage Me"

My first impression of this article was too conveluted with my own experiences that I couldn't see past this sense of entitlement that students have. "these students demand..." My first thought was, why do they feel that they can demand anything from educators? The students don't really pay to go to the school that I teach at and the school corporation certainly doesn't pay me enough to enable these haughty children to do what they feel is fun.
Ok, so that was my initial thought. However, I am a teacher, like most of you taking this class, that wants to integrate some technology into the classroom. My intentions are to engage all learners, not just the ones who are living the separate life at home, but who take their education seriously throughout their home and school life. "and there it is so boring that the kids used to this other life, just can't stand it." there shouldn't be another life. Their lives should have several layers to it, making them who they are as individuals. School shouldn't be so boring they can't stand it, but let's face it...writing a research paper isn't a party for all of us. Wahoo!
This article basically sums it up in one quote, "yesterdays education for tomorrows kids". There are some fundamental basics that students need to learn and they can't always be taught in such a way that it integrates technology, but there are other parts of the curriculum that can integrate things like Greek and Latin root word games, or creating a newspaper article online instead of a book report.

The link I attached is a link our librarian sent to Kerry and I about technology in our classrooms "curriculum sharing"- Just thought you'd be interested.

Reflection on articles

When Siemens talks about the progression from formal learning to informal learning in “Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age”, it is contradictory in what is actually happening in the public school setting. Tyler’s linear approach to curriculum clearly shows a subject based way of teaching our students. A majority of our public schools are teaching this type of subject based learning because of our connectivity to state standards. I know that despite the desires to teach in a more critical-exploratory manner, we are trapped in the confines of our school curriculum. I agree with the statement, “The organization and the individual are both learning organisms. Increased attention to knowledge management highlights the need for a theory that attempts to explain the link between individual and organizational learning.” This is the goal that I have as a teacher, but I feel that until we can get some backing with administration we will not be able to move forward as far as we would like. I am not strictly one side or the other with this issue, obviously, because I teach a core subject area, but I do think we need to step outside the box and become more critical about the way we have done things in the past.

On another note, I enjoyed reading the socratic article. "None of us are educational islands unto ourselves." This metaphor really hit home for me, because we should be life time learners and teaching our students that resourcefulness and to be able to not only critically evaluate things in this world is imperative to a successful life, but to be reflective about it as well.

#r503

The actual technology that they were using in the classroom seemed to be interesting like the Apple Works. The question does arrise about the program needing Apple computers...I assume. I don't even know where to look for Apple computers at our school, but the program seems interesting and helpful. Especially if they are using differentiated instruction in the way that they allow students to use a non-linguistic form of their assignments as well. In fact, I believe with programs like that it would be a lot simpler to differentiate instruction according to learning styles. For instance: my husband is not a "good reader" but seems to read better from text that is on the computer. Also, if a student, like my husband, needs further assistance it would be very easy to copy and paste into a word document in order to highlight areas or space it out the way the student would need it to be for educational success.

Goals

http://homepages.ius.edu/Special/Galena/France2001/notre%20dame.jpg

Reflection 1 Digital Natives/Imigrants Inquiry Review

Curriculum vs. the child. The Community of inquiry graphic organizer reminded me of his thoughts on curriculum. Pedegogically we tend to say we are teaching to the child, but we usually end up teaching in accordance to time constraints and standards that are formed from people who aren't normally in a classroom setting on day to day basis.
The differences between the natives and the imigrants is indicitive of the public school student vs. the home schooled student. The home schooled has now come to the public school and does not realize there are rules such as: stand in line, raise your hand to talk, and ask to use the restroom. I am alot like the home schooled child who is learning these new ways, although I already know how to raise my hand and speak in turn :) but I do need to learn new uses of technology.

Hello World

Ok, so the world is my oyster now....wahoo!