Tricia Pearl's Reflections for EPSY 556; Fall 2006

Universal Access to Technology

2006-12-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Universal access is a new way of thinking to me. I have been familiar with differentiation and making modifications to the current curriculum. However, I never thought before of having the curriculum designed in such a way as to be readily available to all learners. I had just always figured that I would need to make adaptations to it to make it accessible to all my students. Furthermore, I never had to think too much in terms of universal access for technology integration because of the over 140 students I've taught in the past six years, I have had relatively very few with special needs. In all, I've had six with learning disabilities, one hearing impaired, and two with autism. However, after reading the articles on all the technology available to help students with theses disabilities, I've come to realize that there was perhaps potential for these students to learn the same material as their peers and gain greater knowledge and understanding. Fortunately though, at the time I had these students in my classroom, I feel the accommodations and support given met their existing education needs as laid out in their IEP's.

I feel the concept of universal access will be especially useful when it comes to the "slow learner." Slow learners are those that struggle with basically all areas of the classroom curriculum, but since they are low across the board, they do not receive LD services. (According to tests, there is not a discrepancy between their performance in class and their expected potential.) Having the technological tools to assist these students will hopefully help them see that they too have strengths that they can perform well in. I especially like the idea behind Thinking Reader and how it is a constant companion to struggling readers.

As far as ensuring technical resources are available to all, I must honestly say I haven't done much in that area. Other than making sure students have equitable use of the computers, I haven't gone further in this endeavor. Fortunately, the readings and previous classes in CTER have helped me understand that not only are additional resources available, but they may also be a neccessity for schools to provide it's students in order to comply with the 1997 IDEA ammendments. Now, with my newfound knowledge, it is my responsibility to ensure my students receive the necessary accommodations as required by law.

Technology Standards for Educators and Students

2006-11-11T13:18:00.000-08:00

"In considering technology standards for teachers and students, are we reaching these standards -- or are the standards beyond what we could achieve?"

Upon reading the technology standards for teachers, I came to realize how much the CTER masters program through UIUC has taught me about becoming a better educator. I am able to confidently say that I feel I meet the general technology standards for all teachers. However, I don't feel this was always the case. It is because of the education I have received that has brought me this far. Furthermore, the emphasis my school district places on technology and professional development opportunities has prepared me to abide by the technology standards.

On the other hand, if I did not have the opportunity or chose not to participate in a masters program in technology, I feel I wouldn't be meeting those standards. If I didn't have a school district that emphasizes technology integration and provides the necessary support and teacher training, I feel I wouldn't be meeting those standards.

Therefore, in regards to the average educator, I can understand why he/she might not be able to state with confidence, like I am able to, that he/she is meeting the technology standards. After all, if a school district does not provide the time, support, and financial assistance to its teachers to better prepare them for a changing and diverse student population, then how will these educators ever be brought up to speed on what are the most recent standards in education?

Fortunately, I do not feel the technology standards, as they are presently written, are out of the reach of an average educator. It will just mean taking a lot of professional development courses, practicing patience, and being persistant in furthering one's own life long learning.

Are We Responsible Users of Technology

2006-11-04T11:12:00.000-08:00

As an educator, do I model fair use and copyright guidelines to my students? That is a question that plagued my mind as I read the articles for our reading assignments. My first response was an emphatic YES! However, upon further reading and reflection, I discovered I have not been a perfect model to my students. For example, there have been the math workbook pages I've quickly copied when a student left their workbook at home. These workbooks are consumable, and I suppose that by copying a page, I was breaking copyright guidelines. In addition, I learned that some of the links I have included on my websites are in violation of copyright guidelines. Why? Because they are links that delve further into a website instead of linking more directly to the homepage. I always thought I was just helping the user of my website out by providing them with a more direct link to the important information. However, now I realize that by not linking to the homepage, I may be preventing the Internet user from viewing who the original site creator was (since this is usually addressed on the homepage).

Furthermore, I learned from my readings that the copies I've made of student work is also a copyright infringement. I haven't always asked students for their permission if I could make a copy of their writing. For example, a few years ago my students each wrote a story that got published into a book. However, before their stories were submitted to the publishing company, I first made copies of a few of the stories and passed them onto a theatric company who later came to the school and put on skits about the stories that were submitted. Since it was a surprise for the students whose stories were chosen, I never told the students which stories I had submitted. Fortunately, the students never complained about their stories being acted out in front of the entire school. But what if they had complained? That's a bit of a scary thought.

Finally, there are probably numerous times that I've violated copyright law. I only say that after I read the copyright reading assignments. In a few of the readings it mentioned that not all material needs to have or will have a copyright date or symbol on it. However, this does not mean the material is safe to be copied. That is because it is not a requirement that copyrighted material be marked as such.

Fortunately, after the readings, I have come to realize that I need to treat all material as copyrighted material (unless it is government documents). This new insight will better prepare me for the next time I choose to use a copy machine or create something on the computer. Although technology is a powerful tool that has made it quite easy to use other people's material, such a tool also requires great responsibility in how it is used.

Digital Storytelling in the Classroom

2006-10-28T15:16:00.000-07:00

From my research of digital storytelling, I found it to be a meaningful tool to be used in the classroom. First of all, the website http://tellingstories.org/index.html, is just one of many resources out there that could be used by teachers to hook students into learning about world events. This website with digital stories makes the difficult content understandable to students since they are told from the perspective of one who witnessed and experienced those events. Listening to a person recount their experiences helps students make real world connections to something that ordinarily they would just read about in a textbook. Furthermore, the viewing of poignant stories facilates meaningful classroom discussions.

Secondly, the use of digital storytelling in the classroom is an effective way to appeal to diverse learning style and creativity in students. When work involves a tangible product at the end of a project which can be published for public viewing, student interest in writing, attention, and motivation increases. Furthermore, student involvement in the creation of a digital storytelling requires problem solving, collaborative group work, leadership, and the use of higher order thinking skills. Students must research information, interview resources, organize their ideas, and write a script -otherwise known as the planning stage. They must use technology in new and creative ways to produce a project and present the project to an audience. Finally, they must evaluate their project by assessing its effectiveness in delivering a message.

With all that is entailed in the creation of digital stories, it is no wonder I consider this integrated approach an effective tool for the classroom that can be used as an assessment piece to demonstrates student learning.

Embracing New Literacies Fostered by "Digital Natives"

2006-10-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

Marc Prensky's article, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," was quite an eye opener for me. Prior to reading it, I had considered myself a digital native. Sure, the Internet was not available when I was born, but in elementary school, we had a computer lab to go to and a robot that visited our classrooms on special occasions. However, upon reading parts in the article like, "The 'digital immigrant accent' can be seen in such things as turning to the Internet for information second rather than first, or in reading the manual for a program rather than assuming that the program itself will teach us to use it," I realized I am part of the "Digital Immigrant" group (Prensky, 2001). Further on in the article, Prensky truly convinced me of my standing in the digital world when he said digital immigrants "[print] out your email ..; [need] to print out a document written on the computer in order to edit it (rather than just editing on the screen); and [bring] people physically into your office to see an interesting web site (rather than just sending them the URL)" (2001).

Upon facing the awful truth of my status, I was able to look back at what Prensky's and Roblyer were trying to teach me. That the teaching strategies and methods I am using in my classroom are outdated and need some major reforms if I hope to reach these different learners in my classroom. After all, these learners have different brains than I and my older counterparts have. They are much more in the realm of being visual learners and people who construct their knowledge rather than being a sponge who waits for the knowledge to be soaked up when dropped upon them. Therefore, to reply to the question, "are we as educators prepared to embrace new literacies fostered by "digital natives", the answer should not be a yes or a no, but rather a "we better be"! Unfortunately, the fast changing world of technology and slow moving world of educational reform does not lead to quick transitions.

This leads to the question why aren't educators prepared to embrace these new literacies if research shows that it is best practice in teaching and it is what students need to learn? Is it a lack of time to learn these new literacies, or is it a money thing? Perhaps. Is it the lack of sufficient teacher inservices and training? Maybe. Or is it just that the trickle down effect hasn't yet reached the educators of our youngest learners? Hmmm.. if that were the answer, that would be to say that all college professors are embracing the new literacy. And yet, there are many out there who still base all learning opportunities on the trusty old textbook. So if college professors haven't all embraced these new literacies fostered by their "digital native" students, where does it all begin? Must the preschool teacher be the first to embrace it, or the elementary school teacher? Is it the middle school teacher's responsibility or is the high school's? Or is it the college professors responsibility to embrace the new literacy since he/she is the one who instructs the future elementary/middle/high school teachers? So who will it be that starts the trend in recognizing the different learners that the technology age has create and that these students need new approaches to learning? Whoever it is, by the time everyone else gets on the bandwagon, we might be past this technology age and into a new and unknown age of the future.

Role of Media and Technology in Education

2006-10-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

It seems obvious to me that media and technology are critical in education. The use of symbols and print (media) are necessary for students to learn. Technology is needed for this print to be viewed by the masses. Furthermore, technology allows for a more cost efficient and motivating way for students to not only learn from, but also with it. Another benefit of using technology and media is the ability to not only read new and current information, but also provide one's own insight to the discussion. The web is a perfect example of this read/write community.

I checked out the following websites to view their value for my WebQuest: http://tlpearl.wikispaces.com/ ; http://pbwiki.com/ ; http://pages.google.com/ . I found these sites to be very valuable for my students to help them communicate to each other, keep track of the research and information they've gathered, and to help me determine the progress they are making on their WebQuest project. Although these sites are helpful in these areas, I also recognize that it will add to my job of educating the students on how to use these technologies. Fortunately, one of the reasons I might choose to use these is because the technology aspect can be a motivating factor for my students. Sure, they could just print out the words on paper, but when you add technology to the media, students become more motivated to do the work.

Blended Learning in the Elementary Classroom

2006-09-30T14:21:00.000-07:00

My personal favorite definition of blended learning is "the effective combination of different modes of delivery, models of teaching and styles of learning" as stated by Chris Procter's white paper, Blended Learning in Practice (2003). When face to face meetings are combined with online options in such a way as to supplement and enhance the material to be learned, students not only learn more, but their interaction during and satisfaction of the learning process improve.

As a third grade and previous fifth grade teacher, I can confidently say blended learning is a critical component in the elementary classroom. Blended learning supports differentiated instruction which is crucial when trying to reach and interest all learners. It requires educators to decide on using the right tool for learning, in the right situation, and for the right purpose. Because differentiation is involved, teachers must look at their students' learning styles, interests, and abilities to help them determine the content, activities, products, and learning environments students should have access to in order to meet their diverse needs.

Besides blended learning being associated with differentiation, it is also a proponent of flexible learning for the student. When blended learning is used in an educational setting, students have the flexibility to make choices in regards to when and where they will study, what learning styles they will use and their personal preferences as far as what at pace they want to proceed. The content, process by which they receive that content, and product they produce to show their learning also become flexible entities. Furthermore, the teacher is no longer seen as the source of all knowledge, but a facilitator of the learning process. Students are guided in the direction of seeking out and discovering appropriate resources, completing tasks, and deciding their own learning outcomes.

The way blended learning looks in my elementary classroom might be quite different from its application in a middle or high school classroom. As an elementary teacher, I incorporate blended learning by integrating technology into lessons. At times I might use a CD-ROM for students to practice skills or show a video to best explain a concept. In the case of the CD-ROM, it might be chosen because it can provide more immediate feedback for the student in comparison to a worksheet that would need to be graded by a human. At other times, I use audio cassettes or online stories for students who have trouble reading text and need to practice following along in a text. Finally, I utilize the Internet when topics or questions are brought up in science or social studies. For example, the FOSS website provides an opportunity for students to ask a scientist a question.

A final way I incorporate the idea of blended learning in my classroom is through the use of a classroom website and email communication with parents. Besides having parents learn information in the classroom during Parent Night, they can review classroom policies and procedures described on the website and be updated on the latest homework and newsletter by visiting my classroom website. I also use email communication to answer parent questions and respond to their concerns. I would consider these forms of "blended" communication to have an impact on not only parent learning, but also student learning since the homework posted on my classroom website provides students with important information.

WebQuests Empower Student Learning

2006-09-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

The WebQuest I am creating for my third grade students will certainly empower their learning. Last year, when I had my students research communities around the country, I did not fully prepare them for their task by ensuring they had the resources to find the information. In hindsight, this was probably the greatest difficulty the students faced when trying to research information. Even when resources existed, the reading level was over the children's heads. By creating a WebQuest, I will ensure the students have definitive resources to use so they will more successfully find the information.

Secondly, the students basically just researched the information last year by themselves and reported it in the form of producing a brochure. This year, the WebQuest will encourage students to use higher order thinking and problem solving skills by having them choose the criteria they want to research, compare and contrast communities, and work cooperatively to produce a product. By the end of the project, cooperative groups will have to determine which community they would want to visit after reading about the personality of a "child" in the family. The "child's" likes and dislikes will help guide their end decision.

The community based WebQuest will improve student motivation, attitude, and interest in learning since it is geared towards a final goal of finding a vacation destination. Many children can relate to being forced to go on unwanted vacations to unheard of locations. This WebQuest gives them power of choice. Also, since group cooperation, researching, final products, presentation, and decision making are part of this WebQuest, students are being prepared for the future workplace environment.

Finally, since I will be guiding students in finding appropriate resources and students can rely on support from group members, the WebQuest will address the needs of low performing students. For all these reasons, students should feel empowered in their learning.

WebQuest Idea

2006-09-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

I have decided to create a WebQuest around the topic of communities. The third graders at my school complete an end of year research report where they choose to research a community in the United States and create a brochure as an end product. After looking at several examples, I decided that I would need to revise some aspects of this project so that it is more inquiry based and does not entail students to merely retell information. For example, I thought I would design a research project that requires students to play the roles of a family who must decide where to go on vacation. There would be collaborative groups of four students. Two students would act as the "children" who each research a different community with the help of a "parent" . Prior to the research, however, the "parents" and "children" would figure out criteria to help them judge which community best matches their ideal vacation spot. This criteria would help out in the research process by providing direction on what to learn about each community. After performing research, each parent/child partnership would create a community brochure with pictures and text describing how that community meets the predetermined criteria. Then, they would use their criteria to evaluate the information shared in the brochures and chose a vacation location.

Since it will be third graders completing this WebQuest, I do understand that the students would need specific resources to review and suggested criteria to research. This would mean I would choose four communities and find the websites that provided information for the students to complete the tasks. Then, the "family" could narrow these choices down to two communities. In addition, I would suggest possible criteria for the "families" to research about their communities. For example, location, population, weather, geography, entertainment opportunities, sporting events, and tourist locations. The "family" would be given a minimum amount of criteria that they would need to research; therefore, they would not need to research all of the examples mentioned. Instead, they could choose which criteria was important to their "family".

20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have

2006-09-02T14:33:00.000-07:00

Teachers today should constantly update their knowledge on those skills that will ensure they are effective teachers in the classroom everyday. This includes becoming experts on many aspects of technology. Since time is a teacher's most important commodity, it is essential that teachers use those tools that will enable them to perform their job efficiently. Laura Turner's article, 20 Technology Skills Every Educator Should Have, is an important document outlining those skills necessary for today's teachers. While I feel many of the skills do in fact apply to most educators, there are others I don't feel comfortable fully endorsing.

I feel the following skills are necessary for todays educators:
1. Word Processing
Word processed documents are produced in a timely manner, are paperless, readable, allow users to easily check conventions, and can be saved for an indefinite period of time.
2. Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets save time by compiling and figuring out grades and charting data.
3. Database
Databases create tables and store and retrieve data. Teachers are increasingly held accountable for documentation of progress and these help teachers communicate information.
4. Electronic Presentation
Students increasingly require new and interesting modes of communicating content. Teachers jobs include finding ways to present content in ways that will stimulate students to learn.
5. World Wide Web Navigation
Teachers need to frequently update their content with the newest data to communicate accurate information to students.
6. E-Mail Management
Emails save time and can prevent communication errors. Since they can be saved in folders, they are a great tool for documentation purposes.
7. Network Knowledge Applicable to Your Organization
It is important that teachers know who to go to in times of crisis ... email is down!
8. File Management and Windows Explorer
With so many documents being created each day, files and folders are essential for teachers to keep things straight. After all, a teacher would never imagine having a filing cabinet filled with random papers that had no order to them.
9. Computer Related Storage Devices Knowledge
Teachers need to back up their files and folders to protect and save the documents they've created. There is nothing worse than wasting time recreating something because it was lost when the computer crashed.
10. Educational Copyright Knowledge
Teachers need to set examples for students and teach students how copyright enfringement is not acceptable no matter what the circumstances.
11. Computer Security Knowledge
Teachers must secure their own computers and databases from receiving viruses or worms. In addition, they must prevent students from viewing inappropriate content on the computer.

I don't feel the following skills are essential for all of today's educators, although some job descriptions might show a greater need for these skills:
1. Web Site Design
While personel or classroom web sites are a great place to communicate information, I believe that teachers should feel free to use other modes of communication that they feel comfortable with.
2. Downloading Software from the Web
3. Installing Computer Software onto a Computer System
Numbers 2 and 3 ... My school district does not allow teachers to download software from the web or install computer software. Although it is nice to know for home PC's, I don't feel it is something all educator's must know.
4. Digital Camera Knowledge
5. Webct or Blackboard Teaching
6. Video Conferencing
7. Scanner Knowledge
Numbers 4, 5, 6, and 7 ... These tools are nice when you want to put an image into a computer, but I can't endorse it as being an essential part of an educator's knowledge.
8. PDAs Knowledge
I feel this is a fun gadget than might be helpful to some, but others people can find other methods of organizing their lives.
9. Deep Web Knowledge
I didn't know what this was until I looked it up ... and my ignorance of this hasn't hurt me yet!