Reflection Blog Phase III: Final Comprehensive Reflection

Updated Philosophy of Education

As I went back and read my philosophy of education that I wrote at the beginning of this semester I realized that my philosophy of education really has not changed. I still believe that every student is capable of learning if they are given the right materials and a chance. I also still believe that it is critical to let students take a little bit of responsibility for their learning. When I talk about providing the right materials for students to learn I am referring to the various learning styles students may have and the multiple ways they have to present knowledge. My ETC 447 class did a great job of deepening my knowledge of ways to meet individual students learning needs and being able to provide these materials by introducing me to a wide variety of classroom technology tools. So, even though y philosophy of education did not change throughout this semester I would say that my ETC 447 class strengthened my philosophy of education by giving me knowledge that will help me to implement my teaching philosophy into my future classrooms.

Technology in the Classroom

Looking back on all of the knowledge about technology that I gained this semester I can honestly say that I will definitely use technology within my future classroom. I feel like by incorporating technology into my classroom I will be able to create the environment that I wish to create and follow my philosophy of education by being able to meet the individual needs of each of my students. Technology will be used in my classroom to provide multiple means of communication with parents, allow for multiple means of presentation of knowledge from students, to practice and apply new skills and concepts, and to track student behaviors and performance. This semester has given me the necessary knowledge that I will need to be able to successfully incorporate technology into my classroom.

Standards

Ø  Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

1.     Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.

·      I would use technology to promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness by all assigning a research project where the students have to present their research in some way to their classmates using technology. The student’s would be able to present their information in any way as long as technology was incorporated. Examples of ways that the students could present their information include: PowerPoint, a word document, an online pic collage, or any aps the student may know about. I would approach this standard in this way because I feel like y assigning research topics the students are learning the content, but then they are given the opportunity to be creative and create a product of their choosing to present their research to their peers.

2.     Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.

·      I would teach this standard by having the kids play a game called, Mad Money, on the PBS kids website during math. This game will not only teach the students the math objective, but it will give them the opportunity to use technology to explore a real-world issue, budgeting. The game requires the students to pick an object that they want to purchase they then have to budget there money throughout 30 days to make sure they can afford the object at the end of the game. I would teach this standard in this way because it teaches the students real-life skills in a way that is engaging and fun for the students.

3.     Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.

·      I will teach this standard by having students submit their essays to on online discussion board. The students would then be required to reflect and comment on at least 2 of their classmate’s essays as well as their own essay. This is a great approach to the standard because it would make it possible for students to gain peer input on their work, while also being able to reflect on their own work in a meaningful way.

4.     Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

·      I will have a classroom discussion board where students will be able to collaborate with their classmates by asking questions and having discussions about class content. This will be very effective because it will give students another source to get questions that they may have answered and it will also teach the students how to communicate appropriately online.

Ø  Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences

1.     Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

·      I would teach this standard by having students use the Story Bird application to create a story about what they want to be when they grow up. The students would have specific requirement s that they would have to meet, but other than that they would be free to be as creative with their story as they want to be. This lesson would be great to teach this standard because it could be designed to meet ELA standards and it will also allow for the students to be creative when writing about what they want to be when they grow up, which is very relevant to their life outside of school.

2.     Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

·      I would incorporate/teach this standard in my classroom by having students use the Class123 app. This app makes it possible for students to keep track of their grades as well as their behavior. Students are also able to set and track personal goals for both grades and behavior through the use of this app. I would use this app to teach this standard because I feel like it puts some of the responsibility on the student to manage his or her own learning and progress, which is a good skill to have.

3.     Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.

·      I would use multiple means of presentation using technology to teach this standard in my classroom. When assigning an assignment where the students will have to make a presentation that incorporates technology I will allow the students to be creative by picking which technology tool they will incorporate into their presentation. The reason I would allow students to present using the technology of their choice is because it allows for personalization and it also helps meet the individual needs of students.

4.     Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.

·      I used the Kahoot.it website to assess my students at the end of my math lesson on calculating area and perimeter. In this example I used the assessment as a formative assessment, but it could be used as either formative or summative depending on how the results are recorded and used. Kahoot.it is a great resource because it can incorporate a variety of different question formats. The reason I feel like this is a great approach to this standard is because it makes it possible to make assessments in many different formats and it also gives the teacher free range to use the data to inform teaching and learning how they wish for the given assessment.

Ø  Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

1.     Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.

·      I will incorporate this standard into my classroom by making sure to fully teach the students how to use all technology. I will also do this by encouraging students to share with me new technology that they may want to use in the classroom. I will do this by having a suggestion box somewhere in the classroom where the students can share ideas about technology that they think may be useful in the classroom. If possible I will then incorporate the technology suggested by the students into my lessons to make the content more relatable to them. I feel like this really teaches this standard because it integrates new technology into the classroom and it makes it so that the teacher and students have to use current knowledge to learn how to use the new technologies.

2.     Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.

·      I would collaborate with students, peers, and the community by creating a class website or blog. On this website parents, students, and anyone else with interest in my classroom would be able to find all important information like upcoming events and classroom volunteer opportunities. People would also be able to find my contact information on this website. I feel like this would be a great way to incorporate this standard because it would make it easy to communicate with anyone who has interest in helping my students succeed.

3.     Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.

·      I will collaborate with students and parents by using the app called Class123 in my classroom. This app also allows for classmates to communicate with each other using the discussion board. I feel like this is a great way to incorporate this standard into my classroom because it is a easy and effective way for students, peers, and parents to communicate. 

4.     Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

·      I would do this by teaching a very engaging lesson on citing information found on the Internet. This lesson would begin with the class deciding on a topic to research. We would then work together as a class to analyze and evaluate websites until we find reliable information. I would then model to the students how to properly cite that information when using it. Students would then be expected to cite any information they use from the Internet in future assignments. I would teach this standard this way because I feel like it would be an engaging lesson for the students and it would make them realize why it is so important to make sure information is reliable and cited.

Ø  Standard 4: Promote and model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

1.     Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

·      I will do this by including references in all of my lessons and presentations. When presenting content that I got from other sources I will make sure to stress the importance of citing where I got my information from. Modeling this standard in this way will make the students realize the importance behind citing ALL information you use.

2.     Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

·      I will do this by ensuring that every student has access to a computer of some sort when they are expected to complete an assignment or access something online. If I know that someone will not have access to the piece of technology I will change the lesson to be accessible to everyone. I will also make sure to ask my class at the beginning of the school year whether or not they have access to a computer at home. If they don’t I will provide them with the needed technology to take home when homework is assigned that requires technology. I will do these things to ensure that everyone has the same opportunities to be successful in my classroom.

3.     Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

·      I will incorporate this standard into my classroom by teaching the rules that come with netiquette. I will make sure to model these rules and show example videos when appropriate. When using our Class123 app I will make the rules and guidelines for posting school appropriate comments very clear. I would teach this standard in this way because I feel like by making stating the netiquette rules and modeling responsible social interactions up front students will be more likely to follow them.

4.     Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

·      I will make sure to really get to know my students from the beginning of the year using on online Google form with questions pertaining to each student’s interests and culture. Knowing this information will make it possible for me to create lessons and use technology in my classroom that is appropriate for each student and their culture.

Micro Lesson #3 Reflection

1. Instructional Decisions/Teaching (InTask Standard # 9): Discuss the implementation process and describe.
• What went well and what didn't go well during the implementation of your lesson?
• During this lesson I feel like the things that went really well included: meeting the time requirement, mastering the objective, teaching the formulas for finding area and perimeter, the individual assignment where the students created their own dream house, and the Kahoot at the very end. This is the first lesson where I had enough material to take the entire 50 minutes with only two students, which I think was a big accomplishment since that was something I struggled with on my other two micro lessons. Based upon the assessment at the end of my lesson each of my students mastered the objective with 100%. The individual assignment where the students got to create their dream houses was very successful because it kept the students engaged and eager to learn more. The last thing that went well was the Kahoot at the very end of the lesson because the students became very competitive and engaged. The things that didn’t go well were the song at the beginning of the lesson and the class assignment where we created a class dream house and calculated the area and perimeter. I feel like the song did not go as well as it could have because since I didn’t actually teach this lesson to 4^th graders they found it to be a little too childish. Lastly, the class assignment where we created a dream house as a class didn’t go as well as it could have simply because the students struggled to make agreements on how to build the dream house together.
• How well was the alignment to objectives and standards maintained?
• The standards and objectives were very clear throughout the entire lesson. The assessment given at the end of the lesson measured the skills outlined in both the standard and objectives perfectly.
• Describe any modifications made during the implementation of the lesson.
• The only modification I made throughout the implementation of this lesson was actually having the students draw the rooms they wanted to add to the class dream house, instead of me creating the rooms by myself. 
2. Mechanics:
• What technologies did I use (for the teacher and the learner)?
• Both the teacher and the students used their computers during this lesson.
• How were the technologies used (by whom and in what manner)?
• The teacher used the computer to play the online video of the area and perimeter song and to access the Kahoot quiz at the end of the lesson. The student’s used the computer to access the Kahoot.it website at the end of the lesson to participate in the quiz.
• My lesson was within the correct time frame?
• This was the first micro lesson that I taught this semester where I had enough materials prepared to take the entire 50 minutes to complete the lesson.
3. Assessment of Learning (InTask Standard # 6): Refer to Assessing Student Learning; attached in Blog Phase I
• Include at least 2 digital artifacts that demonstrate what you or your students (peers) have created as a result of your lesson.
• Alora's Dream House and Calculations 

                                       
                                                   Zach's Dream House and Calculations 

• Describe your students' level of success in achieving the standards and objectives for your lesson based on your assessment.
• Both of my students mastered the skill of calculating area and perimeter. They both received full points on their rubric and participated fully in all of the activities. They both were also able to answer all of the questions on the Kahoot quiz correctly.
• Describe the level of success you had in teaching the lesson
• How do your individual reflections support this?
1. I feel like my lesson was very successful. However, I should have checked for understanding more often throughout the lesson instead of just assuming that they knew the information since they completed the given activity. I also should have made more guidelines for creating the class dream house to ensure that we didn’t take up too much time on this activity.
• How do the comments from your classmates support this?
1. The comments from my classmates support this because they gave me all 5s on my survey. The only comment left by one classmate was that I should have allowed the students to be more creative when building their individual dream houses. By only allowing 5 rooms in the dream house they were not able to be as creative as they would have been if I would have allowed more. 

  4. What did you learn from designing and teaching this lesson and how will you use this in the  creation of future lessons/learning activities.

• I learned that when creating future lessons and learning activities I need to allow opportunities for all of the students to show their creativity. I also learned that I should check for understanding even if I feel like all of the students are on track. For future lessons I will make sure to always incorporate higher level thinking activities to ensure that I take all of the allotted time and all students have the chance to showcase their knowledge and creativity. I also hope to continue incorporating technology within my future lessons.

Micro Lesson #3: Calculating Area and Perimeter

Lesson Plan

Lesson Plan: I. Rationale & II. Overview Reflections: Assessing Prior Knowledge and Planning Instructions:

·      What do the students need to know prior to the lesson?

o   In order to succeed with this lesson students will need to know what a rectangle is and how to multiple and add. This knowledge is necessary because this lesson will teach students how to calculate the are and perimeter of rectangles and the operations they will need to be able to do to complete all of the area and perimeter calculations are multiplication and addition. Students also need to have background information on how to use the computer and type in a URL to access the quiz at Kahoot.it. 

·      How will prior knowledge and experience be assessed?

o   Prior knowledge and experience will be addressed during the direct input/guided practice section of the lesson where the students will have to work with the teacher to calculate areas and perimeters. This will be an informal assessment.

·      How will you use this information in the planning process?

o   This information will be used in the planning process by determining whether or not the teacher needs to teach multiplication and/or addition before continuing on with the lesson on area and perimeter. Some students may need a brief refresher on how to multiple and/or add before getting into the lesson on area and perimeter.

·      Why should the content of this lesson be taught at this grade level?

o   This is a great lesson to be taught at this grade level because it is a part of the math standards for 4^th grade. This content is also very engaging and interesting for students in 4^th grade level because they get to actually create something.

·      How do the objectives that you have for the lesson align with the standards?

o   My objectives for this lesson align perfectly with the standard that I used. They align so well because the standard requires the students to be able to apply the formulas for calculating area and perimeter in real world and mathematical problems, which is exactly what the objectives of the lesson are. The individual assignment also addresses both the standards and objectives perfectly.

·      When will the lesson be taught in the course of the school year? Why?

o   This lesson can be taught at any time throughout the school year as long as the students know how to add and multiple. However, it would make most sense to teach this lesson towards the end of the school year because then the students would have all of the basic computer and math skills needed to efficiently complete the activities found within the lesson.  

Lesson Plan: III. Implementation Reflection: Designing Instructions:

·      Why are you using the instructional methods you have described?

o   In this lesson the teacher will use a lot of visuals, class discussions and practice to learn how to calculate area and perimeter of a rectangle. The reason I am using these instructional methods is because I feel like they allow the students to access the information no matter what there learning style may be. Also, frequently checking for understanding throughout the lesson will allow the teacher to manage the pace of the lesson based upon the performance of each individual student.

·      How do the instructional methods align with what you know about best practices (think about your methods classes)?

o   These instructional methods allow the students to participate throughout the entire lesson. By allowing the students to participate the students become more engaged and the content becomes more memorable. These instructional methods also allow for lots of repetition of the content, which in return will help the students remember the important information. 

·      How are you engaging students in creative and higher order thinking?

o   I am engaging students in creative and higher order thinking throughout this lesson by asking them to create their dream house and use this creation to calculate the area and perimeter of multiple sized rectangles. They are then asked to answer questions about area and perimeter that will only be correct of they truly understand how to calculate area and perimeter. The students have to be creative by making their own 5-room dream house and calculate its area and perimeter. This requires the students to think deeper about the content instead of just copying down information given to them. They have to actually put the skill to work. 

Lesson Plan: IV. Assessment Reflection: Planning Assessment:

·      How does the assessment align with the standards and objectives of this lesson?

o   The assessment for this lesson aligns very nicely with the standard and objectives. The assessment requires the students to create their dream house, calculate the area and perimeter of their dream house, and answer questions about area and perimeter. The objectives of this lesson were to construct a compound figure that has all right angles, calculate the area of rectangles, and calculate the perimeter of rectangles, which is exactly what the assessment asks the students to do.

·      How does the assessment demonstrate that the students have been successful in learning the content?

o   The assessment when evaluated tells the teacher which students know how to calculate the area and perimeter of rectangles and which students do not know how to calculate the area and perimeter of rectangles. In other words the assessment tells the teacher which students did or did not learn the content of the lesson.

·      How does the assessment demonstrate student engagement in higher order thinking?

o   The assessment shows higher level thinking by having the students actually create their own figure to practice calculating area and perimeter with.

·      How does the assessment demonstrate that the individual student needs were met?

o   Since the assessments are completely individual assignments the teacher will be able to assess what each individual student knows. Based upon the student’s grades on the assessments the teacher will be able to tell which students need to be retaught the lesson.

Lesson Plan: V. Materials & Resources Reflection:

·      How does your lesson meet each of the ISTE NET’s Standards?

o   My lesson meets all of the ISTE NET’s Standards because it allows for students to be creative, use technology, and it requires the students to practice digital age citizenship and responsibility.

·      How does your lesson meet Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity?

o   My students are asked to be creative by creating their dream house. The students also take a quiz in a new way using Kahoot.it.

·      How does your lesson meet Standard 2: Provide Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessment?

o   Students calculate the area and perimeter of a figure that they create, which teaches them how to use the area and perimeter formulas. They will also learn how to navigate the Internet and use the website where they have to access the Kahoot.it quiz. Rubrics are used to grade the assessments at the end of the lesson.

·      How does your lesson meet Standard 3: Model Digital Age Work & Learning?

o   Students watch the teacher navigate the Internet when showing the video to the class. Proper Internet skills will be modeled at this time.

·      How does your lesson meet all four elements of Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Age Citizenship and Responsibility by:

o   Advocating, modeling, and teaching safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.

§  The video shown in class is cited. Students are given a specific URL to link them to the website where they will complete the quiz on area and perimeter. The students will be aware that even though the teacher created the quiz they are taking he/she did not create the Kahoot website.

o   Addressing the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.

§  The assessment where the students have to participate in a quiz on area and perimeter will be completed in class using computers that the students are provided with. This will give all students access to a computer to complete the assessment.

o   Promoting and modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

§  The student’s will not be communicating or typing anything online. However, they will be made aware of how to act when using technology.

o   Developing and modeling cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

§  My lesson does not have students talking to other students using digital communication. However, I will make sure that the Kahoot.it quiz is appropriate for all cultures in my classroom.