EDTECH 521: Teaching Online in the K-12 Environment - Reflective Journal

WEEK	Quotes from Readings and Class Tasks and Activities	Thoughts/Learning/Questions
Week 2: The Big Picture	“online learning leverages Internet technologies to create rich, interactive, and personalized learning experiences using a vast array of technology tools” (Rice, 2012, p.2)	This definition of online learning really encompasses what I think are the ideal descriptors to describe this type of learning. Rich, interactive, and personalized. Upon further reading of the text details emerge to enhance and support this definition. So far I am enjoying the text and look forward to more reading.
	Keeping Pace with K-12 Online Learning	I really like the Keeping Pace site for their graphical analysis of the current landscape of online learning. They do a great job of breaking down each state and the types of programs offered. The graphs provided allow for quality visual to support collected data.
	Edutopia	Edutopia is not new site for me and I have visited it many times. In my busy daily life I often don’t make time to visit sites that provide short and sweet articles in areas of education that interest me. Having this listed in the resource section of the week has reminded me to make more time for this activity.
	“Do you have what it takes to teach online?” (Rice, 2012, p. 41)	I really like this question that was posed and presented at the end of chapter 2. It is a great question for reflective thought and analysis of oneself. After reading this section it was nice to gain some reaffirment of my interest and pursuit in this field.
Week 3: Getting to Know Your Students and Families	Active Listening	State a definition of active listening (in your own words) Active Listening is the ability to focus on what an individual is saying why providing nonverbal feedback It is listening with a purpose of understanding. list at least two benefits of active listening To encourage and promote the speaker further. Shows value to the speaker. Build Relationships. and identify three or more components of active listening. Look, Inquire, Summarize, Take Notes, Encourage, Neutralize
Option 1:	-Did the interview questions help the parent or responsible adult open up to the conversation?	I felt that it did. I think it allowed for the parent to be more open and hopefully engage in conversation with their student. I wanted the parent and student to work collaboratively to help form their own expectations in addition to mine.
	-Were the things you learned about the student and family important information for you to consider while working with them this year?	Definitely. It gave me a sense of the different experiences backgrounds and perceptions that each student brings to the course. It will help me in providing the appropriate support where needed.
	-Do you feel this was a valuable exercise to complete before starting the school year? Why or why not?	It definitely is. It allows for student and parent reflection before the course begins and provides information for to the instructor. This information can help in meeting the learning needs of each individual student.
Week 4: Community Building	Reflect on the following prompts: What community you joined or created and why?	I joined the a Google+ community called Google Apps in Education. I decided to take part in this community because of my current obsession of using it as my primary technology tool in my current face to face classroom.
	A URL that references your online community.	Google Apps in Education URL: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/111138038754004333717
	A brief summary of your experience as a participant in the online community.	I have only been actively part of this community for a short period of time in this last week and don't feel that I have experienced it completely. My first initial impression was that it is a great place to find new ideas for implementing Google Apps. People post cool success stories as well as not so successful stories of their experiences using different apps. It is also a great place to ask questions, solve problems, and give advice on what works and what doesn't.
	A your reflections on how online communities can be used to effectively support student engagement in learning.	Online communities connect people with similar interests, allowing the entire community to participate, engage and take ownership of their role as a member of this community. This community creates shared knowledge and experiences that can not be gained from an individual source or connection. Students joining a community can experience these characteristics which all can help to support and enhance engagement and learning.
Week 5/6/7: Real Time Chat Experience	Reflection of a real time chat experience.	My experience for a real time chat took place  for an online class Q & A session using google Hangout. My initial thoughts with the use of this application are first focused on technical issues and user experience. When first starting the chat there always seem to be the initial technical difficulties of getting everyone signed in and having both their audio and video working. I think this is related directly to user experience. It seems that some users are not familiar with the audio/video equipment or its limitations and capabilities. Having a understanding of how your hardware interacts with the software you are using can help in alleviating these issues and this may be an unfair expectation given the user group. Once technical issues are resolved it is important for the facilitator to keep the discussion moving forward. The facilitator has the responsibility of making sure that everyone has a voice in the discussion and that some people voices do not dominate the discussion. This was established in this chat with the facilitator setting up chat guidelines at the beginning of the chat. This in combination with good facilitation kept the conversation moving and on task. I think that these chat opportunities can be a valuable experience during an online class to provide students and instructors to connect in a more personal and meaningful way.
Week 8: iNACOL Standards	Do you think they are all that different from good teaching standards in any environment?	I would agree that the majority if not all of the standards are just best practices for teaching and learning. These are very similar to the same criteria that are used to evaluate an effective face to face instructor.
	Which standards stand out as most important?	I think that they are all very important. They seem to hit the major components of quality teaching and learning. The creation of learning experiences, use of technology to support learning and engagement, effective active learning strategies, feedback, creating a safe learning environment, meeting the needs of all students, authentic assessment, use of data to analyze and promote learning, and professionalism in the workplace are all essential criteria for effective instruction.
	Which standards would not apply in a traditional brick and mortar classroom?	Standard A is the only one that is specific to online teaching and would not be included in other teaching standards.
Authentic Learning Experiences	Have you identified any authentic activities that you might like to try with your students?	I initially came up with the idea to have students create a concept map collaboratively with peers in the class that demonstrates their understanding of the topic. As I was looking through the class resources I did not find anything that matched my topic. So, I was asking myself does creating a concept map qualify as an authentic assessment? I think it focuses on students' ability to integrate what they learn through creativity, and the ability to work collaboratively.  It values the learning process as much as the finished product. I have found a number of great web tools that students will be able to chose from to create this concept map and am looking forward to developing my lesson.
Week 9: Learning Styles: Online Technologies and Learning Strategies	Visual	I found a great resource for learning style strategies and technology suggestions: http://www.ilsa-learning-styles.com/Learning+Styles/Multi-Sensory+Approaches+to+Learning/Visual+Learning+Strategies.html From ILSA I found the following Strategies: Learn by viewing images, graphics, demonstrations and performances. Watch introductory presentations and instructional videos. Follow illustrated sets of instructions. Visualise or see the required finished product – its shapes, colours and features. Draw or sketch ideas and concepts when planning. Use visual tools for organising information and ideas: layouts/formats, Thinking Maps, pro forma examples, colour-coding, different font styles and sizes, bold text, underlining, symbols, bullet-points. Annotate their notes with simple illustrations (purposeful doodling). Use visual methods and techniques when demonstrating their understanding to an assessor. Receive visual feedback about their work, highlighting, circling, symbols etc. Some suggested technology tools for meeting these strategies include; bubbl.us, lucidchart, google apps, popplet, glogster, powerpoint, slideshare, youtube, ebooks, etc...
	Auditory	I found a great resource for learning style strategies and technology suggestions: http://www.ilsa-learning-styles.com/Learning+Styles/Multi-Sensory+Approaches+to+Learning/Auditory+Learning+Strategies.html From ILSA I found the following Strategies: Learn by listening to others. Receive instructions aurally from speakers and recordings. Repeat the information aloud and/or repeat it in their heads. Talk about/Discuss/Record texts when mastering or reinforcing new or difficult information and ideas. Question the teacher or presenter and listen to explanations. Explain their ideas and understandings in person to an assessor. Listen to feedback about their work.     Some suggested technology tools for meeting these strategies include; Podcasts, audiobooks, lectures w/ audio, audio conferences, screencasts, etc...
Week 11: Self Evaluation of Asynchronous Lesson	Use the Asynchronous Lesson Rubric and the Common Core Instructional Practice Guides associated with your grade level and discipline to assist you in evaluating your lesson and its alignment with the goals of the project as well as with the instructional strategies recommended by the Common Core Standards.	I made a screencast for this week reflection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0glUT8ki_IM

EDTECH 542: Week 8 Final Reflection

PBL Reflection

My PBL Project Website

This course has been very beneficial for providing a solid foundation for project based learning (PBL). PBL provides for a student centered, constructivist approach to teaching and learning. This approach facilitates authentic real-world relevance for learning and builds 21st century skills that are essential for student readiness beyond the classroom. The following questions provide reflection for the course.

-What do you now understand best about Project Based Learning?

There are essential elements that make PBL a highly rigorous form of teaching and learning. Through this process, students gain knowledge and skills by working collaboratively on a project over an extended period of time.   

-What do you understand least well?

There are many social skills, critical thinking, and independent work that students do during a project. The instructor must scaffold and facilitate the learning of these skills. The transition from teacher centered to student centered is very hard for students who primarily get their instruction in teacher centered environment. What are some ways to help alleviate this tough transition.

-What did you expect to learn in this course?

How to create a complete PBL unit, that meets all of the characteristics of PBL.

-What did you actually learn? More, less, and why?

I think my expectations were met. I gained exactly the knowledge of PBL that I thought I would.

-What will you do with what you have learned?

I will evaluate my current teaching practices and see where it would be appropriate for PBL to be incorporated given the units of study. Even for the units that it may not be ideal for me to incorporate PBL, there are many key characteristics of PBL that can be implemented on a smaller scale to increase student engagement and rigor in my classroom.

EDTECH 542: Week 7 Reflections

Reflection and Perfection

The process of implementing a PBL project, especially for the first time can be a daunting task.  As I go through the project I am sure that I will be constantly evaluating what works well, what doesn't work well, and what I would do differently next time. I think that ongoing assessment of the PBL project during the unit will be essential for final evaluation in addition to spending some time evaluating the project once it has been completed. It will also be important to include all stakeholders of the project in the assessment and evaluation process of the project. These stakeholders can include; colleagues, students, content experts, and your selected audience.

1. Students- After project completion it would be ideal to lead a class discussion with students to get an idea of their perceptions, opinions, and any feedback that they about the project they just completed. A discussion on what they thought went well, what did not go well, and changes for the they would make for the future. You may want to revisit the project topic to ask students what they will take away from the project. These conversations can provide valuable feedback for the teacher, but this step is also an important part of the learning process for students as well. Reflection helps the students become aware that learning has taken place.

2. Content Experts - If the project included any outside experts who participated as guest speakers or class volunteers it would also be helpful to get their perceptions and perspectives on the learning outcomes in relationship to their role in the project. This could be accomplished through informal communication or if their was a large group of experts it may be useful to have them all meet to get better feedback through a collaborative reflective process.

3. Audience - The audience in which the projects were intended for can also provide detailed feedback for the evaluation of the project. There are a number of options you could go depending on how easy it is to access your audience. You may just informally ask them questions at the end of the the presentations, this can help you gauge their first impressions. You may want to give them a short survey of questions through email or after the presentation. You could also have them fill out a presentation rubric during the presentation. Any of this information gather can be useful in the reflection process of the project.

4. Colleagues - It may be useful to find some time to sit down with your fellow colleagues that have been part of the PBL process or even those that were not for an outside perspective. This may be able to be accomplished during a department meeting time, staff meeting time, or whatever is convenient for those involved. A discussion on what went well, what did not go well, and changes for the future are all ideal starting points for this discussion. Discussing perceived student perceptions of the project and student evaluations, assessments, and learning outcomes. Where the desired learning outcomes met?

All of these possible stakeholders of the project provide valuable information in the reflection, and evaluation process of the effectiveness of the project. Once this information is all brought together, revisiting the the unit plan while it is fresh in your mind and making modifications is the final step.

EDTECH 542: Week 6 Reflections

One of the greatest challenges for an instructor in a PBL unit is to adapt to the role of facilitator.

Will my role in the teaching/learning process change?

I think my role will change slightly during the project. There are times when I am a teacher in my class and times when I am a facilitator. During this project I will need to step back from the teacher role more and embrace the role of a facilitator. This change to a more student centered class is not only challenging for the teacher, but can be challenging for the students as well.

What are the skills of effective facilitation?

• Prepare and Plan Process
• Listening
• Asking open ended questions
• Address misconceptions
• Promote discussion
• Guide discussion
• Handle conflict
• Motivate
• Establish expectations

Will the students develop the competencies and skills needed to be successful?

Students can be initially very challenged by the facilitation type structure of PBL. Throughout the project they are forced to learn how to ask questions, problem solve, critically think, and work collaboratively. It is important to have an effective facilitator for these competencies and skills to develop. The facilitator provides the structure, planning, and support for these skills to be developed throughout the project which then will lead to student success.

What changes will you need to make in order to become an effective facilitator in your PBL unit?

I usually try to facilitate learning activities that are very student centered. One of the challenges of this inquiry based instruction is letting students struggle and being ok with students struggling. A lot of times when students are struggling at a task, it is my first response to help them out, but it is important to allow them to struggle and only facilitate the problem solving process. I think that is an aspect of facilitation that is really hard for teachers and myself and it definitely changes the teaching and learning process to a more student centered classroom.

EDTECH 542: Week 5 Reflections

Designing Integrated Curriculum

(Interdisciplinary Instruction)

What is Interdisciplinary Instruction? 

Taken from the website eduplace.com:

“Interdisciplinary teaching involves a conscious effort to apply knowledge, principles, and/or values to more than one academic discipline simultaneously. The disciplines may be related through a central theme, issue, problem, process, topic, or experience (Jacobs, 1989). The organizational structure of interdisciplinary teaching is called a theme, thematic unit, or unit, which is a framework with goals/outcomes that specify what students are expected to learn as a result of the experiences and lessons that are a part of the unit.”

Benefits

The following table is a list of some of the benefits that I have identified as being outcomes for integrated instruction.

Teachers	Students
Team Planning Develop cohesion in content areas Dont have to work in isolation Allows for constructive feedback Professional development Improved Instruction	Increase motivation and engagement Increase in depth learning Knowledge application Make connections 21s Century Skill Development Authentic project based learning

Challenges

Most of the challenges I have Identified are directly related to the infrastructure and logistics involved in a school for the implementation of integrated instruction.  

No shared planning time Lack of administrator support Large student population Teacher teams not possible Scheduling issues

Is this a reality in your school?

Currently the ability for my school to become interdisciplinary in their approach to teaching currently seems to be an impossibility. In a large high school setting with over 80 teachers and 1500 students the logistics needed to coordinate this instructional approach is very challenging. Students have many different choices in the classes that they can take based on their interest and ability. Having the same students take the same teachers who work together to plan an interdisciplinary unit is not possible. The current schedule does not allow for any shared planning time. I did once work in a middle school where students took basically the same track of classes and there were grade level teams. Middle Schools usually are smaller and student usually have the same teachers making for this type of instruction easy to manage.

Images retrieved from: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/103011/chapters/What-Is-Integrated-Curriculum%C2%A2.aspx