Standard 10 Meta-Reflection: Technology

Standard 10 Technology: Integrates current technology into instruction and professional communication/collaboration activities where appropriate.

I developed a class website using the SWIFT template to communicate with parents and students. I upload electronic copies of assignments and projects for students to access if they lost their copy or for parents to access. I also provide a weekly homework calendar with our daily activities, special events and due dates. Lastly, I write practice quizzes for students to take preceding an assessment to aid in their preparation. This has proven to be a vital source of information for parents and students as well as a worthwhile communication tool for me. I update this on a daily basis during the school year and include assignments which require students to access the website.

Artifact: Class Website

This blog post for an educational technology shows how various internet-based applications could be used in the classroom to differentiate instruction. I have used some of these applications in my classroom such as Inspiration to develop flow charts for note taking and iMovie for student-created video projects. These applications help students to master technology standards in the context of content standards because they are used in the classroom daily and as options for project products.

Artifact: Differentiated Instruction with Technology

I also used a program called VoiceThread to demonstrate a technology tip for a collaboration and communication tool called Jing. I showed how this piece of technology could be used for educators to collaborate on a common assessment or for students to work on a project together using the internet. The opportunities for this program and others like it are endless given the appropriate technology.

Artifact: Technology Tip

Standard 8 Meta-Reflection: Exceptionality

Standard 8 Exceptionality: Addresses the unique learning and behavioral needs of all children, collaborating with other educators and professionals when necessary.

I completed a classroom inquiry project for my pre-assessment seminar as part of the professional certification process. My project focused on using multiple intelligences information to increase the effectiveness of student notes and studying. I began by assessing their learning preference using the VARK method. Once students understood their learning preference, they were given a handout on types of notes to take and ideas about how to study. We spent some time in the classroom practicing these skills before our next assessment. I conducted a student survey after the assessment to gauge students’ responses to this new technique. Students found their learning preference was assessed accurately but did not make any changes in how they took notes or studied. They found this information helpful and about half said they would make changes in the future. While there are some changes to make to the implementation of this technique, I found that by differentiating studying and note taking, I can account for a wider range of student differences. By collaborating with other teachers and specialists, this information could follow students from one class to the next and from one year to the next.

Artifact: Classroom Inquiry Project

The second artifact for this standard is a PowerPoint I created on the topic of students with Attention Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The PowerPoint included current research, practical classroom tips and a general definition of the disorder. While the strategies in the presentation were intended for students with ADHD, they can be used for all students as a way to increase attention and interaction in the classroom. A large piece of helping students with ADHD succeed in the classroom is communication with specialists, counselors and parents which is included in the PowerPoint.

Artifact: ADHD Presentation

The last artifact for this standard was a case analysis I conducted on the benefits and drawbacks for the inclusion of students with emotional and behavioral disorders. The paper includes an overview of the pros and cons of inclusion, steps to be taken before and during inclusion and strategies to be used to make inclusion successful. An emphasis on collaboration among teachers and specialists was emphasized again to help these exceptional students succeed in the least restrictive environment.

Artifact: ED/BD Inclusion Analysis

Standards 6 & 7 Meta-Reflection: Communication & Collaboration

Standard 6 Communication: Communicates regularly and effectively with colleagues, parents and students through a variety of mediums.

Standard 7 Collaboration: Cooperates with other professionals to bridge gaps between schools and community and between departments/disciplines within schools.

The first artifact for these standards are two action plans I developed to increase communication and collaboration. The first action plan is to institute a quarterly email newsletter to be sent out to parents and guardians. Information such as important due dates, descriptions of projects and assignments, how to contact the teacher and how the parent can help their student succeed will all be included in the newsletter. The goal is to include parents in the daily activities of the clasrsoom so they can ask informed questions at night and assist students with their work. Paper newsletters and translated versions will be offered to those households who do not speak English or have access to the internet.

Artifact: Parent Email Action Plan

The second action plan focuses on collaboration within and between departments. Many teachers and departments teach in isolation and best practices are rarely shared. As a physics teacher, I could benefit from problem story strategies from the math department and vocabulary strategies from the English department. Critical Friends Groups (CFGs) seeks to provide a place and protocol for teachers to have difficult discussions in a safe environment. In our high school, 9th and 10th graders are put into smaller learning communities called PODs which consist of an English teacher, social studies teacher and science teacher. These three teachers would meet on a regular basis to discuss student work with the goal of improving the quality while promoting communication and collaboration between departments.

Artifact: CFG Action Plan

The third and final artifact is another way to seek communication and input from parents regarding their students. I developed a parent and student survey to gain information about students and open the lines of communication. This survey is sent home with students the first week of school and they are awarded points for returning it. I work hard to make sure I receive a survey back from every student and follow up on questions I may have. These surveys influence how I group students for projects and seating arrangements, how I differentiate instruction and how to interact with them in the classroom. They also provide me with information about how their parents see the student.

Artifact: Parent/Student Survey

I analyzed the context of my school given the community it is in. Using state published data on test scores, demographics and other information, I provided a snapshot of the school’s student population. Utilizing OSPI’s nine characteristics of good schools, I evaluated the school pointing out areas where it excelled and areas it was deficient. This analysis determined the focus for my two action plans.

Artifact: Action Plan Context

Standard 2 Meta-Reflection: Learning Environment

Standard 2 Learning Environment: Creates and maintains school-wide and classroom environments that are safe, stable and empowering.

I analyzed a hypothetical student who had behavioral management issues in the classroom. Using human development and learning theories, I made suggestions about how this student could overcome these problems and achieve at a higher level in the classroom. I used Bandura’s social learning theory to provide insight into what caused this student’s behavior and what could be done to overcome it. Three areas I identified were gender roles, self-regulation and self-efficacy. These concepts, along with united and committed teachers, administrators, counselors and parents, could provide this student with the opportunity to grow and experience academic and social success at school. This artifact will serve me well in the future because it enables me to look beyond a problem student and see the root causes. I have the vocabulary and knowledge to interact with counselors and other specialists to develop a sound learning and behavior plan for students which will create safe, stable and empowering learning environments.

Artifact: Case Analysis Paper

A secondary artifact I created was an overview of social learning theories with an emphasis on John Locke. I conducted an overview of his learning development theory while focusing specifically on repetition, imitation and reward and punishment. My understanding of this theory along with others better equips me to understand how my students learn in the classroom and where each student is at developmentally. I can differentiate curriculum, assessments and pedagogy to reflect each student’s unique development. John Locke’s theories are particularly helpful because they focus on the entire range of a student’s life where other theories only cover the early years of development up to the primary grades.

Artifact: John Locke Reflection

“What I Learned” About What Knowledge Is of Most Worth?

I learned that hands-on instruction is important and even vital in some disciplines, verbal instruction should not be less important. Many teachers see hands-on and verbal instruction as an either/or argument. In his essay, “The School We Need”, Hirsch argues, “The difficulty with the premature polarization of this issue lies in its disparagement of the verbal as an essential and even dominant focus of schooling. In human beings, an essential residue of understanding is the ability to speak or write about what one has experienced.”

As a science teacher, I know the power of hands-on instruction through labs, activities and demonstrations. While this is a vital and necessary piece of science education, the power of verbal instruction should not be forgotten. Students need to debate and reflect verbally about the concepts being experienced in order for them to make connections to the real world and past learning. Not all students process verbally so written expression should also be offered. The point is hands-on instruction is not an end, it is only the gateway to deeper learning. Concepts become lasting memories through verbal and written reflection.

The question I have about this is what do teachers do with the students who cannot focus long enough to write even a paragraph on a lab experiment or have a quick discussion with a classmate? Classroom discussions tend to involve four to five students and the teacher while small group discussion rarely stay on task long enough for meaning to be reached. Is there a time-sensitive way for students to engage in deep reflection?

What I Learned About Western Educational Thought

The Western Educational Thought lecture and reading had meaning for me because it reminded me of the roots of our educational system. We get so caught up into standards, tests, and AYP that we forget the original role of education. It isn’t to produce smart students but moral citizens who are ready and willing to participate in democracy. This benefits me because it takes the focus off of learning material and puts the focus on how the material is learned. Socrates set the example of teaching by inquiry (Ellis 66) which is a foundational concept in science. Rather than just provide my students with the correct answer, I need to guide them to understand the concept by leading questions. This module will challenge me to help my students learn material through self-discovery rather than direct teaching or memorization. The question I have is how do I balance this with the need to teach all the standards and prepare students for high stakes tests such as the HSPE? Every teacher would love to take a month on topics which take a week but time doesn’t always allow for that. It is even more difficult to differentiate instruction based on learning pace when the rest of the class is ready to move on and one or two students need more time.

Sources: Ellis, Arthur A. Historical Perspectives: Education in the Old World (Part 1). Accessed online through Blackboard.

What I Learned About Eastern Eduational Thought

A key idea I picked up on and found intriguing was the Confucian idea of sincerity. The lecture mentioned sincerity begins with no self-deception and the charge to “know thyself”. Confucius said, “Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.” (thinkexist.com) Reflecting on my own educational history, there are moments of self-discovery that were significant in my learning. One of these was learning I was a kinesthetic learner which is one of the reasons why I was attracted to science and its labs. This directly related to how I studied for tests. Normally, I would read out of the book or stare at my notes trying to memorize them. I do not learn well by reading or memorizing a page. I learn by doing practice problems, talking about concepts to others and seeing diagrams or graphs. I made some changes in the way I studied and the difference was amazing. I was much more prepared to take tests and understood the concepts much deeper.

I wonder how this might translate to my classes? How many of my students are aware what type of learner they are? I know many of my students put in considerable time and effort into studying but don’t see comparable results. Is there a survey I could give them which would help them identify who they really are with Confucian sincerity? As teachers, we mainly focus on what students need to learn but don’t consider how they learn.

Source: Confucius quotes from http://thinkexist.com/quotation/sincerity_and_truth_are_the_basis_of_every_virtue/252575.html