EDU641 Reflection

-What did you already know? What did you learn?

At the start of this course I knew that as educators we are also life long learners. Professional development is where we grow as educators and it is important to continue to improve our practice. Professional development is also required in-order-to keep your certification. School districts offer many opportunities throughout the school year for teachers to get recertification credits whether it be through a workshop in state or out-of-state or trainings at their homeschool itself. I never fully understood the extent of planning for professional development. 

Another thing that I was familiar with before beginning this course were the ISTE standards. I was introduced to them by a co-worker. At the beginning of this course all I knew was that the ISTE standards existed. During this course I began to see the connection the ISTE standards had with the Common Core. Many of the verbs used in the Common Core standards can also be found in the ISTE standards. “The Common Core and state content standards require online assessment and call on educators to embed technology more naturally into the learn and teaching process.” (ISTE, 2015). Digital learning is becoming more of a focus in schools today because of the demand of the Common Core. 

One other thing I knew going into this course was the cost of technology tools and equipment. Many schools are not equipped with technology simply because their school budgets cannot afford the cost of it all. I learned about the costs of different configurations and the pros and cons about each configuration. It surprised me just how much it costs to supply your school with technology. Another interested idea I learned from this course was the idea of BYOD. I had never heard of that before and the push towards this idea in schools today is growing. It was very interesting to read about peoples ideas of BYOD and weighing the pros and cons of this idea. As the years go by, more students have access to some sort of technology device, whether it be a tablet, iPad, or Smart Phone access to these devices are becoming easier as the costs of these devices goes down. “The most exciting aspect of mobility tools in the K-12 is the opportunity for schools to liberate young learners from the limitations of the classroom.” (K-12 Blueprint, 2015). 

-What will you put into your own practice as an educator to strengthen them?

As an educator I plan to incorporate the ISTE standards in all my lessons now. Since I am teaching at a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) school I feel that it is important to incorporate these standards into my everyday teaching. I will use my knowledge to train other teachers on these standards and how to implement them into the classroom. I will use the TPACK model to better incorporate technology into my classroom as well. Learning about the different approaches to TPACK helped me see how I can create and implement units in my classroom. I plan on using the TPACK approaches while planning my next unit.  

-Why is it so important to continue to perfect the technology integration craft and develop professional development to support this?

“Teaching is a job that encourages your own growth because to do it well requires your own continuous education.” (Wolpert-Gawron, H., 2009). Technology is changing everyday so in order to keep up, teachers must continue to develop professional development to support this. Immersing oneself in technology and continuing to learn about the endless possibilities of how to incorporate it into your classroom through professional development is what is going to keep that 21st-Century student engaged and motivated to learn. Keeping up with the latest research and continuing to educate yourself on the most current research when it comes to integrating technology and not where you should stop. Educating yourself is a great way to stay current now you must educate those around you and implement these practices into your classroom. 

References: 

ISTE. (2015). Digital learning in a standards world: A closer look at the Common Core and state content standards. Retrieved from: http://www.iste.org/advocacy/public-policy/common-core

K-12 Blueprint. (2015). Mobility Emerges as the Next Wave of K-12 Education Innovation. Retrieved from: http://www.k12blueprint.com/sites/default/files/Mobility_Next_Wave_K-12_Innovation.pdf

Wolpert-Gawron, H. (2009). What I love about teaching. Retrieved from: http://www.edutopia.org/teacher-lifelong-learner

BYOD

In today’s classroom, technology is used to engage learners, inspire students to think independently and critically. Students of today, have grown-up alongside technology and social media. It has become a natural part of their everyday life. Technology is ever evolving and changing and will not ever go away. To properly prepare students for the real life skills they will need to have when entering the world outside of the classroom walls, technology has to be a part of their educational journey. The 21^st century student is defined using the word “technology”.

Due to budget constraints, many schools are looking into other possible solutions to meet the needs of the 21^st century student. One of these solutions is BYOD or bring your own device. This would allow students to bring their personal devices, such as, laptops, tablets, and smartphones to school.   At first glance, BYOD seems like the perfect solution to a problem that many schools are facing, but the challenges may outweigh the benefits.

Benefits of BYOD:

• Budget: Cost effective for schools to have a BYOD policy in place. Parents fund the devices that students bring to school, schools can save money by not having to fund an entire school worth of technological devices.
• Preparing for the future: to prepare students for their future education and jobs, BYOD replicates an environment that is technologically rich. (Intel Education)
• Comfort: Students can work on a device that they are comfortable on and familiar with.
• Increased Staff Productivity: Less time wasted on teaching students how to use different devices in the classroom. Students are already familiar with their devices so they can focus more on getting work done on a device they know how to operate. (Bring your own device to the classroom: challenges and opportunities, 2013).
• Engagement: Technology creates a more active, engaging environment for the students to learn in. (Bring your own device to the classroom: challenges and opportunities, 2013).
• Modern: School’s technology tends to be out of date, when students bring their own devices they tend to be more up to date with the latest software. Students can use the latest programs to create projects.
• Why BYOD? Watch this short 4 minute video on some other reasons why BYOD is beneficial in schools in the 21^st century. http://youtu.be/A7zHdGfN530 (Pontes, 2013).

Challenges of BYOD:

• Compatibility: Not all devices are compatible with required programs.
• Devices: Certain software features and file types are not supported on all devices (BYOD, 2014).
• Security: Security concerns about how student’s devices will be protected, viruses and malware, how will teachers monitor internet usage in the classroom? (BYOD, 2014).
• Logistics: Concerns of where BYOD will be stored. Will students bring them back and forth? Leave them at school?
• Network Connectivity: Worry about connectivity issues. Connecting to the schools wireless network. Will the network be large enough to handle a large number of devices?
• Professional Development: Teachers and administrators would need on-going professional development to gain knowledge on all devices. (BYOD, 2014).
• Communication: With students bringing their own devices from home, the lines of communication need to be open at all times between administrators, teachers and parents.
• Tech support: There would be minimal tech support for BYOD. The school district would not be responsible for supporting issues with all the students’ devices since they are their personal devices.
• Equality: Not all students are able to afford their own device.

BYOD can be incorporated with any age group of students as long as teachers are trained on the proper techniques and strategies on how to properly implement BYOD in the classroom. The sooner students are exposed to BYOD in the classroom the more prepared they will be for the future. In order for this to happen, the entire community needs to be on board; Parents, staff, administrators and students. Parents need to be willing to attend informational meetings explaining the schools/districts BYOD policy. The lines of communication would need to remain open at all times to keep parents on board with what is going on in the classroom. Students would need to be aware of their boundaries using their device in the classroom. Strict consequences need to be put in place and enforced by staff and administrators if students violate and abuse technology. At first it could be a huge undertaken to create a BYOD school, but in the long run it would save the school a lot of money and better prepare students for the future.

References:

K-12 Blueprint. BYOD. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.k12blueprint.com/byod.

Bring your own device to the classroom: challenges and opportunities. (2013). Retrieved from http://technical.ly/2013/12/23/bring-device-classroom-challenges-opportunities/

Pontes, T. [PeelSchools]. (2013, January 23). Why BYOD? [Video file]. Retrieved from http://youtu.be/A7zHdGfN530.

Technology Reflection

Blooms Taxonomy:

Benjamin Bloom developed a set of skills that build upon each other called Bloom’s Taxonomy. Originally, in the 1950’s these categories were labeled using nouns, knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis and evaluation. His taxonomy follows the brains natural thinking process. You cannot comprehend unless you have the knowledge, you cannot apply these thinking skills unless you comprehend and understand (knowledge), etc.

About forty years later, a student of Bloom, Lorin Anderson, revised Bloom’s Taxonomy so that each of the taxonomy levels were now categorized as verbs. (Churches, 2008). Bloom’s Taxonomy now seems a lot easier to interpret, helping educators and students to realize that these are skills that you are going to DO.

Technology integrates nicely with Bloom’s Taxonomy and you can find many versions of Bloom’s Taxonomy which incorporates digital tools. 

Retrieved from http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/cms/lib08/GA01000549/Centricity/Domain/6648/blooms20pyramid.jpg

Retrieved from http://selectedreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ipadagogy-wheel-001.jpg?w=1600&h=5220

Based on my budget matrix, in order for students to successfully implement technology using Bloom’s Taxonomy to its full potential the configuration that would work the best would be the 1:1 technology configurations, in other words, the computer lab (equipped with 30 iMacs) and the portable computer cart  (equipped with 25 Chromebooks). But, even so, these configurations have their pros and cons. In an ideal situation all students would have these technologies at their fingertips at all points of their school day in order to easily access higher order thinking skills on a daily basis.

Pros and Cons of each Configuration:

One Computer Classroom and Projector:

Pros:

•        Access to some technology in your room.
•        Technology can be used for whole class instruction
•       Save on the school budget with limited technology costs.

Cons:

•       Very limited access for students
•         Only 1-3 students on the computer at one time.
•         Very hard to differentiate instruction, access to Bloom’s Taxonomy is limited.
•         When the computer is occupied, no one else can use technology. 

Small Cluster of Computers in the Classroom (10 iMacs):

Pros:

• Access to computers at all points of the day
• Able to differentiate/increased small group work
• All levels of Blooms Taxonomy can be met
• Technology can be used to accommodate ELA and EC learners.
• Technology support for all computers.

Cons:

• Students would need to rotate and share computers.
• Almost all projects would need to be done in groups because of time restraints.
• More classroom management strategies need to be in place to help organize computer time and computer monitoring.
• Increased budget costs for classroom computers/equipment.
• Limited Room Layout

Portable Computer Cart with 25 Chromebooks:

Pros:

• All student have access to technology (depending on class size)
• All levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy can be met
• Files can be saved easily on devices (students may have to use the same computer-unless there is a Student Share Network)
• Can differentiate instruction and student can be on different tasks at different times-more flexibility
• Room layout does not need to be altered.
• Technology support for all devices.

Cons:

• Increased school budget costs of technology upkeep and new equipment.
• Increased time for teacher and student training (Wainwright, A., n.d.).
• Limited access to cart –share amongst grade levels.
• Increased chance for Chromebooks to break with the transition of devices and their constant mobility. 

Computer Lab 1:1 Technology for all (30 iMacs):

Pros:

• Same Device/same platform
• Every child has access to technology-Equal opportunities
• Uniform integration
• Tech Support for all computers.

Cons:

• Limited access to the lab-share among all classrooms
• Increased school budget costs of technology upkeep and new equipment.
• Increased time for teacher and student training (Wainwright, A., n.d.).

Bring your own device (BYOD):

Pros:

• Majority of students and teachers already own devices of their own, and for the few students that do not own their own device it is more feasible for schools to purchase a few devices rather than an entire class. (Wainwright, A., n.d.).
• Schools save money
• Student files are easily saved and secured on their own device.
• Students are more familiar and comfortable using their own devices.

Cons:

• Not all students have their own devices.
• Applications are not universal across all platforms, example, Apple Products vs. Android Products. (Wainwright, A., n.d.).
• Costs parents money to pay for devices for their child and/or to pay for applications/networks.
• No tech support for device issues, such as, not being charged, screen size, Firewall settings, network connectivity etc. 

Obstacles with Technology Configurations:

When it comes to technology it is sometimes hard to prepare for the obstacles that may come your way in the classroom. I have learned over the past few years of teaching that you should always have a back-up plan because you never know when the network is going to be offline; a program is going to be blocked or some other problem that may arise. I have run into network problems a lot this year and sometimes when planning at home the websites I am able to access at home on my network are blocked at the school using their network. I always am preparing some sort of back-up lesson plan and/or testing the programs at the school before trying to teach the lesson. Scheduling issues are sometimes a headache when having to share technology with the entire school and that is an obstacle you will always have to face when technology is limited. Finally, one of the biggest issues among schools today is school budget cuts and trying to fit technology costs into the budget. Usually the first things to get cut out of a budget in many schools tend to be technological devices/tools and/or those special area teachers, such as, technology lab, math lab or science lab, when trying to save on their budget. This will only hurt students in the long run with their future depending so heavily on having skills and knowledge in the subjects of technology, math and sciences.

Surprises with the Budget Matrix:

After completing the budget matrix it really surprised me how much all the devices cost. My budget matrix did not take into account the additional costs of maintenance and upkeep, which would cause the costs to go above and beyond the total costs of just the devices. In my classroom, I have 1 Dell Laptop, 2 Dell desktop computers, a projector, 3 Android tablets and a Nexus Tablet (for testing purposes only). I would be interested to look up each specific item and total up the cost of my room alone. Each room in my school has a similar configuration. The hardest part of this assignment was looking up potential concerns because this is not typically what I look at when looking into adding technology into my classroom. At the last school that I just came from had unlimited technology offered to the teachers and students with a full-time technology integrator and a full-time technology support tech. At the school I am at now, we have a more limited amount of technology where we have a district technology support team which we share among all the schools in the district and a technology integrator which we also share with 1 other school. I find that even with the limited technology configuration it is still a must to have that full-time technology integrator at each school in order to properly and successfully implement Bloom’s Taxonomy using technology in the classroom. Overall, this was a very eye-opening and engaging project. 

References:

Churches, Andrew. (2008). Bloom’s Taxonomy Blooms Digitally. Retrieved from http://teachnology.pbworks.com/f/Bloom%5C's+Taxonomy+Blooms+Digitally.pdf

[Subject and type of work]. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from: http://schoolwires.henry.k12.ga.us/cms/lib08/GA01000549/Centricity/Domain/6648/blooms20pyramid.jpg

[Subject and type of work]. Retrieved January 4, 2015, from: http://selectedreads.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/ipadagogy-wheel-001.jpg?w=1600&h=5220

Wainwright, A. (n.d.). Pros and Cons of BYOD and 1-to-1 technology in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.securedgenetworks.com/strategy-blog/Pros-and-Cons-of-BYOD-and-1-to-1-Technology-in-the-Classroom

Tools and Analysis

Tools:

      

      The tool I used for organizing my data was Google Sheets. Google Sheets is a very user friendly app that is similar to Excel.  I found it much easier to use than Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Excel can be overwhelming when inputting data because it has a lot of additional features. I enjoy Google Sheets because for the basic spreadsheets that I would use at school it is user friendly and quick to input data. I also enjoy Google Sheets, along with other Google Apps because documents/spreadsheets that are created are easily shared with colleagues. “Keeping up this dialogue ensures that you and your colleagues can plan ahead for what students will need.” (Logan, n.d.). I decided to color code my data, so that it was easier for the viewer and me to interpret the information. The color coding helped me see what standards the individual students need interventions on, as well as what standards I need to reteach the class.

     I use this tool as my grade book online. I am able to create a spreadsheet with all the standards needing to be assessed over the course of the year, along with the student’s names. Then I can go and input the data I receive from the students after the assessments. This information can be shared with the students throughout the year. By color coding this information, the students can see how they are progressing in class (ie: what they need to work on and what they are mastering). I can use Google Sheets as a place to collect progress monitoring data. It is important to track students data in order to decide what type of intervention they are going to need. “The teacher should collect 3-5 data-points prior to starting the intervention to calculate the student’s baseline, or starting point, in the skill or behavior that is being targeted for intervention.” (Intervention Central).  

     One Web2.0 tool that I use is Scootpad. Scootpad is a great online-based program that allows teachers to adjust reading and math assignments based on individual student needs. You can assign students spelling, writing and home based projects through this program. Students are very engaged in this program because they are able to have conversations with their classmates and teacher through the “Chat” feature. They can change their avatar and the teacher is able to give students a little extra incentive using the “reward” feature. Teachers can create different rewards if the students earn so many coins throughout their learning journey on Scootpad.

     Another great Web2.0 tool is Edmodo. Edmodo is a great place for students to engage in conversations in and out of school. Teachers are able to poll students, post homework assignments, and pictures/videos from class. It’s a great way to connect school to home.

Analysis of Data:

     After reviewing the data, I noticed that all student besides one missed question 6, standard M:Q6:M:01:NO:6:4. This teacher may consider re-teaching this strand. Based on the assessment data, there are 6 children that scored 60% or lower on the assessment. Of those 6 students, the teacher may consider working with these students in a small group, 1:1 setting to do some more intensive instruction on these specific strands. I would work with these students for a while and do mini-assessments and plot their data. For students that are still not grasping the concepts more intensive instruction would take place. While looking at the data, a majority of the class missed three strands in particular. Strand  M:02:GM:6.6, M:03:FA:6.1 and M:01:NO:6.4. These three strands would be the strands that she should focus on re-teaching as a whole group.

     The data results showed that half of the class was mastering the concepts (scoring 70% or higher) and half of the class is not mastering the concepts (scoring 60% or lower). Since the class is split half and half it is clear that re-teaching is needed in some areas.  I incorporate centers in my class and I think in this situation, centers would work out best. This teacher could do mixed-ability grouping and create centers that focus on specific strands that students are struggling with. The students that are mastering the strands could help the students that are struggling with the specific standards. Another way this teacher could meet the needs of all her students is to give the proficient students extension activities on specific strands while giving the struggling students re-teach activities on the strands that they are struggling on.

References-

Helping teachers to structure their classroom (tier 1) data collection. (n.d.). Retrieved December 
      15, 2014, from Intervention Central website: http://www.interventioncentral.org/ 
      response_to_intervention_structuring_teacher_data_collection

Logan, L. (2014). 5 ways to use data to improve your teaching. Retrieved December 15, 2014, from 
      Amplify website: http://www.amplify.com/viewpoints/5-ways-to-use-data-to-improve-your-  
      teaching 

MODULE 5: ORGANIZING DATA

Link to Spreadsheet

Mrs. Young's Technology Presentation:

Technology Training Survey

Technology Training Survey

Link to Survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1eoSA0a_aqSaJpurmXkWQptNxWCV3W5OvOwx6FfUo3Gg/viewform?usp=send_form