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Blog 6

               For the most part, I have found the education program at IUSB to be disappointing, but “Technology in the Classroom” is one of the most useful classes I have experienced in the School of Education. Dr. Gressick has designed the class well, and both the class’s structure and expectations are clear with clear directions for how to complete assignments. In general, this class is the best class I had this semester, but to be specific, here are the top five things I have taken away from Integrating Technology in K-12 classrooms:

1.       Reflective Blogs: usually, I find reflections to be banal and nonproductive. Other teachers in the IUSB’s program of education use reflections as part of their coursework, but the reflections in this class are different. With other teachers, the reflections they assign always feel like they are trying to draw of a preconceived response from the class; the teacher wants to hear what the teacher wants to hear, regardless of what the student actually thinks. The reflective blogs in this class are not like that. In this class, the reflective blogs are open ended enough to allow me to express my thoughts on the subject while still giving enough structure and direction to make the blogs effective.

2.       Constructing Original Content: When the class started, I was sure little of the coursework would be useful to my volunteer service, because my goal after graduation is to join the Peace Corps. Due to the limited resources I am likely to encounter in the Peace Corps, I had doubts I would be able to put lessons from this class into practice. However, there are far too many useful design projects in this class, and although I still wonder how many of the lessons from this class I will be able to use, I find myself looking forward to using some of the things I have learned. In particular, I look forward to using the tools I gained from the “Effective Communication with Parents” assignment and the “SMART Notebook Lesson Plan.” The skills I learned in the “Effective Communication with Parents” assignment are useful for other educational purposes, and I can use what I learned in Dr. Gressick’s classroom for creating instructional material. Although I do not think I will have the resources available to use the “SMART Notebook Lesson Plan,” I still learned the value of using technology to teach, and if the resources are available, I would like to use some of the  thing I learn about SMART notebook in my class.

3.       Designs for How People Learn by Julie Dirksen: One of the better textbooks I had this semester, I like the way Dirksen wrote in a clear way to convey her point, and the illustrations helped keep me engaged. The way Dirksen used symbolism to convey ideas was inspired and help me retain the concepts she taught. I especially liked the way she related memory to shelves in a closet. The section about having multiple shelves to remember things was a great parallel to how it is easier to remember things if people have multiple ways to recall the information. Additionally, I also liked her elephant vs. rider analogy, which describes the rider as “conscious, controlled thought,” and describes the elephant as the emotional, visceral, wanting part of the brain. This section also made me realize how often I give into the elephant.

4.       Online Resource Research: The main value I received from online resource research was to make me aware of how much quality resources there are on the internet. The “Online Resource Review,” our work with Infographics, and our work with Lucidchart made me realize how I could use the internet to enhance my own lessons.

5.       Dr. Julia Gressick: I found Dr. Gressick to be a knowledgeable and capable teacher. Her presence in the classroom was lively and engaging. She is undoubtedly one of the best teachers I have had from the School of Education. Maybe she went off-topic a little during lessons, but that only added to making the class interesting. The classroom environment, the course curriculum, and the class structure all worked together to make a better-quality learning experience than other education classes I have had.

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PowerPoint Renovation Justification

        The first thing I changed in the PowerPoint renovation was to simplify everything. I picked one consistent color with a nice gradient fill in a soft color so the viewers would not be distracted by the loud colors and changing patterns. In fact, I used a consistent format throughout the PowerPoint. I got rid of the useless overabundance of pictures, and I only kept one image and a couple headings. As Dirksen describes the brain in chapter 5, “The elephant [impulsive, easily distracted brain] wants, but the rider [rational, impulse-control brain] restrains the wanting. By making the PowerPoint simpler, and removing most of the images, I am helping the rider retain control. This works because, when the viewer looks at the renovated PowerPoint, there is less opportunity for the elephant brain to go, “Oh, look! A puppy” or “babies are soooo cute.”

           I kept most of the text, and I only did a little editing to make the text fit the PowerPoint the way I wanted. I noticed most of the text was directly from the syllabus, and I used the syllabus as reference when I was formatting the text. Although I kept most of the text, I tried to structure the text like Dirksen’s “shelves.” Putting like concepts together and deleting text that did not fit the immediate subject of a slide. In this way, I hoped to build Dirksen’s shelves, from Chapter 4, to help viewers remember the important parts of the PowerPoint. Additionally, removing the clutter so the viewers can focus on what is important is another way to help build shelves in viewers’ long-term memory. In addition, I went online to find some new images to use. This was to keep the PowerPoint interesting, but not distracting, to the viewer. When I was picking images, I wanted to use something that was relevant to the purpose of those slides. I wanted images that would make the viewer pause, that would not distract from the text, but would instead reinforce the text. With that in mind, I tried to use Dirksen’s information about sensory memory. I wanted images that that would make the viewer pause and consider the text. As Dirksen says, “most sensations keep right on going, unless there is something unusual or note-worthy about what you are sensing” (86). Pairing images carefully with concepts was a way to make viewers pause and move the information into longer-term memory.

           Additionally, I added a watermark to the interior slides. Since Happy Grove College wants to use the PowerPoint on their website, I wanted people to remember the Happy Grove name. It was with Dirksen’s admonitions that, “with few exceptions, learning almost always requires practice and repetition,” that made me, decide to put in a watermark (119). It is a subtle way to instill Happy Grove into long-term memory.

           Finally, in slide 6, I used my infographic assignment as an example of the kind d of work students would do in EDUC-W310. This is in keeping with Dirksen’s “show, don’t tell” theories that learner will learn better if they are shown, instead of told. As such, I thought at least one example of the kind of work Happy Grove College student would be doing was a good idea.

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Reflective Blog 5

           Whether or not to use technology in the classroom is a question every teacher has to make, and the teacher should determine the technology he or she can best use in the classroom. These are the decisions Mr. Pronovost had to make in his classroom when he introduced technology as a tool for learning in “Case 1: Differentiating Instruction through Interactive Games.” By introducing technology, Mr. Pronovost changed how he could help students, which changed the teacher role from “just answering questions and then saying, ‘Yes, you passed. No you didn’t. Move on to the next one’” to computer based technology that made lessons “a lot more engaging and exciting to them.” Now, students can practice the lesson they learned in class on their own allowing them to get immediate feedback while moving at their own pace. This gives student the motivation to learn so they can advance to the computer practice. Thus, students are able to get immediate feedback from their computer work, allowing Mr. Pronovost to “grab some students who really needed some support and work with them in a small group” allowing Mr. Pronovost to focus his attention on students that really need more personal attention.

           Furthermore, the computers really engage the students to perform better. Part of the engagement comes from their desire to advance in a rewards system where student understanding is easily measurable. The computers are fun for the students and this challenges them to try harder because, Mr. Pronovost says, “Once I felt that students were really getting into the rhythm with addition and subtraction, that’s when I move them on to the computers.” Moreover, once the students are on the computer they are challenged further, as shown when Mr. Pronovost tells his class, “you're doing your independent practice. You need to practice at least three games, and you'll need to get about eighty percent correct in order to move on to DreamBox, or to the iPods.” Therefore, the students have a system of rewards that motivates them to learn so they can move on the next level. Students that practice on their own may need something extra to keep them focused, and making the learning games with a reward system, keeps students focused while working alone, as well as, making the learning environment fun for them.

            One insight I gained was how a teachers can use technology to free up time in the classroom so they can focus their attention on students that need more support to learn. Those students that need teacher support to facilitate learning can work directly with the teacher, while students that can work on their own are using the computers. Overall, this presents a good approach that helps ensure that a teacher busy in a classroom is not too busy to notice the curriculum is leaving some students struggling.

            Likewise, in “Case 5: Blended Learning Energizes High School Math Students,” students are connecting with computers to induce student motivation and engagement. As Peter McIntosh, a math teacher at Oakland Unity High School, points out, “they’re doing many more problems this year than they did last year. And there's no substitute for practice. […] We started to notice these kids were staying engaged. […] But then what we started to notice too was a real difference in their test scores. The average score is up about 30 to 40 percentage points and many, many more students in the advanced range.” As McIntosh points out, practice is fundamental to learning anything, and the more problems the students do, the better they are likely to understand the material. Instead of just working answers on a worksheet, using Khan Academy keeps students engaged and interest in the problems they are solving, and this is reflected in raised test scores and achieving a higher development of progress for the students.

           Khan Academy also changes the role of the teacher, as David Castillo, former principle at Oakland Unity High School, explains, “you can ask for a hint. You can watch a video. You can ask a peer. So you've got three opportunities to try and help yourself and then after that, you raise your hands. The teacher is working with the students that he or she needs to be working with at that time. […] So it really changes the dynamic between the teacher and students in the classroom.” Just as in Case One, Khan Academy helps free time for the teacher to work with the students that really need it. Students have multiple options to receive help before seeking help from the teacher, and this means the teacher has more time to focus on students that need him/her while other students work on their own, changing the dynamic of the classroom and allowing for maximum student engagement.

           Between these two case studies, I have gained insight into how to organize a classroom to maximize student engagement while efficiently helping students that are struggling. Being able to see which students are in need of more personalized help is useful to ensure none of the students is being left behind and all of the students are advancing in skill. Furthermore, I have learned how technology in the classroom can help keep students engaged by using a reward system and self-scoring learning programs so students can see their advancement.

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Reflective Blog 4

           Having a 1:1 classroom would be great. For language learning ESL students, having personal access to school issued laptops or tablets will open up many learning opportunities. Online resources like Quizlet for language practice, being able to Skype or chat to help students that are sick, out of school, or just outside of class, or virtual environments like the SMART Notebook work we did in Dr. Gressick’s class that are a resource for students, makes 1:1 schools an excellent idea. Furthermore, students would be able to access additional help like online dictionaries and online articles for students to practice reading and videos for listening comprehension.

           There are many different way to build a learning environment with 1:1 technology. I really like Dirksen’s augmented reality example of putting a virtual information layer over the real world as a way to introduce knowledge into the environment. It may be a little difficult to implement, but simulating the real world environment on a 1:1 or BYOD laptop or notebook could be a great learning aid. I think it would be great to have video scenes that play out like short movie scenes or skits that would teach language while students could interact with the learning environment. Students could control the events in a video scene like a Choose Your Own Adventure book but as a virtual language-learning environment with supplemental imbedded ‘clickables” that can be used on a school issued or personal device.

           Unfortunately, the places I am likely to work in the Peace Corps are likely to be disadvantaged. There is certainly no reason for me to believe the schools I will be working at will have the necessary funds to purchase 1:1 laptops for student use. Furthermore, there is no reason to think, in the poorer areas The Peace Corps will send me to, students can afford to purchase their own devises to bring to the classroom. In this case, trying to get knowledge into the world will be a little different for me. Sure, it would be great to have a 1:1 classroom or even a BYOD classroom, but there are no guarantees, and it is unlikely I will have these resources. Still, I want to have a learning environment for my students. I really like Dirksen’s Boston Freedom Trail example. Dirksen is right when she says, “you could arrange tours, or provide maps, or you could create a slick GPS-based guide application that people could access on their smartphones. Or you could just put a big red line down the street” (245). I like the idea of a “big red line” for tourist to follow to see the historic district of Boston. This low-tech approach to tourism is closer to the reality I will have in the Peace Corps, and there is something about that kind of innovation that I find appealing. I think in my future classroom, I will have to find innovative ways of putting low-tech knowledge in the world. I may have to build infographics by hand with whatever materials I can get. Maybe I will have to design my own learning aids by hand, but looking at it, at the end of this blog, I do not think I want a 1:1 classroom or a BYOD classroom. I want a classroom of students who want to learn, who are not financially well off. I want a classroom of students who need the help the most. Moreover, for me, that is the greatest appeal of the Peace Corps.

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Reflective Blog 3

For my future classroom, engaging the students directly is of utmost importance. It is important to engage them with questions that require them to give a thoughtful answer. One way to do this is to use circle process, in which, they form a circle, and everyone has a chance to speak, for example, as a TEFL teacher, If the class is discussing an English language poem, having everyone interpret the poem and respond to others’ interpretations is a good way to engage students. Additionally, using small group collaboration, in which, groups of students each focus on one part of a longer work helps to get the students socially engaged, as well as engaged in the materiel. It is tempting to use competition to engage students, either individually or in groups/teams, but as Dirksen points out, over use can have a detrimental effect on students as the competition supersedes the lesson and winning becomes the point instead of learning the material.

For myself, it has always been easiest to pay attention when the instructor is directly engaging the class. Classroom interaction with students has always seemed important to me for this reason. I was always less engaged in lectures in which the instructor just lectured without input from the students, and it does not seem enough to just ask question of the students, because then, only a small proportion of the students that answer are being engaged. An engaging classroom is an active classroom, and by giving learning roles to all the students, the students become more active in the learning experience, essentially taking control of their own learning with the instructor as a guide.

Student interaction is also important to engage the emotional (the elephant in Dirksen) as well as the rational (the rider), since the elephant is bigger and stronger and can overpower the rider, it is important to have a sense of immediacy. The gains the students will be making need to be measurable and clear. They also need to be useable. If the students believe that the instructor is teaching something that is not useful, their attention will diminish. Therefore, the elephant needs to be constantly involved on a visceral level, or the students’ attention will wander as the elephant overcomes the rider’s attention.

Finally, there is no guarantee my future classroom will be rich in technology and resources as my goal is to join the Peace Corp after graduation. Due to the nature of the Peace Corp, it is more likely Peace Corps will place me in a classroom with a lower level of development than we have in the United States, as such, the only technology I may perhaps have in my future classroom may be technology I have brought myself. Because joining the Peace Corps means I will be a volunteer with limited resources, it is uncertain if I will have any technology available. As such, is seems prudent for me to assume technology may be unavailable, and I will need to be prepared to teach regardless of technology or resources. It may not be as extreme as not having any resources at all, but there is no way of knowing what technology I will have, and therefore, I should treat any technology as a pleasant surprise.

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Reflective Blog 2

Reflective Blog 2

For myself, I use various different ways to remember things, from mnemonics to repetition. However, repetition definitely works best. When I learn something new, like a new word or a new concept, the more I use it, the more likely I am to retain the information over the long term. I may use a mnemonic to remember it for a while, but that is only short-term memory, and it will be lost if I do not use it in a meaningful way soon. I may write something down, that way I can refer back to what I wrote, and the more I refer to what I wrote, the more likely it is to pass into long-term memory. Once something learned is in long-term memory, I can use it anytime I need it, but if it is in short term memory, then it is not really learned. I think other students are the same in this respect.

To remember something, students need to establish it into long-term memory, so they can retrieved it later when the information is useful. In my classroom, repetition will be important for learning and retaining new information. As Dirksen points out, “learning almost always requires practice and repetition,” therefore, it is necessary for English language learners to learn by repeatedly practicing. So much of what students study goes into short-term memory only, so that, when students no longer need the information, it fades away. For this reason, repetition is key to learning and remembering. However, as Dirksen also points out, “The biggest problem with memorization through repetition is that it frequently puts the information on just one shelf.” This means that, although the information is in long-term memory, the student’s ability to recall the information and use it in context is limited. For English language learners, it becomes imperative for them to learn English usage in as many different ways as possible. As such, English language learners will need to learn multiple uses for what they learn in a lesson in order to place the information on multiply shelves, but also, they must learn in multiple contexts to use it for real-life applications. Therefore, by combining contextually realistic situations with repetitive practice, student will have more than one “shelf” from which to draw information from their memories.

               For English language learners, recall and recognition are equally important. Since languages are based on a series of triggers and responses, understanding requires the students to recognize the reading or spoken trigger to understand English. Likewise, for students to formulate the correct response, students must be able to recall the correct writing or speech to respond appropriately. There should be many shelves for students to draw from as the interaction between trigger (recognition) and response (recall) interact, so that, as recognition and recall shuffle information from many shelves, the student can seamlessly comprehend and communicate in English.

               Technology in the classroom is a wonderful thing. It allows learning to take many forms. For the English language learners I intend to teach, computer-based technology can enhance the learning experience with electronic flash-cards, language-learning games, and emailed self-quizzes for student to practice. However, as Dirksen points out, “the further the learning is from the context of use, the fewer shelves are being utilized to store the information.” That means, although computer-based technologies have many useful tools to aid learning, contextual based learning like reading, writing, and conversation are necessary for English language learners to have many shelves from which to retrieve information.

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Reflective Blog 1

I intend to join the Peace Corp upon graduating, so I will likely teach English as a second language to students in another country.  As such, the students will probably have limited experience with speaking and understanding spoken English. Since I will be teaching whatever students the Peace Corps sends me to teach, I may be teaching any age group, but more importantly, there may be a wide gap in the students’ skill level. With this gap in learning, I think Dirksen’s ideas about scaffolding are a great way to supply support to students that have limited exposure to English. Many of the student with limited exposure to English will need materials they can easily reference that they can use as prompts for easy reference. It will be important to work individually with students. Traditional lecturing from the front of the classroom will likely be ineffective for many of the students, and it will be difficult to access which student need the scaffold and how much support the scaffold will need to supply. Spending time working individually will allow critical assessment of the students’ understanding and skill. Additionally, working individually helps assure that students are advancing in ability and not remaining left behind by a traditional lecture that they are unable to follow.

In addition, I especially like Dirksen’s idea for a bumper sticker: “Respect your learner, for they are not you.” This is truer for my learners than for teachers that are staying in the United States. They will be from a completely different culture with completely different values. As such, it is important for me to remember the motivation of the students; are they going to go on to become teachers of English as a foreign language themselves? Will they work or study internationally? How will my students use English? It is important for me to consider why my learners are learning English. For learners that are going to teach English themselves. I will have more than just the opportunity to teach English, but also, the ability to influence the way these prospective teachers will teach when they have their own students. It is crucial then to consider, not only how to teach English and a foreign language, but how to teach others how to teach English as a foreign language.