Reflective Blog #3

I am currently in my 5^th year of teaching and my 4^th year in the fourth grade. Throughout these 5 years there has been constant change. I have switched grades, changed math curriculum, adopted new math and language art’s standards, and have changed teaching partners each year. Amongst all of this change one thing has remained constant, the standards to which I am held.

            As teachers, we are continually expected to meet the highest standards. We have taken on the task of meeting the educational needs of all of our students to help prepare them for the world outside of the classroom. That means providing quality experiences that are relevant to the real world.

The world that this generation is growing up in is one that is fully dependent on the use of technology. In order to prepare this generation there needs to be a change in the way that teachers educate their students. There needs to be a focus not only on introducing students to technologies, but also on providing appropriate modeling for how to use the technologies.

As I continue through my career I need to make sure that as the changes continue to come I remain focused on providing the highest possible educational quality I can. I need to meet the needs of each of my students to help prepare them for the world that they will encounter. In order to due this I plan on continuing to develop my knowledge base for how to best do this. There are many different methods for how to best provide a quality education, but in order to find where I fit best I need to experience the variety of methods.

One method in which to do this is through the Master’s of Educational Technology program that I am currently enrolled. Through this program I will be introduced not only to methods and practices for using technology in the classroom, but will also work on building an understanding for how to incorporate the new information I gain in a meaningful way into my classroom.

Learning to incorporate into the classroom is the area in which I will need to make sure to focus. Many times I have been introduced to programs or techniques for education and have gone back into the classroom and attempted to use the new information, but have failed to use it in a way that is meaningful for my students education. The classes I will be taking are designed to help in this area.

Another method in which I plan to continue to use to improve technology incorporation and teaching is through the use of professional learning networks. Since my fist class at Grand Valley has started I have been introduced to a variety of to participate in professional learning environment. One of the ways that I have begun to take more advantage of is the PLE within my school building and district. I have realized that we are all working toward the same ultimate goal and I should not be afraid of asking for assistance from those with more experience in certain areas. Also, I have learned that there are many of PLN out there; especially online. One that I have been introduced to recently is part on Edmodo. We have used Edmodo in may class, but because I am not real familiar with it I have not used it to its fullest capability. This learning network can help me with those needs, but it also can be used to gain knowledge from a wide network of teachers.

The world is always changing and along with it the students who enter my class are changing as well. In order to meet the needs of these students I need to be willing to change along with them. It does not mean that I have to give up what I know best and the traditional methods of teaching, but I need to adapt them to fit the needs of my students. I will need to continue to push myself toward a new understating of how to teach and continue to use the resources that are available to me.

Reflective Blogging Assignment #2

  Common Core State Standards (CCSS) will soon be fully implemented in school districts throughout the nation. The CCSS website (http://www.corestandards.org/) states “the standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.” Within the new standards is the emphasis on college and career readiness. The standards emphasize the importance of the application of knowledge through high-order skills.

Though the new standards seem like a great development for the direction of the educational system in America there are also some complications. Along with a switch in philosophy comes a major change in the types of materials that are needed in the classroom. With the new standards in place, the old materials and textbooks are no longer able to meet the needs of the classroom. Yes, the old materials can have a place in within the new standards, but a vast majority of the materials no longer fit within the system.

In order to meet the needs of the new standards a new approach to learning needs to be adopted. This requires a teacher to look at things in a whole new way. There is now a need for teachers to focus on not only developing an ability to recall information, but also be able to apply the information in a way that shows a true understanding of the material.

One type of learning system that can be used to assist in the change over is an inquiry-based learning system. Students are required to build their own understanding through a series of questioning, exploring, hypothesizing, experimenting, and developing conclusions based on the information they gather. This type of system puts an emphasis on student centered learning and takes away form the time spent on teacher-centered instruction. In order for this type of system to be successful there needs to be time spent in preparation. Students need to learn how to develop questions and move through the process to come to a conclusion and teachers need to learn how to facilitate the questioning in order to help lead students to their own discoveries. This is a large task though. Many students seem to have a difficult time problem solving. They are used to much of their learning being done in a box and do not know how to take it outside of the classroom.  It is a brand knew way of learning that can take time to implement, but can lead to an understanding that otherwise could not be achieved.

Along with implementing a new system of learning a teacher can also use technology to their advantage. Even though many of the materials that are currently in the classroom will become outdated, the use of technology can help to provide new resources to take their place. Resources are continually being developed and updated and a district cannot afford to put their money into a new set of classroom materials, so a better option is an online resource that is updated through the transition to the CCSS. Also there are many tools that are online that can assist in transitioning into an inquiry based learning system to help ease both teachers and students into the new learning system. There are free lesson plans and tools that are aligned to the new curriculum and help to lead teachers through the transition.

Reflective Post #1

*What were some of the factors that played a role in ensuring positive results when technology was integrated in the classroom?

Many times technology use failures can be attributed to the users. In the case of integration into the classroom the same is true, but it cannot be attributed to just the students who are using the technology. For the most part technology integration failures can be attributed to the teacher integrating the technology.

In order to ensure positive results from technology integration there are several factors that need to be taken into account. Some of those factors include the teacher’s readiness to integrate the technology, as well as, the teacher’s beliefs about their readiness and available support. Student success hinges on the teacher being ready and willing to handle many of the difficulties that come with technology integration.

Teacher readiness has a great influence on the success of technology integration. When a teacher has little experience and knowledge about the technology there ends up being a lot of reliance on student abilities to just figure things out. Even though many students understand technology, there are still others who struggle. A teacher needs to be familiar with what they are using as well as have an understanding of how the technology works and how it needs to be adapted to meet the needs of each of their students.

Along with having confidence in him or herself, a teacher must also have belief in the support that they have and the availability of the technology they need. The support needed includes that of their peers, administrators, as well as their technology support. Without knowing that there is a foundation to rely on a teacher is less likely to want to integrate the technology.

*What are ways that you can, in your own setting (or for those not currently in a classroom, in your future setting), ensure that these factors are present or absent? (Be specific to your situation; do not make general statements.)

I am currently working in a district that has placed great emphasis on integrating technology into the classroom. Each classroom is set up with a projector, ELMO, and enough netbooks for each student. Also, when the technology was first purchased there were training sessions designed to educate teachers on how the equipment works and how it can be used. Unfortunately the sessions were only an hour each and each piece of equipment received only one or two sessions.

Nonetheless, I felt proficient enough to be able to make do. I had access to many of the items before hand and had previously used tools much like the ones we were getting. I have never had a problem figuring out how to use tools, so I felt comfortable incorporating them into my classroom.

The issues I have run into do not have to do with the operation of the tools, but rather the integration into quality teaching. I, like many of my students, get excited about technology, but I end up jumping the gun without being properly educated on how to integrate. I have found that in order to get the most out of a new type of technology I have to properly research and investigate before expecting my students to be able to use it.  An example was the use of Khan Academy in my classroom. I was introduced to the website by a fellow teacher and loved it, so I decided to try it in my class the very next day. Before class I fiddled around with the website and found what I wanted my students to do, but did not dig as deep as I should have. They were asked to sign in and add me as a coach, but then I asked them to begin working on the fraction skills. Unfortunately, I had not noticed that the difficulty was much more difficult than the one problem I had tried earlier. Some of my students were able to do what they needed, but most became frustrated and upset. We ended up shutting down our computers and moving on to a back up plan, but in the process the mood of the class changed drastically and many students became completely disengaged. My lack of preparation before hand  caused the failure to properly integrate the new technology.

My biggest struggle has come with integrating technology into Language Arts instruction. My students type out their writing, create simple presentations, and have accessed shared documents through email and Google documents, but we have not taken advantage of the collaboration that can be done or access other tools that can be used to tie into our reading curriculum. In order to make the tie in of technology have substance, I need to learn how to integrate the technology in a way that enhances the learning, not just work as a substitute to paper, pencil, and books.

*How would you go about evaluating the success of a unit, lesson, etc., that involved the integration of new technology?

When assessing a unit, lesson, etc., that involved the integration of technology I would use the same standards for assessing success that I do in any unit, lesson, etc. The first thing I look at is student achievement. If students were able to complete the objectives set for the lesson it would show success. If the objectives were not met the methods would need to be reevaluated and material retaught. Next, and just as important, I would look at student engagement. I strive to nurture a love for learning and when my students do not engage in a lesson or unit it tells me that there is no feeling of urgency to learn the material and little connection to their life. Lastly, I look at the necessity of all parts of a lesson or unit. I do not want to waste the time of my students on items that are extraneous. If an item shows to be invaluable to the learning process then it needs to be adjusted or taken out.

*Finally, what could you do to disseminate successes and failures to your colleagues, administrators, and school board members?

There are many ways that successes and failures can be disseminated. The most common way to communicate amongst colleagues is through general sharing of information. This happens frequently in our building through either email, presentations at staff meetings, or through informal conversations. The same can go for both administrators and school board members, but much of what they are looking for comes through results based on district and state assessments.

One way that another teacher I know has gotten others informed is to invite them into her classroom to observe what is happening. Being a fairly new teacher, I have not been brave enough to do that, but I do know that the only real way to know what successes are being made is to experience those successes first hand.

This is me

I am Tyler Werner and welcome to my blog. I am currently a 4^th grade teacher at Dutton Elementary, which is part of Caledonia Community Schools. This is my fifth school year here, and my fourth as a 4^th grade teacher. I absolutely love my job and the students that I work with and feel abundantly blessed to be where I am, even though some of the days and even school years seem like they are never going to end.

I am a 2008 graduate of Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids and am just beginning my master’s courses for the educational technology program. I am looking forward to expanding my understanding of how to properly incorporate technology into my classroom as well as find out new tools that I can use to engage my students on their level.

I am not what you would call a techie, I don’t even have or ever plan on having a Facebook account, but I do love to play around with different types of computer technologies. Most of my time outside of school is spent at home with my wife and dog, with as much of that as possible outside, unless the Tigers, Lions, or U of M (even when they are being trounced by Alabama) is on.