EEND 675 Foundations of Educational Technology

And I am happy to report that after eight weeks of this introductory course, I am well on my way to understanding how technology enhances the educational experience of the educator as well as the student. Not only does technology invite innovation, creativity and fun, but it is an essential tool for including differentiation. I see technology enabling students who struggle with communication or multitasking being able to record their thoughts, or be read to with visual supports. There is so much more to technology than using the same intervention websites that I used as substitution and augmentation. I have moved forward to modification and redefinition. And it feels wonderful! Finding resources through the OER Treasure Hunt as well as EDpuzzle and G-Suites. My math instruction has bounded forward to more engaging lessons due to screencasts. Supporting life long learners is a goal. And I can see this year is an achievement within myself as well as my students.

Footnote: Designing the upcoming Biography Unit for my second graders, I find myself focusing on fair use. In the past, I copied author names, websites and URLs for the sole purpose of a reference for myself. But  now,. . . now, I want my students to see whose facts, research and images have been made available to them. I want them to know how important it is to give  credit to the author, researcher, creator. This hold true in conversations as well. When bringing forward a great strategy to solve a problem in your building, give credit where credit is due. Give credit to the person who planted the seed, who shared their concept that you agree with. Fair use exists in all aspects of our lives, respect it, respect yourself. 

 Multiplication Flip Grid

 One artifact that I am proud of because my students were able to put it to use immediately is the Multiplication lesson on BLENDSPACE. This artifact is supported by ISTE-E standard 1-Learners Educators continually improve their practice by learning from and with others and exploring proven and promising practices that leverage technology to improve student learning. Educators:1a Set professional learning goals to explore and apply pedagogical approaches made possible by technology and reflect on their effectiveness. My students had aha moments watching the screencast of the lesson. It also enabled some of the students to share to link at home to inform their parents what learning was happening in the classroom. An added benefit for the students was that each of them, or as pairs, could learn at their own pace. ISTE-E 2-Designer Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. Educators:5a Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs and 5b Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active, deep learning. 

Because of this experience, I plan on continuing the screencast productions of lessons. I also plan on spending summer hours designing flip grids teaching number sense. These will be shared with parents at Open House so that everyone, students and parents, know what kind of dynamic learning goes on in second grade. I am teaching their 21^st Century learners. And I have the tools to share with them so that together, we can support the student learning at Laurel Hill. ISTE-E standard 4 Collaborator Educators dedicate time to collaborate with both colleagues and students to improve practice, discover and share resources and ideas, and solve problems. Educators:4d Demonstrate cultural competency when communicating with students, parents and colleagues and interact with them as co-collaborators in student learning.

   

And what started me on the path to successful integration was using the Illinois Open Education Resource. This is a digital library and network containing open education resources from a community of educators devoted to designing progressive curriculum. 

It was here I found a lesson connected to the new Math module I was about to teach to my struggling math students using repeated addition while arranging objects in equal rows and columns to form an array. I wanted an activity to support learning whole group then, put it into a center for the tech savvy kids to guide peer learning. ISTE-E 6 Facilitator-Educators facilitate learning with technology to support student achievement of the ISTE Standards for Students. Educators: 6a-Foster a culture where students take ownership of their learning goals and outcomes in both independent and group settings.

The Math lesson I found was from Illinois Teach & Talk. The lesson I selected includes teacher directions along with a student activity to support learning. I love that the lesson included the second grade standards as well as vertical aligning standards to first and third grades. This knowledge enabled me to balance the lesson based on need. The differentiated activities met the needs of all students in the classroom, the accelerated learners as well as the struggling learners. 7 Analyst Educators understand and use data to drive their instruction and support students in achieving their learning goals. A Jeopardy game using powerpoint was included which brings challenge, friendly competition and fun far all into the classroom. The standard builds on conceptual knowledge for multiplication. Students will be able to find the total number of objects organized in rectangular arrays and use repeated addition. Educators: 7a Provide alternative ways for students to demonstrate competency and reflect on their learning using technology.

Illinois Teach & Talk: Grade 2 - 2.OA.4 (2018).Retrieved from

http://ioer.ilsharedlearning.org/learningset/14472/Illinois_Teach_-_Talk_Grade_2-2_OA_4