Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!
Technology is on the schedule today for PLC. We will be visiting some colleagues' classrooms to see how some tech tools are blended with traditional approaches. Here is our schedule --
1. Please choose a reading below:
The SAMR Model - a model to help us infuse technology into our classrooms.
How Blended Learning can upgrade the traditional public education "operating system." by Angel Cintron Jr. on Blended Teaching DC Can Blended Help Close the Gap? by Connie Parham on Blended Teaching DC
'Personalized' Instruction Using Tech Yields Uneven Results, Study Says by Michele Molnar on blogs.edweek.org
2. Take a few minutes to read it individually, then formulate your thoughts around the Thinking Routine - Connect, Extend, Challenge. Share your thought in pairs or triads.
- What is a connection you can make from the reading?
- What is something that extended your thinking?
- What is something in the reading that is still challenging your thinking?
- Make a connection between the article you read and the session you attended.
- Do you see the potential for using this Blended Learning tool in your classroom? Why or why not?
- What puzzles you about moving forward with this, or any other Blended Learning tool?
Brad did a great session on Khan Academy. I connected his session to the SAMR model. I think that this is an augmentation, but there is great potential for students to use Khan, learn from the videos, and receive feedback on their work. It also simplifies the process of differentiation and reporting for the teacher. I see the potential for using this right now! The simplicity of it is amazing! I have the same puzzle all the time, which is: How do I make an educated decision on which tool to use?
ReplyDeleteSal Khan was on 60 minutes a few years ago talking about his work: http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/preview-teacher-to-the-world-50121242
great presentations by Maggie and Kim on tech in the classroom. Loved the scan idea too.
ReplyDeleteThank you to Brad for his information about Khan Academy! I am so excited to try this in my classroom. I have been trying to find a great way to use technology and differentiation in the classroom and I think Kahn academy will be the blended learning tool that solves my problem. The puzzle for me will be getting the class lists set up and then teaching the kids how to use the program, but I am sure it will take one small lesson and they will be up and running. Tracy
ReplyDeleteI read the article about using blended learning to "upgrade" the traditional classroom and went to the session on blogging. In my discussion about the article I noticed that my challenge is on teaching kids to collaborate, while letting them use technology as an individual. Yet in the blogging session, I realized that one of my purposes is to help kids communicate with a worldly audience through technology, collaboratively talking through comments and replies. This dynamic illustrates my struggle with being transparent about our purpose for using technology and when it might be best used.
ReplyDeletecaitlin
After reading How Blended Learning can upgrade the traditional public education, it is evident that technology is needed to enhance learning and creating an authentic learning space. This lends itself greatly to the Bill Roberts philosophy of inquiry and deep thinking as well. Kim Duran presented on Brain Pop and shared the amazing resources that are available to create another level of instruction, one which students are very attracted to due to the interactive qualities. Not only does Brain Pop provide informational videos, but the extensions are very useful to check for understanding and create opportunities for different learning styles. Moving forward, it would be great to do more technology support in small groups and independently rather than consistently presenting tech whole group.
ReplyDeleteCarla Piazza
I was so impressed with how Maggie P is implementing Blending Learning in her classroom! I learned a lot about QR codes and a lot of different useful websites for my groups. I will definitely use QR codes in my groups and it will be a huge time saver! Thinking about the article I read on Blending Learning, Maggie is definitely using technology in an effective way and she is able to personalize each students learning. She also has it set up so that each student is still held accountable and is really able to monitor their learning.
ReplyDelete- Tara Keifer
Jon Havens was very patient with us as we navigated google docs. He shared google forms with us and we talked about the ways elementary and high school and even college uses technology.
ReplyDeleteIt is interesting to hear about our population and who has access to technology at home. This made me think about the article on the achievement gap. We have got to find a way for kids to check out computers so they can access the apps, homework, assignments, podcasts, videos etc. This is a little puzzle we need to figure out :) Nita
I got great information about how and why to use Tenmarks to help students with their math development in the classroom. My only challenge with this program would be around increasing the independence with the program for my non-readers. Reflex was another program that looked so beneficial for students and their math fluency - the only roadblock is money ($35 per kiddo, but only $2,000 for the entire school). -Andrea
ReplyDeleteThe connection I made between the article and work in the class was giving students access to technology outside of school. Not everyone is able to readily and easily access technology. I don't think Kinders will be able to use google docs but as teachers we need to be able to use it. In our group we were wondering if there was a way we can let kids check out computers or something so they are able to have access.......
ReplyDeleteJackie Whitney
Loved learning a little more about Brain Pop as I wonder about how I can infuse a little more tech into my non-tech intervention programs, while keeping my instruction truly differentiated to the individual needs of my students. I am thinking Brain Pop would be a great way to infuse some blended learning into my groups, as it could be completely individualized for the skills each student is working on at that point in time.
ReplyDeleteAlso thought the article "Can Blended Help Close the Gap? by Connie Parham on Blended Teaching DC" was really interesting... brought up a lot of the things I think about in terms of which schools are technologically "rich" and how that impacts the learning...also realizing that there are more and more instances where computer adaptive programs just might be "smarter" than humands in terms of efficiency of differentiation! SCARY!!
I read 'Personalized' Instruction Using Tech Yields Uneven Results, Study Says by Michele Molnar. I chose this article because I have very mixed feelings about the appropriateness of technology in an early childhood classroom. This article was very realistic about the limitations of technology and ways for addressing those limitations. I went to the brainpop session because it seemed the most likely to have information applicable to ECE (brainpop jr. is for K-2). I think there is potential for me to use brainpop in my classroom. My main use of it would be the movies. It looked like brainpop had some movies that could be relevant to the ECE curriculum. There were also some games that my students could use, but I do not have a computer in my classroom and the ipads are designated for adult use. Additionally, with the limited time I have with my students, technology must be used very intentionally and sparingly. I continue to believe that screen time is something that students get at home. I try to teach the children about technology as a research tool, but beyond that, I believe that their school time is better spent interacting with people and real hands-on play.
ReplyDeleteI read the article about blended learning being more present in turnaround schools with more impacted populations. I thought the questions raised in the article were valid, and consistent with what I have seen in different schools. Shannon taught us about Tenmarks and the benefits of using the lessons, the jam sessions and the reports. SHe also taught us about a few other math fluency building tools. The way she has integrated technology in her classroom is very intentional and the growth she has seen in her students is impressive. The fact that she sets her students up to use these tools at home allows for the technology without sacrificing valuable class time. I'd love the opportunity to use some of these tools, especially to build fluency for my students on IEPs.
ReplyDeleteRobin
I have heard about Brainpop but never pursued it in my class. Having heard Kim's talk today I plan to look into it as a way to provide another method of presentation of information - in the SMAR model it is a way to alter the presentation of information. I have seen kids who struggle with traditional methods of teaching "take off" when presented with the same information via an Ipad or computer program. I see it working best in the areas of math and literacy in both small and large groups. Elizabeth
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed a session on Blogging with Caitlin, Dana and Val. Caitlin showed her blog on Kidblog.org and we shared our purposes and processes of blogging. Our purposes all vary from becoming more tech saavy, to writing for an authentic purpose and audience, to immediate feedback, to a clear transfer and connection between writing lessons and writing to communicate, to revision/editing for others, etc. It is a challenge to blog, but a wonderful way to bring writing into this century. The article I read was the SAMR model. I am still trying to learn about it, but I think that blogging is still in just the S or A level with writing lessons being ENHANCED by writing online. - Val
ReplyDeleteWe explored tools for chrome books, ipads, kids BYOD with focus on ease of teacher and student access via QR codes. Looked at Nearpod and Plickers as instructional tools and data collection from lessons.
ReplyDeleteConnection to article via differentiating learning, whole class learning and teacher abilities to collect data to differentiate instruction.
Maggie Pharazyn
I agree with the article that says that blended learning takes away the outdated "sage on the stage" teaching model. It allows students make discoveries on their own. It is also a great way to differentiate instruction rather that just "teaching to the middle. It's great that our school has the resources to use more technology. I believe that using technology has really benefited our students. Jon
ReplyDeleteThe article I read was Can Blended Help Close the Gap. While in my session, I quickly realized how technology is a great tool for differentiation. Teachers have so many different technology options for scaffolding in the classroom for those learners who are visual, auditory, have trouble focusing, or who have trouble with organization. I strongly believe that if teachers take advantage of these scaffolds, there would be a decrease in students misbehaving in the classroom, less referrals, more positive relationships bet. teacher and students, increase in scores, which all would hopefully result in higher graduation rate!
ReplyDeleteAnnie Smith
The article I read was about purposeful technology in the classroom. The break out session on TenMark was about purposeful technology for math. It was very helpful and will be used in my classroom. I like that it differentiates, scaffolds, and does independent lessons for the user.
ReplyDeleteJodi Vigil
I attended Brad Session and received more clarification on utilizing this application for teaching, reteaching, skill practice, and monitoring of math skills. I had an opportunity to set up classes to implement math instruction focusing on math foundations. Very easy application. Students can work at their instructional level. For those students who need side by side coaching, I can provide this for more in depth systematic instruction. I read the article by Connie Parham and she made the point that technology should not be the end all for struggling students. They will need opportunities for instruction to presented in a variety of modes. Which skills to target? Khan provides this information. How are my students progress? Is it due to lack of practice or misconception? Khan provides this as well. I hope to implement this application as part of my teaching practice at least once or twice a week. I am hoping that when the instruction is personalized using different modes of instruction, students will have better access to grade level math content. Cathy Warden
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