Over the semester, my knowledge of technology has grown quite a bit. Some notable technology tools included weebly, prezi, screencast-o-matic, dashlane, and Edutopia. There were some tools or teaching approaches that I had already been familiar with but it was interesting to hear how other teachers were applying it in their classrooms such as khanacademy, PBL/PrBL, and flipped classrooms.
I feel like I know what tech tools are effective and will realistically work in my classroom to support my students’ learning as opposed to having technology for the sake of having it. In the course of the semester, I became much more comfortable with being seen or heard on camera which opens up a lot of doors for me in making math tutorial videos. I would like to have videos to support students who cannot be in the classroom or even the students who just need more processing than other students. Videos can help differentiate instruction so students can re-watch a video over and over until they have the concept or skill mastered. There are a lot of video tutorials out there but it is incredibly time consuming to sift through the videos to find the one that exactly aligns with the specific concepts or skills you want to teach together. With screencast-o-matic, I can record custom lessons covering whatever standards, concepts, or skills I want together. The semester also offered a lot of insight to how the brain functions and how teachers can better support learning using that understanding. I am still in the emerging stage with integrating technology in my mathematics classroom. Unlike several other teachers, I am not leveraging learning with technology even though studies have found that technology can really motivate students and stimulate their brains. I am hoping to further my knowledge in finding different tech tools to support my math class. Several of the case studies I explored pertaining to flipped classrooms were very interesting and something I would like to further investigate. There are a few hang ups because access to technology at home is still an obstacle for many of my students. On the last note, my goal in the future is to design a curriculum that allows students to experience mathematics learning in such a way that it is like an addictive videogame. I am interested to see how I can add layers into my classroom to replicate the design of a well-designed videogame that stimulate interest, have built in scaffolding, feedback and multiple checkpoints (formative assessments) that assess concept mastery before allowing students to move onto the next level or “fight the final boss.”
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Flipped teaching is an innovative approach to teaching that allows for deeper and richer discussions in the classroom. Having students complete a reading or watch a video at home creates more in-class time for discussion and activities. Unlike traditional instruction that dedicates a larger chunk of class time for direct instruction and less time for guided practice and discussion, the flipped classroom allows students and teachers to spend more time focusing on practicing concepts, skills, and addressing challenges. It is a common thing to see teacher frustration who report that students come back the next day without having completed their homework because students did not understand how to do the task. With flipped classrooms, independent note-taking is at home and class is for diving deeper into the content with more time for activities and teacher feedback.
However, there are some obstacles to flipped classroom. Often times it requires students to have access to technology which is a problem at a school that is largely title I. The rate at which students actually complete the readings or videos at home is an issue. It is difficult enough to have students accountable for simple assignments that do not require technology. On the part of teachers, it requires a lot of planning and can be time consuming at the beginning stages of implementation. Teachers have to decide what concept, skill, and standard students need to learn and what resources to include (readings, videos, etc.). Challenge-Based Learning (CBL) is very similar to PBL but it is more open-ended and flexible, having multiple entry points. It is real world, hands on, explorative, collaborative, develops 21st century skills, and incorporates an aspect of community, application of technology, passion, and ownership. I think CBL allows for greater student input because they have a voice in brainstorming the big idea, proposing a challenge, coming up with guiding questions for their research, creating a timeline, implementing and evaluating, and reflecting. I think all of the skills required in CBL are skills needed for the professional world. Moreover, CBL has greater emphasis on technology and the community on a global scale. I do see some challenges that face a mathematics course. I just think that it is difficult to come up with a CBL project in math. When math has a million standards requiring another million tiny concepts and skills that need to be taught which do not necessarily coincide with real world challenges. Much of the mathematics being learned in the middle school level does not lend itself to such projects which are why many schools emphasize PrBL instead. That is not to say that it is impossible, I can think of several standards that CBL can address but it takes a well-trained and very knowledgeable (content and applications) teacher to properly guide students in connecting the math skills they are learning to global problems. On the last note, it is time consuming and there are definitely not many opportunities in an already jam-packed pacing calendar where a new concept is learned every day or every other day. Learning From Top-Ranking Schools--Policies for Equity and Success
Darling-Hammond’s five policy prescriptions--if implemented, would undoubtedly aid in closing the great achievement and opportunity gaps that exists between children of affluent communities and those who live in poverty. Wouldn’t it be grand if our current educational system underwent a magical transformation—implementations of meaningful learning goals, intelligent and reciprocal accountability systems, equitable and adequate resources, strong professional standards and supports, and schools organized for student and teacher learning? Our classrooms would become more equitable, our students would become better critical thinkers and problem-solvers, better collaborators, as well as better at communicating in both written and oral communication. They would become 21st century learners who are adequately prepared to be productive citizens of society because they can apply the necessary and valuable knowledge and skills they have gained in school. They would have the qualities and skills that 93% of employers desire in an ideal employee (Su, Ricci, and Mnatsakanian, 2016). Hence, these five policies would guarantee that students of all backgrounds, cultural and socio-economical, have the opportunities to become successful learners. The issue of equity is an old one. The disparity in the educational system is obvious and the causes are numerous. This ethical and moral issue is illustrated in John Dewey’s quote, “What the best and wisest parent wants for his own child, that must we want for all children in the community. Any other ideal for our schools is narrow and unlovely; acted upon, it destroys our democracy.” The answer to this problem is not further segregation. Private schools and charter schools only perpetuate the inequities that exist. How can we hope to secure the future of our country if only 9% of the student population is receiving the adequate education to be competitive in the international job market (TIMSS 2015)? The answer is to better all of our public schools in order to prepare our children to be the hope of the future. This is what we, teachers, parents, citizens of the United States must want for all children in the community and for the betterment of our country and democracy. Research studies and experts around 21st century learning and teaching, the brain, and inquiry-based learning all say the same thing. If we would only design our curriculum so that standards are adequate, learning goals are meaningful, tasks are challenging and authentic, and students are able to collaborate and communicate with one another, then learning would occur at a deeper level. Darling-Hammond (2010) iterates over and over how highly qualified teachers are the most important inputs for learning but also greatly emphasizes the need for adequate or "internationally competitive standards". Successful countries "have much leaner standards, teach fewer topics more deeply each year, focus more on inquiry, reasoning skills and applications of knowledge...and have a more thoughtful sequence of expectations based on developmental learning progressions within and across domains" (Darling-Hammond 2010). In the presentation by an expert in digital literacy and learning, Dr. James Paul Gee provides ways teachers can directly affect the learning experience for their students. He responds to educator frustrations, stating that despite our inability to directly affect change in our educational system at the state and federal level in terms of budget and curriculum, we as teachers can still affect change in our classroom through well-designed learning experiences. This however, still does not resolve the issue of the too many standards teachers are expected to teach and the necessity to teach to the test. Sanctions based on assessment performances virtually forces schools to teach to the test. If government reduced the amount of standards, frequency of assessments, and focused on how they could help schools improve, this would do greater good than putting sanctions on schools and districts. Sanctions hurt schools even more because rather than focusing on solving the issue by taking time to prepare our students to become better critical thinkers and problem solvers, schools must deal with a bombardment of multiple assessments year after year. Until our assessment system changes, this problem will continue to exist. Dr. Gee urges for an assessment system in which learning tasks and assessments are one and the same. He explains how learning tasks should be designed in a well-ordered progression that only allows students to move on when each task has been completed like that of games. It is easy to feel frustrated but instead of focusing on what we cannot do, I choose to focus on what I can do. Technological Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPCK)
Case Study: This study examines the integration of computer science in an Algebra class at Mariner High School in Everett, WA. The nature of this case study deals with the application and synthesis of content knowledge to enrich and extend learning. The teacher, Joshua Kwon, hopes for his students to apply what they learn in math class to the computer science field, specifically coding. Mr. Kwon states that the lesson objective was for students to make a table and/or graph to represent a given scenario. With that scenario, the students would apply what they learned from tables and graphs to create an animation, in this case, use coding to make a rocket blast off at different speeds. Students used tools like desmos.com to explore graphs and tables. They experimented with plotting points using tables and constructing equations to graph lines. As they manipulated different numbers of the equation (slope and initial value) or changed coordinates on their tables, they analyzed the results to better understand the concept of rates of change and linear equations. And thus, they applied the knowledge that they gained from desmos.com to create a rocket animation. Specific student learning objectives included, (1) being able to state the rate of change in context and (2) explicitly state the ratio between distance and time. Mr. Kwon showed them a short video as an entry event (racing game) and asked the students to activate their curiosity to generate questions or “I wonders”. Students shared their questions on their computer screen which generated a shared list on the teacher’s projected screen. The teacher administered a formative assessment to check in on students, provided feedback, and asked them questions to provoke thinking and extend their learning. I liked his overarching lesson objective (projected end product) as well as having specific student learning objectives. I also liked how he generated student interest and curiosity by including topics that were culturally relevant to the students. His task was authentic, creating a rich learning environment. He did not have students use technology just to learn it, rather, the tools served as a strategic purpose in deepening their knowledge. It provided students with different learning styles with opportunities to be hands on, explore, persevere, and discover knowledge for themselves. He used technology as a means to share student thoughts as well as to structure mini activities that scaffold for the larger learning objective. He had clear expectations and students were well aware of what they were learning and why they were learning it as well as what their end product should be. He also incorporated opportunities for students to make connections between multiple representations of the same thing (a graph, table, and equation). He included formative assessments to check student understanding and provided feedback and questioning that extended student thinking. He used Code.org to enhance learning by allowing students to see abstract concepts of Algebra in concrete context. From observing the lesson, I saw a great example how to effectively integrate technology meaningfully into a lesson to extend student learning. According to the TPCK framework, technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge should not be isolated entities independent of one another, but rather, co-dependent. However, as teaching contexts varies from teacher to teacher, there is also no one prescribed way for integrating technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge. This case study was helpful as an exemplar of how to smoothly integrate different pedagogical techniques with content knowledge and technology to effectively maximize learning in the content area of mathematics. I liked his very well-planned lesson. It included a lesson objective, student learning objectives, student interest, effective scaffolding, formative assessments, and several mathematical practices. I learned a lot of questioning techniques, modeling techniques, use of technology to scaffold learning, and formative assessment techniques. I could definitely use this lesson and would give it a score of 5 as being the highest. Link: http://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/code-in-hs-math Teachers as the Biggest "Inputs" in Determining Student Academic Success
There is no fail proof "recipe" or particular set of tools or strategies educators can utilize that will guarantee that our students will be prepared for the future but it is certainly our duty to try. As educators it is our duty to continually strive to support our students. One of those duties is to sift through the abundance of resources at our disposal and implement tools and strategies to help our students succeed. Reflecting upon this week’s content in covering 21st century teaching and learning, I feel that key elements I must include in my classroom to prepare my students for the future include the use of strategic digital tools that enhance learning and provide useful skills students can realistically utilize in the future. The debate regarding the affects of money on student academic performance dates a long ways back into history. In examining this relationship, Hammond discusses how states ruled several cases to be unconstitutional in its failure to provide equitable facilities for low socio-economic and colored students. The states also ruled it was not a matter of whether money affects performance, but a matter of how much money? The debate goes on to accuse low performing and underfunded schools as more likely to misuse funding. This is a great point. Money will not positively affect student academic performance automatically unless it is strategically used. Likewise, as money does not necessarily determine success, technology does not have to permeate every aspect of the school day but there are strategic uses for them. Hence, I think it is really important that my students understand how to effectively use the “cloud” as there are various helpful Google tools available to students to help them deepen and contribute to their own learning. In observing several case studies involving the use of I-movie, Voicethread, Google Slides/Docs, Keynote, and many other digital tools, I feel that these tools can really motivate students to participate in their own learning, tap into their creativity, and even aid in the deepening of knowledge. The case studies on my EDUC 701 page details how students were able to use these tools to present key concepts to their peers, collaborate with their peers, practice their organizational skills, and practice other content skills (reading, writing, speaking, etc.). These are all 21st century skills students will need to possess if they are to be successful in their future. Hammond also emphasizes “inputs” and we as educators are undoubtedly the biggest input but only if we constantly strive to be lifelong learners and refine our teaching craft and that means updating our classroom tools to match the 21st century. Addressing Disparities--a Call for Highly Qualified Teachers, Curriculum Reform, and Desegregation
The 21st century has changed education as we have known it and will continue to change hopefully for the better. More and more jobs in the market are demanding knowledge and skills of our students that our educational system is not well-equipped to deal with. The fastest growing jobs require post-secondary education however high school graduation rates have decreased and only a third receive their college degree. In short, jobs are demanding specialized skills and knowledge in which our current education system is not preparing the new generation for. Therefore, there is a necessity for a shift towards education reform that focuses on students and how to guide them in order to meet new challenges of the 21st century. It is pretty clear that times have changed and students are much more capable than we previously thought. For example, students are now learning concepts in the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade that just 15 years ago, 10th graders were just being introduced to. I remember not learning about geometric theorems and proofs until my 10th grade geometry class. There has been great unrest surrounding education policy and curriculum development as was referred to as the “curriculum war”. At least from a mathematics stand point, not only has the amount of standards increased in number, so has the level of rigor with the introduction of common core. Students begin to learn about algebra, geometry, and probability and statistics before they begin their high school careers. In The Flat World and Education, Hammond mentions that the highest performing countries teach fewer topics each year treating them deeply. As I mentioned above, the number of standards as well as level of rigor have increased. With barely two days to cover each topic, there are very few opportunities to dive into a topic in depth. So, what are educators to do? How do we as educators, effectively teach 21st century skills when in some cases, we may not possess the necessary knowledge and skills nor trained to teach such skills? I think the book touches on a very critical point. For an education reform to be successful there needs to be as the book states, “enhancements of teacher training.” Personally, I feel like I am lacking in this category. I do not feel like I have enough training to be confident in teaching 21st century skills. How do we structure class activities that develop collaborative skills? How do we teach collaborative group work norms? Where can I find a curriculum that incorporates activities that allow for voice and choice, develops critical thinking and problem solving skills, is rigorous and aligned with the common state standards? Lastly, how do I find enough time to adequately explore a topic in depth and consider multiple perspectives? I have so many questions but the school systems are offering up very few answers. Now enter Project-Based Learning (PBL) and Problem-Based Learning (PrBL). The PBL/PrBL models are approaches that aim to teach these 21st century skills. Students engage in authentic tasks, apply their prior knowledge and newly gained knowledge and skills to solve a problem. Students have voice and choice and engage in various collaborative settings. This approach highly engages students and taps into student potential and personality. Students gain ownership of their learning and thinking. I was unaware of the PBL/PrBL model until two and a half years ago and still often feel like a fish floundering in shallow waters. Designing a curriculum surrounding the PBL/PrBL model is a daunting task. I feel like I need much more knowledge than I currently possess in order to do my students justice. There is no question that there is a need for highly qualified teacher in the classroom in order to close the opportunity gap as well as the achievement gap. With the amount that is asked of educators, with few resources and training, there is no wonder as to why turnover rate is so high. Additionally, another roadblock towards teaching 21st century skills (PBL/PrBL) besides lack of teacher training is the mindset of teachers in the U.S. Even when adequate teacher training is provided, if the teacher is unwilling to put it into practice in their classroom, it becomes useless. On a different note, at least in the realm of math, there is still not enough research and data available to claim that PBL/PrBL offers much more benefit achievement-wise than its predecessor (traditional instruction). I do not doubt that it is much more engaging for the students but in terms of academic gains, I feel that we need more data. PBL/PrBL coupled with a reduction of state standards (the number of topics), I think that there could be significant academic gain if we can model our curriculum after successful countries like Japan and China. Thus, I am interested in learning about effectiveness of PBL/PrBL in math classes as well as how I can better design and launch PBL/PrBL units that can develop critical thinking skills and improve retention. I am eager to connect the ever changing outside world to the math we learn in our classrooms. I want to be able to teach students the applications of mathematics in the real world so that they can see the value and meaning in what they are learning. With a better designed curriculum aligned to a reduction of state standards and high stakes testing, and the PBL/PrBL model, I think that this issue can be better explored and resolved. What do I as a teacher need to feel more confident in tackling the inequities? If there were an abundant amount of completed PBL/PrBL units readily available for teachers, it would help teachers plan more effective, engaging, and authentic lessons and activities aimed towards building 21st century skills without causing them burn frustration and burn out. All students deserve the same quality of education and the opportunity to gain valuable skills needed for the real world and educators play a key part in this. With the need for a work force that the United States cannot provide, it has been necessary to outsource jobs to countries like India, China, and the Philippines. Our world is becoming flat because the inequities plaguing the educational school system is affecting student achievement and in turn, future generations of workers that need to run the country. Disparities between affluent children and socioeconomically challenged children create more inequities and consequently increase the achievement and opportunity gap. This also contributes to the cultural phenomenon of the school to prison pipeline. If we spend several times more on prisons per inmate, why not invest it into the youth? When you begin to tackle the issue, it becomes frustrating because many viable solutions that have been explored can be realized only to be halted by policy makers in Capitol Hill. If we can spend billions upon trillions on military and prisons, the United States can adequately fund our schools. I believe that research and data are very important and it tells us that increasing desegregation caused by lack of funding and highly qualified educators is not pushing us forward, but rather taking us back. If I had a say, I would increase educational funding and stop the desegregation of children so that highly qualified teachers want to go to urban schools so that our children can reap the benefits of a great education. I would have teachers go through a credential program that adequately prepares them to teach 21st century skills. Teacher incentives have dwindled and I think that many people who might have considered this career have been turned off. Teachers must get their bachelors, possibly spend hundreds of dollars to take and pass a competency exam (CSET), spend more money on a credential program, go through a two year induction program that I have heard many policy makers wanting to be defunded or wanting to put the financial burden on teachers instead, and so I truly understand the reasons for the turnover rate of teachers and the hesitation of prospective candidates to pursue the career of education. |
Nai Saelee
Middle school math teacher preparing the leaders of the future. Inspiring curiosity, creativity, collaboration Archives
December 2017
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