Introduction Post!
“When you learn something from people or from a culture, you accept it as a gift, and it is your lifelong commitment to preserve that gift and to build on that gift.”
– Yo-Yo Ma
I am a mom and a teacher. My husband, Jerry and I have two children. Our daughter Jenna is a preteen, and all that that implies, and our son Nick is 10 years old and keeps us laughing most days.
I have been a fourth grade teacher for 16 years and I love it!!!
Perhaps longevity is part of my personality! I spent eleven of my teaching years in Western Springs. Then I took a leap of faith and went to The Lane School in Hinsdale where I am entering my fifth year.
I dated my husband for SEVERAL years before we married. It was just our journey...or maybe I wanted to be really sure. But all kidding aside, after you spend so much time with something, it can EASILY become a habit.
Well, one thing I know for sure is that teaching should NEVER become a habit! On the contrary, teaching is a journey. It is FOREVER changing, and the biggest "revolving door" is technology. As teachers, we must do all we can to integrate the latest technology into our classroom, and that is why I am so excited to begin a new chapter!
Last year, our district went 1:1 iPads in the intermediate grades. I am comfortable using and trying out new apps and enjoy hearing and sharing methods in which to integrate them into the curriculum in meaningful and authentic ways. I am also confident using Google Classroom as well, but I want to learn so much more about online spaces and other management systems to simplify my life and motivate my teaching practices, not to mention inspire my students' creativity, collaboration, and communication experiences.
I know that this journey with my talented colleagues is going to be a great learning experience! Here we go....
Thank you so much for saying that..."teaching should not become a habit" it is so important to remember. Can't wait to keep learning with you!
ReplyDeleteTina, as I read your intro. it just reminds me of how I felt when we started our classes and how unsure I was. Fast forward to today, and although the "revolving door of technology" keeps us on our toes, I feel so much more confident in using it and using it in the ways that most engages kids and get them to be life-long learners. So happy we were on the journey together.
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ReplyDeleteNow that I am finished with my first Ed Tech course with USF and our wonderful instructor, Kim Darche, I am most excited about communicating with other educators on Twitter . I LOVE learning about and sharing resources among educators from day to day ideas to themed ideas and strategies toward best practices in the classroom.
DeleteAnother direction I truly appreciate from this course is the importance of teaching our students ways in which to conduct themselves as digital citizens! As a result, I am teaching my students to consider the criteria below when responding to their peers:
Is your response mindful of your peer's ideas and opinions?
Did you specifically praise your peer's response?
If you were the recipient of your reply, would it make you smile?
If you learned something new, did you share it?
Much more to come with learning from Ed Tech at USF!!!
Another EdTech course completed with USF, this one focusing on tech tools used for collaboration. My favorite resource take-aways were Pear Deck, Padlet, Flipgrid, Apple Clips, and If-Then Adventure: An Interactive Google Slides Story.
ReplyDeleteTwo of my favorite assignments that I created as a result of working with these resources are listed below and include:
1. An Apple Clips video showcasing the artwork created by my fourth grade students for the plot of Rules by Cynthia Lord.
2. An interactive story I created in Google slides with some of my peers in this EdTech course.
Using Apple Clips to collaboratively create a video is extremely student friendly and allows for creativity in the process! Additionally, the interactive story in Google Slides is also very motivating for students as it involves authentic choice-making and therefore, the story can change directions from click to click. This activity really emphasized to my students the importance of interesting story telling, and choosing ideas carefully for the beginning, middle, and end of a story.
Click on to check them out!
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1O2psc7pKUWKDjO7El6y8-12RkICtCaD-cGkGifzqFQc/edit?usp=sharing
Great blog post - I love your style! Christina, welcome to the learning community of 677. I am glad you are learning with us. I hope we can all share and learn from each other on this journey.
ReplyDeleteVisual Communication using graphic design could be powerful in the classroom! According to studies, people remember 10 percent of what they hear and about 20 percent of what they read. Cooperatively, the same studies have shown that 80% remember what they see and DO!
ReplyDeleteI want to focus on not just providing visual content, but having students create their own visual representation of their learning using graphic design. This type of learning would resound in Level 6 of Bloom’s Taxonomy: “Create” which is defined as producing new and original work- Bloom's Taxonomy Revised. I believe students would find this demonstration of learning very motivating and would welcome a fresh new strategy to authentically create their own learning!
I want to try having my students create a visual graphic or image of the impact various historical figures have left on our world. This will connect to our biography project. I'm thinking we will use Google Drawings. Wish me luck!
I definitely agree with not just providing visuals for students, but having students create the visuals for themselves and their classmates. It is so great to see how excited students are when they are creating versus non active learning. Especially with regards to technology, I always find that I learn more from the students when I have them create.
DeleteAnother USF EdTech course complete and I feel like I am a connected educator, motivated to keep learning with multimedia tools. Being exposed to so many new and fun tech tools that I have actually used in the classroom continues not to disappoint at #USF677. From creating screencasts for math lessons, assessing my student’s responses using Apple Clips, audio recordings of poetry to practice students’ fluency, to even creating my own images in Google Drawings to advertise our upcoming Wax Museum, I have applied what I've learned to my teaching. I even began posting classroom happenings on Twitter @TinaRya56131358. I feel great and I’m looking forward to the next course!
ReplyDeleteI think you will find your Twitter posts will be well received by your families. They like to get small bits of info without being overwhelmed with text and information. Twitter is the perfect spot for that!
DeleteTwo artifacts from #USF677 Ed Tech Course are found below.
ReplyDeleteI made an image to advertise our fourth graders upcoming Wax Museum. Google Drawing is a blast! I can't wait for my students to try it!
Google Drawing Link:
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1_YRtVRemAOVsyJNOGHUmGiqZeDQtXyCkvL8-I2mcBk8/edit?usp=sharing
I also made a book trailer for one of my favorite books of all time, Fish In A Tree by Linda Mullaly Hunt!
https://animoto.com/play/mcYMp8SezWa2TglyG0cruw
I'm going to try this with my fourth graders after their next book club. I can't wait to see the results!
This week during our studies at USF, we were instructed to dig deeper into some topics in which we were familiar. I chose standard-based learning. While I have always understood there are benefits from the specificity of targeting “mastery” of each learning standard, I now have acquired information about HOW standards-based learning benefits students and educators. According to an article published by Josh Work in Edutopia, in which he interviewed several educators about their experiences with standards-based reporting, he has determined "3 Peaks and 3 Pits". Here is what stood out to me about the “Peaks”.
ReplyDeleteTo begin, students experience a better growth mindset (Dweck, 2008) with standards-based learning because they are allowed reteaching and reassessment when formative assessment shows a lack of understanding. With traditional grading practices, students may receive a bad grade as a result and understands that to be the best they can do. Then to make matters worse, they are forced to move onto the next standard. As educators, it is our responsibility to show our students success, and using formative assessments to drive our instruction to reteach and reassess provides that opportunity. This is so much better than assigning failure as finality!
The two other peaks discussed in Work’s article were that assessments that are designed according to each learning standard are of quality work and that consideration should be paid to create multiple ways to show mastery. The third, and final, “Peak” was more eye-opening, however, as it discussed that better communications used in standards-based reporting promotes perseverance in students. The reason is that when students are motivated to reach a specific goal of mastery, they know where they are and where they need to be to achieve mastery, thanks to formative assessments and teacher facilitation. In contrast, traditional grade reporting may deflate that inspiration with a bad grade.
The three “Pits” discussed in Work’s compilation of educators’ experiences with standards-based learning had no stand-out information for me, as I already recognize them. First, there is a concern that we are cradling our students when we allow more chances on assessments if they didn’t get it right the first time. So the concern is, “Are we teaching our students responsibility?” I would argue here, however, that with standards-based reporting, a summative would not be delivered until the student was ready to demonstrate mastery.
The other “Pits” discussed were that teachers need more time to make standards-based reporting a reality as reteaching and reassessment requires A LOT OF IT! And finally, creating quality assessments that allow students to demonstrate mastery in multiple ways has been coined as “reinventing the wheel”. Nevertheless, I would argue here that it is our job to always reflect on our instruction and assessment practices while integrating best practice for the betterment of the learning experience of our students!
Resources:
Work, Josh. “3 Peaks and 3 Pits of Standards-Based Grading.” Edutopia, George Lucas Educational Foundation, 4 Dec. 2014, www.edutopia.org/blog/peaks-pits-standards-based-grading-josh-work
Dweck, Carol S. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. Ballantine Books trade pbk.ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 2008.
I do often think about the responsibility piece of standards based learning. Students do figure out the system and learn what they can and can't get away with. Some students quickly figure out that if retakes are allowed, I will just see how I do without studying and always know that I can retake if needed. Getting things done in a given time is a life skill that needs to be followed or there are consequences. As I am writing this response, a day late, I realize that there are consequences for not meeting a deadline. I am not able to go to my principal and say I need more time to prepare my lesson for today at a mastery level. I was at a conference that said we are able to redo everything in life even marriage. What he didn't say is that there are great advantages for getting things right at first and serious consequences for not getting things right in time.
DeleteAs educators, we typically design project-centered activities around state standards. Next, we facilitate lessons around those standards to meet the outcome of the objectives. Then finally, when students are ready, we assess the learning with perhaps a project, test, or performance-based assessment. In Problem Based Learning, students work to solve a real-world problem in a creative and authentic way. Standards are also met, but the difference is that they are integrated into the problem-based learning journey and are based on authentic context rather than designed from the initial standard and therefore, isolated from meaningful learning.
ReplyDeleteProject Based Learning is impressive! By developing essential questions that are open-ended, engaging, elicit further questioning, and stand the test of time along the way, the learning journey can become even more engaging and meaningful! I have created 4 essential questions to kick-off my own Project Based Learning project this year. They are as follows:
1. How do I view the world?
2. How can social awareness create empathy?
3. How can self-awareness result in responsible decision-making?
4. How do my past experiences affect my perceptions?
5. How can I affect the world?
The topic of this PBL is perceptions and interpretations! An overview of my project can be found here. Copy and paste URL address:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1w6eZ8gjYtt0ulL-UT3adwBlyyuRO3n5XFEbC8I9C6gQ/edit?usp=sharing
Infographics are a creative way to disseminate information for our
ReplyDeletestudents. It is creative with pleasing aesthetics to attract our
learners’ attention. It is short and summative which is another
attraction for learners. Finally, it suggests a fresh way to learn
creatively. I believe infographics can be inspiring and will elicit
students’ own creativity! I'm looking forward to implementing
infographic creativity into my classroom this year and allowing
students to try this type of art using Google Draw!
Here is an example of an infographic of the 4 C's! Copy and paste URL.
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1TtjgrRXnn0a6DEnsAdnWpsU5e_nWjWHvHaC9Xhx43-k/edit?usp=sharing
As I reflect on the learning from our course, “Effective Technology Integration”, I pause at the word “effective”. As educators, we are familiar with the importance of implementing the 4 C’S within our use of technology in the classroom. So, discovering facilitation and assessment structures that support the use of collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and creativity was relevant and definitely worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteIn a previous post, I mentioned Project Based Learning as an effective facilitation structure that integrates the 4C’s using technology. Well, in this course we were also instructed to create an agenda for professional development that would teach our colleagues about PBL’s. This was challenging! Here, I equated my past frustrations with PD days that seemed irrelevant, outdated, and appeared to be busy work with what my students perhaps also have experienced when effective technology was not integrated.
Through creating an agenda for a half day that taught my colleagues about PBL’s, I learned to appreciate the importance of constructing an effective learning experience that allows students to first understand the value in authentic learning, and second to be able to practice implementation and learning strategies using the 4 C’s.
Another takeaway from this course was understanding the value of implementing Flipped Learning videos. I have always understood Flipped Learning to be a supplemental tool, but now I realize it also serves students who work at a different pace. This year, I plan on starting a math library with videos that highlight various concepts and strategies. I am excited about the effectiveness of my students having digital access to learning concepts with the ability to be paused and rewound in the subject of math where pacing is always an issue for students who require more learning opportunities!
I would also like to add that I support the ideology
“If you want to learn something, read about it.
If you want to understand something, write about it.
If you want to master something, teach it.”
Another EdTech course down and I believe I have experienced a mindset shift regarding Assessment! As an educator, if I were to support a gradeless assessment system, I would support the learning practices supported by “Mastery Learning”, coined by John B. Carroll. Here, mastery learning is the objective of each learning target. This idea is directly connected to Standards Based Learning. However, the instructional practices that support "Mastery Learning" considers the varying amounts of time it takes students to achieve this level before any summative assessments are even considered. According to the varying needs of our students in any given classroom, this presents a challenge, to say the least. I completely support this ideology, however, as it promotes a positive learning experience for all.
ReplyDeleteIf we are to allow varying amounts of time for varying groups of students to reach mastery before presenting new material, and the theory is that using formative assessments to assure readiness is the basis for this practice, then failure is not an option. When a student is struggling, instructors would assess what stage toward mastery the student has achieved based on descriptive rubrics that narrate the pathway toward mastery. Flexible groups would then be created, accordingly, and lessons would be designed based on the learners' needs to achieve their individual goals.
I plan to begin this pathway by guiding students toward a clear understanding of what mastery of a given skill would look like by utilizing narrative rubrics as a formative tool that informs them and myself of where learners are in relation to where they need to go. Descriptive narrative rubrics, therefore, will guide my instruction, as well as individual student’s learning pathways. This is in stark contrast to setting a date for assessment based on a pacing guide.
I do wonder, however, how I will find the time to teach all of the learning standards I am required to meet within a school year. But, perhaps it would be possible if Power Standards that encapsulated related standards were considered. Creating assessments that consider multiple ways to assess related standards within an authentic context is also the foundation for "Mastery Learning". This is not going to "happen over night" obviously. But as our district committees begin to create new summative assessments, it sure would be a starting place!
Last Updated November 30th, 2018. “Mastery.” InstructionalDesign.org, www.instructionaldesign.org/concepts/mastery/.
One of my biggest takeaways from my last USF course, “Assess and Impact Student Achievement with Tech” was the idea of establishing digital portfolios that show growth, rather than simply showcase students’ best work. Here, there is so much more to learn about students’ experiences, skills, perseverance, and potential when you chronicle, year after year, their progress. The purpose then becomes leaving a digital footprint that informs educators how to construct future learning opportunities along the pathway toward enrichment and mastery learning.
ReplyDeleteWhat especially left an impression on me about growth portfolios is that showcasing students’ passions and progress year after year can enhance their credibility when entering college. A great display of documenting the actual learned skill is with “digital badging”. Copy and paste https://tinyurl.com/y263seme for an example of a digital badge that illustrates mastery of correctly following the Order of Operations in math.
Accomplished learning and documented growth helps students and educators connect their accomplishments to future learning opportunities. Educators create these opportunities by facilitating goal setting practices driven by the students themselves. Copy and paste https://forms.gle/XbjiPF1bnoXeEkFw7 as an example of a general goal setting sheet I created in Google Forms to be used for that purpose.
A student’s digital footprint is an idea we as educators need to foster and facilitate. It is in the practice of reflection of one’s progress and published work that students (and educators) can decide what to showcase as a determinant of students’ reputation as a learner!
Tina, I enjoyed the part of your blog post that talked about college. It's crazy to think that in 4th grade students should start thinking about college credibility, but in this competitive world it can't hurt! I also like the goal setting Google Form. I feel that it's just the right amount of questions to really get a genuine response from the students.
ReplyDeleteAs I reflect on sharing highlights from my latest course completed, 21st Century Educational Leadership, I choose a staff meeting design involving a school wide focus; implementation of Fountas & Pinnell classroom resources. I chose this artifact because I find it timely and relevant in my world as a fourth grade teacher in D181! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yo9kG-JAPlfapmELlgPryJFzQdHRvLroPrV7CRak-Vs/edit?usp=sharing
ReplyDeleteAnother artifact I would like to share is an observation form intended to guide observations of colleagues to elicit a focus on the 4 C's! https://forms.gle/jsXf9mdw1EzqftJ26
I would like to share two artifacts from my latest class: Managing EdTech Services.
ReplyDeleteA publication in EdTech Digest, “The Tenants of EdTech Leadership”, mentioned 6 principles as a framework for Educational Technology. They are leadership, management, information technology, education technology, systemic thinking, and professional learner. I would like to begin my learning, here, with education technology. After conducting some research on the concerns of successful implementation of purposely integrating technology to enhance and extend curriculum, I have settled with the resource which resinated with me most, a publication from Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, info @qcda.gov.uk. Here, I have learned that EdTech leaders face
many thresholds in order to SUCCESSFULLY grow educators as lifelong learners and facilitators of curriculum following the 4 C’s and common core learning targets! Technology, therefore, has the
greatest impact on curriculum development when EdTech leaders ensure the following thresholds have been crossed…successfully!
According to this resource, EdTech leaders must have strong and supportive leadership and collaborative skills. Here, in the beginning stages of purposeful technology integration, EdTech leaders must set the stage by collaboratively goal-setting ideas with educators to meet
their needs for integrating technology into the curriculum, as well as a focus on facilitating the behaviors of the 4 C’s! Challenges, however, would include educators taking risks, as they charter unfamiliar territories where technology integration is concerned. EdTech leaders must work to support educators throughout their journey to realize “how they know what they don’t know”. In other words, they must shed light on the possibilities for new processes and product creations!
EdTech leaders must also be aware that they should start with the learning first! This means understanding the goals for specific learning targets in order to carefully connect technology to inspire and enhance the learning. Development of this shared curriculum should include
identifying key stages for technology integration along the way. If EdTech leaders don’t take the time to collaborate with educators in order to understand the expectation of their curricular goals,
then technology integration is not authentic to the needs of teachers and the needs for students to learn content while utilizing 21st century technological skills, i.e., the 4 C’s!
Another important implementation of EdTech leaders is a plan for professional development once goals for technology integration have been identified. For time and efficiency purposes, EdTech leaders must creatively choose and find professional development resources that would address the most needs possible “at a time”, while meeting the criteria of the tech budget allowable from the district!
Finally, involve learners in deciding how technology can best support their own learning. EdTech leaders must empower educators to realize processes that would involve their students’ realizing their authentic learning pathways. This is relevant, as educating students about safe digital learning processes along the way is imperative!
Rivero, Victor, and Mark Gura. “The Tenets of Educational Technology Leadership.” EdTech
Digest, 10 Nov. 2017, edtechdigest.com/2017/11/10/the-tenets-of-educationaltechnology-leadership/.
“Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency.” GOV.UK, www.gov.uk/government/
organizations/qualifications-and-curriculum-development-agency.
Another artifact I would like to submit is a Technology Readiness Assessment form to assess a district and classroom's present level of participation to evaluate the readiness of successful technology implementation related to curricular goals.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/15sa6cNOCfXHgqsWcpRUSaqG4kiFweaLIgibtkY77w9w/edit
As I explored the questions elicited to discover my passions, the idea that resonated with me is the answers to those questions fit into two categories: What I do that's healthy for me and What I do that is unhealthy for my body, mind, and spirit. I want to feel better, look better, and be the best role model I can for my children and my students!
ReplyDeleteI am grateful for this exploration and upcoming passion project designed to ensure that I take the time to take care of me, which in turn will take care of my family and my students!
I'm really interested to see what you choose! It seems like your thoughts are coming from a really good place :)
DeleteAfter some exploration, my top 3 choices for my passion project are:
ReplyDeleteTry new yoga classes and complete at least 5 per week!
Sell my house and find a new one!
Lead my family toward a healthier lifestyle!
I give all three exclamation points, but I realize selling my house and finding a new one is out of my control as we have already prepared our home to be listed and we actively look each day for our new home. So it seems the rest, actually finding a home and selling ours, is in another’s hands.
So that leaves trying new yoga classes 5 times a week, and leading my family to eat healthier and exercise more. After spending some time with each topic, I realize I WANT TO LEAD MYSELF AND MY FAMILY TOWARD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE! That’s it…that’s my passion! This project can ultimately help me work on achieving balance in my life on what matters most...our health! Bring on the project!
That is a HUGE goal!! I can't wait to see your process and progress. Remember even when it gets tough - you got this. I would also say .. try and get a goal to get better at a few tougher poses :)
ReplyDeleteSo a very wise woman, Kim Darche, suggested I bring my goal down a notch to include only myself rather than myself and family. That sounds harsh when I put it into words, so let me rephrase. I am not excluding my family on this healthy journey. I WILL do things like do the grocery shopping more often so we don't have six bags of chips in the cabinet:) . Thank you, honey, for being a shopper but, "You need to stick to the list!" Also, our new family goal for my children and husband is one sweet treat a day. Now...I resort to include taking care of myself and making it a priority each day!
ReplyDeleteEstablishing a routine to turn will into action will include yoga 4-5 times a week. In order to make this happen I will "map-out" my weekly schedule and make a plan to "stick-to-it". I need an alternative to fall back on as well if the class times don't work for me on a given day so I purchased the first season of Core Power from Prime. Yoga at home is definitely not my preference, however. I would much rather be in a heated studio with a live instructor, but I think it will help me accomplish the no-excuses gain.
I plan to build-back my stamina by starting with Yoga Sculpt, my favorite class. Alternatively, I have only ever taken an HPF class and a few C2 classes over time, and that handstand was intimidating!! I just feel like Sculpt is more effective. But I need to try other classes to really know what I don't know, and that's what I plan to eventually do. What can I do this week that I couldn't do last week? Remember that I'm worth it.