Action Research Lesson Reflection

Action Research Lesson Reflection

The lesson plan that I created and implemented centered around the correct use of apostrophes in contractions and possessions.  I used a Smart Board to teach this lesson and students completed it in small groups as they rotated to their word work center.  In the lesson, students learned about apostrophes being used to replace letters in contractions and to show possession for possessive nouns.  Then students were given sample sentences and asked to move the apostrophes into the correct location for each sentence.  This put the concept into context to see if they were able to apply the knowledge.  I added sound to the lesson to assist my auditory learners in completing the task.
The lesson was given to my second grade students during centers.  They were very excited to use the Smart Board for a lesson during the word work center.  My students give a lot of attention to technology and the visuals that the Smart Board provides. Therefore, they did very well following the directions and completing the task at hand.  Unfortunately, it will be difficult to tell if they carry out the correct use of the apostrophe in future writing because they will be going on summer break and will have a different teacher in the fall.  However, I can always check in with the third grade teachers to view some writing samples next school year!
Learning, Curriculum, Technology, and Teaching

Through the lesson, students learned the correct use and placement of an apostrophe in both contractions and possessives. The learning goals were to understand where apostrophes were placed and why they are placed in those spots as contractions and possessions. In planning and implementing this lesson, I assumed that students already knew what contractions and possessions were, what apostrophes look like, and how to use a Smart Board.

The information that students learned was represented visually on the Smart Board, which benefited visual learners.  Also students interactively moved apostrophes into sentences, which benefited kinesthetic learners.  I added audio to help the auditory learners as well!  Therefore the main constraint was that not all students were able to use the Smart Board at once.

Learning took place by manipulating the apostrophes on the Smart Board.  Constructivism took place because students worked together in small groups to move the apostrophes into the correct places in the sentences.  They learned from one another.  Behaviorism occurred as the Smart Board gave students positive reinforcements if they put the apostrophes in the correct places and negative reinforcements if they did not.
Before this lesson, many students associated a “s” at the end of a word with needing an apostrophe in front of it no matter if it was a possessive or not.  However, I did notice an improvement in this when reading over students’ responses.

The Smart Board technology fit into school curriculum by supplementing the English Language Arts grammar standards of understanding when and how to use apostrophes.  The technology helped reinforce the concept and taught it in a better way than the traditional paper and pencil method. By using this technology, students’ learning was enhanced and they were more motivated to learn and pay attention with the use of the Smart Board.

Students learn in many different ways and the Smart Board did a great job of reaching visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.  The large screen created rich images and the touch screen allowed students to manipulate the screen.  This made learning more motivating and the stimulation increased students’ attention span to complete the lesson.

In order for the lesson to be successful, teachers and learners both needed to know how to manipulate and use a Smart Board.  Learners must have known how to use the touch screen in order to reap the full effects of the lesson. Teachers must have known the options of how to set up a lesson using a Smart Board and how to assess student learning. As a teacher, I must be up to date on current technologies in order to motivate and stimulate my students’ learning.  That is one reason why I chose to pursue my Masters Degree in Educational Technology.  In order to use a Smart Board, there are teacher trainings on how to use them and many resources on the Internet, including Smart Board software, to help a teacher learn how to use a Smart Board. If a teacher has the skills to use a computer and navigate the Internet, I believe that they will be capable of using a Smart Board as well!

I based my assessment on my learning goals.  I wanted my students to know where apostrophes go in sentences and why they go where they do.  I assessed whether or not my students knew this based on the sentences that they created using the Smart Board after manipulating the apostrophes into the correct places. These learning goals will also be assessed in their future writing.  If students have truly learned this concept, I should be able to see correct contractions and possessives within their writing in the future. This will show that they carried over the grammar concepts learned in this lesson into everyday writing.  I will also assess whether or not students still misuse the apostrophe in their writing.  Ultimately, putting apostrophes into the correct places should become a natural practice.  Students were held accountable for their work because the technology allows me to go back and view how each group manipulated their sentences.  If I were to do this using paper and pencil, students may lose their paper, copy off of other groups, or simply not complete the task even though they know that I check their center work.  The Smart Board plays a key role in this lesson being effective and meaningful for my students.

Lesson Implementation Using Technology

Technology facilitated the lesson.  Students could have learned about the proper use of apostrophes using worksheets, but by teaching with technology, the learning becomes more engaging and meaningful. Technology also helped reach more of my learners by creating visuals on the Smart Board and incorporating movement and interaction in the lesson. When students’ learning styles are incorporated, they are more motivated to pay attention and be successful in the lesson. The only disadvantage of using this technology was that my students could not all complete the lesson at once, but had to do it in small groups.

I expected my students to be very excited to use the technology during their centers and I was proven correct.  Some of my students cheered and many had giant smiles on their faces when I explained what the word work center would be for the day.  Every time that I looked over at the Smart Board from the guided reading table where I was teaching, the students were staring at the screen and manipulating the apostrophes while collaborating with one another.  

Students asked if they could move the apostrophes again after they placed them in the sentence.  I told them that they could move them as many times as necessary and explained that if they placed the apostrophe in one spot, but reread the sentence and did not think that it made sense, they could move it again to a new, more-fitting location.  They also asked if there was supposed to be more than one apostrophe in each sentence and I explained that it was up to them to determine where the apostrophes are supposed to go and how many fit into each sentence.

Students seemed to make more connections with the content and have more meaningful, content-centered conversations when using the Smart Board rather than paper and pencil.  They were more engaged and interested in where the apostrophe needed to be placed.  By using the Smart Board for the lesson, my students saw the lesson as more of a game than school work.  They were very excited to move the apostrophes into the correct locations in each sentence.  Overall, the lesson, including the use of technology, was a success!

CEP 800 Apostrophe TPACK Lesson

Content: 
In this lesson I am teaching the correct use of the apostrophe when it is used in contractions and possessions. Students will understand where the apostrophes are placed and why they are placed in those spots in contractions and possessions.
Big Idea: Apostrophes are used to replace the missing letter(s) when two words are joined in contractions.
Big Idea: Apostrophes are used to show that something or someone belongs to a noun.
Essential Questions: What are apostrophes used for? Why are apostrophes important? Why does it matter where apostrophes are placed in a sentence?
Standard: Students will...In the context of writing, correctly use nouns and possessives; apostrophes in contractions.
 Students struggle with the concept of putting the apostrophe between the correct letters in a contraction. Also, students overuse the apostrophe with words ending in “s,” even when the word is not showing possession.

Pedagogy:
 Students will be completing the Smart Board activity in small groups during literacy centers. This lesson will serve as their word work center. I decided to do this lesson in a small group setting so each student would have a chance to move the apostrophes into the correct places in the sentences. If I were to do this as a whole class lesson, it would be difficult to give each student the kinesthetic opportunities available with the Smart Board. By working in a small group, students will be practicing the Social Constructivist learning theory. While completing the lessons, students will discuss the sentences and ideas and learn from one another through their discussions. In planning the pedagogy for this lesson, I considered my students’ learning styles. Many of my students benefit from visual lessons and my boys especially benefit from kinesthetic learning. My students work well together, especially during literacy centers. They are influenced by each other and highly consider what one another say so collaboration is a great learning tool for my students.

Content & Pedagogy:
By allowing students to work in small groups during centers on this activity, it gives them the opportunity to learn from one another. One of the main reasons for this lesson is to correct the misconception that an apostrophe belongs at the end of every word that ends in a “s”. Therefore, with students working together, one student may be able to correct and explain reasoning to another student if they misuse the apostrophe.
 Also, by teaching using visuals in an interactive way, students are more likely to learn about apostrophes and improve their grammar in writing than if they completed paper and pencil activities. Students learn best with concrete, visual materials first before moving towards abstract ideas. I am a firm believer in collaboration, especially at the onset of new concepts and ideas. If I were to teach the content using a cognitive approach where students worked independently, all of the misconceptions about apostrophe placement may not be addressed.
 In terms of my choice of pedagogy, classroom space and the small groups that I already have during centers played a large part in my choice. By working in a small group, students can see and manipulate the screen up close. Also, there will only be 2 or 3 students collaborating at a time. Therefore a few students will not overpower the lesson while the rest of the class sits back and takes the credit. If I were to have the technology equipment, I may have done things differently. I may do this as a whole class lesson then have students work in small groups on several iPads to complete the activity portion of manipulating the sentences using correct apostrophe placement. In regards to the content that I chose, I have recently been assessing a lot of my students’ writing and this misconception of the apostrophe was one thing that I saw as unmastered by many. This lesson presents a better way of reaching my students and improving their writing.

Technology:
I will be using a Smart Board to teach this lesson because it works well for small groups to manipulate during centers and provides a means of offering an interactive lesson. Students can complete the lesson without teacher guidance because they are familiar with the technology. The screen is large enough for a group to all view the content at once and gives them space to interactively manipulate the screen without anyone being pushed to the side. This technology is not absolutely necessary to teach the content, however it does provide for a deeper understanding and gives students a sense of ownership over their work. The technology allows students to manipulate the apostrophes, reread the sentence, and easily rearrange the sentence and apostrophe placement depending on how the sentence sounds. It gives students a sense of pride because they have the opportunity for trial and error. I will not see erased marks on a paper, but merely the final placement of the apostrophes in the sentences.

Technology & Pedagogy:
The Smart Board works well with a small group to manipulate during centers. The screen is large enough for a group of students to all view the content at once and gives them space to interactively manipulate the screen without being pushed to the side. While using the Smart Board, students will be able to collaborate and discuss the placements of the apostrophes in the sentences. In terms of the Social Constructivist learning theory, students will be able to work together and share ideas easily using a Smart Board. The ideas that students share about the sentences will influence one another and scaffold one another’s learning. Also, each student will take turns manipulating the apostrophes instead of other group work where one child writes and the others feed information to that child. By using a Smart Board in the small group, each student will feel like they have just as much importance as everyone else because everyone will be involved equally.

Technology & Content:
The Smart Board helps teach the big ideas of using correct apostrophe placements by allowing students to physically manipulate sentences to make them grammatically correct. Students will be able to move the apostrophes into the correct places and reread the sentences to see if they make sense. The use of this technology livens up the content, making it more engaging and hands-on.

Assessment:
I want my students to know where apostrophes go in sentences and why they go where they do. In order for my students to understand this, they must understand what contractions and possessions are. I will know whether or not my students know this based on the sentences that they create using the Smart Board after manipulating the apostrophes into the correct places. I will assess whether my students have learned the concept based on their Smart Board final sentences and also in their future writing. If students have truly learned this concept, I should be able to see correct contractions and possessives within their writing in the future. This will show that they carried over the grammar concepts learned in this lesson into everyday writing. I will also assess whether or not students still misuse the apostrophe in their writing. Ultimately, putting apostrophes into the correct places should become a natural practice. The technology allows me to go back and view how each group manipulated their sentences. If I were to do this using paper and pencil, students may lose their paper, copy off of other groups, or simply not complete the task. The Smart Board plays a key role in this lesson being effective and meaningful for my students.

CEP 800 Student Understanding Digital Story

CEP 800 Student Understanding Podcast

Student Understanding of the Water Cycle on Audacity

Wicked Problem Project

Problem:  The educational need that I addressed in my classroom was the lack of reading comprehension that my students have.  Year upon year, students have a problem with remembering what they have read.  This is very important for both their ability to retain knowledge as well as for standardized reading assessments that students are required to take. 


Solution:  My solution was to incorporate digital storytelling into my classroom.  Furthermore, students chose one of our weekly stories that the whole class has read to focus on and were put into groups based on their choice.  Students also chose the character in that story that they wanted to represent.  Giving students choice builds interest level and motivation.  Each group spent about two weeks planning, practicing, and recording themselves acting out and retelling the story of choice.  With parent consent, I videotaped with a Flip Video Camera.  Then the whole class watched the video.  Students were engaged in this activity as they each got their own role as well as an audience to perform for. 


TPACK:

PT: The technology of videotaping using a Flip Video Camera and iMovie to edit support my holistic approach to reading comprehension.  Furthermore, by acting out and retelling a story, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic students benefit.  Students benefited from the technology by watching their own group’s video as well as the videos of other groups.  This boosted comprehension of all stories for all students who watched the videos.  The technology in this solution provided an audience for the students’ work, which enhanced motivation.  Students took part in cooperative and active learning through the use of technology in order to meet their learning goal. 

TC: The technology of videotaping and playing students’ videos increased student motivation to meet the content goals.  When students knew that they had an audience and would be videotaping their group’s story, students worked together to make sure they retold their story accurately and thoughtfully.  Students wanted to present themselves well in front of their peers.  The technology was an incentive for students to accurately retell the story and represent this comprehension through the video. Without the technology, the task would be boring, as students would simply retell what they have read aloud.  Incorporating technology made the task more meaningful and got students participating in a cooperative, interactive activity.

PC: My pedagogical choices livened up the content, which made the act of comprehension more enjoyable.  Instead of just retelling the story components aloud to the class, students worked in groups to interactively retell the story.  Students are recreated the scenery, characters, and plot, which caused them to think deeply about the story in order to depict the story accurately.  If they were simply retelling a story aloud, students may have skipped over important details, but when acting out the story with other classmates, they were more conscious of each part of the story and how it all fit together. Students were actually a part of the story instead of just an outside observer.  

Professional Learning Plan

View at Screencast.com

Transcript:

My Professional Learning Plan by Abbie Bucska CEP 812 Fall 2011

Some of the goals that I set for myself this past summer in CEP 810 I have accomplished.  These include differentiating my instruction using technology, creating a Diigo bookmarking page, and incorporating movie making into the classroom.  The Diigo page that I created for my classroom offers students suggestions for websites that students can go to at home to play games and learning activities that go along with what we are learning in the classroom.  I used movie making to improve reading comprehension through my Wicked Problem Project and for video taping the student who wins our classroom poetry race each week.

Other goals that I have accomplished are using Jing to capture images and record audio, using Survey Monkey to question students, using Text 2 Mind Map to gather thoughts while brainstorming, and becoming familiar with a web conferencing tool like Adobe Connect.

After taking this course, I now have several professional goals for myself as a teacher.  I would like to incorporate student blogging into my classroom to boost my students’ use of technology and collaboration.  I would also like to use Audacity to record students reading or speaking to create podcasts in order to meet the needs of auditory learners.  Lastly, I would like to implement virtual pen pals in my classroom using a web conferencing tool like Skype or Adobe Connect.  I have a friend who teaches in Honduras who would be interested in starting this pen pal system with my class in Michigan.

I also have some new personal goals for myself.  I would like to take what I have learned and continue to learn about technology and share it with my coworkers perhaps at a staff meeting or teacher inservice day.  I also want to learn how to write a grant to obtain more technology for my students.  Lastly, as an ongoing goal I would like to continue to expand my Personal Learning Network.  I could do this by taking advantage of MACUL Space or Linked In more often than I do now.

My next steps include taking advantage of my Personal Learning Network that I have begun to create, researching on the 21 Things For Teachers site, continuing my Master’s Degree in the Educational Technology program at Michigan State University, and learning how to write a grant. 

Here are some different ways that I can utilize my Personal Learning Network!

Group Leadership Project

Adobe Connect Virtual Pen Pals Tutorial

We used Adobe Connect to deliver our tutorial.  We chose Adobe Connect because it doubled as the tool we were teaching about and our means of recording.  This gives viewers a first hand example of how the software can be used in the classroom.  We also included an example of how a pen pal interaction could be done using Adobe Connect.  Virtual pen pals could also conference using Skype, which is a popular web conferencing tool.  However, we wanted to broaden our web conferencing knowledge, as well as that of our viewers.

This project took a lot of thought and planning.  We worked together very well to develop a Google presentation to use while web conferencing.  We also created a detailed script that we would follow that went along with each slide on the presentation.  Since we had planned so much beforehand, I did not think the actual project would take very long.  I thought it would take less than an hour to run through as practice and then record.  However, we had some technical difficulties, so it took about 2 hours to complete.   I learned how I need to be patient with technology.  At first, I could not hear Jessica in Adobe Connect, but she could hear me.  We tried a few things and then luckily she had another set of speakers which worked.  However, then there was a delay in time from when I spoke and when Jessica could hear me.  We tried many things before deciding to move on.  We recorded two different sessions before we were happy.

If I had to do a similar project, I would use Skype.  Although Adobe Connect worked well for web conferencing, there was not only a delay in my voice for Jessica, but also a delay in the things that I shared on my screen that I noticed when I watched our final recording.  When I pulled up different websites, they came up fine when we were recording, but for some reason Adobe Connect did not register them as quickly for the screen share recording.  Also, my voice still lagged on the recording.  Since I recorded it from my computer, I do not think this should have happened.  Adobe Connect should have recorded what was going on from what I could hear on my end.  It did not do this satisfactorily.  Next time, I would use Skype because that is the software that most educators would use for their students.  Therefore, this project may hold more meaning and be more beneficial for fellow educators.

WPP Part D - Findings and Implications

Formative: Did the project get implemented as planned?

The project was implemented as planned.  Students were very excited to work on their scripts and film their videos.  Students showed great strides in their comprehension.  Through my observations, students were able to retell the story when writing the script in their group.  Each student focused on their character when retelling the story and coming up with the script.  Overall, they excelled in retelling each story.

Summative: Evidence of success in addressing the problem of practice
When I assess students’ reading levels again using the DRA in January, I expect students to score better on the comprehension portion of the assessment.  For now, I was able to see growth through the activities that I do with my guided reading groups.  Students are taking more time to look at pictures, make connections, make predictions, and retell stories than they did before we completed this activity.

How would you approach another project of this type differently given what you’ve learned here?
Next time, I would attempt creating a green screen and inserting the video into a background when editing.  That way, the movies would be more realistic and visually appealing.  I would have the students help me pick the correct setting that would match the story to use for the movie.  Everything else was planned out and implemented well.  If I did not have our story time to pull the group from, I would have to film in front of the rest of this class.  This may be more difficult as I would have to be sure that they all stayed quiet while the group was filming.

What are the lessons learned that others might benefit from knowing about?
Next time, I would not tell the students that we would work every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday during story time.  Things come up and sometimes I was not able to work with the group at that time.  I planned on each group taking about a week, but in reality, each group took about 2 weeks to work with because it did not work out everyday.  As teachers, we know that we need to be flexible, but sometimes students have a difficult time understanding why the schedule must change. 

Also, I learned that the first time that you record, the video would most likely not be perfect.  There may be interruptions or students who forget when to speak or what to say.  This was frustrating at first, but then I thought about how many times actors practice and film scenes in real movies.  My students are not perfect and it is okay if it takes several tries before the video runs smoothly.

In what ways will you endeavor to do the same project again, and what will you change or not do?
I will definitely continue creating videos in my classroom.  My students were very motivated when they knew that they would have an audience for their work! I would, however, take more time to devote to one video and not do one right after the other.  By filming during story time, I am sacrificing some of my prep time.  Therefore, next time I would give myself a few weeks in between working with groups.  Also, I may try to do a whole class video where some students represent props or additional characters that may not be in the original story.  Students could also act out different commercials before or after the story.  With these options, along with a curtain person, director, and other behind the scene roles, all students could be involved in the process at once!

Part B - Storyboard and Script

Storyboard and Script

On our Google presentation, if you click on the Speaker Notes icon on the bottom right side of the screen, you can view our script of what will be said and who will say what.

Jessica is a great partner to work with on this project.  Despite family emergencies, I believe that we both did an equal part on this project so far.  I set up the slides and the speaker notes, she did research and added more meat to the slides.  We both formatted the slides and added graphics to make it visually appealing.

For the final portion of this project, we will both be speaking.  We will alternate reading the slides and when we do our example of how virtual pen pals can work, I will speak as if I am from Interlaken, Switzerland and she will speak as if she is from Los Angeles, California.

Mobile Learning

Poll Everywhere

My students are in 2nd grade and do not have cell phones.  Therefore, I created a poll and sent it to several of my friends who are teachers around the country.  I asked teachers, "What technology do you use most often in the classroom?"  I did not want to send it to the teachers at my school, because we all have just about the same technology.  Out of the 7 responses that I got, the majority of teachers use an interactive whiteboard in their classrooms.

The poll image is embedded above and can also be found at: http://www.polleverywhere.com/multiple_choice_polls/MTQ4NzA5MDE5Nw

Classroom 2.0

I replied to a discussion about the implementation of using cell phones in instruction.  My post can be found at: Classroom 2.0 Post

Through my mobile learning explorations, I explored the flip video camera and the Poll Everywhere tools.  

I plan to use flip video cameras in my classroom to create students movies.  Right now, I use a camera to record videos, but it would be much easier for me and more worthwhile for the students if I had student flip video cameras for them to use to record and upload the videos themselves.  I could also use the flip video cameras to help with assessments.  I could record a student's actions or thoughts and later refer back to it for my records.  I like the Poll Everywhere tool, but my students do not have cell phones.  I think that a great way of implementing this tool would be for me to send a poll to parents about different activities or questions pertaining to the classroom.  Then, since most parents have a cell phone, I could easily get parent response without having to call or wait for a note back from each parent.  

Mobile learning in an elementary classroom is challenge, especially in my district where technology is not the highest priority.  I do not see our district purchasing flip video cameras, ipods, or cell phones for student use.  However, I am now more inspired to learn how to write a grant in hopes to get some of these resources.  I am also inspired to try the Poll Everywhere feature with my parents.  I would be interested to see the response that I get and how it would catch on!

WPP Part C Implementation

WPP Implementation Podcast

Part A - Brainstorm Session

Our brainstorming session:  http://remc.adobeconnect.com/p3yw1z9eg9h/

My group used Adobe Connect as our web conferencing tool.  We tried Vyew during the web conferencing lab, but decided that Adobe Connect would be a better fit.  Adobe Connect was user friendly and we were able to record the session very easily.  

One advantage of using web conferencing to discuss this project is the ease of talking back and forth with your group instead of having to wait for emails to be sent back and forth.  Web conferencing for group projects is very efficient, especially with online courses, enabling us to collaborate from home.  This is also helpful because you not only can read what your group members are typing, but you can also see them and hear what they are saying. 

A disadvantage of using web conferencing to discuss this project is the need to meet online at the same time.  With a big group, this could be difficult for people to meet online at the same time, especially when people are in different time zones.  Also, it may be difficult to meet and record without any distractions from people in your house or workplace...or even trains that go by outside (like in our session).  

Web Conferencing Lab

Jessica and I used vyew.com for our web conference.  We spent an hour in the room using the different features and getting to know each other since we will be doing our project together.  I did not particularly care for Vyew for the purposes that I would use it for.  I would like to use web conferencing for a virtual pen pal system with my class and another class in a different state or country.  Vyew had a very small window for the web cameras so you could barely see the people you were meeting with.  However, the chat feature was nice because you can read what is typed and hear the people that you are conferencing with.  I also liked how Vyew synced with my Google account so I did not have to create another login or download anything.

We both uploaded photos, created post it notes, text boxes, shapes, and drawings on the same screen.  You could also upload documents or screenshots to the shared screen.  Vyew seemed like a great tool to use as a virtual SmartBoard in a classroom.  It was easy to write, add photos, and make drawings.  However, it would have been easier to draw with a stylus.  Students could also use Vyew as a storyboard to draw out and plan group projects.  It is easy to see what others are adding on the screen and add onto it yourself at the same time!

Jessica was able to share her screen, but it would not let me share mine.  A window popped up for me to allow the action, but then it did not do anything even after Jessica made me an administrator.  I made several attempts at doing this.  I even left the room and came back, but it still did not work.  Also, we were not able to find a poll feature.  The tutorial did not mention it and it did not appear in any of the menus or options.

Next time, I would use a different web conferencing tool.  I do not have much experience with Skype so I would be interested in using that to carry out virtual pen pals in my classroom.  If I were to try Vyew again, I would try creating the room myself to test if I would be able to share my screen as the creator.  Overall, this was a great experience and I learned a lot about web conferencing.  I now know what features I would like to have if using this in my classroom, which helps me narrow down a particular software to use.

Screen shot of chat feature and the message I got when trying to share my screen.

Uploaded photo, text feature, draw feature, post it note feature

Jessica sharing her screen with me.

Uploaded and overlapped own photos in same area; added shapes

 

WPP Part B Application of TPACK

Technology and Pedagogy

The technology of videotaping using a Flip Video Camera and iMovie to edit support my holistic approach to reading comprehension.  Furthermore, by acting out and retelling a story, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic students will benefit.  Not only will I model and explain how to retell a story, but also students will be carrying this out in an interactive way.  Students will benefit from the technology by watching their own group’s video as well as the videos of other groups.  This will boost comprehension of all stories for all students who watch the videos.  The technology in this solution provides an audience for the students’ work, which enhances motivation.  Students will take part in cooperative and active learning through the use of technology in order to meet their learning goal. 

Technology and Content

The technology of videotaping and playing students’ videos increases student motivation to meet the content goal of understanding what students have read.  When students know that they have an audience and will be videotaping their group’s story, students will work together to make sure they retell their story accurately and thoughtfully.  Students want to present themselves well in front of their peers.  The technology is an incentive for students to accurately retell the story and represent this comprehension through the video. Without the technology, the task would be boring, as students would simply retell what they have read aloud.  Incorporating technology makes the task more meaningful and gets students participating in a cooperative and interactive activity.

Pedagogy and Content

My pedagogical choices liven up the content, making the act of comprehension more enjoyable.  Comprehension is important to ensure students understood what was read.  Instead of just retelling the story components aloud to the class, students are working in groups to interactively dissect and retell the story.  Students are recreating the setting, characters, and plot, causing them to think deeply about the story in order to depict the story accurately.  If simply retelling a story aloud, students may skip over important details, but when acting out the story with other classmates, they are more conscious of each part of the story and how it all fits together. Students will actually be a part of the story instead of just an outside observer.  

Part A - Description of Need or Opportunity

Educational Need
I am looking to address the lack of reading comprehension that my students have. Year upon year, students have a problem with remembering what they have read. This is very important for both their ability to retain knowledge as well as for standardized reading assessments that students are required to take.

Plan to Address Issue
I plan to address this educational issue by incorporating digital storytelling into my classroom.  Furthermore, students will choose one of our weekly stories that the whole class has read to focus on and they will be put into groups based on their choice.  Students will also choose the character in that story that they would like to represent.  Giving students choice builds interest level and motivation.  Each group will have a week to plan, practice, and record themselves acting out and retelling the story of choice.  I will be videotaping with a Flip Video Camera.  Then the whole class will watch the video.  This will not only cause the group to summarize the weekly story, but will also show a fun video summarizing the story to the other students in the class.  Students will be engaged in this activity as they each get their own role as well as an audience to perform for.  

Logistics
Everyday we have a half hour time block where the classroom teachers rotate reading aloud to the entire 2^nd grade.  Therefore, on the days when it is not my turn to read (Wednesday is my day), I will pull the group who is working on their video to collaborate about their story back in my classroom.  Once finished planning, I will film the video of the group retelling the story that the whole class has read.   Depending on the story, the video may need to be filmed outside or in a particular area of the school.  In order to keep students on track, I will have them discuss the story on Monday, write the script on Tuesday, practice on Thursday, and I will film it on Friday.  If necessary, I wlll edit the movie over the weekend and show it to the class the following Monday afternoon.  I will continue this strategy until each group has filmed their story.  Therefore, every student in my class will have an opportunity to be in a video.  If I find that this method has worked well in improving comprehension, I may choose to do a 2^nd or even 3^rd round of retelling and videotaping new stories.  Parents filled out a photo consent form at the beginning of the year so I will be able to take photographs for my future blogging for this project. 

Research
There were five websites that were especially helpful in guiding my project.   Four of these resources pertain to digital storytelling for reading comprehension, while the fifth source is an iMovie tutorial that will help me implement my project.  I found studies that showed an increase in motivation when collaboratively using educational technologies in the classroom (Coiro, 2003 and Heo, 2009).  This helped affirm my idea of using digital storytelling in small groups.  Furthermore, the RAND Reading Study Group described the significance of teaching reading comprehension through a social activity (Coiro, 2003).  With the incorporation of video creation, students obtain a deeper sense of purpose for their work as they are performing for an audience.  According to Heo (2009), integrating technology into my teaching increases authenticity and will also give students a sense of ownership over what they are learning.

I learned that my idea was worth trying.  Using digital storytelling gives students purpose and motivation.  It also is a holistic approach that reaches visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.  When researching, I used both Google and ProQuest through the MSU Library website.  I got the best results when using as specific words as possible.  For example, when I searched for “benefits reading comprehension digital storytelling,”  I got better results than when searching for “digital storytelling comprehension.”  Next time, I would start with the scholarly journals found on ProQuest through the MSU Library website.  Here you can search for full-text articles that relate to your inquiry.  I spent a lot of wasted time weeding through Google search results.  Also, ProQuest automatically highlights the words that are contained in your search to make it easy to find what you are looking for.

Coiro, Julie. "Reading Comprehension on the Internet: Expanding Our Understanding of Reading Comprehension to Encompass New Literacies." Welcome to Reading Online. (2003). Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://www.readingonline.org/electronic/elec_index.asp?href=/electronic/rt/2-03_column/index.html>.

Heo, Misook. "Digital Storytelling: An Empirical Study of the Impact of Digital Storytelling on Pre-Service Teachers' Self-Efficacy and Dispositions Towards Educational Technology." Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia 18.4 (2009): 405,405-428. ProQuest Research Library. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://search.proquest.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/docview/194003047/fulltextPDF/1321353AD93253736F7/15?accountid=12598>.

"IMovie 2 Training - Atomic Learning." Atomic Learning – Education: Professional Development, Technology Integration and Software Training and Support Solutions - Atomic Learning. Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://www.atomiclearning.com/imovie2x.shtml>.

Marfilius, Scott and Fonner, Kelly. “Using Technology to Support Reading Comprehension.” (2007). Web. 25 Sept. 2011.
<http://www.scottmarfilius.com/uploads/Reading_Comprehension_3HR_HO-print.pdf>.

Sherman, Diana, Glenn Kleiman, and Kirsten Peterson. "Technology and Teaching Children to Read." NEIRTEC - Northeast and the Islands Regional Technology in Education Consortium. (2004). Web. 27 Sept. 2011. <http://www.neirtec.org/reading_report/report.htm>.

Plan for Implementation
I plan to implement at least 2 videos/groups during this course.  Depending on how many characters are in each story and how many students choose each story, the group sizes will differ.  Therefore, there will be about 2-4 more groups creating and filming their videos after the course is over.  My goal is to finish one group per week, but this may change once I have a sense of how my students will handle this and if we have any school-wide activities that will disrupt our process.  It may end up taking two weeks for a group. 

Indicators of Success
As an immediate assessment I will view the videos and assess whether or not students actually retold and summarized the story accurately.  When assessing the group videos I will use a rubric that I created on Rubistar.  I will show students this rubric before we begin the project so students know what is expected of them.  The 4-component rubric that I created includes:  comprehension and accuracy of what is being retold, awareness of audience and point of view, conversational style voice, and voice pacing.  Students will not only benefit from the comprehension end of this project, but also fluency and speaking/listening skills will be practiced. 

In regards to comprehension and using the retelling/summarizing strategy, students must retell the story accurately with appropriate characters and props (if used) in order to gain full credit for that component. This comprehension component is the most important piece that I will be looking at as I assess my students and the effectiveness of this teaching strategy.  If students do poorly on this component, but do well on the other components, I will know that this digital storytelling strategy did not meet my goal of improving my students’ reading comprehension.   

The student growth will not only be measured during and immediately after the videos, but also throughout the year.  When I implement weekly reading comprehension activities as well as trimester reading assessments, I will assess whether or not students’ comprehension has improved.  This serves as a summative assessment.  One of my guided reading groups is grouped based on comprehension support so I will refer back to the videos and assess my students’ learning through my observations during guided reading. This serves as a formative assessment.

RubiStar Home. Web. 03 Oct. 2011. <http://rubistar.4teachers.org>.

 

Video Bio

Video Bio

A Funny Thing Happened With Technology

A Funny Thing

CEP 811 Final Reflection

I have grown so much in these past 8 weeks. There are many ideas and technologies that I have learned that I will definitely bring into the classroom. For example, I learned about StAIR projects, WebQuests, and incorporating UDL into my lesson plans, all of which I will now incorporate into my teaching. I have learned how to incorporate different teaching strategies using technology into my lessons in order to better meet the needs of my students. Furthermore, I learned about voice recordings, like vozMe, that can benefit auditory learners or even nonreaders. I have learned how to embed images on webpages and create visually appealing resources, like my Fraction Fundamentals StAIR project, that support what students have already been learning. I know that I cannot incorporate every learning style and teaching strategy into each lesson, but with the use of technology, I have learned better ways to meet my students needs.

Many of the technologies that I learned were web-based, like the WebQuests and webpages that I created, in addition to all of the UDL resources that Melissa shared with us. There are some great resources on the web, like vozMe, UDL Book Builder, ABCya!, Glogster, and Blabberize. Being aware of these many online tools will help me while lesson planning and deciding which tool will best benefit my students for a particular lesson.

By taking this course along with CEP 810, I am on my way to achieving my personal technology goals. My ultimate goal was to learn about new technologies that I can incorporate into my teaching to better differentiate instruction to meet the needs of my students. The resources that I have learned and created in this class have definitely put me in the right direction. Now that I am familiar with many new technologies, my new goal is to actually implement these in the classroom through my teaching and also to learn MORE! I will utilize some of what I have learned this fall and hope to continue to learn more throughout the remainder of the MAET courses. I am registered to take CEP 812 in the fall and am eager to learn more ways to incorporate technology into my teaching! With more practice and experimentation, I will become more comfortable with using technology in my teaching. This course has increased my excitement of beginning a new school year and continuing on with my own professional development.

Personal Learning Reflection

As an educator, I have grown tremendously from this course. I have learned new technologies such as blogging, RSS readers, social bookmarking, and social networking techniques that I can bring into the classroom. This was possible because of all portions of this course, especially the Explore section where I was able to experience the different technologies firsthand. It was helpful to explore several examples of each technology, for example, both Delicious and Diigo as social bookmarking sites, so I could best decide what would benefit my teaching and my students the most. As stated in my Personal Growth Plan, one of my goals was to better utilize technology in the classroom to further differentiate my instruction. I wanted to make my lessons more interesting and motivating with the use of technology. What I have learned so far in this course, including how to apply the Internet to my teaching, will definitely enable me to do so. In my school, the Internet is at our fingertips so I will have the resources to utilize what I have learned. These technologies open up opportunities to meet the needs of visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learners. Some will work better for certain lessons than others, but it was important to learn about various technologies so I can best decide what works best for which lessons.

The assignment that best exemplifies good teaching with technology is my SIG presentation. I believe that this assignment was beneficial as I collaborated with other teachers and also discovered a new technology to incorporate into my teaching. In my group, I learned how to better incorporate blogs into a classroom setting and how to embed student work, like videos and PowerPoints, onto the blogs. I believe that this is a great tool for teaching because it not only showcases student work and ideas, but allows for comments and collaboration, as well as the opportunity for parents to see their child’s work.

It would have been helpful to create more lessons and activities using different technologies that I can actually use in the classroom, but I know that I will use what I learned in this course to create technology-rich lessons in future courses and on my own. Perhaps if each SIG group created a lesson based on what they learned with their new technology, these lessons could be shared among the class. In this respect, the sharing of lessons using the NETS-S was helpful and provided a vast array of ideas that incorporate technology into the classroom.

I have made progress to my goal of learning new technologies that I can bring into my teaching, however I do not believe that this goal will ever be fully met. Furthermore, I plan to continue my professional development in technology and hope to always learn about different technologies that I can use and adapt to my own classroom. In our society, there will always be advanced versions of software and new medias coming out. I hope to keep up to date with the current technologies that will best meet my students’ needs.

Now after learning about new technologies that can be used in the classroom, my goal is to implement these through my teaching. I want to create technology-rich lessons that utilize what I have learned. I would like to start by utilizing blogs and RSS feeds into my teaching. I will also set up a Diigo page where my students can easily pull up resources and games to support their learning. In order to reach my new goals I will continue to take courses in the MAET program as well as utilize my Personal Learning Network that I began to create during this course. I must take the time to utilize my resources and teach my students how to use certain technologies, like blogs, before involving them in a particular assignment.

I look forward to starting the school year so that I can implement some of what I have learned and continue taking MAET courses to strengthen my knowledge in technology integration.

Online Teaching Experiences

In an elementary setting, I could use the Educational Blog as an online experience with my students. Blogs could be incorporated into any subject area. Students may blog about a book that they just read and comment on books that other students read or even record scientific observations on a blog. Furthermore, students may come up with mathematical story problems while other students solve these problems by commenting. Student writing may be published onto a blog for others to see. Using a blog opens up the doors for collaboration and allows students to showcase their work and ideas. Not only can students comment on each other's ideas, but teachers can comment as well as parents. Since this experience is online, parents can easily view their child's educational ideas and progress.

Teachers should have their own blog where they can model how a book report should look or how a story problem should be formated. This can be a place where students can look for examples and guidelines for different online blog post assignments. Also, a teacher may post a historic scenario, a math problem, a scientific discovery, or even an educational video that students may all comment on. In turn, this may develop an interesting discussion among the whole class.

Since I teach elementary school, I think that some of these online experiences would be difficult to use with my students. For example, a Learning Management System would be very complex for elementary students. I think that students need more practice using individual, basic technologies like Microsoft Office, blogs, and WebQuests before using a management system where many different experiences come together and are all used. This would be better in a high school setting to develop online skills to prepare students for what they may see in college. Also, the Career Planning Tools online experience would be unnecessary in an elementary setting. This type of experience would apply to high school students who are trying to figure out what to do in the future.