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Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Micro Lesson 3: Planing Assesment


How will your assessment tools demonstrate the performance of linked goals and/or objectives, student engagement in higher order thinking meeting individual student need? 

Assessment of the food pyramid will be accomplished through a rubric. Students will label a word document and then print it. After the document has been printed, student will cut and paste foods and categorize them according to the knowledge learned in the lesson. Their finalized document will be submit to the teacher for grading. Assessment for the BMI calculation will be completed in the same manor. Students will print their document and then clarify it with the teacher one-on-one, before moving on to the next activity. Teacher will use a checklist to evaluate student performance.  The rubric directly relates to the standards and assessment has to do with application of knowledge.

Date: _________________
Eating Right For Your Body
Assessment Rubric

Student Name:____________________________________________________
Objective
Further Skill Development Needed
Reaching Proficiency
Mastered Content
Given a blank template, students will be able to label the food groups on the new food pyramid and categorize a minimum of 2 foods for each food group, with 90% accuracy.
Name is on document

Less than 4 Food Groups are labeled Correctly

Stairs on Pyramid Side are Not Labeled

No Title

Less than 4 Food Groups  have 2 Images of a Corresponding Food that is Appropriate for that Category
Name is on document

At least 4-5 Food Groups are labeled Correctly

Stairs on Pyramid Side are Labeled Correctly

Document was Titled “Food Pyramid”

4 or more Food Groups  have 2 Images of a Corresponding Food that is Appropriate for that Category
Name is on document

All 6 Food Groups are labeled Correctly

Stairs on Pyramid Side are Labeled Correctly

Document was Titled “Food Pyramid”

Each food Group has 2 Images of a Corresponding Food that is Appropriate for that Category
Provided with a software internet program, student will be able to calculate their BMI index by accurately entering their personal data and interpreting a graph, with 90% accuracy.

Student Calculated BMI correctly

Student Data Did Not Appear Accurate

Student Was Not Able to Accurately Respond to Teachers Questions
Student Calculated BMI Correctly

Student Data Appears Accurate

Student Was Not  Able to Accurately Respond to Teachers Questions
Student Calculated BMI Correctly

Student Data Appears Accurate
Student Was Able to Accurately Respond to Teachers Questions


Teacher Initials: _________

Micro Lesson 3: Designing Instruction

Discuss how your instructional design is contextually and logically organized, uses varied instructional methods that meet individual student needs and target higher order thinking skills, aligns with research based understanding of technology integration.
  • The lesson is created on the concept of scaffolding. As the lesson progresses, the content builds off the previous skills developed. The lesson is a step-by-step process in which is easy to follow by students. Student first learn content, apply it in groups, independently practice it, and then test their level of knowledge on the topic. As the lesson develops, less supports are given to the student until they are able to use the content on their own for the future.
  • Higher order of thinking skills are used in HOTS questioning. These questions are opened ended and make children think about their responses on a deeper level. Also through the application of skills, children are using critical thinking to apply abstract concepts into real-life use. 
  • Technology is incorporated throughout the lesson. Content is provided as interactive software on the internet. For example, students use an interactive food pyramid to learn about the various food groups. By incorporating technology children can better gain knowledge because it is presented in visual and auditory ways that are adaptable to the students needs.This helps to reach more students because everyone learns differently. The more ways information is presented, the more students will comprehend the content.



    Micro Lesson 3: Plans Instruction

    How your goals, objectives, and outcomes are clearly stated, appropriate for students, aligned to state standards?
    • A topic was chosen based off nutrition. Then I found standards in which I wanted to build my lesson around. After finding standards, I thought of an activity that would be interactive for students to learn content with. Once I had an activity, I rewrote the standards to be measurable objectives in which are obtainable by 4th grade students.  All of these aspects kept building off one another developing the lesson further.

    Micro Lesson 3: Assessing Prior Knowledge

    How would prior experience have been assessed?
      • Teacher will asses prior knowledge through a Quickwrite and students will respond in their daily journals.Journals will be typed in a word document and images added to reflect their responses. Questions will include: What is your favorite food and why?,What does it mean to be healthy?,What do you know about the food pyramid?, and What does healthy look like to you?

      What would you expect to learn from assessing your students' prior knowledge?
      • I would expect to learn what they already know about the food pyramid. I also, would be gaining insight into their personal opinions and perceptions about health and societies image relating to it, as well as learning more about their interest such as their favorite food.
      How would this information be useful in the planning process?
      •  This information is useful because I can adapt my lesson according to what students need to learn and take out any content that they have already mastered. This also, helps to give me insight into how children today view weight/health and see if these perceptions have changed from when I was younger. As a teacher, I can also use their interests and incorporate them in the classroom to help motivate students.

      Saturday, April 23, 2011

      Equitable Access

      What are the differences between "technologies for learning" and "technologies for learners"?
      • This difference between the two refers to who dictates the technology use. "Technologies for learning support the interests of the technology designers." Whoever designs the lesson decides what technologies are going to be used to help reach goals. Technologies for learners allow the audience of the lesson to choose which technologies will best help to achieve success. "Technologies for learning are instructor-directed;  technologies for learners are client-directed. "

      In what ways does the current use of technology in school create both equitable and inequitable access for students?
      •  Technology helps to create equitable access to curriculum because it helps to adapt content to the students needs. It helps to individualize assignment and content to help cater to students strengths and weaknesses. It also can help make a student's weakness insignificant because it provides extra supports. While technology differentiate content for students, in other aspects it standardizes it. Every child is given the same materials for a lesson and the same output of information. For example, if a child was to go through a software program, it is not going to change from one child to the next and they are going to see the same information. Technology also typically incorpoartes a say, see, do technique. This helps to meet more students multiple intelligences helping to create equitable access.
      • Technology can also provide inequitable access to core content. Many times technology is accessible through the funds of money. This creates a divide in socioeconomic environments. The well off get extra supports and modern technology, while the poor communities do not have the resources to use to help their children. Also, some students use technologies because they have disabilities or an educational weakness. These technologies are used to help make them more comparable in academics to their typical peers. If the same technologies are provides to all students,  this may result in them still being perceived as behind others. 

        How would you change the current system?
        • I would educated teachers on the vast technological resources available to them.Teacher need to know what is out there for them to use in order for them to transpire that knowledge to their students.
        • Instead of providing the well-off communities with new updated technologies, take funds to buy poor communities to have even some sort of technological resources.
        • I would give students a say in the technologies that they are able to use instead of directing them to the ones the teacher wants them to. By implementing choice in the classroom, more students will be able to advocate for their needs.
        • I would also increase the frequency of technology use in the classroom.


        Source:
        https://vista.nau.edu/webct/urw/lc41830614054071.tp44562082975071/RelativeResourceManager/Template/develop/reflection/critanalyses/diverselearners/Halverson_Smith_How_New_Technologies.pdf

        Digital Age Best Practice

        Describe the original intent and activities of the lesson.
        • The original intent of the lesson was to teach children about nutrition. They were to learn about the new food pyramid, food groups, and about the appropriate weight for their age/height level through BMI calculations. In the end, I wanted the children to try and live more nutritiously with their new knowledge on health. 
        Describe how the digital age best practice will be used to modify the lesson.
        •  Digital age best practices will be incorporated through the use of digital age tools, personalizing to make authentic connections, and purposeful inquiry. Digital age tools, such as interactive websites, are incorporated into the lesson to make it more engaging for students and help keep their attention spans focused on academic tasks. The focus is not on the tools, but instead on the content. The tools just help to enhance the lesson. The lesson also has personalization characteristics to make content more relevant for students.  During the BMI calculations, they can take their own personal data to import into the software making content real because it will output information based on the individual student's characteristic. The data for one student will never be the same as data for another student. This lesson also introduces purposeful inquiry. During the lesson, students will apply higher order of thinking skills to apply knowledge and evaluate content.

        Describe how the use of the best practice will promote academic growth and personal meaning for your students.
        • Digital age best practices help to promote growth because they cater to the intellectual and social needs of students.  They help to develop a deeper level of understanding content because these practices help to captivate their interest and invoke critical thinking. By using the suggestions from the article, the teacher can use research base practices to help promote learning in the classroom. By incorporating personal meaning, you are reaching more students in the classroom, which will result in higher academic success.


        Source:
        https://vista.nau.edu/webct/urw/lc41830614054071.tp44562082975071/RelativeResourceManager/Template/develop/reflection/critanalyses/diverselearners/Digital_Age_Best_Practices.pdf

        Thursday, April 21, 2011

        Cyberbullying

        What is cyberbullying?
        • Cyberbullying is defined as the "willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices." Cyberbullying is intended and occurs over a period of time. These components makes the action bullying and not harassment. It can be verbal or non-verbal, direct or in-direct.
        How can cyberbullying adversely affect online learning activities?
        • Cyberbullying affects the emotional and social aspects of a child. Due to the developmental stages of a child, emotional stability takes control over other aspects. If the child is thinking about other situations, and does not feel safe and secure in the classroom, then he/she will not be able to focus to learn. Academics comes second to the child's overall well-being. Also, cyberbullying's social conflicts can cause tension in the classroom environment. Group work and collaboration assignments can become extremely stressful for a child. It is important to be aware of the dynamics of your classroom and put the child first, because academics will follow accordingly.

        How will you as a teacher protect your students from cyberbullying?
        • Establish a learning community where all children feel safe and secure
        • Have an open-door communication policy
        • Confidential Reporting Box
        • Set clear expectations of a Zero Tolerance Bullying Policy
        • No cell phones during school hours (Must be left in the cubby or checked at door)
        • Teach about tolerance and acceptance
        • Hold bystanders acountable
        • Have a set reporting policy step by step that is posted in the classroom


        What would you do if you encountered a case of cyberbullying?
        • Question both parties
        • Exemplify disappointment 
        • Ensure safety of all students
        • Collect evidence if necessary
        • Follow school procedure
        • Revoke technology access because it is a privliage 
        • Document the behavior
        • Call parents
        • Re-establish classroom relations through discussion
        • Teach whole-class lesson on bullying
        • Provide counseling opportunities if necessary for the victim

        Preparing for Online Interactions

        My thoughts and additional rules about online etiquette.
        • Online etiquette is very important in this modern age of technology. Our personal face-to-face relationships are diminishing and indirect contact through text and email are our focus of communication. There is no such thing as pragmatics with the use of communicative technology and we strictly reflect off of words instead of how they are conveyed. Online communication tends to reflect speech and lack of formality. Professionalism, and communicative respect are usually not taken into consideration when relaying information online. Online etiquette is a very important topic that affects all individuals in the 21st century. It is a skill that should be valued, yet is rarely taught. Youth around the world needs to be educated about how to communicated effectively online to make themselves more marketable to society and maintain relationships without the efficiency of personal interaction.

        The rules or ideas from websites that wouldn't be meaningful in my classroom. What are they and why?

        • After reading both article, I feel that ALL the rules and suggestions could be implemented into the classroom to help students improve upon their online etiquette. I do not see one that in invaluable because many of them pertain to respect of others, accountability, and self-reflection which are all concepts students can utilize in real-world scenarios.

        The rules my students will be required to follow in my class.


      • Adapt your language. I like the concept of Toning Down Your Language. The article on online etiquette stated, "given the absence of face-to-face clues, written text can easily be misinterpreted. Avoid the use of strong or offensive language and the excessive use of exclamation points." I believe that this is an important concept to reflect on because people strictly interpret word for word what you type. It is important to note not to use sarcasm and be aware of your audience. Adapt your language to the person you are writing to including vocabulary, tone, and fluency.




      • Review and Revise. What you type is a reflection on who your are and the type of work you are capable of. I also see a lot of value in clarifying your speech. It is important to re-read what you write and reflect upon how things are worded. Because there is the lack of personal relationships in online communication, it is important to be clear and concise in trying to get your point across. Also, double check spelling.




      • Respect is required. Make sure you are respectful in what you type and the language you use. Bullying, harassment, or curse words are unacceptable and there could be consequences.




      • No Netspeak in the classroom. Online language and in-person language are different. Do not confuse the two. Netspeak in acronyms is acceptable in informal online speech and should not be used in conversations, formal email,  handwriting or with adults.


      •  Be Accountable for Your Actions. Once something is typed, it is documented and can be used against you because it is considered physical evidence.




      • Sources:
        http://online.uwc.edu/technology/onlEtiquette.asp
        http://digitallabz.com/blogs/the-11-rules-of-social-media-etiquette.html

        Wednesday, April 20, 2011

        Micro Lesson 2 Assesmnet Reflection

        Assessment of Learning:

        • Describe the evidence you have that indicate your students' level of success in achieving the lessons goals the level of success you had in teaching the lesson.
        Students level of success was  measured by them apply their skills and transferring knowledge learned into a document. This document was then evaluated with a set "black and white" checklist to see if specific criteria was met. From the information gained through this assessment, it was determined that all students met the objectives and mastered the content of the lesson, showing the effectiveness of it's design.
        • How do your individual reflections support this?
        Reflecting on my own teaching practices helped me to improve my skills for future lessons. It allows me to see my strengths and weaknesses and then work to improve my teaching ability  to meet the needs of all my students.
        • How do the comments from your classmates support this?
        Through the results from the survey, it was determined that the lesson was successful in meeting the criteria that I was looking for in my own teaching practices. Students evaluated all aspects of the lesson with 5/5 demonstrated that it was effective and enjoyable.





        Date: _________________

        Friendly Letter
        Assessment Checklist

        Student Name:____________________________________________________


        Objective:
        Given a letter template, students will be able to execute a friendly letter written to a classmate with the 5 major parts (Heading Date, Greeting, Body, Closing, Signature) tailored to the person addressed in the letter, with 80% accuracy.




        •     Heading (date is identifiable and in the upper-right corner)
        •     Greeting (salutation is appropriate, under heading, and is left justified)
        •     Body (3+ sentences, indented paragraph, and positive comment)
        •     Closing (valediction is appropriate, under body, and right indented)
        •     Signature (name is spelled correctly, slightly indented from the closing)
        •     Commas (comma is used after the greeting and closing)


        Total: ______ /6 = ______%   

        Circle one:                         Did not Meet Objective                 Met Objective

        Objective: Provided with a software internet program, student will be able to create a friendly letter, while navigating through the software tutorial, and print 1 original friendly letter, with 80% accuracy.


        •     Student was able to open the URL bookmarked on the internet
        •     Printed typed letter was submitted
        •     No sections left blank from command prompts
        •     Boarder was added around document
        •     Student did not ask the teacher more than 1 question on how to navigate the tutorial


        Total: ______ /5 = ______%   

        Circle one:                         Did not Meet Objective                 Met Objective


        Teacher Initials: _________
         

        Micro Lesson 2 Instruction Decisions/Teaching

        Instructional Decisions/Teaching: 
        • What you did and learned from the teaching/facilitating process?
        I learned that planning lessons is very time consuming. You can not assume that the resources you are planning on using are readily available and easy to find. We sometimes use the internet as a crutch for pre-made things by other people, but many times these materials are not up to our standards or exactly what we planned on using for.
        • How was  alignment to goals and objectives was maintained?
        Goals and objectives were maintained by students because in the beginning of the lesson they were stated and made aware to all students. Throughout the lesson, stduents were reminded of these key points and then were able to evaluate if they accomplished them through their application of knowledge.
        • What modifications were made for individual needs?
        In this particular situation, not many modifications were needed based on stduents skills and abilities. Students were given the option use the technology or hand print the materials based on their preferences.

        Micro Lesson 2 Planning Assesment

        How will your assessment tools demonstrate the performance of linked goals and/or objectives student engagement in higher order thinking meeting individual student needs?
        • Assessment was given based on application of skills learned in the lesson. Application is one of the higher order of thinking skills on Bloom's Taxonomy. After student were taught the parts of a friendly letter in detail, they were able to create one based on their writing skills and content acquired. This helped to demonstrate the skills and objectives because students were able to print the document and submit for evaluation. The teacher was then able to evaluate if all the letter parts were included in the correct place and if the child was able to met the technology requirements.


        Micro Lesson 2 Designing Instruction

        Designing Instruction:
        • How your instructional design contextually and logically organized?
          • Design of this lesson was created in a step by step processes. Each section builds off prior ones so information is sequential. In the beginning of the lesson, the teacher is doing most of the lesson engagement in teaching students content. As the lesson progresses, the teacher gradually fades from being the focus of the lesson and students begin to take over to be actively engaged in content and apply the knowledge they learned.
        • How your instructional design use varied instructional methods that meet individual student needs and target higher order thinking skills?
          • The technologies used in the lesson helped to accommodate a variety of students. Instruction was differentiated through multiple intelligences including visual, auditory, and kenesthetic. This helps to meet more students strengths for them to be successful in the lesson. Examples of accommodations include: 
         

        ·      Objective can be reduced in quantity for students with special needs.
        ·      The computer software program provides text and visuals of all content in an interactive way. ESL students, at-risk students and students with disabilities can better understand content by seeing, and using the content interactively. This method helps to cater to many multiple intelligences.
        ·      Assistive technology such as of text to speech tools can be used to make up for the lack of auditory information on software programs and handouts. This tool can be used with all instructional material and cater to children with auditory strengths or ESL individuals looking to learn the English language with vocabulary.
        ·      Computer is equip with ready to use assistive technology tools and is capable of enlarging print, volume control, text to speech capability, etc.
        ·      In the computer software program, there are additional activities that gifted students can complete if they finish their assignments early, to deepen their knowledge of the material. There are also additional assignments that are optional and not required to complete if a student finishes their work early.


          • How your instructional design aligns with research based understanding of technology integration?
            • Technology was used to enhance the learning for the child, and help bring to life the concepts in the lesson. It helped to incorporate all students into the lesson and  make the lesson engaging for stduents. These days kids are surrounded by the fast pace of media, and incorporating some of that media technology into lessons helps to keep childrens' attention on task.