Ways to Use Computers in Schools

Ways to Use Computers in Schools

As a new teacher I want to identify ways of using computers in the school system to help students.  Both new teachers and experienced teachers alike sometimes do not know all of the different ways of using computers to help their students.  Teachers can benefit from finding out different ways to use them.  I believe that computers can be used to help both your average student and also your special needs student. 

In this paper I will look into ways of using computers to help students with their education.  It will include both average students and also special needs students.  I believe that computers can be used to benefit all students no matter their learning situation.  I hope to determine ways to do this. 

This study will be done within the Goose Creek CISD school system.  It is going to be done at different elementary schools within the system.  This school system is located in Baytown, Texas.  In GCCISD 63% of the students are eligible for the free or reduced lunch program (CISD, 2010).  This is above the state average.  This was in the year 2010.  According to the GCCISD 2009-2012 E-Rate year 12 plan the district’s percentage of disadvantaged students is 60.10% (York, 2009).

I will be doing this through my employment within the district.  Some of this project will be done through a student teaching assignment.  The remainder of the project will be done through both an internship with the technology department and also through my substitute teacher job.  Because of my ability to go from one school to another I believe I will be able to work with a large population of students.  I believe this will help me to find the most ways of helping the students as possible.

I am learning that as a new teacher I am not aware of the different ways of helping students learn using the computers that are available in the school district.  I have also seen that other teachers do not always know how to use the computers to help the students.  Teachers including myself need to know the most effective ways of using these computers.

While doing this research project I hope to find effective ways for teachers to allow students to use computers in the school.  I am hoping to find websites and also computer programs that will benefit elementary school students.  I hope to include ways of using the computers to help special needs students.

This can be a significant study.  It can be of great benefit to new teachers like me who have not had much experience in the classroom.  However, it can also benefit experienced teachers who may not know the different ways of using computers.  If this study helps teachers it will benefit the students also.  This is because the students will be able to use the websites and programs and learn more information than they would have learned without them.

According to the Goose Creek CISD E-Rate Plan there is at least one computer for every four students (York, 2009).  In the year 2011-2012 the district is supposed to be working toward 2:1 student computer ratio.  The district also has internet available in every classroom (York, 2009). 

Computer use in the classroom has become a popular method of teaching in schools.  Some believe that this could be because software has gotten cheaper.  Also the programmers are able to make multidimensional programs that include real time interaction (Michael, 2001).  Sometimes there are limitations that keep technology from being used in the classroom.  One of those limitations is a “teachers’ lack of technology skills and knowledge of pedagogical methods and approaches  (Vrasidas & Kyriakou, 2008).  This is the reason I have chosen this particular research project. 

Computers can also be used in special education classrooms.  Some may think that they would not help special needs children, however they can be beneficial.  There is computer software that is easy to use.  It can also be easily adjusted to the skill level each individual student needs.  These programs wait until the student is ready and then if they do it wrong it guides them on how to fix it (Kleinman & Humphrey, 1984).  If the students can use a computer to keep practicing then they will get more practice than if the teacher has to help them.  A teacher cannot spend the entire class helping one student the whole time.  She has to spend time with all of the students.  I feel that is a great reason to allow special needs students to use computers. 

There was a study where a child in pre-k who has cerbal palsey was allowed to use a computer.  His computer has KidPix put on it.  It was then adapted to allow him to use a switch instead of a computer and keyboard.  The young man then was able to show that he could do things such as count (Laufer, 2001).  “Not only can computer technology facilitate a broader range of educational activities to meet a variety of needs for students with mild learning disorders, but adaptive technology now exists than can enable even those students with severe disabilities to become active learners in the classroom alongside their peers who do not have disabilities  (Hasslebring & Glasher, 2000).”  Helping special needs students become active learners is important.  We need to to learn if we want them to suceed in life. 

I will be basing my research on elementary students.  The grades that will be included range between pre-kindergarten and fifth grade.  I have chosen these grades because my certification is EC-6.  I want to research the ways to benefit the grades which I will be teaching. 

In order to complete this project I will be observing students in different elementary schools throughout the district. I will also be speaking with teachers to determine what their findings are on students who use computers.  I want to find out if they believe that the computers benefit their students.  This project will start in January 2012.  I hope to have this project completed by December 2012. 

I will collect data for this project in different ways.  One way I will be collecting data is by talking to working teachers who currently use computers.  I will be asking these teachers about the ways they use the computers.  I will also ask them about the different programs and websites they use.  I will ask if they have any websites or programs that they feel are more beneficial.  I will also ask if they have any that they have found are not helpful.  I believe that teachers who are currently using the computers will be a wealth of knowledge for me.

Another way I will collect data for this project will be through observations. I will be observing students as they use computers in the classrooms and computer labs.  I feel like observing them use the available resources will be a good way of determining which programs the students like and which ones help the students. 

I will observe students throughout the district and determine if they seem to be learning anything from the programs and websites they are using.  I will be observing these students are more than one school and in different grades.  This will give me a larger sample of students.

In order to evaluate my project I will look at my observations and see how students are progressing.  I will look to see if it looks like they are learning more or if they seem to be at the same level.  Since I do not have a class of my own I believe observation is the best way for me to evaluate the results of the students.

Other teachers can benefit from this study.  Because of this I feel like a good way of letting people know the results would be to make a website where I publish my findings.  I believe the internet would be the best way to make sure the results are available to a large number of teachers. 

References

CISD, G. C. (2010, October). Demographic Update . Retrieved from Goose Creek CISD: http://www.gccisd.net/users/0046/docs/GCCISDDemoUpdateOct2010.pdf

Education, C. D. (2011, December 29). E-rate: Technology Planning Guide. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from California Department of Education: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/ft/techplanning.asp

Hasslebring, T., & Glasher, C. (2000, Fall/Winter). Use of Computer Technology to Help Students with Special Needs. The Future of Children Children and Computer Technology, 10(2), 102-122. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from FutureofChildren.org: http://familiestogetherinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/COMPUTERTECHNEEDS.pdf

Kleinman, G., & Humphrey, M. (1984, October). Computers make special education more effective and fun. Creative Computing, 10(10), 96. Retrieved September 16, 2012

Laufer, D. (2001, July/August). Computer Use in an Inclusive Setting for a Pre-School Child with Cerebral Palsy. Directions Technology in Special Education, 7(11), 1-8. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://www.dreamms.org/page85/files/JulAug01.pdf

Michael, K. (2001). The Effect of Computer Simulation Activity versus a Hands-On Activity on Product Creativity in Technology Education. Journal of Technology Education, 13(1), 31-43. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v13n1/pdf/micheal.pdf

Vrasidas, C., & Kyriakou, E. (2008). Integrating Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from Pliroforiki: www.pliroforiki.org/joomla/index.php?option

York, T. (2009, February 3). Goose Creek CISD Technology Plan for E-Rate Year 12. Retrieved September 16, 2012, from Goose Creek CISD: http://schools.gccisd.net/docs/38-Tech%20e-Plan%202009-2012.pdf

EDLD 5397 Week 1 Web Chat

I participated in the Wednesday night web conference.  I asked about changing my internship plan and found that it is alright to make changes.  The question was also asked about how long it takes to do our action research project.  We were told it would depend on our personal project.  He said it may very well take a long time.  We also asked about our field supervisor.  I found that we should be hearing from him after this class.  I had asked about this because I have not heard from my field supervisor since the beginning of January.  There seemed to be a lot of people who had changed districts and they were asking about how to change their field supervisor at their school.  In the end I believe everyone seemed to get the answers they needed.  The last thing we discussed was the practice test.  He told us we can take that as many times as needed throughout this course.

Week 5 Reflection 5366

When first starting this class I did not know the four design principals.  After reading The Non-Designers Design Book I learned about the four design principals. These principals are contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity (Williams, 2008).  These principles seemed like they are easy and they are to some point.  However, it took me a little while to learn how to use them properly.  The next thing I learned about was branding and self-branding.  I always have known that the way we present our self is a reflection of who we are or at least that’s what others see.  However, I had never realized that was called self-branding.    I read an article that was talking about self-branding.  It had some ideas that I had never thought of for making your brand. It mentioned that you should not just decide how you see yourself, but also ask others what words they would use to describe you (Alcantara, 2009).  After reading all about self-branding I believe that students need to learn about it.  I think they need to understand that how you brand yourself makes an impact on how people see you.  One thing I was familiar with when entering this class was Blooms Taxidermy.  I learned about this in teacher certification courses.  I was very interested in reading the article about it.  I was excited to see how it is used in blogs and wikis.  I read in this article that posting to these types of sites go under creating (Churches, 2008).  I enjoyed reading this article because it took something that I had learned from my past and gave me new knowledge about it.  I felt like it gave me the information I would need to take what I had learned previously and use it in the digital world.  I also think the article gave me a better understanding of the subject than I originally had. 

In this class we had a group assignment.  I was very happy with our group assignment.  I was in a group of women that are easily able to work out any differences of opinions.  We are able to understand that if someone does not agree with us then it isn’t personal.  We are able to move on and finish our project.  Our group learns from their mistakes and moves on.  I think that working in a group like this makes the assignment easier.  It also makes the assignment easier because we all know that each person will pull their own weight and do their part correctly.  I feel like I did a good job on this assignment.  I was off the internet for a couple of days the week before the website was due, but still used my cell phone to email my group.  As soon as I was able to get back online I immediately got to work on the webpage.  I sent out emails asking each member if they were alright with the portions I wanted to do.  Once in agreement I did the work.  I have learned from this class how to use the design principles and also how to make animations.  I think the animations will be great when I start teaching.  I feel like I can allow students to make animations in order to help them see what I am teaching instead of just hearing it.  I think it will help those who need to see it instead of just hearing it.  I think as a lifelong Learner I will be able to take this information in the future and find new ways to use it in my classroom.  For instance when I start teaching I will find a use for using webpages.  I think I will use a webpage to allow parents to always know what is going on in the class.  They could go online and see if their child has homework or even a test coming up.  I think in K-12 it is important for parents to understand what is going on in the classroom.

References

Alcantara, L. (2009). The Art of Self-Branding Part 1. Retrieved August 17, 2012, from LeaLeas Blog: http://www.lealea.net/blog/comments/the-art-of-self-branding-part-one/

Churches, A. (2008, April 1). Bloom's Taxonomy Blooms Digitally. Retrieved August 17, 2012, from Tech & Learning: http://www.techlearning.com/article/blooms-taxonomy-blooms-digitally/44988

Williams, R. (2008). The Non-Designer’s Design Book (3rd ed.). (N. Davis, Ed.) Berkeley, CA: PeachPit Press.

Tagxedo Apple Wordle

Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures Under Ground

I chose this book because it is the original manuscript to Alice in Wonderland.  Page one of this book uses repetition because of the vine being repeated.  The vine is repeated throughout the book at the chapter beginnings.  This vine also shows contrast.  It shows that it is different.  The vine shows proximity because throughout the book it is always right by the chapter title.

On page two I looked at the picture of the two girls and noticed that they made the sister a lot bigger.  They just showed a side profile of her and showed Alice’s whole face.  I believe this is to help remind us Alice is the main character. I also believe it is to contrast them.  It is also in proximity of where the book talks about it.  The picture is left aligned.  The words are aligned around the picture and this is repeated throughout the book.

On page nine there is a picture of Alice crying.  This picture is in close proximity to the words describing it.  It is also used to contrast the size of Alice and the mouse.  The writing is aligned to the left except where the picture is.  The text is aligned around the picture and is repeated throughout the book (repetition).  It leaves the page very clear and organized.  It keeps there from being a lot of empty space. Page twenty-eight shows contrast with the writing.

When I pulled up this book I was amazed how well it was done.  I liked how they used the vines throughout the book to tie the chapter beginnings together.  I also liked how they used pictures to show the importance of scenes.  It gives people something to look at other than just words.  It can give you a glimpse into what the scene looks like. 

      

June 4, 2012 web conference

The first thing discussed in this conference was rather you have to buy the digital cook book or not.  She said that no one has to buy this product.  She said that it is good but that it is not a required thing to purchase.

Kay also spoke about how school districts have changed since the beginning of the Lamar program in the fall of 2008.  She is saying that more and more of the schools are opening up the internet for the teachers to use in the classroom.  She said that we are the ones who have to promote using technology and the intenret in the classroom.

She then spoke about our video that is due.  She said that it can be about ourself or about our school.  She asked that we use a different open source resource than the one we used in our other classes.  She said that cooltoolsfor school gives you different links to help with this project.  She was telling about the different links on this site and that it includes links for audio and video. 

Kay spoke about her video she made.  She talked about how she is from Texas and how her career went.  She was saying that it is a good example of how we should do our video.  She was saying how she has retired twice and is now working at Lamar.  She said that we do not have to do a personal video like hers but that we can. 

She was saying that they encourage elementary schools to use free open source software.  She said that she wants us to have the experience to be able to bring this information to the school districts.  She said that we are the ones who can help get schools to use this software.

June 30, 2012 web conference

After watching the June 30th web conference I have learned more about what we should have turned in for week 4.  I was under the impression that we needed to turn in the final project.  However, I was wrong.  I learned from watching this video that we were only suppose to continue working on the project.  We were suppose to just submit an assignment saying that we are continuing to work on our assignment. 

I also learned about the final assignment for this class.  She said that we are suppose to write a report about our internship hours.  She said that we will be doing this at each class.  She said that it is so that we do not do all of our internship hours at the end of our degree.  I am glad she explained this because I did not know what we were suppose to do. 

During the web conference she also explained about emails we were getting about course evaluations.  She said that it is alright that we get them every week.  She said that we are suppose to do it before the class ends. 

The final discussion was about the length of the video.  Someone asked if the video could be three minutes.  She said that we can do up to 3 minutes, but that it should not be real long.  She said that 10 minutes is too long.  She said that it should be short, but that she is not going to deduct points for going over the 90 seconds in the assignments.  She also said that five minutes is too long though.

July 2, 2012 Web Conference

After reading the July 2nd web conference I learned what exactly we were suppose to be doing on our 5.9 assignment.  I learned that we are suppose to be telling how many internship hours we have done.  We also need to report rather or not what we have done is beneficial to our school and how it is. 

Another thing discussed in this conference was the course embedded hours.  Some were not sure if they were for all classes and how we were suppose to do them.  It was explained that there were course embedded hours for only some classes.  One student also told where you could get an updated list of classes with course embedded hours.  The one thing I am unsure of after this conference is if those hours are suppose to be included in our week 5 assignment. 

There were also students who mentioned that their mentors had retired, moved, or quit.  They were discussing what they were suppose to do in these situations.  I think this may be a problem for several students.  When the end of the year comes around there seem to be several teachers who make changes in their career.

After reading this conference I felt a little less alone.  I have not done a large amount of my internship hours due to the fact that I had to spend most of my time this year student teaching.  I was unable to take days off so I have just had to wait on most of the internship requirements.  I hope to catch up quickly though. 

EDLD 5363 Week 4 Video

Animoto Podcast via youtube

Reflections of Making my Teaching Journey Video

I was confused when starting this project.  I was unsure what program to use and even more importantly how to get my voice in the video.  I have done this before using PowerPoint, but never using other programs.  It took me a couple of days just to determine what I was going to do this project on.  I finally decided on my teaching journey because I feel like it has been a big part of my life for the last three years.  I also choose it because I think the reason I choose to teach is special.  I will always have my children to thank for the career I have choosen.  My children are still young and yet they are proud that their mom has accomplished this task.  I feel like it is something that will make a difference in their lives.  I finally found a program to use.  Then I figured out how to use Audacity to record my voice.  Then I determined that I had to upload that file as a music file.  After doing that I then had to figure out how to fix the timing.  It took me several times of trying, but I eventually got the timing right.  I think it was a very interesting experience.  I feel like with practice I could become good at it.  I think that this would definately be something that students in school could use to do projects.  I can see students using this type of assignment to show what they did over summer vacation.  I am going to play with these programs over the summer and see if I can't get better at them. 

Teaching Journey Video EDLD 5363

Reflections of Course Embedded Internship Hours

This was the first college class where I have had to do a group assignment. It was fun see each person’s options and ideas. Our first task was to create a wiki and a Google doc. I only started using Google documents, wikis, and blogs when I started at Lamar. I have found it to be a fun way to do work. I attached our Google doc to our wiki and it was not a hard task. It only took me a few minutes. I have learned that wikis are good for collaborative writing and group assignments (Solomon, G & Schrum, L, 2007). I believe this is true because it was easy for us to type in our information and everyone immediately had access to it. I also found email to be a good form of communication. Posted our information on our wiki and then sent the link to our instructor. We then learned to use lessonbuilder.cast.org to create an e-book. Through this website I learned about UDL and how it recognizes that every student learns in a different way (cast.org, 2009). I had previously learned about different ways of learning in my teacher certification. According to some of the reading one way to reach students is to individualize your lessons (Rose, D. & Meyer, A, 2002). However, I never knew that there was an internet site where you could make your own e-book. I found this to be very interesting. Since I am not a working teacher I also learned from making our lesson plans how to use the state standards. I learned where to find these standards and also went through them to determine which ones would work well with my assignment.
References
Cast.org (2009). Cast UDL book builder. Center for Applied Special Technology. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from http://www.cast.org/udl/.
Rose, D & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching every student in the digital age. Universal design for learning. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and curriculum Development. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from http://www.cast.org/teachingeverystudent/ideas/tes/chapter6.cfm

EDLD 5364 Week 5

When watching this week’s videos I came across some information I did not think about. It was said that a video game is basically just an assessment or test (Gee, J. nd). I found this to be very interesting. I had never looked at it this way. Gee said that it allows people to use problem solving skills and not just know facts (Goo, J. nd). Once he said it I started thinking about it and it really does make sense. He also spoke about how some students use games to learn English (Gee, J. nd). That is a unique way to learn English. I had never thought about someone using it that way.
In another video it showed how students could learn using video games. They state that they can make a game and the students will learn without ever even knowing they are learning (Youtube.com, nd). I found this to be a very interesting idea. I think it could really work. The truth is young children learn from video games. They learn about colors, shapes, etc. I think it makes sense that if older children like to play video games that they would learn from them. They learn how to play games while playing them so why wouldn’t they learn things that we have planned for them. They would have to learn it in order to win the game.

References
Edutopia.org (nd). Big Thinkers: James Paul Gee on grading with games. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-james-gee-video
Youtube.com (nd). Vision for 21st Century Learning. Retrieved March 31, 2012 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mirxkzkxuf4

EDLD 5364 Week 4

This week I watched several videos and read several readings. I personally liked the video on Project-Based Learning. This is not the first time I have watched this video. I have watched it before during my teacher certification courses. I found this video to be very interesting. I like the idea of students learning through projects. I have seen a video where young children made a website of their town. It allows students from other towns to be able to see all of the things in their town without having to come there. I think it is a good way to get students involved. If students are involved in something it will help them become more interested. If they are involved and interested it will help them to learn more and to remember what they have learned.
When watching Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts I liked when it said that you do not have to know everything before you teach it (Edutopia.org, nd). I think that is very true. We can all learn something new. I personally think that students like it when the teacher is learning with them. The other day a student made a mistake on a math problem being done on the boared. It took me a minute to figure out what I was missing to try and help him fix it. The kids seemed to like knowing that their teacher could make a mistake too.

References
Edutopia.org. (nd). Harness Your Students' Digital Smarts. Retrieved March 24, 2012 from http://www.edutopia.org/digital-generation-teachers-vicki-davis-video

My Bookbuilder Book

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=58372&page=1

Reflections of my math lesson plan

Doing this lesson plan was difficult for me. I personally do not know if it is 100% right. I have never really had to work with TEKS so I have trouble determining exactly which ones I should pick. I am just now starting to work on them with the teacher I am doing student teaching with. She using CScope and it tells you what TEKS each lesson covers. I have never really had to look them up.
I liked the idea of having the children go to the store and write down what their parents buy. It allows them to relate math to the real world. So does the activity of making a fair. I think that the children will learn more if they can see how they will use it in real life.

Math using Charlotte’s Web
Overview: Using the book Charlotte’s Web I will teach a Math Lesson
Author: Brandi Dawn Hoffpauir
Grade Levels: 3-4
Duration: 2 Days
Unit Description: During this unit the students will use the book Charlotte’s Web as a way to learn Math, Science, Social Studies, Reading, and Art.
Lesson Description Day 1
For homework have the children go shopping with their parents. They should keep track of what is bought and what was spent on each item. For day one in class they can determine what they could have bought with $50.
Lesson Description Day 2
County Fair: Set up a small county fair in the classroom. Give each student $10 to spend at the fair. The following prices will be used for the lesson:
Entrance Fee $2.00
Tickets for rides .75
Cotton Candy $1.50
Ice Cream $1.00
Candy Bar $1.00
Soda Drinks $2.00
Bottled Water $1.50
Ice Cream Sundae $1.50
Souvenirs $2.50-$10.00
Have each child add up what they would spend and calculate how much would be left over or how much would be needed to spend 2 hours at the fair.
State Standards
Third Grade Math TEKS
3.14 Underlying processes and mathematical tools. The student applies Grade 3 mathematics to solve problems connected to everyday experiences and activities in and outside of school.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify the mathematics in everyday situations;
(B) solve problems that incorporate understanding the problem, making a plan, carrying out the plan, and evaluating the solution for reasonableness;
(C) select or develop an appropriate problem-solving plan or strategy, including drawing a picture, looking for a pattern, systematic guessing and checking, acting it out, making a table, working a simpler problem, or working backwards to solve a problem; and
(D) use tools such as real objects, manipulatives, and technology to solve problems.

EDLD 5364 Week 3

This week I learned a lot about UDL. I found this to be a very interesting topic. When teaching students we have to make sure to use multiple techniques. The students will not all learn in the same way and in the same time frame. For example if I am teaching a lesson I can not only have a student read about the subject, I can also have them do something hands on. I could also read to them and this will help those students who have problems reading. I think that it is very important to try and find different ways of teaching these students. That will allow more students to learn.

I also learned that Blogs and Wikis can be very helpful. Blogs are important because peers can go in and make comments on what is being written (Solomon, 2007). I also learned that Wikis can be helpful too. They are well suited for group projects. A Wiki keep track of changes and allows the teacher to monitor what the group is doing (Solomon, 2007). Before I started this program I never knew that a blog or a Wiki could be helpful. I am now very interested in the different ways of using them.

References
Solomon, G. &. (2007). web 2.0 new tools, new schools. Washington D.C.: International Society for Technology in Education.

EDLD 5364 Week 2

This week I have watched videos about the different ways students learn. I believe it is correct that every student learns differently and that we need to have alternative methods of teaching them (LessonBuilder.Cast.Org, nd). I have been working with a lot of special needs children in the classroom where I am student teaching. I have to go out of my way to find different ways of helping them learn. I find that it really isn’t just special needs children who learn differently. Everyone has a different learning style. I believe that includes adults too. Some learn better from reading while others may learn from hands on projects. I have seen that UDL is a way of using technology to help all students including special needs students regardless of background (LessonBuilder.Cast.Org, Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning, nd). I have read that technology has yet to prove itself in a classroom setting. Even though it hasn’t proven itself and some think it is a waste of money it has become a mainstay in the classroom (Page, 2002). According to one study there was a significant difference in self-esteem in classrooms which have technology in them (Page, 2002). To me that alone is a good reason to have technology in the classroom. I know that many people do not think that students should be using technology. Many people think that children use way too much technology already. The thing is I believe that you can use technology in a good way. That does not mean a child should be playing games all day. However, they should learn how to use computer programs since they will more than likely be using them as adults. I do not think that there will ever be a time that everyone agrees on rather we should use technology in the classroom or not. However, I believe that in the end the technology will be in the classroom.
References
LessonBuilder.Cast.Org. (nd). Diversity of Learners. Retrieved March 10, 2012 from http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos
LessonBuilder.Cast.Org. (nd). Universal Design and Universal Design for Learning. Retrieved March 10, 2012 from: http://lessonbuilder.cast.org/window.php?src=videos
Page, M. (2002). Technology-Enriched Classrooms: Effects on Students of Low Socioeconomic Status. Journal of Research on Technology in Education , 34(4), 389-409. Retrieved March 10, 2012 from https://lamar.epiclms.net/Learn/Player.aspx?enrollmentid=2480282

EDLD 5364 Week 1

Constructivists consider learning to be an individual and personal learning experience. This theory believes that learners bring their prior knowledge into what they are learning and that influences what they get out of the learning. I personally think this is true. I think that most people really do bring prior knowledge into what they are learning. Constructivists also believe that knowledge in constructed in different ways and by using different tools. They feel that the more ways people are offered to learn the more they will learn. I again agree with this. As a student teacher I have watched my students during assignments. Some seem to learn better one way while another one learns better another way. I think that teachers have to offer a variety of ways for the students to learn. This should include hands on assignments. Offering different methods of learning will allow the greatest number of students to learn. They also feel that social interaction is important. They feel that talking about something allows people to learn more. I was watching the videos and learned that a constructivist is never objective. He was saying that everyone is trying to make it fit into what they thought. I think that it is probably true to some extent. I don't think people realize they are doing it, but in reality they are. He said that if you asked everyone what they heard they would all tell you something different. I found that to be very interesting. I had never really thought about it.
During a video I watch with Mr. Warwick in it I learned some very interesting information. Mr. Warwick says that over time we will be able to get an implant to help us with improved communication. I did not know that that was even a possibility. He was talking about a chip that was connected to him that allowed him to be attached to a computer. This is something that I have never heard of. He said that some say that we only sence five percent of what is around us. In the project he was in they were able to stimulate his nervous system and allow him to experience other senses. One of those was sonar. I think it is amazing that he was able to do that. It always amazes me what scientists come up with. I listed to this video with much interest. I have never heard of these types of experiments and was interested in seeing what he had to say.
According to the Department of Education it is predicted that computer use in schools will continue to rise. This does not suprise me. I think that computers are important in our lives and schools will have to continue to teach children how to use them. Using technology can be good for students since many technology items allow for hands on use. This helps students learn from doing hands on projects. I believe that many students benefit from the hands on experience. Using technology can also help students visualize hard to learn lessons. It can help them to see something instead of just hearing about it. This is because using a computer they can see a simulation. For instance when I was in college getting my BA I had to take an environmental science class. It was about the effects of different things on the ozone layer. It wanted us to see how it changed over a period of about 150 years. Instead of just trying to look up facts there was a computer simulation. It helped me to see and visualize what I was trying to learn. I think that I learned a lot more from that than from just reading a book.
Even though there are good uses for electronics in the schools there are still some who do not want them to be used. These people feel like they are a waste of money. I think that even though the electronics are expensive they do have a place in the schools. I do not believe that we should go completely to computers and quit using books and whiteboards, but I do think that they are important and that our children need to know how to use them.

5301 Class Summary

EDLD 5301 in Review
When starting EDLD 5301 I was concerned that I would not enjoy the class. It turned out to be just the opposite. I found this class very informative. I believe it is a course that I will be able to take the knowledge I gained and apply it to my career when I start teaching. In this class I learned about action research and I also learned about the quality indications for research.
When I started this class I was unaware that there was a type of research called action research. Action research is generally used in a school setting (Ferrance, 2000). I found that action research is different from traditional educational research. Educational research portrays linear activity that depicts teachers as technicians and that the practitioners’ role is to implement the research findings from outside of the school (Dana, 2009). In action research the finding are not from outside the school. It focuses on information from within the school. This type of research has many benefits.
There are three benefits that are discussed in the textbook for EDLD 5301. The first is that the theories and knowledge are generated from research that is grounded in the realities of educational practice. The second benefit I read about was that the practitioners become collaborators in the educational research. They do this by investigating their own problems. The third benefit is that practitioners play a part in the research process. This makes them more likely to facilitate changed based on the knowledge gained (Dana, 2009). According to Briscoe and Wells action research can help teachers and principals with their problem solving skills (2002: 429). I think that is very important. All teachers need to have good problem solving skills. Since I was learning about action research, it led into learning about the quality indicators for research.
After learning about action research I learned about the quality indicators of research. I learned about five quality indicators. The first was the context of study. This states that research needs to provide the complete information about the context in which the research takes place. The second indicator is wondering and purpose. This indicator states that I should explain the root of my question in detail. The third indicator is principal research design or data collection and data analysis. This indicator says that data should be collected from multiple sources. The fourth indicator I read about was the principal-researcher learning. This one states that the researcher needs to articulate clear thoughtful statements about what was learned and the process used to learn it. The fifth and final indicator I read about was implications for practice. This states that researchers need to detail examples of changes they have made or will consider making based on their research (Dana, 2009).
When thinking back on what I have learned in this class I am very excited. I feel like learning about action research and the quality indicators will be very beneficial to me in my future. I feel like since I have not had a teaching job yet I will be looking for a job and starting a job armed with knowledge that will benefit my students, fellow teachers, and the students.

References
Dana, N. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Briscoe, C. and Wells, E. (2002). Reforming Primary Science Assessment Practices: A Case Study of One Teacher's Professional Development through Action Research. Science Education, 86, 417-435.
Ferrance, E. (2000). Action Research. Providence, RI: Brown University. Retrieved from: http://www.lab.brown.edu/pubs/themes_ed/act_research.pdf

Laptops in the classroom

Week 3 Reflection

Over this week I have worked on my action research plan. I am having a little bit of a hard time doing this task mainly because of the way I am having to do the internship. I currently am doing my student teaching assignment so am unable to do my internship. I have gotten approval to do my internship with the GCCISD technology dept but I will not be actually starting the internship until the end of April. It is kind of hard to figure out what I will be doing so far in advance. We work on figuring out a plan, but we have agreed that things may change. You never can tell what may be going on that far in advance.
This week I also read about different ways of presenting your findings. I read that you can give an oral presentation or a written presentation. I think both of these are good ways of presenting information. I read about the different things you need to add to your presentation. I personally think the most important is being able to back up what you are saying with data. I think people will find your finding more credibleif you can back them up with data.

Week 2 EDLD 5301

I have spent awhile this week doing my reading. I have learned through this reading that there are nine practices that drive our journey. These are staff development, curriculum development, individual teacher, individual students, school culture, leadership, management, school performance, and social justice. We need to make sure that we try to participate in action research on all of these subjects. They are all very important.
I have also spent this week trying to determine what my action research project would be. I have emailed my mentor and we have decided on using laptops in the classroom. Our schools started giving fifth graders laptops for use in the classroom a couple of years ago. This is very interesting to me. I look forward to looking at how well this is working. I think that it is important for student to use technology so I am very interested in how this initative is working.

Action Research

Action Research is very important in the education field. Some may wonder what action research is. Action research is when someone systematically and intentionally studies their own activities (Dana, 2009). This means that a teacher or principal will evaluate her own actions in hopes of finding any aspects that may need changing. There are many ways in which schools can participate in action research. One way is by teachers going back to school. Many teachers go back to college to get a master’s degree. Sometimes for these degrees the teachers have to do a paper or dissertation. Dana also says that school districts sometimes have principals engage in interactive activities that require they find an area of study about their own practices (2009). Teachers are also able to do this their self. They can evaluate how their teaching is working. They can determine if the methods they are using are helping the students. If they are not then they will need to change their method of teaching. Teachers then can share the knowledge they have attained from their research with other teachers. This allows them to give other teachers valuable information which may help them with their teaching methods. PLC groups are also used in an educational setting. These groups are usually small. They meet regularly to discuss more effective learning and technology strategies (Dana, 2009). Action research can be very valuable in an educational setting. It allows teachers to have a personal growth that I do not believe they would have just from doing what an outside person has told them to do. Action research has benefits such as allowing a teacher to build their problem solving skills. It also allows them to become analytical and critical of their teaching (Briscoe and Wells, 2002: 429). It also improves teaching when it focuses on student achievement (Ringler, 2007).

References
Briscoe, C. and Wells, E. (2002). Reforming Primary Science Assessment Practices: A Case Study of One Teacher's Professional Development through Action Research. Science Education, 86, 417-435.
Dana, N. (2009). Leading with Passion and Knowledge The Principal as Action Researcher. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin
Ringler, M. (2007). Action Research an Effective Instructional Leadership Skill for Future Public School Leaders. AASA Journal of Scholarship & Practice 4(1), 27-42.