Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Reflection
At our recent Pinnacle Leader's meeting, we were asked to identify a day this school year on which we left work feeling more energized and positive. I really struggled to identify a single day, but I finally determined that the first day of school left me feeling energized and motivated because I always enjoy meeting new students and getting to know them. I also realized that I have not been spending enough time building relationships with my students. I have been too focused on the curriculum--specifically, working in a new grade level and juggling multiple preps--in order to enjoy my interactions with students, and I have so many students that it is all but impossible to really get to know them all. While I have often been frustrated and overwhelmed this semester, I have had many bright spots with particular students that have made me remember This is why I teach. As second semester approaches, I do look forward to getting to know my new students. I hope that I can continue to focus on the positive aspects of my career and my students so that I can be happy with and proud of what I do.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Technology Integrated Unit
Unit Overview
The unit I have planned and implemented centers around Homer’s The Odyssey. This unit includes interactive activities and technology based activities. My original plan included to use a United Streaming video and assignment, a meet-the-characters tea party, a double-entry-diary on Google Docs, a series of blogs, an art project, and a podcast as a culminating activity. In implementing the unit, I made a few significant changes.
Before reading, I had planned to use a video on United Streaming. After reviewing the video, I decided it would not engage my students. Instead, I showed a history channel documentary on ancient Greek beliefs and customs. After this, the students participated in a meet-the-characters activity in which they took on the roles of characters from the story and got to meet and greet each other. These pre-reading strategies helped scaffold student understanding of a complex text that was written nearly 3,000 years ago.
Google student accounts were not up and running at the time I implemented this unit, so I had students make double-entry-diaries in their notebooks. This strategy helped them to think about their reading. I also had students respond to blog prompts throughout their reading. You can view these at the following links:
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/05/violence-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/12/heroes-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/18/art-1-4/
After reading the first section of the epic, students created red figure painting style urns. These were based on the style of the art of the ancient Greeks. I have included a picture below.
When we finished reading The Odyssey, we did a culminating project. I had planned to use class time to create radio theater podcasts; unfortunately, the computer lab was solidly booked around this time. In lieu of podcasts, I gave students a project assignment which included a variety of options (some technology and some not). Students could choose to create a MyFakeWall, a podcast, a travel brochure, a piece of artwork, or a sequel to the epic. Unfortunately, I didn’t save the MyFakeWall links from my ninth graders doing The Odyssey, but I have a couple from my tenth graders doing Troy linked below.
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Achilles_101
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Andromache_3
Many students wanted to do the MyFakeWall project, but the website was having some major issues at that time. In the end, only a handful of students finished projects using it because it was not working properly.
Learner-Centered
Students were engaged in some parts of the unit and were less engaged in other parts (especially in just reading the text). As teacher, I determined a majority of the learning outcomes. Students were able to make choices about their projects, but this unit gave students limited options.
Relation to Core Content
This unit was content-driven. I tried to bring in technology in those areas in which it enhanced student learning. However, with the difficulties in Google Docs and MyFakeWall, the technology really was more limited than I had planned.
Student Achievement
Students were, as a whole, successful in this unit. There were some students who did not complete the projects. I don’t know whether the technology enhanced student understanding.
The Odyssey is a complex text and is really unlike anything that students will have to read on the EOC. However, the thinking strategies that we used can be applied to other reading. I teach The Odyssey because it is part of the literary canon, but it is hard to make it truly relevant to students.
Pedagogical Change
I did not make any major changes to the way I teach for this unit. I have implemented some of these activities in the past and have also tried some new ones. I tried to incorporate some of the reading strategies that I learned about when completing my master’s degree and some of the new technology activities I learned about through the Pinnacle program.
Reflection
The unit went OK. I was really frustrated with my technology integration because I was not able to successfully do anything I wanted to do. I could not get computer labs because they were all being used for the two week window at the end of the unit. The alternate assignment that most students wanted to complete, MyFakeWall, had problems with loading and creating walls.
My students did OK with the unit and many of them enjoyed the story. However, I don’t feel like this was the best I have ever done teaching it. I think I was distracted by too many extraneous factors to give my full focus to teaching and to teaching well.
I kept telling myself I would do a different technology integrated unit because I was not especially proud of this one. I didn’t want to blog about it because I just felt like it could have been so much better. However, I never got around to it. With a new prep this year, most of my energy has been devoted to figuring out a new curriculum. It has not been an easy year for me, and while I enjoy the challenge of teaching something new, I simply feel burned out. I hope that in the future I will be able to better balance my life and to devote more energy to student-centered, technology-integrated lessons.
The unit I have planned and implemented centers around Homer’s The Odyssey. This unit includes interactive activities and technology based activities. My original plan included to use a United Streaming video and assignment, a meet-the-characters tea party, a double-entry-diary on Google Docs, a series of blogs, an art project, and a podcast as a culminating activity. In implementing the unit, I made a few significant changes.
Before reading, I had planned to use a video on United Streaming. After reviewing the video, I decided it would not engage my students. Instead, I showed a history channel documentary on ancient Greek beliefs and customs. After this, the students participated in a meet-the-characters activity in which they took on the roles of characters from the story and got to meet and greet each other. These pre-reading strategies helped scaffold student understanding of a complex text that was written nearly 3,000 years ago.
Google student accounts were not up and running at the time I implemented this unit, so I had students make double-entry-diaries in their notebooks. This strategy helped them to think about their reading. I also had students respond to blog prompts throughout their reading. You can view these at the following links:
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/05/violence-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/12/heroes-4/
http://jwbirnstihl.edublogs.org/2011/09/18/art-1-4/
After reading the first section of the epic, students created red figure painting style urns. These were based on the style of the art of the ancient Greeks. I have included a picture below.
When we finished reading The Odyssey, we did a culminating project. I had planned to use class time to create radio theater podcasts; unfortunately, the computer lab was solidly booked around this time. In lieu of podcasts, I gave students a project assignment which included a variety of options (some technology and some not). Students could choose to create a MyFakeWall, a podcast, a travel brochure, a piece of artwork, or a sequel to the epic. Unfortunately, I didn’t save the MyFakeWall links from my ninth graders doing The Odyssey, but I have a couple from my tenth graders doing Troy linked below.
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Achilles_101
http://www.myfakewall.com/w/Andromache_3
Many students wanted to do the MyFakeWall project, but the website was having some major issues at that time. In the end, only a handful of students finished projects using it because it was not working properly.
Learner-Centered
Students were engaged in some parts of the unit and were less engaged in other parts (especially in just reading the text). As teacher, I determined a majority of the learning outcomes. Students were able to make choices about their projects, but this unit gave students limited options.
Relation to Core Content
This unit was content-driven. I tried to bring in technology in those areas in which it enhanced student learning. However, with the difficulties in Google Docs and MyFakeWall, the technology really was more limited than I had planned.
Student Achievement
Students were, as a whole, successful in this unit. There were some students who did not complete the projects. I don’t know whether the technology enhanced student understanding.
The Odyssey is a complex text and is really unlike anything that students will have to read on the EOC. However, the thinking strategies that we used can be applied to other reading. I teach The Odyssey because it is part of the literary canon, but it is hard to make it truly relevant to students.
Pedagogical Change
I did not make any major changes to the way I teach for this unit. I have implemented some of these activities in the past and have also tried some new ones. I tried to incorporate some of the reading strategies that I learned about when completing my master’s degree and some of the new technology activities I learned about through the Pinnacle program.
Reflection
The unit went OK. I was really frustrated with my technology integration because I was not able to successfully do anything I wanted to do. I could not get computer labs because they were all being used for the two week window at the end of the unit. The alternate assignment that most students wanted to complete, MyFakeWall, had problems with loading and creating walls.
My students did OK with the unit and many of them enjoyed the story. However, I don’t feel like this was the best I have ever done teaching it. I think I was distracted by too many extraneous factors to give my full focus to teaching and to teaching well.
I kept telling myself I would do a different technology integrated unit because I was not especially proud of this one. I didn’t want to blog about it because I just felt like it could have been so much better. However, I never got around to it. With a new prep this year, most of my energy has been devoted to figuring out a new curriculum. It has not been an easy year for me, and while I enjoy the challenge of teaching something new, I simply feel burned out. I hope that in the future I will be able to better balance my life and to devote more energy to student-centered, technology-integrated lessons.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Gaston Goes Google
Today, I attended professional development about Google at the Pinnacle Leaders' Conference. I'm excited that students in my classes will get a Gaston County e-mail address through Gmail. That will be very convenient for collaborative projects through Google Docs, for special projects, and for students to sign up for accounts with Web 2.0 tools. I'm looking forward to using Google to help meet my students' educational needs.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Delivering Professional Development
This morning, I had the opportunity to deliver a ten-minute staff development presentation on technology integration. I chose to share Quizlet, a website that allows teachers and students to create virtual flashcards. The presentation went reasonably well, although I believe I would do a few things differently the next time.
I believe I was well-prepared for my presentation. I had a useful handout that I shared as a Google Doc. I felt comfortable with my topic and my audience; I made sure to get the audience actively participating in order that they could see how Quizlet can be used. I did feel the time constraint added some pressure. Ten minutes is a very limited time and I did not feel I adequately addressed the NETS standards. I also felt I didn't get to show the teachers how to create their own flashcards. However, I do feel that the audience was engaged and many of them will use this Web 2.0 application with their students.
If you saw my presentation, please leave me some feedback! What could I have done better?
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Professional Development: Enhancing Teacher Effectiveness
"To be effective, professional development must provide teachers with a way to directly apply what they learn to their teaching. Research shows that professional development leads to better instruction and improved student learning when it connects to the curriculum materials that teachers use, the district and state academic standards that guide their work, and the assessment and accountability measures that evaluate their success." from "Teaching Teachers: Professional Development To Improve Student Achievement" Retrieved July 14, 2011, from http://www.aera.net/uploadedFiles/Journals_and_Publications/Research_Points/RPSummer05.pdf
In order for teachers to truly benefit from professional development, presenters need to make their content relevant to teachers. Presenters need to provide numerous examples of how teachers can integrate techniques, technologies, and tools into their classrooms.
Teachers get easily overwhelmed by professional development. It's not surprising really--we are expected to do so much more than we are given time to complete. The paperwork seems to be ever-increasing, and professional development often seems like "one more meeting." Teachers are disheartened and disillusioned, and as a result, they are often disengaged during professional development presentations.
Teachers are always being trained on new strategies, and almost everything is advertised as a "silver bullet" that will solve all the teacher's problems. However, teachers rarely implement these strategies because they don't know how to make it work in their own classroom.
So how can a presenter make professional development seem more relevant and user friendly to teachers? Here are a few ideas:
1. Give the teachers a handout (paper or digital) which they can reference later. Provide them with contact information so they can contact you later if they have questions.
2. Ask teachers how they can incorporate the strategy in their classrooms. Give examples of how you have used the strategy or how you have seen it used.
3. Explain the research base behind the strategy you are teaching; this makes you more credible and makes your material seem more important.
4. Less is more. Don't overwhelm teachers.
Professional development should be something teachers look forward to and enjoy. Would you want to attend your own presentation? If not, you better do something to make it more engaging and relevant!
In order for teachers to truly benefit from professional development, presenters need to make their content relevant to teachers. Presenters need to provide numerous examples of how teachers can integrate techniques, technologies, and tools into their classrooms.
Teachers get easily overwhelmed by professional development. It's not surprising really--we are expected to do so much more than we are given time to complete. The paperwork seems to be ever-increasing, and professional development often seems like "one more meeting." Teachers are disheartened and disillusioned, and as a result, they are often disengaged during professional development presentations.
Teachers are always being trained on new strategies, and almost everything is advertised as a "silver bullet" that will solve all the teacher's problems. However, teachers rarely implement these strategies because they don't know how to make it work in their own classroom.
So how can a presenter make professional development seem more relevant and user friendly to teachers? Here are a few ideas:
1. Give the teachers a handout (paper or digital) which they can reference later. Provide them with contact information so they can contact you later if they have questions.
2. Ask teachers how they can incorporate the strategy in their classrooms. Give examples of how you have used the strategy or how you have seen it used.
3. Explain the research base behind the strategy you are teaching; this makes you more credible and makes your material seem more important.
4. Less is more. Don't overwhelm teachers.
Professional development should be something teachers look forward to and enjoy. Would you want to attend your own presentation? If not, you better do something to make it more engaging and relevant!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Transforming Education Through Technology
"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more." ~ Dorothy, The Wizard of Oz
The world we live in today is very different from the world of the past--even the recent past. Sometimes, as teachers, we feel overwhelmed by advancements in technology. It's as if we have landed in Oz. Nothing is as we remember it, and we struggle to relate to the Munchkins we teach because they come from a different generation. Our students have different learning needs than we did when we were students. Children today have used a cell phone or played Wii before they have learned to read or to add.
Our classrooms and our instruction need to adapt to meet the needs of 21st century learners. In the article "Transforming Education with Technology," Marge Scherer explores how technology is being used in public schools. Unfortunately, not all schools have the extensive access to technological devices that every student described in this article.
Despite this, teachers need to use the technology they can access to engage students. In my classroom, I am privileged to have a SMART Board which I can use to engage my students in lessons. I also book computer lab time when possible so students can do podcasts, blogs, glogs, Voice Threads, and so on.
We can't rely on the Wizard to deliver us the amount of technology we need/want to meet our students needs; we must work with what we have and engage our students in smart ways.
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