What are best practices in an online environment?

Where is your place in the history of education?  Many people believe that education is in a paradigm shift and we are barely crossing  the threshold of the potential of online education.  There are many terms associated with online education: distance or virtual education, 21st century learning, e-learning, etc, but I prefer to think of it as modern learning.  Throughout the history of education, kids and adults have been taught how to function in their society.  We just happen to be living in an age that has increased the forms and exposure of communication, which naturally affects education.  In my opinion, one of the biggest factors of effective online education is in the paradigm shift.  There are the remnants of old ways of thinking being transformed to new ways.  Anyone who teaches in an online environment will be challenged by this in their own process, but they especially need to be aware of this for the sake of your stakeholders.  However, education has had massive increases in the use of online mediums over the last few years, and with this, so has the research increased for effective practice.  Therefore, I shall take a look at some of this information for effective practice.

• Describe qualities of a successful online environment.

As Kerry Rice has pointed to in her book, Making the Move to K-12 Online Teaching, there are noted practices that lead to an effective online environment.  One of the key paradigm distinctions between traditional classroom and online classroom is learner-centerdness.  Even though this is a quality that can be found in the traditional classroom, it is only in the online classroom that it is absolutely necessary.   The predecessor to online learning, which is distance learning, failed to engage the students due to lack of communication technologies and delivery strategy.  The best practice of online learning is to engage the learning to problem solve, research, and communicate their findings.  One form of the engagement is called Project Based Learning (Rice, 2012).

Other qualities include learner autonomy, active participation, and community building.  All three of these work together to place opportunities and expectations on the students and their involvement in the course.  They have to do more than just listen or read.  These qualities clearly raise the bar for student involvement in the course,  because they find purpose and fulfillment in their investment of time.

• What issues must a teacher consider that are specific to teaching in an online environment?

A teacher that is making the shift from a traditional classroom setting to an online setting must consider the necessary adaptations for lesson planning, lesson delivery, and inter-relational dynamics with the students and other teaching professionals.  Good teaching skills, such as being an educator, a project manager, and instructional designer can produce results in both traditional and nontraditional environments, but for the teacher to be successful in an online environment, they must have the technological knowledge and creativity.

Social presence is a term that is used to describe the amount of access between a student and teacher or with other students.  In the past, online environments were assumed to be inferior because it was perceived to have low social presence.  However, many experts are beginning to see how the online environment, in certain aspects, provides superior social presence than the traditional class (Kemp, 2012).  Nonetheless, if a teacher is familiar with this but a student is a novice with online learning, this could cause problems of withdrawal.  The teacher must be aware of the amount of participation each student is putting in to the lesson.

• What types of students might be most successful in an online learning environment? How do we ensure that all students are successful in online environments?

For both of these questions, I will attempt to address them based on my opinion, and try to give logical support to my ideas.  When I try to think of a student profile that would be successful in online learning, I think back on the many students that I have had in traditional classroom settings, and I try to imagine which ones could make a successful transition.  I immediately think of all the times that my classes actually created a distraction to the learning process.  I will admit that I have struggled at times with classroom management, but while working with younger students, who often lack social maturity, I have seen how a few students can really destroy learning environments.  I have often thought that if I could just isolate the students, so much more learning could take place.  However, I am not so naive to believe that all students will do better with online instruction.

I do think of the high achievers that often have more responsibility and organization to handle online lessons.  I also think of the students that are too intimidated by their own lack of confidence, and I know that online environments provide less intimidating ways of engaging those students.  Lastly, I think of those same trouble makers, whether in jest or mischievousness, they often act out just for attention.  These students can also benefit from online learning environments because they know whatever work they produce, they will have an audience.

Many educational programs, both local and national, have been implemented for the purpose of allowing all students to be successful.  There are many great stories of people who did a lot with just a little bit of opportunity.  Unfortunately, the opposite, people who do nothing with a lot of opportunity,  is very true too.  So I don’t think online learning has the cure to make all students successful.  However, I do believe the online environment has more advantages for engaging the students with low motivation.  I think the communication online can be less threatening for many students.  Communication can be both private and public online, which means it can be more discrete in times of confrontation or support.  From a legal perspective, the online environment provides instant documentation for troubled cases.

References:

Rice, K. (2011). Making the Move to K-12 Online Teaching: Research-Based Strategies and Practices (1st ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

Kemp, D. S. (2012). Social Presence in Online Learning (A Special Contribution to D-E.c) | Distance-Educator.com. Retrieved June 7, 2012, from http://distance-educator.com/social-presence-in-online-learning-a-sepcial-contribtion-to-d-e-c/

This assignment has met the following AECT requirements:

1.1.5.c Demonstrate congruency among goals/objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment measures.

1.2.b Apply principles of educational psychology, communications theory, and visual literacy to the development of instructional messages specific to the learning task.

3.3.1 Use appropriate instructional materials and strategies in various learning contexts.

What considerations are important when incorporating a Project Based Learning approach into the classroom?

 Why do we have to know this?  This is the timeless question that has been asked by many students when made to do an x task.  Ironically, as a teacher, I have asked a similar question at times, “Why do I have to teach this?”.  Both of these questions stem from the same root of practicality, which examines the purpose behind the educational content or the method of delivery.  Project Based Learning (PBL) attempts to find the most practical solution to make learning meaningful, by allowing students to explore the content, collaborate to find solutions, and communicate what they have learned.  These are important considerations for incorporating PBL into classrooms, but the ultimate goal is to prepare learners to contribute to their society.

 Describe qualities of a successful project.

First, students should be engaged into the topic of the project or the issues related to the project.  This can be done by discussing real life examples and allowing students to raise questions.  As students work in groups they are given a chance to collaborate with ideas.  Even though guidelines are important, it is important to allow students to personalize their own inquiry and production.  Therefore, it is good to offer students an appropriate number of options.  The students should be aware that their project is a work in progress and it should be refined as they gather more information.  Lastly, the students need to be aware of the audience and a good project presentation will extend to other people in the community.  The students will be encouraged to communicate in an effective way to a broad audience. (Larmer & Mergendoller, 2010)

 What issues must a teacher consider that are specific to PBL instructional strategies?

There are many considerations especially for a classroom teacher when assigning a project.  This teacher will be responsible for the management of many students.  If the students are not experienced in applying independent trial and error skills, the teacher will have to be prepared to make a mind and educational culture shift, which could be second guessed by students, parents, administration, and even other teachers.  In addition, you will find yourself in a paradox, preparing concrete plans for a flexible learning process.

 John Thomas and John Mergendoller have done extensive field research for PBL strategies.  Though their findings are too extensive to mention them all here, I will mention some of the instructor characteristics that they identify for effective PBL instruction. (Thomas and Megendoller, 2000)

 Time Management: They recommend block scheduling to be set up.  Each teacher should be mindful of scheduling so that a project time frame does not interfere with other school wide obligations.  At the same time the instructor should allow for extra time if needed and prepare additional activities during down time.

 Getting Started: The framework of a project and how it is assessed is one very important component.  Thomas and Mergendoller even recommend allowing students a period of time before the project begins to think about related issues, and it even suggests for students to not only have a clear rubric, but allow them input on how it will be graded.  Since the project could extend through a period of time, there should be established checkpoints along the way.

 Establishing Self Management:  Earlier, I alluded to this part, especially if the students are not experienced in thinking through a project.  In my opinion, self management is one of the greatest non-academic skills that can be developed in pupils.  The more the students are involved in seeking out information and a solution, the better effect of the life long lesson.  However, Thomas and Mergendoller are clear to point out that there should be standards that will require the students to achieve and produce worthy results.

 What types of students will be successful in PBL environments?

Obviously, not all students are alike and not all classroom environments are effective for PBL environments.  However, I believe motivation is the most crucial component.  Even though all students don’t have it, everyone at least has potential for it.  Beyond the motivation, of course students with independent skills for inquiring and searching for information will be most successful in a PBL environment.

In my own experience, I developed a hierarchy within the classroom.  Of course I was challenged to make the students understand that this was not about smart kids and dumb kids, but about experience with the language.  The most amazing thing that came from this was how the lower students wanted to grow to either work with a leader, or eventually become a leader.  So I observed that all students had the opportunity to be successful in a PBL environment.

References
Larmer, J., & Mergendoller, J. L. (2010). 7 Essentials for Project-Based Learning. Educational Leadership, Vol. 68(1), 4 pages.

Thomas, J. W. & Mergendoller, J. R. (2000). Managing project-based learning: Principles from the field. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New Orleans, LA.

This activity meets the following AECT Standards:

1.2.c Understand, recognize and apply basic principles of message design in the development of a variety of communications with their learners.

1.3.a Select instructional strategies appropriate for a variety of learner characteristics and learning situations.

1.4.b Describe and/or document specific learner characteristics which influence the selection of instructional strategies.

As an educator, when I “design” a lesson for students to follow, it is more than just the final product that I am after.  I begin by carefully choosing the objectives that I would like the students to master.  I consider what skills are a prerequisite for the objectives in order to ensure that my students have all the skills needed in order to be able to find success.  I then search for materials that will assist in the lessons.  I often create worksheets and find activities are research based.  Once I have planned the lesson, I execute it with my students.  During the lesson, I am constantly assessing my effectiveness and making changes as needed to ensure that the students are having a successful experience.  Once I have taught the objectives I assess the students to learn whether or not it has been an effective lesson.  If I find that the students have mastered the objectives, I move on to the next objectives.  If I have not been successful, I then start over and reteach using different materials or methods to assist the students.

When discussing instructional design, I have found that the term educational technology is frequently mentioned.  It led me to conduct a Google search on how they are connected.  What I found were several blogs that defined them as separate, but never connected them.  However, there are degrees in instructional design and technology at several universities.  In reading the article by Reiser, it was discussed that the invent of technology and distant learning was a turning point for instructional design as the traditional method of planning and teaching did not work in an online learning environment.  My initial feelings on how they are related is the idea that technology is a tool that is used by instructional designers.  The articles on the Big Dog and Little Dog’s often mention that there is not one tool that designers use.  They use a mix of several tools that allow them to accomplish a task.  Educational technology can be used to assist during the entire process of instructional design, from helping to identify what the objective will be to assessing the learners and reflecting of the effectiveness of the design.

This trip is representative of the instructional design process.   Just as the trip had to be methodically planned, when designing instruction, designers must be systematic in how they approach design.  Time must be spent determining the purpose and objective of the instruction in order to ensure that the desired outcome is clear.  While working through the process, designers must be willing to “go back” and make changes to ensure that the instruction is effectively meeting the objectives, just as I had to make changes to the vacation itinerary and still make sure our grandfather was visited.  The actual travel is the implementation of the product.  As the instruction is presented, the designer needs to be willing to make changes to any concept that just doesn’t work.  When the trip was completed we evaluated the vacation and determined what went well and why we would never stick a two year old and a five year old in a car for sixteen hours straight again.  This was the evaluation process.  The designer must evaluate the effectiveness of the instruction and then reflect on what works well and what did not work.

During this semester, I have gained numerous insights while delving into instructional design.  I have always considered instruction as presenting information to students and assessing whether or not they are meeting the objectives.  The curriculum is provided by the district; I simply had followed the text book and ensure I hit all of the state standards before state testing in April.  I had never spent time considering how the text books were created.  As I worked through the process of designing my unit, I found myself reflecting on how I teach and use the curriculum.  I like to pick and choose what I like about a book and supplement accordingly.  What I had never considered was the research and time that was spent ensuring that the curriculum was using research based methods and was designed to ensure that students were learning more than just “standards”.  When the teachers in my building did a field trial using my unit, I found myself frustrated by the one teacher who did not follow the guide.  Didn’t he know I had really put a lot of time into ensuring that the best methods were used and that the lesson followed a taxonomy that should not be taught in the wrong order?  Yet here I am doing the exact same thing with the textbook that I use.  It gave me cause to reflect and really evaluate my use of the curriculum.

The amount of time spent creating curriculum became very clear to me as I created my prerequisite chart.  I was floored by how long it took to really dissect the objectives and determine what skills were needed to master those objectives.  I was reminded that when I pick and choose I often forget to ensure that all of the prerequisite skills have been taught.  If following the curriculum, those checks should already be in place.  Again I was reminded of this when I was creating my ARSC chart.  Cheng (2009) discusses at length the need to motivate leaners using these research based methods.  Cheng discusses how each of the steps in this guide should be carefully considered while planning instruction.  I had never considered the time spent to creating those little “teacher helps” or the lesson guides they plant throughout the teachers manual.  What I did not realize was that those were meant to motivate and keep the interest of the students.  I usually threw those out thinking “I know more about teaching than some guy writing a textbook.”  I now realize that I really don’t know more and, although I can still supplement and make the instruction my own, I need to carefully consider what I am leaving out.

When I first started this class I really struggled with how this all tied into educational technology.  Honestly, I felt like this class was a hoop that I had to jump through and was determined to endure it and then move on after the semester and never think about it again.  What I found, however, was that design and educational technology are interwoven together and cannot be separated.  As an educational technologist, there will by many times when I will need to use my knowledge of design to effectively integrate technology into current teaching practices.  Integration cannot be done in a random way.  Much like design, it must be systematic.  Before ever using technology, it should be determined if it is meeting an objective.  It should be planned out before it is ever implemented and after implementation, the technology should be evaluated for effectiveness.  This is the design process.  As I reflect back on what I have learned, I now realize that this class textbook is one that I will keep with me forever and use it as a guide for implementation of technology in my classroom.

Cheng, Y.-C. (2009). From Concepts of Motivation to Its Application in Instructional Design: Reconsidering Motivation from an Instructional Design Perspective. British Journal of Educational Technology, 40(4), 597–605.

I found myself evaluating my methodology and philosophy based on epistemological beliefs in a way that I had not done since I completed my undergraduate work.  I began questioning my teaching philosophy and asking myself why I do what I do as an instructor.  As we investigated the epistemological belief systems, I was intrigued by the how I use them within my class.  I had never really defined myself as a “constructivist”, “behaviorist”, or any other “ist”;  I just taught the way that made sense to me.  I looked at the individual student and did my best to make sure that they were doing the best they could in my class.  As we studied behaviorism, cognitivism and constructivism I found myself saying “Oh, I do that” or “That’s it!  That is how I feel!”.  The problem was that I was feeling that way about every single epistemological belief that we studied.  As I read the article by Ertmer and Newby (1993), they suggested that the critical question for those designing lesson plans is not “Which is the best theory?”.  Rather, designers should be asking “Which theory is the most effective in fostering mastery of the specific learning tasks by specific learners?” (p. 64).  This really hit home with me.  If I am using a stimulus response method to teach an algorithm, I needed to ensure that it matched my objective.  If I wanted students to be able to problem solve, I should be using a constructivist activity.

Then we started investigating current trends in philosophy.  Technology has totally changed the playing field.  No longer is a classroom confined to four walls.  Internet has opened up endless possibilities.  Connectivism, TPCK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) and others all embrace the use of technology to facilitate learning.  While finding their foundations in epistemological beliefs from the 20^th century, these emerging theories address the need for educators to remain abreast of current technology that can be used to enhance the learning environment within their own classroom.

Valdez, G., Mcnabb, M., Foertsch, M., Anderson, M., Hawkes, M., and Raack, L. (2000).Computer-based technology and learning: Evolving uses and expectations. Revised Edition. Naperville, IL: North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

Ertmer, P. A., & Newby, T. J. (1993). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: comparing critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement Computer Use on the Quarterly, 6(4), 50-72. doi:10.1111/j.1937-8327.1993.tb00605.x

When I started out this semester, I had never made a web page and I was not familiar with the XHTML code language and the Cascading Styles Sheet formatting.  This part of the learning process was a challenge in the beginning, but as the semester progressed, I became more familiar with the code and I was able to problem solve my way through many layout and design situations.

Also, as I went deeper into the course the tasks became more challenging, which required much planning, research, and development of the content.  This became the most time consuming part of the course, but as a result, I have satisfied more AECT standards based on the design of the content and the instruction.

• 1.1.a Utilize and implement design principles which specify optimal conditions for learning.
• 1.1.1.a Write appropriate objectives for specific content and outcome levels.
• 1.1.1.b Analyze instructional tasks, content, and context.
• 1.1.2.a Create a plan for a topic of a content area (e.g., a thematic unit, a text chapter, an interdisciplinary unit) to demonstrate application of the principles of macro-level design.
• 1.1.2.b Create instructional plans (micro-level design) that address the needs of all learners, including appropriate accommodations for learners with special needs.
• 1.1.2.c* Integrate information literacy skills into classroom and media center instruction.
• 1.1.2.d Incorporate contemporary instructional technology processes in the development of interactive lessons that promote student learning.
• 1.1.3.a Produce instructional materials which require the use of multiple media (e.g., computers, video, projection).
• 1.1.3.b Demonstrate personal skill development with at least one: computer authoring application, video tool, or electronic communication application.
• 1.1.4.d* Organize, classify, and maintain bibliographic records within the media center to ensure efficient access to resources for students and teachers.
• 1.1.5.a Utilize a variety of assessment measures to determine the adequacy of learning and instruction.
• 1.1.5.c Demonstrate congruency among goals/objectives, instructional strategies, and assessment measures.
• 1.2.a Apply principles of educational psychology, communications theory, and visual literacy to the selection of media for macro- and micro-level design of instruction.
• 1.2.b Apply principles of educational psychology, communications theory, and visual literacy to the development of instructional messages specific to the learning task.
• 1.2.c Understand, recognize and apply basic principles of message design in the development of a variety of communications with their learners.
• 1.3.a Select instructional strategies appropriate for a variety of learner characteristics and learning situations.
• 1.3.d Select motivational strategies appropriate for the target learners, task, and learning situation.
• 1.4.b Describe and/or document specific learner characteristics which influence the selection of instructional strategies.
• 1.4.c Describe and/or document specific learner characteristics which influence the implementation of instructional strategies.
• 2.0.1 Select appropriate media to produce effective learning environments using technology resources.
• 2.0.3 Apply instructional design principles to select appropriate technological tools for the development of instructional and professional products.
• 2.1.4 Produce instructional and professional products using various aspects of integrated application programs.
• 2.2.1 Apply principles of visual and media literacy for the development and production of instructional and professional materials and products.
• 2.3.1 Design and produce audio/video instructional materials which use computer-based technologies.
• 2.3.2 Design, produce, and use digital information with computer-based technologies.
• 2.3.3 Use imaging devices (e.g., digital cameras, video cameras, scanners) to produce computer-based instructional materials.
• 2.3.4* Incorporate the use of the Internet, online catalogs and electronic databases to meet the reference and learning needs of students and teachers.
• 2.4.1 Use authoring tools to create effective hypermedia/multimedia instructional materials or products.
• 2.4.2 Develop and prepare instructional materials and products for various distance education delivery technologies.
• 2.4.4 Use telecommunications tools such as electronic mail and browsing tools for the World Wide Web to develop instructional and professional products.
• 2.4.5 Develop effective Web pages with appropriate links using various technological tools (e.g., print technologies, imaging technologies, and video).
• 2.4.7 Use appropriate software for capturing Web pages, audio wave files, and video files for developing off-line presentations.
• 2.4.8* Prepare instructional materials, bibliographies, resource lists for instructional units, and other materials as appropriate to support students and teachers.
• 3.1.1 Identify key factors in selecting and using technologies appropriate for learning situations specified in the instructional design process. (KFS)
• 3.4.1 Identify and apply standards for the use of instructional technology.
• 3.4.3 Identify and apply copyright and fair use guidelines within practice.
• 3.4.4 Identify and implement effective policies related to the utilization, application, and integration of instructional technologies. (KFS)
• 3.4.7* Identify and apply contemporary laws related to copyright, fair use, and intellectual freedom in the school media program.

503 ID Project: Polldaddy

The underlying idea of the American public school system is that everyone has the right to an education.  The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1975 formally extended this right to those with disabilities between the ages of 5-18.  It also “guarantees students with disabilities to an education which meets their individual needs in the least restrictive environment and at no cost to the student or parents.” (Inifitech.org, n.d.)

What does this mean to the public school system?  It’s easy.  We must provide the assistive and adaptive tools that students need in order to the get an education that is best suited for them and their needs.  Not just because it’s the law, but also because as teachers, that is what we do.  Denying someone the opportunity to learn, with or without a disability goes against who we are as a profession.

As Roblyer and Doering point out in chapter 15, the process for identifying the assistive technologies that best suit an individual student are divided into three levels: no-tech, low-tech, and high-tech. No-tech and low-tech are the least expensive of the three to fund, and at least in my experience, are the categories that most of the students with disabilities I have had in class fall into.  Being able to accommodate those students’ needs, with a little forethought and planning, have never gotten in the way of being able to teach them especially with the technology we have available to us daily.  I can see that this may not be the case is all other curricular areas.

References:
Infinitec – Learn – Finding the Money. (n.d.). Retrieved April 29, 2012, from http://www.infinitec.org/learn/money/schoolfunding.htm

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th
ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

Advantage: Students will be able to practice word definitions and pronunciations while matching the words with a visual representation of the term.  Students get practice listening to and comprehending the English language though something they will come in contact with, movies.

Outcome: Students will be able to practice terms and definitions in a variety of ways that will help them learn terms faster.  Students will gain better confidence in understanding the English language through media sources that compact information in a short video clip.

Resources: www.learningchocolate.com
www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/eslvideo/index.html
www.learnenglishfeelgood.com/listening/index.html
www.britishcouncil.org/professionals-grammar-movies.htm

Tool Software
Strategy:  Students create their own vocabulary flash cards with pictures of words or ideas they are struggling with either using word processing or presentation software

Advantage: Students are able to focus on gaps in knowledge by creating a portable study tool.

Outcome: Students are able to learn terms or ideas that are harder for them to grasp and increase their

Resources:    Google Docs or other word processing and presentation software.

Instructional Software
Strategy:  Incorporate the use of games and computerized practice to give students a varied experience learning English words and meanings.

Advantage: Games and drill and practice exercises give students a chance to practice material, have fun and deepen their understanding of English words and their usage.  Teacher can tailor usage for learners of different levels.

Outcome: Students become more motivated to learn when games and computers are incorporated.

Resources:    www.vocabulary.co.il/learn-english-vocabulary-new/
www.learningchocolate.com
www.merlot.org/merlot/materials.htm
http://www.stuff.co.uk/phrasal.htm
http://freerice.com/#/english-vocabulary/1411
Android App – English Idioms Free by Dragonfly

Productivity Software
Strategy:  Use Internet to locate resources and lesson plans.

Advantage: Saves teacher time from having to re-invent the wheel and create new resources.  Teacher will be able modify lesson plans to fit a specific needs to accommodate their learners without having to start from scratch.

Outcome: Teacher will have more time to spend working with students one on one and

Resources: www.ohiou.edu/esl/english/
www.2learn.ca

EDTECH 541

Your Name: Jill Lunceford

Lesson Title: Primary Sources for Ogden, Utah

Introduction: During this lesson, students will be looking at and analyzing source material from the Ogden valley.  Student will be analyzing 3 different maps representing the Ogden, Utah from 1875, 1888, and 2012 and exploring newspapers that were published in Ogden between the years 1879 to 1927 and compare them against the local newspaper printed today.

Content Area and Grade or Age Level of Students: 10^th grade History Students

Objectives:
1)    Analyze three different maps of the same area to find similarities and differences.
2)    Compare a current newspaper with newspapers printed over 100 years ago from the same area and analyze the differences in what is considered news.

Standards Addressed: Common Core Writing Standard for Literacy in History/Social Studies
Standard 2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
Standard 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Relative Advantage: Accessing source material that is over 100 years old is almost impossible to do unless accessing it through a digital archive.  Looking at documents from a student’s home area, mentioning places they are somewhat familiar with helps them gain a connection with their local history.

Timeline: 2 – 3 90 minute class periods

Materials: Student will access the following maps via the internet:

Map of Ogden in 1875.
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/h?ammem/gmd:@field(NUMBER+@band(g4344o+pm009240))

Weber County in 1888
http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?gmd:7:./temp/~ammem_zZTR::

Current Map of the Valley
http://utah.hometownlocator.com/maps/bigmap,n,ogden,fid,1444049.cfm

Students will also access the following digital archive of Utah newspapers:
http://digitalnewspapers.org/newspaper/?paper=Ogden+Standard

Access to current edition of the Standard Examiner
http://standard.net

Grouping Strategies: Students can work in pairs sharing a computer, time in the computer lab will need to be scheduled for the duration of the lesson.

Learning Activities:
Maps: Students are to compare and contrast the three maps of the Ogden Valley.  Record your thoughts, impressions and answers to the following questions.

1 – What are the common features on each?

2 – What features do you recognize?

3 – What features from the 1888 map are still recognizable on the 2012 map?

4 – What surprises you the most as you compare the 3 maps?

5 – What does not surprise you?

Newspaper: Students are to compare two editions of the newspaper, one current one from the digital archives from around the turn of the 1900’s.  Record your thoughts, impressions and answers to the following questions.

1 – What are common features in each?

2 – What are the headline stories for each?  Describe the event.

3 – What differences do you notice between to the two issues?

4 – How do the main stories in the older paper differ from those in the current

paper?  Is there a noticeable difference in subject matter?

5 – What surprises you the most as you look at the older newspaper?

Compile your thoughts about both aspects of this assignment into your daily journal along with things you learned from it.  Also include your overall thoughts and impressions about this assignment.

Assessment: Daily journal entries that include answers all questions are included.  Final journal entry addresses students overall thoughts and impressions of the assignment in a well formed and articulated entry.

Adaptations for Learners with Special Needs: Students with special needs will be paired with other students who can help them complete the project with their group.

The above links to my Sybaloo page that links to all my resourses.  Below are 10 of them with descriptions as to how I can incorporate them into my content area.  I will admit that a lot of my resources deal with topics that I am currently covering in class (Scientific Revolution) or have coming up (Industrial Revolution) as I am looking to use some of them this year.

1 – Natural Selection - I can incorporate this into my unit on the Industrial Revolution as we talk about the scientific advances during the time, specifically Charles Darwin.    This will help students better understand the idea of natural selection and adaptations (mutations) that can help a species increase its chance of survival.  It also illustrates the delicate balance that is needed to ensure that all species survive.

2 – Pendulum Lab – This will be a great addition to my unit on the Scientific Revolution.  I openly admit to my students that some of the scientific advances of time blow my mind.  The Law of the Pendulum is one concept I have never been able to fully understand.  This little program has helped me better understand it and I think will help my students as well.

3 -Faraday’s Law - This is another item I can add to my unit on the Industrial Revolution.  During the unit I have student choose some the scientific advances at the time and do a presentation about them to the class.  This helps them better understand the invention/idea better but also allows them choose advances that interest them and then connect them to items that we currently use today.  This application illustrates Faraday’s idea that magnets can be used to produce electricity.

4 – Galileo Drops the Ball - The little application illustrates how when dropping a bowling ball from a height along with a feather that in a vacuum both will fall at a fixed rate and land at the same time, the idea that gravity affects both objects equally.  However, when not it a vacuum the feather causes more friction and falls at a varied rate.  This is again is an application that I can use to illustrate one of the Galileo’s scientific ideas during my Scientific Revolution Unit.

5 – Gravity and Orbits - This application could be incorporated into my teaching of the Scientific Revolution.  We spend some time talking about the Geocentric and Heliocentric theories as well as Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo and lack of acceptance at the time of their proof that the sun is the center of the universe as it contradicts the beliefs of the Church at the time.  Although I find the science aspect of this unit fun it also poses a challenge as my understanding of some of the scientific theories is limited.   I think it will give my students an opportunity to interact with the theory of gravity and planetary motion and gain a better understanding of it.

6 – Never Lost -  Never Lost is a virtual exploration in to Polynesian navigation based upon observations of the world around them and not on maps or other navigational equipment.  This is something that I could incorporate into my unit on Early Peoples and it helps explains how they able to get from one place to another by paying attention to their surroundings to determine how to get from one place to another and if they are headed the right way.  One of the questions my students always bring up is “how can they do that without the aid of maps and other tools” now they will be able answer that question.

7 – Ancient Writings Revealed! – This archived webcast shows how today’s technology is allowing us to uncover ancient writing that have be written over and thought to be lost to mankind.  This webcast is something that I would use segments of as we talk about Archimedes during my unit on Ancient Greece.  It always amazes me and my students that these types of discoveries are still being made, a lot of them because of the technology that we have been able to develop.

8 – Ocean wave Simulation – This application shows how wind affects water and creates waves as the water reacts.  When discussing current events throughout the year the topic of wind farms always comes up as an alternate power source.  Students seem to be surprised when told there are places on the East coast that are building wind farms in the ocean.  It’s the same wind that causes waves that are used to create power that is used on land.  This 3D simulation helps students understand how that is possible.

9 & 10 – History of Medicine and Indexes of Biographies of Mathematicians – These two sites can be used as resource material for my students when doing their research projects.  I have my students do two research projects a year, one can be on a broader historical topic (like medicine) and at least one is on a person of their choice from history.  Both of these sites will offer good information from an authoritative source that they can use to complete their research.

There is no doubt about it.  We live in a technology based Information Age.  The sometimes overwhelming easy access we have to information has changed the way we live our daily lives.  What used to be the answer to many an odd question in my house; “that sounds like an encyclopedia question” has been replaced by “why don’t you Google it.”  Access to information has made our lives better in many ways, however it necessitates a change in how we analyze and use that information.

As teachers in the 21^st Century our job is to not only teach a content area, but to also give students experience with gathering, evaluating, analyzing and using the data we find in meaningful ways across the curriculum, not just in computer or technology classes (King, n.d.).  Literacy is one of the words that over time has had its definition re-defined to fit the changing climate in education.  As Roblyer and Doering point out the “literacy skills and processes” found in language arts curriculum are just as important to a student’s success in other content area classes.  This belief led to the phrase we are all very familiar with as “reading and writing in the content area.”  As the definition of literacy has evolved to meet this new technology based Information Age that we live in, that phrase could well be re-written as “reading, writing and technological literacy in the content areas.”

The sentiment in this new phrase seems to be the basis of the new Common Core that many states are adopting in whole or in part.  “The new literacies include the skills, strategies and insights needed to successfully exploit the rapidly changing information and communicative technologies (ICT) that continuously emerge in our world” (Leu, 2002).  Leu goes on to say that “it is critical that students learn how to learn new literacy technologies.”  Therefore, it becomes our duty as educators to help students learn to adapt to changing technologies and give them as many experiences as we can in practicing skills that will help them become and continue to be technically literate throughout their lives and their careers.  If we don’t then we are no better than “the man who cannot read.”

There is no curriculum area that could not benefit from the integration of technology that we have available to us.  With that being said, it is also imperative that teachers are knowledgeable and comfortable with using technology and have the resources available to help them be able to incorporate it into their lesson plans.  It is not enough to have students just type their papers in a word processer, activities need to be planned that allow students to research, investigate and evaluate information and then use that information in meaningful ways.  Students need to have experiences in reading and analyzing various forms of textual and visual information along with opportunities to be creative in the presentation of products that showcase their learning and understanding of a topic.  Teacher’s need the skills which will allow them to guide their students through a plethora of information in a multitude of formats.

Incorporating technology across the curriculum also offers the opportunity to engage students that may not otherwise be motivated by traditional classroom instruction.  Students today are used to interacting with others through electronic devices and other digital mediums.  Many of them don’t view the use of technology in the classroom as new or innovative; they view it as what should be common place.  Any opportunity to meaningfully incorporate the technologies they already use and to help them discover new ways in which to use it, help students to become better able to adapt to new technologies as they become available.  To help them become lifelong learners with technology.

References:
King, M. (n.d.). Integrating technology Into the curriculum. Retrieved from http://www.scribd.com/doc/15709322/Integrating-Technology-Into-the-Curriculum

Leu, D. J., Jr. (2002). The new literacies: Research on reading instruction with the internet. In A. E. Farstrup & S. J. Samuels (Eds.), What research has to say about reading instruction (3^rd ed., pp. 310-336). Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching (6th
ed.). Allyn & Bacon.

This assignment was also important to help me know how to work with float properties and box properties with the xhtml and css code.

Netiquette Web Page

Before asking my students to access this web page, I asked them to fill out this survey.

Behavior and Safety on the Internet

Here are the results of 2 questions.

Later, I gave an online quiz of the content of these pages.  Here is a sample of the quiz.

Netiquette Reading Challenge

This assignment met the following AECT Standards

• 1.1.a Utilize and implement design principles which specify optimal conditions for learning.
• 1.1.2.c* Integrate information literacy skills into classroom and media center instruction.
• 1.1.3.a Produce instructional materials which require the use of multiple media (e.g., computers, video, projection).
• 1.1.3.b Demonstrate personal skill development with at least one: computer authoring application, video tool, or electronic communication application.
• 1.2.c Understand, recognize and apply basic principles of message design in the development of a variety of communications with their learners.
• 1.3.d Select motivational strategies appropriate for the target learners, task, and learning situation.
• 1.4.e* Describe and/or document specific learner characteristics which influence the implementation of instructional strategies and resources within the media center.
• 2.3.2 Design, produce, and use digital information with computer-based technologies.
• 2.4.1 Use authoring tools to create effective hypermedia/multimedia instructional materials or products.

My “Jigsaw Activity” which includes a table is for a lesson on Vikings:

The Jigsaw activity was the inspiration of Elliot Anderson developed in the 1970s.  For more information about Jigsaw activities and design you can click on this Jigsaw Link.

I can see real value in using this type of format for collaborative lesson plans.

Flickr
One of the common problems that I hear about with vocab cards is that you don’t know what or how to draw something that represents the definition of the term.  The other thing that I have noticed is that some of you draw some awesome pictures and representations for your cards.   Flickr is a place that you will be able to add pictures of your drawings or pictures that you have found that can be used on yours or other student’s vocab cards.   As we have discussed in class, pictures that you can use have to be within creative commons.  Flickr has a very large number of photos that fit into this category.

To sign up for an account with Flickr click here and join the group WorldCiv.

Diigo
Diigo is a site that will allow us to create a collection of bookmarks for websites that you and fellow students can use to complete and supplement coursework.  These links will be available to all those in the class.  You can add links to websites about topics within our units, content quizzes, online map quizzers, etc.

To sign up for an account with Diigo and join the group Lunceford’s World Civ.

Wikispaces
Wikispaces is a place that we will be able to discuss current events.    You will be receiving an email to join and create an account so you can interact with your class members and be able to voice your opinion and thoughts in a safe environment.  These discussions will help you and others better understand current issues as different perspectives are voiced.  As we have talked about in class, one of the goals your teachers have for you is that you will be “Intelligent, Responsible, Respectful” citizens of the world.  Voting is one of the opportunities you will be able to participate in as a citizen of the United States.  However, to vote responsibly, you must know the issues AND know how you feel about them and why.  You will need to start forming your own opinions and not just re-voicing the opinions of your parents.  This will start getting you thinking about events of the world.

Check your school email for the initiation to join our Wiki.

This assignment was very interesting as I learned a new webpage creation site called: Grou.ps.

My lesson plan included the use of: Flickr, Grou.ps (as noted before), and Skype.

For an extra bonus I had created a classroom Twitter account for this assignment, but it was optional to use.   In the end, I posted the whole assignment on my EdTech 541 Google website.

This week with Adobe Fireworks our assignment was to create a background image and a header image.   The lesson was very well laid out it would be hard to be unsuccessful at creating the images.

With this week’s web page creation we had to create interactive concept maps from within Adobe Dreamweaver or use the image that we created in Adobe Fireworks.   The concept map that I created was about the three branches of our government then I tiered down one more level to sort of get an idea of how our government’s check and balances work (at least supposed to work).

Here is the link to my web page creation for this week: Interactive Concept Map

Teacher_LessonPlan
StudentHandout
Timeline Template
Teacher Timeline Example

The beginning page only shows two links, one for the student page and one for the teacher page.

The Student Page link will of course take you to where the students will access the appropriate information for their assigned lesson

The Teacher Page contains all the information that went into creating the Spreadsheet Lesson

This is a page that contains pictures of California regions that include the Mountain region, Desert region, Central Valley region, and Coastal regions.  These are picture hyperlinks that will take the user to the respective page of the picture.

Relative advantages for using Spreadsheets, Databases, and Word processing in the classroom:

• Lesson Plan Content: Elements of the Lesson Plan Template:  AECT Standards ; 1.1.2.b
• Objectives:  What the student(s) will know and be able to do after completing the lesson.  AECT Standards: 1.1.1.a, 1.1.1.b
• Standards: Objectives are tied to established content area and grade level standards.  AECT Standards: 1.1.1.c
• Instructional Approach: Student-centered vs. teacher-centered.  AECT Standards: 1.1.2.b, 1.1.5.c, 1.3.a

Relative Advantage
Any time a student can use a computer to perform an assigned task always seems to increase their participation. With spreadsheets students are able to more efficiently manipulate the data collected and see what assumptions and evidence can be derived from it as the task of sorting the data generally only takes a couple clicks of a mouse.  It also allows them to manually alter the data to see that the effects could be in “what if” scenarios (Roblyer & Doering, 2010).

Databases
Databases are somewhat similar to spreadsheets but are designed to work more with more complex data.  Databases are easier to use when data being collected is alphanumeric, may not easily be represented by a number, or when there is a wide variety of information collected that may not, on the surface, seem to be interrelated.  It also allows for a greater range of queries based upon the information stored within the database.

Relative Advantage
Databases can be used as a centralized collection of data that can be used by several groups/departments within in a school or classroom to accomplish their individual tasks.  New information can easily be added to the database so all new searches have access to the updated data pool.  Databases give students practice on using search criteria to find information that meets their specific requirements.  It can also allow them to see relationships between pieces of information that might not otherwise be seen if they have to manually manipulate the data themselves.

Conclusion
Overall spreadsheets and databases are widely used in many aspects of our lives,  whether is it’s a worksheet to keep track of your budget, grades, or your office pool.  Students should have the basic understanding of how to use these tools not only for their intended professions but in their personal lives.  Even searching for information on the internet is practice accessing a huge database of collected information on all possible websites.  The more specific the search criteria the better chances one has of actually finding the information they are looking for without having to look for the proverbial needle in a haystack.  Having a good understanding of how to query information from a database and understanding how to interput those results allows us to better use the information we have available at our fingertips.  All in all it is possible that the incorporation of spreadsheets and databases is one area that is greatly overlooked in education today.

References
Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Integrating educational technology intotechnology (Fifth ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Here is my Web Accessibility Hot Links Page