EDCI 5825 Week 3 Reading Response

The use of Web 2.0 in the classroom provides the ability for collaboration projects between students in the classroom, the teacher, and even students from other classes (Schrum & Levin, 2009, 48). The benefit of using these new technologies in the classroom are that they allow students to collaborate on projects and work individually on them while at the same time work together with other group members to accomplish a larger task (48). The first way that I would incorporate the use of collaborative technology into my classroom is to create a course wiki, which displays all the information about the class; including the syllabus, course calendars, and any other information relevant to the class. The benefits of this wiki will not only allow for the class to be organized into one coherent document, but it will also allow students to become slightly familiar with the use of wiki pages. Throughout the year, I would also create wiki pages to explore concepts within biology. One example of this is that I would want students to create pages on microorganisms and their many functions within the human body. Assigned groups of students would each choose a subject of interest in which these organisms play an important role in either how we function or something that perhaps causes harm to our bodies. These wiki pages would include information such as links to website, videos, and other useful resources to demonstrate what they’ve learned. The use of the wiki will allow for students to connect the concepts of what I teach them in class about bacteria, to the information they’ve researched and also to connect information within the separate groups to promote greater understanding of the material (50).
A second use of collaborative projects that I would incorporate into my class is the use of individual blogs for each of my students. These blogs would be used to not only give background on each of the students, but also would serve as a portfolio and place to submit homework, research, and in-class questions (53). Each week I would like to post a podcast onto our class wiki, which serves as a guideline for the notes for that week of class. This way, students could periodically check back into the podcast if they forget what was covered in class. Also, I would give class exercises and homework questions through this podcast so that I can provide clear and concise details about what is due for each class and what I expect in terms of quality work, thus expanding the student’s learning to outside of class time as well (54).
Using each of these three methods of collaboration, I would have students come up with their own projects as to why they feel bacteria/viruses are relevant to their lives. For example, perhaps the students are interested in how bacteria and viruses cause them to get sick. I would then have them create a wiki page about how viruses spread, what illnesses can arise from them, etc. so that many diverse topics are covered. I would then want them to predict the spread of viruses using surveys and graphing tools (57). Using tools such as Google Earth, I would want them to pretend a disease had just spread to a town on the other side of the state and predict the flow of the disease from town to town. Also, I would want them to formulate a way that they could track and manage the disease through using survey techniques about the general population. Finally, they would have to answer questions on their blogs such as what other factors may played an important role in the spread of the disease, how it could be contained, and how they could locate the original source (Schrum & Levin, 2009).

Resources
Schrum, L. M., & Levin, B. B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools: Harnessing technology for engagement and achievement. Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

EDCI 5065: Week 3 T2P and Essay

T2P:
If a teacher approaches his or her students as blank slates, or a bank which information must be deposited into, then both the student and the teacher will be deprived of valuable learning experiences because the student will feel as if they have nothing to offer to the class and everything that is important to learn and understand is directed by the teacher, and the teacher will never learn from their students. A teacher who believes that they are to fill the minds of a child with valuable information must ask themselves what they can benefit from understanding how a child thinks and how this can make them a better teacher to understand their cognitive and developmental abilities. If a teacher ignores this fact then the student will never learn about the many facets of life that exist outside of the written curriculum and ultimately the teacher has failed and brought the student down with him.

In today’s class we reviewed the work of three main educational theorists; Skinner, Piaget, and Vygotski. Through these developmental psychologists, we were able to construct models of education which best representing their beliefs about the role of teachers and students, how their learning theory is defined, and how it applies to today’s schools. The class went by quickly as we worked in different groups to form large groups to compose information and then formed triads to teach about our assigned theorist to other students. The most important thing I learned from these activities are the use of reinforcement in teaching, and understanding students pre-existing frameworks of cognitive development. Both concepts allow a teacher to be more effective in their practice by allowing students to become more engaged and provide direct feedback through reinforcement, and taking into account student abilities to avoid confusing and frustration in the class.
After class we were assigned another theorist to research and present an 8-10 minute presentation about. My theorist was Paulo Freire who believed that students should learn to be activists and have their voice heard in the community. His theory was fascinating and the idea I enjoyed the most from his is his disregard of the banking theory and instead that he believed students were actively engaged learners who bring a great deal of knowledge and understanding to their classes. We constructed a presentation, which we wanted to film a quick video for, so that we could talk while demonstrating ideas about this theory and who he was as a person. Unfortunately, the task seemed a lot easier than we had expected because none of us were too familiar with the computer programs. Instead we compromised to the best of our abilities, which took us several hours to complete. I learned from this task that sometimes our ideas of what we want to teach are greater than the time we are allotted to do so. In the future, I would hope to better manage my time so that I could finish the assignment in the time frame and put together a more compelling artifact.

Week 3-LT 1

If a teacher was going to present information very new to her students, which aspects of the cognitive learning theories could she consider when designing her lesson plan?

This question is labeled as a 4, which is an analysis question. I agree that this question reflects analysis of how the information presented in the Kruse article can be used to help guide a teacher in planning her lesson. If a teacher was to present new information to her students, it would be important for her to understand that students come into her classroom with different pre-existing frameworks (Constructivist Learning Theory) and these will shape how they interpret the information. It would be important for her to assess her students by asking questions to see which students are having trouble understanding the material and whether they are cognitively able to grasp the subject matter (Developmental Learning Theory). Finally, the teacher would want to be sure to include social interactions between students in the class so that they can share the information they've learned, thus allowing for greater development of the zone of proximal development and allowing for more understanding.

Jimmy grew up in the Bronx, where he only saw black squirrels. When he moved to Connecticut at the age of 18, it didn't even draw his attention that there were red and gray squirrels. How might Jimmy's reaction have been different if he were in the concrete stage of cognitive development?

This question was labeled as a 5, a synthesis question. However, I believe it is more of a level 4 analysis question to analyze his interpretations rather than synthesizing an interpretation of why Jimmy formed this thought process. If Jimmy were in his concrete stage of cognitive development, he would have probably realized that different types of squirrels exist and that they don't fit into his current framework. This would spark Jimmy to form a new framework for different colored squirrels through accommodation which is an abstract concept that other types of squirrels exist, instead of assimilating them together.

Conclude why it may be important to understand Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development when working with children?

This question was labeled a 6, I feel that it is more of a level 4 question which doesn't require deep critical thinking but instead asks to analyze the situation. If they had asked to compare and contrast Piaget with another theorist then it would be more of an evaluation question. When working with children it is important to understand their preexisting frameworks so that you can judge where you should begin the lesson plan. It is important to understand whether children can grasp abstract ideas or if they need to begin with more concrete examples of the lesson. This will not only allow for students to understand the material, but will also allow the teacher to be more effective in his/her practice because they are able to accommodate to students different frameworks which they bring to the class.

EDCI 5825 Week 2 Reading Questions

Similarities:
The similarities between these four instructional models are that they all allow students and teachers to pool their resources in order to investigate an essential question or a unit topic more in-depth.
Another similarity is that all of these models allow students to not only develop competency in a subject area, but they are also teaching internet literacy by allowing them to develop skill such as exploring links, citing sources, and becoming familiar with technology
A third similarity is that all four types of instruction allow for greater organization and better practices in the classes. Students know exactly where to find the information their teachers want them to analyze, or teachers know exactly where to find other curriculums on WebQuest, so that the Internet portion of the class is very well structured.

Differences:
A difference between all four instructional models is the teacher’s role in the assignment. In internet workshop, the students are finding the information but the teacher is facilitating the discussion. However, in internet workshop it is more of an effort on the students to research the topic on their own and in internet inquiry the student performs all the tasks from raising the question to researching the answer.
A second difference is what the students are supposed to take away from the instructional method. In Internet design and Internet project the goal is to build on collaborative skills and help students to understand a topic that the teacher has assigned. Internet inquiry is more for self-exploration by the student so they are to learn how to answer their own questions and hypotheses.
A final difference is whether the assignment is confined to students within a team, within a class, or could involve input from students in classes around the world. Workshops typically are just within the class and involve a relatively small number of students. Internet inquiry is even a smaller student group, probably consisting of either one student or a few with the same question. Internet project and WebQuest, however, allow students and teachers from many different schools and many different locations to share information with each other.

Technology in the Classroom:
I talked with my cooperating teacher about the use of technology in the classroom. He stated that mostly the students use the basics of Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer for using WebQuests, and a media projector. He says that at this time there is no smart board in the classroom. He also stated that he is hoping to post assignments, powerpoints, etc. on GoogleDocs by next year yet it is tricky because most students do not have internet access. This is something that I could hopefully be able to help him in doing as well as developing lesson plans which use WebQuest as a means of exploring concepts.

EDCI 5065 Week 2 Essay and T2P

T2P: If a teachers beliefs, about how students learn and how to teach, don’t directly translate to progress in the students competency of that field, then the teacher may have a class which at first glance comes off as very well structured and having an environment inductive to learning, but actually overlooks the understanding the students are coming away with because teaching requires more than just a subjective interpretation of how a class should function.

Week 2 Essay:
During week 2, we analyzed two articles, one by Yero and another by Hansen which both discuss the idea of morals in the classroom. Using these two articles we learned that a great deal of what a teacher brings to the mix in a classroom isn’t just what they know form their content area, but also the subconscious actions they go through in the class. These subconscious actions direct the class without necessarily being spoken but rather are reflected by how the teacher presents themselves in the classroom.
Yero believed that teachers should educate their students through ideas of critical reflection and discourse. She states that metaphors that are commonly used in classrooms may actually hinder learning by creating preconceived notions about how either a student or an entire class may act. Hansen felt tat students should direct their own learning and that the goal for educating students is to have respect between teachers and students, and have clear expectations, which the students could meet. After the readings we watched clips, which illustrated how other teachers modeled their classroom, and derived how they best felt that learning and teaching occurs. We also examined how well these ideas about how to teach and structure a classroom lead to competency in their fields. Meaning whether it really helped students to better understand or increased their appreciation for the subject. These models helped to define my T2P by allowing me to understand that what may initially come off as a good way of teaching (Whole Brain Teaching 6th Grade Math Class), may actually lack the ability to help students with competency. Also, what may be an unconventional way of teaching and seem absurd (Dead Poet’s Society), although exaggerated, may be a good way to approach a topic. The real indicator of how good or bad a way of teaching or a lesson plan is cannot be judged by merely looking at the class, but rather investigating what the students can get out of a lesson such as this.
We also discussed some of the key concepts in human development, which a person might by experiencing (i.e. social, physical, ethnic) and how a teacher guides their students to explore these dimensions. A good teacher does not only allow a student to explore one path all of the time. Instead, there are many different contexts to learning and the teacher must allow students, and encourage students, to explore the different avenues in life. By touching upon the many facets of development and allowing a safe context to do so, the teacher is providing an education, which extends beyond the curriculum and educates students about the realities of life outside the classroom.
The class flowed smoothly; we transitioned from one topic to the next without dragging out any concepts. Everyone was on the same page and we were able to share out own ideas about what learning was. It was really interesting to see how one of the Intel groups had reinvented the concept map and it worked out really well.

EDCI 5065 Week 1 Essay and T2P

Today we performed several activities and assessments. First, we wrote down formal and informal experiences we have learned in the past. This helped to understand the differences between “loosely” constructed learning versus concrete learning scenarios. The objective was to show how learning occurs in a variety of circumstances outside the classroom as well as within it. We then worked with partners to identify which of these experiences were affected by demographic variables, which were environmental variables, and those that were experiential. This activity demonstrated how learning is based on many individual variables and often what is learned is a result of either personal characteristics, the context of the situation, or how that learning opportunity was presented.
Another activity was to complete the Likert scale, which pertained to learning styles. I learned that I prefer to be more of a physical learner and less of an aural learner. The results that I received from this task varied greatly from the other students in my group, which illustrated the importance of teaching to a multitude of learning styles. What necessarily works for one student may not work to educate another so we must take students traits and differences into consideration.
After lunch we had the task of creating concept maps in which we broke down the idea/concept of learning. This was a difficult task because our group had so many different opinions about what learning meant and it was hard to decide general ideas in which they could be categorized. From this activity we learned that often we use the word “learning” without realizing how difficult it is to define. Learning consists of so many smaller concepts, which also could branch out into thousands more. What was important was grasping that the idea of learning is best understood through openness to many different interpretations and definitions.
Lastly, we focused on the article about educational psychology. The class was able to discuss many issues that cannot be easily answered such as whether standardized tests should be administered and if students should be tracked. These lessons also showed the many concepts pertaining to education and teach us that there are essential questions that must be addressed.

T2p: If a teacher accompanies students as an expert learner and “guide on the side” through their learning experiences, then it will allow students to seek answers and solutions for themselves and become actively engaged in their own learning because they will not rely on having the answer lectured to them or given to them but instead, they will understand that the only way to find an answer is to direct their own education through questioning and problem solving and use the teacher as a resource to find those answers.

EDCI 5065 Week 2 Resources (Biology)

1.) Source 1

I choose this online website because it provides a framework for how high school biology classes should be structured. I feel that as a beginning biology teacher it is especially important to understand what students should get out of their class and equally as important for teachers to understand how to meet these needs. The website does not provide a curriculum to follow, but rather touches upon the important tasks and goals every teacher should strive to meet in his or her classes. In addition, the article also talks about assessment to evaluate the progress of students in the sciences and standards to determine if teachers are encouraging learning and growth in their classrooms. I feel that this website is a useful resource which good teachers would use to teach because it outlines the important principles, standards, and goals of science education. While its messages cannot be directly translated into a specific classroom standard, they serve as guidelines that then enable a teacher to work towards accomplishing these standards. The information would allow students to gain competency in biology by allowing me to design classrooms that meet these goals. For instance, the article states that it is important for students to engage intelligently in public discourse and debate of important science issues. I can then shape a curriculum to meet these standards by providing students with activities which require them to debate the importance of global climate changes and how it affects their lives, in order to meet this objective.

2.) Source 2

This online website provides a multitude of hands-on teaching techniques. I believe that these activities would be a key resource for teaching biology because they provide many opportunities for students to become actively engaged in their learning. These activities provide different methods of learning, such as explaining difficult concepts through common activities, which can be directly observed, also by bringing the material to life instead of only teaching from a book. Students can visualize what is going on during complex processes in biology and learn how to demonstrate these principles. A good teacher emphasizes multiple methods of learning in the classroom. I feel that these activities indicate how good teachers teach by getting students active in their learning, allowing them to visualize the procedures, and allowing for physical learning to occur. Students would develop competency in biology by applying large concepts, which may not make sense to them at first, to everyday phenomena that occur. This would allow for more understanding of how biology plays in integral role in our everyday life.

3.) Source 3

The third resource is another online website which links to several different research articles, news articles, and videos which talk about the future of biology. Most of these links talk about what has recently been done in the field of biology or what the future of biology will be. I feel that they are extremely useful educational tools by exposing students to the future problems of the world, as well as keeping them in touch with the development in the field. I feel that good teachers would use this tool to show students how to discover problems or research in biology that would never be covered in a standard classroom. Textbooks do not have time to cover the most recent discoveries in the field of biology. It allows students to see more biology in their everyday world and allows them to ask questions about how to solve problems that are the most crucial to biology. Also, it allows for students to develop competency about how biologist and other scientists perform research, including how to design research questions, how to test these hypotheses, and how to interpret the data and communicate findings.