As it becomes increasingly well-known, the flipped classroom has turned heads as an innovative way to reach the 21st century learner. Many people have seen the videos describing it. We've seen what it is, what it is not, and what it can be. Many people have addressed the pros and cons of the flipped classroom already. I will briefly mention these and then discuss a way to slowly implement it that I would like to try in the next year or two.
The flipped classroom is a great way to reach the new smarter balanced standards that are may or may not be implemented at a district near you this year. The teacher can effectively become the facilitator of learning instead of the main tool for students. It forces a classroom to become more student-centered. In the case of a science classroom, it also can potentially emliminate the issues that almost everyone has had in the past: not having enough time to cover each topic fully and - in my case - really get a lot of hands-on learning accomplished. Students will have the chance to learn at home at their own pace and use the class time to apply the knowledge and further explore the concepts, or gain clarity by asking questions and allowing the teacher to be a supplemental resource wihtin the classroom and not the focal point.
On the other hand, there are problems that can arise from flipping a classroom. I can imagine the amount of time it will take for students to remold their brains and adjust the new way of doing things. Its hard enough to get students to complete tasks at home on a daily basis as is, to make that a necessity for learning could be difficult and quite an adjustment for the kids. It also requires technology at home that not every student has, even though that is becoming increasingly rare. Alternatives must be addressed in the circumstances. Also, it requires a re-tooling for teachers. Teachers who have spent years creating a course that has been successful would need to spend a lot of extra time creating videos and developing new plans for the classroom. Not everyone would welcome this change with open arms.
Now, to implement this into the classroom, I have a strategy that I may try soon. To alleviate some of the stress, I would consider starting small. Don't flip your class completely, but flip a few units at a time and adjust from there. Upon the first implementation you can imagine the bumps in the road that will come up. Speding a summer creating a whole curriculum only to change it after a few weeks would be counter-productive. Starting small is my best plan. Perhaps a unit or two in each quarter or trimester or whatever fits each schools format.
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Sunday, August 11, 2013
Sunday, August 4, 2013
NETS T Standards and Value of Technology in the Profession
As we've seen in recent weeks, clearly technology is alive in education. It appears some in an older generation and even some in a newer generation are fighting this fact. That fight is not only a losing battle, it's a battle that should be lost. Three 21st century learner deserves teachers willing to keep up with them. In the NETS T standards we see where teachers should be in their quest to impart knowledge creatively and effectively through three use of technology.
Each of the 5 standards gives us a guide as educators. The first standard essentially tells us we should be modeling the use out technology. We should not only bee instructing students, we should be instructing to learn using technology through the use of technology. As complicated as I may have made that sound, this is probably the easiest to accomplish and one that most teachers are at least making an effort to accomplish in every district I know of.
The second standard involves creating assignments or assessments incorporating technology. As much as all teachers would love to be doing this all the time, this is one of the more difficult things. We need to take the time to make this a regular practice. The more we keep up with this standard, the better we'll be at all the rest.
The third standard seems to emphasize the use of technology to collaborate with students and parents as well as to organize our own thoughts and activities. Online calendars are an adequate way to cover this standard but we can certainly expand this into other modes of collaboration.
The fourth standard emphasizes that we preach and model responsible and ethical technology use. It also states that we should use tools and resources that are appropriate to our audience.
The fifth one, to me, simply implies that we constantly use and explore technology to stay up on current trends and resources. Professional growth not only comes through taking classes, but also by simply playing and trying new things. Some work, some don't, but growth only comes in when we maker the effort. Failure cab giver us some of our best lessons.
Each of the 5 standards gives us a guide as educators. The first standard essentially tells us we should be modeling the use out technology. We should not only bee instructing students, we should be instructing to learn using technology through the use of technology. As complicated as I may have made that sound, this is probably the easiest to accomplish and one that most teachers are at least making an effort to accomplish in every district I know of.
The second standard involves creating assignments or assessments incorporating technology. As much as all teachers would love to be doing this all the time, this is one of the more difficult things. We need to take the time to make this a regular practice. The more we keep up with this standard, the better we'll be at all the rest.
The third standard seems to emphasize the use of technology to collaborate with students and parents as well as to organize our own thoughts and activities. Online calendars are an adequate way to cover this standard but we can certainly expand this into other modes of collaboration.
The fourth standard emphasizes that we preach and model responsible and ethical technology use. It also states that we should use tools and resources that are appropriate to our audience.
The fifth one, to me, simply implies that we constantly use and explore technology to stay up on current trends and resources. Professional growth not only comes through taking classes, but also by simply playing and trying new things. Some work, some don't, but growth only comes in when we maker the effort. Failure cab giver us some of our best lessons.
Thursday, August 1, 2013
3 Lesson Plans Incorporating Technology Use
Tool Trifecta
Lesson 1 (Physical
science – middle/high school)
Qualitative vs Quantitative Observations
Objective:
Students will be able to understand the difference between qualitative
and quantitative physical observations given examples and provide their own
examples in an experimental setting.
Resources: Go
Animate video introduction: http://goanimate.com/videos/0uEtqo28yr94
Sophia.org tutorial link for
extra help: http://www.sophia.org/qualitative-and-quantitative-observations/qualitative-and-quantitative-observations--2-tutorial
Worksheet giving examples of
observations in which students must identify which is qualitative and which is
quantitative
Nuts and Bolts Lab experiment
(assorted nuts and bolts in petri dishes of which students will record
observations)
Procedure:
1.
Teacher will introduce the terms qualitative and
quantitative and ask each student to write down a definition and turn it in. Teacher will look at these while the step 2
proceeds.
2.
Without further discussion, students will watch
the quick, cheesy GoAnimate video defining qualitative and quantitative
observations. (http://goanimate.com/videos/0uEtqo28yr94)
3.
Students will complete the worksheet identifying
different observations as qualitative or quantitative while the teacher shows
the picture giving students an example of qualitative observations.
4.
Students will complete the lab activity by
taking each petri dish and recording several qualitative and several
quantitative observations.
Student Assessment: Students will be assessed prior to the lesson
using the initial definition collected at the beginning of class and at the end
of the class by collecting both the worksheet and the ab activity
observations. Any students that continue
to show a lack of understanding will be directed to the short tutorial video on
Sophia.org (http://www.sophia.org/qualitative-and-quantitative-observations/qualitative-and-quantitative-observations--2-tutorial)
Reflection: After the lesson
is over the teacher will evaluate whether or not the goanimate video was a
successful introduction and whether this lesson needs to take a full class
period or if it can be incorporated into other topics like physical vs.
chemical changes and/or element, compound, mixture discussions. If the students seem engaged all class
period, then the lesson was successful and necessary. If students seem bored and if everyone
performs exceptionally well, the lesson should be incorporated into other
discussions.
Lesson
2 (High School Chemistry)-Atomic Theory and Atomic Models
Objective: Students will be able to identify the key
scientific discoveries that influenced the changes in the atomic model over the
past several hundred years and be able to describe the model of each scientist.
Resources: A
computer or tablet (to access google and the teacher’s glogster presentation: http://www.glogster.com/mdehaan003/atomic-models-pinboard/g-6kjld3tml4c315i73hgsia0
)
Notes from previous day describing
each model and the scientist/discovery behind it
Access to a wiki on which group
can share information.
Procedure:
1.
Students will review the PowerPoint notes they
were given on the previous day and observe the glogster collage example the
teacher provided
2.
Students will then be assigned to groups in
which each student will create a separate collage for each scientific discovery that provides a detailed explanation of
each model and discovery.
a.
Each collage must include the scientists brief
background, the individual discovery, the new model of the atom based upon the
discovery.
3.
Students will share and combine all glogster
collages on their wiki for the teacher to grade and for all members to use as a
study guide for the upcoming test.
Student Assessment: The
student’s grade will be based upon the detail and creativity in their portion
of the Glogster collage. Points will be
assigned for the accuracy of their descriptions and the amount of information
in each description. This assignment
will be followed by a quiz on the atomic models and the individual discoveries.
Reflection: After the assignments are complete, the
teacher will look at the grades for each individual student and the detail in
his or her work. Based on these observations the notes and assignment will be
assessed as effective or not.
Lesson
3 (High School Chemistry)-Stoichiometry Introduction
Objective: Students will be
able to solve stoichiometry problems step-by-step beginning with understanding
balanced equations and mole ratios and finishing first with simple mole-mole
problems and eventually three step problems.
Resources: Background info on how to balance
equations and the parts of an equation reactants, products, coefficients).
Computer with
speakers or head phones
Calculator and
periodic table
Procedure:
1.
Students
will be given a quick quiz on conversions, balancing equations and calculating
moles and molar mass.
a.
The teacher will decide whether or not students
are prepared to continue on to this lesson or if it is necessary to review
basic principles again.
2.
If students are prepared to move on, they will
be given a list of three chemical equations that will first need to be balanced
properly.
3.
Students will then access the 1st of
26 podcasts (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEibF3UOO1U&list=PLEoPtHpxZ434g-omLHszKFJCu1rLqJtbo)
a.
This tutorial walks students through basics of
stoichiometric calculations.
4.
After the tutorial, students will attempt to solve
the simple stoichiometric calculation with the first equation on their sheet.
5.
The teacher will walk through the classroom to
see if students are on the right track.
6.
The last two calculations will be done either
together or on their own depending on the evaluation of the first problem.
7.
Students can follow the following link at home
to have an additional tutorial on stoichiometry. https://www.khanacademy.org/science/chemistry/chemical-reactions-stoichiometry
Student Assessment: This generally is an assignment topic that
takes several days and lots of practice to master. Students will be evaluated in this lesson
based upon their ability to identify mole ratios and solve problems using the
proper steps. Particularly at the beginning,
students must show ALL work so the teacher can find areas of concern.
Reflection: The
effectiveness of this lesson will be discovered by looking back at student
attention during the podcast. If this
podcast did not keep students attention, then alternate measures will be
taken. The examples and practice are
more than likely a necessary evil but there could be different steps that must
be tried to make things easier.
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Multimedia Instructional Tools
From the outside, it's easy to look at the overwhelming number of tools available to teachers and expect all of them to be an expert in several different things. From the inside, we see this overwhelming number of tools and many of us feel-overwhelmed. To see a comprehensive list of everything we could or should be using gives me a true reality check. I come back down to Earth, i fall from my pedestal where I look down all of the bad or "computer illiterate" teachers.
To tackle these tools, a teacher needs a few things. First, the time and patience to try them. Just looking at the list I know that, given time, I could use several in my class, the problem is, where do I find that time. Most teachers are not keen on adding more to their already full plate. To rework plans they've honed for years and incorporate something they have never seen before. In my case, to find time in the summer, around working a part-time job, going to school, and raising three (soon to be four) kids. Time is something we all simply have to make. We must take these tools and break them down-one at a time. Second, we need guidance. Just like all our students need a push in the right direction, a spark, something to get them started, we need the same thing. Many of us have complained of our seemingly limitless resources but no training in how to actually incorporate them into our class. We need some facilitation in order to get us going. Online tutorials can go so far, but it is more relevant to see how others in the same profession are using these tools.
Hopefully, given time in this course and beyond, this toolkit can be explored and put to use in the class. This week I will go through several more tools and try to turn them into actual resources to expand real lessons-things I can begin to use in September when school begins again.
To tackle these tools, a teacher needs a few things. First, the time and patience to try them. Just looking at the list I know that, given time, I could use several in my class, the problem is, where do I find that time. Most teachers are not keen on adding more to their already full plate. To rework plans they've honed for years and incorporate something they have never seen before. In my case, to find time in the summer, around working a part-time job, going to school, and raising three (soon to be four) kids. Time is something we all simply have to make. We must take these tools and break them down-one at a time. Second, we need guidance. Just like all our students need a push in the right direction, a spark, something to get them started, we need the same thing. Many of us have complained of our seemingly limitless resources but no training in how to actually incorporate them into our class. We need some facilitation in order to get us going. Online tutorials can go so far, but it is more relevant to see how others in the same profession are using these tools.
Hopefully, given time in this course and beyond, this toolkit can be explored and put to use in the class. This week I will go through several more tools and try to turn them into actual resources to expand real lessons-things I can begin to use in September when school begins again.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
Sunday, July 21, 2013
NETS Standards (1 nd 2) and how we use them
Atomic Discoveries Timeline (Standards 1 and 2)
Standard 1
Creativity and Innovation -Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
c. Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues
d. Identify trends and forecast possibilities
Standard 2
Communication and Collaboration
-Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
c. Develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures
d. Contribute to project teams
A- Identify types of learners in classroom and group different learning styles together. This will encourage more diverse looking timeline with different types of information presented in different ways.
S - The assignment will include identification of discoveries and theories that led to the current atomic theory beginning with Democritus over 2000 years ago. A rubric will be included regarding type of information required, number of theories discussed, use of artwork/pictures/animations. The expectation is that all students participate in the group activity and, depending on the size of the group, focus their attention on 1-3 discoveries/theories apiece with innovative or interesting and creative presentation
S - Students/groups will have the opportunity to choose their own artwork/pictures, etc. These should be original and authentic to the group and to the member of the group. Students will also be required to choose their own method of collaboration with choices including, but not limited to, wiki pages like wetpaint, wikispaces, wikispot, and google docs.
U - Students should create and their own wiki page from scratch or using a template and build all materials without the assistance of the teacher in any way other than guidance and facilitation.
R - Students will present materials to the class by transferring each portion to Powerpoint or some other similar presentation media. They wll be required to answer questionsfrom classmates and the teacher when necessary
E - After teacher and class comments, questions and suggestions, the groups will revise their wiki timeline and send the site to the teacher for final grading. Revision should reflect any relevant criticism and commentary on the timeline.
This assignment should take a total of 5 days and after it's over, students should be more than prepared to complete a summative assessment regarding the atomic timeline and theories.
Standard 3-6 coming later this week
Standard 3
Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry
b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media
c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks
d. Process data and report results
A-
S
S
U
R
E
Standard 4
Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
-Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation
b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project
c. Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
d. Use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions
A-
S
S
U
R
E
Standard 5
Digital Citizenship
Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
a. Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
b. Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
d. Exhibit leadership for digital citizenship
A-
S
S
U
R
E
Standard 6
Technology Operations and Concepts
Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
a. Understand and use technology systems
b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
c. Troubleshoot systems and applications
d. Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies
A-
S
S
U
R
E
Sunday, July 14, 2013
NET.S Standards
I actually had the opportunity to go over the NET.S Standards in a previous course last year and at the time I was unaware of their existence. I knew that technology integration and literacy were becoming increasingly important but didn't realize that there were extensive standards already in place. As I went through them, I realized that some of the standards were being met regularly by staff in my building and others were not regularly being met. The first standard seems to be the easiest to meet and probably the most commonly met. Using things like word processors or lab simulation software together they are able to meet the creativity and innovation standard. Students apply
existing knowledge to generate ideas,
products, or processes and they use models and simulations to explore
complex systems and issues. A goal of mine for the next year is to incorporate more lessons that hit standards 2-6. In coming blog posts I hope to start creating plans and look for comments on how they look in the opinion of my peers.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Unit 1
Over time as a teacher you find new ways to plan and present lessons. Early on, I reverted back to the way I was taught in high school. Needless to say, this included minimal technology integration because, frankly, in the nineties there was very little technology use in my high school. We were limited to video tapes and very limited internet access early in the age of the internet. As time has gone on I have adapted, as has my instruction and preparation. I have gained access to new technology and have (in some ways) been able to incorporate some of it in my teaching.
The ASSURE method is a great tool for planning and implementation of technology infused instruction. We, as teachers, have a responsibility to plan lessons in the best interests of our students. This involves analysis of each student's abilities and achievement on a daily basis followed by aligning new plans with state standards for curriculum and technology. Once planning is done, the technology must be utilized in instruction to present the lessons that involve student participation and use of some of that same technology. After presentation comes the hard part: revision and re-adaptation.
Many teachers would tell you that they do all of these things with every lesson. The truth is, every teacher uses at least part of this method all the time and all of it on occasion but most are not adept enough to do all of it all the time. We run into problems with technology integration or have trouble successfully revising lessons so we reuse the same lessons with limited effectiveness hoping that results will change on a new day or in a new year. We have to adapt and use our time wisely to use this method because it is effective but only if we complete each task each time.
I have to work on two phases of this method. First, selecting and using technology that is relevant and appropriate each day; and second, revising lessons when they are unsuccessful to create success later. These two things can be very related, especially when using things like surveys after lessons or prior to classes. Below is a survey I've seen that I could may use prior to the year for parents.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J6BK9HT
The ASSURE method is a great tool for planning and implementation of technology infused instruction. We, as teachers, have a responsibility to plan lessons in the best interests of our students. This involves analysis of each student's abilities and achievement on a daily basis followed by aligning new plans with state standards for curriculum and technology. Once planning is done, the technology must be utilized in instruction to present the lessons that involve student participation and use of some of that same technology. After presentation comes the hard part: revision and re-adaptation.
Many teachers would tell you that they do all of these things with every lesson. The truth is, every teacher uses at least part of this method all the time and all of it on occasion but most are not adept enough to do all of it all the time. We run into problems with technology integration or have trouble successfully revising lessons so we reuse the same lessons with limited effectiveness hoping that results will change on a new day or in a new year. We have to adapt and use our time wisely to use this method because it is effective but only if we complete each task each time.
I have to work on two phases of this method. First, selecting and using technology that is relevant and appropriate each day; and second, revising lessons when they are unsuccessful to create success later. These two things can be very related, especially when using things like surveys after lessons or prior to classes. Below is a survey I've seen that I could may use prior to the year for parents.
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/J6BK9HT
Sunday, June 30, 2013
IT introduction
This is my new blog for IT 5120 on instructional based technology. I am a fourth year chemistry teacher at Belleville High School in Belleville, MI. I hope this course will provide insights and ideas in how to provide instruction using the technology available to me at BHS. While I have a basic understanding of how most of the available technology works, I need guidance-as do many teachers-as to how to (relevantly) incorporate this technology into lessons.
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