EDTECH 541 Final Blog

EDTECH 541, Integrating Technology into the Classroom Curriculum, has been one of the most useful classes for me through this journey so far…and I’m not just saying that!  It truly focused solely on actually integrating technology.  Often times, I get in my own way in how to actually integrate technology.  I know that I want to, but that’s where I get lost.  This course has helped me dive straight in to actually creating meaningful lessons and activities centered around a content area that I teach.  I got to incorporate the basic suite, videos, the Internet, social networking, and more to a content area I’ve always taught.  I think the best thing about doing all of this work, is that it got me going…It got me going and discovering HOW to incorporate all of those things into one content area, enabling me to take that now into all the other content areas that I teach.

All of the assignments in this class were very purposeful and many met more than one AECT (Association for Educational Communications and Technology) Standard.  Below is a list of each assignment from this class, followed by the Standard or Standards that it met.

Vision-Mission Statement

AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge & Skills): 4.3 Reflection on Practice

Relative Advantage Chart

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge & Skills): 4.3 Reflection on Practice

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Instructional Software Lesson Plan

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Software Support Tools

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Interactive Presentation

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Spreadsheet & Docs Lesson Plans

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Video Integration Project

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Internet Lesson

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Social Networking Learning Activities

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Game-Based Learning

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Content Area Projects 1, 2, and 3

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Assistive Technology Project

AECT Standard 1 (Content Knowledge): 1.2 Using, 1.3 Assessing/Evaluating

AECT Standard 2 (Content Pedagogy): 2.1 Creating, 2.2 Using

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations

Resource Page

AECT Standard 5 (Research): 5.1 Theoretical Foundations, 5.2 Method,  5.3 Assessing/Evaluating

Blog Entries

AECT Standard 4 (Professional Knowledge & Skills): 4.3 Reflection on Practice

I feel like I have grown professionally, in that I now feel more comfortable going out and finding useful resources to help when integrating technology into my classroom.  Before, I would only use technology sporadically in the classroom.  It was more of an event than an actual part of my classroom.  That has changed now.  I truly feel comfortable and capable of integrating technology in more than one way into the curriculum.  Looking above at the assignments and what each standard was met, I am a little shocked that one of the assignments that was the most meaningful to me, only met one standard.  That assignment was the Resource Page.  Throughout the entire semester, I added resources to that page that went along with the module of that week.  I know have an extensive list of resources on so many different aspects of technology that I can refer back to.

One of my personal teaching philosophies was also able to shift throughout one particular module.  I have always been against using social networking in my classroom, thinking that it is just too much for fourth graders.  Although I am not fully on the band wagon for it, my thinking has definitely shifted.  I now feel that it is most definitely something that can be incorporated in a controlled and limited manner.  If I taught older students, I think I would be even more open-minded.

I feel as though I have always believed in the Constructivism model, which is strong in technology.  However, just because I believed in it, does not mean it was what I was using in my classroom unfortunately.  I feel with my newly gained confidence in how to go about integrating technology, that my beliefs will become more visible through my teaching.  Many of the activities and lessons I created throughout this course were created with this hope.

Self Assessment

Content – I would rate myself as Outstanding in this area (70 points).  I truly feel that my posts were very thoughtful and I was constantly trying to make connections between the content and real life situations.

Reading and Resources – I would rate myself as Proficient in this area (15 points).  I know that I often referenced reading in my posts, but I sometimes found it difficult to, as I was trying to personalize it maybe too much.  I did always use APA style when citing resources.

Timeliness – I would rate myself as Outstanding in this area (20 points).  I would usually have my posts written by Monday or Tuesday of the week, and rarely had them written after that, unless there was an unforeseen circumstance, which I unfortunately had a couple this semester.

Responses to Other Students – I would rate myself as Proficient in this area (25 points).  I was sure to always respond to at least two other classmates posts, but they were not always as meaningful as they should have been.  There were times when I was really moved or interested in something someone had to say, and was able to give meaningful comments, thoughts, or even questions, but unfortunately I know this was not every week.

Accessibility Features on My Computer

For my master’s work, I have been using my personal desktop computer, which is a HP  Envy that works on the Windows 10 platform.  There are many built-in accessibility features on my computer.  I have listed these below with a short description of each and how these features could help students with disabilities.

Magnifier – This a tool that allows the user to magnify parts or all of the screen in order to see it better.  This feature would be especially helpful to students with a sensory disability such as loss of vision.  If the students still has some vision, which is considered partially sighted, he or she would be able to use this feature in order to magnify parts or all of the screen to be able to see it more clearly.

Narrator – This a tool that will again be wonderful for someone who is partially sighted or blind.  This feature has a voice that tells you exactly what is on each screen and what you are doing on that screen.

Speech Recognition – This tool allows the user to speak directly into the computer to control the computer, open programs, and even dictate text.  This again would be a great feature for students with sensory disabilities and also for students with cognitive disabilities. Since students with cognitive disabilities have some learning difficulties using some kind of productivity software would be helpful (Robyler, 2016).  Being able to speak directly to the computer to type for instance would help these students be able to produce their work with more ease, focusing more on the word usage and grammar.  This would also benefit those students with physical disabilities.  If it is difficult for a student to physically move the mouse or type on the keyboard, this feature would allow them to still fully use a computer by simply speaking the commands.

High Contrast – This feature allows the user to change the contrast colors to different themes.  This allows those with sensory disabilities, mainly visual impairments, to adjust the color on their screen, making it easier to see.

Closed Captions – This feature allows the student to turn on closed captioning and adjust how they appear.  You can change the color of the text, the size of the text, the style and transparency, the background color and transparency, and the window color and transparency.  This feature would not only benefit students with sensory disabilities such as loss of hearing, but also students with cognitive disabilities.  If a students struggles with reading comprehension, he or she could use this feature to help them better understand something they are reading on the computer.

Robyler discusses in his text, Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum, how important inclusion has become since the Disabilities Education Act was authorized in 1990.  This law states that children with disabilities should be included in the education with children who are non-disabled and should only be removed from the regular education when their disability requires more attention than can be given in the regular class (Robyler, 2016).  This is only one reason, yet a large reason, why it is so important to give EVERY child, whether they have a disability or not the access to ALL technology.  This is where accessibility features come into play and are crucial.

References

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Boston: Pearson.

Obstacles and Solutions for Integrating Technology into Language Arts

As one who advocates for integration of technology into all curriculum areas, it was difficult for me at first to think of some obstacles, as I am usually only thinking of the advantages.  After doing some research, and finding an article title, “National Survey of Literacy Teachers Examines Obstacles to Bringing More Technology into Language Arts,” I thought I had hit the jackpot.  However, the obstacles described in this article include “not enough time within a class period, lack of access to technology, lack of technical support, not enough time to plan for integrating ICTs into instruction, insufficient time to teach basic computing skills, lack of incentives to integrate technology, inadequate professional development for integrating technology, and time demands of high stakes testing” (“National Survey,” 2011).  While these obstacles are legitimate obstacles, these are obstacles that can be found in any content area, not Language Arts specifically.

When thinking specifically Language Arts, I can think of a few obstacles that I have encountered.  One of those being plagiarism.  Young children, who do not know or understand what plagiarism is, believe that they can simple take whatever they find on the internet and put it into their piece of work word for word.  It is crucial that teachers not only explain what plagiarism is, but take the time to teach it, teach how to restate information, and then give credit to the original piece of work through references.   This is not something that should start in high school…it should start at a young age, before they ever begin finding information on the internet.

Another major obstacle I have encountered through using technology with Language Arts, and specifically writing, is typing skills.  In “Integrating Technology Across the Curriculum” by M.D. Roblyer, he discusses how there are opposing views on the importance of teaching keyboarding to students.  I am on the “side” that believes in teaching keyboard skills.  However, I do not think it should be a prerequisite before a student is allowed to do any kind of typing.  I think it is something that can be taught in conjunction with other activities, because there is simply not enough time in the day to take multiple days out of instruction to teach and work on strictly typing skills.

Lastly, students struggle to know where to go on the internet to find information.  I have seen students do a Google search, scroll down the page, and say they can’t find any information, without even clicking on a link and reading what is offered.  I loved something that Gavin Dudeney said in his article, “No Place in the Classroom for Digital Illiterates.”  He said,  “To be literate today involves more than the “three Rs” of reading, writing and arithmetic. It requires skills to navigate a connected world, a world that is both much smaller geographically and – at the same time – much bigger, in pure information terms, than the one we knew BG (Before Google)” (Dudeney, 2011).  Students must be taught how to navigate the internet and how to do research on the internet, and not just set loose.

There will always be obstacles when it comes to integrating technology into any content area.  We just need to be willing to find the solutions to those obstacles for the sake of ourselves and our students.

References

Dudeney, G. (2011). No Place in the Classroom for Digital Illiterates. The Guardian. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2011/dec/06/teaching-digital-literacy

(2011, October 30). National Survey of Literacy Teachers Examines Obstacles to Bringing More Technology into Language Arts [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.ernweb.com/educational-research-articles/technology-integration-classrooms-literacy-professional-development-obstacles-survey/

Roblyer, M.D. & Doering, A. (2013). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Boston: Pearson.