Below is the link to my end of semester reflection presentation:

https://prezi.com/xvjkt0frbv0k/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy

Keystone Assignment: Implementation Report

                                                                                        

1. The outcomes of the implementation: student learning outcomes and technical procedure outcomes.

All of the students were able to work cohesively in their group to contribute both in person and on the computers at school and at home to fulfill their part of the assignment. Two students required extra help from the TA with the technical details of Google Slides.

2. The adjustments you had made to accommodate students with special needs.

I broke the students up strategically based on their academic, presentation and technological skills. These groups were picked so the students with slightly stronger abilities were able to help any students with special needs.

3. The adjustments you had made for the effectiveness of classroom management.

Splitting the students into groups and giving them free reign on their projects was a decision that I made that I was a little nervous about, but myself, the teacher and the TA were walking around the room throughout the whole time period that the students were working in groups to ensure each group member was working and the groups were staying on task.

4. The questions asked by the students.

The students seemed to be asking questions regarding their requirements for the oral presentation. They asked about time length and the outline.

5. The problems students had encountered during the implementation process.

One group had a problem with a group member’s google slides not connecting with the rest of the group when they tried working on at independently at home. Fortunately, that student did not have too much to edit and was able to use class time the next day to make any last-minute adjustments.

6. The decision(s) you had to make on the spot to make the implementation easier and smooth.

One of the groups had a pair of students that did not get along too well. They ended up getting in small arguments before even beginning to work on the slides. After talking with the teacher, I made the decision to switch their groups to make things run more smoothly and avoid and conflicts. Next time I will be sure to rule this sort of stuff out before picking the groups.

7. The feedback from the students.

The feedback that I got from the students was over all positive. The students seemed to enjoy using google slides and enjoyed the time they got to work with their peers without too much teacher guidance. My goal was to go for a student-centered engaging activity because that is what is most beneficial to both the students and teachers.

8. The timeframe (was there enough time as you planned for).

In the future, I would give the class more time for a lesson like this one. Although it was 2 periods and every group finished in time, I felt there was rushing going on and the students would have benefited from more time.

9. What you learned from the implementation including proposed changes for future lessons?

This lesson taught me that giving students some of their own independent time to be creative with as assignment is a plus. Collaborative learning is extremely important and engages each student. Next time I think I would add some sort of project outline draft to be handed in before the final assignment is due so I am able to ensure every group has the lesson down and is on task.

Keystone Assignment : Lesson Rubric

Oral Presentation Rubric : The Dot Presentation Group number Student Name:     ________________________________________

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Preparedness	Students were completely prepared and each student in the group was on board.	Students were pretty prepared, but some group members could have had a better understanding.	The students were somewhat prepared and not every group member was on board.	Students were not at all prepared to present.
Stays on Topic	Group stayed on topic throughout the entire presentation.	The group stayed on topic most of the presentation.	The group stayed on topic some of the presentation.	It was hard to tell what the topic was. The group was very off topic.
Comprehension	Students were able to accurately answer almost all questions posed by classmates about the topic.	Students were able to accurately answer most questions posed by classmates about the topic.	Students were able to accurately answer a few questions posed by classmates about the topic.	Students were unable to accurately answer questions posed by classmates about the topic.
Content- Slides	The slides aligned with what the students were saying and were engaging.	Most of the slides aligned with what the students were saying and were pretty engaging.	The slides somewhat aligned with what the students were saying but weren’t very engaging.	The slides did not align with what the students were saying and had no engagement factor.
Collaboration with Peers	Student was able to collaborate with the group smoothly. Every group member contributed to the slides and oral presentation.	Student was able to collaborate with their group and contributed to the slides but did not talk much in the oral presentation.	Student was able to somewhat collaborate with their group and contributed to the slides but not the oral presentation.	Students did not collaborate with their group and did not contribute at all to the slides of oral presentation.

Keystone Assignment: Lesson Plan

Haley Gibbons

Grade Level: 4^th Grade

Reading Comprehension

Length of the lesson: 2 Class periods

Central focus: The students will use their knowledge of the book The Dot by Peter Reynolds to conduct a group presentation on how the character Vashti changed from the beginning to the end of the book. Key questions:  ·       Who is Vashti? ·       How does this character progress throughout the book?

Knowledge of students to inform teaching: Students were asked to complete the book at this point and should have knowledge of the plot and the character Vashti.

Common Core State Standards: CCSS.ELA- LITERACY.RL.4.3 Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text ( e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions). ISTE Standards: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.4.7 Make connections between the text of a story or drama and a visual or oral presentation of the text, identifying where each version reflects specific descriptions and directions in the text. 1d: Students understand the fundamental concepts of technology operations, demonstrate the ability to choose, use and troubleshoot current technologies and are able to transfer their knowledge to explore emerging technologies. 2a: Students cultivate and manage their digital identity and reputation and are aware of the permanence of their actions in the digital world. 2b: Students engage in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices. 2c: Students demonstrate an understanding of and respect for the rights and obligations of using and sharing intellectual property. 3a: Students plan and employ effective research strategies to locate information and other resources for their intellectual or creative pursuits. 3b: Students evaluate the accuracy, perspective, credibility and relevance of information, media, data or other resources. 3c: Students curate information from digital resources using a variety of tools and methods to create collections of artifacts that demonstrate meaningful connections or conclusions. 4a: Students know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts or solving authentic problems. 4b: Students select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risks. 6a: Students choose the appropriate platforms and tools for meeting the desired objectives of their creation or communication. 6d: Students publish or present content that customizes the message and medium for their intended audiences. 7a: Students use digital tools to connect with learners from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, engaging with them in ways that broaden mutual understanding and learning. 7b: Students use collaborative technologies to work with others, including peers, experts or community members, to examine issues and problems from multiple viewpoints. 7c: Students contribute constructively to project teams, assuming various roles and responsibilities to work effectively toward a common goal.

Support literacy development through language (academic language) ·       The students will be asked to analyze the character Vashti and describe her transformation throughout the story and explain through a presentation. Vocabulary: Analyze, character, transformation.

Learning objectives 1.     Students will understand the meaning of transformation and be able to connect that definition to the character Vashti in the book The Dot. 2.     Students will be able to present their findings on this transformation through a group presentation using Google Slides, so the students are able to collaborate on computers at home as well as in school.

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) ·       This assessment will be formal, the students will turn in their final presentations to graded and will also be graded on their oral presentations.

Instructional procedure: Introduction to class: Day 1 ·       The class will open by sitting on the carpet and I will ask the students to volunteer to give a plot summary of the book. This will be used as a refresher activity and open a class discussion about the overall concept of the book. ·       I will then bring Vashti into discussion and ask each student to find a peer or two and discuss Vashti’s personality progression throughout the book. ·       After two minutes I will open this discussion up to the class and ask for volunteers to talk about Vashti’s transformation. ·       Once one to two students volunteer, I will review with the class and explain the project to the students. Lesson body: ·       I will then break the students into groups and the groups will start by discussing their thoughts on this character transformation and jotting down any important notes. ·       The students will go to their designated computers(in the computer lab) and work on their presentations as a group for the remainder of the period. ·       The students will collaborate through google slides to add and edit their presentation at home for homework. Day 2: ·       The students will use this period to finish up their presentation and the teacher will leave 25 minutes at the end of the period for the 4 groups to present for a maximum of 5 minutes each. ·       The students will present their google slides presentation and answer any questions the class or teacher has. Conclusion: ·       The class will close with the students handing in their final presentations on a hard drive to the teacher for grading.

Instructional resources and materials used: Computers Internet access The book The Dot by Peter Reynolds

Keystone Assignment: Teacher Interview

For this part of the assignment, I interviewed a fourth grade elementary school teacher. The questions and answers are listed below.



What is your understanding of new literacies?


New literacies is something that is always changing in our classroom but today, its something that every teacher must get on board with. Technology is taking over our world and our younger generation students are comfortable with using it. New literacies in my ELA classroom means anything from online games to showing slides and pictures on the smartboard.



How do you compare new literacies to the old school way?


As a teacher that grew up around textbooks, worksheets and pencils and revolving my early years as a teacher around those things, it has been a hard adjustment for me to completely accept a classroom that is based around technology. The old school way for me has worked for so many years. However, I think as teachers we have to be open to change and anything that will help our students. I believe that finding a good balance of the two has worked for me tremendously. I still do like the old school way and still incorporate it into my lessons along with the new literacies.



What are some new literacies that you used in your classroom for ELA?


A big thing that I have been using is google classroom. Once I was able to learn the ins and outs of this application it has become so much easier for myself and the students to collaborate and hand in assignments with just a click of a button. This has been beneficial in and out of the classroom and allows for a whole other environment outside of the classroom. Students are able to hand in their papers through this site and receive feedback from me and their peers right on there.

I have also used online games that test the knowledge of the students while having fun. I used an online game to help with reading comprehension of a story that we read recently that many students were struggling with. I was surprised how much it helped them and how much they enjoyed it.



Have you seen a difference in performance for the students while using new literacies in the classroom?


The students overall seem more engaged in material when they are using new literacies. With higher engagement comes more success and I have definitely seen that. These students are comfortable with technology and it is something most of them use on a daily basis so when they are able to use it in school they get excited and most of the time are more successful.





Has there been any challenges for you while using new literacies in the classroom?


I have gone to professional development solely for new literacies in my classroom. Introducing these into my classroom was a challenge for me because I was not comfortable at all with any technology. But it has been a goal of mine to really grasp this concept to become a better teacher and fully help my students in any way that I can. Understanding technology was essential for me and I am proud of how far I have come with it.

Keystone Assignment: One page reflection

Print literacy has been the staple of human communication for as long as we can remember. It has become the way we have communicated, taught, learned and so on, forever. Print literacies in the classroom still to this day is a main source for teachers. A paper and pencil is what everyone had to remember to bring to school. When we got to school, we had books to read and worksheets to complete. Although this print literacy approach is still very much alive today, technology is beginning to slowly rise above, bringing new literacies to a new level. 


As bizarre as it sounds, technology is still on the rise. Some might feel as if technology has already reached its peak in this world and we can stay stagnant from here. Technology will continue to rise despite all of the benefits we have already gained from it. Technology has allowed us to communicate with our friends that are halfway around the world just by sending “send” on a text or a direct message on a social networking site. The internet gets larger everyday and has made communicating, reading and writing so much more convenient for human kind. Bringing these technologies into our classroom’s is a fairly new concept that we have just fully become aware of. 


New literacies in the classroom have been proven to aid in a higher level of engagement in the lesson topic. In today’s world, most students of all ages have been introduced and have experience using technologies. People feel more comfortable and engaged in things they have background in. Students that use technology show higher engagement and therefor show higher success rates. Websites like Prezi and google drive have allowed for increased collaboration in and out of the classroom. This essential peer to peer and student to teacher collaboration can now be fulfilled from behind a screen. The website EDpuzzle allows for teachers to create an interactive video with voice recordings and quiz questions and assign them to classes to complete at home. This gives students the comfort of hearing their teacher’s voice while watching a fun educational video and keeping on track with quiz questions. 


As we know, each student learns at different paces. This has been a consideration since the rise of new literacies. With that being said, most teachers were taught with the foundational print literacies. This has caused a major disconnect with teachers accepting new literacies. It has been time consuming and confusing for many teachers to understand these new additions to their classroom and not every teacher is completely open to it. Some teachers do believe that the traditional way is the way and don’t want that to change. 


In my opinion, print literacies are still very much important today. I do not think that schools should completely change classrooms to a technology centered class. A blended learning environment allows for both foundational and new literacies in one. This method creates a foundation of reading, writing and the basics for students at the same time as introducing new literacies to them slowly. It is extremely important for students to learn and fully understand both foundational literacies and new literacies and I believe finding that happy medium is important.

Glogster:

Glogster is an easy accessible website for both students and teachers to use and benefit from. It is a diverse website that can be used with computers, laptops or tablets with internet access. Students or teachers can create virtual posters from this site. Students can get peer and teacher feedback and teachers can share things with their students. This aspect makes Glogster very interactive and great for collaborative online work. Teachers can assign homework through this site and students and teachers can get the same classroom interaction at home. This is a great advancement because posters being made for presentations was very common years ago. Now students can create similar posters but stay engaged and pick from templates online. A way to use Glogster in the ELA classroom can be having students conduct a book report on Glogster. ( You can find one I created below. This is a template that students can fill in based on their books) Another way ELA students can use Glogster is make a rough draft through a learning web with these posters. The teacher can view these and provide feedback to the students and the students will be able to adjust their final projects accordingly. 

Week 11- Assignment 2 : VoiceThread presentation

https://voicethread.com/share/13297928/

Week 11- Assignment 1: VoiceThread Article Reflection

The article " Using VoiceThread to Promote Learning Engagement and Success for All Students" talks about the tool VoiceThread and the different features that go along with it. Through VoiceThread, you can import pictures, text comments, and voice comments where you can record your voice and add it onto a slide. The article talks about how students with special needs sometimes feel unmotivated and disengaged in the material. VoiceThread could be a way to help with this because of the engaging features that it offers. The teacher can also provide feedback and help through the comment section which can help a lot. 

When a student uploads a VoiceThread, anyone in the class, including the teacher can share comments, questions and feedback on it. The teacher also can set it up so that each each comment can be approved before going up. This article lists ways that each subject area could benefit from using VoiceThread. I thought the science section was cool because it involved a VoiceThread from the teacher about the stages of a butterfly and the students will have to comment answering questions about the stage and what happens at this time. I think this could be a great way to get a class discussion going outside of the classroom.

The article states that VoiceThread is designed to promote collaborative learning. This online world is great place for the more introverted students to earn their participation points. This is website that is able to get everyone in the class involved. I thought a great addition to this article was it showing us different scenarios of students that have struggled academically and how VoiceThread could help them.

Issues with new literacies in the classroom:

Presentation link:

https://www.screencast.com/t/8DHZGKrjx 

Digital Story Presentation:

https://voicethread.com/share/13227545/

UDL Book Builder Project link:

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=e57df5cf6befa2bde939b8d57e670de4&sid=29880

Week 7- Assignment 2

The game Second Life can be used for educational purposes and while exploring the game,
and talking with an ELA teacher, I thought about how this could be used in an
ELA classroom. First and foremost, I think it is important to advise the students to get comfortable with the game before starting assignments and meetings. It is also imperative to warn students that this is a public site, and random people can interact with you. In Second Life, virtual classes can be held where the student's avatar's can be present and even participate and ask questions. When exploring second life, I thought this game would be most useful for online classes, to bring a sense of social presence for the students and teachers to communicate through. In regards to using Second Life in middle or highschool, ELA students can explore the game and write a paper on its each of its functions and how it can be an educational game. I think that this game does play a multimodal role because of all of the animations keeping things interactive and engaging.

Week 7: Assignment 1


In the article “Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms" Dawnene D. Hassett and Jen Scott Curwood present the idea of multimodal texts and how they can get a child’s mind thinking without any words involved. A multimodal text can be described as a way to get a message across without words. An example of this for elementary students can be a picture book. In the article, one point that was interesting to me  was when they explained the situation where the kindergartener was reading the story Froggy Gets Dressed and he explains how he feels froggy’s mother gets more and more angry with froggy because the colors used for his mother saying the word “Froggy” start with a cool blue and gradually turn to a burning red. I find this concept of multimodal texts particularly in elementary school students to be very interesting because it allows the children to interpret the story being told in their own way to encourages them to use their imagination. 


The article “Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners” By Shiang-Kwei Wang and Hui-Yin Hsu goes in depth describing the details of the game Second Life and gives us the advantages and disadvantages of using this game for educational purposes. This game is in an interactive online virtual world where each player can create their own avatar. This article tells us that more and more classes are beginning to use second life, especially classes that are offered completely online. The article talks about the importance pf having a social presence in the classroom, and Second Life can be used for that. Second life allows teachers to hold virtual meetings and the class can use their own voices or text to chat with each other. This to me was very interesting because it could definitely be beneficial, especially as more and more classes become completely online. One downside to this game that stuck out to me was that anyone can join in on your meeting or class at any time, if the teacher doesn’t lock the class. This could be a real interruption if you come across someone who is looking for trouble. The big benefit of Second Life is students being able to interact and collaborate with each other. I believe collaboration is a huge part of the learning process and having this so easily accessible to students is definitely a great asset.

Week 6: Assignment 2.2

Library:
The library in Edmodo allows teachers to store different files that needed to be saved. These files can also be accessed and viewed by the class members. These files can range anywhere from a text to a picture or video. This function keeps everything organized.
Members:
On the left-hand side of the class page, there is a tab for members. When you click on it, the tab lists all the students and teachers. In the students tab you can click on and manage each student individually or create a small group and manage the students in your group. The teacher or the creator can see all the parents that are involved and add or delete a member.
Posts:
The teacher can post quizzes, alerts, assignments, and notes for students and parents to see and respond to. This feature allows to teacher to post noted to one person, the class, a parent, or a small group of students. Teachers, students, and parents can reply to different posts, notes and comments. Teachers can post an assignment for students to complete by selecting the “assignment” link and filling out the title, description and due date. The teacher can then select if they want to assign the work to the whole class, or a smaller group. It is made available to the teacher who completed the assignment.
Messages:
The message feature allows private teacher and student contact. The student can directly message the teacher with any questions about an assignment or about a post. The teacher can also message a student with any questions or concerns they may have.
Calendar:
The teacher can add events to specific dates on the calendar for students and parents to view. They can add the time, description and who they want it to be sent to.

How ELA teachers can enhance their ELA instruction:
Edmodo is a site that I believe all teachers can find a benefit from. New literacies are essential today and this type of social interaction while incorporating educational learning is a great way to keep the students engaged. The instant feedback that can be given with this site is great and it gives students the opportunity to contact the teacher from home. This site can be great for an ELA teacher to assign writing assignments from. The assignment can be posted to the class and the class can post their final work on Edmodo. The teacher can then grade the writing assignment and give feedback right on the site. I believe parental involvement is something that is very important in a student’s success. This site is very parent involved and I find it very beneficial that a teacher and parent can interact with each other on this site. It keeps parents up to date in real time about their child’s progress.

ReplyForward

Week 6: Assignment 2.1

Both of these articles were a very interesting read. I found it particularly interesting that middle school science teachers are confident in their basic skills using ICT’s, but not anything beyond that. I also was engrossed at the lack of access to technology in the classroom. Teaching and learning new literacies today is a must and we need the proper technology equipment to undertake new literacies.


When it comes to using social networking in the classroom, I understand teachers concerns about the fear of cyber bullying. However, that’s why creating a page like Edmodo, that is teacher monitored is perfect for incorporating social media into the classroom. And of course, as stated in the article “Using Social Networking Sites to Facilitate Teaching and Learning in the Science Classroom” the teacher should always teach the students about “netiquette” about safety, respect and plagiarizing.


Parent involvement is a huge part of a child’s success. With these social networking sites used in the classroom, the parent is connected as well. I think this is a great tool to have for the parents to be able to see what their child is learning about, how they’re doing, and teacher and parent communication.


As brought up in the article “Middle School Science Teachers’ Confidence and Pedagogical Practice of New Literacies” A big problem that has come up is lack of equipment.  The article about social networking sites brings up the solution that the students can use the school library. My question would be, would the teacher be allowed to assign required homework on these social networking sites? What if every student doesn’t have computer access at home?

Week 5 Assignment 2

Philosophy of Using Games in the Classroom:


Technology in the classroom has become a huge part of teaching and is almost inevitable to the teaching process currently. Incorporating video games in a lesson is not something that is often thought about it can actually be very beneficial to the student’s progress. I believe that introducing video games to students and teaching them the ins and outs of them is extremely helpful in the progress of learning a subject. Whether it is an educational video game or a regular game the teacher can apply either of these to the lesson being taught. Kids love games, and video games in the classroom can allow them to get their imaginations in gear and keep them focused and engaged on a topic. Introducing the actual design of the video game is something that can be introduced to the older grades. This is something that most students most likely have never been introduced to but could be beneficial for the understanding of coding. While doing some research, I came across an interesting fact that children who play the game     “Animal Crossing” often have a higher reading level than most children in their grade because it requires the player to screen read for most of the game. All in all, I think that teaching with video games can be extremely useful if taught the correct way.

Week 4 Assignment #3

https://screencast-o-matic.com/watch/cqQtcGufZt

Week 4 Assignment 2


Grammar Gorillas lesson plan:



Grade level: 3^rd Grade


Common Core Standards:  CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.3.1.a Explain the function of nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in general and their functions in particular sentences.


Learning Outcomes: The students should be able to identify the different parts of speech and point out each of their functions. They should be able to identify these parts of speech through reading, speaking, and in their own writing.


Instructional Activities: Students will play the game to build their grammar skills and knowledge on their parts of speech. This game will build their overall language acquisition both oral and written through repetition and reinforcement. 


Assessment: The teacher will give a small introductory quiz before the students play the game and again after they are finished. The teacher will then assess each student’s results on their knowledge of grammar and parts of speech to see how much the game benefited them. This assessment can be created online and given through the computers directly after the game or give a traditional written test. 


Debriefing: The teacher will print out the scores and results of each student and they each will be assigned a partner. The students will talk about and reflect on their own work as well as each other’s. The students will compare answers and be prompted subconsciously to consider the differences in their work. 


Cognitive skills: This game develops sustained attention over the period of time needed for the lesson. This also gives students discipline in memorization of the key parts of speech that are important to understand.


New Literacies: The new literacies cultivated in Grammar Gorillas are the internet and digital video. Both of these new literacies are involved in making the game fun, interactive and educational for the students.  

Haley Gibbons

Week 4 Assignment 1



The game I chose for this assignment is called “Grammar Gorillas” I chose this because it really appeals to the younger grades and I observed in a classroom where this was used, and the students really seemed to enjoy it. In regard to text, the Simulation Gaming article states that players need to be able to read the text and understand the object of the game, as well as get information needed to succeed. Grammar Gorillas provides clear instructions before the game has started and gives help and definitions at the bottom of the page for students to read and learn.



I think video graphic elements are extremely important in games, especially for the younger grades. This is what will keep the students engaged. The video graphic elements used in Grammar Gorillas are the sentence that is presented, and some fun graphics of bananas and gorillas, the more answers that you get right, the more bananas the gorillas will receive.



One thing that this game is missing is the audio aspect. I think involving this in would add a better level of engagement for players. Audio is important, especially with the younger grades.



The goal of this game is to try and figure out what word in the sentence is the correct part of speech that they’re asking for in the question. For example: For the sentence “The goalie kicked the ball forcefully to the other side of the soccer field” The player will be asked to find the noun. Each time you get a question correct; the gorilla will receive another banana. The player wants to collect as many bananas as possible. This game has no scenario design.