Discussion 3.1

Meeting virtually is a whole new way of getting work done for me. My group and I used Facebook chat as the platform for our meeting. We were unable to connect the video calling. The Facebook chat is similar to instant messaging and could be a great tool in the classroom. This would be a great way for teachers to connect when they are separated geographically, across campus, or in a lab. The platform allows multiple people into the session so that the collaboration can be multi-level. It might be a little awkward looking at a colleague's Facebook page. I am not sure if I would be comfortable using the platform with parents. One reason why I would not like to use the platform with parents is because they would have to "friend" me on Facebook. That connection can be too personal when you are trying to have a professional relationship with the parents of the students. When there has to be a lot of typing involved it takes a measure of patience. Often times when having a discussion with parents there needs to be a level of clarity, and not a lot of room for interpretation. They could misinterpret my words as they read the responses. I think the platform is best used when there is already a level of understanding between the two parties. The benefits of the Facebook platform are that it is easy to use, it doesn't require any installation, and multiple people can chat at the same time. Drawbacks of the platform include too much personal information available and the video calling component needs to be downloaded. With the platforms available to students and teachers today, can synchronous learning replace the traditional classroom when it comes to interaction?

Popplet Link

http://popplet.com/app/#/1746047

Assignment 2.1

http://www.powtoon.com/p/g5r8CprPs1p/

Discussion 1.2 PBL - Project Based Learning

Project based learning (PBL) is a hot topic in teaching. PBL builds 21st century thinkers by giving them driving questions to solve. “But it is the process of students’ learning and the depth of their cognitive engagement – rather than the resulting product – that distinguishes projects from busywork.”(Dickenson) PBL is not a project, but it is the process of learning. “PBL emphasizes in-depth inquiry over coverage.” I have not actively done any Project based learning in my class because I really don’t know where to start. What driving question do I want the students to be able to solve? When we read literature I know the path we will take and how we will dive into the text and analyze several components of it. I guess one question would be to solve the problem of discrimination in society. The 6th grade class reads Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. During the reading the students are appalled at the segregation and prejudice that dominated Alabama. We could focus the PBL on current prejudice and segregation and how they could change it. One of the first steps of PBL is to create groups that work well together.“One of the hallmarks of high-quality PBL is an emphasis on collaboration and shared responsibility. This is not easy for teachers to do when we are confronted with the reality of students' time commitments and differing levels of interest in the project.”(Baron) The advice when making groups is to keep them at a maximum of three individuals per group. According to Adrienne Dickenson everyone matters and has a specific role in the group to make it successful. “in PBL you are teaching through the project, not teaching and then doing the project. If you want a quick way to see if you're meeting the essential elements of PBL, I highly recommend the Buck Institute for Education's PBL Project Checklist.”(Miller) When looking to implement this for the first time in my classroom I hope that I can have a mentor walk me through the process and guide me along the way. Baron, Kathy. "Six Steps for Planning a Successful Project." Edutopia, 15 03 2010. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. . Dickinson, Adrienne. "Practical PBL: Four Tips for Better Implementation." Adrienne Curtis...D's. Edutopia, 18 09 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. . Miller, Andrew. "Integration Strategies for PBL." Edutopia, 29 11 2012. Web. 10 Mar. 2014. .

Four Standards

Twenty-first century students need complex skill sets to be desirable in the job market. Those skills need to be developed in the classroom and include media skills, problem solving, the ability to explore solutions and collaborate with others.(Dickenson) Integrating technology into the classroom can help create students with 21st century skills. Technology is a tool that needs to be used effectively by being implemented thoughtfully. Standards of teaching are built to help us grow as educators and to become effective practitioners in the classroom. Four of the following standards from the CSTP 2009 illustrate ways we can incorporate technology in student learning: 1)Engage and support all students in learning. 2)Creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning. 3)Planning instruction and designing learning experiences for all students. 4) Understanding and organizing subject matter for student learning. As we grow into a global economy we must look at how our instructional approaches integrate technology into the classroom, which in turn supports student learning. In the paper, "Maximizing the impact: the pivotal role of technology in a 21st education system" there are many ways that technology supports learning. Some of the 21st century themes explored are civic literacy, health literacy, and global awareness. A student needs to be creative, innovative, and display media literacy. The difficult part is how as educators do we teach in a 21st century classroom when we lack the necessary tools or ideas? The paper addresses several ways to implement technology in the classroom. Standard 1.4, Using a variety of instructional strategies, resources, and technologies to meet students’ diverse learning needs is highlighted by the example from the paper. The Maine Distance Learning Project incorporates videoconferencing, geography, and language arts into its program of a news magazine television show for students across several states. Standard 2.1 is highlighted with the use of technology as a successful tool in the classroom with Instant Messaging. It turns reluctant classroom participants into active chatters outside the classroom. (Vockley-Long) By using instant messaging teachers are able to reach a broader spectrum of students. "ThinkQuest International competition, an online, collaborative learning contest in which multinational teams of students create educational Web sites on topics they choose, in categories such as science and technology, health and safety,arts and entertainment, and math." ThinkQuest illustrates how standard 3.5 Using and adapting resources, technologies, and standards-aligned instructional materials,including adopted materials, to make subject matter accessible to all students, can be made possible. Think.com is another tool to help educators bring technology into the classroom. “Technology can be a means to access content on any topic, a tool for thinking and creating, a connection to peers and experts, and a window into other cultures. Multimedia content can make the curriculum come alive and allow teachers and students to explore content deeply—or in brief, accessible chunks.”(Vockley-Long)