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Social Media in Education

Social media has become an important method of communication and sharing of information and ideas. Many educators have turned to social media to build communities of ideas and support. The following are some of the Facebook groups and pages that I have found to be useful: https://www.facebook.com/WeAreTeachers/ We Are Teachers is a Facebook page in which teachers can share ideas, collaborate with one another, and find encouragement. Teachers share practical teaching tips from lesson ideas to arts and crafts projects. There are also freebies and giveaways offered on the page. It is described as a teacher’s lounge where teachers can go to find helpful resources, or simply to find support and advice. There are even humorous posts that teachers would find entertaining. I am always looking for ideas and inspiration from other teachers, and this is a good place to find them. https://www.facebook.com/groups/teachersusinggoogleclassroom/ Teachers Using Google Classr...
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Module 6 Reflection

This module has helped me think about self-directed learners and the role of differentiation in the following ways… In my teaching, I try to think about different learning styles and teach in ways to benefit as many styles as possible, but I haven’t necessarily planned my lessons with differentiation in mind. Meeting the needs of all my students would take careful planning and design, not just with a broad plan in mind. Each type of learner would need a different kind of support. Part of that support would be to help them identify their own learning style. If they understand the way they learn, they can adapt and use strategies to help themselves be more successful. It is also important for them to be able to assess not only each other, but to assess themselves. For this to happen, they would need a clear understanding of the objectives of the course and what is expected of them. Formative assessment is also an important part of students being successful as self-directe...
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Module 5 Reflection

This module has helped me think about student-centered assessment in the following ways… My views of assessment and the role of myself and my students has been challenged throughout this course. I have been teaching for several years, and my general view of assessment has been that I teach the material and then assess the learning. Although I still believe that assessment is part of my role as a teacher, including the students in the assessment process can be a valuable component of their learning. When students evaluate other students’ work, they have to become critical thinkers which impacts the way they think about their own learning. When students can evaluate the work of their peers, giving feedback and suggestions, they develop a deeper understanding of the content. They also need opportunities to learn new skills such as creating projects, checklists, and rubrics. Including students in the foundational part of learning requires them to think about the content as a w...
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Module 4 Reflection

How can technology be used most effectively to support and assess student learning?   When looking over the list of 20th Century classroom qualities, I realize that the list basically describes my classroom. I have had a teacher-centered, textbook-based approach to teaching and assessing. I have found myself frustrated at the fact that students don’t seem to retain the information that is being taught and there seems to be no deep understanding. I have often questioned why I couldn’t get students to think and reason, but the answer to that question is that I didn’t really give them the opportunity to do so. I was presenting the material and asking them to retain it. I have always felt like I have done a fairly good job of incorporating technology into my lessons to enhance what I am doing in the classroom. I have had a Smartboard that I used to plan interactive lessons. I also use computer programs and apps for student math practice such as FastMath and IXL. I even have a...
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Module 3: Technology Integration Fameworks

When integrating technology into my lessons, I have often thought about how the technology would enhance the learning of my students, but I didn’t really think of it in relation to Bloom’s Taxonomy and how technology can be used to foster higher order thinking. The TPACK model is one way to foster this thinking. TPACK combines content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and technological knowledge to enhance the teaching & learning process. It is set up as Venn diagram to show how the different areas overlap. The content knowledge section focuses on what is being taught. This addresses the understanding of the facts and content that the teacher is teaching. A teacher must fully understand the subject area that is being taught. The pedagogical section focuses on how the content is being taught. This would include theories, instructional design strategies, and possibly project based learning. The final section is technological knowledge. This area deals with how to select and use t...
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Module 2 Reflection: Curricular Frameworks

            It has honestly been some time since I have given much thought to Bloom’s Taxonomy, in name at least. Of course, as a teacher, I always strive to get my students to think critically, but I haven’t thought much about the actual pyramid and all of the different levels in some time. I must also admit that I do spend a good bit of time in the knowledge, comprehension, and application levels. When pondering this, I think that at least part of the reason lies with standardized testing and the pressure that is put on teachers for their students to do well on these tests. Standards-based tests are written at the system level and required to be given. Students are given grades based on those tests, so teachers must prepare students to master them. I believe this can force teachers to have a narrowed view of student achievement and what that really means.             On...
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Module 1 Reflection: Instructional Design

This article has made me think about my role as an instructional designer differently than I did before. I have been an educator for 18 years and have generally thought of lesson plans as a guide of how I would carry out a lesson, which was generally focused on what I would do as the teacher. Although student learning has always been my ultimate objective, my plans seem to focus on the activities that I would lead to facilitate that learning. Reading this article has made me rethink that idea. I can see now that my teaching has been geared toward a teacher/classroom-centered instructional design. I have focused on activities and what we would be doing together in class. My planning basically addresses my time with the students. However, student/learning-centered instructional design focuses on the kinds of thinking students do and what the students will take away from the classroom experience. This planning focuses on long term outcomes. I believe that one of the reasons my pla...
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