Week 5 - website choice

Which two website would you consider using in your future classroom? Please explain and provide supporting details to you response.

There appears to be a wealth of resources for teachers to select and use appropriately for classroom practice. One informative website I would use is the Classroom Literacy Sources. First, it caters for different grade levels. Second, it is a comprehensive website not only teachers but also for students. For example, some of the relevant resources are on “effective principles of literacy instruction”, “Best practices for reading and writing strategies.” These resources are useful for special education teacher to provide differentiated instruction. Some of the strategies provided can be modified to suit the student’s needs. Since special needs students require individualized education plan, it is important for teachers to have a huge repertoire of resources.

This website also contains resources for lesson plans, educational materials such as graphic organizers as well as lessons that integrate technology. With these resources I can vary their instruction and not use rote method of teaching and learning. Special needs students too may be motivated to learn with activities that integrate technology. For example, to teach reading comprehension, I would use mind maps or concept maps for the students to list the main ideas or descriptions of character or places.

This website too can serve as a professional development for teachers because there are several useful resources with step by the step procedures which enable teachers to integrate technology in the classroom. Teachers have to take advantage of new technologies to reconceptualize their new role and engage in meaningful learning (Schrum & Levin, 2009).

For students, there are vocabulary and reading instruction, online games such as word play and writing den, which they can practice on their own to consolidate their learning.

Another website that I would select is the Journey North for Kids. This is essential for students to gather information on a particular topic of their science project. Journey North presents slides show and comprehensive data for students to do personal research on an assigned topic. Besides, the students can refer to this website to create their blog or Glogster. Journey North is a platform for learning to occur in social contexts through networking as well as connecting with other people. Diversified learning activities may trigger the interests of students. Also the website has links to other content area which student may be interested to look into them at their own time.

The Journey North for Kids also provide slide shows and projects that students can choose from. For students to have a choice means, they are not confined to teacher’s beliefs and interests. Students are given an opportunity to take control of their learning.

Teachers who incorporating technological activities in their lessons are meeting the standards of National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) that is “developing technology-learning environments to enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress” (ISTE, 2007).

Reference

ISTE. (2007). National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Retrieved. June 13, 2011 fromhttp://www.comfsm.fm/national/administration/VPA/researchdocs/techPlan/ISTE%20National%20Educational%20Technology%20Standards.pdf

JourneyNorth (1997 – 2101)1http://www.learner.org/jnorth/KidsJourneyNorth.html

Literacy Web Homepage: Grades 5-6 (2007) Retrieved from http://www.literacy.uconn.edu/56home.htm

Schrum, L. & Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Wolinskyweb.com (2011) Retrieved from http://www.wolinskyweb.com/word.htm

Writing den (1996 – 2008) Retrieved from http://www2.actden.com/writ_den/index.htm

Week 5 T2P

Writing about my convictions of what a good teacher should be, made me think of myself. I realize that being a good teacher requires my conscious awareness of how to deal with students to ensure that they benefit from my instruction. I know that I will have to focus on the emotions that the students come to class with. I am now aware I am not just educating their mind but also their heart. How I present myself models my attitude and perceptions towards learning which affects my students’ emotions as well.

Today, another scaffolding activity was carried in relation to T2P. Focusing on the area of student’s weakness and re-teaching it provides an opportunity for the student to understand better. The students could also reconstruct what they have learnt and make connections. Also, getting the peers to provide good examples on the activity consolidates student’s understanding. Re-doing the activity is very beneficial to ensure students are on the right track. I find this method of instruction useful to direct students’ learning to the right path. Another interesting that occurred during this activity is the use of scaffold. This time the scaffold is not as intense as in the previous lesson and it relates to Vygotsky’s theory of learning on gradual withdrawal of scaffolds. Once mastery occurs scaffolds should be withdrawn and in this instance, since there was one area that required guidance, scaffold was limited.

Making connections is what I would like to think of this activity. Comparing the theories of learning and making connections from one to the other provides a broad understanding of the whole concept. Likewise, when teaching in the classroom, the teacher has to make connections from previous lessons to the current to ensure that students have a flow of thought and are able to make connections. This will provide meaningful learning and students will be engaged.

If students experience success overtime and it is reinforced then students would be able to take control of their learning because students would be able to manage their emotions and behaviors. In this way, according to Mitra, Noddings and Siemens students would be able to engage in meaningful learning and become autonomous learner and would be confident and competent in progressing on their own. They would be able to venture on their own because they will be motivated and will be willing to try alternative paths to acquire new information. Functional fixedness will no longer limit students’ creativity and learning would be viewed as fun. In other words, students would have developed intrinsic motivation to embark on learning.

Week 5: A good Teacher

A good teacher is cognizant of both students’ cognitive and emotional state. Imparting knowledge is the ultimate goal in a teaching and learning experience. However, effective teaching and learning does not occur if the students’ needs are not looked into. Therefore a good teacher would first assess students’ emotional state before beginning a lesson. A good teacher too will recognize the various levels of abilities students come to class with. A good teacher will vary her instruction to enable her students’ to benefit from the it. A good teacher will in her course of teaching identify how students learn best. She will provide collaborative activities and scaffolds for her students to progress in their learning. A good teacher will not coerce her students to focus on grades and limit their creativity. Her students will have freedom to expand on the activities given. More importantly, a good teacher is a partner in the teaching and learning situation. She has to be approachable and be able o empathize with student's predicament.

If a teacher carries out a question and answer session using good open-ended question strategy, then it will help motivate students’ curiosity about the topic. For, the teacher it will help assess the students’ understanding on the topic of discussion. Motivation is necessary to enhance students’ self-determination because it develops students' creativity. In a question - answer session, each student builds on the other student’s ideas and the feedback from the teacher builds the students' confidence and competence. Questions will get students to operate on their prior knowledge and assimilate new information gathered from peers' responses. Confusions that occur can be clarified during the question-answer session where either the teacher or peers can respond to the questions. Mutual enhancement occurs in peer-to-peer learning. As a result, students will be confident and competent when faced with new challenges in learning. Students will be able to ask the right questions and make connections using the previous knowledge to the new information. This eventually will lead the student to become an autonomous learner because students will now be more confident in constructing knowledge.

EDCI 5825 -Week 4

Please provide specific examples of technology/tools that you would recommend for a student with... (1) a hearing impairment, (2) low-vision, (3) a broken right arm, and (4) autism (non-communicative).

Specific types of assistive technology are available to ease the burden for students with special needs.

Hearing Impairment

For students with hearing impairment, would be able to function in a regular class if materials presented were posted in a blog, google. docs or wikispace, which could also be viewed via e-reader. The student also could respond in a cooperative activity via these tools and participate actively.

Low vision

Low- vision readers require larger print texts to facilitate reading. E-reader is one form of assistive technology that is suitable for students with low vision because it has various text sizes (WikiBooks, 2010). The e-reader also can convert text-to-speech, which would be feasible for someone with limited vision. What makes it excellent is that it downloads fast and available at a low-cost.

Another assistive technological tool that could be user for low-vision readers is Digital Accessibility Information System (DAISY). It is a talking book technology, which would make it easier for low vision students to listen to a text instead of straining their eyes to read (WikiBooks, 2009).

To write a task, a low vision student could use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium. This tool would transcribe the spoken words into an active window (WikiBooks, 2011) and a written task can be produced.

A broken arm

A student who has temporarily lost the use of his limb could use Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium. He or she could still get on with schoolwork by using Dragon NaturallySpeaking Premium to produce his or her work in print.

Autism (non-communicative)

Students with autism may sometimes find learning overwhelming due to their inconsistent moods. Since the student is non-communicative, it is important to get the student’s attention to focus towards learning. A possible tool would be a portable device, iPod Touch 4 G that takes videos or pictures to capture instructional information and new situations or environments (Assistive Technology, 2011). In this way, the student is not easily distracted and limits anxiety. For a student with autism, a device that has sensory applications would support his or her learning.

There are many other tools available in the Web 2.0 browser that students with special needs could use to help support their learning. One that I would recommend is to use keypals or e-pals (http:// epals.com) (Schrum & Levin 2009). Students of various levels of needs could communicate via e-pal to work on collaborative projects. Sometimes special needs students are too conscious of their needs and may not function well in a regular classroom but do better in the virtual world. E-pal may be a good approach.

The use of assistive technology is parallel to the requirement in the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). A teacher is to “ customize and personalize activities to address student’s diverse learning styles, working strategies and abilities using digital tools and resources” (ISTE, 2007). Therefore, the above-mentioned assistive tools are some ways to promote learning for students with special needs.

Reference:

ISTE. (2007). National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Retrieved. June 13, 2011 from

http://www.comfsm.fm/national/administration/VPA/researchdocs/techPlan/ISTE%20National%20Educational%20Technology%20Standards.pdf

Schrum, L. & Levin, B.B. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Assistive Technology in Education/eBook

Tools for Students with Autism. (February 2011). Assistive Technology. Retrieved June 21, 2011. http://www.sheboyganfalls.k12.wi.us/csleynse/tools-for-students-with-autism/

WikiBooks. (2009). Assistive Technology in Education/DAISY. Retrieved June 17, 2011 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/DAISY

WikiBooks. (2010). Assistive Technology in Education: Helping All Students Succeed. Retrieved June 17,2011 from http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/eBook

WikiBooks. (2011). Assistive Technology in Education/Speech Recognition Software

Retrived June 17, 2011 from

http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Assistive_Technology_in_Education/Speech_Recognition_Software

T2P Reflection and Week 4 T2P (third)

Breaking down the structure of T2P, and providing a sample was necessary for students who require more guidance. A very effective approach was to ask the students to highlight, underline or circle the information that represents the concepts required in a T2P. To consolidate, getting students to pull out one of the previously written T2P, and make amendments based on the required format, was reinforcing what students have been guided to do. Sharing the information with a partner also provided an opportunity to reconsolidate students’ understanding. Another strategy I would employ in my class when I become a teacher is to repeat the exercises in activities, which students have not mastered.

Question and answer session via a round robin strategy during a lecture is an effective way to get students to participate. This was possible because a video clip on the content was presented. The concepts have already been dealt with prior to the viewing of the video clip and this made it possible for the students to critically think of how what they have learnt can be applied in a classroom context. During the question – answer session, the teacher sometimes expands students responses for the benefit of understanding the concepts discussed. When posing the questions the teacher provides a context of the issue, which gives the students a focus on the direction of the response. The comfortable tone in which the questions were presented will make students feel safe and secure about sharing their responses.

The group presentation on theories of learning is important for both the presenters and the listeners as it consolidates understandings. Also, different presentations provide ideas how a presentation can be carried out. This is a form of modeling which would enable students to take important and creative aspects of presentation. The spreadsheet for theories of learning is an absolutely important strategy to get students to identify information that is salient to theories of learning. Providing the opportunity to fill in the spreadsheet while the groups were presenting sets the students on task because they have to focus to elicit information from the presentation.

If a teacher provides scaffolds when students have not mastered an essential skill, then students would feel highly motivated to make more attempts in mastering the skill. Scaffolds facilitate a student’s ability to build on prior knowledge and internalize new information (Vygotsky). With more practice the students would be able to master the skill. When the students’ knowledge and learning competency increases, the teacher can gradually reduce the supports provided. The students, on the other hand, would be feeling comfortable to take on more challenging tasks.

Link to my spreadsheet:

Week 4 - T2P SDT

If a teacher carries out a question and answer session using good open-ended question, then it will help motivate students’ curiosity about the topic. For, the teacher it will help assess the students’ understanding on the topic of discussion. Motivation is necessary to enhance students’ self-determination because it encourages students there is mutual enhancement between the peers and the teacher when discussing the content (Wikipedia, 2011). Each student builds on the other student’s ideas and the feedback from the teacher builds the students competence. The questions that are asked are connected and students are able to relate to their peers’ responses and make connections to their views. This eventually makes the student become autonomous and believe in the knowledge they have constructed.

Wikipedia. (2011). Self-determination theory. Retrieved 20 June, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-determination_theory

Week 4 - T2P

If a teacher utilizes instructional scaffolding when introducing new concepts,

then she would have to provide support, for example, in the form of key questions, outlines and examples. In this way, the students would have a solid grounding of the task. This temporary support is necessary for students to be able to embark on the task successfully. Having no knowledge of how to start on a task would inhibit students from attempting the task.

Evidence: Scaffolding is an interactional support and the process that mediates a student’s attempts to take on new learning and to do something beyond his or her independent efforts (Vygotsky).

Moral Implications: It is necessary to provide students support especially when acquiring new knowledge to ensure students to become confident in attempting the tasks. Once the students are comfortable and sure of their ability they would ultimately complete the task independently without support(Wikipedia, 2011).

Week 2 - Theory to Practice (Science is Messy)

Week 2 Science is Messy by Jerrid Kruse

1. How does the teacher in the case demonstrate his beliefs, re: how people learn?
Kruse begins his class using a brainstorming activity, “How does Science work?” An open-ended question elicits varied responses from the students. Students’ responses also reflect their prior knowledge about Science. Questioning technique also serves as an assessment of what and how much students already know. He provides immediate feedback, “good” and sometimes expands students’ responses by providing further information. Since responses were varied, he emphasized on key points and provided clarifications to responses that were inappropriate. This technique creates a comfortable environment for students to participate voluntarily in the classroom. Students feel comfortable because Kruse does not expect specific or expected responses but uses students’ responses to lead to an understanding of how Science works.

2. Develop competency in their content area.
The inquiry and thought-provoking method enable students to provide an analysis of the content. Students are able to build on the responses provided by peers. For students who required help, the scaffolding approach of using open-ended questions encouraged students to participate. The open-ended questions also provided a focus to students’ thoughts.

Theory to Practice

If teachers employ question-answer technique with appropriate reinforcement and scaffolding, then this would enhance students’ learning because they would feel reassured of their answers and that they are on the right track.

Week 2 - Theory to Practice

Week 2 Theory to Practice Essay

The warming up session in the morning was a good way to start class after a weekend because everyone shared pleasant memories of the weekend setting the right mood before class began. It was very creative when we had to translate teaching and learning into a metaphor and share it in the class. Almost every student had very interesting and creative perceptions of teaching and learning and the choice of metaphor reflected the symbolic aspect of how one learns. One interesting metaphor was the Soupstone. I like the idea of how every learner contributes to and makes learning more meaningful.

Watching two contrasting video clips to elicit students’ views on learning was an interesting way to discuss on teaching methods. The brainstorming approach brought about different views and perceptions and the students analysed and justified their arguments with examples and evidence. I could listen to the preference of others in relation to teaching methods. This is an effective approach for whole class discussion.

Discussing two contrasting articles also helped me to understand the text in depth. Discussing the content, responding to the questions regarding the texts helped to recall essential information as well as remembering them.

The use of video clips show that learning in the classroom does not have to be limited to textbooks and worksheet. It makes learning more practical and fun. 21st century schools use technology to engage students in meaningful learning contexts. The varied methods, that is video clips and reading texts also cater for students with different needs in terms of learning.

Today's lesson broadened my perspective towards the concept of learning. I am also learning the instructor’s method of teaching because they are very organised and varied which is important for me when I do student teaching. I will be teaching 5th graders the whole day and it is important that I learn to keep the class not only motivated but also active.

Virtual World

Voki Journey

Week 3 - collaborative tools

What are some ways that you can create authentic collaborative projects in your current/future classroom? Please provide specific examples.

Wikis and blogs are two options I would use to provide an opportunity for my students to work collaboratively. A Wiki would be an excellent place for the students to share resources, make decisions and discuss. There are many advantages using a Wiki besides it being easy to use and learn. The students can edit each other’s findings or add information. Since Wikis are instantaneous, there is no need to wait for the publisher or the teacher to create a new edition or update information (WikiEducator, 2010). Also, the wiki has no pre-determined structure and is a flexible tool, which can be used for a wide range of applications (Wikieducator Tutorials, 2011). The project I will embark my students on is the solar system. With the Wiki my students would be able to “build connections, demonstrate relationships, and in general develop understandings about complex concepts” (Schrum & Levin, 2009, p. 20). Besides, they can share their ideas with other students outside the classroom.

The second method that I would want my students to use is to carry out this task is the use of blogs. The students will be divided into groups of three and will be assigned to find information on different planets. Once students have found the information, they will have to show the connections or electronic links to the other group’s activities. Photos, images could be submitted via their blogs too. Students will then be regrouped to complete the task of creating a documentary using the facts to describe the characteristics of the nine different planets and post the documentary on their own blogs.

The collaborative tools, Wikis and blogs are parallel to the requirement of the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S), specifically the use of Technology Productivity Tools. These collaborative tools will enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity and use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, preparing” (ISTE, 2007) publications, and producing other creative works. The use of the collaborative tools will enhance students’ knowledge and the ability to interpret to technology tools.

The knowledge of the 21st century learners is shaped by the environment. Collaborative tools and interacting with others is one way to gain knowledge because students are able to learn from the more knowledgeable other. This would help students to become proficient users of technology and they would be able to gather more information, either form their classmates or students form different classroom or from global students.


REFERENCE

WikiEducator. (2010). Advantages and disadvantages Retrieved. June 13 2011 from
http://wikieducator.org/Wikieducator_tutorial/What_is_a_wiki/Advantages_and_disadvantages

Schrum, L., & Levin, B. B. (2009). 21st century schools: Harnessing technology for engagement and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

ISTE. (2007). National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S). Retrieved. June 13, 2011 from
http://www.comfsm.fm/national/administration/VPA/researchdocs/techPlan/ISTE%20National%20Educational%20Technology%20Standards.pdf

Week 3 -T2P

One important aspect, which I realized is the importance of the study plan for the day. Firstly, it gives the students an overview of the lesson and an idea of what is expected of them. The plan in itself is a scaffolding strategy for the students. For the teacher, it would provide focus and keeping track of time and content covered.

The first activity RS2QC2, whatever that means, was a way to check student’s understanding of the texts that they have read. This I believe is a very good reading strategy because it guides students to pick on salient information as well as setting the focus on what is germane in a reading material.

Group discussion for students who shared the same reading topic is an effective strategy because students share information found in various articles. This is peer learning and in this activity, the zone of proximal development and the More Knowledgeable (MKO) other was evident. The student who did not know a particular term could question and the MKO was able to share the information. The instructor playing the role of facilitator posed questions to put us on right track as well as making the students to think at a higher level.

The T/L triad is an innovative way to disseminate information and also to consolidate what the students have learnt in their large group. In this way, every student gets the opportunity to present and assess his or her own understanding. In addition, knowledge gained is not just confined to their assigned tasks but also other areas. One can have in depth knowledge in a variety of topics within a short time period with this method.
In the following strategy, there is a gradual removal of scaffolding. Although students are placed in groups, they have to carry out individual tasks before sharing the information required for the task. The process appears to be easier and more comfortable as the students know what to do. Group activities most certainly provide the opportunity for students to learn from each other. The facilitator too does not have to provide much guidance, as students are familiar with the strategy.

"If teachers utilize the collaborative strategy with appropriate scaffolding, then students would gradually become confident independent learners. because the scaffolds would enable the students to ultimately complete the task without support (Wikipedia, 2011)

Wikipedia. (2011). Instructional scaffolding. Retrieved June 18, 2011 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instructional_scaffolding

Week 3 - LT1

Question 2: Describe the four stages of development.

This is a level 2 question.
Sensorimotor is a birth to 2 stage, where the child learns about himself and his environment through motor and reflex actions.

Preoperational
This is a stage from where a child begins to talk to 7 years old. At this stage the child applies new knowledge of language and uses symbols to represent objects.

Concrete
During this stage from first grade to early adolescent, accommodation increases. The child can think abstractly and make rational judgements about concrete or observable phenomena.

Formal operations
This is a stage for adolescent. The learner no longer requires concrete objects to make rational judgements. The learner is capable of hypothetical and deductive reasoning.

Question 5

This is an appropriate question for level 5.

How might taking the role of an MKO contribute to the learning of that person, not just the learning of the assisted individual?
The learner who is the More Knowledgeable Other has to recall information, organize his or her thoughts before presenting his ideas. Also, it is a practice or an assessment of how the more knowledgeable interprets the information.

Q6.
This is an appropriate question for level 6.

A school district wants to limit recess time to thirty minutes twice per week, from a daily hour-long current schedule. You believe that recess is necessary per Vygotsky's position that play is essential to learning. What arguments will you use to defend your opinion?

It is important for children to interact in a social environment because learning is not all about formal instruction. Learning occurs both in formal and informal contexts. Children listen and learn more intensely from their friends and are subconsciously acquiring knowledge through play. Children have their own concepts of understanding and this occurs in informal interaction and they are comfortable learning from their peers.

Week 1 Theory to Practice Essay

Week 1 Theory to Practice

The day started off with my thoughts on what I bring to the mix. This set my thoughts to focus on my learning and what set my mood in the right direction at the beginning of the lesson.

The activities for the day were varied. We began solo followed by paired-activity and then teamwork. The change of partnership or membership was necessary to sustain focus and motivation because in each grouping we had different activities and they were platform for learning from different team members. The activities had clear objectives, which were repeated and double-checked by the instructor to ensure that everyone understood what was required of us. That is an important pedagogy that I learnt which I would utilize in my class as a teacher.

Another method the instructor employed in getting students to answer questions was by nominating the students and not allowing any particular students to control the classroom discussion. This I think is a useful tip for classroom control during group activity. The instructor also played the role of a facilitator by circulating and listening to students’ discussion. In this way, the instructor could contribute or assess the direction of the discussion as well as assessing the students’ input.

The instructor assessed the students during individual presentation and participation during whole class discussion. The group discussion based on the reading articles is one way to assess if students' have understood the reading texts. The instructor also had very good time management, which I should emulate when I work as a teacher. Time allocation per activity is important for effective teaching and learning.

I learnt that data collection of the students were necessary to understand the students better. The instructor carried this out by asking essential information during whole class and pair activity. Such data is important to avoid from being judgmental.

I like the fact that as students we are given the freedom to be comfortable in the class without strict rules but at the same time the instructor optimizes our time that we did not have time to deviate from our focus towards learning. This is important to keep students on their toes all the time.

Modeling is one method that proved to be effective in today's class. Providing concrete examples to the students before embarking on activities is important and this would avoid a teacher from having to explain many times to different groups individually.

T2P statement from list

If a learner needs specific and detailed directions for each task, but does not receive them from the teacher, then the teacher will have the tedious task of repeating the directions each time a task is given because no student should be deprived of learning just because he or she missed some directions or require more help in understanding the directions. Some times students are capable of doing the tasks but are not able to do so due to the complexity of the instructions or lack of familiarity in the content area or the teaching approach. This does not mean the teacher has to repeatedly give directions throughout the year but employ a strategy on what works best for all the students in the class. Sometimes another student could be appointed to help the student who requires help in understanding the directions. In this way, the student would gradually learn how to understand directions.

New Teaching to Practice

If students feel comfortable and emotionally safe in the learning environment, then learning will occur because students will feel motivated and excited about being able to grasp new information. This means that the teacher has created conducive environment for students to be able to communicate in the classroom to clarify doubts or to share findings without the fear of being admonished if their responses do not meet the expectations or criteria the teacher has set. Also, an approachable teacher will encourage or motivate students to be responsible for their own learning. The students know that they have a partner in the teaching and learning process and this inevitably promotes positive environment for learning and students may be able to perform better.

Instructional Models

Similarities and differences between the four instructional models of Internet use (Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest).

The Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry, and WebQuest are four commonly used and powerful instructional models using the Internet. Both the Internet workshop and the Internet Inquiry instructional models require students to gather information and compile the resources and present the information and share the information. However, the Internet Inquiry model requires students to identify individual problems or questions important to them while the Internet Workshop Model is a research activity. Also, the Internet Inquiry model requires students to evaluate, synthesize and communicate the answers that they have discovered to the rest. The Internet workshop, on the other hand, simply gathers information and presents the information in a workshop session.

Collaborative skills are both inherent in the Internet Workshop model and the Internet Project models. While the Internet Workshop Models is easy to use and good to begin Internet instruction with, the Internet Project model is challenging to use, which requires collaborative experiences.

Two major similarities between the Internet Workshop, Internet Project and Internet Inquiry models is the use of reading, navigational, contextual and critical literacy, collaborative skills, problem identification and independent research skills. Although not explicitly mentioned, the Webquest would require such skills too for the user or teachers to create curriculum resources. The Internet Workshop instruction can be considered the basic skill required before one embarks on the other models.

These four models differ from each other also in several aspects. As mentioned earlier, Internet Workshop is the easiest to use while the Internet Project is much more challenging. The Internet Project model provides students an opportunity to collaborate with people from other classroom, countries or the world while the other models are centralized to those working within the scope of the project. The participants for Internet workshop, Internet Project and Internet enquiry models are mainly students while Webquest is limited to teachers because this model is specifically for creating curriculum but can be used by others. The Internet workshop model is said to fit every instructional model in the classroom, essentially it fits all the other three instructional models. An interesting and important characteristic that the Internet Inquiry model has is that it is non-linear based and recursive.

Since I will be doing student teaching at an elementary school, I will utilize Internet Workshop in the classroom because it is the easiest to begin with. One activity that I have in mind is for the social studies class on the topic ‘Civil War’. Students will comprehend better if they have previous knowledge on this topic. I will set them on a journey to gather salient information by enlisting the websites and bookmark them to avoid random surfing. I will direct students to access the websites listed. Students will work in pairs and the students with special needs will be guided by the regular or special education teacher. Students will have to apply digital tools such as Google reader, blogs or ‘Internet Journal’ (Leu & Leu, 2000) to plan, organize and gather information and share it during a workshop. In relation to National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S)’ goals, understanding of the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology will be integrated in order to instill positive values. Internet workshop is a method to create technology literate students to ‘survive and thrive’ (Schrum & Levin, 2009, p.8) collaboratively in the 21st century and this is the culture I plan to incorporate in my student teaching.

The following links would be posted on my Diigo public library list for students to access the websites:
• The Constitution: A Living Document – is a website that has information on the changes in the constitution after the civil war.
• Civil War Photograph Collection – this website will be useful for students to share pictures in their workshop to consolidate understanding of the facts.

REFERENCE

Leu, Donald J., Jr. & Leu, D. D. (2000). Teaching with the Internet: Lessons from the classroom
(3rd ed.). Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon. Retrieved June 9, 2011
http://www.sp.uconn.edu/~djleu/third.html

Schrum, L., & Levin, B. B. (2009). Leading 21st century schools: Harnessing technology for
engagement and achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.


I contacted my cooperative teacher to find out the use of SMARTboard in the school and she mentioned that the school has just had a projector installed that is supposed to miraculously turn the whiteboard into a SMARTboard. She would learn to use the SMARTboard during the summer break but I think it would be an advantage for me to learn how to use it. She recommended that I should learn to develop lessons using the SMARTboard specifically about Mathematics: Fractions, equivalent fractions, division and word problems. I hope that by learning to use the SMARTboard, as well as blogging would help me enhance my students' learning. I do not want to limit myself just to use the SMartboard but also use technology to vary my lessons. In this way I hope to capture students's interest towards learning.

Beliefs and Instructional Practices

Beliefs and Instructional Practices among Secondary Teachers within Selected High- and Low- Performing High Schools
http://education.ufl.edu/fjeap/files/2011/05/FJEAP_Summer_Spr_2011_Peabody.pdf
Florida Journal of Educational
Administration & Policy
Spring 2011
Volume 4, Issue 2
Dayle Peabody
Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Florida

This article is on the impact of teacher beliefs and instructional practices on students’ performance. This is based on the Florida Comprehensive Reading Assessment Test in 10th grade. The findings revealed a positive relationship between student-centered learning and Florida Comprehensive Reading Assessment Test performance, and a negative correspondence between Florida Comprehensive Reading Assessment Test emphasis and student success.

According to the article, the effect on learning among students is impacted by how teachers think about and practice teaching. The article delineates researches that claim the use of more student-centered or student empowered teaching models produces more effective learning, and is more likely to contribute to higher test scores. It is important for pre-service teachers to recognize the importance of student-centered teaching as an effective strategy to be employed in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning.

The article highlights the increased cultural diversity present in 21st century US, as well as the importance of school cultures on teaching beliefs and efficacy. A good teacher should be cognizant of the culturally responsive teaching concept. This concept requires the use of the cultural knowledge, prior experiences, and performance styles of diverse students to make learning both more appropriate and effective. Culturally responsive teaching teaches to and through the strengths of diverse students.

The article presents several strategies for teachers to utilize to help students develop competency. Teachers should take into consideration cultural variances when designing, planning and delivering for example, English language arts instruction. Cultural scaffolding, interactive technology and an awareness of “ethno-sensitivity,” in order to develop fully functional communication and teaching norms in today’s diverse classroom should be considered in the instructional efforts. Teachers strive to get students more involved in lesson planning and curriculum activities. Generating interest in reading and writing on their own, without emphasizing on assessment would engender student-centered instruction and learning.

Shaping Student Behaviour

Shaping student behavior
http://www.seenmagazine.us/articles/article-detail/articleid/859/shaping-student-behavior.aspx
Teaching student behavior
Randy Sprick, Ph.D.

This is an article on how to manage the mechanisms that positively impact student behavior. In today’s classroom setting it is no longer the case of students “should know how to behave”. Sprick recommends STOIC, an acronym, to describe five major variables teachers can control in shaping student behavior.
S: Structure your classroom for success
T: Teach behavioral expectations to student
O: Observe and supervise
I: Interact positively
C: Correct fluently

This article is a good read because it provides teachers with guidelines how to manage a classroom to enhance teaching and learning as well as shaping students’ behavior. A positive environment would motivate students effectively and have a positive attitude towards learning.

Also, an effective teacher who knows the mechanism to manage student behavior would indirectly motivate students’ achievement and create safe and nurturing classroom climates.

When the classroom atmosphere is conducive with positive teacher-student relationship, the teaching and learning aspect may no longer be viewed as a struggle for the students or the teacher. A caring classroom environment, positive relationships between teachers and students, may promote behavioral change and may promote effective teaching and learning. Special education teachers are also involved in managing students’ disruptive behavior and the tips provided in this article may be useful to promote positive behaviour.

Instructional Practice

Impact of One Science Teacher’s Beliefs on His Instructional Practice
Marla J. Johnson, Eastern Oregon University
Janice L. Hall, Utah State University
http://www.scientificjournals.org/journals2007/articles/1018.htm

The qualitative study provides an insight on how a teacher’s beliefs about his students influences instructional practices specifically in science instruction. Teachers’ beliefs and expectations of their students are shaped by a personal belief system influenced by prior personal experiences, experiences with diverse students, teachers’ role definitions, and knowledge of appropriate teaching strategies. In addition, teachers’ beliefs about teaching and learning and perceptions about their students translate into classroom instructional practices that influence the dynamics of student learning.

This is a good case study to read because many teachers have a fixed preconceived notion of students’ background or upbringing that impacts students’ learning. The study reveals how teachers use the data collected of their students’ profile in terms of assessment, achievement and background to change instructional practices to provide an interesting environment for learning. For example, a variety of learning activities such as designing concept maps, cutting and pasting activities, building models, and conducting demonstrations to help students learn concepts who have difficulties in understanding science texts.

One interesting aspect how students learn that was highlighted in this study was giving students the choice to learn, to work with a friend or getting the teacher to help. The students who chose not to learn, were influenced by their friends who chose to learn. This is a positive outcome of an instructional practice, which can be implemented in a classroom that has students with negative attitude towards learning.

Another instructional practice that motivated students that was presented in this case study is hands-on activities. The students do not know how to read the textbook or go through the index of the book so the teacher had to provide hands-on activity and video clips to ensure learning. The students did not like to write because they do not know how to construct appropriate sentences or spell. Special education teachers should be prepared to find strategies that would be aid the students to master learning.

Journey: East Meets West