CEP 811 Share: Final Reflections

In this final Sharing Activity we would like you to look over your assignments for this course. Indicate areas of growth and what supported that growth. Also indicate areas where you would have liked to learn and grow more than you did along with anything that limited your learning and growth. Specifically, for this activity you are going to reflect on your work and growth during this course as well as make plans for your future goals for integrating technology. When writing your final reflection blog posting you will want to address the following 1. What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology? I really enjoyed using Merlot, StAIR, and Webquest, I feel these 3 were the most effective teaching tools that I will be integrating. When using Merlot, I can become the author or view other author's work that is needed for a lesson. It is also a great research tool, in addition to going to the library. Doing the StAIR project was good in helping to get material organized for students or other educators to be taught lessons. Once you have your material organized you can create a wonderful presentation that students or other educators can follow. Lastly using the Webquest was a very creative way to express likes and interest. This will be a very helpful tool as an ice breaker for students to get to know one another. 2. How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology? Merlot did a great job in showing how a web-based technology program can help display lessons and knowledge of something. You can post your creations and categorize them, and find other material of interest to read on. By using Merlot it helped me evaluate lesson plans for engineering students at college level. 3. How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration? With every class is a goal closer to becoming an informative educator, I feel I have met my personal goals by continuing to learn all there is about technology and learning how to create innovative lesson plans that stay on track and have them more structured for other educators to be able to view and use for teaching. 4. Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over? I plan on learning more about UDL, I do not feel I reached my goals in knowing all there is to know. That area is still a bit confusing to me, but I know that I will get it over time.

Teaching and Learning in Internet-based environments (online)

The online experience that I believe would be most beneficial with my students is the Educational Gaming. The educational gaming tool will allow students to obtain mastery of the skills needed to complete the task, while allowing students to have fun and compete with one another. Our culture is consumed with the different gaming systems such as the Wii, Playstation and XBOX. These systems are utilized by children and adults of all ages and it would benefit my students to implement these gaming strategies into the classroom setting. For example, as an engineering teacher I would create a game using Unigraphics where students are expected to match sketches with various designs within a set time frame. Students can gain points based on consistency, thoroughness and the amount of time that it took to find the match. In terms of content, utilizing the Educational Gaming experience would assist students with understanding how systems are connected, manipulation of variables, 3D, ProE, and CAD models. The Educational Gaming would provide students the opportunity to explore various engineering fields and theories while having fun competing with friends and family. Numerous pedagogical strategies could be utilized to teach students through Educational Gaming. I would place students in cohorts and allow them to compete with one another to obtain extra credit on assignments. I would also play with students online and help them to see how engineering can be learned in the comfort of your own home while competing with others around the globe. At the end of the semester, the cohorts will have a tournament to determine who is the best and prizes will be awarded to the group who wins. The prizes awarded will have an educational technology component to them (ie Itunes Cards, USB Plugs, Recordable CDs/DVDs). I feel that it would be very difficult to use the online field trips with my class because the students would not have the opportunity to work towards a collaborative effort. The online field trips seem to be more of a fact driven tool than an exploratory tool. After careful review of the links provided with this topic, it did not appeal to me as something that would be beneficial towards my work with students.

Wikispaces

• Blog post that includes a screenshot of your Wikipedia contribution, an explanation of what you added, and a link to the Wiki you created at Wikispaces or another site.

Flintsouthwestern Academy is the jr high and highschool I went to, being a former cheerlearder, I couldn't help but notice the school mascot and school colors were missing so I added them at the end! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flint_Southwestern_Academy#References

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Guidelines, is a form to help educators address the features and barriers of the one size fits all curriculum.  Using three primary principles to provide structure.

• Principle I: Provide Multiple Means of Representation (the “what” of learning)
• Principle II: Provide Multiple Means of Expression (the “how” of learning)
• Principle III: Provide Multiple Means of Engagement (the “why” of learning)

UDL Guidelines – Educator Checklist
I.        Provide Multiple Means of Representation:	Your notes
1.       Provide options for perception
1.1  Customize the display of information	Barrier: Not a variety of ways to display information
1.2  Provide alternatives for auditory information	Features: provide recordings of the instructor’s voice
1.3  Provide alternatives for visual information	Features: provide diagrams and mind maps for visual learners
2.       Provide options for language and symbols
2.1  Define vocabulary and symbols
2.2  Clarify syntax and structure	Feature:  teachers to develop a curriculum that will make computer science and engineering fun for students
2.3  Decode text and mathematical notation	Barrier:   develop a curriculum for mathematical notation and how it relates to STEM
2.4  Promote cross-linguistic understanding	Feature:  STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math)
2.5  Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically
3.       Provide options for comprehension
3.1  Provide or activate background knowledge	Barrier:  There is not enough background knowledge of STEM
3.2  Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships	Feature:   Students will learn how to use technological operations, understand scientific concepts, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
3.3  Guide information processing
3.4  Support memory and transfer	Barrier: There are no supportive resources to backup my curriculum.
II.      Provide Multiple Means for Action and Expression:	Your notes
4.       Provide options for physical actions
4.1  Provide varied ways to respond	Feature:  students will have the task of creating their own project at the end of the course with their group members
4.2  Provide varied ways to interact with materials	Feature:  analysis and reflection with classmates, as well as using Edmodo, and recall & recognition to interact with material
4.3  Integrate assistive technologies	Feature:  using Edmodo Barrier:  There can be more assistive technologies used and demonstrated in this curriculum
5.       Provide options for expressive skills and fluency
5.1  Allow choices of media for communication	Features: Set up Edmodo to ease of learning
5.2  Provide appropriate tools for composition and problem solving	Barrier: The effects that achieving the goal will have on the learner can be elaborated on.
5.3  Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance
6.       Provide options for executive functions
6.1  Guide effective goal setting	Feature: Test and quizzes will demonstrate recall and recognition
6.2  Support planning and strategy development	Feature:  This lesson will give the teacher a fun, practical way of teaching computer science and engineering to students of all ages through an attention-getting, humorous or curious manner that relates to the useful information in your lesson
6.3  Facilitate managing information and resources 6.4  Enhance capacity for monitoring progress	Features:  Learners will recognize that engineering is similar to other sciences in terms of its flexibility, reliability, applicability, and usefulness in real world settings. This course will help to take the negative stigma of engineering being a difficult course for only “smart people”, and will help learners to recognize that engineering concepts can expand across disciplines.
III.    Provide Multiple Means for Engagement:	Your notes
7.       Provide options for recruiting interest
7.1  Increase individual choice and autonomy	Feature:   Students will learn how to use technological operations, understand scientific concepts, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making
7.2  Enhance relevance, value, and authenticity	Feature:  content and activities will have meaning for the learner
7.3  Reduce threats and distractions	Features: Edmodo
8.       Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence
8.1  Heighten salience of goals and objectives
8.2  Vary levels of challenge and support	Features: Based on skill level students should have a basic math, and some science
8.3  Foster collaboration and communication	Features: Hands on assignments and group assignments and be encouraged to work in groups
8.4  Increase mastery-oriented feedback
9.       Provide options for self-regulation
9.1  Guide personal goal-setting and expectations	Features:  Three oral examinations that students will be expected to show competency in technological theories during the semester
9.2  Scaffold coping skills and strategies	Features: The teacher will teach the students how to research there projects about patents, copyrighting, and technical data packages.
9.3  Develop self-assessment and reflection	Features:  Three oral examinations that students will be expected to show competency in technological theories during the semester