Week 6 Reading Responses

I chose a few of the big shifts

Big Shift 1: Open Content

I like the idea of open content as opposed to more “closed” textbook based learning. Richardson (2010) talks about teachers and students using the Internet to create their own textbooks (p. 148). I think this would be great strategy to integrate into my classroom. This activity would build students researching and collaboration skills.

Big Shift 2: Many, Many Teachers and 24/7 Learning

I have found that teachers often share ideas and materials that work in the same school together. Collaboration with other teachers is a great way to find new and creative tools to use in the classroom (Richardson, 2010, p. 150). The idea of there being hundreds of teachers on the Internet to share ideas with is very exciting. I think all teachers should take advantage of the opportunity to share ideas with other instructors to help improve their instruction. I think that teachers can learn a lot by sharing ideas and I will definitely take advantage of this when I become a teacher.

Big Shift 3: The Social, Collaborative Construction of Meaningful Knowledge

I think it is very beneficial to have students share their completed work with a bigger audience then the teacher or classmates. This will make the work more meaningful for them. I could definitely use this in my future classroom. My students could share their work on a classroom website or a blog.

Big Shift 4: Teaching Is Conversation, Not Lecture

Richardson (2010) explains how having students publish their work can be empowering to students because it allows them to see that their ideas matter (p. 151). I agree that it is important to get students active in their own learning in order to motivate them. I think this will be one of the hardest parts of the big shift. I will need to find tasks that keep students engaged and places they can publish their work where they will receive positive feedback.

Big Shift 10: Contribution, Not Completion, As the Ultimate Goal

Richardson (2010) explains how using the Internet to share student work gives them more of a sense of purpose in what they do (p. 153). Rather then just finishing their work and handing it students are able to contribute what they have done to a larger audience. I think that this is a great way to motivate students.

Overall, I feel that the big shift is a great way to actively engage students in their learning. I think that it will be a lot of work for teachers to find ways to balance the new shifts with the academic curriculum, but it is worth the time.

Richardson, Will. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Final Technology Integration Project

Ms. Butler's Classroom Wiki

• Do you plan on using your classroom blog/wiki in your future classroom? If so, what types of modifications do you envision? Please explain.

I could use a wiki in my future classroom. I feel that it would be difficult for some students to edit the wiki, but could be helpful for parents. I would use my students as my target audience for a classroom wiki. It would be a useful tool to help keep them informed about what their students are doing on a daily basis.

• Do you plan on having your students create their own blogs/wikis in your future classroom? If so, please explain.

As a special education teacher, I do not plan on having my students create their own wikis in my future classroom. I think that it would be to difficult and time consuming for my students.

• Discussion of how your view of instructional technology has or has not changed over the semester.

I have learned how important it is to incorporate technology into the classroom. I have learned new ways to use technology with my students and how it can be used to collaborate with others outside of the classroom.

• Discuss the quality and appropriateness of what you have learned and created this semester.

I think that there was a lot of information in a ver short period of time. I would have like to spend a little more time on ways to use the smart board in the classroom or learning about assistive technology.

• Evaluation of your comfort moving forward with technology

I am more comfortable with using my MacBook and the programs it has.

Video Editing Project Reflection

• What would you do differently if you could do it all over again? Are these changes based on feedback that you may have received from friends, peers, family members, etc?

The only thing I would have done differently if I did it all over again would be to have more time to add to it. I would like to add some more video effects and another voice over to the video, but I did not have enough time to do so.

• What is your reaction to the video recording/editing process? Please discuss any positive and negative reactions.

I had a lot of fun with this project. This is my first time recording and editing a video. I have never used imovie before. I found the program to be very easy to navigate and I would use it again.

• Do you think it would be possible to have students in your current/future classroom create a movie? Do you (will you) have the resources, time, and skills necessary to include such a project in your classroom? Please explain.

I would definitely have my students create a movie in class. I think that it might be difficult for them to edit the video, so I would probably have to do most of the editing.

• Did you learn anything new from the video editing/recording process? Please explain.

The entire process was new for me. This was the first time that I have ever used a flip camera or imovie. I feel confident in using the program and feel like I will utilize it in the future.

PowerPoint Presentation Project Reflection

The lesson presented in the PowerPoint presentation is a model for reading multisyllabic words. This lesson allows multiple opportunities for students to participate and practice of synthesizing and analyzing words that contain more than one syllable. This lesson focuses on two syllable words with a consonant -le syllable. This lesson focuses one type of syllable but can be applied to many other contexts.

The basic features I used in powerpoint were an already made background template. I also used a variety of two-dimensinal and three-deminsinal transitions between the slides. I used a combination of clipart and google images throughout the presentation. I used the entrance effect to incorporate custom animation into two of my slides. My hyperlinks were to a site that offers suggestions for differentiated instruction and for a site related to the Connecticut state content standards. I also used a variety of slide layouts that I felt best fit the content of each particular slide. Lastly, I added word art to one of my slides.

I used several of the challenge features throughout the presentation. I added a table to one of my slides. The table was a useful tool to help in explain how the teacher could set up the lesson. I also added SmartArt to show the breakdown of the lesson.

I have never really used PowerPoint on a Mac before, I have only used PowerPoint in windows. I learned how to navigate PowerPoint using the Mac software.

A lesson can be enhanced through PowerPoint by the use of visuals. The table feature of PowerPoint was very useful for this particular lesson.

Week 5 T2P Hypotheses

Excellent response here. You've done a great job synthesizing Jeff's key principle of critical literacy and SDT. I'm going to challenge you to know make this real for you. Provide at least one concrete example of how you would incorporate theses principles into your own pedagogical practices. Also, where do the students who are decidedly "won't do" (vs. can't do) fit into your practice?

An example of how I could use cultural literacy in the classroom to intrinsically motivate my students is through the use of music. As a special education teacher I will be working with struggling readers. Simple early reading task such as rhyming can be very difficult for struggling readers. Many current songs have examples of rhymes embedded in the lyrics. I could identify which songs my students are listening to and find examples of rhyming patterns within these songs. The students will be more likely to become actively engaged in an activity that is culturally relevant to them. I would use this technique to scaffold the use of reading strategies throughout the academic curriculum.

If teachers follow a step by step heuristic approach for attending to teacher and learner dilemmas then the teacher will be able to produce productive solutions because this approach provides a clear process for solving a dilemma across many different contexts using evidence based verifiable data. As a teacher our heuristic approach should consist of three stages. During the initial stage the teacher can gather data about a certain conflict. Concrete data can include observation of students and school policy. Self study data can be used as a way for teachers to identify personal connections or biases. The middle stage is where the teacher needs to categorize the problem as being ill of well defined. The teacher can then use this data to generate specific "profiles." These profiles can be linked to relevant theories and research. Lastly, the teacher needs to identify the goals and needs of everyone involved in the conflict. The final stage is where the analysis can be applied to the specific situation. It is important for the teachers and students to talk out hypothetical solutions to the problem and decide on a plan of action. The solution then needs to be tested and the outcomes reflected upon. It is important for the teacher to collect new data and revise their plan of action. This process can be applied across many situations. For example in the case study of Elizabeth Rhodes she could use this process to solve the problem of her students lack of calibration in group work.

Week 5 T2P Hypotheses

If student’s basic needs are not being met outside of school, and they are worried about their family’s financial situations, then they more likely to focus on getting a job and helping their families then focusing on their schoolwork. For example in the video “Is anybody listening” Victoria explains her struggle “At the moment I am the only one that can support my family…I am really scared I will have to put off school for another year.” Maritssa talks about how she can see her mom struggling and there is nothing she can do about it. She explains, “I want to help her but she just wants me to focus on school. But I can’t focus on school when I know she is struggling and it is really hard.” According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs if a person’s basic physiological and safety needs are not being met they will not be able to reach the esteem and self-actualization stages. Both Victoria and Maritssa are worried about the financial security of their families. When a student’s basic needs are not being met and they are worried about having a place to live and food to eat they cannot be expected to come to school ready to learn. Eric a 9th grade student from the video “Youth Voices” expressed the same ideas. Eric’s father is an illegal immigrant who cannot find work because he is hurt. Eric explains “All I worry about right now is getting my job so I can help my dad.” As a teacher I must realize what is going on in my student’s lives outside of school. If my students come to school everyday worried about whether or not their family is going to have food to eat or a place to live, I can not expect them to reach their full potential. As a teacher I need to do my best to provide a classroom environment where all my students feel safe and have their basic needs met. I know that as a teacher I cannot always control what happens outside of the classroom, but I can control what happens inside my classroom. With this in mind I need to have an understanding of the different needs of my students and provide them with a safe environment where they feel open to sharing their concerns with me.

If students are use to immediate responses and multitasking due to the use of technology in their daily lives, then learning that incorporates the use of technology and quick responses will keep students engaged in their learning. In the video “Youth, Technology, and Learning: Opportunities for Educators” A group of freshman girls talk about the importance of technology and communication in relation to the school environment. Sarah talks about how most teachers use lecturing as their main form of instruction. She goes on to talk about how “it kind of really sucks cause you’re used to doing ten things at once. Its like slow.” Duncan Andrade idea that students learn when there is an engaging empowering curriculum that is culturally relevant can be applied to the use of technology in the classroom. As a teacher we must realize the current culture of our students in order to relate to them. By using instructional materials that our students are interested in they are more likely to take an active role in their learning. For example Morgan explains how texting is a great educational tool because you can “text Google to look up words (and) you can always read it over and over again cause it’s right here in your hand.” Duncan Andrade encourages educators to become culturally aware of their students. As a teacher I must become familiar with the type of technology my students are using and find ways to incorporate it into my curriculum. This will also give my students a sense of purpose in what they are learning because they will be able to apply it to their own lives. According to Daniel Pink people become intrinsically motivated if they have a sense of purpose in what they are doing. In order to create a meaningful learning experience for my students I need to find ways in which their learning can stem from intrinsic motivation.

If adolescents who do not feel safe or accepted in a specific environment and they find a group of other who share some of the same feelings as them, then they are more likely to have a higher self-esteem. In the video “Who We Be” young women talk about their constant struggle of being discriminated against by men. They describe an environment where they do not fee safe to learn. For example Maria describes how a “guy named Joe unzipped the back of my pants…he really pissed me off.” Another student named Shelia talks about how she felt uncomfortable when a teacher touched her inappropriately. In both of these situations two young women were put into situations where they did not feel safe. According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs if a person does not feel safe they cannot reach self-actualization. Therefore, as teacher’s we must realize that if our students do not feel safe we cannot expect them to learn. Raelene explains “that’s why we have this group of young women of color to build skills, leadership, and power.” The girls have formed this group as a safety net in the school environment. With the help of others who feel the same as them they feel safe and are able to reach Maslow’s hierarchy of belonging. In the video “Gay Youth: Helping Youth Feel Safe and Supported” show how gay and lesbian youth struggle to feel supported and safe throughout their daily lives. Camp Firefly allows gay and lesbian youth to come together in a way that makes them feel safe and allows them to see that they can achieve great things. Kaitlyn Hatch talks about the camp having “a sense of community. I have a lot of friends and they are really supportive, but I don’t have a lot of gay ones.” As a teacher it is important to understand how certain students are feeling in my classroom and provide ways for them to feel safe and supported so they can get their needs met and focus on learning.

Voices of Youth Today

Week 5 Reading Responses

According to November (2010) there are many benefits to online learning for a wide range of learners (p. 84). Schools can use online resources to help students of all different types. The use of the Internet amongst our society continues to grow and cannot be avoided. Therefore, it is important for teachers to use online activities in traditional classroom settings. Online activities provide students with the ability to share their thoughts and ideas that they might not otherwise share in a traditional classroom (November, 2010, p. 89). For some students sharing their ideas and thoughts feels safer online. The online environment allows for a more anonymous nonjudgmental sharing of ideas and opinions. Students are also able to share these thoughts and ideas with their peers in a less formal setting. Teachers can also form meaningful relationships with their students through online activities (November, 2010, p.89). It can be easier for teachers to give and for students to receive corrective feedback online. This provides a less confrontational approach for teachers to give corrective feedback to their students.

According to Richardson (2010) “all roads now point to a Web where little is done in isolation and all things are collaborative and social in nature” (p.85). With sites such as facebook and twitter our students’ are constantly exposed to all types of social networking. As teacher’s we can use these tools to create rich learning environments rooted in social interactions and networking. I can see students working on projects with other students from around the world. Students will also be using social networks to educate themselves with topics of interest found outside of the traditional classroom (Richardson, 2010, p.131). Teacher’s can also use these social networks as a way to share instructional ideas and practices with teachers from other classrooms. The 21^st century learning environment will be based around students and teachers building collaborative relationships with each other and with others outside of the traditional classroom.

Resources

November, Alan. (2010). Empowering students with technology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Richardson, Will. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Website Creation Project

http://erinsclassroom.weebly.com/

I found the weebly site to be very easy to follow. I have never created my own website before. I thought it would be a lot more complicated then it actually was. The hardest part of this assignment was deciding what to put on the slides. In the future when I have my own classroom I could definitely utilize the web development process. I could use it to create a page for my classroom or even teach my students how to create their own pages.

The entire process took a while. The first thing I did was pick a topic for my site. Once I had a topic I was able to decide what the focus of my pages were. It then added different text to each page. Next, I found pictures online and downloaded them to my computer. Then I uploaded each picture to my site. One obstacle that I encountered when making this site was when I had to set links to my pictures. I could not click on the picture to see if the link worked until I published my site. I had to un-publish and republish the site several times to get the links to work. It would have saved a lot of time if I could have checked the links without having to publish my site.

I will not be able to build on this site until I actually have my own classroom. Once I have my own classroom I will have a better idea of what needs to be included on that specific classroom website. I received an "ok" for 508 compliance. I need to make sure all color text can be seen in black and white as well. I also need to change the flicker rate of some of my images. This could be done by picking different images. It also suggests to create a 'skip link' on my page for students with assistive technology to navigate the site.

Week 4 Reading Responses

Students can learn a great deal of information using the Internet. November (2010) discusses the use of primary sources for the exploration of history (p. 67). This can be a great way to get students actively involved in their learning and at the same time the freedom to examine historical documents. Teachers must be aware that sites such as these are not created for specific grade levels. Teachers should create some type of guidelines to help students use appropriate grade level materials. Another great source to use in the classroom are online research catalogs (November, 2010, p. 68). Although research catalogs can be a great resource there can often be too much or not enough information on a specific topic. Teachers should structure their assignments based around information that students can easily find without being overwhelmed.

According to November (2010) "the role of the teacher is to provide structure and direction to a student's ability to make meaning" (p. 72). One major skill that students need to lean is to understand the perspective of the sources they read. Teachers need to talk about how different perspective change the meaning of text. Teachers also need to teach students how to efficiently search databases. Just like critically evaluating websites students need to learn how to critically evaluate primary sources (November, 2010, p. 75). Teachers can generate specific questions to help students evaluate different sources.

Teachers can use Podcasting and multimedia tools to promote collaborative learning by having students share their work. Richardson (2010) describes how students can teach other students through the use of podcasts (p. 116). Podcasts can be created and shared in classrooms among different schools around the world. Students can generate ideas and share their learning with others outside of the classroom. Other types of multimedia resources, such as social networking sites can be used in the classroom. Teachers can use programs like Facebook to create classroom pages (Richardson, 2010, p. 136). Most students are familiar with programs like Facebook and it can be a great way for teachers to actively engage their students.

Resources

November, Alan. (2010). Empowering students with technology (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Richardson, Will. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Corwin.

Internet Workshop Reflection

I received positive feedback from my group members. They all liked the lesson plan format that I used for the lesson portion my Internet Workshop. My group members like the Venn diagram comparison question on my handout. They all felt this would be a good way to differentiate instruction especially for visual learners. My group members also liked my idea of having students cross reference information from more than one site.

As a special education teacher I could use an Internet Workshop to teach about using the Internet safely. I think that critically evaluating a website might be difficult for some special education students. I think that I would have to take a more whole group instruction approach if I were to use an Internet Workshop in a special education classroom.

"Students will become victims of the expansive dark side of the Internet unless we teach the critical thinking necessary to make meaning out of the overwhelming and potentially manipulative amount of information that is now available and growing every day" (November, 2010, p.27).

We all agreed that students could have a negative experience with the Internet if they are not given the proper tools to manage it. Teachers should have honest and open conversations about the dangers associated with Internet use. We all felt that it is very important for teachers to teach their students about how to safely use the Internet. We talked about using the Internet Workshop as a scaffold. It would be good to begin with lessons on safety. Then the students could evaluate a site. Next, students could explore the Internet independently. The most important thing to remember is to always be available to monitor the students’ use of the Internet.

T2P Week 4

If we provide our students with tasks that elicit emotion then the students are more likely to become intrinsically motivated to learn.

If we provide students with tasks linked in the affective domain students will be intrinsically motivated to learn.

The affective domain consists of a person's interpersonal and intrapersonal feelings. Students learn through their interactions with others and develop an understanding for their emotions. According to Andrade's views on popular culture students are more eager to learn when they feel culturally connected to material. This coincides with Pink's three elements of intrinsic motivation. A student needs to have a sense of autonomy in their learning. Andrade suggest that teachers use cultural literacy as a teaching tool in the classroom. By using cultural literacy in the classroom the students have more control over what they are learning. If the students is able to provide material that they are emotionally connected to they will be intrinsically motivated in their learning.

Pink also describes how learners need a sense of purpose in their learning. By using Andrade's ideas of cultural literacy the students will have sense of purpose in what they are learning. They will have a sense of connectedness to the curriculum that they might not otherwise have. The teacher can use cultural literacy as a scaffold for academic literacy showing students that their learning does have a purpose and can be applied to other areas.

Lastly, Pink touches on the idea of mastery. Learner's want to master something that has meaning to them. Students are masters of their culture. When the students feel knowledgeable about the topic they gain confidence in their learning. With this confidence comes the motivation to strive for excellence.

Week Three T2P

If we provide our students with tasks that elicit emotion then the students are more likely to become intrinsically motivated to learn.

Studies have show that when students are learning about a topic that elicits some type of emotion within them, positive or negative, that they become more connected to learning. This emotional tie to learning can lead to an intrinsic motivation to learn. There are three components to intrinsic motivation: autonomy, purpose, and mastery. In order for students to use their intrinsic motivation to fuel learning they must have a sense of purpose. This is the idea that students learn for the purpose of something greater than themselves. The students must also have a sense of autonomy in order to be intrinsically motivated. This is the belief that one is in charge of their own learning. Lastly, the student must want to become a master at something that has meaning to them. As teachers it is often easier to externally motivate our students through rewards or punishments. There has been evidence that external motivators decrease creativity in our students. Therefore, it is important for us as teachers to find ways to help our students become motivated. If we choose tasks that elicit emotion in our students the things that they are learning will become more meaningful to them. With this meaning can come a sense of purpose and mastery.

Week 3 ADHD and Motivation

It is important to consider my pedagogical practices in order to promote successful learning with a student who possesses Attention Deficient Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) within my classroom. It is important for me as a special educator to become familiar with my student's disabilities and find ways to motivate my students.

Students with ADHD often struggle with focusing on a specific task. Reading one page of a simple text can take significantly longer for students with ADHD then those students who do not have ADHD. Students with ADHD's inability to focus often decreases their motivation on timed tasks. If a student who possess ADHD is told they will have a certain amount of time to complete a certain task they will often lose any previous motivation and in the end not complete the task. If we look at this problem as a lack of intrinsic motivation we as teachers can help our students. As a teacher we can give students with ADHD a sense of autonomy by letting them work on their own time table. If the student feels that they are in control of the time frame for completing their work they will be more motivated to complete the assignment.

Students with ADHD often struggle with their ability to control their excessive amounts of energy. Although this can present a problem for students in the classroom setting it often leads to enhanced creativity. As a special education teacher it will be important for me to take my students energy and direct it in positive ways. I need to find a way for my students to use this increased energy and creativity and apply it towards their learning. One way I could do this would be to allow my students to use reader's theatre in reading. Reader's theatre turns stories into scripts that students can act out. This will allow the students to get up and move around channeling their energy in a positive way. This concept also allows the student to take the written script and create their own play. By giving students with ADHD a sense of purpose in what they do and for their creativity will help them to become more motivated in their learning.

As a special educator I will be working with students with ADHD. It is important for me to have an understanding of their disability and how it affects their emotional well being and their motivation. By giving my students different channels for their creativity and energy I can help them to develop a sense of purpose and show them that I do in fact care about their success.

Screencast Reflection

• Our group worked very well together to create our screencast. Each of us were active participants in the entire process. It took us a long time to complete the assignment because we were not familiar with the program. We had to meet outside of class to complete our project. I think that more class time would have been useful.
• The feedback we received was very positive. Overall, everyone who provided feedback felt that they could utilize PowerPoint in their content area after viewing our screencast. I think that the section on how the PowerPoint can be used in the classroom provided the most useful feedback. Everyone who responded had multiple answers for this question. I think a section on how the presentation could be improved would have offered even more insight into how our presentation was received.
• I found the screencast on Microsoft Excel to be very useful. I am not very familiar with this program and its features. I like how the group set up a mach grade book for their demonstration. The concept of creating a grade book using this program is something that I can definitely use as a future teacher.
• I think that visual and auditory learners will benefit the most from the use of a screencast. For the visual learners there is the visual component of viewing how to use different programs on the computer. For the auditory learners there are step by step directions that they can listen to.
• I could use a screencast in my classroom as a special education teacher. This would be a good way to show students how to use different computer programs while at the same time incorporating multiple learning styles. I think that this program would be more beneficial for older students. I feel that younger students might learn from actually using a program rather than watching someone else use it.

Week 3 Reading Responses

• Now that there is unlimited potential to celebrate the work of our students with their communities there are many ways to manage this opportunity. It is important to find an appropriate site for students to publish their work. One useful site is Thinkquest.org (November, 2010, p. 44). This is a site where students can publish their projects for others to see. The students are also able to view other students work. Another way to manage this opportunity is through the use of Wikis (Richardson, 2010, p.58). Wikis can be a good tool for students working on group projects. Individual group members can make changes to their specific groups work through the wiki. Other students, teachers, or community members can then view the students' work on the wiki site.

• We can create authentic work and relationships for our students to give them a deeper meaning in relation to complex issues such as globalization and cultural sensitivity in a variety of ways. The first way to to create a better understanding of different cultures is by providing students with opportunities to interact with other cultures. By using real-time video conferencing students can communicate with people of different cultures (November, 2010, p. 40). The act of video conferencing provides authentic learning experiences as students learn about the customs and beliefs of different cultures first hand. Teachers can also have students research global issues from different cultures perspectives to gain insight into how different cultures think (November, 2010, p.40). Another affective means of creating authentic relationships to help our students better understand globalization and cultural issues is through the use of e-mail. Students can e-mail people from different cultures about important issues or with questions they may have. This can create an authentic assessment in the form of a dialogue between students and people with different cultural backgrounds.

• There are many emerging collaborative relationships for teachers. The first emerging relationship is a Teacher's use of reverse mentoring (November, 2010, p. 48). The idea behind this concepts is that teachers can learn from their students. A teacher can ask a student to show them how to use a program that the he or she is unfamiliar with. The teacher can then work what the student already knows into instruction without being formally taught how to use the program. The next form of emerging collaborative relationship for teachers is known as collegiality (November, 2010, p. 50). This is the idea that teachers can learn by building collaborative relationships with other professionals. Teachers can work with other educators to share best practices and ideas they can then incorporate into their own classrooms. Another emerging relationship for teachers is through the feedback of anonymous reviewers (November, 2010, p. 51). The idea behind this concept is that teachers receive anonymous feedback on their posted work and ideas. This can be very helpful to teachers because when a source is anonymous that source is more likely to provide honest feedback. Lastly, teachers can collaborate with parents to create a stronger relationship between home and schools (November, 2010, p. 52). This can be done through the use of videos to involve parents in classroom activities, and ultimately gain a better understanding for what their children are learning.

November, A. (2010). Empowering students with technology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Week Two T2P

If teacher's give students the time in class to work with peers then student learning will be enhanced through peer centered discussions.

Each teacher needs to develop a pedagogical stance towards teaching. This stems from a teacher's beliefs and values on what qualifies as best teaching practices and how students learn. As teachers we can study the major theories in education to help construct our views on how students learn. According to Piaget students develop cognitively in four specific stages. He sees child development as a very concrete and precise process. His four stages are not based on the individual child, but rather on the age of the child. If we look at Vygotsky's Socio-Cultural Theory of development we can see a more socially based perspective on cognitive development. Vygotsky focuses on the idea that family, community, and culture contribute the most to a child's cognitive development. This theory encourages more peer to peer interactions to enhance learning. It is important for educators to consider the different approaches to child development and apply them to their own beliefs on how children learn. If teachers study different theories in cognitive development then they will be better able to construct and understand their own beliefs and views on teaching and learning.

EDCI 5065 Content-area specific resources and descriptions

Chase, B. (2007). Starfall. Retrieved from http://www.starfall.com/

Starfall.com offers a variety of games and activities related to phonics and phonemic awareness. I believe that every person learns differently. This site offers activities and games for multiple learning styles. There are visual, auditory and logical components to this site. I believe that good teachers allow opportunities for students to learn according to their different learning styles. Many special education students struggle with reading. This site touches on the concepts of phonics and phonemic awareness, which are both key elements in developing reading fluency.

Santomero, A.C., & Alpert, S.F. (2007). Pbs kids. Retrieved from http://pbskids.org/

I believe that people learn best when they are actively engaged in an activity. It is a teacher’s job to find activities that actively engage his or her students and motivate them to become lifelong learners. This site allows students to participate in an interactive reading adventure. When special education students are struggling to read it can be hard for teachers to find ways to motivate students. This site allows students to practice spelling, comprehension and vocabulary skills in a fun way.

Krimsten. (2009). Multiplication.com. Retrieved from http://multiplication.com/index.htm

All people learn differently and it is important that we as teachers cater to all the different styles. This website accommodates visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. Each multiplication lesson has a visual aide for those students who learn visually. Each lesson has a multiplication related story that the students can listen to, which is best for those auditory learners. Lastly, each lesson has an activity for those kinesthetic learners who learn best by doing. As a special education teacher I will be required to work with students across a variety of content areas. This is a great math resource that will help struggling students understand their basic math facts.

Session 2 Reading Responses

• In order to be information literate a person must be able to decode information on the internet and draw conclusions about whether or not that information is valid. This requires the use of a variety of investigative techniques along with an understanding of the structure of internet based information to critically examine the validity of that information.
• There are many ways in which teachers and students can thoughtfully evaluate online information resources, including the online encyclopedia, Wikipedia. The first and most logical way to evaluate information is to make sure that you are in the right place. Make sure the information you are reading covers the topic that you are researching. The second step in evaluating an internet resource is to consider the source. The student or teacher should locate the author of the information and try to find out some of the authors background (November, 2010). Next, the teacher or student should consider the type of site the information is located on such as a government, commercial, educational, or organizational site. The evaluator should then try to find the main purpose for the site being created and when it was last updated. One quick way a teacher or student can evaluate a site is by quickly scanning the information for grammar or spelling errors. If a site has spelling or grammar errors it is more likely to be less reputable. Lastly, a teacher or student should test a source against a variety of other sources. If the information from one source seems completely different from a number of other sources its validity cold be questionable.
• There are many similarities and differences between the four instructional models of Internet use; Internet Project, Internet Workshop, Internet Inquiry and WebQuests. All four of these models can be used at all different instructional levels to incorporate the use of technology into all content areas (Leu, 2004). Each model involves the use of an important skill and are curriculum based. Internet workshops focus on reading, writing, and content skills. The students are required to gather information from the internet to share in a workshop setting. The basic idea behind Internet Projects are developing students' collaborative skills. Students can use these projects to collaborate with classrooms around the world. WebQuests are curriculum resources that allow teachers to share lessons and complete units with one another. Internet Inquiry models allow students to build upon all the skills learned in the previous three models. The students build on these skills by identifying problems that are important to them. The students then go out and gather information about their topic to present to the class. This model allows students to practice their problem identification skills.

References:

Leu, D.J. (2004). Teaching with the internet. Retrieved from http://ctell.uconn.edu/canter/canter_video.cfm?movie=234_introduction.mov

November, A. (2010). Empowering students with technology. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Introduction

My name is Erin. I graduated from Western Connecticut State University in 2008. I majored in elementary education and psychology. I spent a year and a half as a one on one special education paraprofessional and a year as a combined second third grade classroom teacher. I hope to work as a special education teacher in a an elementary school after getting my masters in special education.