I have challenged myself try a fun project that has encouraged me to reflect, capture moments, and think deeper about who I am as a person. Part of this project consisted of looking back at the photos I have captured in the last few months and deciding what these photos tell about me. I wanted to think about not only who am I professionally, but personally as well. 1. I am a teacher- I take pride in my classroom. 2. I am an innovator- I have learned to look more deeply at building, making, and creating. 3. I am a family person- They shaped me into the person I have become. 4. I am a workout partner- I relieve stress and channel positive energy through physical activity. 5. I am a friend- I work hard on maintaining the relationships I have built. 6. I am an outdoorsy person- I love sunshine and good times. I think about how most of my pictures and experiences are very playful. This reminded me of the reading Lifelong Kindergarten. As humans playfully work together, they learn about the creative process. We learn how to try out new ideas, experiment, get feedback, and create new ideas based on all of our experiences. The innovation process does not just involve maker kits, technology, or circuits. It is also something we do in our daily lives. Each day consists of new opportunities to create happiness and memories. This project has truly made me think about my life and what I am able to learn in just a short amount of time. Below I have included my artistic creation of these last few months and the images that followed me along the way. References: Resnick, M. (2017). Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press.
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With the school year around the corner, teachers everywhere are scurrying around their classrooms to prepare for their school year and students. A lot of work goes into making my classroom look inviting. I want my students to feel like my classroom is a home away from home because they spend half of their time there. I have tried to consider a lot of different factors when designing my room. I changed my desks to tables to create a collaborative environment, I have a cozy nook for reading, and even went as far as getting rid of my teacher desk to make more space for my students. But is that enough? Below I designed my classroom using a tool called Roomstyler. I was able to add paint color, carpet, furniture, and tools. Unfortunately, classrooms and schools do not have unlimited budgets or choices when it comes to designing classrooms. A lot of teachers spend their own money to ensure their classroom is as great as they are able to make it. There are a lot of factors when considering room design. For example, I have learned much about the importance of student talk and collaboration. One of the biggest reasons I got rid of my individual desks was due to this. I also believe that students can benefit from having a personal learning network just like teachers. My current classroom space has areas in which students can learn and work together. This enables powerful experiences. The image below represents the current space in my classroom. I believe the back right reading area invites students to create a love for reading. Also, my tables are set up so students share supplies. I teach students on the first day of school that we share our classroom tools, we must take care of the things we use and share, and we must respect each other and our learning space. This gives my students the full understanding that we are working together in the space we have. Image created by author. After creating my actual learning space. I wanted to design my "dream space". The image below is what I would like my classroom to look like if I had unlimited options and money. In this space, I wanted to ensure that it is flexible and creative. After looking through the book The Third Teacher, I have thought much about the importance of giving students an environment that allows choice and is comfortable. Unfortunately, the amount of schools in the United States alone that lack the basic necessities that schools need for students to be successful is surprising and does effect how classrooms are set up. It was still a fun process to imagine having an endless amount of choices. The design that I created below ensures that students have multiple areas within my classroom to explore, create, and make. The centerfold of my classroom revolves around technology. I wanted a table that reminded me of something you would see in a big CEO office. I want students to feel like their work time is important and become collaborative. Also, the computers are readily available and 8 students can collaborate in this space at a time. I also wanted to ensure my design had flexible seating. Allowing students to move around and choose where they want to work allows them to feel in control of their own learning. There are also two areas that students share for reading and working that include comfy pillows and chairs. Comfort is key! After reading The Maker Movement in Education, I wanted to include a "maker- space" in my classroom design. School-based maker-spaces can include the newest technological toys, but the focus of a maker-space is not necessarily on the tools that students can use but the process and the product (Winter 2014). The maker space is the area at the bottom of my design. I have included two large cabinets that would be filled with maker materials. Also, there is a cart that students can explore filled with creations that students can "tinker" with. At the top right of my design I have included a large "L" shaped table. This will be used for students to create, design, and build on. Ideally, I would love to have the opportunity to create and work in classroom much like the one below. Designing this has made me consider the best practices and environments for my students to work and thrive in. Image created by author. References:
Zhang. “A Holistic, Multi-Level Analysis Identifying the Impact of Classroom Design on Pupils' Learning.” Building and Environment, Pergamon, 3 Oct. 2012, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360132312002582?via%3Dihub. The third teacher. (2010). New York: Abrams. WeAreTeachers Staff on November 5, 2. .. (2017, July 11). The Ultimate Guide to Using the Maker Movement in Education. Retrieved from https://www.weareteachers.com/making-matters-how-the-maker-movement-is-transforming-education/ Lesson planning is often part of a teacher's daily routine. We learn this skill over time and eventually become very proficient at it. I have been working towards challenging myself to create a new type of lesson plan. This lesson plan is a more innovative one. I have chosen to create an innovative lesson plan using a technology tool called Squishy Circuits. Squishy Circuits encourage students to understand how to create circuits, understand the movement of light, and practice hands-on learning! After ordering my Squishy Circuit tool I tried to envision how I would incorporate this into a lesson plan. My first step was researching the best Common Core standard that aligned with my learning target and tool: 1-PS4-4 Use tools and materials to design and build a device that uses light or sound to solve the problem of communicating over a distance. After much research about the TPACK framework, I have learned the importance of aligning content to technology. This ensures students have a meaningful experience while gaining new skills. One challenge was creating a learning target that was student-friendly. The learning target is: We can build a circuit using different materials to demonstrate how light moves. Students will recite this during the lesson to remind them of the "what" and the "why" behind the lesson. I did not have the learning target included in my lesson plan draft. I added this because it shows what the student expectations are. I also created a rubric that students will use to assess themselves during this lesson. We will go over the rubric before and after the lesson. I believe this is an important asset to the lesson because it helps students understand what they need to do to be successful and it also gives me grading guidelines. While designing my lesson plan I wanted to ensure that it was backed up using research-based ideas. I used the following components to guide my innovative lesson plan: (Yelon, 2001)
These research components guided me to start with the first aspect; the problem. I feel like science is something that does not get focused on often enough in schools. I believe this problem is due to time restrictions and standardized testing. This lesson plan addresses this problem because it gives students an opportunity to explore a science standard while integrating language arts. I decided to include a portion of this lesson plan to dedicate towards speaking, listening, and presenting. Students can demonstrate their understanding by presenting their circuit, drawing, and/or writing about their experience. I wanted to consider all types of students during the lesson. Giving students a choice as to what type of way they would like to present their understanding was important. I wanted to give ample opportunities for learning to students who may have a learning disability, child-anxiety, and other educational restrictions. I was able to think more deeply about this after a classmate helped me revise my lesson plan based on student need. I added different ways that students can work together, grouping strategies, and multiple ways to present their understanding. I believe this is so important because of the wide variety of learners in classroom spaces. I look forward to trying this lesson out with my students and to learn first-hand how to implement an innovative lesson plan into my first grade classroom. References: Yelon, S. L. (2001). Goal-Directed Instructional Design: A Practical Guide to Instructional Planning for Teachers and Trainers. Michigan State University: Self-published. Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054.
This week I explored making a "creative creation" to demonstrate my understanding of The Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and intersectionality. These ideas are both important for teachers to understand and incorporate into their classrooms because they have one thing in mind; the success of a student. UDL is based on the questions how, why, and what. Intersectionality is based on including all students and accommodating their personal needs. A challenge I faced when creating my innovative lesson design was capturing every possible intersectionality that I may face within my classroom. My creative podcast demonstrates how I did this to my best ability.
During this podcast I focused on showcasing UDL and intersectionality into an innovative lesson plan using squishy circuits. I enjoyed creating this podcast using anchor because the user is able to speak with enthusiasm while recording and simply saying what is on their mind. Below I have included an image that assisted me in the understanding of UDL and guided the creation of my podcast. This was a resource that ensured my lesson plan was successful and included all components of this concept.
Image retreived from http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.XTzmJZNKjEY
I am not a person who creates or listens to podcasts very often. Although, when I do, it is always enjoyable as the listener. While creating my "creative creation", I wanted to show the simplicity behind using technology, how to encourage all children to learn, and expand my knowledge as an educator. It can be difficult to show all of these aspects when you do not use imagery or video. I tried to keep my recording detailed yet concise for an easy listen. Check out my podcast and leave a comment below!
References:
Rose, D. H. (2016). Universal design for learning - theory and practice. Cast Professional Publishing. This week I created an Instructional Design Lesson Plan for my first grade classroom. It was difficult for me to ensure I had all of the pieces to the puzzle. I wanted to feel confident that my lesson target was not only grade level appropriate but also connected to my standard. For this lesson, I chose to incorporate the innovative technology called Squishy Circuits. Squishy Circuits are great because they teach students the basis of creating circuits, new vocabulary, and align with Michigan's Common Core standards. Students will not only learn new content and how to become a "maker". While creating this lesson I wanted to keep in mind the instructional design components (Yelon, 2001):
I also explored the idea of media consumption. Media consumption is the amount of media and information that an individual reads and consumes. This can influence their beliefs and lifestyle. Using twitter, it was was tricky to find articles and people who were against technology use. I focused on "screen time" and found some advocates who expressed the importance of limiting technology. I discovered a large amount of information on how schools are boradening the types of technology inside the classroom (virtual reality, augmented technology tools). There were more resources in favor of technology than not. I was able to think about both sides of the argument and reflect on my own opinions and thoughts. Below I have included both resources with two different view points on technology! Images created by author. Yelon, S. L. (2001). Goal-Directed Instructional Design: A Practical Guide to Instructional Planning for Teachers and Trainers. Michigan State University: Self-published.
People, children, and even animals thrive from working together. Each individual has something beneficial they can offer to each other. Lucky for us, there is an organization that is based on this idea and much more. Creative Commons (CC) is an online organization that gives users free licenses to avoid copyright issues. On CC you have access to use material and adapt content created by others. In fact, 1.6 billion creations have already been remixed and shared. People who are interested in the creative process are able to legally use the Creative Commons licenses to make images, videos, writing, music, and much more. It is essentially based on a mutual agreement such as what's mine is yours. A constraint of this resource is the potential that a content user may borrow an image from a content creator that did not have the Creative Commons license or rights. When using CC you must give credit where credit is due, especially if you plan to remix and repurpose it. The image below spells out the terms of use that a user should follow! Image retrieved from creativecommons.org Another factor that impacts Creative Commons is "Fair Use". Fair Use for Media Literacy Education encourages educators like me to safely use copyrighted materials. Educators can create multimedia projects and much more. The United States Copyright Office designed a Copyright and Fair Use Guide for teachers found on this tech learning article. I created a video explaining the pros and cons of Creative Commons. This encouraged me to explore the idea of Fair Media Use for myself below. Check it out! References: Baron, B. (2015, February 21). Retrieved July 13, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4duPBWzf46E When we share, everyone wins. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://creativecommons.org/ Curts, E., Shippee, M., Nielsen, L., Mott/Tom, N., Mott/Tom, N., Baule, S., . . . Hogan, K. (n.d.). Tech & Learning. Retrieved from https://www.techlearning.com/
We experience success everyday. Although, why is it that we remember our failures clearer than our successes? Why do we see failure in such a negative light? It's safe to say that I viewed failure in that way prior to thinking more deeply about how it can be a positive experience. In my first year of teaching there were many times where I felt like students were not understanding the content I was teaching and I was not doing everything I could to help my students. I felt like a failure of a teacher and I was simply surviving. Looking back, I can now say that I have significantly changed my teaching style since then along with my classroom management methods.
My first year of teaching I used something called a "color chart". If a student was "naughty" they moved their stick to red right in front of all their peers. If a student did something amazing, they moved their stick to purple. Also, In front of their peers. I had one student in particular who would throw fits and throw things whenever they were put on red. After that year I knew that I was not doing this method because I believed in it but because other teachers told me to do it. This was a huge fail! Since then, I have completely changed my method and my class is now focused on positive behavior reinforcement and reteaching. I made this switch because I believed in it. I have been complimented by my administrator on the effectiveness of my classroom management and I plan to continually grow in this area. This is one example of how giving up on old habits, creating new ones, and risking the fall can truly be beneficial. I feel confident within my classroom management. Although, I know there is still room for growth within how I teach content to my students. I follow our curriculum daily, I teach all my students the same skills for the week, and I often stick to what seems to be the "safe" choices. I would like to expand my own teaching strategies by changing my idea of what a classroom environment resembles. My goal is to teach my first graders much like how they were taught in kindergarten by using hands-on exploration. The academic article Lifelong Kindergarten by Mitchel Resnick, explains the benefits of a "kindergarten approach" and incorporating play into learning. Often you see children building, making, and exploring new ideas at the age level. They are answering the questions of "how" and "what if". During this time they also learn about the creative process which includes imagining innovative ideas, trial and error, examining, and experimenting. Students learn how to get and give feedback as well. Why should kindergarteners only receive this experience if it has so many benefits? I have always wanted to try play/project based learning in my classroom but for some reason I let the word "failure" hold me back. Below I have included an image of a "Maker Kit" called Squishy Circuits. I will challenge myself to accept failure and embrace iteration (repeating a process until a problem is solved). I will experiment with this tool and think more critically about how I can incorporate it into my classroom. I am excited to learn the benefits of "playing" with tech tools and how I can also integrate content alongside of this.
To purchase the above Maker Kit check out Squishy Circuits here!
As teachers, I believe we have to be open to the fact that society's expectations are changing and becoming increasingly more difficult for to keep up with. Education is a field that should change and evolve as well. I truly want to challenge students in my classroom to think deeper about ideas. To do so, I have to accept the fact that I will fail and I must look at it as a learning moment. I have experienced failure before as a teacher, as a child, and as an adult. Check out my podcast below to hear an example of a #bigfail from my childhood and how I look back on it now.
Podcast created using Anchor.
As I am reflecting more on myself as a teacher and the way I run my classroom, I created an infographic image to summarize my classroom experiences. This includes daily instructional routines and how I try to incorporate creativity and flexibility into my first grade classroom. Check out my creation below to understand my experiences so far and challenge yourself to think more deeply about what failures you are willing to experience!
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Reflective infographic created using Picktochart. See button below to visit the infographic online.
References:
Resnick, M. (2001, September). Lifelong kindergarten. In presentation delivered at the annual symposium of the Forum for the Future of Higher Education, Aspen, Colorado. Resnick, M. (2017). Lifelong Kindergarten: Cultivating creativity through projects, passion, peers, and play. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. Educators in today's society must adapt their teaching for the wide range of learners in their classrooms. Many teachers are finding the need to accommodate students who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). These students are known to need lots of support, and at times a one-on-one aid. In, Producing Speech Use in Nonverbal Autistic Children by Reinforcing Attempts, Koegel, Odell, and Dunlap (1988) explained how difficult it can be to support non verbal ASD students. I have chosen to focus on communication in the classroom with students who are nonverbal and autistic because both teachers and students can feel frustrated when there is miscommunication. Tobii Dynavox is a tool that gives these children opportunities to express themselves, expand their vocabulary, and enhance communication. The student chooses words or phrases that they would like to say or string together and the device speaks for them. It aligns with the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) (Mishra & Koehler, 2006) model because it allows students to enhance content knowledge (literacy skills, vocabulary, sight words), monitors and supports pedagogy, and the technology is appropriate for my ill-structured problem. #sweetspot A benefit of this tool is that it gives these nonverbal students a platform to fall on when they cannot express themselves, ask for something, or communicate to their classmates and teacher. As the child's skills grow, the device options and choices do as well. A constraint is that a child may have little motor function and physically choosing an option on the device could be an issue. Also, students may become too dependent on letting the device speak for them. With that said, I am excited to experience this tool personally. Below I have included a video of Tobii Dynavox and how I plan to utilize it! References:
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1017-1054. Koegel, R. L., Odell, M., & Dunlap, G. (1988). Producing speech use in nonverbal autistic children by reinforcing attempts. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 18(4), 525-538. doi:10.1007/bf02211871 |
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