On-Line Learning Experience

What content could this help you teach?

I searched through the online project section and found many different areas I could use.  The first was the NASA website which, ironically I already used.  It had a section where students could build their own planet.  This helped with our "Another Earth" project where students were trying to create an Earth like planet.  I also enjoyed the The Center for Innovation in Engineering and Science Education website.  It had numerous projects that I could pick from.  Teaching a general science curriculum can be tricky when trying to make all areas interesting and this website had a wide selection of projects that could help with this. 

What type of pedagogical strategies might you use with your students?

I think that by using these types of websites, students are able to explore, examine, and recreate quicker, and more efficiently.  Each one of the projects offers students the ability to create a hypothesis.  Then, they are able to collect data or design a rough draft model for examination.  Because students could explore and test their hypothesis by using technology, students get quick results which allowed for them to make adjustments for a better product.  Using these websites allows for an inductive learning process along with hands on experience.   

What technologies do you think would be harder to use with your students? Why?

Some of the hardest technologies to use are the ones where there seems to be simulations but the only things you click on and paragraph comes up.  They are very misleading and students become disappointed when they find that there is very little interaction.  Another technology that is hard to use with students is the online gaming.  Not that students do not enjoy this, but a lot of them require you to download the program which makes it difficult because only certain people have access. 

UDL

These two questions were asked about Universal Design Learner or UDL.  UDL is a process to look at how we not only teach our students but how we reach each one of them.  I probably have a different view than most educators but from the position I have, I see it in a different way.  

1. At the core of UDL is the premise that often the curriculum is disabled (and disabling!). It is not flexible; it often poses barriers, and consequently prevents rather than supports optimal learning experiences. Do you agree or disagree with this view? Why or why not?

I do not agree with this statement.  The reason is that I think curriculum should be a foundation and not something that is followed step by step.  Curriculum should guide a teacher through the unit and the teacher should decide how they are going to cover the curriculum.  Just like we do not expect students to learn in the same way, teachers should not teach the same way.  I think curriculum is important because it makes teachers across a state cover the same material but with a teacher modifying it to fit their students. 

1. What are the benefits of analyzing the curriculum for strengths and weaknesses rather than focusing on the student’s strengths and weaknesses? What are the challenges of this approach?

By analyzing the curriculum for strengths and weaknesses, a teacher can spend lesson time modifying the good lessons and more time on the weak ones.  It also provides a teacher who is struggling a better opportunity to use the strong lessons and get help with weak ones.  Along with these, teachers who focus on the curriculum can talk with other teachers who are teaching the curriculum for advice.  One challenge with this is that each lesson should be created so all students can learn.  If a teacher focuses on the curriculum then they forget the reason they are there.  Another challenge is that because all students learn differently, a weak lesson in the curriculum may be just what a student needs and by modifying a weak lesson one student misses 

Wiki Page

This is a picture of the wikipedia page that I created for my school.  I only put a little information because I wanted my principal to give some more information to me before I put it up there.  I struggled with this assignment because I could not figure out how to actually make this an article.  I also had a hard time with the html format but after hours, this is what I finally got.  It even includes a link to the school's website.  I hope that more people will see this and add information to it.  

Another wiki I created was from wikispaces.    The website is http://msutrial.wikispaces.com/  It  includes a page where people can include calendar events.  On the homepage, I have a discussion board which allows people to give me ideas about what I should have on the wiki along with my glogster page and an inspirational video for teachers.  

Merlot Review

http://www.learner.org/interactives/volcanoes/entry.html

Quality of Content:

• Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills?

When looking at this website, it was very easy to read.  Each page was filled with accurate information but not overwhelming.  Students reading at a middle school level should be able to grasp the many concepts that make up a volcano. 

• Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline?

This website does present information significant to understanding how a volcano functions.  The models are average at best and maybe hard for some students to understand.  At best this website would be used for an introduction or for reinforcement to a lesson already taught.   

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:

• What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used?

In order for this website to be relevant to students, it must be used for introducing new material or for further explanation of material.  Teachers would need to have students read through this first to get introduction to volcanoes or they would have to use it for reteaching. 

• What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials?

After reading through the material, students should be able to understand how volcanoes form along with being able to distinguish how different lava/magma forms.  Students will also to be able to explain how volcanoes erupt and the process used to predict when a volcano will erupt. 

• What are the characteristics of the target learner(s)

This website would be for students who like to read.  Although there are some interactive material, it lacks stimulation. 

• Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials?

The interactive material is sub par.  It does include some video but the video screen is very small and the content is very dry.  The simulations are hard to follow and do not present anything to be visually appealing. 

• Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline?

I would find this website to be hard to incorporate into my classroom as a lesson but I would use it for reteaching or enrichment.  The reading is easy enough for most students.  Although some of the simulations and videos are not all that stimulating, they do offer decent and accurate information.    

• Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals?

It can be used in two ways as mentioned before, reteaching and enrichment.  By using it in these two ways, students would gain a better understanding of how volcanoes function which would increase their chances at mysterying the concepts. 

• Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify?

The goals of this website is offer the basics of how volcanoes form and function.  It is quite clear and evident after looking at the reading and simulations.  

• Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily?

The best way to use this website is to create an online lab exploration.  It would be very easy to create and students would be able to follow along with ease and little assistance. 

Ease of Use:

• Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct?

After browsing this website, students could easily go through this website and find the many areas of content it has to offer.  The link buttons are easy to find and the text is easy to read.  When first looking at this website, students will not be overwhelmed by the amount of information offered.   

• Does the user get trapped in the material?

Navigating through this website was very simple and a person could move back and forth through majority of it with ease.  The only confusing part was the read more button which comes across as a continue button.  This may be confusing to some students who may find themselves stuck between reading more and the original page.   

• Can the user get lost easily in the material?

The material is good material and does not allow the user to get lost. 

• Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses?

There are no user response item. 

• Does the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use?

This website can offer a few different options.  One is to have students get an overview of the parts of a volcano and the other is to obtain specific knowledge about the different aspects of a volcano. 

• Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software?

Because this website is very user friendly, little guiding is needed for students.  Most students will be able explore this website with little help. 

• Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students?

Most of the information presented is like most educational websites.  Lots of reading with a simulation and video spread throughout.  Students should be able to gain the information they need with little help.

• Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students?

Although the information shared is good information, it is not all that appealing to students.  Students who are looking for an interaction will be greatly disappointed. 

Personal Learning Reflection

 What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?

The first thing I learned was that there are many different learners so I have to reach out to all of them.  Technology allows for me to do this by having virtual labs for the kinesthetic learner; and an article for the visual learner along with a voice read over for the auditory learner.  All this can be done in one classroom with technology.  Another item to remember is that our world is interactive and that is what technology should be about.  With web 2.0 there are so many programs that allow for students to share what they have learned and to gather feedback from people all around the world.  As teachers we have to make sure our students are using technology to gather or share information and to build their technology skills.  If this is done then technology has been integrated effectively.      

·How did integrating the Internet help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?

The wheels in my brain have been turning since I started this class.  There is so much out there that I want to integrate into my classroom but have been nervous about what it would do to my computer.   I now am constantly on youtube looking at tutorial videos to help me discover how to use the many programs offered by the internet.  I now feel more confident to bring these ideas into my classroom because of this.  I also realized there are a lot of free tools offered by the internet, most of them by google.  Trying things now is ok because it is free.  With just these two areas, I feel I am brining so much more into the classroom and I am becoming more comfortable with what I do technologically.  In an ironic way I use the internet to gain more insight into the tools that the internet offers by watching videos, reading articles and trying the free stuff. 

Which of the assignments that you turned in do you feel really exemplifies good teaching with technology and why?

The RSS page is an assignment that exemplifies good teaching with technology.  It helped me to gather information that I look for each day in a matter of minutes.  Because I can quickly find information, I can spend more time on building up my lessons.  It also brought new information to me.  A few of the pages I found, kept me updated on new discoveries in science which I then could share with my students.  This would have been a missed opportunity had I not had the RSS page.  The RSS page to me is a great resource tool because it brought to me what I was looking for without me have to constantly take the time to search.  My feeling is that if technology can limit the amount of time it takes to do something with the same efficiency then we have a tool that can make us a better teacher.       

How have you met your goals established in your Personal Growth Plan?

I have not yet met my goals because I have not made my classroom more technologically engaging.  However, I now have the building blocks that I need to start making it more interactive.  In fact, I have even invested in the new droid phone because I knew it was run through google and I wanted a phone that could easily be accessible with google docs.  Becoming more knowledgeable about how to use the numerous applications and where to find them will help me to understand which one is is best for my students.     

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?

My goal now is to take what I have learned and integrate it into my classroom by the end of the year.  I feel with the free time I will have, I will be able to use the different tools to develop lessons and projects that are more interactive for students.  Parents and people around the world will be able to look into my classroom without every stepping into it.  My first plan is to develop a better use of my blog so that students are commenting on it on a weekly basis.  I also want to setup a website to post videos, assignments, and projects that students are working on.  The website will incorporate the students so that it is not mr. loznak’s website but mr. loznak’s classes’ website.  The steps that I plan using to reach these goals are to take a few hours a week to look at how I am going to improve on these sites.  I also will continue to look for tutorials online and I will email my professors for possible ideas or resources.  If any possible classes open up in my area then I will enroll in them.   I want to master these two areas first, and then I plan on selecting other items to bring into the classroom. 

Learning Styles

I have been asked many times what is your learning style.  This is an easy question, I am a kinesthetic learner.  I have always loved science because it allowed for me to move around and do hands on activities.  This could also explain why I am an active learner.  I love working in groups and problem solving.  Of course I need steps which leads me to think that I am also a sequential learner.  Without steps to solving math equations and the scientific methods, I would become frustrated.  I believe that if I could not move around then I would learn best by visuals, but what I struggle with is auditory.  What I could not do was listen...at least not for long period of times.    My worst courses were lectures.  I also struggle with verbal and reflective.  I need people to bounce ideas off of and I need to discuss issues with people before I share them with the entire class. 

Knowing this and knowing my students, I try to accommodate all learners.  I prepare my lessons by having some type of visual that I explain for the first part of class.  This allows for me to reach my auditory and visual learners.  From there, I try to do an experiment for my kinesthetic learners.  This of course is not always the case, so what I try to do is incorporate as many styles as a can.  For instance, I have students reflect on the answer by themselves.  Then they turn around and share with their group members.  Right there I a have Incorporated active and reflective learners into my lesson.  Group work also helps my sensing and intuitive learners.  Having tiered questions allows for my sensing learners to recite the facts and my intuitive learners to explain how this concept applies to other lessons.  The great thing about technology is that it allows all learners to express themselves.  For instance, a project about severe weather can be done in multiple ways.  Visual learners usually make a PowerPoint presentation, while auditory learners give lectures and Kinesthetic learners make a video.  What is important about all this is that we reach out to as many learners as we can.  We set up stations around the rooms focused on different learners, allow for students read, listen, or participate in a lesson, and we choose assessments to accommodate everyone.  Most importantly, teachers need to make sure their learning biases do not get in the way.   

Creative Commons

http://www.flickr.com/photos/55068777@N05/

If you go to this website, you can see a picture of St. Patrick's Cathedral in NYC.