Final Blog Post

I think that technology integration is very important.  Our students will never know a world without technology so it will be critical for me, as a teacher, to create opportunities for my students to utilize technology in a meaningful way.  Yes, my students will probably know more than me when it comes to social media, and the technology fads.  But as their teacher, I should be the one with the knowledge when it comes to using technology in education.  I have been a bit hesitant to try a lot of "new to me" programs, but through out this class I have learned that trying is the only way to learn.  I hope to pass that philosophy onto my students.

I have loved learning about how to integrate technology into the core subjects this semester.  One thing that I learned that surprised me during field is that the students didn't like it when they got to use computers in class.  I hope to help my students get excited about using them in my classroom.  One way I want to do this is by not just using the computers for writing essays.  I think using stop motion would be awesome in a classroom and there are so many subjects you could use it in to deepen students' understanding.

Another aspect of technology in the classroom is teaching students how to use it appropriately.  I think one of the biggest challenges students' face now is finding credible sources online. I hope to teach my students how to check their facts and where they can go to find reliable information.  

Blog #8 UDL Engagement

I think that WebQuests are a good way for students to take charge of their own learning.  Students will be excited to figure out the WebQuest.  They are also a great way to differentiate for different students. Giving students a WebQuest to work on at home allows each student to go at their own pace.  A teacher could also give different WebQuests to students depending on their skill level.  That way all students are learning about the same thing, but on an appropriate skill level.

An article I found pointed out a benefit of using WebQuests that I hadn't thought about.  In CITE Journal it says, "Simply put, teachers often lack the time to integrate technology effectively. Using technology to foster innovative teaching and learning, or Type II technology applications, should be a priority for all educators."  Having students do this as part of their homework can free up teaching time so that the teacher can go into more detail on the subject, or move on to something else.  Using WebQuests also helps students become comfortable doing school work on the computer and I think, especially in the lower grades, that is an important skills for students to master.

Blog #7 Why Coding?

Coding will be a really interesting thing to integrate in a classroom.  I have to admit that it seems a little intimidating to me, but I'm really good at faking it til I make it.  I think it is important for students to be comfortable with coding because so many of their future job opportunities will be based in computer science.  Matt Harrell wrote for Edutopia, "Early exposure to coding helps teach children how important it is to understand computers as the valuable tools they are rather than merely fun playthings."  This is a really important point to remember since our students will be growing up with technology as part of their lives since birth.  Kids need to know that computers can do so much more than play minecraft and play youtube videos.

Coding is something kids want to do, and I think they will be excited to have the opportunity to do it in school.  We need to let them try it, and figure some things out on their own.  Harrell goes on to say, "Don't underestimate what young children are able to accomplish when educators let go of the wheel and allow students to become the drivers. Just adding one piece of computer science to your curriculum will get the ball rolling, and you'll get the feedback you need from your students to make it even better."  I want to remember this when I am incorporating coding into my lessons.  My students will definitely know more than me, and I believe that following their lead is the best way to help them succeed with this.

Blog #6 UDL Action and Expression (Summative)

There are so many fun ways to incorporate Finch Robots into my curriculum.  I think using the robots is a great way to get students thinking and learning multiple things at once.  I love the idea of dressing the robot up.  The students could write a story or play and dress the robot up for different scenes.  This would help them with language arts, sequencing, coding, teamwork and I'm sure in many other areas.  My main goal when using robotics in my classroom would be to make it a fun activity that the kids aren't even aware that they are learning.  

An interesting idea I read about is that using robotics and coding can help students work through a problem when they hit a roadblock.  The Tech Edvocate says about using robotics, "Many students will struggle with the concepts at first and often get frustrated.  Robotics in schools can help these students turn their frustration into creativity and innovation." I love that they point out that letting students struggle a little can help them turn their work into something amazing.   As a teacher, I hope I remember to let my students struggle to work a concept out and not always give them the easy answer, or the easier way out.

UDL Action and Expression (Formative)

The best way to use UDL and integrate it into my teaching will be to use multiple formative assessments.  UDL Design Center says that, "There is no medium of expression that is equally suited for all learners or for all kinds of communication." This tells me that I won't be able to use the best assessment for every student every time.  Sometimes, the assessments I give will be effective for most students, but still miss some.  It might be the opposite for the next assessment I use.  But, by using a variety of assessments, each student will have the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge they have been learning.

I think this guideline is one of the most important because a teacher has to know whether or not their students are learning the concepts they want them to know.  The way we determine that is through assessments.  I want to include many different assessments for my students.  I am sure that over time I will be able to identify which assessments are effective for the most amount of students.  I want to be open minded and be willing to try different strategies.

UDL Representation

1. How can Principle 1: Multiple Means of Representation be effectively integrated into your teaching?    By finding meaningful ways to represent the same concept. Hanging charts and calendars on the wall, providing multiple visual products, adding audio to written material and using closed captioning on videos.
2. How will this help your students?   Presenting information in multiple ways will help reinforce ideas, and hopefully make an impression on the student.  By using different strategies for the same idea, it increases the likelihood that all the students will understand and make connections to the information.
3. What are your goals with regard to this topic?    One of my goals is to pay attention and learn what strategies work for my students.  If I know which strategies are effective, I can start with those and then add in new strategies and see if they work.  I also hope to provide my students with opportunities for each of them to understand the information. I think by using UDL guidelines I will be able to successfully accomplish these goals.

Digital Citizenship

1. Why is it important to teach digital citizenship?  I think it is important because our students are creating content and publishing it online so early.  It is important for them to understand that what they put online now will be with them forever.  Teaching students to be good digital citizens is so important.  I think that kids don't make the connection that people they talk to on the internet are real people and that things they say or post can hurt people.  
2. How might you teach digital citizenship in an elementary classroom?  One of the first things I will teach my students is that people literally on the other side of the Earth can access what they post online.  I think that if they realize the scale of the internet, they will hopefully be more careful of what they post.  Common Sense Media is a good resource for individual lessons on digital literacy.  They say, "When you teach digital citizenship to your students, you help create a positive school culture that supports safe and responsible technology use."  My goal is to create a positive culture in my classroom.  I think the best way to do that is to show them all of the amazing tools they have at their fingertips and show them how to use those tools to their advantage.  The internet shouldn't be some scary space that we are afraid to let our kids in.  Providing them with the right information will help them become good digital citizens for the rest of their lives.

Standards and PLNs

Twitter: @eledrachelt

Symbaloo

The UEN website has so many useful resources.  The first feature I explored were all the lesson plans.  They are divided by grade and by subject and there are quite a few to choose from.  As a new teacher, I think these will be very helpful.

Another resource that I have found helpful are the educational links that you can find through the core standards. As a parent I have found some really good sites.  When I am a teacher those will be good to use in my classroom as well as recommend to the parents.

I really like that you can access Utah's Online Library through UEN.org.  That is a great place for students to find primary sources and I think it is a site students should get familiar with as early as possible.

Blog #1

Equity and UDL

1. What does the research say about this?
2. How can this be effectively integrated into your teaching?
3. How will this help your students?
4. What are your goals with regard to this topic?
5. How does this shape your vision for empowered learning for your students?

The National Center on Universal Design for Learning says that, "Individuals bring a huge variety of skills needs and interests to learning."  If we base our teaching on this statement it only makes sense that our time will not be divided equally among the students in our class.  In my classroom, I want to set the expectation from the beginning of the year that sometimes students might feel like my attention is not equally divided, and that's ok.  I hope to explain to my students that all of my students have strengths and weaknesses.  One student might be excellent in math and be able to help the classmates that are struggling.  That same student might need individualized help with reading.  I hope to create a classroom environment where my students feel comfortable asking for and receiving personal instruction.  

Universal Design can help personalize a student's education.  When a curriculum is designed for the average student, it leaves out huge portions of students on both ends of the spectrum.  "Universal Design helps address learner variability by suggesting flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments that empower educators to meet these varied needs."    We would never expect our students to have the same personalities and interests, so they should never expect us to teach them all the same way.  My goal as a teacher is to be able to recognize the learning needs of my students and present information in a fun, interesting way.  Hopefully making in impact that they can carry with them throughout the rest of their elementary school experience.

Initial Blog

Hi!  I'm Rachel Trane.  I am in the Elementary Education program at UVU. I am a returning student, having received an associate's degree from UVU in 2003.  I have a husband and three sons.  Some of my hobbies are: yard work, camping, being outside and keeping my sons alive.  Some days it's harder than others!  I also really like baseball and I like to exercise as a stress reliever.

My goals for this class are to increase my knowledge in technology, learn how to integrate technology into my own classroom and learn how to instill in  my students respect and excitement for using technology in school.  By the end of this semester I hope to be confident enough in my tech skills that I won't feel intimidated to show my students how to use the programs I want to utilize.