Constructivists

TEC 591 PLN

My PLN has been going for the past few years now. I follow my superintendent (@canyonsdave) and directors(@scotmccombs and @ddraper) on twitter. My superintendent is extremely tech savvy which is very nice.

My colleagues also use twitter as a means of communicating and collaborating with each other. I don't know where I'd be without it! We are all in different sites, but help each other through email and twitter.

My favorite professional sites to follow are google for educators, Classroom 2.0, Wesley Fryer's site (and also his twitter feeds @wfryer), Kevin Honeycutt (@kevinhoneycutt), and Jaime Casap (@jaimecasap) from Google.

I also have several contacts/colleagues that I communicate and collaborate with from Florida and Texas. I have worked with these individuals in the past, and we still collaborate on presentations. For example, this past spring, we collaborated via skype for a principals' conference. Vicki Allen, who resides in Dallas, is an education advocate for AT&T. She and I modeled effective use of Skype for conferences, trainings, and meetings.

I look forward to continuing to learn more from other professionals through twitter and also blogs.

AverPens PD class

Notes:
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C-Forum January 7 2011

-Jared
Mobile uen. Learned how to use i-SAFE with mobile device.

Did a group activity from eMedia (Be Kind Online) discussing manners on the internet as well as f2f. This was for k-3.

posted at my.uen.org/64513

-Google demo slam. Awesome. Lots of fun. I can't wait to try to use this!
-google translator--these girls ordered hindi food by using the translator. They got exactly what they ordered.
-Rick Gaysford
Superintendent grants $250K was awarded for innovation
talked about the Jordan and Canyons grants awarded. There were a lot of iPad proposals. The eBook that Jordan is doing is really good. 2/3 of the grant proposals were shopping lists. Not what they were looking for.
we need to work with the teachers to do better at their proposals. Look more narrow and just the focus for their groups, not the whole school, etc. Look at data. Make it so that it will be impactful in the achievement.
The Jordan model is going to move to all of the other districts in the state. They are hopeful that they will move all of these grants so that they are available to all to use.
http://tomorrow.org.
Speak up Survey. online project to enter project tomorrow.
secret word: su_utah
It's a technology survey. Similar to Darren's survey. This is for patrons (not just teachers but students and parents too)
It's for the state to share with the key players and decision makers.
-Inspiration
-Sublime software company is one of the companies that teaches how to use Inspiration and Kidspiration. Made a special offer to the state of Utah for 40% off and an additional 6 months free. eTeachables--how to use what you already have.
teaches how to use it in math, language arts, science, etc.
good for kindergarten to do a pattern, etc.
have the students record the pattern type, etc.
would be very good.
UtahFirst Lego League Championship
-kids from 9-14 yrs old
-new to Utah
-looking for organizers
-need more participation
-register in May
-

Module 8 Assignment - Tests -- the only objective form of assessment?

Hmmm...Well, I would say no, that objective assessments are not the "only form of assessments." While objective assessment questions indicate right or wrong answers, objective assessment only really reaches the recall perspective of Bloom's taxonomy. There is a definite need for objective assessments, but there is also a definite need for subjective assessments, as well as project-based assessments. If we want our students to learn to think, then we must provide more than just objective/multiple choice types of tests. We need to provide our students with opportunities to form evaluations and defend their perspectives.

Most state and national criterion referenced tests are objective, simply because we want to compare our students with other students in the nation and/or world. Therefore, there has to be one "right" answer.

Again, I do believe that objective assessments are important, but they are not the only type of assessment that should be used.

A Technology-Infused Classroom

I had the pleasure of working with kindergarteners, first graders, and fourth graders yesterday. We focused on learning how to use the AverPens, but incorporated a math lesson in the AverPen training lesson. The students first practiced using the pens to write their names. The teachers were learning right along with the students. This was a very funny experience for me to watch. It typically takes at least twice as long for the teachers to learn as the students. (That's because we weren't born into the digital age)

This lesson focus was subtraction. Here is a few photo of the students using the AverPens.

This new math program lends itself to a technology-rich environment, because the entire program is available online as well as printed text.

Module 4 TEC 538

Visual Learning in a Virtual Environment

Students are "plugged in" when they reach our classrooms. It is my desire that not one student has to "unplug" to be in my classroom. I would, rather, want to come into their worlds, collaborate with them, and learn from them. In a constructivist classroom, students should be the center, and the teacher should serve as the facilitator.

As for how the Internet can increase literacy, it lends itself to that, just by the mere fact that the Internet encompasses all forms of media. Visual learners' styles are addressed, just as auditory learners' styles are.

Students are comfortable using the Internet, therefore, we should embrace that and integrate it in the classroom, just as they do in their everyday lives.