Cathe's Tech Blog

Dynamic Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed Instructional Systems

2009-11-15T08:49:00.000-08:00

Dynamic Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed Instructional Systems

Authors: Brent Wilson and Martin Ryder

The article chosen for this week was very interesting, not only because of the subject matter, but because it discussed about the positive and the negative aspects of Dynamic Learning Communities (DLCs). Many of the articles we read are told from one point of view. By the article relating both positive and negative aspects of DLCs, it generated more questions. What happens when groups of people gather together to provide mutual support for learning and performance? How would that work? At what age level would this type of learning be flourishing? Would it be lucrative is elementary, middle, or junior high? Are the students ready for such a learning style? Does DLCs only work in higher education or in professional circles? While reading the article “Dynamic Learning Communities: An Alternative to Designed instructional Systems” I kept going back and forth on how I would see this working in my classroom and also how it would work not only in team teaching but in departmental teaming.

In the classroom: At what level would Dynamic Learning Communities (DCLs) be successful and how would it be used in the classroom? According to the study, the learning community would distribute the learning tasks, exhibit commitment to the creation and allocation of new knowledge; adapt and navigate learning activities; involve self-directed team members; elevated stages of conversation, interaction, and collaboration; and a shared goal, problem, or project that brings a universal focus and reason to work collectively. Could you envision your middle school students engaging in this type of learning? What happens when the DLC ‘s has a kink in it? Many times we distribute the students to work in cooperative learning groups. Depending on the dynamics of the groups, the groups will all work collectively or the group will have the usual hitchhikers or slackers. Many years ago when I taught 6^th grade I was having constant complaints from students who wanted to work and learn in group instruction. Project after project the students complained of the hitchhikers and slackers in their group. In the next project, I decided which students would work in a group and I placed all of the slackers into one group. It was sink or swim. At first the groups was so dysfunctional I thought they would never complete the task at hand. Eventually they worked out their problems and their project was one of the better projects. We took the time as a class to discuss the group dynamics and what was learned from group work. I believe the learning experience of the group in question far outweighed the educational value of the project.

In the workplace: I believe the longer the group or team works together, the more productive and dynamic the outcome will be. Being in the role of the team leader, when an idea or task is brought to the team, we all discuss what is needed and how we are going to accomplish our goal. There is a trust issue that the article did not address. We all come to the table with our prior knowledge of the situation and formulate a plan. We as adults welcome the diversity of the team and the multiple viewpoints of the task at hand. I feel that the team members, as adult learners, are responsible and skilled at diagnosing and addressing our learning needs. However, just as in the school setting of the classroom, some adult teams still have the hitchhikers and the slackers. When this occurs, I do feel the team leader does need to step in and direct the team toward a successful conclusion.

Globally: Teachers and students benefit from sharing expertise and interacting with communities on the internet discussion groups. Teachers partaking in Web2.0 classroom discussions, web chats and professional forums can benefit from teachers all over the world. Teachers are able to engage in discussions concerning any topic in education. Through these discussions teachers can benefit from participating by learning from experts, engage in professional development that might not be offered in their school or community.

Media and Attention, Cognition, and School Achievement

2009-11-11T18:54:00.000-08:00

Media and Attention, Cognition, and School Achievement
Author(s): Marie Evans Schmidt and Elizabeth A. Vandewater

Same Old, Same Old. How many times have you heard in the teacher’s lounge conversations about students’ shortened attention span and how the curriculum is dummied down because the students cannot retain information. Some teachers blame TV, video games, computers, iPods, cell phones, or the internet. Other teachers blame what was in the water that year. Whatever the reason, I was looking forward to reading this article and learning answers as to how media, attention, cognition and school achievement interrelates.

Every study that was discussed the findings were too close to call or inconclusive. For every study that proves media enhances learning there is a study that contradicts it. I agree with the authors that video games, interactive websites, and multimedia software programs benefits learning. They are new avenues and strategies to engage the digital native.

Before reading the article I had the preconceived notion that the reason for lack of interest, understanding, and achievement in the classroom was because the students are on digital overload. In my social studies curriculum we watch mini historical clips from United Streaming. Though the clips are filmed using primary source, I find them dry and uninteresting. After reading this article, I showed a short film from United Streaming discussing the Homestead Act in the late 1800’s. Looking around the room, I saw my students’ attention begin to wander and many of them weren’t watching the film any more. The next day I showed a different film with the same content but it was presented in an entirely different fashion. It was fast moving and in color. The film paralleled a reality survivor show. The student’s eyes were glued to the screen for 30 minutes. When I stopped the film we discussed the elements and differences between the two films. The zoom in technique, Salomon discussed in the article with regard to electronic media, attention and visual spatial skills did lead the students to internalize the material and allowed them to remember details that they couldn’t recall from the previously viewed film. After the first viewing the students couldn’t discuss what they had learned at all. However after the second film the students couldn’t wait to discuss what they had seen.

I was surprised with the review of research from the Institute of Education Sciences What Works Clearing House. They found that using interactive technology advances learning no more than traditional teaching techniques. What does matter is the ways the teachers choose to use, present and teach with technology. They discussed that the student’s use is only as good as the instruction they receive in how to use it. I thought about the technological advances and professional development we receive as teachers. It this research is true, why teachers aren’t receiving training on the integration of technology into the curriculum. Perhaps administrators need to rethink their school improvement days and incorporate training for teachers on the use of technology.

Using Universal Design to Unlock the Potential for Academic Achievement of At-Risk Learners

2009-11-04T18:04:00.000-08:00

Using Universal Design to Unlock the Potential for Academic Achievement of At-Risk Learners
Authors: Cynthia Acrey, Christopher Johnstone, Carolyn Milligan

Finally! The article had me at “Hello.” This is the first article that I wished was longer than it was. After reading it, I found myself wanting more. It was written by teachers for teachers; an article that would help me and others in the classroom.

This is our second article in class that discussed using Universal Design Learning (UDL) in an educational setting. Both articles gave insight on the origins and central beliefs of UDL. However, this article discussed Universal Design of Assessments (UDA). Teachers are constantly assessing students daily in various ways. After reading the article I thought about the different ways I could alter my own assessments to follow UDA. The study guide example that was shown in the article was interesting and look like study guides I have in my classroom. I would have liked to see how the study guide was set up before the UDA so I could have compared the before to the after.

I found the table Elements of Universal Design (UD) to be most helpful. By following these guidelines a teacher or student could easily make their own study guides for assessments. One element of UD that struck me was the statement “design all classroom materials with the end user (diverse student population) in mind.” When making assessments, teachers often create tests that are for majority student population (average student) and then modify or enhance the test for the diverse learner (at-risk or gifted). I always think about if the test too easy for one population and too hard for the other students in the class.

The author discusses the three step process their study used at their school: teachers understanding the philosophy of UD, teachers generating study guides, and the evaluation of the study guides to determine if they worked or not. The teachers at Gallup Middle School were very lucky their teachers bought into the UDA philosophy. I personally would like to see my school explore UDA and UDL’s philosophy. It could easily be worked on during one of our school improvement days.

The chart “How to Use Graphic Design Principles to Make Study Guides More Comprehensible and Legible” is certainly one I will pass along to my team at school. Even though we already use many of the design principles, it validates what we are already doing, and the chart is a good reminder of how we can make better study guides for all students.

Learning Anytime, Anywhere: Advanced Distributed Learning and the Changing Face of Education

2009-10-25T18:15:00.001-07:00

Learning Anytime, Anywhere: Advanced Distributed Learning and the Changing Face of Education
by J. D. Fletcher, Sigmund Tobias and Robert A. Wisher

Another article that offers excellent opportunities for personal and professional reflections was reviewed this week. The implications of the research identified in the article are encased in the current movement to transition our classroom instructional strategies to a 21^st century context. The constructivist approach to instruction surfaces again with this article. Educational research is diving into what the government and industry repositories that have been used to educate and train their workforce. Again research is asking educators to critically analyze the research, its implications for instruction and most importantly, its implications for the student we are preparing for future. Critically thinking teachers who believe in their personal effectiveness are better able to create critical thinking students who can be 21^st century problem solvers.

Envision a child receiving an education that promotes learning anytime and anywhere and be diverse, tailored, to meet their individual needs. The harmony between home, school, and the rapidly changing work place would provide each and every student with the tools to tackle the challenges that are now in place due to physical or economic reasons, become successful and productive members of an ever changing society. The authors as researchers have confronted the specifications of technology integration, the issues facing education and educational research, the need for technology to be shared. They also wrestled with the affordability and cost effectiveness of their viewpoints. Fletcher, Tobias and Wisher addressed the value between distance learning and distributed learning. They visualized the disadvantages and advantages of online learning. One of the disadvantages of on-line learning addressed was the quality of the instructional process. Whereas Sitzmann, Kraiger, Stewart, and Wisher argue that Web-based instruction is more effective than classroom instruction. There are many kinks for the ADL theorists need to address and concentrate on: one being the physical presence of the instructor monitoring the learning that is taking place. Baggaley, Spencer and McCabe validate my concerns. Viewing my students in the classroom, especially the academically challenged, I experience poor work ethics, rampant plagiarism, and deceitful behavior. Granted they are not using the suggested hand-held devices or have had the advantage of the Wisc-Online program, but they are given all the opportunities and resources in our school to be successful, yet they choose the easy way out.

As usual theorists love to dream and in a perfect world ADL would be the panacea, universal remedy, for all. The traditional classroom, distance and distributive should and could complement one another. Teachable moments in the classroom could be continued to the distributive and distance learning. Engaging, or sparking an interest in classroom environment would let the student continue to learn anywhere and anytime once leaving the traditional setting. Whether the topic be granular or massive edification, teachers evolving role from directed instruction to the constructivist’s role of the facilitator in project based instruction is ever changing. A curriculum based on ADL is a vision of utopia in the educational schema, but let’s be realistic. Academia dreamers keep dreaming, I invite you to work in the real world of education and see how your bubbles will burst.

Politics of Curriculum

2009-10-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

Politics of Curriculum: Origins, Controversies, and Significance of Critical Perspectives
Authors: William F. Pinar and C.A. Bowers

This article offers excellent opportunities for personal and professional reflections. The implications of the research identified in the article are encased in the current movement to transition our classroom instructional strategies to a 21^st century context.

The constructivist approach to instruction answers the “critical perspective” of asking educators, as consumers of educational research, to critically analyze the research, its implications for instruction and most importantly, its implications for the student we are preparing for the 21^st century. Critically thinking teachers who believe in their personal efficacy are better able to create critical thinking students who can be 21^st century problem solvers. We need to create students who possess the skills to anticipate problems, analyze multiple solutions and apply their understandings in circumstances such as those generated in the ecological crisis.

The parallel hierarchy of schools and society support the need to create classroom environments which provide the learning student with more opportunities to control their own destiny. The statement “Alienated labor is reflected in the student’s lack of control over his or her education…” is evidenced each day in most classrooms. However, we need to question why the status quo is protected and why many of our educators take harbor in mediocrity. The identified textbook issue is one manifestation of this issue.

The author challenges the current educational system which functions to “…privilege certain sets and orders of knowledge over others.” As a profession, we extend the “Matthew Effect” sustaining instructional programs which reserve the more complex, thought provoking and challenging content for the most capable students and, as a result, expand the achievement gap for the students not evidencing the same level of academic success. Is the achievement level of our students a product of their learning or a product of our teaching?

The author discriminates between the official curriculum and the hidden curriculum. He even addresses the issue that those who challenge the status quo, through oppositional behavior, are referenced in psychological terms such as “disruptive” or “deviate.” How can we be a profession that promotes reflection, change, and best practice if the only students (and teachers) we define as successful are those who function successfully within the current system? By design, we protect the status quo, discouraging critical thinking by our students and our teachers. We have created a professional environment which respects mediocrity and challenges ingenuity. What would be the result if diary mapping, a strategy providing teachers with a systematic opportunity for identifying the divide between the written curriculum and the hidden curriculum, became the basis for professional reflection for change efforts?

There is a political piece of the curriculum puzzle, but classroom teachers can control their own acceptance of its influence. Changes at the classroom level, which embrace 21st century skills and are based in reflective practice hold the most promise for making necessary changes in our profession. We can prepare for the future, one student at a time.

Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Two Sides of the Same Coin

2009-10-14T17:49:00.001-07:00

Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning: Two Sides of the Same Coin
by David Rose, Ted S. Hasselbring, Skip Stahl and Joy Zabala

Assistive Technology (AT), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), differentiating instruction, accommodations, Individual Educational Plans (IEP) and Response to Intervention (RTI) are all ways educators make the curriculum fit the needs of students. Tailoring the curriculum to meet the needs of diverse students is not an easy task. We as educators have a responsibility to create and administer different learning strategies that will engage and encourage students to become lifelong learners. Determining what intervention is needed for diverse learners is certainly a challenge that every teacher faces daily. In some subject areas we try to have the student adapt to the curriculum rather than have the curriculum fit the student. How many teaching colleagues do you know that have a cookie cutter curriculum?

The Education of All Handicapped Children Act passed in 1975 to the most recent Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act 2004 changed the world for diverse learners. The more advances in technology the less barriers students will have. AV and UDL can work hand in hand and should. After reading the article I thought about the 170 students I see every day and how diverse they really are. Physical disabilities and learning differences occur in all of my classes. Assistive technology used in our school only address the needs of students with IEP or 504 plans. Students without the proper documentation, testing, and the red tape that parents and teachers have to wade through, I’m sorry to say, those students are out of luck. UDL plans would alleviate all the disservices being done to the students who could benefit from the AT.

Our district is currently building a new elementary building. I wonder how much planning was given to building a school using a UDL. Will the planning committee only think of the AT accommodations that will be needed or will it have a UDL. Will the new building be equipped with digital texts, voice recognition software, digital online tutorials, or audio and visual enhancements in the classrooms? Our school implemented RTI for each and every student. It seems with this implementation our district is moving in the right direction to a UDL.

As a side note check out this website for UDL with AT Software and Reviews:

http://homepage.mac.com/seilts/udl_at/software.html

You might find them interesting.

Designing Educative Curriculum Materials to Promote Teacher Learning

2009-10-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Designing Educative Curriculum Materials to Promote Teacher Learning
by Elizabeth A. Davis and Joseph S. Krajcik

How many times have you attended a workshop or a school improvement day and walked away feeling it was a waste of time and what did the training have to do with what you teach? On the other hand, the workshop was engaging with all the bells and whistles that you would like to try but you won’t be able to implement them into your curriculum because you don’t have the resources or tools to try it. Who writes and decides the curriculum for a school district? How could a curriculum that has been taught for the last 20 years be of any value to teachers and students in today’s world. These we just a few of the questions I began asking myself after reading this article.

When I began teaching in my district I was given the textbook and was told here you go. We didn’t have a curriculum; the textbook was the curriculum. Any supplemental materials were added at your own expense. Today, it’s somewhat better but not much. The state mandates our curriculum and the district asks if you are following their mandates, everyone says yes and all is right with the world.

I concur with the article that educative curriculum materials need to be concrete. These materials need to help teachers adapt curriculum to the multi-needs of the classroom. By improving curriculum materials, teachers have a deeper understanding and the power to affect what is taught and how it will be taught. Curriculum materials can provide teachers with new opportunities to increase their expertise based on research. Have you ever attended a workshop and the main presenter is very knowledgeable, but has no idea on how to explain or teach it in a way their students will understand or become engaged? When planning a curriculum in a particular subject area, the teacher needs to be aware of who their audience is and how to modify the lessons accordingly. What are their main objectives and goals? How will the subject matter be assessed? What questions and activities can enhance and promote higher learning? When planning a curriculum administrators should first promote teacher learning.

CURRICULUM AND SOCIETY: RETHINKING THE LINK

2009-09-30T17:33:00.000-07:00

CURRICULUM AND SOCIETY: RETHINKING THE LINK by Alicia de Alba

The article discussed the need to rethink the link between curriculum and society. What crisis in society constitutes a change in curriculum? The author discusses the significance of social traits and contours providing a “contextual space for the constitution of specific social and curricular subjects.” While I was reading this article one word came to mind “Dewey.” How could we forget Dewey? Dewey was the leader in progressive education beliefs. He wrote about how “education is the fundamental method of social progress and reform.” He believed we needed to prepare students to live in our society. The progressives saw schools as avenues to help students contribute to society.

I began to think about how education has changed because of changes taking place in our society since I began school over a half of a century ago. (Boy does that make me sound and feel ancient). Subjects taught in the 50’s in high school: home economics, sewing, cooking, and secretarial skills for girls; auto body shop, the trades, vocational training for boys . During the 50’s the majority of girls became wives, mothers and homemakers after graduating high school; boys became husbands, fathers and blue collar workers upon graduation. Society dictated the curriculum of schools by educating students to become active members of society. Tracking students based on their intelligence (college track or non-college) began in the 50’s and continued into the early 60’s where curriculum reform took place again. The 1960’s took on societies liberal beliefs. Schools had open classrooms, new math and volunteering for credit and learn what you want. Real world curriculum integration mirrored society. In the 80’s with a “Nation At Risk” being published, educators saw students fall behind other nations in education. Reform takes place again in education and returns to the basics: reading and math. In the 90’s Technology made the world much smaller, family dynamics are ever changing; schools are culturally integrated rather than segregated. Curriculum in school cannot keep up with our fast changing society.

With the push of technology in our curriculum at our school, I see curriculum outdated before it is even put into use. To use the idiom: “A day late and a dollar short” is how I view the curriculum in our school. The focus is still on math and reading because of the influence of the state testing. An interesting yet insignificant conversation in our team meeting took place the other day: Why teach students cursive? Technology dictates texting and typing. Cursive is a dying art. The only cursive a student will need is to know how to sign their name. Why is that still in the curriculum when in is not needed in today’s society? A very simple example of curriculum changing because of the needs in society.

Curriculum Integration

2009-09-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Curriculum Integration
Author: J.A. Gibbons

Reflection of the Article: I don’t know what they do in Australia, but I think I have an idea on how we do things in the United States. We speak plain English. I’m not a rocket scientist, but when you have to read and re-read the same paragraph several times to make any meaning of it, it is time to walk away from the article and revisit it at another time. This is exactly what I did. I would return to the article and highlight some more each day. Finally, I waded my way through the plethora of jargon. After reading the article I came away with more questions: I began to think about thinking. The first line of the article “to integrate…is to unify parts so that the result is more that the sum of these parts” really hit home. By integrating curricular subjects you will end up with more than what you started with in one subject.

When I taught 6th grade, many years ago, I had a self contained classroom and taught all of the subjects. I remember the first time the students actually incorporated what they had learned in an English writing class in a Social Studies assignment. Was I teaching curriculum integration and didn’t know it? The educational buzz word at the time was “Whole Language Instruction.”

Gibbons discussed the connection between curriculum integration and curriculum reform. I began incorporating Social Studies lessons with my Language Arts lessons. We read novels that enhanced what we were reading about in Social Studies. The students test scores went up in both areas. Was I teaching Social Studies or Language Arts? Which one of the subjects was being modified in some way? Which of the subjects was the enquiry set? Which one of the subjects was my main objective? What outcome was I looking for? Based on our class definition of integration, I felt that Social Studies and Language Arts were seamless. Each of the subjects enhanced my teaching and my students learning. According to Beane, (2001) “Curriculum Integration is a teaching approach that enables students and teachers to identify and research problems and issues without regard for subject-area boundaries.” Imagine teaching thematically.

Can all subjects in a curriculum be integrated? The examples in Gibbons article were physics with mathematics and history paired with sociology. Which of the subjects did the instructor integrate? Which one was the primary subject? What was the ultimate outcome the instructor was looking for? Did the math enhance the physics or was it the other way around. These examples put me on the path to begin to think about curriculum integration in my own classroom. Since I now teach one subject are there ways I could change my curriculum to make it more multidimensional?

Introduction

2009-09-17T16:29:00.000-07:00

Hey,

I work for Homer Community School District 33C which is in Homer Glen, Illinois. I currently work in our Junior High (7th and 8th grade) building which houses approximately 800 students.

Working for our school district since 1990 has given me the opportunity to teach all subjects in 6th, 5th and 4th grades; Kindergarten through 3rd Computers/Technology; 5th and 6th grade Art classes. I’ve finally found a home in 8th grade Social Studies which I’ve taught for the past 4 years.

At the junior high, my 8th grade Social Studies class ranges in size from 30 to 32 students. I currently teach 6 classes a day plus one advisory class. The other teachers on my team say I have a laid back teaching style. I don’t believe in lectures of more that 10 minutes. I try to include different learning styles and reading strategies to meet the diverse needs of my students in all of my lessons. My goal for my students is for them to be able to learn ways to achieve and become successful. The content of what I am teaching is secondary. I have very high expectations for my students. I truly believe your attitude reflects your altitude in life.

Our district brought Apple Computers into our district in the early 1990's. After several years the district moved to PC's. The district evolved from a one computer classroom to tech labs and finally to mobile tech labs on carts that are moved throughout the building. Email, Shareware, Networks and online grading systems are currently in use.

I use my laptop for attendance and grades, emailing and research. I also have the TV/DVD/VHS, housed in my classroom for our team. My most prized possessions in my room are a projector and my laptop tablet. I can go anywhere in the world and show it to my students without leaving our school. Without my projector and my laptop I would be lost. I use these technologies for the majority of my presentations. We visit United Streaming at least three times a week to give a visual of what we are studying about in history. Seeing the filmstrip or on the big screen can really set the tone in class. I use this to demonstrate how-to projects such as web quests and scavenger hunts about material we’ve studied. Students also use this technology for their presentations in class. I think students learn more from searching for material rather than me telling. Learning by doing and problem solving is important in my classroom. Technology is their future.

Technology Integration is seamlessly incorporating multimedia and other innovative tools to enhance the teaching and learning of subject matter. Does my teaching follow the definition of technology integration we discussed in class? Multimedia in my classroom is being used constantly. It is not something special to the students because it is becoming common place and interwoven in my lessons. It is part of their daily learning environment. Could I use technology more? The answer would be yes. In my perfect classroom I would have computers up and ready at our finger tips.