This class has made me realize how my anachronistic teaching style needs to adapt to the times. Reflecting back, I admit that I teach like I was taught, and coached like I was coached. But today's students and players are different than those of days gone by, and need to be handled differently. What was good for the goose does not translate into something good for the gander. But now I feel that I am better equipped to make meaningful changes to my teaching style. The lesson revision assignment made me realize that I am probably the main reason that my students are not excited about literature. Just because I love reading doesn't excuse my throwing the books out there and expecting kids to share my passion. The strategies we have studied will hopefully help get kids excited about learning again, and make them more successful students.
The setting objectives strategy will be my starting point for revising my teaching style. I like the idea of making the KWHL chart available to students via Google Docs. I think that having students think about what they know, what they want to know, and how they plan to acquire the knowledge will not only reveal prior knowledge, but it will also give ownership of the learning process back to the students. They will have a say in how the obtain information, and reflecting on what they have learned can help develop better habits for future units. I also want to make sure that my objectives are clearly stated for students, and I will make them available electronically on either Moodle or Google Docs.
Providing feedback is arguably the most important strategy to incorporate into a classroom, yet one that is difficult to make meaningful. I think that by having students create blogs they will be able to communicate with each other on issues throughout the year and provide more valuable feedback than simply feedback from the teacher. Last year I started using Senteo software with the new smartboard in my classroom. I really like that feedback on quizzes is immediate, and that problems can be addressed when the information is fresh in the students' minds. The smartboard itself will also allow for immediate feedback while allowing students to be more participatory and engaged in classroom activities.
I have tried to do a good job with cooperative learning through the use of Google Docs. I love the fact that there is a revision history, so I know what kids have been doing, but it also allows for additional technology to be explored. Skype has been a nice compliment to Docs and allows even more freedom for students to work together. I am also thrilled that I learned about Webspiration. I think that Inspiration is an awesome tool, but cost and limitations concerning collaboration has made me reluctant to pursue this software. Wespiration has the same features as Inspiration, but is free and allows for collaboration. This will be a great addition to collaborative efforts in my classroom.
Nonlinguistic representation is probably going to be the biggest change this year in my classroom. Looking at the textbook for our next class, a presentation expert stated that slide shows should never have more than six words on a slide. After I regained consciousness, I realized that might be excellent advice for anyone who is presenting. We want our audiences to be engaged and not simply reading words on a slide. I think we also challenge ourselves to become better presenters, rather than simply reading what we have on a slide. I am very heavy in linguistic representation, but I now realize the importance of nonlinguistic representation for student engagement, and I will be utilizing this strategy significantly in my classroom.
I will also reinforce effort in the classroom by using an effort spreadsheet produced in Excel software. My participation grade was often a gift to all students regardless of effort, but now I will be able to look at data showing how student effort effects performance. My hope is that the hard workers will be motivated to work even harder, while my students lacking motivation can see that improved effort can produce improved grades.
I could go on and on, but this reflection makes me feel like a failure as a teacher. I think that the strategies I learned will make learning visible in my classroom again. I know that the technologies I have used helped student engagement, and I also know that being more knowledgeable concerning strategies to help student learning will make my job more rewarding.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
CEDO 525 Graphic Organizers
One of the first questions any new teacher is asked in an interview concerns the idea of organization. The teacher lies and says that organization is a strength and that he or she has a multitude of strategies in place to ensure organization in the classroom. Administrators probably see through the charade and know that the new hire will be a work in progress and ultimately need help with organization. But the new teacher can certainly develop organization in the classroom through the use of graphic organizers. There are many different organization tools available, and this assignment allowed me to examine a few of them.
The first tool that I examined is called Inspiration. Inspiration is a graphic organizer that costs $69.00 to download to a computer. The money is well spent on this product for it has an array of tools to help plan, research, and complete assignments. Users can choose from ready made templates, or start from scratch with an original design. There is a built in library to add clip art to enhance presentations. A Rapid fire key allows easy data entry, and text can be added to links, as well as notes added to key ideas. Audio and video can be added to the presentation, or a hyperlink can be added to link directly to the information. The coolest feature of Inspiration is that views are integrated. The user can shift from a graphic display to an outline display. Any changes made to either display will automatically update in the other display. For showing connections between ideas, and having a visually rich presentation, Inspiration provides a great option for graphically representing information.
Bubbl.us provides another solid option for graphic organizers. For what it lacks in aesthetics, bubbl.us compensates for by allowing users to collaborate on projects. Because bubbl.us is an online graphic organizer, users can share work with whomever they choose. Although bubbl.us allows collaboration, it does not provide the real time power of Google Docs. Colors can be enhanced to really highlight key points, and projects can be shared for collaboration, emailed, or embedded in blogs and websites. Bubble.us has a box at the bottom right corner of the screen that allows the user to better understand the function they are choosing. Bubbl.us is a powerful tool for graphic organizing, and because it is free and allows collaboration, it provides a viable alternative to Inspiration.
Education Oasis provided yet another option for graphic organizers. Fifty-eight organizers are available for download in the form of PDF files. Some of the organizers can be filled out and then printed, but the majority that I tried could only be printed. In one sense, these organizers are limiting because they are premade, and may not be exactly what a user is looking for. That being said, the user could easily upload the PDF file into Google Docs, make a copy, and then tailor the finished product to meet specific needs. There is a wide array of organizers available, and if nothing else, the user may get valuable ideas for his or her own organizer. This graphic organizer option is probably my least favorite, but again, can be a great starting point for building a really solid presentation.
I am very excited about a recent discovery. Of my three evaluations, I would definitely choose Inspiration software. The power of this tool is second to none, but the fact that it costs money, doesn't allow online collaboration, and can only be used on one computer per license gives the potential buyer pause. Probably aware of these limitations, the creators of Inspiration now have created Webspiration. Webspiration has all the functions that bubbl.us provides, but maintains the power and look of Inspiration. This online tool is also free, and I think would challenge any other online graphic organizer in existence. I will be using Webspiration in my classroom next year, but I will certainly keep the other options available as the need arises.
The first tool that I examined is called Inspiration. Inspiration is a graphic organizer that costs $69.00 to download to a computer. The money is well spent on this product for it has an array of tools to help plan, research, and complete assignments. Users can choose from ready made templates, or start from scratch with an original design. There is a built in library to add clip art to enhance presentations. A Rapid fire key allows easy data entry, and text can be added to links, as well as notes added to key ideas. Audio and video can be added to the presentation, or a hyperlink can be added to link directly to the information. The coolest feature of Inspiration is that views are integrated. The user can shift from a graphic display to an outline display. Any changes made to either display will automatically update in the other display. For showing connections between ideas, and having a visually rich presentation, Inspiration provides a great option for graphically representing information.
Bubbl.us provides another solid option for graphic organizers. For what it lacks in aesthetics, bubbl.us compensates for by allowing users to collaborate on projects. Because bubbl.us is an online graphic organizer, users can share work with whomever they choose. Although bubbl.us allows collaboration, it does not provide the real time power of Google Docs. Colors can be enhanced to really highlight key points, and projects can be shared for collaboration, emailed, or embedded in blogs and websites. Bubble.us has a box at the bottom right corner of the screen that allows the user to better understand the function they are choosing. Bubbl.us is a powerful tool for graphic organizing, and because it is free and allows collaboration, it provides a viable alternative to Inspiration.
Education Oasis provided yet another option for graphic organizers. Fifty-eight organizers are available for download in the form of PDF files. Some of the organizers can be filled out and then printed, but the majority that I tried could only be printed. In one sense, these organizers are limiting because they are premade, and may not be exactly what a user is looking for. That being said, the user could easily upload the PDF file into Google Docs, make a copy, and then tailor the finished product to meet specific needs. There is a wide array of organizers available, and if nothing else, the user may get valuable ideas for his or her own organizer. This graphic organizer option is probably my least favorite, but again, can be a great starting point for building a really solid presentation.
I am very excited about a recent discovery. Of my three evaluations, I would definitely choose Inspiration software. The power of this tool is second to none, but the fact that it costs money, doesn't allow online collaboration, and can only be used on one computer per license gives the potential buyer pause. Probably aware of these limitations, the creators of Inspiration now have created Webspiration. Webspiration has all the functions that bubbl.us provides, but maintains the power and look of Inspiration. This online tool is also free, and I think would challenge any other online graphic organizer in existence. I will be using Webspiration in my classroom next year, but I will certainly keep the other options available as the need arises.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
CEDO 525 Rubrics and Quizzes
We have spent considerable time in the first two weeks of class investigating the importance of being clear with students concerning objectives. Whereas I think I do a fair job instructing students what is expected of them on their assignments, I rarely give a rubric showing how they will be assessed. I am arguably a product of my environment in that I teach in much the same way I was taught. My teachers never gave rubrics with assignments although directions were made clear as to what they expected. But as times have changed, both with the types of students that sit in our classrooms and the quality of technologies available to teachers, it would be wise to reevaluate how my expectations for student work are delivered. To that end, I have examined both Rubistar and IRubric to see if either might be viable options for providing information to my students concerning how they are graded.
If time is short, Rubistar provides a great tool for easily creating rubrics. Templates are provided for a variety of assignments, and numerous categories within each assignment can be selected. Preloaded descriptions of each category aptly describe how the student is being evaluated. The user can customize existing descriptions in order to tailor evaluation to fit his or her needs. The finished rubric can be printed, downloaded, and even saved to an online database. The finished rubric looks professional and can be edited as the user's needs change. The downside of Rubistar is that there are only four scoring criteria for the rubrics. I have never used a point system in my classroom, and if I did, I would want five scoring criteria available. When teaching the 6+1 writing traits, a five point scale would parallel the scoring given with the trait descriptions. That being said, Rubistar provides a vehicle that provides easy to produce rubrics that can save precious time for a teacher while delivering clear objectives to the students.
IRubric has a site that appeals to the eye more than Rubistar. Rubric templates can be searched in a database or rubrics can be created from scratch. Once a rubric is created, that template can be used for other rubrics. Although IRubric doesn't have the auto fill device provided by Rubistar, it does offer the ability to create more categories for grading criteria. Another nice feature of IRubric is the ability to create a link or embed the rubric. I am making a concerted effort to reduce the amount of paper used in my classroom, and the link and embed features will help me achieve this goal. Rubrics are stored online and can be edited as the need requires. So although IRubric takes a little more time to create a rubric, I think that the features make this an excellent tool for assessment.
Although using rubrics in my classroom might be a new idea, giving quizzes is not. Frequent quizzes are delivered during the study of a piece of literature, and I always try to look for new ways for students to be assessed. I have tinkered with Senteo and Hot Potatoes with excellent results, but now Quia and Quizstar have been brought to my attention.
Quia is a neat tool in that it allows the teacher to utilize many tools besides simply creating quizzes. Although better suited for the grade school teacher, the activities section allows teachers to provide learning through different games. There is also a search mechanism that allows the teacher to find work that other teachers have created. Quia also has a survey creator and settings can be customized to achieve the desired purpose. The site offers a nice video tutorial illustrating the advantages of using the service. For quizzes, Quia is easy to use and provides an array of choices concerning question styles. All objective question will be automatically graded, and preferences for feedback can be set by the teacher. There is a nice timing feature that can be set to control how long a student has to complete the quiz. Once a quiz is created, a link is provided for students to retrieve and complete the quiz. The teacher can control how students register for the class, and results can be saved in classes that have been created by the teacher. Quia offers a 30 day trial for teachers, and a yearly subscription can be purchased for $49.
Quizstar is another tool for creating quizzes, but doesn't have the activity or survey features of Quia. Quizstar allows for quizzes to be shared with other teachers but only if permission is granted. Like Quia, QuizStar allows the teacher to control registration and whether or not the class is private or public. Objective questions will be graded automatically, and a variety of question styles can be created. Students will login to QuizStar to complete their quiz, and results are stored automatically in a grade book. The teacher can place time constraints on any quiz created, and results can be emailed to the teacher. Feedback can be immediate, received after completing a question, or set to be delivered at the end of the quiz. QuizStar also provides a free trial of 60 days, after which a yearly subscription can be purchased for $39. QuizStar parallels the features of Quia and would be another nice resource to have in the teaching arsenal.
I think that Rubistar and IRubric are two tools that I will tinker with during the next school year. The quiz generators are nice, but I am not interested in lightening my wallet when I have Senteo and Hot Potatoes for free at my fingertips. That being said, it is always wise to have as many options available for use when it comes to evaluating student work throughout the year.
If time is short, Rubistar provides a great tool for easily creating rubrics. Templates are provided for a variety of assignments, and numerous categories within each assignment can be selected. Preloaded descriptions of each category aptly describe how the student is being evaluated. The user can customize existing descriptions in order to tailor evaluation to fit his or her needs. The finished rubric can be printed, downloaded, and even saved to an online database. The finished rubric looks professional and can be edited as the user's needs change. The downside of Rubistar is that there are only four scoring criteria for the rubrics. I have never used a point system in my classroom, and if I did, I would want five scoring criteria available. When teaching the 6+1 writing traits, a five point scale would parallel the scoring given with the trait descriptions. That being said, Rubistar provides a vehicle that provides easy to produce rubrics that can save precious time for a teacher while delivering clear objectives to the students.
IRubric has a site that appeals to the eye more than Rubistar. Rubric templates can be searched in a database or rubrics can be created from scratch. Once a rubric is created, that template can be used for other rubrics. Although IRubric doesn't have the auto fill device provided by Rubistar, it does offer the ability to create more categories for grading criteria. Another nice feature of IRubric is the ability to create a link or embed the rubric. I am making a concerted effort to reduce the amount of paper used in my classroom, and the link and embed features will help me achieve this goal. Rubrics are stored online and can be edited as the need requires. So although IRubric takes a little more time to create a rubric, I think that the features make this an excellent tool for assessment.
Although using rubrics in my classroom might be a new idea, giving quizzes is not. Frequent quizzes are delivered during the study of a piece of literature, and I always try to look for new ways for students to be assessed. I have tinkered with Senteo and Hot Potatoes with excellent results, but now Quia and Quizstar have been brought to my attention.
Quia is a neat tool in that it allows the teacher to utilize many tools besides simply creating quizzes. Although better suited for the grade school teacher, the activities section allows teachers to provide learning through different games. There is also a search mechanism that allows the teacher to find work that other teachers have created. Quia also has a survey creator and settings can be customized to achieve the desired purpose. The site offers a nice video tutorial illustrating the advantages of using the service. For quizzes, Quia is easy to use and provides an array of choices concerning question styles. All objective question will be automatically graded, and preferences for feedback can be set by the teacher. There is a nice timing feature that can be set to control how long a student has to complete the quiz. Once a quiz is created, a link is provided for students to retrieve and complete the quiz. The teacher can control how students register for the class, and results can be saved in classes that have been created by the teacher. Quia offers a 30 day trial for teachers, and a yearly subscription can be purchased for $49.
Quizstar is another tool for creating quizzes, but doesn't have the activity or survey features of Quia. Quizstar allows for quizzes to be shared with other teachers but only if permission is granted. Like Quia, QuizStar allows the teacher to control registration and whether or not the class is private or public. Objective questions will be graded automatically, and a variety of question styles can be created. Students will login to QuizStar to complete their quiz, and results are stored automatically in a grade book. The teacher can place time constraints on any quiz created, and results can be emailed to the teacher. Feedback can be immediate, received after completing a question, or set to be delivered at the end of the quiz. QuizStar also provides a free trial of 60 days, after which a yearly subscription can be purchased for $39. QuizStar parallels the features of Quia and would be another nice resource to have in the teaching arsenal.
I think that Rubistar and IRubric are two tools that I will tinker with during the next school year. The quiz generators are nice, but I am not interested in lightening my wallet when I have Senteo and Hot Potatoes for free at my fingertips. That being said, it is always wise to have as many options available for use when it comes to evaluating student work throughout the year.
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