Final Reflection

When I began the unit on Opinion Writing I used several ideas from our district unit plan. The skills are listed so teachers have the option to add their own creativity and ideas to the unit. I use several technology tools in the classroom already, but upon reading the components of customized learning I was able to focus more on specific areas in the unit to add more creativity for the students. Students need to have choice in their learning and I was able to incorporate ways for students to take a more active role in their work.

Using technology in this unit will allow the students to use their voice and choice. They have the option to choose their topic and find a creative way to present their opinion using different forms of media. Students will be able to create a product in their own learning style.

When students have an active part in their learning, they are more engaged. When students are allowed to choose their learning style they are take an active part in their learning. I feel that I am more focused in this unit and I am excited to implement it this year. 

Day 5 Homework Assignment

Cultivating Creativity in the Classroom:

I believe creativity should be integrated into the classroom. In the elementary classroom, students need to be able to express themselves in different modalities.

1.     V- Student Voice/Choice: Students should have the opportunity to choose different topics of choice in their reading and writing which will allow them to have some control in their learning. Allowing students to show their learning in creative ways also allows student to make decisions that will help them in retention of the knowledge.

2.     L- Lower Order Thinking Skills:  Students need basic knowledge of content but it can be taught in creative ways and students can demonstrate the knowledge in a creative way. When students are allowed to teach others, the knowledge becomes internalized.

3.     H- Higher Order Thinking Skills: When students use higher order thinking skills they are synthesizing the information and analyzing what they have learned. Students can be creative in how they express their thinking.

4.     F- Formative Assessments: When teachers are assessing throughout the learning process, student are reflecting and internalizing their learning. Students can collaborate with others to help them express their learning.

5.     M- Multiple Pathways to Learning: This is where students are able to show their personal creativity through their learning style. When students are able to demonstrate their learning in their way, students are showing their proficiency in the subject.

Creativity needs to be in the classroom to allow students to learn to their best ability.

Day 4 Homework Assignment

Collaboration In the Classroom: It is very easy for younger students to collaborate. Elementary students are social and not afraid to ask each other for help. We have used several tools to help with collaboration. Students share their writing on their Google Drive account with each other to create collaborative writing pieces. I haven’t had any difficulty with collaborating within the classroom. We do several group projects and presentations using Google, SMART Notebook and Screen-casting Apps. Problems seem to arise when I try to collaborate with classes outside our district. We try and it often falls apart and disappoints the students. Collaboration seems better when we collaborate within our district and even our building. My class has tried several projects within the third grade classes in our hallway. We have worked on collaborative writing projects with another class and QR projects with another third grade classes. Maybe at the younger grades it is important to learn how to collaborate with their own peers so that they will be able to collaborate with the outside world when they are older.

Day 3 Homework Assignment

Research & Information Literacy Skills

We do several research projects in third grade and it is always difficulty to teach students the implications of plagiarism. I use the book, When Marion Copied by Brook Berg. In this story a little hedgehog named Marion learns that when you copy information directly from the Internet it is called plagiarism. Students are introduced on how to cite their work and summarize what they read in their own words. I believe that third grade is a great age to introduce the importance of citing research and to learn how to summarize material. I realize that their citations aren’t always going to be perfect, but I do want them to know that it is important to tell where they found the information. My students learn how to copy where they find information on Internet and place it on their presentations. It may not always look pretty, but they know it is important to show where they found the information.

I want to use the idea of the spreadsheet on Google Drive for my students to keep track of the information they find, copy the material and put it in their own words. At the beginning of the year I will set up a template for the students with the citation and information. Together they will work together to summarize the passage in their own words. After practicing together, I believe that they will be able to use this strategy when they do their end of the year research project on a biography. 

Day 2 Homework Assignment

1. Critical Thinking Using The Five Teacher-Controlled Key Components of Customized Learning

When students are able to use their voice and choice in their learning, they are able to become actively involved in the process of analyzing and evaluating the information to make it relevant to their learning. In order for students to think critically using both lower and higher thinking skills, students must first understand and internalize the knowledge in order to synthesize the information. Using both lower and higher thinking skills allows students to scaffold their learning. When teachers use formative assessment with students, teachers are encouraging students to self evaluate the information and think critically to analyze the information in order to make better decisions and reflect on their learning. Allowing students to choose their pathway to learning will help students design their own learning style and promote critical thinking.

2. Critical Thinking Using Websites

I would use these websites as an introduction for students to understand how to think critically when finding information on the Internet. Young students have a tendency to use a Google search and use the first information they find. This is a wonderful opportunity to explain the differences in website domains using .com and .org. You could have students use the Explorer website and find actual true information about the explorer and then compare with the inaccurate information found on the site.

Day 1 Homework Assignment

3 -Take Aways:

In the article “iPads: From Pedagogical Crutch to Education Innovation” I thought about the many people that think classrooms are using iPads only for games or passive learning. Many teachers are using iPads for student assessment and creative projects. I felt the article shared creative ways to use the iPads for innovate ideas to demonstrate student learning.

It is difficult to develop Essential Questions that are higher level thinking skills for students. The article “Writing Essential Questions” helped me think of ways to avoid the simple question and to focus the learning.

It was very helpful to collaborate with another elementary teacher to discuss our unit project. Together we were able to think of ways to incorporate technology into our unit and also work together. We are planning to have my third grade students blog with a first grade class to help them understand the components of opinion writing. This will also help my third grade students have a deeper understanding of opinion writing by teaching it to others.

2 - NETS

#4 Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility (Teachers) #5 Digital Citizenship (Students)

This year I used Common Sense Media units on The Digital Footprint to help my students understand the importance of Digital Citizenship and Responsibility. It is important that teachers model the correct uses and students understand the impact and responsibility they have when using technology.

1 – Unit Revision

I am still contemplating what actual technology tools I will use to assess my students ability to write an opinion piece.

5 Instructional Shifts to Promote Deep Learning

"5 Instructional Shifts to Promote Deep Learning" by Susan Oxnevad

Many of these instructional shifts are already taking place in an early elementary classroom. Informal assessment and individual teaching is done on a regular basis in language arts and math instruction. I feel I need to improve my delivery of the essential question. Many times teachers know what we want the student to know, but have a difficulty time helping students uncover their own knowledge and learning. This year I want to have essential questions for the students that will help them learn on a deeper level.