My Link To My Final For EDU 520 EDU520 FINAL due Dec.14
My thoughts as an Educator
Student engagement is what exists behind the curtain of learning; it’s what is then demonstrated by the learner when they are motivated to express their thoughts, feelings and opinions of the topic that has been ingested. Engagement of the student can last a lifetime if they sustain the continuance to learn and expand their education. Without student engagement, learning is not attained. More importantly, without adequate tools such as technology formed learning activities, a well-built syllabus, student centered readings and scholarly journals/articles for students to engage and participate with, how, then, can students become educationally involved and participate actively in discussions? As a middle school student, it is vital for educators to have students engaged in the subject matter, because without student engagement, very little is learned or comprehended. Students that are not engaged are simply not motivated. The following paper demonstrates the notion that when learning is interesting to students, they can perform and create logistical ways to solve the information and become productive. Educators need to be aware that no student is alike, and to render the necessary tools to get students awake, alert and informed about what they are learning. Different types of teaching methods will meet the different needs of each student. Rendering ideas such as the use of technology and virtual based programs are helping educators to better prepare for the educational future ahead of us.
Today’s educators provide the necessary knowledge that is needed for learners to successfully demonstrate creative thinking. Without creative thinking and proper motivation, learners are lost in the abyss of boring lectures and traditional style classroom settings. It is hard to establish creativity in learners of all ages; however, if we encourage conformity, such as implementing the use of technology as a learning tool, we are becoming creative in changing the ways that students learn, feel and think. Educators need to learn how to motivate through the ideas of creativity, keeping the minds of young learners alive and awake. Technology is an important aspect of education because it provides educators the opportunity to break any disengagement in students with a subject struggle. The learning activity, called Read Naturally, will help students to successfully develop educational outcomes in a virtual classroom, a non-formal way of online learning. Through various forms, technology will help to motivate the creativity of the organization because it is constantly changing and motivating learners’ minds while they are gaining an education. The learning objectives within the Read Naturally program are to allow the practice of technology to introduce the motivational ways that virtual programs altogether, can help improve the learning skills and fluency levels of students.
MY Learning Activity Proposal: who, what, when, where, how and why.
The learning activity proposed in this paper involves a virtual program called Read Naturally. Read Naturally is a virtually online, technology based program which involves the implementation of reading based topics and stories of similar subject matter. Students from middle school to adult learners can participate in this virtual program. For Adult learners, there are reading level topics as well as college ready materials that are easily accessible, so these learners can receive the intervention that is necessary. However, throughout this paper, the main focus remains on middle school learners and their adaptation to the Read Naturally virtual classroom. With the use of this program, middle school students can virtually chose stories that are aligned to their immediate needs; to build upon what the student already knows while strengthening their comprehension and fluency skills. The learning outcomes of the program in this paper are to identify the students’ strengths and weaknesses with Reading topics, as well as strengthen the fluency levels of readers. Students who are in the virtual program are most likely at basic reading levels; with the help of technology this program can train students how to properly learn the phonics and foundations of reading. The main goal of the program is to provide an equal balance of a virtual intervention program with integrated assignments that help build the fluency levels in each reader. Together, educators can learn to implement the use of technology and learn that virtual programs can help to enhance the learning experience of today’s learners.
How Read Naturally Will Take Place: Assessment
“Assessment is a huge topic that encompasses everything from statewide accountability tests to district benchmark or interim tests to everyday classroom tests. In order to grapple with what seems to be an overuse of testing, educators should frame their views of testing as assessment and that assessment is information. The more information we have about students, the clearer the picture we have about achievement or where gaps may occur” (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2012. P.2).Students in the Read Naturally program are tested into the program based on a number of factors; how low they scored on their CMT’s, and how low their fluency levels are scored based on their RCBM’s, or, Reading Comprehension Based Measurements. Upon this score assessment, each student is assigned a Username and Password in order to participate in this virtual program, and then placed into a learning tier based on these scores. By using this significant data, instructors are defining the measurement and observation by the student, within the Read Naturally program. This data particularly focuses on the content that the student is able to accomplish, and, by using this data instructors can provide sufficient attention to the skills that are lacking by the student, by providing them with proper content strands in reading. This is helpful because proper assessment begins with knowing your students; without knowing your students, how would an educator implement personal development skills within the completion of standards/disciplines within the students’ program? “Schools often identify a set of goals which more specifically, yet still broadly, define expectations for students. The goals also communicate the school’s or district’s focus for its educational plan. Goals are typically subdivided further to identify standards. Whereas goals are often written broadly enough to cross grade levels and content areas, standards, particularly those that are content-based, tend to be specific to one or a few grade levels and one content area, and may be written at the level of a unit in curricular planning” (Mueller, 2012).
Another way to assess the students in Read Naturally would be through Formative assessment. “Formative Assessment is part of the instructional process. When incorporated into classroom practice, it provides the information needed to adjust teaching and learning while they are happening. In this sense, formative assessment informs both teachers and students about student understanding at a point when timely adjustments can be made. These adjustments help to ensure students achieve targeted standards based learning goals within a set time frame. ..formative assessment strategies appear in a variety of formats… One distinction is to think of formative assessment as “practice.” (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2012, p.3). In other words, teachers cannot hold students solely in charge of any concept they are just introduced to. Therefore, teaching will not be in “grade book style” but rather, learning becomes a more communicative approach to the students’ learning process which then allows room for growth, and new learning strategies along the way. “Formative assessment helps teachers determine next steps during the learning process as the instruction approaches the summative assessment of student learning” (Garrison & Ehringhaus, 2012, p.3)
Reflection On Learning:
Shulman states that “Learning begins with student engagement, which in turn leads to knowledge and understanding. Once someone understands, he or she becomes capable of performance or action. Critical reflection on one’s practice and understanding leads to higher-order thinking in the form of a capacity to exercise judgment in the face of uncertainty and to create designs in the presence of constraints and unpredictability. Ultimately, the exercise of judgment makes possible the development of commitment. In commitment, we become capable of professing our understandings and our values, our faith and our love, our skepticism and our doubts, internalizing those attributes and making them integral to our identities.These commitments, in turn, make new engagements possible—and even necessary (p. 38). I strongly feel that if an educator demonstrates passion behind their lesson, involving quirky little tactics instead of the same old boring lectures or generic discussion posts, learners want to involve themselves more because they are interested in what is being demonstrated. For instance, if a middle school teacher acts or as dresses as one of the main characters from a play/novel, students immediately become engaged over the lesson because you have their attention. If discussions on blogs or online courses are interesting enough, all students want to partake and get to know the information better. The more that educators are exercise their development of commitment, the more that the student becomes capable of the performance or action.
Individualization with the Read Naturally Virtual Program
This virtual program in particular offers differenciated instruction for each individual student. The RN program is very engaging because there are simliar disciplines learned within the program. RN is the perfect assessment tool because it individually targets the needs of each lagging reader in a way that readers can retain information learned or studied. RN creates unique assessment because all information and work is recorded which provides significant data for the instructor. Thus, RN is a way to share simlilar struggles in a different light.
Reflection On My Project: A Re-Cap
My learning activity involves an Reading intervention program for middle school student’s as well as adult learners. The future vision of the Read Naturally program is for the organization to become a virtual based classroom within the next Five years. Being that this organization is a computer based program, students have better retention skills and higher fluency levels, as opposed to using non-technology based intervention programs. Studies have shown that introducing interventions through the form of technology to a student who is involved with a subject struggle, helps them to gain a better understanding of what to retain and how to improve thinking skills. With the practice of technology based programs, educators will eventually break out of their old patterns of teaching, and introduce the creative ways that technology helps support Reading comprehension for students. Educators need to learn how to motivate through the ideas of creativity, keeping the minds of young learners alive and awake. During this virtual classroom learners are motivated through intrinsic learning; “Technology in education today is seen as a resourceful tool that is used to engage students of all kinds while motivating them to create their own learning. When used with academics, technology can promote a valuable education through engaging activities in a learner-centered atmosphere” (Revere& Kovach, 2011, p.113).
As Asked by Professor Herrera, “Just for fun, also think about what motivates you. Are you more internally motivated by a desire to achieve, or externally by a paycheck or high grade?”
Garrett once asked,“Is it possible that you have had a student feign engagement? Based on [my] personal Experiences, as both student and teacher, there are challenges in detecting signs of Genuine engagement. In a classroom that is operating as student-centered, particularly a discussion-oriented class, one sign of engagement, as noted earlier, may include active participation in the discussions” (Garrett, 2011, p.6). In particular, what motivates me is the passion to learn and to continue learning; this has to be what motivates me the most. Throughout this Masters course, I remained motivated to provide the best and most descriptive discussion post, almost becoming a student feign for engagement in each lesson/unit. I become a perfectionist but by doing so, I remember and retain what I am learning and want to exert all this energy into my writings/discussions. This is the exact feeling I want to embark on my students; I could only wish that they could ever exhibit this same type of passion towards reading, and, towards the read naturally program in particular. Specifically focusing on my workplace, I am more internally motivated to work hard at my job and to enlighten my students by educating them in the best ways that I know how. However, externally I am motivated when I receive my paycheck because I know that my hard work of teaching pays off when I am able to support my future family, pay the bills, etc..
Keeping in mind:
Garrett (2011) stated, “In addition, we look forward to reading positive evaluations from our students, thanking us for our work and for motivating them to learn about a subject that they never liked before. But sometimes I wonder if my students are just telling me what I want to hear. I wonder if in attempting to detect engagement instructors cannot rely on or trust merely the words or actions of students because engagement is deeply personal and often invisible to the teacher” (p.6).
Don’t ever stop dreaming, don’t ever stop doing. Do what you love and love what you do; do what makes you, YOU!
LINKS:
Ideas: http://www.wordle.net
Guidance: Burgner, Richard. , Doherty, Jennifer. , Hedt, Melisa. , Kronenberg, Jessy. , Strahan,
David., (2012). Differentiation in Action: Developing a Logic Model form Responsive Teaching in an
Urban Middle School. 35(8), 1-17.
My Life: http://www.readnaturally.com
My Job: http://www.derbyps.org
Follow Me on TWITTER: @educationTech14
BOOKS:
Bonk, Curtis. (2009) The World Is Open: How Web Technology is Revolutionizing Education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass
REFERENCES:
Garrett, C. (2011). Defining, Detecting, and Promoting Student Engagement in College
Learning Environments. [Article]. Transformative Dialogues: Teaching &Learning
Journal, 5(2), 1-12.
Garrison, C. & Ehringhaus, M. (2013). Formative and summative assessments in the classroom. Retrieved from: http://www.amle.org/BrowsebyTopic/Assessment/AsDet/TabId/180/ArtMID/780/ArticleID/286/Formative-and-Summative-Assessments-in-the-Classroom.aspx
Mueller, John. (2012). Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Standards. North Central
College, Naperville, IL. Retrieved from http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/standards.htm
Mueller, John. (2012). Authentic Assessment Toolbox: Portfolio’s. North Central
College, Naperville, IL. Retrieved from http://jfmueller.faculty.noctrl.edu/toolbox/portfolios.htm
Revere, L., & Kovach, J. V. (2011). Online Technologies for Engaged Learning: A Meaningful Synthesis for Educators . [Article]. Quarterly Review of Distance Education, 12(2), 113-124.
Shulman, L. S. 2002. Making differences: A table of learning. Change
(November/December):36-44.
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