Final Reflection

• Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity

1. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness.
   I promoted, supported, and modeled creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness. I modeled it with my egg drop experiment. I would give the students ideas on how to use the materials if they got stuck. I would model ideas on how to use the materials by using all of them in my own contraption. They were supported to use their own creativity and ideas with their own contraption. They knew the outcome they were expected to have (keep the egg whole) but could use any of the provided means to get there. They created their own egg contraption using any ideas and materials they wanted. There were no set guidelines for how it should be shaped, so they could do whatever they wanted.
   
   
   
2. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources.
   I did not use a clear idea of this point in any of my lessons in this class. But in another class I had a lesson on pollution. In that lesson students were to research recycling, and how it is beneficial, among other strategies. They were to then write an essay with quotes on how they would personally help lower their pollution. Although it is a small step, they were finding ways to help solve the global problem of pollution. They used the Internet to research, and typed their essay. They were also asked to write a letter to the principal explaining and persuading why the school needs recycling bins.

3.              Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
With the egg drop activity, they worked together while building their contraptions, but then had a self-reflection. In that reflection, they wrote about their egg. They wrote they planned to build the contraption based on what materials they deemed most useful. They also wrote why they built the contraption and why they think it would survive. They wrote about the process, which included their creativity into how they built it. Before they wrote the reflection we collaboratively discussed what went well and what didn't in the drop. Also what designs may have worked better.

4.              Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.
In my shapes lesson, students learned the information within their environment and worked collaboratively with one another. They worked together to identify shapes in pictures I had previously taken. When they felt comfortable with all of the different shapes, we then went outside. Each student found and took a picture of the shape outside. This could be a tree as a triangle or a sidewalk as a square. We then shared the shapes we found and explained what characteristics made it that shape.

• Standard 2: Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

1. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.
   I think a lesson that I was a student in did this point the best. We created a Pixie based on any sub-section subject within the overall topic. We had clear points on what was needed, but we could do any pictures, facts, or topic we wanted. By giving an umbrella subject, then letting students choose the point they want to write about promotes their creativity. Using that online program worked a lot better than PowerPoint, and was a lot more engaging to the students. I plan on using activities like this in my own classroom. Where the students have an umbrella idea, can choose a more specific topic, and have a freer use of how they want to create their presentation with some sort of technology.

2.              Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
In this class there were excellent examples of this point. We were able to peruse our own curiosity by making our own lesson plans that inspired us. We set our own goals by creating the lesson, then reflecting how we did and what we need to improve upon. In that way we managed our own learning by completing the assignments as we saw fit. We were also able to assess our own progress through the peer reflections after our lessons. We could see what we did well as well as see what we need improvement on. I would like to use this class set up in my own class. Students should achieve grades based on their own personal development through the year. They should set their own goals based on what they think they are able to achieve, as well as grade themselves on how much effort they put into the class. Students should not feel as if they are being compared to their peers, but rather that they are just being compared to themselves and their past projects.

3.              Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources.
With the egg drop activity, the students could complete as much or as little as they were able to. In the video they could include as much information as they thought necessary, and in any way they thought best. With building the contraption they used different working strategies and learning styles to apply it to how they were building their contraption. Again, they were able to diversify the essay about the contraption. They could write as detailed as they wanted. They had guidelines of what I would like to be written, as well as a time set that they must keep writing. Even if it spanned away form the original goal, they were to keep writing to the best of their abilities on a word document.
 

4.              Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
I used a lot of summative assessments in all of my lessons. In almost all of them they either had to write a short essay explaining their project. That essay would cover if they understood the standards and content presented, although indirectly. I would be able to read through the essays and see what the students understood and what they may be struggling with. I was also able to see if they understood the technology standards by the projects they created with the different lessons. I do not plan on using many formative assessments in my future class, because I believe tests and quizzes cause too much stress on the students and do not help them. I think essays are the best way to collect information on what the student has learned in the lesson and class.

• Standard 3: Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

1. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
   Through all of my lessons, we used different types of technology. I would ask the students if they knew how to use the new technology presented, and would still do a short walkthrough on how to use it. From there I would have the students try and figure out how to use the program on their own, they become used to figuring out new ideas and programs they have not had much experience in before. If any student had a question or needed help, I would show them how to do what they wanted with it. I think by helping students figure out the technology on their own practically, it will also help them later in life in dealing with new objects and problem solving.

2.              Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
I think that technology is a wonderful resource that helps connect students to their peers, parents, teachers, and communities. They can write a blog, which is what I want to do in my class. The students will have their own blog where they can write thoughts, post assignments, or show off projects they made. This way their parents and family that may not live with the student can see what they are doing in the class. It will also help keep them involved with content that is being taught in the class without having to contact the teacher directly. The community can become involved in offering resources for the classroom with a brand, so they get advertisement and the students get more resources to use.

3.              Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats.
I think email is one of the best things to happen to education. It makes communication among students and teachers a lot easier, as almost everyone has access to their email at least once a day. It is also a great tool to communicate with parents. It eliminates the possibility of a student losing paperwork sent home, or forgetting to give it to their parents. It is very beneficial for parents who have a busy schedule and cannot come into class to talk or spend much time on the phone. Teachers can email their students to let them know more immediately about any updates or changes to the class. Students can use their email to discuss assignments with their peers. Teachers can also use email to share information or lesson plan ideas with one another without having to take time to meet up.

4.              Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.
With the pollution lesson, students will be doing just this. They will be using different digital tools (computer, tablet, etc) to find information about pollution. They may also use books or any other tool they can think of to find the information. They must then analyze and evaluate the information for possible bias or falseness. This could be figuring out if a cite uses mostly opinions, or if it is credible or not. That research will support their learning of pollution within the oceans unit. As well as their general understanding of the world around them, and how they may have an impact on it.

• Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

1. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.
   At the beginning of the year, I will review all of the above with my class. We will demonstrate how to find appropriate sources to use in the class. We will discuss how to safely navigate the Internet, as well as how to safely interact with others on the Internet (cyber bulling, etc).  I will tell them about different types of copywriting, and how it is not tolerated in my class. I will give them several types of sources on a sheet and ask them to try and figure out if the source or example was a use of a copyright violation to get them used to keeping an eye out. We will each find an example of a properly cited situation, and a situation that uses copyright, so they can practice knowing and understanding the difference.

2.              Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
I addressed this standard in all of my lessons. I used the I-WE-YOU technique in my lessons, to slowly hand of the responsibility of learning from myself to my students. If they had any troubles or questions, I would bring the lesson back to the ‘I/WE’ before letting it go back to the ‘YOU’.  In my lessons I also had differentiations if any of my learners needed special supports or extra help that was already planned out. I made sure all of my students were able to use the technology required for that portion of the lesson before making my lesson plan.

3.              Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.
As stated before, at the beginning of the year I will review with my students how to properly use technology. This includes covering safe practices to use online, such as finding reliable source. We will also cover safe practices on how not to cyber bully and recognize it if seen. I will make this into it’s own lesson on how students should use technology appropriately. We will have a review of scenarios on if the student was or was not modeling digital etiquette and responsible social interactions in that scenario.

4. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.
I plan to look at the culture of all of my students in the class, and try to incorporate their cultures into my lessons. I also plan to have lessons based on other cultures. One idea is that each student gets to pick a culture they would like to study. They must make a presentation with specific points they must cover, but they can present it any way they wish. This could be a speech, homemade movie, or an art project. That way it gives the students the freedom to do what they wish with the project and use their own creativity. We will also do this with different countries, where the students may work in a pair or small group to complete.