Intel Teach Program: Module 3

I apparently either forgot Module 3 all together, or I didn't upload it when I finished it. Who knows which of these scenarios actually happened, but let's see what I can remember for reflection on Module 3.

Module 3 asks me to respond to: This module has helped me think about the impact of the Internet on my students' learning in the following ways...

The way I see it, the Internet can be both a blessing and a curse for us as educators and for us as students. How many times have you been sitting around a table of friends discussing something and have been unsure of the answer? Someone at the table (or everyone) is bound to have a BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, or other smart phone with Internet access. The next request is "Google it" and the answer is found within a matter of seconds. The power the Internet has to share new information so rapidly can most easily be seen as a benefit. In student research, information is readily available even when books have been left behind. Teachers can use the Internet to communicate with parents and their students. Assignments can take on a number of different forms beyond the traditional research paper or exam. Students can keep blogs, Wikis, personal web sites, and any means of social networking just for the sake of sharing and teaching information.

Unfortunately, so can everyone else. One of the biggest dangers of the Internet is the fact that for as many educational web sites are out there, there are just as many web sties with incorrect information that can be created by anyone. The most important thing we can do as teachers is to teach our students the great benefits and the grave dangers of Internet use for academia. It is important, before any project, to review acceptable and unacceptable resources. We should teach students about the endings to web sites, .org and .edu are typically quite safe, but to check and double check any .coms they may visit. When used correctly the Internet can be a valuable resource for students, but teachers just need to take the time to teach students what correct Internet use is.

Intel Teach Program: Module 6

This module has helped me think about self-directed learners and the role of differentiation in the following ways...

Lesson differentiation is one of the most challenging things a teacher can do when planning a unit, but it also reaps the most benefits in the end. One of the first things any educator learns is that all students learn differently. Doing something about that to make sure you are catering to different types of learners and learners with various barriers, be it special needs or the English language, takes a great deal of time and commitment to learning and understanding your students and what types of environments they thrive in. Additionally, if students are given the choice to learn in the way they learn best, they will become self-directed, responsible learners because they will feel that the lessons apply to them and will work harder to achieve their goals.

An interest inventory is one of the best ways to be able to understand students' needs and goals for the course. Through an interest inventory and then through subsequent observations of the students, it is easy to place the students into groups and discover which multiple intelligence suits them best. Lessons should be varied, providing learning opportunities for all types of learners, be it visual, kinesthetic, or audial. Equal opportunities should also be taken into consideration for students who have special needs or may be learning the English language. These students should never be seen as inferior and given less work, it should simply be modified by the teacher with additional helps - sometimes from willing students in the classroom - so that they too can gain the most out of their lesson.

For my Sui Sin Far unit plan, I intend to provide a number of different outlets for learners. There will be silent reading, books-on-tape style reading, and group reading. Students will be able to express themselves through writing, through speaking, and through creative presentations. I would be sure to diversify the groups so learners with special needs with have students who can help them succeed throughout the unit. Project-based learning seems like one of the best ways to involve all of your students in a whole-group setting. I had never thought of it that way!

There are so many ways to involve each student in the classroom. The project approach is a good way to get all of these learners interacting and teaching each other through reflection and peer criticism. It is an approach I will certainly use frequently when I do actually have my own classroom.

Intel Teach Program: Module 5

The ability to create student-centered assessment is an important ability for any educator, but especially the educator using project-based learning. A great deal of reflection goes into creating a type of assessment that is student-centered. Teachers should always take a step back and put themselves in the students' position in order to set goals for assessment that are obtainable and also answer CFQ's and other goals of the project.

Student involvement was one of the more interesting suggestions made by this module. Letting students become involved int he assessment process will create a challenge for students who ar used to the traditional model of teacher assessment. Students, however, can be giving the chance to help create and use checklists and rubrics. Students can also be involved in ongoing reflection of their own learning and progress on the project. Student reflection can also be beneficial for the teacher, as it provides regularly updated chances for a teacher to see if the unit goals are achievable. There are a large number of skills students can learn by being their own assessors. The most important, however, is how to give and receive feedback, a skill that is essential in any "real world" situation. One of the major benefits of student involvement in assessment is accountability and engagement - as teachers we all know how important it is for a student to feel that a learning experience is "theirs." What better way than through assessing their own progress?

While I still have a great deal to learn about creating assessment, I feel that my rubric for my current student sample is a comprehensive one with achievable goals for my students to work from. This module has given me a number of different ideas for assessment that I typically wouldn't consider.

Intel Teach Program: Module 4

It is extremely important for teachers to know the benefits and the purpose of different Web 2.0 tools before applying them to student learning in the classroom. In Module 4 we began to prepare for our unit plan by creating samples of student work.

In my unit, I am placing a large focus on creative writing and applying new styles to student's writing. The final project for the unit will be to create a short story in the style of the author we are studying, Sui Sin Far. To help the students understand the story elements we will be looking at, I created a wiki that will help students to ask questions about reading, to communicate on their collaborative projects, and to write their own short, creative paragraphs in response to one of the stories.

The student sample I created are samples for the short, creative paragraphs. In Sui Sin Far's story "What About the Cat?" the princess' servants give her different creative explanations of the location of her cat. I am asking the students to create their own locations for the cat. I posed two responses on the wiki to suffice as student samples.

Creating these samples was an interesting challenge. It is interesting to have to look at projects from both a student and teacher perspective.

Intel Teach Program: Module 2

Module 2 was extremely helpful for me to go through before beginning to design my unit. Since this is the first unit I have ever designed myself, I am not completely comfortable with the idea of creating assessments, writing Curriculum Based Questions (or even what CFQs even were, really!), or applying the state and national standards to my unit. The program helped to walk me through the very first steps, which I would have initially thought would be the last steps.

The CFQs were possibly my biggest challenge in this section of the program. I was not aware there were so many different levels of questioning your students and finding ways to pull the most possible educational experiences from a unit. While I still feel like my questions could use some tweaking to provide more opportunities for cross-curricular connections, I think I accomplished this part of the task well.

I also need to begin to train myself away from what I initially think "assessment" means. To me, assessment has always been a large-scale, scary, paper and pencil exam. One of my biggest challenges as a student of the education world is to train myself away from this idea. After exploring options, I felt that one of the most helpful options, for me, for pre-assessment was to use a KWL chart to find out what my students know and understand exactly what they are interested in learning. This is one of the best ways of changing your unit to be as stimulating as possible before even beginning lessons. My biggest challenge throughout the course of this unit creation will definitely be formulating student assessments.

I realized that much more goes into planning a lesson than I realized. I thought teachers merely planned activities and presented them to students. Knowing the step-by-steps of standards, CFQs, and assessment will help me a great deal when I enter the world of having my own classroom.

Intel Teach Program: Module 1

To start off our progression through the Intel Teach Program, Module 1 introduced us to the idea of teaching through projects. The Module walked us through the benefits of teaching using projects and how we can apply those projects to the rising demand for teaching students 21st century skills.

I think it will be interesting to approach this with an already up-to-date background in technology. Since my Bachelor's degree is in mass communications, I am familiar with a number of the Web 2.0 tools that were discussed in the course's introduction. Until now, however, I have never thought about applying my knowledge of many of these skills to the classroom, mostly because I was unaware of the benefits. Throughout the process of creating a unit, we will begin to uncover and understand the benefits of project-based-teaching.

When working with a project-based unit, it is important for teachers to constantly evaluate what students will be learning from the projects. The projects should always connect to present-day events and to the students' lives as well as connect to as many content area subjects as possible. By learning through projects, students get the experience of using a variety of different skill sets, learn new types of technology, and produce a project that is relevant. The unit should answer a number of broad and specific questions. Teachers using a project-based unit are given the opportunity to have a source of constant assessment, if the projects are properly observed throughout their creation.

One of the biggest challenges I foresee will be getting some of the Web 2.0 tools out of my head as things that can only be used by professionals. I think it will be an interesting challenge for me to intentionally apply 21st century skills to my classroom in the creation of my unit.