Spring+2010+-+Learning+Statement

//Learning Statement #1// I am learning that the use of technology is not always engaging for students and does not always support student learning positively. Simply using technology does not mean that a lesson will be successful or meaningful for the students. //Why is this learning important?// 1. This learning helps shape how I will use technology, in this case video, as an instructional tool in the future. 2. This learning forces me to realize that technology for the sake of technology is not quality instruction. 3. This learning forces me to be much more critical of the technologies that I bring into the classroom. //Evidence//
 * __ Learning Statements – Spring 2010 __**

Student responses after seeing an instructional Math video

1. No I would not use the video at home, if I had difficulty with my homework or studying I would talk to my parents, call a friend, or ask a teacher. 2. The video we saw wasn't very helpful. This is because it was hard to hear and also the server was running slow. But the main reason was that the video was very confusing. It had numbers and lines everywhere and it got confusing. Yes I would like to see other videos because I couldn't quite get the one we saw. 3. I didn't think the videos were helpful. I thought they were making things more confusing. I would not like to watch more videos I would prefer to learn in class or maybe from the textbook. 4. This video did not help me. The video was not helpful to me because I already knew the stuff he talked about. 5. I did not find this video useful. These videos were not useful because I already knew this and they just made it more confusing. I would **__NOT__** like to watch anymore videos. :) :P //What are the implications of this learning in your future planning?//  This learning obviously does have some implications to my future planning. The responses from the students have provided me with some good insights into the needs of my students. I will try to plan things that are more relevant for them and I will steer away from boring videos even if they do provide a very good insight into the material being studied.  //Which program capacities does this learning relate to?//  The program capacity that this relates to is “engage in a critical cycle of action-reflection to understand and develop your practice”.  //Learning Statement #2//  I am learning that students feel technologies are only useful if they are entertaining. They have very distinct criteria about what an instructional Math video should look like in order to support their learning.  //Why is this learning important?// 1. Knowing how students learn and what keeps their attention makes it easier to design lessons that have a positive impact on their learning. 2. Provides insight into how I can change my delivery of lessons to meet the needs of my students //Evidence// I conducted a test with 28 of my students. After watching an entertaining video students were asked to write down one mathematical concept they learned or had reinforced by watching the video. 1. 26 out of the 28 students were able to correctly identify one concept. 2. The next day I took a poll of the 28 students to see how many of them had gone home and watched the video again. 3. 13 out of the 28 had watched it again that night. What were some of the things about this video that they liked? 1. They liked the fact that many of the people in the video were their own age. 2. They were entertained. 3. Many of them said they had the song stuck in their head for the rest of the day. 4. Material was presented in an entertaining way. 5. There were other things going on in the video besides Math. //What are the implications of this learning?// The implications of this learning for my teaching are that I need to become more engaging in how I deliver lesson. I need to find innovative methods to get the lesson across to the students. I think that feedback from the students is positive and that it will help shape how I approach lessons in the future. //How might you use or build on this learning in your future planning?// I’ve decided to give my students ownership of their own learning and have designed an assignment that allows them to learn from each other as well as entertain each other. Students will be creating their own instructional Math videos. Once these videos are completed they will be posted onto my website so that any student can access them as tutorials to help them with a particular Math concept. //Which program capacities does this learning relate to?// This learning relates to “engage in a critical cycle of action-reflection to understand and develop your practice” //Learning Statement #3// I am learning that much like other areas of the curriculum students possess a wide range of capacities when interacting with technology. //Why is this learning important?// 1. Understanding the prior knowledge and ability to apply that knowledge is a very useful tool in designing lessons. 2. Knowing that there are difference will allow me to differentiate my instruction and hopefully meet the needs of all of my students //Evidence// Students were asked to create their own instructional Math video. These are some of the findings that came out of the videos. 1. There was a huge variety in the types of videos that the students created. 2. Many students were able to create very good presentations using video. They were able to edit their projects, add graphics and include music 3. Other students were simply able to videotape themselves and present their projects straight from the camera 4. Students approached the assignment in very different ways. Some groups simply used PowerPoint. Other groups created elaborate characters and scenes. 5. All of the videos handed in except for 3 included music of some sort. //What are the implications of this learning?//

This knowledge will allow me to design more meaningful lessons for my students. The learning indicates that many of the students need more training in basic technological tools. Some basic tech workshops will likely need to take place in the classroom.

//How might you use or build on this learning in your future planning?//

This knowledge allows me to better understand my students. It allows me to design lessons that will hopefully have a more direct benefit to my students. My class will likely be spending more time in the computer lab this term.

//Which program capacities does this learning relate to?//

This learning forced me to look more closely at Prensky’s work on Digital Natives and Immigrants. Therefore the learning relates to the capacity “draw on educational theories, research and philosophies to inform your use of technologies to support teaching and learning”. It also relates to “engage in a critical cycle of action-reflection to understand and develop your practice”.

//Learning Statement #4//

I am learning to design and adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity. //Why is this learning important to you?// 1. At the beginning of the term the goal that I set was to move into the developing phase of the rubric 2. I wanted to be able to adapt or create learning experience that include students use of technology tools to research and collect information online and to create a report, presentation, or other product. //Evidence// The video assignments that I worked through with my students moved me into the developing phase of the rubric. In order to complete this assignment students had to use technology to research a topic and then create a presentation based on the research Student responses to what they learned in doing this assignment

1. I learned that you need to be thorough and detailed to make a tutorial 2. I learned more about how to use movie maker and also how to take a video of yourself by yourself 3. I learned quicker ways of multiplying large numbers 4. I learned that it is difficult to try and teach a concept. In trying to explain it in a way that made sense I learned the topic more thoroughly //What are the implications of this learning?// 1. In the future I will try to incorporate similar projects into all aspect of the curriculum. These projects were beneficial for the majority of students. 2. It is important to continue to find new ways to give students ownership over their own learning //How might you use or build on this learning in your future planning?// I plan on trying to incorporate more activities like this into all of my classes. I would like to give my students ownership over their learning. I want them to be able to use technology to research a topic and then use the technology to create products that demonstrate their understanding of the topic. I want to put more of the learning back into the students hands with the use of technology. //Which program capacities does this learning relate to?// This learning relates to “use, evaluate and integrate existing and emerging technologies into your practice”. It also relates to “engage in a critical cycle of action-reflection to understand and develop your practice”. //Learning Statement #5// Based on my readings I am learning the importance of using Interactive Math websites to promote student understanding of concepts and ownership of their learning. //Why is this learning important to you?// This learning is important to me simply because it provides me with more tools that can be used in the classroom. This learning is a product of reading a journal article that outlined several websites that could be used to support Math education. Many of the sites discussed in the article are very useful, practical tools that can be brought into the classroom and should have immediate positive results. //Evidence// __Technology Integrated Mathematics – Enhancing Teaching & Learning.__ Education Development Center Inc. This article is one of the best readings that I have done all year simply because it provides numerous great resources and websites that can be used with students. It simply compares different interactive sites and gives information about each one. It provides some very hands on real world applications. This article is a nice break from the theoretical articles that I have come across. //What are the implications of this learning?// I had hoped that my field study would allow the time to investigate the usefulness of interactive site in the Math classroom. It is something that I hope to look at as I move forward in my teaching career. I am quite sure that these websites will be useful in my Math classroom. //How might you use or build on this learning in future planning?// I would build on this learning by making much more of an effort to incorporate these interactive websites into my daily teaching. //Which program capacities does this learning relate to?// This learning relates to “use, evaluate and integrate existing and emerging technologies into your practice”. Learning Statement – ISTE Standards 1. **Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity** Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face to face and virtual environments. Teachers: a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources. c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning and creative processes d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face to face and virtual environments I am learning that allowing students the opportunity to be creative and to approach their learning in a different way that has meaning to them can have a very positive effect on their understanding of the prescribed learning outcomes. Evidence: Students created their own videos about a particular Math concept. Students were allowed to do virtually whatever they wanted in order to create an instructional video that was meant to help other students their own age learn a particular concept. Many of the videos were extremely well done and very informative for the other students. //I am learning that trying to use technology in the school system can be very challenging. There always seems to be an issue when trying to implement the technology. (not enough computers that work, speakers that don’t work, software that is not compatible technology possessed by students).// The majority of the problems that my class has encountered over the past few months in trying to implement technology have arisen I am learning that many of my students do not possess the needed mathematical skills in order to problem solve. Many of the activities that I would like to do with my students are meaningless because they do not understand basic computation.

Jeff Hart __ Learning Statement – Winter 2010 __

I am learning that the use of instructional videos in the Math curriculum is not very effective as a tool to support students understanding of Math concepts.

__ Discussion Board Question __ Was this video helpful for you? Why or why not? Would you like to see other videos in Math? If the videos were posted on my website would you use them as a tutorial to support your understanding of concepts?

__ Sample of Discussion Board Responses __ 1. This video wasn't really helpful, I find it hard to stare at a screen for a long time and it made learning the math boring. Also I learn more when I can do the math myself instead of someone just telling me how to. No, I would not like to see other videos in math. I also would not go onto youtube at home and search these kinds of videos, if I needed help on math I would go ask my parents.

2. I might use the videos on the sight if I don't understand something on my own time but, that would be after I check other sources of Information like my textbook

3. I didn't find it helpful to watch those math videos because I find it easier when I can write down the notes. It was confusing because we were given so much information to just remember at once and we didn't actually get to use the information given. I think it would be good to see other ways of learning from the videos but not all the time. Yes, I would probably use these videos as a tutorial at home if they were posted on the website because they are a good review for learning how to do a type of math.

4. No I would not use the video at home, if I had difficulty with my homework or studying I would talk to my parents, call a friend, or ask a teacher.

5. The video we saw wasn't very helpful. This is because it was hard to hear and also the server was running slow. But the main reason was that the video was very confusing. It had numbers and lines everywhere and it got confusing. Yes I would like to see other videos because I couldn't quite get the one we saw.

6. I didn't think the videos were helpful. I thought they were making things more confusing. I would not like to watch more videos i would prefer to learn in class or maybe from the textbook.

7. This video did not help me. The video was not helpful to me because I already knew the stuff he talked about.

8. I did not find this video useful. THese videos were not useful because i already knew this and they just made it more confusing. I would **__NOT__** like to watch anymore videos. :) :P