Final Reflection

Hi Everyone!! Please view my Screen-cast for the reflection for my MMP and please also take a look at my final piece!! I hope you enjoy browsing through the student's American Dream blog! Feel free to use anything for your classroom !! Enjoy!


Click here: American Dream Unit

Educational Technology Toolkit

Hi everyone!!

So I decided to Create a screen-cast to walk you through my Technology toolkit. When thinking about my toolkit I thought about creating a collection that was easily accessible for teachers. I thought it would be ideal to categorize my toolkit by technology for collaboration, assessment, engagement and instruction. Within each toolkit, I included articles, both research articles and user friendly articles to help teachers navigate within learning how to use assessment for collaboration, assessment, engagement and instruction. I also included resources, websites and videos to use as a way for teachers to get started on using technology for each collection.
Click here for link to video

Here are the four categories in which teachers can select. 

Within these categories are articles and resources teachers can use 

Technology Plan for Student Learning Week 13

Technology Plan for Student Learning

1. Identify student needs/Rationale

This is the first step for creating a technology plan in my classroom so I can essentially use this as a diagnostic to understand students’ currently ability to use technology and what they are unfamiliar with to guide my instruction. The rationale is also highly important

because students and teachers need to be aware of the starting point and the end goal prior to implementing a technology plan. Once student needs are identified, planning can appropriately begin since teachers are using the newly found information to guide instruction

2. Clear Objectives/Standards

Upon identifying student needs it is then crucial to create a list of clear objectives and standards that will guide the teacher in completing the rationale. The objectives are a measurable way to assure that students are making progress. These goals are clear and lessons can be constructed using these goals. For the MMP project, for each posted lesson plan there is a clear objected to assure that students understand learning outcome and to assure that the learning process is driven to the objective.

3. Design-

After identifying student needs and classroom objectives it is imperative to begin designing lesson or unit plans that enforce the objectives. The design should go hand in hand with classroom objectives and rationale. Students should be completing designs that adhere to their growth. Teachers can work collaboratively to design a unit or technological project that will meet the learning needs.

4.Implement-

After the design is completed it should be effective in the classroom. Implementing the design or strategies. At this stage in the plan students should be using technology and assessing their growth. Teachers can use this time as a formative assessment that measures student progress in implementing their multimedia project. For instance, In my MMP at this time students are using cacoo, animoto and other technological sources in order to identify the symbol in the Great Gatsby. (Objectives will Vary)

5. Assessment:

Students should be able to monitor their own progress, self- assess and teachers should also be able to monitor the formative assessments. Use the formative assessments to guide summative assessments. Students should use smaller assessments to guide larger assessments. For example, in my MMP, students are using Cacoo to analyze the symbolism in the Great Gatsby. The work completed using Cacoo will help students with the Summative assessment where they will have to create a Multimedia presentation supporting their claims with evidence and preparing to expose their work to the classroom.

6. Reflection

Reflecting on the work assigned and students ability to achieve standards can help teachers modify lesson plans, clear any misunderstanding or reteach a skill. Formative and summative assessments should be used to continue guiding instructions and allow students to revisit before final submission

MMP Project Update 2 Week 11

Please Review the Screen Cast for the Update to my project!! Here is also the link to my student's blog that I created for them to use AmericanDreamBlog

Student Writing Template

Peer Editing Sheet

Self Editing Checklist

Week 10 Film Identity

Halverson writes, “As a result, education researchers interested in giving all youth opportunities to acquire and use new media literacies must understand the specific learning processes at work across these different media spaces” (p. 2353). For those of you who are currently teaching, or have taught in the past, in what ways have you allowed your students to use new media in your classrooms? Have they worked with a wiki, developed a blog, or created a screencast? Have they engaged in digital storytelling, as the author discusses? How did you approach this in the classroom setting? Was this considered a “fun” extra, or part of a mandatory assignment? How did you go about assessing this project?


New Media literacies in the classroom often take place as a result of the instructor being competent and literate. Before introducing students to new media concepts, websites or idea, it is important that the teacher master the website first so a teaching can be thorough and successful. When I use new media in the classroom I often test out the program first as it is essential for me to guide students correctly in instruction and using the media correctly. It is also highly important for me to show the students the exemplar or final product resulting in using the media. Foe example, students this year, have explored with google classroom, blogspot, google docs, prezi and cacoo. The multi-media they engage in is used for a variety of reasons such as collaborating, composing well-crafted pieces, or even presenting. Halverson states “the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery as one of the core media literacy skills is necessary for successful engagement in society". Students often feel engaged and take ownership with multimedia because they are able to share their perspective and their story to a wide variety of students as the author discusses. Story telling has given the opportunity for students to share and be involved in work.

I approach these assignments by creating a list of step by step instructions for students and also completing the list of step by step instructions visually to assure that students are completing the task with multiple resources for access. Normally, I consider multi media projects an assessment grade being that they are completing a common core standards and using multiple sources I assure that assignments are graded. It will assure that students are also taking their work seriously.

Week 9 Copy Right Blog Post 7

                                              Copyright Blog

    After watching several of the videos located on the five-minute film festival, my understanding of copy right is much clearer however there are still some underlying questions that the videos do not address. First and foremost, the video that allowed me understand how copy right is used, was the YouTube video with the animated puppets because it made it clear how owners to videos have the right to take down stolen videos. Although it was highly informative in assuring that viewers understand copyright laws and dispute claims, It did not inform the audience on how to give credit to copy right owners. The video was quite hilarious and appropriate for all ages in allowing the audience to understand the mere basics of copyright for YouTube videos. This video would be appropriate for a wide variety of users but it may not necessarily prevent audiences from avoiding copy right infringement and its entirety because it did not discusses mashups or taking parts of the video and how that works with copy right. The video was certainly successful in having the audience understand and keep these thoughts in their mind. I would have liked to see ways in which to avoid these fairly common mistakes to be added to the YouTube video.

Another video that caught my interest was Understanding "Fair Use" in a Digital World because it was a lesson that made copyright laws accessible to young students. Many of the students were provided videos and given an opportunity to discuss and evaluate whether the video was breaking the law or not. It allowed students to carefully understand and analyze some of features of the video and come together as a group to decide what was considered fair use and what was breaking the law. this video was effective for educators in trying to help students become aware of fair use and copy right laws however it would be relatively difficult for other audiences to relate to the video.

I decided to read "The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use" article because as teachers we often copyright work without realizing it. If we do copyright work, teachers often justify themselves and copyright for the purpose of teaching others. I found that even photos must be copyrighted or referenced when using material. The article gave an example of students using photos and songs on a multimedia course; those photos and songs must be referenced or permission is needed. The article was highly informative; personally I believe it is relatively difficult to find the vendor and write a proposal to ask for permission to use a photo or website. As teachers, we create lesson plans on a day to day basis often adjusting our lesson on student progress. I find it impractical to wait for permission from the vendor to use their resources. This may take months to obtain permission. I think it would be appropriate to reference the site and photos.

References 

"The Educator's Guide to Copyright and Fair Use"

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr280.shtml

Understanding "Fair Use" in a Digital World

YouTube Copyright Basics

Week 8 MMP Update #1

I created a screen-cast of some necessary and helpful changes I made for the MMP project. These change are reflective of the self assessment. To thoughtfully understand my project, please join my students by viewing the blog I created for them. Americandreamunit.blogspot.com 

Click On this Link Sceencast

Week 6 Blog Post 6

As seen on my storyboard draft first I will be introducing the concept of the American dream using the article Hollywood American Dream and associated with the article is visual images and an audio so students can follow along in the classroom.  After Listening and following along with the article students will create a graphic organizer using Caccavale to discuss the elements of the American dream in that article.

Following that students will be introduced to the Great Gatsby. Students will use the website Today's Meet to discuss the last six paragraphs of The Great Gatsby. Because students are struggling readers, I can show clips of the great Gatsby movie. Students are responsible for reading at home and group work has to be done in class following that chapter. The rules of design that I am using is to establish a clear focal point for students so they can navigate easily. .

There will be a number of homework assignments to be done using multi media. Students are expected to respond to my blog posts and create a journal entry for each chapter. . Here is the link to my perspective blog post for students.  As you can see I made sure that there were no busy background and the focal point was very clear for students to follow.

The next multimedia the class will be using is Cacoo for a graphic organizer on the symbols illustration on the Great Gatsby. Below you will find the perspective template that I will be assigning the students and they will have access to this template and will work collaboratively to fill the template out.

After completing the graphic organizer on the assigned symbol students will prepare a multimedia presentation presenting their symbols to the class.

Ultimately students will write a synthesis essay using multiple articles. They will use google doc to respond to the following prompt. Students will have digital access to the following graphic organizer to assist struggling writers and provide scaffolding. The following is a student sample of my expectations.









Here's our 60 Second Video!

Week 5 Blog Entry 5

Required Cropping Exercise

Please Click here on my Podcast Detailed Explanation of what I Cropped and an Explanation as to why

lease Click here on my Podcast Detailed Explanation of what I Cropped and an Explanation as to why

Please Click here on my Podcast Detailed Explanation of what I Cropped and an Explanation as to why

Boarders Variation Exercise Page 197

 

 

MMP Proposal Week 5

After determining that my audience will be my students in the English class I have decided that some of the instructional needs consist of creating a step-by-step direction for students to follow when working with technology so that time is properly utilized for classroom collaboration. My goals for instruction is to guide students to lead one another in collaboration. I would like for my students to work simultaneously to develop or respond to projects. I would really like students are taking upon themselves to utilize sources for an interactive environment. Some information that I would need is using extremely collaborative tools that can be utilized for the classroom. Each tool will have to work in conjunction with the lesson. For instance if students are peer editing essays a different tool would be used as opposed to students working collaboratively on a digital  graphic organizer. The instruction will be delivered through a student website called Skedula where students can access assignments and documents that I upload. Here I can upload Google doc lesson plans without having to type every single student email each time

Rationale:

The purpose of my multimedia project(s) is to ensure that there is collaboration among students and they are developing work that is needed to be done in unison yet addresses the standards. My ultimate goal is to ensure that students are relying on one another to create a larger outcome. This also requires me to be a lot more creative about the projects I assign.

I am currently teaching I am currently teaching and American dream unit using The Great Gatsby as my anchor text. My goal for this unit is for

Students to explore how foundational American literature treats the topic and consider different perspectives. In this unit, Students will analyze authors’ choices in their development of theme/central ideas, compare and contrast similar ideas across multiple texts. They will read non fiction text and write an argument synthesizing multiple text and supporting their claims with evidence from multiple texts. This unit asks students to explore three essential questions: What is the American Dream? To what extent has the American Dream been achievable? Does the American Dream exist? Multimedia fits into my larger objective because students can use technology for the following: creating graphic organizers to analyze the impact of symbols in the Great Gatsby, presenting student work, annotating non fiction text in groups, writing synthesis essays, peer editing essays, comparing elements of the American Dream throughout fiction and non fiction text, providing resources for students in case students are absent.

Audience:

This project is designed for an 11th grade classes . Because my students are in the lowest third of the class, I will have to provide careful written step by step directions and scaffold as much as I possibly can. I will also have to provide a model of the exemplar assignment so students can imitate this model and have an idea and direction of the final product. Students are expected to have gmail accounts and access to their Skedula account to assure that collaboration is effectively possible.

Overview of Your Instructional Plan and Your Learning Objective/s:

RL.11-12.1. Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

RL.11-12.2. Determine two or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

RL.11-12.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

W.11-12.1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

W.11-12.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

W.11-12.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

SL.11-12.4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

SL.11-12.5. Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements)

Theses standards will be addressed by creating informal and formal assessments

  Technological Tool/s & Rationale:

For our unit, there are a few tools that will assist in meeting the learning objectives. First and foremost, Google docs, Caccoo, Animoto and Todaysmeet will assist me in meeting the learning objectives. Ultimately for my formative assessments students will needs use Google Doc so they can share documents with one another, leave comments and feedback. On caccoo, I would also like to create a graphic organizer for students to outline their essays and analyze the symbols. I would like to use todaysmeet.com for online discussion and exposure of ideas. After students complete written assessments they have to present key components of their written essay through a multimedia presentation.

Theory and idea

The role of the teacher in the social constructivist classroom is to help students to build their knowledge and to control the existence of students during the learning process in the classroom. In other words, my role is to facilitate discussion while students interact to problem solve. This theory should help with instructional strategies. Students rely on each other for assistance in problem solving.  

Timeline

 The formative assessment will take approximately be due in three weeks from the start of the unit. Students will be assigned a chapter a day from the Great Gatsby in conjunction with 5 articles of non fiction text. While students are reading the great gatsby, students will be creating as follows using multimedia, a presentation for assigned symbol, a graphic organizer discussing which article achieve the American dream, which do not, a graphic organizer outlining student essay, peer editing student work, and presentation of Gatsby essay.The tentative reading schedule for students will be as follows:  

DUE DATE	DUE DATE	ASSIGNMENT DESCRIPTION
February 27	Monday	Read chapter 1& NY times article Journal Entry Post
February 28	Tuesday	Read chapter 2& Hollywood Dreams of Wealth article Journal Entry Post
March 1	Wednesday	Read Chapter 3 Journal Entry Blog Post
March 2	Thursday	Read Chapter 4 & why the Americans are so restless  Journal Entry Blog Post (Graphic Organizer using Cacoo)
March 3	Friday	Read Chapter 5 Journal Entry Blog Post
March 6	Monday	Read Chapter 6 & Journal Entry Blog Post
March 7	Tuesday	Read Chapter 7 & “The Fallacy of Success”  Journal Entry Blog Post (Graphic Organizer using Cacoo)
March 8	Wednesday	Read Chapter 8 & utilize classtime for symbol presentation creation using Animoto-  Journal Entry Blog Post
March 9	Thursday	Read Chapter 9 & Journal Entry Blog Post
March 10	Friday	Outline Essay -Google Doc
March 13	Monday	Create essay using outline-Google Doc
March 14	Tuesday	Create essay using outline-Google Doc
March 15	Wednesday	Peer Edit & Revise using Google Doc Collaboration
March 16	Thursday	Animoto Presentation of Essay
March 17	Friday	Animoto Presentation of Essay
March 20	Monday	Animoto Presentation of Essay

Week 4 Blog Entry #4

Week 4 Blog Entry #4 Assignment 1

I decided to create a screen-cast to complete assignment number 1. On the screen-cast you may see the websites I am comparing and critiquing. Please enjoy the screen-cast!

For Week 4 Blog Entry 4 Assignment # 2 on Page 241 of Design Basic Index I decided to discuss the several fonts I used using a podcast so please enjoy my PODCAST!

Here You will find the fonts that I used respectively 1.       Edwardian Script ITC

2.   Engravers MT

3.  Snap ITC

4.       Wide Latin

5.      Old English Text

6.   MV Boli

7.  Ravie

8.       Harlow Solid Italic

9.        French Script MT

10.  Matura MT Script Capitals

11.  Magneto

12. Stencil