EEND 679 Course Reflection

While participating in this class, the coursework about rubrics really stood out to me. I really appreciated both the video, Designing Rubrics, from Lauren Hobbs and Grant Wiggins’ article On Rubrics and Models Part 2: A Dialogue. These two resources really struck me with their guidance to create rubrics. I completely understand the value of rubrics and have seen how they have been beneficial in my classroom. However, I have often struggled with creating my rubrics. I often find the language challenging. I want the language to be reflective of the learning standards, but also easy for my students to understand what is expected of them. Additionally, I often find the task a little overwhelming. If I am assessing on more than one standard, then there ends up being a need for lots of writing of descriptions. These resources really worked to help me to understand how to be more precise in my language and reflective about what I really want to assess and how to write that into the rubric.

During this class, I really enjoyed working with Janet on our Genius Hour Project. I think that we actually worked on this project was a great learning experience. I think it is easy to see how Genius Hour might work in your classroom. However, I think it was even more beneficial to work with a teammate. I think it was beneficial to see how she tackled the project, it was slightly different than the way I started my research. I think this provided great perspective about how students might tackled the Genius Hour Project. Additionally, it was great to have a conversation with her about how she was thinking of incorporating a Genius Hour Project in her classroom. It was great to have that conversation and have another perspective. It provided me with more ideas of how I could include Genius Hour in my class.

I think this class has helped me to grow as a connected educator. I think that this class has really helped me to connect all the learning I have done in the other classes. I think that in the other classes we learned about great resources and topics about technology. I feel in this class I was really able to pull together lots of the ideas I had learned and apply the assessment tools that we learned in this class to bring my lessons to the next level. The focus on assessment really allowed me to take the information about technology and determine how I can use it to assess my students and improve their learning experiences. I think that the use of rubrics and the better understanding of rubrics will help me be a more connected educator for multiple reasons. One reason is the online rubric resources. I have created rubrics in the past, but I love this resource and the possibilities to use in my classroom. Additionally, I think that using rubrics for the different technology projects I plan to implement will help take the learning to a higher level.

I look forward to taking what I have learned in this class and the other Foundations of Educational Technology classes and using them in my classroom. I feel that the tools and resources I have learned about in these courses are going to help me to differentiate the learning in my classroom. I feel that the activities that I plan to implement in my classroom next year will both increase students excitement and engagement and will also let me modify curriculum to meet my students at their level. From this class, I think it is so important to use rubrics and spend the time to discuss them with my students. This will ensure that students understand the expectations of a project and the standards on which they will be assessed. I think these classes have provided me with great resources to take into my classroom. I will continue my learning in my classroom through actually utilizing the resources and modifying my current curriculum and projects to better meet student needs.

EEND 679 Artifact #2: Assessment Tool Comparison Infographic

            The second artifact I chose to share for this class is the Assessment Tool Comparison Infographic. I chose this artifact because I think there are two elements here to be addressed. One element is that two different assessment tools that I compared. I really enjoyed reflecting on these tools, how I have used them and way in which I could potentially use them in the future. I used Go Formative almost every day during the last school year. However, when researching it for this project, I learned about even more options and capabilities of this resource. I look forward to using some of these new features in my classroom next year. Additionally, although I was familiar with Kahoot, I had not used it often in my classroom. It was fun to explore and see all the potential uses of this resource. While exploring I thought of so many ways in which to use this program in the future. The second reason I chose this artifact is the infographic element. In a previous class we learned about infographics and how beneficial they can be for student learning. However, this was my first time using piktochart. I was so impressed with this resource. I think I was able to create a really great looking infographic using this program. I look forward to introducing this resource to my students and using it in the classroom to see the amazing projects students can make.

            Although I really enjoyed using piktochart, there were some challenges that I experienced. I think that I was able to create a very sleek and visually appealing infographic. The resource I used, piktochart, was very user friendly. I did have to explore and play around a little with the site to find all the different available tools on the site. However, what I found to be most challenging was developing the content to display in the infographic. I very quickly chose Kahoot and GoFormative to compare. I was familiar with both of these resources, when that I used daily and the other that I wanted to use more frequently. However, I really struggled with identifying the five components I wanted to judge these resources on. I can see how students could be very excited about using the piktochart resource and create a wonderful looking project, but I imagine they may also struggle with what and how much information to show on their infographic. This was great project for me to experience before I assign an infographic assignment for my students.

            I think that infographics could be a great project in a classroom. I think it is a really creative way for students to show their understanding of a given topic. I think that students who struggle with writing long pieces, would really enjoy this kind of project to show their learning. I think that this kind of project is great because it is so diverse. One way I can imagine using this project in my classroom would be to have students create an infographic comparing two states or regions in social studies. Students already do some research on these topics and do a write up to show their learning. I think having them create infographics would be an even better way to show their understanding of the subject. Students could also use infographics to compare two different characters when reading. They could also show understanding of a science topic using an infographic. I think the diverse potential of this project and the creative aspect of the resource make this project a great addition to any classroom.  

            I feel like this artifact shows how much I have grown in my learning in not only this class, but during the series of five classes. In our third class, we learned about the importance of infographics. The infographic we read in the resources really struck me and has inspired me to use more infographics in my classroom. From early in the class we have explore a variety of different resources, such as Kahoot. This class has really allowed me to combine the knowledge I have gained in the previous classes and put it together in a way to really benefit the students in my classroom and use my knowledge to increase their learning and engagement. 

EEND 679 Artifact #1: Genius Hour Project

            The first artifact I chose for this class was the GeniusHour Project. I included this project because I think that this is a great way to really impact student achievement. This kind of project is an important way to differentiate and improve student engagement. Students will be excited and motivated to participate in a Genius Hour project because they get to choose their own question. Students will become excited to research a topic that interests them. This project is also great because there are so many different ways that students can show their research. This allows students to be creative in how they want to present their learning. Additionally, students will be able to show mastery of a variety of different skills during this project. They potentially can show mastery in reading, writing, and technology skills, as well as potentially a subject area that their project is connected to. This is why I chose to discuss the Genius Hour Project.

            Although this project has so many potential benefits, there are also some potential challenges. One of the strengths of this project, how open ended it is, could also be a challenge for some students. Some students enjoy or feel secure when completing assignments that have very explicit directions. These students often struggle when they are provided with more choices and freedom. One way to address this challenge is to have a rubric ready to discuss when presenting this project. By explaining and discussing the rubric with students, you will explain the expectations for students and give those students some structure, while still allowing them the choice and freedom to develop their own question and be creative when sharing their project. Another challenge could be helping students to develop questions to research. Students will need to develop questions that allow deep thinking and research. Students are often not familiar with asking these types of questions. It may take some time and some guidance to help students to develop appropriate questions to research for their Genius Hour.

            I think the Genius Hour Project would be a great addition to any classroom. I think one way to incorporate a Genius Hour would be during an informative Writing or nonfiction Reading unit. Ideally, if you are teaching these unit together you could devote even more class time to the project. You could potentially teach the reading and writing skills of the unit and then have students show mastery of these skills by completing a Genius Hour Project. During the process of researching their question they would have to use the nonfiction reading skills taught during the unit. Similarly, while creating their project, they would have to utilize the informative writing skills they had just learned. I think what is really important for this project, is to determine which skills you will be assessing at the completion of the project and be sure to include these on the rubric. It is important to take time to review and discuss the rubric so students have a true understanding of the purpose of the project. This project provides so many potential opportunities to incorporate into the classroom to address a variety of learning standards, it is just important that a rubric is provided and those standards are addressed with students to provide them with some guidance to understand how they will be assessed.

            I think that this project is a great example of how I have grown throughout this class. This project really shows how I have used the different information I have learned through the other classes, but through this class I am using this knowledge to assess and really transform my students’ learning. In previous classes I had learned about different site and resources that students, such as Google Sites, WeVideo, and Padlet, but during this class I learned about how to use these in combination with rubrics and other assessment tools to really impact my student’s learning. This project is a great example of this learning because of the variety of ways to utilize a genius hour. However, what takes this project to the next level is the use of a rubric to focus in on the specific learning standards the teacher would like to address. This will really help students to stay focused and improve their learning. 

EEND 678 Artifact #2: Grant Writing Proprosal

The second artifact I chose for EEND 678 was my Grant Writing Proposal. The reason I chose this artifact is because it is something that I had never tackled before in my career as an educator. During my ten years teaching, I have seen many colleagues write grants and receive funds to do amazing things in their classrooms. I have always been so impressed by these teachers. I have been impressed by their creativity in creating projects, their ability to convince others of the value of their ideas, and the way they have turned an idea on paper into a real life project. Although I have been in awe of the amazing things I have seen my colleagues due through the help of a grant, it is something that I had never attempted, and never thought I was able to do. This project really pushed me to try something new. I am so glad that I completed the writing for the grant. It gave me confidence to continue to pursue grants for projects that I think will benefit my students.

One of the biggest challenges in regards to this artifact was determining what exactly I should write a grant for. There are so many amazing possibilities available and can think of about a million things that I would like for my classroom that I think would benefit my students. However, for the grant I had to choose one project that I thought was the most valuable, would be the most beneficial for my students, and that those who decide the grant can understand the value of. I went back and forth between a few different projects or ideas before deciding that mobile recording stations would be of great value to my students and the rest of the students in the grade level. I chose this project because I felt that the value of the project extended beyond just one subject area. Students could use these tools to improve their assignments and projects in every content area. Also, by creating 5 mobile recording stations, each one could be housed in a different classroom, then the project would benefit all the students in fourth grade, not just my class. It was challenging to determine which project to write a grant for; however, I feel like I chose a project that would be of great value for more students across multiple content areas.

Although the actual grant cannot be implemented in the classroom, if I win the grant money, my project can be implemented. I wrote a grant to create 5 mobile recording stations. This school year when we went 1:1 Chromebooks, we have increased the number and type of digital projects that students are creating. More and more frequently, my students are creating projects with audio or video aspects. However, my students often became frustrated when trying to record audio on their Chromebooks. The audio was often hard to hear, either drown out by other noises in the classroom, or interference from the Chromebook itself. However, these mobile recording stations would eliminate these problems. Students could use the higher quality microphone and mobile recording “booths” to ensure a quality audio that the audience would be able to understand on the first try. This would increase student productiveness and improve the quality of the assignments students are creating.

Finally, I feel that this artifact speaks to my growth as an educator. Educators every day are faced with what can feel like an impossible task. We are often stretched thin with a laundry list of things to accomplish with minimal time and resources in which to do so. We are expected to help a crowded classroom of students, each with their own strengths and challenges, learn and grow at their own pace and skill level. We seem to be expected to do it all with very little resources. One way in which I can grow and improve as an educator is to seek out resources that will help the students in my classroom. One way in which I can do this is to write grants to supplement the resources that I am given. I think it takes thought and reflection to decide what tools would benefit your students and how to get those resources into your classroom. I think that by writing grants I am working to improve the learning environment and resources of my students, and therefore am becoming a better educator. 

EEND 678 Artifacts #1: PBL Unit

The first artifact that I have chosen for this class is PBLUnit. I chose this artifact because I feel that it really encompassed learning from several different weeks in class. The idea of Project Based Learning is something that I heard about, but did not think was something that I was interested in incorporating into my classroom. The more I learned about PBL I realized that I did not have a true understanding of what PBL was or why I should be using it in my classroom. During the first few weeks of this class I learned a lot about what PBL is and the successes and challenges that often go along with it. During this time I also brainstormed several different PBLs I could implement in my classroom with a variety of corresponding technology experiences for my students. Next, we learned about UbD. I was finally able to combine these two important topics by using UbD to create a PBL unit for my students. I am so excited to implement this unit with my students during the next school year.  I think that this project is a great example of the learning I completed during the first few weeks in the class.

Although I am very proud of the work I completed for this project, and I think it shows my understanding of UbD and PBL, it does not mean that this project did not have its challenges. One major challenge I faced while completing this project was my knowledge of the subject content. I really felt that the science curriculum would lend itself best to the PBL concept, and it one of the few content areas where all my students are present. Additionally, I wanted to be sure that if I was putting in the time and effort, I wanted to create a meaningful and useful product that I could implement for multiple years. However, next year we will be implementing a new science curriculum in the elementary buildings. Although I have a curriculum map, I do not have experience actually teaching the lessons. This was a challenge when trying to create a PBL unit that focused on the topics covered in the curriculum map, even though I have not yet taught the curriculum yet. I look forward to implementing this unit next year with my students. However, I also recognize that because it is the first time that I will be teaching this curriculum, I will more than likely have to make changes and modifications to my unit as I am implementing and better understanding the curriculum and resources provided.

This assignment could be implemented into the curriculum very easily. I wrote this PBL Unit based upon the concepts that are being studied during Trimester 3 Science in fourth grade. The trimester topic in science is Waves and Earth Features. I created a PBL unit that students can work on for a few weeks during this trimester. It asks students to learn about different energy and fuel types, determine which is best for the Earth and try to convince others how and why we should use it. I think that this assignment would be great to implement because it is a real life problem that students could become really engaged with. I also provided a variety of learning opportunities for students to combine technology, research, reading, and writing skills to improve their understanding of the science topics. I believe that implement this unit will improve student engagement and improve their learning and understanding of the topic.

Finally, I think this assignment is a great example of how I have grown as an educator through this class. PBL is more than just a buzz word, but a shift in instruction that can have huge benefits for students. Prior to this class, my understanding of PBL was very limited. It was something that seemed like a lot of work that I was not interested in exploring further. However, during this class I was able to brainstorm a variety of ideas that would make great PBLs and then explore one of the topics deeper to create a PBL unit. This showed me what I am capable and has given me the courage to continue to explore PBLs in the future. I really hope to share my knowledge and understanding of PBLs with my teammates and hopefully we will be able to create additional units together. I look forward to leading my team in creating real life valuable learning experiences for our students. 

EEND 678 Course Reflection

While reflecting on this class, one article that really was meaningful to me was, “35 Leaders on the Successes and Challenges of Project Based Learning.” I found this article to be so meaningful for a few reasons. One reason it really stuck with me was the honesty of the people interviewed. I feel like often times the successes and the amazing possibilities of technology are presented, but rarely are the very realistic challenges discussed. For example one Blossom Johnston states, “The work we've funded in this space in Idaho over the past 4 years point to a few key lessons. But, first of all we've seen that this is a really difficult learning approach that requires a lot of time, effort, resources and support to implement.” I think it is really important to acknowledge while we are trying to implement these amazing concepts there is a lot of time and effort involved. I feel like often times we are expected to do amazing things, without any consideration or acknowledgement of all the work behind the scenes. This article is great because it speaks to the amazing possibilities of technology in the classroom without ignoring all the effort and challenges behind the scenes.

One discussion that I felt was truly meaningful was “Feedback on a Flip.” Flipped Learning is a concept that I was had heard about but found to overwhelming to try to tackle. I found the discussion with my peers really beneficial. It was great to hear their different ideas of how to make this “big idea” work for them in their classrooms. I also really enjoyed seeing their Flipped Videos. It was great to see the variety of topics as well as different tools and programs that people decided to use when creating their Flipped Video. It provided me with lots of ideas and inspiration. I feel that prior to the discussion and the sharing of the videos the concept of Flipped Learning seemed overwhelming and I wasn’t sure how to do it “right”. The discussion with my colleagues helped me to realize there are so many ways to explore with this topic and doing it “right” may look a little different in each classroom.

I feel that I have truly grown as a connected educator through this class. I have really pushed out of my comfort zone for many projects during this class. Project Based Learning and Flipped Learning are two huge buzz words that I had heard about, read about, and decided were beyond something I could tackle. However, through this class I have been forced to push out of my comfort zone and tackle these innovative approaches to learning. I am so excited to implement my PBL next year and share my knowledge with my teammates and hopefully create additional units together. Similarly, from discussions with and examples from my classmates I have gained so many ideas of ways to flip learning in my classroom. I look forward to exploring this concept with my students next year and make it work for my classroom. 

EEND 677: Artifact #2

            The second artifact I chose to reflect on for this class is my Screencast project for Module 7. I chose this artifact for a few reasons. One reason I chose this artifact is that I feel it shows my understanding of really two different projects I completed for the class. While creating the screencast, which shows my knowledge of this multimedia tool, I was also demonstrating my knowledge of WeVideo, which I had used to create my book trailer for Module 4. I feel that the screencast was a great way to show how my understanding of these multimedia tools had improved through this course. Another reasons why I chose to share this artifact is that I feel that is shows how I have pushed myself beyond my comfort zone and used a tool that I thought was too challenging in the past. Prior to this class I had seen many screencasts, but had always been intimidated by this tool. I felt that I was not tech savvy enough to create something like this, nor did I have information that needed to be shared in this way. However, I feel that through creating this screencast for this class I really pushed myself and can really see the value of making screencasts in the future.

            While creating the screencast project for Module 7, I found the experience to be very different than I had anticipated. The elements of the screencast that I expected to be challenging turned out to be much more user friendly than anticipated. However, the elements that I expected to be easy, turned out to be the most challenging. Prior to becoming more familiar with screencasts through the resources provided in Module 7, I worried about the technical aspects of actually creating and editing the screencast. However, this turned out to be incredibly easy using ScreenCastify. This app is incredibly user friendly and easy to navigate. It only took me a few quick experiments to feel comfortable with this tool. However, I found the content and the timing of the screencast to be much more challenging than I anticipated. I originally had planned on covering much more content in my screencast about using WeVideo. However, midway through my first recording I had exceeded the ten minutes provide by ScreenCastify. I was shocked by how long my screencast had run! I did not intend to make such a long video. I knew that a longer video would struggle to hold the attention of my students. I had to modify my outline to include less information to fit better into the time constraints. Additionally, having been sick with a cough and cold for the last few weeks, I found it frustrating that I could not pause and restart my screencast. There are several times when I cough during the screencast. However, as I was sick and can’t seem to go more than 5 minutes without coughing, this seemed inevitable for the time being. I wonder if I had a different app to create the screencasts if I would have been able to edit this. However, with the free app I was using I did not have that option. However, despite all the challenges involved I was proud that I was able to step out of my comfort zone and make a screencast that my students can use.

            I made this screencast because I felt that it really responded to a need I had seen in my classroom. My students had been exploring WeVideo and had used it in a few different projects. They have become much more proficient than I in using the various features of WeVideo. They have created some amazing videos and book trailers. However, the problems seemed to arise when they were finishing the videos and moving them out of WeVideo. They also struggled with sharing them so that others could view them. I had reviewed how to save the videos to Google Drive and how to open up the sharing aspect. However, each of these concepts required multiple steps and students struggled to follow through. This is why I chose to create a screencast that would help students to share their videos to Google in a way that they could utilize them and share them. I felt that screencasting would be a great way to do this because students could pause the video as they were working. They could complete one step at a time without becoming overwhelmed. I shared the screencast on our Canvas site so that they can access it whenever they need to.

            I feel that this artifact really shows how I have grown through this course work. Prior to this class, a screencast really seemed outside of my abilities as an educator. I really felt that I did not have the technical experience or ability to create a screencast. Nor did I think that I had technology knowledge valuable enough to share in this manner. However, this class taught me how technologically easy it is to create a screencast. Also, it showed me that screencasts can be created for a variety of reasons. I learned that if I saw a need I could create a screencast that would help me to share information with my students. I look forward to improving my screencasting skills and using screencasts in the future to continue to support the learners in my classroom.