EEND 676B: Artifact #2 Reflection

Another artifact that I created for this class is my State Advantages and Disadvantages Project using Google. I created this lesson for Module 4:Google Tools. I chose this lesson for a few reasons. One reason I chose this lesson is the variety of Google Tools that are required for students to use. Students need to use Google Slides, Google Forms and Google Sheets to complete this assignment. I think that it is important for my students to have more experiences with all of these tools. At this point in the year my students have used each of these tools at least once in my classroom. However, this lesson requires them to not just use the document, but to create their own forms and graphs using these tools. I would like to incorporate more of these kinds of learning opportunities for my students. Another reason I chose this lesson is the content. The idea of advantages and disadvantages of the different geographical regions is something that my class has struggled with. When I implement this lesson at the end of the school year, my students will have spent more time exploring these comments. I believe this lesson will allow them to show off how their understanding has increased through the school year. 

I found the creation of this lesson to be very challenging. The idea that I needed to use three different Google tools in one lesson seemed a little overwhelming when I got started. I knew I wanted to create a lesson based upon our Social Studies curriculum. This is an area that my students would really benefit from. Additionally, the curriculum is much older than the other curriculum and could benefit from some updated lessons. However, I struggled to find a way that students could use multiple google tools while still staying focused on a social studies task. However, after debating a few different options, I thought that it would be beneficial for students to be able to reflect upon their peers' reactions to their slides. Hopefully the Google Form and the collected data on the Google Sheet will help students to reflect and understand why one advantage and disadvantage was viewed the best by his/her peers. 

My goal is to use this lesson towards the end of the school year. At that point students will have learned about the 5 different geographical regions and will have spent more time developing an understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the regions. Currently they struggle with providing evidence to support their thoughts about advantages and disadvantages. At the end of the year students are also assigned a state to give a presentation about. I feel that this lesson would be a great supplement to the State Project. Finally, I feel that this lesson really shows how my understanding of collaborative web tools have improved through this class. Google is such a wonderful resource with so many options. I feel that prior to learning in Module 4, my students worked almost solely on Google Docs. This lesson shows how I have learned ways to incorporate different Google elements into my lesson. Similarly, in the past I had only used Google Forms as a way to gather information about students. This lesson, however, allows students to create their own Google Forms and collect and analyze that data using Google Sheets. This class has truly inspired me to expand my use of Google in the classroom.

EEND 676B: Artifact #1 Reflection

One artifact from this class that I really enjoyed creating and implementing was my Human Body Lesson.  I created this lesson for Module 6: Writing and Assessing a Collaborative Task. While creating this lesson I chose to use the Gallery Walk discussion strategy to introduce my students to the content that they would be using. Students were divided into small groups. Each group had to move to the 6 Gallery stations, read information about a different body system and take notes about the system in their science journals. Next, students worked collaboratively to create a Google Slide deck. Each slide focused on one of the body stems and students had to identify the function of the body and explain how that system is necessary for students to be able to rock climb, their current gym class activity. Students also were asked to comment on the work of their peers and self evaluate themselves on a provided rubric. 

While creating this lesson, one of the greatest challenges I had was being able to assess how well students collaborated on the project. I want all students to have some responsibility for completing the Google Slide deck, however I did not want to dictate how this would look for the different students. While assessing this aspect of the assignment, I looked at both student self evaluations on the rubric as well as looked at the version history on the document to see what each student contributed. This helped me to have a better understanding of each team members' role. 

I used this lesson during my science class on our Human Body unit. The lesson took place over 3 different class sessions. Students were actively engaged in the content and were excited to work with their peers on the project. I was happy with the completed assignment and the way that students had understood the information. I think this project shows how much I have learned through this class. Students truly worked collaboratively while completing this assignment. Students were all able to access the content at the same time and work simultaneously on the project. I am so proud of the work of my students. I am excited to use this lesson again next year and modify it to fit other content areas later this year. 

Canvas at Different Grade Levels

Technology is becoming a more constant and invasive element in education. However, as with many things, the benefits we can get out of the technology available is often dependent on the effort we put in and the way that we as educators are utilizing these resources in our classroom. I have been using Canvas for the past five years, since I was hired in district. However, the way in which I have utilized this technology in the classroom has varied significantly based upon the grade levels I have taught. 

When I taught kindergarten, I found Canvas to be a great way to communicate with parents. I was able to share out classroom newsletters and photos so parents could feel like they truly understood what was happening in our classroom day to day. I was able to post resources for parents to use at home and links to various websites that students could use. There were also times where I had students post videos of some of the work they had been completing in class. However, these occasions were very much supported by myself and the TIS available. 

While teaching second grade, I was able to modify the way I was using Canvas in the classroom. I would still post newsletters, photos, and resources for parents to feel connected to our classroom. However, I was able to have students become more involved and independent in the way they utilized Canvas. Students were able to participate in group discussions, post their work, and comment on their classmates posts. They became more comfortable with independently using the site and uploading content. The Canvas page began to belong more to the students than the parents. 

This year I am teaching fourth grade and am so excited about the way that my class is utilizing Canvas. Between the combination of being 1:1 with the Chromebooks, and the independence and technological ability of this grade level, Canvas has become an integral part of our classroom. Students are accessing Canvas throughout the day. This can be as basic as using the Student Resource page to access other sites, such as Dreambox or StoryWorks, or more complex lessons. I have created pages on our Canvas site for specific lessons that allow students to link to copies of different Google Docs, had students collaborate in classroom discussion, and share content on the site. However, I am most proud of the Canvas Modules I have worked with my team to create this year. 

This year, as my grade level team began planning for our math intervention block, we struggled to determine what would be a beneficial independent activity for our students were were performing at level 3 or 4 on the skill we would be focusing on. We worked together to create a Canvas Module that students could work on at their own pace, focused on the identified skill, but that they could expand on. Using Khan Academy and FrontRow resources, created a multi-step module. Students would have to watch instruction videos, complete sample problems, complete assignments on Front Row, and finally create their own instructional videos. This module allowed students to work at their own pace, to engage with the topic, and then to show their mastery through their own videos posted on the discussion board. Students were engaged and excited to participate in the module and were able to show their understanding in the videos. Our team is looking forward to creating similar modules for different topics as we change our focus during this time. 

I have found the ways that I have used Canvas in my classroom has been very dependent on my grade  level and the technology available. How do you use Canvas at the grade level you teach? What Canvas activities are you most proud of?