Because I LOVED 21st Century Teaching and Learning ITEC 7400! If that makes me a nerd, well so be it. This was a great class and a great way to start my Ed.S. experience.
My favorite part of this class was getting to spend time dedicated to planning out the Engaged Learning project. The National Novel Writing Month Project (NaNoWriMo) is all about challenging students to complete a real-life project. To write an entire novel is a huge accomplishment, even if it never makes it to a traditional publisher. With the NaNoWriMo website, class wikis, and other web-based tools, all students can publish their work. Rooted in the community are tools to help writers do what all writers have to do: write. Writing a 50,000 word book is daunting, but the online worldwide community helps students stay motivated throughout the month and to achieve their goal. ISTE-C 2.1 states: “Candidates model and facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to engage students in authentic learning experiences.” I feel like a I did a good job on this project to make the learning authentic and engaging. Part of the ISTE-C standards is to continue to develop yourself as a coach and technology expert (ISTE-C 6.1). Even before starting my Ed.S, I read a lot of technology blogs, followed many techies on Twitter, and combed through the internet for new and exciting tools to use in the classroom. However, I wasn’t necessarily able to communicate about technology well. This course helped me develop the language for effective discourse in instructional technology. I knew most of the tools and applications we studied, but I didn’t always have the language to describe them effectively. For example, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint were always just “the Microsoft Stuff” or “the writing program, the column program, and the presentation program.” Reading the chapter in the Roblyer text about Productivity Tools gave me the context in which to talk about and describe these tools intelligently. While at first glance that may not sound important, it is incredibly important when one thinks about how critical it is to communicate these new and challenging concepts to classroom teachers and other stakeholders. One way I like to challenge students in authentic learning is by getting them involved in competitions. I don’t mean classroom versions or Jeopardy or a game I create for a test review; I mean I like for students to compete in local area, statewide, nationwide, and international competitions. I’ve had student enter everything from the Roswell Water Department’s water conservation poster contest to Google’s Doodle4Google contest. Many times I would have to justify to administrators or others why we were doing such an activity. I’d explain the relationship to the standards I was teaching, and I would explain, patiently, competitions inherently require close reading of informational texts (the submission requirements), time management (due dates), and innovative thinking (if you want to win you can’t do the same thing as everyone else). So, I was thrilled when Dr. Jo posted a list of competitions for students to enter. It really is an under-utilized project-based learning opportunity. With the help from the Roblyer text and Dr. Jo’s resources, it is much easier to justify competitions and get buy-in from administration and parents.
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Ana HaleHula Hoop Champion, 1980 Crestwood Middle School (I can't believe I peaked in the '80s) Archives
November 2017
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