Have you ever wished you had learned something earlier in your career that would have been powerful for both you and your audience? For me, that thing is TPACK. TPACK (technological pedagogical and content knowledge) is a practice that teachers can use to enhance student learning opportunities in a technology-based environment. After learning that the TPACK process can be applied to my lessons, many doors have been opened. I have always thought of what to teach (content), how to teach it (pedagogy) and how to incorporate technology in my lessons, but never as a combined strategy for enhanced student learning. When I began my capstone project (Advanced Learners InVigorate Education), the TPACK concept was just beginning to develop in my mind. Over time, I began to understand that a great lesson plan can always be improved and become more dimensional by using the practice of TPACK. Because my capstone project is a resource for teachers including advanced-learner teaching strategies, I made sure that I focused more on the "how" the "what" and also infused technology whenever possible. I believe that my use of TPACK as a reference point while developing my capstone project has led to a dynamic, multi-level, user-friendly, and modern resource that I hope teachers will use with their students for years to come.
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This session's homework was extremely valuable for me given the current coronavirus epidemic. With distance learning at the forefront of my mind, I experimented with Zoom, EdPuzzle, Vocaroo, Audacity and Google Jamboard. I chose these tools because I felt that they would be most helpful in preparation for my official begin of distance learning on April 14th.
I used Zoom to film an ELA writing lesson in which I explained the brainstorming process and assignment expectations. The Zoom tool was surprisingly easy to use and I completed the task with a bit of help from EdPuzzle which allowed me to download and create a shareable link seamlessly. My Zoom lesson also included a page from Google's Jamboard which allowed me to design a simple, neat visual that will help my students during the brainstorming part of their writing assignment. Vocaroo is cool and simple, could be used for students who want to practice their oral presentations prior to speaking in front of the class. Audacity is a great, free tool that could be used to create high level voice recordings including podcasts. Audacity is also used to create multi-track music recordings. I can see cost being a barrier to many technology applications. For instance, WeVideo used to be free but now there is a cost even for students, I may consider applying for a WeVideo grant next year. Fortunately, there are many dynamic, free apps available. Right now, many technology companies are offering free service to help support student learning during this difficult time. One note about flipped classes, I am concerned that many students would not watch or comprehend the home instructional videos. If this was the case, I would spend the next day catching those students up resulting in frustration and possibly an unsuccessful lesson. I do however like the in-class flip. I was thinking this could be a fantastic way to teach science because of the high interest and diverse levels. My study findings showed me that non-GATE students may benefit greatly from advanced learning strategies. My data showed that students who were at or below grade level increased their Reading Inventory scores more than the GATE students in the class. This data shows me that I need to consider new ways to reach the advanced learners in my classroom. The data also raises new questions relating to the group that I should be focusing on in my study. I am considering the question: do advanced learning strategies help improve reading, comprehension and vocabulary skills of students at grade level more than traditional ELA curriculum? Significant data findings also show that high percentages of students of all levels of achievement would like to be more challenged while at school. Pretty cool!
My research question is: How can elementary educators implement and execute a formal, in-class GATE program so students can grow beyond grade-level in ELA? I recently finished a simple three question survey in which my whole class, GATE students and GATE parents participated. Overall, the research shows that a large majority of GATE students and their parents believe that school has been “too easy” at some point in their schooling. Also, findings show that high percentages of students of all levels of achievement would like to be “more challenged” while at school.
Another part of my data included the use of Reading Inventory data which was designed by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. The assessment measures vocabulary and comprehension proficiency with texts students will encounter both in and out of school. A score of 1011 Lexile is considered above fifth-grade level. The assessment is taken a few times a year, I used the Reading Inventory data from the beginning of fourth grade through the end of Trimester 1 in fifth grade. Interesting findings show that even GATE students can plateau and the bar continuously needs to be raised. This information has helped my research paper but even more importantly as a teacher. I will use this Reading Inventory data to help guide my instruction as I move forward throughout the year, my students deserve this and I believe it will greatly help them improve. Share your musings about one of these questions (or more) from the context of your classroom, your teaching practice and your student's learning experience. Consider the following in your writing:
I found this session's content extremely interesting and innovative. Starting with "flipped classrooms" , I can absolutely see the benefits of having students do their "lecture" at home in preparation for the next class. A few pitfalls might be lack of internet at home and choosing a curriculum that has the flipped model resources already in place. I am curious if large curriculum companies have already started using the flipping strategies? I will have to look into that. Also, I wonder how teachers handle it when students do not do their lecture homework when they come to class the next day? On the other hand, there are so many positives including student engagement and the potential for project and I will be using a variety of data as I move along in my research project. Before getting into that, I would like to solidify the definitions of quantitative and qualitative data in my own mind. According to Schmoop.com "quantitative research is information about quantities: that is, information that can be measured and written down with numbers while qualitative data is information about qualities: information that can't actually be measured. Some examples of qualitative data are the softness of your skins or the grace in which you run."
In my research project, which involves the implementation of in-class GATE programs, I will be using a combination of qualitative and quantitative. I feel it is best to include both research types, however research will learn towards quantitative (including survey questions and past/present school reading assessments) because if feel that this type of data provides clear evidence of a successful or unsuccessful GATE implementation. Qualitative research will include student and teacher discussion. How can technology help with meeting students’ individual learning needs?
In my opinion, one of the most impactful educational advances over the past ten years is adaptive learning technology. For too long, schools have been practicing the one size fits all model where content is taught to the largest group with little opportunity to reach low and high achievers. One website that I have found particularly useful is Freckle.com. Freckle.com is described as “a platform where students automatically work on the Math, ELA, Social Studies and Science lessons that are perfect for them. That way, they are always engaged and challenged, never facing material that is too difficult or easy for them.” I have seen tremendous growth is my students with the use of Freckle.com, this technology has helped me meet me meet individual learning needs. I often adjust students grade levels based on their academic levels, for instance a low achieving fifth-grader might be adjusted to a third-grade reading level. A high achieving fifth grader might be adjusted to a seventh-grade math level. This technique gives students the opportunity to learn and grow at own unique academic level. Essential Question: How can elementary educators implement and execute a formal, in-class GATE program so students can grow beyond grade-level in ELA ?
So What, Who Cares? Children are “gifted” when their ability is significantly above the norm for their age. Giftedness may manifest in one or more domains such as; intellectual, creative, artistic, leadership, or in a specific academic field such as language arts, mathematics or science (Nagc.org, 2019). Unfortunately, the Education pendulum has swung away from reaching these high-achieving (GATE) students. Frequently, students who are ready to grow and learn beyond the grade-level standards are often not given advanced opportunities, and are therefore not being challenged to their fullest potential. There are many reasons why a District, school or teacher many not implement a formal GATE program. In the article, "Are We Differentiating Effectively for the Gifted or Not" by Gifted Child Today, it states why a District may not support GATE students as much as they should: 1) PD Trainings and GATE Curriculum can be expensive and time-consuming. 2) A District may not be sure that at GATE curriculum will "cover" the CCSS as well as the standard District-issued curriculum. 3) Stakeholders haven't expressed a desire or need to promote GATE growth. 4) Adjusting the learning styles and curriculum of GATE students may negatively affect District test scores. GATE programs can be hard to implement on a state, district or school-wide level. Fortunately, teachers can implement their own in-school GATE programs in their classrooms, thus providing the support that their students need and deserve. Methodology My study will begin by reviewing school records for students in my class who have GATE designations. Next, I will create an Independent Learning Plan (ILP) focusing on ELA for each GATE student based on teacher records, grades, test scores and personal observations. I will then create and assign a student pre-assessment questionnaire using Google Forms related to their GATE experience in previous grade levels. Next, implementation of higher-level ELA teaching strategies will begin including the grouping GATE students in Literary Circles for above-grade level vocabulary work, Depth Icons analysis and story discussions. In addition, student adaptive learning website accounts (Freckle.com) will be increased one grade level up to sixth-grade. GATE students will also need to get their independent reading books approved by me during school library time, the approved books will be at least one grade level or above. To increase my exposure I will look for GATE training/conferences to gain further knowledge. I will also talk with parents at Trimester 1 conferences about goals and past and current experiences. As the study comes to a close, I will Deliver Post-Assessment to GATE students related their current GATE experiences. I will also compare the 4th grade Reading Inventory school year progression with 5th grade Reading Inventory progression to see if students levels have grown above grade level at an increased rate after being involved in the study. From there, I will adjust accordingly to provide the most influential GATE experience possible. References Nagc.org. (2019). What is Giftedness? | National Association for Gifted Children. [online] Available at: https://www.nagc.org/resources-publications/resources/what-giftedness "I spent lots of time this week using the EBSCO Database and internet searches to find more articles that would help support my driving questions/790 Research Paper.
What perspectives did the 3 new research articles offer? Article #1 "District GATE Programs" helped me gain some insights about what District GATE programs are already in place. Many districts do Independent Learning Plans for students who qualify for GATE. Teachers and Administrators write up the plans in the first 30 days of the school year to set up a classroom plan as to how to best support the student. Article #2 "Six Strategies for Gifted Learners" shared the perspective of a GATE student and how to best impact their learning. I thought the section titled "Most Difficult First" was particularly interesting. Students are given the most difficult problems from that night's homework at the beginning of class. If the students passes with a 90% they will be excused from that night's homework and given a higher level, related activity to work on. Article #3 "Student Independent Investigations" discussed the positive impact that a GATE (or any student) may have with topic self-choice. I plan on using this learning opportunity in the near future. How do they inform your study and methodology? The three articles this week helped my study by giving me additional resources and data to include in my research paper. This new information gave me new options and opportunities to reach my GATE students. I plan on using the independent investigation project in the methodology over the next few weeks. How do they relate to your driving question? My driving question is "How can elementary educators implement and execute formal, in-class GATE program so students can grow beyond grade-level in ELA?" Knowing about District practices will help me understand what has and has not worked in the real-world of education. These articles gave me additional support for my research paper but they also helped me notice that I have holes in my paper which I need to address. The holes are regarding the consideration of in-class social relationships with GATE and non-GATE students. I also need additional research on teacher professional development opportunities. 1. After reviewing the videos from Brown, Gardner, Robinson and Pink, I noticed a common theme. The theme that I noticed is self-reflection. Self-reflection can take learning to another level because we need to observe ourselves (minds and actions) and be honest as to what is working and what is not. Gardner stated that there are five types minds for the future including disciplinary, synthesizing, creating, respectful and ethical. As educators, being knowledgeable of our minds and the minds of others will help us be lifelong learners and help impact those who we teach.
2. I really enjoyed watching Pink's "The Surprising Science of Motivation". Learning about the candle trick, rewards and and out-of-the-box thinking made me strongly consider how my teaching practices fit into Pink's message. As humans one of our best assets is our higher level thinking, Pink mentions that lower-level finance, accounting and programming can and will be easily be outsourced or computerized. I am focusing a lot of energy on GATE and the teaching of these students, I have recently been integrating higher-level activities into my everyday classroom with all of the my students. One example I have been using in class is giving students that hardest math question of that day's lesson prior to instruction. Students are then given time to think and discuss with their table mate prior to being given the answer. I have found great success with this method in a short time, students come up with their own methods instead of taking my methods as "the right way" thus thinking outside of the box. Students also end with a vested interest in the lesson because they have already used their own brain reasoning to figure out a problem. 3. I found Mobley's 6 Insights, well..., very insightful. Based on the article, unfortunately most of the day to day experiences we provide students during class time may be helping them learn but it is also keeping them from increasing their creativity. I like the innovations and opportunities mentioned, yet these types of articles can also be discouraging. As teachers, we naturally believe deeply in our students and care about them and their futures but it seems we may be steering them wrong due to our formal training. On a positive note, I think with an open mind we can use Mobley's strategies to infuse new enthusiasm and ideas into projects that we may already be doing. Maybe this is a good first step? I like the message of "to be more creative, spend time with creative people" and I never realized the correlation between creativity and self-knowledge, very interesting. Favorite quote "refusing to quit requires faith in ourselves, transformation is a painful process." |
AuthorJoel Kriner of the Touro Innovative Learning Masters Program. Archives
June 2020
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