Discussion+Questions

**__Discussion Question 1 - completed during Weekend One __**
** What do you know about using technology with students? ** I know that it is extremely important to have a discussion with the students about Internet safety and copy right issues. I also have seen how motivated the kids become when simply using technology to demonstrate their knowledge. One thing that was surprising to find out this year was that the students weren't as big of a problem as the parents were and trying to get them to feel comfortable with their son or daughter doing something other than worksheets. When using technology with students, you can guarantee that projects will take longer and specific objectives and tasks have to set in place for each day in order to keep everyone on task and moving forward. Fourth graders love to spend time looking up pictures for their project even before the content is posted so having strict guidelines on appropriate work habits when using technology is necessary.

I want to find ways to use online resources for students who are not 13 and do not have an e-mail address. I have discussed this issue with other teachers in my building and found ways to get an e-mail address for each student but the problem comes up again when websites have a statement that says users must be 13 years or older in order to participate. It is difficult to have parents feel comfortable about technology when their child is only 9 or 10 and using sites intended for teenagers. I also want to know what is a reasonable scope and sequence of technology skills that students who complete from third grade through fourth. What do my students need to be able to do by the time they move on to fifth grade? Although I know this depends greatly on my school district and building, I still want to know more of what is appropriate, in more detail that the ISTE standards. With technology rapidly changing, what SHOULD my students KNOW?
 * What do you want to know about using technology with students? **

**__Discussion Question 2 - completed during Weekend One__ **
** Look at the Essential 21st Century Skills List - Select one skill and discuss how you already meet this skill via your current instruction. ** I believe I meet Communication Skills in my classroom because I use a variety of communication techniques to deliver instruction as well as receive student understanding. In the beginning of the year I focus a lot of my time with the class completing team work activities that require talking through problems as well as nonverbal communication stratgies in order to be successful as a group. Students learn the importance of effective nonverbal communication techniques and the power of body language through the various activities I incorporate throughout the year. Additional to the team building activities, I use online resources for students to demonstrate knowledge through written and visual products. Students are introduced to a variety of genres in which writing takes place and they participate in persuasive speeches, debates regarding controversial issues, and commuicating through an online course. The communication piece takes place among students, teacher, and parents and everyone has an understanding that the communication is important in order to ensure success in the classroom. We ALL must work together and communicate effectively to get a point across.

**Select another Essential 21st Century Skill that you may NOT already touch upon and project how you might be able to meet that need in future instruction.** One area that I would like to focus more attention on throughout my instruction revolves P//roblem identification, Formulation, and Solution// skills. As much as I love team work and "real world" application projects, I hold my students to a tight expectation and guide them more than I should when it comes to problem solving. After reading Ted McCain's book __Teaching for Tomorrow__, I have a better idea of what direction I would like to go in regarding how I teach. In McCain's book, he uses a 4 step process in which the teacher acts like a customer and requests for a product to be made. The customer gives a deadline and explains what he needs but does not go into detail about how the student should go about meeting the customer's needs. Using a variety of forms, students go through the four step process to identify the problem (what the customer requested), develops a list of tasks and subtasks that are required to complete the assignment, and then formulates a plan. Students then reflect on their product before demonstrating it to the customer, making them accountable and responsible for what they give and what grade they will get. Working with fourth graders I find it hard watching them struggle and become frustrated with the little bit of information they get from the "customer" or teacher but I know I need to do that in order to get them to understand the importance of problem solving through reflection, trial and error, and/or guess and check. Leaving the project open ended out allow students to use their strengths to complete the assignment which will ultimately lead to building self confidence which is necessary to take on future problems without the help of a teacher or parent. ==** __Discussion Question 3 - to be completed one week after the Weekend One__ ** ==

** Find a TeacherTube/YouTube video that you could use for instructional purposes and copy and paste the address of the video for others to view. Explain how you would use this with your students. ** [|How to Debate] This YouTube video uses Legos to introduce the idea and vocabulary of debating. I introduce debates in my classroom and find it difficult to explain the purpose as well as how to keep it civil. Using the video to show students the basic process of a debate can give them the overall or "big" picture of what I expect from the whole class and when everyone has the same understanding of my expectations, our class debates can be more successful in allowing two sides of an issue be "heard" whether or not it changes a student's opinion.

Other Students' Videos  I thought the video Brad chose "A Girl Like Me" was extremely powerful. Although I think I could want to skip the beginning portion of the video due to vocabulary terms I deem inappropriate for fourth graders, I think it would lead to a great discussion as to the kind of power the media holds over our thoughts, beliefs, and values. It was interesting to see the experiment that the narrator conducted which was similar to an experiment from years prior and how the results were similar. Our society likes to put bandaids on issues but the problems (discrimination and racism) are still there and surround our children. It would be good for my students to see this video, especially since we are predominately a white district, so that they could see the difference between saying what your beliefs and values are and believing what your beliefs and values.

Kristin's YouTube video "Multiplication Tricks" was very interesting. Although it took me a while to understand the "trick" I think this could be used for students who continue to struggle with their basic facts and can not use calculators. For instance, students who struggle with memorization could use this strategy during state and standardized tests when calculators are not permitted. I also think that it is unrealistic to allow students to carry a multiplication chart around the rest of their lives and although I allow it as an accommodation on tests for some students, this "trick" could provide another strategy, possibly an easier strategy, for struggling students.

==**__Discussion Question 4 - to be completed Saturday/Weekend Two__ ** ==


 * To complete the KWHL- what have you learned from the readings, activities and discussions from this course about using technology with your students? **

Not only did this course open up new online programs/software to incorporate into my classroom, it taught me how to be a better teacher using technology. I truly enjoyed chapter 11 in "Using Technology with Classroom Instruction that Works" because it gave me motivation and direction in establishing my own teaching philosophy. I believe that being an educator is more than teaching the basic math facts, spelling, and phonics. I believe that teaching students how to think, problem solve, take risk, and work with others is just as equally important to the skills mentioned before if not more so in order to be successful in and out of school.

Based on what I **wanted** to know before taking this course, I have gained a better understanding on what students SHOULD know at my grade level. Although it may not be specific to what programs my students should know, I know the foundation to any scope and sequence is problem solving. When students problem solve, whatever form that takes, they learn how to be successful and self directed rather than being taught how to do everything leading to learned helplessness. Equally important to allowing students to problem solve is my role to provide feedback. Giving students immediate feedback and praise will encourage them to trust themselves and ween away from needing specific directions. Along with feedback from the teacher, allowing students to give feedback to their peers and to the teacher will help create a learning community as well as improve future instruction.

Two activities completed in the first weekend of this class taught me the major ideas that I will take away from EDT 674. The first activity taught me what kind of learning I am and although I knew that, I finally saw that I also teach in the same way I learn which doesn't necessarily reach ALL of my students. This concept was something I brought back to my fourth grade team because I think it is extremely important to point out how we as teachers learn therefore most likely is the way we teach and how that reaches only some of the intelligences leaving out others. In order to make sure all students are successful, our teaching style might have to take us out of our own personal comfort zone. The second activity that taught me a lot was the cooperative learning segment that required a group of four people to build a contraption with legos. The activity did not use computers or technology of that sort but instead good old fashion building blocks that required all group members to work together, communicate, follow directions, listen, and problem solve. Again being the student really taught me what it feels like for my students to be confused and working with others that I may or may not trust. It was a great experience for me because I collaborated with the other teachers on how to use this activity in my own classroom with some changes making it more realistic and appropriate for my grade level.

Overall I have learned a lot just in the first weekend of class and the weeks that followed but it would take page after page to explain them all. Summarizing the top ideas I am taking away from this course are as followed: 1.) Problem solving can occur at any grade level and is critical for a child's success in and out of school. 2.) Knowing learning styles of yourself will help you become a better educator for others. 3.) Feedback is important in all forms and directions, teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student.