Response to Article: Week 6

As mentioned in the article, Voice Thread is a tool which can benefit many individual students. This ICT is one which can enable differentiation and can support many different kinds of learners. The article gives examples of a student who has ADHD, another with a learning disability and describes how they benefit from using Voice Thread in the classroom. VoiceThread is an engaging and easily adaptable tool. Teachers can create individual presentations for each student or for different groups of students. VoiceThread is easy for students to navigate and they can work on their own at a computer.
VoiceThread also helps students and teachers communicate. Teachers can use it to critique students' work or to start them off on a topic.
I think that the greatest feature of this tool is the flexibility in the many ways it can be used and in the way it can be tweaked to accommodate individual students' needs.

Voice Thread

This tool is easy to use and can be utilized for many aspects of ELA instruction.
I present how I used it to give over a lesson in descriptive writing in which students are encouraged to "show vs. tell".
https://voicethread.com/share/11063243/
Another way it can be used is to revise students' writings and offer critique.

Glogster

I would create a glog for ELA instruction which had lots of background information on a text the class would be starting to read. I am a big believer in engaging students and in helping their comprehension by building their knowledge in a specific topic before reading a narrative or informative text. This also gives students a way to connect personally and build upon what they know to learn more. So for example, if I was beginning to read a historical fiction with a class, I would use glog to show images, videos, links with informative texts or newspaper articles regarding the time period that the story takes place in. This way, students would understand the broader setting of the book and be able to understand and appreciate the story at a greater level. Glog also can be used when there is a range of students at different levels. If a student finishes the assigned reading for the day, he or she would be able to continue exploring and building knowledge on the topic at hand.

Another way for Glog to be used in ELA instruction is to have students create a book review on Glogster. Students would practice their technological skills by designing a digital poster and could present key points of their idea while expanding their knowledge through searching the Internet for relevant information to include.

Affordances of this ICT include student based learning and collaboration. It includes web search and design. Glogster is accessible to all students who have internet access and can be used for each student at his or her academic and technological level. Glogster can be used with any form of web based material and calls upon students' creativity and thorough research to enhance their posters.

Keystone

Below is the link to all the documents of my keystone assignment:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mxf8sqvtwd2qul2/AADaUXbuoHMG5KethC017U4za?dl=0

Week 5 Response to Article

Research was done to determine the effects of digital reading on students' performance and motivation. Studies found that students' motivation was higher when reading tasks were digital. Additional, results suggested that students' reading engagement and critical thinking skills improved from using digital reading tools such as e-books, emails, chats, discussion boards and specifically blogs.

One point that the article mentions is that students who are usually introverted can gain from online forums for sharing their views and getting involved in discussions.

I think that the key to mastering digital technology tools as well as to gaining new literacies is to give students the opportunities to use them. I know from my experience in NYIT, that I learned how to use many new digital tools that I had not been introduced to before include Blogger. If these tools are incorporated in education and students have sufficient access and opportunity to explore and use them, they will become more proficient in using the tools and in gaining from them.

Second Life

I chose an Avatar that I felt suited me and the setting that I chose was the college town.
Second Life can be used in education as a well for students to actually interact with each other in a social forum and a real-life experience.
Teachers can create activities for students to follow through on this Virtual Life simulation experience and have clear goals for them to reach.
Students can visit educational centers in this virtual world and create settings that can teach them scientific and psychological concepts.

4: Response to Articles

Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners

The benefit of Second Life that spoke to me was enabling students to experience many different environments and gain from the virtual exploration. In line with the constructivist theory of learning which is the belief that students learn by connecting new information to past experiences, this program can be a great way to provide the experiences for students to connect to. This can be especially beneficial for online classes or for classes that have students with disabilities whose opportunities for real-life experiences can be limited. Students' social understanding as well as their recognition of different settings that they may explore in Second Life can be greatly enhanced.

However, these benefits can also be achieved through many other ways. This tool should be carefully evaluated for its pros and cons before implementation into a class.

Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms

Multimodal Reading can encourage students to read between the lines and to pick up messages and feelings that are better conveyed through other modals than the text alone. The examples that I liked were using the text color or size to emphasize meanings. I've seen text in which the words were written ascending or descending and which powerfully conveyed the deeper message. Such type of reading can be helpful for students who are primarily visual learners to understand books and texts that would be at a high level if written in standard text alone. Another benefit that multimodal reading offers is the encouragement of creative thinking, reading and writing. Students also learn to interpret symbols and use cues to enhance text comprehension.

BOOK BUILDER

View my book:
http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=view&book=129261&page=1

This book was written by Nechama Lipschutz and illustrated using Google images.

It is important for students, especially English Language Learners to recognize the meaning of phrases that are spoken even when they are not interpreted literally. Such phrases can be confusing for anyone unfamiliar with them and can cause them to misunderstand readings or spoken language. I chose to author my book on this specific topic in order to introduce students to the concept of idioms and to demonstrate a few common examples along with their figurative and literal meanings. Once students are opened to the idea that not everything always means exactly what the words say, they can begin to recognize more on their own.
ELA teachers can implement UDL Book Builder to share any literacy concepts in an engaging way. They can encourage students to read books about topics of interest by authoring it on their own or using shared books. Students can also be encouraged to write books and practice their written skills.

In a discussion with ELA instructor, some of the benefits of teaching this topic to students include:
Idioms are important for students' comprehension because it teaches them to inference and to be able to see beneath the surface of spoken and written word. Students develop critical thinking and are required to progress to a higher level thinking on the third level of Bloom's Taxonomy; analysis. Idioms and recognition of figurative language gives them a good angle for literature in which not everything is written literally but more roundabout and figurative. This can help students derive meaning from stories and understand on a deeper level. Idioms also encourage creativity.

3-2-1 Technology and Young Children

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299457642_Technology_Use_in_Early_Childhood_Education_A_Review_of_Literature

I chose this article because it takes into consideration both views concerning using technology for young children.

On the one hand, much research points to the conclusion that young children should learn using concrete materials and that too much technology can overload their brains. This view recognizes dangers of using or overusing technology such as social isolation, loss of interactive skills and loss of imagination.

On the other hand, there are researchers who believe that technology is developmentally appropriate for young children and it can help them with literacy skills, increasing motivation, and supporting students with disabilities or difficulties.

3-1-3 Game Sample

Click on the link below to view the script of my game sample:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pojjupg92l31ktx/MOCK%20STOCKS%20GAME.pptx?dl=0

3-1-1 AND 3-1-2 GAMING BENEFITS

How do teachers use games in the classroom?

Teachers use games as a way to get students to think critically and technologically. By creating games as well as playing them, students need a deep understanding of the technological logic. ELA teachers in specific use games as an interactive and exciting way to give students the opportunity to read and practice their comprehension, fluency and repetitive reading. Games are also used to have students write and narrate and use those skills.

PHILOSOPHY ON GAMES IN INSTRUCTION:

I think that as teachers, games are a way to involve all students in the material and skills being taught. Games serve as an interactive way for students to practice skills of all subjects and to master material taught in the class. Like all alternative methods of instruction and practice, games need to be balanced with other kinds of instructional behaviors and classroom practices. Gaming can easily be differentiated with each student able to accomplish at his or her level of ability and understanding.

From a student's perspective, gaming is a fun way to learn! Students may not even recognize how much educational gain there is from their enjoyable activities. Students who enjoy creating the games can benefit from such websites and if provided with good options of games, students can learn a lot while they play.

3-2-2 Reader's Response

I think that a primary purpose of using social networking ICTs in instruction is the incorporation of tools that students are interested in and use for pleasure. This serves a dual purpose by motivating students to get involved in the class activities and by having them practice using many of the technological resources that they may come across with in life. Students can respond to each other and have discussions using these tools, and can receive feedback from teachers. This is a great way to have students voice their opinions on specific topics or other students' work. Many of these tools are designed for classroom use and are therefore created in a safe way for students to use.

It is important to be sure that students use the applicable tools for the intended educational purpose and that they do not get distracted by the excitement of having a forum to chat with their classmates.

2-2-2 Grade 5 Reading Lesson Plan; The Oregon Trail

Grade 5 Historical Reading Lesson Plan

The Oregon Trail

Common Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3
Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7
Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

Learning Outcomes:

Students should be able to successfully play the game "The Oregon Trail".

Students should be able to understand the informational text being read based on the background information.

Instructional Activities:

The teacher introduces the time period of The Oregon Trail.

The students are given the opportunity to play the game "The Oregon Trail" in order to understand the challenges in a realistic and personal way. The challenges encountered require critical thinking and creativity to survive which mimics the skills needed by those traversing the trail in the 19th century. Students learn applicable vocabulary  and see the map.

The students read the informational text "Westward Expansion- The Oregon Trail"

Assessment:

Students are assessed on their understanding of the context of the game and their connections between the game, the challenges faced in that time period, and real-world decisions based on a worksheet and rubric.

Debriefing:

Students can connect the obstacles faced and the solutions created to real world challenges. Students can chart how much prey was hunted and how much they salvaged vs. lost in order to make smarter decisions the next time around.

Cognitive Skills: critical thinking, creativity, research management, decision making

New Literacy Skills:

This game includes challenges which are true to life and require authentic decision making skills. Students need to be able to navigate the keyboard and computer in order to play.

2-2-1 The Oregon Trail computer game

The Oregon Trail is a computer game in which the player takes on the role of a wagon leader leading a group of settlers from Missouri to Oregon in 1848. This game helps students learn critical thinking, creativity and historical settings as they learn about what life was like on the Oregon Trail in the 1900s.

1. What gaming elements provide users the learning content and how? (Refer to the journal article page 4).

Text: students need to type in the words POW, BANG etc. in order to shoot. If the word is misspelled, points are lost.

Visual-graphic elements: students need to aim a slingshot at animals to hunt, players learn that some animals are easier to shoot while others offer more meat, hunting in different environments was displayed using different graphics (ex. winter displayed snow)

Audio elements: Actions are connected with sounds and background music provides authentic feel

2. What is the goal of the game? The goal is to make it to Oregon withstanding realistic  disasters, managing to hunt enough food. Points are earned for remaining live people and for remaining possessions.

3. What are rules of playing this game?

In The Oregon Trail, you have a number of resources to manage and decisions to make. These decisions affect the long-term health of your party members and their ability to cope with difficulties that occur along the way. There are also mini-games on hunting and river rafting that introduce a few extra challenges. To reach Oregon with the party takes planning, careful resource management and some luck.

4. Does this game have any scenario design? (Refer to the journal article page 5.) If yes, is this a fabricated or embedded in curriculum-related content? The Oregon Trail has a scenario design embedded in curriculum-related content in which the players act as those passing through the Oregon Trail and learn how life was for those who actually did.

2-1-2: Technology Integration

·         Which ideas from the video reflect what the ELA teachers you interviewed are currently doing to integrate technology with their literacy instruction?

The ELA teacher that I interviewed discussed the issue that students are not provided with the means to use the Internet themselves. Although she did mention the usage of Smartboards and innovative text-formats such as audio and visual as technological tools used in literacy instruction, other technologies mentioned in the presentation such as blogs, messages, social network tools, word processing tools etc. are not used by the students due to this limitation.

·         How can you help change their instructional practices to include the use of technology and the Internet in their literacy and content-area curriculum?

By providing students themselves with technology to use in instruction, many more opportunities for technology in literacy instruction are opened. Students would learn how to navigate computer systems, to use word processing technologies as well social network tools and other softwares, programs and websites which would help their literacy advancements.

·         What professional development and/or resources will they need in order to make these changes?

Computers would need to be provided for students' use. These computers would need access to the applicable sites and programs.

·         What ideas do you have for grouping students so they will have equal access to technology in the classroom?

Students should be split into groups according to the number of computers that are available for use. Some activities allow for two students to work at a computer, and therefore the groups can be bigger. While students work at the computers, the other students would need to be given other work to do simultaneously.

2-1-1: New Literacies

New literacies refers to the skills needed to become fully literate in the twenty-first century where technology has transformed the nature of reading, writing and communication. Some of the common ICTs which students use include blogs, wikis, emails, and YouTube. Literacy taught in the traditional way can no longer provide students with all the skills necessary to be fully literate in the world of new literacies.

Because technology has evolved in the past couple of years to create entirely new demands in literacy, students need to be taught "new literacies" in order to keep up with the expectations of the times. New literacies has extended traditional literacy to be combined with the information, activities and text formats of the internet. Students need to be proficient in locating texts, using the tools that the Internet offers and completing web-based tasks that they will need in school and in future life. These skills are crucial for them to learn in school in order to accomplish the goal of learning skills that will enable them to successfully navigate the literacy systems of today.