Online Learning

Online learning is specifically defined for middle and high school learning by The Michigan Merit Curriculum's Online Learning Experience Guideline document. However, my perspective is from that of a first grade teacher working with students who are just getting their feet wet online. Of the content listed in the document there are several online experiences that can be modified to fit the needs of young learners. I found most support in the area of online gaming.

Young students are becoming more familiar with technology through the use of games found on the Internet, iPhone, iPod, iPad, DS and much more. The best of these games are educational in nature, and lead the user into a meaningful online experience. The above document links to Art Games and then to Cyber Kidz Educational Games. The games listed are arranged by age and content making it easy for the user to target an area of need in a fun way. I would specifically use this site for it's math content games. It is my objective to make some of the easier math skills such as adding and subtracting both fun and interactive. A pedagogical strategy I would use with online gaming is repetition. Through repeated play, students will gain the automaticity of math facts. I would also encourage my students to work together with the online gaming experiences to support one another with more challenging concepts.

Many of the other online technologies will be better used with middle and high school students. The RSS Feeds, Learning Management Systems, and Online Research are not appropriate for elementary students who have not yet developed safe surfing practices. Some of the resources could be used in a group setting such as the Online Field Trips. This could be fun and meaningful when navigated as a whole class. I look forward to exploring more of the online experiences so that I can continue to integrate technology into my first grade classroom.

Wiki Posting

Using a Wiki is new to me, especially in first grade. But I am determined to use technology from my course work in my own classroom. Use it or lose it! I started with the first task of adding to Wikipedia. I played around in the sandbox to see what all I could do. I have to say, using Wikipedia is not as easy as I previously assumed. All of the coding involved to bold, link, and position words is exhausting. I would much rather select text and push a button. When I first arrived in Wikipedia I searched for my school district. There was a lot of information on my district, but not much in the way of particular schools. I felt uncomfortable adding details about my school to such a global site without much reason, so I linked to my school from the district page. I continued to play in the sandbox, but did not save anything else on my quest.

Wikipedia Entry

My next task was to create my own Wiki. Again, I am determined to use this for class purposes as well as course work. I received permission and a wiki site from my district rather than a free site that I would most likely not return to after the assignment. I also set up times to meet with the Technology Coordinator to learn more about how I can use my Wiki in class. In the mean time I started a quick home page and some technology related pages. The first page contains (or will soon contain) a list of iPad applications that we are loving in the classroom. The second page that links to my home page is a brief Twitter tutorial for a twitter account that I will be using in class to share with parents. This is of course a work in progress, but I am hoping to use my new Wiki in class with the addition of student sharing and parent input. Below are some screen shots of my Wiki and you can see more at...

http://apalmer11.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/home

Wiki iPad Page

Wiki Twitter Page

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist

UDL Guidelines - Educator Checklist

Evaluation of Merlot Lesson Plan

Lesson: http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewMaterial.htm?id=619451

Checklist: http://udlonline.cast.org/guidelines

I. Provide Multiple Means of Representation

1. Provide options for perception

1.1 Customize the display of information

feature – the final product can be displayed in many different colors

feature – the presentation can be viewed on any devise with Internet access

1.2 Provide alternatives for auditory information

feature – words can be read or recorded in the presentation

1.3 Provide alternatives for visual information

feature – different clip art can be used

feature – personal pictures can be uploaded to the presentations

2. Provide options for language and symbols

2.1 Define vocabulary and symbols

feature – students input their own words to present

2.2 Clarify syntax and structure

barrier – student made sentences can be out of order or hard to read

2.3 Decode text or mathematical notation

barrier – the presentation template may be challenging to decode

2.4 Promote cross-linguistic understanding

barrier – the academic language in the template my present challenges

2.5 Illustrate key concepts non-linguistically

feature – students can alter the template to include only pictures in needed

3. Provide options for comprehension

3.1 Provide or activate background knowledge

feature – the presentation template is designed to activate prior knowledge

3.2 Highlight critical features, big ideas, and relationships

feature – the presentation’s focus is surrounding big ideas from first grade

3.3 Guide information processing

barrier – students will need to call upon past experiences to fill complete the presentation

3.4 Support memory and transfer

barrier – the presentation relies on student memory

barrier – the transfer of appropriate knowledge is expected without support

II. Provide Multiple Means of Action and Expression

4. Provide options for physical action

4.1 Provide varied ways to respond

feature – students can respond with pictures, text, or audio

4.2 Provide varied ways to interact with materials

barrier – students may only use PowerPoint

4.3 Integrate assistive technologies

barrier – no other technology is promoted

5. Provide options for expressive skills and fluency

5.1 Allow choices of media for communication

barrier – PowerPoint is the only means for communication

5.2 Provide appropriate tools for composition and problem solving

feature – students can work in partners to complete difficult technology tasks

5.3 Provide ways to scaffold practice and performance

feature – skills are built upon throughout the year in the computer lab

feature – students use the tools one at a time to become comfortable

6. Provide options for executive functions

6.1 Guide effective goal setting

feature – students have a common goal for the presentation

6.2 Support planning and strategy development

feature – students have the opportunity to use pencil and paper for planning and development

6.3 Facilitate managing information and resources

feature – all students have their own space to save the presentation

barrier – information can’t be easily accessed from home

6.4 Enhance capacity for monitoring progress

barrier – student accounts are not easily accessed

III. Provide Multiple Means of Engagement

7. Provide options for recruiting interest

7.1 Increase individual choice and autonomy

feature – students can present any content they deem important

7.2 Enhance relevance, value and authenticity

feature – each presentation is diverse and authentic

7.3 Reduce threats and distractions

feature – presentations are created in an environment with safe computer access

8. Provide options for sustaining effort and persistence

8.1 Heighten salience of goals and objectives

feature – students can enrich their work with details based on their own motivation

8.2 Vary levels of challenge and support

barrier – one template is provided for all students

feature – the template can be easily modified by students

8.3 Foster collaboration and communication

feature – students work together with the presentations and technology

8.4 Increase mastery-oriented feedback

feature – teacher support is given throughout and at the end of the presentation

9. Provide options for self-regulation

feature – students have multiple times to work on the presentations

9.1 Guide personal goal-setting and expectations

barrier – low motivation can negatively effect a presentation

9.2 Scaffold coping skills and strategies

feature – students work on one aspect at a time until all parts of the presentation are completed

9.3 Develop self-assessment and reflection

feature – students evaluate their own presentation and receive feedback from peers, teacher, and finally parents

WebQuest Evaluation

CEP 811 Project -

http://www.yorkville.k12.il.us/webquests/webqfrey/webqsfrey.html

Synopsis of the WebQuest:

The WebQuest I explored is called A Quest for Respect with the Grouchy Ladybug. The book, The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle, is the main focus of this WebQuest. The intended audience is stated as first and second grade students. Those who follow the quest will be led through several tasks such as: charting information from the book, describing the main character, identifying key words, researching facts, and role playing.

Curriculum Standards:

Standards were not addressed in the WebQuest but I have listed some standards from the Common Core below…

* RL.1.1. Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

* RL.1.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

* RL.1.3. Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

* RI.1.4. Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

Pedagogical strategies in the WebQuest

While the lesson calls upon independence, I feel that the main teaching strategy is deductive. The presenter of the WebQuest outlines a very structured procedure that students must follow to complete all identified tasks. There is no choice or opportunity to go outside of the four links that provide additional information and/or resources. Therefore student interaction is very limited and unsuitable for open-ended, inquiry based learning experiences. Other beneficial pedagogical strategies include the use of cooperative partner grouping, clearly defied goals and expectations, use of technology to complete the tasks, and a connection to everyday life and an evaluation criteria of the completed quest.

While there are connections that students can make to their own lives, there are not metaphors that capture this WebQuest. There is a natural flow to the tasks in the WebQuest that appear to scaffold learning. The students go from charting the Grouchy Ladybugs activities to identifying character traits. The traits are further explored to discover the meaning of respect and students are also asked to role play their personal experiences in reference to the Grouchy Ladybug. The WebQuest links to non-fiction through the research of actual ladybugs, but this link was broken.

Technology in the WebQuest

The technology piece of this WebQuest could be improved upon for the benefit of student learning. There are a total of four links that students are given access to in this WebQuest. The first is to the author’s own webpage. Here, students will view a Blog, a list of books, FAQs, and some games online. This link credits the main source of the lessons focus. The second link is to an activity page that students must print out to complete. This page covers characteristics of the main character in The Grouchy Ladybug. The third link goes to a website about the Six Pillars of Character. Students must scroll down to find a brief definition of “respect.” The fourth link indicates that students will be learning about ladybug facts, but the link is broken. I appreciate the overall idea that students can complete tasks online and link to safe resources. However, I believe that this same activity could be completed with books and a pencil and paper in the classroom. In fact, many of the tasks ask students to leave the computer to use classroom materials such as the actual picture book, making a chart, and printing out paper from one of the four links.

WebQuest Improvements

Having taught first grade I do feel that students can become easily overwhelmed by too much technology. However, a few technology tweaks with this WebQuest could make all the difference. I would first improve this quest by providing a book online. Using the book, Thank You Mr. Falker by Patricia Polacco, could follow the theme of respect. This story is read online by the actress Jane Kacsmarek by going to the link http://www.storylineonline.net. A story online will be helpful to those who are not able to independently read the required text. Furthermore, students could be given a creative license by going onto KidPix to illustrate their own activity chart and character definition. I would also give students multiple links to research both the definition of respect as well as ladybugs. In doing so, students could be more evaluative of the information accessed, and a broken link would not be an impactful issue. My school as rights to the website http://www.pebblego.com/login.php where students can find facts on all types of creatures. Some other links I have found that give great details on ladybugs are http://www.kidzcraftz.ca/ladybugs.htm and http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/insects/Ladybug.shtml.

Credits

WebQuest by: by Carol Frey, Roseann Meinholz, & Marcia Reed

Copyright Yorkville CUSD #115, Based on a template from The WebQuest Page.

The Grouchy Ladybug image by Eric Carle

Evaluation by: Amy Palmer