WPP: Part A - Description of Need or Opportunity

Time to Differentiate

Differentiation in reading and writing is very important in first grade. All students begin at their own starting point, and achieve new heights at slightly different rates. Therefore, no two students are practicing exactly the same thing at exactly the same time. This is a problem since one first grade teacher is required to individualize instruction to meet the needs of every student in the classroom.

A Wicked Problem

I am attempting to differentiate first grade spelling words, but I have hit several time constraints along the way. Every student in my classroom has his or her own spelling words. The boys and girls begin the year by practicing to read all 220 Dolch words (otherwise known as sight words), and end the year by spelling these same words. The reading tests are quick, yet the spelling differentiation takes quite a bit of time. Some boys and girls think about the words, slowly write the words, and do many corrections before I can give the next word. There are several wicked problems with this current procedure. I am noticing that this testing time is taking away from other equally important first grade tasks such as guided reading groups and other small groups across the curriculum. The students are also faced with the pressure to test when I have time to test them, and in doing so, they miss out on their own independent practice throughout the day.

A Solution with New Technology

Some teachers have met this wicked problem with parent volunteers, yet this poses additional problems later on. For example, parents may have scheduling issues, different pronunciation of words, unwanted prompting as well as concerns with confidentiality. Moreover, students still miss out on times of independent practice throughout the day. My ultimate goal is to provide students with open-ended time to complete their differentiated Dolch word testing in a safe and effective way. I plan to meet this problem of differentiating sight words with the help of technology. I have begun making a PowerPoint presentation for each set of Dolch words. Every list corresponds to the materials that we are using in the classroom, and all words have a consistent pronunciation that I have recorded. The students will have access to the Spelling PowerPoint at all times of the day as well as all year long. I will set up each student’s testing paper and grade the results during my prep time so as not to interfere with daily classroom instruction. This technology tool will give back teaching time and support student learning.

Relevant Research

First grade is a pivotal year for reading instruction. Students usually enter the year with letter and sound recognition. Over the course of approximately 180 days of school, all first grade students are expected to read with accuracy, fluency, and most importantly comprehension. This is an overarching task that connects to all areas of the curriculum, and not just literacy instruction. The key to reading success is to understand what is being read in picture books as well as other subject area textbooks. Most of the words within picture as well as textbooks are frequently used in the English language. Edward Dolch compiled a list of 220 words that can't be "sounded out," and hence must be learned by sight. These sight words are commonly known as Dolch words. According to the Teaching Resource Center, meaning is dependent on the rapid, automatic, and effortless recognition of such words. Students must be able to read and write these sight words with ease so that they can piece together what they are reading as a whole. According to Patricia Cunningham in Phonics They Use: "In order to read and write fluently with comprehension and meaning, children must be able to automatically read and spell the most frequent words. As the store of words they can automatically read and spell increases so will their speed and comprehension." Through the direct instruction of sight words and the spelling practice of sight words, first grade students learn how to read. This research has motivated me in my quest to use technology for the support of writing Dolch words accurately.

Materials for Success

The Dolch word materials that I use in the classroom come from The Dolch Kit. This site has arranged the Dolch words by frequency of use and created materials that support the practice and assessment analysis of reading and writing all 220 words. I have looked for a stand-alone instructional resource that will test my students, but have come up short. The closest I have come is to a Dolch Website that reads the words to you in a PowerPoint presentation. I have also found an app in the App Store that will test students on a preset word bank as well as several Dolch word apps. The suggestion of the site, Quizlet was also brought up as a resource. After researching the site, I have come to believe that the advanced formatting is not meant for lower elementary students. I have yet to find something that matches my technology needs. I plan to implement my own stand-alone instructional resource to support spelling differentiation and free up my own time and wasted energy. The saying, “Work smart, not hard” is bringing a whole new wave of testing differentiation to my classroom.

Project Evaluation

Success will be had when I see my students testing themselves on their individualized spelling words while I carry out small group instruction at the same time! Through the course of the year I have kept track of student progress by pretesting, recording information, and post-testing. For example, students who are on spelling practice meet with me one day out of the week. I pretest each student on their assigned day, and continue to test until a student has reached 4 to 6 unknown/misspelled words. Therefor, each student is practicing different words on any given day. The following week I retest each student on the 4 to 6 unknown words and the pretesting continues. I keep track of student progress on a progress monitoring page that goes back and forth with each student each day. I will use this progress monitoring page for 6 approaching students over the course of two to four weeks to determine if the use of technology to test students is beneficial for student success. I will also be monitoring the number of reading groups completed during this time to gauge my own time management. Finally, students will take a survey to gain their feedback regarding the use of technology to differentiate their spelling words.

Works Sited

Cunningham, Patricia Marr. Phonics They Use: Words for Reading and Writing. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley, 1995. Print.

"The Importance of Learning Sight Words | Teaching Resource Center." The Teaching Resource Center. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. .

"Dolch Sight Words." Click N'Kids. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. .

"Dolch Kit." The School Bell. Web. 09 Apr. 2012. .

CEP 812 Video Bio

A Funny Story - CEP 812

Check out the link below to hear a funny first grade Podcast...

A Funny Thing that Happened with Technology

CEP 811 Final Reflection

What are some things that you have learned about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology?

Throughout this whole course I have tried to make sure that the technology I create can be implemented in my first grade classroom. Otherwise I am positive that I will lose the intended skill, and lose interest in the materials. However, successfully and effectively integrating a wide array of technology resources in first grade has been a challenge. I have learned that the teaching strategies must cover a wide range of pedagogical strategies to meet the needs of young learners. The UDL session was most useful in explaining the ways that teachers can reach a wide audience with a variety of features while eliminating barriers.

How did integrating web-based technologies help you think about and evaluate uses of technology?

I strongly feel that the integration and evaluation of web-based technologies has caused me to take a closer look at my own technology based teaching practices. I know that there is a place for WebQuests and Virtual Field Trips in the classroom. Yet, the resources must be meaningful in order to be effective. So many teachers integrate technology just to say it is there, or being used. This causes unsafe usage and mixed messages to young learners.

How have you met your own personal goals for learning about technology integration?

This course has really made me become independent in my own learning. I am getting better at finding answers to my questions without direct support. I am also eager to implement new technologies in my classroom on a trial basis. I am open to see what works, and what works best for me.

Do you have any new goals? What are your plans for reaching your new goals and your long-term goals after this course is over?

I am constantly motivated by technology and what continues to come my way through these courses. I have shown interest in teaching older grades so that I can really dig in deep. I also hope to learn the Ignite program at my school and attend technology conferences to push my own understandings. In addition to receiving my Technology Certification, I have committed to achieving my Masters in Educational Technology in the near future.

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

MERLOT Evaluation

MERLOT site: Addition and Subtraction Fun!

Quality of Content:

Does the software present valid (correct) concepts, models, and skills? Yes. This website presents an engaging opportunity to practice both addition and subtraction math facts through picture representations and number models.

Does the software present educationally significant concepts, models, and skills for the discipline? Yes. Students are encouraged to answer questions in multiple formats for both addition and subtraction models. The use of pictures, story problems, and number models cover a wide range of math skills.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool:

What stage(s) in the learning process/cycle could the materials be used? The material is most appropriate for lower elementary grades (approximately ages 4 to 6) and especially for students who are just learning addition and subtraction facts. This Stand Alone Instructional Resource is read to the student and there is heavy picture support for the visual learner as well as instant visual/auditory feedback. The demonstrated math skills can be applied to other like problems with single digit numbers being added or subtracted with the use of manipulatives.

What is(are) the learning objective(s)? What should students be able to do after successfully learning with the materials? Students should be able to represent two numbers with manipulatives or a visual representation, add or subtract two numbers, create a number sentence, and find an answer to a single digit addition or subtraction problem.

What are the characteristics of the target learner(s) This website will best fit students in a lower elementary classroom grades kindergarten through second grade (ages 4 to 6) or any student beginning to add and/or subtract single digit numbers.

Does the interactive/media-rich presentation of material improve faculty and students' abilities to teach and learn the materials? Yes. Teachers will appreciate the multiple strategies incorporated in this presentation. The website is fun, engaging, and accurately displays the thought process necessary to solve addition and subtraction problems using technology.

Can the use of the software be readily integrated into current curriculum and pedagogy within the discipline? Yes. The basic math skills required in this presentation are present in all lower elementary classrooms regardless of intended curriculum.

Can the software be used in a variety of ways to achieve teaching and learning goals? The software is designed as a Stand Alone Instructional Resource but the user can skip to either the addition or subtraction section of the presentation depending on educational need.

Are the teaching-learning goals easy to identify? The objective of this lesson is well defined and the learning goals are achieved throughout the content of the presentation.

Can good learning assignments for using the software application be written easily? Yes. Students can apply the content of the presentation to a page of math facts used as a drill and practice. The addition and subtraction support can also be used to encourage students to show multiple formats of learning such as representing the answer to a problem with pictures, numbers, and words.

Ease of Use:

Are the labels, buttons, menus, text, and general layout of the computer interface consistent and visually distinct? Yes. The presentation is designed as a Stand Alone Instructional Resource. Students can easy click on the link followed by the action buttons to get to the next slides. All questions are read to the user and interactive responses are instant and encouraging.

Does the user get trapped in the material? The presentation will continue forward when the action buttons are clicked until it has played out in its entirety. The user can escape the material with the esc. button.

Can the user get lost easily in the material? No. The user is encouraged to go forward until the presentation is complete. There are not multiple pathways for the user to get lost.

Does the module provide feedback about the system status and the user's responses? Yes. The presentation will cheer (with a visual thumbs up) for the correct response to the content and the appropriate answer is given upon an incorrect attempt.

Does the module provide appropriate flexibility in its use? The website provides a variation in skill from addition to subtraction as well as flexibility in how the material is presented to the user.

Does the learning material require a lot of documentation, technical support, and/or instruction for most students to successfully use the software? No. The StAIR presentation only requires the user to click on the initial link and respond to the posed questions. No pre-teaching is required.

Does the material present information in ways that are familiar for students? Yes. The material presented is similar to how a teacher would present the same content to a classroom of students. The math problems are read aloud, a picture matches the problem, and multiple answers are given for the user to choose.

Does the material present information in ways that would be attractive to students? Yes. Students enjoy using technology for the everyday content in an elementary classroom. This presentation makes learning fun and engaging for all students. The pictures are colorful and the sounds are encouraging for an eager student. Traditional math fact drills are a thing of the past!

Personal Reflection

My first class towards a Masters in Educational Technology went by in an instant. However, I know that I’ve only scratched the surface of what’s to come in the ever-changing world of technology. My initial Personal Growth Plan was filled with aspirations to integrate technology in my own classroom. I also hoped to make student use as safe as possible. I now realize that these goals were partly achieved and will come to be over time. My goals will also slightly shift according to my changing understandings of digital resources. In the future I plan on consistently integrating different technology while stepping back to allow my students a spot in the driver’s seat. I have failed to trust my students as a technology resource, while in the first grade, they have more to offer than I previously considered possible. Continuing my own education with regard to a Masters in Educational Technology will better guide me in my quest to become an effective 21^st Century educator on behalf of my future students.

Now more than ever, I feel that I’ve gained confidence with digital resources, and I know where to go when questions arise. Integrating the Internet with my own learning has made my experiences with technology more concrete. I am also grateful for the Internet tips and ideas that served as a coach, mentor, and protector. The support of Atomic Learning as well as (surprising to me) You Tube has been invaluable. I especially enjoy the brief and to the point, Plain English clips! Most of all, I feel more comfortable with the technology that I had already explored prior to the course. For example, I was familiar with Blogs and some of their capabilities. Now I know more about embedding clips, siting work, and the range of Blogs that are available for resources and informational updates.

There were times when my learning felt limited with some of the new technology. Being a visual learner, I would sit in front of my computer and wish for someone to show me a trick. There are short cuts and long pathways to achieving a desired outcome, and I most frequently took the longer route on my computer. Putting off frustrations, I would research and explore until I found a way around a problem. For example, I played around a lot with my Google Calendar. I wanted to import it to my Blog in a mini-file. Whenever I tried, the link would disappear along with my patience. Eventually, I posted a picture of a Google Calendar with the correct link. This leads me to question the efficiency of online learning.

I have learned that effective teaching strategies must be relevant and purposeful when integrating technology into my own classroom. I have been introduced to Twitter, LinkedIn, MACUL, Google, Flickr, Diigo, Delicious, Blogging, and You Tube along with other resources brought to me through my classmates like Glogster, Prezi, and QR Codes. I’d love to bring every bit of this technology into my classroom, but I want to do it all justice. Meaning that I plan to roll out bits and pieces over time after having the chance to establish a meaningful purpose for my students. My student’s safety with technology is of the utmost importance. My assignment on PC Maintenance exemplifies good teaching and aligns to my Personal Growth Plan. In this assignment I viewed interesting topics on Atomic Learning, and reported their benefits to my own classroom experience. I especially enjoyed the technique of safeguarding Google Images so that inappropriate pictures don’t surface upon random searches. I am looking forward to integrating additional digital media in my classroom to enhance the curriculum both academic as well as social.