Module 5: Reflection

When watching Dan Pink's TED talk on motivation, I can't help but be inspired. I see the applications that can be put to use in the classroom and get excited, that is until I realize just how it might pertain to me. As a small group instructor/paraprofessional, I have to realize that I don't have access to use all of this in a whole group setting and am now perplexed as to how to use this in my actual setting in the classroom. When I am in the classroom, doing what I do, I work with students in a ratio of about 5:1 or less. My small groups primarily focus on reading and reading strategies and I only have about 20 minutes to do so. When thinking of autonomy, mastery, and purpose and my setting and how it applies, my first thought is it doesn't. I don't feel as if I can appropriately in 20 minutes provide this type of learning situation.

How do I provide autonomy for a small group study that is student centered, but teacher lead? The small groups are meant for me to see what they need extra work with when it comes to reading, language, and sometimes math and allow me to work on specific skills that this small group may need extra work on. In the past it has been me taking their worksheets they've done (math), pulling those on the same skill level, and then reteaching the skill to them. For reading, I work with two groups who have different needs and skill sets, but are all about the same. I have 20 minutes to guide them through a new mini lesson on the skill they need. How do I help them with this? I try my hardest to work on mastery, this is what my main focus is, but hadn't ever really been able to do purpose. I believe that there is some good thought through Pink's talk, but I am unsure of how to apply this to my small group.

When thinking back to lessons I've done in the past, one thing I could possibly do to start having autonomy is to provide a couple of tasks in that time and allow them to do them in any order they want. I can make the projects/assignments given during that time to be open ended, creative, student centered, and flexible, allowing them to use the left brain thinking more. The purpose behind it can be more applicable to them as well, allowing them to be able to apply it or bring from their own experiences they've had or will have. At the second grade level, they are more than able to be creative, collaborative, and independent for the most part, so this is something that I need to be able allow to happen during the times that I have them. There still needs to be teacher lead instruction in some instances, but not always. This talk has gotten me thinking of better ways of teaching and bringing about more meaning to the learning experience for the students that I work with. 

Module 3: Reflection

When I look at the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) chart on the Florida Center for Instructional Technology page (http://fcit.usf.edu/matrix/matrix.php), I can see where my strengths and weaknesses are in the classroom. With me being a paraprofessional, my duties and responsibilities with technology is different than the classroom teacher. I will be rating myself based on my small group language groups and only on one classroom that I have consistent and daily small group interaction.

I would say that I work under Active Adaptation for my groups. Active Adaptation is defined as,

Students work independently with technology tools in conventional ways. Students are developing a conceptual understanding of technology tools and begin to engage with these tools.

The teacher chooses which technology tools to use and when to use them. Because the students are developing a conceptual and procedural knowledge of the technology tools, the teacher does not need to guide students step by step through activities. Instead, the teacher acts as a facilitator toward learning, allowing for greater student engagement with technology tools.

Technology tools are available on a regular basis.

I feel that I fall under this category because, when we do use technology in our small groups, I tend to pick the technology for them, but allow them to explore it on their own. The students don't have an option of when to use them either because my small groups are scheduled at a particular time for a certain amount of time. I don't see this level of participation changing to any other levels due to the nature of my small groups.

With the way that my small groups are set up, I believe that I work in the Collaborative Entry level. It is defined as,

Students primarily work alone when using technology. Students may collaborate without using technology tools.

The teacher directs students to work alone on tasks involving technology.

The setting is arranged for direct instruction and individual seat work.

In my small groups, I've not used much collaborative work, but could see myself growing to a Collaborative Adaptation by the end of the next grading period by incorporating more collaborative technology use. The students could do small group projects together to explore reading and language.

I believe that Constructive Adaptation might be the best fit for my small group instruction because this is a regular way of teaching,

Students begin to use technology tools independently to facilitate construction of meaning. With their growing conceptual understanding of the technology tools, students can explore the use of these tools as they are building knowledge.

The teacher has designed a lesson in which students' use of technology tools is integral to building an understanding of a concept. The teacher gives the students access to technology tools and guides them to appropriate resources.

Technology tools that facilitate the construction of meaning are available to students for conventional uses.

I have used various apps and games to allow the students to build a more concrete understanding of certain concepts such as parts of speech. They are given a game or two to choose from and work with that to build off of lessons that I have taught. I am unsure how I might grow in this category due to how my small groups are set up, but would be interested in finding ways to move up to the next category at least.

When looking at Authentic, I would have to say that I am more at an Authentic Entry level when working with my students.

Students use technology to complete assigned activities that are generally unrelated to the world beyond the instructional setting.

The teacher assigns work based on a predetermined curriculum unrelated to the students or issues beyond the instructional setting.

Resources available via technology in the instructional setting include primarily textbook supplementary material and reference books or websites, such as encyclopedias.

 I usually don't have it related to their specific lives outside the classroom setting and is more geared toward more specific subjects in the instructional setting. I feel however, I could make marginal changes in this because when the subject is more authentic, the children tend to learn more. I would love to see myself move to the Authentic Adaptation by the end of the next grading period.

Under Goal Directed, this category is almost not even one that I can measure myself at. At best, I might be at Entry, but that is stretching it. I believe that I could improve on this and find ways to show growth of the students that I work with. This one will have to take some looking into because I am unsure how to even implement this into my small group instruction. Goal Directed Entry is defined as,

Students use technology to complete assigned activities that are generally unrelated to the world beyond the instructional setting.

The teacher assigns work based on a predetermined curriculum unrelated to the students or issues beyond the instructional setting.

Resources available via technology in the instructional setting include primarily textbook supplementary material and reference books or websites, such as encyclopedias.

Module 2: Reflection

This reflection is a bit harder for me since I do not have a classroom of my own, but I would have to say that I would love to see my school implement homework that is more project based, using creativity, technology, and getting the parents more involved. For example, my oldest this year did a living museum project where he had to research a famous person and present a full project and presentation. He had to first decide who he wanted to be, then had to research this person using internet resources and book resources. After this, he was to find pictures online and print them out to use for his presentation. He then had to make a presentation board displaying various pictures, information he typed out, props he placed in there, and so on.

My son chose Harry Houdini. This was quite fun (for both of us) because he told me the types of pictures he wanted to print, he dictated to me what he wanted typed out, how big, what kind of props he wanted to place on or around the board, and basically, he had complete creative control over it. The project had nothing to do with standardized testing, it had nothing to do with scores for this or that, it had everything to do with him being actively engage in his studies while learning how to organize thoughts, to research, write, speak, be creative. These are the lessons children will take with them and remember their whole life.

I agree that our system is broken and doesn't fit for this day in age. I would love to see a continuing shift in what the TED speaker talks about a separation between education and testing. There is a way to educate children in a way that doesn't require them to teach to the test. Testing should be an after thought. I feel doing a project based learning classroom could be a way to learn the concepts needed, but still have fun and have the children more fully engaged versus handing out worksheet after worksheet. 

Module 1: Reflection

When looking at my discussion post in Module 1, I feel as if I can place myself at Effective. I felt that a majority of what I wrote was effective, however I feel that I could place myself as in between evolving and effective on "examination and analysis of relevant course concepts." My responses showed a demonstration of understanding of course concepts, but could've used a lot more application in my explanation and a better presentation of ideas. I don't feel that I was as low in any of my responses to put myself in the emerging or high enough for exceptional categories of the rubric. There is definitely room for improvement with my discussions with classmates and in all categories.  Over the next nine weeks, I can see myself gravitating to a more solid effective category and hopefully reaching exceptional by the very end.