RSA#4 Technology Enhanced Learning Environments

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED522011.pdf

Technology Enhanced Learning Environments

Well we know that computers are the way of the future and I have jumped on the bandwagon.  Actually I have been there for at least 15 years.  Lesson planning during my first year of teaching was done solely with online resources.  Units developed from the ground up; readings, worksheets, quizzes, tests.  I killed more trees that year.  I had no textbook only the State Standards to work with.  I was a first year teacher teaching a subject that had never been taught.  It was an exciting year.  Some activities worked and others flopped.  I did see during that year that it was better to lead students on a journey and let them discover the end on their own.  Keeping that in mind as the years rolled by I was always pursing the internet for the next best activity, video or web quest.  It was time consuming to Google key words and check out web pages.  Today Twitter and Facebook give you a plethora of resources with the click of 1 button.  These two sites are my “online learning community”.  When I look at this quote from our textbook Online learning communities are a great place for building group collaboration. Students learn to work together and depend on one another to reach their learning goals and to elevate their learning experiences (Palloff & Pratt, 2007) I can’t help but replace students with teachers.  I follow a group of teachers and we share information, antecedents, activities etc.  There is so much we know and to be able to share it with others is wonderful.  When I look for lesson ideas it doesn’t seem like work because I get a piece here and there of my friends lives too. 

The results of a recent study confirmed the motivating elements found in the previous research highlighted problem solving, playing and information processing as main contributing factors to student engagement (Horton and Liu, 2011) These are the same things that motivate me.   I keep this in mind when designing lessons.  I have been blessed with a school district that has embraced technology and its benefits.  I can do so much more with my students now 15 years later on the web, that I don’t need a textbook but you know what, I got one.  So it’s a resource just like the ever changing web.  Bet you could guess which one we use more. . 

RSA3: Learning Communities

RSA3: Learning Communities

http://www.learningforward.org/news/getDocument.cfm?articleID=2311

Educators are working to become Professional Learning Communities in hopes that student learning will improve.  With all the challenges facing schools today, lack of funds, lack of parental support, lack of supplies and resources, coupled with increased accountability. The idea of a school of teachers working together for common goals seems idealistic but if you realize this is the best strategy for improvement.  You have to swallow your pride and realize you may not know everything.  Maybe one of your colleges has a better way of doing what you do.  So you adapt and try something new.  Isn’t that what we should have always been doing?  Dufour goes on to say that this is the best strategy for sustained, substantial school improvement.

 Reflection has always been part of my lesson planning.  Once a unit or sometimes even a lesson is done I reflect on what went well and what didn’t work.  I try to change it up before I do it again.  Why should I keep doing something that did not work to improve the students’ knowledge? It is only reasonable that I would need to find something better.  So I ask others who teach the same thing. Be it in my building or across the country.  That is the joy of living in this internet based world.  I can collaborate with so many more of my colleges.  There are many teachers’ forums to exchange information about lessons and problems we encounter.  Believe me GOOD teachers have been exchanging ideas for most of their career with others.  Only now schools are asking you to go within your school for ideas.  Think about it. These colleges of yours may see something about a student’s learning capability that you don’t.  They have the inside track on them.  They can steer you to lessons that work within their cogitative abilities.  Other teachers on the web do not have that advantage.  Quantitative data gathered from a statewide representative sample of 78 elementary schools in eight school districts show that collaboration is a strong predictor of student achievement gains in reading and math (Rosenholtz 1989).

RSA:2 - Goal Setting

http://asumag.com/issue_20081101/

RSA2: Goal Setting

“The science behind the mechanisms and mediators that lead to successful goal accomplishment has been a focus of research since the 1970’s” (Curran & Reich, 2011).  All members of a school need to be involved in the planning and the developing of school goals. The goals must be strategic, measurable, attainable, result orientated, and time bound (O’Neill & Conzemius). Student achievement is linked with having SMART goals.  These goals provide a purpose for student learning, a challenge for student learning and a meaning for student learning. Simple goal setting can increase student performance.

Teachers working together, along with administrators are committed to the improvement though shared values and reflection.  Teachers can collect and analyze data, and make better instructional decisions (Rasberry, 2008). By working together to develop these goals, teachers can engage in deeper learning and make instructional decisions as a team. Everyone is on the same page with student achievement, growth, and results.  Higher performing schools set explicit academic goals that are aligned with the state standards (Dolejs, 2006). Teachers need to have a clear vision of what students need to learn.

All members of the district need to be involved in this process, the district goals, the school goals and the team goals.  The Principal and teachers share leadership to set and take ownership of these goals.  The goals will focus on exactly what students should know, learn and results.  “Schools with teachers who learn and kids who achieve use clear, agreed-upon student achievement goals to focus and shape teacher learning.” (WestEd, 2000) 

RSA1: The Use of Common Planning Time: A Case Study of Two Kentucky Schools to Watch

 http://www.eric.ed.gov/contentdelivery/servlet/ERICServlet?accno=EJ914054

Building a collaborative culture and the use of common planning time go hand in hand when building a Professional Learning Community but the members and the use of this planning time make a bigger difference. The fact that teachers collaborate will do nothing to improve a school. The pertinent question is not "Are they collaborating?" but rather "What are they collaborating about?" (DuFour, 2009). When I looked at the four questions that drive the PLC; 1. What is it we want our students to learn? 2. How will we know if each student has learned it? 3. How will we respond when some students do not learn it? and 4. How can we extend and enrich the learning for students who have demonstrated proficiency? To best answer these questions in a Middle School, I believe that subject area PLC's are the way to go.

PLC's in Middle School should be comprised of same subject area teachers because it is conducive for the aligning of curriculum, developing common assessments and analyzing the student assessment data. These key factors of a sustaining PLC are also the keys to the high performing middle school in my journal article. Having the opportunity to share ideas, strategies, techniques and compare assessments provides a solid base for all students to receive the most appropriate instruction. This professional learning community enables teachers to be reflective practitioners and to improve their instruction and assessment techniques to provide instruction that was relevant and engaging for the students (Cook, 2010).

The use of this common planning time also has to be addressed. Agendas, notes and goals for each meeting have to be set. Guidelines and timelines have to be thought out, kept and meet. The students needs must be the primary focus. If we focus on the student needs and embrace the idea that there is always room for improvement in ourselves. We will soon see the personal benefits to common planning time. These being improved teacher moral, a sense of collegiality and heightened levels of professionalism (Cook, 2010). If this is done properly we will be cultivating a learning environment in which students are challenged academically in a individualized and appropriate classroom.