UDL Book Builder

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/view.php?op=share&book=2e348960d6ca15ecb6ba948d560fb01e&sid=14330

Above is the link to the digital book that I made with my student Rachel Hess. Rachel Hess is learning English as a second language. Originally the main teacher Mrs. Muller wanted Rachel to learn the long a rule-ay. We brainstormed and came up with that Rachel should make a calendar of her week thus practicing the "ay" with each day of the week (Monday, Tuesday etc). Rachel took to the idea nicely and wish to expand on the project. We then discussed what her week feels like and what type of things she looks forward to. I believe that the idea of the Shabbos queen was adapted by a lesson she heard in school from her Judaics teacher. She was able to relate to the story because it was describing something having to do with her. Her connection with the project enabled her to describe in greater detail what she wished to express. This idea of book building based upon personal experience with ESL students can be extremely beneficial for students. When students see that there work was published it gives them a sense of accomplishment and equips them with the confidence to go further in their writing.

Week 7- Assignment 2

Above is a snapshot of my Second Life avatar in Moscow. I chose to be a female student (pretty original) and was fascinated by the amount of choices there were. It amazes me how the whole Second Life world was created by its residents. The amount of detail that is involved in each destination is so complex that it is very impressive for people to create such a sight on their own time. At first I started off at a beach and enjoyed the peaceful scenery. I then decided to go exploring and ended up in Moscow. The city appeared well developed and there were a number of people visiting there as well, or maybe they were residents?

After speaking to an ELA teacher about incorporating Second Life into her lessons, she was extremely hesitant. She was concerned that because her students come from sheltered homes and their exposure to media is limited that to use Second Life would be too dramatic of a technological shock for them. We then discussed ways to ease the transition for her students in a way that would make them feel comfortable and maximize the learning benefits. We brainstormed and decided to refer to Second Life as a game. All children are able to relate to games and each person gets to chose to be a different character in this game. The teacher can use Second Life to have students act out important scenes in the books that they are reading in exotic locations. This technology enables students to embody characters in a way that is much more real than to plainly dress up. In addition students can either use text to perform or voice which enables all students to feel comfortable with their performances. The teacher made sure to mention that students would have to be closely monitored to prevent them from being distracted by the wide array of destinations on the Second Life website. (The teacher I discussed this with was Mrs. Leah Muller from Jerusalem)

Week 7-Assignment 1, Using the ADDIE Model to Design Second Life Activities for Online Learners

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

 

 

Being an online student myself, reading the above article was very fascinating. I was not surprised to discover that the amount of students who complete their work is less with online learning than with face to face learning. The reasons for this is obvious. When students feel a lack of personal connection to their professors or classmates, they feel less of a responsibility towards the work. For instance, if an online student fails to complete an assignment they do not have to experience the guilt trip of staring his professor in the eye that would happen with a face to face meeting. When students are represented by avatars as opposed to being able to represent themselves in person, students do not have the same level of accountability.

 

The idea of Second Life seems like a great solution towards creating more of a personal atmosphere for online learners. The struggle is, that the profiles that people can create online can be very contrary to  who the person really is. For instance, if I really wanted to represent myself as a retired millionaire man living in Hollywood (even though I am not) there is nothing preventing me from doing so.  Once I am represented as a pseudo identity, my level of accountability is still not high since the student in class is not the real me. On the other hand, I can see how using Second Life as a motivational tool for online students can be beneficial. Having the professors post assignments using their voice as opposed to texts makes the professors more real. Additionally, in a Second Life environment, students can feel more comfortable expressing their ideas if they are generally shy.   

 

Furthermore, I believe that is  safe to assume that students who are doing online learning are individuals with busy lives that are trying to fit their education into their busy schedules. Online learning has the flexibility that face to face learning does not enabling students from all stages of life to succeed. With that being the case, I am not so sure that online students are looking to make friends. After all meaningful relationships are dependent of physical interaction, not virtual interaction.  Additionally, I feel that online students are determined to do whatever it takes to accomplish their goals in the most effective and time efficient way possible. Therefore, I feel that the use of Second Life as a social network for online students would be unintelligent. However, I do feel that a lot can be gained from collaborations and discussions. It is important to receive feedback from people doing the same things as you. After all there are so many talented and intelligent people in the world, why not take advantage of their advice?

 

In conclusion, it sounds like the use of Second Life is similar to other technological devices. Second Life carries numerous learning benefits that can truly enhance student learning. Educators need to be knowledgeable with these modes of learning to ensure that students are receiving the best education possible. Educators also have to keep in mind the struggles that come along with using Second Life and evaluate if it is truly the best method of obtaining the desired results.  

Week 7- Assignment 1, Theories and Practices of Multimodal Education: The Instructional Dynamics of Picture Books and Primary Classrooms

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

 

 

It is often said that a picture is worth a thousand words. After reading the above article it became clear that pictures, and other modes of text, speak very loud to the reader. In this article, the authors discuss the different ways that book writers express their ideas. No longer is plain text a means of expression. Today, people communicate through images and multimedia to convey ideas, emotion and thoughts. In a study of recent children's books, professionals analyzed the ways the authors expressed underlying messages beyond the basic storyline. Results found that the font, font size, font color, shapes, illustrations etc. were all means that authors used to give over a complete story.

 

When teaching literacy in primary grades, it is important to relate different modes of expression. Being able to tell over a story in a creative way enables writers and readers to gain a fuller picture of the story and a deeper appreciation for the finer detail. Especially in younger grades where students are unable to dedicate pages to descriptive terms, teachers need to enable students to think beyond the pen and pencil to describe a complete story.

 

This way of thinking does not only produce stories that are more expressive, but also enables all students with all different types of learning styles to succeed. For instance, if a student does not have strong writing skills they can still create a story full of detail and excitement through telling over the story in a creative way. The extra creativity that is being invested in writing is sure to enrich the literature produced by students.

 

As an after thought, I have the merit of being married to someone who is very creative and is extremely in tune to the finer details of life. Going on a walk through the neighborhood is always an adventure since he notices the color of the flowers on the porch on the top floor, the new apron of the baker, the forgotten lunch at the bus stop etc. Being able to pay attention to these things enhances every experience and can make reading and writing a sensational adventure. 

Week 6, Assignment 2, part 2

Above is a picture of edmodo page that I made.

After spending a lot of time exploring the site, I was very impressed with all of the helpful tools that the site had to offer. To begin, the blog that connected all of the teachers who teach the same subject was fascinating. It was such an excellent idea to connect teachers from around the globe who teach the same subject to share in ideas and provide support for one another. Posts are constantly being created carrying on meaningful conversations between educators. Another tool on edomodo website was the option for creating quizzes. This tool offers the teacher five different formats for a quiz: fill in the blank, multiple choice, matching, short answer, and true or false. The teacher can than formulate the quiz in any way she desires and each of her changes are saved and the outcome is a clear and professional looking quiz. The library option is also extremely helpful for teachers to provide their students with the resources necessary to complete assignments. Teachers are able to upload the desired material to make it available for their students to use whenever they wish. Another tool that was very interesting on the edmodo website was the assignments tool. Teachers can post assignments with their details and due dates to be sent out to their students. This provides for clear communication between teachers and students. The student badges is an adorable tool on the edmodo website. Teachers are able to reward their students with badges of recognition for things like perfect attendance, good questions, being a good citizen etc.

Teachers can use edmodo to enhance their ELA instruction through a number a ways. To start the website creates a clear and easy to follow framework for teachers and students to work together. The organization and professionalism of the website makes the learning process smoother and more technologically advanced. Furthermore, the apps(the flashcards specifically)  that are available on the website can enhance ELA instruction tremendously. In addition the blog that connects everyone in the group can be a great way of communication between everyone in the class thereby improving everyone's communication and writing skills.

Week 6- Assignment 2, part 1

After reading the articles Middle School Science Teachers’ Confidence and Pedagogical Practices of New Literacies and Using Social Networking Sites to Enhance Teaching and Learning in the Science Classroom, the use of technology in the classroom seems to be not only beneficial but essential. In the first article, the author correlated a teacher's comfort level with icts to the amount of icts integrated into his lessons. The results showed that the more confident a teacher feels about his technological skills, the more technology will be used in his lesson. No one can deny the benefits of incorporating technology into our classrooms. After all, the students of today are deeply embedded in technology and social networking that it would almost be impossible to shy away from this new phenomenon. Yet we do have teachers from the "previous generation" who are not as familiar with social networking and other means of icts and therefore are hesitant to use these helpful learning tools into the classroom. In addition, the use of icts requires a great amount of resources for the students that not every school or child is able to afford. This lack of funding makes it extremely difficult to maximize the uses of icts in schools.
If one were to honestly evaluate these issues, there are a variety of solutions that can be implemented to help the situation. For instance, in regard to the generational gap between teachers and students, teachers can easily be taught the technology by their students. This provides the students with an excellent opportunity to boost their confidence. When doing this however, the teacher has to make sure that his dignity remains intact and that his authority is not undermined. Additionally, in regard to the budgeting issue, if schools would calculate how much money is spent on printed material I believe that the amount of money would be similar to the amount of money needed to invest in the resources needed to properly use icts. Today it is very common to eliminate printed material and use digital books instead. Between kindles, nukes, ipods, ipads, etc. to carry around heavy expensive books are things of the past. Both of these articles carried true information that can deeply impact today's classrooms if the issues above mentioned are addressed. 

Week 6-Assignment 1

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/zqkcv4crujp0uj6/FgbxtCAfXq

Above is the dropbox link to the article that I chose in reference to adolescence, technology and writing. In this article the authors researched if adolescence with language difficulties composed less "readable" emails than students without language difficulties. The results were that in general the students with the learning difficulties made more spelling mistakes than the students with out language difficulties. Overall since the test was done in an informal setting both sets of emails were not of the highest level of writing. After all, how can one compose an eloquent response to a question like "what is your favorite tv show?". The authors also noted that even though email has corrective devices to help with spelling, these students still struggled and failed to properly edit their work. Since emailing has become such an integral part of communication in the work force and in educational settings it is vital for students to be equipped with the tools to email properly. As educators, I feel that we need to take this into account and improve our students' writing and communication abilities despite their language difficulties.

Week 5-Assignment 3

http://screencast.com/t/PfSDsfPf

Above is the link to see my game, enjoy:)

Week 5- Assignment 2

My philosophy of game playing in a classroom is basically in moderation and under supervision. I see the motivational value in game playing and the benefits of students enjoying to learn. However I feel that in this mode of learning the fun aspect outweighs the educational value. The same content can be learned in a number of ways. Teachers can decide to dedicate many hours to creating an electric game to convey the message, or teachers can think in different creative ways to accomplish the same goal in less time. The social benefits and problem solving skills that are attributed to game playing can also be gained through other activities.

Week 5- Assignment 1

After checking out the gamestar mechanic website, I was impressed by the myriad of games available for children's use. There was a Scholastic Art and Writing award  contest that required all applicants to create a storyline through pictures and then add the text. Teachers can use this to motivate children to express themselves in creative ways. Furthermore there were other games such as "It's Story Time" which was a game created by a student in connection to a literary assignment. Truthfully it seems that the games on the website lacked educational value. Although perhaps teachers used these games to motivate their students to write creatively, I feel that the games were not sophisticated.

Week 4-Assignment 2

Assignment#2 Create a simple ELA lesson plan addressing the following components (where to post this assignment: Blog)

Grade Level:  2nd grade

Common Core Standards and Learning Outcomes:
11. Respond to literature by employing knowledge of literary language, textual features, and forms to read and comprehend, reflect upon, and interpret literary texts from a variety of genres and a wide spectrum of American and world cultures. (pg. 16)
Students will learn how to use their literary skills to connect a message to themselves.
Students will learn how to use their literary skills to connect a message to their surroundings.

Instructional Activities:  In this lesson students will be learning how to interpret different forms of literary items particularly political comics. Students will get together in groups to play the game Daily Jumble. Class discussion following the completion of the game will go through the different outcomes of each game. This game will help students strengthen their language skills through working together in groups and communicating their proposed answers with their classmates. In addition, students will need to use their prior knowledge and deductive reasoning to formulate the unscrambled words. Furthermore, students will have to read and understand the comic in order to create a logical answer to the puzzle.

Assessment: Based upon the discussion after the game the teacher will be able to gather how many connections the students made between the comic and themselves and the world around them. Additionally, the teacher can quiz the students by taking some of the comics that were discussed and ask the students to write down the meaning of each one.

Debriefing: After playing this game students will learn that there are many different ways people can communicate a message. In reference to comics, a picture is worth a thousand words. To reinforce this concept students will be asked to find a picture online to depict a strong message that is going to be the front page of a magazine. Next the students will be expected to compose a short and powerful caption relating to the picture in a way that catches the reader's interest.  

Cognitive Skills:  The cognitive skills that this game cultivates are problem solving and reading comprehension. Students learn how to interpret meaning from messages other than words and how to convey a broad idea in a short message. In addition students learn how to apply prior knowledge to solve problems like unscrambling words. In order to succeed in this game students need to have some inkling of what the answer is through tapping into previous schemas of the information.

New Literacy Skills: With the new definition of new literacy being to equip our students with the proper tools to communicate, read write, and thrive in our current technological workforce, I would say that the game Daily Jumble does just that. Daily Jumble uses the same system that a website would use to have people sign in. The players need to select certain letters and put them in designated boxes which is the same process used in many areas at work. Furthermore, students will learn how to make sense of words that don't appear to have meaning at face value and will learn to think harder to decipher meaning. This idea is vital in life and communication skills.

Week 4-Assignment 1

Assignment#1 Answer the following questions (where to post this assignment: Blog)

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

• Text:
• Visual-graphic elements:
• Audio elements:

 

The game that I chose for this assignment was Daily Jumble from Shockwave.com. I chose the Daily Jumble since I felt that this is a familiar game to me and to my students and I thought that it would be neat to do the game in a technologically advanced way as opposed to using the typical paper and pen. The text gaming element used in this game is that there is a cartoon on the side of the screen depicting a message. It is the job of the game player to unscramble a list of words on the other side of the screen to come up with the solution to the puzzle. In this game the players need to be able to read and understand the content of the cartoon as well as use their problem solving skills to unscramble and decode the answer to the problem. The visual-graphic element that is used in this game is simple. When the player wants to type the unscrambled word, the selected letter turns green which draws the payer's attention to it thereby assisting him to find the answer to the puzzle. The audio elements of the game is that there is soft music in the background and every time a player clicks on a letter, the letter makes a bing sound. The sounds are meant to be soothing and motivate the player to continue and playing and to specify which letter is being selected.

2. What is the goal of the game?

 

The goal of this game is to increase the game player's ability to understand the content of the comic as well as to utilize problem solving skills. In addition, the comic can be depicting a variety of subjects such as current events, literary information, etc. and reading the comic can broaden the player's knowledge in that area.

3. What are rules of playing this game?

 

The rules of playing this game are to unscramble the words and use the highlighted words in the unscrambled word to solve the solution to the comic. There is a timer and the less time it takes to solve the puzzle the more points the player scores.

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?

 

Daily Jumble does not have an embedded scenario design. The players do not control what goes on in the game at all, they just control their answers.