Check out my project below. It is all about using MobyMax to increase standardized test scores.
Showing posts with label project. Show all posts
Showing posts with label project. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Another great semester at MSU
Today is the due date for my final project for CEP 815: Technology & Leadership. This has been my favorite class so far in the MAET program at MSU, although I have learned so much throughout the entire program. I have one semester to go before finishing my Master of Arts in Educational Technology. CEP 815 focused on the practical aspects of how to lead change in an organization, particularly surrounding technology. The assignments and projects I have created will be useful for helping to make change a reality at my school and corporation. In all reality, I tend to be somewhat reserved when it comes to leading...I am fine if you put me in front of 100 elementary students, but talking in front of other adults makes me very nervous. I learned in CEP 815 that there is much more to leading than just public speaking and a charismatic personality. The concepts presented in the unit readings have helped to increase my confidence when sharing my ideas. For this final project, I brought together many concepts from throughout the course to create a proposed technology learning initiative. I am proud of the work I have created and want to present my ideas to the school board in the future. This project can be implemented for next school year.
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
What Influences Student Success?
Here is my latest project for CEP 815: Tech & Leadership. This project focuses on the work of John Hattie.
Here is the link in case you can't see the embedded presentation below.
Here is the link in case you can't see the embedded presentation below.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Everything English
Here is the link to my latest project for CEP 815: Technology & Leadership. It is my manifesto - all the resources and information I use to help me be successful as an English Language teacher. I am really happy with how it turned out! I created the pages in PowerPoint, then saved as a PDF. I then uploaded my PDF to Issuu. Some of the links did not transfer, but Issuu has a really nice interface to easily add links to external pages or pages in your document. This was the first time for me to use Issuu. I really like the final format. It looks very professional. This will definitely be a piece to add to my capstone portfolio for next (final) semester!
If you can't see the embedded Issuu frame below (requires flash), click HERE.
If you can't see the embedded Issuu frame below (requires flash), click HERE.
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Lego Stories
These Lego personal narratives were created by my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade ENL students. This was our first attempt at making digital presentations on our iPads. Students brainstormed ideas, wrote their story, edited and revised, created a storyboard showing each scene, drew backgrounds, constructed buildings, vehicles and other props, took pictures of their scenes, and finally narrated their whole project. We created our final projects on the VoiceThread app.
I created a Pinterest board with all of our stories. Check it out at: http://www.pinterest.com/saragalbreath/lego-stories/
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Where does the time go?
It has been a busy two months since school started!
School - Parkside
My English Language Learners are doing a great job with their personal narrative digital projects. I will post a quick movie below about what they are working on. We are about half-way done :D
School - Michigan State University
I am also taking TWO classes online this semester!
CEP 800 Psychology of Learning Online & in other Environments
CEP 820 Teaching Students Online
Right now I am in the middle of a huge project to create my own online course. I am using the LMS (Learning Management System) Schoology. It offers a lot of cool features. My favorite feature is the ability for students to track their own progress in the course. My course is designed for English Language Learners in 4th/5th grade. This first module is focused on Non-Fiction Text Features. More to come about that later!
I will also post another project I recently finished about student misconceptions related to technology. A few of my students were kind enough to help me with this project :D Stay tuned for more cool stuff!
Multiple Learning Theories & Personal Narratives
Feedback from Professor Danah Henriksen:
Sara – You did an excellent job with this project – and presented a very in-depth and reflective look at the teaching/learning experience in your classroom dealing with the topic of personal narrative writing. Given the complexity of a topic like personal writing and the challenge of teaching it, I thought you did a great job of narrating the learning story in a clear but detailed way. The narrative arc of the story worked well, and I can tell that you put some thought into the structure (moving from the challenges associated with the topic to your own context and approach, and weaving learning theory throughout). The combination of cognitive apprenticeship and social/cognitive constructivist theory was effective, accurately applied and well presented. In fact, of all of the stories that I saw in the class, yours clearly demonstrated the best, most thoughtful and in-depth discussion of learning theory. It was clear that these theories were much more than window dressing in your project, but were very thoughtfully incorporated in ways that fit with specific goals in the narrative writing process. I also appreciated that you discussed each theory on its own terms, before entering into a context-specific look at how they fit into your story. So in terms of the narrative framing, the story was awesome. Technically speaking also, your project was very well crafted, and the production values were high-quality (good use of images to guide the story – and I liked how you kept the transitions moving to keep the story progressing). Very well paced and smoothly spoken narration. Audio quality for the narration was also clear and even, so there were no technical quibbles to detract from the telling of the story. So all in all, this was a really excellent presentation of your story of teaching and learning personal narrative writing in your classroom. I usually try to provide some constructive feedback for most projects that I see, but you have already hit all the marks for a superb digital story here. Well done!
Student Misconceptions about Technology
School - Parkside
My English Language Learners are doing a great job with their personal narrative digital projects. I will post a quick movie below about what they are working on. We are about half-way done :D
School - Michigan State University
I am also taking TWO classes online this semester!
CEP 800 Psychology of Learning Online & in other Environments
CEP 820 Teaching Students Online
Right now I am in the middle of a huge project to create my own online course. I am using the LMS (Learning Management System) Schoology. It offers a lot of cool features. My favorite feature is the ability for students to track their own progress in the course. My course is designed for English Language Learners in 4th/5th grade. This first module is focused on Non-Fiction Text Features. More to come about that later!
I will also post another project I recently finished about student misconceptions related to technology. A few of my students were kind enough to help me with this project :D Stay tuned for more cool stuff!
Multiple Learning Theories & Personal Narratives
Feedback from Professor Danah Henriksen:
Sara – You did an excellent job with this project – and presented a very in-depth and reflective look at the teaching/learning experience in your classroom dealing with the topic of personal narrative writing. Given the complexity of a topic like personal writing and the challenge of teaching it, I thought you did a great job of narrating the learning story in a clear but detailed way. The narrative arc of the story worked well, and I can tell that you put some thought into the structure (moving from the challenges associated with the topic to your own context and approach, and weaving learning theory throughout). The combination of cognitive apprenticeship and social/cognitive constructivist theory was effective, accurately applied and well presented. In fact, of all of the stories that I saw in the class, yours clearly demonstrated the best, most thoughtful and in-depth discussion of learning theory. It was clear that these theories were much more than window dressing in your project, but were very thoughtfully incorporated in ways that fit with specific goals in the narrative writing process. I also appreciated that you discussed each theory on its own terms, before entering into a context-specific look at how they fit into your story. So in terms of the narrative framing, the story was awesome. Technically speaking also, your project was very well crafted, and the production values were high-quality (good use of images to guide the story – and I liked how you kept the transitions moving to keep the story progressing). Very well paced and smoothly spoken narration. Audio quality for the narration was also clear and even, so there were no technical quibbles to detract from the telling of the story. So all in all, this was a really excellent presentation of your story of teaching and learning personal narrative writing in your classroom. I usually try to provide some constructive feedback for most projects that I see, but you have already hit all the marks for a superb digital story here. Well done!
Student Misconceptions about Technology
Monday, April 29, 2013
Final Reflection for CEP 811
“There is no end to education. It is not that you read a book, pass an examination, and finish with education. The whole of life, from the moment you are born to the moment you die, is a process of learning.” - Jiddu Krishnamurti
It is such an exciting thought for me to know that learning will never end. Education is not confined to a book or a class, but extends to all experience. Learning is my fuel and it brings satisfaction, curiosity, and wonder to my life. Where will the journey of learning take me? What new and interesting ideas will I discover next? What kind of new technologies will help to expand my learning and the learning of my students? I do not know the answers to all of these questions, but I do know that the journey so far has been a fulfilling one. I know that the future quest for knowledge will be just as rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing my first two online courses this semester with CEP 810 and CEP 811. These courses have given me many things including new friends, new tools, and new ideas. More than anything, my online learning through MSU has renewed my deep love of personal learning. The new knowledge I have gained will not just stay personal, but has given me a reason to share what I have learned with my students and colleagues. What are some of the things I have learned during this course and what contributed to that learning?
One of the most important things I learned this semester is the incredible potential that the Internet affords for collaboration. With all the social media outlets available, connecting with others near and far has never been easier. Throughout this semester I participated in different kinds of social media, including email, discussion forums, blog posting and commenting, and Google Hangouts. In truth, I probably would not willingly choose to be a part of most online social networks. I tend to be a pretty private person and often try to avoid large social gatherings. This course has helped me to reach out to others for support and required that I rely on people outside of my normal circle of acquaintances. This has helped me to see first-hand the wealth of personal and professional contacts that can contribute to my own learning, not to mention the vastness of ideas and resources that I use on a daily basis in my own classroom and at home.
A major component of my classroom is using brain-based ideas and research to plan my lessons. The majority of resources used for these activities are found online. In addition, this course has deepened my understanding of the connections between the brain, learning, and technology through TPACK. I was briefly introduced to TPACK during an undergraduate technology course. Through the readings and videos this semester, as well as collaboration with peers for our group assignments, I now understand that to be the most effective teacher I need to address technology, pedagogy, and content in my classroom. I want to be the best I can be and TPACK, along with the NETS, CCSS, and other research-based resources, offers a workable framework to help guide and plan my lessons. I appreciate the structure that these resources provide while allowing me to teach these standards in a way that best meets the needs of my students.
Throughout the course, I have had the opportunity to create several meaningful instructional technology-based resources for my students. Over the past few weeks, I have implemented my "Can you hear it?" StAIR, "We know how to..." WebQuest, and my UDL enhanced lesson plan into my own classroom. These are useful tools that I created specifically for my students. I feel such a sense of pride when I see what I have created! It is even more rewarding when I see students engaged in learning with the resources I created! I know that in-depth tech-based projects will help my students practice and apply real world communication skills. My WebQuest and UDL lesson plan focus on students creating a how-to video. Each week since Spring Break we have focused on a specific aspect of our how-to writing project including brainstorming, planning, sequencing, writing, revising, editing, adding pictures and adding audio. Every week students are utilizing technology tools to enhance learning, while creating a meaningful product that demonstrates their knowledge. A few of my groups have already completed their projects! I am so pleased with their work! I will be sharing some of the finished videos with my principal and school board this week!
Here are the links to a few:
1st grade - I know how to tie my shoes.
2nd grade - I know how to make a book.
As I look to the future, I still have so much I want to learn about technology! This summer, I am looking forward to attending eQuip 2013. I went last year and it was a blast. I will also be attending a few Project Based Learning workshops, as I believe technology and PBL go hand in hand. I also have a personal goal of compiling a list of Google Play apps for my colleagues based on grade level and subject. We were issued Kunos in December, but unfortunately have not received any training. To help compensate, my second Tech Tuesday will be on May 21st and we will focus on how to use our Kunos for teaching and learning. I also plan to continue to update my Tech4Parkside website with more links and information for my colleagues. In addition, I would like to categorize my list of apps to match the four main areas of language acquisition and the specific skills tested on the LAS Links assessment. I am excited to put this list together because I know these resources will help my students increase their English proficiency. I want to offer my students a variety of opportunities to practice the communication skills they need to be successful. I am also excited about tinkering with MIT’s App Inventor this summer. I have always wanted to make my own apps and hopefully this summer I will!
I know that my learning does not end with CEP 811 this week. It will continue with CEP 812 next week, then CEP 822 later in the summer. I have been accepted into the MAET program and then eventually plan to pursue my Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at MSU. My learning is not isolated to formal schooling as I know the best way to learn is to experience. My goal is to continue to seek out new opportunities to grow as a person and as an educator.
It is such an exciting thought for me to know that learning will never end. Education is not confined to a book or a class, but extends to all experience. Learning is my fuel and it brings satisfaction, curiosity, and wonder to my life. Where will the journey of learning take me? What new and interesting ideas will I discover next? What kind of new technologies will help to expand my learning and the learning of my students? I do not know the answers to all of these questions, but I do know that the journey so far has been a fulfilling one. I know that the future quest for knowledge will be just as rewarding. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing my first two online courses this semester with CEP 810 and CEP 811. These courses have given me many things including new friends, new tools, and new ideas. More than anything, my online learning through MSU has renewed my deep love of personal learning. The new knowledge I have gained will not just stay personal, but has given me a reason to share what I have learned with my students and colleagues. What are some of the things I have learned during this course and what contributed to that learning?
One of the most important things I learned this semester is the incredible potential that the Internet affords for collaboration. With all the social media outlets available, connecting with others near and far has never been easier. Throughout this semester I participated in different kinds of social media, including email, discussion forums, blog posting and commenting, and Google Hangouts. In truth, I probably would not willingly choose to be a part of most online social networks. I tend to be a pretty private person and often try to avoid large social gatherings. This course has helped me to reach out to others for support and required that I rely on people outside of my normal circle of acquaintances. This has helped me to see first-hand the wealth of personal and professional contacts that can contribute to my own learning, not to mention the vastness of ideas and resources that I use on a daily basis in my own classroom and at home.
A major component of my classroom is using brain-based ideas and research to plan my lessons. The majority of resources used for these activities are found online. In addition, this course has deepened my understanding of the connections between the brain, learning, and technology through TPACK. I was briefly introduced to TPACK during an undergraduate technology course. Through the readings and videos this semester, as well as collaboration with peers for our group assignments, I now understand that to be the most effective teacher I need to address technology, pedagogy, and content in my classroom. I want to be the best I can be and TPACK, along with the NETS, CCSS, and other research-based resources, offers a workable framework to help guide and plan my lessons. I appreciate the structure that these resources provide while allowing me to teach these standards in a way that best meets the needs of my students.
Throughout the course, I have had the opportunity to create several meaningful instructional technology-based resources for my students. Over the past few weeks, I have implemented my "Can you hear it?" StAIR, "We know how to..." WebQuest, and my UDL enhanced lesson plan into my own classroom. These are useful tools that I created specifically for my students. I feel such a sense of pride when I see what I have created! It is even more rewarding when I see students engaged in learning with the resources I created! I know that in-depth tech-based projects will help my students practice and apply real world communication skills. My WebQuest and UDL lesson plan focus on students creating a how-to video. Each week since Spring Break we have focused on a specific aspect of our how-to writing project including brainstorming, planning, sequencing, writing, revising, editing, adding pictures and adding audio. Every week students are utilizing technology tools to enhance learning, while creating a meaningful product that demonstrates their knowledge. A few of my groups have already completed their projects! I am so pleased with their work! I will be sharing some of the finished videos with my principal and school board this week!
Here are the links to a few:
1st grade - I know how to tie my shoes.
2nd grade - I know how to make a book.
As I look to the future, I still have so much I want to learn about technology! This summer, I am looking forward to attending eQuip 2013. I went last year and it was a blast. I will also be attending a few Project Based Learning workshops, as I believe technology and PBL go hand in hand. I also have a personal goal of compiling a list of Google Play apps for my colleagues based on grade level and subject. We were issued Kunos in December, but unfortunately have not received any training. To help compensate, my second Tech Tuesday will be on May 21st and we will focus on how to use our Kunos for teaching and learning. I also plan to continue to update my Tech4Parkside website with more links and information for my colleagues. In addition, I would like to categorize my list of apps to match the four main areas of language acquisition and the specific skills tested on the LAS Links assessment. I am excited to put this list together because I know these resources will help my students increase their English proficiency. I want to offer my students a variety of opportunities to practice the communication skills they need to be successful. I am also excited about tinkering with MIT’s App Inventor this summer. I have always wanted to make my own apps and hopefully this summer I will!
I know that my learning does not end with CEP 811 this week. It will continue with CEP 812 next week, then CEP 822 later in the summer. I have been accepted into the MAET program and then eventually plan to pursue my Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Educational Technology at MSU. My learning is not isolated to formal schooling as I know the best way to learn is to experience. My goal is to continue to seek out new opportunities to grow as a person and as an educator.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
StAIR: Can you hear it?
Here is my StAIR (Stand Alone Instructional Resource) for CEP 811. This resource is designed for students in Kindergarten & 1st grade focusing on phonological awareness, particularly short vowel sounds. Students can complete this activity independently.
I created this activity for my English Language Learning students. Many of them have a difficult time distinguishing the short vowel sound in words and in isolation. This resource will be used to support their phonological awareness in addition to other activities we do together during class.
You can also find this resource on MERLOT by following this link.
UPDATE 4-23-13: It has come to my attention (from some of my MSU classmates) that there are some glitches in my StAIR when viewed through the PowerPoint Web App. To avoid these glitches, I would recommend downloading the StAIR from Dropbox HERE. You will need PowerPoint to view. This version runs much more smoothly. Thanks!
I created this activity for my English Language Learning students. Many of them have a difficult time distinguishing the short vowel sound in words and in isolation. This resource will be used to support their phonological awareness in addition to other activities we do together during class.
You can also find this resource on MERLOT by following this link.
UPDATE 4-23-13: It has come to my attention (from some of my MSU classmates) that there are some glitches in my StAIR when viewed through the PowerPoint Web App. To avoid these glitches, I would recommend downloading the StAIR from Dropbox HERE. You will need PowerPoint to view. This version runs much more smoothly. Thanks!
Monday, March 11, 2013
Marching onward
Last week we completed ISTEP Applied Skills. I worked with 3rd and 5th grade students, as many of my ELL students receive accommodations for testing. This includes having the test administrator read questions aloud in English and having extended time to complete the test. I have just a few makeups to finish this week. Next week we start IREAD 3. After all of this testing, I will have one week with my students before Spring Break. I have a couple things in mind already: SMART cookie celebration and brainstorm project ideas.
This last quarter, my students will complete a collaborative online project. During CEP 810 (which just finished last week), we created a SIG - Special Interest Group. Our group decided to focus on using Web 2.0 graphic organizers to plan and produce expository writing. You can find the link to our presentation here and well as our list of resources at diigo here. It was a lot of fun to work together on this project and I am looking forward to implementing these ideas into my own classroom. I have created a separate website to document the progress on our project (We Know How To...).
Looking ahead to summer break, I plan to organize and compile a giant list of resources for language learners that focus on all the tested skills on the LAS Links assessment. I made another separate website to keep track of that project as well (Tech4Language). I am very excited about undertaking these exciting projects and am looking forward to documenting what I learn, as well as what my students learn.
In addition, I am planning to put together a kind of SIG at my school focused around technology. I have created a basic survey here to gather information about the staff and their ideas about technology. My goal is to use this data to design technology based professional development for my colleagues.
I have lots of projects and ideas that I am excited about right now! Of course, there always seems to be other things that usually fill up my time. I just need to focus on school and work on extra projects when I can.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Creative Weekend Projects
This past weekend I got my creative on and put together three easy projects. Thank you Pinterest for some inspiration.
Homemade Dry-Erase Calendar
(Inspired by this and that.)
I like to use class norms over class rules. These are simple principles to live by and they cover pretty much any issue that may come up in a classroom. Frames are from Dollar Tree ($1.00/each). I downloaded some free fonts, picked out some clip art and printed on white card stock.
Cost: $4.00. Time: 2 hours (downloading fonts, designing, and printing).
I had a lot of fun putting these great projects together this weekend. Thank you to my wonderful husband for helping! I wonder what fun project I will work on next! :D
Homemade Dry-Erase Calendar
(Inspired by this and that.)
I think the calendar turned out quite nicely, nice bright colors. I feel happy when I look at it. Got the poster frame for $6.00 at Target (16x20). The paintchips are from Menards (about 2.5x2.5). The black plastic frame comes in 4 pieces and slips onto the sides of the cardboard back. The frame has a plastic front cover which is kind of flimsy. Build to last next time. Next time I will splurge and buy an actual picture frame with glass front cover. Cost: $6.00. Time: 1 hour.
These frames add some much needed color to the chalkboard. It is very important for students to know the learning objectives in my class. These are my four main subjects since I teach ENL. I will write the weekly objectives on the frame with dry-erase marker or visa vi pen. Can be wiped clean and changed for each week. Frames are from Dollar Tree ($1.00/each). I downloaded some free fonts and printed the words on textured card stock that I already had. I used magnetic tape on the back so I could hang them on the magnetic chalkboard. You could also hang them with ribbon like one of the examples above. Cost: $5.00. Time: 2 hours (downloading fonts, designing, and printing).
Cost: $4.00. Time: 2 hours (downloading fonts, designing, and printing).
I had a lot of fun putting these great projects together this weekend. Thank you to my wonderful husband for helping! I wonder what fun project I will work on next! :D
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