The Innovator's Mindset
Sunday, April 5, 2020
Sunday, March 29, 2020
EED 509- Module 3
Part 1- Quality Questioning Responses
Chapter 1: What is Quality Questioning?
Quality Questioning is an important aspect of teaching and learning.The cycle of questioning is composed of 6Ps: Prepare, Present, Prompt, Process, and Polish with the final 'P', "Partner", at the center of this cycle. Signifying that the most important part of the cycle of questioning is "Partner". Educators should partner with their students throughout each step of the cycle to ensure that they are promoting student understanding of the content being taught. I will commit to this cycle of questioning for my future classroom by understanding the importance of the teacher-student partnership. I will always be not only a teacher to my students, but also a partner to each of my students to promote the most positive and effective learning environment. I will ensure that my students understand that my role as their teacher is to learn alongside them and to help them better understand the content.
Chapter 2: What are the Distinguishing Features of Quality Questioning?
Quality Questions are tools that can be used to ensure that all students are equally engaged in the learning process. Quality questions take dedication and commitment to formulate, but provides students the best opportunity to learn. Using the rubric located on Page 24 of the textbook allows educators to ensure that they are formulating effective questions by focusing on the important aspects of quality questions: the purpose, content focus, cognitive level, and wording and syntax. In my future classroom, I will use this rubric as I am preparing for my lessons. I will use the rubric as a guide to ensure that my students' learning is my main focus.
Chapter 3: How Can Teachers Engage All Students in Thinking and Responding?
Teachers can engage all students in thinking and responding by using quality questions to encourage thinking and seeking responses from each individual student rather than from the classroom as a whole. As a future teacher, I would like to incorporate signaled responses in my classrooms to encourage all of my students to participate in responses rather than just the students who are most comfortable speaking in the classroom. Using Kahoot! would also be a great way to promote responding from all students because it gives the students an opportunity to think and respond while using the same application. Kahoot! can also be a great assessment tool for educators to use to evaluate student knowledge of the content.
Chapter 4: How Can Teachers Assist Students in Making Connections?
Teachers can assist students in making connections when responding or thinking by giving them prompts, when necessary, and by using wait time or "think time" to best promote understanding of the content. Establishing the norms on the poster in a classroom allows students to better use wait time in the classroom. In my future classroom, I would set these norms in my own teaching by sharing with my students how we are going to use wait time as think time and how they will practice thinking during those times. I believe that it would be beneficial because students would know the types of questions to consider while we are between topics or lessons.
Chapter 5: How Can Teachers Use Feedback to Deepen Student Thinking and Learning?
Feedback is key to deepening student thinking and learning. Educators should ensure they are engaging in effective feedback to further student understanding of the content. The most challenging response in my future classroom will likely be the student whose response reveals that they are on course in his or her learning. I feel that it would be most difficult to deepen those students' thinking and learning because there are not gaps that the teacher could work with them to fill. It seems that these students are often the ones that are overlooked in the classroom because there are other students who are in need of assistance and feedback to help fill the gaps or discrepancies in their knowledge.
Part 2- Quality Questioning Miro Board
Miro Board- Quality Questioning
Miro allowed me to create an interactive, online "whiteboard" to document my thoughts, ideas, and questions while going through the chapter. In the future, I feel that this application could be very useful to use with students to have them further their knowledge on different topics. By using Miro, students can document their ideas and thoughts and can keep these interactive whiteboards to look back on later. I used Miro to scaffold my own learning throughout the readings by documenting key points throughout the reading that I wanted to remember. This helped me better understand the content that I was reading and ensured that I would be able to look back on key ideas from the readings.
Part 3- Quality Questioning and Teaching Math Using Number Talks
Number talks is a great tool to use in the classroom. Number talks lays out the entire lesson and prepares the teacher to ask certain questions that can gauge student understanding. By using this in the classroom, teachers are able to better educate students on their mathematics lessons and ensure that they are more accurately grasping the given information. Number talks allows students to see typical mathematics problems in a different way. This tool can be useful in any grade level classroom because teachers insert the information applicable to that day's lesson. This makes this tool completely customizable for any math lesson.
Part 4- 21st Century Tool Review
Quizlet is a great 21st Century Tool to use in the classroom that promotes deeper learning and understanding. Quizlet has many great features that are very beneficial while studying or completing assignments. Quizlet can be used to create flashcards, quizzes, or play games that can gauge student understanding. Quizlet requires little technology knowledge because it is easy to use and understand. Those with a beginner level of technology knowledge could easily navigate quizlet and utilize their features. Quizlet is a useful tool to use to promote Quality Questioning because educators can formulate their own questions to present before the class. Students can then participate in an educational game that allows educators to see their responses and use these as an assessment tool. I learned about Quizlet through Twitter.
Pear Deck is another 21st Century Tool that helps teachers ensure they are asking their students quality questions. Pear Deck is an online presentation tool that teachers can use to formulate interactive presentations that their students can view simultaneously on their own devices and respond to. This allows teachers to view student responses in real time and determine what areas students are understanding and what content should be revisited. Teachers can create their own presentations while including quality questions for students to respond to. Teacher can ensure that their questions are those that will promote student engagement and thinking. I learned about Pear Deck while looking through Pinterest at useful classroom tools.
Chapter 1: What is Quality Questioning?
Quality Questioning is an important aspect of teaching and learning.The cycle of questioning is composed of 6Ps: Prepare, Present, Prompt, Process, and Polish with the final 'P', "Partner", at the center of this cycle. Signifying that the most important part of the cycle of questioning is "Partner". Educators should partner with their students throughout each step of the cycle to ensure that they are promoting student understanding of the content being taught. I will commit to this cycle of questioning for my future classroom by understanding the importance of the teacher-student partnership. I will always be not only a teacher to my students, but also a partner to each of my students to promote the most positive and effective learning environment. I will ensure that my students understand that my role as their teacher is to learn alongside them and to help them better understand the content.
Chapter 2: What are the Distinguishing Features of Quality Questioning?
Quality Questions are tools that can be used to ensure that all students are equally engaged in the learning process. Quality questions take dedication and commitment to formulate, but provides students the best opportunity to learn. Using the rubric located on Page 24 of the textbook allows educators to ensure that they are formulating effective questions by focusing on the important aspects of quality questions: the purpose, content focus, cognitive level, and wording and syntax. In my future classroom, I will use this rubric as I am preparing for my lessons. I will use the rubric as a guide to ensure that my students' learning is my main focus.
Chapter 3: How Can Teachers Engage All Students in Thinking and Responding?
Teachers can engage all students in thinking and responding by using quality questions to encourage thinking and seeking responses from each individual student rather than from the classroom as a whole. As a future teacher, I would like to incorporate signaled responses in my classrooms to encourage all of my students to participate in responses rather than just the students who are most comfortable speaking in the classroom. Using Kahoot! would also be a great way to promote responding from all students because it gives the students an opportunity to think and respond while using the same application. Kahoot! can also be a great assessment tool for educators to use to evaluate student knowledge of the content.
Chapter 4: How Can Teachers Assist Students in Making Connections?
Teachers can assist students in making connections when responding or thinking by giving them prompts, when necessary, and by using wait time or "think time" to best promote understanding of the content. Establishing the norms on the poster in a classroom allows students to better use wait time in the classroom. In my future classroom, I would set these norms in my own teaching by sharing with my students how we are going to use wait time as think time and how they will practice thinking during those times. I believe that it would be beneficial because students would know the types of questions to consider while we are between topics or lessons.
Chapter 5: How Can Teachers Use Feedback to Deepen Student Thinking and Learning?
Feedback is key to deepening student thinking and learning. Educators should ensure they are engaging in effective feedback to further student understanding of the content. The most challenging response in my future classroom will likely be the student whose response reveals that they are on course in his or her learning. I feel that it would be most difficult to deepen those students' thinking and learning because there are not gaps that the teacher could work with them to fill. It seems that these students are often the ones that are overlooked in the classroom because there are other students who are in need of assistance and feedback to help fill the gaps or discrepancies in their knowledge.
Part 2- Quality Questioning Miro Board
Miro Board- Quality Questioning
Miro allowed me to create an interactive, online "whiteboard" to document my thoughts, ideas, and questions while going through the chapter. In the future, I feel that this application could be very useful to use with students to have them further their knowledge on different topics. By using Miro, students can document their ideas and thoughts and can keep these interactive whiteboards to look back on later. I used Miro to scaffold my own learning throughout the readings by documenting key points throughout the reading that I wanted to remember. This helped me better understand the content that I was reading and ensured that I would be able to look back on key ideas from the readings.
Part 3- Quality Questioning and Teaching Math Using Number Talks
Part 4- 21st Century Tool Review
Quizlet is a great 21st Century Tool to use in the classroom that promotes deeper learning and understanding. Quizlet has many great features that are very beneficial while studying or completing assignments. Quizlet can be used to create flashcards, quizzes, or play games that can gauge student understanding. Quizlet requires little technology knowledge because it is easy to use and understand. Those with a beginner level of technology knowledge could easily navigate quizlet and utilize their features. Quizlet is a useful tool to use to promote Quality Questioning because educators can formulate their own questions to present before the class. Students can then participate in an educational game that allows educators to see their responses and use these as an assessment tool. I learned about Quizlet through Twitter.
Pear Deck is another 21st Century Tool that helps teachers ensure they are asking their students quality questions. Pear Deck is an online presentation tool that teachers can use to formulate interactive presentations that their students can view simultaneously on their own devices and respond to. This allows teachers to view student responses in real time and determine what areas students are understanding and what content should be revisited. Teachers can create their own presentations while including quality questions for students to respond to. Teacher can ensure that their questions are those that will promote student engagement and thinking. I learned about Pear Deck while looking through Pinterest at useful classroom tools.
Sunday, March 1, 2020
EED 509- Module 2
Part 1: Instructional Models Presentation- Inductive Model
Part 2: 21st Century Tools
A great 21st Century Tool to use with the Inductive Model of Instruction is Prezi. Prezi is geared towards making interactive presentations with audio, video, and text. Both educators and students are capable of using Prezi. Because Prezi is easy to navigate and use, very little prior knowledge of technology is needed; however, users should be comfortable using other presentation softwares such as PowerPoint. Prezi would work well with the Inductive Model of Instruction because it allows educators to present content in multiple different ways. This allows students to use critical-thinking skills to make their own generalizations about the content presented to them. Prezi also allows students to access information on their own devices rather looking at a board. I discovered Prezi while looking at a Pinterest board.Sunday, February 9, 2020
EED 509- Module 1 Assignment
Part 1: Essential Question
"What is 21st Century Teaching and Learning?"
21st Century Teaching and Learning is a vital part of today's classroom 21st Century Teaching and Learning is the basis for all educators and students today. Page 4 of the text discusses that a large part of 21st Century Teaching and Learning are Digital Technologies and Access to Information. Students are fortunate to have access to technology that makes all information easily accessible to them. Because technology is such a big part of the world today, utilizing technology in the classroom will not only allow them to learn while in the classroom, but will also prepare the students for life outside of the classroom. 21st Century Teaching and Learning allows teachers to better engage their students by presenting information in a variety of ways. Presenting information through the use of technology allows students to feel like they have a greater role in the classroom. Using applications and resources to give students the opportunity to express their creativity.
On page 8 and 9 the text refrences Bloom's Taxonomy and how their are 4 different types of knowledge. Using different types of technology in a classroom will allow the teacher to hit all 4 types. For example, the text describes Metacognitive knowledge as "comprises knowledge about cognitive knowledge and ones own cognition." This could also be described as empathy. By showing students first hand accounts through videos or websites and relating them to current events, we are using technology to help foster empathy in our students. This creates a deeper, longer lasting knowledge that will remain with students longer than simple memorization. According to the text, Bloom's Taxonomy has also recently been revised to include more active learning. Students take on more responsibility by conducting their own research, and creating opinions and responses.
A less talked about aspect of a 21st century classroom is Differentiated Instruction (pg. 12). Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences states there are different types of learners present in the classroom. It is our job as teachers to make sure most, if not all, of these learners are present in lesson planning. This can be done by using a variety of instructions and assessments. Differentiated Instruction also demands that students with IEPs be included. This requires the teacher to accommodate students by providing the least restrictive learning environment possible. Gifted students could use technology by creating open assignments that would encourage, instead of minimize, creativity. Technology can help accommodate students. One way would be to show videos that require no reading which would allow struggling readers to be included in the lesson.
Part 2: Evernote Strategy
I have just recently been introduced to Evernote and I enjoy that it gives me the option of taking notes on my laptop or cellphone, rather than on paper. I am the type of person who enjoys being able to write down thoughts or important details while completing readings and assignments. Having the option to do so electronically is very convenient. Evernote is a great application because it provides so many tools to optimize the learning experience. When using Evernote, you are able to make many different "notebooks" that can be used to divide information into different classes or assignments. Evernote also gives the option of including pictures or sketches. This allows users to ensure that nothing is missed during their note taking. Evernote is a great application and would make a great addition to any classroom's learning experience.
In an elementary classroom, I would use Evernote to encourage students to jot down their ideas and thoughts during discussion. In younger classrooms, it may be difficult to utilize this application; however, older students could use Evernote when reviewing the textbook to highlight key points from the text. Evernote also gives the option of sharing notes through the application, which I would utilize to ensure that I could view all of the students notebooks that are dedicated to that particular class or assignment. Teachers could oversee what the students felt like were important parts of the text or lesson. Students could also provide evidence of their participation in lessons by having teachers review their Evernote notebooks for that particular class. Students seem to learn best when technology is involved and allowing them to use technology can better their understanding of the lessons. Another beneficial use for Evernote would be to allow students to work together to assemble notebooks on an assignment. This would allow multiple students to contribute their thoughts on what they feel are the key points of that lesson.
Part 3: 21st Century Tool Review
I have recently become familiar with the 21st Century Tool, Kahoot. I learned about Kahoot through Pinterest and have had the opportunity to become more familiar with the application through my own experience using Kahoot as a student. Kahoot is an interactive application where teachers are able to create quizzes for their students to participate in. When using the application in the classroom, students are provided with a unique code to use to access the quiz. Teachers are then able to go through the questions created on the quiz with the students and can go at a pace that gives all students the opportunity to give their responses. Another great feature of this application, is that educators are not limited to just the use of questionnaires. Teachers have the ability to add pictures or diagrams when necessary. Kahoot is a great 21st century tool to use because it combines the knowledge of content with the use of technology. Kahoot also closely follows the TPACK model because allows educators a tool for assessment. By using this application, educators can access their students' scores to see what areas students are performing well on and what areas of instruction may need to be revisited.
Monday, January 20, 2020
About Me!
My name is Courtney Kasinger. Pictured above you will see some of the most important parts of my life. I love spending time with my family. I am a recent graduate of Jacksonville State University with my Bachelor's degree in Social Work.
A digital collage can be a very useful tool in the classroom. Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences suggests that there are different types of learners in a classroom. It is the duty of teachers to make sure that all types of learners are represented in our lesson plans. A digital collage is helpful for students who are visual learners because it allows them to be presented information in a manner that isn't through lecture. I love that music and audio can be added to some of these collages as well because it helps keep the students attention on the collage and it allows musical learners to be included. The collages can be used in a variety of ways as instruction or as an assignment. For instance, we are doing a collage to introduce ourselves. This gives students who are interpersonal learners a chance to connect with fellow classmates. I also feel that digital collages could be a great way to introduce information to ESL learners. For example, having words or titles next to pictures helps students learn to correlate the pictures with the words.
I would love to one day work in a one-to-one school so I could effectively utilize technology in my future classroom by using applications like Nearpod, Prezi, and Kahoot. Currently, I enjoy using technology to share images with family and friends that I am unable to see on a daily. In the future, I hope to utilize technology in my classroom by using my professional Twitter account to share assignments with my students' parents and to post updates on what my students are currently working on. It is also a good idea to post helpful readings or links to helpful websites that the parents can use for learning in the home. I also plan on utilizing email to keep in contact with the students' parents. Video chats are also useful for parents with busy schedules, this way they have the opportunity to talk face-to-face with their child's teacher.
I aspire to be an elementary school teacher and would one day hope to combine my love for teaching and social work to become a school counselor.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
Plagiarism and Ethics Module: Part 2- 21st Century Tools
Nearpod is a great digital tool that allows educators to engage with their students online in a safe and efficient way.
One of the great things about Nearpod, is that it can be accessed by both teachers and students simultaneously. While in the classroom, students can use the following link: https://nearpod.com/student/ to access the online classroom. When students visit the link, they are prompted to enter their classroom code. Once students have entered, teachers are able to view all of the students' work and receive an alert when students exit the application. This allows teachers to ensure that all students are remaining focused on the assignment.
Nearpod also makes learning fun and interactive. Students can take part in virtual field trips and see models close up. Teachers can make slideshow presentations with links to videos as well as educational games that help gauge and support learning. This website allows teachers to create quizzes and polls to check their students' understanding of the material. Teachers can ensure the class is ready to move on to the next assignment by evaluating their scores on quizzes made through Nearpod.
Instead of a simple presentation on one screen, this application allows students to have the presentation on their own device as well. Once students are entered into the lesson, the teachers device will notify them of how many students are following the presentation. If a student decides to back out of the lesson and visit another website, the teacher's device will be notified.
Nearpod is a very basic website. Teachers will put the URL up on the board as well as the specific code for their presentation. Very limited knowledge is needed for this tool to be successful in a classroom making it perfect for students that are beginners to using technology. Once the students are entered into the presentation, the teacher will control the presentation from their device. This allows the teacher to go as fast or as slow as they desire. The teacher can also determine how extensive the presentation is. For example, if this is the first time using Nearpod in the classroom, the teacher will need to give instructions on how to click on links, explore models, etc.
Nearpod aligns with the Grade 5 Alabama Digital Literacy Standards number 20: Collaborate locally and globally using online digital tools under teacher supervision. Nearpod allows students and teachers to simultaneously use the same application to communicate information while also allowing teachers the opportunity to oversee student responses and interactions with the site.
I discovered this tool through a recommendation from a colleague.
For more information on how to use Nearpod, click the following link:
https://nearpod.com/how-it-works/
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