Another great assignment we did in this course was from Module 5, called Feedback on a Flip. I was interested in flipped learning well before this class, and unknowingly had even used it in my teaching a tiny bit. I was very excited about this assignment because I L.O.V.E. Flipgrid and I knew it could be the perfect tool for this coursework.
I had already made a quick how-to video for parents to teach them the many ways their child is learning long division. Even after many parents encouraged me to make the videos because they were unable to help their child with homework (“new math” versus “old math”). I enthusiastically spent an hour at school over the weekend to make the videos...and then no one used them! Up until this assignment, the only views the videos had were my own. That is so frustrating! So, I was happy to receive some feedback about one of the videos and so glad to know I am on the right track with flipped learning. My peers provided really useful and honest evaluations of my video, which will give me a head start as I try to implement flipped learning in the near future. Learning more about flipped learning was really exciting to me since it was already a topic I was interested in. The resources provided in this course were helpful. I especially liked how the 8th grade math teacher explained in her videos how to "do" flipped learning and described some of the challenges that may go along with it. Follow this link to see my video on how to use the standard algorithm for long division.
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One of the most memorable and meaningful assignments from this course is the first step in planning our problem-based learning unit, the PBL Outline. This assignment is meaningful to me because it was the first time I had thought about planning a problem-based unit with any level of seriousness or intention.
For this assignment, we were asked to come up with three ideas for problem-based learning units. The ideas that I could easily integrate into my current classroom are Ecosystems and Conservation, Finding Courage / Social Justice, and The Universe: Saving Earth or Exploring New Planets? I teach literacy units that discuss all of these topics; this assignment helped me think of ways I can keep it interesting and fresh for my students. This assignment will, no doubt, remain useful to me in the future because of the brainstorming I’ve already done in regards to how to approach the unit and what kind of technology we may be able to incorporate. I am excited about all of these ideas and would love to make them happen with my students! As we finish our course about technology integration, I think back to all of the helpful information I have learned. From discussions with classmates to projects and assignments, I picked up a lot of things from my peers and instructor. I am so grateful for my experience in this course and look forward to using this new knowledge in my classroom.
One of the most interesting articles to me was one about writing essential questions. We have “boxed” curriculum for both literacy and math in my district, so essential questions are already written for us. I can certainly identify which question would be an essential one, but I had never written my own. The article called What Makes a Question Essential by McTighe and Wiggins really helped me understand what goes on “behind the scenes” when creating essential questions. I have recently needed to write my own essential questions In a few different arenas of my educator life. I’m so glad that I knew of this resource and had the chance to use it so often! Another topic in this course that has piqued my interest is flipped learning. I knew of it before and was already interested in it. This course gave me a chance to practice it, even if only for a few minutes at a time. It was really helpful to hear feedback from my peers about what was working and what could be done differently. I hope that whatever my new position will be next year gives me a chance to attempt flipped learning and see how it goes! I have grown as an educator throughout this class, maybe not just by learning new things about how to use technology in my classroom. I have also discovered that I can manage my time well enough to teach full-time, participate in two online courses, apply and interview for six different jobs, and maintain my house (to a minimal level of cleanliness, but it still counts). It’s been a real challenge - and some days a struggle - but focusing on one day at a time or one assignment at a time has been crucial. This ability to manage my schedule absolutely translates to my classroom since there are a million things to manage there, as well! This course has been truly helpful in expanding my knowledge about technology in education. I feel confident that I can make appropriate decisions for my students in regards to technology, and can also give my students a bit of freedom to make their own appropriate decisions. Thank you to all of my classmates and instructor for your continued support and feedback! McTighe, Jay & Wiggins, Grant. (2019). What makes a question essential? Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/109004/chapters/What-Makes-a-Question-Essential%A2.aspx |
AuthorI'm Stacy! 5th grade teacher. Wife. Mom. Coach. Flipgrid enthusiast. RAKtivist. Potterhead. Whovian. |