Embedded Files
I am an educator in Gwinnett County. I am fortunate to work with a supportive administrative team and collaborative learning team that values and fosters student achievement through personalized learning.
Gwinnett County encourages the use of technology to support and enhance learning within the classroom. Gwinnett County Public Schools states, "The use of technology as a strategy is especially effective when leveraged by the teacher to bring events and activities into the classroom that would not be possible otherwise, in order to extend learning opportunities beyond the school day and to differentiate and personalize instruction based on students’ strengths, interests, and needs." Therefore, I have access to a wide range of automated pedagogy technology tools to support student learning. In addition, my students have access to their own Chromebook, reliable high-speed internet, Google Fundamentals for Education tools, and a variety of other technology tools.
Due to the experiences with digital learning and concurrent teaching, my team and I are equipped with skills and knowledge to facilitate the use of digital tools and resources to engage students in authentic learning experiences. In addition, I have gained valuable experiences and crucial skills that allow me to better support my students through the Instructional Technology Master's Degree program at Kennesaw State University and my endorsement in Personalized Learning. With this education, I am confident in my abilities to design personalized learning experiences that are student centered. As you view this portfolio, you will find evidence of my abilities to prepare students to enact agency and manage their own goals and behaviors.
Automated Pedagogies
Percent Academic Learning Time (ALT) on Automated Pedagogies
According to A Batch of One: A Conceptual Framework for the Personalized Learning Movement, Lokey-Vage and Stephens share that "automated pedagogies are instructional strategies that use computer systems to deliver curriculum content to learners." I estimate that 15 - 20% of academic learning time will be spent on automated pedagogy in my classroom across all content areas. This work is more prevalent in mathematics instruction.
Types of Automated Pedagogies
In my classroom, I will be using automated pedagogies to support students to engage students. Automated pedagogies allows teachers to customize learning by providing flexibility in the delivery methods.
Modified Flipped Classroom
At the beginning of every subject area, I teach a mini-lesson to students. It lasts approximately 10 – 15 minutes. A mini-lesson provides space for the teacher to provide the learning intentions, build connection, activate engagement, model/teach the standard, provide space for practice, and reflect or summarize the learning. After reading the article, Flipping the Elementary Classroom, Alison Doubet uses a modified version of the flipped classroom, where she does an in-class flip. An in-class flip is where the beginning of the lesson starts with students consuming the video lesson in class with the teacher. This would take the place of my mini-lesson. This would be the perfect opportunity to implement this blended model. It reaches a diverse population of learners because they can listen, write, and watch as I am modeling the strategy in the video. Students can rewind for lesson directions or review examples. This prevents me from having to repeat myself and helps if any student is absent. While students are learning the content through my video lesson, I can support my learners at their pace and provide immediate feedback.
Screencast-o-Matic
Screencasting is a tool that allows teachers to record their computer screen with voice narrations. I first experienced Screencast-O-Matic at the beginning of digital learning experience in March of 2020. I experimented with many ways to support my learners. It was most beneficial for my students with special needs. In a blended classroom, I create screencasts to deliver my lessons. I can model thinking, teach skills, and implement strategies through the screencast. In math, I would directly model on the slides with manipulatives and students had the opportunity to review when necessary. However, the tool requires me to prepare in advance. I wrote short scripts to plan out my thinking. The most useful aspects with the ability to pause, rerecord, or edit the clips. The 15-minute limit forced me to be concise with my teaching. In reading, I used Screencast-O-Matic to read aloud chapter books with pauses for reflection and modeling of teaching points. In addition, I created tutorials using Screencast-O-Matic to screen recording my computer as I walked students through new websites like Google Classroom or Flipgrid.
Adaptive Learning Software
According to A Batch of One: A Conceptual Framework for the Personalized Learning Movement, Lokey-Vage and Stephens share that "adaptive learning software also requires a computer as the delivery mechanism rather than the teacher. Adaptive learning software that assigns lessons to individual learners based on their responses to assessment questions, is the automation of scripted curricula." The adaptive learning software that I use in my classroom are Prodigy, Amplify Reading, iReady Math, and Classworks. These tools allow me to monitor students as they navigate through assigned lessons at a custom pace and pathway. Students will work on these softwares approximately 30-45 minutes each week. I analyze the data collected from the adaptive learning softwares and use it to design additional strategy groups and aid student learning.
Lokey-Vage and Stephens state the inclusive definition of personalized learning. "To this end, we define personalized learning as the mass customization of learning through a unique combination of automated and student-centered pedagogies. The array of pedagogies employed in a model of personalized learning will provide varied opportunities for learners to exert power in the decisions of how they pursue mastery of learning."
Student-Centered Pedagogies
Percent Academic Learning Time (ALT) on Student-Centered Pedagogies
According to A Batch of One: A Conceptual Framework for the Personalized Learning Movement, Lokey-Vage and Stephens define student centered pedagogies as "this world view asserts that because knowledge is constructed by the learner it cannot be decontextualized and fixed outside the learner but must be constructed through action in the world. Since the learner is central to the construction of knowledge in the progressivist worldview, student-centered pedagogies are inherently custom or personal in nature." I estimate that 50-60% of academic learning time will be spent on student centered pedagogy in my classroom across all content areas.
Types of Student-Centered Pedagogies
In my classroom, I will be using student-centered pedagogies to design and facilitate authentic learning experiences. Student-centered strategies enable students to participate actively in their learning, which boosts motivation and encourages student agency in the classroom.
Project Based Learning
Project Based Learning is a framework of teaching and learning where students engage in authentic and meaningful application of academic knowledge and skills. Students are investigating a solution to a challenge, problem, or concern. It provides students with opportunities to collaborate, reflect, and apply critical thinking skills. Project Based Learning can foster inquiry and curiosity, provide students with choice, and equip students with problem solving strategies to be self-motivated learners. To design project based learning opportunities, teachers will need to connect learning to real-world experiences. Every project should revolve around a real-world scenario, challenge, or problem. Throughout the project, teachers can co-plan with students to confer, provide feedback, and support students in meaningful reflections. I enjoy designing and implementing project based learning opportunities in my classroom. Generally, the projects revolve around literacy, mathematics, and science. Students prefer this in the classroom because it allows them to explore concepts that are relevant and authentic to their learning.
Collaborative Learning
Collaborative Learning involves students actively constructing meaning as they work together in purposeful manners. Students are working with one another to "mutually search for understanding, solutions, or meanings, or create a product" (Smith & MacGregor). My school and county adopted Google platforms for productivity and collaboration. At my school, students and teachers in fourth grade are proficient with Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals tools. In the 2020-2021 school year, students engaged in learning activities through digital platforms and concurrent learning. This experience equipped both parties with the knowledge and expertise to navigate Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals tools. A benefit to using a cloud-based software like Google Workspace for Education Fundamentals is that it automatically saves progress and students can access their work from their Google Drive. I use these tools to engage students in collaborative learning. We are able to communicate, share, and work together on this platform. In addition to this, I implement strategies in the classroom like JigSaw, Think-Pair-Share, and establishing flexible grouping in the classroom. This work encourages students to share their background, respect differences, and collectively build meaning.
Inquiry-Based Learning/Experiential Learning
Inquiry-based learning is an approach to learning that emphasizes the student’s role in the learning process. Rather than the teacher telling students what they need to know, students are encouraged to explore the material, ask questions, and share ideas (GradePowerLearning, 2018). I utilize this pedagogy in science and mathematics. This work allows students to critically think and communicate ideas that they find through learning experiences. Students are actively building meaning through exploration. By providing space for students to construct their own ideas, this learning is students centered and builds curiosity in students. In return, my students are more engaged in the work and take accountability of their work. In science, this work is mostly done in experiments. I provide a science phenomenon that encourages students to activate their schema. Then they will engage in a task that is related to the topic. Students explore in pairs, build meaning, jot ideas, and summarize with their class.
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy
Culturally Responsive Teaching is an approach that emphasizes the collective experiences and knowledge that our students bring to the table to support student success. This pedagogy is student centered and celebrates cultures and backgrounds to give each child the best chance at success. A few years ago, I read a book called Practice What You Teach: Social Justice Education in the Classroom and the Streets. This book challenges teachers to reevaluate their own biases and to look deeply at our power, position, and perspective. I must spend time reflecting and evaluating my own biases because this may impact my relationships with my students. The ultimate goal within the classroom is to work toward changing social inequality and oppressive institutions in order to transcend and transform the struggles our students experience in their everyday lives. The role of a teacher is imperative to building a community where children are respected and valued. I can foster equity and build respect for cultures in my classroom through modeling and validating cultural identities in my instruction (Richards, 2007). Every choice that an educator makes can impact the student. When I choose a read aloud to share with my students, I intentionally choose books that would mirror student experiences or open a window into a new perspective for other peers. This is a small detail in my planning and instruction that can impact students dramatically. Students want to feel accepted and, most importantly, students want to be heard.
Other Defining Features
Power and Agency
Agency is an individual’s capacity to make and act on choices that affect their life (Martin, 2004). To analyze power distribution in schools one must investigate three areas: who determined the norms and values expressed in the everyday classroom interactions; who controls what constitutes knowledge in the classroom, or the intended curriculum; and who plans, organizes, and evaluates school activity (Apple, 2004). There are a number of decision makers that influence the learning in my classroom. Administration and teacher leaders determine the norms and values of the school building. It is important to have a foundation built on trust, respect, and empathy. Teachers and students determine the norms and values of the classroom environment in the everyday classroom interactions. In my classroom, I make informed decisions that are based on the needs of my students. In a personalized learning environment, students are encouraged to make decisions about their own learning. I can intentionally and purposefully facilitate learner agency by building learning experiences based on modalities, interests, and backgrounds. Additionally, it is important for me to build strong relationships with my students and provide space for them to advocate for their learning. The district and state control the intended curriculum and knowledge in the classroom. Academic standards and skills (AKS) set by the district guide my instruction, which are also aligned with the Georgia Standards of Excellence (GSE). Teachers and leaders of the school plan, organize, and evaluate school activity. The power is shared between members of the building with a shared vision of placing students are the forefront of all decisions.
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