Reflection

Teaching with technology, besides being the name of this class, was our goal for Group 13. We have learned throughout this team project creation, that integrating technology into curriculum is a process. We have seen that working online, using Web 2.0 tools, makes learning and collaborating easy and fun! During our weeks together, we have worked as if we were sitting in a classroom together, sharing ideas, conducting research, exploring technologies, and creating content. This project has taught a bunch of teachers a huge lesson: students really do "learn by doing." We have been immersed in the world of wikis, blogs, Google docs, Youtube, etc. and have gathered data separately and together to focus on our goal. We have also used every skill that we have learned in our other educational technology classes including those of the current course.

Over the last five weeks this project took shape from a general concept of looking at a classroom that had a varied selection of students with different abilities and applying changes to both instructional practices and learning practices to provide a universal learning opportunity for each student.  Our group took the approach of utilizing common tools and easily accessible resources to create project based learning that involves students of all capabilities without modifying the classroom to incorporate additional technology expenses.  From the inception of looking at the project we began to consider what the class would be doing from both the teacher and student perspective. 

The purpose of designing a web page and a brochure came from utilizing the most common pieces of equipment in the classroom. Students can use a simple computer with Google Sites, or a Word Processor and create a website. Students can also use a word processor or a publishing program to create a brochure.  Blind students can assist in creating vocals for the site, as well students with hearing problems can help choose images.  The goal for the group project is so that students can help each other learning the lesson and put their efforts together to create a project that can be used as an assessment of what they have learned.  We also utilized the CAST website tools to develop the Lesson Plan, Survey Monkey for developing the survey, YouTube for finding Video Tutorials, and Del-i-cious for the Bookmarking site.  We chose to use the different technology tools because the websites make them easy to create and edit and the students can easily access them.  These tools are also easy to train other teachers to use and incorporate into their curriculum.  The only limitation may in accessing these resources through the district's firewall.  The Web 2.0 textbook proved to be a good resource for finding the different components.  As we have learned from our videos and readings, technology is designed to encourage collaboration and helps motivate students of all abilities. 

During the first week of the course, we formed our group using the Wiki-space that was created by another student in the course.  Once we formed our groups, we selected a group leader, traded contact information and start our brainstorming into the second week of the class.  Mike, our group leader, created a Google Doc for us to post and edit our project ideas while Tina created the Google site for the final draft to be posted.  During week 3 we had to develop an action plan for the scenario-based project on how we were going to incorporate technology into a classroom of 30 diverse learners and a teacher with minimal technology experience.  Last week and this current week we created a lesson plan, activities, and assessments for the class along with professional development for the teacher to study before his/her lesson.  The use of the Google Document worked very well to allow each team member the ability to incorporate input for each week's assignment.  The Google Site allowed us to organize the information in a user friendly format.  It was amazing to see that Google had so many different capabilities and that it was so user friendly.  It was enlightening to see a group project work from Mike suggesting a subject to each member running with different ideas for ways to incorporate technology, accommodate diverse learners and develop the different components. 

Each of our team members, in Group 13, have collaborated daily on our group project. We have worked together towards our goal; to create learning experiences that integrate technology and impact student achievement for diverse learners. Every team member has contributed content, edited and brainstormed on other team member's contributions, communicated with each other and consistently worked together to accomplish our Week 5 Teaching Technology Project. Our team member contributions were as follows:

Mike: Team Leader,Initiated Google Document, Creation of Travel Website, Creation of Travel Brochure, Resources:Websites, Youtube videos, Photos, Graphics,Collaboration of Google Docs and Editing, ISTE Standards, Technology TEKS, TEKS, Contributing Group Reflection Author

David:Professional Development Plan and Wiki, Resources:Websites, Maps, Youtube videos, Examples of finished projects, Collaboration on Google Docs and Editing, TEKS,Contributing Group Reflection Author

Tina:Development and Maintenance of Google Site, UDL Lesson Plan, TEKS implementation, Collaboration on Google Docs and Editing, Contributing Group Reflection Author, Research of Relevant Resources: Websites and Video Tutorials.

Alexis:Survey, Student Wiki, Professional Development PowerPoint, KWHL Chart,Collaboration on Google Docs and Editing,Contributing Group Reflection Author, Resources: Websites, Examples of finished surveys, Textbooks

Susan: Rubric, Shared Bookmarking site, Shared Calendar, Professional Development PowerPoint, Google Docs collaboration and Editing, Resources:Youtube video, Websites,Contributing Group Reflection Author

For professional development, we have designed a Professional Development Wiki for teacher collaboration, training and resources. We have links to maps and a World War II Museum. We also have a Professional Development Lesson Plan. We have compiled some PowerPoint presentations in our Group 13 Google Site files for professional development, to assist in training the teacher on various technologies. We have also given links, to our teacher, for the shared bookmarking site and the student/ teacher shared calendar. The teacher may use the shared bookmarking site for an authentic assessment for each student’s skills, knowledge and participation. We have documented various links for the teacher such as; maps, textbooks, YouTube videos, wikis, and project examples. We chose these links so the teacher would be able to see how links help guide research and instruction. We have created an example of a Travel Website and a Travel Brochure with other links to more examples. These examples are for the teacher to use as a model for his/her students and to use as a guide to create more assessments. We have also created an UDL Lesson plan, including TEKS and Technology TEKS. This Lesson Plan demonstrates the objectives and goals of the lesson. It can be used in its entirety, as a model or as a guide for other history integrating technology lesson plans.

We have realized that through the process of this group project that we have all become digital "immigrant" mentors. As future Technology Specialists, we will take with us the knowledge that learning is a dynamic process and that students "learn by doing." We must also enlighten the teachers to this aspiration and to "lead by doing."  It is difficult at the end of the school year with each member having different schedules, but it all seemed to come together seamlessly.  Personally, I learned a lot about the challenges and rewards of working with a team to solve a problem.  Each member was very easy to work with and contributed to each week's goal.  Hopefully we will get the opportunity to work together again.