EDU 6433 Technological Professional Development

Technological Professional Development

The fifth ISTE Standard stresses the importance of engaging in continual professional development, especially that which incorporates practice in effectively using technology. Professional development is a key component of normal educational practice, so how can practice with technology be incorporated? Luckily in this day, technology and digital media and resources are everywhere and constantly evolving. This prolific nature allows for quick and easy use, and simultaneous access to far reaches of the globe, where cultural diversity and the exchange of information allow for collaboration and immense sharing of new and unique ideas.

Technology today allows for an incredible exchange of ideas and information, often for the benefit of the global community. Peterson (2010) discusses various, specific examples of technology that can be used for peer collaboration and professional development. These include but are not limited to, Twitter, blogs, Skype, Youtube, and Glogster. As discussed by Dr. Wicks in the vialogue earlier this module, the networked teacher incorporates the use of theses medias in particular as these allow for two-way sharing of information, in contrast to one-way medias, such as curriculum documents or popular media (although, I would make a case that these would allow for two-way sharing if there was a file exchange or community server in place, which many schools and districts actually use…or teachers could just print extras for their teaching partners).

If educators are in search of content specific technology for professional development, or for bringing the global community into the classroom, they simply need to search out these specific content interests, as many professional organizations exist for special interests that align with K-12 education content and standards. Both the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS, 2017) and the Washington State Council for the Social Studies (WSCSS, 2017) provide professional development opportunities in the form of conferences, seminars, webinars, and numerous peer-reviewed publications and journals, as well as archival material. Even at a more specific, subfield level, the National Geographic Society (NGS) (2017), for instance, provides incredible professional development opportunities for social studies educators that may need to teach components of geography. In addition to peer-reviewed writing for professional development and research use, the NGS offers teachers phenomenal opportunities that bring actual researchers into classrooms via Skype and other video conference call mediums, or connect classrooms to one another across the globe for the community sharing of ideas and collaboration.

As advertised by the organizations discussed above, professional conferences in general allow for much professional development, as well as insider networking. In the vialogue earlier this module I discussed some of the many benefits and excitement of attending, and presenting, at conferences (Image 1). From personal experience, such as in preparing for the 2017 Northwest Anthropological Conference (Image 2), I feel it takes much practice and confidence to present a paper or poster, especially with regard to knowledge of content, and the knowledge of how to effectively use the media by which your information is made visible to the audience (because just listening to papers is boring). Additionally, perhaps even without giving it much thought, presenters regardless of subject area, will likely consider ideas about how best to engage the audience in receiving and retaining pertinent information, and thus integrate teaching pedagogy. 

Image 1: Vialogue comment about presenting at conferences for professional development.

Image 2: I am excited for the 70th NWAC theme of, "Anthropology: Making a Difference in the Real World". My paper and poster will discuss application of archaeology in the social studies and art contexts within the public school system.

Stressed by Koehler and Mishra in the article “What is technological pedagogical content knowledge?”, “The complexity of technology integration comes from an appreciation of the rich connections of knowledge among these three components [technology, pedagogy, and content] and the complex ways in which they are applied in multifaceted and dynamic classroom contexts” (2009, p. 67). Teachers must be masters of all three areas, and be able to use them harmoniously in a variety of contexts. Furthermore, technology does not simply serve as an add-on, rather it should be fully integrated into the teaching, learning, and professional development processes and experiences, in conjunction with the other two components. Regarding professional development and participation with peers for collaboration, planning, and growth, it is essential not just to add the effective practice and use of technology, but to use it to successfully integrate and augment existing content and pedagogy.

Reference List:

Koehler, M. and Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.

National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) (2017). http://www.socialstudies.org/professionaldevelopment

 

National Geographic Society (NGS) (2017). http://www.nationalgeographic.org/education/teaching-resources/

 

Peterson, E. (2010). Tech as a Tool for Teacher Collaboration. The Inspired Classroom. http://theinspiredclassroom.com/2010/11/tech-as-a-tool-for-teacher-collaboration/

 

Washington State Council for the Social Studies (WSCSS) (2017). http://www.wscss.org/

EDU 6433 Evidence of Participation in Online Educational Community: #sschat

Evidence of Participation in Online Educational Community: #sschat

In order to experience an online educational community, I chose to participate in the live discussion of the #sschat on Twitter. This chat meets on Monday each week at 4:00 pm PST. Overall, I felt overwhelmed by the experience. It was interesting to see the diversity of contributors and contributing topics and posts, however this diversity did create a sensation of informational overload. The experience was also not enhanced due to my lack of experience with Twitter in general.

Regarding the sensation of information overload, there were just so many different posts. There were comments about lessons, comments about curriculum, and comments about classroom resources and technology. There were links to resources, videos, websites, etc. There were photos – oh, so many photos – but some with captions so nondescript (due to tweet length limits…go figure) that I really had no idea how they were applicable. And the hashtags...and the @s... there were just so many in some instances they seemed to obfuscate the true identity of the post. Furthermore, because of such diversity and individual intrigue, I felt there was not much actual collaboration. While so many people were willing to make posts, it did not seem like many people were making comments, or engaging in dialogue as I thought was the purpose. Comments were simply along the lines of complimenting the original post, but not questioning, nor oriented toward stimulating discourse.

While I was able to successfully post a tweet of my own, and eventually find a way to upload a corresponding photo (Image 1), I was not able to interact with others in the live stream because I was never able to figure out how to make my comment posts visible (Image 2). As brought up in the vialogue discussion earlier, I am unaware if perhaps this is related to the privacy settings of the poster who I was attempting to reply to, or a setting of my own. Perhaps it is related to the web browser I was using, as commented on by Dr. Wicks. Whatever the reason, this dilemma certainly made it difficult to engage in the discussion at a deeper level. While my first experience was certainly a trial by fire, I am certain I would get better with time and practice.

Image 1: My post with photo on #sschat regarding a lesson I taught incorporating the use of primary source artifacts.

Image 2: My attempt to engage in communication with other posters was met with disaster as no reply I made would appear (red circles indicating at least one reply - mine - but where!?!).

EDU 6433 Digital Citizenship: Citing Sources, Differentiation, Digital Etiquette, and Participation in Global Community

The fourth ISTE standard regarding digital citizenship is based on four main ideas. These pertain to the necessity for teaching how to properly cite sources, differentiate effectively through the incorporation of technology, promote proper digital etiquette and set good examples for students regarding online communication, and modeling the participation in global communities in order to promote the spread of knowledge, information, and collaboration for the greater good of the world.

The digital citizenship poster I have created reflects these four main ideas. The program standard, front and center, is broken apart (as above), analyzed, and summarized. Information about the importance of citing sources and an example of how to cite a source in a reference list is provided via modified and unmodified inforgraphics from the CSUSB John M. Pfau Library (2014a, 2014b). Information about analyzing the veracity of sources is provided via the CRAAP Test framework established at California State University (2010). Digital etiquette and the global community are discussed with reference to Dwyer's (2016) ideas of how teachers must promote global literacy, as well as provide students with the background knowledge necessary for them to begin to make their own informed and culturally responsive decisions. With this ability, then the collaboration of students/classrooms/teachers not only serves the local communities, but global communities as well, further promoting the idea of mutual respect and collaboration to better the globe - ideas made even more plausible with the use of increasingly complex technology.

A poster as such could easily be digitized or displayed in print form. It is scaled to be 3' x 4' when printed, but could certainly be scaled smaller without having the text become illegible. The use of original and adapted infographics should serve to draw attention of those keen to visual stimuli, and the use of concise, bulleted text in certain situations, and summary in others, allows for display of a variety of pertinent and necessary information relevant to the subject of digital citizenship and its four main components.

Digital Citizenship Poster

Reference List:

California State University (CSU), Chico (2010). Evaluating Information – Applying the CRAAP Test. https://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/eval_websites.pdf

CSUSB John M. Pfau Library (2014a). Citing Sources Infographic. http://library.csusb.edu/cillab/?page_id=121.

(2014b). Parts of a Citation Infographic. http://library.csusb.edu/cillab/?page_id=121.

Dwyer, B. (2016). Teaching and Learning in the Global Village: Connect, Create, Collaborate, and Communicate. The Reading Teacher 70(1): 131-136.

EDU 6945 Now that I’m a Nighthawk - Families and Community

EDU6945                             Now that I’m a Nighthawk - Families and Community                      Ian Lewis

Becoming a Narrows View Nighthawk has been no easy task. Well, some parts were…but really, none of the good GREAT things in life come easily. And, as any social scientist knows, immersing oneself in any new experience takes great time, planning, communication, and reflection. Similar to an ethnographer studying a culture, the teacher would experience a new and unique culture in the classroom each new school year. Good ethnography takes time – some scientists were/are abroad/undercover/enveloped… for years, but that’s another, long story. As a teacher, not only do we employ the skills and knowledge of teaching pedagogy, but also employ psychology, cultural and physical anthropology, sociology, and history, in addition to the previously mentioned ethnography, just to name a few applicable social sciences. Hey, we even threw in archaeology recently too! The point of having such a Batman-esque toolkit is vast, but one important aspect is the creation of relationships – the sense of community – not only with students, but with their parents/guardians, other teachers, support staff, specialists, administration, and even the local community, which is the direct point of program standard 7. Families and Community.

Becoming immersed with program standard 7. Families and Community has involved much time, but with much time has come the establishment of strong and deep relationships, in part due to much planning, communication, and reflection. Building these relationships has come in many forms, but is strongly rooted in these attributes. Throughout first semester, I worked with two classes for English Language Arts (ELA) and social studies – that’s fifty relationships right there. Now, only teaching social studies, but with two additional classes, that’s over 100! This semester the new fifty relationships are still budding, but with my original classes they are now flourishing, and not only with just the students, but parents/guardians too. Planning is key for many reasons, and especially takes into consideration the previously mentioned social science skills. Lots of great teachers probably don’t even conscientiously consider the use of these skills despite actually integrating them to their fullest capacities. Knowing our students – through psychology, anthropology, sociology, etc.  – is essential, and good teachers do this. Planning teaching/learning experiences to use the strengths (and even acknowledge and reflect upon weaknesses) of the multitude of unique students takes vast knowledge of a large population. By knowing this large population though, we can plan engaging teaching/learning experiences that draw upon the cultural and background knowledge of our students, while also considering the need for differentiation based on a plethora of variables (ELL, special education, 504s, IEPs, gifted, etc.). During the study of the Byzantine and Muslim empires, for example, the two ELL students were thoroughly engrossed as we discussed aspects of their culture and religion. They were drawn in as experts on the subject of pronunciation, cultural traditions, religion, and even art. One of them volunteered to show his Qur’an, which was beautifully inlaid with gold leaf and served a wonderful representation of a primary source for the brief study and art project related to Islamic art. The other shared a traditional flatbread. 

In order to immerse ourselves in the cultures of our students so that we can plan to incorporate this unique class culture into daily lessons, we must successfully communicate and constantly seek out opportunities to build relationships, similar to anthropologists and ethnographers in the field. Right away, students wrote letters to us describing various aspects of home and culture, in addition to background information on reading and study habits. Knowing various strengths and weaknesses of students from the beginning allowed for much successful planning. After all, through this engaging, communication learning activity, we were able to collect a writing sample from each student by day two, whereas on the actual writing preassessment in ELA on day one…some students left blank responses. Granted, vastly different prompts, but a sample nonetheless, and a great way for using communication as a foothold for establishing a relationship. This item was the first in the students’ cumulative files, which serves as a wonderful resource for tracking many aspects of school, and also serves as a great resource for reflecting upon growth (or possible problems) with parents/guardians. Thirty book summaries and Accelerated Reader points in a file when a goal was only five would certainly warrant celebratory communication to a parent/guardian, while the tracking of excessive bathroom pass use, detentions, and/or tardy slips, among others, could certainly provide evidence to suggest a need for communication with parents/guardians regarding reflecting on student growth and behavior.

Additionally, Narrows View Intermediate’s positive behavioral interventions and support program utilizes Nighthawk Notes and Nighthawk Superstar tickets as ways to communicate to students that their positive behavior is acknowledged and appreciated, which is a great way to build relationships. While certainly easier to compose earlier for some students than others, the Nighthawk Note is a postcard with a personalized note that is actually sent home to students and their parents/guardians; the goal is to send at least one for each student throughout the year. Superstar tickets are ways to communicate that a student has demonstrated one of the three Be’s (Safe, Respectful, and Responsible) at an exemplary level; they are entered into a drawing for Superstar of the month, which acknowledges positive student leaders and communicates the strong ideals of the school to students and parents/guardians. I have delighted in writing many of both, though I’m sure I still have many more to give as I continue to communicate high expectations and acknowledge positive student behavior as just one way to craft relationships. 

Figure 1: Nighthawk Note and Superstar ticket, examples of PBIS incentives, and ways of communicating high expectations and exemplary student behavior to students and their parents/guardians.

Other communication outlets include direct email, of which I have crafted many, the class website, as well as the student/parent portal to the gradebook online. Student-led parent/teacher conferences were a wonderful way to communicate and interact with the diverse classroom community to reflect on student progress and strengthen relationships. Student Intervention Team (SIT) meetings, as well as those for IEPs and 504s in which students and parents/guardians are involved are also ways to reach out and communicate.

Reflection, on the planning and communication that has gone into such relationship building, and for the progress to come, is the final key component to establishing strong ties with families and the community. Simply, reflecting is also something that any scientist, social or not, does on the daily. Reflection comes in many forms. Reflecting on what we know about our students and how to incorporate it into learning activities is necessary for planning. Then reflecting on our plans and what we actually witnessed our students do with them is necessary for our own growth and development, and not just by ourselves, but with other teachers in our team so that we may track class trends of growth or areas for improvement. Reflecting on student progress and behavior must be adequately and continually communicated to students (and parents/guardians, other teachers, and administration) so that they may continue to process this feedback and apply new strategies for success where applicable. Reflecting on communication before it is actually communicated is a practice to be acknowledged and used – and one to be passed on to students. Through thoughtful reflection, which goes hand-in –hand with communicating and planning, we can better reach out to our diverse students, their families, and the community. Throughout my internship thus far I have experienced many facets of this program standard. With the remaining months of the school year, I will continue to the standard to practice. Most importantly, I will continue to soar as a new member of the nighthawk family.