Week 9

Assignment 1
The Impact of Using Blogs on College Students’

Reading Comprehension and Learning Motivation

In our world today it is essential that we utilize the technology that we have available to use. Our students are growing up in a digital world, where the knowledge about technology is significant. That is why educators must implement this knowledge of “new literacies”. Our students must be able to function, understand, and be knowledgeable about the “interactive multimedia environment” around them. Technology is a great tool to motivate students and to increase and improve their reading comprehension. Blogging allows students to learn outside of a traditional classroom. Blogs have similar features to Blackboard and Moodle, but it allows for more possibilities. Students are able to collaborate, reflect, and showcase their work with their peers and teachers. Blogs give students the opportunity to collaborate and share with not only students from their school but from other schools as well. Blogging gives students a broader platform for learning. Blogging is a great way for students to gain “new literacies” skills and prepare our students to be college and career ready in the 21^st century.

Assignment 2

Initial draft for Final Keystone Unit Implementation and Evaluation

Subject: ELA/Literacy and Art (Students will be using an interactive SMART Board program that will be designed as a game. It is inspired by Eric Carle’s 1974 book called My Very First Book of Numbers; My Very First Book of Colors; My Very First Book of Shapes; My Very First Book of Words. This game will focus on word identification. The students will be identifying color, shapes, and words. The students will see an image and must write the words correctly in the given spaces.)

Grade level: Elementary level (Kindergarten – 1^st grade)

Standards addressed:

The Arts: Visual Arts

ARTS1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts

Students will: actively engage in the process that constitutes creation and performance in the arts and participate in the various roles in the arts.

ARTS2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources

Students will: be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.

ARTS3: Responding to and analyzing works of Art

Students will: respond critically to a variety of works in the arts, connecting the individual work to other works and other aspects of human endeavor and thought.

ELA: English Language Arts: Listening / Speaking

ELA1.KN.LI3/ELA1.KN.SP4.01: Language for information and Understanding

Students will: read, write, listen, and speak for information and understanding

ELA2.KN.LI3/ELA2.KN.SP4.01: Language for Literary Response and Expression

Students will: read, write, listen, and speak for literary response and expression

ELA3.04.WR2/ELA3.KN.SP4.01: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Students will: read, write, listen, and speak for critical analysis and evaluation

ELA4.04.WR2/ELA4.KN.SPA: Language for Social Interaction

Students will: read, write, listen, and speak for social interaction.

Literacy Competency Topic – Listening

·       Listen attentively to spoken language (e.g., books read aloud, rhyming words, songs, video-and audio cassettes)

·       Listen attentively for different purposes (e.g., to track individual words as they are spoken, to gain information)

·       Understanding and follow oral directions

·       Listen respectfully without interrupting others

Literacy Competency Topic – Speaking

·       Use kindergarten-level vocabulary and grammar in own speech

·       Speak for different purposes (e.g., share ideas or information, retell a story, dramatize an experience of even)

·       Speak audibly

·       Speak with speed and expression appropriate for the purpose

·       Take turns speaking in a group

ELA: English Language Arts (NYS P-12 Common Core): Speaking and Listening

K.SL.1: Participate in collaborative conversations with diverse partners about kindergarten topics and texts with peers and adults in small and larger groups.

K.SL.2: Confirm understanding of a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media by asking and answering questions about key details and requesting clarification if something is not understood.

K.SL.3: Ask and answer questions in order to seek help, get information, or clarify something is not understood.

K.SL.4: Describe familiar people, places, things, and events and, with prompting and support, provide additional detail.

K.SL.5: Add drawings or other visual displays to descriptions as desired to provide additional detail.

K.SL.6: Speak audibly and express thoughts, feelings, and ideas clearly.

Technology

Nets For Students

Creating and Innovation

·       Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology. Students:

a)     apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

b)     create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

c)     use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

d)     identify trends and forecast possibilities.

Communication and Collaboration

·       Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:

a)     interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

b)     communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

c)     develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

d)     contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

Research and Information Fluency

·       Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:

a)     plan strategies to guide inquiry.

b)     locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

c)     evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

d)     process data and report results.

 Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making

·       Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources. Students:

a)     identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

b)     plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

c)     collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions.

d)     use multiple processes and diverse perspectives to explore alternative solutions.

 Digital Citizenship

·       Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior. Students:

a)     advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

b)     exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

c)     demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning.

d)     exhibit leadership for digital citizenship.

Technology Operations and Concepts

·       Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations. Students:

a)     understand and use technology systems.

b)     select and use applications effectively and productively.

c)     troubleshoot systems and applications.

d)     transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies.

Intended results of the proposed technology integration: At this grade level students are beginning to learn how to identify and spell words. With the use of the SMART Board and this activity the students will learn to read, write, and draw the word. The students will be able to visually see the image of the word and there will be a given space to write out the word. The students will also be asked to draw out the word if it is a shape.

Support and format of training needed for the effective implementation of the selected technology in their classrooms: The teacher must have know how to use a SMART Board and navigate through the program properly.

Requirements (computer lab or classroom computers): The requirements needed to implement this activity are a computer and a SMART Board, which is all located in the classroom.

Evaluation plan (what is your plan to make sure that your training meets the goals, needs, and objectives): The game will be an immediate assessment of the students learning.

• Did the students correctly spell the word?
• Could the students read and identify the word?
• Did the students draw the shape correctly?

Digital Storytelling Video

Who is Eric Carle?

I’ve created a Digital Storytelling Video that combines literacy and art together. Being an elementary art teacher, if find that it is very important to incorporate literacy with art. I like to create multiple art lessons that integrate different books and authors to teach to my students. I chose to create my video on Eric Carle. I thought that Eric Carle was a perfect fit for this project because he is both an artist as well as a author. This video is targeted towards the elementary level. It is a great introduction to Eric Carle, his books, and his illustrations. My video also includes a read-aloud of the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar, which is read by the author Eric Carle.


http://dl.dropbox.com/u/44186744/Eric%20Carle.m4v