EDUC 5313 Week 1: Intro and Lesson Thoughts
Hi everyone! For those of you who are new to my blog, let me introduce myself. My name is Liz Henderson. I am many things (a wife, a mom, an educator, a life-long learner), but this blog is for my role as a grad student. This particular entry is for my very last grad class, and when I finish, I will have a master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Educational Technology. I am very excited to have that degree.
I have recently had a job change. My previous employer had a massive layoff, and I unfortunately was part of the team that was downsized…and by downsized, I mean they only kept one person, and the rest of us were let go. As sad as I was to lose that position, it did allow me to move to my current role, which is perfect for my degree. I am now a Curriculum Assistant, where I help teachers learn how to use the different supplements we have across our schools (which are nationwide). We also have our own proprietary curriculum, which is used at schools that are not part of our district, and I am support for those as well.
As far as future goals, I am not sure. I originally had goals of creating a curriculum that weaved in the MTSS tiers, allowing for teachers to use it without having to pull from all over the place. However, now that I am no longer a part of an intervention team, I may re-evaluate those plans.
Now that you know a little about me, let’s move on to looking at what we will be focused on for most of the entire blog and this class as a whole: ISTE Standards. For now, I’d like to focus on the student standards, looking at ISTE Standard 1: Empowered Learner, with a focus on 1c: “Students use technology to seek feedback that informs and improves their practice and to demonstrate their learning in a variety of ways” (ISTE, 2016). Since most of my classroom teaching took place as a middle school math teacher, I decided to look at the Oklahoma Pre-Algebra Standards, specifically standard PA.GM.1, which asks students to “apply the Pythagorean theorem to solve problems involving triangles.” (Oklahoma State Department of Education, 2022).
Since my current district uses Canvas, that would be how I would push out the lesson. I would ask students to use Desmos or GeoGebra to plot points (in the shape of a right triangle, of course). Then, they would calculate the hypotenuse using the Pythagorean theorem. Once they are done with their work, they would submit screenshots or video explanations via the discussion boards, and then their peers and teachers can provide feedback. They would then take that feedback, make any necessary changes, and create a presentation using Canva or a similar product to demonstrate their understanding.
This lesson idea fits right into Kolb’s Triple E Framework. She says that technology should be used to “engage, enhance, and extend learning” (Kolb, 2011). In my idea, the tools used, like Desmos or GeoGebra, help the students apply the Pythagorean Theorem, and their final use of Canva helps them demonstrate their understanding. If we break it down:
- Engage: Students like learning how to use tools that make things easier for them, so they will remain on task as they navigate using the Pythagorean Theorem.
- Enhance: The technology allows the students to build on their understanding and provides visual representations to help with comprehension.
- Extend: When asking students to create a presentation, this provides them with hands-on, real-world applications.
References:
International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE Standards for Students. https://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards-for-students
Kolb, L. (2011). Triple E Framework. University of Michigan, School of Education.
Oklahoma State Department of Education. (2022, February). Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics. https://oklahoma.gov/content/dam/ok/en/osde/documents/services/standards-learning/mathematics/2022%20OAS%20Math.pdf
Hi Elizabeth, I am sorry to hear about your downsizing, but sounds like you have landed in a position to keep helping educators impact students. This is also a very clear layout of how you would both integrate technology into the classroom and use it in a meaningful way.
ReplyDeleteHi Liz! I enjoyed reading your post. I love your lesson idea using Desmos or GeoGebra for the Pythagorean Theorem. It’s such a fun, visual way for students to understand the concept and get feedback. Great connection to the Triple E Framework too!
ReplyDeleteHi Elizabeth, I'm sorry to hear about your layoff. It sounds like you've taken the bull by the horns and came out on top. I am always looking for ways to introduce new technology into my classroom. I am excited to take this class to learn new ways of doing that. Although I am also seeking a degree in C&I, it is not in technology. My focus is in science curriculum so I look froward to reading your blogs to hopefully give me some ideas about introducing tech into my classroom.
ReplyDeleteElizabeth,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this thoughtful post. I am currently working on developing online curriculum for Algebra, and also use GeoGebra a great deal. I really like the idea of taking this to the next level using presentation software and discussion board to encourage students to reflect on their learning and then seek feedback on the work that they've done with the technology. I'll be taking this idea back to my daily work. Thanks for sharing!