PART B: Application of TPACK

1) What is the TP knowledge for the solution?  (i.e., how does the technology you have chosen support the teaching strategies and methods you have chosen?)

Using a webquest, specifically, a webquest created in Microsoft Powerpoint, meets my teaching goals because it gives all of my students access to the information and resources they will need in a way that allows them independence and the ability to work at their own pace.  Using a slideshow presentation of each step of their research process will give my students the opportunity to have the entire assignment accessible in one place while allowing them to focus on each step as long as they need to.  It allows my students the opportunity to review previous or future parts of the assignment as needed.  

Another important aspect of using a webquest designed in Powerpoint is that it will provide my students with regular structure to their research assignments.  This way, over time, my students will be able to practice following the same basic steps from beginning to end and will eventually internalize the research process. 

Also, since the final product that my students will create for many research projects will be a Powerpoint presentation, providing them instruction through Powerpoint gives them good examples of what presentations can look like.  

2) What is the TC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically does this technology make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible?  Be sure to think about representation.)

The technology I chose to use for this project is Microsoft Powerpoint.  Even though many webquests are created as web sites or web pages, Powerpoint will be more accessible to me and my students. 

In the past, I have created assignments using photocopies of different parts of the assignment that I pass out to each group. This was becoming challenging because each group had only 1-2 copies of each part of the assignment, pages were easily lost or placed out of order, and students had difficulty keeping track of everything they were supposed to be doing.  Saved Powerpoint presentations will eliminate the need for photocopying, organization and collection of papers and sharing few pages among several students. 

Now, I will be able to create and edit Powerpoint presentations from home or school on any computer with Microsoft Office.  If I had chosen to have the webquest uploaded to the web, I would be limited to working only where I have access to the correct web design software.  Uploading to the web would also be problematic for my students because so many websites are blocked in schools that I could not guarantee that my students would be able to access the webquest.  With Powerpoint, I simply have to save the presentation in the correct folder on the school network that allows all of my students to access it at any time.  Using a Powerpoint presentation with embedded links allows me to present the information in a way that all of my students can access and interact with it. 

3) What is the PC knowledge for the solution? (i.e., how specifically do your pedagogical choices make the content in your problem more intellectually accessible? Be sure to think about how the student will experience the content given these instructional strategies.

In addition to allowing my students more flexibility and review, using a Powerpoint template for many of my research assignments will allow me to create higher quality assignments.  This is because use of the template will save me time.  Rather than choosing a format each time and beginning from scratch, having a template will allow me to focus on the quality of the assignment itself rather than the way I present the information.  The content of the lessons will be richer because I will be able to focus more on providing a great introduction and question/problem for my students to solve as well as providing great internet resources for my students to use for their research.  In the past, I have simply given my students lists of questions to find answers to, but now I will be able to develop the project from a problem-solving approach that will encourage more critical thinking from my students.  Time was also a limiting factor in providing resources for my students, but now I will be able to create assignments with quality resources built-in as well as opportunities for students to practice searching for and evaluating their own resources.  

 

Part A- Description of Need or Opportunity

As a Library Media Specialist, a big part of my responsibility is to teach my students how to do research.  It is more about the process than the content matter.  My goal is to use technology to create a structured way to teach research and presentation skills that will be beneficial to all of my students.  Since I only see my students once per week, I spend a lot of time explaining and re-explaining directions, instead of being able to give my students a lot of time to work.  I need a way to give instruction about research and presentation that will allow my students more time to work and the ability to work at their own pace.  If I can create a system that allows more advanced students to move ahead while giving slower students more repetition and reminders, teaching the processes of research and presentation will be much easier for me and more beneficial to my students.

I intend to create a Webquest template that can be modified for any research project.  This way, each time my students use the Webquest, time will be used efficiently and my students will be able to work at their own pace while receiving the instruction and repetition they need. Using a Webquest template will also give my students the chance to see structure to the research and presentation process.  Using a Webquest template will also save me time because I will be able to quickly create new projects and also use each version of the Webquest for multiple classes over multiple years without re-creating everything.  

Fortunately, creating a Webquest will not cost anything, but there are a few drawbacks- it will be challenging for my students who struggle with following written directions, and I do not have a good place to post to the web that my students can access.  I hope that since most of my research assignments tend to be group work and the structure will be used regularly, it will become familiar and students who struggle with written directions will be able to catch on and keep up with their peers.  By using Powerpoint to create the Webquest, instead of posting to the Web, I will be able to save the project in a place for my students to access it.

My Webquest template has the possibility of being used endlessly by all of my 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th graders.  Since I am planning to begin with a template, I will be able to edit the template to create new research projects as often as I need to, but still save the old ones to be re-used or updated.  

To search for resources to help me with this project, I did a Google search for ‘research webquest’

I found this link “ history.arizona.edu/tah/.../activity_research_skills_web_quest.doc “  which is a Word Document that someone created as a Webquest to teach kids about how to do research.  It gives me a few good ideas about elements I should include in my research Webquest and some that I would like to add.  

I also found this article, http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/03_57.pdf, which reviews the basic Webquest elements as well as gives reasons why using Webquests to teach is beneficial to students.  Some reasons are: they are inquiry based, motivating, they use time well, they use authentic resources, and they have students create an end product.

I also came across this Webquest, https://sites.google.com/a/parkrose.k12.or.us/information-literacy-webquest/. This Webquest was designed to teach the research process and has a lot of good information about doing research.  However, it seems to be a higher level than what I would use for elementary students and also uses ‘research’ as the topic, rather than giving a topic for students to do research about.   It has links to useful resources that I can use.  

This website http://bestwebquests.com/what_webquests_are.asp  also reviews some Webquest basics, and makes the important statement that “A Webquest is a scaffolded learning structure…”.  This is one of my main reasons for planning to use Webquests with my students.  

During this course, I intend to create the Webquest template and then use part of it with my students. Since my 5^th graders have already been working on a research project and are now working on the presentation and bibliography, I will provide them with the end of the Webquest tailored to their project to help them with these last parts.   Even being able to observe my students using these parts of the Webquest should give me a lot of feedback about whether or not it is successful.  After this course is over, I will continue to use my template to make each future research project into a Webquest for my 3^rd-5^th grade students.  This will provide them with a regular structure to follow as well as the freedom to work at their own pace.  It will also save me time by enabling me to change only the parts of the template that need to be specific for the current project. 

After implementing the ending of a Webquest based on my research Webquest template, I should be able to tell quickly through observation of student work and end products whether some of my goals have been met.  For example, I will know right away whether the Webquest format is benefiting my higher level students by allowing them to work more quickly and if it is supporting my lower level students by keeping directions and resources easily accessible for review.  Since the end of the Webquest will contain instructions and information about creating a bibliography and presentation, it is the part that is most likely to stay the same for each future project.  The first implementation will provide me with useful feedback about whether it is effective.  After using my own template to create one Webquest, I will be able to see how easy or hard it is to edit and update the template to save myself time and also allow me to make improvements in the future.  

After implementing the entire template to create a brand-new project later this year, I will be able to decide whether or not using a Webquest template to structure all research projects is beneficial in the way that it provides a sense of structure to the research process. 

CEP 812 Introduction

CEP 810 Reflection

So far, in CEP 810, I am achieving my main goal of increasing my confidence in using new technology.  The more technology I am exposed to, the more quickly I am able to grasp new programs and concepts.  I am also using new programs more regularly and even considering using them in my everyday life. 

I am much more comfortable with many “tech” words that my students use.  The word “blog” is no longer foreign to me, but a part of my everyday language.  This is helping me feel more confident that I can teach my students more about things that they have already learned about through their everyday experiences.

I had hoped to get more comfortable with online office tools such as Google Presenter, but I have been pleasantly surprised to be learning about Prezi as a presentation tool.  I had never heard of Prezi before, but now I am very excited to learn more about it, use it in my teaching, and share it with my colleagues.  I am also happy that I have been able to learn to use it on my own- this shows me that I am becoming more of an independent learner of technology.  Even though I wanted to become more comfortable with the basics of the online office tools through Google, I realize that I must be gaining skills if I am able to apply my knowledge to a technology that is brand-new to me, like Prezi.

I think Prezi will also be a great resource for me in the future as I work to incorporate different teaching and learning strategies into my classroom.   Prezi will allow me to integrate audio, video, images, text, and other formats to reach a variety of learners.  Seeing Prezi for the first time reminded me that it is important to teach in a variety of ways to capture the interest of all students. 

This course has not yet given me an opportunity to create a learning tool for my students, but learning to use Prezi has definitely given me opportunities to create more for my students.  I have also been pleased to learn more about copyright and fair use, since part of my job is helping students understand the importance of copyright, citation, and plagiarism. I have also been happy to come across many useful websites and resources to show my students.  

The SIG project has taught me a lot about how audio devices such as ipods can be useful in the classroom.  I will definitely apply this knowledge in the future- either by using pre-created online audio tools, or by creating my own audio books for my students to use. 

I am surprised to say that one of the simplest assignments, the list of annotated resources for the SIG project using diigo.com, is one of my best examples of teaching with technology.  The internet is an infinitely-long list of ideas and resources to use in the classroom or for professional development. Creating and annotating a list of good resources shows the ability to not only find and evaluate resources for a specific purpose, but it is also one of the fastest and most useful tools I will be able to integrate into the classroom.  I create research projects for my 4^th and 5^th graders and hope to use sites like diigo or delicious to provide them with resources as well as give them opportunities to help me add to the list. 

At this point, my main goal is to continue using technology in ways that helps my students learn more and also saves me time in the long run.  I would love to create more presentations and lists of resources that I will be able to continue to update and use year after year.  One of the ways I intend to continue learning about and using technology is to keep talking with my students about the technology they use and integrating it into the classroom in educational formats.

Learning Styles

I have always been a combination of a visual learner and kinesthetic learner.  Simply hearing information has never been enough for me to remember it.  

During high school or college lectures, I always needed something to look at while I listened- either a Powerpoint presentation, demonstration, or at least my own notes.  I’ve always had a really hard time staying focused when I am supposed to just sit and listen without anything visual to focus on. 

The best way for me to learn something is to actually do it.  It helps for me to follow written directions, rather than oral directions, so that I can go back and double-check my steps to be sure I am following directions correctly.  I need directions to be in logical order and presented in small steps. 

The things I remember the most are when I am involved in creating something.  Even though I would generally prefer to work alone rather than in a group, I enjoy having a final product, whether it is a summary, poster, picture, diorama, or any other display of learning.  

Since so many kids have so many different learning styles, teachers need to find ways to incorporate at least two different styles into each lesson and make sure that they vary the learning styles they are focusing on.  Instead of just lecturing, teachers can talk while they draw or display diagrams on a smartboard.  Rather than only having students read, teachers can then have students listen to an audio file, act out, or draw a picture of what they learned.

In elementary classrooms, teachers are lucky enough to get to know their students and their learning styles.  Because of this, teachers of younger students should think about which students are most likely to struggle with each concept and try to teach to the learning styles of those students for those lessons.