Here is my Summary of Learning. My last assignment of my Masters of Education, woot woot!!!!!

Walkthrough

Link to the Google Classroom

https://classroom.google.com/c/NjU4ODQwMjY2Mjg2?cjc=j2napsm

Class code: j2napsm

When considering AI in teaching, it is a tool that can be utilized to help create different performance tasks for students to complete on specific subjects. For example:

-to create a rubric with expectations perfectly put in a table

-to create a lesson plan in a specific time frame and materials

-to create teacher examples for assignments

In middle years and high school, the use of AI is inevitably going to happen. I think the best way to create a safeguard against this is teaching students how to use it properly. This would be similar to the way you would teach students how to take information from a source and paraphrasing it to avoid plagiarism. My course would be an easy one for student’s to use AI to help them complete tasks since it is a well known novel. Using online tools to complete tasks for novels is not something that is new. When I was in high school, many students (myself included), would use Spark Notes to help with the completion of comprehension questions. It would be quite clear through conversations that you have with students to determine whether or not they are completing the readings and fully understanding the novel. This is why it is important that assessment is done through a process of triangulation and not just focused on product. The product part of triangulation would be the easiest to use AI to complete. The conversations you have with students and the observations you make would not be able to be completed using AI.

After pondering my initial first try at Lumi, I decided to go with a different activity! Like I mentioned in my previous post, Lumi is quite time consuming when it comes to making a longer length video. I decided to use it to make my first module of my course, which would be a pre-reading task. This includes:

Watching the movie trailer to make predictions and check viewing comprehension using Lumi (link here)

Completing an anticipation guide posted on Google Classroom (student activity)

Pre-reading research to get students familiar with the plot (formative assessment)

Link to Google Classroom

Here is the link to my Lumi creation

The Outsiders Chapter 1

I tried making my Lumi interactive by inputting multiple choice and true/false questions. This was a great tool (but time consuming). I think that it could be used to make sure students are paying attention when engaging in an audiobook and checking their understanding throughout.

My assessment included two types of formative assessment. The first one being a check in at the beginning of the video to make sure students have completed the pre-reading activity, which was an anticipation guide. This will be posted on the Google Classroom I create. The other one being a character chart directly after the descriptions of the main characters in chapter 1. This was a great addition because it would eliminate the students ability to say “I don’t know where to find that answer!!!”

All in all, using Lumi was quite time consuming, but I think after getting the hang of it, it wouldn’t be as bad. It is a create tool to use for videos like an audiobook to check student’s understanding and make sure they are engaged while listening. Especially when the videos are a longer like the one I used.

The interactions I have included in my course prototype are through Zoom. I chose this as an option because it will allow students to discuss the learnings with their peers. Having something that needs to be turned in to go with this discussion. The assignment portion of this activity will put some ownership on the students and hopefully motivate them to complete the task of engaging in conversation. I have used FlipGrid previously for this type of activity and students did not take it seriously and the video being recorded and posted caused some anxiety in students. This relates to the article 6 Strategies for Building Community in Online Courses from this week’s readings. Having a specific time for communication, establishing a social presence, meeting in real time, opportunities for information sharing, collaborative learning and hopefully creating sub communities for students to discuss/ask for help from peers outside of class time.

A characteristic of the classes I have found the most engaging during my Masters program are the one’s where it feels like a safe space. This is talked about it in both of the readings from this week. When you feel safe in a space, even when it is online, students are more engaged and willing to participate. It is hard to articulate the types of things that would done during class when it is an online prototype and being new to online teaching, I don’t know all of the tricks to make middle years students feel like a Zoom is their safe place. Some of the things that I would include that are highlighted in the articles are: creating introduction videos, creating smaller sub groups, using collaborative learning techniques and communicating regularly. Using gamified learning platforms like Kahoot!, Gimkit, Blooket, Quiziz etc. are also ways to engage middle years students and can be implemented in a spur of the moment way (or planned).

For my online course, I chose to focus on English Language Arts 8. The reason for this being, I found it to be one of the more difficult subject areas to catch students up on when they are consistently absent. Novel studies are specifically difficult in this area. Not consistently attending school, varying reading levels and abilities are some of the challenges I faced when teaching ELA 8. Click the links below to see the ADDIE model and course overview.

ADDIE Model Google Doc

Course Overview Google Doc

What are your experiences and perceptions related to your own use of blended learning and/or technology integration in your professional context? What challenges and opportunities have you experienced?

After last weeks class discussions, I realized that I integrate a blended learning experience into my classroom practices more often than I knew. When thinking about blended learning, I previously thought that it was just a mix between doing things asynchronously, face to face and synchronously. I thought about it more in the context of an online university, not in an elementary school classroom. I found the Bates chapter titled The continuum of technology-based learning very helpful. Specifically the diagram that shows the continuum.

Something that sparked an aha moment was the realization that blended learning can happen within a school environment. It does not need to be done at home and using tech. Some ways that I have included blended learning into my own teaching practices are through the use of Google Classroom, YouTube tutorials, online learning games, Canva, etc.

The challenges I have experienced are:

-technology not working (internet being slow, a site being down etc.)

-taking on the role of “Chromebook Cop”

-students rushing through creating on technology

-students using AI to complete assignments

The opportunities I have experienced are:

-students learning how to use technology on their own

-students taking on leadership roles because of their knowledge of tech (ex. making school posters using Canva)

-engaging in lifelong learning because new tech is always coming out

-higher student engagement

-assessment is fast and easy (sometimes)

Hi my name is Maddy. I am a student support teacher in Moose Jaw. I work with all grade levels. I love integrating technology into literacy intervention. I am currently taking my 9th and 10th class of the Teaching, Learning and Leadership program. I am excited to be learning alongside of you, but even more excited to be so close to the finish line.