Exit Presentation Lesson Plan Reflexion

On this lesson I taught students how to create an Exit Presentation. The big idea here was to introduce them to Prezi as they create the last part of their Exit Presentation. It was my original belief that one of the challenges would be assessing growth and  another concept would be the use of the right tools in order to convey the information desired. In actuality, the challenge was convincing the learners of the need to develop the skills required to use this and other web 2.0 tools. I used three pedagogical strategies, Discussions, Modeling and Demonstration, and Problem Solving. The theories I used are Informative Processing and Cognitive Constructivism. The learners characteristics I used focused on Self-Efficacy and Visual-Spatial Intelligence. For this lesson I used Prezi, a web 2.0 technology. The use of Modeling and Demonstration fit perfectly in how Prezi was taught. I believe that my choice of technology helped teach the big idea by showing the learners the flexibility of this web 2.0 tool and the professionalism it presents. I taught 12th grade students, and the lesson was easier to implement than what I had originally expected. Some were curious about the tool we were going to use which helped with the lesson. Other students did not see the purpose of using a tool like this. For this lesson students learned to use Prezi in order to create the presentation “A Plan For The Future”. By the end of the lesson, students learned how to create a proper articulated presentation using a web 2.0 technologies. They learned how to be prepared and organized in order to deliver an on time presentation with all the necessary aids and materials. They learned to balance the use of visual materials with oral communication.

One of the explicit assumptions, is that this generation of students have a much easer time using and incorporating technologies of this type for communication in social media. Another assumption would be that future learners will spend more time communicating through web 2.0 technologies more than face to face. One of the implicit assumptions, is that this generation of students can adapt to new technologies and changes in they way communication takes place. Also, this generation of students would prefer sharing, interactions, and communications with convenient web 2.0 tools. My first and foremost goal when presenting this lesson and all lessons is not focusing on the usual debate of depth vs. breadth, but to show learners how to gain knowledge. Therefore, the affordance for imparting knowledge this way is clear. It allows students to be more engaged in the given material, the true potential of the material shown can be tapped by the educator or it can be presented in a way that allows room for self-discovery. The constrains were always divided into two. First, is the abilities of the educator to establish a way for the student to be vested. This ability is displayed by the educator and its goal is to extrinsically drive the learners self-discovery. Second, is the ability of the learner to possess the intrinsic drive that will push to self-discovery. 

Learning took place in a computer classroom setting, where students had the ability to use the program presented immediately after the lesson. The learning took place as a collaborative endeavor where students collaborated, and have the flexibility to answer their questions online through tutorials and other tools. Learning how to use Prezi was a problem based assignment, where students need to use adaptive learning as they discover other qualities and virtues of the program. These new qualities and virtues are integrated together with the existing knowledge, thus, providing learners with the capability to create original and innovative work. This lesson was an activity in constructivism, the whole point of this activity was to conduct experimental learning, which they currently have done through real life experiences, and construct the knowledge they will gain. The only aspects of behaviorism that I can relate to this lesson, go back to my belief in teaching learners how to learn. One of the accomplishments of this lesson, in a behaviorist perspective, is that the student were aware of some aspects of web 2.0 tools that fall within their level of comfort which is measurable. One of the unforeseen consequences of teaching students how to learn through self-discovery, is that now they have the training needed to investigate on their own, any web 2.0 tool they choose. Lastly, because learners had the ability to measure their knowledge and learn new knowledge, they can now change their original behavior. This lesson was intended to supplant the previous curriculum. This was done in order to enhance the learning and application of new and old material. 

Since Prezi is a web 2.0 tool, with this lesson we had access to the internet and multiple ways in which people present this subject and learning through tutorials, online instructional sessions, etc. Because of this flexibility, this lesson can be easily be tailored to address the weaknesses of some learners. Due to the collaborative nature of this assignment, the important differences among learners were addressed as they leaned on each other as resources. The students were also able to go online to find answers to questions. Prezi is mainly used as a visual and engaging representation of the ideas shared, it is necessary that the learner and the educator both know how to create, copy, capture, and manipulate pictures using the software provided. This also includes familiarity with Creative Commons. Lastly, there must be some technological awareness factor, which at this point in time most students already possess. But it is possible that the teacher may not because they are not spending as much time online as students do. It is necessary that the educators know the tool being used better than the students. The only demands that are relevant to this kind of work are awareness and flexibility. Educators and other users must be aware and able to adapt, if necessary, the multiple tools that a web 2.0 program offers. The assumed knowledges that I consider important are the ability to navigate the internet, using picture editing tools, word processing tools, and that students understand how to create flow and convey an idea through other means other then their ability to speak.

In order to assess students, I provided and explained the rubric they will be using to present adequately. Second, half way through their completion I sat down with each student and went over their presentation. I provided input on the layout, style, information, flow, tools, and timing. I made it clear that this project hinges on their commitment to accomplishing it, and that when it is time to present they need to be ready. As an educator I know that this statement will only work for some of the students, therefore I also explained to them that this project did not only help themselves, it also helps their fellow classmates as they show other ways in which the assignment can be completed, thus helping other learners succeed. 

I could say that technology was the lesson, thus, it plays an important role. The lesson relates to the learning and use of a web 2.0 tool. Technology offers the same level of advantage and disadvantage. Because technology and the use of the internet is center to the lesson, it provides an ample amount of information and freedom for knowledge growth and creation. On the other hand, this same freedom is its biggest disadvantage. For example, so much time can be spent online researching what needs to be done and how it needs to get done that nothing is completed. The use of Prezi allows for the ability to create a presentation that is interactive and can be magnified and/or reduced in order to deliver a point or an idea. This facilitates learning by providing the students with the capability to arrive at their conclusions in their own individual manner. Because of my assortment of students, my expectations of students responses to this technology was varied. I knew that some would see it s a waste of time while others could get lost in its potential. At the end of the lesson my expectation where met, but I’m happy to say that all student even in the smallest of ways were participating in self-discovery. All the students where curious about using Prezi, for some the curiosity turned into interest and for others it did not directly transfer into desire to use and learn Prezi. I had to make a strong point that the use of this technology had relevance to their future endeavors. 

Finally, most of the student questions had to do with the particular capacities of Prezi. I was able to address them through scaffolding. The questions on flow I was able to answer as we walk through the idea they were trying to convey. Making sense was a progression in which students slowly moved through what they were doing. Beginning with establishing an idea and more specifically, what needs to be done for the idea to be developed. Following with the construction of their vision, writing of their script, and using as many tools as they though necessary. Lastly, taking the time to modify their final product in order for it to fit their original vision. 

Critical Design Decisions & Critical Pedagogical Decisions

The theoretical foundations and mindset that I’ve always been a believer in, states that tools must be attractive, must be multitaskable, and must be easy to use. With this in mind, when I was conceiving the creation of this course I originally looked at other CMS’s and compared Weebly, Wikispaces, and Schoology in order to find the one that would be able to deliver the look, flexibility, and ease that I was needed. This comparison was part of my first critical design decision because I would establish the success or failure of my CMS on the aspect that the learners will find it easy to use and attractive. Although I’m sure that regardless of the CMS I used I would have found some frustration, I believe that the my second critical decision was to take the time to know the CMS completely, and do the research necessary to find the tools needed in order to achieve the goals desired. 

The critical pedagogical decision that I made was pertaining to the argument depth vs. breadth. I know that I have the internet at my disposition, but I must make sure that the students stay within the confines of what was being thought. If not distraction and to broad of a focus can be an issue. On the other hand, with too much depth key aspects and relationships are not established as ideas are being formed and developed because students have blinders and are suffering from tunnel vision. My final decision was based on the idea that students must have an active role in their education, and the best way to do this is by making them aware of what they need to learn, and giving them the know how on how to find more information regarding particular subjects if it is necessary. This obviously is harder to do, and so far the results are promising. 

The one pitfall that was the most challenging had to do with limitations. It could have been easy to forgo the search of the required individual tools that makes my CMS attractive, multitaskable, and easy to use. I could have moved over to a different CMS, but it was important to follow my vision and stay true to what I felt needed to be. The limitations that I encountered in the creation of my CMS required me to conduct research on Weebly and it pushed me to get to know the Weebly site, its shortcomings and advantages much more, and I think that this is the reason why I was able to create a successful CMS. The general lesson here is that if you trust the vision you have about your CMS, then you should do the necessary homework and get to know what you will be working with. 

Here is the link to my CMS

Vocational Diploma Program

Creating a Lesson Plan / Exit Presentation Lesson Plan

Creating the Lesson Plan

Content: 

What is the content you are teaching and what are the big ideas? 

On this lesson I will be teaching students how to create an Exit Presentation. An Exit Presentation is a tool that allows the learner to bring to the forefront the lessons and skills learned and experienced gained through the completion of their academic endeavor. The big idea here is for students to realize internally and speak about concretely the gains they have made through the year.

What are the challenging concepts that students struggle with or are difficult to teach? 

On this lesson of of the challenging concept is assessing growth by having students look back and review and look back at their accomplishments in and out of the classroom. Another concept would be the use of the right tools in order to convey the information desired the best way possible. 

Pedagogy: 

What pedagogical strategies are you using and why?

There are three pedagogical strategies I will be using are the following. Discussions, because this will be a way to talk and elaborate on the essential questions. This whole group discussion will stimulate curiosity and focus student interaction. From there I will move to Modeling and Demonstration of how to use the technology we previously discussed. Lastly, we will move to Problem Solving. Students will follow instruction and steps to completing their assignment as they identify information to use, choose a plan of action, solving it, and complete peer reviews, as they understand the essential question.

What theories of learning inform your strategies? 

Informative Processing and Cognitive Constructivism because students will be working with a fixed body of knowledge they need to acquire, and their understanding will depend on what they already know. Here learners will construct, rather than record their own understanding. These two cognitive theories share similarities between how the knowledge is gained. Individually when looking at Informative Processing and Cognitive Constructivism student learning will differ and move from acquisition of facts, skills, concepts which will occur through applications of strategies and application to prior knowledge to an active construction, restructuring prior knowledge which will occur through multiple opportunities and diverse processes to connect to prior knowledge. Due to what will be covered in class and how they are to relate and use the material, I feel that these two cognitive theories are the proper ones to achieve this academic goal.

What learner characteristics did you take into consideration?

I will focus on Self-Efficacy. The learners capabilities to organize and execute the actions necessary to complete their task. Also, I will focus on Visual-Spatial Intelligence. The ability of the learner to perceive the visual world and recreate aspects of it even in the absence of relevant stimuli. This intelligence is fundamentally tied to the concrete world and the locations of objects in that world.

Content & Pedagogy: 

How do these particular strategies help you teach the content mentioned above? 

These strategies will help provide the needed information, guidelines, and expectations in order for the learners to complete the exit presentation.

Why choose these strategies over other approaches? 

These strategies fit best with the goal of my lesson and provide the best support for the students.

Are there any technical or physical constraints that figured significantly into your choices?

That I’ve thought of and prepared for I do not see any particular constrains that figure significantly into my choice of strategies or lesson. 

Technology: 

What technology will you be using and why? 

For this lesson I will be using Web 2.0 technologies like Prezi and SlideShare. 

Is the use of this technology absolutely necessary to achieve your objective?

For the purpose of an exit presentation that shows the learners capability and knowledge of Web 2.0 technologies in order to present themselves as a more capable and better prepared future productive and professional member of society. The use of any Web 2.0 technologies is necessary.

That is, would be impossible to teach the lesson without it? 

No, this lesson can be produced without any technology. But for the purpose of preparing leaners for todays professional world, it is necessary to use them here. 

Technology & Pedagogy: 

How does the technology you have chosen fit with your pedagogical strategies and theories about learning? 

The use of Modeling and Demonstration fits perfectly in how Prezi and SlideShare will be originally taught. This is the best way to convey the necessary knowledge, procedures, and capabilities of these Web 2.0 technologies. Also, through Problem Solving students will be able to tackle the unavoidable hurtles they will encounter while working with these technologies. Regarding the theories about learning, both Prezi and SlidShare play an important role in Informative Processing and Cognitive Constructivism. Students will be working to acquire a new body of knowledge with their understanding depending on what is already known. Also, learners will build their own understanding. 

What types of learning strategies are employed by the technology?

I will be employing Tutorials for both Prezi and SlideShare. I will also use a discussion group for the Exit Presentation in order for students to communicate with each other when comments, questions, and concerns. 

Technology & Content: 

How does your choice of technology help you teach the "big ideas" and address the essential questions underlying the concept your lesson addresses? 

I believe that my choice of technology helps teach the big idea by showing the learners the flexibility of the multiple Web 2.0 tools and the professionalism it present. Also, it provides a look at two of multiple vessels that can be used to present anything that could have easily been completed without the use of technology. Lastly, the learners will be able to experience the reach of an Exit Presentation created in this manner, the preparation it requires for this type of presentation, the ability to hit key points in an impactful way, and multiple ways of delivery. 

Assessment: 

What do you want your students to know, and how will you know when they know it?

I want students to understand the purpose of presentations of this type, the level of preparation required, what should be addressed and how, and the best tool to be used that fits the goal of the presentation. 

How will you assess what students have learned?  

I will have a rubric established in order to assess if students have achieved the factors I’m looking for.

What role does technology play in these assessments?

Technology plays a major role in this assignment, and it will be pivotal that they learn and understand the limits and advantages of the tools provided.

Lesson Plan

Exit Presentation Lesson Plan Name:  Downer-Shojgreen    Grade Level: 12th Grade   Vocational Diploma Program Overall lesson topic/title: How To Create An Exit Presentation
Purpose of lesson: What purpose is served by an Exit Presentation? An Exit Presentation is a tool that allows the learner to bring to the forefront the lessons and skills learned and experienced gained through the completion of their academic endeavor.  How do you prepare for an Exit Presentation?   Student will understand the required level of preparation regarding research, organization, and proactivity for the purpose of creating an Exit Presentation.  What are the key points in an Exit Presentation? Students will learn that the key points they choose to focus on will drive the type of presentation they put together regardless of the vessel they choose to use. Also, the key points of their presentation will be directly related to their growth and accomplishments socially and academically.  What is the best way to deliver an Exit Presentation? The final goal of the lesson is to help students understand that there are multiple delivery method and tools that can be used for this type of presentation, and that each method and tool is directly related to the impact it has on its audience. With the use of Web 2.0 tools students will gain a better understanding of the impact created by the use of technology.		Technology: Computers, Tutorials for Web 2.0 technologies Prezi and SlideShare Materials & Supplies Paper and pencil
		Assessment: I want students to understand the purpose of presentations of this type, the level of preparation required, what should be addressed and how, and the best tool to be used that fits the goal of the presentation. There is a rubric provided with this assignment, and this rubric will be used for their grading.
Part I Activity BEFORE THE LESSON (ANTICIPATORY SET): Introduction to the lesson  Talk to students about the material that will be covered. 8 min Re-emphasize the classroom rules and expectations before the lesson. Be an Active Learner/ Be Responsible for Yourself and Your Actions/ Be Respectful to yourself, each other, and each other’s things/ Always do your personal best 2 minutes DURING THE LESSON  Discussion. The classroom will engage in discourse over the essential questions and the goals of the lesson.  Discussion will stimulate curiosity and focus student interaction.   25 min Modeling and Demonstration. I will walk through and show students how to use each Web 2.0 technology in order for them to accomplish their Exit Presentation.  25 min
Part II Activity / Next day BEFORE THE LESSON (ANTICIPATORY SET): Recap of the lesson  Remind students of what was covered on the previous class. 8 min Re-emphasize the classroom rules and expectations before the lesson. Be an Active Learner/ Be Responsible for Yourself and Your Actions/ Be Respectful to yourself, each other, and each other’s things/ Always do your personal best 2 minutes Problem Solving Steps by step instructions to completing their Exit presentation. The will identify information to use, choose a plan of action, solving it, and complete peer reviews, as they understand the essential question. 50 min
Part III Activity / Next day BEFORE THE LESSON (ANTICIPATORY SET): Recap of the lesson  Remind students of what was covered on the previous class. 8 min Re-emphasize the classroom rules and expectations before the lesson. Be an Active Learner/ Be Responsible for Yourself and Your Actions/ Be Respectful to yourself, each other, and each other’s things/ Always do your personal best 2 minutes Problem Solving Steps by step instructions to completing their Exit presentation. The will identify information to use, choose a plan of action, solving it, and complete peer reviews, as they understand the essential question. 50 min
Part IV Activity / Next day BEFORE THE LESSON (ANTICIPATORY SET): Recap of the lesson  Remind students of what was covered on the previous class. 5 min Re-emphasize the classroom rules and expectations before the lesson. Be an Active Learner/ Be Responsible for Yourself and Your Actions/ Be Respectful to yourself, each other, and each other’s things/ Always do your personal best 2 minutes Problem Solving Steps by step instructions to completing their Exit presentation. The will identify information to use, choose a plan of action, solving it, and complete peer reviews, as they understand the essential question. 50 min
ASSESSMENT / INDEPENDENT PRACTICE Rubric comparison 10 min	Learner characteristics into consideration. Self-Efficacy. The learners capabilities to organize and execute the actions necessary to complete their task. Visual-Spatial Intelligence. The ability of the learner to perceive the visual world and recreate aspects of it even in the absence of relevant stimuli.
Notes and Reflections

Digital Storytelling

Hello everyone, Here is my digital storytelling, and I hope you get as much out of it as I did. This was a very revealing project for me and my students. My interview was uploaded on Youtube. Here is a link CEP 800 Module 4

Module 2: Powerful Learning Experiences (Part 1) - Audio Productions

Hello everyone, Here is my audio interview, and I hope you get as much out of it as I did. My interview was uploaded on Soundcloud. Here is a link CEP 800 Module 2: Powerful Learning Experience (Part 1)-Audio Production or you can cut and paste
https://soundcloud.com/kareemdowner-shojgreen/cep-800-interview

CEP 800

Hello and welcome to my Educational Technology Classes blog. Here I will providing the most current articles that I have created for CEP 800, and I'm very excited to take on this endeavor. I hope that you like or don't like the information posted, in order for us to engage upon further discussions.

PQ & CQ Technology and Me

Survey Summary for Technology Integration

After examining this data, I have come to the conclusion that technology is improving in the schools, but overall they do not feel that the integration is occurring as fast as wanted. The trend I see is that teachers want to have the opportunity and ability to be at the forefront of technology in order to better educate students, but the road has not been paved all the way. As we covered the current use of technology in their current practice, teachers said that technology integration is occurring but not at the pace most teachers would like it to. Some educators mention that their schools are acquiring more and more technology to be used in the classroom, but the necessary training required to use it, or the seminars to discover more usable technology are not being sought out by most of the teachers. There are only a few teachers that are making the effort to look and find the necessary technology to make a difference in the classroom. Teachers also would like to make technology more user friendly and accessible to all. All teachers mentioned that they find the technology in their schools useful, but must of them have not taken the time to find if there was other technology in their schools that they were not aware of, or not using. 

Some of my colleagues are integrating technology as fast as they get it, or have access to it. The rest are waiting for others to initially blaze the new technology trail. Non of my colleagues were remotely asking, wondering, or even thinking about what are the new technologies that will have an impact in the classroom in the future. That said, my colleagues would like to change or improve their technology integration practices when it comes to the role the students play, from a passive role to an active one, depending upon the user from teachers to students. They also mention if the person is willing to learn a new technology they need to feel as though they are supported in order to continue using it. This is were educators run into road blocks and become frustrated and both teachers and students shut down and refuse to utilize the technology. Few teachers said that within certain constraints they feel they have the opportunity to practice and experiment with new technology or the access to good models of instruction. That a more technologically savvy administration in the technology integration process would be more effective. Throughout this survey, the ideas expressed more frequently were that educators were open to learn, but finding the method of learning in order to have the appropriate balance of learning to instruction was important. 

What concerned my colleagues more regarding integration of technology, was the speed at which the technology was being integrated. They felt unsure of being far enough ahead in the knowledge of technology in order to know and understand it completely enough to use it to the best of their abilities for the purpose of education. Most teachers new that there were benefit to teachers and learners when making technological connections with the real world and their environments, and most of them could point out  the exact benefits gained. Some mentioned that as instructional coaches they have the ability to model lessons, create lessons embedding technology, and take the risks of putting themselves in technological uncomfortable positions for the benefit of students, but most teachers would not take the same risks. Some teachers also saw the importance of the social technological development of learners, they believe this is paramount as the world continues to rely more heavily on technology. They worry that immature students will struggle with the social aspect of the internet, and that digital citizenship must be taught along the way.

Teachers felt that In order to better prepare, grow, and excel as an educator using technology, the professional developments that they were more apt to participate in were informal dialogue to improve teaching (face to face or distant learning), courses and workshops face to face, professional development network, individual and/or collaborative research (face to face or distant learning), and mentoring and peer observation.

The only remaining questions that have been developed upon the completion of this survey are the following. Is there enough access to technological advancement for educators, or is the price of it the limiting factor? Do the students understand why educators push for more technological engagement in schools?

Community Integration Technology Survey

To all my colleagues, thank you for taking the time to answer the questions on my survey. My goal is to start discovering the importance of having the necessary, current, and proper technologies available, what improvements can technology integration take on, and what is the best way to provide educational technology. 

Thank you

Here is the link to the survey for anyone else that would like to take it.

https://qtrial.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_8exeEa1hcRCVPQV

The Zen of a Healthy Info-Diet

The Zen of a Healthy Info-Diet by Downer-Shojgreen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Public schools are better than private schools.

My first info diet inclusion is the site Education Votes (http://educationvotes.nea.org) This site and its affiliates fight for public schools when compared to private schools. They make the point that there is no need to pay to go to school, students can develop greater social skills, public schools have a very welcoming environment, students develop better intellectual abilities, and that public schools provide the potential to bring together any number of young students no matter his or her social standing or lifestyle. The points of view I mentioned are the ones that push my thinking and vision on how schools should be. 

Schools should not be ran like businesses.

Sites I visit, like Edutopia, Ed Week, and others I belong to mention address this particular topic. My second info diet inclusion comes from http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org, the blog post “The Best Posts & Articles Explaining Why Schools Should Not Be Run Like Businesses,” and others. These blogs contributors focussed on this topic. Several points where made, like schools of choice work by waiting for low-income customers to approach them rather than going to them, these schools ignore fundamental desire of parents in under-served areas. Others mentioned that schools are a community and communal responsibility and business fall short at this. Public educators collaborate with one another, share information about the students, and share what they have learned about successful methods. 

Unions are good for schools.

For my last info diet inclusion I found the following sites supporting teachers unions, the Chicago Teachers Union (http://www.ctunet.com), and Teacher Solidarity (http://www.teachersolidarity.com). What they mentioned focused on how teachers unions are the only major educational players still focusing on advancing school equity by leveling the playing field, how teachers unions fight to protect teachers’ First Amendment rights, allowing them to advocate for children and schools without facing retaliation, how schools with unionized teachers often produce higher achieving students, how unions help improve teachers, and how unions focus on student and teacher safety. 

 Zen focusses attention to the attainment of enlightenment and the personal expression of direct insight, and to the absorption and use of knowledge. I understood this more as I reflect on the topic of Public schools are better than private schools, I believe that the points made by these sites, when defending public schools, are extremely valid and cannot be dismissed. As a matter of fact, it would be fantastic if private schools can adapt some of the characteristics of public schools for the betterment of students. Next, while thinking about the subject that schools should not be ran like businesses, I agree that the singular approach that proponents of this view present is flawed. Some of the points made in these blogs seriously need to be considered and enforced. Lastly, when looking into the argument stating that Unions are good for schools, I could not deny some of their points, and furthermore, this info diet research has helped me understand the history and commitment unions represent to education. In conclusion, during this process I discovered that my bias extends from past experiences. That some of my bad experiences are strong enough to curtail my view of the world. Speaking for myself, I have to admit and recognize that it is not hard to find valid points to other peoples view if I am willing to listen to their argument. Typically, no one likes to admit that they are wrong, or that the other point of view could be correct. I would like to belief that at this point in my life I am educated enough to admit when I’m wrong, stubborn, narrow minded, and when someone is wright. 

Non-Verbal Learning Disability and 3-D tools

After been in multiple grades extending from kindergarten to Adult Education, I have noticed that Nonverbal Learning Disabilities or NLD have interested me. Although I have witnessed how they have crippled learners ability to be successful, I did not know that this disability was so influential. “By definition, students with learning disabilities have neurological deficits that keep them from grasping certain content areas at grade level. Students with...nonverbal learning disability, (NVLD, or sometimes NLD) have a unique set of academic strengths and weaknesses.”(Connell, 2012) This is “a neurological syndrome that impairs a person’s natural ability to learn how to communicate with others non-verbally and also cope with their surroundings and responsibilities.”(Silas, 2012)

Some of the areas affected by Nonverbal Learning Disabilities are:

Physical Motor Skills - Poor co-ordination, gross motor skills development, graph-motor skills, possibly problems with balance.

Visual-Spatial Motor Skills - Resulting in problems understanding graphs, maps, geometry, and how to make mobiles, and with seeing.

Visual and Spatial Difficulties - People often fail to grasp the big picture, physical navigation. 

Reading Comprehension -  Deeper meanings, abstractions, and implications of literature; they can no longer survive by rote memorization and focusing on the details.

Sensory - They can have heightened senses of touch, taste, hearing, smell and vision.

In this post I will specifically talk about a new tool I believe can help learners with NLD. The sooner the teachers are aware of the signs of NLD, the sooner they can intervene and help those dealing with with this disability. The older the learners when the intervention occurs, the more difficult it becomes to help the learner. Even if a learner is not diagnosis until middle school, the educators help is extremely important. “Johnson and Myklebust (1967) were the first to talk about the Nonverbal Learning Disabilities (NLD). Nevertheless, it is only during the 90's that the disability was well known thanks to Byron Rourke's book entitled ‘Non Verbal Learning Disability’, which suggests that NLD is characterized by a significant gap between verbal and non-verbal IQ due to the right hemisphere brain malfunction.”(Errichiello, A; Angelillo, N; Di Costanzo, B; Barillari, U. Acta Phoniatrica Latina34. 1-2 (2012): 73-82.) “The difficulties for learners with NLD are often picked up late because decoding and spelling may be quite strong. On the other hand, inferential reading comprehension is weak relative to decoding and spelling skills. The first academic subject to be viewed as problematic is math, because spatial and conceptual aspects of this subject are problematic. Also, because of spatial and fine motor problems their handwriting is usually poor.”(Dinklage, 2012) Maggie Mamen, a clinical psychologist, “describes...that there is an underlying neurological disorder linked to pattern recognition. This then affects not only motor and spatial skills, but also those aspects of language and social skills that require inferring rules. Four subtypes are described: Perceptual NLD, Social NLD, Written Expressive NLD and Attentional NLD.”(Hooper, 2008) It is difficult to find a technology that can help with all aspects of a learning disability, or NLD’s, and I believe that this technology can do a good job at addressing each of these aspects of NLD

The technology that would support a learner who suffers from Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities are 3-D printers and tools. For NLD there are 2 different classes of 3-D tools that I believe could help learners, and these 3-D tools can print items that have been designed, print items that have been drawn, and draw freehand in 3-D. Two are 3-D printers and the other is a 3-D tool. So far, with 3-D printing there are two individual printers that can be used. The first 3-D printer is the Cube 3D Printer and the second is the Doodle3D. The main difference between this two printers is that the Cube 3D prints objects that have been created in a computer, and the Doodle3D prints 3-D objects created from the learners drawings. Since arriving to the availability of the public people have found a myriad of uses for 3D printers, know it’s new use is in the classroom. The Cube 3-D Printer and the Doodle3D can aid students in areas like reading comprehension and visual-spatial difficulties. The printer can help provide deeper meanings into stories by helping create a model of the story, it can provide more insight into abstract concepts, and implications of literature. With this tool the learners can develop  better visual and spatial acuity and the ability to grasp and understand the big picture and hopefully master the material covered. Also, NLD affects physical motor skills and visual-spatial motor skills. The next 3-D tool is the 3Doodler and it sketcher with extruded plastic rather than ink. Some learners can trace stencils on paper and assembled a complete 3D object or just draw structures in the air. The learner can work on physical motor skills and create writing samples that they can inspect, they can take part on coordination exercises to improve graph-motor skills, and gross motor skills development. The learner can also work on visual-spatial motor skills and make 3D representations of mathematical objects, graphs, maps, geometrical figures, and they can improve their physical navigation by creating 3D maps of their surrounding area. 

Some may say that the cost of these 3-D tools may be to much, but now days the price for these tools has gone down dramatically. 3-D printers have been around for 30 years and they have began to make an entrance into the market, and depending on the type of work you would like it to do more or less money can be spent. It is my belief that these 3-D tools can be used in the classroom right now, and with more time spent on the development of other technologies 3-D printers and tools will become a staple of classrooms and schools. These printers and tools can benefit the educational experience of all students. 

Work Cited

Connell, D. (2012, May 27). The Invisible Disability. [website]. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/invisible-disability

Dinklage, D. (2012, May 27). Aspergers Disorder and Non-Verbal Learning Disabilities:
How Are These Two Disorders Related to Each Other? [website] Retrieved from http://www.aane.org/asperger_resources/articles/miscellaneous/asperger_nonverbal_learning.html

Errichiello, A., Angelillo, N., Di Costanzo, B., & Barillari, U. (2012). The non-verbal learning disability. Acta Phoniatrica Latina, 34(1-2), 73-82. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1347808012?accountid=12598

Hooper, J. (2008), Understanding Non Verbal Learning Disabilities: A Common Sense Guide for Parents and Professionals. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 13: 211. doi: 10.1111/ j.1475-3588.2008.00513_4.x. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.proxy2.cl.msu.edu/doi/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2008.00513_4.x/full

Silas, D. (2013, May 27). Special Educaitonal Needs/Non Verbal Learning Difficulties. [website] Retreved from http://www.specialeducationalneeds.co.uk/UsefulInformation/TypesofSEN-Disability/Nonverballearningdifficulties.html

Limitations that Prevent Solving Big, Complex Problems Smartly.

As humans, we impose the limitations that prevent us from solving big, complex problems smartly. According to Gee, we possess the ability to be smart, but for the most part we are not. Our limitations begin with what Gee calls “The Circuit of Reflective Action” (Gee 14). Gee lists five conditions that lead to smart actions. Initial mentorship, prior experience, clear goals, something at stake, and acts that elicits meaning from the world. Regarding meaning, Gee also states that “humans move and grow toward meaning. Meaning is what nourishes their minds and soul.” (Gee 133) One of the issues with meaning is that we tend to find meaning in comfort, and our memory tends to seek truth in comfort, thus “meaning without truth is a positive stimulus for humans.” (Gee 133)

Next, the memories we collect in life guide our actions, and without proper memories we cannot take proper action. Our memories are often updated and changed, we need to be sure that they are salient and relevant to the given purpose. By being in “the context we are in; what has happened to us recently; how we feel at the time; what we value; what we have been taught to pay attention to; what fits well with our goals; what is connected to other experiences we have had; and our interest and desires.” (Gee 22) As humans we need to be careful because memory can become “mental comfort stories” (G 33). This is, where we start modifying events and start believing that our memories are real and true when they are actually evolving collections of information that are mutually associated. In order to develop better memory, we need to provide more meaning to our memories in order to never lose focus on the truth.

Interestingly enough, living organisms usually progress towards stimuli that is positive and away from those that are negative. It’s interesting because, in the long run, humans will typically act towards immediate gratification even if it is not a positive stimuli. Therefore, humans tend to avoid complex things and complexities in our everyday lives, and when we encounter them we don’t think of them as the benefit in experience we obtained, but as events we can modify for immediate comfort. Gee talks about humans, meaning, and purpose in the world. He mentions that when meaning and purpose are not found, humans become sick of the mind and body. The truth that life displays for humans is complex. Humans, for the most part, are not cut out to face complexities with the frequency to which we confront the truth in life. The capacity, for humans, to believe in “mental comfort stories” (Gee 33) in the absence of evidence or knowledge of reality that support them is proof that humans tend to avoid complexities and choose immediate gratification in our everyday lives. We as humans suffer through this because as Gee mentioned, “Sometimes it is not institutions that freeze thought, but minds themselves”. (Gee 93) Meaning that as humans we are scared of the mental process of thought, and how it can lead us on roads we do not like. 

Lastly, we humans are social creatures and as such we put ourselves in positions where we desire, want, and fight for belonging, and immediate gratification. Big complex problems require time, commitment, and altruism, and possibly the assistance of other individuals that share the same principles. As social creatures, humans seek similar people because it is comfortable but we seldom look for individuals better than us for the fear of not belonging. These senses of belonging, comfort, and immediate gratification are other reasons why the truth takes a backseat for humans, and we limit ourselves. This can be averted only if the feeling of delayed gratification moves us deeply as to provide the proper time, commitment, and altruistic behavior to solve a big complex problem.

The solving of a big complex problem can be achieved by anyone. The limitations that keep us from being able to solve big, complex problems smartly are the following: the circuit of reflective action, not recalling memories for the truth they offer, not embracing the complexity of life experiences. Not seeing the big picture, not having the commitment to take action, and being selfish to the ramifications of said actions. Gee mentions that humans can be very intelligent or very stupid. So, solving a big complex problem depends on what we know, what we learn, what we risk, and what we want.

It is my believe that a behavior or a belief can not be fixed or changed if the person is not aware of the problem. An awareness of these limitations, should change all the actions that have prevented us from behaving intelligently regardless of the level of complexity. I must say, it is not just being aware of said limitations that will bring about action. The individuals must want to change their current level of comfort in order to take any type of action. If for some reason they do not see or agree with the limitations mentioned, the changes will not take place fully. 

Problem solving is the process of working through details of a problem to reach a solution. What Gee offers is the ability to brake down the individual aspects that contribute to the  “smarter” aspect of problem solving. Knowing the results that are desired is imperative to knowing what solution to use for a problem. Thanks to Gee we are smarter in the way in which we work, act, and think,  and we can recognize the type of result we would like, thus problem solving becomes easier.

Ill-Sturctured/Complex Problem Screencast CEP 812

Hello everyone, this is the beginning of my CEP 812 Class. For this assignment I have to identify what problems may come up while preparing the lesson without the use of technology. Then, how will I use technology to solve the problem I encountered. This is a relevant question to all teachers that don't and do use technology in the classroom. Essentially, can you do without technology in the classroom?…Yes. But, technology allows for a myriad of possibilities that can benefit the student. So, it can be done without technology….but why would you?

Here is my Screecast explaining my thoughts on this topic.

Well-Structured Problem Geometry: Lines and Angles

Final Blog Reflection for CEP 811

I am very proud of the work I’ve done and the growth I’ve achieved in this course. Although I’ve felt confident with the technology that we’ve used, I did my best to place my self, responsibly, in areas that I did not feel comfortable. First, regarding Instructional Design, it was difficult for me to understand what was been asked. With help from my instructor and classmates I was able to see the important factors that make it powerful. By understanding the desired results from a lesson, having the proper assessment evidence, providing the proper learning plan, and the necessary accurate reflection, I was able to understand what the teachers need to provide to the students. Second, my growth increased as I discovered Merlot and the many lessons to use, evaluate, and learn from. My work with Merlot gave me the opportunity to see much more that I’ve previously encountered in lessons, assignments, assessments, etc. Working with Merlot allowed me to understand how many other educators have had the same questions and confusions that I have faced. Third, the WebQuest and Web and Product Design were good assignments were I could display some of my best work, and it opened my eyes to the future use of these in and out of the classroom. Fourth, Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology allowed me to push my lesson design further and create a much more productive and proactive lesson. Finally, with Web 2.0 and Online Learning, with my work, I was able to better understand how fast technology improves and how it affects the classroom. That said, some of the areas of personal growth during this educational journey were the following. First, thanks to Merlot, it was the manner in which a lesson is evaluated for proper function. Thanks to collaborating and sharing there are a many lessons that educators can use. By using more formal evaluation processes we can look for the proper materials that would work the best in the classroom by meeting the needs and requirements regarding technology and/or subject content. Second, the use of Universal Design for Learning and Assistive Technology was intuitive, logic, and eye opening. By following certain principles like providing multiple means of representation, providing for multiple means of expression, and providing multiple means of engagement, better more complete lessons can be provided to learners. Third, I would have to say that the discovery of Merlot opened my eyes to many more resources that were available to be used. To have a free, world wide, open online community of resources designed for educators and learners, was a great jaw dropping realization. I’m a big believer in not re-inventing the wheel, and this allows for the sharing and the possible collaboration of resources. As we speak collaboration, the most important support I received during my learning process came from my classmates, as they allowed me to ask questions and provided me with insightful and accurate answers, and from my instructor who guided me through the individual obstacles I encountered. Although I feel confident that I contain the proper knowledge to carry out all of these lessons, I wish I would have expanded my knowledge about UDL and Assistive Technology. In my opinion, what limited my learning was the many correct angles that can be used in the creation of a lesson, making it easy to get lost in all the possible things that can be done. Also, UDL and Assistive Technology can reach much further than the classroom and I consider that very powerful. 

In my opinion, regarding what I’ve learned about effective teaching strategies and technology, the most important note I have learned is that their effectiveness increases when they are paired with the proper technology. Educators can create or modify existing lessons to reach and engage multiple students at a time. By integrating web-based technologies, as educators, we are forced to see the versatility that it is offered as plans for materials will be used as the educational content for the year is being discussed. As I think about my own personal goals for learning about technology integration, I have to say that I have not met them. There is much more technology that can be used in the classroom. Also, if my purpose is to be in the front line of educational technology discovery and application, I don’t think I will ever meet a level of satisfaction when it comes to learning technology and implementing it in the classroom. My next step is to further develop my educational technology career, as I begin working and collaboration with other organizations, groups, companies, schools, agencies, etc. As I finish my Masters and continue to my Ph.D. I plan to be a person of influence in the educational community. I have much that I need to learn and I would like to start making the connections necessary to continue learning as often and frequently as possible. I believe that my plans for technology in the future are still developing. One thing that I already know, is that I want to take on the newest technologies developed that are not created for education and see how they can be beneficial in education. I want to train future teachers in said technologies, push them to grow and know more technologies, and help them create the proactive thought process that maintains them ahead of the curve and remain technology savvy educators. Lastly, I would like to be one of the pioneers that pushes for a reconstruction of classrooms with more technology involvement. 

A Few things about Online Learning

A Few things about Online Learning

 

I would like to say a few things about Online Learning. I like it very much, and I believe that it is a great tool that educators can use to help the students achieve a mastery over their subjects. When it comes to Online Learning My choice of technology to use, from the many available, is a wiki. I believe that the use of a wiki can extend from its intended purpose. For example, I can provide links to other created online experiences like Webquests, Educational Blogs, Podcast/Videocast, etc. Honestly, I think the same can be said from other Online Experiences. That said, the way I would use a wiki is as a Online portfolio where the student can place from written to video material they have created individually or as a group. This would be a good place to track documents and manage projects.

If I were to use a Wiki with a specific subject, I believe that a Wiki could help me teach Science. Aside from the classroom resources, students would have the ability to look anywhere online for questions, answers, variations to experiments, etc. With a Wiki and the help of other teachers and students, it could allow the advance learners to be more challenged and the struggling learners could find more help.

One of the teaching strategies that I would use with Wikis is cooperative learning approaches. Various types of cooperative learning exist, but I would have students working in groups producing the type of work that ensures them that contributing is necessary and they will be held accountable for their participation and learning. Also, I believe that this would be a good place for students to begin generating and testing hypotheses. This greatly complex form of thinking requires the applying knowledge. Students can utilize both inductive and deductive approaches to prove their hypothesis.

In my opinion, the technologies that would present the most difficulty to use for students would be the RSS Feed. The information brought from the feeds, depending on the site and the topic, can be tumultuous. If the student is not used to RSS Feeds and does not know how to extract the information necessary to arrive at a logical personal conclusion, these feeds can be more confusing that helpful.

Collaboration in Merlot Website

Collaboration in Merlot Website  

Hello again, I wanted to take this time and share this new website where I'm placing most the documents I create, it is called Merlot. Here is the link for the new info on Collaboration in Merlot.
Merlot 6 Keys

StAIR Project

StAIR Project

Hello everybody, I hope everyone enjoys this work on Collaboration. I honestly believe that everyone can and could benefit from this, I know I have. I hope everybody can get as much out of this as I have. The purpose of the StAIR project is to allow the student to review or refresh their knowledge about the 6 keys of collaboration. This would be a great tool to present before the beginning of group projects, class projects, and assignments where there is collaboration with outside resources.

6 Keys to Collaboration