Educational Psychology Article Reflections

After reading the four articles, Cross-state Mobility, Inequality at School, How Beginning Teachers Learn to Survive, and Why Teaching is not an Exact Science, in relation to Chapter 1, many inferences can be found. We have been taught by our educators here at Oklahoma Panhandle State University to differentiate instruction, differentiate instruction, differentiate instruction! So it's no surprise that these articles all have in common the different ways teachers had to adapt in every classroom or hallway situation that presents itself. Of course, the longer you've been in the classroom, the more tools you have under your belt and the more you think about "Do I really need to stop teaching to address this issue?" Teaching is all about adapting to the environment you're in and during your early days of teaching, beginning teachers do just that! Moving from school to school, let alone state to state, can take a toll on the teacher as it can be a process, but also, teachers have to adjust to the new teaching styles of the school districts, as well as how diverse their new classroom may be. I believe that is how these articles relate to Chapter 1 of our textbook.

I'm sure many to all of my classmates will agree that teaching definitely is not an exact science. If you have spent any time in the classroom at all, you will quickly realize that. Especially when your time in the classroom transforms from observing to teaching lesson plans. It's exciting, but you can't magically make all of your students engaged, motivated, or on task. Teachers are so good at differentiating their instruction that they allow their students to have fun, hence the art part of teaching: teaching is both an art and a science. It's not just the creative side of teaching either. By allowing your students to do things that they are interested in, students will become more engaged, motivated, and will remain on task. All while differentiating instruction, it is crucial to keep in mind that whether the student is from a lower socioeconomic background, lives in poverty, has a steady income, or moved in from another state or across the border, every student is an individual and every student should be treated fairly. That is a fine line to walk, but Mr. Mihelic once said something along the lines of, "As a teacher, you want every student to succeed. That's fair. So by differentiating instruction to one or two students because that's what they need to succeed, that's fair. And just because the other students don't need that adaptation, it doesn't mean that you're treating them unfairly."

TPACK Lesson Plan Reflections

Lesson Plan for TPACK integration

Application
One of the greatest benefits of technology is that it allows us to find material most suitable for our lesson plans. If we are short on a book, then we can easily find a video on YouTube of someone reading it. YouTube is an excellent resource for introducing a book as it shows the images and can be easily understood. Aside from YouTube, there is a multitude of educational apps to aid our lesson and I have an app that will do just that! Today we will be learning about antonyms as part of our Dr. Sues unit!

• Learners: I will be teaching and modeling my activities to a first grade classroom. First graders tend to be between six and seven years old.

• Learning outcomes: My students will gain information regarding antonyms. We will have preciously discussed what synonyms are so we will touch base on that before our lesson. At the end of this activity, students will be able to answer questions regarding first grade level antonyms.
• Assessment: With the help of the educational app I chose, students should be able to write sentences, or fill in the blanks with the proper word, quiz themselves with flash cards, play memory games, and match opposite pairs of words. I will be walking throughout the classroom to ensure my students are staying on topic and I will answer any questions that may arise. Furthermore, I will utilize a PowerPoint I have created and by taking anecdotal notes, I will be able to determine how well my students understand this concept.

1. I will introduce to my students the topic of our lesson, which is taking antonyms. We will review synonyms as we already have background knowledge to what those words are. I will ask my students for what they think an antonym is and will ask for a definition and then I will recite this definition: A word opposite in meaning to another. Since we are discussing Dr. Seuss and what autobiographies are, I will pull up The Foot Book on YouTube for my students to get an idea of wacky opposites! (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSd8n9joPX8)
2. Students will then spend 7-10 minutes exploring the educational app I am going to introduce to the classroom. They can pull it up on their iPhones or iPads, whichever is more accessible to them. The app is called First Grade and Second    Grade Antonyms and Synonyms. There is a Full Version for $3.99 but we can get by with the free version! Students are to explore the app and play with in the First Grade Antonym level only. Students can test themselves with flash cards, play a matching game, a memory game, or fill in the proper blank in a sentence.
3. After students have completed the game, or the 7-10 minute time limit has expired, I will pull up my PowerPoint that I created to informally assess their knowledge on antonyms. There are ten students in the class, not counting Mrs. Wu, or myself, so I will split the class into five groups of two. Each pair is to discuss what the antonym of the word of choice presented on the board. Each pair will go up to the board to click on the “foot” to reveal the correct answer. Three teams will get to go twice. I will be taking notes to see if everyone knew the correct answer. The order and the list of words are as follows: 1. Slow, quick 2. Down, up 3. Front, back 4 Big, small 5. Right, left 6. Night, morning 7. Wet, dry 8 Low, high

Reflection
Considering your learning activity described above, write two paragraphs or three for each section below addressing the questions. It may be helpful to keep in mind the followings when reflecting:

1. How will the use of this technology support your teaching strategies in this activity?

I believe that in playing the YouTube in front of the class, students are better able to hear the story and better able to see the illustrations in relation to my small book. The video was able to project to the students in the back. It’s a fun way to introduce to my students what antonyms are. Furthermore, by using the app “First grade and Second grade Antonyms and Synonyms,” students were able to gain a clear explanation as to what antonyms are and they are able to practice with a variety of words in a variety of games. Lastly, by using the SmartBoard to play Antonym Feet, students were able to move around and select the correct foot to reveal the proper answer. I’m aware that I taught to a group of college students, but when I did this portion of my lesson to my first graders, they absolutely loved it and were so excited to get to the board to click on a foot!

2. How effectively will the use of this technology enhance students' understanding of and learning from your particular content in this activity?
   First off, I gave a clear definition as to what an antonym was. Students were also able to conjure up their own idea as to what an antonym is. After introducing The Foot Book through a YouTube video, every student in the classroom, if properly paying attention, should create a knowledge base with the words presented in the story. As students are creating their own idea as to what antonyms are, it is beneficial to further their idea of what they are. Some students, I’m sure, fully understand what antonyms are after watching the YouTube video, while others are more skeptical. By playing “First grade and Second grade Antonyms and Synonyms,” students will become reassured in their thinking. After presenting Antonym Feet to the entire class, I was able to ask each group what the opposite word of “night” was, for example. Each group had an opportunity to answer and were rewarded by selecting the correct foot on the SmartBoard.

--Pedagogical-Content:

Now, forget about the technology for a while…..Just tells us about your teaching strategies that you employ in your activity (e.g., analogies, demonstrations, illustrations, examples, explanations, group work, drill-practice, simulations, role-play, lecturing, self-guided learning, inquiry-based learning, problem based learning or etc). Specifically:

3. What are your strategies and why do you think your strategies are appropriate to teaching this specific content?  What makes you believe it would help your students comprehend this particular content? Give specific examples from your described activity.

In a whole group setting, students were able to focus on their own learning. When learning something new, sometimes students don’t perform as well, or understand the concept as well, when it is presented to groups of students at a time. For some students, things click faster than it does for other students and sometimes those slower learners get sidelined and put in less effort towards learning the concept because they feel their peers will judge them. For the most part, students were also able to play around on their iPhones individually. This gives them ample time to work through any confusion they may have had. Of course, I was walking throughout the classroom and checking each student’s phone. If a student was struggling with words or with what to do, which fundamentally comes to what an antonym is, I would have been there to help and give direct instruction. Lastly, students were able to have reassurance in their knowledge as they collaborated with their partner(s) during Antonym Feet.

4. What would be some conceptions and pre-conceptions that students of different ages and backgrounds bring with them when learning this particular content? What would you be concerned about students' prior knowledge, experiences, and motivation? Again focus on the content and your teaching strategy, not the technology!

The younger the students, the more likely they’ll try to break the word apart and by using their schemas, try to make meaning of the word. Students may think that the word “antonym” has something to do with “ants,” or maybe because the end of the word is similar to “synonym,” they’ll think it has something to do with like words or unlike words. Older students may get confused with the meaning of “antonym” because they’ll likely be introduced to words like “synonym” and “acronym” and misconstrue the meaning of either three. As far as students from different backgrounds, some may automatically refer to the root word “onym” and know through prior knowledge that its’ root definition means “name.”

--Technological-Pedagogical:

In the previous section, you talked about your instructional strategies. Keeping these strategies you stated in mind, now tell us how the technology is used in your activity.  Specifically:

5. What main instructional strategies would this technology use serve in your activity? How would using the technology support the way you teach this activity? Please give examples and be specific to your described activity. Think about your main teaching strategies that this technology would support.

In reference to the YouTube video, I feel that I have explained myself well as to how it grabs my student’s attention, particularly those in the back. Something that I have not touched on is that by having a book read to students, it helps them auditorily, but by providing pictures along with it, like most books at the elementary level do, students are able to learn visually. It’s easy to read a book at the front of your classroom, but by showing a YouTube video, it’s something different teacher’s can throw in the mix to continually keep their students involved. By doing so, students will be engaged in the lesson and will better learn what is being taught. The educational app hones in on what is being taught and reinforces the topic I introduced and it highlights the YouTube clip. The final piece of technology I used was incorporating a PowerPoint presentation that requires partner groups to discuss what the correct answer is. It provides self-check and ultimately reassurance.

6. What different classroom management strategies you might need to consider when using this technology in the activity? Give examples and be specific to your described activity.

When students are using their phones, smartphones in particular, I need to be careful that they aren’t doing anything on their phones aside from the assigned app. It is easy to do that even with iPads and laptops. By turning on airplane mode, it will keep students off the Internet. However, Apple users are able to text and do like things if their Wi-Fi is turned on with their airplane mode turned on. There isn’t much to do to get around that, though. Plus, a variety of apps, especially web-based, require Wi-Fi. I just need to better patrol my students. I could even pair them so I can check on a group of students at once. Obviously this applies to the second part of my lesson.

--Technological Pedagogical Content:

Now, let’s focus on the content you’re teaching in your activity. Think about your decisions to incorporate this technology and the teaching strategies in relation to your particular content area. Tell us specifically about:

7. How would using this technology enhance the way the content is represented in your activity (e.g. demonstrations, explanations, examples, illustrations, analogies, and etc.)? That is why you think the selection and the pedagogical use of this technology may enhance what you teach (the content in your activity). Give specific examples from your activity to support your answer and keep in mind the learning objectives that you stated previously. 

Using the educational app “First grade and Second grade Antonyms and Synonyms,” I was able to strengthen my lesson in a way that engages students even more. These individuals are growing up in a world that is more technological savvy than the world my generation grew up in. Technology to them is everything. This app on the iPhone and iPad is a “means to aid students memorize words” (Memory Game), create their own sentences, and match opposite words (Matching Game). This app instantly shows me how well my students are understanding the material. As I’m walking around taking notes, I will become fully aware as to how easily my students are moving along through this app. Through repetition, students are able to individually learn and build their knowledge base concerning the language learning content area.

8. In what different ways students practice or understand the content in your activity that would otherwise not be possible without the use of the technology? In addition to motivational benefits, what else can students do with this technology as they are learning the content?

It would potentially not be possible for students to quickly, and confidently, answer questions that he or she could on their personal iPhone or iPad. I mentioned earlier that sometimes students need to work through their skepticism on their own and educational apps allow students that freedom. If students have motivation to begin with, they’re automatically going to want to learn. In addition to their already high excitement levels, students will gain experience. These apps provide these students with knowledgeable, influential, and impactful ways to help them better understand and succeed in areas that either they strive to succeed at, or are struggling at.

3D Printing Article

After looking around Thingiverse and printing out something that I personally liked, and thought would be useful, I have come to the conclusion that the sky is the limit for 3D Printers! Websites that allow you to find a product that you would like to have because your interest is heightened by it or that you can ultimately use in your field of choice defend my argument. Not to mention the second website we were introduced to that allowed us create a product of our own has me awestruck! What has me even more awestruck is the article about the 3D Printer that is printing organs for those in need of a donor! (I know I'm getting off subject, but it all relates to the other in retrospect.) As educators, we are constantly searching for ways to help our students better understand what we are teaching them. By using Thingiverse and printing off manipulatives for them to use during whole lessons, centers, or scaffolded instruction/Tier instruction, the better off our students are going to be.

If we can introduce students to 3D Printing early on, maybe it will spark something inside of them that allows them to become more intrigued in the subjects that tend to be the least favorite for the mass majority--math, science, and even history. The Smithsonian article was super neat because students are able to create their own objects directly out of the textbooks they are using in class! Talk about integrating technology into the classroom!

I have already touched base on how you can use 3D Printers in the classroom, but 3D Printers in Schools really breaks down how you can use and apply 3D Printers in math, science, and STEM. I really appreciate how the website talks about accessibility and the implications it has on pupil learning. The TPACK article we previously read mentioned that educators need to be trained in the technology that they're using with their students. This article touches base on the same area. I can easily see how this would motivate young minds and how it would cause them to become more engaged in what they're learning, which is awesome!

Technology's Role in Field Experiences for Preservice Teacher Training and TPACK Reflection

Technology's Role in Field Experiences for Preservice Teacher Training Reflection

It is stated that the purpose of this paper "is to provide a comprehensive review of how technology has been used to enhance and sometimes replace field experiences in preservice teacher education programs, and discuss the benefits and limitations of both traditional and technology-enhanced/virtual field experience approaches." I am going to first say that I believe there is a place in the classroom for technology, but I don't agree that technology should entirely replace every aspect of the classroom. Nor do I agree that Type II and Type III, which I will delve into later, should be the only Types for student teachers to experience.

This paper has made excellent points when it stated, "A concern is that students are not taking an active role in developing, processing, and reflecting on their field experiences" whether technology simulators are in place or not. To help you understand, there are three Types of technology-enhanced field experiences, Type I being "concrete, direct experience in reality," Type II being "vicarious, indirect experience with reality," and Type III being "abstract, experience with model of reality." To further explain, Type I involves preservice teachers to observe strictly in traditional classrooms with real teachers and real students and getting to involve with them in a "live" manner. Type II experiences allow "preservice teachers to gain vicarious experiences by remotely observing teachers and students in real classrooms." Students undergoing this type of preservice experience have said that they are able to observe various teaching strategies, while students of Type I experiences are not able to. However, Type II students commented that they didn't feel as connected with their students and teacher as they have only ever made contact with them through a camera and that may make both parties behave differently. Type III field experiences involve simulated classrooms. While a major benefit of this type of classroom is that students and teachers can reflect and comment on shared experiences. 

"Providing preservice teachers with opportunities to observe and interact with classroom environments, real or simulated, is critically important to educating high quality, well-prepared teachers. While technology's role in relation to field experiences is still being explored, it is important to identify the potential benefits of technology's use that have already been documented." We are lucky to be in an area that has so much diversity because we do not have to rely on Types II and III to be able to experience diverse students. However, through the technologies of Types II and III, students that are not as fortunate as we are have the option to observe diverse environments. My article never mentioned that in Type I classrooms, preservice teachers could use cameras to record how they interact with the classroom's students, as well as how they teach in front of the class. Regardless of that, by using video-based observations and simulators, students and teachers are able "to view field-training sessions of their classmates and provide constructive feedback to each other." Furthermore, "preservice teachers who used a video case-based curriculum engaged in deeper reflection more specifically focused on student thinking. The video cases seem to promote an 'ability to recognize subtle differences in student thinking by providing an opportunity to compare student thinking across and within the cases. . . preservice teachers were able to shift their focus on reflection from superficial features of classroom management to pedagogical issues." Student teachers that are able to transform their way of thinking from superficial to pedagogical is only going to be beneficial to their students, and to their career. 

Types I, II, and III of technology-enhanced field experiences have the ability to better help preservice teachers prepare for their careers. I agree that each Type has its pros and its cons, but I believe that if there was a way to integrate each Type of technology-enhanced field experiences into a college student's experience while they're still in school will only be beneficial and crucial to how well they develop into an influential and an impactful teacher.

Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: A Framework for Teacher Knowledge

Technology is not going away and there is no arguing that it has a place in the classroom; therefore, our main concern as educators is how we can best implement technology into our classrooms and make it "give our everyday classroom efforts direction and meaning." In relation to my above article, it is not only important for technology to be in the classroom, but it should be used in a beneficial way, as should subject matter. When it comes to technology, and subject matter, both should be "transformed for teaching. This occurs when the teacher interprets the subject matter and finds different ways to represent it and make it accessible to learners" AKA differentiating instruction! We've been learning about differentiating our instruction since day one so that we are able to reach all of our students, not just our top students, or just our bottom students.

To quote Shulman, PCK should hold "the most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations--in a word, the ways of representing and formulating the subject that make it comprehensible to others." In an effort to appease every student's needs, technology should be brought into the classroom to aid this effort. Shulman lived in an era where technology was not as apparent as it is today, but nonetheless, technology was never unimportant in his PCK viewpoint. If you are able to make your "most powerful analogies, illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations" more accessible to your students, then by golly, DO IT! 

The three types, PK, CK, and TK should not be treated as different entities, but should be integrated, correlated, and taught together. It is, however, crucial, to understand how each part of TPACK stands alone (Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Technology Knowledge, Technological Content Knowledge, Technological Pedagogical Knowledge, and Technological Pedagogical [and] Content Knowledge).

In order for teachers to be effective with TPACK, they need to be trained in technology. I feel like my generation has a step up over the teachers that have been teaching for at least ten years. This article states that we should be trained in how to use technology, which holds true for the older generation teachers or for the teachers that are prone to changing. I'm definitely not against learning about, and going to workshops, regarding educational apps, or even learning how to push the envelope with PowerPoint, Flash, iMovie, Websites for students and for teachers, and HTML links just to name a few!

I believe that this article did an amazing job at showing how versatile TPACK is and how it is constantly being researched so that educators are constantly adjusting to society and the ever evolving ways of technology! TPACK "brings together the pragmatic and the theoretical, the practical and the abstract" and Design suggests that. This framework can drive curriculum so that it is pedagogical, not just superficial, bringing my above article full circle.

Article Reflections

Summon the Comfy Chairs!

For years we have dreamt of having robots manage our lives and do tasks that we are ultimately too lazy to do. Of course it would be cool to whistle at a robot for it to instantly come to you for you to rest your feet on it! The thing that worries me about robots is that it will ultimately make the human race far more lazy than it already is. I think the idea of a robot is pretty neat and can be put to good use if it has a good program. For instance, the mobile toybox that will flash colorful lights and wiggle until the child puts the toy away, I think, is a good, fun way to teach children responsibility. Then there are robots like Chester that really serve no special function--it's just for fun. I'm not really interested in those types of robots. Technology has made life easier for humans for years, and sure they can aid us in our tasks, but I feel that robots shouldn't make mankind lazier.

The 25 Best Inventions of 2015

These inventions are remarkable, for the most part! Some are for leisure and some are far more important than say, having your shoe tie itself. Have you ever used a Virtual Reality headset? They're pretty cool! I've mostly used them to pretend I was in a scary movie like Insidious, and I admit that they are pretty scary, but they're more "jumpy" than anything. I'm fully aware that I'm using a VR headset. I think it's pretty  impressive that they can be used for doctors or students to use them "on" bodies! The Superior Stethoscope can be beneficial too! Doctors and nurses, I'm sure, compare results from past visits, but through this invention, it can be done more efficiently, and when it comes to your health, the more efficient things are, the better. On a more leisurely note, The MonoRover R2, commonly referred to as the Hover Board, is such a fun invention, but man they can be dangerous, especially if you can't ride them like me (haha!) They're fun and they get you where you need to go fast, and it's the most futuristic invention I've ever seen. 

Throughout this entire article, I was amazed at how different each invention is and how each invention plays a different role in our society. I can clearly understand why each of these inventions were listed in this article!

The 25 Best Inventions of 2016

First off, let me just say TIRES THAT SPIN IN EVERY DIRECTION... What?? That's so cool! It's a scary thought to say the least, but so cool! I wouldn't drive one of those vehicles until they've been released for probably ten years, but how crazy is it that self-driving cars are a mere five years away from hitting the market? The Ultimate Alarm Clock would definitely be something I would try out. On average, I need roughly 12 hours of sleep a night to feel rested. I'm not going to lie though, I can sleep longer, and I have, but I still feel groggy in the morning. Either my sleeping habits need to change, or my diet. Drones are pretty awesome inventions and I can easily see they're impact for military and emergency personnel. I've played around with my friend's drone a little bit, and it flew over us while we drove in the mountains. All we did was make a video out of it and put some music behind it, but it was a fun use of technology! On a more serious note, Sweet Potatoes and an Artificial Pancreas that could both save lives has me awestruck. It's incredible what technology and innovation can do!

I know I didn't hit every invention but every invention that was listed has something to be said about it! Alike the 2015 article, some inventions are for leisure while others are more serious. Either way, they provide a use to someone, even if I don't agree with its use. 

Miracle Maker

Wow! I loved this article! I've always put doctors on a pedestal and I think it's well deserved, but Anthony Atala deserves a pedestal higher than the rest. I mentioned in my 'Summon the Comfy Chairs!' article review that robots should aid human kind. Not that this 3-D Printer is a robot, but it is technology nonetheless, and it is greatly aiding mankind! Technology absolutely blows me away sometimes and this article did that tenfold. I could not imagine being in a situation where I was waiting for someone to die just so I could live, or have someone donate a kidney just to keep me alive. That's so stressful and depressing. With an invention like this, the "Holy Grail of medicine," so many lives will be saved and that's nothing short of a miracle!