Becoming Confident of My 21st Century Skills as a Learner and as a Teacher in Digital Literacy

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I created a Prezi this week to respond to the prompt for assignment 1A: How do you describe yourself and a learner and a teacher in the 21^st century. I explained my proficiencies and areas of need as both a teacher and a learner in regards to 21^st century skills, particularly in the area of technology. To prepare for these assignments, I reviewed videos, read portions of a book and the ISTE standards for teachers and students, and took a self-assessment. These activities helped me begin to chart a course to improve my learning and teaching of 21^st century skills.

             

When I responded to the initial prompt, 1A, I made lists about what I would need to do to feel more proficient as both a learner and teacher in the 21^st century. I found that I need to learn more about coding, programming, and creating innovative products. I also would like to continue to integrate more and more technology into our everyday third grade classroom curriculum through regular computer stations, an interactive class website, and technology-based assessments, homework, and project options. I am confident that I can implement all of this. I just need to do it a little at a time so that I do not become overwhelmed.

             

There were some excellent take-aways from the videos this week. Doug Belshaw (2012) discussed explicitly teaching pre-literate behaviors for technology like we teach for other skills such as reading. As a mother of two small children, I have often thought of how I can gently introduce my children to technology so they can be prepared for the world they will grow up in. Many of my third graders are at a stage between pre-literate and literate. I have to be very aware of every detail and nuance when bringing the students to the lab. Belshaw also talked about focusing on people’s interests to develop intrinsic motivation. I feel as if I am starting to do this in the classroom because I offer a variety of choices. I have also begun Genius Hour this year, which allows students to research a passion project and present it in a creative manner. Hearing Belshaw speak made me feel confident that I am on the right path with this idea, and I can continue to incorporate more choices for students.

Both Mark Surman (2012) and Mattan Griffel (2014) feel that it is extremely important for people to know how to code. I had no idea that this was important, and before watching the videos, I didn’t really understand the potential impact of knowing how to code. This is a huge deficiency for me, and I need to invest some time in figuring out basic coding and how I can incorporate it into my classroom. I will definitely begin this investigation once I complete my master’s degree. This actually helps me begin to figure out my uncertainty concerning the ISTE standard about creating innovative products. I have a lot to learn in this area. Mark Surman (2012) also mentioned something that I find so valuable, which is that we learn in an on-demand way. We learn when we want knowledge. I feel like we should be changing the way we teach to value creative output with personalized topics, and students can learn as they go. It seems that we need to get away from the model where the teacher is the sole information provider. Teachers should guide students to learn how to find out information for themselves and make sense of it, as we are living in a time where information is readily available. I am slowly heading in this direction, but I feel more purposeful now.

I found the reading selection for this assignment particularly interesting, as I am very interested in education reform. Two major factors influencing my teaching and my perceived options are the huge amount of curricula I need to get through and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). Chris Dede (2010) wrote, “Given that the curriculum is already crowded, a major political challenge is articulating what to deemphasize in the curriculum - and why – in order to make some room for students to deeply master core 21^st century skills” (Chapter 3). I have been trying to rework my third grade class to integrate more subjects and technology. I would love to have more time to continue to do this, as it requires creating everything myself. I have felt confident about the new lessons and units I have created this year that integrate real world issues, group work, and technology. I feel less confident now about the typical curriculum, as I know it is not up to par. I need to continue to work on small projects with the knowledge that I will eventually have a much more integrated, technologically literate, problem solving, and differentiated classroom. This just requires time and effort on my part.

             

I did complete the self-assessment on the course site. I found that I am proficient at everything on the list except I don’t use a wide range of tech-related assignments nor do I maintain a class webpage. I use some tech-based assessments, and I send home an e-newsletter every Monday to all families, my third grade team, and the administrators of our school. I would like to improve in both of these areas. I think that this self-assessment was a little dated, though. It is from 2006. I think that if it were to be updated for 2015, I would have found more areas that I need to work on.

             

The interesting part about this assignment is that I don’t know if I will ever feel fully confident as a learner and teacher of 21^st century digital literacy. The rate at which the digital world grows and expands seems to move more quickly than I could ever grasp it. The best I can do is try to keep up and stay informed. Staying aware of new technology developments needs to be a priority for a teacher in the 21^st century. With each innovation in technology comes the possibility of a new and exciting classroom innovation and the hope that teachers are inspiring and educating children who can be prepared to be the thinkers and innovators of the next generation.

References

Belshaw, D. (Producer). (2012, March 22). The essential elements of digital literacies. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8yQPoTcZ78.

Dede, C. (2010). 21st century skills: rethinking how students learn. Bloomington, IN: Solution tree press.

Griffel, M. (Producer). (2014, August 19). Crash course in digital literacy. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTZqv9tCDtY.

Surman, M. (Producer). (2012, November 1). On kids and digital literacy. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4R7J8MKbOE.

Beginning Differentiation

Background

I am really excited about this assignment because it ties right into a unit I am going to begin this week! I wrote the concept for this new unit in my last class, but I haven’t worked out the specifics yet. The unit takes the Democracy in Action Storypath curriculum and rewrites it using our community, Ballard, Seattle, Washington as the community of study. Students will learn about city and town governments and structures as well as some great facts about our historic town.

The differentiated lesson I am describing is the critical incident in our story. There is a large shopping center, Ballard Blocks, that everyone in our area goes to because the Trader Joe’s grocery store is there. One brave woman, Edith Macefield, refused to sell her little home, so when the shopping center was constructed, they had to build around her house. This house was said to have inspired the Pixar movie, “Up.” It is an amazing story of one woman standing up to corporate greed. It was just announced that this house, after many attempts to keep it safe, has been bought by the shopping mall company and will be torn down at an undisclosed date. I want to teach students all about this woman and the fight for her home. Before this part of the lesson, students will have learned a lot about this woman and her home. We would have read articles and discussed them as a class as well as gone online and found information and images together. We are also going to take a walking field trip to see the home.

Edith Macefield House circa 2009

The Assignment

Critical incident: The Edith Macefield “Up House” was just bought by Ballard Blocks and will soon be demolished. Write to the Ballard Blocks to give them your support or voice your disagreement.

Edith Macefield House 2015

The letter delivered to the Ballard Blocks will be one page back and front. On the front will be a persuasive letter to the company giving them your support or voicing your disagreement. On the back will be either nonfiction text features or an infographic supporting your point of view.

Differentiation of Learning and Outcomes

Differentiation for English Language Learners

Seattle is not like California, where everyone is an ELL teacher. Certain Seattle schools have ELL programs that serve ELL students in a push-in or pull-out model. My school does not have an ELL program, but there are two students in my class this year that speak two languages at home. I am sure they could use the extra support. These strategies are successful for many other students as well.

·      ELL students will be able to go to our class social studies folder and watch several news story videos about the house and issues. This will help with visuals, vocabulary, and background knowledge.

·      I will work with students to create an up-to-date content word wall with photos and other pertinent information and images to help ELL’s focus on important vocabulary as well as use that vocabulary in writing and speaking in class.

·      ELL’s will complete the letter in a partnership with a native English-speaking student. This will help with oral and written language and so much more.

·      I will give lessons on persuasive language and add those words to our word wall. We will discuss how and why persuasive language is used.

·      The product outcome will be differentiated. Students will have the option to create more simple nonfiction text features or a more complex infographic to support their point of view. The partnership will also have the option of writing a short letter or a more challenging essay on the other side.

Differentiation for Special Needs Students

The students in my class this year with special needs have issues with attention, focus, organization, and handwriting. The differentiation options below are directed at these particular students.

·      Special needs students will be able to go to our class social studies folder and watch several news story videos about the house and issues. This will help with attention as videos magically grab the attention of almost everyone.

·      I will give students a graphic organizer and a checklist to help stay organized and keep track of the assignment components and requirements.

·      Special needs students will be paired with a complimentary partner who does not have special needs. This will help students succeed, build empathy, and learn some good strategies for working effectively.

·      Students struggling with handwriting will have the option of completing the assignment completely on the computer.

·      Special needs students will be given many opportunities for brain breaks and movement during work times to help refocus and get out extra energy.

Differentiation for Advanced/Gifted Students

I have a large amount of ALO and APP students in my class. They can handle incredible challenges.

·      Advanced students will be given challenging supplemental articles about Edith Macefield and her home. This will add to their knowledge and help for their points of view and evidence for their letters.

·      These students will be offered the choice to work independently and check in and edit with a peer or work in a partnership. Both scenarios promote growth.

·      Advanced students will be required to write their letter as a five-paragraph persuasive essay, which will give them great practice with this skill.

·      On the flip side of the letter, students will need to provide more information on their infographic or more and varied nonfiction text features.

·      Advanced students will have the opportunity to come up with a solution to provide the Ballard Blocks. They can either suggest a use for the home if they are against the tear down or suggest a potential use after the tear down to make the best use of the space. This will be included in the letter.

Think-Pair-Share

Activities

There are endless possibilities for think-pair-share activities in any classroom. This grouping strategy is effective for student accountability, as each student has to participate. Rather than tune out, students have to take an active role in the activity presented. Think-pair-share is a great strategy when a teacher notices that everyone has something to say. Not everyone can be heard from, so having students turn to their partner is helpful for management and to make every student feel like his or her ideas are being heard. I like to use think-pair-share as a way to give think time to those students who don’t naturally come up with a good idea immediately. They can think before participating and not have to try to compete with students who are super-fast processors. A final great reason to use this strategy is that insecure, shy, ELL, or not strong academic students can listen to a partner’s idea first and then try their own idea out. They also might find out that their idea was the same as their partner, giving them more confidence. I teach third grade, and I can use this strategy in countless situations.

Think-Pair-Share Activity Ideas

·      Reading: Making predictions, comparing and contrasting, making meaning, asking questions about a test or passage

·      Writing: Editing teacher’s writing, generating lists (transition words, synonyms…)

·      Math: Figuring out how to solve a story problem, strategizing steps for a challenging problem

·      Science: Making predictions, KWL brainstorming

·      Social Studies: Responses to a controversial topic, possible solutions to a problem

·      Every subject: Share prior knowledge and/or experiences to build background knowledge and a connection to new material

Accountability

It is a good idea to set some simple guidelines and model the think-pair-share procedure before beginning. While it may seem uncomplicated, it will only be effective if students clearly understand what is expected during this time. Even with explicit instructions, I still find certain pairs need more supervision and guidance through this process. As I mentioned above, the think-pair-share model has accountability embedded because it eliminates the one student response in favor of every student responding. The large percentage of students who would never think of participating and would never have to because of the five to seven students who always have a quick hand raised, are put into the position of being active participants. They are forced to think and interact with another person. Whether they are right or wrong, they are actively thinking, which is more than can be said about they typical hand raised scenario.

Think-Pair-Share Accountability Ideas

·      Randomly select groups to share

·      Have partner one share partner two’s response with the class or with the teacher

·      ELL’s or other struggling students share second

·      Include a writing component such as a graphic organizer or white board quick written response

·      Have one pair share with another pair

·      Have one or two pairs work together to come up with one combined response