Student Data Spreadsheet

Student Data Sorted By Strand

I opted to use Google Spreadsheet
to make my student data spreadsheet.  I have used various spreadsheet programs before but I do not create them often.  I think it would be difficult for teachers to dedicate the time to using a spreadsheet like this unless the information was already available online and could be merged or even cut and pasted into a program.  I find the number of formulas available to be overwhelming at first.  It took me a while to figure out how to use a =countif formula to determine the number of correct responses per question.

Support using formulas can be found at this link.

I also wanted to sort the data by Strand.  I decided that having it sorted that way was going to be more helpful to the teacher than just the question number.  In an attempt to make this stand out more, I opted to highlight by strand also. I also alphabetized the list which will make it easier for the teacher to find her student by name.  Any additional students who are added to the list will be alphabetized also.  This is done by sorting the range highlighted.  It's important not to sort the entire page by mistake.

This is a screen grab of the Data drop down menu for sorting a range.  Simply highlight the range that you want sorted.

Many people are not used to looking at spreadsheet so color coding can be helpful.  I chose red for the incorrect responses.  This gives a visually quick look at the overall question.  This was accomplished by using a conditional formatting.  The formatting functions found here are extremely helpful for sorting and extrapolating data.  Conditional formatting is like an "If, Then" question.  I formulated it by saying that "If the text is exactly B (or what ever the correct response was) Then the print was in Black.  Then you have to add, "Text does not contain B (or whatever the correct response was) Then print was in Red.

I might also have noted questions that gave a consistent incorrect answer (i.e. 80% of the incorrect responses answered "B".)  This information could be helpful to a teacher who is trying to determine why a student answered incorrectly.  This would be most helpful in specifically reteaching a particular point.

In this particular data, there were 2 questions that over 80% of the students answered incorrectly.  This type of information helps to inform the next steps taken by the teacher, including when to refocus and reteach concepts missed by that many students.  I could see how breaking down data can help to inform instruction within the class, grade or school.  At our school we often spend staff meeting time extrapolating information out of standardized testing scores.  This can be cumbersome but in many cases allows us to target specific areas that need additional support.  At the classroom level, this information could be collected from summative assessments in an attempt to make sure that the students fully understand the concepts being taught.

Here is a link to my Prezi about Technology in Education.

Using Technology to Improve Student Learning

Freeda Professional Development Experience 4_1

I started my career teaching at a very small preschool many years ago.  Our director was a huge fan of having professional development that was tailored to the needs of our school.  Early on, it was very thoughtful training and I still use information garnered from the different consultants that were used.  Our principal used a model where the consultant would spend the day observing in our classrooms and then was able to differentiate to best meet the needs of the group.  It was very helpful and felt almost personalized. The consultants were specially picked to meet our specific needs (it was an Ultra Orthodox Jewish preschool.)

I then moved onto public elementary school where the professional development was very, VERY hit or miss.  Some of the classes were chosen simply because of the location of the class (sad but true!) Who wants to go across town to take a class at 3:30 after teaching all day?  

Many times the district/grade level wide offerings were not clearly defined and our time is wasted terribly. These are my least favorite types of trainings.  More times than not, I felt disappointed by the information learned.

Our school based professional development is most closely aligned to our school’s needs.  This makes sense, it’s a smaller group and our principal is able to better identify our differing needs.  Some of the best professional development has been geared toward our International Baccalaureate needs.  Our staff chooses the speakers and we are able to tailor the PD to meet our needs.  We are able to come prepared if needed.  I think this is the most effective way of implementing professional development.  By knowing the objectives ahead of time, a teacher is able to focus on what is going to be covered.  It gives the teachers an opportunity to get their heads around the ideas before setting foot in the door. This model applies to any type of professional development.  Planning! Planning! Planning!

I think the least effective courses are ones that are not

effectively planned.  The objectives are not clearly stated and the purpose of the day is unclear.  I’d like to say that those don’t happen often, but I cannot say that.  We have a poor history of certain departments wasting our time by not being prepared.

Our staff is close, we know that the learning curve in an IB school is tough so we support our newer teachers.  I have a somewhat unique opportunity in my school, our principal sends us to IB trainings located around the country (it used to be around the world but sadly those days are gone!) For example, there is an IB Americas Training Session this weekend.  We do not have any teachers attending. These trainings help to not only bring our newest teachers up to speed, but upper level courses are offered for seasoned teachers.  We each go every 4 years.  Upon returning, we share our new learning in a staff meeting for all to learn from.  Some of our teachers are also IB trainers so they actually attend training sessions as instructors.  It is really an effective way to learn.  In addition to sharing our new knowledge, we are expected to implement ideas that we learned.  This can be tough sometimes, but because of the various levels of teacher education, we can collaborate and figure out what is best for our school.  Honestly, many times this model works.  Sometimes, not so much!  I think that happens with any professional development.

Freeda 3_2 Scenario Solutions

I thought the scenarios were all very interesting and it was challenging to come up with a variety of ideas that were not only creative and engaging but also could be differentiated to meet the varying needs of the students. 

I really wanted to work on the astronomy scenario but in my research, I discovered that many of the resources were linked through the US government specifically NASA  and NOAA  which of course are temporarily suspended.  

Many of the other resources that I found referenced using NASA as a primary source of informationI found myself not only looking for resources for researching but also for resources that students could use to create and share their new learning.  I think it is easy to get lulled into making the same types of presentations.  We need to remember that not only are there many options available but that some modes are better than others for specific scenarios.  Students are also different types of learners and it is great to allow students to work in a mode that best exhibits their learning and personal style.

Some resources for the 4th grade social studies unit include Blue Planet Biomes.  This site gives an overview world map and links to definitions and photos of each of the biome types.  Use Google Maps to examine the land formations.  It is important to remove the roads and town information on the map. In the right hand corner of the map, click on the the square map to change to satellite setting.  There is a drop down menu located there so that labels can be removed. The weather feature could be used so the students could see the different temperatures found in the regions.  This type of navigation within Google Maps could be differentiated depending upon the student.  I understand Misson:Biomes-NASA Earth Observatory is a great resource, but is also not available at this time.   

The math scenario sounded like lots of fun.  

Some of the issues I noticed with this site was that for elementary aged students it was difficult to find tools that were user friendly and allowed the students to create floor plans.  I thought it would be interesting for students to see images of floor plans.  Most children are not going to be familiar with the layouts found in floor plans.  By researching google images for floor plans, a teacher would be able to find appropriate plans to show to the class prior to creating their own.  

There are many websites and apps available but from what I can see most are too difficult to be used by elementary students.  

2-5 Motivation

I loved the list of 50 ways to integrate technology. Some were familiar to me, but many were new. I think having a handy list of tools available to make it easier for teachers to experiment with the tools is very helpful. I think this would be most effective after the technology integrator met with the teacher or team to share their unit or objectives. At that point, the technology integrator can discuss then compile some ideas and share them with the teachers. Once the teachers have decided what they would like to try, I think being available to model, co-teach or just advise the teachers would be effective. An idea might be to use an iPad app like www.showme.com to create tutorials for the teachers to view at home or off hours at their convenience. This is a quick way for the technology integrator to give some support. They are easy to create and the links can be emailed and no download is needed to view. Also, the teacher can use this same tool as a way to share information with parents about homework or other specific task that might be confusing in a written email.

 Using game show websites like Jeopardy can be fun in a classroom setting. I think it would be effective to use these as part of staff meetings as a way to introduce the technology to the teachers. The games can be created and tailored to meet your specific needs. While using these in class is the goal, having the opportunity to play the games as part of meetings allows the teachers to experience how fun they can be. I hope you like my quick attempt at a Jeopardy game.

 Helping teachers create rubrics that align to their lessons helps ensure that the lessons are aligned to the objectives being taught. Sites like iRubric are easy to use and are a good way to help align what is being taught and assessed. In the article posted by Jukes, the 4 ways to ensure that a student is learning were noted. This information can be helpful as teachers are trying to determine the purpose of the lessons and the methods in which they are teaching. We need to ensure that the students are actually learning and not just experiencing the bells and whistles of technology. These strategies could be applied to all lessons, not just the fun and exciting ones. What are the objects of the lesson? Can they show mastery of the learning objective? Do we evaluate the process not just the finished project. This is especially important as students learn to collaborate with each other and share their work with their peers and teacher.

 Frankly, I think if the administration is not only supportive of integrating technology into the classroom setting but also shares these success stories with other schools, it is good for morale. The administrators are so busy, I know, but it would be nice to have them come visit and really see what is going on in the classroom. I’m not talking about planned visits, but more pop in visits. They won’t always see the most exciting lesson (I taught the letter i today (yawn..) but if they frequent the class often, they will see some amazing learning going on.

 References
Branch, J. (2010). 50 Ways to Integrate Technology In Your Classroom Tomorrow. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/anchortechnologytomorrow/home/50-ways-to-anchor-technology

Jukes, I. (2013). 4 Ways to Ensure Students Learn While Creating. Retrieved from http://fluency21.com/blog/2013/10/01/4-ways-to-ensure-students-learn-while-creating/?fb_source=pubv1

Motivation Teachers to Use Technology. (2013). Education World. Retrieved from http://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin310.shtml

Freeda Discussion 2-2

First of all, I love math and I thought that Wolfram’s talk was great! Hey guess what, it’s time for math...

I think the philosophy of what he spoke of crosses into other subjects but I was trying to think of examples of what that would look like in other subject areas and I am stumped except for a few. Spelling was an idea, we all rely on spell check and for the most part it doesn’t matter if you know how to spell anymore. The spell check will mostly fix it for you. In other subjects like science there is some information that could be handled by computers so that the actual concepts become the important part.

 My daughters would tell you that chemistry would be a good example of a subject matter that could be taught in a way that would give students “intuition and experience by being able to interact and feel it” (Wolfram) Instead of just learning how to compute the atomic mass of an element, students could concentrate on why certain plastics are harder than others or are considered food grade or how solutions become super saturated. Both are important to know if you like to cook.  That being said, it is helpful for students (and parents) to have access to information on the internet that gives students extra support when trying to understand new concepts.  YouTube and Kahn Academy are examples of sites that offer video tutorials.

I think ideas from Wolfram’s talk could be very helpful to a Technology Integrator. The questions that poses could be asked of the teachers who are planning their units. What is the importance of what is being taught? What is the over arching lesson? What is the enduring understanding? Wolfram didn’t use UbD language, but to me that is what he was referring to. To collaborate fully, I think it’s important for the teachers and Technology Integrator to share and discuss the end goal. What do they want the students to learn? How does it link to their other learning? This information will help the Technology Integrator focus on the important aspects of the unit and help develop a plan to integrate technology into the unit most effectively.

References
Wolfram, C. (2010). TED Talks. Conrad Wolfram:Teaching Kids Real Math with Computers. Retrieved from http://www.ted.com/talks/conrad_wolfram_teaching_kids_real_math_with_computers.html

Freeda Discussion 2-1

I have been on the receiving end of each of the mentioned techniques to learn about new technology. Of all the methods mentioned, none are effective unless the teacher is given the opportunity to use, or as I like to say, “play” with the tools before trying to implement them. I personally find a combination of the techniques to be the most effective. It’s important to have explicit teaching time when learning about new tools and technology. That includes hands on guidance prior to working with students. This could be as professional development for a grade level or school staff. Too many times, teachers are exposed to new technology in a way that seems really exciting but by the time you get back to your school, the new learning has been put into the folder that you were given and it gets filed along with all the other things we need to do.

Many times the new learning is not geared to a specific grade level. An example, as a kindergarten teacher, most professional development is geared toward a range of grades instead of just kindergarten. We usually end up with K-3 teachers. There are so many great ideas that we as a staff have learned about over the years, but in many cases the information presented assumes that the students can read. Well, Kindergartners are generally at an emergent stage and not able to rely on their independent reading skills. This becomes lost professional development time for us. Working directly with grade levels would allow the Technology Integrator to tailor the needs.

Teachers need to learn about the tools, experience and play with the tools and then see how to use them in the classroom setting. This can be done using modeling by the Technology Integrator or even by another teacher, preferably by a teacher from the same grade level. This really helps the teacher see how the new technology can be applied in a way that is appropriate for their grade level. I also feel it’s important to collaborate with the teacher or the grade level/subject matter teachers while they are planning their units and lessons. This allows the teachers to fully integrate the use of technology and view it as an important aspect of the unit being taught, not just an add on technique. This collaboration along with exposure to the different tools allows the Technology Integrator to differentiate their teaching to meet the varying needs of the individual teachers.