Knowing that I have one week left of graduate school has brought up a lot of emotions. Emotions of excitement, and also of anticipation!
Ending this program has put me in a state of reflecting...not just from the beginning of this program, but looking at my education path. One of the great components of my program was my Capstone course. Creating and building my portfolio opened the pages to look back at my undergraduate experiences, field experiences, and looking at what my future holds. As I sit in my classroom (pictured above), and look around, I see a home. A home that I have built over the last three years. As I enter my fourth year of teaching I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the growth I have obtained throughout the years. This program has taught me a lot about what I am capable of within these four walls, and more importantly out of them. Throughout my time in the Master of Arts in Educational Technology (MAET) program I have been challenged in many forms, and have evolved in the best ways within my craft. It has been exciting to enter a year where I know my professional growth has taken a new level. I know that this isn't the end. I see my classroom as new experiences, and that a career in education as a window of endless possibilities!
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As a teacher going into her fourth year of teaching, it has been a great opportunity to dive into the texts and stories that are represented in my classroom.
Last year brought the spark to expand my curiosity and love of books. Books are such powerful tools, ones that should be utilized to the fullest. One of the many passions that have emerged from teaching 5th grade are the incredible middle grade books! These books introduce, celebrate, and educate readers about the many identities and communities around us. My goal was to find books that showcase the diversity of our world and the many authors and characters within these communities. Below are four books that I featured (and will continue to feature) as class read aloud books. Each story highlights a diverse cast of characters. The incredible conversations I have had with my students with the support and guidance of these books are undeniable! As lifelong learners, we are continuing to grow as humans, and to model that with our students is so important. Click on the pictures below to find a link for each book. Enjoy and happy reading! I will say that this has been the most surprising addition to my master's program. I took a computing course, and to be honest had no idea to what to expect. I have done some coding, but not really anything to brag about. I definitely took interest in simpler task coding such as code blocks that can make a character move.
Little did I know I was going to be thrown into a full-on computing course that required me to learn a new CS application each week! You can probably guess that I was TERRIFIED! I had no idea what I was creating, let alone how to navigate a new platform. It started our fairly frustrating....moved into complicated...and finally landed on fun! I didn't know I could have so much fun just playing and exploring a tool that I didn't have any background or knowledge of. It was amazing to actually step into the shoes of my students and engage in problem solving and hands-on learning. More importantly I experienced very real and productive struggle. That was incredibly eye-opening for the fact that there are not many times we encounter this type of struggle in our adult lives. All in all this course was fantastic, and I would take it again just to see what new creative ways I can work with these technology tools! Above you can see one of my creations, which was compass to physically use in the classroom.
I can see the finish line!
It has been a tough year for all educators around the world. With the school year finishing up for me, I am taking off my teacher hat to switch with my student hat. After a long journey through the Masters of Art in Educational Technology (MAET) program at Michigan State University, I am moving into my LAST SEMESTER OF GRADUATE SCHOOL!! I have three courses left, one including my capstone course (portfolio). I have been thinking about my path towards and through this program, and I am feeling nothing but positivity and excitement. It has been an incredible opportunity to connect with other educators around the world, and celebrate our love of this field. I have made leaps in my knowledge and understanding of technology integration in the classroom. More importantly I have found JOY in the learning I am doing. That is something to feel grateful for. So cheers to finishing a very different/difficult/devastating school year, and cheers to moving forward in a (hopefully) more positive year!
References
The Office. (n.d). Michael Sprays Champagne [GIFY].
In my course I have been exploring the evolution of learning theories, specifically cognitivism.
I created a presentation as a professional development for my colleagues or grade level team. This presentation includes an engaging way to think of cognitivism and how learning theories have moved from just observable behaviors, to other elements. From this presentation, my colleagues would be able to learn about, but also participate in an engaging way! The slides would cover the main ideas: Expertise vs. Novice, Schema Theory, and Stereotype Threat. I will be inviting my colleagues to also explore the resources I have utilized so that there is evidence and more context behind my presentation. The importance of this presentation is not to teach my colleagues theories and that they may not know (most of them already may know), but also relate these ideas inside our elementary school, and classroom. It has been difficult to take these concepts and visualize how they are practiced or witnessed in the classroom, but they are constantly in action. The goal of this presentation will be to create a space where educators can have a dialogue, and we can collectively ask questions and reflect on our learning as a school and within each grade level. I would like to examine how we have witnessed cognitivism within our students and how we can continue to explore new ways to engage our students in learning. I also envision this professional development to provide conversations to analyze our own areas of learning, and how we demonstrate cognitivism as educators. Enjoy!
This week was an exploration of learning through social interactions and tools. Theories started with understanding through observations...observational learning! Albert Bandura demonstrated this theory through the Bobo doll study. Children observed adults being violent towards a blow up clown doll, and in result the children learned the same behaviors. As an educator we see this happen all the time. The saying, “Monkey see, monkey do” is applicable when we analyze student learning through observed behaviors. As educators and adults we understand the importance of modeling in front of children.
However, in observational learning there is not a direct interaction learning process. That is where social and situational cognition evolves. It starts with Vygotsky’s theory of social learning. Cherry (2020) states, “Vygotsky noted that culture profoundly influences this process. Imitation, guided learning, and collaborative learning all play a critical part in his theory.” During this week’s Pinterest activity, a lot of the featured activities seen in support of this theory are guided lessons, learning through play lessons, and social/partner/group work. Social learning aligns with other developed theories such as situated cognition that supports authentic experiences. Putnam and Borko (2000) discuss the idea of situated cognition and the importance of learning stemmed from context, culture, and authentic learning. This idea is definitely prominent in the 21st century classroom. As educators we continue to value the opportunities to integrate standard skills with “real world” applications. For example, as an adult, I honestly admit that I still need to look up measurement conversions! I question why those conversions never “stuck” when I learned them in elementary school. As a fifth grade teacher, understanding situated cognition can help guide my instruction to bridge the skill to when my students use it outside of school. Lastly, there is an overarching knowledge of technology use, and how to use technology for learning. Salomon and Perkins (2005), categorize learning by "effects with, effects of, and effects through" cognitive technologies. This was an incredibly interesting text to analyze since we are constantly utilizing technology in our classroom, but to what effect? After reflecting on the applications I use, I recognize that many are categorized as “effects with” technologies. These give immediate impact and understanding of use, but not necessarily demonstrating mastery of the skill. Overall, these theories have broadened my understanding of learning being a social process. I hope to also consider my technology use in my personal and professional life!
References
CBC. (n.d). Learn Schitts Creek [GIFY]. Cherry, K. (2020, April 16). Biography of psychologist Lev Vygotsky, One of the most influential psychologists. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/lev-vygotsky-biography-2795533 Putnam, R. T., & Borko, H. (2000). What do new views of knowledge and thinking have to say about research on teacher learning? Educational Researcher, 29(1), 4-15. Salomon, G., & Perkins, D. (2005). Do technologies make us smarter? Intellectual amplification with, of and through technology. In R. J. Sternberg & D. D. Preiss (Eds.), Intelligence and technology: The impact of tools on the nature and development of human abilities (pp. 71-86). Erlbaum. fostering students' motivation and engagement in literacyHello fifth grade families 家庭, I look forward to meeting all our fifth graders, as well as getting to know each of our families! This year will look different from others, however we will still be fostering a strong classroom community of creative minds and new learning. This week I am starting the discussion on literacy in the classroom. In order for students to be ready for the heavy cognitive work we will embark on this year, we need to tap into their motivation and engagement. Below I have included a chart that highlights SOME of the elements that I believe support students' motivation and engagement in literacy learning. Beside those elements I have included practices that I incorporate in our classroom to address and enact these elements. In this post I will highlight a few of these elements, and speak to the importance of fostering these elements inside and outside of the classroom. 1. Growth Mindset / mentalité de croissance
Growth mindset is a concept created by Carol Dweck in reference to understanding motivation and learning. This is the belief that literacy success is NOT a fixed trait. In other words, that learners must understand that they are capable of improving in literacy through dedication and persistence. In our classroom we take the first week of school to truly scaffold this concept because students must fully reflect on how they view and interpret learning. We take time to connect this element in their own life inside and outside of school. Lastly, I ask students to create a tool including language/phrases they can use when they need support in enacting their growth mindset. 2. Self-Advocacy & Choice / La autodefensa & elección As fifth grade team, we focus a great amount of time on supporting students to become independent learners. Our goal is to have our students leaving elementary school as confident citizens that are able to advocate for their own learning. We believe in the power for choice for a handful of reasons. As readers, we want our students to be able to identify their own interests, and choose books that are a good fit for them. You will find that our class library does not have letter labels for them to choose from, but neither does a book store! At the beginning of the year we encourage students to evaluate their book interests, and challenge them to explore different genres. You will also notice that there is flexible seating available in the classroom. I create a space where students can choose where they learn best, and expect that they will self-advocate for recognizing areas they know they will be successful. 3. Family Engagement / إشراك الأسرة I strongly believe in open communication and partnerships with families. Literacy learning, motivation, and engagement continue outside of school. I will send a survey during the first week for guardians to complete and share their knowledge with me. This information gives me insight on your child, and allows me to service their needs beyond the classroom. I welcome families to share their stories, and invite you to share any languages or cultural backgrounds that your child brings to our class. As we build our community of learning, I look forward to creating the bridge of home and school. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. I am excited to start this new year of learning together. Thank you for sharing your child with us! Just like a zoo, our classroom is made up of uniqueness. In our classroom we are innovators and makers. We come into room 22 with different abilities, identities, and ideas. We have created a space together where we can foster learning. I have had the pleasure of getting to know my students individually, celebrating the many moments and accomplishments together! Our vulnerability and identity are important in our classroom and we create a safe space to share it. I come from a Chinese heritage. I speak very openly about my family and culture. I have two students who have moved to the United States this school year from other countries, speaking different languages. We celebrate that. We have other students who participate in different holidays. We celebrate that. We have students with a variety of social and emotional needs. We celebrate that. We have diversity in our learning space and you can see that in this collage. These pictures have been taken over the course of two months, and capture a special part of each day. Each picture represents a glimpse into our welcoming, and sometimes wild classroom. I have learned a great deal about technology, redesigning space, and allowing access to all my students. You can see those aspects throughout these pictures. These moments are all different, but align together to become one cohesive celebration of learning. This art piece is near and dear to my heart because it captures the moments that can easily be missed as an educator. This project gives me the opportunity to truly reflect and slow down on the constant zooming of our school days. Welcome to our zoo in room 22! References
Chen, N. (2019). Celebration zoo in room 22 [Video]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/JFIyVxQfZNU |
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