Week 10 Reflection

With a sad heart I end my last week in this amazing course, yet without thinking of ending everything. Still, we will meet, discuss and chat, never say goodbye everybody. We will be friends forever, hopefully. Even this week while we end everything, I learn and learn. The Task: How are you integrating technology into your teaching? LoTI (Levels of Technology Integration): Digital Age Framework offers a way to evaluate how technology is being integrated into the classroom. This is learned about from this link:
(http://www.loticonnection.com/index.php/more/frameworks/20-loti-framework)

The idea of the survey appealed to me so much not only to evaluate my work in the classroom and how far I use technology, but from another perspective it added to me a lot of ideas that I can use in the future in my classroom. Actually, every question added something to me. The idea of how often I use digital tools and resources during the instructional day. Here you get to know some more digital tools that you might not be using. Participating in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology toward improving student learning. This might inspire me to think more about this participation.

I offer students learning activities that emphasize the use of digital tools and resources to solve "real-world" problems or issues. The idea if my students propose innovative ways to use our school's advanced digital tools (e.g., digital media authoring tools, graphics programs, probeware with GPS systems) and resources (e.g., publishing software, media production software, advanced web design software) to address challenges/issues affecting their local and global communities. Why don’t I use this and encourage them to do it. If I employ learner-centered strategies (e.g., communities of inquiry, learning stations/centers) to address the diverse needs of all students using developmentally-appropriate digital tools and resources. This inspired me to do it in my class. The idea if I model and facilitate the effective use of current and emerging digital tools and resources (e.g., streaming media, wikis, podcasting) to support teaching and learning in my classroom is also important as a reminder to make sure if  I do or not. If I use different digital media and formats (e.g, blogs, online newsletters, online lesson plans, podcasting, digital documents) to communicate information effectively to students, parents, and peers. Students in my classroom use the digital tools and resources to create web-based (e.g., web posters, student blogs or wikis, basic webpages) or multimedia presentations (e.g., PowerPoint) that showcase digitally their research (i.e., information gathering) on topics that I assign.Here are the rest of the questions that might inspire all of us to work and work for the good of our students all:

My students use the classroom digital tools and resources to engage in relevant, challenging, and self-directed learning experiences that address the content standards.

My students identify important real world issues or problems (e.g., environmental pollution, elections, health awareness), then use collaborative tools and human resources beyond the school building (e.g., partnerships with business professionals, community groups) to solve them.

I promote, monitor, and model the ethical use of digital information and technology in my classroom (e.g., appropriate citing of resources, respecting copyright permissions).

My students participate in collaborative projects (e.g., Jason Project, GlobalSchoolNet) involving face-to-face and/or virtual environments with students of other cultures that address current problems, issues, and/or themes.

I consider how my students will apply what they have learned in class to the world they live when planning instruction and assessment strategies.

My students collaborate with me in setting both group and individual academic goals that provide opportunities for them to direct their own learning aligned to the content standards.

My students and I use the digital tools and resources (e.g., interactive whiteboard, digital student response system, online tutorials) primarily to supplement the curriculum and reinforce specific content standards.

I prefer using standards-based instructional units and related student learning experiences recommended by colleagues that emphasize innovative thinking, student use of digital tools and resources, and student relevancy to the real world.

Our classroom's digital tools and resources are used exclusively for classroom management and professional communication (e.g., accessing the Internet, communicating with colleagues or parents, grading student work, and/or planning instructional activities).

The digital tools and resources in my classroom are used by me during the instructional day and not by my students.

I advocate for the use of different assistive technologies on my campus that are available to meet the diverse demands of special needs students.

I promote global awareness in my classroom by providing students with digital opportunities to collaborate with others of various cultures.

I engage students in learning activities that require them to analyze information, think creatively, make predictions, and/or draw conclusions using the digital tools (e.g., interactive whiteboard, digital student response system) and resources (e.g., Inspiration/Kidspiration, Excel, InspireData) available in my classroom.

My students model the "correct and careful" (e.g., ethical usage, proper digital etiquette, protecting their personal information) use of digital resources and are aware of the consequences regarding their misuse.

I use the digital tools and resources in my classroom to promote student creativity and innovative thinking (e.g., thinking outside the box, exploring multiple solutions).

I model for my students the safe and legal use of digital tools and resources while I am delivering content and/or reinforcing their understanding of pertinent concepts using multimedia resources (e.g., PowerPoint, Keynote), web-based tools (e.g., Google Presentations), or an interactive whiteboard.

I seek outside help with designing student-centered performance assessments using the available digital tools and resources that involve students transferring what they have learned to a real world context.

I rely heavily on my students' questions and previous experiences when designing learning activities that address the content that I teach.

I assign web-based projects (e.g., web collaborations, WebQuests) to my students that emphasize complex thinking strategies (e.g., problem-solving, decision-making, experimental inquiry) aligned to the content standards.

I design and/or implement web-based projects (e.g., WebQuests, web collaborations) in my classroom that emphasize the higher levels of student cognition (e.g., analyzing, evaluating, creating).

I promote the effective use of digital tools and resources on my campus and within my professional community and actively develop the technology skills of others.

My students use all forms of the most advanced digital tools (e.g., digital media authoring tools, graphics programs, probeware with GPS systems, handheld devices) and resources (e.g., publishing software, media production software, advanced web design software) to pursue collaborative problem-solving opportunities surrounding issues of personal and/or social importance.

Problem-based learning occurs in my classroom because it allows students to use the classroom digital tools and resources for higher-order thinking (e.g., analyzing, evaluating, creating) and personal inquiry.

My students use digital tools and resources for research purposes (e.g., data collection, online questionnaires, Internet research) that require them to investigate an issue/problem, take a position, make decisions, and/or seek out a solution.

My students use the digital tools and resources in my classroom primarily to increase their content understanding (e.g., digital flipcharts, simulations) or to improve their basic math and literacy skills (e.g., online tutorials, content-specific software).

I provide multiple and varied formative and summative assessment opportunities that encourage students to "showcase" their content understanding in nontraditional ways.

I use different technology systems unique to my grade level or content area (e.g., online courseware, Moodle, WAN/LAN, interactive online curriculum tools) to support student success and innovation in class.

My students use the available digital tools and resources for (1) collaboration with others, (2) publishing, (3) communication, and (4) research to solve issues and problems of personal interest that address specific content standards.

My students apply their classroom content learning to real-world problems within the local or global community using the digital tools and resources at our disposal.

I hope this learning will not end, as I hope that our work and friendship will not end either.

I wish you all the best in life.

Hesham

Week 9 Reflection

Time passes very quickly. I still remember a few weeks before when I was just preparing myself for my first experience of an online course, then meeting very cooperative and kind instructors who made things so simple from the very beginning even before we start. They have worked as facilitators and guides throughout the whole course. Then meeting after that nice and helpful classmates that I feel as if we meet each other for real. I might feel sad that it comes to an end but I still hope that there will be more online courses with the same people again.
Thank you Jodi & Sherie. Thank you OREGON University. Thank you dear classmates. I have learned a lot from everything and everybody. I hope this friendship will last forever.
Even this week comes with a lot of lessons to learn and a lot of amazing ideas from the nice people here.
The idea of learning styles and  multiple intelligences these links are so useful.

• Tech tools that support multiple intelligences:
  http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic68.htm
  Understanding different learning styles is an important part of effective teaching, with and without technology.
  
  
• While there are a number of different ways of exploring learning styles, this article from Richard Felder explores the impact of different learning styles on classroom performance:
  http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/ILSdir/styles.htm

Also the Additional Resources  about Learning styles

• Learning styles online quiz - learn about your own learning style
  http://www.open2.net/survey/learningstyles/
  
  
• More on learning styles from Richard Felder
  http://www4.ncsu.edu/unity/lockers/users/f/felder/public/Learning_Styles.html
  
  
• Using learning styles to adapt technology for higher education:
  http://www.indstate.edu/cirt/id/pedagogies/styles/learning.html
  
  
• A longer scholarly article that also compares different learning style inventories: Student Learning Styles and Their Implications for Teaching
  http://www.crlt.umich.edu/publinks/CRLT_no10.pdf
  
  
• Sailing the 5 C's with Learning Strategies: http://www.nclrc.org/sailing/
  
• A general article from the New York Times looking at recent research on study habits and learning styles
  http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/views/07mind.html?_r=3&ref=benedict_carey

This is amazing.  Then at last the course evaluation where I cannot find words to describe how grateful I am to my Jodi & Sherie and everyone who gave me the chance to take that course. Thank you everybody.

Let me end by something I usually tell myself when I say goodbye to people dear  to my heart.

Even when you say goodbyes
with tears in the eyes
know that one day
somehow... someway
we will meet again
with tears of joy
in our eyes...!!!
Hesham

Week 8 Reflection

This week was to put words into real action. I have learned about how to create my own stuff for my students and I am planning to teach them to create more online and offline activities so as to have a big data base that might be used at my school and shared among student and teachers all over the world maybe.
The idea of creating a Nicenet class for one of my courses and creating a class blog on Blogger as well as creating a class survey using Google docs and creating a class website or wiki on Google Sites. This is awesome as this way you put what you learned into action.
Making exercises online to print out with :
Tools for educators - word search, bingo, crossword puzzles, and board games: http://www.toolsforeducators.com/
Lanternfish - flash cards, bingo games, matching, multiple choice exercises to print out: http://bogglesworldesl.com/
Easy Test Maker (paper tests):http://www.easytestmaker.com/default.aspx
Make exercises to use online or offline on a computer or to print out
Hot Potatoes - download this program at http://hotpot.uvic.ca/ to use it on your computer.
See some interesting exercises at http://eolf.univ-fcomte.fr/index.php?page=technically-interesting-hot-potatoes-pages
Crossword Puzzle Games - create crosswords to save and use on a computer or print out: http://www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com/create.html
OH MY GOD! That's fantastic! This makes work easier and more interesting.
So many tools and ways to perfect your work as a PROFESSIONAL teacher, I feel like in a maze.

Week 7 Reflection

Hello everybody,

Another wonderful week of learning of this awesome course with friendly instructors and our guest moderator, nice and friendly classmate whom we feel like close friends and amazing materials that fill our minds with the latest knowledge about how to be a professional teacher.

The reading: What is Learner Autonomy and How Can It Be Fostered? By Dimitrios Thanasoulas

defining what “Autonomy”

quote Holec (1981: 3, cited in Benson & Voller, 1997: 1) who describes it as 'the ability to take charge of one's learning'. On a general note, the term autonomy has come to be used in at least five ways (see Benson & Voller, 1997: 2):

for situations in which learners study entirely on their own;

for a set of skills which can be learned and applied in self-directed learning;

for an inborn capacity which is suppressed by institutional education;

for the exercise of learners' responsibility for their own learning;

for the right of learners to determine the direction of their own learning.

And this what happens when you have Autonomous learners:

1.          Autonomous learners have insights into their learning styles and strategies;

2.          take an active approach to the learning task at hand;

3.          are willing to take risks, i.e., to communicate in the target language at all costs;

4.          are good guessers;

5.          attend to form as well as to content, that is, place importance on accuracy as well as appropriacy;

6.          develop the target language into a separate reference system and are willing to revise and reject hypotheses and rules that do not apply; and

7.          have a tolerant and outgoing approach to the target language.

This amazing article gives you even co Conditions for Learner Autonomy as we cannot leave our students without guidance or rules: repetition, when imitating others' speech;

o   resourcing, i.e., having recourse to dictionaries and other materials;

o   translation, that is, using their mother tongue as a basis for understanding and/or producing the target language;

o   note-taking;

o   deduction, i.e., conscious application of L2 rules;

o   contextualization, when embedding a word or phrase in a meaningful sequence;

o   transfer, that is, using knowledge acquired in the L1 to remember and understand facts and sequences in the L2;

o   inferencing, when matching an unfamiliar word against available information (a new word etc);

o   question for clarification, when asking the teacher to explain, etc.

The ideas of learner attitudes and motivation, self-esteem and how learner autonomy can be promoted, self-reports and at last making diaries and evaluation sheets were so much useful.

The second reading about Learner Autonomy: Bird-in-the-hand or Bird-in-the-bush? Samuel Sheu shows  the difficulties in encouraging learner autonomy in Taiwan's highly constrained educational system and I liked the ideas discussed as we all might be faced with the same problems.

The One-computer classroom what an interesting topic ESL Activities for the One Computer Classroom (S.Gaer): Word-Processing Ideas: http://www.susangaer.com/sgaer/onecomputer/wordprocessing.html  and Internet ideas: http://www.susangaer.com/sgaer/onecomputer/internet.html and strategies and applications for the one-computer classroom http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm  are also great to refer to.

This one was also very beneficial “A list of ideas with a US school focus, but most ideas are relevant to any setting.” &7 Categories for Classroom Computer http://www.seirtec.org/present/onecomptr.html

http://legacy.lclark.edu/~krauss/campusvisits/home.html

The part about PowerPoint presentations that are produced by intermediate level students at the Institute for the Study of American Language and Culture (ISALC) at Lewis and Clark College has inspired me with great ideas. You find students taking the Communications Skills class choose a campus office or department in which they are interested, and conduct an interview of personnel in that department. Students take notes and photos during the interview, which they then incorporate into PowerPoint presentations. Students later use their PowerPoint slides as visual aids when they present oral reports of their campus visits to their classmates. This page serves as a resource to introduce new ISALC students to campus services and departments at Lewis & Clark. In addition, students can look at these PowerPoint presentations as samples of the work they will be producing when they complete their Campus Visits project in the Communications Skills class. Here is what you find in this useful website or page.

o   Student PowerPoint Presentations and Campus Locations

o   Teaching Materials for PowerPoint

o   Benefits and Challenges of the Project

o   Campus Safety (30)

o   College Outdoors (36)

o   Counseling Center (36)

o   Health Center (36)

o   Information Technology (26)

o   International Student Services (36)

o   Overseas Programs (26)

o   Writing Center (26)

Return to top.

The part about  Teaching Materials & Introducing Students to PowerPoint gets teachers the Benefits and Challenges of the Project:

Benefits

o   Students become acquainted with campus personnel, department locations, functions, and services.

o   Students call for appointments, arrange and conduct interviews, take digital photos.

o   Students take notes during the interview; prepare concise, logical outlines from the information.

o   Students learn to create presentations in PowerPoint.

o   Students gain experience in oral presentations.

o   Students use a large screen projection system as a visual aid.

o   Students listen to, take notes from and ask questions about classmates' oral reports.

o   Reports are better organized, more interesting, and professional looking with PowerPoint.

o   Students are more motivated to present and to listen with PowerPoint visual aids.

o   Teachers gain expertise in teaching PowerPoint.

o   Campus Visits reports become accessible as a program resource.

Challenges

o   Scheduling conflicts: department staff, computer lab, digital camera

o   Over-reliance on visual aid

o   Technical difficulties during presentation

o   Lost/damaged presentations

I liked so my much the teacher’s idea of getting all her WebPages in one page :

“Where you can find all of Susan's Webpages in one place”

http://www.susangaer.com/

Quick Links

o   Web Projects

o   Archive of Susan's Classes

o   Games

o   Technology Training

o   Low Beginning Webquest

o   Hours of Operation

o   The Project Based Learning Place

o   Internet Enhanced Lessons for ESL

o   The One Computer Classroom

My curiosity led me to explore Internet Ideas where you find:

Group Projects

Google Images

Over the Counter Medicine

Land's End

Supermarket Prices

Quick Individual Projects for the lab

Shopping for a home

Home Remedies

http://www.susangaer.com/sgaer/onecomputer/blueball.gifFood Project (combined with Internet for low literacy learners)

Larger Individual Projects

Student Stories

Student Web pages

This link about strategies abnd applications for the One Computer Classroom http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm is also a great page to refer to with:

Use the Computer as Teacher Tool to have great ideas of great help to all of us such as:

o   Keep records, manipulate information, produce individual letters to parents.

o   Produce a class newsletter.

o   Create customized follow-up work for lessons.

o   Make personalized certificates of achievement.

o   Create customized graphic organizers and direction sheets.

o   Create charts, student lists and name tags.

o   Communicate with other professionals and subject experts via email.

Tips:

Use Stationery and Template files in the Global Shared File

Use spreadsheets for class lists and charts

Use database for student information

  Then Use the Computer as Multi-Media Chalk Board or Flip Chart:

(whole class on TV monitor or overhead or small group on the computer monitor)

Also:

 Have Students use the Computer as a Tool for Individual Input as Part of a Larger Group or Class Project, Use the Computer as Learning Center or Station, Use the Computer as Cooperative Learning Tool, (Use for writing, organizing, synthesizing, brainstorming, comparing, contrasting, etc.), Have Students Use the Computer to do Individual Work for Practice or Assessment and use automatic features such as bibliography in Student Writing Center or the Outline feature in ClarisWorks. (Great Ideas)

The Interactive Projects might be useful to teachers and students to get ideas and see model work. http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/int.htm

Also: Strategies and applications for the one-computer classroom http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/strat.htm A list of ideas with a US school focus, but most ideas are relevant to any setting is very useful to read.

Another amazing pages are

Interactive Game for web

http://www.globalschoolnet.org/GSH/project/gg/?CFID=42519726&CFTOKEN=20695856

But I Don't Have a Computer Lab!

Using One Computer in the Classroom

http://www.seirtec.org/present/onecomptr.html

Create a Basic Grade Book using a Spreadsheet

http://www.seirtec.org/present/gradebook.html

This part about the 7 Categories of Classroom Computer Use is AWESOME!!!

1. Administrative Tool

o   Word processor- letters, class notes, quizzes, word searches

o   Test generator

o   Database for mail merges

o   Attendance and grade book

o   Communications- e-mail other teachers, join educational listservs

o   Research tool- educational CDs, Internet

2. Presentation tool (see Display options at bottom of this page)

For teachers:

o   display notes, quizzes, video clips, etc.

o   science/math class to create graphs, charts

o   demonstrate computer basic skills/training

o   review information/drill facts

For students:

o   use with oral reports

o   show multimedia projects

3. Communication station

o   E-mail other students/classrooms (i.e. “keypals”), other teachers, subject experts

o   http://www.askanexpert.com

o   Quick Cam to take pictures of students or communicate face to face

4. Information station

o   Use CD-ROM encyclopedia for research, pictures, video and sound clips, etc.

o   Use Internet to access libraries, projects, databases, addresses, etc.

5. Publishing tool

o   Monthly class magazine, newsletter, anthologies

o   Classroom journal

o   Ongoing story center

o   Brochure for project

o   Web publishing

6. Learning center

o   Specific content software to reinforce or remediate skills (drill and practice)

o   Use templates for student projects

7. Simulation center

o   Use specialized software to create simulations (i.e. Tom Snyder’s software)

o   form teams of students

o   students complete worksheet as they work through the program

o   students make predictions

The Issues in the One Computer Classroom

Issue #1-  Hardware

Issue #2- Software

Issue #3- Internet

Issue #4 Management

In the Additional Resources I found this page that is worth reading and applying:

25 Ways to Integrate the Internet for all ages of learners:

http://www.uen.org/utahlink/tours/tourFames.cgi?tour_id=13326

The task: Create a sample lesson for a one-computer classroom was also a sort of refreshment to mind to read what other classmates do in their classes.

Also choosing a partner is a great idea to share our work and self correct it before being published and to give out feedback to each other.

Also Discussions about learner autonomy (Thanasoulas, Sheu, Interconnections). Effective self-directed learning starts with learner autonomy and  using one computer in their classes also inspired me a lot after and before I wrote my comment in the Nicenet. I end my reflection here with my quote: “I cannot imagine my life without my laptop or my coffee :).” I wish you all good luck and the best in life.

 (Picture googled)