CEP 811 - Adapting Innovative Technologies to Education
In CEP 811, the main focus of the class was the adaptation of technology within education, in other words, re-purposing what is already in place for an educational use. Within this class, we created a WebQuest, a StAIR, or Stand-Alone Instructional Resource, and a professional webpage.
The instructor was Michael Partridge and the course was taken in the Spring of 2010. It was a hybrid course taken both at Saline Community Schools and online.
The instructor was Michael Partridge and the course was taken in the Spring of 2010. It was a hybrid course taken both at Saline Community Schools and online.
La gente en la escuela WebQuest
A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. I created an example of a WebQuest that I use with students in groups to learn about people in school and what they do, such as a custodian who cleans the windows. The final goal of the WebQuest is for each group to create one page of a book about different people and activities within the school.
The WebQuest allows the students to work independently together to complete a final project. It gives the students very specific directions and asks for a clear outcome. Using this method, students feel empowered and excited to utilize the internet to learn on their own within their group. If we would use a traditional setting for this assignment, students may learn, but they would not feel ownership of their learning nor would they feel as engaged or excited about their project or learning. The WebQuest significantly enhances a rather mundane subject in the Spanish language.
Los colores StAIR
A Stand-Alone Instructional Resource is utilized when students need more assistance with a particular subject and can also be used as either a supplemental resource or a way to teach a particular subject (any that is selected and created!) It puts the learning in the students' hands by allowing them to go through the lesson online/on the computer at their own pace. If, at any point a student doesn't understand, they can go back and re-teach themselves. It is GREAT for students who require supplemental resources in addition to the regular class day. By creating a StAIR, students are able learn on their own time and at their own pace. Many times students feel ashamed that they don't understand (even though they should not). In this case, students have an outlet to re-learn/re-teach themselves before they need to ask for help. If they are successful, no one ever has to know that they didn't understand in the first place. As you can see, there is an important need for a StAIR within the classroom.
When new students enter school, they often do not come with any prior learning in the Spanish language. This StAIR is a way for the students to learn the colors in Spanish, test their knowledge individually, and report back to me, all independently within the classroom context. The student will use a computer in the room to follow along with this StAIR and teach themselves the colors and how to pronounce them. That way, since the student has come in the middle of the semester, there isn't a need for an extra lesson or to take class time away from the other students. The slideshow includes different videos and sound when viewed which allow the students to see each color and hear the pronunciation (of which is unavailabe in the version below).
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Professional Website
My professional website is designed to allow its' visitors, whether it be students, peers, educators or those who have a curiosity for learning in general, to come and view resources for educational teaching techniques in subjects including Spanish, ESL, classroom management, and many other ideas. There are links for relevant information regarding current news and events in Latin America, Education in the US, and technological advances that can be re-purposed for classroom use, as well.
I used a website that was created using Weebly because of it's ease of use. I think it's important to note that this website allows me to keep my professional life up-to-date with everything that I've been working on. It also gives me the option to showcase all that I've learned and used that has worked for me in my classroom, and has given me the opportunity to show future employers that I am a capable employee. Through the use of the website, I can empower students to showcase their work and give them an outlet to show their competency in the Spanish language.
I used a website that was created using Weebly because of it's ease of use. I think it's important to note that this website allows me to keep my professional life up-to-date with everything that I've been working on. It also gives me the option to showcase all that I've learned and used that has worked for me in my classroom, and has given me the opportunity to show future employers that I am a capable employee. Through the use of the website, I can empower students to showcase their work and give them an outlet to show their competency in the Spanish language.
