Course Reflection 713Z

Through this course, I have grown as a connected educator, largely through the development on one cohesive unit. That was the most valuable thing in this course, for me. Getting feedback from other teachers, improving upon lessons, and getting outside my comfort zone have all helped me understand the complete process of writing and carrying out e-learning units. I appreciated how the learning in this course all revolved around one cohesive unit. For me, learning about the bits and pieces of teaching with technology is helpful, but being able to put it all together has been the most useful for me. I have a finished product that I'll for sure be able to use with my students this year.

The article that stuck with me the most was the one entitled: Assessing Online Learning, from Online Classroom in Module 3.  I love how one of the authors (Patti Shank) talks about how you should not expect a bell curve with this kind of teaching. If your course is set up right, your students are prepared for the expectations, and far more students will achieve mastery. I think this is the right model for teaching, especially online teaching. I also really liked the section by Rob Kelly on having students self-assess. I've always done this, to a small degree, but I think I can incorporate more of it with online learning.

Our online discussions were also helpful, even when teachers didn't have usable suggestions, as when I was having trouble with Google Docs vs. MS Word. Sometimes it helps to know that others have struggled with the same thing, and to see the things they've tried. I got some solid feedback on my assessment, and some ideas about working with students who have different learning styles than my own.

Overall, I learned more during this course than I had thought possible. This was my first entirely online course. Typically, I tend to learn more in a face to face class where I can have discussions with classmates about what we're doing. However, the online format ended up going better for me than I had thought it would. I learned a lot and have lessons ready to implement right away.

Open Educational Resource--713Z Artifact #2

This artifact is an analysis of the open educational resource DKFindout.com, which I will use with my unit on Explorers. I analyzed the section on Vikings, because that's one of the first parts I will use with my students. Here's a screenshot of the page.

I chose this artifact because the resource is high quality and my analysis is strong. I work with ELL students, so my 5th graders will be able to access the page and read it well, for the most part. For those newcomers who aren't proficient at reading in English, the addition of Google Read and Write will increase accessibility for them.

One challenge I had with this assignment is that all the explorers we're studying aren't represented yet. This site is a work in progress. But the quality is high enough and the engagement potential strong enough that I would use this site with my students regularly, despite it being incomplete. One of their favorite parts is the quizzes included with every topic. They also like the clickable pictures with more information on each topic.

P.S. Please use this link to see my artifacts from previous courses.


Here's the actual Open Educational Resource Analysis:

For this assignment, I picked the DK Findout pages about the Vikings and the Viking Explorers. (This is near the beginning of my explorer unit, after Zheng He and Marco Polo and before Henry the Navigator.) I’ll probably concentrate on the pages about Viking longships, Leif Erikson, Erik the Red, and the longships. Here is the link to this open educational resource: https://www.dkfindout.com/us/history/vikings/

I chose this resource because of the high-quality images available. I also know that the information from DK is accurate and well-researched. I was amazed to find out that DK has an online version (of the famous DK Eyewitness books) with interactives, online quizzes, and many things to click around and find. Another reason I chose this resource is because it is kid-friendly. To be honest, some of the information about the Vikings is rather unsavory, with lots of murder and pillaging. (Seriously, Erik, his father, and his son were all banished from their homes for the same crime—manslaughter.) In class, I will go into some of that, but before they get lost in the violent parts of Viking history, I want them to have solid background information. Parents wouldn’t complain about this website, and the kids will still find it fascinating.

Why is it appropriate for your students?

The reading level of these pages is within range for my 5th grade ELL students, and they can use Google Read and Write if they are newcomers or have lower reading levels. Unlike some of the other webpages on the Vikings, this one is written at a good level for intermediate students without being simplistic or boring. The graphics are excellent and help the kids visualize the history.

How does it align with your outcomes?  

One of my outcomes is for students to be able to write about and orally explain why and how explorers traveled to other places. This site provides some of the answers, though students will have to read carefully and explore the pictures and their captions to get the most out of this site. Some but not all of the other explorers we’re studying are on this site, but I thought the information on the Vikings was particularly good.

With what other resources do you see it being paired with?  Why?  

My students will pair this resource with our Discovery Education videos (my school has a subscription and the students can get to the videos independently) and various NEWSela stories that are on topic and leveled precisely to the reading levels of my 5th graders. I chose these two resources because they are extremely high-quality, accurate, and age-appropriate. Instead of me teaching them about the explorers, and more specifically the Vikings, I want them to be able to discover and discuss. It’s only then that a true understanding of history comes about. The videos on Discovery Education are high quality and will spark their interest, and then they can use NEWSela and DK Findout to learn more and report back on the new things they’ve learned.

Will it be used as an opener? Tutorial? Motivational piece?  Refresher?  Other?  

Initially, I’ll use a short video on the Vikings from the Discovery Education website to spark their interest (as an opener). They always want to know more, so letting them explore the DK Findout pages on the Viking Explorers will suck them in and get them reading and thinking about these explorers and their motivations. The page on the longship in particular is detailed enough that the students will get a better idea of the challenges of traveling long distance in these ships. When paired with sentence frames, word banks, and peer support, my students will be able to meet the goal of orally explaining why and how these explorers traveled.

Explorers Unit Road Map--713Z Artifact #1

This artifact is the road map for my 5th grade Social Studies Unit on Explorers. These pages are designed for students to use to guide them through this unit. For the last three years, I've taught 5th Grade Social Studies to groups of ELL students. Keeping them engaged during these units can be a challenge, and I think that the technology I've added in will increase their interest level. As I'm teaching, I always have to keep in mind the ELL WIDA standards as well as the Social Studies curriculum I'm teaching.

I included this artifact because I'm rather pleased with the way it turned out, visually. I think it will appeal to the students and serve as instructions throughout the unit. The rubric is specific and makes it easy for me to grade and easy for students to use as they look at their own work. I like the way the students have to justify their choice of explorer with reasons. Commenting on the posts of other students will allow for interaction, and hopefully some respectful debates will occur. Google Classroom has some limits, but the students do enjoy using it. The directions on how to use Google Classroom should give a review in case students aren't sure of how to get on, make posts, and comment.

One major challenge I had with this project was that Google Classroom won't let me add a "dummy account" so that I can see what my students see. My original intention was to do a screencastify to show how to use Google Classroom, but I couldn't get around my district's safety requirements. I ended up doing screenshots to show the relevant parts, and writing out directions instead. If I had do this project again, I think I'd add in more video links onto my Google Classroom site, so that students had more resources. I will have to do that this year before I teach the unit this November.

P.S. Please use this link to see my artifacts from previous courses.