EEND 679 Assessing & Improving Student Achievement with Technology Reflection

I'm so pleased with the knowledge and skills I've gained from this course. The articles really advanced my understanding of the capabilities of ed tech to help me accomplish what I want for my students. The assignments pushed me to learn new tools and better ways to communicate with and engage my students.

The first of these assignments to really challenge me was the infographic comparing two formative assessment tools. I chose two that I wanted to learn more about, and in creating the graphic I figured out which tool is best in what I want to achieve. Flipgrid and Quizziz turned out to be very different and I had no idea flipgrid had so many features. Tool Picker Infographic


Another assignment that was so useful, challenging, and exciting for me was the Digital Badge Pathway. I created a path to four different badges within my ceramics unit and created the badges using Google Drawing. I am sold on advancing my students by assessing their individual needs and giving them opportunities for mastery with the reward of a badge. I had not used Google Drawings at this capacity before. I like the way the badges turned out and how easy it was to create a template and then change them up. I will be teaching my students how to use Google Classroom as well. Ceramics Pathway to Digital Badges

The Phoenix

So many thoughts are going through my mind as I navigate through this Corona Viris storm. I see so much good coming out of it:  People using technology to connect and network with helpful words and resources. Teachers using technology to continue teaching their students at home. Our digital landscape is changing just as the Chicago landscape changed after the Great Fire of 1871 when the city was laid bare. Chicago came back stronger, we discovered it's weaknesses and made it better and more beautiful than it was before.

In the same way, the digital landscape is evolving. All of us are now forced to create digital learning opportunities for our students who are eLearning at home. We will be better educators for it. They will be better as well, becoming more independent learners.

I have to say that, as a digital pioneer, the overload of ed tech platforms, tools, and changing pedagogies have my head swimming. My mind finds more ideas appealing than I'm able to address. I feel like I did as a new teacher when I learned more than I was able to apply in the classroom. I need to settle down, prioritize, stay within the boundaries of this coursework. In this way I can continue transforming my teaching for my students.

Foundations of Ed Tech Course Reflection

This class was incredibly beneficial in getting me up-to-speed to teach today’s learners using current technology. As an art teacher, I teach project-based learning. We do a lot of hands-on art making but there is a lot of formative learning to be done before the summative project begins. The tools that I have discovered while taking this course will make the learning more engaging, more efficient to assess and offer feedback, and will make it easier for me to differentiate instruction.

At the start of this course I was a bit overwhelmed by all of the ed tech options. So I did a lot of researching! I’ve learned what platforms and apps will work best for me, with my curriculum and with my students. I plan to use GSuite, Go Guardian, Kahoot, Near pod, and Tool Kit for starters ;) I will continue using Artsonia to publish student work but I will add in activities to publish artist statements and to critique and comment on the artwork of others in our school and abroad.

Before taking this course my professional network was limited to my circle of colleagues and two facebook groups for middle school art teachers and ceramics teachers. But now I’ve increased my PLN by reigniting my twitter account! I found so many quality organizations and educators to follow. I’ve gleaned some amazing ideas and inspiration from art teachers. This has been a great help for my choice-based focus because I’ve found ideas for updating my independent projects to include tech-based projects.

I have so many take-aways I can't believe it. I registered for EEND 676 too ;)

Artifact #2 Activity

For my students to thoroughly engage in 21st Century learning, they need to address all of the ISTE learning standards. Below is a sampling of 7 activities in which they will usetechnology and apply 'the 4 Cs': critical thinking, communication, creativity, and collaboration. I will also include CHOICE by providing multiple sources/resources ;) I am excited about the changes that I am making in my teaching methods. For years my students have had a lot of fun making meaningful art and have worked very hard. My students have a high level of engagement, BUT I have wanted to foster higher levels of thinking and performing. Following the ISTE standards, combined with the IL visual art standards has given me the structure to do this. 

ISTE Standards Activity

Artifact #1 Poster

I created a poster for my classroom that explains the guidelines for digital citizenship in the art room.  Students haven't published any artist statements or critiques before this. I'm glad I waited until I took this course because now I can facilitate these activities properly. From what I learned about Digital Citizenship in our discussion and course resources, I am able to teach my students the why and how of being a good digital citizen. I will have discussions with them to access their prior knowledge and lay a foundation to take them to the next level. I will create a lesson using Near pod to concretize what these behaviors and why they are so important. Here is the poster, the expectations pertain to the activities we will be doing and chromebook use in general. 

Digital Citizenship Poster

What I'm About...

I'm a pioneer on the digital landscape... became computer literate in 1999 when I traded my word processor for an iMac! I created amazing posters, cd covers and promotional material for my husband. I loved doing all that.

When the time came for me to go back to school I left my iMac and desktop publishing behind. I bought a Dell PC so I could be Microsoft compatible with the rest of the world of academia.

My tech pursuits now involve educational technology so I can provide for the tech-savvy digital natives in my classroom. I just wish the devices weren't so sluggish!

I'm adapting to the new and improved digital landscape and hoping grow immensely! I love to be creative and to see what other people come up with, it's inspiring. The REAL courses at USF have been very beneficial in equipping me with the knowledge, practice, and skills I need to be successful. It's great to be in a cohort with like-minded professionals. "We've got this!"

Here's to the 19-20 school year!