Educational Technology

I have found through my technological research that the two sources of technology that would benefit my teaching and my student's learning are the following:

• WebQuests
• Wikis

WebQuests are such a wonderful way to incorporate what students are learning into an interactive online presentation.  I feel students can participate in a WebQuest in an curricular area, however, the WebQuests that are most beneficial to my teaching are in science.  I love the user-friendly format for kids to navigate and participate in these WebQuests.  They are able to learn new information throughout the process, and the objectives are laid out in a clear format in order to make sure students are applying what they have learned.  I am looking forward to using many more WebQuests throughout this year.  My fifth graders loved the format and were so motivated to create the final assignment in the WebQuest I created for the Solar System unit in science. 

When I think about my fifth graders moving on to middle school, I think about how efficient Wiki pages would be for our end of the year field trip and organizing information that way.  Or the Wiki page I created, for example, demonstrates how you can use a Wiki to help prepare kids for middle school from supply lists to organizational methods to behavior recommendations.  It would be a great idea for an elementary school teacher to use a Wiki to share with parents and have them be able to add and include their own ideas and communicate to parents and students using this type of communication. 

StAIR Creation

The following is the StAIR I created to enhance a Reading Workhshop lesson for my fifth graders.  I feel a format like this is motivating for students to learn new information and interact with the nonfiction reading curriculum.

StAIR Creation

Central Grade Elementary

I found my school's page on Wikipedia right away after I did a search for "Central Grade Elementary."  I only made one change to the page and that was to add our mission statement for our school.
The following is what the page looks like:

Central Grade School is a historic school in Old Towne Traverse City. The school has held many students in its halls for decades. The school covers one city block. However, only the first two floors are utilized today. In 1922, the Lars Hockstad Auditorium was added to the original building. The Auditorium is still used today for many school and community programs. Central Grade School currently enrolls around 600 students. This includes K-5 general education, 4th & 5th grade talented and gifted, young 5's, ECP, and preschool.
Central Grade's Mission Statement The mission of historic Central Grade School, a center for diversified cultural and educational opportunities, is to enable students and families to achieve their fullest potential by promoting lifelong learning, cultivating talents as valued community members, and developing skills to face the challenges of our changing environment.


I also created my own Wiki at the following site:
Wiki Page

UDL Reflection

Universal Design for Learning Checklist

As I reflect on Universal Design for Learning and my lesson, it is encouraging to me to see how I strive for equal opportunity among all of my learners.  It is also interesting to see where there may be barriers in my lesson for one reason or another.  I found that the most barriers in this particular lesson were in the areas of "Providing Multiple Means of Action and Expression."  I will modify my lesson so that I can provide multiple means of action and expression for my students.  It is imperative that as teachers plan their lessons/objectives, we take into account all aspects of student learning: the child's background knowledge, educational opportunities, different skill levels (whether one is gifted or if the student has special needs), and of course HOW the child learns best. 

The link below is the UDL checklist for my lesson on Identifying Nonfiction Text Structures:

UDL checklist and reflection