Learning Team experience Reflection

I had the privilege of working with someone at the same site as me.  Mary Keller was great to work with because she is our onsite math coach.

Which 21st Century Learning dimensions and competencies did your learning team use as you worked on this task?

• Collaboration:  Mary and I work together to create all four lessons for our project.  Although they were not for the same unit, we would not have been able to implement or create the lessons with out the other.  We discussed with Edpuzzle videos to watch to better help us plan for our project.
• Knowledge Construction:  We have both taken classes on the 21st Century Learning Competencies, but this class built our knowledge the the most. We both had to watch the Edpuzzle videos required for the course, along with our choice Edpuzzles.
• Use of Technology for Learning:  We used a Google slide show as our multi-media "something"
• Self-Regulation:  Even though we were given due dates along the way, we were responsible for making sure all of the requirements of this course were completed.  I failed at regulating myself as well as I should have, but that is my own fault.
• Skilled Communication:  We had to communicate through email, texting, and in person to complete the work required.  We will be using the Slide show to demonstrate our use of the 21st Century Learning competencies at the Expo on 2/8.  

Do you see any applications for this in your instruction?
I have already used google classroom, edpuzzle, nearpod, quizzizz, etc. with in my classroom.  The students have enjoyed the use of technology to build their knowledge, now I need to make sure the lessons are interdependent and inter disciplinarian.  I liked the use of the self-monitoring tool.  If I do any projects, I think I will use something like this to help students monitor their work and pacing.

Lesson Plans for Winona Wilson and Mary Keller

Mary Keller and I worked on the following lessons.  There is a wide range of 21st Century Competencies and NVACS being addressed.

1. Here is a lesson using Google Drawing as a tool for a concept sort for functions where tudents are focusing on vocabulary and representations of linear and nonlinear functions in a Math 8 class.
2. Here is a lesson using Quizzizz as a pre-assessment for squares, square roots, cubes, and cube roots in an Algebra I class.
3. Here is a lesson using Padlet as a platform for collaboration and skilled communication in an Algebra I class.
4. Here is a lesson using NearPod as a tool to extend and assess students knowledge of squares and square roots in an Algebra I class.

Artifact III: Quizzizz

I used Quizzizz as part of my learning teams lesson/ project; it was a pre-assessment on exponents.  Creating the Quizzizz was easy.  It has math tools to create equations, exponents, radicals, etc.  When trying to implement the use of electronic tools, I am always hyper aware of the "math tools" because I need to make sure the notation is clear to the students.  The students enjoyed using it because they could see their progress as they were going and they could compare it to their class mates.  As a teacher, this was great because the students didn't view it as "another quiz", but as a tool the teacher was going to use to help guide instruction.  I also liked it because it did the grading and compiling of data for me.  The data was color coded so it was easy to see who passed and did not.  It also told me which students did not attempt the question.  Overall, I think using Quizzizz was a success and I would like to use it with my students where they have to create one with a partner or group.

Artifact II: Google Drawing in Google Classroom

I LOVE GOOGLE DRAWING (G.Drawing).  A colleague and I used Google classroom to assign a concept sort on functions.  We wanted to avoid using paper and scissors and glue because to takes so much extra time to prep and then time is lost on cutting and pasting.  With Google Drawing, we had to create the electronic copy of the sort and then assign it to the students.  The students did AMAZING when it came to troubleshooting technology issues.  They worked together to discuss the vocabulary words.  Students who couldn't remember the definitions went to Google and looked up the definition.  There were very little issues with using the technology.  As I was creating the lesson, I asked myself: can they use this on their phones?  The answer was no.  The phones opened the G.Drawing as a PDF and they would not have been able to move the images around.  Students who did not have a Surface device were forced to work with a partner.  They loved the sort because they could work at their own pace, they were constructing something based off of what they knew, while also looking for information they did not know.  Attached are some pictures of student work and the template we used.  We stacked the images on top of each other to keep the sort organized, but the kids did not care for it.  They all moved the answers to the side of the concept map and then put their items where they belonged.

My Journey Continues

A. As you reflect upon the past 9 weeks, what about yourself were you most aware of as a learner?

Over the course of this class, I have come to realize, I am a bigger procrastinator than I realized. I enjoyed watching the Edpuzzle videos and learning about the 21 Century Learning Competencies. I have lost my organizational skills when it comes to deadlines and completing the work on time.
B. What insights about student learning have you gained as a result of implementing the 21st Century Learning Competencies?
I have learned that my students are SO ADAPT at using technology. They love it and they love to help each other with it. I hope that I continue to use technology for the construction of knowledge, not just to have it and say I am using it. The students enjoyed using Edpuzzle and Nearpod because they could re-watch the videos and work at their own pace. Even though all the students were working on the same videos, with the same questions, they were more engaged with the lesson than at other times.
C. As you think about your future instruction, how might the 21st Century Learning Competencies be used as a guide to your teaching practices?
I did not get to the top level of each competency during the course of this class, but I hope that as the school year continues, I continue to implement the use of technology so students can to construct knowledge and collaborate on interdisciplinary projects. I think the 21st Century Learning Competencies will be a reminder of the high standards I should be holding my students to. If I plan a lesson to reach the top level of the competency, they will rise to expectation and do the work. I do not think I will be trying to hit all the competencies in one lesson as that just isn't realistic right now, but I will try to hit two in one lesson. Some lessons will be better suited

Real-World Problem Solving and Innovation

What did you learn?  What changes might you implement based on your new knowledge?

After watching the Edpuzzle about Real-World Problem Solving and Innovation dimension, I realized I am on the first floor of the elevator: students are problem solving, but not much more.  To move up the elevator, I need to have students work on problems that have meaning to them and are substantial.  I also need the students to create a product or method that is new to them.  I would like to push students to create a business model with projected growth and use linear equations to represent the profit of selling a specific item or something like this.  When I ask several students if they would be interested in this, they tell no, because they won't own their own business when they're older and if they do, they will have someone else do the math for them.  Before I can do a large project like this,  I feel like I need to build up their confidence in math first.  To build their confidence, I think I should do smaller projects that would take a day and then have the students reflect on their math abilities.