Resources Necessary to Implement My Game Plan

(This post seeks to complete the assignment required for course 6713 – week 3 of Walden University. In order for the reader to appreciate what this game plan refers to, it is helpful to review App 3. see link http://mrcsphysicswiki.wikispaces.com/Extra+Credit )

What resources will you need to carry out your plan (video, reading, experts or colleagues, etc)?

In order to carry out my plan:

1. it is imperative that all students have access to the WEB. In a recent poll, 85% of all students do have access and the remaining students will have access through the use of the library computers during study hall.

2. Since only a portion of each period of my class involves theory, a video projector is required to allow for WEB visual reinforcement.

3. In order to replace traditional homework with home study time, online tutorials which can be accessed via the WEB must be geberated. Each tutorial lesson will track in class work.

4. For this particular lesson, students will be introduced to a WIKI to facilitate student interaction toward a common assignment goal.

5. Close collaboration with parents, encouraging a multi team approach of teacher and parent will be encouraged, via email correspondence and parental access to the tutorials themselves. Parents will understand that the ongoing (perpetual) homework assignment is to access the tutorial as often as required to understand concepts, supplement in class notes and learn how to study.

What steps have you been able to take so far?

1. Thus far, I have begun to generate my online tutorial matrix.

2. I have tested the effectiveness of this new approach and polled parents and students as to their opinions of the effectiveness of the new approach. Initial polling is encouraging.

3. I have generated an on line polling process using SurveyMonkey®, a WEB based survey tool, to encourage parental feedback in order to modify my pedagogical approach as required.

National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) - course 6713

The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers (see URL below) has been designed to enhance and enrich the learning experience of students through an integration of standard teaching best practices augmented by state of the art digital enhancement.

Reflecting upon the standards within NETS and with a desire to implement a new educational modality, I have developed a G-A-M-E plan that I hope to implement this September. It utilizes WEB based tutorials on all key points covered in my physics class. Because these tutorials are directly related to my classes, students find them more relevant the easier to digest. The idea is that class time can be extended painlessly via the WEB and key points can be emphasized as the individual student requires.

Proposition

As a nation, we must improve the quality of education if we are to compete globally.

There are few who would disagree with the stated proposition. How we improve the quality of education requires a satchel of tools that can be called upon as the nature and characteristics of the individual student are determined. One area that could be improved upon is “class time”. If we could extend class time and offer more one-on-one support, the student would certainly benefit. My WEB-Based Tutorials are intended to supplement class-time offering individual help at the student’s own learning pace.

Goal – I have identified one goal within my G-A-M-E plan that I intend to address first. That goal is the flexing of lessons to meet the needs of the individual student. Through self paced, internet based home tutorials, I intend to extend my classroom creating a virtual WEB based classroom that mirror what my physics students have done in class.

Action – By creating self paced tutorials that target the student and the parents, I intend to improve student support through greater parent/guardian involvement in their child’s education. Furthermore, because the tutorials are self paced, the student can revisit the lectures and demos as often as necessary to assure a grasp of the physics theory the lesson targets.

Proposition 2

Traditional homework and the standard physics question and answer sessions may not yield the desired results.

The debate continues regarding the benefit of homework. Traditional homework may not be the answer. If, however, students can extend class time as required to grasp key concepts, notes and understanding should improve. Furthermore, by making the tutorials available to parents, parents can more readily assist their student.

Monitor – I am pleased to report that a test run of the WEB based Home Tutorial program has resulted in overwhelming student and parent feedback. In order to ensure continued student understanding and growth, I will monitor student progress through formative and summative assessments and continue to poll both parents and students via telephone surveys and On-Line Digital Surveys.

Evaluate – As note traditional assessments of student progress will be tracked. I remain excited and encouraged with the progress of my students during the initial trials last semester. I continue to publish my plan with the hopes that other teachers will try my approach and provide feedback.
The NETS Indicators that have been addressed in this exercise were: 1. Models Digital Age Work and Learning and 2. Design and Developes Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.

Please find my Tutorial Matrix attached. It is a work in progress, but indications are that it is working. As I improve the generation and recording techniques, I will revisit my initial efforts and republish.


The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS-T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForAdministrators/2009Standards/NETS-A_2009.pdf

My WEB page intro to parents. http://www.schoolrack.com/JohnChaco/physics-tutorials/

Tutorial Matrix http://mrcsphysicswiki.wikispaces.com/Tutorial+Matrix

Reflections

Master of Science Education - Integrating Tech in the Classroom
The following is a reflection regarding topics covered in the course, Supporting Information Literacy and Online Inquiry in the Classroom (EDUC - 6712I - 4).

Describe the most striking revelation you had about the teaching of new literacy skills to your students as a result of this course.


Let me say at the outset that I teach physics to 17 and 18 year olds in a technical high school. In my class, approximately ¼ of my students are Information Technology (IT) students who are very computer literate. In fact, one element of their curriculum is WEB Page Design. Another quarter of my students are Industrial Design students and they use the P.C. for Computer Aided Design (CAD) and WEB based research and design. They are also very computer literate. I also teach Electronics students and carpentry students as well as auto mechanics.

Given the time restraints associated with my course and the fact that most of my students are computer literate, I did not introduce “New Literary Skills”. In fact, it seems to me that the students most likely to benefit from any new literary skills would be the middle school children.

Describe how the knowledge and experience gained in this course will influence your teaching practices going forward.

Early on in my masters program, I had decided that the best way I could serve my physics students was to develop a way to extend my tech high school’s abbreviated school year (90 days of academics as opposed to 180). At the same time, I had come to the realization that physics homework/home-study was a myth. In a home survey of parents, I discovered that virtually all of my students did little or no physics homework, using the age old excuse “…I just don’t get it”. Furthermore, it was not just my course, which is admittedly tough emphasizing both math and science, but virtually all high school courses received little or no home attention. When I asked parents if they thought “zero homework” was unusual, they said “yes” but they had been assured by their child that it had all been done in study hall or,…“….on the bus”, another myth. When I pressed the question with the parents, they usually agreed that this was probably not the case and their child was just ignoring homework.

Being an old R&D design engineer, I sought a solution based upon integrating technology into my course as much as possible.

Here were the problems as I saw them:

1. Based upon data acquired from a phone poll, parents said they would be willing to help their student but physics was “…over their head”.
2. Students having difficulty were unwilling to raise their hand with questions.
3. Students said that traditional physics word problems were intimidating and they would not even attempt them.
4. If a child missed class, they simply stopped trying to catch up.
5. Given my shortened school year, there was little time for re-teaching.
6. Because we are a regional school, students without transportation could not stay after school for extra help.
7. Inclusion within my classroom mixed high achievers with low achievers. Some were bored and others overwhelmed.
8. The benefit of traditional homework is in debate.

Since one problem involved so little class time, my first solution to eliminating this particular problem was extending the class time by creating the virtual classroom at home. The internet was the obvious choice. By bringing each lesson into the home, parents could listen to each lesson and help their student. Class notes could be reviewed and embellished as necessary and if a concept was tricky, the student could listen to the lesson as many times as necessary at whatever pace they chose until the theory was firmly embedded. If a student understood a particular lesson, they could go on to other lessons, thus eliminating some of the problems associated with higher achievers.

Parents were informed that traditional homework would no longer be given. Instead, each student was to review their notes taken in class, while listening to and viewing my “Home Tutorials”, as they came to be known. The following day I would review the quality of their notes and any questions the tutorials might have uncovered.

Since our school is a Data Driven Decision Making (DDDM) school, I started a telephone poll informing parents of the “Home Tutorials” and asking their opinion. Within weeks it became obvious that this new approach to home study was making a positive difference. In follow up polls since my home tutorial program began, I have actually had parents comment that they now understand concepts that they had missed back in high school. Furthermore, because of the home study initiative and the close parental contact, I have succeeded in clarifying the teacher, parent and student’s roll in education. A side benefit of the home tutorials that should not be underestimated. My students and parents know that I will do whatever it takes to place the tools of learning at their fingertips, but to ensure success, the parent/guardian and the student must also take some responsibility.

Identify at least one professional development goal you would like to pursue that builds upon your learning in this course and develops your own information literacy or technology skills. Describe the steps you will take to accomplish this goal.

Lastly, I am so confident that this new approach to home study works to improve student and parental involvement in the learning process, that I will make the data accumulated from my study available to the Connecticut Board of Education, in the hopes that it will become a district wide initiative. I will consider the ongoing improvement of my tutorials and the proliferation of the concept both my personal and professional goals.

Personal Learning Theories

This course has encouraged the teacher-student to become more aware of the human brain and how information is processed and retrieved. The theories presented are not new and while many teachers already utilize many similar theories and strategies in their class, the course has encouraged a refocusing that benefits both the teacher and student.

Understanding the Brain.

In his Dual Coding Theory (1986), Albert Pavio asserted that linguistic and non-linguistic associations help create the best scenario for recall. How often have we detected an aroma that conjured up a long forgotten memory or heard an old tune on the radio that caused the listener to think fondly of experiences long past. There is no doubt that as we learn more about how our brains process information, we adapt our teaching styles to ensure that establish the multi-sensory networking required for long-term memory retrieval.

As teachers, it is our job to create as many associations as we can, in hopes that our students will establish lasting and multiple recall networks. Based upon my recent studies, I have redoubled my efforts to stimulate as many senses as possible when teaching my physics class. I create human analogs of molecular models when studying solids, liquids and gases. I spin bicycle tires to simulate gyroscopes as student hold the handlebars to sense the effects. I race around the room to visualize the differences between velocity and acceleration. I fling metal spheres out our classroom window when we study projectile motion. Do these extraordinary efforts achieve greater recall? I think that without a doubt they do. Assessment scores seem to be higher and there seems to be a new level of interest. I’ve actually heard kids say my class is fun, which is not often heard in a math intensive physics course.

There have been two primary foci of this course. The first was an understanding of how students process and recall information. The second has been a focus on technology to enhance learning. Based upon my studies, I have endeavored to enhance my course using VoiceThread tutorials. Several have been developed and posted on my WEB page. The initial reaction from my fellow teachers, parents, and students has been outstanding. Encouraged by the reaction and as a long-term goal, I intend to offer math tutorial in support of my physics class as well as a complete library of physics topics which mirror my in class work.

Another use of technology involves our new Platt High School WEB Radio Station. Our school has limited funds and consequently we do not encourage the arts. When the call came down asking for ideas and volunteers to establish new student clubs, I immediately thought of a WEB Radio. We now have 15 students on board and will be launching our News, Drama, Poetry and Commentary Segments within the next few weeks.



References

Paivio, A. (1986). Mental Representations. New York: Oxford University Press

Why a Multi Sesory Approach to Learning Works

Understanding the Brain.

In his Dual Coding Theory (1986), Albert Pavio asserted that linguistic and non-linguistic associations help create the best scenario for recall. Imagine walking along a wooden peer next to an ocean when your sense of smell detects an aroma from a time long past. Your brain fires into action to associate the smell with stored information long left un-retrieved, not forgotten, just not accessed. As the process of retrieval begins, other associations seem to pop up. Soon, your mind’s eye displays a pink cloud of fluffy fibers and your mouth begins to water as you recall the fluffy fibers as a sweet delight. Perhaps you begin to hear a calliope screaming out a merry tune as wooden horses bob in an endless circular path. Next to the horses is a stand where a man with a huge mustache peddles his famous Atlantic City Salt Water Taffy and peddlers in their little shops implore you to come in and take advantage of a great deal soon to be lost if you pass their shop by. It is a beautiful day and you capture the moment on your Brownie Starmite Camera. What a beautiful July day in 1957.

In an instant, a faint aroma has conjured up memories from fifty years earlier. Memories you thought lost forever. This kind of thing happens on a daily basis and the more associations we can tie to an experienced, the better the chance of retrieving that memory long after the original event has passed. As teachers, it is our job to create as many associations as we can, in hopes that our students will establish lasting and multiple recall networks. Based upon my recent studies, I have redoubled my efforts to stimulate as many senses as possible when teaching my physics class. I create human analogs of molecular models when studying solids, liquids and gases. I spin bicycle tires to simulate gyroscopes as student hold the handlebars to sense the effects. I race around the room to visualize the differences between velocity and acceleration. I fling metal spheres out our classroom window when we study projectile motion. Do these extraordinary efforts achieve greater recall? I think that without a doubt they do. Assessment scores seem to be higher and there seems to be a new level of interest. I’ve actually heard kids say my class is fun, which is not often heard in a math intensive physics course.

Behaviorist Learning Theory

This theory states that we condition our students through a “carrot and stick” approach to learning. In recent years, this theory has lost some support from those who consider it detrimental or harsh. I disagree. Each time our high school graduates apply for a scholarship, job, placement in a university, etc, they are either being accepted or rejected based upon some kind of standard. This is life and sometimes we have to reap the rewards of our efforts and decide whether we give up or try again. When we grade, A+ or F is a form of reward or rejection.

Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitive Learning Theory states that long-term memory requires associations to provide the needed networking for memory recall. The theory states that seemingly disassociated snippets of information can enhance these networks as noted in my “cotton candy” example mentioned earlier. This theory forms the basis of my personal learning theory and accounts for my linguistic and non-linguistic teaching style. With regard to using technology as a means of facilitating cognitive learning, I remain guarded. I believe that educational games designed for the grammar school students may be useful, but similar tool may loose their benefit when applied to a 16 or 17 year old. Therefore, I use technology as a tool to enhance physics lesson, but generally do not use technology as a self tutor.

Constructionism

I teach physics in a technical high school. My students are hands on learners and as consequence constructionist learners. Visuals cues and demonstrations, as well as hands on labs are essential to the processing of information and I strive to include these activities as often as possible.

Social Learning

I find that my students tend to work best as teams when all students are at a common level or ability. It is essential, therefore, that the teams be assembled carefully and monitored closely. All to often, unless I am monitoring very closely, dominant personalities can lead the group in the wrong direction with convincing assertiveness and in the blink of an eye, all on the team are convinced that the earth is flat.

References

Paivio, A. (1986). Mental Representations. New York: Oxford University Press

Technology and Social Learning Strategies-They are NOT Panaceas

As I said in my post regarding "Connectivism", "....many of my students seek out the “more knowledgeable other” in the period prior to coming to my physics class. They seek out that “other” and copy his homework".

There is merit to the Connectivism Theory, but I believe that it should not be an instructors foremost emphasis, less we loose our entrepreneurial spirit. We need students that can analyze a problem, hypothesize a solution and only then propose that solution to his team members for constructive criticism and enhancement.

As a former engineer, I can attest to the benefits of a good team. There is often a contagious excitement that results in a product that is greater than the sum of the individual engineering ideas. But, these engineering teams are comprised of people with like abilities and similar aspirations. In a class room with students having diverse abilities and interests, there will be leaders, followers and "..I wonder what's for lunch?" students. In fact, this is becoming more of an American problem than a global problem as U.S. schools lower the educational bar to accommodate the average abilities of a very diverse class room. In contrast, European/Asian schools continue to group by abilities and as a result, the team effort succeeds because each group is comprised of equal abilities striving to excel.

I am a technologist and love my digital toys. As I have said before, when something is gained, often times, something is lost. Software tools that make our lives and work easier, will continue to enhance productivity, provided that we do not allow these tools to become a crutch. We must never loose our tenacious, good old fashioned, never say “die” hard individual effort, and must teach that a logical strategy is the first step in every solution.

APP5 and "AnyTime Physics Tutor"

Please visit my VoiceThread and provide feedback.

http://voicethread.com/share/895736/

Also, please visit these VoiceThreads. They provide a look at my attempt to provide "Any Time Physics Tutorials".

http://voicethread.com/share/885941/
http://voicethread.com/share/875224/
http://voicethread.com/share/895827/