Using Technology in the Classroom Portfolio
- 1. Mary Beth Gries, Student Teacher, The Academy at Palumbo Temple University Graduation Award Application 1 Keystroke to Connection: Accessing All Learners via Technology in the Classroom Application for the Dr. Elton Robertson Technology Award and Dr. John G. Finch Technology Award Introduction and Purpose This portfolio will provide samples of my use of technology in my classes throughout my student teaching experience at The Academy at Palumbo. I taught 5 classes, three sections of Senior English IV, one section of Junior English III, and one mixed-grade section of Film Studies. I integrated technology heavily into all of my classes to enrich my instruction and differentiate and accommodate different learners’ needs. Without my use of technology in my classes, I would not have met as many student learning needs as I did throughout my student teaching experience. Part I of my portfolio provides samples of my use of Palumbo’s mock-Blackboard site, Schoology, and how I used the site to communicate with, accommodate, and differentiate instruction and assignments for students. I took advantage of the Schoology site because it increased the rate of assignment completion. Students who juggle crazy schedules outside of school were more apt to complete their work and communicate with me using the site, which allows student to view and submit class materials on any stationary or portable electronic, web-accessible device, like iPads and iPhones. Students who would have done poorly in my class because they were absent, late, or overwhelmed with out-of-school worries and responsibilities achieved because I connected and supported these students through the Internet. Part I of my portfolio will detail how I used Schoology to support both individual learners and my classes as a whole. Part II of my portfolio will provide samples of the ways in which I constructed and integrated other technology-oriented materials and activities into my classroom. This section will also discuss how I took advantage of the Temple and public library technologies to provide books and research materials to my students. My creativity and resourcefulness enabled me to locate and utilize technological resources and provide them to students, allowing me to enrich and diversify my instruction and meet diverse student needs. This portfolio will showcase the success I achieved as an educator through the use of technology in the classroom.
- 2. 2 Part I: Accessing and Supporting all Learners via Schoology This part of my portfolio provides samples of my use of Palumbo’s student-teacher communication site, Schoology. I used this site to upload homework reminders, issue and grade student assignments, and provide resources to students. This site enabled me to support all learners, particularly those with extenuating circumstances who would have done poorly in my class had they not had the resources I provided on Schoology. To the left is a sample of the daily announcement feed I posted for all of my classes. Each announcement would have a greeting and commendation of student work (Ex.: Happy Friday! Thank you for your hard work this week.), a notice of the attached homework, and any reminders about impending deadlines/special announcements. I would post these announcements at the start of the day or immediately after class. Students became accustomed to these announcements and came to expect them. I expected students to take note of these announcements and developed student accountability by reminding students who missed work or notifications that they had a reminder on Schoology about what they were expected to complete. After many students missed an assignment because they neglected to check Schoology and were provided with a reminder from me about their responsibility to check Schoology, nearly all students developed a habit of checking Schoology daily for updates and materials. Several students became such careful followers of Schoology that they came to me asking about something I had posted about an upcoming assignment before I had mentioned the assignment to the class. Supporting All Learners: Developing Student Accountability Above is a sample of the Homework Slides I would attach to my daily announcements. I created a Power Point for each of my classes (Ex. English III Info Slides). Each day, I would enter a reduced version of my lesson plan on a slide, which would include the date, essential question for the day, DO NOW activity, lesson breakdown, any used Web links, and a detailed breakdown of the homework. This slide would be on the board when students walked into the room so that students could start their DO NOW activity. I would take a screenshot of this slide, save it as a JPEG, and then attach the JPEG to my daily announcement for each class. Students who missed class could see exactly what we did and stay on track and students who were in class could consult the image as a reminder of the day’s events and their homework. Students came to expect these slides and expect that I would hold them accountable for the homework I posted on each.
- 3. 3 These images detail how I provided students with a variety of resources on Schoology. The image to the right shows my section on Schoology for my Seniors in English IV. I modeled my course sections off of a college course on Blackboard to acclimate students to the type of format and expectations for online learning they might encounter at the collegiate level. I provided different folders for different units and texts. Within each folder for a particular unit or text would be a copy of materials from class, supplementary resources, and online assignments. The image below shows the inside of the “Senior Research Project” folder. Inside, I created separate folders for each step of the Senior Research Project. I walked my students through the research process, helping them develop their research questions, find and analyze 10 credible sources, cite these sources properly, and write and revise two paper drafts before the submission of their final projects. I model how to find these resources on Schoology in class and then held students accountable for accessing the materials at the appropriate times. I am partial to online learning tools like Schoology because they automatically create an archive of materials and assignments. If a student was absent, all he or she had to do was go to the appropriate folder for the material missed, look to see what assignment he or she had missed, and then submit. Similarly, students wishing to review could look at everything he or she had done for a particular topic or unit easily and accurately because Schoology automatically archives a student’s work when it is completed online.
- 4. 4 The above image shows the inside of my folder for my Seniors’ work with Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. I made this text accessible for my students by providing them with multiple means of reading (note the links out to the audiobook and PDF versions of the text). I also supported the reading done in class with excerpts from the BBC miniseries version (note the page insert to the various film clips, complete with episode numbers, scene descriptions, and start and stop times, shown in the images on the next page). I grouped sub-folders by both lesson and assignment. Note the combination of sub-folders and assignment tabs. Again, Schoology’s automatic archival system greatly aided students who were absent from class because they were able to make up assignments and find materials provided in class. This image exemplifies how I would upload materials used in class to Schoology. This document was used in class as part of a cooperative reading assignment. Students who were absent could find the handout (which was teacher-constructed to meet specific objectives) on Schoology and complete and submit it online to make up the missed work.
- 5. 5 The image to the left is a screenshot of the YouTube audiobook (provided by Librivox) that I used in class with my Seniors. I chose this audiobook because it included the exact text onscreen. Many students appreciated following the text onscreen while listening. This audiobook also includes a “Chapter Index” (located in the top right corner of the video) that provides internal links to the exact points where chapters start and end. This feature greatly facilitated navigation through the audiobook. The audiobook encouraged students to read because I stressed the effectiveness of the audiobook in developing time management skills. I modeled for students how the audiobook sets a fixed start and stop time for reading. Students told me that they liked the audiobook because it helped them focus during their reading and allowed them to get done their required passages in a fixed period of time. I also used an audiobook for my Juniors who read Their Eyes Were Watching God, by Zora Neale Hurston. Students who struggled with reading the dialect told me that they benefitted from the audiobook because the dialect made much more sense when actually spoken. The audiobook made the text real and accessible for these students. This image shows the PDF of Pride and Prejudice that I provided for my students. Many students chose to use the PDF instead of buying the book because they could easily transport the PDF on their phones and read on public transportation or at work. The accessibility and portability of this PDF encouraged more students (many of whom may not have read if they had not known they could access an electronic version of the text) to read and achieve. The images below detail the page I compiled with episode numbers, viewing times, and scene descriptions that I added on Schoology for students to watch excerpts of the BBC miniseries version of Pride and Prejudice that was used in class to support reading. Students made sense of plot and character development through the reinforcement of text with images. Supporting All Learners: Providing Multiple Pathways to Learning
- 6. 6 These images show my folder setups for my Juniors (who read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood) and my Film Class (who watched West Side Story). I provided audiobook and PDF links to the text for my Juniors, and I took advantage of online assignment submission for both classes. These efforts helped provided students with multiple pathways to learning and helped increase student assignment submission. Note that the Power Points used in class (detailed in Part II of this portfolio) were also included so that absent students could review material discussed in class and students could go back and review for assessments.
- 7. 7 Supporting All Learners: Increasing Student Completion and Providing Meaningful Feedback These images show how I constructed assignments and monitored student completion. Putting assignments online benefitted the classroom in the following ways: 1. Students were able to access and complete assignments on their portable electronic devices, which enabled students who might otherwise neglect paper assignments because of crazy schedules to achieve. 2. I was able to keep organized and on top of my grading because Schoology automatically tells me who submitted and who did not and archives my grades and feedback. These features allowed me to grade quickly and touch base with students about their work. 3. Online assignment submission and grading greatly reduces wasted time and paper in the classroom, allowing for more time for meaningful instruction. Note my use of online word processing features like CAPS LOCK and bolded text to make deadlines and instructions noticeable and clear for students. Online assignment submission also allows students to check their grades immediately. Students loved this feature and were quick to contact me about their grades/missing assignments. Students were also quick to point out errors that I made in grading, and I was able to quickly remedy a wrong or missing grade. I tried to be conscious to tell students that I appreciated their help in monitoring their grades in order to make clear to students that I relied on them to help me help them. I encouraged a climate of mutual accountability and cooperative learning and teaching—teacher helps students, students help teacher, everyone is accountable, everyone learns, everyone wins.
- 8. 8 The feedback feature on Schoology enabled me to provide extensive feedback to students quickly and accessibly. I took great advantage of this feature in helping student complete their Senior Research Projects. Every student was required to submit two drafts (first a 2-3 page draft, then a 4-6 page draft) of their Senior Project. I evaluated each and provided extensive, typed feedback in the sidebar to each submission. I also archived this feedback in a WordDoc as a backup in case a student was not able to access Schoology or see the feedback. I am a much faster typer than writer, and the online feedback tool enabled me to be more constructive and effective in my teaching by helping me cut down on the amount of time spent evaluating student papers. Some students chose to submit materials to me through my Temple email. I used Google Docs with these students and provided them with feedback via my Temple email. Again, my flexibility in accessing student through multiple pathways enabled more students, particularly those who would not have submitted work had these pathways not been provided, to achieve.
- 9. 9 These images provide examples of how I provided feedback to an entire class. The image above shows the first slide of a feedback Power Point I gave to my Seniors after reading their first round of Senior Project drafts. I compiled a Power Point (attached in Part II of this portfolio) detailing areas where the entire class needed support. I went over this Power Point with each class and provided it on Schoology for students to review on their own time. Students were encouraged to use the models provided in this Power Point in revising their Senor Projects. The image below shows a similar resource that I put together for my Seniors after reading one of their written tests. I selected several student samples and compiled them into a packet highlighting strengths and areas of improvement for each class (I asked students if it was ok if I included their resources before compiling the packet). I went over these points in class as part of a writing workshop and posted the packet on Schoology for students to access. I noticed an improvement in student writing after providing these models for my students.
- 10. 10 Supporting All Learners: Reviewing for Assessments The image above shows how I created review folders on Schoology with all materials relevant to my Seniors’ Mid-Unit test on Pride and Prejudice. Students were able to access the Power Point with class notes and were able to review notes taken in class. I like to use Microsoft Word to create notes in real- time, in class. I’ll stand at the computer and enter notes as students discuss. Students are able to watch the notes develop and are then able to go and find them on Schoology when I upload them after class. This helps students because they know that they won’t lose hand- written notes. Also, this note-taking method encourages class-wide accountability because I emphasize that it is on them, on the students, to construct these notes. I act only as the scribe. The image to the left is an example of notes constructed in preparation for the Mid-Unit test for Pride and Prejudice. The image below-left is an example of notes I made on the board. Again, I made these notes in response to student discussion. The students contributed the words—I was the scribe. After class, I took a photo of the notes and uploaded it to Schoology for students to review. Both of these note-taking features were, again, beneficial to students who missed class. These students were able to see what was done in class and were able to be held accountable for their work.
- 11. 11 Supporting Individual Learners: Making Success Possible for Special-Case Learners Shortly after taking over my cooperating teacher’s classes, I identified the students who were at risk for not achieving because of missing work and absences. I will describe two of these students’ stories and explain how I used technology to help them succeed despite their challenges. One of my students was, on most days, unable to make it to her First Period English class with me because she plays the role of primary care giver for her younger siblings. While I recognize that attendance is a part of a student’s academic responsibility, I agreed to support this student with online communication and materials because this student made an effort to speak with me, in person, about her situation and showed that she would complete the work I sent to her online in a timely and exceptional fashion. I appreciated the freedom my cooperating teacher gave me in deciding how to accommodate this student. I trusted this student, and I felt like she would not abuse the online supports I would offer her, so I agreed to keep in contact with her via Schoology message. This student would reach out to me when she missed class and/or an assignment (this was part of the agreement—she needed to reach out to me to demonstrate her accountability), and I would respond by sending her the appropriate assignments and materials. This student managed to keep up with the coursework (she actually produced some of the highest quality work among all students) and actually began attending class more frequently because she wanted to express her gratitude in the accommodations provided to her. This student would have struggled had she not been provided the online supports necessary to achieve. The image to above-left details the types of supports with which I provided this student. One of my other students was absent for much of the semester for medical reasons. This student was proactive in coming to me and telling me about her situation, and we set up a similar contract as was established between the previously-described student and myself. This student was also extremely accountable in reaching out to me and submitting high-quality work. Again, this student would have struggled without the opportunities provided via Schoology. The image below-left details the types of support with which I provided this student.
- 12. 12 Part II: Enriching and Diversifying Instruction This part of my portfolio provides samples of my materials, ranging from Power Point presentations, self- constructed assignments and resources, classroom activities, and images, videos and audio. I found that my belief in providing students with multiple pathways to understanding through diverse mediums benefitted my students’ learning. The diverse materials I incorporated into my teaching kept students engaged and helped students feel like they had a warehouse of materials to consult when working on assignments outside of class. This part of my portfolio also explains how I took advantage of library technologies to provide the best resources to my students to ensure that they achieved. Constructing Power Points and Assignments to Meet Specific Classroom Needs and Student Objectives I took the time to construct Power Points and assignments that would suit my students’ learning style(s) and hit the objectives I wanted to achieve. My Power Points are always rich with images and videos to provide students with diverse, engaging pathways to learning. The images provided hyperlink out to the complete Power Points I created for my Juniors (In Cold Blood), Seniors (Pride and Prejudice and Senior Research Projects), and Film Class (West Side Story, Rent). The Power Points were always accessible to students via Schoology for review. For their Senior Projects, Seniors are required to create a Power Point or Prezi to present their research. In preparation for these presentations, I will be conducting a Power Point/Prezi workshop that will demonstrate effective Power Points/Prezi- making techniques. Students will learn how to embed media into their presentations to enrich their content and engage their audience. https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyZ WFkdGVhY2hjb25uZWN0fGd4OjRhYzdlNzk2YzA1ODllZDQ https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxyZ WFkdGVhY2hjb25uZWN0fGd4OjZlMDNhZmRlNmFiN2E4NmY
- 14. 14 Pride and Prejudice, Marvel Comic Book, Nancy Butler and Hugo Petrus (2009) My knowledge of library technologies proved extremely useful in providing resources to my students, both in terms of acquiring books and in terms of helping my Seniors learn how to access credible sources for the Senior Research projects. This account will detail my integration of library technologies into my classroom and the benefits that this integration had on student achievement. Finding and Providing Books For my Seniors, I integrated the Marvel comic book version of Pride and Prejudice, by Nancy Butler and Hugo Petrus, into my unit on Pride and Prejudice. I used the comic book for three purposes: 1) To skip some of the unnecessary text in the second half of the novel, 2) To provide reinforcement in my students’ work with character rendering and development in Jane Austen’s novel, and 3) To diversify my instruction. This comic book is a fairly recent publication (2009) and is quite expensive on Amazon.com. Furthermore, most public libraries only have one copy of the comic book. Using my library smarts, I reserved multiple copies of the comic book from the surrounding suburban libraries in my area. I also manipulated the EZ Borrow, ILL system, and Paley Reserve system to acquire 5 copies of the comic book—enough for 5 out of my 8 student groups to use the comic book in our cooperative reading. I photocopied pages for the other three groups, but I had enough resources to rotate the books each time we used them so that every student would get a chance to handle the actual text. This resource was particularly meaningful for several of my students (several of my usually shy, hesitant students who were engaged by the use of a genre that they love—comic books). My library smarts saved me money and enabled my students to have access to a unique learning resource. Similarly, in order to provide resources to my Juniors who read Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood, I negotiated my suburban and university library resources to procure 10 copies of the text. I brought these to school and had enough texts (and enough variety in due dates so that I could switch out book that were due with new loans) to provide every group with a copy of the text for our cooperative reading. I also encouraged my Juniors to use the PDF version of the text and modeled how to use the “Find” command in web browsers and Adobe so that students could locate the sentences that marked the beginning and end of our reading for the day. This combination of resources enabled every student to have access to a text easily, fairly, and nearly cost-free (some student chose to buy their own copies of the text and share them with peers). Utilizing Library Technologies to Provide Materials to All Learners
- 15. 15 Paley Library Reserves ILL EZ Borrow
- 16. 16 Montgomery County Libraries In Cold Blood PDF, modeling “Find” command for students
- 17. 17 Modeling Pursuing Credible Research The image to the right details the inside of the “MLA Resources” folder, previously shown in Part I of this portfolio. I compiled a list of resources, by topic, for my Seniors so that they would have a starting place to begin finding credible sources for their Senior Projects. Many students had to learn what it means to find and evaluate a credible source, so I provided students with a foundation of examples of credible sources. I surveyed the most common topics students wanted to pursue for their projects and grouped credible Web and PDF sources according to topic. I then modeled to students how to find these folders on Schoology, navigate to a folder that had some semblance to their topic, and then click out to the links I provided. I told students to use these sites I provided as a model for the types of credible sources they should be finding for their projects. I also compiled these resources because I found that students had little accessibility to public libraries. While every member of the Philadelphia Library has access to all the library databases (and, while I did inform students of this benefit), many students told me that they either did not have a library card or had such exorbitant fees on their library cards that they were no longer able to check out materials. To accommodate, I found sources comparable to those that a database would provide. I also allowed some students (particularly those with tricky topics like “conspiracy theories” for which it is tough to find credible information not housed in a database) to use my Temple library account. I would sign into my account and let a student peruse the databases. If a student found an article that he or she found useful, I would save the PDF file for the student so that he or she could access it offline without using my account. This was a particularly useful resource for when it came time for students to find a book source for their projects. Palumbo does not have an active librarian at the school. This issue, combined with students’ limited access to public libraries, put a kink in the whole “book source” component of the project. I referred some students to Google Books and online PDFs, but, oftentimes, these resources do not provide complete texts and/or only provide mediocre content. To resolve this problem, I modeled for students how to find an eBook on my Temple account. If a student found an eBook that was useful, I showed students how to download specific pages, screenshot pages, and/or take notes on bibliographic information if he/she was interested in finding the book in hard copy format. My access to these resources enabled my students to find the book source component of their project and taught my students how to use college-level library search engines and databases.
- 18. 18 This image shows the types of resources I provided to students interested in topics around the Environment/Animal Rights/Conservation. Students were encouraged to start with sites like these and then find their own, adhering to the criteria for evaluating credible sources. This image shows the types of resources I provided to students as “jumping off points.” I encouraged all my students to get inspiration about a topic by looking at newspaper headlines. I also encouraged students to consider videos and podcasts, like streams from TED Talks and NPR as valuable resources for their projects.
- 19. 19 Integrating Technology in Peer Review I gave my Seniors access either to the computer lab or the English wing laptop cart every Thursday throughout February and March so that they could work on their Senior projects. This time was used productively by most students, particularly those who did not have access to a computer at home. I would walk around the room and support individual student questions. Students also used Google Docs to share their drafts with me and with each other. We did a peer review workshop during which students shared their drafts of their Senior Projects and added feedback via Google Docs/email. Again, students were (most weeks) mature in making productive use of this time because they recognized the value of my feedback and the feedback of their peers in constructing and revising their Senior Projects. Additional Technological Supports In addition to the specific examples described in this portfolio, I integrated student cell phones, online music, and DVDs into my classroom. For their Senior Projects, students need to complete an interview. Many students contacted their interview subject via email or text, and I allowed students to share the transcript of their contact with their interview subject by screenshotting their email/text thread with their interview subject and sending it to me via Schoology or Temple email. Some students also chose to use a voice recorder to capture their interview, and I permitted students to send the interview to me as an mp3 or WAV file via Schoology or Temple email. Again, these pathways enabled students to achieve because they were able to communicate quickly with me in a way that was comfortable for them. I integrated music into my classroom by putting on the “Regency music” playlist on YouTube when students did gropwork for Pride and Prejudice. I wanted to set a fun and comfy environment in the classroom, while still supporting learning, and exposing students to this era-appropriate music was just the solution. I also integrated multiple films into my classes. My Juniors are watching the 1967 film version of In Cold Blood and are fascinated that the film was shot in the actual Clutter house where the family was murdered. My Seniors watched much of the 1995 BBC version of Pride and Prejudice and will be watching the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice at the end of our unit. Students appreciated the films because the films helped students gain a deeper understanding of plot and character. Showing the films also enabled me to diversify my instructional methods.
- 20. 20 Conclusion I believe that two of my greatest strengths as a teacher are my creativity and resourcefulness. This portfolio has demonstrated my creativity and resourcefulness in my use of computer-based and library technology throughout my student teaching experience at The Academy at Palumbo. The efforts I took to creatively construct and provide resources to students via Schoology not only provided multiple pathways for student learning, but also helped students develop accountability for their work. The flexibility provided by online communication enabled students at risk of failure to achieve. The efforts I took to resourcefully procure books and research materials for my students enabled all students to have the materials they needed to read their class texts and find credible sources for their Senior Projects. My ability to utilize technology in the classroom enabled me to help my students grow as learners and enabled me to develop a relationship of mutual respect between myself and my students at The Academy at Palumbo. My technological literacy enabled me to communicate with my students in a way that clicked with them, and when this “click,” this “connection” happened, lasting learning ensued.