3.1 Classroom Management & Collaborative Learning
Candidates model and facilitate effective classroom management and collaborative learning strategies to maximize teacher and student use of digital tools and resources.
Wordle Handout & Wordle Lesson Plans
The Wordle Handout and Wordle Lesson Plans were completed and implemeted as I was completing my Master's Degree in Instructional Technology. There were not required assignments for a particular course throughout my studies. I used knowledge that I had gained from Internet Tools in the Classroom course and my own professional research to design the handout and the lessons based on the Internet tool Wordle. The purpose of the Wordle Handout and Wordle Lesson Plans was to provide a technology-enhanced learning opportunity for my students as well as provide support to other teachers as they implemented Wordle in their classroom. The lesson plans include classroom management strategies as well as collaborative learning strategies. Several teachers implemented Wordle with their students based on the handout and lessons I provided.
The Wordle Handout and Wordle Lesson Plans demonstrated mastery of Standard 3.1 because the implementation of the digital tool required effective classroom management. The handout provided learning strategies for including Wordle into a classroom environment. The lesson plans provided classroom management strategies to best implement Wordle with students. I initially completed the Wordle lessons in my own classroom to provide a model for other teachers as they implemented Wordle with their own students. Ultimately, the teacher and student use of digital tools and resources requires effective management and collaborative learning strategies; therefore, the Wordle Handout and Lesson Plans demonstrate mastery of this standard.
From completing this artifact, I learned a lot about classroom management especially in regards to digital tools. In my career as an educator, I have often found that classroom management can be hardest part of teaching. When implementing digital tools, classroom management is necessary and should be planned before the teaching begins. In my lesson plans for using Wordle, I tried to account for two different scenarios: using the computer lab or staying the classroom. If teachers had to stay in the classroom to complete the lesson, only four students at a time would be able to use a computer; therefore, the remainder of the class would need to have a meaningful activity to ensure their engagement. To improve the quality of the artifact, in the future, I would provide more in my lesson plans on differentiation including providing support and extension to students. Preparing differentiation plans before implementing a lesson can ensure that all students are well-managed in the classroom. Also, while completing the lesson, I discovered that some students need a lot of teacher support while others were finished very quickly. I didn't account for this range in skill so that led to some classroom management problems during the implementation.
The work that went into creating the Wordle Handout and the Wordle Lesson Plans impacted faculty development and student learning. The Wordle Handout and Lesson Plans were created for a faculty development opportunity that I implemented with several teachers at my school. The purpose of the faculty development was to provide teachers with meaningful ways to implement Internet tools in the classroom. For this learning session, I focused on using Wordle. The impact of this faculty development could be assessed by determining if teachers took the information I shared with them and applied it successfully with their students. I was very happy that several teachers were implementing Wordle with their students after I shared my resources with them. The Wordle materials also impacted student learning because the implementation of the lessons gave students an engaging, technology-enhanced learning opportunity. Student learning could be assessed by evaluating the Wordles they created.
The Wordle Handout and Wordle Lesson Plans demonstrated mastery of Standard 3.1 because the implementation of the digital tool required effective classroom management. The handout provided learning strategies for including Wordle into a classroom environment. The lesson plans provided classroom management strategies to best implement Wordle with students. I initially completed the Wordle lessons in my own classroom to provide a model for other teachers as they implemented Wordle with their own students. Ultimately, the teacher and student use of digital tools and resources requires effective management and collaborative learning strategies; therefore, the Wordle Handout and Lesson Plans demonstrate mastery of this standard.
From completing this artifact, I learned a lot about classroom management especially in regards to digital tools. In my career as an educator, I have often found that classroom management can be hardest part of teaching. When implementing digital tools, classroom management is necessary and should be planned before the teaching begins. In my lesson plans for using Wordle, I tried to account for two different scenarios: using the computer lab or staying the classroom. If teachers had to stay in the classroom to complete the lesson, only four students at a time would be able to use a computer; therefore, the remainder of the class would need to have a meaningful activity to ensure their engagement. To improve the quality of the artifact, in the future, I would provide more in my lesson plans on differentiation including providing support and extension to students. Preparing differentiation plans before implementing a lesson can ensure that all students are well-managed in the classroom. Also, while completing the lesson, I discovered that some students need a lot of teacher support while others were finished very quickly. I didn't account for this range in skill so that led to some classroom management problems during the implementation.
The work that went into creating the Wordle Handout and the Wordle Lesson Plans impacted faculty development and student learning. The Wordle Handout and Lesson Plans were created for a faculty development opportunity that I implemented with several teachers at my school. The purpose of the faculty development was to provide teachers with meaningful ways to implement Internet tools in the classroom. For this learning session, I focused on using Wordle. The impact of this faculty development could be assessed by determining if teachers took the information I shared with them and applied it successfully with their students. I was very happy that several teachers were implementing Wordle with their students after I shared my resources with them. The Wordle materials also impacted student learning because the implementation of the lessons gave students an engaging, technology-enhanced learning opportunity. Student learning could be assessed by evaluating the Wordles they created.