Sub-Competency A:

Facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards.

Evidence:  Unit Plan   This unit plan has lesson plans that involve the state standard course of study standards while incorporating student technology standards. 

Reflection:  Throughout the course of their teaching during the day it is important that teachers incorporate methods and strategies of teaching that include technology into student learning that address the appropriate content standards to be learned.  In the evidence provided above, almost every lesson provide some type of technological enhancement.  The application of technology standards to content standards enhances student learning by increasing the motivation of each student learning.  Technology is also a part of each student's life.  We as teachers need to be sure that we are providing as many opportunities as possible for our students to become familiar with because it is not going to away, it is only going to advance further in the future.  We would be doing our students a disservice if we did not at least introduce our students to the available technology. Unit plans that incorporate technology and then list places of where to get available technology, such as the one in the link provided, make it convenient and efficient for the teacher to apply many technological resources in his or her lessons and therefore content standards. 

Evidence:  Zoo Planning Committee Biome Webquest Lesson Plan
This lesson plan incorporates the use of a computer WebQuest while teaching students about the wonders of habitats

Reflection: 
This lesson incorporates the use of the internet into the student learning of world biomes and habitats.  The internet can be a powerful tool in student learning if used used appropriately.  The application of the internet in the learning of content provides students with more resources than would have been available had the internet not been available.  These resources must be assessed and evaluated with caution, but the resources that the internet contain on any given content area of the curriculum seem endless.  The benefit to our students and teaches of incorporating the internet through lessons, such as a webquest is that students and teachers get to explore other ways of looking at various topics.  This could be especially true in history webquest.  Students also get a chance to use their imaginations through such internet activities and use higher order thinking skills. 

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Sub-Competency B: 

Use technology to support learner-centered strategies that address the diverse needs to students.

Evidence:   Habitat Explorer Video This video would be used to introduce the unit on Habitats and would students and opportunity to do a job in the video preparation that best suit their talents. 

Reflection:
Activities that have multiple job allows a degree of independence.  When producing a video there are many jobs that become available.  There are writers, videographers, lighting and sound specialist, cue card holder, and editors.  Some jobs such as research for the video the whole class would be involved in.  Students would then be assigned or allowed to pick a job that best matches their learning style.  Matching students to their learning style is important because it important for all students to motivated in the job they are doing, especially in technical lesson such as a video production where classroom management is of the utmost importance.  Not only are students engaged because technology is motivating and engaging, but they are also matched to a job that they are best suited to do according to their needs or learning style. 

Evidence:  Journal Article Review
                 Addressing Diverse Learning Styles
                 by:  Susan M. Montgomery
                 University of Michigan
                 Frontiers in Education Conference, 1995. Proceedings., 1995, Vol. 1, Nov. 1995
                http://www.vpaa.uillinois.edu/reports_retreats/tid/resources/montgomery.html

    In this journal article the author addresses the use of multimedia and it's effect on the learning styles of students within a classroom setting.  She weighs the effects of multimedia in addressing learning styles that traditional methods, such as the popular lecture, seems to neglect.  For her study she used the Solomon's Inventory of Learning Styles which has four dimensions.  These dimensions are processing (active/reflective), perceptive (sensing/intuitive), input (visual/verbal), and understanding (sequential/global).  Most students seemed to fall within the processing and input learning styles. 
   
    Using various types of discovery multimedia software throughout the semester students were given the opportunity to make comments that were then validated by the inventory.  This told researchers that the software and then what type of learning style the students were.  As far as the learning styles of active/reflective goes, researchers learned that discovery was an important part of the educational process and that multimedia engages students in ways that lectures cannot.  These learners preferred movies and interaction thought a variety of mediums.  Sensing/intuitive learners like to deal with facts and data.  These learners succeeded with multimedia that provided a simulation that allowed them to work with facts.  Visual/verbal learners obviously are going to benefit from multimedia, especially visual learners.  The author claims this is through graphics, animation, video, and illustrations.  Finally, the author claimed that sequential/global learners were able to things in the larger context throughout the use of multimedia. 

Reflection:
As each student is unique, also is each learning style of each student unique.   While it would be nearly impossible and most likely drive us crazy to incorporate every learning style into every lesson we present in the classroom, we as teachers need to strive to incorporate as many learning styles into our lessons as we can.  We need to be sure than we are not giving on learning style more attention throughout the day and throughout the term than another.  If we do, there is going to be a group of students who get left behind in the curriculum.  Multimedia is unique in that it provides something for everyone.  It benefits students in that it is truly student-centered and student-friendly.  It addresses the many needs of students.  While it many benefit some more than other, such as visual learners, it helps everyone be successful in their learning.  There are many forms of technology available that can be used in a classroom setting to accommodate each learning style. 

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Sub-Competency C: 

Apply technology to develop students' higher order skills and creativity

Evidence:  Habitats Spreadsheet:  was created from scratch using data found on the Internet.  This spreadsheet contains formulas that can be used to perform various calculations. 
Spreadsheet Questions:  was created using pre-made spreadsheets (Nutrient Spreadsheet) by Dr. Bob Houghton and from the above mentioned Habitat Spreadsheet
Database Questions:  was created using pre-made database by Dr. Bob Houghton (counties and Europe database).  Questions were originally thought of my myself.

Reflection:
Higher order thinking skills generates independent thinking and judgments.  This is the level we want our students to achieve while in our classrooms.  We want our students to grow beyond the ability to simply be able to recall simply facts.  We want them to compare, analyze and synthesize their own facts.  In the evidences given above higher order thinking is taking places.  When students are allowed to create their own spreadsheets and even databases with information that they have found online or from books in the library, they using higher order thinking skills and creativity to incorporate that information into that form of technology.  They are deciding how it should go in that format.  In other words they are making independent judgments based on the information they have available.  Also, when students create questions that go along with these spreadsheets and databases or those that have been pre-made and answer them they are using higher order thinking skills.  For example, when students are asked "What is the difference in the rate of habitat destruction between the years of 1970 and 1990?"  Students are being asked to compare the rate of habitat destruction of 20 years.  Comparison is a higher order thinking skills that teachers need to be promoting.  By helping our students think on a higher level, we help our students think beyond the obvious and beyond what is right in front of them.  We are helping them thinking on their own. 

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Sub-Competency D:

Manage student learning activities in a technology-enhanced environment.

Evidence:  Circuit Activity

Reflection: 
Student learning can extend beyond the obvious technology of computer keyboards and digital cameras.  A lot of state curriculums call for teachers to teach about electricity.  Why not have students build their own circuit as a way to teach this.  Technology lends itself very well to hands-on learning.  Wherever possible in the curriculum teachers should find ways to incorporate technology into the content standards so that students will have a better idea of what the content is and what it means.  When students have the opportunity to work hands-on with something, your kinesthetic and your visual learners are going to benefit greatly from this experiences. 

Page Author:  Kelley Haney
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