Educators design authentic, learner-driven activities and environments that recognize and accommodate learner variability. Educators:

 

5a)  Use technology to create, adapt and personalize learning experiences that foster independent learning and accommodate learner differences and needs.

 

I love being able to give my students a chance to learn how to learn independently.  To do this though, I have to accommodate many different learning styles and needs.  This is accomplished through the use of IXL, Quizizz, and DESMOS mostly.  All three tools have the capability of being used as a silent independent reference tool for practice at home or as an independent tool in the classroom where I am able to have discussions with each student and guide them in the right direction.  IXL and Quizizz provide the students with more of the "practice problem and drill" routine for those who are more visual learners, whereas DESMOS, while online, is more for the kinesthetic learners.  It allows for them to actually manipulate equations and figures to see how the math behind the concept changes.  One of my favorite DESMOS activity is the "Land the Plane" activity for my Algebra 1 students.  It really allows them to see how the slope and intercept of a line affect the appearance of the line.

 

Within my ISLT 9440: Learning with Web-Based Technologies course, I also created, with the help of my group mates, a list of other amazing tools for learning.  While some of these do require collaboration to create, many of my students have benefited in their independent learning via a review at home/study hall after the project had been created.

 

5b)  Design authentic learning activities that align with content area standards and use digital tools and resources to maximize active deep learning.

 

Through my ISLT 9440 course, I created a project that had students collaborating to create a massive review for their first-semester final.  I have noticed that many of my students learn concepts and ideas for their first original test, but then forget once the test is over.  This project would require them to make sure they thoroughly understood the concepts and were actively working together to do so.  The idea is that together, through Trello, they create a review board with definitions, images, examples, non-examples, and more.

 

I also created a performance assessment within my ISLT 9458: Technology and Assessment course.  This performance assessment required the students to use Geogebra and Google Forms to find solutions to (potentially) real-life problems.  This assessment matched up to Common Core State Standards and standards for teaching math as listed under the National Council for Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

 

5c)  Explore and apply instructional design principles to create innovative digital learning environments that engage and support learning.

 

I explored and applied instructional design principles when I created my action research plan for my Technology Action Research class, ISLT 9417.  This plan was created to see if there really was a benefit to flipping the classroom and how a flipped classroom would look.  As a group, my teammates and I were able to find that if a teacher were to try flipping the classroom without any real preparation or groundwork laid, then there is not a huge difference in the students' learning.  However, if you were to work with the students, teaching them how to really take advantage of a flipped classroom, then you would see a real benefit.  Both in student learning and emotional state.  The student would have more time to communicate with the teacher while practicing skills and less homework time as home every night.

 

Within my Instructional Systems Design class, ISLT 9471, my group created a workshop on Google Classroom to teach other faculty members as well.  This workshop is meant to teach faculty within the school different ways they can use and incorporate Google Classroom into their teaching to better engage and communicate with students and parents.