II. Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences

Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology.

Standard	A: Teachers design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners.

Inclusion is a very important aspect of education since not all students have the same optimal abilities or backgrounds. While taking Instructional Technology Methods, the topic of inclusion was covered quite extensively. During the class, I investigated an assistive technology for poor readers and wrote a review on the software called “Naturally Speaking” - .rtf (60 kb) because I felt it would be beneficial to my classroom. It is geared towards those who speak ESL, those with disabilities or those who are reading below grade level. The software works by providing feedback for the user and gives them additional confidence in their reading skills.  Other types of assistive technology can be found at the ABLEDATA web site.

The school that I taught in was part of an inner city school district, so the students came from diverse backgrounds with varying degrees of aptitude, skill and success in their academic lives. I wrote an instructional design project – .rtf (36 kb) that was geared towards students with mixed backgrounds and abilities in using technology. Instruction was basic but very thorough so that everyone started on the same level, regardless of their background.

I also had the opportunity to create a “Graphic Design Quest” for my graphic art students to help them become familiar with the subject, as many of them knew very little. The quest was easy to follow and, as students navigated their way through the links and answered the questions, they learned a great deal about the subject. By the time the students had completed the WebQuest, all the students had similar knowledge of the subject.

Standard	B: Teachers apply current research on teaching and learning with technology when planning learning environments and experiences.

There is much to keep abreast of in the ever-changing world of technology. An important new technological invention that seems to be a very popular item among the younger (and sometimes older) crowd is Apple’s iPod, a storage device that plays MP3’s as well as give it’s users the ability to record personal notes, track the conversation of small discussion groups, record interviews or receive pod casts.  Other types of files can also be stored on it such as school directories, policies or calendar.  I wrote a Technology Integration Learning Plan - .rtf (21 kb) to teach the use of it so that students will be able to incorporate it into their academic and personal/professional lives.

The idea of teaching teachers how to use technology to make the task of teaching a little easier appealed to me.  My thought was, students and teachers alike should have the benefits of technology. As a teacher with a little knowledge about how to use Adobe Photoshop to create web pages, I found a way to upload a web page to teach my own classes with.  It was a great aid because it had copies of all the assignments for the semester with accompanying examples and rubrics.  It also contained links to my curriculum and the classroom rules.  I wanted others to be able to have the same convenience so, after I took Introduction to Web Development and Intermediate Web Development, I wrote a plan to educate teachers how to use a template to create simple web pages for themselves, Learn to Create a Web site Using a Web Template - .rtf (443 kb).  The plan was written so that the experience would be pleasant and relatively easy for participating teachers.

My views on using the latest equipment are reflected in the Individualized Instruction Program - .ppt (92kb) that I wrote for a Multimedia class.  My philosophy of using the latest versions of software and hardware is founded on the continually changing technology of today.  The current version of either is soon put aside for newer and better applications.

Standard	C: Teachers identify and locate technology resources and evaluate them for accuracy and suitability.

Having technology in the classroom is a bonus to education, but in order for it to be effective it must be analyzed to determine the best application for its use, thereby avoiding using technology in unproductive ways or ways that only service the manufacturers and developers.

I reviewed software used to create electronic portfolios, Electronic Portfolio Review - .rtf (24 kb) and compared two of the leading competitors.  Both are very popular, but after reviewing them, one of them was clearly superior for interaction, organization and ease of use for academics. 

I wrote a product review of MicroWorldsEX - .rtf (1008 kb) software dedicated to involving students in authentic learning through various projects. It gives the user hands on experience with simulation, modeling, and control in a variety of subjects. Without thoroughly reviewing the product, I wouldn't have known all of its characteristics and advantages to promote student learning.

Standard	D: Teachers plan for the management of technology resources within the context of learning activities.

Careful thought should be given to the way technology is used in the education of a student, rather than using technology for technology’s sake.  It's best use is to encourage meaningful learning.  A side benefit is that it can also create intrigue for student users.

In the Technology Integration Learning Plan – .rtf (24 kb) I have written, students are involved in learning to use popular technology, the iPod, for other uses.  Through instruction and collaborative learning, they reach their goals and use the technology for educational purposes.

I performed a Technology Usage Assessment - .rtf (60 kb) on a case in the KITE database. The assessment allowed me to determine the amount of active, constructive, authentic, intentional and collaborative learning involved in the scenario so that I could judge whether it would be a beneficial activity that I would be inspired to use in the classroom.

WebQuests are a great way to use technology in the classroom and can be a very helpful resource.  Equipped with only a keyboard, students can be engaged in a web learning activity and not have to make a trip to the library or open a book. In this particular case, I used one that I created, Graphic Design Quest, to familiarize my students with the subject I was teaching. It was very helpful in involving the students in their own research of the subject so that they had a clearer idea of what they were going to spend their semester studying.

Standard	E: Teachers plan strategies to manage student learning in a technology-enhanced environment

It is not enough to just include technology in lesson planning.  The technology used should be integrated and managed in a way that maximizes learning.

I found a WebQuest authored by another teacher that represented some of the learning goals that I would design for my students in the web development portion of their studies. During the activity, they would be studying the technology behind web page production, HTML, with active engagement and group collaboration. I wrote an analysis of it, Online Tools for Assessing Higher Order Thinking and Problem-Solving - .rtf (8 kb), that includes learning objectives and skills they would receive by participating in the activities.

Students learn to use an iPod in the Technology Integration Learning Plan - .rtf (24 kb) that I authored.  By including authentic and collaborative learning students will be guided to use the technology in ways that will benefit them in their future studies or careers.

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