This week I began thinking about complex problems, or problems with multiple layers that occur in my classroom.  Currently, students struggle with getting excited about writing lab reports.  While all students find the labs fun and exciting, they often dread the required lab write-up that follows.  My goal this year, is to make science exciting in all aspects, which made me start researching different technologies for writing lab reports.  My research brought me to Glogster EDU.  For more information, please view my screencast below.  

Technology to Solve Complex Problems

Glogster helped my students see a science report as fun.  They enjoyed getting to be able to design their own format and add their own pictures, while following a rubric.

This week, I focused my studies on Universal Design for Learning or UDL. In schools, "individual variability is the norm" (CAST p. 4) and teaching to the "average" does not meet this variability. This "one size fits all" fails to "provide all individuals with fair and equal opportunities to learn by excluding learners with different abilities, backgrounds, and motivations" (CAST p. 4). UDL takes this "one-size fits all" curriculum and addresses it by "suggesting flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments" (CAST p. 4) and "encourages creating flexible designs from the start that have customizable options, which allow all learners to progress from where they are and not from where we imagined them to be" (CAST 2011).

A few weeks ago, I created a lesson plan that used a Raspberry Pi and Minecraft Software. I decided to apply my new knowledge of UDL and recreate my lesson plan to access more students and not just the "average."

My first change was how my lesson was delivered. UDL suggests that the same information should be provided through different modalities (CAST p. 14).  UDL also states that learners benefit from "different forms of representation" (CAST p. 16). To accommodate for this, I created a website with the instructions for the activity. Students can visit this website or view the activity in paper form. By viewing the activity on the website using Google Chrome, students have the ability to change the font size (by zooming), and listen to the activity by using Announcify (a great tool that will read website out loud to readers. It also blurs parts that are not being read for less distractions (Announcify.com 2013)).  For students who have trouble reading, there is a video on the website on how to start up the Raspberry Pi.  Also, the steps are written in short, crisp sentences, and are outlined in different parts as well as steps.  Finally, the website has links to definitions of words that students may struggle with understanding.

"Information is more accessible and likely to be assimilated by learners when it is presented in a way that primes, activates, or provides any pre-requisite knowledge" (CAST p. 19).  My second change was to the engagement of my lesson.  To activate prior knowledge, the teacher will open bubbl.us (a brainstorming and mind mapping tool) with "scale drawings" as the main idea.  Students will think of words or ideas that they associate with scale drawings and add them to the list.  After about 10 minutes, students will participate in an interactive activity as a class on scale drawing from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.  After completing this activity as a class, the teacher will reopen the original brainstorming webpage and students will add information they may have thought of during the interactive activity.  At the end of the lesson, the class will revisit this again and add any new information that they learned.

Students have many ways to articulate what they know including talking, writing, singing, making a video, etc.  UDL suggests using many of these methods in one lesson to allow students to "successfully take part in their learning" (CAST p. 23).  The next change to my original lesson was to allow students to create a video as well as write in their blog to show their new knowledge and talk about their frustrations and successes.  This alternative "reduce media-specific barriers to expression among learners with a variety of special needs, but also increases the opportunities for all learners to develop a wider range of expression in a media-rich world" (CAST p. 23)

My final change to the lesson was to meet with students daily to discuss their current successes, frustrations, and to scale back the assignment or add more challenges depending on how the group is doing.  This differentiation, goal-setting, and feedback allows learning to occur (CAST p. 26).  In addition, "once a goal is set, effective learners and problem-solvers plan a strategy, including the tools they will use, for reaching that goal" (CAST p. 26).

Click here to see my new Raspberry Pi Lesson Plan - UDL.

As I tweaked my lesson plan, I realized that I had already included many aspects of UDL.  For one, I was already including the objective in the lesson and had students review this to ensure they knew the reason for the activity.  In addition, students were using KidBlog to reflect on their projects and to help one another collaboratively by offering advice.  Third, students had a checklist that they could refer to for goals, for planning needs, and to ensure they are completing the assignment correctly.  Finally, students had the choice of building they could use to create a scale model and work in a safe environment without threats or distractions.

Resources:

Announcify.com. (2013). Announcify [Web Page]. Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/announcify/mmiolkcfamcbpoandjpnefiegkcpeoan.

Bubbl.us. (2013).  Bubbl.us. [Web Page].  Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from https://bubbl.us

CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA: Author.

Utah State University. (2010).  National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. [Web Page].  Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from http://nlvm.usu.edu

This week, I focused my studies on Universal Design for Learning or UDL. In schools, "individual variability is the norm" (CAST p. 4) and teaching to the "average" does not meet this variability. This "one size fits all" fails to "provide all individuals with fair and equal opportunities to learn by excluding learners with different abilities, backgrounds, and motivations" (CAST p. 4). UDL takes this "one-size fits all" curriculum and addresses it by "suggesting flexible goals, methods, materials, and assessments" (CAST p. 4) and "encourages creating flexible designs from the start that have customizable options, which allow all learners to progress from where they are and not from where we imagined them to be" (CAST 2011).

A few weeks ago, I created a lesson plan that used a Raspberry Pi and Minecraft Software. I decided to apply my new knowledge of UDL and recreate my lesson plan to access more students and not just the "average."

My first change was how my lesson was delivered. UDL suggests that the same information should be provided through different modalities (CAST p. 14).  UDL also states that learners benefit from "different forms of representation" (CAST p. 16). To accommodate for this, I created a website with the instructions for the activity. Students can visit this website or view the activity in paper form. By viewing the activity on the website using Google Chrome, students have the ability to change the font size (by zooming), and listen to the activity by using Announcify (a great tool that will read website out loud to readers. It also blurs parts that are not being read for less distractions (Announcify.com 2013)).  For students who have trouble reading, there is a video on the website on how to start up the Raspberry Pi.  Also, the steps are written in short, crisp sentences, and are outlined in different parts as well as steps.  Finally, the website has links to definitions of words that students may struggle with understanding.

"Information is more accessible and likely to be assimilated by learners when it is presented in a way that primes, activates, or provides any pre-requisite knowledge" (CAST p. 19).  My second change was to the engagement of my lesson.  To activate prior knowledge, the teacher will open bubbl.us (a brainstorming and mind mapping tool) with "scale drawings" as the main idea.  Students will think of words or ideas that they associate with scale drawings and add them to the list.  After about 10 minutes, students will participate in an interactive activity as a class on scale drawing from the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.  After completing this activity as a class, the teacher will reopen the original brainstorming webpage and students will add information they may have thought of during the interactive activity.  At the end of the lesson, the class will revisit this again and add any new information that they learned.

Students have many ways to articulate what they know including talking, writing, singing, making a video, etc.  UDL suggests using many of these methods in one lesson to allow students to "successfully take part in their learning" (CAST p. 23).  The next change to my original lesson was to allow students to create a video as well as write in their blog to show their new knowledge and talk about their frustrations and successes.  This alternative "reduce media-specific barriers to expression among learners with a variety of special needs, but also increases the opportunities for all learners to develop a wider range of expression in a media-rich world" (CAST p. 23)

My final change to the lesson was to meet with students daily to discuss their current successes, frustrations, and to scale back the assignment or add more challenges depending on how the group is doing.  This differentiation, goal-setting, and feedback allows learning to occur (CAST p. 26).  In addition, "once a goal is set, effective learners and problem-solvers plan a strategy, including the tools they will use, for reaching that goal" (CAST p. 26).

Click here to see my new Raspberry Pi Lesson Plan - UDL.

As I tweaked my lesson plan, I realized that I had already included many aspects of UDL.  For one, I was already including the objective in the lesson and had students review this to ensure they knew the reason for the activity.  In addition, students were using KidBlog to reflect on their projects and to help one another collaboratively by offering advice.  Third, students had a checklist that they could refer to for goals, for planning needs, and to ensure they are completing the assignment correctly.  Finally, students had the choice of building they could use to create a scale model and work in a safe environment without threats or distractions.

Resources:

Announcify.com. (2013). Announcify [Web Page]. Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/announcify/mmiolkcfamcbpoandjpnefiegkcpeoan.

Bubbl.us. (2013).  Bubbl.us. [Web Page].  Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from https://bubbl.us

CAST (2011). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.0. Wakefield, MA: Author.

Utah State University. (2010).  National Library of Virtual Manipulatives. [Web Page].  Retrieved on August 10, 2013 from http://nlvm.usu.edu

In my own classroom, I enjoy using collaborative learning, which I define as students working in groups, bouncing ideas off one another to solve a problem and holding discussions. Also, I love using inquiry-based learning, which I define as hands-on exploration to gain experience about a certain subject. After investigating different learning theories in CEP 811 this week, I found that discovery learning linked to my type of teaching the best.

De Jong and Van Joolingen (2005) describe discovery learning as “students construct knowledge based on new information and data collected by them in an explorative learning environment” (p. 604). Students perform experiments with variations and observe the effects of these changes, which forces them to learn (p.604). Chet Hedden (1998) writes in his dissertation that discovery learning is a theory where the “so-called problem of motivation is automatically solved” because students “move through well-constructed programs at their own pace” (p. 29). Hedden (1998) describes “humans as problem solvers” (p. 29) who have “tendencies to seek solutions to problems” (p. 29). Through discovery learning, students enter the activity “without prior knowledge of the content of the learning task, but with general knowledge that can be called upon to help with the learning task” (p. 50). This type of learning is “task-oriented and encourages self-initiated action” (p. 50) and forces the student to “face an unknown experience with an unknown outcome” (p. 50). Hedden (1998) describes this learning as optimal because it optimizes learning and motivation (p. 47).

Both research papers that I investigated linked discovery learning to a computer program (Heddent to Adventure and De Jong and Van Joolingen to different computer simulations). With this idea in mind, I tried to find an activity that would link Discovery Learning to my Raspberry Pi. Funny enough, I found inspiration through one of my students in summer school. This student walked into the classroom wearing a Minecraft t-shirt. I began a conversation with him about the game and he stated, “Minecraft is actually based around math. I love it and I get to problem solve as I play it.” At that moment, a light bulb went off in my head! I could use Minecraft in the classroom to engage students (an important way to motivate students as Hedden (1998) stated in his dissertation) and get them to be thinking about math.

After researching Minecraft in the classroom, I was encouraged by the positive gains by using this software in the classroom. Mike Rugnetta (2012) describes ways to use Minecraft in the classroom: “Probability: build a random animal dropper. Physics: measure the time it takes a block to fall and then talk about gravity. Even build Minecraft versions of famous architectures.” Rugnetta (2012) also describes Minecraft as being a great collaborative tool, which challenges students and encourages them to problem solve.

After figuring out that Minecraft had come out with a Pi version in November (“Download” 2012), I was sold! How simple it would be to set up a Pi classroom for only $50 a student and download free software to encourage students to collaborate and problem solve in any subject area! After more research, I found great ideas to connect the Pi, Minecraft, and the classroom. One student described how to solve a two-step equation in Minecraft as a project (Superpineapplelover 2011), and this teacher had students build replicas of buildings in different scales (“Minecraft” 2012). There are tons of different websites and blogs with descriptions of how to incorporate Minecraft into the classroom including Edutopia and Think Tank.

After all of my research about Minecraft and Pi, I decided to create a lesson plan that incorporated a Raspberry Pi, Minecraft, and Discovery Learning. Through my lesson, students problem solve to create a scale drawing of a building of their choice in Minecraft. They are placed in an unknown learning environment where students must problem solve and create steps on how to create a scale drawing of a building. Raspberry Pi Lesson Plan to view my lesson plan.
While the Raspberry Pi can be extremely frustrating at times, I am beginning to see the advantages of incorporating a cost-efficient computer in the classroom.

References
de Jong, T., & van Joolingen, W. R. (1998). Scientific discovery learning with computer simulations of conceptual domains. Review of Educational Research, 68(2), 179-201. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/619369544?accountid=12598
Download Pi Education Now (December 20, 2012). Retrieved on July 18, 2013 from http://pi.minecraft.net/

Hedden, C. (1998). A guided exploration model of problem-solving discovery learning. (Order No. AAM9836182, Dissertation Abstracts International Section A: Humanities and Social Sciences, , 1903. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/619379870?accountid=12598. (prod.academic_MSTAR_619379870; 1998-95023-051).

MacQuarrie, A (March 19, 2013). Transforming the Way we Learn: Why Minecraft is an Amazing Learning Tool [Website]. Retrieved on July 18, 2013 from http://blog.k12.com/educational-technology-and-tools/transforming-way-we-learn-why-minecraft-amazing-learning-tool#.Ueh8weDOt8s

Miller, A (April 13, 2012). Ideas for Using Minecraft in the Classroom [Online Article]. Retrieved on July 18, 2013 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/minecraft-in-classroom-andrew-miller
Minecraft and Crafting to Learn (January 11, 2012). Retrieved on July 18, 2013 from http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/web-page-no-author.aspx

Rugnetta, M. [pbsideachannel]. (2013, March 6). Is Minecraft the Ultimate Educational Tool? [Video File]. Retrieved on July 18, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=RI0BN5AWOe8#!

Saab, N., van Joolingen, W. R., & van Hout-Wolters, B. H. (2005). Communication in collaborative discovery learning. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 75(4), 603-621. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.msu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/62153650?accountid=12598

Superpineapplelover. (2011, Oct 11). How to solve a linear equation (Minecraft). [Video File]. Retrieved on July 18, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mDu6J3KZa-o

Background

During this week’s lesson with CEP 810, I investigated many different technology tools (GoogleDocs, Kidblog, Prezi, JeopardyLabs, and ClassTools). Throughout my inquiry, I fell in love with Kidblog. I loved the idea of students being able to vent their frustrations with math, ask for help outside of school, and write papers in a modern setting. I even had many discussions about this website with the Technology teacher at the middle school where I currently teach. Since this is a tool I would like to implement next year, I decided to create a lesson that centered on the use of Kidblog.

Connections to Curriculum

Currently, my middle school implements the Carnegie curriculum. Carnegie is a way to “reinvent the traditional way of teaching math.” This curriculum is about asking “why” and investigating instead of memorizing steps.

Douglas Thomas and John Seely Brown (2011) suggested that the “classroom is replaced by learning environments in which digital media provides access to a rich source of information and play, and the processes that occur within those environments are integral to the results" (p. 37-38). In addition, “playing is how people generate new understanding” and students must “focus more on where information comes from” and how to generate content that represents their learning (p. 91-99).

To keep with both of these new waves of teaching, I decided to have students investigate how to solve a one or two-step equation on the Internet. This allows for the “play” factor of Thomas and Brown’s theory and improves students’ ability to retrieve reliable information on the Internet.  Using Kidblog allows for the teacher to identify where students are still struggling with the concept as well as for students to “show off” their new information by writing in their own words.

Renee Hobbs (2011) uses "five communication competencies as fundamental literacy practices that are now part of learning across all subject areas" (p. 12) which include access, analyze, create, reflect, and act. I used these to outline my own lesson. First, students must access important information that answers both of their assigned questions. While they are investigating, they must analyze this information for reliable sources and for understanding. It is important for students to understand what they are reading so they can rewrite it in their own words. Using Kidblog encompasses the reflecting and acting. Students are publishing their new information by reflecting on what they have learned and putting this understanding in their own words. The class discussion that will occur the next day in class also allows for students to act on their new information and lead to the understanding of how to solve one and two-step equations.

The Lesson

For the complete lesson, student worksheet, and rubric, click the link below.

Teaching with Technology

References

Carnegie Learning. (2013). About Us. Carnegielearning.com. Retrieved June 8, 2013, from http://www.carnegielearning.com/about/.

Thomas, D., & Brown, J. S. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky: CreateSpace?.

Hobbs, R. (2011). Digital and media literacy: Connecting culture and classroom. Thousand, Oaks, CA: Corwin/Sage.