1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativityEducators must be inventive in their delivery of content, using strategies such as project-based learning and/or student-driven learning while working with technology. Modeling the best practices of tech and digital tools to assist in the presentation, explanation, and synthesis of material will keep students engaged and reinforce the value of reflection and collaboration. Students should leave your classroom feeling capable and motivated to utilize a variety of digital tools to create and share a meaningful learning experience.
How I meet Standard No. 1Through my discovery of digital tools and resources, I have utilized video, QuestGarden, colorful assessment tools such as Kahoot or Google Forms, and many other programs to make learning inspiring and creative for students. The instructional video found below, The Pizza Dilemma, adds a storyline, costumes, and humor to mathematics education. To be clear, it is informative but also very silly! I believe students, particularly elementary aged, respond well when teachers aka grown ups are willing to be whimsical and entertaining in their delivery. Thinking outside the box is an approach many successful educators need to reach students. Going the extra mile to find the right digital tools and resources to share your creative side will inspire your students to do the same. As we know, students come with an endless combination of learning styles. Inviting students to be inventive in their demonstration of knowledge motivates them to think critically, be visionary, and utilize their strengths. It is also a student-drive approach where the educator's role is switched from "sage on stage" to "guide on the side". Education is moving more in the direction of individualized and inquiry-based learning where the teacher acts as a facilitator and mentor to help students answer meaningful questions and solve authentic problems. While I have utilized Google Forms to create assessments (link below), why not switch that role and have students create quizzes? When students are required to teach, they must have a thoughtful mastery of the content. This is one clever technique 21st century teacher use to teach their students.
As you look through the various pages on my website, you will hear (read) me talk a lot about digital applications and programs. I would like to take a moment to address hardware and tangible learning. We cannot forget our tactile learners! One area I would like to work on as I continue my career is the integration of tech hardware such as robots or 3D printers in the classroom. The education world has only just begun using 3D printers. For good reason, they are new, fickle, and expensive. Also, not much curriculum has been developed around them. However, I believe there is an opportunity for rich learning and tinkering ahead. Personally, I learn best when using tangible objects that authentically match the content I am learning. Not every aspect of our day needs to be presented on a screen. Bringing in a 3D printer to the classroom in whatever capacity I can will help address the need for 3D objects but also inspire students to be creative and innovative in a new way. |
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Standard No. 1 in Action
This is a homemade instructional video introducing the concept of ratios. It is designed to meet the math standards for a 6th grade audience. Enjoy!
Many videos to come on my Youtube channel. |
Through Google Forms, I have the freedom to create a variety of quizzes. Check out my assessment quiz to be taken after watching The Pizza Dilemma instructional video:
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I talk a lot about digital applications and programs. Let's talk about something tactile! One way I want to inspire student creativity is through tinkering and working with their hands. A way to incorporate technology into this learning is with 3D Printers.
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