EDUU 629- Week 8

iNACOL Standards	0 = Not at All         1 = A Little 2 = An Average Amount 3 = More than Average 4 = Masterful
Standard A: The online teacher knows the primary concepts and structures of effective online instruction and is able to create learning experiences to enable student success.	4
Standard B: The online teacher understands and is able to use a range of technologies, both existing and emerging, that effectively support student learning and engagement in the online environment.	4
Standard C: The online teacher plans, designs, and incorporates strategies to encourage active learning, application, interaction, participation, and collaboration in the online environment.	3
Standard D: The online teacher promotes student success through clear expectations, prompt responses, and regular feedback.	4
Standard E: The online teacher models, guides, and encourages legal, ethical, and safe behavior related to technology use.	4
Standard F: The online teacher is cognizant of the diversity of student academic needs and incorporates accommodations into the online environment.	2
Standard G: The online teacher demonstrates competencies in creating and implementing assessments in online learning environments in ways that ensure validity and reliability of the instruments and procedures.	3
Standard H: The online teacher develops and delivers assessments, projects, and assignments that meet standards-based learning goals and assesses learning progress by measuring student achievement of the learning goals.	4
Standard I: The online teacher demonstrates competency in using data from assessments and other data sources to modify content and to guide student learning.	3
Standard J: The online teacher interacts in a professional, effective manner with colleagues, parents, and other members of the community to support students’ success.	4
Standard K: The online teacher arranges media and content to help students and teachers transfer knowledge most effectively in the online environment.	4

Overall, I am proud of how far I have come in understanding and implementing the iNACOL standards. Prior to my Master’s Program, I had never heard of them; therefore, they were a whole new concept to me. While it may have been overwhelming at first, I can now say that I appreciate the challenges I faced with them.

My lowest scoring standard was Standard F, which is “The online teacher is cognizant of the diversity of student academic needs and incorporates accommodations into the online environment” (iNACOL, 2019). I scored myself a 2 because I understand each child does not learn the same way, and I am aware of the importance of incorporating accommodations that allows each student the opportunity to succeed. However, I feel like I didn’t fully meet this standard when creating my unit. While I did provide audio and visual resources throughout my unit, as well as the use of hands-on manipulatives, I didn’t give my students the opportunity to complete the key summative assessment in a different way, if needed. All students were asked to complete the assessment in the same way; therefore, moving forward, in order to attain mastery of this standard, I need to think of other possible options for students to complete the summative assessment. For example, maybe students who don’t feel comfortable drawing out their model representation on Seesaw can solve their addition problem using hands-on manipulatives, such as base-ten blocks or cubes. 

The highest scoring standard that I am choosing to write about is Standard K. I gave myself a 4 for this standard because I am proud of how I created videos explaining the instructions for the discussion post and the key summative assessment. I also created a sample video for my students where I model the key summative assessment and how they are supposed to record themselves explaining each step in solving their own addition problem. Moving forward, I will go through my unit and continue to create videos of myself explaining and modeling assignments, as well as delivering instructions. This is crucial for my first graders who still struggle with reading, as well as my audio and visual learners. 

iNACOL. (2019). iNACOL national standards for quality online teaching (v2). Retrieved from https://www.inacol.org/resource/inacol-national-standards-for-quality-online-teaching-v2/

EDUU 629- Week 7

As I review my UBD design doc, I am able to see the progress I have made with understanding and creating Backwards Design. I am still considered to be a new educator, and I am so glad that I completed this program at the beginning of my career. I now know and understand how to improve my lessons, and make learning meaningful and engaging for all of my students.

When I was first introduced to Backwards Design, I was overwhelmed with the idea that I had to create a whole demo unit. I think the hardest part for me was trying to decide which subject or topic to create my unit on. Once I chose my my topic, everything else seemed to pretty much fall into place. Of course, there were times where I found the Backwards Design process annoying; however, I would have to say that it was empowering. It was neat to have the end goal in mind and try to figure out each day’s lesson on how to get my students to that point. 

Overall, I would have to say that I am pleased with the final outcome of my unit and how I implemented Backwards Design; however, I know that there is still so much that I could add to improve it. Reflecting on my process, I will definitely use backwards design again in my future. Seeing the end result is certainly a a proud moment in the realization that I was able to plan and design a unit based on what I chose. It makes me realize that I am able to do this with any subject or topic that I choose, regardless of the grade level. 

When thinking about my blended unit, I feel like I have a good amount of constructivist engagement for the in-class portion. I feel like this part of my unit works well because I am there in person, and am able to guide the conversations for my students. I am able to walk around the classroom and listen to the conversations my students are having with their classmates. If I see that a group is having a more difficult time, I am able to ask them right then and there what they’re struggling with. I would certainly like add more peer colloaboration to the online portion of my unit, as this was the component that I struggled with the most when designing my unit for my first graders.

EDUU 629- Week 6

Being that my blended unit focuses on a math concept, I suppose I was instantly drawn to a tool called MathPlayer. This program “is a universal math reader that now enables math to be spoken in assistive technology products” (Design Science, 2018, para. 1). I chose this resource because it allows my students the opportunity to hear and see the math lesson, which is excellent for the auditory and visual learners. It’s important for them to have appropriate modeling of the skills being learned, including pronunciation and academic vocabulary. 

Design Science. (2018). Math Player. Retrieved from http://www.dessci.com/en/products/mathplayer/ 

EDUU 629- Week 5

When I first learned that I had to teach a lesson to one of my classmates, I honestly started to get nervous about the whole idea of it all. I now realize that the reason why I was so nervous was because it was entirely a whole new experience for me, and I wasn’t exactly sure how it was going to play out. I was also nervous about “teaching” an adult, mostly because I had self-doubt and felt like I was going to be judged by my partner. However, once my partner and I logged into Zoom to talk through our lessons and to try out its various features, I instantly felt more at ease. My partner was so supportive throughout the whole process, and I am certainly thankful to him for that. This whole experience went much better than I thought it would, so much so that it has now become my favorite collaboration project I’ve completed throughout my whole Master’s Program. 

Reflecting on how I conducted my lesson, I believe I did decent job in making it engaging and not so much like a lecture. I started out by asking a few questions to recall my student’s prior knowledge, played part of a video that demonstrated how to regroup in double-digit addition, and then worked through an example step-by-step with my student. I felt like I did a good job of having my student/partner participate by answering the questions I asked while working out the problem on the whiteboard. 

The three things I will take from this experience and use in the future are:

1. An alternative approach to meeting face to face in a synchronous meeting, whether it be to meet with a student, parent, or colleague. 
2. The importance of becoming familiar with the program used for the meeting, such as  learning how to use the instructional tools within Zoom. 
3. Lastly, I take away the importance of including collaboration projects. This helps students build relationships and feel more comfortable with one another. 

EDUU 629- Week 4

According to Garrison (2008), “the first issue is about shifting social presence from socio-emotional support to a focus on group cohesion (from personal to purposeful relationships)” (p.61). This idea ties into what I’ve already learned about Communities of Practice (CoP) because the goal of a CoP is for “a group of people who share a concern or passion for something they do, and learn how to do it better as they interact regularly” (Team BE, 2011). As a student, this falls true, at least from my experience. It has been difficult for me to adjust to solely online learning because I have had to learn how to build relationships in another way. However, I appreciate the relationships I have built through my online courses because it helps to know that I’m not the only one with the same concern or goal at the end. Being able to relate to one another has definitely made a difference for me in completing my courses. The social component can be built and maintained in my blended course by having my students participate in team building exercises and fun ice breakers. Since my blended unit is for first grade, I wold prefer for such activities to be done in the classroom so I could help guide the lessons. The social element can be used to support disciplined thinking by teaching students there are multiple ways to approach a topic, and they can be creative with the approach they take to complete the task (Gardner, 2008, p.33). 

According to Garrison (2008), “Cognitive presence is defined as the exploration, construction, resolution and confirmation of understanding through collaboration and reflection in a community of inquiry” (p.65). This idea ties into what we’ve leaned about CoP because it goes hand-in-hand with we’ve been practicing throughout our whole Master’s Program. We have been allowed to explore (Pinterest) and construct (Wikis, Signature Assignments), as well as collaborate and reflect (Discussion Posts and group projects). The component of cognitive presence can be built and maintained in my blended unit by allowing more opportunities to explore, collaborate and reflect. Perhaps, this can also be done through in-class opportunities of exploring the manipulatives and allowing students to discuss their findings. This leads into supporting disciplined and creative thinking because it’s a new approach they’re not used to, and are allowed to think freely because they are not limited to using the materials a specific way.

Lastly, Garrison states that the teaching presence component is made up of three categories- design, facilitation and direct instruction (2008, p.67). This idea ties into CoP because we regularly interact with one another due to the way our courses are designed and facilitated. We have become familiar with the process and the requirements of our weekly tasks because it is practiced so regularly. This component can be built and maintained in my blended unit by the way I design the course as well as the way I set and deliver my course expectations to my students. The way that I communicate with my students will also play an overall role within the teaching presence component of my blended unit. Disciplined and creative thinking will be supported through the lessons, activities, discussions, and collaborative interactions students have in class, as well as online. 

Gardner, H. (2006). Five minds for the future. Boston, Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing

Garrison, D. R. (n.d.). Online community of inquiry review: Social, cognitive, and teaching presence issues. Retrieved from https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/5b7ade7761e43/3736576?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27Garrison%2520-%25202007%2520-%2520Online%2520community%2520of%2520inquiry%2520review%2520social%252C%2520cognitive%252C%2520and%2520teaching%2520presence%2520issues.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20190409T083841Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIBGJ7RCS23L3LEJQ%2F20190409%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=f63d324b915e575d48dc394f04a2cc150d0419cfca3cc0dbc136552fd6fecda4 

Team BE. (2011, December 28). What is a community of practice?. Retrieved from https://wenger-trayner.com/resources/what-is-a-community-of-practice/ 

EDUU 629- Week 3

After reading Abraham Lincoln’s Brilliant Method for Handling Setbacks, educators can ensure that they give learners meaningful feedback by practicing “the art of empathy” (Mochari, 2014). For example, “When delivering feedback, think about how it will affect both the recipient and your overall goal; Before you criticize an employee, put yourself in his shoes; If you’re angry about an outcome, give yourself an outlet for venting” (Mochari, 2014). When I read this, it made me view providing feedback from a different perspective. I put myself in that situation as an educator, as well as the one receiving the feedback (the learner). I know that when I receive feedback, I certainly respond and react to the tone being used by the one giving me the feedback, whether it be positive or negative. This is definitely a skill I need to keep in mind when providing feedback to my students- How would I feel if I received the feedback I am giving?

The guidelines I would share with a future teacher of my final demo unit is that they need to make sure the feedback they give is information that could truly benefit the learner, not just their way of venting about how the work doesn’t meet their expectations. Our goal as educators is to help our students learn and grow, including from their mistakes; therefore, we need to be mindful about the way we speak to our students. We also need to make sure that we provide feedback regularly that includes our clear expectations (iNACOL Standard D). By providing our learners with regular feedback, it allows them to build a relationship with us, the educators. As an educator, I believe building relationships with your students is the first and most important step in guiding our students to be successful. 

Mochari, I. (2014, February 11). Abraham Lincoln’s brilliant method for handling setbacks. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/ilan-mochari/lincoln-lesson- setbacks.html

EDUU 629- Week 2

The OEI rubric has four sections of which a unit is being evaluated on; however, within those four sections are multiple criterion that specifies exactly what the design of a unit should include. Overall, I would have to say that I enjoyed my experience using the OEI rubric to self-evaluate my demo unit that I’ve created. I enjoyed this reflective process because I was able to gain a clearer picture of what exactly I have aligned and what it is I still need to work on or add to my unit. Going through each criterion, being honest with myself by choosing “Incomplete” or “Aligned”, as well as adding comments about my unit, are all parts of what helped me gain a better understanding of where my unit stands with its design. 

When self-evaluating against the iNACOL standards, I felt like I was able to provide a general/vague explanation of what it is that I need to refine within my unit. I prefer this OEI Rubric because now that I have a detailed checklist I can go through, I feel motivated to refine my unit to include the components that are incomplete. When going through each of the criterion, I was a slightly overwhelmed with everything listed on the rubric; however, it did help that each section was chunked with related criterion. 

The value that I see in these tools is that they allow 21st Century Educators to self-reflect on their work they have designed. They allow educators the opportunity to view each criterion broken down and be honest with themselves as to how their unit is coming along. I would definitely use these tools in my own practice because both include elements that are beneficial in providing me with a detailed checklist of how I could improve my unit. I find that the iNACOL standards provide you with specific guidance as to what your unit should include, such as the lessons and content. On the other hand, the OEI rubric provides you with specific guidance as to what you should include in the overall structure and design of your unit.