Essential Question
How might we enhance student success with a LMS? Rationale: Upon completion of a school survey using survey monkey data indicated that Middle School teachers needed training on how to use a Learning Management System. As part of the school districts surprise and delight grades k-8 went 1:1. A learning management system is imperative when keeping students on task with technology. The LMS allows the teacher to direct the learning. Links, content, and task are all directed through the system. The LMS also allows teacher to perform polls to assess student’s knowledge or activate background knowledge. The LMS also allows a teacher to quickly assess learning for the day with a quiz. Armed with that knowledge a teacher can plan for the next day of learning. The LMS also assist teacher with developing differeniated learning activities or assessments because within the class a teacher can create smaller groups. Those smaller groups within the larger group can have assignments or assessments that meet their specific learning styles or needs. Methods I decided to record my lessons on Edmodo. I chose the recording because teachers were very interested in learning and self- motivated. This would allow them to participate when they were ready. This was an introduction in order to get teachers familiar with the dashboard. I also demonstrate how to use web 2.0 tools within Edmodo. I provide a list of Web 2.0 tools and some digital citizenship content to share with students as they begin to interact in an online setting. I created an Edmodo Training group and asked staff to join my group. Within this group teachers are able to interact with each other in discussion and I am able to post resources and perform my assessments with the LMS. Objectives Staff will create an Edmodo account Staff will define a Learning Management System Staff will explain how a LMS can be used in a 1:1 environment Staff will demonstrate how to post content to the page Staff will create groups (classes). Staff will demonstrate how students sign up for class Staff will demonstrate how to use the calendar Staff will evaluate the collaborative properties of an LMS Assessment Staff creates an account successfully Staff will participate in a edomo discussion by posting their own definition Staff will post and discuss on edmodo the uses or possibilities of a 1:1 environment Staff will make a post on their class page. Staff will successfully create and name their groups properly Staff will direct students to enroll Staff will successfully post assignments or announcements to a class calendar Staff will make a post to edmodo about how an LMS can be used to collaborate. ISTE Standard TF.V.D.1 TF.V.D.2 TF.V.D.1 TF.IIV.C.1 TF.V.D.3 TF.V.D.2 TF.V.D.1 TF.V.D.1 TF.V.D.1 TF.IIV.C.1 TF.V.D.3 TF.V.D.2 I collaborated with a Math Teacher as we learned how to use the Dual Interwrite Board together. I was very familiar with Smart Boards but not the Interwrite Boards. I jumped right in and began playing with it. Once I figured it out I began met with her and I would do then she would do, then we would go through the steps together.
I gave her some suggestions for using the board with two students responding to a math problem at the same time. First I recommended that she lock the Math problem so that students would not accidentally delete the problem. Then I recommended that she make one students work large when discussing how they worked the problem because in sharing the board the writing was very some from the back of the room. So, I showed her own to make one side of the board full screen and how to switch to the other side of the board as full screen. She jumped right in and started using the board the next day. She had students at the board working problems and she was using the full screen mode and leading mathematical reasoning discussion around student work. Upon completion of the unit on solving linear equation 80% of students demonstrated proficiency on the unit test. It is difficult to say that this was due to the interwrite board, but the one thing we can say for certain is that student engagement in the lesson went up as a result of integrating the dual interwrite board. One of my strengths is my ability to listen. I feel like I was able to collaborate so successfully because I was able to hear what teachers needs were and meet those needs. For some it was just a matter of showing them a resource, for others it was a matter of modeling, other it was I need your undivided attention. As you look at each collaboration you will notice that I took different approaches with each one and this left teachers happy because their learning style or the knowledge that they needed was met.
I hope to expand on this collaboration efforts. I would love to see teachers using blogs in ELA courses. I would like to get teachers on board with getting parents to sign into Edmodo at the beginning of the year so that they can increase parent involvement and communication. In reflecting on my online PD for Edmodo the video quality was not good because I took the quicktime screen cast and put it in movie maker. Once I completed the editing and exported the file the text on the screen became blurry. I was very sick when I put this together so my enthusiasm is lacking and I sound pretty tight.
Teachers liked the online training because it allowed the to do the training at their own convenience. I only had one teacher who wanted me to work with them face to face. Our faculty and staff are for the most part pretty tech savy, so a self directed learning experience was best for them as they could progress quickly through the training without waiting on the few that are a bit slower. To my surprise many began implementing Edmodo in the classroom right away. I knew it was a topic of interest because of the February Surprise and Delight of middle school students receiving Macbook Pros, however I did not think they would implement the training so quickly. Many jumped right in and starting implementing quizzes which I did not address in the training. Looking back I could have included more features in the training as many were capable of taking in more information than I had planned for in the training. As a result many teachers are able to get real time feedback by using polls and quizzes. Others are about to promote collaboration through the use of Edmodo and everyone has learned how a Learning Management System is very important in managing 1:1. I collaborated with a new Language Arts teacher about how to manage 1:1 in the classroom. I recommended using Edmodo. In using Edmodo all the site or sources that students would need are embedded into the site. This will keep students from going places that they should not be. Also, if you want students to watch a Youtube video, it will not take them to youtube,it will only show the video that you want them to see.
Secondly, it keeps everything organized in one place and increases on task time. We discussed the importance of walking the room and monitoring students computer screens as they work and have clear consequences for not following the AUP. I shared the Digital Drivers License website and recommended that her students complete those units to obtain their DDL before they are allowed to use their computers. The Website leads students through internet safety, copyright, online purchasing, and healthy practices. Students must obtain an 80% on quizzes before they obtain their DDL. 100% of her students acquired their DDL. She has successfully started an Edmodo account and uses it effectively. Her students all completed the DDL. She has followed through on her consequences for AUP violations. 99% of her students have demonstrated digital citizenship since February. I collaborated with three High School teachers on how to use Weebly. Weebly is a website that allows you to create a webpage with ease. Teachers were looking for a way for their students to be able to put together all their artifacts for their SPARC binders. The SPRAC binder is a way for Students to prove that they have met College & Career Ready benchmarks, World Class Knowledge benchmarks, and Next Generation Skills benchmarks. Those items were scattered everywhere. I suggested that students to create a blog using Weebly. The blog would allow students to post their evidence on the blog. Each evidence or blog post would be categorized as either CCR, World Class Knowledge, or Next Gen skills. Students could use their blog during the SPARC meeting to showcase their work in each category. This would make it easy for teachers to evaluate as to whether students have met those requirements for each area.
Teachers found this to be helpful and decided that this would also allow students the opportunity to learn how to create a blog. I scheduled a time with each teacher to train their students how to use Weebly. Teachers wanted me to model how to use this and also how to train students how to use Weebly. It went well and students are working on their blogs during Advisor/Advisee time to collect their evidence and post it on their blog site. I collaborated with the Art teacher and assisted her in creating an Edmodo account. When discussing with her how Edmodo could benefit her and her students we concluded that it was a great way to have to write the art reviews. We also discussed that it was a great way to post assignments and rubrics for students. This would allow students to see what they missed on the days they were absent. She loved the calendar feature as it would assist her in communicating with parents and students about daily assignments and or art shows.
I used the I do, you do, and we do method when working with her one to one. This teacher is not open to change and this was a big step for her to use a LMS in her classroom. My method was to show her features of the LMS that would be helpful to her and save her time. If feel confident that as she uses it to assist her with her teaching duties that she will begin to find more ways to use it for instruction. |