Introduction
Two Artifacts
Choosing only two artifacts from all the ones I
created is going to be a difficult task. There were many that I was extremely
proud of and could immediately implement in my classroom.
One assignment that stood out was Module 7 Assignment:
Fake News creating a lesson plan. Not because it was an assignment that I could
immediately use in my classroom, but because it was by far my most challenging
one. As a foreign language classroom for the lower level German classes we
never address topics such as fake news. I mulled over this assignment for over
a week, feeling challenged, frustrated and lost. I didn’t feel confident at all
creating a lesson plan, since it was completely out of my comfort zone. It was
very difficult for me to make a connection to a topic or curriculum that I had
no experience with and that did not pertain to my work or experiences directly.
I tried to create an activity that would help me better understand how to
detect fake news and hopefully the activity I chose will benefit the students
as well.
After creating this lesson plan I realize that
this lesson has a place in my German 1 and 2 classes. It is called seeing the
big picture, seeing the possibilities of using this lesson cross curricular
with other subjects such as history, art, sociology and music.
Overall this is a great way to communicate with
my families about the German program at CLS.
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Reflection
When deciding on continuing
education classes I want to make sure I choose classes that allow me to grow
and expand to reach my personal goal of becoming a better person and educator
for my students. I ask myself what do I need to know and learn now to be better
today. This time remote learning forced me to look at classes that will enhance
my technology skills and broaden my horizons to better serve my students while
teaching online.
In my classroom I like to
teach more with kinesthetic-tactile activities and use the computer or computer
related activities very little. It is student driven as my kids are very vocal
that they do not like their chrome books and love playing old fashioned games
such as board games, Guess Who or Connect Four to practice their vocabulary,
grammar and/or speaking skills in the target language.
Unfortunately, that all
came to a halt when COVID19 came into our lives and my e-learning teaching
skills were tested. I managed, but I managed poorly. I have very little
confidence with computer related activities and remote learning. When the stay
at home order was issued I was bombarded and with all these websites that
offered activities for my students during remote learning – I was so overwhelmed!
Which ones should I choose? What activities are going to work online? Are my
students going to like them? Will they be engaged? Which technology activities
will empower students?
Another concern I have
with online learning is isolation. My in-person classes are full of activities
that either encourages individual, partner, small group or whole class
learning. How can I get students to collaborate the same way we do in the
traditional classroom when we are only teaching on-line? I learned over the
past few weeks that online learning does not have to be in isolation, but there
are many opportunities for students to share ideas/information with online
activities by using chats, discussions, games, projects, books etc.
I was hoping that the
classes I enrolled in “Engaging E-Learning” and “Multimedia Tools in Education”
would help me sort out the plethora of technology and guide me in my choices
what I should incorporate in my classroom. I was looking for meaningful
projects in which I can use appropriate technology. It has been very helpful
and rewarding to complete assignments from the student’s perspective. This
class has offered a wealth of information to enhance my e-learning curriculum
for the upcoming year. In this class I learned that there is an abundance of
tech tools that I can implement in my classroom; tools that will keep my
students challenged and engaged. There are options for my students to work
individually, with a partner or small groups. I am looking forward to creating
new curriculum that I can enhance with assignments that require technology and
it will be rewarding and educational for my students.
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Module 5 - Resources
As a foreign language teacher it is important that I capture the attention of my students. That is best done with a great visual – for example a joke in German that introduces the lesson. The kids are able to understand what is happening in the picture without having to know the language. And even though they didn’t have to read the caption to understand they feel a sense of accomplishment, because they got the joke, without know much of the language.
One
of the most important tools in my classroom are visuals– be it in person
teaching or during remote learning. From day one I speak in the target language
and what I say to the students is supported by a visual, so they have an idea
of what I am trying to communicate to them. The visuals will also reduce
anxiety, because they can see the content I am teaching them. From the first
day in my classroom students can as to go to the bathroom, get a drink of
water, go to the nurse etc, because I have posters with the written information
supported by a picture.
I
also have taught ESL 1, where students did not speak any English and I did not
know their language (Spanish, Chinese, Arabic). Graphic designs were my savor!
I was able to lay out the entire lesson using graphic designs and students were
knew what was expected by following the visuals. I couldn’t have taught that
class without the visuals.
In
both instances I was able to include infographics for students to analyze
within a few weeks of instruction. They certainly were not able to read
everything, but the visuals gave enough information that students could answer
specific questions and were able to speculate, predict or hypothesize about
other information.
From
the readings I have learned that I need to let go of some of my planning and
let the students do it. What really hit home was the data that 80 % of
information is retained if the learner sees it or creates it him/herself. Even
though I teach high school my students love to get creative when they have to
complete an assignment that includes drawings. Lots of times I hear – Remember
when we did this in elementary school! Or I remember doing this when we learned
how to tell time!
While
reading the article 8
Examples of Incorporating Infographics in Middle School Classrooms I thought of an activity that we usually
do in small groups. The students read an article what young people in Germany
to in their spare time. The article is full of statistics and in the past the
groups would read the text and would give a visual representation of the
article on a big piece of poster paper. This year I am going to try to have
them create an infographic since this article is peppered with statistics. If
we are e-learning I think it will be a great assignment that they can do
individually or with a partner. I am really excited to try this out.
Maria,
ReplyDeleteI always knew that graphic design was important, but your statistic about 80% of information being retained if the learner sees/creates it themselves was astonishing. I can totally relate to using visuals to support students. While I may not work with ESL or a foreign language, I often work with some readers who are a bit behind grade level, using images is a great way to help even the playing field for students!