Technology Integration Plan

           The lesson plan that I decided to adapt for this assignment is one that I used in my Methods for Teaching English class, which is based on Kate Chopin’s “Story of an Hour.” It was designed for an eleventh grade English class. With group collaboration and presentations included, it is estimated to take approximated five forty-five minute class sessions.
            As a “Do Now,” I originally had my students write in their journals about their thoughts to the ending to the short story. I had them write what they liked and what they would change. This would prepare them to write an alternative ending to the short story. I would then have the students briefly share their ideas with the class and then introduce them to their writing assignment. In this adapted lesson, I decided to maintain the same “Do Now” writing assignment; however, instead of having the students share their ideas aloud, I saved that for later. The students will discuss their ideas in groups, as discussed in the second row of the matrix. As mentioned in the first row of the matrix, I have added the use of a SmartBoard to demonstrate examples of what their final product should look like. The students will listen and ask questions.
            Originally, I wanted my students to independently write an alternate ending to the short story in an essay format. The students would be instructed to eliminate the final two paragraphs of the short story and continue with their ideas from there. In this new lesson, instead of having the students independently write their alternative ending, I decided to allow my students to work in groups of three to four to create a video of their alternative ending. Pedagogically, I think that this would be a great way to incorporate technology because I am providing students two different options; they can either record themselves acting, or they can use a website, such as GoAnimate, to create a virtual video. This way, students who do not feel comfortable with filming themselves have an alternative method of completing the assignment. As mentioned in the second row, the students will communicate and collaborate in groups. Those filming themselves can use any of the following technologies: cameras, cell phones, iPads, and/or laptops with webcams. The students who are virtually creating a video will use a computer to access GoAnimate. Unlike the original lesson, this one is engaging for students because they get to use technologies that they use in their everyday lives in a school setting. Also, these technologies are easy to carry from home to school.
            In the third row, I mention that students will present their videos to the class using the SmartBoard. In the original plan, I had the students share their alternate endings in groups, not with the entire class. The students presenting will then engage the audience in a discussion about their thinking process and what led them to believe that this was a reasonable ending based on textual evidence. Pedagogically, I find this to be both an engaging and educational assignment, because in order for the students to create an alternative ending, the goal is that they will understand the conflict, characters, setting, and writing style.
           As mentioned in the fourth row, the students in the audience will evaluate the group presenting using a rubric, which was created on Rubistar in a previous class session. The students will have this rubric printed out for when each group presents. The rubric will have a section to evaluate both the video and the explanation of the video.
            I particularly like the idea of students sharing their work with one another; that is why I decided to make it mandatory that all students post their video up on DropBox, as seen in row five. As the teacher, I will create a DropBox folder and allow all my students to have access to it. This way students can access each others’ videos whenever they please; this will particularly benefit those students who are absent. To do this, the best option is to use a computer to download the video file; however, the students can access each others’ work through their iPads and Smartphones.
            Overall, I feel as if this adapted lesson will pedagogically benefit all the students in my class, because they will bring their technologies into a classroom setting, students will collaborate with peers, they will develop stronger public speaking skills through presentation, and students will take on the role of a teacher by evaluating groups with a rubric. 

My Matrix!

Movies in an English Classroom

            In order for students to learn, it is important that they are engaged and interested in what is being taught. The best way to grab a student’s attention is by appealing to their personal hobbies and interests. Looking back on my experiences as a student in both elementary school and high school, I realize that I always enjoyed working with visual, instead of listening to lectures, engaging in class discussion, or simply reading from the textbook. My favorite was watching movies in class. Pedagogically, I believe that showing movies in an English classroom is a great way to enhance students’ ability to analyze. For example, if the class were reading Khaled Hosseini’s “The Kite Runner,” I could show my students the movie version of the book. There are numerous similarities and differences between the two; however, in order to be able to point out the similarities and differences, the students must understand both the movie and the book. Another engaging way to incorporate movies in an English classroom is by showing a scene from a movie and then having the students write an alternate ending.
            By showing movies, a variety of different assignments could be assigned. For example, students could use a graphic organizer such as a Venn diagram. Students could also write a compare and contrast essay or a persuasive essay on whether or not the movie truly portrays the message of the novel.  Documentaries are also excellent to show in the classroom, because they are informative and straightforward. I personally prefer them over a lecture, because a documentary contains music and visuals.
            Not only are movies a great way to make learning fun, but several different technologies can be used. For example, to show a movie a teacher can use any of the following: computer, DVD player, VCR, and SmartBoard. Movies can be used in any content area classroom. 

Online Grade Books in an English Classroom

                When I was in elementary school, I remember every single one of my teachers owning and carrying a green spiral book where they kept both attendance records and grades. The teachers did not have access to online grade books in class, because most of the computers did not work. They could not rely on the three bulky computers in the classroom. When I entered high school, I realized that the teachers registered all the information straight into the computer. There were approximately 24 computers in each classroom, and every teacher had a computer at their desk.
                As teachers, it is our job to make sure that we keep accurate records of our students’ grades and attendance in an organized fashion. If we are privileged enough to working in a school that has computers, it would be great to use an online grade book. Unless required by the school, there are so many different websites that we can use to help up keep track of our records. Two websites that I am familiar with are Engrade and ThinkWave; they are both FREE programs which I plan to use in my English classroom.
                For my methods class, we were provided with a list of “students” and “grades.” We were instructed to input the grades and create a reasonable scale for grading. I am currently using ThinkWave. When I create an assignment, I can decide how much I want each category to weigh and whether I want to provide a letter grade, percentage, or simply a check. Once all grades are inputted, the computer calculates the grades. I then get a class average. In the future, I can use this average to reflect on the class as a whole. Parents and students can also register and have access to their grades. This is a great way to get parents involved in their child’s education. Also, if students and parents keep up with the grades, there will not be any surprises at the end of the semester.
                Another advantage of using these websites is that I can always have access to my students’ grades. I can input grades over the weekend from home. Also, if I am required to hand in a hard copy of my records, I can simply print from the website. I do not have to worry about copying grades by hand into a grade book. 

Using Commercials in an English Classroom

            Music plays an important role in most students’ lives on a day-to-day basis. As the last school bell rings, headphones are quickly removed from pockets and popped into ears. The same occurs as soon as the lunch bell rings and students make their way to the cafeteria. Many students even go as far as to sneak at least one headphone into their ear during class, hiding it under their shirt and hair. Today, music is easily accessed on cellphones, computers, and iPads through Pandora, YouTube, and iTunes. Students no longer have to sit through commercials, unless they are listening to the radio or watching television.
            Sitting through a commercial while anxiously waiting for a song or for your favorite show to play, may be “annoying”. Even though we have all wished that we could just fast-forward a commercial, it is important to keep in mind that commercials portray creativity and are a means of informing, and persuading.

            It is for this reason that I believe it would be a great idea to incorporate commercials into an English class. For example, after students write a persuasive essay, I could have them convert their essays into a commercial. Two possible commercial forms that could be used are visual, a commercial to be seen on television, and auditory, one heard over the radio. The students could then write a reflection paper on whether their commercial was successful and what exactly the commercial refelcts about their paper. Perhaps, once students transform their essay into a commercial, they might want to alter their paper.
            Before the students begin to record or film their commercials, I believe that it would be a great idea to show some commercial examples on the SmartBoard. The students could discuss and analyze them – what is this advertisement trying to sell? Who is the targeted audience? This way students could have an idea of the key elements needed in their commercials.
            I believe that using commercials would be a great way to engage students; it would also be an excellent way of incorporating several different technologies into the classroom. For example, I would have to use a SmartBoard to project television commercials off of Youtube. I would need to bring a radio or a recorder with recorded commercials for students to listen. The students would then need video cameras or recorders to record their personal commercials.

Using RubiStar in an English Classroom

                It is easy to assign students a writing assignment in an English classroom and provide them with a due date. Students will go home and write, and submit it in hopes of receiving a good grade. Even though instructions to assignments may seem clear, it is essential that students know what exactly they are being grades on. It is for this reason that I believe that students should always have a rubric to follow when writing a paper, even for the first draft. Students need to know what is expected of them before they start writing so that they can lead their thoughts in the right direction.
                I understand that creating a rubric may seem like a tedious task to complete, especially for every assignment; however, there are several useful websites that can make a teacher’s life so much easier! I personally like to use RubiStar. It is a free website that does not require you to be a member in order to use it. On the homepage, you can click on your content area, and you will be directed to several different topics. You will then select the topic for which you want your rubric. For example, if I wanted my students to write a persuasive essay, on the homepage I would click on “writing”. I would then click on “persuasive essay”.
                Once you have selected your topic, you have to fill out brief information: name, rubric name, and your zip code. You will then see multiple empty boxes. The great thing about this website is that you can select from their options, or you can create your own. Also, you can follow their grading scale (4-1), or you can create your own using their template. Once complete, just click on Submit and you will have a copy of your final rubric. There is also the option to go back and edit it if you are not satisfied. If you do not see the topic that you are teaching on the list, you can simply select any topic in your content area, and just use their template as a guide. I believe that this is a great tool to use, especially for new teachers because this website serves as a guide to creating rubrics.

Using Wordle in an English Classroom

            Wordle is a great software that can be used in an English classroom when teaching several different topics. Wordle.net is a free website that serves as a cloud generator to produce a picture with words. For example, if a student wrote a paragraph, they could copy and paste it into the textbox on this website and the software would generate the words to create a picture using words. The words appear in all directions: horizontal, vertical, diagonal. The words that are used most frequently in the text appear the biggest. For this reason, this software would work particularly well when students need to identify the theme of a passage. Since the size of the words defines repetition and the frequency of the word, students could identify the theme of a passage with the biggest words.
            If I instructed my students to write a paper, this software could be used for feedback. For example, just by copying and pasting a paragraph into the software, the students are able to get a sense of how frequent they repeat certain words without even noticing it. Once the student notices that they have repeated a word several times, they can go back and edit their essays either by coming up with synonyms or deleting sentences.
           Another feature that I like about this software is that students are about to transform their words into a shape. For example, if students write a story about their love for coffee, they can actually design a mug with the words used in their essay. They also have the option to edit the colors, size, and font of their words.
            Not only can this software be used in an English class, but it could be used in other content areas. I particularly think this software would make a great lesson when combining both Art and English. 

Collaboration Canvas

         I decided to remix my major, English, with a Social Studies unit. The original Social Studies unit focused on the changing ideologies of race and culture. Creating a Remix canvas was a difficult task because the widgets were not cooperating.
       In order to recognize change, it is essential to understand how different races and cultures were treated years ago and how they are treated today. For this particular unit, I wanted my students to focus on the Holocaust; therefore, they will read Karen Levine's Hana's suitcase. I am aware that this novel only covers the Holocaust; however, I am assuming that other cultures will be covered in following units. After reading, analyzing, and discussing Levine's novel and videos, students will compose an essay where they compare and contrast how ideologies have changed over time, relating to researched statistics, articles, videos, and the novel.
        I kept the all of the pictures, the video, and most of the additional resources. I decided to remove the "Sit-in movement" resource, because I wanted to focus more on the Holocaust. That is why I added a link to an introduction on the Holocaust and a website about Hana's life. I added a summary and a trailer to the documentary which is based on the novel. Also, I removed the "What are demographic factors?" resource, because I thought it was too vague. I added a clip of people expressing how they feel about being discriminated and their opinions on whether or not they have seen change.
   
     

http://www.play.annenberginnovationlab.org/play2.0/challenge.php?idChallenge=2704&mode=view#network6