Module 3. Unit 3: Activity 3 PLN Mind Map

http://mind42.com/public/e4eb2c8e-b7e7-4e73-9687-cec42377342d

Link to Activity

Module . Unit 3. Activity 1. Short Reflection on a Digital Tool

Reflection on digital tools

The tool that I find most effective is Facebook. When I first starting using Facebook it was primarily to keep in touch with family and friends. However, now I use it collaborate with colleagues, I read educational posts my fellow teachers put up and I have joined several networks where I am able to keep current on trends in education.

There ways that I use my  PLN tools. I use them of course to improve my knowledge of education and get advice but most of the tools are essential to my day to day life. They keep me connected which can be difficult living here in Korea and they help my growth as an individual. 

I have used Facebook, Google + and other networking tools as a way to get my classes to communicate and collaborate with each other outside of the classroom setting and in the classroom. The internet has been a vital tool for my classroom. From using tools like Prezi to Google Docs, it comes in handy everyday. 

Module 3. Unit 2: Activity 4 Application Lesson Plan

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B47lIVjUo1x4Vm05YXNLeXVNTzA/edit?usp=sharing


Link to view

Module 3: Unit 2: Activity 3. Group Project.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/13AJI-6YA8UWJ2NdtrA8kLkSF8ucxnirDbV4q1-koMLA/edit?usp=sharing

Link to view this activity

Mod 3. Unit 2: Activity 1 Teach Now

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B47lIVjUo1x4OVg4b3ItRUU0bWs&usp=sharing


Here is a link to a folder where you can view this activity

Teach Now: Mod 3: Unit 1, Activity 1. Brain Based Blog

                

It is a widely known that the children who are in primary and elementary school s today are going to need skills for jobs that aren’t even invented yet, so any education that we are providing today needs to be pursuing technology.  The concept of using brain-based learning to meet those needs is an interesting one. Brain-Based Learning refers “to teaching methods, lesson designs, and school programs that are based on the latest scientific research about how the brain learns, including such factors as cognitive development—how students learn differently as they age, grow, and mature socially, emotionally, and cognitively”(Education Reform, 2013) I can see if the principles of brain-based learning are applied in a classroom that they can indeed have a positive outcome on learning and there has been some research done that has indicated that children with reading difficulties have really benefited from this approach (Fink, 2006).

The twelve principles of Brain-Based Learning as presented on by the Sonoma Dept. of Education are as follows: 1) the brain is a parallel processor; the brain is a complex adaptive system, 2) learning engages the entire physiology; we have to account for the health of our students and that the brain is social brain, 3) the search for meaning is innate; it is programmed in us as a survival mechanism to seek the meaning of things, 4)the search for meaning occurs through patterns; our brain seeks to have organization and categorization and resist “meaningless” patterns, 5)emotions are critical to patterning; our brains cannot separate emotions from cognition but rather they are intertwined, 6) every brain simultaneously perceives and creates parts and wholes; educators  must engage both hemispheres of the brain simultaneously, 7) learning involves my focused attention and peripheral perception; children learn from everything and educators need to provide rich learning environments, 8) learning always involves conscious and unconscious processes; we learn not just from what we are told but also what we experience, 9) we have two types of memory, spatial and sets of systems for rote learning; we have specialized memory systems which need to stimulated and educators need to consider them when designing lesson plans, 10)brain remembers best when facts are embedded in to spatial memory; learners are more successful when lessons are more dynamic , 11) learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited threats;   stress can sometimes be positive to learning, and 12) each brain unique; there is no one set type of student but rather everyone will bring their own unique learning style and approach (Sonoma County, 2013).

Students today are more and more becoming digital learners. It is a simple fact that teachers cannot escape. Teacher are no longer required simply provide facts and content rather teachers are relied upon to provide their students with the ability to process the content and make it meaningful. Looking at the brain-based principle that “the search for meaning is innate”, gives a good insight of the type of learning climate teachers need to create.  When teachers provide the students with exciting and meaningful ways to learn, students will innately use the digital tools they have around them to satisfy their desire for discovery and challenge. Tools such as computers, smartphones and tablets can provide the students the ability to seek out new rich sources of learning. Technology has increased our ability to gain information and it incumbent on the teachers to use this resource to better the knowledge base of their students.  There are many practical ways to apply this principle in your classroom; I have often given my students internet scavenger hunts on a variety of topics. For example, during an elementary level geography lesson on world capitals, I got my students to search out facts about a list of capitals and then put together a presentation on the one capital. The students will expand on the topic by finding out unique and strange facts about capital city they have chosen.

Another principle of brain-based learning that we could apply to the topic at hand, is that “the brain understands and learns best when facts and skills are embedded in natural spatial memory”. The spatial memory is a memory system that allows for instant retrieval of experiences. Students thirst for experiences that come off the blackboard and are brought to life in the classroom. A Speak Up report conducted in 2012 found that 75% of student in the K-12 system are using educational games as a way of learning. In that same report, 29% of students have used YouTube in some fashion or another to aid them in completing their homework. Furthermore, scientists at NanYang Technological University have found that an hour of playing a video game helps improve overall cognitive abilities. In the study researchers looked at spatial memory, visual attention, the ability to filter out distractions, multiple-object tracking and multitasking. They found that each area was improved by playing games in all of the 75 participants (Patterson, 2013). We can see that students have already made the step to become digital learners and teachers need to adapt.

There are ample ways of applying this principle into the classroom, such as having students utilize their smartphones to search and download applications such as Socrative.  This application has a variety of educational games they you can actually play with the entire class rather than the students playing individually. The game can be facilitated by the teacher and the results can be presented on main screen for all the students to see. In the same Speak Up report, it showed that 80% of students from grade 8 to 12 are mobile phone user; it seems to me that it only makes sense to take advantage of an opportunity to get students thinking and improving their cognitive skills. Gamification is also a way to apply another brain-based learning principle in that “the search for meaning comes through “patterning”. Games are able to provide students with a fail-safe environment in which to learn. If we look at cognitive processes through the ideas of Benjamin Bloom and his taxonomy we can see that games provide many of the elements he suggests are required for learning. Such as creating, evaluating, analysing, applying, understanding and remembering.  Games such as the MineCraft provide students the opportunity to enhance their learning through a variety of activities they need to complete (Kim, 2012).

There is still a lot of debate surrounding Brain-Based Learning but it is easy to see that the principles if properly applied would be able to enhance the learning of students. If implemented along with technology then this approach could provide valuable benefits to students. Some styles like Whole Brain Learning have come under fire but I personally can see the value in researching Brain-Based Learning more and taking more opportunities to apply the principles in a classroom setting.

Brain-Based Learning Definition. (2013, August 28). The Glossary of Education Reform</i>. Retrieved June 13, 2014, from http://edglossary.org/brain-based-learning/

Fink, R. (2006). Why Jane and John Couldn't Read--And How They Learned. A New Look at Striving Readers. Newark, DE: International Reading Association.

From Chalkboards to Tablets: The Emergence of the K-12 Digital Learner.  (2013, June 1). Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://www.tomorrow.org/speakup/pdfs/SU12-Students.pdf

Kim, P. (2012, January 1). Designing a New Learning Environment. <i>Bloom's Taxonomy of Education Technology Games and Simulations</i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from https://novoed.com/education/blog_posts/14665?data_type=report

Oei AC, Patterson MD (2013) Enhancing Cognition with Video Games: A Multiple Game Training Study. PLoS ONE 8(3): e58546. doi:10.1371/ journal.pone.0058546

Mod 3: Unit 1. Act. 1 Person of Student

I am currently working at Bucheon University in South Korea. Bucheon University is a privately owned institution which has a variety of programs ranging from technical diplomas to 4 years bachelor degrees. The ELL program at Bucheon is essentially a mandatory elective that students have to enroll in but the grades they obtain have little to no bearing on their overall GPA. This can sometimes have negative affect on class participation as many students have the knowledge that the course is not important to their grades.

Luckily, I get many opportunities to observe freshman students at Bucheon University but I rarely get a chance to observe a coworkers class and interview their students. The students that I observed range from 19 years to 21 years of age. Korea has a different way of determining age so these ages translate to 18 to 20 years of age internationally.  There were 14 males and 8 females. There were a variety of students from different locations and backgrounds. Unfortunately, we rarely have any international students that attend Bucheon University as it is not a very well recognized institution in South Korea. Students Ell abilities usually range from low beginner to low intermediate. Most of the students can read English but have a lot of difficulty with writing and speaking. This is quite common with students here in South Korea from my experience.

The Persona of Bucheon University Students:

Age:

The average age of the students in my observed classroom was 19 years. It has been my experience that Korean university students are often immature. Many cultural issues have led to this fact, such as Korean students very rarely have taken on responsibilities outside of their school work and their rigorous study schedules have led to poor socialization skills. It often feels like I am teaching middle school or lower high school students.

Students have a common impression that university is a time to relax and enjoy the experience. Most have just finished a gruelling experience in high school to study for the CSAT exams in high school. If you are not familiar with South Korea, these are the equivalent of the SAT exams in the United States. However, the amount of pressure put on students and the preparation they must endure for these exams can be highly stressful. Korea has the highest suicide rate in the OCED. The rate of suicide is almost triple that of the entire OECD.  According to the National Youth Policy Institute, 1 in 4 Korean students contemplate suicide.  Once they have arrived at Bucheon University, it is almost understandable that they feel that participation is up to them and are not as motivated to learn.

Socio-Economic:

Money can be a weird topic in Korea. People can be quite open about the amount of money they make and the appearance of wealth is very important. It is very rare that students do not wear some sort of brand name attire. Every student in the observed class owned a smartphone and also carried a tablet with them. Korea ranks second in mobile phone penetration according to ThinkInsights with Google. I have experienced situations where students are treated quite differently if they are perceived as being in a lower socio-economic class. The class system is quite prominent in South Korea and is deep rooted in their culture.

It is quite uncommon for students at Bucheon University to have a job. Although in the classes I observed there were several students who worked part time. Out of the 22 students I surveyed, five had part time jobs.  From my experience, this number is quite high. Most worked for their parents at their businesses or had part time jobs at fast food restaurants. These jobs were mostly weekend positions and unfortunately for the students were quite low paying. However, when I asked the students what motivated them to learn, many listed getting a job and making money has their highest motivation for studying. It very common that a Korean student’s first job may be their last job, as employment mobility is not as common here. 

When I surveyed the class about the jobs their parents performed, most of the students fathers were office workers of some sort and as mentioned some owned small businesses. Most of the mothers were homeworkers and only 4 of out the 22 surveyed had mothers who were in the workforce. These women either worked at a small business or again were office workers.

Cultural Influences

The class I observed was homogenous in nature. All 22 students were Korean and none had any relatives who were from anywhere other than South Korea. For teachers who teach ELL in South Korea, it can be sometimes challenging to get students to participate in classroom discussions. Korean students are used to lecture classes and are very hesitant to speak out in class even when called upon. Students have been taught that mistakes are a negative thing so they resist speaking out because they are afraid to look foolish in front of their peers. I noticed in my own classes and in the observed class that this aspect of is changing slowly in Korea. Most students have had a native speaking teacher in their past and now have a better understanding of how English teachers conduct their classes. As the class I observed was quite familiar with their teacher, it was easier for him to get the students to participate.

Student Interests and Talents

For the male students that I surveyed, one word can sum up their interests: GAMES. Online gaming is amazingly popular in South Korea. There are several entire television channels dedicated to just showing video games. Students are obsessed with either PC games or smart phone games. When I surveyed the class, 13 out of 14 males listed playing PC games as their hobby and 3 of 8 females. The group had a few other interests, including listening to music, watching television and watching movies. One thing that I observed and have observed over the years in teaching at Bucheon University, students rarely have any hobbies. Out of the 22 students surveyed, only 2 females played a musical instrument and only 2 males played a sport on a regular basis. I have noticed during past surveys that this trend is quite common. I can only attribute this to a lack of time to participate in hobbies during their grade school years which has translated to no hobbies in their college years.

Access to Technology

If there is one thing in South Korea that is not lacking it is access to technology. Most schools aggressively integrate technology into their programs. All the students in the classroom have and use their smart phones for classroom activities, along with the use of tablets or laptop computers. The classroom I observed has a personal PC and projector. Unfortunately, the electronic blackboard has yet to catch on in most schools in Korea and Bucheon University does not make this technology available to it students and teachers. I asked the teacher what digital tools were utilized in his classroom and he said primary the personal computer and projector were the main tools he used. On occasion, he created lessons that involved the students using their smart phones but because of their tendency to use the chat features on the phone and waste time he usually avoided those activities. The teacher said that he felt when he used technology in his class he usually got a much better response from this students. He has recently begun using Prezi and finds the dynamic presentations really catch his student’s attention.  The teacher explained that he had no issues with access to technology as all of the classrooms he uses have computers and projectors available. Wi Fi is generally not an issue as Korea has an extensive 4G network.

Special Needs

There were no students with special needs in the class I observed. Bucheon University only has a few students who have disabilities.  However, like most students in the world, Korean students can lose focus if they get bored. The teacher agreed that being able to integrate technology more into his class improved the attention spans of his students. When I surveyed the students and asked if the teacher asked them regularly about their interests they all responded yes. The teacher often surveyed his classroom about what they were interested in and used the technology he had access to create lessons that reflected those interests. For example, the lesson he conducts about food makes use of YouTube videos. He gets the students to watch cooking show and then they write down the sequence of the chef uses to prepare the food.  Another way the teacher was able to meet the needs of this student was by differentiating his lessons. He told me he has prepared several different lessons on the topics he has cover so he has the flexibility he needs to properly adjust he teaching to meet his student’s needs.  

Summary

In conclusion, the students in the classroom come from average middle class Korean families. They all have similar interests and live similar lifestyles. Students are concerned about their financial futures but for now take  a fairly relaxed approach to their learning as they have all just finished probably the three hardest years of their lives. Korean students are tech savvy and technology is integrated into just about every facet of their lives.  Students depend highly upon their smartphones as a connection to their friends and family. Unlike, many North Americans, email was not highly used amongst the group but rather chat applications like Kakao talk was used as primary source of technological communication. They all seem to be using their experiences at university as an opportunity to grow as individuals and finally get some time to experience some youthful activities.

Sources

OECD Factbook 2013: Economic, Environmental and Social Statistics. (2013, January 1). <i></i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/factbook-2013-en/12/01/03/index.html?itemId=/content/chapter/factbook-2013-97-en

Our Mobile Planet. (n.d.). <i>Our Mobile Planet</i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://think.withgoogle.com/mobileplanet/en/graph/?country=au&country=ca&country=cn&country=in&country=jp&country=kr&country=nz&country=ae&country=uk&country=us&category=DETAILS&topic=Q00&stat=Q00_1&wave=2013&age=all&gender=all&chart_type=bar&active=country

Sistek, H. (2013, December 8). South Korean students wracked with stress. <i>- Features</i>. Retrieved June 18, 2014, from http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/12/south-korean-students-wracked-with-stress-201312884628494144.html

Teach Now: Module 2. Unit 4. Activity 2

Here is a link to the group project I completed on ELL Standards and Objectives.

http://mind42.com/public/7082f27f-6dd1-424f-bd48-36c0a8a82eb0

References:

http://www.ybmecc.co.kr/curriculum_program.asp

Mod 2/ Unit 4 /Activity 1 Understanding Cultures and Languages

Here is my mind map chart for this project. When you do this project you have to a  summary of two different cultural groups. I have not included this but it is easy to do.

https://www.examtime.com/en-US/p/966105

Mod 2/ Unit 3 / Activity 1 VoiceThread

Here is the VoiceThread activity that myself and my partner completed.

https://voicethread.com/?#q.b5830438.i0.k0

Mod 2/Unit 3/ Activity 4

Here is my mind map for this activity

https://www.examtime.com/en-US/p/959050

I could embed it but it runs really slow on this blog.

Certification Update

Been busy for this last week there are a few blogs now with the completed activities.

Mod 2 unit 4 activity 3 ELL Planning Blog

            I’ve been an ELL instructor for the last eleven years and I think I have just about covered every type of lesson and unit you could imagine. One of my upcoming lessons will likely be on flora identification for my 5^th grade elementary school students. The objective for this unit is for the students to learn the terminology related to plants and also discuss different ecosystems. The students will be evaluated on their understanding of the parts of the plants and their ability to use the new vocabulary in a discussion or presentation.

            Any ELL teacher has to take in account which stage of language acquisition their students are in. The six stages of language acquisition as described by Judie Haynes in her article Stages of Second Language Acquisition are as follows. The first stage is Pre-production which is referred to as the silent period. In this level the student is only able to parrot language and will have a small vocabulary. The second stage is Early Production, where the learner is developing an active vocabulary and uses memorization to help them communicate. The third stage is Speech Emergence where the learner can communicate in simple phrases and sentences. The fourth stage is Intermediate Fluency where the learner has a larger vocabulary and starting to use complex sentences. The fifth and final stage is Advanced Fluency where the student is near native speaker capabilities. (Haynes, 2005)

For a student in the Pre-Production stage of language acquisition, I would obviously try to keep the activities that deal with the topic somewhat visual and use activities that invoke a TPR (total physical response). In the past, I have done nature walks where the students are given a picture check list of plants and leaves to collect (or take pictures of with the handheld devices). When the students are finished the nature walk, we return to the classroom where we go over the names of the each plant, give simple descriptions using colors, shapes and sizes. I find if we focus on the listening skills and get the student to repeat the vocabulary they tend to retain the lesson. I focus extensively on vocabulary and language development for students in this stage.

            I would say that the majority of my students are in the early production stage of language acquisition.  For this group I tend to use a very similar approach as the pre-production group. By doing hands on lessons, I find I really get a great response from my students. However, I am able to introduce more written work into the lesson plan. For this lesson, I will spend time going over the different parts of a flower and get them to label a diagram. I will also use a simple video from YouTube to help give the students a visual aid to the project.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CX2m2n2uDAE

            For students who are in the intermediate fluency stage of language acquisition I would increase the amount of reading materials the students would be responsible for. Then, through classroom discussions engage the students to relay what they have learnt from the lesson and encourage them to speak freely about their thoughts. I would also assign a group project where they collaborate together to do a presentation about a plant of their choice. They would help each other with their writing and research. As with the other groups these students also experience a nature walk but I give them more tasks to complete while on the walk, such as scientific drawings and expanding their observations to include various fauna.

            For students who are in the advanced fluency stage of language acquisition, I would allow for more independent study and basically handle their education like I would with any of my native speaking students. The students would participate in classroom discussions on the topic and present ideas. Through the discussion I would check to make sure that students have gained the skill of metacognition. Research has showed that this is an important skill for ELL students to gain in order to become proficient readers. With this topic in mind, I would seek to get the student to explore more complex ideas about plants and broaden their vocabulary. I would also get these students to experience a nature walk but their walk would be much more goal orientated. I have used an application in the past where students use it to indentify as many plants a possible and also make detailed scientific drawings of the plants. The application can be found at https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bim.plant. Here is example of a lesson that I have used with students in this stage. http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/chiwonlee/plsc211/labmanual/lab1.PDF

References

Haynes, J. (2005, January 1). Stages of Second Language Acquisition. . Retrieved , from http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php

Lee, C. W. (2011, January 1). Lab 1: Plant Indentification. . Retrieved June 10, 2014, from http://www.ndsu.edu/pubweb/chiwonlee/plsc211/labmanual/lab1.PDF

Unit 3. The Referral Process for Special Edcuation

The Referral Process at Burntwood Elementary

For this activity, I interviewed my mother who I asked to speak the variety of special needs professionals at her school. She spoke to Amanda Devlin who is the school counselor at Burntwood Elementary in Thompson, Manitoba and Terri-Lynn Ellis who is the Primary School resource teacher also at Burntwood. Below, I addressed each question paraphrasing from the discussion I had with my mother.      

Ms. Devlin has been the counselor at Burntwood for several years and Ms. Ellis is in her first year as a resource teacher. The following is a summary of the answers they provided me.  

Amanda Devlin: School Counselor at Mystery Lake District.  Currently at Burntwood Elementary

1          

            1.     How is a student identified for special education referral?

At Burntwood Elementary, we have a three level system. A level 1 student would be classified as severely disabled and usually come into the system already identified. Ex: A student who has Down’s syndrome. Level 2 or level 3 students would be classified as students who display a learning disability but would have to be identified by the system. In our school, the homeroom teacher is the first person who identifies a student for special education referral. There have been instances where parents have asked for a referral but commonly it is the homeroom teacher.

2.     Who takes responsibility for the progress of the child before and after the referral?

As mentioned, the homeroom teacher starts the referral process but once the referral is made then the responsibility moves on to the resource teacher. After that, it moves to the principal to file the paperwork so funding can be received to conduct an IEP

3.  What is the school administrations directive for special education?

The directive for our school and district is full inclusion. Students who are identified for special education and then accepted for funding receive an IEP that will include them into regular classes as much as possible. They are only in “special needs” resource rooms if the nature of their disability makes it impossible for integration. The school has several designated locations for special needs to get extra attention.

4. What provisions are made for students identified for special education?

There are a variety of provisions that are made for students identified for special education. The provisions vary from student to student but all students receive an IEP once they are accepted for funding. Also, there are goals set and about 3 to 4 times a year we have an IEP meeting to assess how the student is doing. If a student is a level 2 or 3 student with a mild learning disability they may receive what is called a curriculum based IEP which is strictly for the grade level where they are at.

 Students with a level 1 disability often have a paraprofessional present with them during the day. We also have a pickup service for some children, where the paraprofessional will go in a taxi to pick the child at their homes. Other paraprofessionals can be called in as well, such as occupational therapist, speech pathologist, psychologist, and physical therapist. Social workers are also part of the system as many of the children come from tough family situations.

5. What is the level of parent involvement in referral process and special education?

The level of parent involvement can vary. Unfortunately, in our district many of the students that we have whether they are disabled or not, come from tough family situations. We have a lot of alcoholism in our district and we see many students who come in malnourished or suffering from many other types of abuse. However, there are parents that are involved in the process and they can also apply for funding to help assist them with their children. The principal and I will assist them in this process. One more thing, before the principal can apply for funding the parents must give their permission. Nothing can be done without their permission.

Terri-Lynn Ellis: Resource Teacher at Burntwood Elementary.

1.      How do you identify a student for special education?

I am the second person in the referral process but together with the homeroom teacher we talk about the student and often we will administer several small academic tests to find out the exact weaknesses of the student. With a level 1 student we have prior knowledge of the disabilities but with other students we look for obvious signs of struggle.

2.      What are the signs of a struggling student?

In the primary system, the signs we look for are struggles with reading, writing, verbal and basic motor skills. We have a student recently who was in grade 2 but was unable to do his alphabet, his cutting skills were poor and he had very poor basic math skills.  Also, this student had very poor verbal skills and we knew that a speech pathologist would have to be a part of his program. There are a variety of other signs that we look for before we apply for funding for an IEP, so more obvious than others.

3.      Are there alternate methods of instruction tried out before referring the student for special education? If yes, what are they?

There are variety of things we will try before referring a student for special education which include making modifications to their work and trying to accommodate them by providing extra assistance or more time. However, more often than not, the homeroom teacher refers the student to me. I then schedule a meeting with the counselor and principal, where we discuss the child and get the parents involved in the process of getting funding.

Reflections

As my university has no person who is in charge of indentifying students for special needs, I reached out to my mother who is a paraprofessional at Burntwood Elementary. She referred me to several individuals who are a part of the special education department at her school.  There are several counselors and resources teachers in this district. As mentioned in my interview, the Mystery Lake district is marred by a lot of social issues. There is a large Native Canadian population in the area and unfortunately this community has more than its fair share of social problems. Many students come from abusive situations and alcoholism is rampant in the Native population in Thompson. The homeroom teachers and resource teachers have to take the lead in the referral process very often. From conversations with my mother, the school support system can very often be strained with all the extra responsibilities they take on.

Here in Korea, my experiences have been very limited with working with special needs children. I was working in a public elementary school and they once brought in a child with a “level 1” disability into my English class. For me it was not an issue and I included him as much as possible in the lesson plan. The school only included him in my class for three sessions. It is very rare that special needs children are introduced into English classes in Korea. I have only had one experience where I made a referral for special education. My first year I worked at a private academy and there was a child who I felt had Asperger’s Syndrome or some other form of Autism. I spoke to the head teacher at my school and the manager but little if nothing was done. My guess would be that the issue was swept under the rug, out of fear that the parents might remove their child from the school and the owner would be angry for the lost revenue. I continued teaching the child and made accommodations for him where I could.  In the end, I found it a very rewarding experience as the student really enjoyed my class and performed quite well. 

Unit 3 Blog post

The Role of Personalized Education

The role of personalized learning is a concept that is definitely in the forefront of a lot of conversation about education today. Although personalized learning is an idea that crosses all levels of education, it is especially important for special education. A key factor to the success of a special needs student is getting the correct education so they are able to grow as person. Personalized learning is defined as learning that adjusts the instruction so that pace of the instruction is more individualized. Also, the instruction is differentiated and it leverages student’s interests and experiences so the student’s involvement is more “personalized”. Proponents of personalized learning advocate that learning can no longer be a “one size fits all “style of education.

The aspects of personalized learning are vital to proper care for special needs students. As we see in the I.D.E.A categories, the wide range of disabilities teachers may have to encounter are great and each comes with their own set of challenges. So, to be able to personalize a student’s education we first need to know the student. We don’t just need to have an understanding of the student’s disability but also understand what the students interests are so we are able to leverage this to provide a relevant material to the student and engage them in their learning. 

As teachers we all need to be prepared to approach any topic from a variety of ways so that we are able to be more flexible to the needs of the students. Differentiated instruction is vital to being able to discover all the opportunities that students have to learn.  I find that when I have several lessons prepared for the same subjects, I am able to draw upon the one that best suits the needs of my students.

One of the routes we can take is to embrace the idea of added technology into the classroom and giving students the chance to use this technology to their advantage. Personalized learning does not require technology but to be authentic in today’s classrooms it certainly helps. We also saw in our mind mapping exercise that there are an extensive number of assistive technologies available to teachers for students dealing with disabilities. It is our duty to look for any avenue possible to help improve their lives. I find in my experience that when I am integrating technologies like Prezi into my classroom the student are much more engaged.

In tomorrow’s world, I see technology playing a larger and larger role. But, technology is no good unless effective teaching already exists. Teachers need to make sure that have good classroom management skills and also collaboration with other teachers is extremely important. Teachers need to use tools, such as online forums, chat groups, blogs, websites and communication devices like the iPhone to create a network that they can draw lessons, advice and curriculum ideas from. From my own personal experience, my coworkers at Bucheon University have been an integral part of my success as teacher and being able to personalize my lessons. 

Week Three Activity 2 & 3

This activity was pretty straight forward and not a lot to talk about. We found two PTA meetings on Youtube and made reflections on those meetings. This was an interesting activity because I am not really that familiar with PTA/PTO meetings and it was a good experience to watch how they are ran.

Not much else to report on this activity.

The second activity was video. You can check my other post for a link to the site that I used. here is the video I ended up creating. The video was on three different laws/policies regarding education.


Enjoy.

Week Three Update

So, Week three is down and moving on to week 4. Good times. I've been pretty busy doing the assignments for Teach Now, working on my Masters work and watching my beloved Chicago BlackHawks play in the playoffs. Busy Busy!

So, the first project was another infographic. We had to research statistics about our local district and they use the data to come up with a perspective on student achievement.

Here was my submission:

Week Two: Activity two

This activity required a fair bit of research and signing up to various sites. Too be honest I think it might be impossible to consume all the information that is present on the various sites but i think over time I will be review them more thoroughly.

The main portion of this activity was to post a blog post about policy that I was interested in. You can view that post on this blog. The rest are posted on the Teach Now platform. Basically, we had to go into various sites and find something interested to comment on.

PS. If you are interested in taking a teacher certification then drop me a line at cshears@teach-now.com

Week Three: Context of Teaching

We are into week three already. I would like say time as flew by but there is a fair bit of work involved in this course. I didn't expect the program to be a cake walk but I am spending a lot of time in front of the computer. I think in the end it will all pay off though. As I am getting used to the programs that are being introduced in the course and searching out new ones.

Our Third Activity has us making videos/presentations. I will post the finished product up soon but for now I will throw up the link to the site I used. I use a site called POWTOON.

I really enjoyed using this site and I was always done when I saw all the other options that are available on the site for free.

I will post soon with some completed activities for you folks to talk a look at.

Later Skater

PS. If you are interested in taking a teacher certification then drop me a line at cshears@teach-now.com

Week Infographic Activity: An analysis of of the ITL Research File

Hi, so we had to create an infographic with some information about Student centered learning, extending students learning outside the classroom and introducing Information and Communications Technologies into the classroom. We also were expected to do some analysis of a research paper. Here is what I came up with.PS. If you are interested in taking a teacher certification then drop me a line at cshears@teach-now.com

You can view the image here or follow the link to a more interactive version.

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Or you can check out the interactive version:

https://magic.piktochart.com/output/2021019-innovative-teaching-and-learning

Week Two: Policy Blog Post.

If you are interested in taking a teacher certification then drop me a line at cshears@teach-now.com


The core principle of free appropriate public education (FAPE) which is a required component of IDEA seems like a no brainer to add to any legislation dealing with people with disabilities. FAPE says that school districts need to provide general education and specialized educational services. It also requires that disabled children get support free of charge as is provided to non-disabled students.(0) There are many opinions on the role that government should play in society and it is hotly debated but it my personal opinion that government should assist people who are in vulnerable positions such as families who have a disabled member. I know from my own families experience that there are a lot of expenses associated (figure 1) with caring for a disabled family member’s needs.  The cost of health care and other indirect costs can be very overwhelming for any family to manage. A study done showed that over 40% of families in the U.S were experiencing financial difficulties due to having a child with a disability.(1) Add to that the potential costs that might arise when a child is ready to enter into the school system; it is possible that the financial burden would be too great for an average family to handle.          

  When my brother first contracted cancer, my family found out very quickly that even in a country like Canada, medical treatment is not free. The costs of traveling to see specialists, staying in hotels, and airline tickets to name a few quickly mount up. After the surgeries and the end result leaving my brother with very restricted movement of his left arm, my family had to prepare for the extra costs now associated with my brothers disability.My family was not alone as it is estimated that there are over a half million people 20 and under that have some form of disability. (2) It would have been more difficult for my parents if it were not for programs in Canada that helped my parents with the financial burden of some of costs related to my brother’s disability. (3)           

 Developing a program that can identify families that require assistance and allocate funding to support parents that have disabled children is a vital step in providing equal opportunities for children with disabilities. The costs related to properly educating students with disabilities can be enormous. According to the NEA, the average cost to schools for supporting a special education student is between $9369 to $16, 921 per student. Anyone can understand when one considers the costs of providing individualized education, teachers, paraprofessional, teacher assistants, proper learning environments and all the related services, it would be impossible for parents to pay the fees that would be required to facilitate these services. In fact, it is difficult for schools and school districts to support these cost as the US federal government only provides local school districts with 20% of the funding.(4)           

 One of the benefits of living aboard is that you are able to see and experience the conditions that people live under in their home country. I have had the privilege while living in Korea to have the ability to travel for long periods of time to other countries. I have seen the stressful and horrible circumstances some parents find themselves living in countries do not provide funding to families that require assistance in order to educate their children. In fact  the WHO, reports that there are one billion people in the world living with disabilities and 1 in 10 are children. Furthermore, 80% of disabled people live in developing countries. (5) 

I have witnessed several disabled children living and working the streets with very few options. Many children end up begging for change or pedalling small wares to provide some sort of subsistence for themselves and often times for their families.Thankfully there are organizations like UNICEF and GPE that trying to work local governments to improve the living conditions, educational opportunities and awareness of the issues.
         

  I know the above the situation might seem extreme to most North Americans but there are many families in America that would be forced to make some very difficult decisions if they faced with the challenges of paying for the education of their disabled children. There are many laws and programs that the government develops that may be considered wasteful or inappropriate but I can see very little fault to found in providing the necessary funds for parents to give their special needs children the chance to integrate themselves in the school system. Although criticisms of IDEA might include excessive bureaucracy and costs, from what I can read it seems like it benefits families a tremendous amount.  

Info Sources:http://nichcy.org/laws/idea

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15965627

http://www.ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/ld-rights/what-is-fape-what-can-it-mean-my-child

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1802121/#B8

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/audiences/families/benefits.shtml

http://www.nea.org/home/19029.htm

http://www.globalpartnership.org/focus-areas/children-with-disabilities

http://www.unicef.org/education/

Figures1: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1802121/figure/F1/

Week Two of Teach Now Activity One

Well, I'm starting week 2 of the teacher certification. We have four activities to do this week which require a fair bit of research and work. The first activity was reflective in nature. Looking at why I want to be a teacher.

Here was my response.

After looking down the list of reasons for teaching there were several that jumped out at me but I tried to place myself in my shoes 11 years ago when I first decided to begin teaching. The first reason I choice was employment mobility. This was definitely a priority to me when I first started on my path as a teacher. I would say that this is still my primary reason for teaching. I enjoy that teaching allows me to travel the world and I look forward to teaching in new countries in the future.

The second reason I selected was long summer vacation. I know this is a bit of a cliché when it comes to teaching but personally being able to have time off from work it vital to my life. I certainly believe that a person needs time off to explore new interests or have an opportunity to travel. There are lots of personal reasons for choosing a job that has the benefit of time off but the two listed above are mine. I also believe that teachers who teach young children day in and day out really need the time off to recharge their batteries.

The third reason I selected was a desire to work with youth. Through my life I have always taken an active role in working with or being a part of youth groups. I was a hockey coach during my high school and university years and I always enjoyed having an opportunity to help children. I guess coming from a very large family had an influence in this as there were always lots of cousins around to take care of. My mother is an elementary school teacher and I seeing the way she was able to improve the life of her students and return the wonderful experiences she was able to take from teaching definitely motivated me to give teaching a try.

There are few reasons why this survey is important to new teachers. First and foremost, it is always beneficial to anyone who desires to enter any field of work to understand their motivations for entering said field. When reasons are laid out in a list such as this survey it can give someone a new perspective on why they are making a particular career choice and if those motivations are ones that they feel are valid. Anything that can improve self-awareness is very important in my opinion.

Another reason this survey might be important to a new teacher is that it gives a new teacher an opportunity to see other reasons for choosing a career in education that they might not have thought of before. It is always nice to look at a topic or a decision from as many angles as possible and being presented with new ideas on a topic and only help a new teacher make more informed decisions.

It went a little longer than I expected. 

Reflections on Adobe Connect and Virtual Classroom experience

We are using a platform called Adobe Connect for our virtual classrooms. One of the discussions we had was about our opinion on the program. The following was what I wrote.

In my opinion, for amateur bloggers both options are great. Only looking at WordPress a few times, it definitely looks better if you want to be more creative with your blog. It seems to have a lot more options and it is much more customizable. However, for the purposes that I use blogs, I lean towards using Blogger as it very simple thus easy for me to navigate. I also like that it is a part of Google so it is connected to all the Google features I am already using.  I think WordPress might lean towards more experience users and Blogger caters a bit more to the “newbs.” Being a “Newb”, Blogger is the way to go for me. However, I could be persuaded to jump ship if someone walked me through the WordPress features.  




This was after our second session on the platform. The first session we met the founder Emily and got a overview of the program. She opened up the forum to questions which we could all in in a live video chat. Pretty cool.


The second session was much more interactive. As we got a walk through of the platform and we give  short 5 minute sample class using the features that are available. ex. polls, whiteboard, share files like presentations, mp3', images etc.

As of right now, there isn't an option to directly link Youtube but there is share desktop option which would allow you to do this anyways, so no biggie.

So far, great first week in the program!PS. If you are interested in taking a teacher certification then drop me a line at cshears@teach-now.com

I'm Back!

Well, I've been away for awhile. Been busy with work and life.

But, I am back in the classroom as a student again. This time I am studying my teacher certification with Teach Now. A great program that allows one to study and obtain a US teaching certification from just about anywhere in the world. It is also open to citizens from all over the world.

If you are interested in this program, feel free to follow me along my journey and if you decide you would like more information about the program then feel free to contact me at cshears@teach-now.com

Have a good one