Blog: 18-19
Morgan Kueter:
I am a first year science teacher at Fossil Ridge School. This blog is designed to archive my struggles and successes as I implement new technology into my classroom.
I am a first year science teacher at Fossil Ridge School. This blog is designed to archive my struggles and successes as I implement new technology into my classroom.
In the class cell biology, genetics, and biotechnology I had the class break into 8 small groups per class period. Each group performed a 1-3 minute skit about an assigned scientist that contributed to our current understanding of germ theory. Students all had to participate in the skit. I had several groups who this was not only out of their comfort zone the idea of performing a skit (acting) in front of their peers caused a significant amount of anxiety. In order to give groups an alternative that would still give the class a visual learning experience about the scientist I gave the option to complete a digital skit instead. Approximately 3 groups chose to use the program Powtoon as a digital program for creating these original skits. Powtoon was a great resource for these students as it allowed them to create digital animations that spoke to the class audibly as well as with text bubbles. Students some students even spoke for their animation, in order to still be present in the skit but not have to actually act, their animation did that for them. There were some limitations in what the animation could do and students had to get creative as to how they were going to show experiments occurring and get all the required information within the programs limitations. This allowed the students to show their best work and fit in with the assignment descriptions by using technology. One thing that we did struggle with was how to get the animation sent to my computer so that it could be displayed for the entire class. This was an issue of other forms of technology and was not specific to the Powtoon software specifically.
At the school I teach at we have a lot of students who have extreme amounts of anxiety and even the smallest change can be debilitating. These students are given very high expectations based on their economic status and can really struggle when pushed too far out of their comfort zone. Throughout the last months we have been trying to push and challenge ourselves as a class. We have talked about times when we should push our limits and take risks and when it is better to use mediums that we know and really demonstrate our strengths. This Powtoon program gave students the option to push themselves, but not too much that they were unable to show their strengths and abilities. This allowed for differentiation for students who excel when they are the center of attention and can act in the class as well as the students who do better when their ideas are generated prior to being in front of the entire class. This also allowed me as educator to meet the ISTE standard of using technology to create, adapt, and personalize learning experiences. I was able to create alternate mediums to fit the assignment expectation and purpose, so that every student in class was given the tools to be successful. In the articles Smart Tech Use for Equity and Digital Equity: it’s more than just student access they both talked about the difference between just using technology because it is there, and the district spent money on it, and using technology to make sure that every student is successful. I think that the way that Powtoon was used in this instance allowed for equity among all students. If I had either required all groups to perform their skit without the animation, or for all students to use the Powtoon software there would have been groups of students who were not given the same opportunity to present their best work. In this instance students were given an equitable learning environment. I have another student in my class who has dysgraphia. I noticed it earlier this year in my class and brought it to the attention of our school counselors as well as school psychologists, which started the process of her being recently diagnosed. This student of mine is incredibly smart and more than grasps the content, she is challenging herself to present her understanding in new and creative ways. I have noticed that in my class she often has a lower grade than her knowledge demonstrates because it is very hard to read her handwriting and for her to get her ideas out in the same ways as her peers. Because this is a new diagnosis the school as well as myself has not had sufficient time to find her alternative software that can allow her to communicate and get her ideas out in a way other than orally. We are currently working on an illustration comparing photosynthesis and cellular respiration and I am still trying to find programs that will allow her to complete this assignment in a way that is equitable for this student. I do not think that with this student specifically I am meeting the ISTE standard of accommodating the learner’s differences and needs. I have identified that she is currently not getting an equitable education in my classroom and would like to continue researching more digital programs or software’s that would allow her to communicate her content understanding in a way that best fits her strengths.
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