EEND Artifact 2- Flipped Learning

The second artifact that I chose was the screencast that I created for our flipped learning discussion. I created the video using the Google extension Screencastify. I have used this extension before and have found it very easy to use. I wanted to create a video that could be used as a resource for my students. In my classroom, my students use a hundreds chart on a daily basis. Therefore, I created a video as a reminder of how to find a number on the chart. They then could play the video whenever they need it, even if they are working on an assignment at home. I chose this artifact because it shows how technology can help meet student needs even outside of the classroom. I plan to make similar videos like this in the future so that my students parents can be aware of what and how their child is learning and so that students can independently review topics when needed. One limitation is that students are not able to ask questions in real time. They would be able to email me a question but I may not to be able to answer in time for them to complete the assignment. Therefore, I need to give my students multiple videos and supports to ensure that they are successful when completing assignments both inside and outside of the classroom.

References Origo (2017). Retrieved from https://www.origoslate.com. Screencastify (2017). Retrieved from https://www.screencastify.com/.

EEND 678 Artifact 1- PBL Unit

Click here to view my Project Based Learning Outline!

My first artifact for this course is my PBL unit based on how to create an environment where chicks can survive. Before this course, I have never used project based learning in my classroom and I did not know how to make it work. I than began to think about real problems that arise in my classroom. One of the first things that came to mind was how to take care of our class chicks. In the spring, my students will be responsible for caring for eggs and then baby chicks. Instead of me telling them how to care for the chicks, I decided that I could create a project based learning unit where the students learned and discovered what the chicks will need to survive. This is a unit that I would be able to use every year and I also will be able to share it with my teammates. One obstacle with this unit is that I need to make sure that my students find a way to meet all of the chicks’ needs as they are living creatures. Therefore, I decided that my students could be given a checklist before they present their final project and make sure that it meets all of the criteria. This project allowed me to teach a fun science unit in a way where my students are actively engaged in their learning.

EEND 678 Course Reflection

Throughout this course, I have learned many tips and ideas that I can apply in my classroom. The biggest thing that I took away was how to design a PBL unit. I have never used a PBL unit in my classroom before and to be honest I was unsure of how it would work in the primary grades. However, as I read more articles and did more research, I realized how engaging and beneficial it actually was. I became excited to find a way to try it out in my own classroom and enjoyed filling out the outline and coming up with multiple ideas that would work for my second graders. I am excited to try these units throughout the course of the school year.

Another takeaway was the idea of creating a class agreement for technology devices. I always work with my students to create a class promise at the beginning of the school year and I always take the time to go over expected behaviors when using technology devices but I have never made a specific technology agreement. I plan on making one with my students in the upcoming weeks and keeping displayed in our classroom next to our original classroom promise. I could then easily refer back to it if I ever see an unwanted behavior while students are using tech devices.

My last takeaway is that I want to spend more time looking into grants that I could use to better my classroom. While researching grants, I realized how many different types that they were and how frequently new grants were available. I always feel as if I am noticing something that my students need to grow as learners and applying for more grants may help me solve that problem.