The+Environment

=Domain II: The Environment=


 * ==2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport==

2e: Organizing Physical and Digital Space
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2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
====//Has interaction with the educational community and the wider community that is highly respectful and demonstrates deep understanding of learner needs and levels of skill development. Takes care to respect professionalism of all levels of learners.//====

In eighth grade the students combine the idea of a traditional book report with a movie trailer used to preview a movie and create "book trailers". This year I met with the two teachers who were integrating this activity into their classrooms and we reviewed what worked last year and discussed how we would change it for this year. We discussed problems encountered with technology as well as the planning for the storyboards. I suggested a different tool web based video tool that eliminated the technology problems and we worked together to make changes to the storyboard. The students used WeVideo, a web based video creation tool, to create their book trailers and had huge success with the site because all of their materials were ready and waiting before they got started with the computer. We will continue to reflect on the project and make improvements each year to keep up with the changes in technology and the skill levels of the students.

2b: Establishing a Culture for Learning
====//Conveys infectious enthusiasm for digital-age resources and content, leading learners to hold themselves to high standards. Provides instructional outcomes, activities, assignments, and collaborative interactions, which convey high expectations for learners that promote risk-taking and problem solving.//====

In second grade, I had the opportunity to create a new activity using QR Codes. The teacher saw the activity online and had permission from the creator to modify for her own use. She was apprehensive about implementing it in her classroom as it required quite a bit of new technology. However with reassurance, I was able to convince her we could accomplish this lesson with great success. On the day we implemented the lesson, she was extremely happy with the outcomes as well as the excitement from the students. Since the lesson was so productive, she shared the lesson with the other teachers on her team and thus I helped each of them integrate the same lesson.
 * ====Feel free to explore the QR Code - Reference Tasks activity here.====

2c: Managing Procedures
//Creates environment in which the learner develops an online or face-to-face learning environment with input from the ITS; transitions are seamless and active learning is present through minimal guidance. Routines are clearly established and all learners are collaborative, productive, and self-regulating.//

I met with one of the high school teachers periodically to create activities for their virtual course that was being developed earlier this year. I created all activities for the first few topics based on the content that the teacher was providing to me. Through the modeling of how to setup various activities, the teacher was then able to create the same activities on their own with little assistance from me. Once those skills were mastered, we were able to move on to other activities that would require more involvement from the student because of the interactive nature of the tasks being created by the teacher.

//Develops standards of conduct, including digital, with learner participation. Subtly monitors learner behavior, with responses highly effective and sensitive to the learners' needs.//
In the high school biology class I co-taught a lesson on genetic strands that involved the integration of Google spreadsheets and Google documents. At the beginning of the lesson, students were allowed to choose their own groups and each group member was given a specific task. I provided the guidelines that each group member would be following to ensure success of the project both with the technology tools they were going to be using as well as the content they would be manipulating. The teacher then added the specific directions and reminders about the content that would be needed to successfully complete the lab. Through our work together, during the first period, the teacher was then able to successfully provide all directions to the next class to ensure success. Both groups were able to fully complete the lab and particularly enjoyed the creative aspect they were able to incorporate rather than just dealing with the main objective of genetic strands.

2e: Organizing Physical and Digital Space
====//Ensures the physical and digital spaces are used in a way that is complementary, changing a process for work or functioning in a way that increases access, productivity, efficiency, or community involvement.//====

In November, I met with kindergarten teachers to discuss possible uses for iPads in their classrooms. I was writing a grant in hopes of receiving 12 iPads, cases, and a storage unit that would allow for them to be easily transported among the kindergarten pods. We discussed storage and compared sizes as to what we felt was best suited for the little hands of the students. We then discussed the connections to the curriculum, specifically how we would build on the current curriculum and how it would change due to integration of the iPads both in collaborative situations as well as independent activities. The team also discussed possible apps that could be used to meet these changes in their curriculum.