Field+based+Report+III

Field-based Summary Report Standard III [|field based summary report standard 3.doc] Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum

Standard III activities revolve around planning learning experiences for students and how the use of technology could impact student learning. My main focus for this standard was designing a lesson with a targeted learning activity that used online diet analysis software to analyze a student’s current diet and needs. Typically in the past, we would discuss how many carbohydrates, fats, and proteins the body needs, and how many overall calories are needed to maintain your current body type. But through the use of this web 2.0 software, after logging their eating habits for one week, students were able to input their own food log and see what their diet really consisted of and how it could be adjusted to be considered a well balanced, healthy diet plan. “Today’s students not only desire but need engaging, media-rich learning experiences to maximize their learning potential” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 59). My students really enjoyed this learning experience. I had a lot of animated classroom discussion as I showed how the program worked and how it could break down foods to calories and nutrients. They really liked that they could manipulate data quickly to see new results, and several students shared that they planned to continue to use the information to eat a healthier diet; words a teacher loves to hear.

My goal was to create project based learning where my students used inquiry-based methods to engage with the issues and questions. Students are expected to use technology in meaningful ways; teachers are the resource so they can explore and develop it in a meaningful way (Solomon and Schrum, 2007). The goal was to shift from textbooks and teachers’ resources to technology so students could engage and analyze resources for themselves. Overall I feel successful in the variety of ways I used technology in the classroom and how I was able to seamlessly integrate it into the curriculum. I enjoyed the challenge and from my observations, I believe my students benefited from it’s use. A critical part of implementing any successful activity is to monitor your progress ( Harris, Edmonson, Combs, 2010). During these activities, it was very important that I closely monitor their work and be ready to help from both a content and technology reference aspect so all my students could be successful with the technology and accomplish the task at hand. I also discovered, as a side note, that many of my students who struggled with the “from the book” learning standpoint, i.e. kinesthetic learners, really embraced the use of new technology and were, many times, a great help to their classmates.

Finally, I demonstrated the use of current I-phone applications that can be used to reduce stress in the Mental Health unit. ( I also noted that there were similar apps for other phones as well.) During the lessons, I had some students choose to track their stress reduction via I-phone apps or other applications available and share, their findings with the class. While I made it clear that I did not endorse or require any such usage, I did want my students to be aware how technology is now being used as a method to help fight or reduce stress in our everyday lives.

Resources

Combs, J., Harris, S., Edmonson, S., (2010) //Examining What We Do To Improve Our Schools//. Larchmont: NY.

Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). //Web 2.0: New tools, new schools//.Eugene,OR: International Society for Technology in Education.

Williamson, J. & Redish, T. (2009). //ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do//.Eugene,OR: International Society for Technology in Education.