Chapter 7 Technology Integration Workshop

Chapter 7 focused on distance learning and web based learning activities. Online learning has become more popular and teachers use the technology in classrooms. Teachers can use podcasts and video casts to take learning to the next level. This can include learning at home and discussing in a classroom, like in a flipped classroom, or in a blended environment that has a mix of online and in class learning. Many lessons and topics can be supported by online learning and can give students a new experience in the classroom.

Part 1- Evaluating and Creating Lesson Plans

Web based lessons
This webpage provides online lessons and lesson plans for teachers. The students can explore the web page as a basic web based lesson. For more information on creating a web based lesson, check out edutopia

Podcast based lesson

This readwritethink lesson plan integrates podcasts into an ELA lesson to integrate different modalities into persuasive writing.

Flipped classroom lesson

This PBS learning lesson integrates a flipped classroom and engineering and design lessons.

Some tips on flipped classrooms can be found on edutopia

For my lesson, I could use a podcast based on a guided reading book to incorporate new ideas and comprehension into group discussions.

The students would listen to either a teacher created or teacher recommended podcast in guided reading groups. This podcast would discuss the events in the story and prompt questions for the students to think about. The podcast would serve as a review for the reading and support higher level thinking within the group. The students could then create their own podcast in response to what they heard. This podcast would serve as the assessment for the lesson to ensure that students are discussing and comprehending the readings.

Part 2- Implementing the TIP Model

The technology would first give students ideas and a platform to base their group discussions on. They would be required to answer questions and incorporate ideas from the book in their discussion. The podcast that is being created would be a record of their meeting for teacher assessment and could serve as a reminder for the students when referring back in the text for future discussions. To carry out this lesson, the teacher could make the podcast and use a recording device on an iPad, tablet, computer, or even a voice recorder to document the student's conversation.

Students will discuss and communicate their ideas and responses based on their reading and listening to the teacher provided podcast. The students will verbally answer questions based on the material they read in reading groups. The assessment of the goals will be in the student recorded podcast. The teacher could grade each meeting based on a rubric. The podcasts would best be used during reading groups when the classroom is fairly quiet. This would provide a good environment for students to record. They could also record their discussion in the computer lab if it is quieter.

The rubric based assessment could give the teacher a good idea if these discussions are productive. A written assessment to test comprehension or a comprehension conversation with the teacher can show how much the students are benefiting from peer discussions. These evaluations can give the teacher an idea of what is working and if there needs to be more teacher guidance in the discussions.

Grade level: 4-12

Content area: ELA

Topic: Literature/ reading groups

Technology: Podcasts

ISTE Standards: Students communicate clearly and express themselves creatively for a variety of purposes using the platforms, tools, styles, formats and digital media appropriate to their goals.