The Assistive Technology Conference of New England, November 20, 2014: Reflection

On November 20th, 2014, I attended the Assistive Technology Conference of New England in Warwick, Rhode Island. The conference was sponsored by ATAP (Assistive Technology Access Partnership), TechACESS of RI, and the Rhode Island Department of Education. The conference brought together professionals and businesses who have an interest in finding and utilizing technology to help those with mental and physical disabilities, including learning disabilities.

At first I wasn't sure what to make of it all- I was flying solo. The wings of the conference area at the Crowne Plaza were lined with vendors representing the public and private sectors. Most people I saw were walking in small packs of two or three. Everyone I spoke with and who spoke to me (perhaps intrigued at seeing someone so young looking?) was extremely friendly. From the attitude of those I spoke with, I feel like this type of professional development gives teachers and school staff an interesting break from their normal schedule and makes them feel like professional and skilled individuals. I felt a general sense that everyone was there to collaborate, share ideas, and find a new way of helping their students; I did not get the sense that people had  been dragged there. When I am applying for teaching positions I will definitely be sure to ask about the opportunities the school affords for professional development. 

I walked away with two concrete things I can use/do in my classroom. The first is the "guided access" setting on the iPad. In my observations in schools with iPads, it was plain to see that students were adept at switching between applications so that they could appear on task but still manage some goofing off (read: Snapchatting). If/when I have students with iPads I will use the guided access setting when I really need to keep students reigned in on their tablets. What is does is that is sets up a block, essentially, keeping you within the application or set of webpages that you've allowed it to. I would have preset the 4 digit passcode for the iPads so that when it is time to get out of a certain app or site, only I could do so. I could imagine, however, that it would be tedious to do a passcode for each student, so this may be better used as a disciplinary measure for individual students. A presenter talked about guided access as applied to students who either have an e-wandering problem or those who have physical obstacles to using the iPad (for example, if a student's motor skills predisposed her to hitting buttons that would either delete her work or navigate her away from the task at hand).

The second cool thing I'm walking away with is the app 30Hands. 30Hands is a "digital storytelling" application that can be used to create videos with pictures, video clips, drawings, and voice over. I immediately thought of applying this to vocabulary words or identifications. Instead of simply writing out definitions, students could be create and make short videos explaining the word. I think that the process of creating these videos would make the terms and their applications more memorable, and could easily be shared with other students or showcased on a class page. 

I really enjoyed going to the conference- it was my first experience of the like. It makes me really wish I had attended the National Council for Social Studies conference in Boston! I learned a lot from this conference about little things a teacher can do to make her classroom easier to access for students with different needs, for example, using the OpenDyslexic font for students who have dyslexia or trouble seeing font. It was an inspiring experience to be in a room with so many people who are doing such hard work to integrate and challenge students who have special needs.

SED506 Observation Assignment #1

Lee Mogavero’s Honors 9^th Grade Western Civilization class

St. Mary’s Academy Bay View

Today I am at St. Mary’s Academy Bay View, a K – 12 all girls Catholic school in Riverside, Rhode Island. I am observing a ninth grade History class, so I’ve been in the Upper School. The exterior of the building is brick and the interior is painted blue and white metal- the school burned down in the 1920s, so, when it was rebuilt, it was made as fire-proof as possible. Unfortunately, this means that there is little on the walls of the school, unless a poster is framed and hung or if there is a display case. The front foyer has four such display cases, each with different displays of artwork done by students. Right now, portraits of the girls adorn the case. There are also a few very nice murals around the school- especially striking is the one of a giant Bengal (the school mascot) in one of the hallways.

Lee’s room has two doors, each with a window. As a part of their security protocol, posters or fabric blocks windows out. In Lee’s room, a poster of Franklin Delano Roosevelt secures one window and a map of the Black Death’s spread covers the other. Upon entering the room I notice that the desks are set up in an usual row fashion. Rows aligned horizontally and vertically essentially created a box of desks- kind of a nice combination of both the clusters and single desk format. The biggest downside of this arrangement, however, is that it's very hard to work the room. The walking space between the rows was very limiting.

It's last period, so the girls coming into the room exhibit that bizarre mixture of tiredness and giddiness because they are going home soon. Once everyone is sitting, I take a look around. This is a big class! About 26 students, mostly white, but with about 7 or 8 students of color. The walls in this class are almost as bare as the halls- there's a cross above one of the boards, next to an American flag, and there are a few items around the room to signify this is a history class (a model of a tall ship, for example). The room does not feel sterile, however, nor does it feel unfriendly. Perhaps the energy of the students gave the room the life it was missing. 

Lee is a commanding presence in the class- he's the type of teacher that can joke about sending a student to the guillotine and get away with it (we are watching a movie about the French Revolution today). He is an impressive mixture of both intimidation and compassion- he knows who to be hard on and who he shouldn't mess with. I could imagine that this class would get your adrenaline running. You never know if he is going to rag on you, but that if he does it's because he likes you. I'm sure that some of the greener freshman don't know what to think of him, though. 

With a loud, commanding "Ladies! Take out a piece of paper," everyone knows it's time for their map quiz. Map quizzes are an infamous rite of passage for all of Lee's students. Students need to identify the names of countries and their capitals from a blank map- today is Africa. By December, students will have been quizzed on the Students are quiet as they complete the quiz. 

After the quiz, Lee sets the DVD player up to continue watching the History Channel's documentary on the French Revolution. During the viewing, students are mostly quiet, but those in the front definitely have been offering more comments than others. I'm not sure if certain students were placed closer to the teacher because they talk too much or if they have chosen to sit there on their own. The power of the classroom is definitely centered towards the front. Due to desk arrangement, Lee can't really walk around the room, so he is at the front, and the students in the front are more vocal. Lee pauses the video at certain points to have quick discussions, check for understanding, and take questions. At these moments, however, he makes a point to call on those in the middle and back of the room, balancing out the participation. 

Once Maximilian Robespierre has met his demise and the film is over, Lee has the students review their identifications for their test coming up on Monday. This review is totally oral and demands that the students be on their toes, which I bet makes the review more memorable.

The final bell rings and students pack up to leave. I imagine that they feel pretty confident about their test on Monday. Everyone had a chance to answer at least one of the review questions. Being a part of Lee's class must make you feel like, wow, I'm so not in middle school anymore. He demands a lot of you, but really makes you feel like you can live up to his expectations.

SED 406:  Observation Assignment #2

Diane Morel's 11th Grade Level 2 US History

St. Mary's Academy Bay View

In this observation assignment, your goal is to reverse-engineer a lesson plan. Watch the class, and write the lesson plan that teacher is using.

Do this by OBSERVATION, even if the teacher is willing to share their lesson plan with you. This is about improving your observation skills, not getting ‘the answer’.

Lesson Plan Template for SED 406 and 407 part 1 = planning
Teacher Candidate: Diane Morel	Subject: US History, Level 2	Grade(s): 11th
Name of Lesson: The Election of Abraham Lincoln
Learning Objective(s), including Bloom's taxonomic level: (label A, B, C, *D) *optional Students will be able to explain the events and political strategies that led to the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860.
Student Standards (GSE or/GLE or Common Core-in draft for math/science- list which): CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
Teacher Standards (professional society and/or NETS  and RIPTS-list which): Standard 2: Teachers have a deep content knowledge base sufficient to create learning experiences that reflect an understanding of central concepts, vocabulary, structures, and tools of inquiry of the disciplines/content areas they teach.
Rationale: Why this lesson? How does it fit into the curriculum and context? This lesson brings together the events of the 1840s and 1850s that led to the Civil War. It fits into the context of American history as a pivotal event that was essentially the “last straw” before the succession crisis. Is this the introduction, conclusion, or somewhere in the middle of the unit of instruction? This lesson is at the end of the unit, as it is the last major blow to the Union. Next unit will be about the Civil War.
Materials/Resources needed, including technology: Powerpoint, SMARTBoard, computer, pull-down maps, laser pointer, whiteboard/markers
Accommodations and Modifications (special needs and learning styles) As this is a Level 2 class, the pace of instruction must be slowed down to assure understanding. This requires pausing frequently to assess comprehension.
What content resources support this knowledge base? (list at least 2)
How confident are you in this topic as you start this lesson? Very confident.

(Boxes expand as you type)   Lesson Plan Template part 2 = action
Bell-ringer: How will you get students seated, and ready for academic work? (without your voice) Assume position at the podium and wait for eyes on me. Students already have a routine to come into class, get their books out of the drawer, and assumer their seats.
Anticipatory Set: How will you introduce the material, interest the students, show relevance of topic? Explain the importance of the Election of 1860 as a turning point to the Civil War
Phase (change as needed)/Time	Teacher action	Student action	Questions/Assessments
e.g. Intro/5 min.	Housekeeping (check on another class with a substitute, set up PowerPoint)	Housekeeping (get books, start up iPads and become ready to listen/take notes)
	Explain today’s plan to students, talk about plan for Friday (will not be there because of NCSS Conference, but a test will be administered)	Ask questions about the day’s plan, the plan for tomorrow.	Tell students that if, while they are studying for their test, they have problems, to email me.
Step 1	Review/set the context and stage for the election of 1860	Listen, take notes, respond to /ask questions	Assess their knowledge of concepts like popular sovereignty and how they paint the scene for the 1860 election
Step 2	Give blended lecture/discussion about the election of 1860	Listen, take notes, respond to /ask questions	What’s the takeaway from Lincoln’s election? (That he only got elected because the Democratic party split their votes)
Step 3	Review for test: explain format, go over identifications	Discuss identifications	What was the Compromise of 1850? What are our other identifications? Tell me about them.
HW/Application/		Study for test on Friday
Review and Reflection: How will you review for students who are still having trouble? Have students see me during my free period/encourage students to email me their questions
Extension: What will you offer to students who have mastered this? Praise! They will do well on the test Friday.
*Closing: How will you review the material, and draw conclusions? (may be listed above)

	Lesson Plan Template pt. 3 = reflection
WHAT?	What went well?   The review/new content/review flow of the class was smooth and gave students multiple opportunities to sort out any confusion.
	What area of weakness needs addressing? The powerpoint use was for an AP class. It had too much information that the Level 2 students were rushing to try to copy down, perhaps losing some learning moments.
	Which objectives were met? What is the evidence? The objective for students to be able to explain the election of 1860 was met. As we repeated/went over this material multiple times, I was able to hear from almost all of the students to assess their understanding.
	Which students did not meet objectives? None, but we shall see on the test.
	Was time managed appropriately? Yes- ample time for both review and new material
	Did any teacher mannerisms or actions detract from the lesson? No, teacher mannerisms provided light humor to make the lessons more memorable.
	*What were the strengths and weaknesses of classroom management? I was able to secure participation from almost everyone, but, then again, sometimes this got confusing as some students were calling out answers over other students’ raised hands.
SO WHAT?	Was the lesson engaging? Yes, judging by the level of participation.
	*What did I learn from my peer observation (address at least one aspect)  Great teachers know what they want to get through, how to get there, and how to time it. It’s all about appearing super smooth and knowing which student questions to give more lengthy answers to over others.
NOW WHAT?	How will this experience influence your professional identity?  How will it influence how you plan/teach/assess in the future? Especially for teaching lower level classes, I really like the review/new material/review format. I also can see myself using humor and drama in the same way that Diane did- I hope my students will be as engaged and interested as hers were.