Final Post

Final Post

Before stating my reflection on the experience I had in this class, I want to state the reason that motivated me to study Instructional Technology. Below is a graph provided by the following link  http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/hot-topics/worldinequality.aspx

The graph compares the average income gap between developed and least developed countries. Notice that the gap started increasing drastically after 1983 (with the advancement in computer technology). If you extrapolate, you will notice that the gap is increasing over time. The sudden increase in the inequality in average income  is clearer on the second graph from the same link.

Whenever I see the graph, I imagine an arid land with poor communities and large space ships (like those in Star Wars) hovering over. The people in these communities lack the education and technology that those in the space ships have. I imagine the future of our planet like that in the image I just described. Because the technology is advancing at an exponential rate; there will be a time where those who do not keep up with education and technology will never be able to catch up. Learning Web 2.0 tools (part of technology) is a necessity so I do not fall through the cracks.

Learning instructional technology is essential to provide our students with quality education and to help maintain the status of our country as the top producing country in the world.

The setup of the class helped me gain lots of experience with the web 2.0 tools. By reviewing a tool every week and reflecting on three colleagues reviews, I gained the necessary information and sufficient experience to seek more knowledge about these tools on my own. The collaboration among us the students through commenting on each other’s reviews and the common projects helped us learn from each other.

The mini-research that we reviewed every week was based on the “Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education”. The same apply to the Web 2.0 tools. So, learning the tool was based on a solid knowledge of the principle behind its use.

Upon trying some of the tools, some fell short of my expectations and hopes. I already created a journal for Web 2.0 tools that include my reviews; in my spare time I will review the rest of the tools and keep it as a resource for Web 2.0 tools.

In short my experience during the two classes was rewarding. The least to say is that it matched my reason for learning about instructional technology.

Web 2.0 Tools For Education

This is the link to my VoiceThread presentation
https://voicethread.com/?#u2774812

Web 2.0 Tools in Education

Education is based on three pillars curriculum, activities, and assessment. These 3 pillars are interconnected; we cannot design learning activities in isolation and without taking into consideration the curriculum objectives and the assessment.

(See diagram below)

Upon designing the learning units teachers have to take into consideration the three pillars. However, to teach a unit successfully teachers have to state the curriculum objectives and the activities’ expectation clearly; teachers have to provide prompt feedback on daily activities and quizzes before the units’ tests. Here’s where communication emerges.  

Communication

Stating the objectives clearly to students and parents is the teachers’ first step in teaching a learning unit. Making behavior expectations, assignments due dates, activities’ rubrics clear demand good communication skills. Communication includes providing prompt feedback to students on grades, inquiries about projects and assignments. Web 2.0 Tools are very helpful in delivering the learning expectations to parents and students as well as providing prompt feedback. Web 2.0 tools that help in communication are:

a.      Scoop.it  http://www.scoop.it/

b.     LiveJournal  http://www.livejournal.com

c.      Edmodo http://www.edmodo.com/

d.     Wiggio  http://wiggio.com/

Differentiation

“The Supreme Court’s 1954 Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka decision affected the developments in law, politics, social policy, and certainly education. The federal government under President John F. Kennedy determined that much greater involvement on its part was necessary to stimulate action and ensure the enforcement of law, the protection of civil rights for all Americans, and the fulfillment of the promise of public schooling”. The History of Inclusion in the United States, by Robert L. Osgood

http://gupress.gallaudet.edu/excerpts/HIUS.html

In the age of inclusion, one of the major roles of teachers is to accommodate the needs of the students by differentiating instructions. As a result of differentiated instruction, the teacher’s role is more like a facilitator who mange students’ learning. Hence, the increasing need of web.2.0 tools and the likes emerge. The population that fit under inclusion can be grouped into three groups:

1.       English as a second language

2.      Special Education (ex. Autistic)

3.      Learning and behavior disability

The Gifted and Talented is a group of students that have specific needs even though they do not belong under the inclusion policies. There are a variety of web 2.0 tools that are useful for each of the above listed groups. I listed below the tools useful for each group:

1.        English as a second language

a.      Vocabulary Grabber

b.     Busuu

c.      Ispeech

d.     Quizlet

2.      Special Education (ex. Autistic)

a.      Smilebox

b.     Ispeech

c.      Cozi

d.     MindMeister

e.      Quizlet

f.       Vocabulary Grabber

3.      Learning and behavior disability

a.      Wunderlist

b.     MindMeister

c.      Quizlet

4.      Gifted and talented

a.      Mendeley

b.     Wunderlist

c.      Quizlet

d.     Wolfram Alpha

Collaboration

Among the qualifications that employers consider in future employees are problem solving skills, team players with good communication and listening skills. Education should provide the students with the experiences needed to enhance such skills. Web 2.0  collaboration tools are numerous among which are:

a.      VoiceThread

b.     Wiggio

c.      SkyDrive

Whenever we adopt a new Web 2.0 tool in education, we need to remind ourselves that it is a tool not a goal. Our goal is to enhance students’ learning! Tools will change over time. The usefulness of a tool varies from one group of students to another.

A tool’s value is bound by the students’ performance.  Also, students should spend time learning the content rather than trying to figure out how to use the tool.

DocsPal Tool

1.      Name of the Tool

DocsPal

2.     URL of the Tool

http://www.docspal.com

3.     Please select the one, primary category for this tool:

DocsPal is a Productivity Tool. DocsPal  is a file-type converter and viewer

4.     Please describe this tool in your own words in about 150-250 words.

DocsPal is a file-type converter and viewer. As advertized, the user can download the PDF creator for free. I tried to download it, but it did not work. The program can be purchased for $ 69.99. The PDF converter converts PDF documents to DOC, DOCX, HTML, TXT and others and vise versa. Also, it converts Microsoft power points to PDF, RTF, and XPS.

ü (RTF) Rich Text Format is defined as an interchange format from Microsoft for exchange of documents between Word and other document preparation systems.

ü  XPS files are not “rich” documents like PDF and DOCX, and they do not have images or video clips embedded in them.

 Other examples are included in the snapshot-1 below:

The PDF converter converts Video and Audio files into different formats. The same applies to Electronic Books and Images.

DocsPal Viewer is a great tool for sharing documents. Sometimes you may need to share a document with others so that they can easily view it without the need to install anything else on their computers, or without being able to modify that document. DocsPal Viewer will provide you with URL, upon clicking on the URL you can see the document.

1.      What do you need to know before using this tool? (What skills do you need to have?)

The basic computer skills are enough to run this tool.

2.     What do you need to have before using this tool? (Resources)

As of resources you need internet connection, computer and the PDF converter software.

3.     How do you use this tool? (Write the basic steps using a numbered list)

Type the link http://www.docspal.com in the URL address bar and will be prompted to the home screen

a.      I tried downloading the PDF Converter for free. The downloaded program does not work. Then I tried typing the file URL (see snapshot above). For step 2 I selected the PDF format in the draw arrow under Original format. Then I clicked on DOCX in the draw box under Convert to. However, under step 3 the convert button does not work.

To have it work  

b.     There are 2 tabs on this page. The convert files tab is shown on the screenshot above.

c.      For step 1, you can add file URL such as PDF URL.

d.     If the file is saved on your computer then you can upload the file.

e.      As you finish step1, the original file format will appear.

f.       Then you can select the format you are seeking from the drop box.

g.      During the final step 3, you have the option of clicking in the box and having the converted format e-mailed to you, or simply click on convert button. As I mentioned earlier, the convert button did not work with the free download.

In addition to creating PDF documents, converting documents, images, videos, audio to other formats. Also, you can edit the PDF, comment, and highlight and add hyperlinks. Also, by purchasing the DocsPal you will have lifetime support.

4.      Please describe a scenario of how you might use this tool in a teaching environment (150-250 words).

Since, I did not by the DocsPal software and was not able to use. I converted a PDF document to Word Document using a similar program called “Nuance PDF reader” below are the steps I followed

a.      I uploaded the pdf file “energy lab” [from explorelearning.com] the purpose of converting this lab to word is to be able to modify some parts of the lab.

b.      Then I requested to convert the document to word document. I got the dialogue window shown below, telling me that they will e-mail me the word document.

c.      So I type my e-mail and a password.

d.     When I receive the e-mail (see below)

e. I clicked on the download link, and then I type the password. Below is the word document of the lab

1.      What are the advantages and disadvantages of using this tool in a teaching environment? 

The DocsPal is an excellent tool. If you by the software you earn lifetime support. Docs Pal is not limited to converting documents but it converts video, and audio.  The only disadvantage I noticed that it does not have free trial.

2.     Would you recommend this Web 2.0 tool to others, or suggest that they explore a different tool?

DocsPal software is available for $69 comparably to others that are available for $79 and even more. For occasional pdf converter, I recommend “nuancepdf.com” since you can download the pdf reader for free and it works!

See the example below when I used nuance to convert microblogging pdf to word document, where you can highlight and underline on the pdf document.

And here we go, in word document!

Even before converting the Document by using nuance I was able to highlight and underline text in the document.

Module-6 mini-research

Research Review

Behavior management is one of the main factors used to evaluate teachers. Students’ misconduct results in applying one form of punitive measures. Schools and administrators are evaluated based on the number of times punitive measures applied in schools. As a result, administrators are avoiding placing students in alternative educational placement. This avoidance emerged as the administrators started holding the teachers responsible for managing discipline. Trying to understand the causes of this shift I collected some data concerning the 4 districts that I worked in or the ones my children attended. Then, I organized this data in the table below (table-1)^{1, 2}

	Cy-Fair		Fort Bend			Katy			Houston
	2010	2011	2010		2011	2010		2011	2010	2011
DISTRICT CUMULATIVE YEAR END ENROLLMENT	110,536	112406	72,917	72410		61,970	64,042		216,085		218,929
DISTRICT DISCIPLINE POPULATION	20,145  18.22%	19214 17.1%	13,053 17.90%	12247 16.90%		5,364 8.7%	5813 9.1%		35,995 16.66%		34,438 15.7%
DISTRICT DISCIPLINE RECORD COUNT	80,626	74,233	45,323	38,881		15,592	17,153		101,135		96,731
COUNT OF STUDENTS EXPELLED TO JJAEP	93 0.46%	82 0.43%	107 0.82%	70 0.6%		34 0.63%	18 0.31%		153 0.43%		108 0.31%
COUNT OF STUDENTS REMOVED TO A DAEP	1,529 7.59%	1382 7.2%	1,645 12.60%	689 5.60%		288 5.4%	276 4.7%		3,422 9.51%		3,401 9.81%
COUNT OF STUDENTS SUSPENDED IN SCHOOL	17,666  87.69%	16627 86.5%	9,069 69.48%	8046 69.48%		4,483 65.7%	4,925 84.7%		22,084 61.35%		22,960 66.7%
STUDENTS SUSPENDED OUT OF SCHOOL	9,217  45.75%	8912 46.4%	6,430 49.26%	5534 45.2%		1,719 32.1%	1,776 30.6%		22,539 62.6%		20,161 58.5%

 

By observing the data table we notice the following patterns:

1-     The percentage of students’ removal to DAEP is decreasing, with the exception of Houston ISD, it increased slightly by 0.30%

2-     The percentage of out-of-school suspension decreased by 4.06% in Fort Bend, 0.15% in Katy and 4.1% in Houston ISD, with the exception of Cypress-Fairbanks it increased slightly by 0.65%

3-     The percentage of students’ removal to JJAEP is decreasing.

4-     The percentage of in school suspension is slightly increasing.

Discipline in the classroom setting is a major problem that hinders the academic performance in the classroom. Teachers are overwhelmed by the task of maintaining a safe, inviting and pro-learning environment in the classroom. Teachers’ responsibilities include:

1-     Delivery of content

2-     Maintaining accurate records of attendance and grades

3-     Applying modifications to students with special needs

4-     Sustaining contact with parents

5-     Employing instructional and management strategies consistent with campus and district initiatives (3)

6-     Managing student discipline

Managing student discipline includes few steps before writing the student on a discipline referral. Examples of the pre-referral steps are contacting parents, student-teacher conference (setting short term goals and long term goals), and student-teacher contract. In short, managing student discipline is time consuming and if handled by teachers solely, it will hinder teachers from performing their major job of educating children.

Administrators are frustrated with their inability to balance between managing behavior referrals and the fact that disruptive students “are required to be assessed on grade level, it is imperative that they are educated just as the remainder of the student population” ³

Administrators employ a variety of strategies:

1-     Out-of- school suspension

2-     In-school suspension

3-     disciplinary alternative education placements (DAEP)

4-     Expulsion

At the same time, administrators are under pressure from parents, district officials due to the fact that Alternative Educational Placement have failed to educate students. I compiled the data from several data tables provided by a study “Disciplinary Methods and Student Achievement: A Statewide Study of Middle School Students”³ in one table (table -2).

Variables	n	M		SD	n	M	SD	n	M	SD
TAKS Reading
	Students Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	213,050	2189.96		327.23	100,079	2153.89	340.50	30,763	2110.51	352.11
Sixth Grade	57,582	2415.24		262.98	25,441	2414.55	264.81	6,328	2419.43	254.49
Seventh Grade	75,181	2079.98		282.68	35,525	2044.28	287.53	10,779	2006.66	296.46
Eighth Grade	80,287	2131.37		329.48	39,113	2083.90	340.52	13,656	2049.34	351.33
	Students Not Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Not Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Not Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	646,900		2239.48	307.20	759,871	2236.87	307.91	829,187	2231.54	310.63
Sixth Grade	175,084		2265.33	323.87	207,225	2288.67	319.68	226,338	2299.16	317.54
Seventh Grade	238,028		2193.08	273.25	277,684	2181.50	274.88	302,430	2171.61	277.45
Eighth Grade	233,788		2267.37	321.07	274,962	2253.76	321.38	300,419	2240.93	325.13
TAKS Math
	Students Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	213,053		2138.21	284.12	100,079	2107.51	290.26	30,763	2061.29	299.63
Sixth Grade	57,582		2360.63	284.79	25,441	2362.98	281.89	6,328	2369.59	271.53
Seventh Grade	75,184		2071.04	207.32	35,527	2040.86	205.55	10,781	2003.50	215.60
Eighth Grade	80,287		2041.58	258.36	39,111	2001.87	260.51	13,654	1964.04	274.33
	Students Not Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Not Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Not Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	646,902		2196.61	257.96	759,876	2191.97	260.92	829,192	2186.62	263.48
Sixth Grade	175,084		2235.69	301.32	207,225	2254.78	302.46	226,338	2263.73	302.48
Seventh Grade	238,032		2186.99	213.41	277,689	2174.29	214.52	302,435	2164.70	215.68
Eighth Grade	233,786		2177.13	261.04	274,962	2162.48	261.84	300,419	2150.59	263.80

 

By observing data table-2 we notice the following:

1-     The students placed in Alternative Educational Placement performed lower on TAKS (Math and English) than those in the regular classroom.

2-     The sixth graders in AEP, on average, out- performed the sixth graders in regular classroom. This observation is worth studying, but I will not dwell on it in this study.

“Very recently, Welch and Payne (2010) documented that school personnel had become harsher in their responses toward student misbehavior. In an era of school accountability and legislation that mandates that no child will be left behind, public school administrators and teachers must ensure that all students, even those students who disrupt the learning environment, receive a quality education.”³

Based on the above, an important question emerges:

Will online classes help students learn in alternative educational placement (AEP)?

The independent variable in my study is the online class, and the dependent variable is student’s learning. I will define the independent and dependent variables and the process of collecting data and data analysis later in my study.

Subjects:

400 students in the State of Texas public school system enrolled in high schools (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12) placed in DAEP (males and females)

400 students is equivalent to ~1/3 of the DAEP population (average of the DAEP population in the 4 districts listed in Table-1 is 1437 during the year 2011).Hence, the sample is large enough to validate the results.

Location of Study:

District Alternative Educational Placement (DAEP)

Disciplines involved:

Biology, Chemistry, Physics

Duration of Study:

1 year (hopefully, during the school year 2012-2013 or 2013-2014)

Independent Variable:

Online class

Dependent Variable:

Students’ scores on EOC Exams (Biology, Chemistry, and Physics) will reflect students’ learning.

Online Classes:

In a DAEP setting the students work alone at a station without being able to communicate with other students during class time. During the study each student will be provided with a computer and the following programs:

1.      Computer based activities such as Gizmos and Phet simulations

2.      Resources for students:

A.    ESOL students will use Google translate or other programs if provided by the school district.

B.    WolframAlpha as a tool to help in computation and topic related information

3.      A feedback and communication tool such as moodle or LiveJournal with the researcher available during school hours to respond to students’ comments, questions and to provide technical support.

Important Note:

Online classes will follow the pacing of the curriculum provided by the district. Hence, we avoid material repetition and help students by covering all contents during the right time.

Data Collection:

In the study, “Disciplinary Methods and Student Achievement: a Statewide Study of Middle School Students”

http://www.ncpeapublications.org/attachments/article/54/m33878.pdf

The researchers used the students’ scores on the TAKs exams. In my study I will use the scores on the EOC exams. However, I will not use the overall score. Instead I will use the item analysis of each student; in other word, I will calculate the percentage of the right answers on an “Objective”. The reasoning behind calculating the percentage is that students assigned to DAEP for different intervals starting from 4 weeks (20days) up to 26 weeks (180 days). So, using the overall score on the EOC exam defeat the purpose of measuring the effect of using the online classes on students’ scores; since before and after serving the assignment at the DAEP, students will be attending the regular classroom.

What is item analysis?

To understand the meaning of item analysis, I added a snapshot of the key of a released Biology EOC {see EOC snapshot -1 below}.  Also, I added an explanation of what the columns on the key stand for:

{EOC snapshot -1}



0-The number of the question on the EOC test is listed under “Item Number”

1-The Category represents the Aim

[Definition of Aim

a. Aims are general statements that provide direction or intent to educational action.

b. Aims are usually written in amorphous terms using words like: learn, know, understand, appreciate, and these are not directly measurable.]

EOC curriculum {see EOC snapshot-2} includes 5 Categories, as an example Category 1 is:

“Cell Structure and Function

The student will demonstrate an understanding of biomolecules as building blocks of cells, and that cells are the basic unit of structure and function of living things”.  

2-     See at the end of the list

3 - Column 4 on the table represents the Goals (Expectation):

[Definition of Goals:

a.      Goals tend to be more general than objectives. You might talk about the overall goals of a unit or a course.

Under each category there are several Goals. Category 1 has 3 Goals listed under it, (B.4), (B.5), and (B.9) {see EOC snapshot-2}

(B. 4) is an example of a Goal:

“Science concepts- The student knows that cells are the basic structures of all living things with specialized parts that perform specific functions and that viruses are different from cells. The student is expected to”.

{EOC snapshot-2}

4-The letters in the parenthesis next to each goal represent the objectives.

Under each Goal in the EOC curriculum there are several objectives.

[Definition of objectives:

An objective should satisfy the following conditions

a.      Objectives should always focus on the students, not the instructor.

b.     Objectives should address outcomes, not learning processes.

c.      Each objective should focus on only one idea.

d.     Objectives should measure specific behaviors.]

Under each Goal there are several Objectives. Goal (B.4) has 3 Objectives listed under it, (A), (B), and (C)

(B. 4) A is an example of an Objective:

“Compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells;”

5-     The process student expectations are listed separately in a new column. In

EOC, the Nature of Science does not count as an Aim (Category) unlike TAKs. So item 1 belongs to Aim1 (category 1), Goal (B.4), and objective (A); at the same time, it belongs to Goal (B.3), and objective (B) under an overarching, unnumbered Aim called the Nature of Science.

2-In this column is labeled as a readiness standard (objective) or supporting standard (objective).

Readiness stands for:

a.      They are essential for success in the current grade or course.

b.     They are important for preparedness for the next grade or course.

c.      They support college and career readiness.

d.     They necessitate in-depth instruction.

e.      They address broad and deep ideas.

Supporting stands for:

a.      Although introduced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a subsequent year.

b.     Although reinforced in the current grade or course, they may be emphasized in a previous year.

c.      They play a role in preparing students for the next grade or course but not a central role.

d.     They address more narrowly defined ideas.

Data analysis:

Based on the item analysis

I will compare the percentage of right answers in the sample to the percentage of the right answers in the DAEP population that did not participate in the online classes.

Also, I will segregate the data by the interval students spent in DAEP such as 4 weeks, 12 weeks up to 26 weeks.

Possible Extensions of the study:

1-     Upon finishing the study, I might extend it to compare the performance of the female students to that of the male students.

2-     Upon reviewing the data from the study “Disciplinary Methods and Student Achievement: A Statewide Study of Middle School Students”

I noticed that the sixth graders in the alternative educational placement out-performed the sixth graders in regular classroom. I think that these sixth graders are bored overachiever. I wonder if the data pattern will continue if these sixth graders are provided with rigorous, hands-on curriculum.

References:

1-     http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/adhocrpt/Disciplinary_Data_Products/Download_District_Summaries.html

2-     District Snapshots (TEA.gov)

3-     “Disciplinary Methods and Student Achievement: A Statewide Study of

Middle School Students” by Matthew Kralevich, John R. Slate, Carmen Tejeda-Delgado, Cheryl Kelsey; International Journal of Educational Leadership Preparation, Volume 5, Number 1 (January - March 2010).

http://www.ncpeapublications.org/attachments/article/54/m33878.pdf

http://cnx.org/content/m33878/1.1/

Variables	n	M		SD	n	M	SD	n	M	SD
TAKS Reading
	Students Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	213,050	2189.96		327.23	100,079	2153.89	340.50	30,763	2110.51	352.11
Sixth Grade	57,582	2415.24		262.98	25,441	2414.55	264.81	6,328	2419.43	254.49
Seventh Grade	75,181	2079.98		282.68	35,525	2044.28	287.53	10,779	2006.66	296.46
Eighth Grade	80,287	2131.37		329.48	39,113	2083.90	340.52	13,656	2049.34	351.33
	Students Not Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Not Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Not Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	646,900		2239.48	307.20	759,871	2236.87	307.91	829,187	2231.54	310.63
Sixth Grade	175,084		2265.33	323.87	207,225	2288.67	319.68	226,338	2299.16	317.54
Seventh Grade	238,028		2193.08	273.25	277,684	2181.50	274.88	302,430	2171.61	277.45
Eighth Grade	233,788		2267.37	321.07	274,962	2253.76	321.38	300,419	2240.93	325.13
TAKS Math
	Students Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	213,053		2138.21	284.12	100,079	2107.51	290.26	30,763	2061.29	299.63
Sixth Grade	57,582		2360.63	284.79	25,441	2362.98	281.89	6,328	2369.59	271.53
Seventh Grade	75,184		2071.04	207.32	35,527	2040.86	205.55	10,781	2003.50	215.60
Eighth Grade	80,287		2041.58	258.36	39,111	2001.87	260.51	13,654	1964.04	274.33
	Students Not Receiving In-School Suspension				Students Not Receiving Out-of-School Suspension			Students Not Receiving a DAEP Placement
All Students	646,902		2196.61	257.96	759,876	2191.97	260.92	829,192	2186.62	263.48
Sixth Grade	175,084		2235.69	301.32	207,225	2254.78	302.46	226,338	2263.73	302.48
Seventh Grade	238,032		2186.99	213.41	277,689	2174.29	214.52	302,435	2164.70	215.68
Eighth Grade	233,786		2177.13	261.04	274,962	2162.48	261.84	300,419	2150.59	263.80