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EEND678 Course Reflection

Throughout this class, a few things have stuck with me. The first of these are the modules and resources related to project based learning. As indicated in my artifact reflections, I look away a lot from these assignments. They helped me to realize that implementing PBLs into the classroom, doesn’t seem so intangible now. After thinking about his type of learning through these assignments, I can see how using PBLs in my classroom could be feasible. Going back through the modules to prepare for this reflection, I was also reminded of the techtool hunt we completed on the Google Doc. I had forgotten how useful that document is. This chart gives us access to many, many tech resources, some of which I have never even heard of. I have made a copy of this chart to use in the future. I think this was a great way for people to share resources and it creates a database. One of the hardest parts about technology integration is hearing about great resources, but not having a place for them in y
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EEND678 Artifact 2 -- Designing a PBL Unit

The second artifact that I chose to reflect one was the UBD assignment in which one of my PBL ideas was elaborated on and planned for. Similar to my first artifact, I chose this artifact because it challenged me in a new way. While I am familiar with the UBD construct and principle, I have never utilized that framework to plan for a unit of this nature. For this assignment, I utilized my PBL outlines to choose a project I felt could be realistically implemented in an environment where I had the ability to manipulate the curriculum purposefully. The project I chose to further develop was about school start times. I chose this because it has been a hot topic in our school over the last couple of years. This year, students have late arrival one day a week which provided a launching point to discuss the topic. When thinking about PBLs it is important for students to have an investment in what they are learning, and I felt like this topic would provide a high level of investment for my stu
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EEND678 Artifact 1 -- PBL Planning

The first artifact that I chose to reflect on from this course was the PBL planning assignment. I chose to include this artifact in my reflection because I felt as though it really challenged me. While I had certainly heard of project based learning prior to this course, I had not actually spent anytime pursuing how I could implement project based learning (PBL) into my class. In the general overview I had of PBLs, I could not see how this model could be one I used given curriculum demands, time constraints, and IEP goals to be working on. The creation of this assignment forced me to reevaluate my previous notions of this type of learning. In preparation for this assignment, I utilized some resources that helped me to do this reevaluation. For instance, the Edutopia article “What the Heck is Project-Based Learning?”, written by Heather Wolpert-Gawron, clarified that while there are many elements that define PBL, not every project has to meet every element in order to be classified as
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EEND677 Artifact 2 -- Share Your Story

The second artifact I chose to share for the purpose of this reflection is the Twitter Moment I created for the “Share Your Story” assignment. I will be honest, this assignment was tough for me. I had a hard time balancing the parameters of the assignment and what I could actually take away and use in my classroom. Teaching in a high school, I find it hard to figure out how much communication from me to parents is necessary, versus teaching students how to communicate with their families and involve them in their education. I chose to include the artifact because I felt like I finally found a tool that would allow me to include parents in our classroom activities, without giving them too much information, and giving them some talking starters to help communicate with their students. In her article “Effective Communication via a Classroom Newsletter,” Janelle Cox states “maintaining effective communication between parents and teachers is the key to student success.” I found using Twit
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EEND677 Artifact 1 - Tell Me in a Graphic

The first artifact from EEND677 that I chose to include in my reflection, is the Google Drawing I created in the “Tell me in a Graphic” assignment. I chose this assignment for a few reasons. The first reason I chose this artifact was that it was the first time I had used Google Drawings. While our district utilizes the Google Suite, this was a tool I had not accessed before. I enjoyed the exposure to a new resource and the challenge of coming up with a creation that I could integrate into my classroom. A second reason that I chose this artifact was that upon the completion of this assignment, I chose to implement the use of Google Drawings into my classroom. I found the simplicity of the tool allowed my students to think creatively, while not getting hung up on the “how to” of using the resource. Using Google Drawings allowed them to use their prior knowledge of Google tools, but yet create something that was very different than an essay or slides presentation. The final reason why I c
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677Y Module 8 Discussion and Course Reflection

Module 8:  When it comes to augmented and virtual reality in the classroom, I have had no experience. That being said, I have come in to contact with both elements outside of school. I use Snapchat frequently, and most of the filters are augmented reality. While I don’t have a virtual reality system, I have used them and can see the excitement over the experience. After reviewing the article “Virtual Reality vs Augmented Reality” by Augment, I think the use of augmented reality would be more easily inserted into the classroom. It seems like devices that are readily available, such as iPhones and iPads, possess the ability to enhance the classroom with augmented reality; whereas, virtual reality would require entirely different devices. The learning commons in our school has a section where students can access augmented reality. Patricia Brown speaks about this capability in her article, “How to Transform Your classroom with Augmented Reality.” She says, “There are practical example
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Graphic Design in the Classroom

Incorporating graphic design into the classroom can be valuable for many reasons. Graphic designs can help with differentiation. By presenting information in different ways, teachers are able to reach learners with all types of learning strengths. Graphics in the classroom also support universal design. Using visuals in the classroom plans to meet the needs of everyone, regardless of their literacy levels or background knowledge of a concept. Graphics in the classroom not only support visual learners, but they can also enhance engagement. According to the Vengage article “8 examples of incorporating infographics in middle school classrooms”, by Jonna Mae Mango, the author states, “complex data and difficult lessons can now be compressed in an engaging way.” Mango explains that not only do graphics allow learners to be engaged with content, but they also allow these learners to engage with concepts that are complex and otherwise difficult to understand. Research shows us that stud
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