Section 5

Chapter 18 discusses instructional design in business and industry. Give an example of rapid prototyping and discuss how this could be used in education.

Rapid prototyping can be effectively used in math to help students with problem solving. Students can utilize a tool called the Makerbot to create geometric shapes, build their skills in measurements and create a prototype of ideas that they have designed. The Thing-O-Matic is a 3D printer that creates a physical prototype of a digital design that a person develops on a design program. This method of design would be great for the learning process of all students, but especially for those students who learn better with tangible resources such as a manipulative. Makerbot has a complete line of 3-D printers that are at a lower cost than prototype printers used in major corporations. Although purchasing such a machine may be costly for some districts, teachers can manually use this concept.  Students can draw their designs on paper and use material such as sticks and plastic connectors to create a prototype. The first picture below is an example of a manual prototype of a geometric shape called a tetrahedron. The second picture is a simple tetrahedron prototype being created by a Makerbot 3D printer. There is much more learning that teachers can use the Makerbot for in the subjects of math, science and technology. The website for more information is www.makerbot.com.

                     

Chapter 19 discusses instructional design opportunities in military education and training environments. I had the opportunity to work two summers in Orlando on a faculty fellowship in the advanced distributed learning lab (ADL) discussed in the book and saw first hand some of the constraints placed on some of the tools that could be used for learning. Pretend you are hired as a consultant for the military. They want to use technology in its training, but electronic access is not always available. Using the Full Spectrum diagram, what alternatives could you suggest for a successful program?

As a consultant for the military without electronic access, I would suggest using two methods that would be effective in every environment of military involvement. First I would use simple, but well constructed laminate training cards. The cards would provide step by step training materials in the classroom while being durable enough to utilize on the base or during deployment. The second method I would use is modeling by having specially trained soldiers to replicate training to other soldiers. This strategy would require that a specific number of soldiers be trained for this purpose, especially when going out for deployment. For example, when in the classroom there should be one trainer for every twenty soldiers and one for every forty soldiers on base. However, in deployment the amount of soldiers would need to be smaller in size.

Chapter 21 looks at radical educational change in P-12 settings. I visited the Chugach School District in Alaska and know Richard DeLorenzo very well. I can assure you that this change can occur in our schools. Review the Step-Up-To-Excellence methodology and the GSTE. Outline a staff development activity that will introduce both methodologies to your colleagues. 

To introduce GSTE and Step-Up-To-Excellence at a staff development meeting I would begin with the discreet suggestion of GSTE. I would first assess among the staff members their desire for change through an open-ended survey. I would then show a short film that I will create with actors who will model common problems that need change throughout our school as a prompt for discussion. After evaluating the surveys, I would call a discussion with everyone to talk of how concerns of the surveys can be changed through the phases and processes of GSTE and SUTE. I would then create teams to lead specific phases of the new methodology.

Navigating through the ranks of a faculty member in higher education can be tricky. A good institution has support for its faculty and provides faculty development opportunities to grow and learn. Research three different university offices for faculty development. Answer the following questions for each office:

What are the different names used for faculty development?

What division is it under?

What services does it offer?

How often are programs given and what specifically are they?

1) The University of North Texas faculty development is named the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment and Redesign and is under the Technology Division. CLEAR provides consultation, production, marketing, production, copywriting, administrative guidance, assessment and technology assistance. Live online training is provided on a monthly basis through the Blackboard Vista system, videoconferencing is readily available and a University Forum on Teaching & Learning takes place on an annual basis, among other programs.

2) The University of Texas at Dallas faculty development is named Office of Educational Enhancement and is under the Technology Division. Services of this office include teaching workshops, consultations, instructional design, seminars, and media services. Webinar workshops are offered online often and face to face workshops are available on a monthly basis for the staff to sign up as they please.

3) The University of Texas at Arlington faculty development under the division of Academic Affairs is named Faculty Enrichment. They have a faculty to faculty mentoring program, teaching circles and instructional support sessions online and face to face during the fall sessions.

Section 4:Human Performance Technology

1. Chapter 14 discusses the concept of the evolution of human performance improvement. Several sections of chapter 14 present a variety of non instructional solutions to performance problems. Identify a performance problem in your area of work and provide a non instructional solution to solve the problem.   

At the elementary school I taught at in Garland, Texas, the teachers are required to maintain a zero noise level of their students while in the hallway. To reach this requirement, the teachers discussed hallway behavior and we conducted practice drills to make sure students understood what was expected of them. Unfortunately, students seemed to only follow the rules because the teachers told them to. Students in the back of the hallway line talked when teachers were in the front of the line and vise versa. Students lacked an intrinsic motivation to cooperate with hallway rules and teachers were exhausted from constantly quieting students. The school principal asked for suggestions at a staff development meeting and a strategy was created to motivate students in this area. Teachers were given good behavior tickets to randomly pass out to any students they observed following hallway rules. Students placed their tickets in a box in the hallway for a drawing of prizes at the six week awards assembly. Not only did this positive method improve hallway behavior overall, but it was also improved in the classroom. Some students with in class behavior problems rarely experienced a teacher acknowledging their good behavior. Many teachers who were totally against giving prizes for good behavior came to realize that more tickets were given out than prizes. I was personally excited to see a positive change in students as well as a release of tension among our teachers.

2. Chapter 15 presents several definitions of electronic performance support systems. In addition to these definitions, locate a few more and indicate your preference explaining why you prefer it. Additionally, describe why you believe EPSS have not been widely used and if they are more likely be become more prevalent in the future. 

In Chapter 15, definitions of electronic performance support systems were defined for individuals, work groups and organizations. I would prefer an EPSS for schools that would link and support teachers in helping students. I believe that EPSS have not been widely used, specifically in schools because every teacher has a different idea about what electronic support they need in their classrooms and districts may be hesitant to utilize school funds to develop and implement a system. I think schools are closer to using EPSS to improve the education of failing students. A model of EPSS is already being implemented in schools through school libraries. Teachers in Garland ISD can benefit from the library database as they can search books for their students from their desktops, view video tutorials and they can also correlate the library database with the Accelerated Reading programs in their classrooms. I think it would be great if teachers could have more resources at their fingertips through EPSS, instead being on their own to find needed resources.

3. Knowledge management is the way we manage information, share that information, and use it. Organizations, such as schools, are full of information/data and we must organize that data in a way that we can make sense of it. We use data to make decisions and good data=good decision making. Identify a real or hypothetical problem in your line of work. How might a blended learning approach, including the use of a knowledge management system, be use to solve the problem? 

Since I am a new teacher, my biggest challenge is finding innovative lessons that will be effective in a classroom. My first resource in this situation is looking for online help through lesson planning sites such as http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/. Another website and knowledge management system is http://www.teachertube.com/ for innovative videos that allow me to see a visual of how a lesson can be successfully taught. I believe it is very important to use a blended learning approach by discussing new ideas from online resources with experienced teachers.  I tend to talk to older teachers and when I tell them about a student’s problem, they seem to instinctively know what ideas would be helpful or not.

4. Describe the types of informal learning you have been exposed to in your adult life. What was the purpose? What was the experience like? Was it engaging? Social? What role did you play? What role did the instructor play? 

Last semester I was in an educational research class that I thought would be easier than an online format because an instructor would be present. However, the instructor took the role of a facilitator and I was emerged in learning about the subject through engaging in discussions with other teachers. The teacher basically started and ended the class and provided us with needed resources. I was initially puzzled because I couldn’t figure out how teachers, who came to a class to learn how to research, were going to teach each other anything. The face to face class meetings were also very limited because we were expected to submerge ourselves in research to solve problems in our classrooms. Even though we only met with each other twice a week, we developed relationships with each other through our common goals. We also had specific research groups that we communicated with online outside of the classroom. I eventually came to realize how intentionally necessary this format was. Educational research is a skill that teachers utilize in their classrooms on a daily basis, but on a smaller scale. An instructor is not present in these instances and teachers need the confidence to look for answers within their own classrooms, through collaborations with other teachers and relevant research literature. 

Section 3: Evaluating, Implementing, and Managing Instructional Programs & Projects

1. Chapter 10 discusses evaluation in instructional design and provides you with two evaluation models, the CIPP and Kirkpatrick models for evaluation. Search for at least two other models used for evaluation and summarize these models. Describe how you would use them to evaluate your instruction.

The Logic Model is an evaluation model that can be used to determine if an intervention in the form of resources or a program is effective. The four components of this model include challenge, input, output and outcomes. As a current long-term substitute for reading intervention, I am using this model to evaluate my current instruction. My school received funding to hire me for three months for the challenge of students who are not academically ready in reading for standardized testing this April. I expect the input of more instructional reading time to help students reach their goals of increasing their reading levels, while meeting the school’s assessment expectations. I am currently experiencing an output of the progress of students as they complete reading activities from the Power Up reading program. The outcome will be in the form of the improved reading skills of students and success in their assessments.

The Judicial/Adversary Model is an evaluation that has two main components which include finding positive and negative aspects of an innovation before deciding on its use in the classroom. This model has been very effective as a new teacher because it allows me to continuously collaborate with other teachers about the effectiveness of a program before implementation. Their experience and creativity has been helpful, but I have also been able to use research literature to see the effectiveness of programs as well.

2. Think about a technological innovation within your social system that was recently introduced (social system = place of work, home, etc.). Any innovation has what is known as perceived attributes - relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, trialability, and observability. Describe these attributes of the innovation and which of the attributes assisted and/or hindered adoption of the innovation. For example, was it not compatible with the existing beliefs of the system or was it overly complex to use or understand?

A technological innovation that I have owned, but rarely used is my digital camera. I initially thought of it as a tool to quickly take pictures and to store in my computer for later development. Unfortunately, I usually ended up with images stuck in a camera that I did not have time to process. As a student teacher last year, I was looking for motivational writing prompts for my fifth grade students. On a day that the school was closed for snow, I took my digital camera and took pictures of my family’s activities outside and inside. I wanted students to see how I was affected by the weather. I loaded the pictures onto my computer, because I had nothing but time, and saved them on a flash drive to show on the large projector screen in class. Since many of my students rarely had an opportunity to experience pure snow, the pictures I took and showed were exciting to them. I received the best writing papers of the semester from the prompt of the pictures. This tool provided a relative advantage over processing film and passing pictures around the class. In first observation, the digital camera looks like it can be just as easy as the older film cameras. However, it has been convenient and showed great compatibility when used in collaboration with the projector screen and computer. I always thought this camera would be complex in use, but after taking the time to read through the manual, I have found it to be relatively painless. However, the trial-ability of this innovation was low because I found it to be ineffective without the manual. Using my digital camera has made me analyze other technological tools that would enhance my classroom as well as my home life.

3. Chapter's 12 & 13 focus on project management and how to manage projects when resources are scarce. You have been assigned to develop a series of professional development sessions focusing on technology use in the classroom for teachers. How will you use Situational Leadership to facilitate this project?

To develop a series of professional development sessions I would set objectives for my team before beginning our learning process. Taking into account the scarceness of resources, I would attempt to find in house resources within our school. For example, I would ask a technology professional at our school to demonstrate the use of new programs. I would also use free websites that I have found to effectively demonstrate technological development. My goal is to provide my teachers with the support of experts in the program without compromising the school budget. Even though I would definitely start with a direct style of leadership, I would also pay attention to the skill level of my teachers to help me gauge my leadership style as we are progressing through the sessions. As the sessions end, I would provide my teachers with technical help in the classroom in the form of individuals and online tutorials that can help them in the future.

Section 2: Theories & Models of Learning & Instruction

#1 Identify a specific learning goal and how you would incorporate two learning theories highlighted in Chapter 4 to achieve this goal.

Learning Goal: Elapsed Time

      Behavioral Learning Theory

After reading chapter 4 of our text, I was surprised to realize that I unknowingly used the Behavioral Learning Theory to teach elapsed time to my students.  Students were given a time journal for a day to observe and record the beginning and ending time of specific tasks. These tasks included waking up, getting dressed for school, breakfast and arriving at school. When the students returned to school with these journals, we had a discussion about the importance of time. Students discovered that they needed to be on time to prevent tardiness at school, to keeps their parents from being late to work and to learn how to be more responsible with time on their own. Feedback was effective because there was no right or wrong answer in the discussion portion. Next, we completed problems of elapsed time by choosing the time from two tasks in their time journals. Students partnered up and received immediate feedback from each other before receiving it from me. After a week of elapsed time practice, students were given a homework assignment that allowed them to journal about time as they did before. Not only were they to find elapsed time between their tasks, but they were to tell me why it was important. I was expecting to get answers about the technicalities of elapsed time, but was surprised to see how there was a positive change in the behavior of students toward the use of time. Many students came to understand why elapsed time was important to their education, their parents and themselves.

Schema Theory & Cognitive Load Theory

During the week of teaching elapsed time, I used a concept that I knew my 5^th grade students could relate to and recall in there memories. I used television shows that students watched on Disney and Nickelodeon channels to allow students to process schemata to learn about elapsed time. When I asked my students about the shows they watched on these channels, their memories automatically allowed them to recall endless choices. I incorporated cognitive load theory into this lesson by going to the Disney and Nickelodeon websites, pulling up their show schedules on the big screens for students and allowing them to find beginning and ending times of the shows they named.   

#2 Find a reference (other than the book) that describes Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction. Then create a table or chart that compares and contrasts those events with the first principles described in chapter 7 and describe how you would apply each of the first principles to the goal you've developed from the first activity in this reflection.

First Principles	Gagne’s Nine Events of Instruction
Differences	Differences	Similarities
1.        Problem centered instruction	1.        Get Students’ Attention	1. Using prior knowledge to teach new knowledge
2.        Activation of prior knowledge to learn new knowledge	Describe the Goal	2. Presentation of new learning material.
3.        Demonstration of new knowledge to be learned	3.        Stimulate prior knowledge	3. Students have an opportunity to apply new knowledge for practice.
4.        Application of new knowledge	4.        Present material to be learned
5.        Integration of new knowledge	5.        Provide guidance for learning
	6.        Elicit performance
	7.        Give feedback
	8.        Assess performance
	9.        Enhance retention and transfer

Reference

http://teachinglearningresources.pbworks.com/w/page/19919555/Gagne--9%20Events%20of%20Instruction

First Principles Used in Elapsed Time

1.      Problem centered instruction- To teach elapsed time, I guided students in discussion about how time is used in their own lives and the importance of knowing how to use elapsed time to solve problems in their lives.

2.      Activation of prior knowledge to learn new knowledge- I used the concept of Disney and Nickelodeon to teach elapsed time because my 5^th grade students were already familiar with these television shows.

3.      Demonstrations of new knowledge to be learned- Students were taught 3 different methods of telling elapsed time. We made laminated clocks with hands, used addition and subtraction, and we also used a t-chart method.

4.      Application of new knowledge- Students practiced elapsed time in the classroom on their own and in partnerships with others. I also observed and asked students questions during and after their practice to gauge their understanding of elapsed time.

5.      Integration of new knowledge- Students were sent home to journal about how they used elapsed time knowledge in their lives outside of school.

#3 Develop a new goal or using the one you've already developed, briefly describe how you might use the whole-task approach, scaffolding, and mathemagenic methods to help students learn to perform a task.

To help students learn the task of elapsed time I would use the following methods:

Whole-Task Approach- I used the real-life application of teaching students elapsed time through their current use of time at home and at school. In future lessons, I will especially pay attention to developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes of students toward elapsed time. This can be done by providing students with information about why elapsed time should be applied to their lives, providing them with technical skills to problem solve and developing their way of thinking.

Scaffolding- To scaffold the task of elapsed time, I will teach the lesson by providing students with small manageable tasks that helps them grasp the concept better. This lesson was taught as a schematic unit over one week, but I put more emphasis on including all the necessary tasks rather than focusing on building higher order thinking skills for this concept.

 Mathemagenic- I will extend the application and practice of elapsed time to allow students to use their knowledge in situations that they are unfamiliar with. Rather than using elapsed time for their current lives, we can explore using them in college or their careers in the future.

#4 You have been hired to design a course for a topic in your area of specialization. Using Table 9.2 as a template, what would you incorporate into each subcategory to motivate learners?

Attention

Perceptual Arousal	What can I do to capture their interest?	Read books aloud to my students.
Inquiry Arousal	How can I stimulate an attitude of inquiry?	I ask questions throughout my reading and ask students to guess what is happening next.
Variability	How can I use a variety of tactics to maintain their attention?	Depending on the book being read, I may change my voice to portray characters or dress up.

Relevance

Goal Orientation	How can I best meet my learners’ needs? (Do I know their needs?)	Ask students questions about their attitudes towards reading to determine their needs or assess their reading ability.
Motive Matching	How and when can I provide my learners with appropriate choices, responsibilities and influences?	I will give my students choices in their reading material and allow them to read to others.
Familiarity	How can I tie the instruction to the learners’ experiences?	Give students reading material that matches their life experiences. For example, I give my 5th grade students books like the Wimpy Kid series that humorously explores a child’s middle school exposure.

Confidence

Learning Requirements	How can I assist in building a positive expectation for success?	Assisting students in setting their own reading goals.
Success Opportunities	How will the learning experience support or enhance the students’ beliefs in their competence?	My 5th grade students will participate in Reading Buddies and read to younger grades to gain confidence.
Personal Control	How will the learners clearly know their success is based upon their efforts and abilities?	Students experience success as they reach their Accelerated Reading goals. If they do not succeed, they know they have the ability to be successful as they increase their points through reading.

Satisfaction

Intrinsic Reinforcement	How can I provide meaningful opportunities for learners to use their newly acquired knowledge/skill?	As a homework assignment, parents are asked to complete a reading comprehension assignment associated with the book the student is reading at school.
Extrinsic Rewards	What will provide reinforcement to the learners’ successes?	Students are given rewards for reading that include book related material or a movie party that is connected to a book we have read as a class.
Equity	How can I assist the students in anchoring a positive feeling about their accomplishments?	I will give students positive encouragement as they move towards their goals and as they succeed.

 #5 Finally, after completing these activities, discuss the benefits of engaging in design research.

Engaging in design research is beneficial to the progressive learning of students. As educators seek to gain knowledge from the theories and methods researched in the past, new research must be explored as the needs of students grow in technology and instructional design.

 

I wonder if this tool from http://www.learningresources.com/ would have been helpful in teaching elapsed time. Elapsed time is digitally displayed as the manual clocks are changed.