C4T #2

Mathew Needleman's, Creating Lifelong Learnings,is a wonderful resource for educators to use for professional development. Mr. Needleman teaches K-5th grade. He integrates technology in the classroom with the primary focus being on digital film making in the elementary classroom. He teaches traditional and new media literacy. He also appreciates students individually by valuing their culture.

The first article I reviewed was Higher Level Technology Use. The overall summary of the article is that teaching should always be student centered, not teacher centered. Mathew Needleman believes that teacher should not be the only one incorporating multimedia in the classroom. He states, higher level engagement happens when the technology is turned over to the student.

Teachers should be the guide to help students produce their own content and influences outside the classroom. Students must be engaged in the process. The student should make the blog, podcast, or participate in video conferences. Students learn best when they are the ones making or composing the assignment. If teachers give students clear, precise, expectations, about the movie making and their behavior, students will create and take risk that will immerse them into lifelong learning.

I like the way Mr. Needleman uses movies to introduce the lesson at the beginning to give students the background knowledge they need. Rather than watching the information or movie at the end for pleasure. He as a teacher uses this opportunity to teach his students by being actively engaged while the moving is showing. He states, the teacher should be viewing the movie with the students with the remote control in hand in order to stop the movie for discussion. The teacher should not be at the desk grading papers. In addition, he requires the students to evaluate the movie.

Being able to relate to the ESL student is an important element that all educators should consider in the classroom. Looking at the situation from that ESL student's perspective is key to helping them reach their full potential. I like the way he told his ESL students to write down any information they did not understand, and he will stop the movie to explain.

The second comment that I posted is on RTI (Response to Intervention) A complete Apple Workflow. RTI makes the presumption that there will be students who do not master a concept during a whole group lesson. RTI assumes that there will be students who need additional time and intensity/ intervention to master the concept. The information stated suggest that educators teach everyone the same material, the same way, and expect everyone to get it. If students don't understand after the material has been taught, educators then think something is wrong with the student.

RTI focuses the particular skill. The intervention will target the specific skill rather than the general skill. For example, targeting intervention for fluency is vague, but if teachers target the specific skill, such as, short vowels, progress can be made in the area of fluency.

Data must be collected in order to determine if the interventions are working. Apple technology allows teachers to monitor progress of the students so data can be recorded. Intervention is an ongoing process, therefore, continuous information must be gathered on the student's achievements.

Teachers can record students doing Reader's Theatre and then the students can add photos. The use of ipods with voice recorders are beneficial to students. Comprehension projects will emphasis unit themes and non-linguistic representation.

The most outstanding indication that this type of intervention works, is because behavior improved tremendously. Office referrals were almost eliminated by allowing students to be active participants in the movie making projects.

Our goals as educators is to help our students become lifelong learners. Using these intervention strategies will ensure that students are engaged in learning. The focus is on student learning, not teacher teaching. Students learn best by doing. Teachers must allow their students to take risk and make mistakes which is part of the learning process.