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Adaptive Learning Technology (ALT) is a newer idea in my school district. Next school year, 2021-2022, we will finally be 1-1 with student Chrome books. I believe this will be a game changer when it comes to incorporating technology in our lessons. Currently, two of the ALTs that I use in my classroom and have used in the past are IXL and Achieve3000. For the purposes of this post, I would like to share my experiences with IXL.

When using IXL, I began by teaching a lesson that modeled the concept or topic I was covering that day and allowed students to practice independently. I noticed students rushing through the easier questions, without really thinking of the reasoning behind the correct answer. They would earn points quickly and gain confidence, as well. However, their confidence quickly diminished with the depth of knowledge deepened in the question level and their score dropped. I quickly discovered that what my students needed was more one-on-one or small group instruction before being let loose on IXL. When reading through the 2020 Horizon Report, I learned a term called "adaptive-active approach" (page 14). This term means that students are getting the most out of the online experience and the teacher's knowledge. My students needed more of the teacher's knowledge to be successful.

One aspect I love about IXL is that it breaks down missed questions with reasoning and explanation for why students missed it in the first place. Students needed more instruction with what to do with this aspect of IXL. I found that when students missed questions, they produced the greatest gains in the platform after they took some quick notes to help them move through the rest of the practice. Students were able to get the gradual release model this way and were successful on the standard being taught.

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During the 2019-2020 school year, I spent my last in-person day with students on March 16, 2020. At that time, we had no clue that would be the last time we spent together for the rest of the school year. I spent my day getting personal numbers from students and updating parent contact numbers to prepare for what we thought would be the next few weeks of "online learning." As you know, we were out for the rest of the school year. It was then that I learned the term digital equity.

When we went to online teaching/learning last year, it was said that "we built the plane as we flew" and honestly, that is what it felt like. My mornings were spent grading the minuscule amount of work submitted (mainly by my honors students) and posting new course work while my afternoons and evenings were spent tracking down students to check in on them. I was teaching high school English at the time and quickly learned that my students were sleeping in so I adjusted my work day to fit their needs. During this time of uncertainty and flexibility, I learned that, like stated in The Digital Divide and COVID-19 article, most of my students in poverty or low-income households were unreachable or unable to complete the work (see also the figure at the top of the blog). It was discouraging knowing that I was missing out on fulfilling their educational needs during this time. There were a few students who could drive and once the school allowed them to check out a Chrome Book, they would carpool to a nearby McDonald's or Starbucks to use the free Wifi in order to get assignments turned in. The major issue I found with digital equity during the pandemic was access to reliable internet.

Last year, the schools in my district allowed students to check out Chrome Books and asked teachers to individually come up with ways to reach their students. Moving forward and continuing with what to do to reach all students in an engaging way, there must be unity and understanding of expectations.
1. Allow teachers time to plan with content partners/groups to allow for uniformity among students on assignments and assessments.
2. Provide teachers with up-to-date technology training that does not reflect a traditional classroom setting. In other words, teachers should use technology to engage students in a meaningful way, not as a babysitter.
3. Ensure that teachers know how to use the technology/ apps/ websites thoroughly before assigning and sharing with students. Teachers cannot help students with a platform without knowing it first.
4. Survey families on the digital access available to them at home. Provide digital resources to the families that need them.
4. Prepare "Wifi" stations close to students' homes if needed. It was discussed to have "wifi busses" last year but it never came to that. This website discusses some other ideas that districts created for families including, "mapping the libraries, coffee shops, fast food restaurants and other places in the community where students can find free Internet access after school hours."

While these ideas and suggestions may not provide all of the answers or solutions to the many problems tacked on with digital equity, they do shed a small light on the major issues tied with the topic.

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"The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Education"

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When thinking about the benefits of virtual reality in the Reading classroom, I had a really fun discussion with my students. I do not know much about coding or all that it entails. I wanted to ask them because they are experts compared to me! My students talked about how they create a coding system that would allow them to build a setting that matches a novel being read in class. This would be used with independent novels and could even be broken up by chapters for students to create multiple settings.
If they are not that tech savvy, students could participate in a virtual field trip to a similar setting.

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📹Technology Resources for the Classroom 

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📹Technology Resources for the Classroom 

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https://www.loom.com/

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What technology trends will last in education?

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What technology trends will last in education?

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New technology should definitely be something that is explored by educators before being released to students. There is current technology that is being used in the classroom that teachers I had in school were wary to use - SMARTBoard/Promethean Boards. I could not imagine teaching in a classroom without one of those! However, I know there was a time when these new technologies were introduced where teachers pushed back at the idea. Change is not always a good thing. On the contrary, technology also has the power to make teaching easier, and it looks like we're heading that direction. While the prep time of learning the ins and outs of a new technology can be daunting, the outcome and final product of being able to use technology to a teacher's benefit is priceless.

Where do I see my career 5-10 years from now?
Short answer - I see myself out of middle school and back in a high school English classroom. I taught high school for 3 years and moved down to middle school to be next-door to my son's school. I can think of many more activities and lessons to create for my students in high school than for my middle school kids.

How will this technology change my teaching practices?
With the new technology mentioned in our video this week, brain-computer interfaces, it definitely freaked me out. I had a quick thought of, "What will my job become if students have the ability to look anything up?" I thought also about digital equity and that even though we have this capability and technology, not all students will have access to it.

How will I adapt my teaching to technology in a reading classroom?
Take Out/Away:
Vocabulary quizzes
Comprehension quizzes

Add In:
Skills based activities
Original plans and activities that students cannot "look up" answers to - develop their critical thinking skills

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One Emerging Technology That Will Impact My Career 

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One Emerging Technology That Will Impact My Career 

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The Use of Virtual Reality Tools in the Reading-Language Arts Classroom