PINTEREST in the Classroom

Let me start off by saying that I love PINTEREST. I think it's a fantastic way to share ideas, photos, recipes, etc. easily and efficiently. I love being able to sort the pins when saving them, as well as being able to describe them when initially finding and pinning them, so you can leave a reminder for yourself about why you liked it or when you wanted to use it for; definitely a strength of the website. As a teacher, I would use PINTEREST to find different Lesson Plans as well as innovative and creative ways to display or teach materials. Some of the challenges that people who are new to the website face might be becoming familiar with navigating the site and figuring out the best way to type in what they're looking for. I have been using PINTEREST for myself for the past several years and I love it. When looking at a pin, some of them have a "Try It" button which allows you to read what people who have tried it have thought about it, and any alterations they would recommend (great for recipes and crafts). I, myself,  am a personal fan of PINTEREST.

Khan/Koller Review

When I was in high school, I took several science courses ranging from AP Biology to Forensics. In all of these classes, at some point the teachers gave us educational videos to watch. In my AP Biology class, my teacher would usually direct us towards the YouTube channel of Bozeman Science with videos created and narrated my Paul Anderson. When I visited the Khan Academy website, I was instantly reminded of Mr. Anderson's videos. Khan Academy had an easy to follow layout which allowed the viewer to select lessons and subjects based on grade levels or specific topics. I liked how the videos were short and to the point, so that students watching would know what the key points and steps were, rather than being distracted by "other" information. My experience using Mr. Anderson's videos was incredibly positive, and helped me pass my AP Biology class with an A, and I can only imagine what using videos from Khan Academy would have done.

In some of my other classes in high school, as well as now, in college, most teachers are doing a flipped classroom, of sorts; teachers assign reading to be done that night and then students come in with questions and work on the homework in class. The biggest challenges I face when attempting to complete these assignments are how do I know what's important and simply focusing on reading these large chunks of text. As I previously stated, I like how the Khan Academy videos are short and to the point, thus offering a solution to my two greatest challenges; the videos offer no room to get distracted with "random" information and because it is something which stimulates both auditory and visual senses, the viewer is more likely to remain engaged enough to complete the assignment. Therefore, I would use this in my classrooms to help students get the main ideas, then branch off of them in the classroom.

I do believe that there has become a push to change the way in which we determine an individuals ability to perform a job based on their credentials rather than overall education. By offering more online courses, students are able to continue to gain their general education, while also engaging in various other activities, jobs, internships, etc., where they are gaining more hands on experience of working in their field of choice, rather than those who are sitting in a prestigious classroom. I do think that this style of education makes learning more accessible for students because it allows them to freely access information to further their education so they can possibly apply for a college or job, and be able to learn the information at their own pace, in their own times. Unfortunately, many lower income families do not have college or even high school educations and cannot complete their education because of lack of funds or because they have to take care of children or work during the traditional classroom hours. Therefore, I think online courses have the ability to fill an educational gap which, until now, has been gaping open.

When I first logged on to Coursera, however, I began exploring the various courses offered, and the one which stuck out to me, personally, was the Animal Behavior and Welfare course, taught by a professor from the University of Edinburgh. Columbus State does accept transfer credits from a variety of institutions if the courses were college level, or higher, and completed after 2005. For full terms of transferring credits at Columbus State, please see here. I think the Coursera courses are more challenging than other courses in that, if you aren't understanding the concept the way the professor is asking it, you have to wait until someone else offers an explanation, rather than having the immediate response of the professor. I believe it all has to do with the way in which the professor teaches the course. I am currently taking my fourth online class at Columbus State and none of them are the same as the other; in some I like the way the professors have designed the course, whereas in others, I longed for the weeks where we had an exam because it meant no other homework assignments. I think MOOCs are a step towards offering more equal educational opportunities for learners at all stages of life, however, from my experience, I would always prefer to have an in classroom course.

Exploring Standard Based Lesson Plans

I will be teaching grades 9-12, primarily Biology and the variations off of it: environmental science, zoology, etc. In this lesson, students will be given formative assessments in the form of worksheets,
 which will cover the information discussed in class lectures. The Ohio Standards for Science describes what the goal of students understanding of knowledge is, as depicted in the image on the right.

On of the standards I will be teaching to states that students will "learn the difference between producers and consumers and study how these organisms function within their communities as participants in various food chains." They will expand on this idea and be able to link multiple food webs/chains together to see how an entire ecosystem works together. This lesson involves a worksheet in which students apply the knowledge and concepts learned towards answering "real world" questions.

I would implement this lesson into the classroom when we began discussing the interactions between abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem. It is important for students to grasp how organisms are directly and indirectly related, and how they rely upon one another. A key part where I think students could get puzzled would be the concept of energy loss in the food through heat. Therefore I think they will be challenged by attempting to identify the true amount of energy in each organisms in the various stages of the web.

Resources

https://www.teachengineering.org/lessons/view/van_biomimicry_less2
https://www.teachengineering.org/content/van_/lessons/van_biomimicry_less2/lesson_1_and_2_ecology_lecture_supplement.pdf
https://www.teachengineering.org/content/van_/lessons/van_biomimicry_less2/energy_through_an_ecosystem_worksheet.pdf
http://education.ohio.gov/getattachment/Topics/Ohios-Learning-Standards/Science/ScienceStandards.pdf.aspx (pg 288)

Assistive Technology for Students with Traumatic Brain Injury

The term Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is defined by the Center for Parent Information and Resources as, "an acquired injury to the brain caused by an external physical force, resulting in total or partial functional disability or psychosocial impairment, or both, that adversely affects a child’s educational performance." In other words, a student with a TBI experienced a head injury which has altered their ability to function and/or engage socially, and thus hinders their ability to learn/perform in an educational setting. In any case, no two students or injuries are the same and thus must be constantly reassessed to ensure the best care is provided. An analysis performed by Julie M. Bowen showed the degree to which a TBI could impact a student range from, "alterations in cognition, physical mobility, self-care skills, and communication skills as well as changes in emotional and behavioral regulation, which may significantly affect school functioning (Fletcher & Levin, 1988)."

When creating classroom accommodations for students suffering from a TBI there are many small things you, as the teacher can do: have a calculator present, use labels around the classroom, recording devices, computers, etc. My favorite, however, is a "Memory Notebook." In this notebook, the student can record their feelings and memories, store maps, checklists, and contact information. By holding all of this important and helpful information in one place, the student has an easier time organizing the information to help restore memory and routine.

When using a checklist, which could even be in the form of post-it notes, the student can assess their own progress by observing their own growth in completing a series of tasks. After the student completes all the tasks they remember, they can double check their own activities by going through the checklist and noting which tasks they forgot to perform. This offers encouragement to the student as often, during times of recovery, it is the small  victories which are  the most encouraging and motivational for the patient. The use of the checklist also offers flexibility for the teacher to add, or remove, tasks based on how the student is progressing. By reviewing the Memory Notebook, the teacher can compare the students reported actions, the students perception of their own recovery, as well as the teachers own observations and records of the students progress. A Memory Notebook is a perfect way to collect the students thoughts and information for both assessment purposes as well as personal motivation.

As far as future treatments and tools of assessing and treating TBI, many new studies have been performed to utilize technology in order to perform a better diagnostic and assessment of TBI patients. Some of these include upgraded neuroimaging, structural/chemical imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, functional magnetic resonance, functional near red spectroscopy, transcranial magnetic stimulation, magnetoencephalography, and stem cells. All of these techniques aim to help better identify the extent of an individuals TBI, as well as offer means of possible treatment, for example, using stem cells to help reconstruct damaged brain cells. By identifying the extent of the damage, and the specific locations where it is located, only then can we hope to properly make advances in treatments. The future for individuals suffering from TBI, however, is looking hopeful, as every day, new advancements are made.




References
http://www.parentcenterhub.org/categories/#adversely
https://www.brainline.org/article/classroom-interventions-students-traumatic-brain-injuries
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2626927/
https://www.naset.org/traumaticbraininj2.0.html

DL School Choices

Currently I am enrolled in two colleges/universities, Otterbein and Columbus State. I initially applied for Columbus State because I wanted to get a lot of my General Education courses out of the way, so I could use the credit hours I'd be saving to take classes for my Educational Studies Minor. I ended up taking my Intro to Education class at Columbus State, this past summer, while taking three courses online through the same college. Currently I am taking Educational Technology online from C-State, as well. This is, essentially, the extent of my e-school experience. My diaper-hood friend, however, was homeschooled and enrolled in e-schools all the way up through her Senior Year of High School. However, educators need to be aware of the upcoming methods of educating, so I've taken some time to look into a few E-Schools.

After looking at the Ohio Distance and Electronic Learning Academy (OHDELA), Ohio Connections Academy (OCA), and Ohio Virtual Academy (OVA) I would enroll my hypothetical child in OHDELA. From a first impression view point, the website was easy to follow and utilize, information was easy to locate and understand, and provided easy means of connecting with staff and current students. OCA also had a rather user friendly website, however it was also very brief in its descriptions, and left me wondering. Even when comparing the videos, OHDELA's video provided a rather clear and accurate depiction of what being enrolled in the school would be like; OCA left me with questions.

I would not enroll my hypothetical child in OVA. I personally was not impressed with the curriculum or opportunities, or rather lack-thereof, to engage my child with other students in their class. Part of the learning process of school is forming connections with other students. Online schooling removes most of that, but with the use of field trips and other opportunities for students to engage with one another, they are still able to form those connections. OHDELA also has an entire page dedicated to how they can service students who have different disabilities and reasons for choosing online schooling. OVA merely offers various coursework at different levels. My child is being homeschooled, but that doesn't mean I want them to be valued less than they would be if they were in a traditional classroom, if anything, I would hope for additional opportunities and resources for my child to be given the same opportunities as students in regular Public Schools. If I had a child who I was enrolling in an e-school, I would pick OHDELA.