Final Project: Increasing Students' Understanding of Verb Tenses and Forms

Lesson Plan Analysis Map

Session 1:

To begin the lesson in this 3^rd grade class, I will begin by teaching them verbs in each tense, essentially reviewing what they already know from previous grades and expanding their knowledge when teaching past and future tenses. After directly instructing them how to use the graphic organizer successfully, I have added the use of the Smartboard to incorporate the use of the graphic organizer, so as to give each student a chance to apply their knowledge. Each student will be given a verb and will come up to the Smartboard and correctly fill in a blank chart with the correct form of each verb. Once I have determined that each student has successfully mastered the completion of the chart, we will then move on as a whole class to the next part of the session. Students will then complete two individual assignments for the duration of the class using two different websites dedicated to enforcing correct verb usage. Each website allows children to practice their knowledge between verbs and nouns: Be and Clean Up Your Grammar. The homework assignment will also include two different websites that will allow students to practice using the verb “to be” in its correct tenses. The first is Noun or Verb and the second is To Be. Students will be required to print their scores and return them to class the next day. The homework is a type of formative assessment, as they will only be tested on the knowledge they acquire during that day’s lesson.

Session 2:

This next class will pick up where students’ left off in the previous class, continuing to broaden their knowledge of how verbs are used in sentences. Using a PowerPoint presentation that I have created, I will teach the students what verb phrases are and how to recognize them within sentences. I will provide them with examples during the presentation so as to ensure they receive adequate practice before moving on to their individual work. For their individual assignments, students will follow the same format as the previous class, in which they will use two websites (Verb Power and Verb Viper) to continue to enforce their knowledge regarding verb phrases. Each website consists of educational games that students will play so they get the benefit of learning and practicing their expanding knowledge, but have fun while they learn so as to ensure alertness and rid boredom. The homework assignment will also be a website (Complete Verb Phrases) that students will access and print the scores which they will bring to class the next day. This homework assignment is a type of formative assessment because they are only tested on knowledge they have acquired during that day’s lesson.

Session 3:

This next session will entail students’ broadening their knowledge of verbs even further, as I teach them about linking verbs. Using the same format as the previous class, I will use a PowerPoint presentation to explain to them what linking verbs are, where they are typically found in a sentence and common examples of linking verbs. Students will be provided with examples during the presentation to help them practice identifying this type of verb. Differing from the format of the first two sessions, students will now be put into pairs and will participate in group work. To do so, they will access a website that will bring them to a “Jeopardy” game. Students will take turns answering questions provided by the website. Their homework for that night will require them to review the material that they have learned the past three sessions. To study, they can use the websites that I have provided them from the previous sessions to continue to practice these skills.

Session 4:

This session will conclude the lesson of teaching verb tenses and forms. To assess the students’ knowledge and understanding of the lesson that has taken place over the course of 3 classes, I will be using a summative assessment through a website. Students will access the website and complete a total of three quizzes: Verb/Noun Collocations, VerbTense Practice, and WAS or WERE. They will print the scores they receive after each quiz and turn them into me when they are finished. A summative assessment is necessary at this point to ensure that each student has fully comprehended the objective of each session.

The addition of the websites, PowerPoint, and Smartboard to each session will truly motivate the students and heighten their interest. The websites will especially engage them, as they are interactive and fun all while informative and educational.

*It has been assured that each student has a computer at home from which they can access the internet.

Increasing Technology, Decreasing Drop Out Rates

     I find this article interesting due to the fact that before I came to college, I did not have nearly as much technological integration in my high school classrooms. This article offers the statistic that, “It’s been found that students in so-called “blended learning” environments with access to computer-assisted instruction and technology-integrated learning systems fare better than those in traditional classrooms” (1). This is an interesting fact to learn especially considering the fact that “although a higher-education degree is needed more than ever, college dropout rates are approaching 50 percent” (1). To me, this is an alarming rate. This article stands by the fact that if all schools, particularly colleges, completely integrate their curriculum with technology, they will see significantly fewer failure rates.

     I do feel as though the technology that I have experienced at the college level has definitely impacted my learning in a positive way, although in some instances it severely compromised my grade. However, more often than not, if a professor fully explains how to use the technological device or website, the students fare much better than being thrown into something new that they have never worked with before. Technological integration in the college classroom, in my experience, has definitely allowed myself as well as my fellow classmates to explore multiple aspects of the curriculum that we would not have had instant access to otherwise. Although it is difficult to implement a host of technologies into college classrooms due to the expense and vast amount of students, it is definitely worth implementing at a rate that is affordable.  Perhaps down the road, the more technology that is produced, the less drop outs we will see.

The Benefits of Technological Integration in Classrooms

     This article is particularly relevant to this class, as it surrounds the argument as to why technological integration within classrooms will bring out positive outcomes. I appreciated that in the beginning of the article, it explained that this subject has now been an ongoing issue for quite some time, with each positive and negative outcome cancelling the other out, basically leaving the issue at a standstill. While some advocate for integration, others are much more hesitant. I must, though, highlight the fact that this article contains some of the most compelling arguments about technological integration that I have thus far come across. Often times, when I read articles with authors trying to convince me that technology in the classroom is all for the better, I am left unaware as to why they believe so other than the standard, “it’s the way of the future.”
     However, Vineet Madan provides his readers with actual examples that are not far-fetched and also does rationalize, stating that feedback from teachers is necessary: “Solving the education crisis in America will take more than simply putting tablets in every classroom. To realize the promise of all that technology has to offer, we must listen to feedback from our teachers and make sure that they have the training and support they need to implement this technology effectively” (1). This is one of the first arguments that I have read that states that teachers must have efficient training with these forms of technology before they can successfully adapt them in their curricula. I also felt that this statement by Madan was worded much more efficiently than other authors have tried and it provides a more believable argument: “Bringing technology into the classroom helps them draw these parallels and keeps them interested in what they're learning. It also provides options for students with different learning styles” (1).  One last example that he discusses in this article provides a compelling benefit for teachers who truly want to engage their students in the lessons they are striving to instill within them, “Technology enables biology students to touch, spin and explore the structure of a molecule as they're reading about it in a text, watch a speech by Dr. Martin Luther King as they read about the civil rights era and ask questions of their classmates and complete their homework assignments all in a digital environment. By fostering these connections, technology can enhance and increase students' learning interactions, leading to better performance” (1).  This statement has sparked in me so many new ideas that I can put to actual use in my future classroom with the help of technological integration. Before reading this article, I might never have considered some of the vast amount of possibilities.

iPad: Substitute for Learning?

John Keating, Mr. Miyagi and Mary Poppins: Alan Jacobs, author of the article, “The Charisma ofthe iPad: on Technology in the Classroom” offers the conclusion that perhaps a mixture of these three educators is the best approach to take when trying to capture and maintain students’ interest in the classroom. I have stated my opinion in past blogs regarding the issue Jacobs tackles in this article, stating that I felt as though iPad and technologies of that nature, while perhaps useful in the classroom, should not solely be used to entice children to learn because it might end up having the reverse effect of what you strive to achieve. Jacobs seems to agree with my standpoint on this issue, as he states, “So whether we want to admit it or not, when we educators turn to technology we're hoping not to generate interest in learning but to substitute for it” (1). He brought to my attention a strategy called “Gamification” which I had previously been unaware of. He explains the strategy by stating, “We're saying, instead, Use this technology that's fun and indirectly and unconsciously you'll learn all the stuff we want you to learn.” Is this really the message we want to send to our students though? I believe students are smarter than they are given credit for and might easily deduce that the iPad is just a fancy way of telling them that behind the glitz and glamour of new technology, they will still need to do assignments and learn all the material. Although initially they might be so intrigued by being introduced to this latest form of technology, sooner or later, it might lose its effect to get children to participate in lessons. Our job as educators is to ensure that each student we teach has the opportunity to develop an interest in the lessons and materials that we present to them. If we hide their interest behind the latest form of technology, are we compromising an interest they might otherwise want to nurture? Am I the only future teacher that, like Jacobs, believes that introducing up-to-date technologies like that of the iPad into the classroom might be more of a hassle than its worth? Are there more pros or cons to introducing this form of technology as a substitute for a genuine interest in learning?

Samsung Galaxy Note: False Advertisement

     While watching television, I saw this commercial for the new Samsung Galaxy Note cell phone and was immediately intrigued. The commercial depicts poet and teacher Sarah Kay in a classroom filled with happy students, enthusiastic about learning poetry as they delightfully participate in the assignment by adding notes to the cell phones in different colors, enhancing the poems the class is creating. The first time I witnessed this advertisement, I thought it was definitely something I needed to look into, for I was interested to see if this commercial contained some kind of technology that would be useful in my future English classroom. However, after watching the commercial many more times, I am disheartened to realize that it really is only a gimmick to entice people, especially teachers, to buy the product. The commercial simply shows how students are writing on multiple cell phones in different colors claiming that it is inspiring a new passion within students that can only be accomplished through this new form of technology.
     Firstly, I feel that this is quite unrealistic. Many school districts have a difficult time providing their students with as up-to-date technology, such as computers, as they can, let alone have enough funds to provide each teacher with enough cell phones for each student to use during class. During the commercial Kay states “Any new technology introduces new forms of expression.” To me, this seems like a stretch within the context that she is stating this because I feel the same objective can be achieved by use of paper and different colored markers. There is nothing about this piece of technology that makes it stand out from using simple and much less expensive common classroom supplies. She also states that seeing someone’s handwriting aids in her feeling a connection with that certain student. Handwriting can also spark that same connection when written on a piece of paper. Students’ handwriting will be recognizable no matter what they are writing on or with. I believe that if this commercial convinces anyone that buying this cell phone model to use in the classroom because it inspires students by virtually doing the same thing that a piece of paper and pen can do, they need to get their priorities in order. In no way, shape or form, can this be argued to be useful classroom technology. There are so many more efficient and beneficial forms of technology that will actually provide students with a learning experience that cannot be achieved via paper and pen. Technology in the classroom is definitely important and can provide students with unique learning experiences that will alter their attitude and inspire them to succeed, but teachers do not need to buy the Samsung Galaxy Note to aid in those endeavors.

Integrating Technology Into the Classroom: Challenging but Achievable

     I found this article, "Integrating Technology Into the Classroom: Methods and Means" recently, and I feel that it completely encompasses everything that this course strives to instill within its students. Technology has made significant strides over the years and the possibilities seem endless. Just when we think Apple or another technology brand has outdone itself, we are quickly presented with an even better piece of technology. The same is true within most classrooms nowadays. Technology within the classroom has also come so much farther than anyone could have imagined. The very first paragraph of this article really caught my attention. A “portable classroom” just might be the most advanced technological form of schooling that I have ever heard of. My only concern when first reading this was that I was not exactly sure that this was a viable form of schooling. Further along in the article, however, author, Melissa Kelly, addresses everyone’s concerns about incorporating technology into their curriculum.
     Step by step, this article guides a prospective teacher, in a way, regarding exactly how beneficial technology can be within the classroom. From research, to website creations, to online assessment, this article shines a light on different aspects of curricula that can be enhanced with the incorporation of technology. I especially think that the creation of a website is beneficial to students. As a future English teacher, I have often thought about using this kind of method in my classroom, having the students create a website similarly set up to that of a social networking site such as Facebook or Twitter so as to really put themselves in the shoes of a character from a novel that we studying. I found it also very clever that they provided an example for History teachers, having students write historical letters as if they were historical figures.
     I feel as though the reason this article is not only resourceful but vital is due to the fact that it does not try to sugar coat the fact that while technology is an advancement in the world of education that provides our students with a plethora of opportunities for learning in innovative ways, it is not 100% practical. However, Kelly definitely brings to the forefront suggestions on how to make the incorporation of technology such as the internet work in the classroom. She admittedly states that although it might be a bit of a challenge, it is definitely possible to create an environment conducive to learning within a technologically sound classroom. Kelly states, “Do all of the objections mean that we should not use the internet in the classroom? No. However, we must address these concerns before we fully integrate the internet into the classroom. The effort is definitely worth it because the possibilities are endless!” (2). Kelly definitely succeeded in addressing many of the concerns that I have had regarding the integration of technology within my own classroom. I believe she has not only given me suggestions on how to successfully achieve it, but she has also given a host of answers on how to address the challenges we might face along the way.

Fundraisers to Improve Technology in Westfield High School

     Although this article is a few months old, I found it to be inspiring. To improve technology in the Westfield school district, a raffle was held to help raise funds to improve the technology in Westfield High School. Also, an online survey was conducted so as to determine the need for more up-to-date technology in the classroom. As a result of each of these events, 10 projectors were purchased for the school and installed. Also, it was decided that they would a second raffle and a subsequent fundraiser to help bring more technology into the school, first by way of replacing the computer libraries. The addition of projectors will absolutely benefit both students and teachers alike in the classroom and replacing the library computers to newer models will definitely help the students, especially when they are required to complete assignments and projects online as well as have access to sites for research projects.
     Having up-to-date technology in the classroom is basically vital in today’s society. So often, I believe, we focus on the school’s that are adding iPads and such to their classrooms and often the schools that don’t even have projectors, such as Westfield High School, fall through the cracks. I think it’s important to put schools such as Westfield in the spotlight just as much as we put schools that have all the latest technology in the spotlight. It really is a disappointment that some schools can afford to add the latest technology to their curriculum while others cannot, relying on fundraisers and raffles to acquire even the most basic form of technology for their classrooms. I feel as though all classrooms should have the exact same technologies so that some students aren’t benefitting more than others. I am disheartened that this isn’t exactly a realistic theory, but at least having the most basic forms of technology should be granted to every school. Is there any way to ensure that every school receives technologies for their students? Should it be a requirement for every school to at least have up-to-date computers? How can we fix the problem of some schools receiving a multitude of technologies while other schools cannot afford to do so?