Reflection for Seventh Week

This week has been good. Our project is almost completely done, we just need to do a little checking over. I like the project. I think it will be useful. I've enjoyed what I've learned and I look forward to using what I've learned in my classroom.

Reflection for Sixth Week

This week we worked on our project. My team is moving right along. We've got a lot of the website done. We've done a few PowerPoints, our digital story is published (and someone even commented on YouTube how great it is). Our website is neat with a consistent layout that will hopefully be easy for the students to follow through. Our last major project to do is the WebQuest. I like our project I will use it in my classroom.

My main responsibility has been working on the website, designing and organizing it. I have run into a few problems. There is a text box that the font always looks bold even after I have retyped it. That has been a little frustrating.

Reflection for Fifth Week

I had trouble getting started with the readings this week. The past ones have been so difficult to get through, that I dreaded reading this week's. As I started to read I found that they weren't as difficult to understand. Chapter 13 was a good review of theories that I learned many years ago. It is clear that when it comes to designing instruction the designer needs to consider the needs of the learner, the item being taught, and their own experience to determine which learning and instructional theory will be most effective. In applying this to the classroom it is important to remember that there is a variety of things that can be done to help the students learn. Time should be taken to consider what is best in this situation so that the instruction will be most effective and more importantly student learning will be highest.

Chapter 14 really looks at the problems associated with actually completing an instructional design for someone. Some of the issues, such as time, resources, availability of personnel and experts, are something that I need to consider in preparing things for my own classroom. It is also important to consider the reporting and timeliness issues when preparing something for the team or school. The last section, on legal issues, hopefully is not an area that has to be worried about. The only way not to worry is by making sure that in the planning these legal issues are taken into consideration and resolved.

The last chapter looks at trying to get this great instructional design product to the people who need it. It really comes down to convincing people that what they can learn is better for them. This is never an easy task, no matter the situation. I've seen it in my own classroom. In fourth grade we focus on multiplication. I have seen students who adamantly refuse to leave behind repeated addition. They don't see why they should learn something new and "difficult" when they have a method for solving that works fine and they are comfortable with this method. Trying to get someone to change is difficult and it is important to help the learner see that this new way to going to help them. Once you can get the learner to look hopefully the instruction will do the rest.

Unfortunately, the instruction doesn't always do it's job. That is why there is a need for continual evaluation and why evaluation is part of the process. Both the book and the other readings mention looking at whether or not behavior has changed. If the learners return to old ways a few weeks later obviously the instruction needs some work. When this happens in the classroom I focus on addressing the issues with the individual. This is still important, but looking back at the original instruction and improving it also needs to be done.

I feel good about our project. I've nearly finished our group's digital story and our website is looking good.