Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
Reflection
This standard allows teachers to show creativity and innovation. Students are able to collaborate on works and reflect their learning experiences. During this program, I have had the opportunity to collaborate a plethora of different ways. Each week during each of my classes I collaborated with my fellow classmates through discussion posts. We were able to reflect on what we learned through our reading and lecture materials, and then we discussed with each other how the reading influenced us. Creative and innovative collaboration happened through discussions, blogs, and group projects. The artifacts chosen reflect areas where I believe this standard has been met. To view the artifacts, please click on the icons under the heading "Artifacts".
Blogfolio: Instead of using a normal discussion board for IT 648, Dr. Wang required the students to prepare a blog that would reflect on each week's learning. Using a blog gives the students creativity in their design. Not only does it promote creativity in the actual design of the blog, but it also promotes creativity each week. Students would have to find different ways to link projects to their post. Each student had a different twist on the same discussion post, which promoted a creative and innovative learning environment.
Communication Tools:A small group was created to test and report on communication tools that could be used in the classroom. The communication tools tested were Blackboard Collaborate, Blackboard Instant Messaging, Remind 101, and Class Pager. For this project, each group member took control of their tool. They were to lead the other group members in activities that tested their tool. After each tool was tested, each group member contributed their part to the report. A google doc was created for this project. This allowed all group members to participate as they were able without the hassle of transferring a document back and forth. This artifact strongly supports collaboration as well as promoting student reflection.
Google Slide: The final artifact portrays my role as an instructor. For this project, I created a "core" for a lesson, and I required my students (group members) to contribute to the lesson. This created an innovative type of collaborative learning environment. Students were working together on the content of the project that would be used as a lesson in the future. Students were also challenged with creativity in developing this slideshow.
Standard I ensures teachers are being held to the standard of creative and innovative collaboration. In the future, I plan on implementing blogs in my instruction. I believe this delivers the "whole package". Students are able to show creativity in the design of their blog each week, and students are also able to collaborate with each other on reflections and thoughts. I also plan on using Google Docs in my future instruction. This is a great way for students to work together in real time without having to be present. Great work can be accomplished through the use of Google Docs. As technology continues to grow, I am excited to explore more ways to implement innovative and creative collaboration in my classroom.