Trends and Issues in Various Settings

Rapid prototyping would be a basic model of their product.  The product is live and observable so revisions are handled in a timely manner.  Having a working product, designs can be tested and altered throughout the project.  Communication is also present consistently throughout the process which aids in not making costly mistakes.  The businesses and industries can use this for almost any type of product they might be selling or using.  From automakers, engineers, and who knows who else. The model is able to be updated throughout the design process to make end product be more apparent.

There are many new technologies that have come recently such as the iPad, iTouch, and such.  There are also many applications that can be download first with internet connection but would be functional without the internet.  I served in the United States Air Force and can only count the many trainings I attended throughout my service.  An active application throughout my career field training would have been greatly beneficial.  I was a trained medical laboratory technician and could have used many technologies to aid in training classes. Other trainings include the range, gas mask, and gps tracking which also could use different technological aides. The military is definitely willing to incorporate downloadable applications that can train on the go.  Both iPad and laptops can download fully operable systems that can train without internet access.  This can include the most recent version of recent weapons manuals.  I am sure the military is pretty close to being able to train this well in a good variety of situations.  I have many military friends that tell me about trainings and remote locations.

I researched a few universities and this is what I have found.

Texas A&M University at Commerce

• Faculty Development Committee
• Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs
• Luncheons, discussion groups, workshops, teleconferences, retreats
• Fall  ex: Creating Significant Learning Experiences  

 Texas State University at San Marcus

• Office of Faculty and Staff Development, Professional Development
• College of Education
• Workshops, Mentoring, Support Programs
• Fall ex: Teaching Strategies that Work for Classes

University of North Texas

• Training and Development ToolKit
• Human Resources Department
• Campus Events, Activities, Workshops, Skill Blocks
• Fall ex: Leadership/Change Management Skill Block
• 
  

Human Performance Technology

Human performance improvement always has an influence in the classroom.  The relationship behaviorism and performance improvement is very close.  In the classroom there are many non-instructional methods that can be offered to improve student performance.  We have many students that perform the majority of the time.  We also have students who need motivation to improve their performance.  Students are rewarded for appropriate and on task behavior.  Students not on task or displaying inappropriate behavior then receive a consequence.  The expectations of performance are teh stimulus for the students.  The students then show their behavioral response to the situation.  The consequence can be either positive or negative depending on their behavior response. 

Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) are defined similarly on many websites.  Many working or training people have experience with EPSS.  Just last week I was assigned an E-Learning that was to be completed by a certain date.  Having an online course allows for flexibility for the learner which is a positive aspect of EPSS.  The training was computer based, offered information to guide my learning, even assessed my learning at the end of the course.  This training was geared for adults and I feel that the EPSS are in generally more appropriate for adults rather than young children.  I feel that these are not and will not become more prevalent in future classrooms because children need to be guided and 'babysat'.  Children need the personal coaching from the teacher and not by a computer alone.  The teachers hold much more responsibilities in the classroom with the children.  I do not feel that our children are ready to be solely responsible for 100% of their learning.  I understand the EPSS can guide, coach, assess, and have many other customized tools but it is not ready to take the place of classroom teachers for our K-12 classrooms.  

There are many ways to aid in knowledge management with the use of computer based programs in the classroom.  Computer based activities allows for tracking of performance by many categories.  These categories range from TEK objectives, content, performance level, and many more that I may not even be aware of.  Another program that transfers information into an accessible file is the use of student response systems.  Performance is easily observable and trackable with the system.

Informal learning is the best kind of learning.  I think that informal learning is more natural learning.  I am exposed to informal learning at all times.  I feel to make the best of the world around me is to continuously learn from our daily lives.  I am constantly learning from my own children as well as my many students at school.  At times teachers forget that we should be learning from our students everyday.  In this situation, I have the role of the active learner and the student has the role of the teacher.  I feel that children are always in a state of informal learning from the world around them.  Children are like sponges are absorbing all the information their minds can hold.

Section 3: Evaluating, Implementing and Managing Instructional Programs and Projects

1.  The first model of instruction that I found and use often in my classroom is the 5E Model.  This model includes the beginning to the end of the lesson.  Using this lesson lets me observe the lesson as a whole in terms of pre-assessment, instruction, and post-assessment.  Lesson planning using this model allows me to encompass all aspects of evaluation throughout the entire lesson and not at the end. The 5E Model allows teachers to perform both summative evaluation and formative evaluation throughout the lesson. The second model recognizes the aspects before the lesson in the pre-planning steps.  Flagg allows for a reason for the instructional program to direct the lesson planning.  There have been times that I am in the middle of getting my materials ready for my lesson and I do not feel that the activity adequate covers the content, objectives that I wanted to be covered.  I would definitely see using these model steps to form a more efficient evaluation of my instruction.

  

5E Model

Instruction Model	Example
Engage	Gain students attention and background knowledge, learning, and experiences
Explore	Students participate in concept-based hands on inquiry activities or guided practice activities
Explain	Teacher led clarifying any questions or misconceptions of the concept
Elaborate	Student independent practice with coaching with corrective feedback
Evaluate	Assess performance using real world implementation

 

Flagg Formative Evaluation Model

Instruction Model	Example
Needs assessment	Gathering data on the need for the instructional program
Pre-production formative evaluation	Planning phase about the content, objectives and production formats
Production formative evaluation	Revision of the instructional program with feedback
Implementation formative evaluation	Field-testing with feedback for future use

2.  New technologies introduced into my school have been the integration of laptops for daily instruction.  Each student is given a laptop for the year to use for all of their classes.  The laptops are used for research, web-quests, interactive lessons activities, projects, and discussions.  The access to laptops provides many opportunities for students to cultivate their own learning.  Once this happens, real world implementation can take place.  As a guide for their learning, web-quests are provided.  These web-quests focus on the content and objectives at hand.  Students navigate through the information given to them in order to follow the guided web-quest.  This gives students the opportunity to not limit their learning but only to guide their learning.  The laptop is a great tool to expand their learning potential in many ways.  Another use for the laptop is interactive activities.  Discovery Education has many interactive activities for each grade level, science content, and objective area.  Many of the activities are designed to initiate higher order thinking skills.  Discussions can take place online during video assisted lessons to develop content-based communication community of learners.  Laptops offer many great opportunities which should allow this innovation to make a larger appearance in classrooms.

3.  In order for a professional development to be effective the Situational Leadership approach would give the most opportunity for our educators to benefit from it.  The session would begin with Phase 1 and my role as being directive and detailed for the learners to gain as much information as possible.  The learners will be inexperienced and will be learning the new information. In Phase 2 I would become less directive and provide clarifying feedback for  the learners.  The learners would be gaining confidence in their end performance.  Phase 3 focuses  on results and rewarding the learners for their work.  The final Phase 4 gives me the chance to become a facilitator rather than a director of the new learning.  This allows for me to step back and let the learners work together to produce their final product. 

Section 2: Theories and Models of Learning and Instruction

Third grade students will have consistent time focused on the understanding and application of basic multiplication facts.  (TEKS 3.4A, 3.6B, 3.6C)

In order to facilitate student’s development of numerical fluency with conceptual understanding and computational accuracy, develop a time focused on multiplication fact automaticity.  I will give pre and post assessments or opportunities for the sole purpose of gathering information about a student’s knowledge of facts.  This gives the teacher insight into a student’s understanding.  The pre-test is to determine the length of time for using this daily focus.  Eight days of activities, application problems, and journals are provided for each of the basic multiplication facts 0-12. The maximum daily amount of class time should be devoted to fact fluency should not exceed 10-15 minutes.  The exploration portion can be used as a part of problem solving time.

Cognitive Information Processing Theory
Students learning numerical fluency use the “proposed multistage, multistore theory of memory that is generally regarded as the basis for information processing theory” (1968 Atkinson, Shriffin).  The three component of memory are sensory, short-term, and long-term memory.  The sensory memory is activated by noticing patterns within each set of multiplication facts.  The students then begin to store information their minds and begin connecting the new information with their background learning which is their short-term memory.  Finally, long-term memory allows them to be able to remember the new information and apply the information to real life problems.

Schema Theory
The Schema Theory represents long-term memory as packets of information called schemata(2007, Reiser, Dempsey).  The schemata is an organization of information that allows for students to readily access particular information.  Students will organize their learning of multiplication facts into approprate files stored in their memory.  Each set of facts will be organized together.  As they are organized together the students can relate them in predictable ways.
 

Gagne’s 9 Events	Compare/Contrast	First Principles
·         Gaining Attention ·         Informing the learner of objective	Engaging the Learner	·         Problem Centered (Let me do the whole task)
·         Stimulating recall of prior learning	Accessing prior background knowledge and learning	·         Activation (Where do I start?)
·         Presenting the stimulus ·         Providing learning guidance	Guided Instruction	·         Demonstration (Don’t just tell me, show me!)
·         Eliciting performance ·         Providing feedback	Independent practice with ‘coaching’	·         Application (Let me do it!)
·         Assessing performance ·         Enhancing retention and transfer	Demonstrate learning with real world implementation	·         Integration (Watch me!)

Problem Centered-
Students will be able to understand multiplication facts and relate them to real world application.

Activation 
Allows students to recall relevant situations that multiplication facts would be applied.

Demonstration
Students will be given the opportunity to practice the automaticy of multiplication facts

Application
Students will be able to perform independent practice with moderate 'coaching' of corrective feedback.

Integration
Students will be able to demonstrate learning with real world implementation activities to apply the multiplication facts.