dreamit - final

7/28/2019 DreamIT - Final

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Classroom Without Borders 1

DreamIT Grant Proposal:

Classroom Without Borders

Jeffrey Fisher

Michigan State University


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ClassroomWithoutBorders 2

Part I: Brief Description:

The day begins. The teacher takes attendance and collects homework. The lecture is

given on the new topic and a new activity is thrown in once in a while. The students watch and

listen. There is very little social interaction between the teacher and students nor among the

students themselves. The homework assignment is given. This same routine is played throughout

the school year. This is a true example of the traditional educational classroom setting. The sad

thing is that this type of routine is carried out throughout much of public education and is the key

problem that I will address. Another problem with this routine is that it is a type of education that

does not cater to many of our students needs whose learning styles are mostly met through

different types of instruction. These successful instructional types are those which include a

variety of technologies. Unfortunately, it seems that my content area of social studies is

notorious for teachers who present with this less effective model of instruction.

Luckily, we are finally beginning to see the emergence of a new and different type of

classroom. There is now indeed a push for an educational setting where the information fed to

students is not limited to resources solely found in the classroom. To further complete the

transformation that addresses this problem, the idea of the classroom without borders was born.

To make this transformation, I will be using Facebook Groups along with other Web 2.0

tools. By using these various online tools, I will be able to create a hybrid classroom, a classroom

without borders where key activities include those by which students can uncover information

while collaborating with others to achieve a common goal. Using these tools will allow the

teacher to easily switch from teacher-centered learning to student-centered learning, and then to

group work easily and efficiently. To evaluate the performance of this newly transformed


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classroom, students will initially show more interest in the subject area, thus increasing their

thirst for knowledge in my content area.


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Part II: Outlining the Transformation

The classroom without borders concept places much more emphasis on the student to

uncover information. The key activities that the students engage in using this new found

information are varied. This transformation from teacher-directed learning, to student-centered

and group work will flow naturally. As the learning is now in their hands, there will be a

transformation in the students attitudes that the teacher should recognize immediately.

When contemplating the backward design approach, I realize that although all of the

facets of understanding are applicable, the two most important facets of understanding that I

believe are relevant to my content domain are application and perspective. By using the

classroom without borders approach, students will begin to apply prior knowledge to like events

in history and in the present. Students will also be able to view events in history more critically

with different perspectives because of their transformed knowledge seeking abilities and

attitudes. For instance, most students believe that events in history are caused by one event or for

one reason only. My goal with the classroom without borders is that the students will become

curious enough to look deeper and analyze varied sources more closely to find different

perspectives on events.

To ensure that the students are getting the desired content, the teacher will use a variety

of assessment tools to check for understanding. For example, the teacher can listen to student

conversations either online or in the classroom to see if the students are grasping the knowledge.

The tone set by the students both online and in the classroom is also a good indication of

students attitudes towards activities and also a good indication of their comprehension of the

current topic. The teacher can also use summative assessment tools like projects, pre and post

tests, unit tests, and sectional quizzes to check for student understanding and growth. Formative


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assessments like skits and classroom discussions that are not graded also indicate comprehension

of facts. Many of these summative assessments utilize technology. For example, most tests and

quizzes use Google Forms with Flubaroo which allows for quick grading and instant feedback.


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Part III: Presenting the Total PACKage

Context:

I teach at a small, rural school in southern Michigan. We have one K-12 building in our

district with approximately 600 students. I teach all high school students in the social studies

department (US and World History and Government and Economics). Each class has an average

of 18 students. Within our district, approximately 85% of our students are on free or reduced

lunch. According to City Data, 99.2% of our students are Caucasian, and have a median family

income of $44,315 ("Camden, Michigan," 2009).

One of the biggest constraints to learning is the plain fact that our lesson that day isnt a

students first priority when stacked against hunger, family issues such as divorce, and lack of

finances, etc. Even social problems take a front seat sometimes. Families who lack financial

means usually do not have the opportunity to explore the world in which they live. Their eyes

have been blinded by their limited knowledge of the world. However, where problems arise,

opportunity exists. I know that the majority of my students have not seen the world and so its

my duty and priority, through the use of the classroom without borders, to open their eyes to the

wonders that the world has to offer.

Within my district, we have plenty of access to technology. Teachers have accessibility to

SMART boards, laptop carts, and computer labs. We have recently added a wireless network

(WiFi) to our campus. Next year, a few teachers are anticipating a set of iPads as an addition to

their curriculum.


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Content:

Motivating students to learn is especially difficult in social studies, which students

perceive as boring (Schug, Todd, & Berry, 1984; Shaughnessy & Haladyana, 1985). In 2004,

according to a Gallup poll, only 5% of students surveyed from ages 13-17 ranked social studies

as their favorite subject (Keifer, 2004). Students, in general, come into my class with a pre-

conceived notion that they will not enjoy nor like social studies. Students dont see the patterns,

they dont appreciate the loss of lives for freedoms and rights, and, most importantly, they dont

see how history is relevant to present-day.

Despite the challenge that this loss of interest presents, I want to re-engage the youth of

today to appreciate social studies and show them that social studies is relative. They will also

want to come to my classroom because it isnt constricted to solely having the teacher lead the

classroom. Students also come to my class with a limited technological literacy. This new

approach will help address those issues.

Technology:

My first attempt at the classroom without borders was used on 9th grade US history

students, 10th grade World History students, and 11th grade US Government and Economics

students. I had more success with my younger students who were not yet hooked to the Twitter

world. I used Facebook Groups because it seemed more organized and I assumed more students

would already have Facebook accounts (approximately 86% of my students had Facebook

accounts). The students who did not have a Facebook account used their friends account to

complete the tasks. The parents who were a part of the groups were on board with using

Facebook groups in the classroom.


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I created Facebook Groups for each of my classes to keep information separate and

content specific. In terms of support, my administrator gave me full approval. Facebook in our

school district is not blocked. In order to jump-start the process, I first went through my class

rosters during the summer, searched for students, and then sent them a message about joining the

group. I was able to get a few students this way, but added the others as school progressed.

After adding students to the group, I began to ease them into other instructional

technologies. The use of Google Forms and Google Docs was needed to organize material and

allow for collaboration on assignments. Other web tools were added as students became more

familiar with my use of technology in the classroom. Ultimately, at the end of the year, students

were asked to upload videos to YouTube via cellphones and then submit their URL to a Google

Form like an assignment drop box.

In the future, as our district begins to slowly move 1:1, I would like to continue to add to

the classroom without borders by incorporating more technologies that could perhaps combine

the benefits of both Facebook Groups and Google Forms (i.e. Evernote). Also, I would like to

incorporate more technologies that are assistive to students with special needs. When

incorporating some of these technologies and web tools, I feel that some of the special needs

students are left behind or are forced to do the assignment using pencil and paper as a

modification. Providing more specific directions, using speech-to-text, text-to-speech, or the use

of how to videos will help these students.

Pedagogy:

As most educators know, there isnt one pedagogical approach that will work better than another

when teaching students. There should be a combination of teacher-centered, group, and a


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student-centered approaches. This combination of teaching approaches is beneficial for many

reasons.

First, its important that the teacher allows the students to uncover information for

themselves (student-centered). Through my studies and as I have gained knowledge of various

learning theories and developmental psychology, I have found that motivation doesnt happen by

using one method. Ben Johnson of Edutopia says it well when he states, Real learning requires

doing, not listening, or observing only. (Johnson, 2013) Posting a 3-5 question assignment on

the Facebook Group for the students to download and to research would be a simple, great start

to letting the students find the information for themselves. Students are then given time to

research questions and provide citations. Students then are asked to answer a question on the

Facebook Group like, What was an interesting part of your research that really made you think?

Why? This activity will allow the students curiosity to take their understanding to another

level. The teacher can use these responses in the classroom as a conclusion to the lesson (having

students explain their answer) or use them as a way to check for understanding. Once they are

finished with the assignment, a teacher-centered approach begins.

Before the lecture, it helps if the teacher allows the students to group up with one another

and report their findings (group work). If the teacher poses the questions so that they are open-

ended (have multiple answers), then the students will find that there isnt only one reason for

why things happen in history. It will also help them realize that things are connected throughout

history and that there are patterns throughout the topics we cover during the year.

I do use lecture with my students through the use of Microsoft PowerPoint (See

Appendix 1). It seems that lecturing has such a negative connotation attached to it, but good,

well-practiced lecturing can really help students turn facts into understanding. The Power Points


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include hyperlinks to text and visuals such as videos and images. Using a combination of text

inside the PowerPoint, followed up by a lecture, and then finishing with a video or picture can

prove to be a very powerful, effective learning tool for students. I use a lecture to clarify any

misunderstandings that students might have had while doing research prior to the lesson.

As I continue to grow the classroom without borders, I would like to place more

emphasis on a student-centered approach that allows students to educate each other more. As I

progress in my teaching skills, I have realized the importance that students can play in each

others education. In a sense, I would like students to uncover information to discover new ideas

and then to share those ideas with their peers in monitored and structured manner.

The Total PACKage:

My big idea of integrating the classroom without borders approach does not adversely

affect any of the TPACK framework. In fact, by increasing technological literacy with my

students, the other areas of the TPACK framework are enhanced. In relation to Deweys primary

impulses for learning, I believe that the classroom without borders approach allows students to

uncover information (inquiry). It then allows them to take their uncovered information and use it

to create (construction) a final product and present it to online and classroom audiences

(communication and expression). Using the classroom without borders approach allows for a

deeper understanding of social studies because students are realizing the relevance of social

studies in their lives. Additionally, as stated previously, the classroom without borders approach

allows the students multiple avenues for understanding the material (videos, web sites,

PowerPoint notes etc).


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The SAMR Model:

Technology has greatly impacted my teaching and the student learning in the classroom.

The use of technology in my classroom has heightened the effectiveness of learning to a level

previously inconceivable in the traditional classroom. The use of Facebook Groups is more than

a substitution for prior activities. With the Facebook Groups, I have been able to augment

learning by giving students different tools to express their knowledge or opinions of what they

have uncovered. There has also been a modification of learning by allowing the students to work

collaboratively through discussion forums both online and in the classroom. Finally, the

classroom without borders approach has allowed my students to begin to reach the redefinition

phase by incorporating a variety of multimedia tools to show understanding of uncovered

knowledge. It is my goal in upcoming years to work toward mastery of the redefinition phase of

the SAMR model. I would like to take my Facebook classroom to a more global environment

where we can collaborate with other students internationally on issues that affect us all.


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Part IV: Evaluation

I have found that the classroom without borders concept has proven to be a successful

program for many reasons. However, with every program there are things that need to be

modified for upcoming years to make the program even more successful. A teacher needs to be

cognizant of our ever-changing world and thus should tweak and adapt his or her curriculum to

suit the new and diverse needs of their students.

I have taken various steps to measure the impact of this program. First, I noticed that

other teachers have started to adopt the classroom without borders. I was able to give a

professional development presentation during a staff meeting to show teachers what successes I

have had. As a result, at least seven other teachers have created Facebook Groups for their

classrooms or for extracurricular activities (See Appendix 2). I also noticed that students began

to upload their own web articles to the class page that were relevant to our current topic. Other

articles were not relative, but concerned something they felt was important to discuss anyway.

The fact that students were uploading their own information was a breakthrough moment

because it was not required. Students also began to post questions that they had on assignments

to the page. In return, other students began to respond to those questions and were helping their

classmates understand the information (See Appendix 3). Also, it was not uncommon for

students to come into class and discuss what others had written the night before on the Facebook

Groups page. Finally, I gave the students a survey. These are the findings:

Question: Have really helped me: A little bit: Hardly at all:

How well have the

Facebook Groups

helped you in the

classroom?

56% 44% 0%


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Question: Frequently: Sometimes: Never:

How often do you

interact with the

Facebook Groups?

41% 58% 0.4%

Overall, the idea that I had for the classroom without borders approach was successful.

However, like any big idea, there were issues that cropped up and my idea was no different. In

this technological day and age it is not uncommon for students to bore easily. For instance,

students began to not interact with the Facebook Group as much. To approach this problem, I

received a solution from a co-worker to post questions daily that pertained to the lesson for the

day. This was successful for a while, but it then began to slow down again. To encourage more

students to participate online, I then began to offer extra credit for their responses. As I move

forward, I will continue to encourage and intrinsically motivate students to become more

engaged in online learning.


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Part V: Key Educational Issues

Developing Literacy, Technology Skills:s

As we move into the 21st century, the definition of literacy (being able to read and write)

is changing. However, as more communicative technologies have been added to society, a need

for technological literacy has arisen. Literacy skills (reading and writing) are gained through

various student-centered assignments. For example, students will find basic definitions for

historical terms. They will also read sources to find creditable information and communicate

their thoughts and opinions with others through online discussion forums. Students are also

gaining a wide variety of technological literacy skills, such as how to properly navigate the Web,

how to use various Web tools and how to create personal accounts within those tools.

Assistive Technologies (Universal Design for Learning)

The classroom without borders approach gives the timid student an opportunity to show

his/her understanding online, rather than facing peers in the classroom setting. When students are

working on assignments, they are more attentive and their ability to focus is greater than in the

traditional classroom where they sit and listen. Some basic assistive technologies are available to

students such as increased font size, and the ability to highlight and bold important words. In the

coming year, I want to use more text-to-speech and speech-to-text technologies to assist those

students in need. When implementing the UDL method, its my goal to create an environment

where everyone feels comfortable and every diverse learner can succeed.

Social and Ethical Uses of Technology


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At the beginning of every students high school career, each student signs an ethical

agreement for the use of technology and the Internet. At the beginning of each year, I instruct the

students that they are to be on Facebook only for educational purposes as it is school policy that

they do not utilize Facebook during school hours for anything other than educational purposes. I

do constantly preach to my students about the importance of becoming a digital citizen and

leaving a flawless digital footprint. I also monitor them closely as they research topics for my

class. Too many of our students believe that they can type what they want online without

repercussions. However, I need to be more deliberate when planning my lessons to be sure to

include elements which teach my students to become better digital citizens.

Developing Creativity and Critical Thinking Skills

The classroom without borders approach allows the students to engage in friendly

competition. In their efforts to be more creative than the other groups/students, they

automatically analyze the information more deeply, thus enhancing their critical thinking skills.

The classroom without borders allows the students to create a product that is unique to them and

isnt common among all. Each submitted project/assignment will be different because of their

ability to use a variety of media to show their final product.

Teachers need to realize that student work/output is going to look different based on

student diversity. In laymans terms, we arent all on the same skills level. Therefore, we must

assess students on different levels. Much of the final product will be assessed based on each

individual skill level and the progress made throughout the school year.

Using Technology to Engage in Professional Development & Leadership


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My personal professional development mission is to excite other teachers about

technology. In keeping with my goal, I know that it is important for me to keep abreast of all the

technological advances being made in education and otherwise. My passion for technology has

already given me the opportunity to lead my staff and other audiences (local school districts,

universities, and MACUL) in learning the importance of integrating social networking tools into

their teaching repertoire. In order to keep up with the latest in technology and education, I have

utilized various Twitter hash tags and other educational media venues.


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Appendix I:


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Appendix II:


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Appendix III:


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References

Camden, michigan. (2009). Retrieved from http://www.city-data.com/city/Camden-

Michigan.html

Johnson - http://www.edutopia.org/blog/great-teachers-do-not-teach-ben-johnson

Keifer, H. (2004, June 15). Math = teens' favorite school subject. Retrieved from

http://www.gallup.com/poll/12007/math-teens-favorite-school-subject.aspx

Schug, M. C., Todd, R. J., & Berry, R. (1984). Why kids don't like social studies. Social

Education, 48, 382-87.

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