POST #2: Challenges to Using Iowa AEA Online Resources

As I am planning on being a substitute, I feel I have to be familiar with a wide variety of subjects and the resources available to students.  I think my biggest challenge will be getting a good working knowledge of each resource so I can work with students in a variety of grade levels and subject areas.  To address this I plan on exploring each resource as much as possible, and I plan on using the students knowledge.  I have found that showing the students that I will listen to them, and I that I value their input really helps in classroom management, and ensuring the students are productive while I am substituting.  

Also, as a substitute, I know that sometimes the the teacher did not get a lot of time to prepare for their absence.  Gaining a working knowledge of the various resources will allow me to quickly think of activities that will be applicable to the subject they are studying and hopefully fun and informative for the students.  

Each of these issues will require a greater knowledge of what AEA Online has to offer, so I plan on doing a lot of exploring!

I feel I have two major challenges in implementing the resources that I have learned about.  First is time, since I am a special education teacher I have very strict time lines and limited time to focus on the goals and educational needs of my students.  Second is focusing on what resource to use with which grade level or students.  There is so much to pick from it seems overwhelming.  One way I would like to try to overcome this challenge is by selecting one grade level to focus on and try to select one resource that would apply to the grade level and the materials that we are working on.  I primarily support reading instruction,  I was excited to see the lexile levels are attached to the readings, this might give me more reading materials to select from to enhance learning.  This is where I will begins.

The biggest challenge I foresee is finding time to implement these resources during my short group time with the students.  Because I am an intervention teacher, I have limited time with each intervention group and every minute is used to its fullest.  

I plan on trying to overcome this challenge by trying to squeeze AEA Online resources in during the last few minutes of intervention time.  This will require a lot of planning on my part.  Finding the exact resource and having it ready to go for the students will be crucial for it to run smoothly.  I can integrate this into my routine slowly and it will be a process of trial and error but I feel it will be worth it in the end.  

I do not have a particular class or school but I serve a few different school systems. Looking at this from a teacher perspective I would think the biggest challenges will be:
1. Teaching all students in my class how to use the system.
STEPS TO OVERCOME CHALLENGE. I would have training of the systems at the earliest possible age for students in the school.  I would give them small assignments during the year to make certain they know how to use the system.  If they have trouble I would assign a students who performs well with the system to help them out.  Making certain the other student is not doing the work for the child who has trouble learning the system.  
2. Making sure parents are aware of the system and decide how to train them on the use of the system.
STEPS TO OVERCOME CHALLENGE
I would send out a sheet to the parents at the beginning of each school year making them aware of the system.  I would also include instructions on the use of the system. I would encourage them to work with their child with this system and contact me if there are concerns.  If there are concerns from the parent(s) then I would recommend they come to the school for more training.  
3. Making certain the students and parents do not abuse the system or use it for inappropriate purposes.
STEPS TO OVERCOME CHALLENGE
I would instruct the students on school policy and government policy on the use of the system. I would send a copy of school policy and government policy to the parents.  If the parents have questions or concerns they can talk to me, my administration or raise these at our board meetings.  

The first thing that will be a challenge to me is that I am a substitute teacher.  Even more confining is the fact that I am not a substitute with a degree in education, so I would never have a lengthy time in a classroom.  Therefore, I would not be making lesson plans or having input for what resources would be appropriate.  I do feel that I am better equipped now to know what the students are working with as they are working on a project, and that I could even make suggestions of AEA resources that they would find helpful.  The information that was given about copyright restrictions would also be something that I could share as a substitute.

There are so many resources from the AEA that I feel there is not enough time to thoroughly go through each of the resources to find the materials that would benefit a classroom. At the same time, this course was very beneficial and provided a lot of good information, I feel that more learning can be done on each of the tools that were discussed.  I also feel that with the timelines that are set for the district to complete there isn't enough time to use some of the amazing resources that are there.  I think that with being in a co taught classroom this year and teaching pre algebra (something that is new to me), I will take the information I learned and gradually find information and topics that will correlate with what I am doing in the classroom.  I will also, seek out information to better assist my students in science, social studies, and other classes that will benefit them when learning the material in the classroom during our resource classes.  I can pair their assignments with the tools here and created resources for them to use (create a google classroom for each grade and their respective subject and compile resources that will help them).  As for the timeline, there is not much I can do about that, but I can find things that I can use to serve students.
 
 

I can see many issues on implementing AEA resources in my classroom.  First I need to get the kids to believe this method of learning is a better way of doing research than merely googling it on a computer.  When I set up an assignment I will require students to have at least one resource sighted through AEA.
Second, is to find time to surf the sites to see which site would be the best for each assignments so we can lead the students to find the information they need.  If it seems that the kids can not find what they need, they stop.    I need to take a couple days to set up a model for each assignment and probably take a day to review the assignment in class to make sure all students understand what I want on a finished product.  Finally trying to keep internet active.   Yesterday, I had students working on computers and the system slowed down so much, many of the students shut down so the other half could work.

One way I would like to implement the resources would be to have my students (high school students in science classes) use the article databases to find relevant articles making scientific claims which they can evaluate based on their understanding of scientific principles. A challenge would be getting students to identify appropriate articles for their analysis; if I simply give them access to the database and say "go at it", the types of search terms they would use would likely lead them to articles that are related to the topics at a surface level but miss the depth that I'm looking for. On the other hand, if I curate the articles too heavily, I defeat my own purpose of giving students a broader set of articles to choose from.

To overcome these challenges, I think I'd try a hybrid approach: Curating a list of appropriate articles, teaching students the right way to search for these types of articles (and what to look for in the articles to know that it is the type they are looking for), and having students justify why the articles they pick meet the criteria of the task.

In my current position, teaching Kindergarten I think my biggest challenges to engaging my students with some of the resources will be language issues and lack of tech skills. I love my kindergarten students so much, but everything at school is new for them. I have 7 students who qualify for EL support, therefore I often run into the students not understanding what I am talking about or not being able to communicate their needs to me. I try to explain things a lot and in a variety of ways keeping it short. I also try to use visuals when possible. Most of my students do not have computers or internet access at home either.

I take my students to the computer lab twice a week, every week I try to have a focus of getting them to log-on successfully on their own and go to a different site or program. We started with KidPix, then I taught them how to get onto BookFlix, then the Everyday Math website and with this one they had to enter their own password. We go slowly and I model it first, then have the students go and try it. I am also working hard to get them to ask for help when they need it, rather than just giving up. As the year progresses I would like to get them to go on Britannica Online and I think culture grams would be a neat site for the to look around. Thus far, I have been pretty impressed with how well they are picking up the tech skills.

The biggest thing I can do in facing the language challenge and lack of tech skills is pack my patience. The kids love to be on the computers and really want to feel confident in what they are doing. We just need to have a lot of repetition, so that they can commit to memory the steps needed to get to each of the resources. Modeling is very important as well, so that is a step I never skip.

The biggest challenge for me in using the AEA Online resources will be to decide which ones to teach my students to use that will be most effective for them. There are so many resources that I will have to be sure to teach the students how to use them one at a time, then allow enough time for them to practice and become proficient before moving on to another source. I learned that there is a lot more to the Britanica School than I realized and I am thinking I might start with that. I also will need to figure out how I will teach the students to incorporate videos, clip art and possibly even music clips into their research. This will make the research more of a projet instead of just a paper. I will build my confidence by practicing more before I start teaching my students and by making a sample research project to share with them. I also would like to include the use of some primary sources and would love to figure out a way to use the Teen Health and Wellness site with my higher level students so they could research some more controversial subjects that may be of high interest to them. I'm thinking I might try this with a small group of students. This will definitely be a challenge, but it will also be very interesting.

I think one of the challenges I face with the AEA online resources is that there are so many, I will need to categorize them for myself(in my own way) so that when I am planning a lesson I can incorporate them as needed. Currently, I use many online sites, and had no idea that AEA had literally another whole world of online sites. When I read that YouTube was the fastest growing for education, I definitely agreed. It seems like this is our current "go to" for movies, etc.. Yet, the AEA provides richer, more censored and higher depth learning. I have already shared some of these AEA sites with my 4th grade colleagues, and they are excited to learn. One said, "It will be nice to actually watch something without pop-ups". The other said, "It will be nice not to have to WORRY about the pop-ups".  I use Google Classroom in my room, and these resources will be easy to attach and use with that. The easier, the better for me. I got a little overwhelmed trying to keep them all straight, but I think if I can organize them in a way best for my ease of using them, it will be good. I have a list of resources I post on my personal professional site. It works well when looking for a good fit site with instruction. I think some of these will best be used by just posting onto our classroom site. (Soundzabound; Britannica). I also know of some that I can already place in our learning scope and sequence. The new Social Standards are coming, and we don't have a lot of resources to go along with the 4th grade Great Depression unit. I feel confident and excited to be able to apply some of these to it.

The class helped us catch a broad overview and skim the surface on many excellent resources. So the challenge now is to focus in on one or two where I have the greatest match with my teaching needs.  From there I need to find the time to review that program, play around with it and perhaps watch some of the trainings specific to it, then dive in and use it and learn as I go. After using it I need to review what went well, where I could use improvement or more information for the next time.  As a librarian I have decided to start with TeachingBooks and/or BookFlix. In fact, I may start in two days, but that presents another challenge to select the right book with which to begin.

There are so many great online resources offered through the AEA. In reference to thinking about my biggest challenge, I mentioned in my first post that I’m going to start with baby steps, especially since I have the likelihood of becoming overwhelmed if I don’t. Then, I just might not use anything, and THAT would defeat the whole purpose of completing this course. I’m particularly interested in using The Kids Edition of Culture Grams. I have always been interested in learning about different cultures and traditions. One of my goals is to expose my students more to different people and diversity, including food and literature. I want to encourage my students to think more globally and cross-reference other important dates and times significant to other countries and groups of people. I plan on printing off flyers that accompany the site to help me use the best tools available to me for specific lessons, etc. I’m going to focus on incorporating one new thing at a time and reflect on my experiences with it.

I think one of the biggest challenges, for any teacher, is TIME! It feels as though there is never enough time in the day to complete every task, challenge and newly found activity.  In my years of teaching, I've learned the motto of "rolling with the punches." Every day brings something new...new challenges, new requirements, new tasks and to dos. Teachers are required to do so much in assessment, planning, management that sometimes the new and innovative teaching techniques become pushed to a back burner "until there is more time."

However, by learning about all of the resources AEA has to offer, the more I use the resources, the easier it will become to incorporate them into every day learning. By having access to online resources also can meet the needs of many learning styles!  Now a days, technology is everywhere. The earlier students are able to engage in technology based activities is increasing their awareness of the ever changing technology world.

My biggest challenge to using the Iowa AEA Online Resources truly comes in gaining teacher buy in to requiring student use of them for research.  I have introduced most of them to students, but really getting teachers to use them and/or require students to use them is a whole different ball of wax.  Because I provide the teachers their planning time, my ability to team with them and/or plan with them is very limited.  If I were able to have regular planning time with them and still have their students on a regular basis, more opportunities to infuse the Online resources into their actual unit design could occur.  If the students were able to use them in real context for a class assignment, I think they would see the value and would be less likely to just Google. Perhaps next year, I will be able to offer an additional floating PD opportunity that my teachers would take advantage of to learn about these great tools.

After getting a chance to look into the resources, the challenges I see for myself will be to able to focus on just one or two of these sites and the other challenge I see is time. There never seems to be enough time to get everything done in the classroom!
I am thinking that I am going to use Britannica with my students as we are coming to the time of year when they will be making flip books about animals along with a Google slide presentation. I can see how this online resource will be helpful and also engaging for the students. I am also interested in using
CultureGrams with my students with the Winter Olympics beginning soon. I think it would be really fun and interesting for my students to see what other countries are like as they watch the many events of the Olympics.
As I stated before in my first post, my students already use BookFLIX and TrueFLIX. We just used TrueFLIX when learning about icebergs and the Titanic. They are fascinated with these topics and using TrueFLIX really added to our previous information.

My biggest challenges will be finding which resource will work in the general music setting and also only seeing my students every four days. In order to use them properly, I will need to first research what is available and how it relates to my lessons plans. I will also have to be sure to request my students bring their technology to class on the days I plan on using these resources. Currently the do not bring technology to my room. I think once I find a resource or two to focus on, I will be able to use them productively in my room.

There are two items I feel will be the "bigger challenges" while I implement the AEA Online Resources in my classroom and curriculum.  The first one will be finding and deciding which resources best suit my needs as a music teacher.  Since part of my job is to focus on General Music and the other is to direct the choir, I feel there will be many different resources and routes I could go--I think my challenge will be to not become overwhelmed, and just experiment, evaluate, then reassess and move forward.  
The other piece that I think will limit me initially, is that I do not have regular access to devices in my classroom, which will limit the ways I decide to use the Online Resources.  There is a lab I can check out, so I'll do what I can to make that an efficient and reliable resource, but in my physical classroom, my use of these resources will have to be workable with just my computer and the projector.  That said, there are still many resources that will lend themselves to my situation and will be a great way to enhance my lessons.  One way I might address this issue is to create a lesson plan or unit in which students need devices, to show how I would use, and the students would benefit from, the district investing in devices for my classroom. Until then, however, I'll make it work for my situation.

I feel there are two challenges to implementing this course in the classroom.  

        The first challenge is finding the time to explain the search engines to students and time for them to use them to their fullest advantage.  We have finished our biggest research project this year, and I’m looking for other smaller research areas.  I think the next thing will be to have them use the CultureGrams and Britannica databases when completing a homework project to explore a national landmark or monument.  I think if I can do a brief introduction, students will be able to explore more in depth at home and bring questions to me in the classroom.

        The second challenge is having enough lapbooks for students to get hands on experience with the different sites.  Although our school has been purchasing more computers, we are still not one-to-one.  

        Working in small groups and allowing them access at home will help with both of these challenges, even though it takes more time than doing a whole group lesson.  

        I’d also like to use the BookFlix site as a station for Daily 5.  I think that will be a good resource with many high interest topics.

    I believe my biggest challenge in implementing the AEA online resources will be the lack of having my own classroom. One of the ways that I will attempt to overcome this challenge is making sure the classroom teachers know that I have gone through this class, and let them know that I am comfortable with using AEA resources to follow the teacher's daily lessons. This will be especially beneficial when I substitute in a long-term classroom job. The teacher will be able to stay with their normal AEA-infused lessons, knowing that I am qualified to teach those lessons and help students find the online materials they need.
    Another step I plan to take, so that I may implement the online resources, is to use them while tutoring local students and family members. These children range in ages from 4 years to 15 years, and can benefit from many of these AEA resources.