Posts

My Journey

  The three most powerful concept takeaways from my CEP 811 journey are learning through failure, the power of iteration, the Intersectionality’s impact on the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). These ideas will definitely shape my approach to teaching in the future. To demonstrate my learning, I created a job search and interview preparation protocol that leverages the power of AI via use of the INDEED job platform and ChatGPT. This isn't just a fun, engaging project for students to work on. This project will provide the necessary tools for my students to achieve their main goal of securing gainful employment in the local community.   FAILURE - A Learning Tool One of the most transformative ideas I encountered in the course was that failure is not a setback but a crucial step in the learning process. It’s ironic that I’ve lived by a similar motto during my time (20+ years) as a girls high school basketball coach. Mainly, “we never lose, we learn so that we’re playing our best b

MY JOURNEY TO UPGRADE MY CLASSROOM SPACE

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MY JOURNEY TO UPGRADE MY CLASSROOM SPACE I would like to start my blog with a little background on my students and our current learning environment. The students in our Adult Transition Program are individuals who did not receive a high school diploma. They range in age from 18 to 26, and each adult learner has at least one disability. The learning experience focuses on teaching students basic life skills (hygiene, nutrition, cooking, grocery shopping, monetary skills) and helping them acquire essential job skills (communication and interpersonal skills) through a comprehensive Work-Based Learning (WBL) program. Our students are most qualified for service type jobs e.g. bagging groceries, dishwashers, silverware prep, stocking shelves, office and fitness center cleaning etc. Some of the local job sites include ACE Hardware, Powerhouse Gym, South Lyon Hotel, Early Childhood Center (ECC), and Biggby Coffee. This approach ensures that learners are exposed to theoretical knowledge but also

LEVERAGING AI FOR INTERVIEW PREPARATION

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  OnLabor. (2024, January 26) LEVERAGING AI FOR INTERVIEW PREPARATION The goal of my innovative experience was to introduce the concept of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to my adult learners and teach them how to leverage AI in preparing for job interviews. The two technologies that I envisioned using are the job database platform INDEED and chatbot ChatGPT. My students will use INDEED to identify realistic job opportunities e.g. jobs with responsibilities that are a good fit and having a location that is an easy commute. Students would then cut and paste a job description of interest into ChatGPT and ask the chatbot to create a list of likely questions that one would experience during an interview for said job opening. The students would then craft a response to each potential interview question and ask ChatGBT if their proposed responses are appropriate. This iterative interaction will enable them to get into the right mindset and will simulate a mock interview session. You can find mo

813 Assessment

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My assessment philosophy is that assessment and the data that is the result of the assessment should drive instruction. When assessment data is used strategically, it can have a profound impact on the learning of the students. It is a reliable way to show the students and their parents the progression of learning. It can also inform future instruction. Throughout this course, I have learned how to create assessments that include content, technique, structure, technology, response, design, and data. My beliefs haven’t changed through the progression of the course. However, I have obtained a richer knowledge of a variety of assessments and how they can be used. I have a broader understanding of how to utilize technique, structure, technology, response, and design into creating assessments. (Masters of Arts in Education 2024, Summer) I have created a lesson using TPACK. Have you ever gone on a bike ride? What would you do if your pedals were broken? You would stop to fix your pedals. Howe

Using Assessment Data

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When I teach my Adult Transition students, I use assessment data to inform my instruction. In this blog, I will share with you some ways that I use assessment data in my teaching practices. There are 4 fundamental components of Assessment   Four fundamental elements of learner-centered assessment: Westminster College (2019) Formulating Statements of Intended Learning Outcomes includes statements about what the intentions are. It is what the student understands, their background knowledge, as well as what the students abilities are. Developing or Selecting Assessment Measures include what type of design will occur. This can be formal or informal. The intended learning is the focus. Creating Experiences Leading to Outcomes is important because it combines learning experiencers at home, in the community, in the workplace, as well as in the classroom. Their learning outcomes can transfer to all of the areas of the adult learners life. Discussing and Using Assessment Results to Improve Tea

Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education?

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  Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education? In performing additional research on the concept of Intersectionality and its impact on education, I came across an excellent article by Edvina Bešić entitled Intersectionality: A pathway towards inclusive education? (Bešić 2020). I would like to post this visual in a common space at my high school and subsequently host a professional development session to stimulate an open dialogue on this topic. Historically, research in the inclusive education context has primarily focused on the joint schooling of children with and without disabilities e.g. mainstreaming. However, these studies fail to acknowledge that inclusive education does not only refer to the inclusion of children with disabilities, but also aims to guarantee a system suitable for all learners and their unique requirements. Inclusion is interested in any type of exclusion experienced by any child, not just those children with disabilities and the ones recognized as

Media Consumption and Expansion

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  (Areeb, Q.M. et al. 2023)  In the realm of modern media, the Filter Bubble theory, introduced by Eli Pariser, highlights how algorithms personalize news feeds based on user preferences, potentially creating isolated information bubbles. This theory is particularly relevant when comparing news coverage by outlets with distinct political leanings, such as CNN and MSNBC versus Fox News and Breitbart, especially on sensitive topics like the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. My personal MO is to avoid all news-related media, as I prefer to encapsulate myself in my own personal bubble that consists of my kids and reality tv. However, given the events in Butler, PA last weekend, I thought it would be very interesting to go outside of my comfort zone and consume news media from a variety of sources e.g. Fox News, Breitbart, CNN and MSNBC (all recommended by my husband). As I’ve now learned, CNN and MSNBC are categorized as left-leaning news outlets, typically approaching news with a