Meyer-Houston Support and Next Steps

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4th Grade Bloggers! Julie Meyer-Houston Home Learn More Standards Inspiration About the Author

My Next Steps

MUSINGS ABOUT MY NEXT STEPS
Because of this Masters program, my next steps will be to continue collaborating with others, but with a better sense of understanding than before. Growing up as a dancer (student, teacher, choreographer), I view life as a dance -- that is, knowing when and how to move harmoniously together, which includes the flexible-mindedness of walking away for the sake of peace.

With that in mind, I would like to build upon the knowledge I learned through this Innovative Learning Masters Program and share it, teach it to others: colleagues, students, family, and friends. These are two most important aspects I am going to implement to be a more effective teacher: First, I learned through the modeling and structure of our classes, how to do "Flipped Learning" and to use the "ICARE" format as a well-organized and easy-to-understand communication tool with my students to inform them of lesson/assignment expectations that can be adjusted to meet student needs.

Next and more importantly, I learned to think and focus even more so than before with the “other” (learner) in mind, reflectively and reflexively, because of the EDUC 791 class foci on SITE instructional design, TPACK, and SAMR: Will my response to their needs be as a coach, collaborator, or consultant? How can I help them make sense of whatever they or we are experiencing? How can I facilitate the capacity-building of their skill and knowledge levels (and mine, too) in the process? And, when necessary, how can we use technology as a tool to assist in problem-solving and production?

Hmmm, maybe one of my next steps will be to look for a different position that involves teaching others how to integrate technology into their lessons . . .

Another next step might include moving forward with my "EdTech, Go-To, One-Stop" reference website with "How to" screencasts.

DEFINITE NEXT STEPS

1. By presenting my Learning Innovation Lab (LIL) Masters website to our principal, individual teachers, and/or professional learning communities, one of my definite next steps will be to encourage other teachers in the 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade levels at our school site to use Edmodo for student blogging after their Sustained Silent Reading Time to support and sustain learning for their English language learners and ALL students by strengthening their developing skills in reading and writing!

2. I am going to teach basic dance steps and the sequence of steps, using the "Flipped Learning" approach. I spoke to our 4th-grade team about implementing this new approach for the next year, and they have agreed! I am extremely excited about using this method with dance for the first time. My intention is to present two dances instead of the usual single dance performance during our annual Spring Arts Festival.

Research

Design Process

I Have Deep Gratitude and Appreciation for the Support of So Many . . .

All 32 of my students grew with me during this learning journey. I learned from them as they learned from me. They knew I was passionate about trying this new approach with them, so it became their passion as well. We transformed together. For all of that, I am forever grateful!

Students who were struggling in reading and writing in the past became engaged readers and motivated writers during the study and continued to be after the study. Inspirational learning experiences such as this student blogging project will guide my future teaching.

Students loved blogging everyday vis-a-vis Edmodo to share what they enjoyed reading. Ultimately, their open-ended reflections at the end of the study included statements like, "Thank you, Mrs. Meyer-Houston, for letting us do this! I love reading now more than ever, and I especially love that others like what I'm saying on Edmodo!"

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Dr. Pamela Redmond ~ You have been the ultimate sage and "SHERO" (female hero) to/for me, epitomizing the Touro University-California Mission, Vision, and Value statements, which at the crux of it all is STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING. You have been the model of encouragement and understanding, especially when it concerns the pace of learning per individual student. I have learned much more from you than you'll ever know because of your patience. Your leadership and modeling will be one I adopt with my own students and colleagues. I am grateful I can proclaim my appreciation to you publicly. Kudos and cheers to you and your gracious spirit!

Dr. Helen Hawley-Davis, Roger Pence, Brenna Curtis, Scott Marsden, and Jane Gould ~ Thank you, awesome professors and faculty, for teaching me content, sharing your wisdom and insights, and modeling the "flipped teaching and learning" approach. Your willingness and availability to answer questions has been remarkable! Thank you also for providing a vast array of edtech tools and apps for me to try and discover as useful for implementation in my classroom (and perhaps throughout various grade levels and partner schools).

Cohorts 9 and 10 ~ Thank you all for being engaged partners in learning, regardless of our different skill levels of edtech proficiency: Your critical friends comments and lively discussions moved me forward to complete collaborative assignments with you while your sharing of teaching experiences and perspectives have helped broaden me as a teacher as I learned with and from each of you.

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Thank you, thank you, thank you for the generous support you provided to me, so I could earn my Master of Education degree (M.Ed.)! This opportunity has broadened and deepened my understanding of how to effectively implement the Inquiry-based Learning approach and the Flipped Learning approach as well as how to maximize the use of technology as a tool to support and sustain my students' learning. The knowledge I have gained will be implemented in my classroom and shared with other educators. Your support has impacted the achievement of my students through increased reading and writing engagement and motivated learning. Many, many, many thanks to the NapaLearns Foundation for supporting our students' 21st-century learning through teacher capacity-building and the provision of technology devices!

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Thank you very much, Napa Valley Unified School District, for partnering with both NapaLearns and Touro University to assist me in becoming an empowered teacher who, in turn, has empowered 4th grade students to build capacity in the 6Cs and readiness for college and/or a career! Because our Touro classes included educators from different grade levels and subject expertise, I have gained deeper insight into what the expectations for vertical alignment entails; therefore, I know better how to nurture and hone the skills of my elementary grade level students. With this new knowledge of teaching approaches for inquiry-based learning and usage of technology, I implemented a study in which students demonstrated increased reading engagement and motivated writing. Those heightened skills will help us all toward meeting the District goal of closing the achievement gap!

TO MY WONDERFUL AWESOME FAMILY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA AND IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA!
THANK YOU DEARLY FOR YOUR LOVE & SUPPORT AGAIN THROUGH MY JOURNEY AS A LIFELONG LEARNER!
YOU KNOW HOW IMPORTANT THIS EDUCATIONAL PATH IS NOT ONLY FOR ME, BUT ALSO FOR MOM JEANETTE!

I love you ALL and am heartfully appreciative of your presence with
me throughout my transformative and innovative learning journey!