Final Reflective Post

In my time at Florida SouthWestern College I have taken a lot of classes that I didn't really want to take. Mostly math classes, but those are deemed a necessity in the academic community. I've rarely felt that I leave my classes with information I can utilize everyday in my future career. This course, definitely did not leave me with that feeling. I have learned so much about technology and the importance of its use in a school setting. I always thought I was kind of tech savvy, I have my own Facebook, I know how to look up videos on Youtube, I know what a tweet is (although I don't use it) so when I signed up for the course I wasn't expecting to learn anything new that I didn't already know. I was really, really wrong (which is something I'm not particularly used to but I am happy I was in this case.) There are a lot of critics when it comes to integrating technology in today's schools but the more I got into the course the more I found myself puzzled by these arguments. There are so many wonderful ways to use technology to enhance learning. I figured out how to make a website, how to make a web quest, copy right laws, blogging, podcasts, virtual field trips, and better ways to asses a student's progress. These were not things I came into the course thinking about, which was the beauty of this class, it opened up a lot of new doors for me. I got to utilize a lot of creative through sights like Voki,  ToonDoo, and Kahoot. Tools I didn't even know existed before and things I will definitely be using with the younger kids I will be teaching. I had no idea that great tools for student assessments were right at our fingertips through:

• Electronic tests and quizzes
• Gradekeeping software
• Digital Portfolios
• Student response systems
• Online surveys
• Learning performance rubrics

I learned about the wonderful world of blogging, and have actually considered starting my own blog (although it would be more comedy based to be honest, probably won't be sharing it with my students.) It really is a great tool to utilize though, academically or not. 

I learned about KidPix, a tool that I feel very sternly about and will definitely be using in my classroom. I have always felt that nurturing a child's creative side is just as important as nurturing their intellectual side, so many things online allow teachers to tap into both at the same time and I think that is an amazing thing. 

Virtual Field Trip 

Using KidPix

The only feedback I have on how to improve this course is the lesson plan assignment. I think that having students all create their own lesson plan would be a better opportunity for more advanced learning. I have never been a big fan of group work. Also maybe having to teach that lesson plan will give more experience, that or the web quest just so we can have a feel how that particular lesson would play out in an actual classroom setting. Other than that I honestly loved this course, I had a lot of fun and did things on the computer I didn't know I was capable of doing. I appreciate you putting up with my antics and I know I will use the things I learned here to further better a future generations education. 

Credit: Bunches and Bits from Flickr

Resources:

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.flickr.com/

(n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.kidpix.com/

Fastest Way to Create Comic Strips and Cartoons - Toondoo. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.toondoo.com

Kahoot! | Game-based blended learning & classroom response system. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from https://getkahoot.com/

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.
Voki Home. (n.d.). Retrieved December 11, 2014, from http://www.voki.com/

Digital Badge #L- Chapter 6

There are so many wonderful educational websites and apps that allow teachers to foster online learning. In todays digital world the library for applications that can assist a student in their education seems to be endless. Go to the app store on your phone and type in "education" and thousands of search results come up. Same can go for educational websites, any search engine will open the door to thousands of hits that can assist you in your lesson planning. There are many wonderful tools to be used at your disposal. One of which is Social Bookmarking. Social bookmarking expands the concept of bookmarking from one user at one computer to a community of users on many computers. Instead of a private resource library that can be viewed by one person social bookmarks create a public list that can be by many readers. This can allow teachers to set up bookmarks she finds educational for all of her students to utilize. It allows new ways to sort and search all kinds of information.

Another cool tool is Information Alerts. Information alerts are electronic notices that new information about a topic has just become available in some electronic publication format. Information alerts allow busy teachers a convenient way to notify all students that new information about a certain topic area has just become available online. Google alerts, which is free, is one of the many options for this particular tool. You enter a keyword and Google search automatically sends you an email whenever there are new result for your term. I think this is really neat because if you are working a particularly time consuming lesson plan for your class this can help the students with their research as well as the teacher. Google Alerts can be a time saver because instead of searching for yourself Google Alerts will do it for you, generating 5 types of alerts

1. New
2. Video
3. Blog
4. Discussion
5. Book

So not only does it help you manage your time, its gives a variety of sources for your topic.

Credit to: cambodia4kidsorg at Flickr

Another tool that I had personal experience with this week is the creation of your very own WebQuest. I personally had a lot of fun creating my web quest, this tool allows educators to get really creative with their lessons. You can ask students to go on an adventure, whether it be virtual or somewhere they physically have to go. You can ask students to create diaries, whether they are video or hand written. The web quests really allow you to go above and beyond and break the limitations of a boring old assignment. There are thousands of links and other resources that can hep you beef up your web quest and make it more interactive for the students. There are 5 steps to creating a successful web quest:

• Stage setting
• Task
• Process
• Evaluation
• Conclusion

This type of lesson planning lays out exactly what you want the student to complete and how they will be graded on it. This helps lead the student to success in whatever the task you assign may be. There is little room for misunderstanding or confusion, unless you don't know how to write a step by step activity. I actually had a lot of fun creating my web quest because it was an assignment I would have personally loved to have in high school on a topic I think most kids find interesting. 

Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Badge #K- Chapter 11

The role of assessment is central to the work of teaching. Every teacher evaluates a students learning and that is one of the most important aspects of the job. In order to teach effectively one must asses effectively so they know the most effective way to teach each student. Assessment is multi factored, not a singular process of just giving grades after a test, it features 3 elements:

• New Teacher Assessment: How supervisors will asses your work
• Student Assessment: How you will assess students' learning and your own effectiveness as a teacher
• Student Self Assessment: How students will participate in the assessment process

These are all very important elements to take into consideration as an educator. Properly assessing all areas is crucial to any lesson plan and curriculum. The ability to engage in self reflection is a crucial skill for any teacher. If we can not evaluate ourselves and the effectiveness of our own teaching methods than it is nearly impossible to ever approve upon them. Technology can help new teachers with this ordeal in two ways: as part of projects that show evaluators your skills as an educator, and through tools that evaluate what the students learn and are able to do. Technology offers great support to teachers when it comes to all forms of assessment. 

Photo credit to: Bunches and Bits using Flickr

An important thing to do as a new teacher, knowing that you will be evaluated throughout your career, is developing a digital teaching portfolio. A digital teaching portfolio is a collection of educational and professional materials stored in an electronic format. This is a great organizational tool that can showcase your growth and development over time as an educator. It can contain digital copies of paper materials but also fun multi media aspects such as video, picture, power point, and audio. It is a way to use all of the ideas and activities learned in the classroom, field experiences, summer work, and community volunteering while obtaining your teaching license. This is an impressive way to track who you are as an educator and a wonderful edition to any resume. Common elements found in most new teachers digital portfolios are:

• Resume
• Philosophy of Education and References
• Lesson or Unit Plans and Reflections
• Academic Courses and Research Experiences
• Teaching Experience 

Involving students in learning and assessment is a very important element in teaching. Letting the student in on what they get to learn is a wonderful way to keep them engaged. In many classrooms students do not get an option over the curriculum but developing a way that allows them to truly assess what they want to learn gives them a voice in the educational decision making. Schools and classrooms that push for this are know as "Democratic Schools" In democratic schools and classrooms input and involvement require teachers and students to engage in open and frank discussions about how their classroom operates. I think this is a wonderful idea because the teacher is still in control but it becomes clear to the students that he/she really cares about teaching them what they want to learn.  A mutual respect is formed and students becomes more engaged and participation becomes higher. I believe that all classrooms should model themselves from this. 

Made by: Allie Sofos using Canva

Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Chapter 4- Digital Badge #J

Designing lessons and developing curriculum with technology is a new and exciting way for teachers to spice up their classrooms. There are many programs and fun filled technology based activities teachers can integrate into almost any lesson plan. Presentation software, visual thinking software, and web-based diagram and flowchart making tools are only a few of the many possible options.

Learning assessments occur before, during, and after teaching lessons and enable teachers to evaluate student knowledge, understanding and performance. Assessment tools include multiple choice and short answer tests, essays and other written tasks, oral discussions, teacher observation, class participation, and student projects. Technology can lend a hand in successful learning assessments with a few useful tools:

• Electronic tests and quizzes
• Gradekeeping software
• Digital Portfolios
• Student response systems
• Online surveys
• Learning performance rubrics

Using and and all of the tools can provide a teacher with easy to use means to assess his/her students. 

Understanding by design (UBD) is an approach to curricular development, there are three main stages to this approach:

1. Identify desired results
2. Determine acceptable evidence
3. Plan learning experience and instruction 

The internet provides vast resources for developing lessons using the UBD method. Already assembled lesson plans on virtually any topic for any grade level are free on educational websites such as PBS and Anneberg Learner. These resources can help new teachers adjust to this type of curriculum and serve as a great starting point for the development of their first lesson plans.

Credit to Fuchsia Foot via Flickr

The main resource schools use to asses their students is standardized testing. I personally do not agree with this because I do not think it is an accurate way to measure someones intelligence. There are many forms of intelligence and not all of those can be clear from a test. There are many students who suffer from test taking anxieties and freeze up when they are put on the spot. This puts an unfair amount of pressure on todays youth because they fear they will not advance to the next grade level. Although I know it provides schools with funding I think we should brain storm alternate methods.

Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Badge #I- Chapter 12

  Technology in schools tends to follow one of the two patter: Infusion or Inclusion

Infusion: Means that computers and other information technologies are ongoing features of teaching and learning in all academic subjects and grade levels.

Inclusion: Means that computers and information technologies are used mainly for transferring information and practicing skills.

I would like to practice Infusion in my classroom when I become a teacher for a number of reasons. The main one being ongoing interest and uses of technologies increase student motivation and engagement, which also increases everyone's ideas and creativity. Using technology in your lessons can and will increase a students passion to learn. Tapping into their creativity and asking them to create is much more effective than authoritarianism teaching that only involves testing and work sheets. Children need to be stimulated, not just black and white testing because intelligence comes in many different forms and helping a child discover theirs is the whole reason I want to teach in the first place.

My Kahoot 

There are different stages teachers can be at with the level of technology they use in their classroom, 5 to be exactly.

• Entry- Teachers are beginning to learn information technologies
• Adoption- Teachers blend technology into their classroom practices without making any significant changes to those practices
• Adaption- Teachers fully integrate new technologies into traditional classroom practices
• Appropriation- Teachers easily and confidently use technology both in the classroom and their professional work
• Invention- Teachers start to experiment with many inventive and creative ways to use technology in and out of the classroom 

I believe that every teacher should work to at least make it up to the adaption stage. This way they can use technology to enhance their lessons plans and make their jobs easier and students job more enjoyable. 

Picture by: R Joanne at Flickr

Of course there are always going to be issues in integrating technology as well. Some teachers will have to face them and come up with creative solutions to the problems. Some of those issues include:

• Administrative Support and teaching styles 
• Unwillingness to change favorire lesson plan
• Reluctance to use technology in new lesson plans
• Use of technology as a reward or punishment
• Use of technology as an ass-on to other activities
• Use of technology to separate students by ability groups.

At the end of the day not everyone is going to agree that use of technology in a classroom is a beneficial and positive way to engage your students. It is a very hot button issues and teachers who are used to teaching without it are not going to be as open minded to change. However it is very apparent that when a child is allowed to create and use his/her imagination to learn they will engage with more enthusiasm and willingness to learn. Using technology to educate, if done correctly, can be a wonderful and exciting thing. Teaching future generations in this way is, in my opinion, the way of the future and as a society we are technology driven, its just the way that it is. 

 Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Badge #H- Chapter 9

   Tapping into a child's creativity, in my opinion, is one of the most important part of being an educator. When a child is allowed to express themselves and utilize their creative talents their chances of learning and loving what they learn are much greater. Multimedia technologies can help us as educators accomplish this goal. There are countless programs and softwares that make learning and creating new things for students of all grade levels fun and inspiring. Multimedia combines text, data, voice, picture, and video all in a single application. Giving the students countless creative options for their projects. Comparing Minimal and Multimedia Classroom Technologies we can see the difference in certain teaching strategies. For example in the past (before the computer revolution) a teacher would have to draw the Water Cycle on the whiteboard/chalkboard and ask her students to copy it down and memorize it. With todays tools the teacher can used a times slide show with audio, or a reel-to-reel movie projected on a screen. She could also ask the students to create these on their own in groups or individually.

Created by: Allie Sofos using ToonDoo

Using Powerpoint and Next-Generation Presentation Tools is another fun and exciting way to teach a classroom. With all of the new additions and abilities in these systems presenting to a classroom has never been easier or as exciting. The ability to embed podcasts and videos into your presentations gives them flairs and keeps the students interests alive. A document cameras captures whatever is under its lens and, when connected to a digital projector or a television set projects that image onto a large screen or whiteboard. Having the ability to transform the small screen of a single computer into a classroom-wide, theater like learning environment, drastically changing the presentation experience for the students and the teacher.

Photo credit: Capt Kodak at Flickr

Photo-Taking and Movie-Making With Students was another important section of this chapter. Children in our generation love to take pictures and make videos. The applications such as Facebook and Vine show us that movie making and photography can be tapped into by just about anyone. Incorporating this into your lesson plan could be a fun and interesting tool for your students. This allows students to not only tap into one type of creativity but several. It gives them the opportunity to

• Film
• Write
• Act
• Edit
• Critique

Coming up with a story line and acting is out is a wonderful way for students to re-inact historical events or explain one. For younger students softwares such as alphabet books allows students to upload pictures of themselves holding up objects with the specific letter they are doing. This is a fun way for young children to learn the alphabet while also tapping into their creative side

From Youtube

In conclusion, creativity is one of the most important thing for a child to develop. Technologies help us as teachers provide the tools to nurture this skill with innovative and fun ways to learn. 

 Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Digital Badge #G-Chapter 10

   I liked this chapter of the book because it touched on the importance of multicultural education and diversity. I feel very strongly about teaching children at an early age about other peoples cultures and backgrounds so they can grow up to be informed, tolerant and respectful citizens. The section that talks about connecting classrooms with communities and cultures is spot on. Schools, without intending to do so, become separated from the broader society around them. They celebrate other cultures but only on certain occasions (i.e.; Black History Month.) It is important to connect children to the idea of other cultures and traditions on a broader sense. Technology helps them do this through access to endless information including newspapers, translators, personal testimonies... the list can go on and on. Every students culture, language and background can become integrated into the curriculum and better understood throughout the year.

Created with Padlet

    This chapter also touched on how to teach children with disabilities. I had never heard of a concept known at Universal Design for Learning until I read this text. The UDL is the application of universal design principles to educational setting. In architecture one must make accommodations for those in wheelchairs when designing a building. This same concept can be brought to the classroom. For example a teacher can use Powerpoint to display her vocabulary words to the class to help better accommodate a hearing impaired child while the class discusses the terms. Another example could be using Podcasts in lessons to help accommodate vision impaired children. I think this is a really important concept because all children deserve the same education no matter who they are or what disabilities they may possess. 

 Other tools that can help with the education process are assitive technologies. These are technologies that are designed for those with varying disabilities. Some examples of these technologies include computers with lard keypads for those with reduced hand functions and also computers that will read out text for those who cannot see. Assitive technology makes it possible for those with hearing, sight, mobility, or cognitive challenges the ability to translate text and understand spoken words. With the advancements available today thanks to technology it is a lot less of a challenge for these individuals to get the same experience as those students without disabilities. I think this is wonderful because nothing is more important than establishing a childs self esteem early on so it can translate into their adult life. 

from: Youtube

   I would like to conclude this blog with a picture I found that I fell in love with. I think that this saying should be universally adapted and hopefully we as educators can help create a generation without hatred. 

Credit to: esetherease from Flickr

 Resources:

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Side note: I don't know what happened to my text in this blog, it got a little whacky after I uploaded my Padlet... I could not get it to all be the same size.. I tries highlighting it all and pressing Normal but nothing was working. Sorry.