Success Story From Ed521

My success story from ED521 is just that I am learning and adapting what I've learned into my classroom daily. I used Google Docs in my classroom so my students could follow an active link rather than having to type in the entire web address themselves. While they were working, I had a backchannel going, which allowed them to ask myself, or their peers questions while we were working. I hope to have my Weebly account modified into a fully functional site by next year which will be a wonderful resource for my students to use. I just learned so much throughout the course and my successes have come from utilizing the multitude of resources to change my curriculum and make me a better/more efficient teacher.

Overview of ED521-Ignorance is Bliss

I really enjoyed my time in ED521. I learned so much and felt like the assignments were challenging, but also totally manageable. Unlike many of my other graduate classes, I was engaged and learning throughout the duration of the class period. While there were times that I was worried that I wasn't keeping up, I always managed to hang on! In fact, as I neared the end of the course, I relaxed when I noticed that I was on track! All in all, I would absolutely take the class again. I wish there were more like it for our professional developments to go more in depth on some of the topics we covered. The only thing I didn't enjoy is that the class opened my eyes about how behind my school is technologically. Now that my eyes are open, I can't close them again. I guess its like that old saying says; ignorance is bliss…

#ndedchat Great Resource for Teachers

I really enjoyed participating in the #ndedchat discussion last night. The topic was on dealing with grief stemming from the disaster that happened in Ray last week. I really enjoyed that the question were planned before the chat, and this gave me time to write up my answers. One unfortunate restriction of having these types of chats on twitter is the character limit. Last night I spent most of my night trying to limit my characters to under 140 which after some practice did become easier. Ultimately I really enjoyed the discussions we were having about having to deal with grief in schools, as it an unfortunate inevitable of working in a school for long enough. My thoughts and prayers go out to the people affected in the Ray tragedy. I coached in Ray while in college, and that community was one of the most supporting and close-nit that I've ever experienced. Hopefully someone from the community stumbles across the discussion from last night, as it could be very beneficial for the healing of their community, and others experience devastation. #PrayForRay.

Top 10...or 14, take aways (F1)

1. Dropbox- I use my Dropbox daily!! I love being able to log into an account, manipulate a document and save it to print the next day at school.
2) Backchannel- I really like using the backchannel with my students so they can answer questions for each other while working on an assignment. It also works well for me to see which of my students are on task.
3) Google+ and Google Drive- What is there to say, Google has so many wonderful resources that I didn't realized existed. Google Drive is so wonderful and is something I plan to utilize in the future for my students to work on assignments collaboratively. I wish our school had its own domain to open up safer possibilities for our students.
4) Screencasting- I haven't gotten the chance to screencast an assignment but I can see the benefit for days when I know I will be gone. It would be a wonderful way to plan for a sub and not miss a day. So often when planning for a sub, the day feels almost lost. With screencasting, those days can be limited.
5) Twitter- I love the resources I've already received from twitter and I look forward to utilizing all it has to offer in the future.
6) Symbaloo- So convenient for teachers!
7) TinyURL- I have already used this with some of my web quest assignments. I know it is difficult to be sure a URL is followed to the letter, and with TinyURL students have an easier time managing their assignments without the difficulty of typing in long web addresses.
8) QR readers. - I think I can come up with a cool assignment for students within my room. Possibly a scavenger hunt where the correct answer will lead to the next location. I can see how QR readers will provide a benefit to that experience.

9) ITunes/Podcasts- I hadn't looked into the podcasts that iTunes offered much before this course. while I don't have much time to look into the podcasts during the school year, I am excited to dive into this more in the summer.
10) Remind- I created a remind account for my students this fall but didn't keep up with it as much as I'd like. Next year :)
11) Pintrest....because I couldn't stop at 10. Pintrest is wonderful for me on every level. Cooking, Classroom, decorating and efficiency, Pintrest is the absolute best.
12)Teachers Pay Teachers- One of the best resources for modern day teachers. Every lesson I've purchased has been well worth the money!! I hope to start making money on the site soon!
13) Mystery Skype- I am looking forward to trying this with my students. I really enjoyed watching this during my Minot Public PLC. I wish however that we had Ipads to use like the students at Jim Hill had.
14) Socrative- another great resource that Ipads would be wonderful for! I am hoping sometime in the near future that I can utilize it!

 

The Library Renaissance

The library of our parent's generation has become extinct. As technology has been introduced to the research process, librarians have had to stay up to date on an endless variety of budding resources, most of them having nothing to do with physical books. Don't get me wrong, in libraries across the country the Dewey Decimal system is still alive and well, but the most advanced libraries are spending less on book purchases and more on technology resources. It is easy to conclude that the job of a librarian has become much more demanding and requires flexibility in order to stay on top of new and exciting possibilities.

For educators we all realize that little research is being done with a book and notebook. In today's world, primary source documents can be as close as a click away; which is incredibly exciting and terrifying for our libraries. Modern students rarely consult books for researching and teachers hardly ever reserve a library for the use of the paper bound on shelves upon shelves. So what is to become of the library as we know it!? The answer is simple, change.

Librarians have done a wonderful job making adjustments to the existing library structure. Through education, librarians now offer the knowledge to show students how to research in the most efficient way possible. As simple as educating scholars on how to do a proper Google search or determining what resources are reliable, slowly librarians are leading the charge in making our youth safer and smarter on the internet.

Even in Three Years, Technology has changed how I teach

While I realize I haven't taught long, I have seen many changes in the possibilities I can do within my classroom; because of advancements in technology. When I was in school I never would have believed that the future of schools would include each student having their own device provided to them through the school. Additionally I never thought I'd see a day where student would be allowed to use cell phones as a resource for a research paper. Technology has allowed me to differentiate in a way I never thought possible.

One of the best ways technology has advanced my teaching capabilities is by allowing me to give instant feedback. We play a "game" in class for review called Kahoot that the students absolutely love! Using Kahoot, students can compete with each other while being provided with feedback instantly as well as explanations if necessary. Kahoot and other resources like it, such as Socrative or Nearpod, assist students but they also let teachers know if the students "just aren't getting." Using technology, the way the world thinks of tests and quizzes is being forever changed.

I love that technology gives me the versatility to show my students things I couldn't by using textbook or film. Technology allows my students  to be in control of their own learning as well as their own research. Technology ultimately allows students to take charge of their own learning and create things; the exact skills necessary for life beyond high school.  I believe technology is going to forever be changing education, so long as we take every opportunity possible to keep up with the changes.

Textbooks- Backpacks are getting lighter

For years, many wonderful teachers have used textbooks as the primary resource within the classroom. For a number of reasons, those classrooms are becoming harder and harder to find. Ipads and other tablets are replacing textbooks because of the versatility of tablets versus the textbook. Tablets provide more resources; they give student’s instant feedback, and provide a variety of other opportunities to the young users. 

I asked a fellow teacher this past week on what her thoughts are on substituting tablets for textbooks. I was disappointed that she believed it would be too much of a headache to manage within our school. While I don't believe fiscally it is possible to for our school right now, I would like to see this as something we would start to transition towards as a district. One to one computer/student pairing would open so many doors for what I could do within my classroom. Even though it may not be possible right now, I know in my heart that in the next ten years, each student will be provided a tablet in replacement for a textbook. 

Teaching 21st Century Learners

Teaching using 21^st Century tools can be intimidating. For teachers it is often difficult to teach in a different way than how we learned. To be an effective teacher in the 21st century, teachers are going to have to do just that. Daily, new tools are becoming available to aid in classroom learning. Whether it be mastering the interactive whiteboard rather than a projector; to utilize manipulatives for our young learners. Or conducting an online discussion about a primary source document, teachers who know how to use technology are becoming a cut above those who do not. 

The reason to use the newly created 21^st century tools is simple. We are teaching life-long learners. Access to information has now become limitless; so too has our student’s limits on how much they are "expected to know." With that being said, we teachers need to realize that our limits for teaching our students have now also become limitless. No longer should our students be put in a routine of assignments. Instead our students should enter the classroom asking "What are we going to do today?" Teaching using 21^st century is scary, but it is important for teachers to keep an open mind and utilize professional development as a means to stay on top of new and exciting tools. 

Teachers are Contradictions

Similar to latest Starburst commercials, Teachers are contradictions. Teachers are a shoulder to cry on and distributor of tough love. Teachers always provide fair treatment in the classroom, but pick out those who need a little extra, and provide it faithfully. Teachers work tirelessly and rarely think of anything but how to reach their students, however many in communities across the country believe teachers are lazy and are payed appropriately for only nine months of work. Teachers want all of our students to pass, but realize that not all of them will. Teachers have to be fun and engaging, but also tough and in control.

To be a teacher in todays public school setting has taught me a lot about the profession. My mom was a teacher, but I didn't realize how much work went into the profession on a daily basis. I've had a variety of jobs, but I can honestly say being a teacher has been the toughest and also the most rewarding. The only thing I would change about the profession is how the public views it.

Last week my own Grandpa told me "well you know, if you think about it, teachers get paid pretty well for only working 6-7 months of the year." I didn't really know what to say. I told him I work 9 months at over 60 hours a week. He didn't believe me when I told him. Later my aunt made a comment that my cousin was failing because the teacher didn't like her. Again I was left speechless. How could people actually believe that teachers don't work as many hours yearly as any full time employee? How could they believe that a teacher wants to make a child's life miserable?

To be a teacher is to do the impossible daily, and receive little reward. Our reward is knowing in our hearts that we change lives, even if others don't realize it.

Skitch Practice Ed521

Why reinvent the wheel when you can Retweet it? The Value of Twitter for todays teachers.

I never understood the purpose of Twitter before a couple weeks ago. My husband has always been a huge advocate of Twitter, but I found it difficult to navigate and rarely logged into my account. When we started working with Twitter in the spring of 2015, I began to realize its educational potential. As a social studies teacher in a small school, I am always hungry for resources. Twitter provides avenues for teachers to communicate and exchange ideas. 

Navigating Twitter has become easier, now that I know hash tags that produce the best results. For me #edchat, or @edutopia have provided the best results for overall education tips. If I specifically want to research social studies topics, #sschat has also given me some very helpful resources that I can use when teaching my students. 

One benefit of twitter that I haven't utilized is using Twitter to set up a mystery Skype. I think my students would really enjoy the challenge of trying to determine our Skype partners location using google maps, and it could be something that would really enhance their geography skills.  In the past couple weeks I have learned that twitter has a variety of uses, far beyond social networking. 

Playing Technology Catch-up. Teachers Integrating Technology into the Classroom.

  

  

The field of technology is the fastest growing in the country, yet many teachers struggle with integrating technology into the classroom in a meaningful way. The purpose of technology is to enrich learning, and it is important to teach our students how to retrieve information in a responsible and safe way. Many teachers would love to utilize technology more, but with availability constraints, technology usage can be limited. 

I try to utilize technology into my classes weekly. I wish our school had the availability to offer each of our students a personal device, but that’s simply not a reality at this point. We all know integrating technology goes beyond having a device for each individual, but if possible, one to one parings can be liberating for a classroom.

Differentiation is difficult in a 21st century classroom, but with technology integration, a teacher can differentiate while acting as a learning catalyst. Rather than spending hours creating lengthy presentations, teachers can utilize technology to prompt student directed discovery on a chosen topic. Imagine the possibilities! Technology can also promote creative thinking and problem solving skills for students of all levels. Technology is the way of our future, and in education, we appear to be a bit behind. 

Cell Phones In School. Once Taboo, now the way of the future.

Cell phone use within all public school classrooms, is the way of the future.  Almost every student has a cell phone on them at all times, and to not utilize the phone as an educational tool; is a disservice to students and teachers. Daily, new educational sites are added to the web, and the information on makes our access to information limitless. Students don’t use books anymore to look up questions, they Google it. At home, students use their phones as a means of interacting with the world, and so should teachers use them to connect with our students.

            With the increasing fiscal strain on schools, cell phones provide opportunities for academic help, where one to one computer capabilities are not possible. With the advancement of devices, students can now use cell phone as calculators, cameras, computers and note taking devices. Our students should be using them to help with research rather than having them hid away in a locker or a coat pocket.

Cell phones can provide ways to differentiate classroom learning, to the growing number of diverse student’s learners within our schools. As a way of checking for understanding, teachers can use online resources to provide instant feedback, valuable for both the student and the teacher.  Some have argued that cell phones provide distractions that can interfere with classroom learning. Such an argument only strengthens the need for cell phones in school, as it shows how badly we need to model ways of using technology responsibly.