The past eight weeks seem to have flown by! I have learned so much from the course content and feel more open minded. When I signed up to take the course, it was for reasons none other than renewing my teaching license. I enjoyed new programs, and technology, but find it frustrating and a little scary at times. I was hoping the course would "enlighten" me a bit.
I think it is safe to say this course has done more than enlighten. It has opened my eyes to things I didn't think would be possible in MY class. I now know how to use new tools to excite and communicate with even my young students. I know how to find resources and professional tools for myself and for organizing my class. I feel less spooked and more eager to move forward with technology that my school system is beginning to implement. I know the journey toward online learning in schools will be a little easier for me.
Saturday, June 8, 2013
Friday, May 31, 2013
Social Butterflies
Bringing classroom curriculum online opens a whole new can of worms, one of them being social media. Many adults communicate with friends and colleagues through sites like Facebook and Twitter, but opening these platforms of communication for students could bring a new dynamic.
Many young adults have already had experience with social media through Facebook and Twitter as a means of keeping up on the latest with friends. To use these media sites for educational purposes would take some training. Even adults post what's on their mind on these sites without much thought, so teaching students to make meaningful, appropriate posts would take modeling and practice. Some students may find it hard to not mix "business with pleasure".
The ease of communication through these sites is extremely convenient for a class of any kind. These social media sites can allow and encourage students to collaborate and discuss ideas. They can update and remind others of assignments and material. Using these media sites could bring an ease of communication for classroom students, as long as proper etiquette is followed.
Many young adults have already had experience with social media through Facebook and Twitter as a means of keeping up on the latest with friends. To use these media sites for educational purposes would take some training. Even adults post what's on their mind on these sites without much thought, so teaching students to make meaningful, appropriate posts would take modeling and practice. Some students may find it hard to not mix "business with pleasure".
The ease of communication through these sites is extremely convenient for a class of any kind. These social media sites can allow and encourage students to collaborate and discuss ideas. They can update and remind others of assignments and material. Using these media sites could bring an ease of communication for classroom students, as long as proper etiquette is followed.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Putting Good To Use
As I monotonously mention in almost every post, online learning pulls out so many new tools and programs that I never knew existed! After having the chance to explore, I feel almost giddy about the new resources I have learned about and will soon be putting to good use. Some of the latest exploration brought out tools for curating curriculum.
One tool I looked at was Learnist. Just by browsing the list of potential reads, I already felt supported in my journey towards digital curriculum. In a Pinterest format, articles about concepts such as gathering data and using new technology tools were readily available from other educators. I know now that I can frequent this site for new ideas or "how-tos".
Another tool that I tried out was Bag The Web. This was an awesome way to not only store great websites for professional use, but organize student resources. I found that this particular site was very easy to navigate and could be used effortlessly by both parents and students for resources. In the future, I will be able to collect and post valuable websites for parents to use for extra information and practice at home. I can also sort through websites that are the most beneficial for students to use during a unit or specific assignment.
As I continue on this online learning exploration, I progressively find more fantastic teaching tools to use with my current curriculum, all the while transitioning to greater digital use. I am starting to wonder how I will be able to choose among them all!
Friday, May 17, 2013
Making Ideas Come To Life
For a technology rookie, spending six weeks in a technology course can be almost overwhelming. There are so many things to remember; online standards, transitioning curriculum, authentic assessments, project possibilities, tools, tools, tools! I have learned more already than I thought I would be able to apply to my second grade classroom.
The booming numbers of awesome programs to use are the most applicable for me and my thirty eager pupils. Making the transition to a more technologically savvy curriculum is made easy by the apps and websites available on the web. Teaching kids to research, store their ideas, and present to others is a real life idea that better prepares them for the future. I cannot wait to give each of the new programs a try!
When sorting through all that surrounds online learning, I realize that taking the full curriculum online would not be possible for us just yet. We, as a school system, are still acquiring the tools for 1:1 access. We also need to educate ourselves on the possible programs that accompany those tools before bringing them into the classroom. We still have many years of transitioning our classrooms to blended learning before taking on a completely online approach.
Technology brings forth a whole new bag of tricks that are waiting to be opened. I look forward to opening the bag and watching the future of teaching change.
The booming numbers of awesome programs to use are the most applicable for me and my thirty eager pupils. Making the transition to a more technologically savvy curriculum is made easy by the apps and websites available on the web. Teaching kids to research, store their ideas, and present to others is a real life idea that better prepares them for the future. I cannot wait to give each of the new programs a try!
When sorting through all that surrounds online learning, I realize that taking the full curriculum online would not be possible for us just yet. We, as a school system, are still acquiring the tools for 1:1 access. We also need to educate ourselves on the possible programs that accompany those tools before bringing them into the classroom. We still have many years of transitioning our classrooms to blended learning before taking on a completely online approach.
Technology brings forth a whole new bag of tricks that are waiting to be opened. I look forward to opening the bag and watching the future of teaching change.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Where Am I?
This question can show my true feelings at times when trying to direct and facilitate my students in using the many technological tools available for the classroom. However, after checking out the Technology Integration Index and locating myself and my classroom, I found that my class is working in an active adaptation stage.
In the active adaptation stage, students work independently with technology tools in conventional ways. Students are developing a conceptual understanding of technology tools and begin to work independently with these learning tools. I usually choose which technology tools to use and when to use them. The students are developing a conceptual and procedural knowledge of the technology tools, so I don't guide students step by step through activities, rather help with any troubleshooting. The laptops are used everyday with a variety of tools for student use.
Now that I have pinpointed where I am currently, I can set goals for where I want to be with students in my classroom. Teaching a class of twenty nine second graders, I want to be careful to set reachable goals for myself and my students that are realistic and on their level. I feel my students are capable of collaborating with each other on projects, reading centers, and math skill practice. Allowing the choice of technology use during these times is something that students could not only benefit from, but enjoy. Moving toward collaborative infusion with technology and tools is an achievable goal for me.
To make these changes happen, I feel we will have to set new expectations for work time and procedures for technology use as a class. All students will need to be monitored more heavily on time management and may need projects broken down into smaller steps while they are still learning to maneuver the technology they are using. More time may be needed to model samples of programs and projects so that when students are collaboratively using the tools, their time is efficient and effective for learning.
We have had the chance this year to get our toes wet with the technology tools available for our class, so now it's time to jump in. The more I stretch our technological muscles, the more results we will get in time. I won't have to ask myself "Where am I?" but will be confident in the moves we make on the Technology Integration Matrix.
In the active adaptation stage, students work independently with technology tools in conventional ways. Students are developing a conceptual understanding of technology tools and begin to work independently with these learning tools. I usually choose which technology tools to use and when to use them. The students are developing a conceptual and procedural knowledge of the technology tools, so I don't guide students step by step through activities, rather help with any troubleshooting. The laptops are used everyday with a variety of tools for student use.
Now that I have pinpointed where I am currently, I can set goals for where I want to be with students in my classroom. Teaching a class of twenty nine second graders, I want to be careful to set reachable goals for myself and my students that are realistic and on their level. I feel my students are capable of collaborating with each other on projects, reading centers, and math skill practice. Allowing the choice of technology use during these times is something that students could not only benefit from, but enjoy. Moving toward collaborative infusion with technology and tools is an achievable goal for me.
To make these changes happen, I feel we will have to set new expectations for work time and procedures for technology use as a class. All students will need to be monitored more heavily on time management and may need projects broken down into smaller steps while they are still learning to maneuver the technology they are using. More time may be needed to model samples of programs and projects so that when students are collaboratively using the tools, their time is efficient and effective for learning.
We have had the chance this year to get our toes wet with the technology tools available for our class, so now it's time to jump in. The more I stretch our technological muscles, the more results we will get in time. I won't have to ask myself "Where am I?" but will be confident in the moves we make on the Technology Integration Matrix.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Getting Started: Taking A Look At Barriers Surrounding Online Learning
When we bring up the topic of online learning, the ideas of "freedom" and "creativity" may come to mind. In a traditional classroom, there holds a certain structure of time as well as resources available to complete work. An online or blended learning course allows students the opportunity to explore outside of those walls. The internet and online programs can allow some students more creativity to explore the course content and connect with different learning styles. The freedom to complete assignments on a more relaxed time schedule may comfort some students who don't perform well under pressure and need more time to work on assignments.
There are two sides to every story, however, and the positive freedom and creativity from an online course may be a negative for others. Students that may thrive on structured work time and the help with assignment management from a traditional classroom may struggle to meet the deadlines of an online course. The wide variety of online resources for assignments could prove to be overwhelming, especially if technical problems arise.
The ever-changing world of technology is undeniably affecting the future of education. The more information available to students and teachers on online and blended learning courses may break some of these barriers surrounding them.
There are two sides to every story, however, and the positive freedom and creativity from an online course may be a negative for others. Students that may thrive on structured work time and the help with assignment management from a traditional classroom may struggle to meet the deadlines of an online course. The wide variety of online resources for assignments could prove to be overwhelming, especially if technical problems arise.
The ever-changing world of technology is undeniably affecting the future of education. The more information available to students and teachers on online and blended learning courses may break some of these barriers surrounding them.
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