Blogfolio

Concept Map

                The concept map assignment aligns with standard 3b and c:

3.  Model Digital Age Work and Learning
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.

This assignment is helpful to teachers when presenting information to students. Using inspiration software, it is fast and easy to create a concept map that contains a lot of information and presents it in an organized way. I would use concept maps in my classroom as a way of presenting a large amount of information in an organized way. I have already experienced success with this in another class where I was asked to teach a class using a concept map. The students’ learning was even more successful than I planned.

Intro video

4.  Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources

The intro video was actually the first experience I had with making a video of myself and posting it online. We studied several instances in which this can be useful in a classroom including in a flipped classroom. Most of all I think it is good practice for the students about how to be responsible on the internet. I liked this assignment and will definitely adapt it for use in my classroom.  

Movie

                The movie assignment aligns with standard 3a and c:

3.  Model Digital Age Work and Learning

a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations

c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats

Creating movies has almost endless applications for the classroom. I, as a teacher, could use it to present information to my class. Movie maker software has so much potential for the students to be creative. I liked this activity and will definitely use it in my future classroom.

Voki

                Voki aligns with standard 2a

2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity

The Voki assignment is very valuable knowledge to me. I think that occasionally adding a voki to a lesson will not only help the students remember the information. In high school I read Oedipus Rex and afterward we watch a really funny parody of the book. My friends and I quoted the parody for weeks and to this day I still remember the entire plot to Oedipus Rex. I hope that Voki can provide a similar experience for the students I teach. I think I will find Voki very useful in the classroom.

Web 2.0 sites

                The web 2.0 sites match standard 5a:

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

a. Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning

Web 2.0 is extremely good for professional development. Effective teaching requires so much creativity that most teachers will not be able to do them on their own. It is important to realize that the field of teaching will always be changing and that we as professionals need to adapt and change as well. I will definitely use this while I’m writing lesson plans in the future. 

Evernote and Teaching Channel

I downloaded Evernote on my computer and on my cellphone. Evernote lets me take any kind of notes, pictures, webclips, or other kinds of documents and keep them all in one place. I can also organize my notes into notebooks. What I thought was interesting is the fact that I can make new notes or access notes from my computer, phone, or tablet. I installed the Evernote app on my iPhone as well and it seems to be a very useful program.  

Teaching channel is another website that provides videos of teaching ideas. They are categorized by subjects, grades, and topics. It is very easy to navigate. The videos are helpful and detailed. I think this is a great resource for teachers because being a teacher requires a lot of creativity and hard work. This website can be a great help for teachers looking for ideas. These ideas will also help provide variety in classrooms. 

Gaming to re-engage boys in learning

I think that it is very interesting to think about the way that we limit the interests of boys in schools. From the beginning of the video, I wondered if the main issue was the fact that most elementary teachers are women. I have already noticed that I have a harder time relating to and understanding boys even with my limited teaching experience. My favorite point that the video makes is the fact that we need to design better educational games. I know many many boys who can give detailed descriptions of the games they have played including the story lines, and detailed descriptions of the process it takes to beat the game. If we could get them just as interested in games that are educational they can start to enjoy learning again.

NYC with the Pride of Mississippi

The World Peace Game: John Hunter

This game is a genius way to teach students about the world. It is extremely comforting to me to know that people like John Hunter are teaching America's children. I cannot imagine a better or more applicable way to learn for these students. These are all skills that are extremely valuable to students. To the students, its a game. They enjoy this type of learning. The students featured on the video are so engaged, so excited, and so involved in their learning it is extremely inspiring to watch. I would be happy if I turn out to be even half as good a teacher as John Hunter.

Educator's Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats

Cyberbullying is obviously a huge problem in schools today. As a future teacher, I already worry that I will not be able to completely prevent any types of bullying from occurring. This guide to cyberbullying gave me real insight into what is going on in schools. One thing that I think will be necessary is to educate children on how to react to cyberbullying. They need to know that if they are being threatened online, they need to tell someone. The scenarios in the guide often involved a student having weapons and if no one had said anything that individual could have killed a lot of people. My heart goes out to children who are the victims of bullying. This guide has helped me prepare for preventing this from happening in my classroom.

Why Flipped Classrooms Are Here to Stay

This method of flipping the classroom can be completely attributed to good problem solving by the teachers it was created by. I remember my high school teachers having huge problems with absences as well and I know that I had problems doing homework at home. I think that teaching needs to evolve in these kinds of ways. A couple of months ago, a friend of mine was dealing with a mentor teacher that was not doing a good job. She basically did not do anything that he had learned in college and the students hated her class. One day, while he was complaining about the situation he said, "Just because you've been doing something a certain way for 23 years does not mean that you're doing it right." At that moment, I could not believe how right he was. All the experience in the world does not alone make you a good teacher. What makes a good teacher is the motivation to change and adapt in order to keep students engaged and to teach them to your best ability. I think these teachers were geniuses in finding a way to do just that for their students.