Digital Blog Post #E - Chapters 4, 7 &/or 9

Google Earth has opened up the potential for classrooms with its bird’s eye view of the world.  Whether you are a veteran teacher looking for new ways to teach an old topic or a new teacher making your debut in the classroom, Google Earth is sure to give your lesson plan plenty of punch.  Once such example is My summer vacation.  This is an excellent way to teach students the basics of using the program.  You can find ideas for any age group and endless amounts of virtual tours that will not only help you teach students but will likely teach you something along the way.  Google Earth is not only beneficial for virtual trips, but can also be used beforehand.  Allow students to explore the route of an upcoming trip to develop a geographic idea for the area they are about to travel.  Encourage them to investigate layers, looking for information about places along the route.  Below is an introductory video of Google Earth that does an excellent job showing how realistic the imaging is.

I just cannot say enough about PowerPoint.  It is amazing.  I have always been afraid to use it.  This term I was given the assignment to do a group presentation using it in another class.  Wow!  Was I impressed?  Certainly.  My first thought was how much my new knowledge in PowerPoint was going to help me in the classroom. We were able to add a Kahoot quiz to our presentation simply by embedding the link.  I am excited to have a group of students create ebooks with their PowerPoint slides.  Having students create a book using PowerPoint demonstrates their understanding of a concept or idea and is a great way to access students.

The idea of alphabet books for younger students is brilliant.  They should not be just a collection of flashcards bound together to create a book.  There should be more thought put into the pages.  It would be great to have the students use a particular theme such as “Traveling Alphabet” where they would have to think of a word that begins with the letter relating to travel.

These three chapters were related to invoking creative thinking in students.   Through critical thinking and creativity, ideas become realities as students create solutions, illustrate their thoughts, and make their creations come to life.  Creative thinking lesson plans give students the opportunity to develop and practice higher order thinking.

References 

Driver, L., (2016, June 1). Kindergarten Teacher Quiz. Created with Kahoot https://getkahoot.com/ 

            Interactive Flipbooks! (2016). Retrieved June 12, 2016, from http://www.flipsnack.com/

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.  

My Summer Vacation [PDF]. (n.d.). Silver Spring, MD: Discovery Education.  Retrieved June 12, 2016, fromhttp://static.googleusercontent.com/external_content/untrusted_dlcp/services.google.com/en/us

Ray, H., (2010, October 21). Intro to Google Earth. Retrieved June 12, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnTw10bQKOM

Digital Blog Post #D - Chapters 6 &/or 10

By ldriverfsw | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

You are in your classroom and look out the window at yet another dark, gloomy day.  Inside the classroom, students are restless.  This is the perfect time for a field trip!  No money for buses, admission fees, or lunches?  Not enough time to travel to the destination?  How about a virtual field trip?  The internet is full of resources.  Use them to provide a fun learning experience for your students.  Alternatively, you could create a virtual field trip.  When you travel, take photos and videos to upload to your class website.  Students can go on the virtual field trip individually, as groups, or as a class.  They offer enriched learning experiences and are exceptional teaching tools.  For hands-on learners, being able to manipulate the computer and experiment with images keeps the student more engaged.  For students with an upcoming field trip, virtual field trips can enhance or build upon what a student will experience.  Because they do not offer touch, smell, and aural feelings, virtual field trips should not completely replace actual field trips.  Virtual field trips can also take place through videoconferencing as shown in the video below.  

Word clouds are a great way to improve students vocabulary.  They can also be used to stimulate their thinking.  It would be interesting to ask the students to write down anything they know about the subject or concept.  Have them make a word cloud with their list.  At the end of the lesson, have them add or delete words according to their new knowledge.  This is an excellent way to encourage critical thinking.

When my son was growing up, I remember him having an electronic speller and dictionary.  It was a very helpful tool in assisting him to learn to spell.  It allowed him to spell a word; then it would correct any mistakes and give definitions.  Electronic spellers and dictionaries not only aid students in learning how to spell, but they also help with learning the meaning of words, and teach children to express themselves through writing.

These two chapters contained a wealth of information about engaging students in the classroom. When we are engaged in something, we are more likely to succeed.  This is true with students; an engaged student is more likely to learn and succeed than an unengaged student. 

References

Driver, L. (2016, June 5). Virtual Field Trip. Created with ToonDoo http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/10214277

Driver, L. (2016, June 5). Word Cloud. Created with ABCYA http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.   

Vidyo. (2011, November 15). Vidyo Video Conferencing for K-12 Education Enables Virtual Field Trips. Retrieved June 6, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4co6lltz2g

Digital Blog Post #C - Chapters 3 &/or 8

           It may not take a village to raise a child anymore, but parents and teachers still play a vital role in the growth of the child.  Gone are the days of the 5-minute parent-teacher meetings in which it was expected to cover a semester worth of information on a child.  Susana Juniu published a research article on computer mediated parent-teacher communication (Juniu, 2009).  Technology tools such as Skype, online chats, text messaging, email, discussion boards, teacher-made websites, blogs, and wikis are widely used as efficient mediums to improve communication between teachers, parents, and students.  This is great at a time filled with so many broken families.  Both sets of parents can have open communication with the child's teacher and access to the child’s assignments, grades, etc.

The next concept I found interesting was Pencast.  This tool is a genius!  Pencast brings your notes to life.  You can hear and see them exactly as they were captured. This is a wonderful way to help students with homework without being with them.  It would also be great to help review for tests.  Below is a video explaining how it works.

Another concept of particular interest is publishing student work.  Publishing encourages students to focus on a completed, quality assignment.  It makes writing a social process where students exchange ideas among classmates as well as with readers around the world.  The number one advantage is feedback.  Students receive feedback not only from teachers at another school but possibly from authors.

In closing, the teacher has many ways to keep learning going beyond the classroom.  With all the technology available, homework can be as fun as the class.

References

Driver, L. (2016, May 28). Created using Wordle http://www.wordle.net/create

Juniu, S. (2009, December 15). Computer Mediated Parent-Teacher Communication. Revista Electrónica Actualidades Investigativas En Educación, 9(3), 1-19. Retrieved May 28, 2016, from http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/447/44713064012.pdf

Livescribe. (2011, April 15). Creating Pencasts For Lesson Review with Staci Gillen. Retrieved May 28, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRa1epTFcM8

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.    

Digital Blog Post #B - Chapter 2

Our students today speak the “digital” language.  There is no doubt they have changed over the past decade.  Every generation enjoys different fashion and uses different slag, but the changes in today’s students go deeper.   “Younger People (those born since 1980) who have grown up using instant and interactive computer and wireless technologies are digital natives” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 38).  Teachers born in previous generations that lack the technological skills of their students are referred to as digital immigrants.

By ldriverfsw | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

The digital divide primarily affects children in low- income, urban, non-white families. It also affects black and Hispanic households most.  Children from families without access to computer technology will have difficulty competing in tomorrow's job market.  The first step in bridging the digital divide in the classroom is to get technology in the students hands.  This could be at home or shared computers at school.  Many schools do not have funds for computers and other technology for teachers or students.  As stated in Bridging the Digital Divide in Classrooms, in many cases, it is up to the teacher to find resources needed for the classroom.

Teacher blogs are a great concept used in today's Education.  I love the idea of teachers using blogs and personal websites to connect with parents and students.  This allows teachers to provide homework assignments, grades, rubrics, and so much more.

In conclusion, this chapter was my favorite chapter so far in this class.  It provided both positive and negative concepts in technology in the classroom.  It brought to light many of the issues that teachers face, such as funding for technology.

References

Chornenki, S. (2008, January 31). Top 10 Reasons to Use a Blog in the Classroom. Retrieved May 

            2, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfJETK3am1M  

Driver, L. (2016, May 23). Digital Immigrants. Created with ToonDoo http://www.toondoo.com/cartoon/10156236

Harvey, B. (2014, July 12). Bridging the Digital Divide in Classrooms. Retrieved May 22, 2016, from http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2014/07/02/ctq-harvey-digital.html 

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.    

Digital Blog Post #A - Chapter 1

           There are many concepts of becoming a 21^st-century teacher that I would like to explore.  The first would be what sociologist call a digital childhood.  “By 2010, over half of U.S. children under age 5 were using some type of electronic learning toy and watching nearly four hours of television every day” (Maloy, et al, 2014, p. 3).  Before beginning my studies in Elementary Education, I thought that was unhealthy for children.  The reality is the iGeneration has an advantage over those of us raised in earlier generations.  Technology is second-hand to most children.  Being a foster mother in recent years gave me the opportunity to see the advantages of technology in the classroom first hand.  A 6-year-old boy that I fostered had limited parental guidance and help with school work at home.  When he came to my home, and I changed his schools, his new teacher suggested that I use LeapReader to assist him with his reading.  He was lagging in every class, but reading was most difficult to him.  After starting the LeapReader, he was reading above his expected level within four months.    
           Second, college was not as accessible when I graduated from High School.  Technology has brought courses into the home, allowing anyone to get an education through virtual classrooms in grade level schools, homeschoolers, and online college degrees.  For the past year, I have been taking online courses at Florida Institute of Technology.  Through technology, I had full access to the school library, class labs, textbooks, grades, tutors, and many other resources.  At 50 years old, would I have enrolled in college without the ease of online classes?  Probably not. 

Lastly, Web 2.0 tools are most exciting to me.  These highly interactive tools open many doors in the classrooms.  The video below does an excellent job explaining how Web 2.0 tools are educators in every aspect of our lives, not just in the classroom.  These tools are truly our information highway.  With a little research, I was able to find an interesting article with 12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers.  This article eases my fears of some the technologies we have to learn. 

           After reading the first chapter, I am more excited than ever about my career as an educator.  Using the tools that are available in a creative way will make the classroom a fun and productive learning environment for both the teacher and the students.  The options are endless as technology has completely transformed the way we teach and learn.   

References

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2014). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.    

Howe, D. A. (2007, April 4). What is Web 2.0.  Retrieved May 14, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pn8j9QCX_Mw

Haynes, K. (n.d.). 12 Easy Ways to Use Technology in the Classroom, Even for Technophobic Teachers. K-12 Teachers Alliance. Retrieved May 14, 2016, from http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers