Overview of ED521

Simply, a great class for any educator! I thoroughly enjoyed learning all of the new websites and technologies I am taking away from this class. The resources provided will really improve my classroom and give me a lot of resources if I move into a technology integrator position next year. I will have a lot of resources to share with my peer teachers. I like that our website will stay up even after the class is over so we can still access the data and resources. I feel this is a valuable class for any educator at any level.

Top 10 Take Aways From ED521

My Top Ten List from ED521 is as follows:

1. Diigo, really like this organize by tags with this website. And the diigolet add on is great, I like it so much more than bookmarking pages.
2. Twitter, who knew it could be used in education?! I didn't...
3. Skitch, I was using PowerPoint previously to do this, but this works much better!
4. Google forms, I knew you could make these but hadn't yet. In just the past few weeks I have made 3 forms and plan to make many more because they are easy, the survey participants feel they are user friendly, and Google organizes the information effectively.
5. Wikipedia and now knowing that it can be a creditable source.
6. Blogger, I have always wanted to start a blog, but just haven't done it and Blogger was really easy to use and I plan be blogging more now!
7. Today's Meet, when presenting for Professional Development sessions or even when instructing students, a back channel can be very useful to kind of hear inside thoughts and questions of your audience.
8.  Google sites, I like you do not have to pay for a domain site or hosting. I wish it was more user friendly for a beginner. 
9. Mystery Skype, I plan to look into this further and try it with my 7th grade keyboarding class. Looks really cool!
10. Symbaloo, I like organize by picture especially for younger students. Great to use as a homepage on the internet.

Libraries of the Future

I think in the future libraries will be more digital media labs. I think there will still be books but there will be more computers available. I think by 2023, technology will be even more interactive with books and reading it on a tablet will be just as enjoyable as reading it in print. Also, I think the books on tablets or on a technology device will have animations and you will be able to interact with the book. I think all directories will be electronic for searching for books and resources. I think that card catalogs will be obsolete and replaced by an electronic search database.

I see the role of the librarian as less of a bookworm and more of a digital specialist. I see the librarian expected to help students with digital devices and apps as well as help them search for good books and resources. Most are already research specialist and I think they will continue to be but when teaching researching for the first time, they will need to include some digital citizenship instruction to teach students how digital learners act and research online. They could touch on topics like: safety, plagiarism, and how to find quality articles using online databases.

Overall the libraries and the librarian role will change with increased technology, but the function of what a library is will not change.

Success Story from ED521

Google Forms

The same day I was preparing to create a survey (somehow), we talked about creating surveys using Google Forms. Instantly I knew it was my medium to use for the survey I needed to make. I have since created 3 surveys since learning about Google Forms. I made a survey that was sent out to business and technology educators about what learning management system they use in their school I also made one for my ED502 class for the participants of my study to use. And the last survey I have made is one for if I am the technology integrate next year, a help request form. I embedded this form into my Google website. I really like how Google Forms organizes the data once complete and how user friendly it is to make and to take the survey. Google Forms was success story for me!

Blended Instruction

Technology has turned my classroom into a blended classroom by integrating technology with traditional teaching methods. It has created a more interactive, engaging, and collaborative environment.

My favorite ways to integrate are using Nearpod, Answerpad, or Edmodo. Using Nearpod and Answerpad, every student is responsible for their own answer. When I ask a question, I do not hear from just one or two students (who just answered the last question), I hear from everyone of my students to see that everyone is on track. My mini check for understandings have improved because of technology. I can constantly see and know who is getting the content and who needs more help. Using Edmodo, I have my student submit their assignments electronically and I do not need to carry any paper around. Its great! I am able to access their completed assignments anytime and parents are also able to ask any of the their child's work at anytime. There is no forgetting to bring it home or a chance for students to throw their work away. This make parent teacher conferences really easy because I can show each students work and progress on a very organized platform. And if there are any questions of a low grade, I have the exact submission and they can read the comments I post why the student did not receive full points.

From this point forward, I plan to continue to use technology in my classroom. I plan to try new websites and apps and then stick with the ones that work well in my classroom. My next big website I plan to learn is My Big Campus. This is an virtual learning management system that is all in compassing of an online classroom. Exciting for where technology will bring my classroom in the future!

Are Textbooks Joining the Dinosaurs?

Textbooks are now being used electronically more and more versus physically. According to Ed Tech Magazine, 92% of students prefer digital research options. It is becoming the new norm and textbooks are soon to be extinct.

Some advantages of electronic textbooks are they are less expensive, they can be accessed anywhere, do not have make space for the actual book, and some of the time the online textbook has extra features and resources to learn more about the topic. Some disadvantages would include, not being able to physically touch, highlight or write notes (would have to use a program to mark up an online textbook), a person needs a technology device to access the information, and a virtual book has no resell value (but was probably cheaper to begin with).

I believe the future of textbooks will be much like VCR tapes. They are still around and can be used but more and more people will use DVD's. And eventually I do not think we will see a full extinction like dinosaurs, but textbooks will eventually be on the endangered species list.

The 21st Century Learner

We are in the 21st century now, but do our students possess 21st century skills?
A 21st century learner should be able to:

• Speak to a group of people effectiviley
• Problem solve when necessary and come to viable solutions
• Not just know what something is, but understand why or how
• The ability to transfer knowledge to other aspects not just memorize facts
• Collaborate with peers and other people effectively
• Perseverance to never give up and keep trying until its right
• Be a good digital citizen using technology appropriately and safely
• Know and be able to use basic technology such as the internet, word processing program, and general computer usage (saving, printing, opening programs)

A 21st century educator needs to prepare learners by doing the following:

• Require students to give presentations and speak in front of their peers
• Provide an interactive environment to engage learners
• Assign open ended questions where students must problem solve or use their own knowledge to answer the question
• Provide group work opportunities for students to learn how to work with different types of people
•  Do not allow work that is incomplete or students to give up on their work. Keep guiding and mentoring when necessary
• Stay in contact with parents about their students achievements and concerns you may have
• Use technology when appropriate to encourage technology and keyboarding skills

 Students can use technology to research, use appropriate programs, and collaborate with their peers and people anywhere in the world. Technology is a great tool for students to utilize to enhance and support their learning. To incorporate more technology into the classroom, teachers could do interactive activities using digital devices. They could also have an online classroom for students to collaborate, submit assignments, and have access to course resources. Teachers could promote group work online as well using Padlet for example.