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.

#ndedchat Pretty Cool!

I recently participated in an #ndedchat on Twitter and felt it was useful, a great resource, and also inspiring. It was nice to collaborate with educators across the state about our passions (the topic of the night). During this chat, I learned how to participate in a Twitter chat, I learned of a new chat I am interested in and plan to attend later, and shared/received ideas from educators. Originally, I thought the chat would drag on, but it actually went really fast and I enjoyed reading other peoples ideas. This is a great way to network and a great thing to be a part of if you need to be uplifted or inspired! I plan to attend again!

If All Else Fails, You Can Always Teach...

I have heard this so many times before, "Well if this job doesn't work out, I can always teach." Let me let you in on a little secret, if that's your attitude; the students, your future colleagues, and the profession doesn't want you!

Anyone who has every taught a day in their life understands the intensity and sometimes insanity of teaching. It truly takes a special kind of person to continue this profession as a career. It is not a back up plan if something else doesn't work out. It a career just like any other that should be taken seriously and given as much credit socially as a doctor.

Throughout the day a teacher must wear multiple hats to ensure their students are not only learning but feel safe, important, and wanted. As teachers, we do not choose our students. There is not an option to send them back or exchange them. Each time a student walks into my room, I am responsible for each of their success in my classroom. Now granted all teachers know that the students have to pull their weight too, but if a student doesn't want to do something, then the teacher is responsible for creating the motivation to complete the task.

There are so many misconceptions about teaching. And I admit, before ever teaching a day in my life I thought most of them were true. Change will happen in education when educators are making the decisions for the future of education. Not people who have a high status or who have money. They should not be making those decisions for our kids. They are the future, why would we not set them up with the very best?

So what does it mean to be a teacher? It means that we have been entrusted with every student sitting before us in our classroom to foster their learning, provide a safe and welcoming environment, be a mini cheerleader, and also be that person any student would feel comfortable confiding in. No student wants a back up plan teacher and no student deserves that.

Changing Your Mind About Twitter in the Classroom

Teacher A: "Twitter is only social media, it has no educational value."

Teacher B: "Why should we care about what everyone had to eat last night?"

Teacher C: "How will we control what students tweet?"

Twitter can be used for so much more than just a constant feed to find out what everyone ate last night or what concert they are at. Twitter can be a an educational tool for both students and teachers.

Twitters value has so many possibilities:

• Search hashtags on research topics
• Collaborate using the same hashtag to talk about different subjects
• Share links and resources using the same hashtag
• Communicate with peers or people who have the same interests
• Teachers can post reminders about assignments due
• Follow communities of interest
• Ask questions to a world wide audience
• Participate or facilitate a live tweet discussion session
• Engage parents by having them follow a class hashtag
• Teachers can use information for Professional Development
• Use Tweet Deck to organize and filter data

*Bonus: Students do not need a Twitter account to search twitter!
Twitter has education value and when filtered using Tweet Deck it will be obvious that students can use it as well as teachers for professional development.

Here are some #hashtags to get you started:
#educhat
#edchat
#mathchat
#engchat
#muscedchat
#sschat
#scichat
#elemchat
#kinderchat

FBLA Conference Map

FBLA Members:
This is a map to show where our hotel and where the rest of the conference is being held. Notice the mall is right in between the two hotels. There will be a shuttle going between our hotel and the Ramada.

The New Norm: Integrating Technology into the Classroom

When we integrate technology into teaching and learning we provide another way for our students to learn and understand material. We present so many more ways for students to learn and to interact with the world and other people. Our students are using technology daily in their personal lives and will more than likely use it in their work lives, so I believe we need to be using it in the classroom. That’s not to say that the technology we teach them they will be using that exact format or software but we are preparing our students to be digital learners and will be able to adapted and learn any new technology that is created. To not use technology in the classroom is not preparing our students for the real world. Education needs to stay with the times and be using technology in the classroom. The technology tools are there we just need to utilize them.

Cell phones in the classroom? Why not?

I do not mind students to have cell phones in class for high school students. The students are already carrying their cell phones on them and really have grown up with them. To most students it is an extension of their hand. With smart phones especially, there are a lot of functions that can be used for educational purposes. 

Like physical behavior there is a correct way to act and a wrong way to act. By allowing cell phones in the classroom it simply gives our students another resource to utilize, but we must teach them how to use them appropriately. When we teach our students how to use their cell phones appropriately, they will be able to use this knowledge at their future workplace. So we are not only teaching our students how to use their phones appropriately in school but teaching them what is appropriate in the workplace as well.