So this is how it ends.

Here is is, my final project for the term. Everything I have learned condensed down into just over five minutes. It was almost impossible to do, at least for me, since I have a habit of talking to much.

I feel like I have learned a lot this term, since I am now more confident with technology, am more likely to try some of the new ideas in class and I got new ideas to try once I get my own classroom.

Coming quickly to a close...

Today in class we had a guest speaker who brought up a variety of points for us.

• You should be easy to find on Google, but what can be found should be all appropriate. You don't want the principal to think you will a headache. "Whatever you have online you should be able to say in front of a classroom."
• Include your digital portfolio URL on your resume.
• We live in a world, where if you don't exist online, you might not be considered for jobs, further education or many opportunities. You just should not be posting everything online.
• Anything online should be considered public, so make sure it is appropriate.
• Classroom teacher vs. school teacher, do you see a difference?
• As teachers we need to share things, so that we can better our school, our division, our province, our country, our world and our presentation. Don't be an isolated educator.
• PLN's are really looked at, who knew, at least prior to this class.
• As educator's we have to be able to show growth and willingness to learn.
• Relationships are crucial both with students and with staff. You cannot expect students to adapt to you, you must adapt to them.
• You have to look beyond just teaching the curriculum, all of the other stuff is in many cases even more important.
• Look at learner profiles, to match the curriculum to your students, not trying to stuff your students into the curriculum. That is as effective as a round peg in a square whole.
• Rubrics are just telling students the minimum they need to do to get the mark that they want. This is not actually encouraging learning, it is really limiting our students. They will not become passionate learners, which should be our goal.
• Planning should be flexible, since you need to be responsive to the needs of the students.
• Embody life long learning...as teachers we should be constantly learning and expanding our skills. We need to be reflective of our own teaching, looking into our own teaching growth.
• Learning goals vs. performance goals. We need to move away from rewards/awards, instead we should see what students are actually learning.
• We should get our students looking beyond the classroom, looking at how they can benefit and change the world.
• As teachers, we should enjoy our subjects that we are teaching, since students will know if we hate the subject we are teaching.
• Supervision is an opportunity to get to know students, so that you can build a better connection with all students.
• You need to have good communication skills to be a teacher. And never deliver bad news in a written format, it should be a phone call or face to face.
• More communication is better than less, so that there are no bombshells for parents.

Today for show and tell...

I must admit I have not had the most time lately to go look at a lot of new apps to share. However, there are a couple I have tried that are new to me, so I figure those count, right Mike?

The first is Mindmeister, which allows you create what I call "webs" and other people call concept maps. These webs are very effective for many things, including planning essays, brainstorming as a class or a group or for just creating a unique, and visual way to display information. My PLN's were made through mindmeister, and I just tried out the basics.

Infogr.am is an online app that allows you to make infographics. This is a fun app that gives you the chance to use different designs and insert a lot of different features on to you graphics. I tried it out, and after a few false starts was very successful. 

So give either of these a try, or comment on fun new apps you have tried.

Stuff You Missed in History Class

Now today's title doesn't seem like it is related to technology but it really is. "Stuff you missed in history class" is a podcast that I found and have been listening to for the past several weeks. The podcast looks at major historical figures and moments, and brings up points and information that is not a part of the standard history curriculum.

I really enjoy this podcast for several reasons. First, I am a history major, and I have always been fascinated with the more obscure pieces of history. This podcast brings up a lot of these obscure facts, as well as more common facts. Second, the podcast looks at a lot of different topics, like Casanova, the real Indiana Jones and the full history of Rosa Parks. This podcast would be very useful for getting students interested in a topic, as the little rarely talked about facts are a great way to hook students on a subject.

I think it would be a lot of fun to get students to make a podcast similar to this one, as students would have fun looking up really obscure facts along with the regular history facts when they are researching a topic. Students would also like to try finding different topics to research, giving them more responsibilities in class.

Well this blogging thing is more popular than I thought

One of our tasks for class this year was to follow an Edublogger, reading their posts and hopefully learning a thing or two from them. I decided to follow Joe Bower and his blog "for the love of learning". Joe is a teacher in Red Deer, Alberta, who is looking at challenging the traditional views of schools and education. Hos blog provides the reader with an interesting look at different parts of education, everything from class size to professional development.

I feel like the best part of this blog is that Joe is putting up a lot of different information from all over the world, but at the same time, it is all stuff that we have talked about here at University. I feel like this really shows just how universal education is, and also how universal all of the issues facing education are. Also, a lot of Joe's comments and ideas go against what is considered the traditional model of education, something the world is really moving away from. This is really what drew me to the blog, and has kept me reading it.

Finally, my favorite blog post from Joe is "Here is what Education Hell looks like," for several reasons. First, the video looks like a prank video, just because it is hard to imagine anyone actually thinking this is an effective way to teach teachers at a professional development workship. Secondly, the presenter clearly believes that practice makes perfect, when really practice makes permanent. If the person using repetion is not doing something properly, they will simply learn the incorrect method. Finally, teaching and learning is aobut more than just parrotting something back to a teacher or instructor, you need to look beyond what the teacher is saying, to take the information and actually make something new.

Getting Organized

Online curration and organization is a huge piece of working effectively online, and I am not afraid to admit that this is an area that I am very behind in. I have had very little experience with any type of online curration, most likely because I do not do a whole lot online. However, I have tried out and enjoy using feedly and Pinterest. I feel like I should be more involved with organizing myself online, and moving forward this is definitely something I will be looking at. 

I feel like online curration is an important organizational skill to teach our students. As teachers we want to provide our students with lifeskills and relevant information, and online curration does both. Students can store all their sources for research papers/projects, find websites that show science experiments, or blogs from other schools. Currating online sources will help those sources that have a habit of losing "that piece of paper they wrote the website down on."

Online curration can also help make teaching easier, since students can access the teacher's online curration, find commonly used websites there. This would be very helpful with younger classes, since you only have to have the students type one web address and then just have them click on pictures.

Picture this...

Infographic - prior to class, not a hot clue what this term actually meant.
Now spend two and a half months in a technology class.
Infographic - A digital image or video used to share information in a short format, with minimal reading required. 
Here is my sample infographic. It is nothing fancy, especially since I cite wikipedia, but it is a great start for me to figure out how to use the technology to create one. 

I think that it would be awesome to use these in my classroom, having students make them would be a great way to review information or summarize a chapter. I think that students would enjoy making these, as opposed to always making things like posters by hand. The biggest piece would be showing students how to actually make the infographics. However, this is just another learning experience, so embrace it and take inforgraphics for a test drive. 

These new moving picture things...

Are very useful in class.

Here is one that I found that I might use in a weather lesson.

And here is one for motion.

I think videos are a great way to bring science experiments into the classroom, since schools do not always have the resources, facilities or experience to conduct big fancy experiments.

Videos are also great activating pieces, since they spark interest in a topic easily. Students can also be encouraged to make their own videos for projects, like movie trailers, recording a scene, trying out green screen or really anything you can think of. 

If is always crucial to keep parents in the loop on using and making videos in class. Even more important is getting media releases for publishing videos. As a classroom teacher, I would encourage my students to share their videos (as long as they are appropriate and there is no personal info. in them). 

I think I would also set up a class youtube channel so students can share videos that they have found relating to class topics.

PLN, what the heck is that?

A PLN is either your personal or professional learning network. This is all of your supports, resources and connections that help you work as a professional or is your personal web of connections.

Here is mine:

The PLN for the modern teacher is very different from teachers even 10 to 15 years ago. There is more focus on technology and connecting with people anywhere in the world easily. 

This is also true for students, their personal learning networks look very different from students 10 years ago. There is more social media, less paper sources and more connections with people all over the world.

Let's get tweeting

Well, I have done it, joined the crazy twitter-verse, and I must say, I am liking it. When I first signed up for it, I thought it was a little silly, just a fun place to post thoughts, comments, ideas and be a little silly. However, now after spending time in this course, I have discovered the true power of Twitter.

Twitter allows us to connect with people all over the world, and to see more of the world than we every imagined. I follow Chris Hadfield, and I get to see much more the world than I imagined through his pictures. Through Twitter we can contact people, asking them questions, getting quick answers and share things that we think are amazing. In our BYOD panel, one of the teachers commented that she had discussions with her students about Manitoba history, all because they saw she had made a comment on Twitter about it. This is precisely what we are aiming for, connecting with our students and fostering that interest in learning.

Twitter can also serve as a forum to hold discussion, like Manitoba Education does. Unfortunately, I have not had the chance to check out one of these chats yet, but hopefully I will, when I am not working.

Twitter can also be used when not connected to the internet, as students can have to create Twitter pages for historical figures, characters out of literature or even things like elements in chemistry class. This just requires creating a template that students can use, and then making sure they understand all the elements of a Twitter page.

Twitter, and other websites like it are very powerful resources that we should be bringing into our classrooms, to engage our students and teach them practical, real world skills.

BYO...what comes next...oh, right...D

This week BU played host to a BYOD or one-to-one panel. I had the opportunity to serve as one of the MC's for it, and can honestly say it was a great time. 

I learned a lot at the panel, since I had very little experience with any time of one-to-one or BYOD initiative in schools. What did I really learn? Well here it is:

1. Technology will, as I expected, create problems and issues in a classroom and a school, but the key is to turn those problems into teachable moments. Focusing on the problem is a great way to get stuck, you need to look for a solution and look at how you have grown because of the problem.
2. Technology in classrooms requires a shift in education. We have to shift our pedagogy,assessments and even our idea of what education is at the core. We can not teach students in the same way, since they can find answers easily, they want to multitask and if they are interested, they constantly want more.
3. Technology should be like oxygen, always there, but never really noticed. This is the way of the future and so we have to teach our students how to interact with this future. If we do not do this, we are doing both our students and our world a disservice. This also means that technology needs to be used appropriately, not constantly.
4. Finally, students need to become their own conscience in a digital world. We cannot and should not rely on filter to monitor students' online activity. Students should become able to serve as their own filters, both in what they look at and what they share.

  
I really look forward to seeing where one-to-one and BYOD go in the future, as they are the situations that are realistically preparing our students for the future. Technology is here, it is not going away, so let's embrace it, enjoy it and utilize it to its fullest potential, in school and out.

Teaching the Digital Native

Today in class we looked at what it truly means to teach a "digital native," or someone who has grown up with technology around them and grown up using technology. 
The first step is to look at our own pedagogy, how do we teach and what it truly our teaching style. We have to find a way to teach digital learners in a way that will match both our pedagogy and their learning style. This is true of both face to face instruction and distance education.
Next we need to define what we are trying to do as a teacher, are we trying to instruct students, or are we trying to help students learn. To me, I believe that we should be focusing on learning, not just teaching. Learning takes information and gives it meaning, relevance and in sense, a life.
Web based courses are a great way to give students more opportunities in a rural school, or so that teachers can supplement their own teaching. Web based courses provide a lot of opportunities, as they are available on almost ever subject, so teachers can use them as a way to support their planning, they can use them to help students who are falling behind, help students who are taking an extended absence or in a rural division that does not have the same resources.
I am looking forward to checking out what is available through web-based courses, as this student teaching placement I will be teaching science for the first time, and must admit I am a little terrified. To know that there are resources available for me to use and things that are ready made, if I get stuck. 
Overall, teaching students in this modern age, we, as teachers, have to be prepared to keep up with students, looking at how they want to learn and what they actually want to learn. We have to be prepared to be a part of the changing world, not yelling at the world to be the way we want, while we stand in our sinking lifeboat. 

The Power of the Podcast

This week in class, we had a very interesting discussion revovling around the power of multimedia in the classroom. This includes videos, podcasts and other forms of multimedia. 
Videos can be used for two purposes, the first is as a teaching tool, using them to add to lessons, spark interest or teach a subject. These videos are generally found by the person who is leading a lesson, be it a teacher or a student. The second use for videos is to use them as a project, having students make different videos for class. This might meaning filming a science experiment, filming a scene from Shakespeare or taking pre-existing material and making it into something new. 
Podcasts are another way to engage students in multimedia, and bring experts into the classroom. Podcasts allow for a variety of pre-recorded material to be used in class, material may be on a variety of subjects and may be by a variety of speakers. Students can also create their own podcasts, that can then be shared with their class and beyond. This gives students a sense of ownership of their work, as it can potentially be shared with a lot of people. 
Having students make different multimedia projects is a great way to teach them a variety of skill, including the use of technology, teamwork, time management and more.

Digital identity in a changing world...

What is digital identity or your digital footprint?
This is your online identity, who you are when someone looks for what you do with technology. As future teachers it is something that we all really pay attention to. We focus on making sure that our digital footprint is clean and appropriate, so that employers will never question our professionalism. 
However not everyone looks at their digital foot print the same way, some people even look at their digital identity as something totally different from who they are in the real world. This is not the case though, we are not two different people, our real selves and our online selves. This is part of the problem that has lead to extensive online bullying, people think that they are a different person, so what they says online does not matter. The other scenario is that people say it is just an online comment, so no one will ever take it seriously.
There are several things that can be done to protect one's online identity, including not posting personal information online, paying attention to what websites they go to, and practicing respect and manners, even online. Parents need to pay attention to what their children are doing online, knowing what social media sites they are using, who they are chatting with online, and actually talking with them and educating them on proper digital citzenship.
This is a huge topic to bring up in a classroom, as teachers are expected to teach citizenship and now that includes digital citizenship. Teachers need to discuss digital citizenship including, your online identity, protecting yourself online, and being respectful in all settings. This starts with creating a classroom of respect, making sure all students know what is appropriate, and what is not. After that students need to be taught how to use technology, since it cannot be assumed that students know how to use all technology. Finally, teachers need to model proper use of technology and actually allow them to try using technology in a safe setting.

News from the Field...

Today we had the opportunity to hear from three current teachers, who are all trying to incorporate technology into their classrooms. It is great to hear about challenges and success that have occurred in the classroom. 
Ideas from this week:

• Classroom Blogs: Students love the chance to have this connection to the world, and have their blog viewed by anyone in the world. 
• Classroom Youtube Playlists: Students love being able to add videos to a playlist, and then have it shared during the class. 
• How to use the internet, without using the internet - Real life twitter, with dry erase markers. Twitter profiles for historical figures, just using powerpoint.
• Photo-editing a comic book of Shakespeare or literature.
• Create pinterest boards for characters.
• Remind 101: Text your students in a safe manner to keep them up to date on class news.
• Google Forms: Share what your students are doing to get positive feedback.

You have to prepared for the challenges technology brings, like students not knowing how to use the technology, or limited access to technology. As teachers we just have to do the best we can, trying to keep up and show our students how to use technology for more than just sharing crazy photos.

The Big Questions...

This has been a week of some challenging questions for all of us.

Question #1 - If your class can be recorded and then put online, why should anyone bother coming to class?

This question will pose a greater and greater challenge for teachers as time goes on. Students like the idea of using the internet, and in many cases would prefer just to learn in the comfort of their own home. So how do we, teachers, get students to come to class? As teachers, we need to make our classrooms positive and engaging places, no more just stand and deliver. We need projects and activities that will engage our students and that they actually find beneficial. Students are more likely to enjoy projects that engage more than one learning style, as well as allow them to engage in activities they enjoy like making videos, or blogging.

Question #2 - What questions must we ask differently in assessment?

Factual questions are still relevant, but of less importance now, since it is so easy to just Google an answer. Questions should challenge students to think beyond the material, looking for connections, real world applications or the big picture (how this fits with my life). This is a shift that has started in assessment, moving towards more authentic assessment, but we are still not there yet.

Question #3 - Do I have to keep this?

School work needs to have value in students' eyes if we want them to keep things. This might mean finding ways to have them share their work with more than just the teacher, so that they then feel a sense of "people are going to see this, so it should be great". There are several ways that this can be done, schools can set up a online display of student work that is accessible to members of the school community like a password protected page on the school website. Students can also be asked to make digital portfolios that they can use for their entire school career highlighting work and growth.

To wrap up another overly long blog post, teaching is a changing world, and we,teachers, have to keep up. Or we might just end up in front of an empty room.

The Connectivity of Education

Well, I was sitting this week trying to think of a topic and having a very hard time. Then I sat down to do my homework for another class, and I realized that the reading I had to do was all about topics that we were talking about in this class. 

In my textbook for teaching reading, thinking and study skills, there was a whole chapter dedicated to what they dubbed "new literacy" or "multimodal literacy." This literacy is all about being literate with more than just text. This might included images, video, audio and combinations of everything. This is directly tied to technology, as these are all methods that we encourage our students to use when they are working with technology. The text encouraged teachers to work with these ideas when they are teaching literacy, as students are using video, audio, etc. more and more when they are learning. 

The book also talked about how, thanks to technology, literacy is no longer a smooth linear activity. Instead online reading is now more like the winding path of the kid in the "Family Circus" comics. When reading online, you have the chance to follow links, skip sections, or only read the first page of something, without delving deeper. This changes how we understand reading entirely, and changes how reading should be taught. We need to focus on helping students navigate this technology rich world, so that they can easily and efficiently learn and grow as students.

The chapter also looked at ways to incorporate technology into literacy instruction, something I found very interesting. One of my favorite activities was writing with hyperlinks. This would serve two purposes, first it will teach students how to create and use hyperlinks, allowing them to navigate online smoothly and effectively. Second, it can also provide scaffolding and support for students who need more than just the plain text in front of them. You could have students hyperlink definitions, maps, videos of experiments, articles or fun things like music. Another activity that is suggested is one that we have put into practice in this class, creating a wiki on a topic. This is a good way to create a permanent resource, and encourage students to work collectively, without having all the time dedicated to group research and presentations. Students can be encouraged to work exclusively online, communicating through the wiki and working when they have the time. 

Overall, the connections found in all topics in education amaze me. Everything from one area is relevant in all other areas, something we as teachers need to recognize and use. We are not just teaching in our little math bubble or science bubble, we are teaching in the greater world, where anything is possible.

Starting anew...

Well, this is a second start, since I am now in a second course that focuses on using technology in the classroom. This time, it is Internet for Educators, which will be focusing on all the ways that teachers can positively use the internet in their classroom, beyond just sending an e-mail.

Just to introduce myself once again, I am a university student, in the final year of my education degree, who is not super competent with computers.
We are starting off simple, getting back into blogging and getting on Twitter. I have decided in all my wisdom to also start a personal blog, just to discuss things that I find interesting or fun, like DIY, writing, books and more, as things come up. That blog can be found at daytwo2day.blogspot.com, so if you are interested you can read that one too.

I am looking forward to learning more about things like on-line courses, connecting with educators around the world, and reading what my peers believe about technology in the classroom. I can't wait to start creative and innovative projects, that will likely become a part of my classroom. I am also a little scared of what I will do, and most likely mess up, but isn't that the point of school, to learn?

Overall, I am just really excited to keep learning about technology, and expanding my abilities as a teacher. I feel that technology is a crucial part of our world, as it is all around us, in every part of our lives, so if we ignore it we will be lost. And this class is my effort to at least find a map.