I went into this online learning program with 2 expectations. 1) This is going to be a lot of busy work with no practical applications, and 2) I just need to get my 30 PGP points. I was surprisingly about the first point.
Through this course, I have learned to take a real look at myself as an educator when it comes to technology usage. Since I am ahead of the tech game at my school, I thought I was ahead of the game in general. I was very wrong. This couse helped me evaluate the way I use technology in the classroom, understand the importance of that technology, and use practical tools.
One of the best things to come from this class was the Symbaloo project ( http://www.symbaloo.com/mix/educationsites6 ). This pushed me to curate resources and helped me share them with my coworkers. That project opened my eyes to many new resources that were practical tools for my classroom.
I also learned numerous tips from my peers in the class. Their point of view in discussions helped me look at issues in new ways. I really enjoyed looking at how they used specific tech tools with their classes. Requiring me to give feedback to my peers was actually helpful, because it forced me to start a dialogue on topics I didn't even know needed discussion (online citizenship, pitfalls of brick and mortar, etc.)
Overall, I am glad I took this class, and not just for the PGP points! I would recommend this course to any educator who is looking to pursue an expansion in their online learning.
Friday, May 24, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Social Media in the Classroom
The question has been posed of "Do you think social media can be used effectively in the classroom." My answer is a clear and resounding NO.
If "social media" is referring to Facebook and Twitter, then I believe teachers should completely avoid using it with students. I have heard so many stories of teachers misusing the social media and putting themselves in compromising situations. Even something that was conceived innocently can be morphed into something inappropriate. A teacher should never put his/herself in a position that could be seen as unprofessional.
In my school corporation, it is HIGHLY suggested that a teacher not "friend" or "follow" a student until graduation. Even ending up in pictures with students on Facebook could possibly dock points in our evaluation in "Core Professionalism." I believe there are other ways to incorporate "social media" in a safer way than Facebook and Twitter.
My Big Campus is basically an academic Facebook. However, it keeps the students and teachers in a safer environment. Flesh -tone filters and "flags" allow moderators to keep inappropriate materials off the site. Teachers and students can contact one another, but EVERYTHING can be seen by an outside source, if necessary. This adds another level of accountablity to everyone involved.
I understand that teachers and students can communicate on social media with the best of intentions, but sometimes it just best to keep school life and home life completely separate.
If "social media" is referring to Facebook and Twitter, then I believe teachers should completely avoid using it with students. I have heard so many stories of teachers misusing the social media and putting themselves in compromising situations. Even something that was conceived innocently can be morphed into something inappropriate. A teacher should never put his/herself in a position that could be seen as unprofessional.
In my school corporation, it is HIGHLY suggested that a teacher not "friend" or "follow" a student until graduation. Even ending up in pictures with students on Facebook could possibly dock points in our evaluation in "Core Professionalism." I believe there are other ways to incorporate "social media" in a safer way than Facebook and Twitter.
My Big Campus is basically an academic Facebook. However, it keeps the students and teachers in a safer environment. Flesh -tone filters and "flags" allow moderators to keep inappropriate materials off the site. Teachers and students can contact one another, but EVERYTHING can be seen by an outside source, if necessary. This adds another level of accountablity to everyone involved.
I understand that teachers and students can communicate on social media with the best of intentions, but sometimes it just best to keep school life and home life completely separate.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Timetoast
The newest resource I have found and would like to use is Timetoast. Timetoast is website where students and teachers can make timelines of events. When your mouse hovers over a dot, the information pops up, so there isn't a cluttered mess of descriptions.
Great Gatsby Time Toast
This is an example of a Timetoast created for The Great Gatsby. Had I known about this site a few weeks ago, it would've been perfect to map the events in Huckleberry Finn. However, I know I will be teaching Slaughterhouse-Five next year. As I have mentioned before, the timeline in that novel is very confusing. The main character get "unstuck" from time and experiences events in a nonlinear fashion. This would be a great site to map out the character's life events, even though they aren't told in order.
Great Gatsby Time Toast
This is an example of a Timetoast created for The Great Gatsby. Had I known about this site a few weeks ago, it would've been perfect to map the events in Huckleberry Finn. However, I know I will be teaching Slaughterhouse-Five next year. As I have mentioned before, the timeline in that novel is very confusing. The main character get "unstuck" from time and experiences events in a nonlinear fashion. This would be a great site to map out the character's life events, even though they aren't told in order.
Monday, May 6, 2013
New Concepts
Through this Online Learning course, I've learned several concepts that will be applicable to my teaching.
1) Stop using excuses: We don't have enough computers. Students don't have internet access. The network is unreliable. STOP. The question is, "What am I going to do about it?" I've learned that just because there are obstacles, doesn't mean that I need to give up on the concept.
2) Technology alone is not motivating: Teachers needs to stop sitting students in front of a computer and pretend they are having so much fun. It must be useful, interesting, and rigorous. Using technology as a novelty is not accomplishing anything. How you use tech as a tool makes all the difference.
3) You can push further: I am one of the most tech-savvy teachers in my school. That doesn't mean I can stop there because I'm further ahead of everyone else. Looking through the tech rubric and the SAMR model has allowed me to realize that I am only mid-way through my education in online learning. I can really push my students to use tech in new ways that was previously an inconceivable task.
Though it is not a concept, I really appreciate learning about new site that are relevant to teaching. I'm creating quite a symbaloo collection, and I am anxious to share it with other teachers in my school/corporation.
1) Stop using excuses: We don't have enough computers. Students don't have internet access. The network is unreliable. STOP. The question is, "What am I going to do about it?" I've learned that just because there are obstacles, doesn't mean that I need to give up on the concept.
2) Technology alone is not motivating: Teachers needs to stop sitting students in front of a computer and pretend they are having so much fun. It must be useful, interesting, and rigorous. Using technology as a novelty is not accomplishing anything. How you use tech as a tool makes all the difference.
3) You can push further: I am one of the most tech-savvy teachers in my school. That doesn't mean I can stop there because I'm further ahead of everyone else. Looking through the tech rubric and the SAMR model has allowed me to realize that I am only mid-way through my education in online learning. I can really push my students to use tech in new ways that was previously an inconceivable task.
Though it is not a concept, I really appreciate learning about new site that are relevant to teaching. I'm creating quite a symbaloo collection, and I am anxious to share it with other teachers in my school/corporation.
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