EDTECH537 Commentary on End of Semester

                                          https://www.flickr.com/photos/lupuca/8720604364

I have really enjoyed learning how to blog and becoming part of a blogging community. I really enjoyed learning about all of the different types of entries, how to use the variety of tools provided, and how to be a successful participant in a blogging community. As I went through this course, I looked forward to seeing new blog posts and learning new things about my peers. I have gained a new insight and many new ideas to start my year off with.

This fall I plan to create a new blog specifically for parent contact. I plan to have a Monday and Friday post each week. Monday I will line out upcoming events, and Friday will be a recap of things that happened along with pictures. I hope I remember to take pictures all the time, I'm the worst with this one. Throughout the year I would like to place guest posts into my blog so parents and students are able to meet and learn about staff in my school. On Fridays I also plan to let the "Star Student" of the week post an entry on our classroom blog. They will be able to search for a picture that represents them, along with writing a few sentences about themselves. I am excited to get my students involved in my blog.

Thank you to everyone who contributed to my blog and taught me a little on the way!

EDTECH537 Discussion of school supplies

Sneak Peek is almost here! In the past I have collected most of my students' supplies and use them as community supplies. I am playing with the idea of allowing students to keep all of their supplies in their desk minus glue and scissors. Last year markers were a big thing! Some were bringing them from home and the students who used my classroom sets never put them back into the box and it became a huge mess. But what would I do for those students who don't have everything some other students have? How do you structure school supplies in your classroom?

EDTECH537 Social Media and You Polly Entry

I wanted to keep with the same theme of my audio entry and gain some insight on what type of social media you use daily. Please take my poll in answering all of the social media tools you use daily. 

EDTECH537 Social Media in the Classroom? Audio Entry

AudioBoom: https://audioboom.com/boos/1362931-summer-technology-ideas-social-media

I really enjoyed this short AudioBoom about social media in the classroom. In a different EDTECH course, we had a few assignments centered around social media and our opinion of walled gardens in schools. Since I teach third grade, I feel the walled garden in schools is extremely important. A small percentage of my students know about Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and if they do it's because a parent or sibling has an account. While I feel it's important to still keep our young students behind the walled garden of social media, I also think it's important to teach them how to be safe online. I teach a digital citizenship unit before our Gmail accounts are opened for student use. These accounts are through our school district and third graders are only given access to a few Google apps. I feel this is enough exposure for the child to learn, yet still feel safe and in control. Unfortunately I can't control anything that happens in the child's home. But giving the student tools to stay safe at school on the Internet, can also help he or she feel safe at home on the Internet. What are your thoughts on walled gardens and students using social media?

EDTECH537 Online Education Video Entry

Video: https://www.ted.com/talks/daphne_koller_what_we_re_learning_from_online_education?language=en

After watching this TedTalk by Daphne Koller it made me start thinking about the pros and cons of online education. She has amazing points that solidify how effective online education is all around the world. But what are the difficult things about online education? The Masters of Educational Technology at Boise State University is offered completely online. So I pose the following questions: -What are the pros to online education? -What are the cons to online education? -Why did you choose to participate in an online Masters program? Thank you for your input!

EDTECH537 Links to Printable Worksheets Photo Entry

As an educator we try hard to venture away from worksheets, whether it's to save paper or to engage students in a different way. But we all know, sometimes we just NEED a worksheet for SOMETHING! I've provided a list and active links to some great worksheet websites I use when needed.

Common Core Sheets This site has math worksheets geared towards hitting Common Core Standards.

K5Learning This site provides grades first through sixth worksheet specifically for math. You could use them as short assessments or homework assignments.

Super Teacher Worksheets My team always purchases a membership to this site each year. It has great practice worksheets for all subjects. Mostly geared towards elementary students.

TLS Books This site is preschool through sixth grade worksheets. It has a wide range of subjects for teachers to scour through.

Picture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/nestle/14127207831/

EDTECH537 Response to Generational Differences

As educational technologists, what did you take away from these generational differences readings? How would you handle a colleague who bought into the notion of digital natives?

I really enjoyed re-reading the Prensky article about Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. I was born in the late 1980's and consider myself somewhere in-between a Digital Native and a Digital Immigrant. I can use technology with little issue, but I do remember learning how to write an email and when dial up made the squeaky sound as it connected to the Internet. I would rather have my friends watch a funny YouTube video beside me then send them the link because I want to converse with them as well. While I think students during this age learn differently, I don't necessarily think it comes solely from technology. Many families now have two parents who are working and there isn't a lot of homework support at home. In turn, students are turning to technology to help them with math problems they didn't understand or science terms they can't define. Technology is usually more accessible with career driven parents, and instilled in their children's lives because it's there! Whether Mom and Dad are writing emails late into the evening or watching shows on their iPads to de-stress from the day, technology is in the home. 

My opinion is a little different regarding the Digital Immigrants. It disappoints me when teachers are set in their ways of doing things and leave little room for adjustments and improvements. I'm not saying technology is the only improvement or adjustment, however, not teaching our students simple tasks like using a search engine or even keyboarding practice is disappointing. Whether we like it or not, the real world is changing drastically and simple tasks require a small amount of technology knowledge. For example applying for a job; applicants used to fill out paper work, leave it with a human resources employee and wait by the telephone for a call to schedule a face to face interview. Now, you can fill out applications online from home or at the location you desire to work. It's sent off to a human resources computer and processed. Sometimes employers (depending on the position) will call for an interview over the phone, request to Skype if the job is in a different town or state, or a face to face interview. We have to prepare our students for the real world. Despite our own opinions on technology and what our students need, they must be ready to succeed without us.