The End and the Beginning

At the end of these past 8 weeks I have learned that I am more tech savvy than I thought. This is my first online class and there were some times when I just wanted to be in a” brick and mortar” class to actually see my teacher and classmates. I have at times been over whelmed by all of the tools and how to integrate them into my teaching style and also into my district but I think just focusing on using one tool at a time is a great starting point.  I've surprised myself and my colleagues on the ideas I have brought back about going 1:1 and it is all because of this class.  Week 3 module: Moving mindsets was really a great unit for me.  I brought lots of ideas back to my schools technology committee and while I’m not sure how receptive they were, maybe it at least opened the door for discussion at a later date.

The SAMR model was probably the best tool for me to utilize when evaluating my use of technology. I have also tried new lessons this year with more technology. I used a web quest instead of a lecture and then we went back and discussed questions that they had or things they thought were cool. I tried a Photostory for evidence of evolution that did not go well and was very frustrating but I had another teacher try it with her students and it went better. I got the students feedback for improvements next year.

If blended classroom setting is the way of the future then I think we as educators have our work cut out for us, as well as other stakeholders in the community. Hopefully all parties involved will see that teaching critical thinking is not something that is new to education but rather something that has been sidelined because of the importance of standardized tests. One of my favorite quotes that I use now as my own professional vision statement is from Josef Albers, a professor of art and education, “Good teaching is more a giving of right questions than a giving of right answers.” 

Social Networking and Eugene Levy

I admit I have been against social media from the beginning. I did not get a Facebook page right away and I do not have any other social media sites. I think all media has a time, a place, and a specific use but I think it is a bit gimmicky to try and show students how social networking sites can be used for education. To use an analogy to illustrate what I mean, it would be like Eugene Levy dressing up in skinny jeans and a plaid shirt and a Justin Bieber hair cut, using the vernacular of our students today explaining the importance of completing their homework. That being said, I believe some can be useful tools, like Edmodo and Twitter for students to communicate about assignments and projects. From a professional development standpoint I see the value of Twitter to follow blogs, e-mags, and sharing ideas. I can see how those sites would be useful in a classroom setting, but some of the others like Facebook, I just don’t see the point.  My rule of thumb is that if the tool is not going to assist in making the content relevant then it is not worth our valuable time in the classroom. Plus some social networking sites have lost students attention because they are so often used. They are bored with it; they want the next greatest thing. Furthermore, as a parent, I want my child using tools that they would at a potential job. The website below is a list of the

Top 40 Social Networking Sites Worldwide some can be used professionally and others are likely not as useful.

Curating

I used Edmodo for my curating  assignment. I liked it enough but I had trouble navigating. My school uses Edmodo in freshman English so the students will already be familiar with the site. I plan on using this next year in my classes for small group work and also for enrichment. I find a lot of neat things on the internet that I think my students would enjoy but we never have time to talk about it, this way they might look at it. I have a class website that I had been posting on but no one looked at it.
I have really liked Symbaloo and Bundlr seems very similar. The simplicity of both is the draw for me. I think I would use these more for myself (I use Symbaloo instead of a favorites bar) but I can see implementing both as a way to control where students go for information.
Another site I liked was Evernote. Evernote has so many options that could be used in a classroom. I liked that Evernote was set up like my cornell notes with a left and right side, the details were on the right and the short version was on the left.  However I struggled using the site and gave up in favor of Edmodo but, with all of Evernotes capabilities I think it would be worth trying again after a YouTube tutorial or two!

Life Long Learning

I have learned so much in this class. I think my greatest take away is that I need to be “plugged in” to the technology community as it pertains to teaching and learning.  I am a creature of habit. I like things that are predictable and consistent. It takes me time to learn new skills, but I think with this class I have gained tools that can help me to make a somewhat smooth transition into the 21^st century.

1.)  The entire module on pedagogy, digital tools and the SAMR model.  Knowing where to look for tools has helped me change my lessons to be more interactive. The SAMR model I shared with my technology committee and some of them were very receptive. I know it has helped me to think about what I want to do with technology and what are some ways in which I can implement at a higher level.

2.)  Creating goals for implementation.  I know I want my students to have transferable tech skills that will help them in their future careers. I have many students who want to be mechanics; they can’t see the connections between biology and their future job. I want it to be clear that while the concepts are different, the skills they learn such as problem solving, communicating, and using technology are cross- curricular.

3.)  Continuing with professional development to keep up to date on new strategies, programs, hardware, etc.  This summer I am attending a technology conference and I plan to take other opportunities that are made available.

4.)  Authentic Assessment. I am a slow grader, and it sometimes takes me 2 weeks to grade tests. HW assignments and quizzes take me less time, but I get bogged down which leaves less time for planning lessons and keeping up with educational blogs. The Authentic assessment module offered many ideas about using technology for intermediate assessments and projects that I can begin to implement after some practice.

Tools

Name of the tool: Photo Story 3 for Windows

Platform(s) on which it works: Program supported by Windows.

What it does: Photo story is an alternative to powerpoint.  Essentially it is a montage of photos that you can select from the internet or ones that you have taken yourself.  You can add text over the photos or you can play music or add a vioce-over. The program also enables the user to share their story with viewers.

One way it could be used in your situation (classroom, PD, etc.): I have used this program in place of Powerpoint as a presentation device.  The students had to research one piece of evidence that supports Darwin's theory of evolution.  They then had to develop a narritive and find photos to compile into their photo story about evolution. I have used this project as an introduction to the evidence of evolution and will try it as a review after we have discussed the topic in class to see which I like best. 

"Testimonials": My students enjoyed this project.  They liked that they could add their own flair to make the video interesting for their classmates.  They also learned a lot about the evidence that they reaserched, more than I could tell them in a lecture. 

Note: I did have technical difficulties when I tried to do this project with my students.  The problem was with student profiles on our network at school.  Some students had access to Photo Story others did not so they could not save their work or they could not make changes to their work after they had saved it once. So, I ended up having those students who had problems use powerpoint instead.  You could definitly tell that the students who had to use powerpoint were not as engaged after they had their hearts set on making a "movie".  I am going to try this project again next week but give the students the option of using Photo Story or Prezi.  Maybe using different technology will be something that they will enjoy rather than using powerpoint.

Technology Integration Matrix rating

I must first say that I have been making a concerted effort to incorporate more technology into my curriculum.  I have also tried to go in the direction of a more project based teaching style which is more student lead.  I have come across many road blocks along the way but one that keeps nagging at me is the available and acceptable use of technology where I currently work.  While I was rating myself in each category I found myself saying "I have a lesson plan for that but when I tried it I had problems with..." I have adapted so many lesson plans that I have found that incorporate technology into ones that don't.  I marked myself at very good at hitting all 5 of the levels of technology integration for construction and collaboration. Science lends itself well to these areas.  For Active, Authentic and Goal-setting I need improvement.
My goal for the end of the year would be to implement a lesson that I have that would help me in the goal setting area. I think focusing on one of the 3 areas I need to improve will help my success rate. I also want to keep these 5 levels in mind for next year. I think that if I plan everything out for next year focusing on the goal of implementing these 5 levels into my curriculum that eventually it will be automatic. Having a partner to collaborate with will also help me grow in this area. I am very committed to this type of learning environment so I think that motivation overall will help me grow.

Technology: can't live with it, can't live without it.

In today's society one hears many different opinions about the youth of today and the use of technology.  Some teens prefer to have a conversation via text than to actually walk up to someone and speak with them.  They might find it easier because they can edit what they write or even embolden them to "say" things they would not normally "say". In the words of Voltaire "With great power comes great responsibility" and technology is exactly that, a great power that can be used for good or for twitter updates.

Distance or e-learning can revolutionize the way we teach our students.  Daphne Koller a Stanford professor and one founder of Coursera, a program whose goal is to bring a quality education to everyone by providing free college courses online from the top universities and professors in the world. Her TedTalk entitled Daphne Koller: What we are learning from online education, has data that she and her colleagues have collected from Coursera. The ultimate incentive of any distance learning program is that it can be personalized and self paced to the students needs and wants.  In my short teaching career in a “brick and mortar” setting I find it impossible to individualize the learning for every single student all of the time. With e-learning the one-on-one time with a student can be greatly increased with Skype, e-mail, phone conversations and in the case of blended online learning even office hours where students can get face to face time.   But what Dr. Koller has found in her research is that not only do these students have the teacher to help them they also have their peers.  The global reach of e-learning can open up so many opportunities for students to work with peers around the world and to help each other.  Another positive aspect about e-learning is it can be done anywhere.  I have had students over the years who because of medical or mental issues cannot come to school.  The school then tries to find a home-bound instructor for the student.  With distance learning this would not be necessary.

However, distance learning is not for everyone.  I want my mechanic to know how to physically put together an engine after I wreck my car. The fact that he could do an online simulation does not mean that he can do it in real life. Same for a doctor, online simulations do not prepare some students for the careers that they have chosen. Online learning is not the answer to all of our problems with education.  Further more this idea that anyone can have access and complete an online course is idealistic.  The prerequisites to this type of learning are that students need to have access to a computer with internet, they must have basic technical skills and even problem solving skills to use the hardware and software required, and finally they have to be SELF MOTIVATED! Those can be some monumental setbacks. There is also something to be said about learning interpersonal skills. I find that some students have a hard time being in normal social situations because they don’t feel like they know how to act or react to others.  A computer, even with video capabilities, is not going to give you practice at socialization.

Meet and Greet

Hello dear readers! My name is Lauren, I have been a biology teacher for 5 years at Martinsville HS.  While I am married to a "tech guy" ( I believe they call them IT directors) I myself have never really gotten into the technology craze. I can use a computer and a smartphone but only in their basic capacities. That is why I had to marry my husband, he is very useful with home repairs and anything with buttons.  
Last year I went to a technology conference and was blown away by all that I had been missing out on as a technophobe. As a professed life long learner, I felt the need to jump into the 21st century and get on board with the opportunities that technology can provide.