Class Presentations

Our class presented group projects on Tuesday this week and they were great! I really enjoyed seeing everyone’s creative side and their thoughts on different aspects of the internet and technology.

BYOD: Chantalle, Jocelyn, Tiffany, Erin, Carissa, Alaura
My group went first and we based our project on BYOD. I posted a blog about this last week and mentioned Roy Norris in my previous blog as well. I think this is great for classrooms. As it has been said numerous times students need to be taught how to properly use technology. By bringing their own devices they can take what they learn in school and, as Roy pointed out, seamlessly take it all home. Kids are going to be using these devices in the work place so why not start showing them how to in school.

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: Nick, Tom, Jenn, Lindsey, Micki
The next group to go were the other first years who did a really great job showing us the good, bad and ugly of the internet. One of their focuses was a debate about Wikipedia. I like Wikipedia as a resource because it is a secondary source for students to find information (I think it was Nick who was arguing this point). Students just need to be taught what information is factual and what is opinion based.

How NOT to Steal from the Internet: Tyler, Lisa, Jen, Kirsten, Kelsey
This group made a great video featuring Tyler the pirate! I really enjoyed this presentation because I never really gave this topic much thought. Whenever I take something from the internet I always copy the URL just in case I lose what I copied. In the end it is important to pay attention to where information is coming from and give credit where it is due. This project informed me a lot and I plan on using their Wikispace in the future to help educate students (hotnottosteal.wikispaces.com). As educators we need to make sure we are modelling correct behavior when it comes to attributing items from the internet.

Internet Filters: Anna, Jenn, Brooke
The second last group based their project on internet filters in schools. Just like stealing from the internet I haven't given this much thought either. I think that after seeing the presentation and reviewing the information I am against them. Students will find a way around any filters because they see it as a challenge. It gives the student responsibility if things are left open and students are expected to respect the school boundaries concerning internet use. Also how blocked content is decided will be an issue; everyone will have a different opinion on what is appropriate for students to use and not use.

Cyber Bullying: Scott, Adrienne, Mike, Sarah, Stephanie
The last group made a pretty funny video based on how media takes ideas and makes it worse than they actually are. Basically they asked; do the media make cyber bullying worse than it actually is in the classroom. I think that cyber bullying is happening just as much as other bullying. Differences that I see is through technology students are able to make their bullying permanent and mobile. Pictures and comments can be put online at any time and are there forever. It's just a bad imprint to leave on the internet for all involved, and awareness needs to be brought to it just like all the other forms of bullying.

I think our class did a really great job on choosing topics and creating informative presentations. There were many different programs used like Glogster, Today's Meet, Video, Wikispace, Wall Wisher, Poll Everywhere, and Google Docs. Basically all are different programs that I4ED has "forced" us to check out and try. It was great to see some of those programs in action and realize that they aren't that hard to use.

BYTE 2013

This was a great day :), right from beginning to end! For those of you reading this that don't know what BYTE (Build Your Teaching Experience) is, it is a conference for educators, which was held in Neepawa this year. It was great to meet and hear from educators across Manitoba and I really am looking forward to the next one.

I attended four different sessions throughout the day and here is a little overview of each:

1. Safe and Caring Schools in Cyber Times: Making Connections and Building Community by Kate Roberts. I really enjoyed this session and found it to be interesting. Kate brought a lot of personal stories to the table that really reinforced what is being seen in schools. Bullying is happening and it is not just localized to one type. Bullying just happens and with the rise of technology it becomes more permanent and, of course, mobile. Kate reiterated what has been said before in our classes, and that bullying is a power balance where teachers have to be mindful of mediation because it is not an equal balance. Some students also have bigger and louder voices than others and will do what they have to do to be heard. Teachers need to be aware of and teach protective factors as much as risk factors. I think that community and parental support is key in bringing this awareness about. It seems that everyone needs to work together in creating an equal power balance.

2. They All Have Computers Now What? Teaching in a BYOD Classroom by Roy Norris. This session was very informative and I appreciated Roy Norris' complete honesty. He didn't have all the answers and that was ok because they were working together at his school on figuring it out. Roy Norris is a teacher at Dakota Collegiate, a school that has implemented BYOD in grades nine and ten. It was a long process of trial and error and is still in process and for the most part Roy said it works great. One feature that I really liked about his classroom is that he sits on a rolling computer chair and just rolls from one student to another. This way he is on their level (student and technology) and they can comfortably have a conversation. A positive impact of BYOD that was mentioned is that the transfer between home and school is seamless. Students can access their studies anywhere at any time.

3. Edmodo in Multiage by Barry Waldner. This was a good presentation to supplement the information we learned the other day in class from Don and Sophia, they talked about Blackboard though. Barry showed us that Edmodo is basically Facebook for education. After looking at it and using it a bit I`ve decided I dont like it. There is no chat feature which I think is important for students especially if they are online at home and want to connect with the teacher or other students. Another thing I didn’t like about the site is that students can resubmit submitted assignments as long as the teacher has not assigned a grade. Unless the teacher grades it right away that aspect defeats due dates. Althought I could be overlooking a feature that locks the assignment after it is submitted, but I don’t know for sure. One thing I did like about the site is that after tests the students choose an emoticon representing their reaction to what they just did. There were about seven different faces to choose from. That is an interesting aspect because it is always good to get student feedback so teachers can readjust the content or delivery is needed.

4. 21st Century Learners by Sophia Palahicky. It was great to hear from Sophia again and I really enjoyed the personal touches she added to her presentation. She talked again about the 4 C`s of 21st century learning, which are Community, Create, Collaborate, and Connect. When these are all implemented together students are receiving the most out of their learning. I think that every classroom should focus on the 4 C`s especially when incorporating technology.This session was discussion based and I really enjoyed hearing from teachers who have been in the field for several years. It seems that there is a consensus that teachers need to educate students on how to appropriately use technology and if students are using it anyway may as well implement it in the classroom. I found that really encouraging to hear!

The Future is on the Horizon

My thoughts on education have grown since beginning this course in September, especially concerning technology. Before I believed that technology had a small role in the classroom, but I have come to realize that that role is changing and needs to be addressed in classrooms. The future of education is one that is highly involved with technology. Students now have never known a world with no Google let alone no computers. These students are 21st century learners and teachers need to find a balance in their pedagogy to meet their needs. The best way is seen in integrating technology in the classroom.

With the incorporation of technology in the classroom teachers need to re-adjust how they address specific issues. One of the big factors that teachers need to address and teach students, which was pointed out in the Horizon report, is "sense making and the ability to assess the credibility of information". In one of my sessions at the BYTE conference someone brought up the idea that kids have digital ability but not digital literacy. Most kids can grab a device and automatically start using programs on it but it is a matter of whether they are using it appropriately or not. Students need guidance of where to go online and what sources are credible. They need to be shown productive ways of using technology and specifically the internet.

Technology also changes where and when students can learn. As we learned last week in class students have the chance to learn online wherever and whenever they want. The Horizon report also points out that technology makes learning mobile which is beneficial since many activities related to learning "take place outside the walls of our classroom". This touches on the idea of transparent walls in the classroom that has been mentioned before. Students in Canada are able to Skype with students from Australia. To me if technology is used appropriately the learning opportunities and experiences will grow and be endless.

I think that technology is emerging in our classrooms and that it is inevitable. Time needs to be taken to properly educate teachers and students on appropriate use in the classroom and ways to maximize use in the classroom.

Web Based Courses

This week in class we had a presentation by Sophia and Donald on Web Based Courses. They had a lot of positive things to say about LMS (learning management systems) and I agree with them. It is a great place to create an online learning environment for students. It is not only used for distance learning, but can be implemented in creating blended classrooms. Students want to be using the internet so teachers should give them a productive place to be on there. These courses are designed to be interactive because it is more than just a place to look at content it is a place to form discussion. Students can have a voice about what they are learning. Those students that don’t feel comfortable speaking out in class can lead a discussion on a message board as an alternative.  

One really good point that Sophia and Don made was that in rural areas if there is not enough students in one spot for a class the teacher can invite students from other areas to join the class. The important factor in making a class like that work is communication. The teacher and student need to be in constant contact with each other about content and assignments. Sophia also pointed out that teachers should set short time spans for the students to complete tasks so they won’t get forgotten. Another good point they both made was that these programs are not replacing teachers. Teachers are still needed to facilitate the courses and offer assistance for students.

I'm a little familiar with this type of learning because I took many courses through Distance Education at University of Manitoba. Some of the courses I really liked and some I didn't. The ones I really liked were biology and psychology because it was easy to read the text book/notes, watch/listen to the lectures, and teach myself the material. Later that week I would go online and take a quiz. It was pretty simple. The other courses I took were history and English. Those courses were a bit harder because they involve a lot of discussion usually and being online I missed that f2f aspect. There were chat rooms to use but it still isn't the same as being in a class room and having a conversation with my peers.

One thing I really found annoying and frustrating about LMS overall is when the server crashed or was down for a lengthy period of time. I experienced this quite a bit at U of M and it annoyed me because I would schedule time to sit and listen to an online lecture but the server would be down for 24 hours. Although I must say that overall I really did like the courses because I could access them wherever I wanted and work on them whenever I wanted. It made going to university and completing courses a lot easier for me.

I think that this type of learning would be great to implement in high schools. Many students now want to work and some need to work. By having courses offered online students are able to work during the day and do school work at night. They can set up meeting times with their teachers to check in and get progress reports. When I was in high school there was a paper program called Self-Directed Learning where students would pick up packages of units and do them at their own pace. It was still a schedule time slot on the day though so students had to attend a class with a teacher present.

BYOD

One of our projects for the I4ED class was to research a topic to do with technology and the classroom. Our topic is BYOD which is an acronym for Bring Your Own Device. This is a rising issue in schools that is being met with positive and negative feedback.  In our group of first year students we made a PowerPoint on Google Docs while incorporating different programs like word mapping and infographics.

For my part of the project I looked at the different devices available. The list I compiled consisted of laptops, tables, cell phones, audio recorders, cameras, and Ipods. The greatest thing about all these devices is that they are mobile and files are easily stored and transferred. They are great organizational tools and a way of engaging students in lessons.

Two concerns that I ran into were the amount of plug points a room has. It will be important for students to charge their devices at home during the night so that they will be prepared for school the next day. Although some devices are able to hold a charge all day others will have to be plugged in eventually. The amount and location of lets would have to be dealt with if it became a problem. A solution to this could be that the school provides power bars for classrooms.

The other concern was that there are many different devices available now and teachers have to become technology gurus in a way. If students are bringing devices from home then they will have an assortment of operating systems, internet security, anti-virus programs, scanning programs, search programs, and other such items. Teachers have to become knowledgeable so that these devices are an aide in the classroom and not a hindrance. Students will also need an existing knowledge of how their devices work before bringing them to school. Devices should have similar capabilities so that students have the same access to learning content and programs.

Web Apps for the Classroom

Another tech task in class was to find educational web apps we would use in our classroom. I think this is a great task and one that I will put to use in my next placement. Many classrooms today are coming equipped with a few ipads and lap tops. Students spend quite a bit of time using that technology, so it is important for educators to show students how to use it productively. There are many different apps available that would be beneficial to a students learning.

The first app I would suggest is Dragon Dictation. This is great for students who have trouble writing what they want to say. All they have to do is speak into their device and it records the information into text. Students will still need to learn how to write and type properly but Dragon Dictation is a good alternative when writing/typing is not the focus of the lesson.

The second app I found is Evernote. This app is also great for students because it will help them stay organized which is very important. It had text, audio, and video features for all kinds of learners.

I personally don't own or use these apps but I have seen them used in a middle year's classroom. The students liked them and some even used them daily.

There are many more apps out there and I'm sure there will be even more in the future. I think when it comes to getting apps for the classroom it will be important for the teacher to consult their students since they will be the ones using them. One of the teacher's goals is to interest the students and I think that letting them help choose apps will engage them.

Always Something New

We did not have a speaker this week in class but we did have a class discussion with some really great snacks :) . I'm really finding this class to be pushing me and my use of the internet. At first I was really frustrated with it but now I'm starting to enjoy all the new things that I'm finding out and learning about.

I never realized how many functions Google had until now. Tuesday in class Mike showed us about Google+ which is a really useful tool. I like the idea of making circles and sharing. I think it would work great in a classroom for students to gain new information and connect with the world. It is also a great way for students to connect with each other (and the teacher) without having to be at school.
Another cool feature on Google that I never knew existed is GoogleFight. Tyler, another student in class, shared this with us. That would definitely get the attention of any student!

My Infographic

An infographic is a neat way of displaying information and also a fun way of compiling information. I think that they are pleasing to look at and a great way of getting important information across.

Here is the link to my infographic: http://infogr.am/Alaura-7582270631/
I used infogr.am to create it and ran into very few problems. The only issue I have is that once a graph is entered on the page I couldn't move it around. Also, I'm not a big fan of how all the graphs are one under another. I do like all the templates on infogr.am and the different features but not how they are displayed in the end.  I'm sure the more I use it (like other programs) the better I will get at it. There are also a few other sites that a classmate mentioned but I haven't checked them out yet. I'm going to have to play around with them and see

I would use this is a tool for teaching and learning in a class with students. I think that kids would enjoy putting their research into a visual representation online. Infographics are more than just regular posters because they can be interactive with timers and countdowns. Also videos, maps. and pictures can be uploaded as well.

Videos and Creative Thinking

Yet again we have another tech task in class :). This time we are supposed to go online and find "two good" videos that we could use in our classroom. Videos are great to use as a teaching and learning tool. They offer different perspectives for the visual and auditory learners when viewing. Also offer something for kinesthetic learners while creating a video. I see videos as a good way of stimulating class discussions and a good reinforcement of what has already been taught.

When I do have a teaching job and the school allowed it I would put up student videos online (YouTube or a class website). It offers the students to create something for an authentic audience. Making videos is another outlet for student creativity that relates to their generation. Most kids now have their own cameras that have a video camera function and are able to take short clips of video. Also there seems to be a few video creator programs available that I'm sure wouldn't be too hard to figure out.

Well those two videos I found come from TEDTalks, more specifically TEDEd. The first video is called Where We Get Our Fresh Water. It is a three and a half minute video that explains where fresh water comes from and how it is consumed through the use of numbers and discussion. http://ed.ted.com/lessons/where-we-get-our-fresh-water-christiana-z-peppard This video would be good to use in a social studies and science class. I also like how there are a few follow up questions after the video. That would be good to test if the students had been paying attention or not, ha ha.

The second video I found is called Life of an Astronaut which follows the beginning of an astronaut’s career and all the different tasks they have to do. Johnny Carr narrates it and makes it very personal. This video is interesting at five minutes long and cartoon like animation. http://ed.ted.com/lessons/life-of-an-astronaut-jerry-carr This video would be good to use in a science class. It also goes with my earlier post on podcasts; maybe I will be able to share this video during my placement as well :).

Podcast.... What's a Podcast?

Another 'tech task' in class was to find a podcast that we could use in our classroom. I have never listened to or used podcasts before so I had no idea how to go about this. After a little research and button clicking on  iTunes I found a podcast that I would also follow on my own which is called NASACast.

There are quite a few different ones to subscribe to on iTunes. The three that I subscribed to are:
 -NasaCast: Solar System
 -NasaCast: Space Shuttle and Space Station
 -NasaCast: Universe

I really like these because they are interesting and relevant to today. I think that it is something that students could be interested in as well. The information and the way it is presented is engaging. I also like how the videos are short, the longest one I've watched so far is about five minutes.

The solar system is done in grade six science and I'm actually going to be going student teaching, for my second placement, at a grade 5/6 multi-level class. Being able to share this with them (if they haven't already seen it) would be awesome!

As I read more about Podcasts and search for different ones I'm realizing how useful a tool it can be in the classroom. If a student is having trouble in class the teacher can make a podcast available for them to download and watch/listen whenever they need. Podcasts can be mobile so if a student walking to school can be studying for a test by listening to a podcast on the material.

Also podcasts as projects for students are a unique way for them to express themselves and use a different form of technology. The software and materials seem easy to get and the actual making of them doesn't seem to hard either.

Edublogger Followed that is Inspired by Daily Five

http://www.delightfuldaily5cafe.com/

I started following Laura Komos, a first grade teacher, through her blog and twitter account at the beginning of the course. I choose this edublogger to follow because her posts and resources are based around the Daily 5 and The Cafe Book. I did a study of the Daily 5 in English Methods in the previous term. I really enjoyed the methods and routines discussed in the book so I figured I would enjoy following Laura's blog and twitter. So, far I have not been disappointed. I find what she has to say interesting and relevant to the classroom. She often talks about what worked and didn't work during class which gives me a better insight into the Daily 5.

One of the aspects about Laura's blog that I really enjoy is how she puts up of pictures of her lessons and classroom. This gives me ideas as to how things can be arranged and presented in ways that students will understand and like. Another thing I like is through her posts Laura differentiates what is her original idea, what was adapted from the Daily 5 and what was just lifted from the Daily 5.

I really connected with the Daily 5 instruction and figured if I had an earlier year's classroom I would definitely implement it. Seeing it done in a real classroom as the year progresses is good inspiration for me when I finally get my own classroom. One particular posts of Laura's that I liked is an older one but it is on expanding the Daily 5 into the math curriculum. It opened my eyes to see that these methods can be integrated into any curriculum with a little bit of tweaking.

I also really liked how easy Laura's site is to navigate. On the right side she has an area where she lists her "book shelf" and labels all her posts into categories for easy topic searching.

I look forward to following and reading about Laura and her Daily 5 Cafe blog.

(Laura Komos also has another blog that is reflective on teaching and learning. I follow this one as well but I found the information from the Daily 5 Cafe blog to interest me more. Here is the link to her other blog as well, http://www.ourcampreadalot.com/)

Clarence Fisher Skypes In

Yesterday in class we had the opportunity to skype with Clarence Fisher, a grade 7/8 teacher from Snow Lake. Clarence had me typing a mile a minute with all the information he was giving us. First I would like to start with his opinion on how education is changing. I agree that education is always changing. Clarence reflected back to when he first got into the industry and recalls how it was static; unchanging and unmoving. Now he sees it as different and that teachers are on the edge of globalization. Education is not just isolated to a classroom now. This is what Alex Couros was talking about when breaking down the walls and making classrooms transparent.

Another point Clarence touched on was that it is very important for education to be engaging and passion based for students and teachers. There needs to be a way to combine high standards and big outcomes with activities that engage students. I think that teachers need to model a passion for education for students. If a teacher is enthusiastic and engaged then most times students can’t help but follow.

Clarence also talked about technology and education. He mentioned how education needs to be thought of as mobile because we are constantly learning. Also students need to be taught how to create with technology and not just consume. I had never thought of technology in the classroom that way but it is true. Most times technology is thrust at students and they are expected to treat it like a textbook; a place to gather information. Technology is more than that, it is an opportunity for students to creatively express themselves. Teachers need to push students to take pictures and create videos. I think that the fact that Clarence has a TV hanging in his classroom is awesome! I think it is even better that he displays students pictures and art work on it during the day!!

Also by pushing students to try new things they will enhance their digital skills. Most times it is assumed that students know how to use all the various technology and the information on it but that is a skill that still needs to be taught. Students need to learn the difference between facts and opinions online. Teachers only need to spend time with students and use technology with purpose. Often technology is implemented without knowing why or just as time killers. Clarence mentioned that teachers should have a purpose for being online and not just doing it because it is there.

The last thing that Clarence talked about was that technology is no longer optional. EdTech is many things now and not just doing internet searches. Schools need to embrace this so that school remains an engaging place for students to learn.

Words of technology, teachers, and classrooms from George Couros

Last class we had the opportunity to Skype in with George Couros. He made some very interesting points on technology and teaching that left me with a lot to think about. As a pre-service teacher it is nice to get his principal perspective on technology, the classroom, and teachers. I actually started following his blog at the beginning of this course as one of the edubloggers I’m following. I find it pretty interesting!

To start off teachers need to be passionate about what they teach. Kids can sense when adults don’t like what they are doing, kids than will lose interest and not be engaged. As George said in the presentation, “really passionate people are infectious.”

This next point ties in with my last blog on digital footprints. Many administrators are using technology in their hiring processes so, one of the suggestions he gave was to build an online portfolio and when job hunting make sure that link is accessible to possible employers. Digital is quick and mobile. Administrators are able to take those digital portfolios everywhere they take their phone. When they have a spare minuet they can look through it instead of being stuck in an office at a desk already busy doing other administrator things. Also sending an online portfolio along with a resume will save that administrator from going to an online search engine and looking for information. George reiterated how important it is to be aware of what our digital footprints look like. Administrators look at that type of information when hiring and they don’t want to see pictures online of prospective job candidates out partying and drinking. If the administrators can find those pictures that means parents and students can too. Teachers are supposed to be good role models and that extends into their personal lives as well.

Another good point he made was that computer labs are on their way out because devices are mobile now. Schools have laptop carts and stacks of Ipads. It isn’t necessary to make a big event of going down and using the computers anymore because they are already right there in the classroom.

George also talked about the issue of school teachers vs. classroom teachers. Teachers should be universal throughout the school and not limited to their own classroom or grade. In my student teaching experience the teacher’s new majority of the K-8 students. They made it a point at recess to inquire about students they didn’t know and build on those relationships they already have. The staff room was great because the teachers talked about their students with other teachers so that they were known. This helps build strong relationships and a sense of community in the school. George made a really good point that teachers must treat all kids in their school as their students, and it is important to spend time in the hallways connecting outside of the classroom setting.

George said this at one point in the presentation and it has stuck with me ever since and maybe it will stick with you too;

“You don’t need to be an expert on teaching; you need to be an expert on learning.”

Digital Footprint

Another one of the tech tasks in the Internet for Educators course we are supposed to look up what a digital footprint is and what ours looks like.

First thing I do is look at the words and think to myself ‘well that seems kind of obvious; digital meaning that it is technology based and something to do with the internet and footprint meaning something left behind.’

 Second thing I do is go to my favorite search engine, Google, just to reaffirm my own assumptions. First site that pops up is Wikipedia, of course I love Wikipedia and go to it often, and I click there.

Wikipedia defines a digital foot print as “a trail left by interactions in a digital environment; including the use of TV, mobile phone, the internet and other devices and sensors. Digital footprints provide data on what has been performed in the digital environment; and are used in behavioural targeting, personalisation, targeted marketing, digital reputation, and other social media or social graphing services.”

Webopedia (connected to Wikipedia?) defined a digital footprint as “On the Internet a digital footprint is the word used to describe the trail, traces or "footprints" that people leave online. This is information transmitted online, such as forum registration, e-mails and attachments, uploading videos or digital images and any other form of transmission of information — all of which leaves traces of personal information about yourself available to others online.”

Well that is all quite a mouthful.  From my own assumption of what a digital footprint was I figured I haven’t left much of an indentation; maybe a toe or something but not a whole foot. After reading that I think I have to revaluate my thinking.

I have been using the internet since I was ten so I can only imagine the depth of my digital footprint. There is over a decade of me on the internet going to various websites, logging in and out, downloading music, and chatting.

Now that I know what a digital footprint I was curious as to what mine looked like so of course back to Google I go and put my name in the search. Honestly I expected so much more to come up than what did. My top five listings were: 1. a petition signed online to get West Jet in Brandon. 2. Google + account. 3. Twitter account. 4. Mentioning of me in a play 5. My blog. That was about it anyways. Not too many people online name Alaura Armstrong by the look of it since all results on the first page were pertaining to me.

I’m pretty sure that once information is online it can’t be taken back. So, erasing a digital footprint is not easy if not impossible. People need to be careful of what they do online and what kind of presence they are making. Fads come and go and it is hard to keep track of everything but people just need to be aware of what they are doing on the internet.

Twitter

One of the tasks for this course was to create a twitter account and start following some people. Before this I avoided twitter for as long as I could but I regret that now. Twitter is awesome! It is a great way of connecting with people and getting the word out there. I already have used it to get some tech support and received immediate help. It was great because it saved me an afternoon of pulling my hair out in frustration.

I find myself checking it more often than Facebook now. I’m interested in what people have to say and what information they have to share. I’m still trying to get the hang of it and only recently have figured out the whole hashtag# thing. I think that even after this course is done I will continue to use twitter and hopefully find some stuff to start sharing also.