Tech reflection

I think the greatest thing about taking a education tech course is that it actually gets you thinking about technology! Sometimes I get so caught up in just getting curriculum to my kids using the basic resources that are given to me OR just doing it the way I always have because it is what has become easy. To be honest, before I took a tech course, I did not think too much about how important it really is for students to be interacting with technology in school. I suppose if I were to be asked why, I would say that many of them use technology so much at home and it is not always easy to incorporate in the classroom. I have come to find, however, that it is important. While much of my time using technology is for fun, I also use technology for business and my own education. As technology is becoming more and more prominent in our lives, it is vital to learn how to use it in this way (business/education) at a young age. The more fluent students become in using technology and even tech etiquette, the more prepared they will be when they are immersed into the "real world." Since starting my course, I have tried to increase technology use where I can. I have been using my smart board with my students more and incorporating our class Surface and iPad more with the kids. Whenever we are able to have small groups, I try to have the iPad be one of the activities so that students can practice using it. I would like to put more apps on it for students to use, but finding time in our structured day is a challenge. I plan on stressing technology use in our take home projects we assign, such as our quarterly book reports. I would like to see my students use PowerPoint or Prezi for their presentations. It is a work in progress, but I am glad that the course has got me thinking on how I can help my kiddos be successful with technology in their future!

Digital Storytelling Logitstics

I am so excited to incorporate digital storytelling in my classroom! I've enjoyed learning how to use Prezi, how to record a story, and how to put the pictures and sound together to create a digital story. I know my students are going to love doing this project. They love writing and using technology. I think they will also love sharing their stories with their classmates and parents. The biggest question I have now is the best way to go about guiding my students through the process. According to the research I've done, the time consuming nature of digital storytelling is one of the issues that turn administrators away from allowing their teachers to use it in the classroom. In order to be able to do this project with my students, I will have to present a plan to my team of teachers and administration that will keep the process to an acceptable length of time. In order to do this, I have a few ideas in mind and I would love to have feedback from anyone out there on what they think would be the best approach! 1. My first idea is to begin this project shortly after winter break in order to give students time to put their digital stories together during their time in Media. Classes visit Media as one of their special areas once every two weeks. If we write and illustrate our stories in January, students could use time during Media over the following 8 weeks to record and complete their digital stories. While I do not care for the idea of the project being so spread out, it would maximize the time they have in their homeroom classes, which would most likely appeal to administration. 2. In order to get the digital stories done in the classroom, we would use one of the computers on wheels that our school has. This would allow for all students to have a laptop. We could put our Prezi's together during class, but I would probably ask for assistance from tutors or parents in order to help the process go quickly and smoothly. This process would probably take at least a week, which would hopefully be an acceptable amount of time. I am not sure, however, if that is a realistic estimate of time? 3. The final idea I have is to teach students how to use Prezi in the classroom and then assign them to complete their digital stories at home for a homework project. While this is certainly the option that leaves the most classroom time open, I am not crazy about the idea of my students doing this project at home. They all have different accessibility to technology at home and their parents all have different abilities when it comes to navigating the technology we will be asking them to use. Grading can also be a challenge when it comes to at home projects, as it is not clear what amount of work was actually done by the student. Those are the ideas I have so far! Please let me know your thoughts on these ideas and any further ideas you may have! Thanks!

Digital Story Rubric

 Here's my digital story, I had so much fun making it! If you haven't been following my posts, this is for my 2nd graders' Fairy tale unit that we do at the end of the year. I'll use this as an example of what they are going to do, which is rewrite a fairy tale and create a digital story. Please let me know your honest thoughts about what you like and what could be improved =) Thank you!!!

Digital Storytelling Ideas

Since my last post about digital storytelling I have been brainstorming how I can use digital storytelling in my classroom in a way that will allow my students to practice writing narratives, learn more about technology, and be creative while also incorporating second grade LAFS (Language Arts Florida Standards). The idea I am leaning towards would be incorporated into our Fairy Tale Unit. Our Fairy Tale Unit is awesome! We typically do it at the very end of the year as a really fun way to review narratives, hit a few LAFS that weren't previously addressed as often in the year, and as an enjoyable way to spend the end of the year together. Students are introduced to many different fairy tales, folktales, and fables through books, digital media, and reader's theater (which we record and play back for them to watch themselves perform!). Students also analyze the stories they hear, compare and contrast different versions of the same story, discuss point of view, and get to express their creativity through both the reader's theater and writing their own fairy tales. The following 2nd grade LAFS are just the main ones addressed in this unit:

- LAFS.2.RL.1.1: Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, when, why, and how to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text.

- LAFS.2.RL.1.2: Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their central message, lesson, or moral.

- LAFS.2.RL.1.3: Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.

- LAFS.2.RL.2.6: Acknowledge differences in the points of view of characters, including by speaking in a different voice for each character when reading dialogue aloud

- LAFS.2.RL.3.7: Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.

- LAFS.2.RL.3.9: Compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story (e.g., Cinderella stories) by different authors or from different cultures.

- LAFS.2.W.1.3: Write narratives in which they recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events, include details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings, use temporal words to signal event order, and provide a sense of closure.

- LAFS.2.SL.2.5: Create audio recordings of stories or poems; add drawings or other visual displays to stories or recounts of experiences when appropriate to clarify ideas, thoughts, and feelings.

However, there is one LAFS standard that we haven't been able to fully address:

- LAFS.2.W.2.6: With guidance and support from adults, use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

Now, in the past our students have written informational pieces about the weather and then created a PowerPoint to present the information from their writing. While this has been a great learning experience for them, we could definitely do more! This weather PowerPoint is the only time during the year that our students use digital media.

By incorporating LAFS.2.W.2.6 into our Fairy Tale Unit, students would have the opportunity to be exposed to other different types of digital media and have so much fun doing it! As mentioned previously, part of the Fairy Tale Unit is writing their own fairy tale, folktale, or fable. They are given so much creative freedom with this assignment! They can rewrite a new version of an existing story OR create their own entirely new story using the elements of fairy tales. This story would be perfect for transforming into a digital story! Once their stories are written, students would use their knowledge of reader's theater to turn their story into a script that they will record themselves reading. They can also incorporate LAFS.2.RL.2.6 by keeping in mind the point of view of their characters and speaking in different voices for them. Then, we can incorporate LAFS.2.RL.3.7 by having students create illustrations that will help their readers better understand the characters, setting, and plot. Finally, by having students complete their digital stories, LAFS.2.SL.2.5 and LAFS.2.W.2.6 are both being addressed.

So, by using digital storytelling to present fairy tales, students can learn how to better tell their story to their audience, gain knowledge of technology, and enjoy learning. It's also a win-win situation for us teachers, because our students are mastering many 2nd grade LAFS at the same time! I am so excited to learn more about digital storytelling, teach my team teachers, and finally use it in our classrooms at the end of the year =)

Digital Storytelling

Digital Citizenship in the Primary Classroom

I've been so excited about my students' interaction with technology! Although I feel as if I have only scratched the surface when it comes to incorporating technology in my classroom, I'm proud of the direction it's heading in. My students have been using our smart board more and we've done an iPad learning center a few times. It is challenging to do this, as we only have one iPad for the small group to share, but so far it has gone better than I had expected. I have also been using the camera on my Surface to "interview" students about what they are working on and to show their work on the board. They love it! I've also had them use our Doc Cam for their book report presentations so the class could see their projects better.

As I come up with more plans of how my students can interact with technology, I have become more and more conscious of the need to teach my students how to be good digital citizens. Citizenship is as standard that is heavily focused on in 2nd grade. As citizens of a digital age, I think that my second graders need to learn that being a good citizen includes making responsible choices with technology, too.

While looking for ways to teach my students about digital citizenship, I found a blog written by an elementary teacher turned librarian named Sandy Liptak. She created a blog post about how to teach digital citizenship to young learners. I thought her lesson would be a great one to do before we further our technological adventures!

Liptak's digital citizenship lesson includes teaching students how to make safe and smart choices with technology in the classroom. For example, one part of the lesson addresses the issue to cyberbullying. According to the article, Cyberbullying: Review of an Old Problem Gone Viral 20%-40% of students have been victims of cyberbullying (Aboujaoude, Elias, et al., 2015, p. 10). As an adult on social media I have seen other adults treat each other in hurtful ways online that I never see in "real" life. People seem to feel more comfortable being disrespectful to each other when they are not face to face with them. By teaching students at a young age that this type of bullying behavior is hurtful and unacceptable, hopefully fewer of them will be victims of cyberbullying in the future.

I haven't yet taught this lesson to my students, but I plan on using it during one of our "class council" meetings in the near future. I'll give an update on how it goes! Let me know in the comments below if you teach your students digital citizenship! What works well for you? Let me know!

To see Liptak's lesson, follow the link to her blog: http://lessonsbysandy.com/2012/10/digital-citizenship.html

To purchase the poster and materials that go along with her lesson, visit her TpT store (only $3): https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Digital-Citizenship-with-Elementary-Students-343272

Aboujaoude, E., Savage, M. W., Starcevic, V., & Salame, W. O. (2015). Cyberbullying: review of an old problem gone viral. Journal of Adolescent Health, 57(1), 10-18.

Technological Brilliance!

I feel as if I have been on a roll lately! I have to admit, I felt pretty defeated after my first blog post. I had been having difficulty thinking of ways to incorporate meaningful technology into my classroom and my first post had a bit of a dismal outlook. With my second post, however, I discovered the world of blogging in the classroom and using online "pen pals" for my students to connect with other students around the world. Free ways to add technology in the classroom! Brilliant! Now, I have been introduced to a new brilliant idea: "Bring Your Own Device" (or B.Y.O.D for short).

In my first blog post, Teaching a Digital Generation in a Traditional Classroom, I agreed with comments made by Johanna Hayes, who was the national teacher of the year for 2016. When asked about technology in the classroom, Hayes said that schools are not able to keep up with the pace of new technology (Hayes, 2016), which I believe is absolutely true. The beauty of B.Y.O.D, however, is that schools wouldn't necessarily have to keep up the pace with all technology! In the B.Y.O.D method, students are able to bring in their own technological devices. This alleviates the need for districts to provide schools the funding necessary to provide students with devices. Also, according to https://www.k12blueprint.com/toolkits/byod, 2 out of 3 students prefer to use their own personal devices and 3 out of 4 students prefer tablets over textbooks. This means that by using their own devices, students will be more comfortable using technology in the classroom and be more engaged than they would using traditional textbooks and resources. Students bringing their own devices would also allow for the funding schools do receive for technology to be directed only towards those students who are unable to provide their own devices. This way no one would miss out on the opportunity to engage with technology in the classroom.

Of course, there are also concerns about using technology in the classroom. With all students bringing their own devices, there would be inconsistency in the capabilities of each device and many of these devices may not be compatible with classroom use. If B.Y.O.D continues to gain popularity, however, hopefully these issues are ones that can be alleviated. For example, in the early stages of B.Y.O.D, additional funding could be used to help students who either cannot afford a technological device or students who do not own devices that are appropriate for classroom use. During this early stage, schools could also relay information to parents about which devices are the most compatible for use in the classroom. Then, as students replace their personal devices every few years, parents could keep in mind the devices that serve students best in the classroom. As B.Y.O.D became more of a mainstream practice, more and more students would own a compatible device. This way, all funding could then be directed only towards students who cannot afford their own devices.

https://www.k12blueprint.com/toolkits/byod also provides readers with success stories and other resources related to B.Y.O.D. What are your own thoughts on B.Y.O.D? Could it be a big solution for the technological gap in classrooms or is it an idea that seems good in theory, but out of reach realistically? Let me know!

BYOD (2012). Retrieved from https://www.k12blueprint.com/toolkits/byod.

Madda, M. (2016, August 02). “We don’t have resources to keep up with technology”: 2016  

teacher of the year Jahana Hayes talks to EdSurge. EdSurge. Retrieved  

from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-02-we-don-t-have-resources-to-keep-up-with-technology-2016-teacher-of-the-year-jahana-hayes-talks-to-edsurge. 

How Can we be Connected Educators?

  

        As discussed in my previous blog post, it is difficult for schools to keep up with new technological devices for students to use. While the lessons presented to them are computer based and projected on a screen, actual student interaction with technology is lower than would be expected in the world of technology our students live in.

         So, with this lack of technology in the classroom, how can we as teachers close the gap for our students? After mulling this question over to myself, I have come to think that being “connected educators” and using free internet resources, such as blogging and ePals, could be the answer. After all, while schools may not have the funding for each student to have a mobile device or tablet, most schools at least have computers with internet available to their students. Elementary schools will typically have a few computers in the classroom, or have a computer lab for students. With the availability of free and kid-safe blogging websites, implementing blogging in the classroom is a cost friendly and effective way to bring technology into the classroom.

         While blogging might seem like something that is only for upper-grade elementary classrooms, it can be implemented in primary level classrooms, as well. Of course, as with anything new we introduce in the classroom, blogging needs to be modeled and introduced slowly to students. For example, teachers could begin by introducing what blogs are and how they are used, having student centered discussions about blogs made by other students and teachers, and how students could appropriately comment on them.

After a foundational knowledge of blogging has been established, teachers could start creating a weekly blog post about what the class has learned that week. Then, at the end of the week, students could comment on the post by sharing the lesson that “stuck” with them or helped them learn the most from the week. Teachers could then use the comments that were made to spark class discussions about not only what students enjoyed learning, but also “netiquette,” as well (Gunter and Gunter, 2015, p. 84).

         Once students become more comfortable with typing and navigating blogs, more blogging activities could be added. One way students could expand their blogging skills is by using a method referred to as “Hub-and-Spoke” blogging (Walatka, 2012, p. 373). In Hub-and-Spoke blogging, students create a blog post based on material learned in class. For example, if my second grade class were learning about Native American tribes, my students could type up a blog post about their favorite tribe we discussed in class and why it was their favorite. Then, students would have to respond to one another’s blog posts. By doing this, the teacher “is given a valuable glimpse into student understanding… and responses provide starting points for in-class discussion” (Walatka, 2012, p. 373).

         Students becoming familiar with how to communicate with each other online could even evolve into students connecting with other students in the world, as well. ePals is a global community for students and educators. Students as young as 3 can be signed up to collaborate with other students their age. Communicating with other students is a valuable experience for students, as they will grow up in a world rich with online communication. Teachers can sign up their students to be matched with other students based on country, age, language(s) spoken, student interests, and more. Students can then communicate with the student they have been matched up with whenever the internet is made available for them to do so.

         I would love to hear thoughts about these ideas or any other ideas about implementing free online resources in the elementary classroom! Please let me know in your comments if you have any thoughts. Thank you!

Gunter, G. A., & Gunter, R. E. (2015).     Teachers discovering    computers: Integrating technology in a  changing world (8th ed., pp. 55). Boston,  MA: Cengage Learning.

Walatka, T. (2012). Hub‐and‐Spoke    student blogging and advantages  for classroom discussion. Teaching  Theology & Religion, 15(4), 372-383.

Teaching a "Digital Generation" in a Traditional Classroom

If you watch the video Did You Know? by Dr. Jose Esteves, you will read many enlightening facts that prove we are all living in a world that is growing and changing at an incredible rate. For example, as you watch the 6 minute and 56 second video, “60 babies will be born in the United States, 244 babies will be born in China, and 351 people will be born in India.” Also, according to the video, “there has never been a bigger force for change than technology.” As teachers, this means that we are currently teaching students that are living in this ever changing world of technology, as well. In our classrooms, we are “preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented yet” (Esteves, 2016). In order for students to begin growing and evolving with these new, yet to be invented technologies, they must be allowed opportunities to utilize, engage with, and learn with current technologies. So, it becomes a responsibility of educators to provide them with these engaging opportunities. However, in the current state of technological availability in the classroom, these opportunities are not always easy to come by. 

As the 2016 national teacher of the year, Jahana Hayes, mentioned in her interview with EdSurge, “technology has changed teaching. You have access to unlimited resources that are right at your fingertips” (Hayes, 2016). I myself can attest to this statement, as my own personal use of technology in the classroom has evolved greatly since I began teaching 8 years ago. The greatest evolution has occurred in the way I plan my lessons and find resources for activities. In the beginning of my career, I would use workbooks, software provided by our curriculum, CD’s (even cassette tapes, too), and other books and resources available in our school’s media center to plan my lessons. Today, I barely leave my computer to do my planning. I search teacher blogs, Teachers Pay Teachers, and Pinterest to find new, engaging lessons for my students. 

However, while the way I plan my lessons has become more technology based, the implementation of the lessons themselves has not changed much. In fact, my student’s involvement in technology has actually decreased, as the availability of student technology at my current school is less than that of the school I taught at previously. 

As to the cause of this lack of technological availability, I agree with Jahana Hayes when she said that schools aren’t able to keep up with the pace of new technology (Hayes, 2016). For example, the school I am currently teaching at just installed new technology in each classroom this summer that will allow our projectors to connect to a Window’s Surface tablet and allow students to write on the board using a stylus that will connect to the tablet as they write. While it is exciting to have this available to incorporate technology in our lessons, this technology is not exactly new. In my internship 9 years ago and at the school I taught at previously, we used similar technology daily with our students. Also, while the stylus is new and fun to the students and offers interesting options while writing, it is not much different from a learning standpoint than using a dry erase marker on the white board. If the rate of technological advances are occurring as quickly as suggested in Did You Know?, there is a definite disconnect between the technology in the real world and technology in the classroom. Thus, we are left with a classroom environment that is anachronistic in comparison to the world outside our classroom door. 

As Hayes also mentioned in her interview, it would be wonderful if high tech companies could sponsor the implementation of technology in the classroom. It is hopeful to believe that in a world of ever evolving technology funded and created by big tech companies, at some point the education system will be taken under their wing. If education were a priority in the world of technology, maybe classrooms in all communities would be updated meet the needs of this digital generation of students. Until then, we as teachers must work together to collaborate ideas on how we can maximize student involvement with the technology we have. However, on the other hand, if companies did begin sponsoring technology in the classroom, would it bring with it the question of “do we as teachers and schools now need to advertise the company supplying us with this amazing technology?” What are your thoughts? Let me know in your comments! 

Esteves, J. (2016, January 18). Did You Know? Retreived from  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqZiIO0YI7Y 

Madda, M. (2016, August 02). “We don’t have resources to keep up with technology”: 2016  

teacher of the year Jahana Hayes talks to EdSurge. EdSurge. Retrieved  

from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2016-08-02-we-don-t-have-resources-to-keep-up-with-technology-2016-teacher-of-the-year-jahana-hayes-talks-to-edsurge.