Throughout this class, I have learned to love the use of technology in the classroom and to broaden my understanding of what technology looks like in the classroom. I often saw technology as the use of Chromebooks and games like Kahoot, but I never thought that students would be able to do the things we have done in our class. I can firmly say that I am a strong believer in the use of technology past these two ideas for the betterment of the students. While technology can be very helpful in helping students understand how online collaboration and participation works, it can also help them in life with an ever-changing, global economy that is becoming more and more online. In this class we have complete ten assignments called “Projects.” In this blog post, I will outline each one and give my opinion on its usefulness and whether I feel that I would use it in my own classroom. Projects Project 1: Project 1 was to create a Lesson Plan that corresponded with a “new idea” we had heard about called a flipped classroom. I like the idea of a flipped classroom for two reasons. The first reason is that it prepares students for learning the next day. Students who do not understand a topic can spend more time studying the topic at home using the resources I have provided them with, so when they come to class, they are ready to put that knowledge into action. I feel that it sometimes seems to students like they are doing the learning, and the teacher is not teaching. That’s not true at all! The teacher is the one who facilitates the learning in class by helping the students solidify their head knowledge into real, concrete, experiential knowledge by doing assignments in the classroom. I believe that this method of creating a lesson plan based on the flipped classroom teaching style was very helpful. I loved finding resources that could help my students understand the content because it was very interesting to see what was available online. I will definitely be using the flipped classroom teaching style in my classroom because I will be giving my students opportunities to experience learning rather than just memorizing content. Project 2: Project 2 was to create a survey using a Google Form to find out how technologically inept my students were, what available technology they had at home, and how comfortable they would be doing assignments at home online. This form was a great way to find out whether I can give online assignments at home and to which students this would be a problem for. I will definitely be using Google Forms and possibly even this particular form in my classroom because this information is key. Some students have internet capabilities at home, but they only have a phone. Some students have a phone and laptop. Some students have one computer at home that their parent uses all the time for work. Some students do not have internet for financial or personal beliefs. All of these factors are important to understand whether or not my students will be able to successfully complete online assignments on a consistent basis or not. Project 3: Project 3 consisted of using Google’s online slides and docs capabilities to construct a document and presentation of the information that we would like our students to know for the lesson. We also had help from our classmates by giving them permission to make changes to our document and slides. I think this was a really cool way to demonstrate how online collaboration can occur and the ease at which it can be done. It was not very helpful for me because I already knew how to do this because the school district I was in last year was very involved with Google and their online collaborations. I will be using this feature in my classroom because it is free, so any student can use it who has internet capabilities. I will also be using it because it is very simple to use because all of my students will already have a google account through the school. Project 4: For project four we were assigned to create a podcast that would help expose our students to the content prior to coming to class (flipped classroom). I love to listen to podcasts, so the thought of creating one on my own was honestly almost a dream come true. I found it very helpful to design my own segments and customize the structure of my podcast. I also loved being a sort of host. I believe I will use this feature in my classroom to help my students have accessibility to my content. I like the accessibility of podcasts because they can be listened to while doing virtually anything. I also believe this will help my auditory learners who learn better by hearing rather than seeing. Project 5: Project 5 was to create a Movie Story using a movie making software with the intention of instructing our students on the content from our lesson plan for our flipped classroom. I personally thought this tool was really cool. I had never thought of designing a video like this for my students, but once I got the hang of it, it was fairly simple to do. I used iMovie to do this on my MacBook Pro, and it was quite simple. I thought the tool was very helpful for presenting my information in a way that was both simple and effective. Students can watch the video on their computer using YouTube (most students are on this daily) and take notes on the content. I also put a quiz at the end to test students’ understanding of the video content. This will allow students to see whether they should watch the video again or look at another resource to help clarify some information. I will definitely be using this in my classroom in some way to present information to students visually. I think that this tool is very useful for students who like to see example. I can post videos and others in there as well to help them get a better understanding. Project 6: For Project 6, we were asked to edit and commentate on a YouTube video of our choosing using EdPuzzle online. This tool was really cool, and I really liked it. It was very user friendly. I didn’t have to use any sort of instructional video to know how to use it. It was very helpful in editing this video, something I didn’t think was very easy to do. In my classroom, I would love to use this capability. Often there are parts of a video that go too in-depth or do not explain things as well as I would like. Being able to insert my own commentary into the video as well as remove parts of the video that aren’t pertinent would be helpful for students at home, but also in class when I show a video. Instead of having to skip ahead to parts that are pertinent, I could simply edit the video prior to class. Project 7: For Project 7 we were assigned to create a course site for our class. I thought this was a great idea, and I will definitely be using it in my class. I love the idea of my students being able to have one place where everything will be for my class as well as a way to contact me on the site without having to give out my personal information. Project 8: Project 8 was an assignment to use Padlet, an online program to create a hub for all classroom materials and information. I think it is very handy and would be great for a teacher to be able to make a display that would be very useful for someone with a learning disability or who is inexperienced in using websites. I do not think I will be using this program in my class simply because many students are adept at using a website, and I like the functionality and versatility of a website. I think the Padlet would be useful as an extension on my website for students who would have a difficult time navigating my website for things they need. Project 9: In Project 9 we were tasked to create two assignments for our students. For one assignment, we were to create a rubric using Rubistar and an assignment using Quizizz. I think that both of these are awesome resources for teaching. Rubistar has templates for make rubrics for assignments, and it was very easy to create a rubric for my assignment. Quizizz was very interesting, and I thought it was simple to create a quiz. The question bank is my favorite thing about it because I don’t have to type out questions. I can just find ones made by other teachers and then put them into my own quiz. As an assignment, it was very helpful to learn how to use Rubistar, but I already knew how to use Quizizz. I will definitely use Rubistar for rubrics in the future, and I will use Quizizz for home practice or even class review competitions. Project 10: In the final project, we used two online programs: Thinglink and Scoop.it. Thinglink was a way to edit photos with interactive points where other pictures, videos, or descriptions could be added to a photo for explanation. Students can hover over or click on these things to receive further information on them. It is sort of like an interactive diagram that can be created and customized by the teacher using whatever graphic he or she wants. I think it is very useful in the classroom to help visual learners and students who have learning disabilities. Students can get as much depth as they need/want on the topic by clicking and using the capabilities of the diagram. Scoop.it is a way for a teacher to display articles and publications on a specific topic. This could be used to assign readings or take learning deeper without printing out tons of articles for students to read in class. When students finish work, they could do extra credit by reading an article and completing an article response. I think I would use this in my class to help students see the practicality of scientific topics. Instead of relying on Google to find my articles, I have another resource, and I can display the articles of my choosing to my students. Strengths and Weaknesses I grew up with the evolution of computers from the late 90s through the 2000s and 2010s. I feel that I have a firm understanding of the workings and the connectivity of the internet with itself. I feel that my weakness would be explaining how to use the internet capabilities to a student who does not understand the internet. I do not believe I could relate very well to them, so getting experience in this would be helpful in improving on this weakness. Future Learning Goals I would like to learn even more online resources to use for my students. I also would like to find more online capabilities for students who have learning disabilities. I would like to learn tips on connecting services, so students do not have to make many different accounts for online facets of my class.
1 Comment
I think that all of the assignments done this week were very helpful. On in particular that I liked was Padlet. Padlet allowed me to organize everything in a easy-to-see format for students. This would be helpful for students with disabilities to enable them to easily find things I want them to see without scouring through pages on a website. I can provide direct link and even instructions for navigation that may be needed. I also enjoyed using the Rubric creator. It was very helpful to have predetermined rubrics that were customizable to whatever I wanted to use. I will definitely be using some of these (and more) in my classroom. 2. Technology continues to evolve, becoming more personally responsive, more collaborative, and more individualized in addressing the needs of the learner. This approach of teaching and learning – whether using personal learning environments, MOOCs, or digital badges – will change how teachers use technology to ensure instruction that addresses the unique needs of the learner. How do you think the personalized learning will alter the way you implement technology-centered personalized learning in your classroom? Give at least three examples. Personalized learning is something that is becoming more and more prominent in today’s day and age. Part of this is a raised awareness of the similarities and differences that all humans have, especially in the ways that they learn. Instead of finding a one-size-fits-all lesson, a teacher and personally tailor a lesson to each student by presenting the information to the students differently based on the way that they learn best. New technology is being made that will accompany that. In my own classroom, I would like to be able to personalize education for my students. Personalized learning will change how I use technology in my classroom from teacher-centered technology to more student-centered, personalized technology in three ways. Those ways are giving students choices in websites to visit for research and other assignments, printing of models specifically designed to help students with disabilities, and the use of websites with varying activities to allow students to have choice in their learning. Because students are different on their levels of comprehension, I will give them options for assignments to ensure they are scaffolded correctly to the standards. Using technology, I will give them choices for activities based on what they feel comfortable completing based on their previous learning of the material. This could mean that they go to an online simulation of being in a laboratory to run an experiment, or it could mean that they go watch a video on doing an experiment instead. I would also like to be able to print 3-D models of atoms and molecules that coincide with what we are learning to help students who are more kinesthetic learners. Using this, I will help students see and feel how an atom works and how it interacts with others. 1. What are the legal considerations of which a teacher must be aware when implementing technologies in the classroom? Explain each consideration and the step(s) you would take in your own classroom to ensure that you do not violate the law.
When using technology in the classroom, there are some serious legal issues to consider. The internet is a broad, helpful, amazing place, but in the hands of someone who doesn’t know what they are doing or the hands of someone who has ill intentions it can be a dangerous, malicious place. The considerations I would take are the safety of my students, the accessibility of the internet to students with and without disabilities, and the legal use of materials by myself and my students. In order to protect my students on the internet, I will ensure two things: 1) they are on websites that are for their education and safe for their education and 2) their identities are secure and not shared on the internet for others to see. I know that there are websites on the internet that students do not need to be accessing, especially not at school. Students will be monitored to ensure they are visiting websites that are conducive to learning. I will also ensure that I as an educator am not posting student work or any identifiable information on the internet to ensure that my students’ identities remain secure. I will also ensure that my students with learning disabilities are able to access the internet and its capabilities for my classroom. While some websites are catered to students with disabilities, some websites are not as helpful. The first step in helping my students is knowing and observing their disabilities. If a student is color-blind, for instance, then he or she needs to make sure that color markers are not the only way to navigate a website that I am having them use. Previewing websites and anticipating possible issues for students with disabilities is one way to ensure that I am accommodating for my students appropriately. Lastly, I will ensure that I am not illegally using materials from the internet. I will assume that all materials are copyrighted, so that I cannot use them without knowing that it is allowed by the owner of the material. This means that I will need to pay for things that are sold, and I cannot copy and paste words from things and use them as my own. I will need to adhere to the guidelines of the law to ensure I am adhering to the Fair Use guidelines for materials in my classroom. https://brianlongoghs.weebly.com/ 2. There has been much discussion about whether distance education can provide students instruction that is equal in quality to traditional education. Do you think an equivalent experience is possible via distance delivery? Why or why not?
Distance education is a concept that is a two-edged sword. For one, students who would otherwise not have access to a high-functioning school have the opportunity to expand what they see in the world directly around them. Distance education can also remove students from these communities that need them most. If the highest achieving students are leaving the school for online schooling, then the school’s overall achievement level can be reduced. This leads to less funding and ultimately a possible shut down of the school. Before addressing how well distance education is at giving students an equivalent experience to their physical school, we need to understand what some students are doing to these difficult schools when leaving. By looking at online programs, they seem very organized and neat. They have laid-out plans for students to finish their classes, and they attempt to give students the feel of being in a classroom by collaborating with other students via online platforms. I believe that the experience that students receive is directly correlated with their ability to use technology in an effective way. If students can fully immerse themselves in a classroom using many available online functions to collaborate and communicate with their classmates, then they can get a similar experience to being in a physical classroom. I do believe that the teacher’s delivery is very difficult to be equivocal to a real lecture if technology is not in place to enhance the student’s experience. If students can “raise their hands” online and ask questions as they would in a normal classroom, then it can be equivalent. I think that we can achieve an equivalent classroom as long as students are well versed in online technology and how to effectively use it. Here's my website brian3. The tools and resources on the web must be applied to help students become productive digital citizens of their 21st century global digital society. What do you see as your role in preparing your students for their place in their world? What specifically will you do in your classroom to ensure that preparation? As a teacher, I feel that my responsibility is to teach students how to be productive members of society in whatever capacity they feel led to participate and work in. In order to work in most jobs, we have to be able to work with people. People are something that in most capacities we cannot avoid, no matter how hard we try. A doctor works with patients that are compliant and non-compliant. A lawyer works with criminals and innocent people. A janitor works with nice and difficult supervisors. A pharmacist works with helpful and selfish technicians. A contractor works with easily-pleased home-buyers and difficult-to-please home-buyers. Many jobs require us to work with people, so I believe that students need to be able to work with their peers, no matter if they like them or not. As an educator, I see myself showing students that no matter someone’s race, religious beliefs, hobbies, or politics we can come together for a common goal. Students need to know how to get along with someone who doesn’t think like them, act like them, or talk like them. Understanding how to use these opportunities to grow as a person is a large step in maturation for a child. As people in the 21st Century, learning how to work with people in person is often not good enough. In today’s world, students need to know how to work with people who are competent with new technology and with people who have a difficult time sending a text message. Learning how to meet someone where they are technologically can be helpful in improving people skills for later in life. I believe that through helping my students communicate in-person and online through collaboration, I will be teaching them how to 1) work with others who may or may not be like them and 2) how to use technology to work with others, whether they are well-versed in technology or not. To do this, I will incorporate online, asynchronous collaboration between students with varying “collaborators” in order to help them have experience in working with people who are different culturally and technologically. Here's my website When people in a business want to get something done, they want it done as efficiently and well as possible. Although teaching is not the same as the business world, the principles of the situation still apply. When we teach a child, we want them to learn is as quickly and as well as possible, to maximize how much knowledge we can pass on to them before they move on to the next grade or graduate. In order to effectively teach our children, our preparation and our planning needs to be held to this same standard. Gone are the days where teachers write out lessons plans in ink on paper. Gone are the days where teachers either 1) do not collaborate at all or 2) must be off at the same time in order to collaborate. Through new technology, such as Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and other online software, teachers can collaborate efficiently and effectively whenever they have time. Before Google Docs, teachers would have to gather together to discuss what would be on the lesson plan or worksheet or other document teachers would use for instruction. Now, teachers can put their ideas and suggestions on a document for other teachers to view at their convenience. Using the technology is both a blessing and a curse though. While I enjoy being able to collaborate with other teachers online at my convenience, I am a people person. I like to be with people, in person. I wouldn’t mind doing something online like a Google Doc, but I would prefer to do it in person if possible, simply because I like conversing with people in person. I have also found (not in my group) that people often are not as adept at using the software as they should be, so as mentioned in the book, school districts must invest in the people using the technology. These people need to be trained in how to use a Google Doc to collaborate with someone and how to “Make a Copy” when they want to change it and make their own. I personally think that online collaboration has changed the education game forever, but I firmly believe that we cannot forget our face-to-face encounters and the collaboration that comes from a simple conversation. Macromolecules Info Sheet (Google Doc) Macromolecules Presentation (Google Slides) 2. Some teachers believe that too much emphasis is placed on computers and other technologies in the classroom. Considering the technologies you have learned about in this chapter, do you agree or disagree? Defend your view.
I believe that those teachers have an adequate point in that too much emphasis can be placed on technology in the classroom. With technology such as Chromebooks, teachers can often think they are helping students by having them using “technology,” but if they are not using it effectively and efficiently, it can be a hindrance. Often, emphasis is placed on using technology for technology’s sake, instead of using what is best for student learning. In this case, too much emphasis is placed on technology because the technology is the focus instead of the students. When students are the focus, the technology complements learning and challenges students to use the technology for productivity and learning. When the technology is the focus, we let students do things on technology that are unnecessary and aren’t helping them learn. In the chapter, many different forms of technology were discussed, and most of them are really useful. Using those forms of technology can really help students learn content as well as help them learn the technology that they will be using throughout the rest of their lives. Using that technology can also be a hindrance if it does not complement learning. If the technology is the starting point instead of the content and the student, then we will have students who think that technology is necessary for learning instead of a useful tool for learning. Students will begin to see technology as crucial in learning by relying on it so heavily. This is where I believe teachers are coming from when they say that there is too much emphasis on technology in the classroom. I also believe that many of the teachers who are saying this do not understand the necessity of technology integration in schools. They might see it as helpful, but not as paramount in developing tomorrow’s innovators. I believe that their opinions might be altered if they were made aware of the significant difference using technology in the classroom can make. 1. Discuss why teachers need foundational computer literacy, such as input/output devices, storages, mobile devices, and software updating?
Teachers in 2019 and beyond are a part of developing the leaders and innovators of 2020 and beyond. As our society progresses, our technology gets more advanced and intelligent. If we as teachers are going to do our duty, we must incorporate this technology into our classrooms because technology is what our students will one day grow up to use every day. Students are using new technology every day at home with cell phones, tablets, computers, etc. Teachers must be able to “keep up” with students and facilitate their learning through the technology of this age. Since technology is so important, knowing how to effectively and efficiently use technology is paramount. Knowing how to setup and use input devices can ease a teacher’s workload by giving them access to devices that can streamline learning or help them grade much easier. Knowing how to effectively use a monitor or printer can help a teacher effectively display content to students whether in a soft copy or hard copy. Understanding how to store files both effectively and efficiently can help a teacher give students what they need more easily and quickly. When teachers understand how to use mobile devices, they can relate to students through the technology while also helping them learn through it. Knowing how to update software is something that often a school IT director is supposed to do, but understanding that problems can arise when something is not updated is important. When all of these and more are understood (even on a surface level), teachers can help their students learn using today’s technology as well as troubleshoot when problems arise due to their knowledge of the technology. 1. The concept of universal design suggests that all instructional activities should ensure equal access for all learners regardless of their unique needs. After reading the In Depth feature on universal design and examining its evolution from architecture to learning, consider how you might include universal design in your classroom. Do you intend to adjust your instruction to include universal design principles when you teach? Explain why or why not.
I most certainly intend to adjust my instruction to include universal design principles in my classroom. The heart and idea behind this program (UDL) is one that puts the student first, so I am definitely on board with it. In my classroom, I intend to use multiple forms of media for students to receive material. For example, one student might prefer to read the chapter from the book. I will also give students the option of an e-book. The e-book might have a text-to-speech option, in which I will allow my students to listen to the book if that accommodation would be beneficial to their learning. I believe that using these principles is essential to focusing on students rather than a one-size-fits-all model that focuses on the majority. I have only taught for one year, but I have seen students become “left out” of the learning environment because the content was asking them to reach to understand it, but I as the teacher was not willing to reach down and help them any way I could. Using this UDL concept, I can give them the options they need to progressively understand the content. It also allows me to scaffold for my students in a more effective way. UDL is also advantageous to students who understand the material easily. I have had students finish an assignment much sooner than I had planned and found myself scrambling to keep them busy, so they wouldn’t distract others. Using UDL principles, I can give them enrichment assignments and activities, helping them go further in their learning. |
Brian LongHello! I'm a biology and chemistry teacher at Oak Grove High School in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. I have a wife and a daughter, and I love to spend time with them. We go on adventures like hiking, kayaking, exploring, tree-climbing, and much more. I enjoy be apart of my church, hunting, fishing, playing the drums, Crossfit, and playing ultimate frisbee. I love teaching, and I love my students. Feel free to look around! |