![]() Question 3: What would you do if you saw one of your students sharing personal information about themselves or posting detrimental comments about others on the Web? What is the limit of your responsibility under those circumstances? Last year, Tik Tok took the social media world by a storm. As I taught my 11-year-olds, I'd see them flailing their arms about while reading and performing in the hallways. I finally bit the bullet and downloaded Tik Tok. While I found some funny content and a few fun family-friendly dances, the vast majority of what I saw disturbed me. Much of the content I found was highly inappropriate for my students to be viewing. Shortly after I started watching Tik Tok videos, the other teachers on my team found the videos of our students. We were appalled. It's scary that children have access to a platform that exposes them to the same content that I see as an adult. These young children were doing vulgar dances in very little clothing, and I was so sad to see this content. One student even posted her phone number and location in her bio. I was not mad that my students were doing this, but I was mad that they were able to do this content with either their parents' ignorance or allowance. My fellow teachers and I decided to address these videos with our classes. Do I believe that we are technically required to address what we saw? No. However, do I feel the personal responsibility to inform these students about the dangers of posting personal information and videos online? Absolutely. As teachers, we always have to operate under the assumption that things that students should learn at home have not been learned at home. As a result, if we believe that students are posting things that could cause them harm, I believe that I should have a conversation with said students. I don't believe that it's my job to closely follow the online actions of my students, as this extends into the territory of overreaching and could certainly be perceived as inappropriate. However, if I am made aware of videos or posts made by my students, I do think that it is in the best interest of my students for me to take action in some way. My opinion may certainly differ from that of other teachers, so I'd love to hear what others believe. Please share your thoughts with me in your comments below. My Learning Experiences
Our group worked together much more effectively this week, as we met via Microsoft Teams early in the week to discuss expectations and to divide the work. We even set an initial deadline for ourselves so that we would have time to review all of the projects before the due date on Sunday. As a result, we were able to work at our own pace while also giving each other the necessary time to review everyone's work. Overall, this week went much more smoothly, and I believe that we created four great, cohesive projects. Click the buttons below to view this week's projects.
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![]() The Project This week's project essentially required my group and I to construct a grant proposal detailing what pieces of new technology we needed for our ideal 21st century classroom. We were allowed to spend up to $20,000, and we were given free-reign to use whatever new furniture, software, and technology pieces we needed to create the best possible classroom. Planning and Execution I think our group struggled to set a plan this week, which negatively impacted our effectiveness in completing this project. However, I think our slightly rough start will benefit us in the long run, as we can only learn from our mistakes. I know that I failed to communicate my expectations for my group members, and I didn't begin working on my portion of the project until the last minute. I know that we will certainly improve this coming week, as we have already set a date and time to discuss this week's project. Progress! For the 21st century classroom project, I did much of the DID lesson plan and the budget justification. I believe that, as a group, we came up with a great list of technology requests, so it was easy for me to write these portions authentically, as I truly believe that the products we selected were necessary and useful. Reflection Overall, this project made me really think about what is truly essential in the classroom. While it's wonderful to consider the opportunity of spending up to $20,000 on my classroom, considering the resources I already have makes me feel thankful. Additionally, selecting and prioritizing potential technology purchases allowed me to think about what I might want to budget for and invest in in the coming years. ![]()
![]() Question 2: Learning content within the framework of a language that is not your native language can be challenging. Consider how you would respond to this challenge. What technologies would help you if you were facing learning new content in another language? Last year, about 15% of the students I taught were English language learners (ELL). Most of my ELL students were able to fluently read and speak English, but they often struggled when taking tests. I found that figurative language, especially idioms, were incredibly hard for these students to understand. In addition, as a native English speaker, I found that explaining these concepts without giving test answers away was incredibly challenging! However, I did find that, when I talked through phrases and new vocabulary terms with my ELL students, simply saying the words out loud helped them comprehend the text more effectively. In addition, I am currently learning Spanish, as I have a huge passion for working with my Spanish-speaking students and their parents. As someone learning a language, I find that it's really easy to learn vocabulary words in isolation, but attempting to use them correctly when writing sentences and having conversations with native speakers is very difficult. When I read texts in Spanish, I do my best to identify all of the vocabulary words that I do know so that I can understand what the text will be about before I try to break it down sentence by sentence. When doing listening activities, I like having the option to slow the speaking rate down, as this gives me the opportunity to more easily think about what the speaker is saying. One technology resource that has been incredibly helpful to me during my language learning process is Google Translate. While it's not perfect, and I wouldn't learn anything if I simply translated every sentence, it does help me to double check that I'm on the right track with the words I'm using. In addition, the read-aloud feature on certain apps and on Google Translate helps me to better understand the pronunciation of the words I am learning so that I can use them properly when speaking. In addition, a list of essential vocabulary with definitions beside or above a text would make it easier for me to understand a new concept in my new language. If I was learning in a classroom, it would be helpful for the teacher to pre-teach vocabulary before we begin learning a new lesson. When working with ELLs in the future, I must be willing to provide students with the resources they need to succeed, and I must pause to put myself in their shoes as I am teaching. In today's world, we are so lucky to have technology resources that will translate and read information aloud to our students. We must be diligent in ensuring that students who need these resources know how to access them and that we allow them to access them when possible. Learning a language is a challenging process, and teachers should do what they can to help ease the frustrations that ELL students may encounter in the classroom. ![]() Question 4: Teachers must often use whatever resources are available to them in order to enhance and support learning. How would you go about investigating the learning software that is available to you in your school? Who would you ask and how would you go about acquiring what you feel you need? If I learned anything during my first year of teaching, it's that you have to be in constant communication with your team members. I was so nervous and naive during my first few months, and I always felt as though my fellow teachers and my administrators would question my abilities. However, over time, I found that I was only hurting myself when I didn't ask questions. This need to ask questions certainly applies when it comes to asking about the resources that schools provide its teachers. Learning software and programs can be incredibly expensive, and teachers are often stressed when it comes to finances. However, we all want to serve our students in the best way possible, so some teachers resort to subscribing to technology services using their own funds. However, it is vital that we speak up and express to our fellow teachers and administrators about what services we need or want in our classrooms. I do understand that many districts do not have much money to spare on new products, but it is important that administrators be aware of the needs of teachers as money does become available. When asking for new technology, it's important to do a great deal of research on the products you want for your classroom before going to school leaders and administrators, as you definitely want to be sure of the products you want before bringing the subject up with those who can get them for you. When speaking with teachers and leaders, always try to remember that the worst they can do is say no. Of course, we always want to get what we're asking for, but it truly doesn't hurt to ask and express your need for a new service. However, before you ask for new products, it's important to ask your fellow teachers about what products and services the school already has. When I first started teaching, I had no idea what programs the other teachers used, and I certainly had no clue what programs the school subscribed to. Through talking with my team, I discovered a plethora of free online resources, and they taught me how to use technology in my classroom and resources that the school paid for. When it came to physical technology in my classroom, teachers on my team and the technology professional at our school taught me how to use these items. A great source for online resources that surprised me was our school librarian. She was constantly updating us about online reading resources, which came in very handy during out at-home learning quarter. You'll be surprised to learn about the wide variety of technology resources that each teacher has up their sleeve, and most teachers are more than willing to share their knowledge with other educators! Overall, it's best to be direct when asking what resources are already being used at your school. It is highly unlikely that you will be judged or ridiculed if you are asking for services and programs that will benefit your students. However, it is important to be prepared to be told that the school cannot or will not pay for the program you want due to budget restraints. As with everything in the teaching world, it's important to take all negativity in stride and press on! ![]() Question 3: Give two examples of technologies that were used when you were in middle school (it could even be as simple as the chalkboard). How have those technologies been transformed and what replaced them today? If you could choose only one of today’s technologies for your classroom, which one would it be? Why? I was actually a middle school student only a few years ago, as I finished eighth grade in 2011. However, the technology used in the classroom today has changed quite a bit. During my middle school years, my favorite technology that my teachers used was the overhead projector. Most of my classrooms did have ceiling projectors, but many of my math teachers still used the overhead projectors with clear or graphing sheets to model how to solve problems. I'm not sure why, but I absolutely loved this device. My best friend in middle school had an overhead projector at her house, and we would pretend that we were in a classroom - one of us would create a math problem, and the other would get the privilege of solving it on the overhead projector. It was a really fun, engaging tool that felt almost serene to use as a kid. During my middle school years, the overhead projector was slowly replaced with interactive white boards, but my school only installed these new boards in a few high school math classrooms, so I did not have much exposure to them. One technology innovation that took the world by storm during my middle school years was YouTube. While many of my teachers did not begin to use YouTube until I was in high school, my peers and I were watching YouTube videos during every spare moment at school and at home. The content being released on this site was so unique and engaging, and it quickly became a great resource for educational purposes. One of my high school teachers used this video to introduce a lesson about the plague, and she used this video when we were learning about Alexander the Great. I still remember the chorus of both songs very vividly. Videos like these, while cheesy and comical, certainly aid in helping students to remember content. YouTube is still incredibly prominent today, and, since its introduction in 2005, it has grown exponentially. This video platform has an endless supply of educational videos on a variety of topics that can be used during classroom instruction or by individual students. YouTube is truly an invaluable resource for me as an educator and as an individual. While technology has changed slightly since my middle school years, I believe that the most important resource for all classrooms to have has remained the same - computers. I would trade every other piece of technology in my classroom to allow every student to have a computer. The use of Chromebooks during my first year of teaching was absolutely essential. My students completed the vast majority of their assignments on their laptops, and they took all of their tests on the Chromebooks as well. With state tests and many standardized tests being administered on the computer, it is crucial that all students be very familiar with computers prior to using them to take important tests. Furthermore, the use of computers in allows teachers to teach students how to research, which is an essential skill for students to have as they become adults and attend college. In addition, most job applications are completed online at this point in time. Our world is greatly dependent on the use of computers, and it is incredibly important that all students are exposed to them frequently throughout their time elementary school, middle school, and high school. ![]() Question 3: Think back on a classroom environment in which you were not as successful as you might have wanted to be. What were the factors that you encountered from the teacher and/or other students that may have hindered your learning? How will you mitigate such factors in your own classroom? Growing up, I always struggled to write down important details during lectures, and I always had to spend my afternoon hours getting notes from friends or going to tutoring to fill in the blanks in my notes. However, throughout my middle school and high school years, I discovered that I could actually keep up with note-taking in class if I typed my noted instead of writing them. While studies have proven time and time again that handwriting notes is more effective when it comes to truly learning material, I found that it was in my best interest to type the notes during class, and to rewrite them or condense them by hand on my own time. During my sophomore year of college, I sat down in one of my new classes, took my computer out, and prepared to take notes using OneNote. To my dismay, one of the first things the professor told us about the course was that we were not allowed to use computers during class. The professor cited the fact that studies have proven that handwriting notes is more effective as her reasoning for this policy. Despite my concern of not being able to take effective notes, I stayed in the class. All semester long, I struggled to keep up. I tried to print off the PowerPoint slides before class to help alleviate the struggle, but this became expensive and impractical. Over the course of the semester, I continued to fail to write complete notes, and I had to spend a great deal of time working with my classmates after hours to finish my notes. While I understand that the professor made this rule as a result of what research has shown and likely due to the potential distractions of technology, I wholeheartedly believe that students should be able to choose the note-taking method that works for them. With this, I know that it is important that students have many opportunities to make decisions in the classroom. Think about how many choices adults get to make on a daily basis. Prior to noon each day, most adults at least decide when to get out of bed, whether to drink coffee or not, what to eat for breakfast, what to wear to work, how to do your hair, and what to eat for lunch. Students often do not get to make a single decision prior to their arrival at school, and many students don't get to make any decisions about their learning while they are in school. If we are to prepare students to make wise decisions for themselves as they enter into the workforce or arrive on college campuses, they must practice making decisions during school hours. Furthermore, if students are to learn to be independent and responsible for their learning as they grow older, it is important that they are able to identify, through trial and error, what interests them and what learning and studying strategies are best for them. This article in KQED does a wonderful job of describing the importance of student choice, and many of my thoughts are reflected and expanded upon by the author. As a teacher of 11-13 year olds, I struggle with the concept of student choice. Most of the students I teach are developing a strong sense of independence for the first time, and I need to have supports in place that allow them to explore their personal and academic selves fully in my classroom. Restricting their interests and learning techniques will not help me or my students achieve our goals. It is my job to educate the whole child, and part of that process is being intentional in allowing students to figure out what works for them and to discover what their passions are. ![]() Question 3: What technologies are of most interest to you to support the teaching and learning strategies you prefer? How will you prepare yourself to use these technologies in your classroom? One of the facets of my instruction that I am always focused on is student engagement during presentations. Presentations are crucial in English Language Arts (ELA), especially when teaching a new concept. During my first year of teaching, I found that students were locked in when watching a video or listening to an audio clip. However, when I'm writing on the board or showing slides, it is much more difficult for me to hold the attention of my students. I used to become frustrated with their lack of attentiveness, but I find that I must aim to instruct students in ways that engage them in order to increase student success. As a result, during this upcoming school year, I will be searching for technological ways to engage with my students while I am teaching. The idea of having clickers to receive student responses during lectures intrigues me, but I fear that this will not be an affordable route. In the past I have tried a Chrome extension called Pear Deck, but I did not do enough research and quickly forfeited the idea. However, during this upcoming school year, I will be searching for a resource that will allow students to respond to questions on the slideshows that I present. Educators, please let me know if you are currently using a resource like this in your classroom, as I would love to receive some advice! I am also always looking for ways to reward students, and I am very interested in finding a way to do this online. During the fourth nine weeks of this school year, my school participated in remote learning. I found that it was incredibly difficult to show my students that I was proud of them. With the threat of doing distance learning looming in the future, I would like to create or find a good system to reward and/or praise students for doing their best. Furthermore, in my classroom, I try not to reward academic success with candy or physical treats, as I do not believe in this form of motivation. However, I am incredibly interested in finding a good system to create friendly competition in my classroom while rewarding students for completing assigned tasks, treating others with kindness, and exceeding expectations. I have heard of ClassDojo, but I'm not sure if it will be appropriate for 6th graders, or if it will pair well with my teaching style. As many of us educators enter into the rather uncharted waters of digital motivation, I cannot wait to see what comes to the surface. As I stated in my last post, I have a lot of research to do when it comes to the use of new technology in my classroom. I have begun looking for resources that meet both of the needs that I stated above. I find that the best resources are often YouTube videos and teacher blogs, as both sources typically thoroughly describe a teacher's true experience using a program or product. Getting the perspective of other teachers' experiences before I delve into a resource for myself is very important to me. Learning about the strengths and weaknesses of a program from other educators will prepare me for the use of the program in my own classroom. ![]() Question 1: Assess your own technology skills and list three areas in which you could improve your abilities. How competent do you believe you are in order to teach in a technology-rich environment? What other opportunities would you search for to become even more proficient in the use of technology in the classroom? How would you go about improving in these areas? As a young teacher, I find that I can relate to my students on many levels - one of which being technology. I have been using computers since I was in elementary school, and I went to a tech-rich school that required the use of a personal laptop starting in the 7th grade. As a result, I feel a high level of competence when it comes to my ability to use or figure out technology and programs. As schools begin to implement the use of new learning platforms, laptops, smart boards, etc., I feel confident that I will be able to adapt and learn the new programs with relative ease. While I do feel like I am capable of using technology appropriately, there are a few technology-related areas that I could definitely improve in. Three ways in which I could improve my technological abilities include overall flexibility, digital student data tracking, and purposeful technology usage. First and foremost, I am a creature of habit. I tend to gravitate toward programs and devices that I have a great deal of experience with. In addition, I do not like to do things or learn things halfway, resulting in me being less likely to try something new without a great deal of training and preparation. Being a new teacher has been incredibly overwhelming, so I must admit that learning new technology skills has been low on my list of priorities. However, I can aim to improve in this area moving forward by speaking with my coworkers to learn what types of technological resources they are using in their classrooms. Furthermore, when I come across a new website or online resource that I would like to utilize, I can spend time watching YouTube tutorials and reading about it online to improve my confidence before using the resource. With the plethora of online resources and downloadable programs, I fully intend to be more intentional about tracking student progress more thoroughly during this upcoming school year. During my first year of teaching, I found data tracking to be overwhelming, so I did the bare minimum according to my district standards. Moving forward, I'd like to use a streamlined digital method to categorize students and track student progress. This will take a great deal of experimentation and research, but I am confident that I can find the right method for me after speaking with colleagues and doing online research. Not only do I aim to improve in my flexibility and data tracking, but I also hope to be more purposeful in my use of technology moving forward. Last year, I found myself defaulting to the use of Chromebooks and Google resources for most of my students' assignments because it was simple. However, if I aim to teach students to be resourceful and intentional about how they complete their work, I must do the same when it comes to the creation of their assignments. For example, instead of automatically deciding to have students present information using Google Slides, I'd like to challenge myself to teach students how to use other online presentation programs, such as Prezi. I also want to be able to teach my students that some platforms and programs are best suited for certain ideas, concepts, or projects, so I must familiarize myself with many different student resources in order to be effective in this area. Overall, while I am confident in my ability to use technology effectively, I hope to improve and expand upon this knowledge during my second year of teaching. I know that I am capable of doing so, but I must be intentional about taking the time necessary to teach myself and seek out opportunities to learn new skills. There are endless learning opportunities online, so I must regularly challenge myself to learn from others who are experienced in the tech arena. ![]() Hello! My name is Amelia, and I am currently a student in the Master of Arts in Teaching program at The University of Southern Mississippi. I graduated from USM with my degree in Nutrition & Dietetics in 2019, and I just completed my first year of teaching as a 5th grade English Language Arts teacher in Petal, MS. I have recently moved to a new city in Mississippi, and I will be teaching 6th grade ELA during the 2020-2021 school year. During my undergraduate years, I worked as a Resident Assistant and a Senior Resident Assistant for the Department of Housing and Residence life. Throughout my undergraduate career, I took at least one online class each semester. In addition, the MAT program is an entirely online program, so I have a great deal of experience with online courses. However, I do not believe that I have much experience with computer programs. While I am very familiar with standard software and websites, such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, YouTube, and various social media platforms, I do not have much experience with more complex programs. As a result of my experience as a classroom teacher using Google products, I also have a great deal of experience with Google Docs, Slides, Sites, Forms, Sheets, etc. I am very comfortable when it comes to trying new computer programs, but I am certainly the type to tend to stick to what I know best. When it comes to electronic communication tools, I am quite comfortable with emails, discussion boards, and chats. I do not believe that I have ever used a listserv. I think that email is a critical tool when it comes to conducting business and relaying lengthy messages, but I do prefer chat and messaging platforms for quick, succinct communication. I typically find discussion boards to be an ineffective means of communication, but they do allow students to view the ideas of others in an organized manner, which can be helpful for large groups. As for more modern technology tools, I am very familiar with video editing software, podcasts, and blogs. I have edited many videos and posted them on YouTube, and I have created a personal blog in the past. I listen to podcasts, but I have never technically posted my own episode. On the other hand, although I am quite young, and I have heard the term time and time again, I still do not know exactly what a Wiki is. It is my assumption that it is a site that is reserved for information regarding one topic, but it is not something that I have ever used during my career as a student. My teaching philosophy is as follows: I believe that the purpose of education is to effectively prepare students for successful futures. The most foundational aspect of preparing students to succeed is being confident in their ability to learn, and instilling this confidence within students themselves. It is incredibly important to teach students that working hard and applying themselves will lead to better academic performance outcomes. All students, regardless of their background, deserve the opportunity to achieve academic success. However, no students are just alike in the way they learn best. As a teacher, it is incredibly important to me that I incorporate different learning techniques into my lessons and assignments so that I can educate and reach each of my students in a meaningful way. In addition, students learn best when they are able to focus on the lessons they are learning. As a result, I aspire to truly know my students and to be open to hearing about what is happening in their lives so that I can know if there is any way I can better aid them in making sense of the world around them. During my first year of teaching, technology was an absolute necessity in my classroom. Students completed the vast majority of their assignments on their Chromebooks, and most of the assignments were posted on Google Classroom. Many student projects involved the use of Google Slides, and I implemented the use of Google Sites to create a Roots Website to house the roots that students were to learn in the 5th grade. |
About the AuthorI am currently a 6th grade ELA teacher in Mississippi. While I am familiar with much of today's technology, I am always striving to learn more so that I can be a more effective educator. ArchivesBlogroll |