Friday, July 19, 2013

Twitter Reflection

Before this technology class, I never had a Twitter account. I viewed it as something that I just did not have time for in my hectic schedule. However, after working with Twitter over the past eight weeks, I can see how it could be extremely beneficial for me and my classroom practices. Although Twitter would be useful for me as a teacher, I do not think that it is a tool that would work the best for my classroom, at least not right now. Utilizing Twitter in my classroom would come with a lot of obstacles. First of all, Twitter (along with Facebook and other social networking sites) are not able to be accessed through our school Internet. Because of this, students would not be able to access Twitter while in the classroom. It would also be extremely difficult for me as a teacher to set restrictions on what material students view on Twitter. While there are many wonderful tools for both students and teachers on Twitter, there is also material that I would not want my eighth graders to be exposed to, especially not as a result of my class. Throughout this class I have learned that tools such as Wiki pages would be much more user friendly for my eighth grade students.

Although I do not plan on implementing Twitter as a tool for student use in my classroom, I definitely plan on using it as a resource for professional development. Throughout the course of this semester, I have found many useful resources that I can use to become a better teacher. There are so many educational and technology resources posted on Twitter on a regular basis that would be so helpful for me. I am always trying to find new methods of teaching and new ways to incorporate technology into my classroom.  Through Twitter I have found ideas for me, as well as beneficial resources for my students. Now, with the use of Twitter, new classroom and technology ideas are available for my use daily.

There were two specific hashtags that I found very beneficial throughout the course. The first, #TeachingEnglish, will be a great tool for me to utilize as an English teacher. It posts great technology resources for English teachers as well as ideas for teaching writing, grammar, and literature. I am looking forward to using the ideas and tools I find through #TeachingEnglish to enhance my students' learning. I also found #edchat to be a helpful hashtag. It discusses the advancement of technology and how students of today are very capable when it comes to technology use. This tells me that I need to be engaging in continuous professional development in order to keep up with the knowledge of technology that my students possess.

During my time using Twitter, I have found three tweeters to be very helpful. The first tweeter I found to be helpful was Writing Project (@writingproject). Writing project has so many great ideas to get students engaged in the writing process. As an English teacher, I am constantly searching for ways to get my students engaged and excited about writing. A second tweeter that I found helpful was We Are Teachers (@WeAreTeachers). We are teachers provides information about teaching reading and writing. It can be very beneficial for me when I am looking for day-to-day material to help enhance instruction in my classroom. The third tweeter I found helpful was Teaching English (@TeachingEnglish). Through Teaching English I have found many beneficial resource that will help with every aspect of teaching English, icluding grammar, literature, writing, and vocabulary.


Throughout this class, I have learned how to use Twitter as an educational resource. I now know that I can use Twitter as a way of finding new teaching resources, as well as technology and classroom resources for students!
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Monday, July 15, 2013

Assistive Technology

As educators, we know that technology in the classroom is meant to enhance learning for students. However, we cannot for get that technology is meant to enhance the learning of all students, especially students in special education programs where integrating technology could possibly make the most influential difference. When discussing special education, our course text states, "Education for students with special needs encompasses strategies for both those with physical and/or mental deficits and those with special gifts or talents" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 398). Technology has proven very beneficial  for students that need extra assistance, as well as for students that need more of a challenge than their regular classrooms can give them. This is where assistive technology comes into play.

Roblyer and Doering define assistive technology as "technology for individuals with disabilities... extending the abilities of an individual in ways that provide physical access and sensory access" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 400). The course text discusses how the goal of these types of technologies is to enhance learning opportunities for individuals with disabilities. Students in special education need to have technology incorporated into their learning process just like students in general education, but these technologies have to implemented by different methods depending on which student population is being targeted.

Since the No Child Left Behind Act has been put in place, "there is an urgent need for assistive technology to help students in the general education classroom succeed" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 402). Because of the activity known as inclusion, special education students spend as much time as possible in the general education classroom. Because of this, it is crucial that educators incorporate helpful assistive technologies in order to ensure that students in the special education program are as successful as possible in a general education classroom. It is argued "that technology is underutilized for students with disabilities, yet these learners stand to benefit most from technological affordances" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 406). If students with disabilities have the potential to benefit the most from assistive technologies, then it is the role of educators to determine which assistive technologies are most effective in helping students reach their full potential. It is not always easy, but as the course text states, "teacher need to acquire technological knowledge to allow students to learn with and from technology" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 413).

To give all students equal opportunities to develop and learn should be the goal of every educator. Roblyer and Doering state that "when technology is used to make the curriculum accessible, students with disabilities have the same opportunities to learn as their peers without disabilities" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 406). This is my goal in my classroom, and now that I am aware of all the assistive technologies available I will do my best to incorporate them whenever possible to help all of the learners in my classroom meet their full potential.

Below you will find a list of the exceptionalities listed in the course text, as well as examples of assistive technology to benefit students with each type of exceptionality.

* Mild Disabilities
Students with mild cognitive disabilities do not necessarily need help with the physical aspect of technology, but "reading, writing, memory, and retention of information" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 406). Many educators tend to use productivity software for students with mild cognitive disabilities.

Resources
Website Suggestion: Don Johnston's Write:OutLoud
Hardware Suggestion: NEO Writer


* Moderate and Severe Disabilities
It is crucial for students with moderate to severe cognitive disabilities to focus on "daily living skills such as personal hygiene, shopping, and use of public transportation" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 408). Students with these disabilities have to be taught how to function in every day life. There are many different types of assistive technology to help students with moderate to severe disabilities learn real life skills.

Resources
Website Suggestion: Time, Money, & Fractions On-Track iPad app
Hardware Suggestion: IntelliKeys Keyboard


*Physical Disabilities
Students with physical disabilities can have a variety of needs when it comes to using technology. Some students with physical disabilities may need alternate methods of access to technology such as alternative keyboards or switches instead of keyboards. Other students with physical disabilities may need assistive technology that can create text based on what the student says.

Resources
Website Suggestion: Able Net Inc. iPad, iPhone, iPad access
Hardware Suggestion: ORCCA Technology - Touch Screen


*Sensory Disabilities
The course text states that "sensory disabilities involve impairments associated with the loss of hearing or vision" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 409). There are many assistive technologies that can assist students with sight or hearing problems. Students with sensory disabilities could benefit from screen magnification, text-to-Braille converters, screen readers, and FM amplification systems.

Resources
Website Suggestion: YourDolphin Screen Reader
Hardware Suggestion: Digital FM Amplification System 


 *At-Risk Behaviors/Students 
Students that demonstrate at-risk behaviors generally respond to positive motivation and reinforcement. Students with at-risk behaviors will benefit from software that keeps them highly engaged and motivated at all times during a lesson.

Resources
Website Suggestion: BrainPop
Hardware Suggestion: Student Planner

 *Gifts and Talents
Students with gifts and talents benefit from being challenged more than they are in a regular classroom setting. Students with gifts and talents can by challenged through different methods such as self-directed  research and advanced technological learning experiences.

Resources
Website Suggestion: The Creativity Web
Hardware Suggestion: Microsoft 8


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Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Web 2.0 Resources


In today's classrooms, technology has become a prevalent tool in the learning process. There are numerous Web 2.0 resources available for both students and teachers. Before this assignment, I had never worked with Glogster, Animoto, or Classtools, but after being exposed to them I can see how they would be beneficial for classroom learning if utilized properly. Learning about these new technologies has made me realize that, as a classroom teacher, I need to do a better job when it comes to  keeping up with all of the resources that are readily available for me, as well as my students.

As technology continues to progress, we can see that "the Internet has become a primary form of communication for teachers and students, replacing traditional channels such as sending letters and making telephone calls" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 220). Although I do make phone calls to parents, my primary form of communication with parents is e-mail. There are many forms of technology that support communication within the classroom as well such as tweets, bulletin boards, and blogs. After using the Blogger website for this class, I can see how having a classroom blog would be extremely beneficial for students in my English classes. The course text describes a blog as "a web page that serves as a publicly accessible location for discussing a topic or issue" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 222). Discussion is a major aspect of my classroom environment, and teaching students to discuss with one another through technology is a great tool for them to have. Another technology that supports collaborative learning are Wikis. Our course text highlights that many teachers choose to use Wikis "in their classes for students to develop their own wikis or they develop wikis to communicate their own content" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 223). I think that it would be beneficial for students to know how to create their own wikis, but I can see that wiki pages would be very helpful for teachers, specifically to have throughout the implementation of an entire unit.

Even though there are many benefits to using technology, there are also precautions that must be taken when using the Internet. It is crucial that we teach students proper ways to use the Internet that protect themselves and support their learning. Roblyer and Doering discuss the major issues of Internet use as "accessing sites with inappropriate materials, safety and privacy issues for students, fraud on the Internet, computer viruses and hacking, and copyright and plagiarism issues" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 214-216). With all of these potential Internet dangers, it is imperative that students learn the proper ways to navigate the Internet as a whole.

Though technology can be extremely beneficial in the classroom, it is crucial that teachers give correct instruction on how to use new technologies that are being implemented. During my years as a student, I learned that there is nothing more frustrating than having an assignment that I was not clear about how to complete. I try to keep this in mind now that I am the teacher giving instructions. As a teacher it is so helpful to have all of these technology resources at my fingertips, I just have to remember to always adequately explain how to use these resources properly, effectively, and efficiently.

Below you will find the glog I created to introduce the novel study of The Devil's Arithmetic. This glog contains facts about the Holocaust, background information about The Devil's Arithmetic, a WebQuest giving information about the Holocaust as well as the novel, and the movie trailer for The Devil's Arithmetic.





Below you will find the Animoto video I created that relates to the novel, The Devil's Arithmetic. The video includes pictures from The Devil's Arithmetic movie, as well as pictures from inside the Auschwitz concentration camp.


 

Make your own slideshow at Animoto.

I designed the following two classroom games through the Classtools website.
Below is the link to my Fakebook Novel Study Page.

Fakebook Novel Study Page

This is the timeline of events for the novel, The Devil's Arithmetic, made through the Classtools website.
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Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Mobile Technology in the Classroom


Why is mobile learning important in today's classrooms?


 





The world of technology is advancing so quickly, so it is only fitting that the world of education evolve with it. Robleyer and Doering state that "the technological norms are no longer the typewriter and the telephone, but the laptop, tablet, and smart phone" (Roblyer and Doering, 2010, p. 204).  I have seen first hand, with the one-to-one laptop initiative in my classroom, just how beneficial having technology can be. Bringing technology into the classroom gives students so many advantages and capabilities right at their fingertips. Not only does technology teach students life skills they will use outside the classroom, it also helps keep their attention during individual lessons. Our course text states that "teachers say technology's visual and interactive qualities can direct students' attention toward learning tasks" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 25). The math classes at my school have received classroom sets of iPads. Although I have not used iPads for instruction in my classroom, I have heard how beneficial they are from my colleagues who do have them in their classrooms.

I would use iPads in a variety of ways in my classroom such as to present information, take tests, and play games. I use laptops for some tests now, but there are apps that would allow me to test students on the iPad. One major advantage of testing on the iPad would be that students receive immediate feedback on their work. This would also save time for teachers where grading is concerned, along with the benefit of conserving paper. iPads could also be used to help hold students attention in the classroom. Finding apps and games to reinforce  concepts and skills taught during instruction is also a beneficial part of using iPads for student learning. The course text states that "instructional games add game-like rules and/or competition to learning activities" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 94). I have found that incorporating instructional games into the classroom setting very beneficial. Students become very engaged and concerned with their own learning when there is a sense of competition.

It is also always crucial to stress the importance of teachers using technology to enhance education instead of to replace teacher instruction. Technology can never replace quality instruction from an educator, but it can be an influential tool in engaging all students of various learning styles in their own learning. Roblyer and Doering state, "students who learn by creating their own products with technologies report higher engagement in learning and greater sense of pride in their achievements" (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p. 25).


Mobile Apps for the Classroom

This app can be used for both iPads and iPhones. It has grammar lessons as well as hundreds of practice tests that students could use to reinforce grammar skills taught in the classroom... and it's FREE!

This app is an interactive app for i Phones iPad that would be great for students when practicing the difficult skill of subject/verb agreement. This allows students to visually practice subject/verb agreement skills.

Grammar Express: Tenses is a FREE app for both iPads and iPhones. This is great practice for students when practicing using correct verb tenses. 

This is a FREE app that would be very beneficial in the classroom. It would be great for students to practice 
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