Virtual Reality in the Classroom

Earlier in this year, I blogged about bringing games into the classroom. Now I am taking it a step further and focusing on virtual reality in the classroom.

It sounds crazy. Most of us invision VR as putting on a crazy helmet and computer gloves. Yes, that is a form of VR, but it’s not the only option. This article provides ways to incorporate forms of VR into the classroom, and why it is beneficial.

One thing I enjoyed about this article was the way it focused on various subjects, and let my teacher mind wander on endless possibilities to use VR in the classroom.

For example, videos and live communication (like Skype) can connect us to people and places all over the world. But what if we wanted to go back in time? A history teacher focuses on the Civil War or fall of the Roman Empire can take the students back the eras via VR. Software programs can create up-close reenactments or let students explore life back then through a mouse.

A literature teacher can bring The Odyssey to life, a science teacher can take us to Mars . . . .

and a math teacher can create actual scenarios where algebra would be used, and prove Joey wrong!

All these scenarios can be created in virtual reality.

The article mentions how virtual reality can also be a great motivator for learning, and I completely agree. It would much more exciting and intriguing to learn about space if I could pretend to travel there.

It also discusses how VR can be used as a tool to inspire creative learning. Creative learning helps students think outside the box, and also helps them develop problem solving skills that they would use in real life situations.

Virtual reality does not have to be as expensive as it seems. It would be great if every student could have one of those fancy head-sets or special star-trek esque eye-glasses, but they aren’t always necessary. There are various software and computer programs that also offer VR simulations for a more reasonable price.

If you are ever stuck on way to teach a subject or topic, why not give virtual reality a try!

photo credit: http://theberry.com/2015/03/25/can-i-get-a-preach-17-photos/#gallery-item-8

Helping LD Students with Technology

Chances are when we become teachers, we will come across students that have learning disabilities. Learning disabilities include things that we normally take for granted, such as reading and writing. Sometimes these students just take a little longer to process the information they are learning.

This article provided by the Pacer Center for Children with Disabilities provides some ways we can incorporate technology into the curriculum to help students with learning disabilities thrive.

First, it’s important to know that as a teacher, you will not have the firstl or final say in making the decision to provide these technological aids. Students who have any kind of learning disability will have an IEP, an Individualized Education Plan, that has been created by a team that includes you the teacher, the parents, and other people, such as a social worker or specialist. The IEP can come with solutions or ways to aid the student in learning; This is where technology can come in. As the students teacher, you can suggest some of these tools to help your student. It will be reviewed, and then added if approved.

The article includes the prices of the software or tools available. This is an important factor to consider. The school will be providing the aid, not the parent or you the teacher. Budget issues are always something to keep in mind, as well as creative back ups. If a certain product is too expensive, it would be wise to look into alternatives that offer similar results.

The article mostly provides tools for reading and writing disabilities, but there are much more out there. Luckily, it also provides a list of websites and other resources  for added information about learning disabilities.

Last, if you suspect that a student has a LD, but that student does not have an IEP, do not take matters into your own hands and start diagnosing and treating the student. Talk with the students parents, principal, and school psychologist/social worker if one is available. As educated as you may be, there are professionals in the field to dedicated to situations like this.

Technology is here to benefit all of us, let’s try to make the most of it.

Watch Ban In Classrooms? Thanks, Apple.

Cheating on exams used to involve sitting next to the smartest person in the class and hoping they studied enough the night before. Oh how times have changed. Now, colleges and universities are facing the biggest challenge to the integrity of the students, The Apple Watch. Yes, you heard that right. The smartest kid in the class is sooo last month.

It is more than just a smartwatch. With the tap of the screen, the Apple Watch can do everything from access your notes, search for answers on the web, and even message your friends! Soon, checking the time could be a fake- out attempt to read a message containing answers to test questions, which is reason enough for school to ban students from wearing watches in exam halls all together.

As nearly all smartwatches available today are linked in someway to users' smartphones, they are essentially internet- connected communication tools. This fear grew even more just before the release of Apple's new product. The University of London was among the first of many colleges to enforce the ban, leaving old school watches at the door. Absolutely no wrist watch is allowed in the exam room. London's City University, for instance, considers all watches to be mobile phones. In an interview with Buzfeed News, the university said students "are already asked to place mobile phones in a plastic wallet under their desk, so we adopted the same procedure for watches. Students either don't wear them to an exam venue, or they remove the watch in the venue and place it in the plastic wallet". The time is still available to students, the university explains the use of small desk clocks being available upon a student's request.

Whether a similar approach will be taken in the U.S. is unclear, but chances are universities will reassess their cheating policies with these technological advances in mind.

If you are reading this and you are one of those students who really do need to keep track of time during exams, all is well.

Never forget the long lost clock on the wall in the back of the class. It's been a while since anyone's noticed that little guy.

Scratch this!

Hey class, 

Today we have gone over a few short animation tools to check out for our School in the Cloud lessons. During the class time, I thought about this website I checked out a few weeks ago and thought how it would be a great addition to the list of tools to create short animations. So, the website is called Scratch! On Scratch, you can create stories, games, and animations. Signing up for Scratch is FREE, which is a plus! Scratch can be used for all subjects (English language arts, math, science, art, music) based on the videos provided, and however you may want to use Scratch. Check it out!

Here is a video I found on YouTube. It's a Scratch Tutorial. This guy is showing the basics of Scratch, and how to go about creating your animated shorts, if you're interested. 

Brainstorm on the Web!

I came across a web 2.0 brainstorming tool from this web site bubbl.us.  Instead of brainstorming on paper and pen, people can brainstorm on their laptop, or any apple handheld device. This is an upgrade from the brainstorming that we were taught to do in school because of the extra tools given to users when they create a "mind map" on this site. When people create a mind map on bubbl.us, they are able to change the bubble colors, change the text size, save their work, share their work with collaborators, add different files and images (which are pretty cool), print, export/import, and save a mind map. So, if they may ever need to come back to a mind map for what reasons, it would be there for them. 

I think it would be a great idea to integrate bubbl.us mind maps into the classroom. I think it would work well for students when they may need to brainstorm ideas for essay/research assignments, projects, and group assignments/projects. I think being able to build a concept map on bubbl.us could work well with any subject in school. 

However, to make the most out of this site, I think one would have to sign up for a payment plan. See, signing up for a free account would only allow a user up to three mind maps, the ability to save images, share their mind maps, and email support. If one was to sign up for a monthly or annual payment plan, they would be allowed unlimited mind maps, the ability to attach images, and files, no bubbl.us branding, priority support, the ability to create backups, and a 30 day free trial. Is it really worth signing up for a monthly or annual plan, just to brainstorm? Maybe, it depends on the person, and their purpose. 

Should Michigan high schools require a "computer" class?

In "Michigan Merit Curriculum’s Guidelines for Online Experience," the Michigan Department of Education describes an online experience as “A structured learning activity that utilizes technology with intranet/internet-based tools and resources as the delivery method for instruction, research, assessment, and communication." What is concerning to me is that so far, there is not a real structure as to how such learning is supposed to take place. These guidelines were in place when I was in high school, yet our "online experience" was nothing more that Googling things in the library, typing papers, or working on Powerpoint presentations.

If this is the case, should the state have more of a required curriculum and standards as they do for other required learning? I would argue yes, they should. State and federal legislators and educators have regularly cited the importance of creating an equal playing field across the country when it comes to the core subjects like math and science. As technology becomes more prominent - as if it isn't already - I feel they will have to make this step for a computer and technology proficiency class.

A class like this would teach students how to compose a professional email, how to create a resume, what sources are best used for papers, how to tell if a source is peer reviewed, etc. Going through things like this in a semester course in high school would undoubtedly save college professors time (the amount of times I've heard the difference between primary and secondary sources, or how to find a peer reviewed journal is insane). And it would give the students a lot less stress when it comes time for them to go to college.

Although the focus of such a class would be proficiency in online research and learning, the class could also teach the students the importance of technology and online activity beyond school walls. It could teach them how to make certain parts of their social media accounts private, and teach them more online safety tips. This would also teach the students how they can conduct themselves professionally online. Computer proficiency is almost required in every aspect of life anymore, so essentially this class would be teaching life skills - hopfully beyond Microsoft Word, Powerpoint, and Google.

When should eBooks begin?

So far in my college career, I have only had an online eTextbook once; and all through middle and high school I never had one. Perhaps that was because eTextbooks were not yet common or easily accessible. Much about whether or not to use them is left to personal preference. But for me, the biggest question is when children should be using those eTextbooks in class? When should technology become the front-runner in how children learn?

I've become all too familiar with the videos of very young children who are confused with how a book works. Although often these are of children probably only a year ago, I feel like it is testament to how children are learning and seeing the world today. Rather than learning to do something by hand, a computer is doing it all for them. For the most part, the books young kids will use are picture books or simple text books that, in my opinion, do not need to be digitized. I realize that the larger books required in high school and college can be made more convenient by online access, and it also makes research much easier by being able to do a search of the book - rather than use the index.

So at what age do we allow children to begin to rely heavily on technology? Obviously some of that is left up to the parents: when they give their child a cell phone, iPad, eReader, or laptop is completely up to them. However, whether or not that will be a primary tool within our classrooms is left up to us as educators. It all depends on how the technology is integrated. Are we using technology just to satisfy the requirements of the state or are we using them to actually enhance learning?

Should Schools Ban Junk Food?

We hear students say “Junk food tastes good”, “Junk food has sugar and this helps us get energy”, “Junk food helps me stay awake”, and “We should have the right to choose what to eat”.

Parents send lunch money with their children thinking their children are eating lunch.

I believe schools should provide only well balanced meals and healthy choices. The lunch menu should include proteins, vegetables, fruits, carbohydrates, and grain. Obesity in children is increasing in the Unites States. Our children are less active and spend more time playing electronic games. I have heard students saying that the do not like the taste of water. Water is an essential element for their growing bodies.

On Scholastic, Richard Codey, Acting Governor of New Jersey, mentions that sixty million adults are obese in America. He states that children spend most of their time in school, and it is where the foundation of healthy habits are laid. He announced that New Jersey is the first state to adopt a comprehensive school nutrition policy that bans candy, soda, and other junk food.

 I agree that some people believe potato chips and pizza are junk food while others do not. I also agree that we want to teach our children how to make good choices on their own. But I also agree that their health is a concern and should be every mother’s priority. Unfortunately, I have seen toddlers drink soda. I saw a third grade student have a bag of chips, a twix bar, and juice for lunch.

This is why I believe the school, the teacher, the parent, and the student should work together to help our students stay healthy and be active.

So the question is “Should Schools Ban Junk Food?”

Constructed Response Tasks vs. Selected Response Tasks in Mathematics

 In Selected Response Assessment Tasks, the answer is visible and the student needs only to recognize it. This includes items such as multiple choice, matching, and true/false questions. Many standardized tests are based heavily on selected response items. Some students can depend on guessing. These type of items can easily be scored but take longer time in preparing the items. The selected response item might cover a broader range of curriculum in a shorter time.

In Constructed Response Assessment Tasks, the answer is not visible and students must recall the answer. This includes short answer items and essay items. These type of items take longer time to answer than selected response items. The constructed response items allows students to demonstrate complete understanding and it motivates students to learn in a way that stresses organization of information.

Since both have advantages and disadvantages, which type is better?

There is no consistent advantage of one over the other. Better items are items that provide direct measure of the intended learning outcome. It takes a lot of practice to develop good assessments items.

In a mathematics classroom, the selected response tasks may measure high cognitive demands. Teachers can construct items that require students to show some work to get to the correct answer.

Grading the constructed response items is harder than grading the selected response items. The selected response items is either a correct or incorrect answer. On the other hand, the constructed responses can vary from one student to another.

In the article “Constructed-Response Test Questions: Why We Use Them; How We Score Them”, Samuel Livingston does a great job explaining the constructed response items. He mentions that there are two basic approaches to the scoring of constructed response items. There is the analytic scoring and the holistic scoring. In both cases, there are guidelines set in a rubric. In the analytic response, the rubric lists the specific features of the responses and the specific points assigned to each feature. In the holistic scoring approach, the scorer reads the entire response and makes a single judgment of the quality of the response.
Some mathematics teachers assign a grade to each step of a problem. For example, a problem might be worth 5 points. Two points for writing the equation, two points for the solving strategy, and one point for the correct answer. Other mathematics teachers might use the holistic scoring by judging the response on the last step which is the answer. Although some students might write the equation correctly, use the accurate strategy of problem solving, but at the end have a simple mathematical error when finding the final answer. Either the student gets the entire grade assigned for the correct answer or gets zero points because the answer is wrong. In mathematics, I believe that a good assessment task will include a variety of selected response items and some constructed response items. I also believe that the holistic scoring approach, in mathematics, is unfair to students.

E-Books or College Textbooks?

          At the start of the new semester, all college students are waiting with baited breath to see how much money they are going to waste... I mean spend on college textbooks.  Are these even worth buying? Will I read these books ever?  I wonder how heavy it will be if I have to carry all of my textbooks around with me.  Have no fear college students!  The world is evolving into a very technological world.  Now students have the chance to purchase books right off the internet!
          The Amazon Kindle could be what all of the college students are looking for!  A very light weight techno-heavy product that lets you load hundreds of books onto one little tablet.  How great is that?  Being able to carry hundreds of pounds of books in a simple tablet sounds ideal.  As a member of the Amazon Kindle community, I can say that E-Books are the new way to go.  If you feel that you are going to use your college textbooks or even if you feel you aren't going to use them, Amazon allows you to purchase those same expensive textbooks for pocket change.  You are able to rent and buy textbooks straight from your Kindle alone.  One of the best things about the Kindle is that you can download the application on any Android or Apple product.  You are able to get all of your Kindle books straight to your computer or iPhone.  Seeing as most people have an addiction to their phone already, students can study and prepare for their upcoming tests while on their phone!
          Kindles are a great addition to any classroom as well.  They are on the higher end of a budget, but students are able to read any book that has been purchased under the same email.  Its nearly impossible to lose a book unless you lose your kindle all together.  Kindle books are downloaded within seconds of being purchased.  No more having to wait days for a book to come in the mail!  There is also no pesky shipping costs.  All shipping is free.  You can also return a Kindle book if necessary.  No more carrying around heavy books or physically flipping through pages.  Students can highlight and annotate straight from the Kindle itself!  Students can also see what other people have highlighted and noted throughout the book as long as they are connected through the internet.
          I love my Kindle.  I am able to read my book straight from my computer, my Kindle, or my phone at anytime.  I severely dislike reading, but for me, reading is fun on my Kindle.  I have no pressure to finish the chapter or feel how much of the book I have left.
In conclusion, unless you would like to waste your hard earned money (or your parent's hard earned money), purchase a kindle and buy cheap books from there!

Flipped Classroom

My understanding of a flipped classroom is that students go home and watch tutorials, read textbooks, and study topics outside of the classroom and then do what we essentially know as "homework" inside of the classroom. One of the benefits of this approach is that students get to ask for help with the specific things they need help with. They learn everything they can on their own and anything they don't understand and can't grasp by themselves they can then go into class and ask direct and specific questions. To where as in a classroom when being introduced to a topic you might not be able to address specific issues as easily. Another benefit would be that because the teacher is there for the "independent" practice said teacher can see which part of applying the knowledge students are getting hung up on. The last benefit I could think of at this moment is this approach helps with the different learning speed of students. For those fast learners, and those who can be more independent with their learner can go home and get a good understanding of a topic, do the work in class and wont be held back by those who might need a little bit more time to go over a topic when they are being introduced to something. Students who need a little bit more time seeing something before they get a full understanding now have more access to the teacher for a longer amount of time. I say this because the teacher would spend less time introducing the topic since they have already seen it, they can (like I've said previously) focus on exactly what they are having trouble with.

I feel like for this specific class this approach could be beneficial. If we were required to go home and look at something (website, program, or whatever) and get to know some of its features before going into class Prof. Brunvard would have more time to focus on certain aspects he wants to point out and it allows us to view more features because we could all share the different things we saw with the technology. This could also provide opportunity for more points. There could be assignments much like the weekly reading assignments where we either have to do/create something with the technology and turn it in (i.e. create a test on Edmodo, create a QR scan for something, write about some of the features of an iPad) or do in class. Also, like it was mentioned in class, this could give us more time to work on projects in class. Another thing someone mentioned in class is experiencing these technologies as a student is beneficial and it is, and its very important, but this way we could explore these technologies as an instructor outside of the classroom and as a student inside of the classroom. I loveeeeeee the way the class is executed now so I'm not saying we should trash the system and flip everything,  just thinking of the benefits of a different approach.

The Good, the Bad, and Technology

Although technology can open students’ minds, challenge them, and enlighten their educational experience, children nowadays tend to use technology as a crutch. In former generations, students had to go to the library to conduct research and utilize print materials to complete essays and research papers. There were cliff notes, but they were not as easily accessible to readers as Spark Notes. Learners in former decades had to dedicate more time to the completion of assignments and in their preparation for exams. Students in our current generation have the power to look up anything online and almost obtain an immediate answer. They do not necessarily have to use their minds to complete required assignments. This is a concern I have about teaching. As educators, we have a passion to teach and help students master our content area. We do not want them to get an A in our class merely because we did not make the subject challenging enough and they were able to find the answers online. We want our students to actually learn. Although we can detect for plagiarism, we cannot detect the origin of their thoughts and ideas.

When we think of all of the benefits of technology, we consider the downfalls to be the distraction of Facebook, Twitter, and other social media websites that get in the way of students learning and paying close attention to our lessons. We see the positives of social media in relation to student learning, but we believe the biggest disadvantage of using technology in the classroom is the distraction it creates for students. We feel concerned as to whether or not students are preoccupied with their electronic devices or actually paying attention to the lesson. Until now, I hadn’t thought about all of the work a Google search engine can do for students. As educators, we need to incorporate technology into our classroom lessons, but we need to do so in a way that reinforces students to learn, not make it possible for them to find all of the answers online. 

The internet has not only transformed education, but it has changed the world in which we live. I can’t help but have this internal debate with myself, is it for the better or worse? Even the way in which people meet and form relationships these days are because of the cyber world. Tinder, Match.com, Plenty of Fish; social dating sites familiar to us all now parade the halls of our modern social blueprint. It's a painless, easily accessible, free way to connect with others that now dominates the way we interact with the world and most importantly, each other. I am burdened and also blessed with the reality of being born in the wrong era; I have a genuine distrust in technology and I witness the other side of a “computerized app for everything” generation. Although many people have found meaningful connections through the internet, can all connections be created out of the virtual selves we've built with keyboards?

The Power of Crowd-Funding in a Classroom

As future teachers, we often have big plans about what we’ll do in a classroom. We dream about accessibility with iPads, laptops, interactive white boards, all sorts of wonderful things to have in a classroom. But those things cost money and a school can’t afford to have those things most of the time. So, you might ask yourself, “Where can I get the money to pay for these nice things for my students?” One answer that a few of my teachers used in high school was DonorsChoose. Donors Choose helped fund many things in my high school, from a DSLR camera for the Yearbook to a books in an English class. It’s a good way for teachers to get the resources that they need with the help of others.

Yes, others. Did you expect the money to come out of thin air? It sounds too good to be true, but you need to rely on other people to chip in to help you out. It’s powered by generosity and the willingness to help the future. How does Donors Choose work? You can create a Project page, specifying details about what you need, how many, the total cost, and what you’ll be using the materials for. Once that’s set up, people around the world can help fund your project. Once your project is fully funded, the materials will be ordered and sent to you. Man, doesn’t that sound amazing? The hardest step though, is getting people to fund your project. 

How can you get people to fund your project? One method I saw frequently was sharing it. Post it on Facebook and hope your Facebook friends will help you out. I’m Facebook friends with a few of my former teachers and I would see a Donors Choose project every now and then. It's an alternative way to get funding in your classroom, so it's a great resource to keep in mind if you're working in an environment without funding. If you're feeling generous, go through the website and see if there are any projects that catch your eye, maybe donate if you can. You can help the future out.