Audible

I got to use audible for the first time ever this semester. I have heard about audible in many many places. From the spotify and pandora commercials, to youtube people talking about using it. I'm not a fan of reading whatsoever and it honestly takes me months to finish reading a simple chapter book. Not because I am not capable of reading but because I am lazy at reading. In this particular essay we had to pick out a short book to read about the scientist we chose. I knew it would take me a pretty good amount of time to read a book so I decided to listen to a book. 

Audible actually gives you the option of signing up and trying your first book for free. However Amazon gives you two free trial books! Which is what I chose incase the first book did not give me the information I needed. The book was a little over 2 hours long, but it was much quicker to listen to it than it would have been for me to read the book. It was also helpful because I could take notes as the book was being read to me. It allows you to rewind if you need to or even make the reading pace super slow, super fast or normal. 

Even though I would not use audible for all my school work, in this particular case it really helped me out. Audible would also be a really good use for students to download the book to listen to and then have the physical book right in front of them. This could help them learn to follow along, pronounce better, and even comprehend better as well. 

Let's Make A Movie

     Learning a new language is a hard goal to undertake. Most of us start learning when we're in middle school or high school when it is the easiest, supposedly, to learn. Of course, there are a limited number of ways to teach a foreign language to students. Most of the lessons involve speaking sentences, learning vocabulary, practicing spelling, and reading the language. Practical use if often limited to oral exams with the teacher or speaking to other students from a set lists. The problem is not lack of practice, rather it is the lack of real world practice with actual speakers of your language.

     A great lesson idea to help combat this problem is a lesson one of the Spanish teachers at my high school used with her advanced students. In the Spanish II class, the teacher had the students create a short film or video all in Spanish. The students had to create a video only speaking Spanish, have a story that made sense, and create an actual DVD cover promoting the film they created. Most of the filming was done outside of class, after school, or off campus. The students were responsibly for getting the project finished and using the language in an appropriate way that also made sense. They must first write out a script have the teacher make sure everything is correct before the students are allowed to start filming.

     This type of project takes a big time commitment not only from the students, but also from the teacher. There will be a few mistakes, but the overall work of the project is a way to really let the students show off their knowledge and skill with the language in an unconventional way. This also tests their classmates because they should be able to understand almost all the words and are able to follow the plot line of the movies. I saw a few of the films when I was in Spanish I, so they did not make much sense at the time. What they did for us though, was to get us excited about learning the language and moving onto Spanish II. A good lesson, whether using technology or not, should get the students excited about learning and hold their interest.

Heads Up!

   This past week I was watching the Ellen show and she had her guests playing a game called Heads Up!. This app which was created by Ellen DeGeneres, is a twist on the game of charades. All you have to do is pick a category, then hold the device up facing outwards and then guess the words/objects/names that appear on the screen based on hints from friends. The app itself only costs $.99 and there are a lot of categories already available with the initial download. Also, within the app there are more categories available including customizable decks which can be purchased for $.99. This app is available for download in both the iTunes and Google Play Store.

  You may be wondering, what does this fun app have to do with education? Since customizable "decks" or categories can be purchased, teachers can easily integrate Heads Up! into their vocabulary lessons. Teachers can create their own custom and editable deck to add and delete any words they want to use. A teacher could add in the vocab words for their class then using classroom iPads or similar devices, all students could review in a more hands on and entertaining way. By using Heads Up! as a way to review vocabulary students are up and moving, having fun while still learning, and are more engaged with the vocab. Especially in younger grade levels, motions are used to go with words they are learning to help with student's memory of the words. Since Heads Up! is all about using motions and verbal hints to help guess a word, this really reiterates that skill.

   While I do not see the Heads Up! app being the primary source for teaching vocabulary words, or introducing new ones since student's would need prior knowledge to act them out, I do see it being very beneficial as a means of review as well as practice. This is a way to get students learning without it feeling like learning. Overall, Heads Up! could be a simple way to not only integrate some technology in the classroom, but also get students to have fun with the content they are learning.

Game On!

History Line is a cool collaboration game that focuses on United States history.  It was created by Todd Bowden and the application can be used on an iPad.  The application History Line gives you an option to play the game through single or a multiplayer mode.  For the multiplayer mode, up to six students can play in a single group.  The goal of History Line is to place the correct events in sequence.  To start, the group leader has to start a group and invite their classmates through an invitation feature via bluetooth.  

A series of historical events appear on the players screens.  The timeline then stretches and each player has the responsibility of focusing on one portion of the timeline.  The players have to decide if the events belong on their portion of the timeline or need to be sent to another player.  If an event does not belong on their portion of the timeline an event can be “pushed off” and appear on another players screen.  When an event is correctly placed on the timeline, a date appears at the bottom.  On the other hand, if an event is placed incorrectly on the timeline, then no date appears at the bottom. 

Finally, for any game, History Line offers a support services feature for both educators and students.  The support services feature is where students and educators can get help on how to use the application, play the game, or report any bugs in the application.  This is a great application for history teachers to get their students to relax after taking an exam and play a fun educational game!

A New Way of Viewing Primary Sources

Have you ever wanted to further your students curiosity with primary sources instead of them staring at a boring database? Well, Today’s Document can do just that!  Today’s Document is an application that displays a significant historical document that was created on that day in history.  It was created by the National Archives and Records Administration and was designed for iPhone and iPad.  With Today’s Document, you can learn what happened on your birthday, search documents via keyword, or browse for your own curiosity.  Some of the significant documents that you can view on Today’s Document include President John Fitzgerald Kennedy’s Inaugural Address, the Declaration of Independence, and even the Emancipation Proclamation. 

When viewing a specific primary source, you can pinch to zoom and examine individual documents and photos.  On the application Today’s Document, you can tap the calendar icon to select a specific date or browse at random.  There is even an information icon to read background information on the document itself including who created it and why it was created.  If there is a specific document you like on the application, you can add it to a favorites list by tapping a star icon.  Finally, Today’s Document even has a feature where you can share your favorite documents on social media.  This would further the curiosity of other individuals who have a fascination for what happened historically on their birthday or any other significant event in their life.  Today’s Document is a great application to further your students curiosity about primary sources.  I would highly recommend this application for any history teacher who wants to introduce primary sources to their students!  

Up Close and Personal

Have you ever wanted to get so close to a painting that you can see the cracks in the paint? Then Google Art Project is where you want to be.

Google Art Project is an amazing website to visit, especially if you want to see works of art in a way that you would never be able to do in person. This website allows you to zoom in so close a piece of artwork that you can actually see brush strokes and layers paint that the artist used when creating the piece of art. 

 Google Art project is also a cool way to introduce famous works of art to a younger audience, before venturing out to the art museum. It allows the student to be able to see some of the art that they will not be able to get close to due to the paintings being roped off. They are also able to look at artifacts that have been unearthed, and see sculptures up close. You can also use the website to introduce different styles of paintings, the different media used and how the type of media used can affect the way a painting may come out. Such as oil on canvas or Acrylic on wood. I think that can be an amazing teaching tool for people of all ages. Check out the link below and explore the wonderful world of art through a new perspective.

https://www.google.com/culturalinstitute/project/art-project

 http://www.dia.org/object-info/662cf867-c9e6-4f6b-9281-8b5ca7dd6c72.aspx?position=5

Teachers Pay Teachers

 

   As teachers, we will spend hours and hours perfecting lessons and activities for our classes. Why not make some extra money for all of that hard work? Or better yet, why not find affordable alternatives to spending hours on one lesson plan? Teachers Pay Teachers (TpT) is a community that makes both of those options possible.

   TpT is an open marketplace that allows for teachers to sell and purchase educational resources. This marketplace helps teachers find things to expand their lessons or get inspiration for new ones. On TpT there are various categories and subject areas to choose from. Under each category a teacher can find things like lesson plans, classroom handouts, activities, packets, crafts, and even whole unit plans. These all are available for prices ranging from free to about $25 depending on how much is included and how complex the lesson/activity is.

   Teachers can then make their own free account and sell lesson plans, classroom decor, unit projects, etc. to other teachers nationwide. That's the coolest part, all of these resources are made by teachers for teachers. This way teachers can think outside of the box and introduce new and intriguing lessons to their class. There are resources for every subject area and grade level so any teacher can use TpT and be satisfied. I also really like that there are over 100,000 free resources available to teachers who may not have it within their school budget to spend on these types of things. This could also be a really great website for beginning teachers who need to stock up their classroom, find lesson plans, and teach units for the first time. 

   

   Overall this website is for teacher use, but as teachers get lessons and activities from TpT and use them in their classrooms, they are exposing their students to different types of learning and lesson plans that maybe their teacher would not have originally thought of or had the materials to implement. TpT brings teachers together and aids in the sharing of ideas to help better education and create meaningful lessons for students. 

  

Sushi Monster: Math in a Flash

As the worlds of technology and education converge and become increasingly intertwined, it is very easy to find tools and apps and implement them into our traditional lesson plans for the day, one of which is called SushiMonster, an app that can be downloaded on all Apple devices like iPads. This app is meant to be used in a mathematics class, geared more towards all grades throughout elementary, from K-5. This app helps in teaching kids their basic addition and times tables. The app creatively has a so-called "sushi monster" and several different plates of sushi with numerical values on them. The game will generate an addition or multiplication problem and the goal is to have students choose the correct plate or plates to give the correct answer to the problem.

Pros:

• The colors and animation ignite the student's attention and give them something visually stimulating to look at while still learning math.
• Students have the opportunity to advance at their own pace rather than waiting on the entire class to catch up to the same place. 

Cons:

• Music is played in the background while students are playing the game. It would be recommended to either have the students mute their iPad or use headphones.
• The app only caters to addition and multiplication functions; if other basic functions like subtraction and division were included, this would be a well-rounded app. 

A link to a review of the app from the iTunes App Store is available below:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sushi-monster/id512651258?mt=8

Nearpod: Create, Engage, & Assess through Mobile Devices

One of the newest technologies that I was introduced to in my class was a website called Nearpod. This website is quite unique and unlike any other website that I have seen or used before. Nearpod is an interface that allows teachers to create interactive and engaging lesson plans and presentations for their classes that can be accessed on mobile devices like iPads or mobile phones. A teacher can easily create a presentation in a few simple steps: First, a teacher can choose to create or download a pre-existing presentation available on the Nearpod website. Second, after customizing their lesson plan to fit their liking, they can share the lesson with their students and have control over while being used. While using the lesson, the teacher can monitor a student's responses and activity in real time through the mobile devices being used, either through a smartphone, iPad, or PC. What's great about Nearpod is that teachers can also include assessments throughout a lesson to check for understanding and determine who is falling behind in real time. That's what makes Nearpod so amazing, being able to track and help students in real time, unlike traditional lessons and presentations where the teacher has no clue as to who is struggling or failing to understand.

A link to Nearpod is listed below. You can easily contact a member for help and tour the site. You can also explore available presentations to see if Nearpod is something you would like to use in your classroom.

http://www.nearpod.com/index2.php

Use of iPads in the Classroom

Apple has had several great inventions since the start of the 2000's, many of which people in the United States have, or had, at least one Apple product in the last fifteen years. The added technology has made our lives easier; but, could it make the day to day life of teachers easier? The rise in schools purchasing Apple tech is a clear cut indication of how effective the tech can be in the classroom setting. With access to the App Store, the possibilities for application use to engage and enhance students is truly limitless. Want to work with students on calculus? There's an app for that. Need students to create podcasts? There's an app for that. Students need to get better at their geographical locations? There's an app for that. Want students to take a pop quiz every day? There's an app for that.

One red flag that comes up is students messing around on the devices, doing whatever they'd like while there is work to be done. With the ability to block what students are able to do within the device, teachers don't have to worry as much that students will use the devices for randomness when lessons are being taught. Another interesting aspect is the prospect of eliminating day-to-day paper handouts for class. Just by looking at the numbers of paper schools will save is a reason enough to purchase the devices! Under a rough estimate if a teacher hands one sheet of paper a day, that is 180 sheets over the course of the year, per student in one class! Having the operational features of the iPad allows teachers to use tools like Google Collaboration to have on going class agendas during lecture. The use of iPad in the classroom creates limitless options for enhanced learning.

Google Docs

Google Docs is very helpful for students and teachers. Students and teachers are able to organize their work and presentation in one easy step. Google Docs saves all documents such as PowerPoint and essays. Students are able to save their work on Google Docs without the need to use a USB. All the files that students and teachers are working on are saved and organized. Google Docs is perfect for group activity because students are able to edit each other work in one document. The teacher could edit and comment on students work.  Teachers could use Google Docs for all subject areas. Students are able to share their work with anyone they want. They could send their essays and teachers are able to edit their work on Google docs. Google docs makes group project easier for students because they could edit each other work.

https://www.google.com/docs/about/

edutech4teachers

Edutech for teachers is a blog by Jamie Forshey, an instructional technology specialist, and she uses her blog to help other teachers integrate technology into their lessons. He most recent post are found on the side of the page and she even has a link to her public Diigo library that she updates weekly with new educational websites dealing with technology.  Her blog posts vary from different subjects all pertaining to technology and that discussed subject.  For example one post contains a link to a plot generator. A free website used to generate different plots for stories and essays. She explains how to use the technology and the benefits and features you can gain from using it. She also has a” digital footprint” tab which takes you to all the other social media you can find her linked to.

Son of Citation Machine

http://www.citationmachine.net/

Son of Citation has been a website I have used throughout my high school career. It has been helpful when trying to write essays and college papers. Son of Citation is a website who helps students cite information used in essays. The website has the student choose from many different styles of writing including: MLA, APA, Chicago, and more. After choosing the style of writing, Son of Citation allows the student to choose from a variety of citations they already have on their website and it varies from books, magazines, newspapers, websites, journals and even films.

This particular website also allows you to create your own citations by filling in the information of your book onto the "Generate Citation" part of the website. Son of Citation also allows you to create APA title pages, checking your essay for plagiarism and includes a variety of writing sources. The writing sources on Son of Citation includes the ultimate guide to writing essays in APA, MLA, and Chicago style format. These guides include a variety of examples, tips, and overviews. One thing I do not like about this website is that the plagiarism part of the website has a cost to it, you must be a registered user and a choose a plan starting from $9.99 up to $49.99. This website comes in handy in an educational environment especially when all these new styles are being introduced to high school students.

A Better Way to Learn?

                             A better way to learn?

                               http://www.studysync.com/


                         What is Study Sync and why is it important? For starters, Study Sync is a website that engages students that are already familiar with technology, a better experience with real-world topics and reading material. This site gives students the ability to read books, write papers, watch tv episodes, and learn to use resource tools. Most kids are already into technology and looking online for everything they do. What's a better way to combine learning, reading, and keeping up with the real-world better than Study Sync? I believe that having all the latest updates on new books, including text books, helps give the children the correct way of learning. Study Sync also offers lesson plans with Core standards that schools are recommending now. This website is not only useful for students, but also helps teachers with a strong management tool. Students will learn a lot from this resource.

All About Maps

While searching for some iPad applications for our in class challenge, I came across a really neat application called History: Maps of World which was created by Seungbin Cho.  The application can be acquired through iTunes or the App Store.  History: Maps of World is free, but there are some in-application purchases.  One in-app purchase in particular is a remove advertisement feature, which could be useful for those who do not want advertisements popping up all over the place when a student is trying to view the application.  Also, in terms of compatibility, History: Maps of World requires that users with Apple products like the iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch need to have software that is the 5.0 version or better. 

The History: Maps of World application can be very useful when teaching history or geography to students of various grade levels.  Students can simply explore the world through interactive maps that illustrate the numerous geopolitical shifts that occurred through time.  There is even a feature where students can examine the historical significance of each geopolitical shift through text or various multimedia.  

The application History: Maps of World provides at least one hundred seventy-eight global maps.  These maps are grouped by their category and era.  For example, if you want to view a map of eighteenth century Colonial America, you would simply locate the category “North America” using the search bar that is featured on the application and then the era “eighteenth century” to find this particular map.  

Since the application was created in 2008, History: Maps of World has gone through various updates.  In the new 4.0 version of the application, students can view a completely new user interface, favorite maps, send a map through email, print off a map, compare historical and present day maps, and synchronize your user preferences through iCloud.  This is a really great application to use for anyone wanting to teach social studies for any grade level. I would highly recommend this to any social studies teacher! 

Google Docs

Google Docs is something that I heard of but never used once in my life. Until this class i never used Google Docs, I was a Windows girl and that's all I really used. Now since this class I have started using Google Docs and I've come to realize that it is a very good tool and I really like using it. I like the fact that I can share the document with anybody I want and I can also give then the option of editing on my document. Another thing that I like about Google Docs is that it is free, with Windows you have to buy the whole package which can cost up to a 100 dollars or more and you have to continue to update and renew it. With Google Docs though all you have to do is make an account and you can use it and many other tools that Google offers. Another aspect I like about Google Docs is that it makes group projects for school a lot easier. You can share one document with your whole group and every single person can add to it, it is a little weird when your working on it and you can see someone else typing their part. I think that I will be using Google Docs more often because as long as I have my google account I can always have my papers and assignments because they automatically get saved to your account, you don't have to worry about your computer crashing and losing all your work, it stays right there.

Online Math Homework

     Online math homework was something I was only really introduced to in college. While we may have gone down to the computer lab once in a while in high school, that was rare. Coming into college, 99% of my experience with technology came in the form of written in a notebook with a calculator and that was all the technology we had. My senior year, there was a smart board that was used, but functioned more for taking notes off of and we rarely got to use it.

     After working with math homework online and with a software program, I can honestly say I hate it. Besides getting used to plugging math equations and answers in online, there is no benefit to learning this way. The only, perhaps, excuse for doing this is to incorporate technology more into the classrooms, but few students did well on the assignments and it was quickly dropped.

     Math is one of those subjects where putting technology in the classroom to work on such material is rarely helpful for the students in the long run. Maybe using  a smart board as a notebook to work out examples for the whole class to see or if there is software which can show complex equations, but having students work it out by themselves on some website will not help them. All it does is added unwanted stress for the students who, if they make on mistake, get the question wrong and are unable to ask the teacher for assistance. Yes, having the students learn on their own is important, but having it be online is not the answer. Math homework online does little to further the educational process.

Just Pin It!

    With all of us being prospective teachers, it is important to have a few tricks up our sleeves. Pinterest is one of these simple "tricks". Pinterest is a social network that allows a user to create an account where they can discover new ideas, images, lists, etc. and also share their own. It is a "virtual scrapbook" of sorts where a teacher could create different boards for different subject areas, or for different things related to the classroom such as decor or activity ideas. Pinterest is available on almost any device including but not limited to, iPads, iPhones, laptops, and Chromebooks. On computers there is no app, it is just a website. On mobile devices Pinterest is a free app, and on both platforms the account is free.
   
     Pinterest used to be an app that I thought only crafty soccer moms had used, but more recently I am learning of the many benefits it provides to teachers. With a Pinterest account teachers can find thousands of new ideas for their classrooms by simply typing in a keyword of what they are looking for. Once a teacher finds something they want to save, all they do is "pin" it to one of their boards and it is there to access anytime. Teachers can also use Pinterest to share their own ideas with others and get ideas for future projects.

    On Pinterest the content available is never ending. If I were to detail everything that can be found on Pinterest, this blog post would be at least several pages. Teachers can easily find ideas for lessons for any grade or subject area. Teachers also use Pinterest to share templates for lessons, field trip ideas, or lists of useful educational websites or YouTube channels they have found. They can even find boards focused on classroom set-up/decor or outfit ideas to be comfortable all day in a classroom setting.

   If you are ever feeling uninspired for lesson ideas, classroom activities, or new ways to use technology in the classroom, look no further than Pinterest! The picture below is an example of one possible way a teacher may set up their boards.

   

Using Apps in Educational Settings

As the Digital Age of today progresses, traditional lessons in the classroom are evolving into student-personalized digital lessons. There are multiple ways in which technology can enhance whole group instruction, independent practice, and reflection.

Whole Group Instruction

In whole group instruction, teachers traditionally stand in front of the class and lecture to the whole class at the same time. However, an app for Android and iPad/iPhone users called Nearpod, allows teachers to teach students in a personalized way. Nearpod allows teachers to deliver their lessons through phones, tablets, or computers. The teachers can include quizzes, polls, and short answer questions within their lessons. This app allows teachers to get immediate feedback from students while they view their lessons.

Independent Practice

Independent practice can be helpful using screencasts, which are short video lessons that teachers have created. Students have a greater control over their learning because they can rewind, forward, or replay lessons. Educreations, a free iPad app, allows teachers to put their screencasts on the app for the students to view.

Reflection

Many teachers assign students with assignments that require them to reflect what they learned in class. A way to present a reflection can be through videos. See-saw, an app on iTunes and Google Play, lets students create videos and upload it onto the app. The students can create a digital portfolio, which the teacher and other students can view. The class can also comment or like each other’s work.

Source:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/apps-transform-teaching-personalize-learning-ann-feldmann

Google Classroom

Google classroom is only available through your Google account. Teachers and students could enroll by creating an online class. Teachers and students could easily select people they want in their online classroom. Another way teachers and students could invite other  people by giving out a code.  Google classroom lets you select your own theme that goes along with what your teaching about. Google classroom keeps all teachers organized by saving let's of time.   Teachers could grade assignments or review at the same time. Teachers could add class discussions for students that have hard time speaking in class. This lets all students participate in all discussions that the teacher is providing. Teachers could let students use Google Classroom as an assignment that's helps  understand the types of work teachers are doing. Students could choose a topic they want to teach on Google Classroom and presenting their work to the classroom. Teachers could assign groups since Google  Classroom  does contains lots of features. Students could also learn different techniques that  Google Classroom offers. This assignment would help students improve their creativity by coming up with different learning activities.   

https://classroom.google.com/welcome


 

Does Technology Boost Confidence in the Classroom?

Using Technology to Boost Confidence

In the video above, a teacher claims that technology has boost the confidence of the classroom dramatically. She specifically uses Google Hangouts, a unified communications service that allows members to initiate and participate in text, voice or video chats, either one-on-one or in a group. However, it is at this point that the teacher in the video seems to get off topic. Instead of discussing confidence she starts discussing technology as a communication tool. She then gives an example that she uses Google Hangouts as a setting for study groups. Many of her students in the class room may seem anxious to speak up in the class room, however, during the Google Hangouts sessions her students would become more outgoing and would be more willing to participate. This could also be a result of Google Hangouts allowing the teacher to communicate with students in smaller, more personal study sessions. Thus, the confidence gained during the online learning sessions translated into the class room. However, at the end of the video I was not completely convinced; I found myself asking if it is the technology that boosts confidence or if it is something else. When considering the technology we have learned in class such as blogging, pod casting, and online learning all have a strong emphasis on communication. Thus, it is not the technology that boosts confidence in the classroom, but communication that boosts confidence.

The Stock Market Game

Recently, I came across an economics game for secondary students.  The game is called the Stock Market Game.  The Stock Market Game is an online based simulation of the global markets, it engages students in the complex world of economics and finance.  The goal of this game is to help students not only understand the complex world of economics and finance, but also prepare students to live an independent financial future.  

The Stock Market Game was developed by the SIFMA Foundation and their main goal is to help people of diverse backgrounds gain and acquire knowledge of the financial markets.  These programs that the SIMFA Foundation provides typically supports educators who teach secondary education. Like the Stock Market Game, the SIFMA Foundation provides programs and tools to engage young people in educating them about the global economic system. 

There are some proven benefits for students who have utilized this game in the past.  One major benefit is that students who have used the Stock Market Game have realized an increase in test scores regarding topics in economics and finance than their peers who never used the program. Educators have also experienced a major change in their students overall motivation to study economics and finance compared to students who never played the game.  The program even provides teachers easy access to lessons.  

Even though, this is typically used for an economics or finance class, the Stock Market Game has been known to be used for language arts and mathematics classes! This is a great versatile program for any educator who wants to engage their students in learning about the complex financial world!

The Teaching Channel

Teaching is much more complicated than it looks and having websites such as the Teaching Channel helps take off some of the pressure of teaching. It connects teachers together and gives them the opportunity to learn from each other.  The Website is free for anyone to use. It also has Teaching Channel Teams which is a private professional learning platform for specific districts, subjects and classrooms. For example all the 3^rd grade teachers in one district can collaborate and share Ideas with each other. There is even an app to make it easier for teachers to share what their students are learning and collaborate within their teaching channel teams. They even have an award-winning library of videos offered to teachers. Teaching Channel offers a Q&A where teachers can ask a range of questions to other teachers. If there is a lesson plan you would like to try you can save it to your workspace which is like your dashboard and you can set an email reminder of when you would like to use the lesson. When you fill out the information part (ex: what grades you teach) you will get alerts about videos relating to your information. If you download the “save to Tch” tool on to your toolbar you can save any link from other website onto your teaching channel workspace.

Storybird

As an upcoming teacher I have learned how important reading and writing can be for young children. These are skills that will be used daily later in their lives. The earlier students master these concepts, the better off they will be. I have found a website that inspire students to write better and read often. This website is called Storybird. Storybird is a website that anyone can sign up, for free. Storybird is website where students can create stories. They can add text and then add graphics or pictures. They can also search and read many different types of stories. Once you make an account you can comment on books if you have any questions or statements about the read.

Storybird can be used in or out of the classroom. Educators can use Storybird to create assignments and have students read and write. It can also be used outside of the classroom to publish stories or document journals or memories. Storybird is also a place where writers and artists can not only publish, but sell their work as well.

Once a Storybird account is created it can be used for multiple people in a family. Parents and Teachers can also create libraries for the children. This helps parents monitor what their children are reading. This helps teachers as well, this saves students time searching for the right reading material. Overall, Storybird is a very useful and beneficial tool that can be used by any age group.
http://storybird.com/

Get Your Class Moving with GoNoodle

  As an early childhood major I am very interested in how my future classroom will flow. As most of you know from personal experience, students tend to get a little groggy and squirmy as the day goes on. What's the best way to get all of the jitters out? GoNoodle! GoNoodle is both a YouTube channel and a website. Either one can be used to get your class engaged and moving.
 
  The YouTube channel offers over 30 videos that are aimed at getting the class moving. These range from zumba dances, indoor recess dance activities, and videos that teach various silly dance moves for kids. Other videos offered are also more "cool down" videos. These can be used to calm a class down or help them get in focus before a test. The calming videos also include some that have important life lessons, such as letting go of bad memories, or being a team player. All a teacher has to do is go onto YouTube and search GoNoodle and all of these videos are right at their fingertips!

  Another really cool way to use GoNoodle is to make a free account. With an account a teacher creates a classroom and picks a "champ" as the class uses GoNoodle more and more, the champ grows. This is a fun incentive to get students motivated about GoNoodle. Also with an account, even more videos, dances, exercises and more are available. There are also interactive games and videos under "kinesthetic learning" that mix both learning and physical movement. Aside from all of the categories to choose from with an account, a teacher can also visit different channels within GoNoodle. These channels include the Koo Koo Kangaroo channel, KidzBop, and indoor recess. If you ever find your students needing to release some energy and get the whole class engaged look no further than GoNoodle!
Everything you need to know about GoNoodle

Flipped Classrooms: Must or Bust?

After learning about flipped classrooms in my Technology in Education class, I was curious as to what students thought about this new method of  running a classroom, and what students liked about this method if they were in a flipped classroom. Before this class, I had never heard of a flipped classroom before or experienced what it was like. This method of holding a class is completely different from what a traditional classroom setting is like. In a flipped classroom, students do not receive direct instruction from the teacher or instructor during the class period. Rather, students go home and either watch a video or complete an activity related to the content being taught, and come to class to complete homework and ask the teacher questions about the topic. This method of teaching requires students to take on a position of responsibility and independence for their learning and changes the role of a teacher from an instructor to a facilitator of knowledge.

Here is a link to a video in which students are asked why they like or do not like a flipped classroom:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FQOPzecOSpE

From watching this video one can determine that most of the testimonies are positive and that the students quite enjoy their experience in this type of classroom. Most of them claim that they like not having to do homework at home and would much rather just watch a video instead. I would see this method working with almost all grade levels as well.

We Leaned It

      

     I found a great website that is tailored to kids. It lets them learn and showcase their work that they have done. It's called WeLearnedIt.com. This website gives the kids all the power over it. Children can create their own profile and put their homework, drawings, interests on their favorite subjects, and have others comment on what they are doing. These students can create projects for classes and share it with their peers, teachers and even the world. With having this website, children can get the positive feedback that they need to enhance their learning, and it also makes them want to get more involved in the subjects that they like. The feedback also helps them learn to accept different points of view starting out at an early age. Kids that use this website can get feedback in numerous ways such as video, text, audio, and even teachers can leave a rubric. These children can also collaborate with others on projects or assignments. Teachers do have a roll on this website in assigning the projects, homework or even different resources that the children can use. The teachers can also check on their students progress and make comments on how the work is being done. I think that this website is perfect for elementary school aged kids. It would be helpful to get the support and help from kids of their own age rather than their parents. The website can be found at http://welearned.it/.com. It will be of great use for teachers, students, and even parents.

Gradelink: The Future of Classrooms

Gradelink is a new online enrollment system (OES) that can be used for educational purposes. This interface is, in my opinion, quite unique because it reminds me of several other LMS's combined into one. Gradelink reminds me of Gradecraft, the LMS that we use in our EDT 211 class because it allows the instructor to submit grades and the student the chance to check their progress. It also reminds me of ClassDojo, an interface that was discussed in class through a tech talk. ClassDojo allows instructors to take attendance and use it as a reward/discipline system.

Gradelink basically combines teachers, students, parents, and administrators onto one interface. Teachers can use it to record attendance, submit and record grades and assignments, and access a student's records. Students and parents can both use it to keep track of their grades and view behavioral marks in school. What's unique about this interface is that the administration of a school is able to take contribute just like teachers would. The administrators of a school, like a principal, is able to use this OES mainly to record a student's behavior or open up files on a student's personal records.

Although Gradelink is unique and can be used for educational reasons, there are some things it lacks in that would make it as useful as something like Gradecraft. Firstly, Gradelink is not free, and pricing is based on the number of students in a school. Secondly, Gradelink does not allow teachers to post assignments on their page and there is no option for students to submit their work, unlike on Gradecraft. Although this OES is claimed to be used for all grade levels and even higher education and college, I feel that it would work best with elementary/middle school students. Older students would not benefit from this and it would not contribute to the 'flipped classroom' experience.

More information and details on Gradelink can be found on their website linked below:
https://gradelink.com/explore-features/

Slideshare.net

So I found a new website when I was actually writing my reading reflections. The website is called slideshare.net, and its what the title suggests. You can go on their and share your PowerPoint presentations, keynote slides, and even your SMART board presentations. The cool thing about this site is that you don't even have to have an account to have to look at the videos and presentations that they have on their. You obviously can make an account if you want, this gives you access to share your slides whenever you want to. Now I know what your probably thinking, we can find that kind of stuff on YouTube, well yes you can but the good thing about this site is that all the presentations on there you know are legit, and you don't have to deal with adds and too many distractions. Its good for teaching because you can upload you lectures and once your students click on one of your lectures they can go to your page and see other things that your have uploaded. They can continue their learning outside of the classroom. I think its a great thing to have and more teachers should be doing it. Giving their students this type of access to their lectures will improve their learning and their grades and all in all classroom community.