Technology and Teaching

Before taking EDM 310, I hadn't really thought much about how I was going to incorporate technology into my classroom.  I have children of elementary school age as well as secondary school age.  I have watched them progress rapidly over the past few years in their own technological education.  Honestly, my nine year old knew how to use Google Docs before I did.  I am now planning on using several different technological tools in my classroom.  I am excited to incorporate technology into my every day teaching regimen.  I think that it is really important for us as educators to stay current and in good understanding of the new technological advances in education.  I plan on creating most of my lesson plans with the SMARTboard.  I think that it in itself is a fabulous tool for both myself and my students.  I also plan on allowing my students to maintain a classroom blog so that they can share what they are learning with family, friends and other classes.  I will be using technology as much as possible in my classroom.

 

Wildcats Project 16 Blog Post

This project was done in collaboration with Megan Schoultz and Tabatha Ghirdlestone

Project 16 Group Blog Post

Using Technology in the Classroom

Using a Project-Based Approach to Learning in the Classroom

pixgood.com/technology-classroom-clipart.html

Using technology in schools is very important.  Students today rely on technology to do a good percentage of their classwork.  In doing this, the classroom is taken beyond four walls.  Teachers can invite other classes from around the world into their own by simply Skyping.  Blogs are also a creative way to incorporate technology in school as well as in the home.  Teachers and students can blog about what they are learning and then parents, friends, and family can read all about it.  I think it is a good way to get parents more involved and active in what is going on in the classroom.

Using technology in the classroom engages students and teachers to expand their search for new ways to create and learn. By using the internet teachers and students are able to broaden their research beyond the books and people that surround them. This also opens up opportunities to project-based learning in the classroom.

Project-based learning in the classroom is a different approach to the normal lecture and reading type of learning. Project-based learning is a fun and interactive way for students to learn and complete assignments. Along the way, students are not just completing assignments, they are learning life skills. Students are allowed to explore and discover new information on a topic by using the internet, create projects, and learn how to apply resources all within project-based learning. Project-based learning allows students to take learning into their own hands.

Blog Post 14

Problem: Professionalizing Teachers
Solution: Academic training, better recruiting or selection of teachers, proper compensation

Problem: Seniority Distraction
Solution: Terminating the least effective, demanding a knowledge base, formal set of peer relations, supervised internships, examinations

Problem: Radical Change
Solution: Merit-based career ladders, teachers board to police the profession, promotions based on specialty exams

I am entering my senior year of college now.  I am really looking forward to fulfilling my dream of being an educator, a teacher!  However, I am nervous about the process.  I have several friends that are already teachers in public and private schools.  I know that for some of them it has been a great struggle to keep their position.  This is not due to their performance or their ability.  Most of them do not have tenure.  I only have a few friends that have received tenure and are not in danger any longer of being pink slipped at the end of the school year.  This frightens me to no end!  I love teaching! I want to teach!  I am going to school to learn all that I can to be a good and efficient teacher. BUT, that is not where this journey ends!  To be a great teacher these days, you have to know the right people, have connections, get great references, not create enemies with parents or students that you have taught in the past....the list goes on.  For today's teachers, you must walk a very fine line.  That line is riddled with rules and expectations.  None of which are actually taught to us in our own educational path to become teachers mind you.  I agree with Albert Shanker in that we need to create a system in which teachers are promoted or not promoted due to their ability not their time.  I am older than most of the students I call my peers here.  I am older than most of my friends that are already teachers.  This does not mean that I know more or that I am more capable of being a teacher.  My point being, just because a teacher has been teaching for more than 5 years, does not mean that they are still effective or even good.  It just means that they have done a good job for who they report to.  I know of a few teachers that are way behind the technological times and they need to be re-educated on these things.  I know of a few teachers that struggle when doing anything remotely technological.  They simply have not had the instruction.  I think that teachers should be required just like doctors and lawyers and even nurses to maintain a certain criteria and a level of excellence.  I think that we should, as educators be responsible for keeping ourselves up to date on current technology as well as methods of instruction.

Blog Post #5 Part 2

Since the beginning of the semester, I have increased my usage of several of my social media pages.  I have become more familiar with Twitter and feel more comfortable using it.  Instead of using Facebook just for personal posts, I have started using it to find topics and pages about current events and other topics.  I think that these are powerful tools for us to utilize.  We can get other people to give their opinions and ideas.  I am using Symbaloo but I have not really gotten into using it as much as I would like.  There are so many tools to use and I am still trying to find time to get used to them all.
There are always going to be new and innovative tools and websites to use for us both personally and in business.  In our cases, education, can be so much more engaging when we use the internet and allow students to explore the wide world via technology.

C4K Pearce H

This young man has some interesting views.

Mrs. Erin Byrd (Guest)

Your comment is awaiting moderation. 

April 26, 2015 at 6:57 PM

I think it is always important to be kind. You can critique someone else’s work without insulting them or hurting their feelings. There is no reason to be cruel. Honestly, I think it is more efficient and more effective when you are being kind in giving a peer review. Sometimes people let their emotions get in the way when they are commenting and in turn, they end up making a seemingly innocent comment a huge insult. 

I think this is a great post. Keep up the good work.

here is the link to his blog:
Pearce H

Wildcats Lorax Lesson Plan

Here is the lesson plan from Wildcats Erin Byrd, Megan Schoultz & Tabatha Ghirdlestone

C4T Summary

Henrietta Miller's Classroom Chronicles Blog:

here is my post comment
I would love to find a list with quality children's literature! At this point I am ready to just grab a bunch of books and start reading them before I pass them to my children to read. Don't get me wrong, there are some great books out there for our youth to read, but I need to know content and if it is age appropriate for my children. My children all love to read and it is hard for me to turn them loose in a book store and trust that what they pick up is a quality book and not just a paperback bound load of junk. I love your blog! I am new to blogging and yours is simply amazing! I now have blog envy! Thank you for your posts! They are great reads and very useful!

Classroom Chronicles


Erin Byrd            ReplyApril 19, 2015 at 9:33 pm
You must be open to change. You must also be willing to learn something new and current to teach the students of today. They already know more than most of the older teachers due to technology. You would think that rather than turn their noses up to project based learning, they would do everything in their power to accept and embrace a new and engaging way to get their students to be eager to learn.
Snuffing Out Our Own Progress

  

C4K Summary

I love reading all of these blog posts from actual students.  I have yet to read one that is not both exciting or clever.  These students are really engaging in their own education and using their creativity in new and innovative ways.  Here are my comments to several of my assigned students.

#3 Jamaya

1. Erin Byrd (Guest)

   Your comment is awaiting moderation. 
   

   April 18, 2015 at 4:52 PM

   I adore this bucket list!! You are planning on enjoying life! Most importantly, finishing high school, that’s a must! I do see some kind of culinary brilliance in your future! Meeting new people is also a very important goal! You never know who you might meet and what that person might be able to help you accomplish! I wish you the best in your future!
   

   Reply

   
   

   http://kidblog.org/JHFIClassof2015/0951b9ed-c867-4687-a206-c93aed6eda43/bucket-list-2/#comment-1216

#2 Andony

Mrs. Erin Byrd (Guest)

April 7, 2015 at 4:50 PM

Very vivid poem! You did an excellent job of describing your emotions.

(Here is the link to his blog post)
Andony

#1 Pearce
Great post! As a parent, I personally think the best way to use them is by making them go off when my children are not willing to get up in the morning for school!! But they are also used for other reasons, such as, during hockey games to signal a score.

Blog Post #13

Mrs. Byrd's 1st Grade

Assignment:

For homework, look around your home and find objects that can be re-purposed or reused.  Create a new item with your found objects.  Then bring the recycled item to school by Friday.  You will then create a blog post on what you found, how you re-purposed it, and what you learned from this experiment.  You will also need to be prepared to share with the class.

Blog Post 1

I found some water bottles in our recycling bin at my house.  I used scissors to cut the water bottles into two pieces.  I then used a pencil and made some holes in the lids of the water bottles and screwed them on tightly.  I taped the bottles back together with the lids down inside the bottom ends.  I filled the top part with the soil and put in an acorn seed from my yard.  I poured water in the bottles until the lid was under water. 

After a few weeks of watering and sunlight, now there is a baby tree growing in my window.

You can use an old milk jug as a watering can for your plants.  I have tried to continue using jars and other types of reusable plastic around the house.  Instead of buying ziploc bags and new jars and canisters to store food in, I am just reusing old ones.  Sanitize them in the dishwater and they are ready for new life.

C4T Scott McLeod

Erin Byrd            ReplyApril 19, 2015 at 9:33 pm
You must be open to change. You must also be willing to learn something new and current to teach the students of today. They already know more than most of the older teachers due to technology. You would think that rather than turn their noses up to project based learning, they would do everything in their power to accept and embrace a new and engaging way to get their students to be eager to learn.
Snuffing Out Our Own Progress

 

C4T Summary

Reading the blog posts of my peers is always interesting.  However, reading the blog posts of educators and other teaching enthusiasts enriches and engages me to explore more ideas and tools to enhance my own future classroom.  They inspire and are very comforting in their blogs.  It is nice to read the actual thoughts of a teacher and delve into their world a blog post at a time.

#2 "Live the Conversation"

Erin ByrdApril 11, 2015 at 5:33 PM

I am currently obtaining my degree in elementary education after several years in the work force as a office manager. I am happy to read about your transition and the success that you are having. I chose to do a dual certification in both elementary and special education. I figure that if I get burnt out on one I can just transition to the other, and vice versa. Best of luck to you! It is good to know that you did not give up on your goal of making a difference in a students life. That is what makes an extraordinary teacher in my opinion. Best wishes.

#1 Bill Ferriter
I share your nightmare.  My worst fear with the technological advances being made in our public schools, here in my county, is that the students are going to suffer for not being truly taught the basic every day curriculum!  I see computers everywhere, teachers are showing slides, rarely standing to walk around and teach.  I love that we can incorporate technology into our classrooms, but I don't want it to take away from the actual learning that should be going on.  I think you are on to something here! I really enjoyed this post! Thanks!

http://blog.williamferriter.com/2015/03/17/learning-should-never-be-lonely-slide/#comment-5480

EEK! I got a response!

Glad you dug this, Erin.

Maybe I’m just being paranoid, but at least here in the States where “success” is currently defined as “passing multiple choice tests” I can definitely see a future where corporations push products designed to “customize” learning experiences for individual students — where “customize” means ask different questions to quiet students sitting behind computers answering questions alone.

Policymakers will dig it because test scores will rise. Corporations will love it because it will create a huge new market for products and services. Kids will hate it because it will suck.

It frightens me.
Bill

Blog Post #12

Assistive technologies available to teachers….

Defined by the U.S. Department of Education, assistive technologies are any piece of equipment used to improve functional capabilities of a child with a disability.

50 Must-See Blogs for Special Education

There are several blog pages here that are well worth a visit!  Here is one that is very insightful:

Special 2 Me

This blog is an excellent resource for teachers of special needs/education students. It opens up about students, parents, and other conflict situations.  It also speaks about ideas and projects that might help you in your teaching.  It encourages you to hang in there and continue your work with a high held head and confidence.  This blog is great for those teachers with trouble students or difficult parents.

iPad Usage For the Blind

This is truly astounding! I think that it would be better for Siri to slow down the pace of her voice but other than that, this technology is truly astounding!  Blind readers could enjoy some of the same technology regular sighted students could with absolute ease.  This may be one of the most amazing gifts given to education.  Being able to allow someone of impairment the same tools to learn as a regular education students is helping bridge the gap between special education and general education students.  This tool give the blind more access to the world around them.

Assistive Technologies for Vision and Hearing Impaired Children

At the very end of this video, the young lady, I believe says, "Thank you for seeing".  That to me, as a non-signing and hearing-capable individual, says thank you for watching.  This video is very enlightening.  Giving hearing or vision impaired students to ability to learn on the same level as general education students is monumental!  Technology has come so far and now being able to interact with the hearing or sight impaired is going to open so many doors for them as well as teachers and educators.  This video should open your eyes and your minds to what is possible through technology and assistive technology.

Project #14

I did a lesson plan for my tutee.  We worked on sequencing, fluency and accuracy.

Lesson Plan
Sequencing Worksheet
Poster

Blog Post #11

Back to the Future
By asking simple questions, Mr. Crosby realized that his students needed to be more engaged.  The majority, of the students are English as a Second Language or live in poverty.  At the beginning of their school year, his students had a small curriculum, which limits their imagination.  Mr. Crosby did experiments with his students and then they were assigned to blog and post videos.  Mr. Crosby used these videos in collaboration with a history lesson and other Internet avenues.  The students learned a lot from their experiment.  They students learned to write a story, identifying themselves as the balloon.  Their experience was being deployed into the sky.  I think that Mrs. Crosby shows us that there are always ways to improve upon education, even when you have limited resources.  I think he teaches us to never give up or be defeated.  There is always another way if you push forward and look for new opportunities.  Students are in constant need of encouragement and positive reinforcement.  

Blended Learning Cycle
The "five E's": 
By beginning with an engaging question that challenges the students to investigate, students are able to explore.  Then you give explanation to the students and continue to expand upon your findings and evaluate them.  This process along with online, mobile and classroom learning is what the teacher refers to as a blended learning cycle.  The teacher in the video really puts great emphasis on the importance of having a hook and making sure that you pull the students aside individually to ensure they understand what they have learned.

Making Thinking Visible
Mark Church wants his students to now think about the challenge or puzzle of their entire topic in general.  This is very broad and I feel it allows the students to really engage and use their creativity more.  He is allowing his students to continually learn and expand upon their initial findings or initial questions.

Sam Pane 4th Grade
Mr. Pane is educating students on the safe way to utilize the Internet.  Students as early as Kindergarten are now learning how and using the Internet on a daily basis.  We must educate them, not only to protect themselves, but also educate them on the dangers and predators that lurk in cyber space.  The Internet can be full of dangers and not knowing how to properly use it is the most dangerous to us all, especially young impressionable children.  I think that Mr. Pane has a wonderful approach to educating students on the safety of the Internet.  I think that we should all, as educators, take the time to over-teach the importance of Internet safety to our students.  We should continually and consistently teach them on a weekly/monthly basis, and apprise them of any new dangers that could potentially cause them harm.

Project Based Learning
Three teachers collaborate to create a unique environment for their students to learn.  Having a non-segregated course, meaning not just one subject, these teachers are expanding project based learning as a team.  They met challenges and explored their opportunities together.  Working together as a team, I feel like these teachers are better implementing project based learning as a whole.

Roosevelt Elementary's PBL Program
Roosevelt Elementary begins using project based learning early on.  By doing this, it allows students more freedom with their imagination, but motivated real world life skills.  Public speaking is one of the lessons that these students are being taught.  I have always been terrified of public speaking.  I can remember learning how to speak publicly around 6th grade or so.  I really like the idea here of teaching these things at such an early age.  I think this gives them more confidence.  It also engages them to really get involved with the process.  Using project based learning incorporates life skills that help teach real world issues, teach students how to work independently as well as collaboratively and take control of their own learning.