A Life Long Learner

Image taken from Shutterstock

Becoming a life-long learner is essential in anyone’s professional development, despite the career path they are on.  As an educator, I believe it is important not only to continue to develop as a better teacher for myself, but also for the development of my students.

"If we want students to learn, the most critical element is the teacher. So professional development is the overall most important thing we can do to help students learn."  (Johnson, 2014, para. 4)

Education is in constant motion.  Best practices are often changing and keeping up with those changes is essential in providing the best education for the students we are entrusted with.  I define professional development as not only things that are formally called “professional development” like attending conferences or inservices, but also using tools such as Twitter, Google+, Pinterest or even collaboration with a coworker.    

This summer I have reached out and really starting looking for ways to build my personal learning community. I teach in a school where they is only one teacher per grade level or one teacher per subject in the junior high. This makes collaboration and bringing new ideas into my classroom a bit of a challenge. I have joined multiple groups on Facebook. Some of my favorite are:

MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHERS UNITE!!!

SURVIVING SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH GRADE MATH (FOR TEACHERS!)

BUILD MATH MINDS

TEACHERS USING GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Through discussions on these boards, I have found many new ideas I am bringing into my classroom. They range from classroom management to new technology tools to try. I am so excited about the resources other educators have shared with me.

Do you have groups that you belong to that inspire you to step up your game in your classroom? Please share in the comment section below!

Tona

HE>I

Reference Johnson, B. (2014). Why quality professional development for teachers matters. Retrieved from
     http://www.edutopia.org/blog/why-quality-professional-development-teachers-matters-ben-johnson

Radkov, I. (2011, July 07). KEY acronym - KEEP EDUCATING YOURSELF. Educational concept with different color sticky notes and white chalk handwriting
        on a blackboard. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/key-acronym-keep-educating-yourself-educational-80589910

There is No Offseason

As an educator, one of my most frustrating things I hear is:

"You're so lucky!  You get your summers off!" 

Image taken from Snappy Pixels

Now, anyone that is an educator knows this could not be more false. Yes, there is about 10 weeks during the summer that I don't HAVE to go to work, but do I?  Of course I do!  It's a little like being a parent, you never just shut it off.  Even as I write this blog post to you, I am sitting at my daughter's softball tournament thinking about an incoming student I have that struggles with math.  I am thinking about what I can do to start the year out meeting this child where they are and helping them grow and be successful.  One thing I have learned about this student from his 4th grade teacher is that he struggles because writing things down is very difficult for him.  It takes him a long time.

You probably know by now that I love finding ways to incorporate technology into the classroom so naturally I am looking for some kind of assistive technology for this student.  I came across an app for the Ipad called ModMath.  Have any of you heard of it?

What is ModMath?

ModMath is an app that assists students with math skills.  Through the app students can type math problems onto a touchscreen instead of writing them out longhand. The app does not aid in solving the actual math problem, but provides a way for students to be able to show their work using correct math symbols.  You would be surprised how many math programs don't support correct math symbols like fraction signs, square roots, or ways to show work in long division problems. One of my favorite things about ModMath is that the graph paper makes it easy for students to correctly line up the numbers and symbols. The size of the squares on the graph paper is changeable so students with vision problems also find ModMath to be helpful.  Students can also adjust color setting for easy organization of math problems. When students are finished with their work they can chose to print or email their work to their teacher.

So far this is the best assistive technology for this particular student I have found for the biggest concern the 4th grade teacher shared with me. (She did inform me his ability to do the work is there, but having to physically write things down is a road block for him). I am excited about the possibility of using this, along with some modifications in the number of problems this student will do compared to others. I feel like I at least have a starting point and then we can go from there.

Feel free to share if you have other ideas I could try for this particular student.

Championship game for my daughter! Time to get back to my time off!

Tona

HE>I

References ModMath (n.d). Retrieved from https://www.modmath.com

Our Favorite "Oh No You Didn't!" Gifs and Pictures. (2013, November 09). Retrieved from http://snappypixels.com/funny/favorite-oh-didnt-gifs-pictures/

Symbaloo!

Isn't that a fun word to say?  Just say it out loud and really accent the o's at the end.  SYMBALOOOOO!  

See... made you smile didn't it? 😁

What is Symbaloo?

Symbaloo is not new.  I believe I first heard about it about 4 years ago. (and I'm sure it was around before that.)  It is a place to store your bookmarks in the cloud to which you can access them from anywhere at anytime.

My favorite part about Symbaloo

I like to believe all teachers (at least junior high teachers) write a website on their board for their students to type in and at least 17 out of the 20 of them type it incorrectly and you have all of them letting you know that you must have it written wrong on the board (because junior students are always correct)  🤪

Symbaloo to the rescue!

I use Symbaloo to house certain websites for my students to use for a particular assignment.  It works great for research!  My students still haven't moved past the point of believing everything they read on the internet.  Creating a Symbaloo board for them, allows me to know they are getting their information and I don't have to look up every website they cite in their work.

I also use Symbaloo to collaborate with other educators.  I have a board just for Teacher Blogs I follow.  Take a look here!


Have you used Symbaloo?  Do you have a board you would be willing to share?  Add the link in the comment section below.

Tona

HE>I

Reference
Symbaloo (n.d).  Retrieved from http://www.symbaoo.com

The Importance of Teaching Digital Citizenship

Since my last post was about why I believe integrating technology into education is important, I thought it would be appropriate to follow it up with the importance of teaching digital citizenship.  

Graphic credited to dogoodbekind.life

My students use digital communication as their main form of communication with their peers.  Many times in the morning as students are entering school and getting ready for the day I hear them talking about the group messages from the previous evening.  I also have students that text or email me. (I am thankful that I work in a school that allows me to do this. This has built some great relationships between myself and my students). I have learned, both with my own children and with my students they are more willing to share things with you via text message. With that in mind I believe it is even more important for me to lay the groundwork for my students on the importance of digital citizenship. I believe it is my role to “promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information” (ISTE Standards, 2008, n.p).  Students need to know and understand digital etiquette. Ribble (2015) states, “Often rules and regulations are created or the technology is simply banned to stop inappropriate use” (n.p). While this may be an easier route, and possibly necessary under certain circumstances, it creates a situation where students never learn proper digital etiquette.   The ISTE Standards for Students (2016) outlines specific goals for students when using technology which includes, “engaging in positive, safe, legal and ethical behavior when using technology, including social interactions online or when using networked devices” (n.p). If students aren’t taught what ethical behavior online is or aren’t given the opportunity to practice it, is difficult to hold them accountable for something they don’t know much about.  

During my Master's courses, I learned a lot about digital citizenship and found many free curriculums that I have since utilized.  Common Sense Media has an extensive library that I found to be extremely useful when I began looking for resources to teach my children about digital citizenship.  My students particularly loved the games that went along with the lessons I taught.  The main thing I have felt is essential to get across to my students is that what you post online, text in a message or your search history is your digital footprint.  It is there forever.

via GIPHY

I see the look on my students' faces when I tell them this.  Sometimes it is utter fear, and this makes me sad for them.  It also makes me realize no one has taught them about online behavior, which also shows me that I need to work on educating parents on digital citizenship.  I am slowing but surely doing this.  It is part of my conference talk in both the fall and the spring.  I would like to host a digital citizenship night for parents.  They don't know what it is like to grow up with any information you could ever want, be right at your fingertips, and therefore many of them don't know how to parents children that do have it at their disposal.

I will post an update when I host this parent night (hopefully this fall) and let you know how it goes.  Has anyone does this and are there any tips you can provide?

Tona

HE>I


References
Image. (n.d).  Retrieved from https://dogoodbekind.life/

International Society for Technology in Education. (2016). ISTE standards: Students. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-S_PDF.pdf

International Society for Technology in Education. (2008). ISTE standards: Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital citizenship: Using technology appropriately [website]. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/Home_Page.html

A Case for Technology Integration

Image taken from Ouachita Parish Schools

If you know me at all (which I realize many of you don't...yet 😉)  you know I am passionate about

bringing technology into the classroom. While there is a case for an argument against technology

(which will be saved for another post), this post sheds some light on the importance of technology in

the classroom.  

Moving From then to NOW

Education today looks very different than education from even ten years ago. Chalkboards have been replaced by Smartboards, traditional textbooks are being replaced by ebooks, and pencil and paper have been replaced by Chromebooks or Ipads. Current day students understand and effectively use a large amount of technology. The skills students need to know to be prepared for the workplace include the ability to use a variety twenty-first century technologies. Selwyn (2011) points out “this increasing capacity for technological development has been accompanied by a corresponding growth in the use of digital technologies across most areas of life” (p. 22).  An important piece of effective teaching is meeting students where they are and today’s child, between the ages of eight and 18, spends an average of 7 hours 38 minutes a day with digital media (Kulman, 2015). It is a double when when teachers teach 21st-century skills by incorporating technologies that students know and enjoy to enhance current lessons.

Embracing Twenty-First Century Skills

Digital technologies are essential to supporting effective forms of education in the twenty-first century. One of the main responsibilities of the any school system is to prepare students to be successful in the current workforce. According to Selwyn (2011), “many occupations are now centered on information processing, with workers using digital technology to create and manipulate information-based ‘virtual’ products” (p.23). In the 2010’s, the expectation of employers is that students have the capabilities and comfort to use incorporate technology. Many states have added “21st-century skills” to their list of required standards. Twenty-first century skills, which include a broad set of knowledge, skills, work habits, along with character traits, are skills that are essential to successful employment.

Bringing the World into every Classroom

This ability to use digital technologies in the classroom provides so many opportunities for students that would otherwise not happen.  Possibly the most basic use of technology in the classroom is the number of video resources available to teachers to enhance lessons. Websites like YouTube put an infinite number of videos are the fingertips of teachers, and if a video can’t be found, teachers have the ability to create their own and upload them.  The use of videos outside the classroom provides students, and parents, with additional support to supplement teacher instruction. The use of technology in the classroom also gives students the ability to conduct online science labs, “travel” to any place in the world, and bring experts into the classroom through applications such as FaceTime or Skype.  According to “New literacies” (2009), students have the right to “a literacy curriculum that offers opportunities to collaboratively read, share, and create with peers from around the world” (p.2). Through technology, students can easily communicate and collaborate at school or even in the comfort of their own homes.

What are your thoughts on this topic? Why do you believe it is important to integrate technology into education? I would love to hear your thoughts!

HE> I

References

Great Schools Partnership. (2014). 21st century skills. Retrieved from http://edglossary.org/21st-century-skills/

International Reading Association. (2009). New literacies and 21st-century technologies: A position statement of the International Reading Association. Retrieved from http://www.reading.org/Libraries/position-statements-and-resolutions/ps1067_NewLiteracies21stCentury.pdf

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). (2008). National educational technology standards for teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers [https://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf]
Kulman, D. R., & Watkins, L. (2016, April 20). How Much Time Do Kids Spend With Technology? Retrieved from http://learningworksforkids.com/2015/07/how-much-time-do-kids-spend-with-technology/
Selwyn, N. (2011). Education and technology: Key issues and debates. London, UK: Bloomsbury.