Reflection:
Strategies for overcoming barriers with technology in the classroom.
When it comes to overcoming barriers with technology, it is important to have a couple of back-up-plans in mind. We use technology often in my classroom and I think about all the possible outcomes because there are many variables that could happen. Examples include, the internet connection being slow or lost, students' computers are not charged, the program being slow or crashing, and students being distracted by the internet and not completing the task at hand). There is always a second plan if technology fails us on a given day. Usually, the plan is for students to use paper and pencil to complete tasks. If we are using software such as InDesign (yearbook/journalism), there are always other tasks for students to complete that do not require technology such as interviewing and taking photos. If technology is absolutely needed, I will have students use their own devices in order to complete the task.
Strategies or tools used to address the digital divide present in our school?
Since we are a one-to-one school (each student has their own Chromebook), I would say there isn't much of a digital divide within our school. Students are often frustrated with the slow internet connection as well as the quality of the Chromebooks in general. The staff have MacBook Airs which can make it difficult when teaching about different software programs since the shortcuts are different from a Mac to a Chromebook. For example, the process of uploading photos to InDesign is different on a Mac than it is on a Chromebook. This divide makes it a challenge since I am not used to working with a Chromebook. The strategy for addressing this would be to spend more time on a student Chromebook to identify the differences compared to a MacBook Air.
My attitude toward the use of technology in the classroom.
High school students on average spend about 7 hours of screen time on their phones each day. Technology has become a huge part of our society, therefore, it is important for teachers to incorporate it into their classrooms. I have moved from having students do bell work and journals in a notebook to creating Google Slides for each entry. This allows students to choose their themes, fonts, etc. in order to personalize them a little more. I also have adapted most of my assignments to digital versions where students turn in their work through Google Classroom. I think the more technology we incorporate into our classrooms, the more successful students will be with 21st-century skills and prepared for potential careers.
New technology to incorporate, that at first was hesitant to try.
I am wanting to incorporate more reading sources for students to have access to a variety of e-books. There are some great resources that allow students to annotate, highlight, bookmark, etc. while they read. I also am wanting to try creating quizlets to help students study information for upcoming quizzes and tests.
What communication tools have you used to help facilitate communication with students and parents?
There are many communication tools that I use when communicating with students, parents, and other community members. The best way to discuss a student’s grade or behavior is by communicating via phone or email. Depending on the situation, I communicate with individual students via email, Google Classroom, or talk with them in person. If I am trying to communicate with many students or community members to get announcements out, I use the announcement stream in Google Classroom, the Remind app, or create group messages via email.
What tools have you used to facilitate providing rapid feedback for students?
I have used a variety of tools in my 10 years of teaching to provide rapid feedback. The most current and effective tools I use are typing comments and attaching rubrics on a student’s assignment via Google Docs. Students will often participate in a peer-edit workshop after completing an essay. I always provide guidelines for what students should be looking for, and they are required to provide a specific amount of feedback on the papers. I also like to have one-on-one conferences with students to provide quick and meaningful feedback. This can look different in each class. For example, there may be times when I call students to sit next to me to discuss their work, or I may walk around and talk with students individually. Students also enjoy playing Kahoot which provides instant feedback on their knowledge of the content we are currently learning.
Tools that you have used to help students express more creativity in their learning.
There are endless possibilities when it comes to providing options for students to express their creativity. A few tools I have used but are not limited to are WeVideo/iMovie, Sutori, Evernote, Spotify, Kahoot!, Procreate, InDesign, Photoshop, FlipGrid, Padlet, Prezi, etc.
A reflection of the concept of digital badges and if you feel they are a worthwhile educational endeavor.
Digital badges are digital forms of any type of physical credential. These range from driver’s licenses, passports, tickets, membership certificates, online certifications, training completion certificates, and countless other examples. Digital credentials are simply digital versions of these traditional paper credentials, that show proof of some kind of qualification, completion, clearance, or competence.
I don’t think digital badges are necessarily a bad thing. I think they help educators appreciate themselves and their students for what they have accomplished. I am the yearbook adviser for our school and our yearbook the company recently added digital badges for accomplishments/goals to meet throughout the year. It is nice to know that we have been recognized in some way for meeting these goals.
A reflection of how your school has addressed digital citizenship issues such as cyberbullying, cheating, plagiarism, or misuse of school technology resources.
At the beginning of each year, the teachers discuss the student handbook by reading assigned sections to each class throughout the day. Cyberbullying, cheating, plagiarism, and misuse of school technology are all addressed during this time. I think much of this information goes in one ear and out the other because students are excited to see their friends they haven’t seen all summer and are not prepared to sit and listen to someone talk the entire day. It is good that these are addressed however, they need to be addressed throughout the year. We have an advisory each Monday where these issues are discussed every once in a while and many teachers discuss these throughout their lessons depending on the content.
A reflection on how Google tools are used in your classroom and how they might align with best practices learned so far in this course.
Google tools are used on a daily basis in my classroom. All teachers are required to set up Google Classrooms for all classes and regularly post assignments and materials for students to access. Most students use Google Docs to write their papers and complete other assignments. This is a great tool because it allows students to work on the same document simultaneously and leave comments/suggestions. The teacher is able to view the version history to see when students last edited the document. I also have students use the Google Sites tool as a way to create a website for characters from their novels as well as create an e-portfolio of their work. I use Google Forms and Google Sheets often to assess my students and collect and organize my data.
A reflection on how you use a learning management system in your classroom and how you might better utilize it after this course ends.
I use Google Classroom as my main learning management system. I feel as if I do a great job with this. All the materials I use for the class are uploaded and organized into sections so my students are easily able to access them. I use the class stream to make important announcements as well as briefly explain what we did each day for students that may have been absent. I also provide feedback on student assignments. One way to use this platform in a more effective way would be to add links to resources that would be helpful to students. This would not be difficult and I could easily have a tab labeled “Resources” for students to explore.
Further reflection on how technology promotes problem-solving among students.
While there is a big debate that technology is causing students to be anti-social, technology can play a big part in fostering collaboration. Teachers are able to engage with students during lessons and even teach students remotely if needed. Technology allows students to take ownership of their learning and advocate for themselves by communicating with their teachers if they have questions or concerns regarding an assignment.
How you might implement the concept of coding in your classroom.
This is something I have been thinking about discussing with my journalism and yearbook students to see if we can create our own app to push out information to our community.
Share a lesson you teach that could be improved using the concept of serious gaming or online simulations.
I think it would be amazing if I could do an online simulation or Webquest for my students to experience Shakespeare’s world of theatre. They would be able to explore The Globe Theatre in London and even attend a ‘live’ performance of one of Shakespeare’s plays.
A reflection on how you might use 3-D printing in the classroom. How could 3-D printing help improve learning?
This is a new concept that I hadn’t thought of before. Students could design and print in 3-D a scene from the text. They could also design and print a character from the text.
Further reflection of how you might use social media within your classroom (if allowed by your school).
I use social media with my Journalism and Yearbook classes. It is important for my students’ stories and photos to be accessible to our community so we are constantly using social media to promote their work and increase our yearbook sales. I can also see the benefit of using social media with my core classes in order to show the community the life lessons and activities that take place in my classroom.
Reflect on a time when you allowed your students more freedom to be creative when completing an assignment or project in your course.
When my students participate in literature circles, they are allowed a lot of freedom. They are able to choose which book they want to read and create norms and a reading schedule with their group. They also help hold each other accountable by completing small tasks and meeting to discuss each week.