Final Blog Post for Education Technology Class

Education Technology (EdTech) class has been one of the more interesting and interactive classes I have had thus far in my college career.  

I remember looking over the syllabus at the beginning of class in August with everything around me becoming hazy as I wondered how in the world I would make it through the class: but here I sit, posting my last homework assignment for EdTech, with all of my hair in tact and my personhood expanded.

It has been a great ride and I was blessed with a very professional and enthusiastic professor who walked us as a class through every assignment.  Once we began work on any of the assignments, I always felt prepared.  My professor was phenomenal and I could not have come this far without her.  Through this class I have gained confidence in approaching technology where as before I always thought, "I will never be able to do anything regarding the tech world" and would simply shy away from technology.
Here I sit today, knowing I can confidently approach technology and that my future students are in good hands (because where there is a will, there is a way - - - and now I've got the gams! Figuratively speaking).

My accomplishments look like this:

• Blogpholio
• Join professional online teacher community and interact
• Find 5 apps for a classroom and create a unit of study to present to faculty
• Become friends with GoogleDrive
• Create a newsletter
• Pinterest (big deal for me - that site is scary)
• Create a digital story (complete with storymap) with iMovie
• Parent-teacher contact log (i.e. the world of EXCEL)
• Research for articles pertaining to education in the classroom
• Write a philosophy of technology in the classroom
• Create iMovie portraying my philosophy 

 

These were the primary objectives within EdTech and I am proud to say I succeeded in all of these areas.  It was not always easy, but as I applied what I had been taught at each step, the projects became realities - realities of which I am proud.

Creating the iMovies was my greatest challenge.  Prior to EdTech, I had never opened my iMovie app.  Now sitting on this side of two successful iMovies for EdTech, I went ahead and made another iMovie just for fun when my small town was on lockdown due to snow and ice (here is a teaser: the iMovie involves a Beach Boys song! Dreamy.).

I enjoyed all of these assignments; perhaps I did not enjoy them so much in the midst of completing the tasks because any new alienesque challenge is initially overwhelming (yet exciting), but it was enjoyable to have these outlets upon which I could immediately apply what I was learning in class.

There is importance in everything.  Creating the Parent-Teacher Contact Log involved diving into the world of Excel - a world in which I had not been a part.  However, I have since been able to assist coworkers at my job when they need help with Excel.  This particular project also opened me up to the necessity of a Log where as before I had not heard of such a thing.

Creating a philosophy of technology in the classroom caused me to sit down with my thoughts and my feelings towards technology in the classroom and simplify.  I feel it is important for everyone to create their approach to technology in the classroom since it is becoming such a prevalent reality.

I am coming away from EdTech feeling like a completely expanded person, one who is equipped with a skill set to confidently come into any educational setting and apply technology where it is needed and where it is helpful.

I will always be a lifelong learner; this class has given me a firm foundation upon which to stand as I take on more of what the ever-changing, ever-evolving technological world has to offer.  

And I am ready. 

:)

My Philosophy of Technology in the Classroom iMovie

For my Educational Technology class we had to create an iMovie about our Philosophy of Technology in the Classroom.  

You can see my iMovie displaying my Philosophy here.

It is always interesting to see something so dear to your heart - such as a philosophy regarding an area of your profession -  being brought to any type of screen.   
While this iMovie is primarily meant for a future administrator to view during my application process to an educational institution, my hope is for anyone who views my iMovie to be made witness to my heart in the matter of technology in the classroom, and also beyond that to my heart for students and for people in general.  
It is my hope that my philosophy and iMovie display that I see where we have been in education and I see where we are going; to not be afraid of what lies ahead but to not forsake the path that has led us to these moments in time, to be thankful for the people who and the ideas that have gone before and laid the stones upon which we stand today.

 

Enjoy. :)

My Philosophy of Technology in Education

The educational system in America is being transformed by technology.   

From the beginning days of blueback spellers, textbooks, chalkboards, and regimented spelling and times-table lists, we see every method of teacher and student involvement in the classroom evolving.   Prior to technology being implemented into the classroom, education was limited; teaching methods were once restricted to instructing and assigning specific mathematics problems, giving spelling tests from rigid lists, and simply reading science from a book and orchestrating a few experiments.  Technology in the classroom is changing the dynamic of the traditional classroom forever.

            As a future educator, I will use technology in my classroom for the purpose of individualizing subject matter to the benefit of my students. More specifically, I will utilize technology by implementing it into each subject matter- including digital storytelling opportunities, teacher-student communication apps, use of smart-board technology, and through allowing the students to take part in a “flipped teaching” approach, allowing the students to come to class with issues and information gleaned from outside sources to navigate in the classroom.

            Technology gives to the educator a variety of teaching methods that can enhance the student’s learning opportunities in the classroom.  Technology is best used as an implement, not as a complete classroom navigator. Every student is important and within each student lies great potential; when used appropriately, technology in the classroom can bring the old world and the new world of education to a transformed place, launching the classroom and the student to the next beneficial educational landmarks.

Three Apps That Are Useful For Teachers

For my Education Technology class we have to find three paid or free apps that would be useful as teachers.

If you are reading this, it is your lucky day because my three apps are FREE and are still GREAT!

My first app is called Teach Aide

• This app is for attendance and grading. You insert your student's information, create each class in the app, and from there add their attendance and class grades.  Very clean and organized.

My second app is called Groovy Grader

• It is really as simple as that!  You insert the amount of questions your homework or test had; from there it shows what their grade will be based on the amount of questions and the amount of questions missed.

My third app is called Remind101

• This is an app that allows you to create your classes in the app, insert your student's information, and send out reminders to them via text message (from a number given by the app) or email; students and teachers can subscribe to your class through the app!

Article - Effects of Technology On Classrooms and Students

For my Education Technology class, we had to find a current article addressing technology in the classroom and discuss it with our class.

The article I chose to read and reflect upon is Effects of Technology On Classrooms and Students found on www2.ed.gov

This article addresses technology's influence in areas such as:

• Change in Student and Teacher Roles 

• Increased Motivation and Self-Esteem 

• Technical Skills 

• Accomplishment of More Complex Tasks

• More Collaboration with Peers

• Increased Use of  Outside Resources

• Improved Design Skills / Attention to Audience

Regarding the change in student and teacher roles, technology puts the students into an active role.  The students are enabled to actively make choices about how to display, generate, and obtain information.  Since technology causes students to be actively involved, they therefore actively think about information, how to make decisions, and how to execute the skills being learned. Technology allows students to define their goals, make design decisions, and evaluate their progress.

• Put into active role
• Learn how to display, generate, and obtain information
• More easily think about information, decisions to make, and skills to execute
• Define their personal goals, make personal design decisions, and evaluate their progress

Regarding technology's influence on student motivation and self-esteem, this article supplies positive testimonies from educators who see less-motivated students showing less initiative with conventional academic tasks rise to the occasion when technology is present.  The student receives greater satisfaction from the immediate feedback technology provides and lends to the student a wider venue in which they can excel. 

• Increased motivation and self-esteem
• Greater satisfaction 
• Immediate feedback
• Wider venue for tasks

Technology creates opportunities for students to collaborate with one another in the areas of projects, assisting another with their technology, and more!  Outside resources that technology provides involves telephone and satellite broadcasts.

• Opportunites for collaboration
• Encourages use of outside resources

In regards to improved design skill / attention to audience, multiple media gives students choices on how to convey information by way of more professional looking products and tools.

• More professional looking products and tools

A negative aspect that this article addresses is - the possibility that students will focus more on font, audio, and presentation look rather than the substantive content itself.  
The article gives insight that there are many who are limiting font sizes and font choices. 

In conclusion,
technology is ever-changing.  As my professor says, we are always a "day late and a dollar short" because what we could buy / produce now will be outdated in less than a year.  While it is important to bring technology into the classroom, I do not feel it is the end-all to the education system.  What they learn today will not be as relevant in their middle-ages, much less even a few years from now.
International travel and missions are also my heart's number one passion; I feel it is important to create students who can easily transfer into any setting, be it in the technology-driven North America or a hut in the Congo.  Students need to be well-rounded in all things.

My first iMovie.

For my Education Technology class we each created a digital story; mine was created with my Macbook Pro, iMovie. 

This was the first digital story I have ever created and was my first time using iMovie.

My short story is about a young woman moving to a small town, negatively encountering the Home Owner's Association, and having to overcome the obstacle, deciding to be the bigger person and loving the HOA through an act of kindness in the form of a baked cake.  
May or may not have been inspired by actual events encountered by the video's creator.



We began the project by creating a story map.

• Here I illustrated the beginning, middle conflict, and ending resolution.

I then created the narrative.

• This was the entire story, word for word what I said in the recording of the iMovie.

The final project: My iMovie!  Titled Let Them Eat Cake.


When first approaching this project, I felt overwhelmed!  I had never before created a movie and now my first iMovie is for a grade!  My teacher was very informative and took us through the process step-by-step, even having us collaborate on a rubric for the project. I trusted that she would make this an easier experience than what I felt it would be... And it was!  
After creating the story map and writing the narrative, the time came to create the digital story through iMovie.  The first two hours were the most difficult, trying to figure out how to put pictures and audio in iMovie and figuring out the timing of each transition.  For images, I came into my digital story creating experience with some clear ideas on what I was needing for my story; I took a few of the pictures and went to Google for the rest (I cited my sources at the end of my iMovie). 
I was very relieved when I finished the project, and even though I read my story much too quickly and sounded robotic, to me my iMovie was a success and I learned every step of the way.  I feel more confident with technology now because I never thought I could create anything using a movie creator but I did!
It is important to keep your goal at the forefront, use the tools you have been given and have been taught, and slowly approach the project, applying what you have learned to every step of the way.
Be confident that every advance you make is a success!  :)

Parent-Teacher Contact Log

For my Education Technology class we have to create a parent-teacher contact log and explain the importance of a contact log.  

You can see mine here.
 

The names and notes within my parent-teacher contact log are fictional and were only created for this project.  I could only hope to one day have a wonderful Spanish-as-a-second-language student in my class, seeing as I do not know any Spanish.  The Miracles that would flow from my classroom...  Gives me chills.

When I type "parent" I am also speaking to the student's guardian.  Every person caring for students is important! 


Parent-teacher contact logs are important, because as one might deduce and as research dictates: when there is strong parental involvement, there will more likely be strongly academic-achieving and academically-minded students.  The parental support is a factor that cannot be dismissed or overlooked and the contact log is a great and simple way to assist parents in their involvement.

The contact log shows

• How the student is doing, 
• What they are learning, 
• What is happening in class and in school,  
• The student's strengths/weaknesses, and  
• What the parent can do to become more involved and assist in the student's success. 

Parent-teacher contact logs share information regarding the students' progress, thereby engaging parents to become involved in the process.

When creating a parent-teacher contact log, it is important to remain consistent.  Make it something that you can continuously produce.  Teachers desire the parent's involvement and always remember: a contact log = a facilitator.