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. 

Technology Article Reflection

Devin Pringle  pringle_devin@yahoo.com  October 25, 2013

 

"Catching On At Last" - The Economist

This article, “Catching On At Last” written by The Economist, introduces the reader to the current technology tidal wave that is heading for American academia and potentially the whole world over.  This article strongly advocates technology in the classroom, stating that it can be used as “an extra pair of hands in the classroom” in an effort to lessen the more menial tasks such as “marking written work and leading pupils though dull drills of words and numbers.”  Through the blending of technology with teacher-student / student-student involvement, students are said to be more engaged in the learning process and therefore their educational experience exponentially improves.  The student’s time in the classroom can be tailored through technology, which reflects favorably upon technology when compared to the “impersonal” and “regimented” way of students reciting times-tables the teacher writes on the board.  Many are seeing technology as doing the work of many teachers, because it is capable of teaching students on their various levels.  The article addresses hurdles the technology tidal wave faces: those with start-up programs will face issues of local politicians who can change rules of the schools as they see fit; many see technology and “less qualified man power” holding an agenda of replacing qualified and trained educators; there is potential for the data received from the technology to be misused by the creator companies; and that the benefits of technology will only be available to the prominent.  The article relays to the reader that America has always been a forerunner for capitalism and new endeavors and increased technology in the classroom happens to be the goal.  Through the provided statistic that America’s educational position has dropped ten places amongst its international peers, the article states, “Educational technology could reverse this trend.”  This leads many to ask, “Why not?”

1.     Technology will be like an extra pair of hands in the classroom, allowing teachers to focus    more on reorganizing their classrooms and not so much on the more menial tasks of grading and drilling.

2.     Blending technology with student-teacher interaction enhances the learning experience.

3.     Technology allows a more customized learning experience.

4.     Technology does the work of many teachers, capable of teaching students on their various levels.

5.     Technology could reverse the current American educational backslide.

As a teacher-in-training, I would be lying if I did not identify with the concerns of America’s teaching unions that “fear a hidden agenda of replacing properly trained human with some combination of technology and less qualified man power, or just technology;” however, I do agree that “the way the technology is used in the classroom is…as important as having it there.”  Through my current education technology class, I am learning the significance of using technology correctly – that it can enhance the classroom experience, should not be simply given over to the student on a whim, but -as with any lesson - should have purpose and intent.  This article presented statistics that America’s education has fallen ten places amongst the international rankings and that technology could resuscitate the dying animal that is American education.  I raise the question of: What could be the root problem to our students leaving high school and college less prepared than their international peers?  Perhaps that is too deep of an issue to delve into during an article response, but it is an area worth addressing sometime, someplace.  Another area of concern that was continuously on my mind: Are we raising a generation of kids solely plugged into technology that it is the only way they know how to function?  A new wave of screen-addicted pupils?  I believe through the advent of cell-phones, human interaction and attention spans have suffered, even if only a minute amount, and even if that opinion has not been statistically proven.  There is currently a profound agenda marking American schools in implementing technology into the classroom; through the article’s admission to there being no steady inflow of concrete facts and data to promote “edtech,” I do not think we should be so quick to jump on the cruise ship and sail into that technology tidal wave until we have a better sense of how to use technology in the classroom and in what ways students do learn best when technology is present.  I agree that technology is beneficial, but I do not feel it is the end-all to America’s current academic dilemma.

One and How

In my college Education Technology class, we read an article titled

How Technology Enriched Your Students' Learning.  

Within this article are responses from teachers all across the country on their use of technology in their classroom.  

One application of technology from this article that I am particularly interested in using in my future classroom full of ESL students is found underneath the title "Flipping My Teaching."

This type of teaching allows the students to take charge of their learning experience.  Within your school, the curriculum provides necessary information and facts about subjects, but when the teacher "flips their teaching" with the use of technology, the students are then able to access their iPads, videos, and "Google forms" to discover and to create.  

In the classroom, I can teach to them what the curriculum and the books require, but then I can hand it over to them:

• The students can come to class the next day prepared with a certain number of interesting facts about the subject matter being learned.

• The students can come to class prepared with various ways of creating something out of one thing being learned. 

This type of learning makes a subject matter come to life for the student and lends to them the opportunity to learn many different things about what is being taught, rather than only the facts the curriculum feels is important.  It also allows the student to discover various ways of approaching their technology and shows them the relationship between technology and the classroom.

 

I joined the online teacher community Tesol.  

It is a professional online community for educators with an emphasis on international education in the field of English.  This community offers an online 

• Career center
• Career development
• Live learning center
• Online courses
• Advocacy action center
• Journal
• Bookstore
• Bulletin, and much more! 

The first article that I read and interacted with was Providing a Sounding Board for Second Language Writers.  

This article addresses the challenges ESL students and teachers face when encountering the need to write papers.  Where ESL students find it arduous to write in a second language, the educators find it equally challenging to create new approaches to the task of writing that excites and delights their students.  

Enter the primary topic of this article:   

SOUND BOARDS.

ESL students may need to see prefabricated phrases, ideas, etc. in order to effectively produce sentences that convey their thoughts.  They can look upon example work of other students, use a phrase-searching activity in which clusters of words and sentences are presented and they fill in blanks or match accordingly.  These are templates of sentences, sentence structures, phrases, ideas, etc. that the students can work with to navigate through the English language with which they will be writing, and lending them the tools to create a piece of work in the language of their future readers. 

Baby Flashcards App for Your Second Grade ESL Classroom

A FUN and SIMPLE WAY OF INTRODUCING 

  ENJOYABLE AND ENGAGING

TECHNOLOGY INTO YOUR CLASSROOM

This lesson is ideal for an ESL classroom, but it is applicable for any standard EFL –English as a First Language- class.  It will:

• Engage the students' growing vocabulary by introducing new words and items in a fun way
• Increase phonics comprehension and identification
• Increase enunciation and articulation

Students will have the opportunity to present to the classroom, increasing their use of the English language, and -along with the app- they will be engaged as the app speaks words and the students will then repeat the words.

My Power Point gives an outline of my entire unit lesson!  
 

 The app can be found on play.google.com and also in the iTunes store.

 

5 ESL Apps to Inetegrate into the Classroom!

I found 5 android apps that are ESL specific, that are also iOS compatible- ALL FREE!

1) MyWordBook

• I like this one because it is set up by Cambridge University Press and the British Council; the set up is very practical.  It offers simple words, the type of word (noun, pronoun, etc.) and allows for a definition and translation.  You can take tests on this app along with reviewing the words you have learned in the app.  When you review words that you know, you put a check mark by the ones you recognize and an X by the ones you do not.  This is also like an online ESL program we used at a school in Japan where I teach in the summers.

2) English Grammar 2

• This app offers over 500 questions to practice English grammar at the elementary level.  Within this app is a list: present simple, present continuous, simple past, noun, pronouns, etc.  Once you get into this list, there are lessons that educate you on that part of speech.  This app also offers tests and flashcards.  This app is constructed simply and is easy to use.

3) Baby Flash Cards

• This is a cute app with sound and is geared for younger elementary students, but I also enjoyed it.  You have the option to put the app in question form or in the form of pictures and having the word displayed.  When you put it on question, the app gives you four pictures and tells you, "Click on [this]" and you find the appropriate picture, click on it, and it gives an encouraging "You are awesome!"

This is free but has a lot of advertisements; the upgraded ad-free version is $1.99.

4) 50 Languages

• This is an excellent app that begins by asking you what your native language is; it then gives numbers in English first and beneath the English is the word in your native language. You click the "play" button and the word is spoken in English, which allows you to repeat orally.  It offers flashcards and tests.  Within the flashcards, the top flash card has a word in your native language, allowing you the opportunity to say orally the English translation of the word; you can then push the "play" button to hear it spoken and hit the "text" option to see it written. The test section offers multiple choice, word order, a bubble game, fill in the blank, and numbers.  There are 100 lessons, broken up into 10 sections.

5) Classic Words

•  I chose this because it is strictly a game that resembles scrabble.  This will put into action what English the students know and are learning and can also see new words formed.  It shows the correlation of letters to a variety of words.

Online Communities Post I- Groups I Have Joined!

I joined: http://www.teachade.com/.  

Within this website, I joined the group called MindUp.  I picked this group because it presented work in areas which I have not before interacted, such as: research in "cognitive neuroscience, evidence-based classroom pedagogy" and SEL which is social and emotional learning and presents teachers with methods and strategies of implementing "positive psychology."  Their aim is to develop emotional balance and cultivate well-being within the life of the student that will have long-term results in regards to the functions of the brain and emotional outcomes.  This group also introduced me to the entity of CASEL, which is Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.  I feel all of these things are important for educators, because as such, we are not simply in a classroom to present facts and encourage creative thinking, but we are - along with the Holy Spirit-  also in the lives of each student to produce life-change.
On the more "hands-on" side, this site is lousy with resources.  That is winning!

I joined www.proteacher.net

I have read several threads of conversations posted by "Future Teachers" like me and also from seasoned educators.  There are many threads of conversations and several groups that I cannot wait to get into!  Upon initial interaction with this website, I have read through posts from those who are about to enter into their internship (which is fast-approaching for myself), from those who are needing help during their Masters program (which I am likewise looking into and have been for quite some time), and posts from those who have ideas on how to better incorporate multicultural education, taking the "us and the "them" aspect of a culturally-diverse classroom and creating a unit of students who see themselves as a WE classroom. 
So far I have joined the groups Miltiage Classrooms, Early Childhood Study Group, and International Teachers.

!_CONGRATULATIONS_!

You have found my blog!  The stars aligned just perfectly, the good Lord set destiny in motion, and YOU, my friend,  are in for a ride.  ;)   

    As E.E. Cummings wrote, "I believe that 'yes' is the only living thing."  

 Live life vibrantly and embrace what is before you and innovate what has yet to come about in your life. Be an active member of what God has given to you!  

  I graduated from Family of Faith high school in 2010 as valedictorian. 
  I currently attend Family of Faith College and am in my fourth of five years
 working towards a BA in Ministry and a BA in Education.  

I leave the country often and teach abroad in the summers between school semesters.
  My heart lies in missions and in teaching in different countries. 

     I love God and people and desire that every person know that Jesus came for them and 
     that they ARE important, 
     that they do have PURPOSE, and 
     that they are WANTED.

I enjoy the sunrise and the sunset, especially from the window seat of a plane, from the beach of an ocean, or from the top of a mountain.  God has blessed me with His never-ending love that is felt every day.  Things I enjoy are: traveling, drinking coffee, and laughing, especially with good friends. 

I am unsatisfied staying in one place so luckily I serve a God who uses His people and takes them everywhere!

Some of my best friends and some Japanese students I taught in the summer of 2013!