Digital Storytelling, Digital Fun, Digital Learning!

            I think that digital storytelling can be a fun and interesting tool to use in the classroom.  It also provides many educational benefits such as building content knowledge and supporting struggling readers by providing differentiated reading and writing activities at each student’s level of ability. Digital stories can range from simple personal narrative to complex, research reports and ultimately foster literacy development and increase reading comprehension. Students are able to work together and utilize different personal strategies in order to develop the stories digitally, and other students may benefit from learning in that style. Creating stories through film can be engaging for many ages of students and promote the learning of many different subjects and genres.

            I definitely believe that this way of teaching is worthwhile and will improve education.  In today’s economy, it can be challenging for much of the educational attention to be focused on the arts, and many of it is cut from elementary programs. Using arts in teaching is not only a fun and different way to learn, but it can also benefit the students in a multitude of ways. I feel as though most learners are visual and auditory learners, which would be utilized in this way of teaching. The script writing and process of drafting and creating the video even before editing emphasizes their use of creativity and allows the students to explore many facets of their abilities. I could use this in the classroom in many different situations, but most likely for older students such as 7^th grade and on because they would most likely have the knowledge and skills to create a video.  I could assign a video project for students to recreate scenes from a play, such as Shakespeare’s “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream,” or even to explain something to the other students, such as how the food web works for a science class. I always find that it is easier to learn when the information is visual and even humorous at times.

References

DeMaria, S., & Fuhrman, C. (2011). That's a Wrap! Telling Stories with Video. Learning and Leading through Technology, 32-33. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20110607?pg=34&search_term=telling%20stories%20with%20video&doc_id=-1#pg34

Royer, R., & Richards, P. (2008). Digital Storytelling. Learning and Leading through Technology, 29-31. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/200811?pg=33&search_term=digital%20storytelling&doc_id=-1#pg31

Assisitive Technology is the Future!

          Assistive Technology

           Assistive technology is described in the videos as any tool that can make life easier or increase independence for people with disabilities.  This can vary from high school students as we see in the first video, to the elderly and children of the second video. I learned that there are many different ways that one can utilize assistive technology. For example, there was one boy who was not able to move any part of his body except for his eyebrow, so the school created a system where he would twitch his eyebrow to select from a series of columns and rows on a computer screen. I also found it interesting to learn about how it can not only assist kids needs in school and communication, but it can be used to help people with disabilities do what they love to do, such as the boy who plays the musical instrument created especially for him with a joystick by a mechanical engineer. It seems as though one of the biggest challenges with implementing assistive technology nation wide is the lack of awareness and knowledge about it. I would hope that as a teacher I could help my students in the best way for them.

            In the article, Build an Assistive Technology Toolkit, I learned that you could find free tools that will instill independence and confidence in students with special needs by searching from online libraries, concept maps, and spell checkers. If more enhanced and specialized programs are needed, you can work with your IT department in order to download the appropriate software.  The second video mentioned that there are many free online resources, especially for the younger ages, which are great assistive tools. It is exciting to think about the progress of technology and how it will keep getting better and helping more people with disabilities feel as normal and independent as everyone should feel. The second article, I Have Something to Say, features an app called the Proloquo2go for the iTouch, iPad, or iPhone.  This app could be extremely helpful if you have a student that isn’t able to speak because of disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental disabilities, and apraxia of speech. This app gives students a voice and is customizable, allowing educators or parents to create a unique matrix or vocabulary set for each student. Because this app is customizable, it can meet the needs of varying levels of students. On the other hand, this app does come with a price tag of up to $499, which could present financial difficulties for many families.

            I especially liked this app because it reminds me of a student that went to my high school. He was ultimately featured on the MTV show, “True Life,” for his disability and use of assistive technology. He had a motorized scooter and some sort of computer program that allowed him to select buttons with a joystick in order to communicate. Not only did this allow him to participate in classes, but he was also then able to interact socially and communicate with others about his needs. Having this “entry level” understanding of assistive technology intrigues me about the subject and causes me to want to be very aware of the possibilities and benefits of assistive technology. I would hope that all other teachers do their best to not only help their students learn but to make them feel independent and secure about themselves.

References

Ahrens, K. (2011). Build an Assistive Technology Toolkit. Learning and Leading, 22-23. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201111?pg=24&search_term=assistive%20technology&doc_id=-1#pg24

Runyan, M. (2011). I Have Something to Say. Learning and Leading, 32-33. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201108?pg=35&search_term=assistive%20technology%20devices&doc_id=-1&search_term=assistive%20technology%20devices#pg35

The Benefits and Challenges of Mobile Learning

In the article, "The Benefits and Challenges of Mobile Learning", I learned that while it may be beneficial and useful to introduce technology into both teaching and learning, it might also present challenges.  Some of the positives about utilizing mobile technology in the classrooms are that there is learning across multiple contexts and that it allows for portability and versatility in learning. Technology also allows for more creative and new ways to teach and learn as well as transforming learning and teaching into a more meaningful and authentic experience. Some of the downsides to this approach are that many schools have major privacy concerns, have financial restraints, and that creating the new ways of teaching might be difficult to instill and learn. There is also the issue of accessibility, because there are many schools that may not have access to technology and mobile devices. The article, "There’s an app for that", features the perspective of a teacher and his use of iPod touches in his own classroom, and the benefits of following the Mobile Learning Assessment. I learned that there are many creative ways to use technology in a classroom because teachers are able to create surveys to evaluate the students, while the students can use the technology to access the Internet, stream videos, and download applications.

I see the potential integration of mobile technology into the classrooms a positive thing that may also come along with some hardships. It would be unfair for the better areas to have access to the best and newest technologies while children in lower-income areas have older technology or even none at all. I could see it being very challenging, the way that our government is set up now, to supply and coordinate the distribution and use of technology for students around the country. While I believe that it is very important and helpful for students to be introduced to technology at a young age so that they will be able to safely and productively navigate the internet speedway in hopes of bettering themselves and their studies, I also think that it may cause students to disassociate from their peers and rely on their technology for many things that they are fully capable of and should be doing themselves. Therefore, I think that the introduction and use of some technology in the classrooms could create a fun, creative, and new way to teach that will keep the students attention, but that there should be a limitation of how much it is used and that there remains some traditional ways of teaching and it becomes a blend of the two.

References

Crompton, H. (2013). The Benefits and Challenged of Mobile Learning. Learning & Leading Through Technology. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20130910?pg=40&search_term=mobile%20learning&doc_id=-1#pg40

Heisey, B. (2011). There's an app for this! Leading & Learning through Technology. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/201102?pg=38&search_term=mobile%20learning&doc_id=-1#pg38

PLN Assignment

The site that I utilized most to find useful subscriptions that I could follow in regards to education was feedly.com. On this website, I was able to subscribe to the following blogs; Edutopia RSS, Free Technology for Teachers, iLearn Technology, and TED Education. I learned a lot from following these site and blogs because I was able to gain ideas about how to implement technology in the classroom. I liked that the Edutopia feed connects many current and social themes and events to lessons learned in the classroom. I also learned that there can be so many creative ways to teach one topic, and there is not just one singular, “correct,” way. The iLearn Technology blog even mentioned the PLN and how social media has created a great community and network of educators that are able to share their ideas publically. While some of the blogs can pack in a lot of information, I like that the Free Technology for Teachers blog aimed to help teachers utilize technology, whether they are overwhelmed by it or looking for new ideas, as well as help teachers use technology in their classroom. I have found that the feedly site provides a convenient way to stay up to date and learn about new ideas about education and technology.

Upon creating my first Twitter account, I have followed @EdTech_K12, @Edudemic, @TeachHub, @WeAreTeachers, @DiscoveryEd, @edutopia, and @ericjrobertson. Although I first found the use of Twitter to be quite confusing, I ultimately found that it was a very unique and interesting place to gain information that can be useful for my own future teaching. Social media is used to promote the display and posting of thoughts, ideas, and even arguments. For example, on the Edudemic page, they posed the question; What comes first: the curriculum or the technology? I was then able to view the multiple responses and opinions of teachers and non-teachers alike. The EdTech K-12 Magazine raised the idea about Common Core, which is ultimately to become our national standards of teaching, by providing a study and a space for others to talk about it freely. I even follow one of my previous Communications professors, Eric Robertson, because while he is a college professor, he offers a lot of insight into the use of technology in the classroom. I took three of his classes at Mira Costa College, and he had us use technology in the classroom for presentations as well as provided videos of himself and Ted Talks to watch at home as part of our homework and continued education.

I found Diigo to be another useful took because it provides the access to groundbreaking collaborative research and allows us to bookmark, highlight, and sticky note parts of pages and articles that we like. I once again have found edutopia on this site, but was able to dig a little deeper and keep track of specific things that I liked. I found the set-up of the page to be nice because it features a twitter feed on the side, as well as direct links to articles, blogs, videos, and any additional information that you may need. I also discovered that you can find lesson plan ideas such as the, “A Journal for Corduroy: Responding to Literature.” I marked this one as soon as I saw it because I loved the idea of carrying a stuffed bear around for all of your adventures and then coming to class prepared to tell the story of the bear in front of everyone, and it also reminded me of something I had one done early in elementary school.

Finally, I explored a popular ning group known as, “The Educators PLN.”  From this site I was able to learn some different perspectives about several functions of teaching such as the future of technology and teaching and plans for the future. The blogs gave a more personal touch such as Eileen Lennons’s blog, where she mentioned the difficulties of learning something on the computer and how it changed her own perspective on teaching. I also liked that there were many featured videos and that you could see what was popular. While I found this site to be a little more challenging to navigate, I still believe that it provided worthy and valuable information for future teacher from all around. Clearly they are a credible resource due to all of their awards and badges!

  I believe that as time goes on, I will get more and more comfortable with using all of these different resources and that they will become very useful tools for my future teaching career. Although I feel pretty comfortable with technology these days, I know that there is always so much more to learn and that it will continue to change and develop as time goes on. I liked that we had to navigate through many different types of sites so that we could find out what really works best for us. I enjoyed following the RSS feeds on feedly, as well as Diigo, because it combined the positive aspects of social media with useful tools, articles, and videos. While I found the PLN assignment to be interesting, I also found it to be quite difficult at times. Anything brand new can be hard to adjust to, so I just imagine that it will only get easier and that I will be able to contribute the networks of teacher and follow groups that provide creative ideas for the classroom in my future. 

 

The badge from http://edupln.ning.com/profiles/blog/list (The Educator's PLN ning):

http://edublogawards.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/secondrunnerup_useofaPLN.png

 

Digital Citizenship

We live in an age where Web 2.0 technology plays one of the most dominant roles in our everyday lives. From school, to business, to play, we all use some form of technology in our daily lives and are finding it more and more crucial to keep up with the ever-changing industry.  With the increase in technology, there is a greater need to prepare students to navigate the information superhighway and be guided into ethical Internet literacy. While the new technology wave allows for unlimited opportunity, it also comes with many negatives and dangers. Digital Citizenship refers to the norms of behavior in regards to technology use.  We can address some of the issues of misuse and abuse of emerging technologies, such as cell phones, gaming, etc, with the creation of the National Education Technology Standards (NETS). These standards can teach students the responsible and appropriate ways to use technology, as well as address ethical, cultural and societal issues. Safety and security with the use of the Internet should become priorities lessons that are taught throughout the school day. Other ways to encourage good online behavior is by having adults modeling good use of electronic communication, encouraging appropriate online behavior and by using the education system to teach information and technology literacy. In doing this, we can help students understand a safe Internet environment, learn skills, and form an online identity.

I absolutely think that digital citizenship should be taught starting at an early of an age as elementary school. Younger generations are not getting their hands on technological devices and are entering the world of the Internet much sooner. In order to protect them from common issues such as cyber-bullying, identity theft, game addiction, predators, and more, we should be integrating the teachings of digital citizenship with our classroom agendas. This will, in turn, prepare students to safely and ethically navigate the cyber world and be able to utilize it to the best of their abilities. 

References

Ohler, J., & Malmstrom, M. (2012). By Point/Counterpoint: Should Schools Be Required to Teach Digital Citizenship? Retrieved from http://cc.csusm.edu/pluginfile.php/240995/mod_resource/content/2/Teaching_Digital_Citizenship_Y-N.pdf

Ribble, M. S., Bailey, G. D., & Ross, T. W. (2004). Addressing Appropriate Technology Behavior. Digital Citizenship, 32(1), 7-11. Retrieved from http://cc.csusm.edu/pluginfile.php/240994/mod_resource/content/3/digital_Citizenship_ISTE%281%29.pdf

ahhhh!

2nd attempt.