Reflecting on Tech in the Classroom

After exploring ways of integrating technology into the classroom for ten weeks, I think my philosophy in general hasn't changed. I think it can be a wonderful thing if used correctly and that it has the potential to be a downfall if used incorrectly. Technology is awesome and all of the new and exciting ways we have to connect with people and things all over the world is incredible. However, technology can sometimes be a bit temperamental. Sometimes links don't work, pages have been taken down, sites have been hacked, and sometimes the internet is unavailable for no discernible reason at all.

Another reason for including technology within a classroom that I had previously overlooked is the longing students have to mirror their educational atmosphere with the rest of their lives. This generation has grown up with email and Facebook and YouTube. To completely ignore the fact that this virtual world exists seems ridiculous. By including things this generation is used to seeing like Buzzfeed articles and Vine videos, it bridges the gap between what interests students and the information students need to be learning.

I truly believe that technology can improve a classroom, but it is important to be flexible and have a backup plan. Sometimes a video won't load and instead of letting your classroom descend into chaos while you have a panic attack as you try to get it up and running, have your students dust off the books sitting in the corner and read about what they would have been watching. It might not be quite as exciting, but at least your students are still learning.

Citation:
Delvin, Timothy J., Charles R. Feldhaus, and Kristin M. Bentrem. "The Evolving Classroom: A Study of Traditional and Technology-Based Instruction in a STEM Classroom." JTE v25n1 - The Evolving Classroom: A Study of Traditional and Technology-Based Instruction in a STEM Classroom. JTE, n.d. Web. 14 June 2014. <http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/JTE/v25n1/delvin.html>

Thinking About Professional Learning Networks

Sometimes things don't work. That's just a fact of life. It's unfortunate when it happens and in a classroom, we strive to help students who are having difficulty with what we've assigned. Differentiating is an important part of being a teacher; changing the lesson or the expectations for a certain individual, or a group, to better fit their needs. For example, if you assigned an oral presentation to your class, you can't expect the child who is hearing impaired to reflect on his peers presentations in the same way the rest of his classmates are going to. It's obvious that sometimes you have to give some students a boost in order to put them on a level playing field with their peers. But it's not always obvious how to do this.

Having a Professional Learning Network (or PLN) is important for many teachers in overcoming this struggle. PLNs are places that you can go to ask teachers about how they have overcome the same issues you're struggling with. There is generally someone who has been teaching longer who has found a foolproof way to deal with your question. There is usually a new teacher friend who has an innovative idea they have in their back pocket that might be untested, but sounds promising. There is even sometimes a parent who has seen a great solution to your problem. PLNs help teachers connect with these people and pick their brains for their super ideas.

One fantastic resource that I know for certain I will use is Facebook. I have many friends who are either pre-service or very new teachers. I am sure that if I ever run into an issue in my classroom that I need help with, I can just post a status asking my teacher friends for ideas. I am also a member of a group on Facebook that includes people who went through the education program with me. This is a more concentrated group of teachers and by posting specifically in that group, I am sure I will at the very least get encouragement and someone who can point me in the right direction.

I also looked at Edutopia which is a website where teachers can talk about different ideas that worked and mention things to avoid. They can post lessons that were a hit in the classroom, ideas for management, and just generally talk about what's new and different in education. It's definitely a place I will visit when I am in need of help.

Edmodo is also a resource I will likely invest in. It is structured in a very similar way to Facebook, but instead of "friending" people and posting things for everyone to see, you join groups and post things for only those individual groups to see. It is very helpful for compartmentalizing things so that , for example, a question you have about Shakespeare can be posed to teachers within the group "Teaching the Classics" and not to the group "Outdoor Education".

LiveBinders In and Outside of the Classroom

The first time I met one of my best friends, she was watching some reality show I hated, she was covered in Cheeto dust, and wrapped up in a blanket like a human burrito. She didn't strike me as a particularly fun or driven person, however first impressions can sometimes be deceiving.

My initial reaction to Livebinders was that it was simply a bookmarking application that didn't seem either useful or interesting. However, after exploring what some educators are doing in their classrooms, I have completely changed my mind.

There wasn't one in particular that jumped out at me, but after perusing a few different ways teachers are using Livebinders, I have come up with several ideas of my own. Some students (myself among them) are eternally frustrated with the fact that some things have to stay locked in the virtual word on the computers at school. Livebinders can allow students to continue working on their projects at home if they wish. It could also free up some class time that might otherwise be used for simple activities which could easily be accomplished as homework.

As a future educator, I am always trying to keep an open mind about new programs and ideas I've never heard of. This is one of those instances when the new idea is a great one. I'm very glad I looked past my first impression of this program.

Vocabulary You Might Remember

I feel like most of us had at least one teacher who handed the class a list of words to learn by the end of the week and as soon as we'd been tested on them, we promptly forgot everything we'd just learned. This system seems flawed to me. If the purpose of giving students vocab words is for them to not just learn them but know them, perhaps we should be taking a different route.

Our students are increasingly focused on the internet and are less and less interested in sitting still while staring at a stagnant, black and white list of words they need to memorize. Our world is changing and we must change with it or we will inevitably be left behind. The internet generation only wants to read a Tweet of 140 characters, a video only holds their attention if it's a Vine of 6 seconds or less, and our students only want to see pictures that their friends are tagged in. By integrating some kind of visual aspect into the memorization of technology, it's possible that our students will not only learn, but remember their vocabulary words. A lot of teachers may balk at the idea of integrating yet another thing into their classroom, but if it helps to cement what you're teaching them, shouldn't we be trying it? Isn't that, after all, the whole point of teaching? We're here to help the students better themselves and while it may mean a little more work for us, the end result is what we're looking for. At the end of the day, we just want to create educated students.

Blogging in the Classroom

I am one of those people who is always online. I'm constantly on Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube, Netflix, and Hulu. I'm always searching for the newest shortcut, the next update on all of my websites, my browser, my iPod. As I type this, I have seven tabs open in my browser. So the idea of a blog isn't a new thing for me. All of the buttons are pretty much in the places I'd expect them to be and although sometimes there are twice as many as I know what to do with, I know how to figure out what all of the bells and whistles do. However, it never really crossed my mind to create a blog for my classroom. A Facebook page, maybe, but a blog? Not so much. However, after exploring a few, I can really see the benefit of having one. Not only does it keep parents and other family members updated on what their student is up to in school, but it lets the students know somebody out there cares. I've read some of the replies to our submissions on the Sunnyland page and the 4th grade students really seem to love it. They can't believe somebody twice their age would care about how they're learning about perimeter and area. I think it could definitely make students care more about their school work if they have an audience beyond their teacher who they know will see their final project or their achievements. They might take more pride in what they do because they feel they have fans now.

In pursuing educational blogs, http://huzzah.edublogs.org/ stood out to me. I loved the way it was so interactive. It's not written like a newspaper article that is often similar to talking at someone. Instead, this blog talks with it's readers and seems to hold a conversation with them. I love that! It draws in the audience because they feel they are a part of creating this blog as well. Some comment threads are miles long and there is a very intelligent and engaging discussion happening. Something you certainly wouldn't find on a website like Youtube. I love this idea and I definitely want to create my own blog for my classroom in the future for exactly this reason.

My Idea of Technology Integration

I believe technology integration can both add to and subtract from a classroom, but if used correctly by the teacher, I think it can be more of an advantage. It can certainly help students who might not be able to focus or learn in a “traditional” style classroom by bringing in different styles of learning. By bringing in technology like videos and classroom blogs or Facebook pages, a teacher can help students learn in a way they are more interested in. This generation is so plugged into the internet that if we as teachers decide to integrate the online language that they are speaking anyway, some students might find an interest in subjects they wouldn’t have otherwise discovered.

Using something that is so instantaneously available can be incredibly useful. Parents can check in on their students and see what they’re doing in class. Suddenly, parents feel like they are a part of the classroom atmosphere. It’s like they are watching the classroom through one-way glass. By posting pictures of lessons, projects, and videos of classroom learning, you let the parents be active observers in the classroom. However, this could definitely come with some caveats. It gives parents an easier way to criticize your teaching style. Privacy settings would definitely have to be set fairly high and the site monitored fairly regularly.