This is, by far, one of my favorite courses I have taken in this program so far! Not only did I have the opportunity to complete a goal I had in life (blogging), but I learned about Web 2.0 tools and how to utilize them within my classroom. Before this course, I didn’t know anything about Flipgrid, BYOD, Plickers, Kahoot, Add on and Extensions, Internet Safety, Global Collaboration Projects (GCPs), and using Twitter as a form of communication with stakeholders. Through this course, I have learned methods and strategies to integrate into my instruction that will support communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking.
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Internet and SafetyJust like students have to be taught to read and write, teachers must teach students safe and healthy use of the Internet. Teachers can start by having a conversation about the benefits of technology and how it works (Muthler, 2015). Teachers can educate through scenarios by presenting situations to students and asking thought-provoking questions about the scenarios (Lucas, 2013). This will cause students to think critically and aid in being good digital citizens. Another way teachers can educate students about internet safety is to get parents involved. Studies show that family involvement is one of the most significant predictors of a child’s success. Having schools and families work together there can be positive outcomes for all (Morris, 2019). With the help of the students, teachers should create a technology contract that outlines guidelines of the use of technology (Muthler, 2015). I believe it is important to educate teachers about the safe and healthy use of the Internet. Consequently, I have picked two websites to share with you on the topic at hand. The first resource is an article written by Kathleen Morris. In this article, Morris talks about 10 Internet Safety Tips for Students. These tips included the following topics: laws, talk, friends, privacy, reputation question, cyberbullying, accounts (passwords and usernames), manners, and unplug (Morris, 2019). This website also gave 4 different ways to approach teaching internet safety. One approach that stood out to me was storytelling. In storytelling, students are given a realistic scenario to consider. Students have the opportunity to discuss what they think is the best way to handle the scenario. This approach is better than lecturing because it allows students to learn from someone else’s problem. The second is teaching students strategies. Morris believes that we have to go beyond teaching students what they should not do but train them with strategies of things they should do. The other resource that I would like to share with you is an article titled, Help Kids Practice Smart Internet Habit and Stay Safe Online written by Erin Wilkey. Wilkey links us to 12 different lessons plans for students in grades 3–8. These lesson plans focus on the "do's and not the don'ts, which agrees with Morris' article. My favorite is a 5th-grade lesson about teaching students about clickbait or clicking on catchy headlines with extreme pictures. Wilkey believes implementing these lessons will build critical thinking skills and habits to deal with issues if they arise. Please check out the website and share your favorite lesson with me. I am a second-grade teacher who is working hard at preparing my students as digital age learners. I know how vital internet safety is and I want to teach my students about internet safety so they can be better users of the internet. The following is a videoI would show to my students, followed by a think-pair-share activity. There are a ton of things that you can do to keep students safe on the Internet. I have provided a few strategies below. 1. COPPA stands for Children's Online Privacy and Protection Act. This law deals with the way websites, apps, and other online resources collect data on students under the age of 13. COPPA informs teachers about several ways to keep students safe using the internet. • Knowing your school's policies on adopting new technologies and follow them. Check to see if your school has a list of approved websites. Students privacy should have been considered when the list was compiled. • Choose your classroom tech wisely. Teachers should choose tools that are geared towards education. Avoid games, websites, or apps with a lot of advertisement. 2. Common Sense Media published at video titled, How to Keep Kids Safe Online. In the video, they give parents 3 rules to keep their students safe when interacting online. These tips are guides to help students stay safe in the digital world. • Never talk to strangers – if you don’t know someone you shouldn’t chat or exchange emails with them. You should never meet up with them. Students should tell their parents if they suspect something. • Don’t overshare- remind your child not to share their address, phone number, or selfies. It is crucial for students to understand that they have to protect their personal privacy. • Never share your location- parents should turn off GPS settings for apps and websites. • Parents should always check in with their child when regarding the digital world. 3. When students use technology to bully or harass another student, it is considered Cyberbullying. To protect students against cyberbullying, schools have to be proactive by creating guidelines even before the bullying starts. Schools should get input from students when creating the guidelines. Each classroom should have a copy of the guidelines and should be signed by everyone within that class. Global Collaboration Project Global Collaboration Projects (GCPs) are assignments that allow students to work with peers beyond the classroom (ISTE Team, 2017). GCPs are so remarkable because they allow students to develop digital citizenship, global cultural, and collaboration skills. When students take the responsibility of acting and modeling safe, legal, ethical behavior, they are displaying digital citizenship. When students have the opportunity to share their experience or learn from peers around the world, they can tap into global cultural awareness. When students have the opportunity to work with others while sharing responsibility among a group, they are building collaboration skills. Implementing GCP is one way to promote 21st-century skills into our digital learners. One project that I explored was Global Read Aloud. There is one book that is shared among classrooms around the world (global cultural). This book will can be studied for up to 6 weeks. Students have the opportunity to share their thoughts and make connections about the book with one or as many classes they would like globally (collaboration). One Web 2.0 tool that will support this particular GCP is Edmodo. Edmodo allows students to communicate and engage with courses around the world safely (“The World’s Largest Learning Community,” 2018). Students must use good digital citizenship strategies to utilize Edmodo. Another Global Collaboration Project that was interesting to me was This is My Country. In this project, students from around the country share interesting facts, trivia, and information about their state. The students in my class could share information to other students around the world about Georgia such as rivers, regions, famous people (Martin Luther King Jr., Jimmy Carter, governor, and the current president), and more! I would use Flipgrid as a Web 2.0 tool for this GCP because it allows students or create short videos that spark responses from other students in the US or world (global cultural). When students view and respond to other students they are not only practicing digital citizenship, but they are also utilizing collaboartion skills. Sometimes, we as educators have a lot of ideas and it can be difficult to narrow down exactly what we want to do. This can present a challenge when designing a GCP. ISTE suggests starting small and picking a focus. Another challenge could be deciding when to implement the GCP within your classroom. ISTE suggest finding a naturally way to fit into your daily routine. It can also be difficult to get others to participate in GCP. Teachers should reach out to fellow teachers via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and other PLN. If no one is interested in joining your GCP, it is a good idea to rethink the topic (ISTE Team, 2017). ReferencesCommon Sense Media. (n.d.). How to keep kids safe online[Video file]. Retrieved from https://d1pmarobgdhgjx.cloudfront.net/parenttip/PT_Internet_Safety_Rebrand_2014.mp4 Indiana University of Pennsylvania on YouTube. (2011, May 17). Internet Safety for Kids K-3[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89eCHtFs0XM ISTE Team (2017). 7 Steps to starting a global collaboration project. Retrieved from https://www.iste.org/explore/In-the-classroom/7-steps-to-starting-a-global-collaboration-project?articleid=608 Knutson, J. (2018). What Is COPPA? Retrieved from https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/what-is-coppa Lucas, R. (2013). The Teacher’s Guide to Keeping Students Safe Online. Retrieved from https://elearningindustry.com/the-teacher-guide-to-keeping-students-safe-online Morris, K. (2019). Teaching Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.kathleenamorris.com AR & MUVEThe assigned readings in the module opened up my eyes to a whole new world of integrating and learning. I am really excited to share my experience with Augment Reality and Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE). Check out my latest blog and to get some ideas to use in your classroom! I have learned from my years of teaching, that students come to school having different background knowledge and experiences. As their teacher, it is my job to build upon their understandings and help them make connections in learning. As you know, I teach the English portion of the Dual Language Program for my school. The English part encompasses reading, writing, and phonics. More than half of my 37 students are ESOL. As a reading an ESOL teacher, I understand that the prior knowledge that students have about a topic influence their understanding. Pilgrim and Pilgrim give an example of this in their article when talking about students who have visited the beach. They explained that those students who had the opportunity to visit the beach and are now reading about the beach may have a better chance at understanding the text. While students who haven't visited the beach before have a hard time comprehending due to their inexperience (Pilgrim & Pilgrim, 2016). I try to do all that I can do to build students prior knowledge. A few months ago, my students had to take an assessment about students going to the science fair and finding a way to solve pollution. After reading the text to them, they had a puzzled look on their face. I asked them if they knew what pollution was. They told me no. Quickly, I found a student-friendly video on YouTube that explained what pollution was. After talking about the video, students took the assessment and was successful. When I taught the second group, I started off by explaining that they were going to be reading a passage that talked about pollution. I told that before we could go any further, I had to share with them a video about pollution. After the video, we had a discussion, I read the passage to them, and there was no confused or puzzled look on their faces. They were successful from the start because I was able to build their background knowledge. In my class, I use a lot of strategies to build background knowledge. These strategies include the use of manipulatives, realia, pictures, videos, demonstrations, movement, gestures, graphic organizers, word walls, modeling, and scaffolding. With the help of technology, I can enhance visuals for my students through the use of Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented Reality (AR). VR and AR can promote understanding and scaffold prior knowledge (Pilgrim & Pilgrim, 2016). One AR that I had the opportunity to explore was HP Reveal. HP Reveal is an app that recognizes real-world images in the form of animations, videos, 3D models and web pages. After watching a few YouTube Videos, I realized that I could use the app in my second-grade classroom, like today. Students had to read a text titled Molly Pitcher. As I stated before, I have ESOL and special needs students, so I knew I had to distinguish from the two different meanings of pitcher. Using this app, I could have created vocabulary cards to give students a clear picture of a pitcher and cannon. I realized that this same concept could be used for vocabulary or a content word wall. To bring in the 4 c’s, I would have my students work in groups to research Jimmy Carter and create a poster to share information about him. The poster will require students to draw pictures that are associated with Jimmy Carter (peanuts – peanut farm, wood/houses- Habitat for Humanity, peace- Egypt and Israel Peace deal). Using HP Reveal, students would provide information using videos, actual photos, or sentences that tell about Jimmy Carter. I could even have students work in groups to research an animal’s life cycle. Once again, they will draw pictures to identify each stage of their animal. Students would also link information such as videos, photos, and experts to use when utilizing HP Reveal. I also explored to Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) Club Penguin and Cignition’s Fog Stone Isle. Club Penguin is great for kindergarten and first-grade students because it introduces them into the world of MUVE. Club Penguin also give students the opportunity to collaborate and communicate with other students through games and chats. However, Club Penguin does not touch on creativity or critical thinking. On the other hand, Fog Stone Isle teaches students grades 4-8 essential math concepts (adding and dividing fractions, ratios/probability, decimals, and more) all while they are building villages, gardens, ranches, and factories for theirs. Although it is incredibly engaging, it lacks components of the 4 c’s except for creativity and critical thinking. All in all, I think these tools are amazing because they are best practices that support ESOL, special need learners, as well as general education students. Furthermore, these tools support learning in a very engaging way. Using these tools will increase student engagement, support students through visual and experiential scaffolding. It will also help build students’ understanding through meaningful and authentic tasks and will aid in student engagement and higher-order thinking (Crews, 2018; Pilgrim & Pilgrim, 2016). References Crews, J. (2018). Five Ways Teachers Can Use—and Create—Augmented Reality Experiences. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-22-five-ways-teachers-can-use-and-create-augmented-reality-experiences Devaney, . (2014). 7 reasons digital equity is a social justice issue. Retrieved from https://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/11/12/digital-equity-access-938/ Pilgrim, J. M., & Pilgrim, J. (2016, Winter). The Use of Virtual Reality Tools in the Reading-Language Arts Classroom. TJLE, 2. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1121641.pdf Planning for Sustainability: Focus on Equity. [Video file]. (2018, January). Retrieved from https://vimeo.com/250488786 SoulPancake. (2017, December 8). If You’ve Never Heard of the ‘Homework Gap’ This Video Will Shock You[Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqkAlwGsxwE Digital DivideBefore starting this program, I had never heard of the term digital divide. Before this semester, I really didn’t understand what digital divide was. I now know that the digital divide is the difference between students who have access to proper devices and or technology versus students who not have access to appropriate devices and or technology (Devaney, 2014; Kang, 2016).
My school has purchased the following devices to make sure that students are equipped with technology resources; classroom computers (five), mobile carts (one laptop cart and three iPad carts), and computer labs (two). Although we are equipped with these tools, teachers are not using the resources to prepare digital learners for success. They are using resources for practice and drill. Consequently, there is a divide between technology instruction and implementation within my school. In other words, teachers are not trained on how to teach using technology that will empower students and promote higher order thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. This program is giving me the tools that I need to support 21st-century learners. To provide equitable access to technology in my classroom, I utilize my 5 computers and iPads daily, through literacy stations. I even took it upon myself to let my students use my personal iPad to give students 1;1 within a station. I consistently go to the library and implement web 2.0 tools and assessments such as Kahoot, Plickers, Spark Video, Blendspace, Sway, Seesaw, Word and other resources. I even collaborate with the librarian weekly on lessons that integrate technology. I work really hard with giving my students the tasks of communicating and collaborating with their peers as well as using critical thinking skills to create something. I am trying really hard to prepare my students as 21st-century learners. I am aware that not all of my students in my homeroom have access to a device as well as the internet, 16 out of the 17 of my students do. Although they have access to multiple devices and the internet, they have told me that they do not use those resources for homework. This makes it extremely hard when assigning homework for students on Prodigy, Raz-Kids, and Xtra Math. I am forced to use these websites as an option since parents will not allow their students to use them with fidelity. As you can see, there is a digital divide here. Parents are not aware of the importance of utilizing technology tools at home. They are not aware that students who use devices and can access resources when they need at home will improve their math and reading skills. Also, they are able to connect with their teachers as well as collaborate with peers. Furthermore, students who have access to digital resources at home have a higher graduation rate. While students who do not have access to devices or internet loses collaborative and creative opportunities and a chance for rich opportunities (Devaney, 2014). One way to improve digital equity within my school is to coordinate technology workshops that will train teachers on technology tools that they could use to enhance their teaching practice. I wouldn’t mind coaching a small group of teachers who need a little more one-on-one. I think that each grade level should have their very own laptop cart to share amongst each other. This will not only give classrooms the chance to apply the skills they have learned in the technology workshops, but it will also provide more access to technology in each class. This could come into fruition through writing grants, school’s cell phone tower money, technology budget, and fundraiser. To get more resources in my classroom, I could do donors choose. I would also share information with my parents about digital equity and how they are putting their students at a disadvantage by not letting them use resources that are available to them (SoulPancake, 2017). One way to improve digital equity is to make sure that people in the community are aware of digital resources (Focus on Equity, 2018). Consequently, I feel that it is my job to share information with my parents about digital equity and the homework gap. Students will be given more homework assignments that will require the use of the internet. If students are not able to use devices, they will continue to fall behind. This would put students at a disadvantage academically (SoulPancake, 2017). I would also share the video, If You’ve Never Heard of the ‘Homework Gap’ This Video Will Shock You. I will also inform parents on how to find and use free digital resources such as wifi or hot spots. I would even tell parents about Xfinity Xfinity Internet Service program, where they will give low-cost-high-speed internet for $9.95 a month as well as a discounted rate for laptops. I would do my part in helping close the gap between digital equity. Engaging AppsNumber PiecesNumber Pieces is the first app that I explored. In second grade, we use base ten blocks a lot. I thought that this app would be a great visual for students to use because it gives students a hands-on approach to adding and subtracting by allowing them. I liked the fact that it offers students the chance to tap on the ones, tens, or hundreds blocks to figure out an answer to an equation. Discovering numerical values is a critical thinking skill in itself, so having students use this app will help them build a critical skill. These skills will help students be successful in second and third grade. It can also be used in algebra and geometry to make connections between abstract and concrete relationships. Teachers can use this app in a small or large group with students with the iPad, tablet, or Promethean board. One problem that this particular app has to do with the control not always working and the character count is limited. Barefoot AtlasBarefoot Atlas is the third app I investigated. It is a digital atlas that allows students to explore through animations and real-time information and data around the world. Students simply spin or pinch an item on a 3-D globe and zoom in to find more info about a city, state, country, or continent. Students can even explore regions, flags, animals, landmarks, natural landscapes, cultures, and so much more! As a DLI teacher, I have to reinforce skills in science and social studies. To help implement these two content areas, I have included a discovery center as one of my literacy centers. I have decided to check out another iPad for my discovery center and allow students to collaboratively, explore different areas of the world on their own. To challenge students and let them use critical thinking skills, I will give students a few options such as Sway, PowerPoint, or Adobe Spark to share their findings with peers. This app is brilliant because it gives students the opportunity to use reference material and learn about the beautiful world we live in. The only downfall of this app is that you have to pay for it. Splash MathThe second app that I chose to explore was Splash Math. Splash Math is an app that offers colorful, interactive games that are very engaging for students. With the DLI curriculum, I have to make sure that I reinforce concepts in math even though I do not teach math explicitly. Using Splash Math will give students the opportunity to practice common core math skills that they need to build. In return, students will have the foundation to solve challenging math problems. Splash Math can be used in small or large groups. It can also be used when introducing a standard or reviewing a standard. Teachers can even project the app, group students into groups, and have them solve the problems together. This will bring in the collaboration component. This app is excellent because it gives students feedback, explaining how to solve a problem correctly. This app also offers teachers see data on time spent on topics, accuracy, and level of mastery. However, it does not allow teachers to assign specific tasks to each student. SkoolboSkoolbois the next app that I surveyed. Skoolbo is a literacy and math quiz app that lets students take quizzes and compete against other kid users around the world, using an avatar they created. This app uses an algorithm to modify the curriculum to each student regardless of age or grade level. The curriculum includes literacy skill and math skills from letter recognition, spelling, and vocabulary building to counting and multiplying decimals. This app also consists of a language feature to introduce students to Spanish, Mandarin, and French. I had a student who was put in the DLI program this year. She did not have much background in Spanish. Using this app would have been perfect for her. This app is excellent because it is engaging also gives students the opportunity to review standards. This app can be even be used to assess students. Skoolbo supports collaboration because it gives students the chance to take quizzes and compete against other kid users around the world. This app promotes critical thinking because it too builds on students’ foundation and prepares them to use critical thinking skills to solve more challenging problems. This app gives students lots of quizzes through drills. However, drilling does not always require critical thinking. KidsblogThe next app that I explored was Kidsblog, which is a blogging platform created intentionally for students. Kidsblog requires an adult to create a classroom or school account with only an email address. On the hand, this app does not need students to provide an email address to use. Students get connected by logging onto the app and signing in with their user name and unique passcode. This app is fantastic because it gives students the opportunity to collaborate with each other through blogging. Blogging makes writing instruction so much more meaningful since they will be writing to an authentic audience, their peers. This app is also a great way to support students as both writers and creators of digital content. This app can also help students who are shy and too afraid to talk in front of their peers. This app supports critical thinking because it gives students a chance to, publish writing, audio, visual, or video projects. We are tapping into students critical thinking whenever we have them an opportunity to create something. This app also encourages collaboration because it gives a student the chance to peer edit with peers. Prodigy The last app that I had a chance to view is Prodigy. Prodigy is an adaptive math app that allows students to customize colorful, anime-style avatars and send them off to the Wizard Academy to prepare for battle. As students prepare for battle, they are solving math problems. These problems cover math content on the students’ level. This app is so cool because it is very engaging to students and provides them with valuable common core math lessons. It also gives teachers the chance to assign specific standards and provide the teacher with updates on students and their skill. Teachers can even create student tournaments and quests that establish new challenges and goals. Prodigy supports collaboration because students are literally battling a peer within the classroom or a student around the world. This feature allows students to showcase what they have learned. As I mentioned earlier, Prodigy is an adaptive app. Once students have mastered a certain level or skill, it will give them challenging problems that will require critical thinking to be used. All in all, Prodigy is a great app to use for students to review skills. However, it does require a paid subscription for more activities. Managing BYOD in your ClassroomII have not used BYOD because my school has equipped us with many technology tools. My principle has purchased many devices such as five classroom computers, four mobile carts, and two computer labs. In my classroom, I have three iPads and five desktop computers. If needed, I can either go to the computer lab or check out iPads and laptops. Furthermore, I am not sure what my county’s policy on BYOD is. However, I do know that it can be pretty challenging to provide devices for every student. But this can “almost” be possible with BYOD. I think that BYOD is a great strategy to use to expanding access to digital learning technologies (Rodgers, 2018). If I were to use BYOD in my classroom, you would see classroom seating arranged to meet technology-based activities. You will also notice signage posted on the wall that states that BYOD is permitted within the classroom. You will even notice the digital social contract that was created collaboratively by students. You will also see a green and red light, which will indicate when it is ok for students to use their devices (green light) and when devices should be turned faced over (red light). If you walk around the classroom, you will see an ask 3 before me sign as well as basic troubleshooting poster. If you continued to walk around the room, you would see as station where pencils, paper, and markers are located, just in case our technology does not want to cooperate that day. You would also notice a lending library, where students use who are not able to afford devices or who happened to have left their devices at home. Finally, you will see a calm teacher modeling and learning from her students (Silver, 2015). To manage BYOD in my classroom, I will use green and red light, system. The green light indicates when it is ok for students to use their devices, while the red light will show when devices should be turned face down and not be used. I will also make sure that students are using the devices on their table or desk, not in their laps. Since restarting a computer often fixes problems, that’s the route I would go when I have issues with the five desktops in my room. Because I have three iPads, I would use the following troubleshooting strategies to implement mobile technologies within my classroom: • Recharge • Restart • Reset iPad • Remove content • Reset settings and content • Restore • Recovery mode (Baig & LeVitus, 2012) ReferencesBaig, E. C., & LeVitus, B. (2012). Troubleshoot Your iPad: Restart. Retrieved from https://www.dummies.com/consumer-electronics/tablets/ipad/troubleshoot-your-ipad-restart/
Common Sense Education. (n.d.). https://www.commonsense.org/education/reviews/all Rodgers, D. (2018). BYOD in Schools: A Beginner's Guide. Retrieved from https://www.schoology.com/blog/byod-in-schools-a-beginners-guide Silver, J. (2015, July 9). Classroom Management [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s6k9v_8CV8&feature=youtu.be Thoughts on using Adobe Spark
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ITEC 7430 Blog
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