Introduction

This blog was created for the first Educational Technology course I took at Texas A&M University-Commerce. I have come a long way since creating this blog, and have learned much more about both education and technology.

This blog demonstrates my ability to conduct research, write well, and use the information discovered to design instruction targeted to benefit students.

Through this ETEC course I first learned about digital footprints, digital citizenship and netiquette, fair use, wikis, podcasts, and the use of technology in developing lessons. All of these tools can contribute positively to student learning if implemented well.

Though it was written in 2013, this is the point where my career as an educator began, and I’m proud to say that I have significantly grown in the time since the first post was made.

Assessing Meaningful Learning

The first website I went to was http://www.inspiration.com/Curriculum-Integration/Kidspiration and I watched the video about Kidspiration. It sounds like an awesome classroom tool! My one concern, as someone who went to a school where we weren't taught keyboarding until 9th grade, is that if the students use the semantic mapping tool, it will take them forever to type anything. It boggles me that this program is meant for grades kindergarten through fifth grade, and they can type already! I was pecking with my index finger when I was still in Intermediate (which was 4th and 5th grade at my grade school). I see Kidspiration being more helpful for math, but maybe I'm just "old-school" and I want kids to draw out bubbles when they use semantic mapping after reading a story. (Oh, semantic mapping is when you write out characters and other elements of a story and draw lines connecting them. It looks like a web or a map when the student is done, and can be colored or filled in with art for a great classroom display.) After I realized the video for that website was 2 and a half hours long, I moved on to read about Formative Assessment. There wasn't a lot of information on that page because it wanted me to register. I think it was for a newsletter, and I didn't find any other interesting information to help me out. Here is the link for eschoolnews: http://www.eschoolnews.com/2010/08/25/formative-assessment-that-clicks-with-students/
The link for general rubrics was here: http://school.discoveryeducation.com/schrockguide/assess.html but when I clicked on it the page read "404 Not Found" So I went to the other link. http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshellc.cfm?mode=gallery&sms=publicrub It seemed much more promising. Here's a rubric I looked at: <a href='http://www.rcampus.com/rubricshowc.cfm?code=JB9W24&sp=yes'>Rubric: Play review</a>
I really like this tool because the rubric just has to be tweaked to fit the needs of the assignment I create.

As for this course, I have to say I learned a lot, even though I've been sort of unwilling to accept technology in my classroom. I'm not against it, but I know that I will not be working at a well-funded school in the future. Not every student can have an iPad or computers in their room. While it's good to use technology for education, it's a good idea to have a backup plan just in case the power goes out. Before this class I had never heard of Prezi, I wasn't sure what a podcast was, or that there were so many resources for teachers online. I am glad that I took this course to keep up with the students, but will it make me too annoying for the veteran teachers? Also, I was nervous about taking another online class, but since this uses the internet so much anyway, it really wasn't a big deal. And I am so glad that our instructor was able to reply so quickly (especially when I goofed up multiple times) and tell me what I did wrong. No doubt the things we learned in this course will be used during our careers.
So, this is my last blog for ETEC! Fare thee well, my readers, and I wish you luck in your future! I would like to sincerely thank you for reading. See you on the web!

Technology Application Standards

I will teach High School (eighth through twelfth grade) English. The TEKS objective I chose to write about is §110.52. This states, "The student applies the conventions of usage and the mechanics of written English to communicate clearly and effectively."

There are so many TEKS to cover, and I don't want to begin to imagine how I will teach all of them to about a hundred or more rowdy kids. However, that's why I am in college now, right? So, using what scant knowledge I have acquired so far, I will attempt to answer the question of how I would teach TEKS. I can utilize TEKS for Creative Writing (§110.52.b.3) by having students write creatively. I would enjoy reading a book with students in class and then reading what they thought of the book. This would also help me create discussion topics and analyze the book in a new way to help future classes. I think it is important for students to know how to write well so they can clearly share their ideas with everyone. An author who writes well will be more respected and gain more listeners than someone who disregards spelling and doesn't clarify their ideas. Anyway, these TEKS could be used in the classroom by reading the work of popular authors and imitating their style.  Also, if students read very formal writing and imitate that style, chances are it will seep into their own personal writing. I would encourage students to create small groups in class and pass around samples of their writing to the other members of their group. I would monitor their comments as they evaluated each other's spelling, capitalization, and grammar to make sure they were positively constructive.

I think that the most important TEKS would be §110.52.b.3.  "The student is expected to (A) use correct capitalization and punctuation; (B) spell with accuracy in the final draft; and © demonstrate control over grammatical elements such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and verb forms in the final draft." Out of A, B, and C, it is harder to decide which is the more important. None of them matter so much thanks to computer programs that automatically correct typing. However, when students hand write their papers these elements can prove vital to their overall message. I would encourage students to handwrite their papers so that I could determine if they were reaching these goals in class. It is important not to grade spelling and grammar too harshly. After all, even though these elements of writing are important, if the message is still understandable it will not prohibit the writer from accomplishing a goal. Sometimes purposely misspelling can do more good for the writing. For example, in Uncle Tom's Cabin (which I've been studying for American Literature I) or The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, misspelling can help tremendously when using dialogue. I would use some of the techniques I've learned this semester, including the strategies I've already written about. I think using books as modeling is a great way to teach students how to write. If they find an author they admire and can imitate through their own creative writing, it will do wonders for their spelling and grammar. 

§110.52. Creative Writing (One-Half to One Credit).

(a)  Introduction.

(1)  The study of creative writing allows high school students to earn one-half to one credit while developing versatility as a writer. Creative Writing, a rigorous composition course, asks high school students to demonstrate their skill in such forms of writing as fictional writing, short stories, poetry, and drama. All students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the recursive nature of the writing process, effectively applying the conventions of usage and the mechanics of written English. The students' evaluation of their own writing as well as the writing of others ensures that students completing this course are able to analyze and discuss published and unpublished pieces of writing, develop peer and self-assessments for effective writing, and set their own goals as writers.

(2)  For high school students whose first language is not English, the students' native language serves as a foundation for English language acquisition and language learning.

(3)  Statements that contain the word "including" reference content that must be mastered, while those containing the phrase "such as" are intended as possible illustrative examples.

(4)  The essential knowledge and skills as well as the student expectations for Creative Writing, an elective course, are described in subsection (b) of this section.

(b)  Knowledge and skills.

(1)  The student writes for a variety of audiences and purposes to develop versatility as a writer. The student is expected to:

(A)  write expressive, informative, and persuasive literary texts effectively;

(B)  demonstrate the distinguishing characteristics of various written forms such as fictional writing, short stories, poetry, and drama in his/her own writing;

(C)  elaborate writing when appropriate such as using concrete images, figurative language, sensory observation, dialogue, and other rhetorical devices to enhance meaning;

(D)  employ various points of view to communicate effectively;

(E)  choose topics and forms to develop fluency and voice;

(F)  use word choice, sentence structure, and repetition to create tone; and

(G)  organize ideas in writing to ensure coherence, logical progression, and support for ideas.

(2)  The student selects and uses recursive writing processes for self-initiated and assigned writing. The student is expected to:

(A)  select and apply prewriting strategies to generate ideas, develop voice, and plan;

(B)  develop drafts by organizing ideas such as paragraphing, outlining, adding, and deleting;

(C)  use vocabulary, sentence structure, organization, and rhetorical devices appropriate to audience and purpose;

(D)  use effective sequence and transitions to achieve coherence and meaning;

(E)  revise drafts by rethinking content, organization, and style;

(F)  frequently refine selected pieces to publish for general and specific audiences; and

(G)  write both independently and collaboratively.

(3)  The student applies the conventions of usage and the mechanics of written English to communicate clearly and effectively. The student is expected to:

(A)  use correct capitalization and punctuation;

(B)  spell with accuracy in the final draft; and

(C)  demonstrate control over grammatical elements such as subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and verb forms in the final draft.

(4)  The student evaluates his/her own writing and the writings of others. The student is expected to:

(A)  analyze and discuss published pieces as writing models such as use of suspense, repetition for emphasis, various points of view, literary devices, and figurative language;

(B)  generate and apply peer and self-assessment; and

(C)  accumulate, review, and evaluate his/her own written work to determine its strengths and weaknesses and to set goals as a writer.

Source: The provisions of this §110.52 adopted to be effective September 1, 1998, 22 TexReg 7549; amended to be effective August 22, 2011, 35 TexReg 3261.

Visualizing with Technology

Between discoveryeducation.com and safarimontage.com I prefer discovery. It may be because the information appeared readily available and I didn't want to spend too much time digging for information on the websites. It is very tempting to skim pages when reading online. The chapter nine about Visualizing with Technologies was mostly about how to use technology to help students visualize mathematics. This would be very helpful when trying to teach such abstract topics. Some examples were about biology and using technology to show how cells or chemicals interact. Using technology to demonstrate something like osmosis or cell division would be very helpful because it would save so much time for the teacher. Instead of having to sketch out a doodle about what happens within cells (or atoms or whatever else) the teacher can pull up a video or digital illustration of the process.

As a growing English teacher, I was looking for examples of how technology could be used in my future classroom, and I found no examples in chapter nine. I must be creative in my teaching and integrating technology into lessons. I do feel that Visualizing with Technology has great potential and can be a great tool, especially for illustrating mathematical and scientific ideas. I am not so confident in the use of technology for illustrating English and other similar topics.

Visualizing with technology can have a positive impact on the learning process. As one of those students who needs a visual image to learn better, I really would love to be able to use technology in this way. The trouble is finding a way to incorporate visuals with my subject of interest. 

Thomas Suarez is one of those rare prodigy children. Seeing kids like him who have already accomplished so much makes me wonder what sort of parents he has. Do they encourage his learning and using technolgy? And he's already such a good public speaker!  He must attend a very great school that can provide for and nourish hungry young minds such as his. His story gives me hope that maybe I can impact students who will make such great leaps as he has. 

Podcast

Podcasting is not a weird word meant for iTunes alone. Rather, it is a radio broadcast of sorts that can be downloaded for listeners to enjoy whenever they desire. There are many different ways to use podcasts. Some of my favorite suggestions were to record lessons or lectures as podcasts so that students can download them later to study. However, I fear that this system may easily be taken advantage of by lazy students who discover they don't have to go to class or pay attention because they can just download the information later. The second idea I liked for use of podcasts in the classroom is to make them available especially for visually impaired students. My mother works with visually impaired children and I suggested this to her almost as soon as I'd read about the idea. I imagine that teachers could read their worksheets, stories, or lessons aloud for the students who need to hear them rather than see them. However, braille transcribers make a living out of brailling worksheets for students, so I'm not sure how this could be used. Mother is the necessity of invention, however, and when the need arises I'm sure a podcast could be one option. Finally, I envision using podcasts to reach the parents of students, especially during the beginning of school. Teachers can introduce themselves, give some background, and explain very generally what the goals are for his/her classroom.

Podcasting is different from some of the other forms we have discussed because it is an audio file. Not only that, but it can be downloaded and listened to as if it were a music track. The other forms can be downloaded, but they can't be played so easily, as if they were a song. Podcasting is similar to voicethreads, but I believe that voicethreads require images. I'm not sure if podcasts have to have video. Regardless, all the forms we have discussed so far share information and can be used in a classroom setting (if the teacher is creative). Thankfully podcasting is a free "program" which makes it convenient for classroom or personal use.

I do own an iPod touch, but I don’t think I would use it in the classroom. I think about how it would appear to the principal or any other superior who walked in while I was staring at it and searching for tracks. If I did use the iPod in class, I suppose I could hook it up to some small speakers and play podcasts from NPR or another educational sort of resource. It could be a great way to engage students and get them thinking about a topic. For some students who retain information better when it is presented in an audio format this would be a very valuable resource. Online communication tools generally are very helpful, but they can also be distracting. There really is nothing like face-to-face conversation between students or students and teachers. I think it is a very valuable skill to be able to approach people and talk to them without embarrassment or shyness, and technology is making it more difficult to be physically social. There are great advantages, however, we need to keep in mind that human interaction is the most important form of communication.

References

Grenier, Brian. "Podcasting." Classroomtech /. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2013.

Web 2.0: Voicethreads, Wikis, Social Bookmarks

Apparently Web 2.0 is a parallel universe that exists within this one and of which I have very little knowledge.  I had no idea that voicethreads even existed.  They sure are helpful in the classroom though! Let me explain some more. First there are wikis. I’ve heard about Wikipedia.com, but apparently a wiki can be used in just about any setting where collaboration and communication are key.  They are primarily for sharing information and almost anyone can edit the information and contribute to the ongoing conversation.  The difference between a wiki and a blog is that more than one person can edit a wiki. Blogs are usually contained to one contributor and there is not really a conversation going on between the viewers and the writers.  Next is something called social bookmarking.  Rather than just bookmarking the webpage on one computer, social bookmarks can be saved on the internet.  This way it’s easier to find the bookmarks that have been made and other people online can see what you’ve bookmarked and utilize those sources.  I didn’t think this would be practical until it was mentioned that a teacher could more easily bookmark the useful educational websites they find in this way.  Finally the last thing I learned about in this unit are voicethreads.  Apparently a voicethread is a website where an image or media is uploaded and a voice recording is attached to the image.  It’s like a presentation where the speaker has already done their part so they don’t have to be present.

It’s pretty easy to see how all of these things can be used in a classroom setting. Some of my classes are currently using wiki (although I am not sure how to operate it. Maybe now I will try again.) as a medium to discuss topics and share information. Social bookmarking is a brilliant idea! I feel like I’ve been living in the stone age because I didn’t know that it existed until today. It’s so practical and I feel like I have been missing out. Voicethreads are awesome, too. I went to a small school so we didn’t use websites a lot or the internet.  I don’t know how practical it would be for a class to put together one of these voicethreads, but they are a great way to put on a presentation and share information.

Copyright, Nettiquette, Fair Use, and Cyber-bullying

Copyright laws have many loopholes.  I was vaguely aware of this fact throughout high school and my first two years of college.  After reading up on information over various copyright acts some of my questions have been cleared up.  However, it is clear that the situation is entirely subjective when it comes to a lawsuit.  Sometimes one side has the advantage without doubt, and other times the verdict is convoluted with particulars. An occasional reminder that manners are just as important on the internet as they are in person will do a lot of good for both teachers and students.  We need to be careful what we share with others or what we say, and think about how it affects those around us.  Cyber bullying is a cruel technique that intends to inflict harm on another person through a medium like the internet.  One element of cyber bullying I learned today is known as “happy slapping.” Apparently this is when kids assault unsuspecting people in public while recording the incident as evidence of their crime.  Then they share the video or photos with friends as if it’s entertainment.

  I am glad that we went over this information this week.  If my teachers in high school had elaborated and shared more information on what copyright laws were, I would feel better about the many papers I’ve since written.  I want to make the Fair Use Policy clear to my students.  My goal is to teach them life skills that will really help them in the “real world.” If all I do is teach them grammar or what limericks are then they won’t care about my class.  I want students to have marketable skills and realize how important literacy is.  Part of that goal involves teaching them how to share information legally and differentiating between what behaviors are appropriate and which are inappropriate. I felt such a gap between high school and college, and I don’t want that to happen to future generations.  There should be more of a cushion to support them during such a challenging time in their lives.  I still have some reading to do on the subject of copyrights, and the laws will keep changing. It’s up to each individual to decipher what behaviors are proper and prevent cyber bullying.

References

http://www.bullying.co.uk/cyberbullying/what-to-do-if-you-ve-been-happy-slapped/

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=happy+slapping

http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/