Looking Back/Looking Ahead

When I first registered for this class, I was excited to learn more but I had this preconceived notion that the class would be focusing on presentation tools such as PowerPoint, Smartboard, etc.  I see now how naive that was.  Not only did we learn about presentation tools (Prezi!), we learned about all the techy tools that could make education fun and still effective for all learning types.  From the "Trends in Ed Tech" at the beginning of the class till the "Cool Tools" segment at the end, I learned a new skill/trick every class.  I was always learning something new and it was always something I could apply for my future classroom and even my own personal use.  There were so many tools and tricks that I learned, but I would like to point out just a few that truly made an impression on me.
One of the tools I found neat and that I wish I will have the resources for at my future school is my "Trends in Ed Tech" presentation on augmented reality.  I was amazed by the advancements and benefits that augmented reality can provide in a classroom.  It gives the physical and visual learner an opportunity to actually learn in their own element.  They no longer have to worry about memorizing text or trying to decipher confusing charts of data.  With augmented reality, they are able to actually see and "touch" the information they need to learn and understand.  Through the use of a simple app, it can open up a new world for certain students and make education not only visually stimulating but interesting enough to deserve pursuit. Most people believe that 3D imagery belong in the movie theater or for special effects, but bless the man or woman that discovered that it could help children learn as well.  
Another tool that I cannot wait to use in the classroom is (coincidentally): blogs.  In a previous blog post, I believe I mentioned that I had always thought that the only people who wrote blogs were adults who had a certain topic or notion to write about when they felt like it.  I had never even thought of using blogs in the classroom as a tool to have the students engage and discuss with each other about certain aspects of a topic.  I think that blogs provide students the skills to carefully sort out their thoughts and come to conclusions about their opinions.  Students can learn these skills writing essay papers as well, but blogs are more engaging and the students are familiar with them in this modern day existence.  Any tool that can help students connect with what they are learning is a gem and should be taken advantage of often.
The final tool that I believe will be a great assistance for me in my future classroom will be the idea of  the "flipped classroom."  When it was introduced in class, I just thought to myself that it made so much sense.  Instead of using precious class time for instruction, one could provide the instruction via video that the students can watch when they get home, and then discuss it and work on projects during the actual class period to enhance what they have already learned the night before.  All teachers complain about how there are never enough hours or days in the school year to teach all that they need to teach.  The flipped classroom concept gives the teachers the opportunity to have half the work done each time the students come into class.  If the students already have the basic understanding of the concept, the rest of the class can be utilized to further delve into the subject matter more.  Granted, this process might not be beneficial for some students who understand better if they have a physical teacher instructing them step-by-step.  However, I think that for some subjects, especially math and science, this is a preferred method of instruction since there are so many projects or experiments that can be performed during the class period instead.  I know for the young elementary grades that this idea might be a tad difficult to operate, but I would like to try and see if it can be possibly done.
Overall, I would have to say that my whole attitude about integrating technology in my classroom has definitely changed.  My first initial thoughts about technology in the classroom was that it definitely has its uses, but I was still a fan of the traditional pencil and paper.  Which I still am.  However, perhaps it was my past experiences as a teacher at a school that had no resources or money for anything technologically advanced that had me a tad biased about using technology.   We had chalkboards, posters, pencils, and paper.  No iPads, Smartboards, WiFi, or anything that activated with the swipe of a finger entered those doors.  I felt that I had taught my students to the best of my ability with the resources I had at hand, and I believed that they had received a sound and well-rounded education despite everything.  So, perhaps it was a bit of pride that made me dubious about using lots of technology in the classroom.  I could understand some uses but not many.
Now that I have finished this class, I cannot say that I have necessarily abandoned my traditional ways entirely, but that my eyes have been opened to the countless possibilities through the use of techy tools in the classroom.  In this modern age, it would be foolish and ignorant to resist any types of technology in the classroom.  I still do not believe that it should overtake the curriculum necessarily, but through the utilization of these cool tools and gadgets that I have learned throughout this course, I can confidently say that technology can be a helping hand and an opportunity to reach and support students on their sacred journey of knowledge.
 Currently, I cannot wait till I have my own classroom to try out all these great and nifty techy tricks that I now have stored up my sleeve.  I cannot wait to see my students engaged and excited to learn.  There will always be some degree of distraction that accompany anything technological, but I believe that if you have a goal in mind and you know how you would like to use a techy tool that there will mostly be beneficial outcomes from its utilization in the classroom.
I would like to also say thank you to Prof. Zumpano for teaching this class and showing us all how to become better teachers in the 21st century.  I truly feel like I can walk into a modern day classroom and teach the modern day kids with modern day technology and (hopefully) succeed.   Thanks again to my professor and class for a great semester! I will probably data mine you all in the later years to come, so do not worry, I will keep "in touch."  Good luck on all your future endeavors!

Gotta close out the semester with Oprah.  It's a must.  

Digital Tattoos

When we were assigned to find our "stranger," I can say that I was kind of surprised that these people were all right with us looking up their personal information on the Internet.  Granted, nowadays you can find mostly anything on the Internet, and nothing is necessarily "private" or a "surprise." What with Facebook and blogs, people are pouring their whole souls sometimes onto these sites, and there are many occasions in which people talk about more intimate and difficult topics online than face to face with an actual person.  I feel that some people might find it easier perhaps if they are not actually looking at a person when they are discussing complex or emotional topics.  I have never been that type of person myself.  I mean, I post things here and there on Facebook, Twittter, etc., but I have never been a fan of telling your whole life story to complete strangers online.  The strangers become an audience and your life becomes a performance, and in my opinion, that is not the way that life should be led--basing your decisions on how your audience might react to them.  However, people who have no shame on what they post or how they lead their lives are open to others researching them.  I figured that these "strangers" that we were assigned to had nothing to hide, and so I was not necessarily expecting to uncover any dirt or tools to blackmail them.
It was rather simple to find all the basic information about our "stranger."  One of the frustrating parts of the investigation though was that you had to pay to get a full background check on some of these sites.   Necessary if you want to know for certain if your next door neighbor is a serial killer or not, but for our particular assignment, I did not want to bother paying the government to tell me she was clean as a whistle.  In the end, we discovered some of her hobbies, where she went to school, her living arrangements, how much she paid for her house, her family's names and their interests, and videos that she had posted on YouTube.   Was I surprised we found all this about her?  No.  As I stated before, with Facebook and all the places on the internet where you have to upload personal information to sign up, activate, or download certain websites or files, your information and passwords are everywhere.  I would have been surprised if we had perhaps found some criminal records on her, but again since she permitted us to research her, I figured she did not have anything to cover up.  Sometimes it might take a certified and experienced CIA agent to dig up absolutely everything, but the most basic and mostly harmless information is open to the general public.  Public in this case referring to the world wide web and the millions of people who have access to Internet.
  The fact that millions of people could have personal information about you and your family?  Slightly terrifying.  However, I think that most people have enabled this by posting everything online and sometimes you need to for banking purposes and such.  Our generation has mandated us to do so many things online now.  Sometimes it is the only option.  Some workplaces will only accept job applications if they are submitted online for instance.  There is all your personal information!  Granted, the website does promise that no personal information will be leaked.  But one high-school dropout with a knack for hacking could.  This has happened and will continue to happen, and the only thing we can really do about it is to be aware of how much we are revealing about ourselves online.
So, yes, I think it would be very important to approach this subject with students.  After all, they have been surrounded by technology since they were born and dial-up Internet was basically extinct when they were placed on this Earth.  Students nowadays are always on the Internet in some form or capacity.  They are sharing everything about their lives on all kinds of apps and social media sites from how pretty their ice cream cone is, how cute they look in their sunglasses, and selfies of them and their friends doing the "duck-face." All of these are harmless yet the students have to be aware at the same time of how much they should share.  Students are sometimes the most vulnerable and susceptible to the cruel and unjust world of the Internet just because they are young and unaware of the dangers.  Will most of these kids' identities get stolen and will get stalked by some creeper in Tokyo?  Probably not.  But that does not mean that they cannot be careful about it.

As teachers, we ourselves need to be the models for self-awareness on the Internet.  I think Facebook, for teachers at least, needs to be on the private setting or labeled under a different name than the students are used to calling them.  Teachers also need to be especially careful about what they post since it can affect their job stability.  One viral picture and everything can go south.  Teachers need to practice being careful on the Internet to be an example to students of how they should act and behave.  Will you still be able to find lots of information about a particular student or teacher on the Internet?  Most likely.  It's not difficult to find general information about people.  I believe it is more difficult to hone and refine what you want your digital tattoo to look like if others chance to look you up.  All of us has a digital tattoo whether we like it or not.  It is up to us and how we behave in our lives that determines what that tattoo will ultimately look like.  We do not and should not live for an audience, but despite that belief: the world is watching.      

Tech, Tac, Toe: QR Codes & Four Squares

For my last tool, I decided to use QR codes.  QR codes are constantly used in the world as a means to link individuals to additional information through the use of a scanner on their phones.  I think that they would also be just as helpful within a classroom where attaining additional information is key.  I went back to the subject of math again and focused on the concept of multiplying.  For this particular activity, I merged two tools together: QR codes and Four Squares.  Four Squares are exactly what they sound like. They are four squares aligned together to make one, overall, large square.  A teacher can then have a student take a topic or problem and have each square be a specific description or view of that particular topic.  Basically, it is taking one thing and dividing or viewing it four different ways.  They can be used for any subject, but I have most commonly seen them used for writing.  I decided to change things up a bit.

Four Squares are even found outside of the classroom!

What I did with my Four Square was that I took a multiplication problem and then had the student solve the problem in four different ways using an individual square to show each way.  My first square asked them to solve the problem traditionally, but to put the answer in expanded form.  The second square asked them to draw an array to find the answer.  Third square asked them to use repeated addition, and the fourth square asked them to find the answer by skip counting.  By using several means of finding the answer, the students are triple checking their original answer and understanding the concept of how to multiply a little more effectively.
At the bottom right corner of each square is a QR code.  Once the students have written down their answers within each square, they are then allowed to check their answers by using their iPads and scanning the codes.  The codes will bring them to the answers.  Underneath each answer, I ask the students: "Did you get it right?  If not, where did you go wrong?"  I would then have them correct their own answers to further their understanding and comprehension of the concept.
QR codes are easy to make and use.  My only qualm with the website http://www.qrstuff.com where I generated my codes was that it would not allow you to link the code to a personal document.  I only realized afterward I had made a Word document for each code that I actually had to manually type in what I wanted to say.  I ended up not using my Word document which was a tad irritating, but I found other resources and it worked out all the same.
I think that QR codes are an inventive way of linking our students to more opportunities to learn.  They are very simple and effortless, but they add just that little bit more to the lesson.  They encourage independent learning and curiosity for the unknown.  I think that these are a great, simple tool that any teacher can take advantage of.  I know that I personally will when I have my own classroom.

Below is my example of a Four Square/QR code hybrid.  Free for commercial reuse.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GlT2sqZ9k3I58yjIEZIAorOs0irBswTHjcKvUgD0Lac/edit

All hail the QR!

Tech, Tac, Toe: Sea Turtle Thinglink

For my second tool, I decided to use an interactive image.  I found the free tool on http://www.thinglink.com.  I took a step back from math and decided to focus on animal science.  I know from personal experience that any subject matter focusing on animals is always a favorite.  Animals (like ice cream) are loved by students, and I have not heard of many students who dislike learning about them.  I chose the specific animal for this lesson to be the sea turtle.  There are so many fascinating facts about this animal and most kids have not seen one.  So, I assumed that it would be an intriguing animal to study.
The particular interactive image I made of the sea turtle has nine points that either connect to a YouTube video, a picture, or a link about sea turtles.  One point even has a link to the definition of "reptile".  I would love to make this interactive image during class with my students.  I think that after an initial discussion on sea turtles in class, it would be fun for the students and their teacher to work together to make an interactive image about this topic.  It could also be used as an assessment tool for the teacher in order to see what the students remembered about these creatures. The students could help the teacher find videos, articles, and other pictures about sea turtles and then work together to put the points on the image via their iPads.  Another way is that they could also project the image on a Smartboard and instruct the teacher on their computer on where to put the points and what they should link to those specific points.
I honestly believe that this would be a fun and exciting way to combine all the students' knowledge about the animal into one tool.  This tool could even be accessed later on as a "review sheet" for the students when they are about to take a quiz on sea turtles.  They could use their iPads to access the image and study.  Also, I believe that students remember information easier if they help to create a project that uses their own personal knowledge about the subject.  I think that the combination of animals and interactive play would be a great way to enhance this topic matter and help the students learn effectively.  I think that this would be a great tool to use in any classroom.

Below is my example of the Sea Turtle interactive image.  Beware that some sea turtles chomp.

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/639975288729501696

Just keep swimming.

Tech, Tac, Toe: Ice Cream Infographic

My subject focus for this tool was 2nd grade math.  I had always thought as a child that math was boring, so I wanted to see if I could spice it up with my own students.  The content that I chose to teach was the concept of making bar graphs.  Right about 2nd grade or so is when graphs (pie, bar, etc.) are introduced.  They are taught how to make and read a graph.  A great way to engage the student and to help their understanding is to make a graph out of data from the students' own knowledge.  They would come up with the data, and then we would make a graph accordingly.  I wanted to show them how easy it can be.  So, I decided to make an infograph as a tool during this particular lesson.  I went on http://infogr.am.en and found a template to start to make my graph.
I chose the topic of favorite ice cream flavors to be the data.  Every second grader loves ice cream (except if they are lactose intolerant) and definitely would have an opinion and a certain knowledge about this topic.  With this tool pulled up on a Smartboard, I would find a graph and ask the students what we should write for the x and y axis. I would then take a poll from every student about which ice creams are their most favorite. Every time a child gave their answer, I would add it to the grid on the site which would make the bar graph ascend accordingly.  I can only imagine that the colorful bars "competing" against each other to be tallest would be a source of engagement and enjoyment for the students.
After each student had been polled, I would then ask the students questions about the graph such as:  "Which ice cream is the most favorite in the class?", "Which ice cream is the least favorite?", and "How many more students like chocolate more than vanilla?", etc.  I would ask questions that would promote them to interpret and read the graph they had just made with me.  I would then save the graph, print it out, and post it somewhere in the classroom.
I found this tool to be very fun and easy to use.  I have always loved infographics myself, and I knew that this would probably be a tool that students would love to use.  It is not only colorful and fun, but you can also manipulate and play with it.  I think that the students would be able to grasp the concepts of bar graphs easily and in an engaging manner.  There are so many options on this site to make any kind of infographic you might need.  My graph example is a simple one, but I believe that it would be very effective during class.
My example is provided below.  Results may vary depending on class size and ice cream preferences.  This specific example displays 26 students and their probable favorite ice cream flavors.

Math is so much better with ice cream.

https://infogr.am/ice_cream_infograph   

Media Literacy Reflection

When the concept of media literacy was introduced in class, I would not say that anything necessarily surprised me in the presentation.  I had always known that it was difficult sometimes to find a reliable news source or station because of reporters' biases or misconceptions. Here is a choice clip from the Daily Show only supporting this fact, if you are interested:  http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/lkmdal/fox-news--false-statements.
 I had always known that ads exaggerated and stretched the truth.  The only advertisements that I somewhat tolerated were the Superbowl ads and any others that used humor as a selling point.  Those I found less annoying.  However, despite my annoyances with the ads, I found myself falling for them.  Whenever an ad came on describing the amazing effects of this new makeup or hair product, it would prompt me to go online, research it some more to see if it was worth it, and then possible buy it.  When I saw the new meal that Applebee's was serving on the TV, the next time my fiance and I went out for dinner, I would suggest that we go there.   Despite my awareness of the lies and exaggeration that ads live on, I am still a sucker for it.   However, it is better that I have some kind of awareness versus none.  That is why the very impressionable kids of this generation need to be taught how to combat the onslaught of pictures, videos, and words that are trying to convince them of how or what they should decide.

Avoid this.

I do not think that there needs to necessarily be a class every day discussing this topic in a school, but I think that perhaps a teacher, whether it be the homeroom or the technology/keyboarding teacher, should use this topic to lead class discussion at least a few times a month.  Whether the teachers follow a set program for media literacy or come up with it on their own, their students need to know that they are being lied to several times a day by the media.  They need to know how to respond to these falsehoods being shoved into their retinas. The task of a school is to mold these minds into well-balanced, intelligent, hard-working, responsible members of the human race.  Knowledge about media literacy encourages the children to not only use deductive reasoning to uncover the deceptive "truths" but to also internally reflect on their own beliefs.  Media literacy will not only make the students question what the media is trying to make them believe but also what they believe themselves.  Media literacy might not be the first time where students mediate on who they are, but it could be another stepping point to full self-realization.
I cannot see anything negative about teaching this topic in schools.  I believe that it will engage most students because they can all relate to it since it is something that they are surrounded by every waking moment of their lives.  It will teach the students how to uncover the truth and their own person-hood at the same time.  Plus, you get to watch videos for an entire class period.

And only a neanderthal would whine about that.

 Ads are everywhere whether we like it or not, and it is only becoming worse. Obviously they work or else the companies who spend the money to produce the ads would not have money left to produce them.  Our world is obsessed with beautiful people, things, and ideas.  Ad companies pounce on that and eat that as their bread and butter.  We are duped whether we are aware of it or not.  The scary prospect is that we can be unconsciously fooled into buying or believing something.  That is why I believe that this generation needs to have an awareness of what they are being force fed if you will.  The children of this age are surrounded by flashy modern technology that never give them a moment's peace.  These young minds need to be taught how to find the truth amid the noise and confusion.  They must be pushed out of their ignorance and complacency and be fighters for what they believe is right and true.

Digital Storytelling Experience

When the project of the digital story was presented in class, I was filled with a mixture of feelings.  I was apprehensive about making my own video, but at the same time I was excited to create it as well.  I knew that night that the topic of the video would be about brewing beer.  I had not hashed out the particulars necessarily, but the idea was already ingrained in my mind before class was over.  Later that night, my fiance asked if people would admit me to AA if I used beer as the topic for my digital story.  I told him that since this was our hobby, he would be accompanying me to the sessions if that was the case.
I began the project about a week in advance to give myself ample time.  I am definitely not the most savviest with technology and making a video with audio, narration, etc. made me quite nervous.  Which is why I ran to my tech savvy fiance for assistance.  At first, I started to use Windows Movie Maker on my laptop, but my fiance stopped me and stated that I would only become incensed and suicidal if I used that program.  He then introduced me to the wonderful world of Corel VideoStudio Pro X7.  This amazing tool enabled me to match up my audio, pictures, and music almost effortlessly.  There were also many other tools and animations that Corel offered that one could implement in their project to spice it up.

Here is the link to download a free trial of the updated program yourself or for additional information about the product:

 http://www.videostudiopro.com/en/products/videostudio/ultimate/

The only downside to this was that my personal laptop could not support this program.  I then had to work on my fiance's desktop for the rest of my project.  Which would have been fine except for the fact that his desktop did not have a microphone.  So, I had to record my narration on my laptop and then link it to the desktop.  There were quite a few instances where my narration failed to connect and after hours of working and twiddling with the video, I would only realize the next day that the audio did not save, and I would have to try to link and adjust it again for hours.
 This happened on Sunday night, the night before the project was due.  I had gone on the desktop to download my video onto YouTube, only to discover that my narration audio had disappeared.  You can only imagine the heated and rather base choice of words that I directed towards both computers.  I had worked for many painstaking hours the day before on my digital story, so this was a swift kick in the pants. Knowing me all too well, my fiance handed me a beer and told me that it would work out.  With steam hissing out of my ears, I managed to link the audio, save it, and adjust it to the rest of my story until it was as perfectly timed as the day before.  The rest from then on was smooth sailing.
I was overall pleased with my final product.  The only qualm and difficulty that I struggled with in particular during the creation was the shaky and static sounds that the microphone made during my narration.  I redid my narrative clips many times trying to make that unnatural sound dissipate.   I tried to adjust the volume of my own voice, the location of the microphone, and even used Corel's audio features to try to clean up the audio noise.  In the end, nothing seemed to help and on Sunday night in particular, I was not in the mood to keep trying any longer.
If I had to do this project over again, I would definitely purchase a better quality microphone and add some background music as I instructed my audience on the basics of proper home-brewing. Perhaps I would add some animations or text to the slides as well.  I had also wanted to added a clip of a comedian's skit making fun of New Hampshire and their obsession with drinking, but it would have made the story go over the time limit. However, despite those improvements, I was pleased with the outcome and relieved that it was all over.  I was also very proud of myself that I created my own video and that I now possess the skills to make an even better digital story in the future.   Better stock the fridge with "inspiration" while I am thinking about it now.

Here is the finished product of my digital story on the home-brewing process for your enjoyment:

And for further enjoyment, here is the comedian that I spoke of earlier.  His name is Juston McKinney, and this is his skit on New Hampshire.  Warning: Some rude and crude humor ahead.