Weekly Report & Reflection Post #12

Hey everyone,
So this is it! This is officially my last blog post for ADED1P32. This has been a great course! I have learned so much about being a digital citizen and how I can make a positive difference in the world of technology. Below is my current PLE and as you can see, I have surrounded myself with new tools from this course that will be useful in my educational studies.

Pedersen, E. (CC) 2014

I have honestly learned so much in this course, and I have really enjoyed using the internet as my textbook. It has allowed for personal discovery and given me an eye opener to how much potential the digital world has to offer.

I think the most important aspect that I will take from this course is how to Blog. I have grown so much in the blogging world and it will be a tool that I will continue to use for the rest of my life. I plan to be that teacher who takes note of fun and exciting activities and educational growth within my classroom, and blog about it to the world so they can see student learning. I have read so many educational blogs this semester and if it was not for this class, I would never have been exposed to such a fantastic world of learning.

I also think this course showed me the importance of leaving a positive digital foot print. It is so important to leave a good impression and stay positive on the internet. The more positive and open your are to others, the more you learn and stay connected to those who want to share with you. By working together, the digital world can benefit each and every one of us.

Thanks for reading all my blogs!
Missemilyp

Weekly Report & Reflection Post #11

Hey Everyone,
Every moment I feel Christmas break is approaching quicker and quicker and I can't help but feel nervous and excited all at the same time. It has been a busy week so far and will be even more busy in the second half.

This week, we were to discover the world of web casting tools. Well, I have to say, it was an adventure for me. I am pretty good with technology, however, I was having no luck this week. I began by making a podcast on Garage band. However, once I downloaded my podcast to itunes and then tried to upload it to my blog, I could not do it. So, naturally I became frustrated because I had just been recording my video for 45 min and it would not work. So then, I decided to expand my PLE and look into some online tools that I could use that would work better then Garage band. And I did! I looked into the web recording tool 'Sound Cloud,' as suggested in our activity and I found it to be very helpful. I was able to record my podcast and create a video in a matter of minuets. I was then able to up load it to my blog and complete my task. In part of being a developing digital citizen, I must trouble shoot and learn from my mistakes. This way, I understand how the online tool works and when I use it again I will hopefully not run into any more problems. This is truly a lesson for me.

SoundCloud. (CC) 2014

So, let me tell you a little bit about Sound Cloud. It is a very useful tool when wanting to upload music and audio onto the internet. You can create groups with people, where you can all share information or, you can share your video to the public for all to see. It is a place where you can gather information, or just jam to your favorite beats. You can also make your own playlists of music which can be accessed from any computer. This can be very helpful if your at school and need a break from the world, just open up your Sound Cloud and play your playlist. I think that this tool is very easy to use and practical for students.

Podcasting tools can definitely contribute to my work and building knowledge. For example, as a digital citizen, I am exploring the web to understand its potential and how it can help me learn. By using podcasting tools, I am open to a whole new world of gathering information. Any time I would like to learn about something interesting or useful, I can follow someone, add them to my itunes and listen to what they have to say about my topic of interest. This can be insightful especially if you follow the podcast of someone who is a great educator and has a lot of information to share with the world. As a digital citizen, I should be taking advantage of this opportunity. 

This weeks Feedly feed of interest is about a class in the states taking advantage of the "thank you videos' on Facebook as an exercise for a digital citizenship lesson. 

http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.ca/2014/11/great-digital-citizenship-activity-for.html

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Podcasting

In this activity, I learned about the benefits of podcasting. I personally never thought of podcasting as a tool I could use to help my learning. However, after participating in the activity, I can see how it can be beneficial in developing as a digital citizen. By using podcasting, I am making the most of digital technology by full electric participation in society. As a citizen, I have expanded my knowledge via the internet to help inform others of my topic of interest. In part of being a digital citizen, I have the opportunity to communicate and collaborate with anyone at anytime, so that everyone can share my knowledge, and hopefully I can learn from others knowledge.

In addition to communicating my knowledge with the use of podcasting, I also appropriately licensed my video into Creative Commons, so those who want to share or use my video know that limits as to how they can use my video. As a digital citizen I have to take precautions so that I am protected and guaranteed safety. I must protect my information from other citizens on the inter-web that might cause harm to my safety.

In addition to podcasting contributing to my digital citizenship, it has also added to my digital literacy. I learned how to use a tool that I would never have thought of learning before this class. Podcasting is a new way for me to share information and to gain knowledge from others on the web 2.0 that is creative and interesting. This is a growing tool that is used in society now, and as it emerges into the educational field, I must learn quickly how to use it appropriately and effectively so I can inform future students. In part of being a digital citizen, I must be digitally literate so that I can educate in a new way.

These are just a few ways that podcasting has contributed to my learning. Below is a podcasting video that I created....ENJOY!

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Last but not Least...

Hey everyone,
So here I am, my last blog of the semester. The time has gone way to fast to what I prefer, but I am very excited for Christmas break to start in just 3 weeks!!

Deakin University. (CC) 2014

This week, I have decided to talk about the last chapter in our text, 'The Twenty-First Century Teacher.' From this course I have learned a lot, but I found this chapter to be a great finally, so to speak, on what I can do to as a future teacher to make positive changes in the education system.

I really enjoyed how the text stressed about the importance of being a 'reflective practitioner.'  In teaching, you must always be looking to improve your teaching skills. As stated by the text "Reflection is an important part of the learning cycle and helps us move forward to more effective ways of doing things in changing times (pg. 149)." We cannot move forward in the education system without reflecting on our past, present and future teaching. The more reflective we become, the more professional growth we develop. I think that this is an important process in order to push forward in education so that we can meet the needs of the 21st century student.

In addition to being a reflective practitioner, I think the topic of the semester has been "how to use technology to meet the needs of the 21st Century student."  In being a reflective practitioner, I must reflect upon the use of technology in the education setting to meet the needs of what the text calls the 'digital natives.' Technology is a new way of thinking and this is how 21st century students brains are now learning and developing. However, as important as introducing technology in the class room is, the text makes a good point in saying that technology is useful only when it enhances learning (pg. 156). We as teachers need to act as facilitators and allow students to explore the unknown and learn how to use the web 2.0. This is a new part of learning and if teachers teach in traditional methods, technology will become a burden and  children will no longer enjoy discovering this new world. Students need to learn with a hands on approach on how to use technology in an education setting so that they can be prepared for what is next to come in the digital age.

CMC. (CC) 2014

I have learned so much this semester about the web 2.0 that I have been mind blown! I must have learned about 30 new tools that I can use on the web to make my life easier and organized. For example I learned about curator tools such as Evernote and Diigo, where I can literally bookmark and tag any website, photo, or video and save it to my account forever, and refer to it from any browser whenever I need access to what I saved. I also learned about a tool called Popplet, where I can create online brainstorming maps and not have to go through the hassle of drawing a map with a pencil and paper. I also discover google docs. This is by far the best tool out there. You can do anything with google docs, and all of it is accessible whether you make it private or shared with a class or group mates. It is fantastic on a classroom setting, and students can access any material posted not only in class but online at home or at lunch in the library. As a student who went to high school and elementary school without the use of google docs, Evernote, Diigo, Pooplet and many more digital tools I see much potential in my future classroom. 

SignUpGenius. (CC) 2014

I would like to finish off my blog with a final word about this course, EDUC 4P19. It began as a struggle as I was generally confused about what I had to do in the course and how I was to keep organized and on task. I felt like everytime I thought I was on track, something chagned and I was completely off task. All I know is a traditional classroom, where the teachers hands out a fixed syllabus and tells me what I have to do and when I have to do it by. So, entering this course I became hesitant and a little frightened of what the semester had in store for me. However, I have to say, it was really nice not having to worry about my grades for once in my life. I felt that the feedback I got was positive and useful in improving my skills in the class.  I think there is still so much more for me to learn about the 21st century student and this course has given me that first step forward into a new light. As I grow to becoming a teacher, I am becoming less critical of what I am being taught, and becoming more critical of what positive values I can take from what I learn and implement them in the classroom. Know that I have seen potential in the classroom and how I can make a difference, I cannot wait to start teaching!


Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp
 
Resources

 Drake, S., Reid, J., & Kolohon, W. (2014). Toward a New story of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. In Interweaving curriculum and classroom assessment: Engaging the 21st-century learner. Don Mills, Ontario: Oxford Univrsity press.

Weekly Report & Reflection Post #10

Hey everyone!
I hope your week is going well, mine is going fast! I have had three presentations and a couple assignments due, but all have been successful :)

Animoto. (CC) 2014

This week, we focused on tools that allowed us to create an online environment. In particular, I explored Animoto and Photopeach. When I first think of slide shows, I think of a presentation that you do in front of the class and the instructor or facilitator presents the information. Well, I now see that it is much more then that! While discovering the new web 2.0 slide show tools, I realized that I could use the slide shows to tell a story, to use videoagraphy to express an issue, and I DO NOT have to just use plain writing. From an educational stand point, this fuels the creativity of the 21st century student. I also noticed that, especially on Animoto, that it limited how much text you were allowed to put per slide. This really teaches students how to be concise about information and how to keep it simple. Instead of righting every major concept of a topic, this allows students to focus on what is really important and essential to their presentation. I know from past personal experience, I have always filled my slides full of information, and not realizing that it is information overload for my audience.

PhotoPeach. (CC) 2014

The use of these slide show tools have shown me that there is so much potential to learn from the web. These tools can be shared on any social media site. If there is something important or of interest that you would like your PLN to know about, then you can simply share your slideshow. Not only does this allow you to share your knowledge with the world, but it also allows others to share their knowledge with you! This can allow for discovery of new topics and knowledge.

This web 2.0 tool could definitely be added to my PLE. In a way I think that the slideshow tools (Animoto and Photopeach) are very similar to Google slides, however, you are able to share to social media without a special sharing link. I would add this tool to my PLE in the category of 'Collaborating and socializing' and within the sub category 'Video communication/socialization.' I think that adding this category to my PLE will help me broaden my horizons from the previous video communication tools (Skype, Facetime and Youtube). This tool will allow me to communicate with the world around me, with the use of a created video, and not an 'in the moment' video. This allows for so much potential and freedom. I also considered placing the web 2.0 tool under synthesizing and creating, because technically, it is a tool of synthesizing and creating. However, I think it fits best under the previous heading, because through video communication I can learn from collaborating ideas of my PLN. 

This weeks Feedly feed of Interest: This weeks feed relates to this weeks topic on slide shows. It is on how to teach your students to deliver good presentations.
http://theinnovativeeducator.blogspot.ca/2014/11/stop-letting-your-students-do-bad.html

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Animoto

Hey Everyone,
This week we got to explore two fun tools: Animoto and Flickr. Both of these tools have taught me a lot about my digital responsibility. As a digital citizen I have the responsibility to give credit to where credit is due. While using Flickr especially, I needed to make sure I recorded all details of the image (i.e. the author, the title of the photo, where it was from (URL) and the day is was posted). There are so many things to consider so that you give proper credit. As I am learning to understand my digital responsibilities, understanding what copy righting means has definitely been benefical. To protect the rights of those who have taken the time to upload their photos and offered their photos to be in the creative commons, it is my responsibility to show them that I appreciate their work.

While using Animoto, I was only allowed to use a certain number of words per slide. At first I became frustrated with this, however, it taught me how to condense my words and not over power the slide with information. It taught me how to be aware of appropriate technology use. As I am becoming digitally literate, this has been helpful in my understanding in what it means to actually use technology appropriately, and has increased my knowledge.

 Here is my video, enjoy!


 Pedersen, Emily. (CC) 2014


Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Weekly Report & Reflection Post #9

Hey Everyone
I hope that you all had a fantastic week. Mine was extremely stressful once again, but its that time of year. I feel like I am struggling to stay in the game, but in exactly one month today I will be completely done and Christmas break begins!
 

Synergis Education. (CC) 2014

This week in session 9, we explored VoiceThread and Polldaddy. Personally, I really enjoyed what each tool brought to the table. To begin, VoiceThread allows you to up load a presentation, documents or images,  record your voice, add text comments and you can even invite people to be part of your VoiceThread. Voice thread allows for many educational opportunities inside and outside the classroom. At anytime, anywhere, students can invite other students to their VoiceThread and allow for others to comment on and add to the VoiceThread. It can be a place where new ideas are developed and where collective knowledge arises. Polldaddy was another tool that I explored. This tool has a lot of potential in the classroom and I personally enjoyed learning about this tool. With Polldaddy, you can create surveys, polls, quizzes/tests, and have your content rated. In an educational setting, you could create a class review that all students can access for a test that they have coming up, or you can create a poll for which day each student would like to present on. This tool is great because it can keep the teacher informed on how students are doing in the class(ie. how they did on the practice test). I think that this tool will be very beneficial for me in the future as a teacher and it is something that I will now add to my PLE under commuication. I think that even for group projects at school in  university this tool can come in handy. For example, last year I was in a stats class where I cad to form a case study on a particular topic, find data and analyze it. If I knew of Polldaddy I could have easily created a survey about a topic and had people fill it out. This would be very authentic data and very practical to collect.

Polldaddy. (CC) 2014

In regards to Digital rights and responsibilities, while using VoiceThread, it is very easy for individuals to make inappropriate 'commenting' on another individuals VoiceThread. There may be times when people disagree on what is being commented on, and this can cause brutal retaliation and possible tension between one another. I think that if VoiceThread was to be introduced into a classroom, teachers would have to go over not only basic rules on how to communicate on the internet, but how to appropriately make a VoiceThread with a video or audio recording. The more teachers make students aware of how to behave appropriately on the internet and what their rights and responsibilities are, the more this tool can be effective to learning. The article 'Tools for Teaching Cyber Ethics' does a great job at explaining the ten commandments of Computer ethics that I think would be great for a teacher to address when introducing tools like VoiceThread.  I think that as a developing digital citizen I am becoming more aware of what I posting on the internet and what responsibilities I have to protect myself and others on the internet. This class is really teaching me a lot about becoming a digital citizen.

In spirit of exams approaching, this weeks Feedly feed of interest is about how to de-stress from exams.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/1HsY1X8ySjKBMVXPVCbP4qH/exam-stress

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Technology Use Senario #6

Hey everyone, I chose to do scenario 6 for this activity:

John and his friend Mike both have camera phones. Mike sits in the back of his class and uses his phone to photograph the test for John, who is taking the test that afternoon. Mike then emails the photograph to the test to John's phone (Ribble, 2011).

Well, it is very obvious that Mike and his friend John are using technology inappropriately. To begin, Mike is using his phone during a test. The phone he has not only can be used to take pictures but can also connect to the internet and he can have access to sites that might have the answers to the test questions. Today, math classes are allowing more and more students to use their phones as their calculator instead of using a calculator bought from the store. I understand why they do this to save the students money, but it is hard for a teacher to regulate what students are doing on their phones 24/7 especially during a test. Secondly, Mike is giving his friend John the test before he does it, which is cheating. Technology is supposed to help you develop skills to complete tasks in school, and if used abusively, like in this scenario, makes a bad name for technology not to mention the student is not learning anything. In the article, "Cell phones in school" they address the point that it is unhealthy for students to depend excessively on their cell phones.  The point of tests is to assess YOUR skills and not the internet's skills. Knowing the test in advanced, teaches the student nothing.  I think that the underlying issue here is that students need to be taught how to use technology properly in the classroom. As the article "From toy to tool: Cell phones in the classroom" explains, teachers do not want to be responsible for harmful mobile behaviour. It is important to teach cell phone etiquette. I am a believer of technology being used in the classroom, and by addressing proper digital rights and responsibilities of technology will help students understand proper use of technology. Mike should have put his phone away and gave his friend John hints about what was on the test and not fully tell him. As suggested by "From toy to tool: Cell phones in the classroom" , it is important that the teacher set rules about using phones as calculators in the classroom.


The article "from toy to tool: Cell phones in the classroom" also offers some good ways to address cell phones etiquette. Do you have any that you would like to add? feel free to tell me :)

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Voicethread

hey everyone
This week we have been introduced to a new and exciting new tool called Voicethread. At first this tool seemed a bit over whelming, but it is actually very simple to use and it can be great for group projects!  I know that a lot of the tools we have use have been used for group projects, but this also fits the bill. In a group project, you can add your presentation to Voicethread by dragging your file to the "add media" file and just like Google docs, you can have your group members comment on what they like, what they think needs to be changed and how they can make it better! This way you can avoid meeting up in person, and anyone in your group can comment through text, video or even audio.

Another way this could be used is individually. I can find a video about a topic I am researching and I could listen to other peoples comments and learn from what they view or find. This can help with inspiration for a paper or even give you a new perspective on the situation. I did this while I was commenting on the Digital Rights and Responsibilities thread. I listened and read others perspective and it enlightened me with new ideas.

This can also help when I am doing presentations at school or as a teacher and I could narrate my presentations.  

As For my PLE, I would add Voice thread to "socialization and collaboration" under the sub heading "Video communication and Socialization".

Here is the Discussion Voice thread "Digital Rights and Responsibilities"



Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Weekly Report & Reflection Post #8

Hey everyone!
So November has been a busy month already and its only the 7th! I don't know about everyone else but I cannot wait till exams are over, then I can do my happy dance!

This week in session 8, we explored wikis!

Wiki PD. (CC) 2014

I have heard of a lot of courses here at Brock that use Wiki's to complete projects and are posted for other groups to see. I never thought that I would be able to use a wiki in one of my classes, but finally I got to. At first I really did not understand why a wiki was useful. It just seemed as though it was a place people could add and take away information based on what they believed and  because of Wikipedia, I thought wiki's were unreliable sources. However, my eyes have been opened! They are great ways to support learning and have classes combine the information they have found and share with each other. Especially in high school, this is a great way for students to do research and learn from each other. While learning about wikis, I found this example that a high school class did to debate about climate change . There was criteria that the class had to follow which was posted on the wiki home page and on the side, each team had a link where they could post their information that linked to the debate. It is a very interesting tool that has much potential in the education world.

I could definitely see myself using a wiki in the future as a teacher. I like how it allows students to collaborate and use 21st century skills such as creativity, technology and collaboration with others. In comparison to Evernote, I think that I would prefer a wiki, however Google docs still remains one of my favorite online tools. Google docs allows more conversation with students with the comment tool and overall, suits classroom needs more.

A great way a wiki could be used is when there is a topic of interest that students want to discover. There is new student based learning strategy that has become very popular in the education world called genius hour. It is a time where students are aloud to research any thing that they are curious about and at the end of the semester or year, student get to present what they learned from their topic of interest. I think a wiki would be a great idea for genius hour because then students can post their educational findings on a common site that everyone can have access to and learn from. I think that would be a great way to apply a wiki in an educational context.


Here is a video that explains Genius hour and how awesome it is!

This week, my Feedly feed of interest is related to the theme of this week Digital Rights and Responsibilities. It is an article on what students really need to know about digital citizenship
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-citizenship-need-to-know-vicki-davis

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp

Chapter 4: Interdisciplinary models

Hey everyone,
This week I read chapter four of the text that was based on the study of interdisciplinary models. It explored how interdisciplinary models are used and how they have been more successful in student learning then the traditional methods. It had many interesting insights and explinations that really opened my eyes to a new kind of education, one I did not know existed.

Even though interdisciplinary studies are not new, it is actually quite an old concept that is very new to me. I think that it is a fantastic style of teaching and really allows students to lead their own education. Before I read this chapter, I briefly learned how a integrated curriculum worked by personal research. However, it was not until I went to observation placement this year that I realized how exciting this teaching/ learning approach can be. So, here is my story.

I did my observation placement at my old high school where I got to reminisce with one of my old teachers, who actually taught me in her first teaching year. She was very excited to tell me about this new data management project that she and the physics department teacher had created. Basically, students from each class would pair up with a student from the opposite class. Then, the students in the physics class would do an experiment on a study that they had been working on. Those students would then share the their results and data with the data management class through Google docs. Students in the data management class would then analyze the data and create a spreadsheet and graphical representations that represented the data on Google spread sheets. The final RPAT, was that each pair of students would create a video together about the research they did and explain their findings, which was sent and posted on the school class website. This video was up to student interpretation and some created a engaging story line that involved everything they did in their assignment.

This really opened my eyes. I saw something new that day that changed my perspective on teaching. It was so exciting to see students using their 21st century skills (creativity, collaboration, communication etc.) and actually enjoying what they were learning. The text provided some great insight to integrated curriculum, but seeing it in action was insightful.

I agree with the text when it says that "For teachers who experienced the discipline-based approach of the old story as students, it is difficult, and a bit scary to consider teaching from a interdisciplinary perspective." It is not an easy task to do this type of teaching because it is hard to wrap your head around the fact that you are not just using one subject to teach a main idea, you are using two or more to allow students to understand a main idea. This is where I think this method of teaching can be flawed. Teachers who do not keep up to date or are older and have never been introduced to this style of teaching can have negative effects on student learning. It takes research, practice and a lot of planning. I think that it not only takes time to learn this skill but more importantly, teachers teaching this way have to be interested in this method and willing to explore the unknown. Teachers cannot all teach in this manor.

Salem State University. (cc) 2014

Mackey, D. (CC) 2014

 (These are some examples of integrated curriculum)

Thanks for reading!
Missemilyp