This is my first year teaching, so there are many resources that would improve my classroom. The research this week into grants and funding showed that there are many resources I could tap into. I found a few great sites to help explain the grant application process. This Edutopia page has information from their Fundamentals of Funding webinar about identifying and writing grants. You can view the archive of the webinar, download the powerpoint, and view other helpful links. This blog post from Brian Dixon offers some great ideas about utilizing social media to aid in the grant process. I am looking forward to trying Google Alerts and Twitter to help me identify potential funding opportunities.
In looking for specific sites with grant and funding opportunities, I focused on sites related to math education. The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics offers grants and awards through the Mathematics Education Trust. The offerings cover many different initiatives and are targeted to specific grade levels. The KSDE has a great page listing available grants, scholarships, and awards for math educators. I am also interested in trying DonorsChoose.org. It sounds like a great way to match up donors with specific classroom needs. I have only scratched the surface in my research this week, but I have a much better feel now for what is available and how to find it.
Saturday, December 14, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Collaborative Technology
Collaborative technology has a tremendous impact on instruction and teacher professional development. Being a first-year teacher, this technology benefits me greatly. My learning coach uses Google Docs and LiveBinders to share ideas and resources. LiveBinders is a great way to organize ideas and sites to share with peers or students. I've started this LiveBinder to keep track of different technology tools that I have used or am interested in learning more about. The binders are easy to share and also allow for collaboration with others. I have found many great online resources for lesson plans. Share My Lesson has many free lessons and activities for all grades and subject areas. The site has provided many great ideas that I have implemented in my classroom. Illuminations is another great resource for math lessons from the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. They have great lessons that stress critical thinking and deep understanding.
Collaboration among students is critical in today's learning environment. Google Docs is a great tool for students to use when collaborating on group projects. Students can easily share information with each other and with the instructor. As a teacher, I can also easily provide feedback to students when they share documents with me. Symbaloo is another great resource that I would like to use with my students and parents. It allows you to create a mix of website bookmarks that you can share. I could see utilizing this site with webquests or for sharing additional resources with parents. The great thing about all of the collaborative resources I have listed is the cost. Everything is free to use and makes the collaborative process simpler.
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| LiveBinders |
Collaboration among students is critical in today's learning environment. Google Docs is a great tool for students to use when collaborating on group projects. Students can easily share information with each other and with the instructor. As a teacher, I can also easily provide feedback to students when they share documents with me. Symbaloo is another great resource that I would like to use with my students and parents. It allows you to create a mix of website bookmarks that you can share. I could see utilizing this site with webquests or for sharing additional resources with parents. The great thing about all of the collaborative resources I have listed is the cost. Everything is free to use and makes the collaborative process simpler.
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| Symbaloo |
Friday, November 29, 2013
Serious Gaming
Game-based instruction is a concept that I was familiar with, but I was unaware of how many great resources are available. I enjoyed reading Matthew Farber's thoughts about utilizing SimCityEDU in his classroom in this Edutopia article. I am intrigued by the idea of rewarding students for knowledge with a badge system. His students are thoroughly engaged while meeting the required content objectives. Another key point that I took from this article is the idea of taking content from popular video games and using it in the classroom. Farber mentioned particular missions from Assassin's Creed 3 having relevance in a history classroom. I would like to explore this concept further in relation to my math classroom. Most of my students play video games, so this would be a great way to engage them and connect to math concepts. I could see a game like Minecraft having possibilities of connecting to the concepts I teach.
Using games in the classroom requires a great deal of planning on the front end, but I think the benefits could be tremendous. I found many great existing resources that I could implement in my classroom. Zondle is an educational game site that allows to choose existing content or create your own. You can track student progress and students can earn badges for accomplishments. Everything is free, and it looks like this would be relatively easy to introduce to the classroom. BrainRush is another game site that allows you to choose from free existing content or create your own games. BrainRush looks like it would work well for vocabulary or concept reviews.
I see two major benefits in incorporating game-based instruction in the math classroom. The first is an increase in student engagement. Games provide students with new motivation to learn concepts and persevere through challenges. The second benefit I see is the opportunity to improve problem-solving skills. The 21st century job market desires creative problem solvers, and games provide students with many opportunities to sharpen those skills. The research I have done this week has challenged me to determine the best way to incorporate game-based instruction into my classroom.
Using games in the classroom requires a great deal of planning on the front end, but I think the benefits could be tremendous. I found many great existing resources that I could implement in my classroom. Zondle is an educational game site that allows to choose existing content or create your own. You can track student progress and students can earn badges for accomplishments. Everything is free, and it looks like this would be relatively easy to introduce to the classroom. BrainRush is another game site that allows you to choose from free existing content or create your own games. BrainRush looks like it would work well for vocabulary or concept reviews.
I see two major benefits in incorporating game-based instruction in the math classroom. The first is an increase in student engagement. Games provide students with new motivation to learn concepts and persevere through challenges. The second benefit I see is the opportunity to improve problem-solving skills. The 21st century job market desires creative problem solvers, and games provide students with many opportunities to sharpen those skills. The research I have done this week has challenged me to determine the best way to incorporate game-based instruction into my classroom.
Saturday, November 16, 2013
The Flipped Classroom
I did a great deal of reading this summer about the flipped classroom model and was very intrigued. I think the model has tremendous potential to engage students and improve the learning process. In researching podcasts and vodcasts to enhance my professional learning, I found many fantastic resources. Teaching Channel has a wide selection of videos about relevant topics. I found videos specific to my grade level and content area. The opportunity to see other teachers in action provides new perspectives and ideas. The videos cover many areas ranging from teaching practice to common core ideas to technology integration. I will definitely be using this site to improve my classroom. I also found some great video resources at Edutopia. I am especially interested in the project-based learning videos and how I may be able to implement some of those ideas into my math classroom.
I have considered using the flipped classroom for a unit this year, but I have yet to take the plunge. I love the idea but several issues have prevented me from jumping in. The Flipped Classroom site offered many potential answers to my questions. The first issue I have is making content available to students who lack internet access at home. My students have access to laptops during their homeroom period, so they should be able to access the materials. I could also put videos or other resources on DVD’s or flash drives for these students. Another concern I had before this week was providing content. The flipped classroom website provided some great details on the vodcasting process. I found the review of iPad screencast apps to be especially helpful. The site also helped me realize that video shouldn’t be the only content I use when I flip my classroom. I should provide a variety of materials. There are many resources available so I don’t have to make everything myself. Sites like Ted Ed and Khan Academy have a wealth of free materials I could utilize in my classroom. This week has strengthened my desire to flip my classroom and see the impact it has on the learning of my students.
I have considered using the flipped classroom for a unit this year, but I have yet to take the plunge. I love the idea but several issues have prevented me from jumping in. The Flipped Classroom site offered many potential answers to my questions. The first issue I have is making content available to students who lack internet access at home. My students have access to laptops during their homeroom period, so they should be able to access the materials. I could also put videos or other resources on DVD’s or flash drives for these students. Another concern I had before this week was providing content. The flipped classroom website provided some great details on the vodcasting process. I found the review of iPad screencast apps to be especially helpful. The site also helped me realize that video shouldn’t be the only content I use when I flip my classroom. I should provide a variety of materials. There are many resources available so I don’t have to make everything myself. Sites like Ted Ed and Khan Academy have a wealth of free materials I could utilize in my classroom. This week has strengthened my desire to flip my classroom and see the impact it has on the learning of my students.
Saturday, November 9, 2013
Mobile Learning
Mobile technology appears in my classroom on a daily basis, but most of it doesn't belong to me or my school. Many of my students have mobile devices that seem to be surgically attached to their bodies, so how can I utilize this technology in an effective way?
I was excited to read more about this topic and find ways to enhance my lessons with mobile technology. The Digital Generation Project video spoke to the issue of student engagement. Technology can definitely aid student engagement, but I think we need to look deeper when we utilize technology in a lesson. Is the technology really enhancing and aiding student learning? The youth profile videos gave some great examples of this. This video about an 11-year old student from Indiana, gave many examples of the student collaborating with his teachers to aid everyone's experience. We need to remember that technology is a helpful tool rather than the solution to all of our problems.
Clickers are a classroom technology that I have never had access to in my classroom, so the free online options are an intriguing topic. Nearpod offers many great features at no cost. Students can access Nearpod on any web-enabled device, so I could utilize it in my classroom with relative ease. Nearpod allows students to follow my lesson on their device and answer questions throughout. I would love the opportunity to get instant feedback during my lessons and adjust accordingly. Nearpod also provides reporting options for the teacher.
In researching other ways to utilize cell phones in the classroom, this blog post by Jennifer Carey offered some great ideas. Backchanneling in the classroom was an idea that I was unaware of. This sounds like a great way to help those students who don't like to share in the classroom because of shyness or other reasons. She offers a few different free methods that allow backchannel discussions during your lesson. I would like to try this in my classroom and see how it would impact engagement and understanding.
I was excited to read more about this topic and find ways to enhance my lessons with mobile technology. The Digital Generation Project video spoke to the issue of student engagement. Technology can definitely aid student engagement, but I think we need to look deeper when we utilize technology in a lesson. Is the technology really enhancing and aiding student learning? The youth profile videos gave some great examples of this. This video about an 11-year old student from Indiana, gave many examples of the student collaborating with his teachers to aid everyone's experience. We need to remember that technology is a helpful tool rather than the solution to all of our problems.
Clickers are a classroom technology that I have never had access to in my classroom, so the free online options are an intriguing topic. Nearpod offers many great features at no cost. Students can access Nearpod on any web-enabled device, so I could utilize it in my classroom with relative ease. Nearpod allows students to follow my lesson on their device and answer questions throughout. I would love the opportunity to get instant feedback during my lessons and adjust accordingly. Nearpod also provides reporting options for the teacher.
In researching other ways to utilize cell phones in the classroom, this blog post by Jennifer Carey offered some great ideas. Backchanneling in the classroom was an idea that I was unaware of. This sounds like a great way to help those students who don't like to share in the classroom because of shyness or other reasons. She offers a few different free methods that allow backchannel discussions during your lesson. I would like to try this in my classroom and see how it would impact engagement and understanding.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Digital Citizenship
I often talk to my math students about math being a part of their everyday life. No matter what you do in your career or your life, math will most likely be involved in some shape or form. In researching digital citizenship this week, I think the same arguments can be made for its importance. Students from kindergarten through college are a part of the digital world and they encounter technology on a daily basis. Learning how to function and be a good citizen in the digital world should be a pervasive part of my classroom environment and curriculum. I don’t believe my current classroom is meeting this standard, but I have found several resources to help me improve it going forward.
I prefer the idea of teaching digital citizenship by incorporating small lessons throughout the year rather than devoting a specific unit to the topic. I think it should be woven into my math lessons. I try to utilize technology often in my lessons, so the digital citizenship topics should fit in nicely. Matt Davis of Edutopia offers a great list of video resources to engage students in discussions of digital citizenship. The videos can help students visualize and get a feel for the impact these topics can have in their lives.
Parents also play a critical role in developing good digital citizens. It is important to partner with parents in modeling digital citizenship and providing a consistent message. This Edutopia article provides many resources to share with parents. I plan on sharing the resources I use in the classroom with parents through my classroom website.
Exploring this topic has provided me with several ideas to implement in my classroom. I am planning to start an edmodo site for my class which will allow me to discuss social and give students practice in responsible posting in a safe environment. The CarnegieCyber Academy provides free resources for teachers including online games that give students an entertaining way to practice the topics. Another idea I would like to explore is displaying sample posts or tweets as discussion starters. I think students would enjoy analyzing the posts and discussing the positive and negative aspects. I now realize that there are many resources available for promoting digital citizenship and many of them are free.
I prefer the idea of teaching digital citizenship by incorporating small lessons throughout the year rather than devoting a specific unit to the topic. I think it should be woven into my math lessons. I try to utilize technology often in my lessons, so the digital citizenship topics should fit in nicely. Matt Davis of Edutopia offers a great list of video resources to engage students in discussions of digital citizenship. The videos can help students visualize and get a feel for the impact these topics can have in their lives.
Parents also play a critical role in developing good digital citizens. It is important to partner with parents in modeling digital citizenship and providing a consistent message. This Edutopia article provides many resources to share with parents. I plan on sharing the resources I use in the classroom with parents through my classroom website.
Exploring this topic has provided me with several ideas to implement in my classroom. I am planning to start an edmodo site for my class which will allow me to discuss social and give students practice in responsible posting in a safe environment. The CarnegieCyber Academy provides free resources for teachers including online games that give students an entertaining way to practice the topics. Another idea I would like to explore is displaying sample posts or tweets as discussion starters. I think students would enjoy analyzing the posts and discussing the positive and negative aspects. I now realize that there are many resources available for promoting digital citizenship and many of them are free.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
21st Century Classroom
Technology is prevalent in nearly every sector of society, but many classrooms have been slow to make the transition. As a teacher, I often find myself reverting to methods that are comfortable rather than venturing out of my comfort zone. My goal during this school year is to implement at least one new technology tool in my classroom each quarter. I want my classroom to prepare students for the challenges they will face as adults, so understanding and utilizing technology to solve problems will be a crucial element in their success.
I have several technology tools available at my school. I have an iPad and an AppleTV connected to the projector in my classroom. Our school has two computer labs and five laptop carts with 30 laptops in each cart available for reservation. Our district is a Google client, so each student and teacher has access to the Google apps through their school e-mail account. I utilize my iPad everyday during instruction as a digital whiteboard. I have also used apps with games or virtual manipulatives to engage students or aid in visualizing concepts. I am using technology constantly, but I feel like I am barely scratching the surface.
The NMC Horizon Report referenced cloud computing and mobile learning as near-term technology trends. I am interested in exploring these areas in my classroom. I have already had students turn in a few assignments by sharing through Google Drive. I want to create short tutorial videos that my students can utilize when they are outside of the classroom. I am also interested in trying edmodo or a similar classroom community site that students can access at anytime. Many of my students bring smartphones to school but are generally not allowed to use them. I allow them to use calculator apps and would like to find other ways to incorporate them in the classroom. The phones are attached to the students like an extra appendage, so I think it is a great resource that is often being wasted.
I believe the 21st century classroom should be interactive and engaging. Choosing the right technology tools to aid my instruction is a key component in preparing my students to succeed.
I have several technology tools available at my school. I have an iPad and an AppleTV connected to the projector in my classroom. Our school has two computer labs and five laptop carts with 30 laptops in each cart available for reservation. Our district is a Google client, so each student and teacher has access to the Google apps through their school e-mail account. I utilize my iPad everyday during instruction as a digital whiteboard. I have also used apps with games or virtual manipulatives to engage students or aid in visualizing concepts. I am using technology constantly, but I feel like I am barely scratching the surface.
The NMC Horizon Report referenced cloud computing and mobile learning as near-term technology trends. I am interested in exploring these areas in my classroom. I have already had students turn in a few assignments by sharing through Google Drive. I want to create short tutorial videos that my students can utilize when they are outside of the classroom. I am also interested in trying edmodo or a similar classroom community site that students can access at anytime. Many of my students bring smartphones to school but are generally not allowed to use them. I allow them to use calculator apps and would like to find other ways to incorporate them in the classroom. The phones are attached to the students like an extra appendage, so I think it is a great resource that is often being wasted.
I believe the 21st century classroom should be interactive and engaging. Choosing the right technology tools to aid my instruction is a key component in preparing my students to succeed.
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