Sarah Sell

TEC 207- Social Media/ Technology App. Impressions

April 23, 2012

The presentation Integrating Technology: Classroom Faux Pas or Classroom Success was a very informative collection of resources for teachers to better implement technology into their classrooms. From the NBEA2012 Annual Conference, created and presented by Dr. Elisha Wohleb, Dr. Leane Skinner and Dr. Christal Pritchett, the discussion first focuses on why technology in the classroom is crucial, particularly if we are going to be instructing students on the skills and competencies to be a 21 century citizen. The theoretical framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge or TPACK is an equal build of what students need to know of content, pedagogy and now in a technological format. This framework answers the many questions educators have of How am I supposed to integrate technology into my subject? It can be done with all of them; matter of fact it has to if we are going to be teaching students with different needs and abilities and have been brought up in the technological world. HELLO! Children the age of two know how to work Ipads. Therefore, shouldnt the 20 some year old teachers know how to too? Shouldnt every teacher know how to use these new technologies and more? Hence part number two of the presentation: the application of blogs, wikis, podcasting, social networking, doodle and more. Allow me to address each application individually with my impressions to follow: Blogs- Blogs are a wonderful tool in motivating upper elementary to secondary student to write and read. I utilized a blog in my ELD 308 methods course and on it each student posted a literacy strategy. Similarly, my cooperating teachers used them for student to post their book reports so that students are never without a reading suggestion. Blogs are also a realistic approach to writing. Using this 21 century method will have students exploring how people really communicate in longer texts than through text messaging as well as in a professional setting over more appropriate content. Wikis- Originally opposed to wikis, I now cannot tear myself away from mine! Wikis are great for larger projects or whole units of study. I have seen teacher use wikis to present the body systems with each system having its own page. With this idea in mind, my teaching social studies group and I for our ELD 376 methods course designed our end of the year unit project on slavery to be an online museum with each exhibit being an interactive page. The other benefit of wiki is that you can make them interactive through imbedded videos, slide shows, documents, artwork, etc. so the possibilities of making your wiki engaging are endless. Podcasting- Podcasting is an excellent resource to promote distance learning. Students get to interact and hear from people around the world, receiving information that they may not have otherwise. This too is a way to reach those students to are auditory learners considering learning is all what they hear. Finally podcasts give teachers a great opportunity to work in small groups. When the teacher gathers with a small group to focus on a specific area of difficulty, the class can be listening to a pod cast of the teacher or any other relevant speech in their area of study. Video sharing- Similar to podcasting, video sharing is the new social studies text book, in my opinion. Youtube, Teachertube, Skype and more have been innovators in the way we connect with other teachers and display content. Again, videos can assist those who learn best through audio as well as visually. Videos allow student to make more personal connections with the subject being allowed to see and hear it like on virtual field trips through Meet me at the corner. But as mentioned before,

Sarah Sell

TEC 207- Social Media/ Technology App. Impressions

April 23, 2012

our students now have grown up glued to a screen of some sort so why not teach them in the way that they may learn best which is increasing through video. Social networking- We have discussed social networking frequently throughout this semester and I have come to see it as a very helpful tool in the classroom when it is used and monitored properly. It allows for easier communication with parents, colleagues, and administration. It permits students to connect with each other more readily on projects and hold discussions on important topics. Also, it increases student global and local awareness when they are on sites like Twitter and Facebook where news updates appear in seconds keeping them informed of what is going on around them and shaping them to be better rounded individuals. Webquests- Not even realizing it, I have been on webquests before. I understand now that they are student or teacher made web pages on a specific content area and link to further online resources and websites. I would like to explore using the web quests more because I see them being engaging to students , beneficial in their learning as they create a whole website about their topic (almost as if they were teaching it) and applying these skills to a career in computer systems and web design. Doodle- Doodle was brought to my attention to better plan meetings for my organizations and I can not praise it more for the excellent resource it is in combining everyone schedules and informing me of the best day and time to hold a meeting. Doodle would be great for students if working in a group and have to meet outside of school but also for staff and administration in planning IEP, faculty and PLC meetings. Poll Everywhere-I loved poll everywhere and am excited to use it to give my upper elementary and middle level students choice considering choice and fostering self expression are crucial in these grades. Poll everywhere allows educators to poll from as the title says, everywhere! Students can respond to questions at home, give their feedback during lunch or by all means, use it instantly in the classroom. It is a great way to allow students to use their technology (ie cell phones) for good and not evil and I feel that more students will be open to this type of learning because of the personal connection to themselves and their technology. Prezi- I enjoy Prezi because it is the out of the ordinary, change up from power point. It lures students in with its zoom in and out features and allows student to see how everything is interconnected while also focusing on each individual part. This concept is sometimes hoe student comprehend best so why not make this easy switchover from Powerpoint to Prezi? The final topic of the presentation is knowing when and when to and not to incorporate technology. While we push to utilize technology as much as possible to accommodate the skills and knowledge of our 21st century learners, sometimes we are better off with traditional methods. For instance, if you found a great book or resource that does not involve technology and know that it will work well in your classroom- use it! We do not want to limit ourselves to only using technological applications in the same way that we do not want to limit our allover use of technology. In using technology, you also must be aware of the safety issues, how applicable,

Sarah Sell

TEC 207- Social Media/ Technology App. Impressions

April 23, 2012

relatable and reliable the information is, and how to monitor students when they are using computers, Ipads, etc. Commonsence.org has a variety of resources to aid teachers in online safety discussions with their classroom. Some hand outs they include are safety contracts for the students to sign, what to say to parents in introducing your classroom technology, and how parents, students and teachers can create a safe online community. Finally you must be cognizant that not every child has technology at home or works well with it. I can identify with these students as I am often fearful of technology in that it will shut down on me, crash, or simply will just not reach my students. You can help these students by giving minilessons on how to use certain technological features. Still allow students some independence and creativity by having them investigate the technology but instruct on its simple working to make students more accustom with it. In conclusion, technology has been one of our greatest advancements in schools and learning achievements that we would be ignorant not to embrace more of these tools. With the above applications, safety awareness, and knowledge of how to integrate technology into content and pedagogy, we cannot go wrong in educating 21st century learners and ourselves.