Digital Hot List

My Digital Hot List 

• Building a Better Teacher
• Twitter to Increase Engagement
• Using Technology to Increase Engagement
• TED Talks for Teachers
• 100 YouTube Videos for Teachers

Technology Integration

Technology integration is a hot topic within the educational community.  With new applications, devices, and programs added on what seems to be a daily basis, classrooms are buzzing with the possibilities of utilizing the latest and greatest technologies in the classroom.  While many teachers may be hesitant and even scared to break away from the old teaching style focused on lecturing and route memorization, other teachers are embracing technology, as well as the possibilities it provides within the classroom.  As a special education teacher for at risk youth, my vision for technology integration is one that actively engages students while meeting their individual academic needs.

My role as the educator is to utilize technology to increase student engagement.  Most of the students in my program lack interest in school, find it boring, and do not want to be there.  I constantly try to utilize technology as a "hook" to spark an interest or get a student to think critically about a topic. The role of the educator within my vision of technology is someone who uses technology to motivate and excite students.  In a recent speech,  2009 Teacher of the Year, Anthony Mullen discuses the two major challenges with educating today's at risk youth:

1) They feel no one cares about them

2) They are bored 

Having worked with this population of students for the past five years, I confirm, that Mullen's statement is spot on.  In order to reach these students, an educator must first get to know them, and know their story.  Only once an adolescent feels safe and comfortable, will they be able to learn.  Even after a rapport is established, students frequently complain of being bored in the classroom.  If I had a dollar for every time I heard the question, "when will I ever use this in life?", I would no longer have to teach.  Technology can help to bring classrooms to life.  For example, if a geometry class is learning about the Pythagorean Theorem, the teacher can pull up videos or graphics of how this theory is applied when building a porch,

www.survivalsherpa.wordpress.com

or figuring out how much mulch you need to fill a garden.
  Technology can be integrated into the classroom to reach out to students and give them multiple ways to complete an assignment.  For example, if students need to do a project on a famous battle of World War II, they can use technology to create an interactive project with video links, interesting graphics, and amazing multimedia effects.  In my experiences, I have seen how these types of assignments really get students excited and motivated to learn more.  Giving these students a poster-board and some scissors is much less engaging than opening up the gates of technology and allowing them to unleash their inner creativity.

http://pillingsedps3140-01.blogspot.com/

In addition to its benefits with increasing engagement, technology can also be used to meet the needs of all learners.  As Mullen says in his speech, he used technology for his students to, "design curriculum to suit their particular needs".  Having experience working with students of various cognitive levels, I can see how technology can be implemented across the curriculum, to benefit all students.  From the delivery of instruction, using tools such as interactive SMART boards,
to students demonstrating knowledge through project-based learning, technology provides opportunities for all students.  Using technology helps to even the playing field, regardless of a student's learning style.  For example, by showing visual aids such as graphics and videos, teachers are able to get through to visual learners who may have difficulty with oral processing.  Teachers can also provide choices of various types of assignments that students can complete based on their individual learning style.  These choices may include a traditional paper/essay, some type of speech or oral assignment, and another option to complete a PowerPoint or web-based presentation.  By providing various choices, teachers are reaching out to all types of learners regardless of their ability or learning style.      

Works Cited

"A Digital Classroom." YouTube. YouTube, 09 Dec. 2008. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.

"SMART Speaker Series - Engaging At-Risk Students with Classroom Technology." YouTube. YouTube, 02 May 2011. Web. 19 Apr. 2014.

Digital Footprint

Mr. Lynch's Digital Footprint

Be aware, they're always watching.......

Created your own for free HERE

Week #3 Literature Review: Chromebooks in Education

Learning Outcomes: #1 - Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.  

Google Chromebooks are compact laptops, specifically designed to be used while connected to the internet.  Unlike typical PC's or laptops, applications (apps) on Chromebooks, are web-based and can be utilized from anywhere with internet access.  Many school districts around the country are attempting to move toward 1:1 device to student programs, allowing internet access to all students.  Chromebooks are a very appealing product for these programs given their inexpensive cost, as well as their web-based updates, ever-increasing availability of applications, and their pro-longed battery life.  

Utilizing Chromebooks in education is of particular interest to me because next year, I hope to receive a set of 10 Chromebooks for my classroom through a recent grant proposal.  Although I am fairly familiar with apps such as Google Docs, I want to continue to learn about the best uses of Chromebooks and the various Google applications available on the web.  In an attempt to broaden my knowledge of the benefits of Google Chromebooks and their educational purposes, I recently viewed webinars on Chromebooks in education  and special education .      

In the 2012 presentation on Chromebooks in education, Google Project Manager, Rajen Sheth describes the many benefits of of creating a 1:1, student to device program, using Google Chromebooks.  The three major benefits of creating this 1:1 program are:

1) Customized learning 

2) Increased student engagement

3) Equalize access to the internet

Sheth goes on to describe many of the different applications that are specifically designed to be used on Chromebooks.  Many of these apps such as Khan Academy, Edmodo, and Google Docs, have multiple uses in the classroom, and are free of charge.  By creating a 1:1 program, all students are provided with access to the many tools and opportunities Google has to offer.  Unlike normal PC's, software updates are all automatically completed via the web.  Security for managing student access is also free and easy to use.  Districts with current 1:1 programs are finding that their students are more engaged in their learning and are also producing more quality work.

The webinar on using Chromebooks in special education was also of great interest to me.  The layout of the webinar was very interesting as it was broadcasted on Goolge Hangouts.  This allowed one facilitator to interview several educators from around the country on their uses of Chromebooks.  Speakers were able to pull up material from their computers so that it was easily viewed by all group members simultaneously.  I could see how this app could be very useful for students in foreign language classes, to openly communicate in real time, with students all over the world.  

The special educators in this webinar discussed how the use of Chromebooks increased student engagement as well as performance in the classroom.  One of the applications I found most intriguing was Google Dictionary. This app allows students to double click on a word to automatically look up its name and pronunciation.  This app would be great for many of my students who may be too embarrassed by not knowing what a word means or how to pronounce it.  The app allows them to simply click and learn.  Another app discussed in the webinar that would be beneficial to me is Google Calendar.  Sometimes I feel as if I am wasting my breath, trying to encourage students to record assignments and obligations in their agenda books. An online calendar would be much more appealing for them because it allows them to use technology, which is something they love doing.  Google calendars can be synced between PC's, laptops, smartphones, tablets, or any other device with web access.  The calendar is funneled through the user's Google account, making scheduling and sharing events extremely easy and convenient.    

If I am fortunate enough to receive the Chromebooks for next year, I have many new ideas of how to utilize them.  In addition to the applications I am already familiar with such as Google Docs and Spreadsheets, I hope to use Chromebooks to assist with scheduling, managing/planning assignments, and various multimedia student projects.  While viewing the webinars, I could imagine how the different apps discussed could really increase student engagement levels as well as their quality of work.  Students often surprise me with their technical knowledge of computers and their creativity in projects, when given a topic they enjoy learning about.  If I can somehow utilize these Chromebooks to engage students on topics they are initially not interested in, they will be a great asset for my classroom.      

Works Cited

Chromebooks for Education", YouTube, YouTube, 25. Jan. 2012. Web. 11 Apr. 2014.

"Innovative Chromebook Teachers Using Chromebooks in Special Education.  "YouTube".  YouTube, 09 May 2013. Web. 11. Apr. 2014.

The World of Blogging.....

Well, this is officially my first trip into the world of blogging, so I am not quite sure what to expect.  I hope to eventually be able to functionally utilize this site for my classroom, or perhaps with sports teams and/or extracurricular clubs.  For now I need to continue to learn how to navigate the program to figure out how to use everything.

.