Final Blog Reflection

Image

                                                     

 The old saying... "I wish I knew then what I know now.", totally sums up my learning experience in this class (EDU 533). When I read the learning outcomes at the beginning of the class, I was overwhelmed. I had basic and I mean BASIC computer skills. I never thought that I would be able to navigate and use web 2.0 tools effectively. Heck, I didn't even know what web 2.0 tools were!

These are the learning outcomes for the class:

This course develops ICT literacy for teachers with the ultimate aim of using technology to enhance understanding and achievement of 21st century learners, allowing them to further succeed in a technology rich society. Concepts to master include such things as digital citizenship, web publishing, digital media, hardware, software, information security, social impact, COPPA, CIPA, and the limits of technology integration in a school environment. Students develop computer related skills in support of integrating technology in the classroom. This is accomplished, in part, by the mastery of communication and collaboration platforms, development of Professional Learning Networks (PLNs), and the Read/Write web or web 2.0 technologies.

LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning
2. Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance studentsí technological literacy
3. Design meaningful and authentic digitally based learning experiences with multiple and varied assessments
4. Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources
5. Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of safe, ethical, legal and moral practices related to digital information and technology
6. Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum (e.g., NH Curriculum Frameworks, ISTE (NETS-Teacher/NETS-Student) and NH-ICT Literacy Standards for K-12 Students (306.42)
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of adaptive technologies and other digital resources to personalize and differentiate learning activities for every student
8. Evaluate, adapt and reflect on emerging tools and trends by participating in local and global learning communities and by reviewing current research and professional literature



As I look at the learning outcomes now, I feel that I have not only met, but exceeded them. I am equipped with the skills needed to provide varied, meaningful, effective and technological learning experiences for my students. I also feel confident about using technology, not only in the classroom, but in my personal life as well. A blog post would not provide me with sufficient space to write about all that I have learned. A book may be more suitable!!!!! I do not take the credit for my learning experience in this class. Kim Tufts is the reason we have learned so much. Her teaching style, wealth of knowledge and resources are what made me a confident "techie" She teaches in a way that meets the needs of all learning styles and makes technology seem approachable. She is the reason why I feel so confident about technology integration.
To discuss and evaluate all of the web 2.0 tools I have learned about would take too long so I have picked my top 3 favorite web 2.0 tools that I think would provide me and my students the "biggest bang for our buck."

Image

1. Google Accounts or Gmail for me is the number one way for students to collaborate, share and create. It is a free tool. Google documents prepares students to collaborate with the teacher and fellow classmates and offers a variety  of ways to interact. It can be accessed from home and any other locations with internet access. You can't "lose" your homework and the dog can't eat it. Group projects with power point can be done from various locations and actual face time is not required with Google Accounts. Google hangout allows for interaction and video conferencing. Blogger is available for class blogs and a Google Account lets you access all your stuff — Gmail, photos, and more — from any device. A student who is skilled in using a Google Account has a large amount of free tools available to him/her. So if you have a class with limited availability, Gmail may be the answer on a basic level to technology integration.

Image

 2. Kerpoof is a great tool to use with my kindergarten class. It is kid friendly. It is created by Disney, so of course it appeals to younger students. Kerpoof allows students to draw, make movies, create stories, make cards, play games and practice spelling. The tool provides many lessons for teachers to use. They cross reference the standards that they use in the lessons. Ideas for teachers are also provided as well as teacher accounts where students can save their work.

Image

                                               
3. Diigo is a bookmarking tool that allows users to research, collaborate and highlight areas of interest on the web. Diigo stands for “Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff.” It is a social bookmarking program that allows you to save your ‘favorites’ online, so that they can be accessible from any computer with an internet connection.
 You can also highlight parts of web pages that are of particular interest to you or, you can attach sticky notes to specific parts of web pages. These highlights and sticky notes are always there whenever you return to the original web page.
The ‘social’ part of the bookmarking program is also very useful. Diigo users tagging and annotating pages online has created a virtual library on almost any subject you may be interested in. This tool is very valuable for teachers who want to organize and search for information while collaborating with their peers.





 Why is it important for all teachers to integrate technology into the lessons they teach, regardless the age of the students or genre that you teach?

Technology integration means that students use technology to learn content and show their understanding of content, not just their expertise with a tool. Mary Beth Hertz, the author of What Does "Technology Integration" Mean? feels that technology shouldn't be treated as a separate subject but should be used in the content areas as a tool that shows understanding and is embedded in the curriculum.
Technology integration is not seamless in all classrooms and it appears in a variety levels throughout America.  Many factors are involved with the level of integration in classrooms; availability, funding, and the teacher's expertise are a few.Technology has changed education and how educators can leverage new educational tools to personalize learning, encourages collaboration, and prepare students for the future. Students who use and are comfortable with technology will be better prepared for future learning and vocations.

If we take the time to let our students explore the tools with guided practice, we can ensure that your classroom will move toward true integration.
Those of us who are limited due availability should pick a few web 2.0 tools to integrate. A few tools that students are well skilled with are better than no tools at all. Flip cameras, document cameras and a few good websites allow students to use technology at a basic level.  This basic level still allows for collaboration and variety. It allows a student to show understanding and meets the needs of varied learning styles. 
State and national standards can be met in so many ways with technology integration. Assessment and understanding can be varied with the use of technology. Variety allows educators to keep students engaged and interactive in the learning process. Today's student or "digital native" has always had technology and they use it on a regular basis in their everyday life. We should embrace that and allow them to learn in a way that is familiar to them and makes them feel comfortable. After all, it is the student's learning that we should be concerned with, not our own comfort and ease with teaching. It is a teacher's responsibility to reflect, grow and continue to learn in order to meet the needs of the students he or she is entrusted with. 

Fire Station Trip-Digital Storytelling

Here is the digital story I created using Animoto. The story is about a class trip I took with my students last year to the fire station down the street from our school.
Fire Station Trip

Image

Module 6-Blog Review

Image

After looking at the 50 blogs Kim gave us the link to. I chose a really interesting blog to write about.

 Jessica Carlton is the author of  The Polka-dotted Teacher.. A blog  for cute and authentic learning ideas, resources, and designs for your classroom (her words not mine). She founded the blog in February 2012. Jessica is a fourth grade teacher. She shares ideas and resources that she uses in her classroom. She gives links to other teachers' blogs and does giveaways. At this time she has 300 followers on Facebook. She is addicted to clip art and there are a ton of links and tags in the  the margins. She shares ideas to enhance your curriculum as well as professional development ideas for teachers. She is really into arts and crafts and likes to spruce up her classroom to make it inviting and fun for her students.
She gets a lot of ideas from Pinterest. I looked through the archives and found several posts about technology. One website that she blogged about was Pixton for Schools. This is a really cool tech tool to use with students. It is a subscription site that helps you make comic strips for you to use with your students. I liked this site and plan on checking it out and experimenting with it in the near future. She made a comic strip for math problems. What an awesome way to engage students! A comic strip is much more inviting than a word problem written out for students to answer on paper.
I will definitely follow this blog because she shares really good ideas for every subject. She also includes the links for her ideas and the Printables she uses. She recommends other blogs for different age levels which I found handy. She teaches fourth grade so I'm not able to utilize all of her cool ideas but I can follow other bloggers that teach lower level grades due to her recommendations.  Another handy thing she does is something called a Linky Party. She got this from another blogger named Kelly Dolling and puts her resources and recommendations in it. I found a lot of great resources, ideas and products in it.
I honestly don't know how these teachers find the time to blog. I am, however, grateful because I have found so many great resources, products and ideas to use with my class and to use in the future should I get the opportunity to work with older students.
This assignment has opened up a whole new world of places for me to find tips and ideas. Pinterest is amazing. I have signed up and started pinning ideas that I like to my board. I found some great things there. I love how teachers collaborate and share through blogging. I plan on adding this blog and others that I discovered in this assignment to my Reader. Amazing things can be found on blogs!!!!!

Module 4-Digital Citizenship

Digital Citizenship

To teach or not to teach. That is the question.

Schools are integrating technology in the classroom. There are standards for teachers , students and administrators  about technology.  If we are going to expect the students to use technology, we must teach them to be responsible while using it. There are 9  facets to digital citizenship. Children start using the Internet at a young age. My students who are in kindergarten go to websites to play games that reinforce basic reading, writing and math skills in my class. I set up the games for them to use. They don't surf the web, but even small children need to follow some basic rules, to make sure that they become responsible citizens when using technology. There are many sites and movies that young children can watch to give them tips about being safe on the Internet.

 

Movie

Cell Phones

As children grow so does their involvement with technology. I really only thought about Internet rules, but cell phones are being used by children as well. Cell phones are very sophisticated now and allow children to connect through texts and through social networking sites. They are basically handheld computers. We as educators should consider cell phone use when we address the topic of digital citizenship. The same rules apply.

I also found a great movie on YouTube for upper elementary students.

Movie

 Bullying

Older elementary students will begin to use the Internet to do research, assignments and to join social networks. This is when cyber bullying  can become a problem. If a child is being bullied at school face to face a teacher can become involved and help them. Online bullying can be faceless. Often a child will not know who started the bullying or how to stop it. Talking about cyber bullying at school and giving kids tips on how to deal with a cyber bully is a good way to help. I'm not sure that all parents know or understand the threat of cyber bullying. There are many tips for parents as well. An informational night on digital citizenship and cyber bullying may be a good way to get some parents involved. They can be also be directed to websites that will give them tips on dealing with cyber bullying.

Ownership

When we have students complete assignments that require the use of technology it is important to stress that they must give credit for photos, music and information that they use. A good digital citizen shouldn't steal someone's work or take credit for something they didn't do. They probably don't think that it hurts anyone because the original owner doesn't know that they are using it. Jammie Thomas Rasset used music without permission and was prosecuted for it. Share articles and information about the ramifications for stealing others work. Teachers should model this for their students when they use technology.

You Can't Take it Back

It is also important to teach students about sharing personal information, photos and videos.

Students who share images and give out information are jeopardizing their future. Once it is out there you can't take it back. Your Digital Dossier begins even before you are born. Parents, employers, teachers administrators and law enforcement can see what you post. Children should be educated about the hazards of posting unflattering images and information.

 

I will say that I feel more comfortable about the digital world now that I know more about the ways we can teach our students to be responsible.

 I am however, probably the only person on the planet that doesn't have a Facebook account. I just feel that my personal information shouldn't be shared with students, parents, administrators and potential employers. I am not a bad person and I don't have any scandalous secrets. I would just like to keep my personal life separate from my job. This article on modeling digital citizenship was good but I don't think the teacher should have had  an account to begin with. I understand the student created a fake account so it had nothing to do with his real account. I just feel that you are opening up a can of worms by interacting on social networks.

I thought a lot about how to help students become good digital citizens. Many of the topics I reviewed I hadn't given much thought to prior to this assignment. I believe now that the rules of social etiquette offline cross over to the digital world. Treat others the way you would like to be treated holds true for both offline and online interaction.

 This tutorial helps to break it down:

http://www.digitalcitizenship.nsw.edu.au/

 

Voki for grades K-2

Digital Citizenship

Young students are just starting out on the internet this Voki will give them some basic rules to follow.

 

References/URL addresses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dumMk6da-U

http://www.voki.com/create.php

 http://www.netsmartzkids.org/

http://coalcrackerclassroom.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/digital-citizenship-in-schools-inverted/

Voki for grades 3-5.

Digital Citizenship

After reading and watching all the information on digital citizenship, I thought it would be a good idea to make an internet safety Voki for young students (K-2). They should be given basic internet rules before they start using the internet on a larger scale. You can then expand on the rules of digital citizenship as they move on to higher grade levels.

                                                   This is intended for use with grades 3-5                                       
                                                                                                                          

       


References/URL addresses:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dumMk6da-U

http://www.voki.com/create.php

 http://www.netsmartzkids.org/

http://coalcrackerclassroom.wordpress.com/2011/03/29/digital-citizenship-in-schools-inverted/

Week 3- Online

Image

We were asked to compare and contrast two documentaries for this week's assignment. The first video was entitled: Growing Up Online and was produced in 2008. The second video was entitled: Digital Nation and was produced in 2010. Both documentaries focused on the way technology has affected teachers, parents and children. Today's students are the first generation to have the Internet available to them their entire lives. Both videos focus on the pros and cons of technology.

1.  Compare and Contrast each documentary.  What has changed from the first one (Growing Up Online) made in 2008 to the newer one (Digital Nation) filmed in 2010?  How did what you watched in the two videos support your feelings about technology or how did it change your views?  

Both documentaries focused on today’s youth and their involvement with technology. Growing up Online focused more on the generation gap between parents and their children when it comes to technology.  Parents in the video were hesitant about technology and they seemed to be in the dark about what their children were doing on the net. It was a cautionary tale for parents about the dangers of the Internet.

Digital Nation focused more on the many ways both adults and children interact on the Internet. It focused more on the effects of technology and how its use has changed the way we live and interact.

There is only a 2 year gap between the documentaries but much has changed in those two years. Multitasking has changed how students learn. Virtual worlds have changed how we interact with business. We are now dealing with folks who are addicted to technology. Social networking has changed how we interact with each other. Even the military has changed its military tactics and how it recruits. Research has been used to show the effects of technology but the researchers are struggling to keep up the ever changing technological world.

2.  Your thoughts on multitasking.  Do you agree?  Can you multitask?  Do you disagree with the video on the topic of multitasking?  

Children’s brains are not fully developed and the time they spend multitasking may affect how their brain functions in adulthood. I agree that multitasking can affect the quality of the work you are doing. Emailing, texting, gaming, school work and searches are all being done simultaneously and the quality of work is suffering. Students are only able to do essays and papers one paragraph at a time because multitasking interrupts their thought processes. There is no flow and connection between paragraphs. Students are unable to complete an assignment from start to finish without being interrupted.  The attention spans of our youth are shortened and they are unable to stay focused long enough on one task to complete it. They can not completely focus on one task for a long chunk of time.  Teachers must adapt to the shortened attention spans of the students they work with in order to keep them focused and engaged.

I know that when I multitask something usually suffers. I can not completely focus on one thing and I make mistakes. If I am doing an assignment on my laptop, cooking dinner, texting and emailing, not one of those things is done 100%. Dinner may burn or I will have typos and grammar errors. I can’t focus on what's going on around me and will usually miss something that was said in a conversation.  

3.  Is there an addiction happening in society today with technology or is it just a new way of living?   Should we be concerned? 

 Addiction is happening in today’s society with technology. In the video Digital Nation, South Korean children were shown in Internet cafes playing video games. Many of them play for extreme amounts of time. This has led to a drop in grades, a lack of communication, decreased human interaction and in one case death. It is now considered a psychiatric disorder in that country. The government has set up rescue camps to help children with technological addiction. It’s like rehab for alcoholics. Eye strain and hearing complications are some physical ailments for those who have fallen victim to this addiction. The countless hours spent have damaged their sight and hearing.

There is an addiction happening in this country as well. Social networks and games have sucked some people in. They showed an American family in the Digital Nation video. They were all on a device while the mother was preparing dinner. Human interaction, communication and bonding were not happening in that household. A woman was interviewed about World of War Craft (a virtual reality game) she was spending up to 16 hours a day playing the game and even quit her job. Folks brag about the number of friends they have online. I wonder how many of these so called friends they have spent actual face to face time with. We are losing actual human connections in this country.

4.  Do video games serve a purpose in education or are they a waste of time?

I think it depends on the game. A game that serves an educational purpose such as learning to read serves a purpose. Not all children learn the same way and video games may engage them. An educational game may reach a student when traditional methods do not.

  A game that revolves around war probably wouldn’t serve a purpose in education. I’m sure there are folks who would disagree. They may say that they help students problem solve because students must use strategies to become successful and beat their enemy or opponent. The Army uses gaming to recruit and the skills of gamers are used to pilot drones.  I simply feel that it is easier to pull the trigger or drop a bomb when you don’t see the effects of your actions. We are losing our grip on reality.

I personally think that violent games desensitize children to the horrors of war. They are blurring the line between reality and virtual reality. In Digital Nation the kids that were interviewed say they are able to separate the two. My age is probably influencing my opinion. I didn’t grow up digital. Children today jump back and forth between reality and the digital world effortlessly.

Katie Salen teaches at the NY public school that uses gaming to educate and she feels that gaming is an everyday occurrence and we should use gaming because it is a natural way for today’s children to learn. Traditional methods of learning are foreign to today’s youth. I think we should use combine the two.

5.  Do you believe that digital tools such as Google tools can save schools that are struggling?

I do believe that digital tools can help schools that are struggling. The public school in the south Bronx featured in Digital Nation has seen a rise in test scores by implementing technology.  I think that digital tools engage students that are not able to be reached through traditional methods. I don’t feel that we should go “all in” with technology. Researchers in Digital Nation say that older students are not doing as well as they did in the past with reading and test scores are falling. Books are not being used as much with older students. Young students use and read books but as they mature they are used less frequently. Technology can enhance a student’s education but I fear that basics like; writing, reading, grammar, spelling and memory may go by the wayside because digital tools are replacing those skills.

6.  Do parents of today have any idea what their kids are doing online?  Whose job is it to teach them the safety and digital responsibility? Parents/Teachers/Community/Government?

Parents who were interviewed in Growing up Online  were fearful about what their children were doing online and were pretty much in the dark about it. In Digital Nation adults were shown using technology so it leads me to believe that adults are more involved on the web so they know what their kids are being exposed to.

 In South Korea children as young as first grade are being taught “netiquette” at school.  I think that parents and schools are responsible for safety and digital responsibility. Parents are with their children at home and if they are allowing them to use technology then they should be responsible while their children are in their care. Schools are using more technology so they should be responsible for the safety and digital responsibility of students at school. I don’t think that one party should be solely responsible. Technology is being used everywhere we should work together to keep children safe and digitally responsible.

7.  Are kids and adults today ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information online without realizing that it may be detrimental to their future? Should they care?

I do believe that kids and adults are ruining their digital footprints by sharing too much information. Facebook and other social networking sites allow us to share personal information with others. I think that we “over share” our personal thoughts and information with others.  Employers are starting to look at Facebook when they hire new employees. Your behavior and choices online can now affect your career.

 I also feel that we create a lot of drama by sharing our disappointments, illnesses and relationship woes. Our friends and even strangers are weighing in to advise us and lend an ear. I am a private person so maybe I’m over reacting but I don’t want my mother or boss to know that I had a personal indiscretion , over drank or did something I’m ashamed of.  I have several friends who no longer speak to each other after the recent presidential election because they voiced their opinions on the issues through Facebook.  Things got nasty and they are no longer friends. I don’t think that people filter their thoughts and opinions when they are behind a screen. Real face to face conversations allow us to see how a person is reacting to conversations. Body language and voice tones allow us to feel a person out and filter what we say. Once you put something online it is there forever!!!  A digital history of mistakes and indiscretions are there for all to see.

The students in Digital Nation who had a physical confrontation in the cafeteria as a result of cyber bullying were filmed and shown on YouTube. Technology allows us to record and broadcast embarrassing occurrences. We are constantly being watched.  In Growing up Online students were drinking on a trip to NYC and their experience was shown on YouTube. Technology allows us to record and broadcast embarrassing occurrences. We are being watched, reprimanded and judged for our indiscretions. The parents and teachers had proof though YouTube. Their digital footprints are now jeopardized because of choices they made in their youth.

8. “Stranger Danger” and predator fears are often overblown by the media on shows such as Datelines “To Catch a Predator”.  What are the real dangers of technology in this day and age?  

Children in Growing up Online knew how to avoid online predators. They simply deleted or ignored them.  They did not seem to be easily lured in by predators. I think that adults are fearful about this but the kids are not as naive as they think.

The real dangers are addiction and cyber bullying. Today kids are spending 50 plus hours a week online. I fear that they are losing social skills and their ability to relate on a real level. 

Cyber bullying is a real problem and suicides have been reported because children are being taunted and tortured online. The bullying also takes place at school. They are not able to escape it because the bullying follows them home on the internet. In Growing up Online a middle school boy killed himself because of the constant torture. Unfortunately his parents were unaware that he was being bullied online.

The Internet allows children to pursue information about unhealthy or dangerous interests. The young lady in Digital Nation who was able to find information and support groups for anorexia was able to continue to starve herself and feel OK about it without her parents ever knowing. 

I found both documentaries to be interesting. I feel that technology is helping us in many ways. I am however, concerned that overuse may be damaging how we learn and interact with each other. We are losing human interaction. The IBM building that was shown in Digital Nation was empty. It used to be hub of interaction and productivity. Now employees work from home and connect through technology. I understand that it is cost effective and it is a more streamlined approach but I find it sad. We are progressing but at what cost? I find sitting face to face with a friend or my family over a drink or a meal to be good for my soul. I don’t get that warm and fuzzy feeling online.

Week 2- Literature Review

Image

In the webinar entitled: The Flipped Classroom, chemistry teachers  Aaron Sams and Jon Bergman discuss how to "flip" your classroom. Flipping your classroom allows you to make more time for face to face interaction with your students and replace repetitive lectures or lessons with online screen-casting, vodcasting and podcasting that students can view outside of class time.
Teachers can create short content videos on subjects that are directly related to Common Core standards. Both Sams and Bergman saw test scores rise in their classes when they flipped their classrooms. Each make short videos about chemistry topics. The videos are entertaining and show concepts being used in the real world.

 

 Recording direct instruction e.g., lectures, lessons and instruction for students to view at home gives students the opportunity to do more engaging activities during class time. The teacher can then use the face to face time to be a facilitator during projects and activities. It actually flips how students and teachers interact. The students do the homework that they traditionally would do at home in the classroom where they can actually get guidance from the teacher and collaborate with their peers. A teacher can not check for understanding while a student is working at home. Teachers can now work with students directly to check for understanding.

An example was given of a fourth grade teacher who makes videos of her grammar lessons for students to use at home. This eliminates her using vital and limited class time to give direct instruction and repeat grammar rules. The students use the actual class time to apply the grammar lessons with assignments she would have given as homework in the past. The videos can be archived so that they can go back to a lesson if they need further understanding.

Sams and Bergman recommend flipping your classroom slowly. They suggest you start out by flipping a few lessons at first and  then maybe a unit a semester. Going all in requires a lot of work on the teacher's part. Teachers can simply record a lecture using a video camera or use websites like Jing, Snagit or Screen cast-o-matic and then upload them to  TeacherTube, or SchoolTube for students to view. There are many blogs , articles and books dedicated to the specifics of flipping classrooms each give detailed instructions for educators to begin the flipping process.

I think flipping your classroom can be done with different degrees depending on the age of your students. I would definitely go all in with middle school and high school students. I think younger students would benefit from using a few flipped lessons or units depending the age. My kindergarten class would not be able to be flipped entirely because they would need constant supervision and parent involvement at home. I think an upper elementary student could do this without supervision but on a small scale. Flipping your classroom in small ways or in an "all in" manner puts students in control of their own learning and allows teachers to be a guide and reference for them. I think both teachers and students would benefit. A teacher can check immediately for understanding and a student can take charge of their own learning.


Further Reading Suggestions: LiveBinder

Image

 

LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Demonstrate the understanding of how technologies can effectively promote student learning.
Flipping a classroom allows students to use class time to work actively on projects and assignments.
The teacher can then be a guide and/or facilitator for students. Teachers are able to check for understanding and students can collaborate with their peers. Flipping allows for mastery in an active and collaborative environment. 

2. Evaluate and use a variety of current technologies to enhance content instruction and to advance students' technological literacy.
Students are learning through vodcasts and websites and then applying what they have learned in an active manner in class.

4. Reflect upon and demonstrate effective use of digital tools and resources
Sams and Bergman saw test scores rise by using a flipped approach. They were also able to see first hand if students were understanding the content of their chemistry lessons.

6. Illustrate through application how state and national standards are implemented within the curriculum (e.g., NH Curriculum Frameworks, ISTE (NETS-Teacher/NETS-Student) and NH-ICT Literacy Standards for K-12 Students (306.42))
Common Core Standards are imbedded in the videos.Teachers are able to assess first hand in an on going manner if students are understanding and mastering a subject. Teachers can also adjust lessons and activities if students are not grasping a standard. They do not have to wait until the end of a unit or semester to see if students are understanding.

Technology in the Classroom

Image

Week 1-Should we integrate technology into the classroom?

Technology is used daily by students in their everyday life.  Gaming, texting, TV, and the internet are commonplace in their day to day routines. There is a YouTube video that gives a great overview of technology and how it affects students not only  in the classroom but on a global level.

Teachers should  try to use technology in the classroom in order to engage their students, after all they are using it everyday and are comfortable with it. A child who is comfortable and engaged can become intrinsically motivated and eager to learn. They may even be learning and not even realize it because their interest is peaked. Teachers can meet the common core standards and put students in charge of the own learning by integrating technology with the curriculum.

Technology may not be second nature to all teachers and can sometimes be daunting. There are no "experts" when it comes to integrating technology with your curriculum. Trial and error plus practice go a long way in making you a tech savvy teacher. Technology is not always second nature to teachers but it is with most students. Educators should try to play to their students' strengths and become more knowledgeable themselves by integrating technology in their classrooms.

First Post- My Technolgy

I use many types of technology everyday. My iPhone is my passport to the world. I pay bills, check and compose emails, follow folks on Twitter, text, browse the internet and make phone calls.I'm not sure how I accomplished anything before I purchased my phone but I am thankful that I have it now.

 My husband insisted that we get a Roku box and I was not very supportive. Thankfully, he was persuasive and we purchased one. Roku is a  digital media receiver. This device uses wireless internet to stream videos and audio to your television. I  am able to access: Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, Pandora and many more services. We can listen to music, watch movies and/or television shows. You are able to play games like: Angry Birds, Texas Hold 'Em and Jeopardy as well. This device is amazing.

I have to say that these are my two favorite devices. I am usually intimidated by new technology but once I get over the initial trepidation and give it a try, I am always pleasantly surprised at how helpful and entertaining new technology can be.

Image