Game based learning is a way to use games to teach students specific content. Students are playing, but as they are playing they are learning the desired content area. For example, iCivics where students lean about government while they are "playing". Another is Code.org where students learn all about coding. Personally I haven't tried a lot with my 3rd grade class but they do use I-Station in English and Spanish. I-Station is an adaptive reading program that adapts to each student's reading level and assesses their progress. My students use this program 20 minutes twice a week. Another tool I use as game based learning is Front Row. This is an adaptive math game where the teacher can post assignments of a specific standard and get automatic results of how students did. I really like using this tool especially after each math chapter to see what students retained.
Gamification to me is when students play gamest that might support what they have been learning in class. For example kahoot, where students can take quizzes answer multiple choice questions in real time and their answers are displayed on the screen. Another example is class Dojo where students can earn points when the teacher gives them points for behavior. It's more of a classroom management tool that students enjoy playing. Gamification doesn't have to be tied to standards it can just be for engagement. Going forward gamification is an engagement tool that gives students time for a little more creativity throughout their school day. My class currently uses, storyboardthat.com, Front Row (Freckle), Go Math, Typing Agent, i-Station, AR quiz, go noodle (dance/brain breaks) and google slides. .
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* ED Puzzle: I really like this tool because I can actually look up educational videos and edit them. I can cut out scenes that are not age appropriate and I can even add questions as the video is being shown. I found a video on Cesar Chavez that I can use for our Cesar Chavez unit. I cut the clip down to a five minute clip and I cut out some violent scenes and inserted some comprehension questions. Another nice thing about it is that I can write the questions down at any point of the video that I want and I can write them down in Spanish as well. The fact that I can just use the search bar and type in anything makes me very excited to keep using this tool in future units. It is very user friendly and it was very simple to get started.
Screencast-o-matic: I was interested in this tool because I had never used this and it seemed a useful tool to have for recording. This tool took a while to download on my computer. It took me about 20 minutes to figure out how to make my audio work. First I was trying it out without headphones and I couldn't hear my recordings. Then I plugged in my headphones and I couldn't make it work. I was about to give up, but then I was able to hear it. This would be a good tool to use with my class. Students can use it with the upcoming animal report and they can record their animal findings. I can also use it to assess how well they understood the story of the week by having them record the main points of the story. This can be a great alternative tool for them to use instead of the weekly written comprehension tests. VideoScribe: I was interested in this tool because the description said whiteboard tool and that caught my attention. Once I saw the tutorial I was so amazed at the possibilities. I started to brain storm all these different ideas I could have my students do. This would be such an engaging way of making a "slide presentations" but with animation. This would be a great tool to use at the introduction of a new unit. I have been using GLAD in my classroom and I could possibly draw out the charts with this tool instead of writing them on chart paper. The only down side is that is not a free tool, it is only a free trial. In the article "The Flipped Classroom Pro and Con" by Mary Beth Hertz, there are a lot of pros in using a flipped classroom. Students can watch videos, lectures, complete homework, classroom assignments, and communicate with teachers via face time. Flipped classrooms also benefit teachers, "The primary reason is because it is forcing teachers to reflect on their practice and rethink how they reach their kids" (Hertz). If teachers are looking for a different way to engage their students, flipped classrooms will keep them interested. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeit07OHdx0SDzEG4s1M-h6dJ3cJgeBID3tNo6aGb9oWP2D-w/viewform?usp=sf_link (first form)
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKPhN7Ab4ao-zL33c52_7eXyBYVPD1EoUjxcx-xySRpKtVOw/viewform?usp=sf_link ( Second form) https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScIq4juG0vDk6z3MS-cgokFRoGfPGX0Aj9yFf_GnRKnibYQj4kQ/viewform?usp=sf_link (Third form) I am not very familiar with google forms, so this task was an eye opener. My first from I was just playing around with the original without any add ons. For my second one I wanted to use a multiple choice test like the one I usually give my students. For this form I used the Flubaroo add on. This app is very useful because it can grade multiple choice tests. Every Friday my students take the usual multiple choice and short answer comprehension test. I spent numerous hours grading their tests. This app would save me so much time. The only question I had was I do not know if it worked since I didn't get any responses for my test except mine it only gave me data for one. I wasn't able to figure out how to make the master answers so it could grade though, I need to explore this further because I am seriously thinking of typing up my weekly comprehension tests and have my students take them on their Chromebooks so Flubaroo can grade them for me. On my last form I created a parent teacher conference sheet and I used the eliminator 2 add on. This add on eliminates responses to time slots, so once a parent chooses a time it gets eliminated from the sheet so other parents can't chose that same time slot. This add on would be great if all my parents had access to the online form. As far as the usage of google forms I think it will help me with my capstone if I am planning to give students an assessment I can do it through google forms and I can collect the data that way. I can also use it as a survey to ask student how they felt about the new tool we use in class so they can rate it. But I see a greater benefit for class use and test taking instead of paper tests. Well, this was an experience. I am not familiar with twitter at all and having this assignment was very nerve racking. At first I was not sure how to get back to it because I only tried it during class. I finally figured out how to search for the topic that interested me and then I came across another question. How do I participate on a chat? I just found the topic and started reading and scrolling through very different posts. The hashtag I followed was #DualLangChat and as I kept looking through I was coming across very interesting projects bilingual teachers had done in their class. At first I was only pushing the heart or like then I figured out how to leave a comment. However, I don't know if I did it right or not we'll see. The hashtag I followed was just what I was looking for. I got to see other dual immersion teachers posting their successes with the program. I got a lot of ideas from their posts. I ultimately ended up following them.
How should social media be used to help you develop/collaborate/communicate as a professional? As a teacher in the innovative masters program I am pushed to use "new" social media tools to help connect with other educators. I get to share ideas with teachers that may be across the country through tweeter or other social media tools. I use social media to expand my learning find new ways to help my students all while staying in the comfort of my own classroom or my own living room. If I am being honest I had not used social media as a professional before signing up for this masters program. I had used email and text with colleagues but that was about it. Last week when we were assigned to sign up for a tweeter account, I was very nervous because I tend to need a lot of practice with new tools before I feel confident. When I don't get it right the first time I get frustrated and stressed out because I can't figure it out. Going through this program has made me feel that it's ok to slow down and ask questions when it comes to using new tools. Social media is a great tool if used correctly and professionally to achieve a common goal and for me that is improve my teaching and help my students succeed.
Some critical issues to consider when using social media is to be aware or the professional norms when we use it. Just like we tell our students to be safe and responsible when using social media, as professionals we must also follow the same criteria. We have to be mindful of who our audience is, other professionals that may or may not share our same values and believes. When we post or comment we have to be aware of the digital foot print we leave behind. Being careful of what we share online or what comments we leave behind is very important when it comes to using social media to grow as a professional. If I were to come across an inappropriate post made by one of my students outside of the school I would have to consider the severity of the post. If the post was the use of foul language or sharing of personal information I would probably do a lesson in class where I would use a similar scenario and explain to students the digital foot print the internet leaves behind. Reminding students that anything they post online will stay online forever. I would let my students know that as the get older and start applying for universities they have to be careful and mindful of what they post online. What ever the post on the internet is never private and anyone can acceess it. A lot of university admisions personel look into students social media to see if there are any red flags they should be aware of. If posts are severe they reject applicants. When students understand that this is not a joke that professionals take posts seriously they might think twice before posting something offensive online. If the post I come across has to do with a student bullying another student or a student threatening to hurt someone I would contact administration, parents, or even the police. Now in days we can not let any threat even if it's a joke go. We have to protect ourselves and our students and take any threat seriously and contact the authorities and the parents or guardians. Here is the link to my PLP
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JvIO-THc8ypT_t62xFAcCsisYxpDmitkEtVBsKUWmnY/edit?usp=sharing This is the link to my timeline sheet
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1rxmo8NjOJyrLXtt_xK4fXryV-aLiPZLK5OXkBZuTsDY/edit?usp=sharing I am not that familiar with technology tools and the technology programs I use help my students with reading comprehension and with math fluency. My students use I-station in English and Spanish that works with reading comprehension. They also use Accelerated Reading program that quizzes them on the books they read. For math they use Front Row that is a math program that adapts to students abilities and allows them to play with points from passing the math quizzes. Something that is new to me that is not to most teachers is the "Smart Board". The Smart Board is an interactive board that I use mostly during my math block. I have only been using it since the beginning of this school year and I am still learning. What I like about it is that I can pull up the digital version of the students math workbook through the projector and I can introduce the lessons to the kids and use the interactive pen to write on the smart board. I know teachers have probably been using this for years, but this was completely new to me. The kids love coming up and using the interactive pen to work out their math problems. Since using the interactive smart board in my class, students are more excited to work on math and look forward to be picked to come up and workout the problems in front of their peers. I know it's the right tool for my math block because students are excited and not nervous to work on math even if it's in front of their peers.
At our current day in age kids are using technology at a very young age. Parents need to talk with their kids about digital safety and the responsibility that comes with using it. However, not all parents have the time nor the right tools to explain some of this necessary information to their kids. As a third grade teacher my students are using a lot more computer time during class than they did before. My students practice online reading and comprehension tests with I-Station in both English and Spanish, they use the Accelerated Reader program where they take comprehension tests on real books they have read. I also have them use Front Row, which is a math program that is adaptable to student abilities and students earn points to play with their character for every correct answer they get. As an educator I feel the need to teach my students how to safely use the internet. They are 8 and 9 years old and I only have two out of 23 students that have told me they have an email at home. My students are barely getting interested and trying to figure out what e-mail is and how it's used. I feel the need to make sure they know how to safely use the internet. Since kindergarten they have been introduced to the idea of no bullying; when I read about digital literacy and cyber bullying I saw the connection I can make with my students. I introduce a packet where they learn about all the different types of bullying and cyber bullying is part of it. I think it would be a great addition to add lessons from common sense media and about digital safety. We use technology all the time in the classroom and investing 30 minutes a day at the beginning of the school year will be a great investment for the long run.
Kids now in age use technology at a very early age. Take my 1 year old son, he loves watching cartoons on his tablet. Not to mention my 4 year old daughter she loves watching videos of children playing with different toys. Children are expose to technology at a very early age. As a third grade teacher I believe my students will truly benefit from learning about digital citizenship and how to communicate safely.
Every year I start off my school year by teaching students the classroom and school rules. This year my first lesson was about bullying. There was a section in the workbook that spoke about cyber bullying. I thought this would be a great spot to add digital citizenship and talk about digital communication. Google's Be Internet Awesome has lessons that are adaptable by grade and some cool games to go along with those lessons. I really like the lesson titled "Share with Care" because it has different lesson activities that will help students communicate safely online. I would use this lesson as an additional lesson on the first week of school. Since I teach students about bullying I can add on the "Share with Care" lesson and talk about how sharing someone else's secrete or posting something about another person can be called cyber bullying. After having taught the "Share with Care" lesson I could do an additional lesson also from Be Internet Awesome called "Privacy in Practice", which is about teaching students when and how to share someones privacy. I has students reading through different scenarios of what would be the correct thing to do in each situation. To close the lesson it has students go and play a game online line called Interland: Mindful Mountain, which reinforces the whole idea of communicating or sharing with care. In addition I also looked at common sense media and I really liked that it had activities for parents to do. They had a log in sheet where parents could log in the minutes/hours spent using a specific technology ex: using a smart phone or tablet to watch a movie or to listen to music, or watch videos. Parents would log in how much time as a family they spend on these devices and what they are dong on them. I really liked this log especially for parents of students in younger grades like k-3. I could use this as the first week homework for students and parents so that I can see how much time students spend online. This could also be a huge eye opener for parents to have to log in what their children are watching and for how long. I am not a technology person, but I do want to learn to use more of it in my classroom. I am very excited for what is to come and looking into different technology tools that would work for my classroom. |
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April 2018
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