Yes, I have started a new podcast! This podcast is geared toward student teachers or those newly entering the teaching field. It is free and on Spotify now!
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When I was young, I went home and quietly did my homework in our family room. I guess I was naive to think that students still did this. Perhaps some do. Yet, many don’t…at least those I have spoken with recently.
My students informed me this week that they often do their homework using Houseparty – a group video chat app. I can see the benefits and dangers of this. Students receive a notification as soon as a friend is on. They can have up to 8 on at a time as a private or group chat. “Where this opens up an entire new circle of communication and online safety is that if one person in the chat happens to be connected to a user and the others are not friends, those connections are still able to join the conversation because of the mutual connection. Which means that kids who do not know each other have the opportunity to be chatting with people they do not know. Also of concern, is the ability to take a screenshot of the people you are chatting with, without them knowing about it “(SociallySafe, 2016 quoted from this site).
The benefits may be collaboration. It’s great that kids can help each other and collaborate easily on projects.
The problem may also be cheating. Last year, simply texting was a problem. I found that students would take screenshots of their finished work and text it to friends so that they would all have the answers. Now, students can just video chat and share the work. There is no evidence of a photo left on the phone.
My concerns are many – so many I can’t write it all down in a blog post. Parents may want to consider a parental control app. Check out this post to read about ways to track what kids are doing. Teachers need to be aware. The ease of cheating using a smartphone adds a whole new dimension to the problem. (Birdsong, 2017) This site may give you a few ideas to put in place.
It’s been a while! I’ve battled back and forth a while between various blogs…and which one to keep. As Educational Technologist of William Jessup University, I used this blog on a weekly (or more) basis. As a teacher, I used a different blog platform. Now, I will be starting a new journey of my life – school principal.
Beginning this summer, I will start my next journey as a K-6 principal of a Christian school in the Sacramento area. Until it is formally announced at the school, I won’t reveal quite yet. But I can tell you – I am super excited!
These past 2 years I have been working at a public, charter school. It’s highly ranked and I have to say, my students have been awesome! I have learned more at this school than I could have imagined. They are excellent with their collaborative processes, PBIS system, and PLN amongst teachers. However, growing up in Christian education and spending most of my career in this type of setting, I found myself longing to be back in Christian education. I love being able to pray with families and talk about God at school. Some decisions of the charter school ran contrary to the core of my own beliefs and this started my decision to head back to what I love.
I know I will run into some trials with my new position. I am going from a 1:1 high tech school to one with very little technology. But this is okay! As much as I love technology, I have also seen its dark sides within the classroom. I hope to bring a healthy mix to my new position.
Have any new principal apps you love and want to share with me? Send them my way! I hope to use a few new tools and will post about them shortly. In the meantime, I’d love to hear what you, my followers, are currently using.
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| https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Joy-Journal-A-Teachers-Doodle-it-Journal-2292841 |
This first one is tons of fun! It is an interactive notebook to help students with new year goals. I usually have students create goals the beginning of a school year – but I know it’s also important to revisit those goals and write new ones as needed.
I enjoy writing but I realize that I am not the most skilled writer. So, I decided to visit Hemingway. Why not learn from an expert?
Hemingway is a web site that will analyze your writing. Type whatever you desire into Hemingway, and it will highlight common errors, complex sentences, and even passive voice. Blue highlights are for adverbs, which should be used sparingly. Hover over purple highlights to see hints for a new word choice.
Just for fun, I will take the text above and test it out in the web app! Are you curious? Here are the results:
One use of passive voice, one adverb, and one sentence that was deemed hard to read. Give Hemingway a visit!
Are all college students digitally literate? The fact is, students are all different and come to us with different skill sets. Some students may enter the freshman year with tons of technology experience. Other students may have little to no experience.
We often stereotype college students as digitally literate, but I have found that this simply isn’t true. And that surprised me! The first year I taught my college course, I “assumed” that the students were more digitally aware than they actually were. I thought they knew how to accurately cite sources, use APA formatting, create a Google Doc, create a video and a blog post. In fact, my first lesson required students to create a short 2-3 minute video introducing themselves to the class in a creative manner and then upload the video to the class blog to share. I had to step back and re-examine my assignments in light of my new discoveries regarding student culture.
Although students may have a smartphone, tablet, and computer, it doesn’t mean they know how to effectively use them for education. Any technology assignment given should be scaffolded with easy, digestible steps and thoroughly explained. If you find that your students comprehend and understand quickly – great! Keep moving forward! If not, either teach your students what they need to know or provide them with the resources necessary to gather the information.
I tell my students, “Google is your friend.” I say the same thing to you. Want to find extra resources for your students? Need to send them a video explaining APA formatting? Google it. I’m sure you’ll find one. Want your students to collaborate using Google Docs and don’t want to take the time to explain how in class? Google it. Google provides many great training videos. You can always use Screencast-o-matic or a similar program to record your own video for your students.
Just remember, take the time to make sure your students know “how” if you are going to require technology with your assignment.
Visit
My new stylus came this weekend:
Simply put, it is amazing. It feels and writes like a pencil (or pen, paintbrush, whatever you wish!). You can even use the eraser as…well…an eraser! I have long been a fan of Paper by FiftyThree and this stylus is helping me enjoy it even more. Paper by FiftyThree now has Think Kit built right in – a simple tool for diagramming.
What I enjoy, however, is the ability to remix. I love drawing and doodling, and remix allows a user to draw a picture and share it, OR remix something someone else has drawn and change it. Mix by FiftyThree is a great collaboration tool where users may “learn, sketch, play, write, design and think” with others. Click here to view a remix I enjoyed and be sure to click “replay” to view the original picture.
Want to brand a custom logo or create an invitation? The Makr app makes it easy! This app was named “Best App of 2014” by Apple. Design a logo from one of their templates or design choices, then apply directly to products for a one-of-a-kind look. Create business cards, wedding invitations, graduation announcements, custom t-shirts, stationery, or even a logo for your classroom web site. There are in-app purchases for paper products, or a small fee for the digital version.
Paper by Fifty Three has made some great upgrades to their app.
Click here if you cannot view the video.
The drawing tools are amazing.
What caught my eye this time was the Think Kit. The Think Kit allows you to easily create graphic organizers – a wonderful tool for educators.
Click here if you cannot view the video.
Remember, whenever we use tools to CREATE, we are using higher order thinking skills. Consider how you could use these tools in your classroom to have students CREATE something to demonstrate their understanding!
WJU EdTech 