Instructor FeedbackI too have had to learn the “hard way” about backing up files (sometimes multiple times). Why does an application have to be flashy or pretty in order to evaluate it? What other programs have you looked into, that have asked you download multiple applications? I like that the simplicity of the project is what surprised you.
Instructor FeedbackI like how you have found specific applications to meet your organizational needs. Have you considered using a synchronous notation system to connect all of your devices? I wonder if an application, similar to Google Calendars, could further assist you in your organization. I am sorry that you did not see a more practical application for the GTD lecture. My PLN is an important part of my teaching career, maybe moreso than I ever realized. This was a neat project because I got to see a visualize representation of how I learn and grow as a professional educator. It was also nice to take time to think about the things that I do both inside of school and out. Sometimes I get so busy with life that I don't get time to reflect. The most important part of my PLN (and of my life) is my husband! He is so passionate about teaching that he makes me want to be a better teacher. When we lived in South Carolina, we attended several educator conferences, which I loved! Now that we're in the UP, we're a little more isolated and would have to travel quite far to attend them, so I've tried to find online resources to give me my fix. One resource that I've found that I love is the Discovery Educator's Network; it is such a great tool for connecting with other teachers. They also have lots of webinars, available free to teachers! Discovery also has streaming videos and a multitude of online resources to use in your classroom. We use their science techbook, which is amazing! My PLN isn't going to change; it already is changing! Every day I'm learning from and connecting with new people. Whether it is finding cute projects that someone shared on Pinterest or reading the latest post on one of the educational blogs I follow, it seems like my view of teaching is always changing and being reinvented. Add the MAET program on top of that and the changes just don't stop coming. I have started to see more and more people, including folks in this class, talking about using Pinterest as a way to connect. I may have to start using it in more detail.
The students I teach don’t know a world without technology and never will. As a teacher, I feel as though it is my duty to show them that the internet and technology are more than just entertainment. By showing these students what the web can do for them, I hope to help shape them into creative thinkers that can troubleshoot and problem solve using the tools that the web has available for them. I’m training these students for fields that don’t yet exist, so arming them with problem solving skills will help them to adjust and adapt in our world of never ending change! It is my goal to guide my students towards become independent researchers and learners, while at the same time instilling them with a sense of respect and responsibility in terms of how they use these tools. Aside from shaping my students into flexibly-thinking morally-minded techno-masters, I also feel that I need to share my love of technology with my fellow teachers. I love to help them to spice up their teaching and to be more efficient in their own classes. I’m seen as the tech guru on staff, so if someone has a problem or just needs an idea, they typically come to me. I would like to have even more web resources to share with them. In a small way, I can make a difference for my colleagues and their students, too! I do consider myself to be tech savvy and hope to become even more confident in my use of technology in both lesson planning and implementation, as well as classroom organization and communication. I feel as though I use a lot of technology in my classroom but I am eager to find even more, especially for student use. I am particularly interested in what cloud computing has to offer my class. As a professional and as a student, I have used cloud based storage, but I am very interested in learning more about how to make cloud computing work for third graders. I am also interested in expanding my classroom website into a tool for fellow educators; not just my students and their parents. Instructor FeedbackI really like how your goal is to move students beyond their possible preconceived notions about technology and the internet being nothing more than just entertainment. It will be important to think about in the future how you would like to balance showing or guiding them how to use certain technologies or letting them explore technologies and reporting back to your and/or their peers about the various possibilities. I think that you may find the concepts of cloud computing useful when you look to engage your fellow staff members. I have at various times used Google Docs/Drive to collaborate on syllabi and other projects with my colleagues. |
About MeI'm Edie - wife, mom, teacher, instructional designer, home renovator,
and lover of nature, travel, technology, and vintage campers! Archives
June 2014
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