Week 7

Activity 7.3 - Copyright Reflection

I chose secondary grades as my group to focus on since I will be teaching in that age group and used MLA citation because I am an English major.

Copyright terms and Citation on Prezi

Week 6

Activity 6.3 Digital Citizenship Reflection

1.    How should teachers promote and model digital citizenship responsibly?

It's definitely hard for teachers from my generation to think about digital citizenship because we are so immersed in the internet. We grew up with the internet and shaped it and now we have to limit what we do on it. Everything we put on-line has to be appropriate for everyone from our family to our students to the students’ parents all the way back to our boss. But in my opinion this isn't such a bad thing. We can't complain about privacy when we know that with the internet there is no privacy and we are trying to teach our students this as well. We as teachers cannot be hypocrites and must lead by example. We also need to be knowledgeable about the topic, you can't teach someone to be a good digital citizen when you don't know anything about it and don't strive to be one yourself. 

2. Describe how you will incorporate digital citizenship into your regular classroom instruction and activities? You may want to use your digital poster from activity 6.2 as an example of how you might incorporate this learning object into a lesson?

First thing to do is to get the students knowledgeable about digital citizenship and what it is. From there you can expand the knowledge through examples and explain consequences of bad on-line behaviour. Using the "Unknown Exposure" video would be a great tool; it's a little silly but it gets the message across. Afterwards you can talk to the students about how putting something on-line is like putting it on a bathroom stall or painting it on the side of building except you can’t paint over it or erase it. You could make up a list of how to be a good digital citizen with the class and have it displayed at all times somewhere in the classroom. This gives the students an opportunity to place the responsibility on themselves; they made the list after all.  You can also get the students to use their knowledge; there is no point in teaching digital citizenship if you are never going to have them demonstrate it. By having students use the knowledge it is more likely to become a habit, being a good digital citizen may become something they don't even need to think about, they just do it.

Any time technology is being used remind them of their on-line responsibilities; repetition. Another way to remind students about ethics and responsibility is to have them answer a question about it before they can sign out the laptop or tablet that day. The most important thing is making sure the students have the information and understand it, this is the foundation and you can build on it from there. 

Week 5

I choose to take a mulligan for Activity 5.3 Cyberbullying and Social Media Reflection. 

Week 4

Activity 4.3 Where Am I Now?

Philosophy of Teachnology

1.      What is one of the least effective ways I have seen teachers use technology in the classroom and why was it so ineffective?

I haven’t had too many experiences where technology use was completely ineffective; the worst part is usually when the teacher has no idea how to use it or set it up and it wastes time and loses our interest really quickly.

The least effective instance for me was always videos. A teacher would put up a movie or video and we as students would sit back and watch. Now the video wasn't the main issue, many of them were great to watch, it was how the teacher used them. “I am going to throw on this video and just assume that you will understand why it connects to what we are learning right now”. Put on the video – watch – class is over. Many of the teachers did not connect back to what we were learning, or talk about the video at all. So, to the students, the point of showing the video was mute and the only thing we got out of it was not having to do work that day.

2.      What is one of the most effective ways I have seen teachers use technology in the classroom and why was it so effective?

The most effective use for me was always using technology for games.  Two instances I remember very clearly and even remember some of the info!

First instance was the use of an iclicker type technology where you answered questions with a hand held remote. This was effective to me because you got to answer questions (anonymously) and it told you whether you were correct or not based on your remote number so you also got feedback. This created a stress free testing environment where there were no penalties just learning.

The second instance was the use of a Smartboard. It was set up sort of like a jeopardy board for review of the unit we working on. We were split into groups and each turn a group member would go up and throw a very squishy ball at the board, where ever this landed opened up a question. There were a few reasons why this was effective:

1. It was fun,

2. You used your body not just your head, MOVEMENT

3. You were in groups so that you could collaboratively learn if you didn't already know the answer

Way better than simply replacing a white board with a Smartboard, they aren't just for writing on!

TPACK

Week 3

Activity 3.3 Learning and Technology Theories Reflection

     It is hard to pick just one theory as some aspects work for me but not always the whole theory. Take constructivism for example: the idea that the teacher is a guide and that you are in control of your own learning is really great for me as I tend to do things a little bit differently. However the "hands on" doesn't work that well for me, when I had to do experiments in science, yes they were fun but that was it for me. I was unable to connect what I was doing with my hands to what I had read and learned in the textbook, the practical just did not match up to the theoretical for me. 

    So right now connectivism is what seems to match up for me. I also think it is the most practical for today's world, if you don't know something you go look for it, no one relies on memory any more  Knowing where to find information is key and if we can teach that then I believe everyone would become more efficient. Now obviously not everyone learns the same way but this is how my brain works. If I don't know something I automatically think about where I can get it. With technology this is so easy and I can reasonably do it any time and anywhere. I think we should be less interested in what a student 'remembers' or can 'recall' and focus on application. Can we give someone information and see them Apply it? The information itself isn't what's important but they way we use it. Also I think connectivism breaks down the idea that technology secludes us because you need connections to find information quickly. You aren't sitting at a computer and not interacting with someone, in fact you could be interacting with thousands! It makes the sharing of information ridiculously efficient when you throw in technology. 

Using technology to help me learn in this way >>> RIGHT NOW. I am taking information that I learned in class and am applying it on a blog, which can be seen by others. Sharing information. So I haven't memorized every theory but I do have a general idea of each and if I need to know more BAM all I have to do is click or ask a classmate or even look at their blog or portfolio. 

Another way connectivism helps me learn is that if I have a question I have to work to find the answer. I have to Google it or tweet a friend or read an article. This process helps me remember it rather than an answer being told to me by a teacher. A teacher should look at me and say "Look it up" and "find me some examples". LOOK FIND CONNECT LEARN. I might come out knowing more than what you would have taught me in the first place.