Tuesday, November 17, 2015
Release the Creativity!!!
Holland, B., McCusker, S., and Robinson, A. (2015, April 29). “Unleashing student creativity.” [YouTube]. Project: Webinar. Retrieved from http://edtechteacher.org/15spring3/
What is the secret to unleashing student creativity? According to the presenters, this largely hinges on allowing choice in education. However, teachers also need to look for ways to infuse creativity in their classrooms so that students aren’t overwhelmed by these choices. The goal is to expose students to a variety of mediums in regards to projects and assessments, and technology can only enhance student creativity exploration. A big takeaway from this webinar was the concept of mindfulness in the classroom, to create a culture of creativity where students feel comfortable pushing the educational boundaries to really enhance their learning.
I explored the app Seesaw in an earlier technology review, and I’d really like to use this tool in conjunction with creativity in my classroom. The question I’ve often posed to myself is how to address content standards in creative ways that will keep students engaged? It’s an interesting concept to get students to think outside the box or go outside their comfort zone, but I think it can yield extraordinary results if given the opportunity. The video itself gave an example of using a Padlet wall in Creative Writing story rounds, which I would like to implement in my own Creative Writing classes.
Educational Utopia...or...Edutopia
Edutopia. (2015, June). Technology Integration. Retrieved from the Edutopia website http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration
Edutopia is a K-12 education website providing resources on a variety of topics from technology in education, to mindfulness, to classroom management, to student engagement. Visitors to the site can comment on articles, watch videos, or join community discussions. The website is updated frequently, and there are seemingly always new articles and resources popping up to further enhance educational conversations on a wide range of subjects--such as how to manage cell phones in the classroom.
The relevance of this article applies to my teaching now, and in the future. At my high school placement, I have seen the students using cell phones more frequently than at my middle school placement (though middle schoolers are guilty of this, too). Depending on what grade level I end up teaching, I need to think carefully about which cell phone policy will work best for the classroom community my students and I are hoping to create.
The Digital Portfolio, Students Will Love It, Don't You Know!
Seesaw: The Learning Journal. (2015). Seesaw, Inc. (Version 2.5.3) [Mobile Application Software] Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com
Seesaw is a digital portfolio that works similarly to Edmodo and Facebook in which once students upload their work and the teacher approves it, the items show up in a news feed. Features of the app include the ability for students to upload photos, drawings, files, videos, sound clips, website links, and take notes online (as well as edit). Teachers signed up for the app receive email updates on how to incorporate Seesaw into their lesson plans aligned with Common Core Standards
Where Seesaw shines is that it serves as a portfolio, without the paper clutter of an actual portfolio. Similar to Quizlet, the users can differentiate the projects (for example, a teacher could assign a Color-Symbol-Image activity utilizing the drawing activity, then work on public speaking skills using the microphone). I would personally incorporate this app in my classroom for a multigenre project (and may use it for my own multigenre project for my Language Arts methods class).
The App for Quiz Review, and All it Can Do
Quizlet. (2005). Quizlet LLC. (Version 1.8.4) [Mobile Application Software] Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com
Quizlet is an app that is used primarily for quiz and test review. It can be used across any content area, and is free to both students and teachers. Teachers and students can create study sets over the quiz material, and the students can review the content in multiple and differentiated styles (such as visual flash card games or auditory sounds) according to their individual preference.
The relevance of Quizlet is that it is a more in-depth, specific form of quiz and test review and allows room for many study styles, unlike reviewing pages of notes over and over again. This app has been utilized frequently in my middle school placement at Whitford, while students use it to study for their word root and stem quizzes. I personally used this app when I was studying for my content-area exam, and was able to search study sets of users who had taken the NES Language Arts test, and add more resources to my own comprehensive study set.
Social Media & Professional Collaboration? Yes!
Baxter, Ailene M. (2014). Social media fosters professional learning and collaboration. Learning & Leading With Technology, 41(7), 36-38.
While school districts are cautious about wading into the waters of social media, they can use technology as a tool--both online and offline. A Washington-based principal took part in Paul Allen’s Success at the Core program, which is a scaffolded, free, and easy-to-use documentary series made for teachers by real teachers. Through staff collaboration, teachers are strategizing ways to use social media appropriately in the classroom to improve instruction because, “online tools and social media are only as good as the time and attention you personally invest in them” (Baxter, 38).
I think many teachers are aware that the face of technology is changing all the time, and are struggling to keep up with all of it on top of the million other things they have going on. However, this article mentioned a day where students were released from school early so that the staff could meet and collaborate. My opinion is that if you want the technology to be successful, there needs to be collaboration and communication on multiple levels: from learning teams, to content area, to administrators, to students--if we are aiming for clear instructional goals.
The Powerful Force of Twitter
Williams, Evan (2009). The voices of Twitter users [Video file]. Retrieved from
Twitter originated as a side project on a simple concept: say what you are doing in 140 characters or less. Since then, this social media has exploded into sharing life’s moments (both good and bad), keeping loved ones posted in times of disaster, helping businesses grow, political discussions, fundraising, and virtually any topic that comes to the imagination. The purpose of Twitter is to create easier ways to share information, which has catapulted this social media platform into the juggernaut that it is today.
Many schools these days have Facebook pages, as well as Twitter handles. The purpose of Twitter can be to keep parents and families updated quickly and efficiently as to what is happening in their school. It is a way to have the community stay informed by increasing communication.
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