I am excited about the future of our education system and the integration of technology in the classroom. Like the Horizon reported noted, the role of the teacher will shift, and I believe the use and availability of technology will allow teachers to adopt an inquiry teaching approach.
What is most exciting about the future of technology in the classroom is the emerging trend of 1:1 ratios between technology and students. I enjoy the concept of 1:1 because it means a student has limitless resources at their fingertips.
What is best about the integration of technology into the classroom, and as it continues to grow in the future is the change it can bring in instruction and assessment. We have talked about the shift from students being consumers to creators and proper integration of technology allows that. I'm hoping more teachers shift to the model Bryce Ridgen has created in his classroom, that is what I view as proper integration of technology!
Friday, March 6, 2015
Monday, March 2, 2015
TT #11 - Show and Tell
My show and tell app is the same I presented at the BYTE conference last Friday. The app is called Ubersense and is a free download for Apple devices. Ubersense is a video analysis app that is geared toward PE teachers and coaches, although can be used cross-curricularly as a slow motion camera for HALEP or Science classes. Ubersense is great for showing students the progression of a skill (such as a volleyball smash) with a side by side comparison. The app is also great for having students create, evaluate, or analyze (thinking of Bloom's Taxonomy) for a summative project. Check it out.
http://www.ubersense.com
http://www.ubersense.com
Podcast (TT #8) - "Waiting for Superman"
For TT #8 I chose to watch the documentary recommended by Jennifer Dyck-Sprout, "Waiting for Superman" as opposed to listening to a podcast. The idea of Charter Schools was mentioned by Jennifer last week in her presentation to our class, and is the theme of the film.
The documentary outlines the failed public school systems in NewYork and Los Angeles and follows children of varying ages on their path to escape the public school system and dreams of winning a lottery that would gain them entrance into a Charter School, schools that have a higher quality of education and greater success rates without cost to the parents.
What is most sad about the documentary is the lengths these parents, who are mostly low income families, will go to provide a quality education for their children, but no matter the lengths these parts are willing to go, such as waking up at 5am and riding a train across New York City to get to school by 7:45, the hopes of the parents and students are held in the hands of a lottery.
The film portrays the concept of Charter Schools both as a positive and negative. On one side it is great that parents who cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on private school have the chance to send their child to a school that can provide them with a proper education, and possibly a future at a post secondary institution. On the other it is sad how schools across the United States have become "drop out factories" with students seeing very little chance at success.
It is a frightening reality that students as young as k-2 already have their academic future mapped out for them. The chances of attending a post secondary institution without attending a Charter or Private school are almost impossible. Hopefully Canada does not follow the path of our southern neighbours.
As for using podcasts in the classroom I can see how the would be great in an English setting, in particular using them in a Lit Circle format. By having students in Lit Circles create a podcast as opposed to talking without any type of moderation, the students are more likely to take the process seriously and less likely to get off track due to the teacher being able to listen to the podcast after. It would act as a classroom management strategy. The podcast would also act as a way for students to track the progression of their reading. Creating a podcast would also act as a great summative assessment much like the final projects in this class.
The documentary outlines the failed public school systems in NewYork and Los Angeles and follows children of varying ages on their path to escape the public school system and dreams of winning a lottery that would gain them entrance into a Charter School, schools that have a higher quality of education and greater success rates without cost to the parents.
What is most sad about the documentary is the lengths these parents, who are mostly low income families, will go to provide a quality education for their children, but no matter the lengths these parts are willing to go, such as waking up at 5am and riding a train across New York City to get to school by 7:45, the hopes of the parents and students are held in the hands of a lottery.
The film portrays the concept of Charter Schools both as a positive and negative. On one side it is great that parents who cannot afford to spend thousands of dollars on private school have the chance to send their child to a school that can provide them with a proper education, and possibly a future at a post secondary institution. On the other it is sad how schools across the United States have become "drop out factories" with students seeing very little chance at success.
It is a frightening reality that students as young as k-2 already have their academic future mapped out for them. The chances of attending a post secondary institution without attending a Charter or Private school are almost impossible. Hopefully Canada does not follow the path of our southern neighbours.
As for using podcasts in the classroom I can see how the would be great in an English setting, in particular using them in a Lit Circle format. By having students in Lit Circles create a podcast as opposed to talking without any type of moderation, the students are more likely to take the process seriously and less likely to get off track due to the teacher being able to listen to the podcast after. It would act as a classroom management strategy. The podcast would also act as a way for students to track the progression of their reading. Creating a podcast would also act as a great summative assessment much like the final projects in this class.
BYTE 2015
Last Friday marked the BYTE conference held at Crocus Plains. Jon Filewich and myself were participants and presented on the use of technology in Physical Education. Our session primarily focused on using video analysis apps in Phys Ed, outlining the uses as a means of showing students how skill are properly preformed as well as how they can be used to create summative assessments.
Prior to this semester my background in Phys Ed was non-existent, but I do have an interest in technology and effective integration into the classroom. My interest in the topic was spurred from this desire for effective use of technology as well the Early Years Phys Ed methods class I took this semester.
I believe the conference was a success and I hope those who attended our session left with a desire to implement technology into Phys Ed to improve both Physical and Digital Literacy.
Prior to this semester my background in Phys Ed was non-existent, but I do have an interest in technology and effective integration into the classroom. My interest in the topic was spurred from this desire for effective use of technology as well the Early Years Phys Ed methods class I took this semester.
I believe the conference was a success and I hope those who attended our session left with a desire to implement technology into Phys Ed to improve both Physical and Digital Literacy.
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Everfi & Charter Schools
This week we were lucky enough to have Jennifer Dyck-Sprout visit our class. Jennifer has an interesting background when it comes to her career in education. Currently she works for Everfi, but previously has worked in New York and is familiar with the New York School Division.
Although Jennifer came primarily to talk about Everfi (check it out here -http://www.everfi.com) what resinated most with me was the discussion and comparison between Manitoba school and the New York School Division. Jennifer didn't sugar coat the fact that their are major flaws in the education system in New York. She outlined the premise of Charter Schools which are publicly funded like a general public school, except admissions are based on a lottery.
I am torn about the idea of Charter Schools in New York. On one hand it is great to see that students who come from lower income families have the opportunity to receive a quality education and are not excluded because of a cheque book. On the other hand it is sad that public schools in New York have such a dismal graduation rate, and in a sense whether you gain entrance into a Charter School or not is the determining factor of a post secondary education. Hopefully this is a short term solution to the education crisis in the city and next focus will be on improving public schools.
Although Jennifer came primarily to talk about Everfi (check it out here -http://www.everfi.com) what resinated most with me was the discussion and comparison between Manitoba school and the New York School Division. Jennifer didn't sugar coat the fact that their are major flaws in the education system in New York. She outlined the premise of Charter Schools which are publicly funded like a general public school, except admissions are based on a lottery.
I am torn about the idea of Charter Schools in New York. On one hand it is great to see that students who come from lower income families have the opportunity to receive a quality education and are not excluded because of a cheque book. On the other hand it is sad that public schools in New York have such a dismal graduation rate, and in a sense whether you gain entrance into a Charter School or not is the determining factor of a post secondary education. Hopefully this is a short term solution to the education crisis in the city and next focus will be on improving public schools.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
WestCAST 2015
WestCAST 2015 was a huge success, not only was it a break from the final hectic weeks of school, but also a great opportunity to meat new people in the education field and continue my learning through professional development. Two items of the conference stuck out to me the most:
1: Jay Wilson, the keynote speaker, discussed the role of technology in education. He emphasized the importance of educating our students to become good digital citizens. Although this is not a groundbreaking topic, it is something that cannot be stressed enough. Take the time to educate your current or future students to be good citizens both online and in the non-virtual world.
2: A group named STARS (Student Teachers Anti-Racism Society) discussed the prevalence of racism among todays students. Often this racism is learned or expressed somewhere online, whether that be in the comment section on YouTube, behind a Twitter handle, or through a gaming console. By teaching students to be good digital citizens hopefully the trend of "cyber" bullying is eliminated.
I can't help but think back to how Bryce Ridgen models the use of Twitter in the classroom, and although this is not something that can be as easily done in a middle years setting, in high school I think it is valuable. By having a teacher encourage proper use of Twitter and be aware of what students are tweeting I think it is less likely the students are using the site inappropriately.
Monday, February 16, 2015
Comment on a blog (TT #10)
I chose to comment on a blog from Mrs. Krowchuk's class in Boissevain School. Not only is this my alma mater but this is the class that I will be student teaching in come March. I commented on a few of the students blogs but like Jon I will let the pictures do the talking so here is one.
Video in the Classroom (TT #9)
Bringing video into the classroom when it is effective and appropriate is one the best tools a teacher can use. I personally try to use video as much as I can, when it makes sense. In math, especially lower level, I am a big fan of BrainPOP and BrainPOP Jr. videos that explain simple math and science concepts using visuals. Most kids find these videos fun and are able to learn from the visual aspect of the video. In the social studies classroom there are many videos on Youtube that are great for engaging students at the beginning of a lesson or unit (Crash Course is a good Youtube channel that provides on outline to many historical or scientific events, I like them for activators for senior years). In math (I know a lot of people..cough..cough Mike aren't a fan) Khan Academy can be useful for providing visual one-on-one instruction for a struggling student. Another that I have yet to use, but am excited to give a try in my upcoming grade 5 placement is gonoodle brain break videos. Check out this BrainPOP Jr video!
Infographic (TT #7)
I am relatively new to the world of Infographics but I must admit I had a lot of fun creating the few I have done. Infographics are great, I can see myself using them in the classroom as a Social Studies activator (see attached) or have the students create them if they choose as a form of assessment. Sites like Piktochart make creating an Infographic quick and painless, something that middle years students would enjoy as they often aren't as capable of creating large, time consuming projects.
Check out the one I created below on Canada's obesity crisis!
Check out the one I created below on Canada's obesity crisis!
My Connected World vs. 21st Century Student (TT #6)
I, like many of my fellow students, realized just how behind I am in the world of technology when creating my connected world versus that of a 21st century student. It never fails that during each placement I learn something new in the technological world that is current, and I've never heard of it. I chose to complete one chart comparing myself to a 21st century student as opposed to designing two. I'm sure I've missed a couple, and I'm sure there are some that I don't know about. Enjoy.
Digital Identity (TT #5)
A persons digital identity and foot print are very important, especially in the professional world. Over the last year and a half of my B.Ed degree I have been told by countless guest speakers how important maintaining yourself on less is. The tricky part about maintaining yourself online is that often the trail of internet identity left behind on oneself, was not placed their by oneself.
My own digital identity is rather small, and perhaps too small as it does not show enough about myself and my technological presence. Up until last month my Twitter was locked, my Facebook is still locked, and all thats left are a few blog posts and some old hockey stats. The importance of maintaining ones digital identity is tricky. It is important that your online identity be professional, not littered with drunken high school pictures, but it also needs to be present, showing you are current and capable in the world of technology.
Protecting yourself online is much more than locking an account. Although this helps, it doesn't do as much as many people think it does, and certainly doesn't make you invisible online giving you free will to post whatever, whenever you want. The fact of the matter is people WILL google your name, and make assumptions on what they find. In fact one class guest speaker went as far as saying she checks potential employees tweets for spelling mistakes! The rule of thumb I follow is that if I don't want my mom to see it, I won't post it.
Educating students about what they post online is critical. Students need to be made aware of the potential hazards of the online world, and be taught that nothing is as private as they may think. Most importantly teachers need to model proper online behaviour.
My own digital identity is rather small, and perhaps too small as it does not show enough about myself and my technological presence. Up until last month my Twitter was locked, my Facebook is still locked, and all thats left are a few blog posts and some old hockey stats. The importance of maintaining ones digital identity is tricky. It is important that your online identity be professional, not littered with drunken high school pictures, but it also needs to be present, showing you are current and capable in the world of technology.
Protecting yourself online is much more than locking an account. Although this helps, it doesn't do as much as many people think it does, and certainly doesn't make you invisible online giving you free will to post whatever, whenever you want. The fact of the matter is people WILL google your name, and make assumptions on what they find. In fact one class guest speaker went as far as saying she checks potential employees tweets for spelling mistakes! The rule of thumb I follow is that if I don't want my mom to see it, I won't post it.
Educating students about what they post online is critical. Students need to be made aware of the potential hazards of the online world, and be taught that nothing is as private as they may think. Most importantly teachers need to model proper online behaviour.
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Teacher Trust
This week Kelli Boklaschuk from Brandon School Division Communication and IT visited our class to inform us about the technology policies in BSD. Prior to her speaking to our class I, and many of my class mates, had many questions and were wanting to clear rumours shrouding BSD and their technology use policy.
Kelli was clear about BSD's technology use policies and I am left with no questions about what teachers in BSD can and cannot do, although I believe their policies could be adjusted to make using technology in the classroom, especially having students use technology in the classroom, more friendly. The most pressing issue for me is the desire to go 1:1 with the current policies in place.
Teachers in the division are able to use a variety of websites, and just because they require a log in for students to use does not mean they cannot be used in the division, but rather they need to apply for permission from the division to use the apps or websites. The division will approve or deny the request whether they believe it is necessary, and in some cases will direct teachers to other apps or websites that may be similar but are already approved b the division.
All-in-all I see why the division is hesitant to give free reign to the teachers as they do not want to create headlines in the newspapers for inappropriate use of technology, but with that being said I believe teachers are relied to use their judgement many times throughout the day that this shouldn't be any different.
Speaking of trust, another point that Kelli made is the responsibility of teachers to ensure devices, and in particular I am referring to student owned devices such as smart phones, iPads and iPods, are being used appropriately in class. If a student is caught using a device, whether it be their own or not, inappropriately in the school it is the teachers responsibility. What is most concerning is how difficult it is to manage students using their personal devices in the class and it made me think twice about having the students bring personal devices into the classroom. What measures can a teacher take to ensure students are using their personal devices effectively in the classroom? Other than having strong classroom management skills I can't think if any. In particular I think this is a bigger issue in a senior years setting than a middle years setting, but problems could arise in either.
I think that allowing students to use their personal devices in the classroom can be a powerful tool, but precautions need to be taken.
Kelli was clear about BSD's technology use policies and I am left with no questions about what teachers in BSD can and cannot do, although I believe their policies could be adjusted to make using technology in the classroom, especially having students use technology in the classroom, more friendly. The most pressing issue for me is the desire to go 1:1 with the current policies in place.
Teachers in the division are able to use a variety of websites, and just because they require a log in for students to use does not mean they cannot be used in the division, but rather they need to apply for permission from the division to use the apps or websites. The division will approve or deny the request whether they believe it is necessary, and in some cases will direct teachers to other apps or websites that may be similar but are already approved b the division.
All-in-all I see why the division is hesitant to give free reign to the teachers as they do not want to create headlines in the newspapers for inappropriate use of technology, but with that being said I believe teachers are relied to use their judgement many times throughout the day that this shouldn't be any different.
Speaking of trust, another point that Kelli made is the responsibility of teachers to ensure devices, and in particular I am referring to student owned devices such as smart phones, iPads and iPods, are being used appropriately in class. If a student is caught using a device, whether it be their own or not, inappropriately in the school it is the teachers responsibility. What is most concerning is how difficult it is to manage students using their personal devices in the class and it made me think twice about having the students bring personal devices into the classroom. What measures can a teacher take to ensure students are using their personal devices effectively in the classroom? Other than having strong classroom management skills I can't think if any. In particular I think this is a bigger issue in a senior years setting than a middle years setting, but problems could arise in either.
I think that allowing students to use their personal devices in the classroom can be a powerful tool, but precautions need to be taken.
Wednesday, February 4, 2015
Social Media in the Classroom
This week we discussed the role of social media in the classroom and discussed some of the formats that we would use in our future classroom; the most popular being Twitter and Instagram. Not only am I a fan of using social media as means of communicating with parents but also as a way for students to communicate with other classes or experts on relevant subject matter.When used effectively and safely, social media can be a very powerful teacher tool, they key being when used effectively and safely.
Personally I would keep my personal Twitter account separate from my classroom Twitter account, although there are many teachers who have one account for both purposes. One of the main reasons I would like to have two accounts is to limit the interaction that can be had between my personal account and my students accounts, not so I can spout out whatever I want without my students seeing it, but rather to maintain a private life outside of teaching.
It is important that if a teacher is going to take on social media in the classroom that they commit to using it effectively. If I were a parent there would be nothing more frustrating than having a teacher tell me to follow their class on Twitter for updates, receive updates for a month and then not have another post between October and June. Even worse would be to follow to learn updates about my child's class and receive nothing but information that is not relevant.
Using social media is a commitment, although it seems daunting, it really isn't. Effectively implementing social media can be as simple as a quick post each week outlining what you are doing. It is a great way to keep parents in the loop without having to always fire away emails. Having the students use a class Twitter in the classroom is a great way for the students to see a role model for social media and connect with experts despite the distance barrier.
Joy Nelson of edudemic.com said that social media "is more than a way to find cute cat videos" and I know we all love cat videos but she also said "it is a powerful entity that can impact how you teach and how you relate to your students." Don't be afraid to try social media in your classroom!
Personally I would keep my personal Twitter account separate from my classroom Twitter account, although there are many teachers who have one account for both purposes. One of the main reasons I would like to have two accounts is to limit the interaction that can be had between my personal account and my students accounts, not so I can spout out whatever I want without my students seeing it, but rather to maintain a private life outside of teaching.
It is important that if a teacher is going to take on social media in the classroom that they commit to using it effectively. If I were a parent there would be nothing more frustrating than having a teacher tell me to follow their class on Twitter for updates, receive updates for a month and then not have another post between October and June. Even worse would be to follow to learn updates about my child's class and receive nothing but information that is not relevant.
Using social media is a commitment, although it seems daunting, it really isn't. Effectively implementing social media can be as simple as a quick post each week outlining what you are doing. It is a great way to keep parents in the loop without having to always fire away emails. Having the students use a class Twitter in the classroom is a great way for the students to see a role model for social media and connect with experts despite the distance barrier.
Joy Nelson of edudemic.com said that social media "is more than a way to find cute cat videos" and I know we all love cat videos but she also said "it is a powerful entity that can impact how you teach and how you relate to your students." Don't be afraid to try social media in your classroom!
Monday, February 2, 2015
TT #4 - Follow and Edublogger
An Edublogger that I have been following for the past month is mrbridge204 (https://mrbridge204.wordpress.com). I began to read this blog after being advised by Mike Nantais that his blog may be informative for an upcoming BYTE presentation.
mrbridge204 is a Mantioba Physical Educator that teaches in Winnipeg. It is apparent through his blog that he is a passionate teacher and has a wealth of knowledge on implementing technology into physical education. Not only does he blog but he is also is an avid tweeter.
What I enjoy most about the blog is the resources it provides for Physical Educators. I particularly enjoy this because I do not have a PE degree, but would enjoy teaching in the gym in the future if the opportunity came about. Although he has not blogged much in the new year, I have enjoyed scanning through previous blogs and gaining knowledge on how to provide authentic assessment in PE.
For anyone who will teach in the gym mrbridge204 is a must follow blogger and tweeter!
mrbridge204 is a Mantioba Physical Educator that teaches in Winnipeg. It is apparent through his blog that he is a passionate teacher and has a wealth of knowledge on implementing technology into physical education. Not only does he blog but he is also is an avid tweeter.
What I enjoy most about the blog is the resources it provides for Physical Educators. I particularly enjoy this because I do not have a PE degree, but would enjoy teaching in the gym in the future if the opportunity came about. Although he has not blogged much in the new year, I have enjoyed scanning through previous blogs and gaining knowledge on how to provide authentic assessment in PE.
For anyone who will teach in the gym mrbridge204 is a must follow blogger and tweeter!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
Online Education
This week we had visitors from Manitoba Education, Donal Girouard and Shannon Horne, dress our class on the role of internet and education from a distance ed, and online teacher resource perspective. Online courses is something that I am very unfamiliar with, but I can definitely see the benefits, so the presentation was especially welcome from me.
Although I enjoyed every minute of my small town education, it does have a negative. What is most unappealing is the lack of course selection at a smaller school as opposed to larger high schools, especially those in Brandon or Winnipeg.Distance ed helps diminish the inability of smaller schools to provide these courses as one teacher could teach a specialized course for an entire division from one classroom as opposed to having one teacher per classroom.
On a recent trip to Green Acres Hutterite Colony just south of Wawanesa, I was able to see a form of distance ed in action. The school had an extremely low population and I was surprised by the integration of technology. In one room four students sat with a large flat screen tv and speaker system. I learned they were being taught by a teacher from across the province, and not only were they being taught via a television screen, a camera and a stereo, but many other students across they province were doing the same.
In my short visit I was able to see how the system was successful, although it has its limitations. Providing a distance education such as this is impossible in a course where hands on learning is the primary focus. In particularly I am trying to envision myself a science teacher engaging the students in a science experiment through a TV screen, not going to happen. The other downfall is the total lack of a teacher-student relationship. The teacher at the previously mentioned colony was trying to teach upwards of fifty-sixty students at a time in over a dozen classrooms across the province making developing a relationships with the students and providing adequate feedback to each student a task even the best educator is likely to fail.
I understand that the implementation of a distance ed program is not a replacement for traditional teaching, and having a school replace their 40S Pre-Calc teacher with someone through a TV is unlikely, implementing any type of system has challenges that need to be overcome but the benefits are outstanding.
Although I enjoyed every minute of my small town education, it does have a negative. What is most unappealing is the lack of course selection at a smaller school as opposed to larger high schools, especially those in Brandon or Winnipeg.Distance ed helps diminish the inability of smaller schools to provide these courses as one teacher could teach a specialized course for an entire division from one classroom as opposed to having one teacher per classroom.
On a recent trip to Green Acres Hutterite Colony just south of Wawanesa, I was able to see a form of distance ed in action. The school had an extremely low population and I was surprised by the integration of technology. In one room four students sat with a large flat screen tv and speaker system. I learned they were being taught by a teacher from across the province, and not only were they being taught via a television screen, a camera and a stereo, but many other students across they province were doing the same.
In my short visit I was able to see how the system was successful, although it has its limitations. Providing a distance education such as this is impossible in a course where hands on learning is the primary focus. In particularly I am trying to envision myself a science teacher engaging the students in a science experiment through a TV screen, not going to happen. The other downfall is the total lack of a teacher-student relationship. The teacher at the previously mentioned colony was trying to teach upwards of fifty-sixty students at a time in over a dozen classrooms across the province making developing a relationships with the students and providing adequate feedback to each student a task even the best educator is likely to fail.
I understand that the implementation of a distance ed program is not a replacement for traditional teaching, and having a school replace their 40S Pre-Calc teacher with someone through a TV is unlikely, implementing any type of system has challenges that need to be overcome but the benefits are outstanding.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Jon Evans - Week 3
This week we were lucky ta have Jon Evans fit us into his very busy schedule. This is not the first time I have heard Jon talk as he also did a presentation in our ICT class last year. Jon is an eloquent speaker and passionate about education, and he made a great point about how a teachers professional development does not always mean attending a formal conference.
I have attended many PD sessions over the past year and a half with mixed results. Some are not as advertised while others are very informative. After begin to expand my role on Twitter (see previous blog post) I am now a member of a never ending PD session from those who I follow. There is so much useful information on the web from the various sites that connect teachers, not just Twitter. I urge educators to get connected with other educators, share their ideas and learn from each other!
I have attended many PD sessions over the past year and a half with mixed results. Some are not as advertised while others are very informative. After begin to expand my role on Twitter (see previous blog post) I am now a member of a never ending PD session from those who I follow. There is so much useful information on the web from the various sites that connect teachers, not just Twitter. I urge educators to get connected with other educators, share their ideas and learn from each other!
Monday, January 19, 2015
Twitter (TT #3)
I have been a member of Twitter for the last 5 years but it was not until recently that I began to really learn more about Twitter as an educational tool, not just a site to post my ramblings on sports.
Most recently I began to follow @MrBridge204, a well respected educator from Winnipeg who has a passion for technology and physical education, and combining the two aspects. The reason I began to follow this account was to gain knowledge for an upcoming presentation I, along with classmate +Jonathan Filewich, will be giving at BYTE (http://www.byteconference.ca). Coincidentally just as I began to follow +Mr. Bridge he an his followers engaged in a rather interesting conversation about why educators use twitter. The question was proposed like this:
Most recently I began to follow @MrBridge204, a well respected educator from Winnipeg who has a passion for technology and physical education, and combining the two aspects. The reason I began to follow this account was to gain knowledge for an upcoming presentation I, along with classmate +Jonathan Filewich, will be giving at BYTE (http://www.byteconference.ca). Coincidentally just as I began to follow +Mr. Bridge he an his followers engaged in a rather interesting conversation about why educators use twitter. The question was proposed like this:
On Jan30th I'm speaking to a @uwinnipeg class about tech in #PhysEd. Please tweet your reason for using Twitter with hashtag #BlueAtUofW.
With thousands of Twitter followers all over the world the response was overwhelming and it led me to rethink the way I use Twitter. I began to realize how powerful of tool it can be. I will close this blog with a few of my favourite responses!
Blue Jay Bridge retweeted
@MrBridge204 I use Twitter to stay connected & learn w/ global #physed & #pegeeks that always share the latest & greatest ideas #BlueAtUofW
Blue Jay Bridge retweeted
.@MrBridge204 Twitter has allowed me to meet, learn from, and collaborate with #PhysEd Ts from all over the world! #BlueAtUofW
Blue Jay Bridge retweeted
@MrBridge204 Twitter has opened up a world of quality #physed practices with the ability to ask how, and why others use them #BlueAtUofW
Sunday, January 18, 2015
Digital Identity
One of the thought provoking discussion we had in class this week surrounded around digital identity. As an educator, especially a connected educator who partakes in many formats of social media, not enough stress can be placed on your digital identity. A quick google search or a hit of the retweet/share button is all it takes to have your thoughts posted online to your friends available to the whole world, and while this is a powerful tool, it is also scary (just ask one Winnipeg teacher).
Not only is having a digital identity to be proud of an important task for teachers, but also for students.With such a plethora of social media sites available it is without a doubt most students from middle years up (and some even lower) will be subscribers to some of these sites. Many students who I have discussed using social media with are unaware of the audience there posts can reach, from a retweeted tweet or a screen shotted Snapchat. Not only are they unaware of their audience but also unaware of the privacy of their accounts. A simple conversation by a teacher or class guest can go a long way in educating students how to use these sites appropriately.
Not only is having a digital identity to be proud of an important task for teachers, but also for students.With such a plethora of social media sites available it is without a doubt most students from middle years up (and some even lower) will be subscribers to some of these sites. Many students who I have discussed using social media with are unaware of the audience there posts can reach, from a retweeted tweet or a screen shotted Snapchat. Not only are they unaware of their audience but also unaware of the privacy of their accounts. A simple conversation by a teacher or class guest can go a long way in educating students how to use these sites appropriately.
Thursday, January 15, 2015
Digital Curation (TT #2)
Digital curation is something that I have been working on improving over the last two years. As a frequent Zite reader I would often find articles interesting, read them once, and never be able to find them again when I would like to reread them or show them to someone else. After experimenting with various tools to house these articles I settled on Pocket. Pocket is a great resource (I primarily use the iPad app) to store articles I find interesting, whether it be a funny article I've read, a recipe I've found, and an educational article I may want to use for a future blog post.
Having strong curation skills is important for students. For example when students are working on an IRP and need to keep track of their resources, having a site to keep what they have used organized so they are able to refer back to them is key.
Curation is also great when working on collaborative projects. Google Docs or Dropbox are both great tools that let students, or students and teachers, work an a document while not in the same physical space.
https://getpocket.com
Having strong curation skills is important for students. For example when students are working on an IRP and need to keep track of their resources, having a site to keep what they have used organized so they are able to refer back to them is key.
Curation is also great when working on collaborative projects. Google Docs or Dropbox are both great tools that let students, or students and teachers, work an a document while not in the same physical space.
https://getpocket.com
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Access Denied
This week our class was lucky enough to have Jon Finch, Coordinator for Manitoba Education and Advanced Learning, speak about a number of issues, primarily copyright and the use of technology in the classroom. What struck me most about Jon's presentation was his background in technology purchasing for a Manitoba school division. He talked about how school divisions are spending big bucks to bring in this technology that isn't being properly integrated into the students learning, whether it be from technological issues or a lack of education on how to use these technologies effectively.
While it is great that divisions are spending to upgrade technology it is frustrating when some of the most powerful tasks that can be done are blocked in certain divisions. I understand, but do not agree with, the mentality that blocking sites does not allow students to get into trouble when using technology. As an educator I believe it is important to teach the students what is appropriate and what is not while on the internet, rather than block anything that can get them into trouble. It is time to end the Access Denies era and embrace technology and teach our students how to use it effectively and appropriately.
While it is great that divisions are spending to upgrade technology it is frustrating when some of the most powerful tasks that can be done are blocked in certain divisions. I understand, but do not agree with, the mentality that blocking sites does not allow students to get into trouble when using technology. As an educator I believe it is important to teach the students what is appropriate and what is not while on the internet, rather than block anything that can get them into trouble. It is time to end the Access Denies era and embrace technology and teach our students how to use it effectively and appropriately.
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