Collaboration is the Key

Each individual student has a door to success, and each door is completely unique. Students come from many different backgrounds, they have many different values, different interests, different learning styles...  Thinking of all the many differences, an overwhelming feeling would not be surprising at all.  It could make a teacher wonder how in the world they are ever going to reach all their students and ensure the success of each one of them.  While this does indeed seem like a daunting task, there is a solution that makes the problem much simpler: Collaboration.  Collaboration is the universal key that will unlock each and every students' potential for success.

Collaboration is extremely beneficial for the students, the teachers, the school, and the community.  It is important for us to consider ways that we can collaborate with others to improve the quality of education we are involved with. Communicating with other teachers and sharing ideas can be a great way to come up with new strategies and resources to implement in your classroom.  Maintaining friendly and open relationships with your co-workers will be advantageous in more ways than one.  I also believe it's a great idea to encourage your students to share their thoughts.  Ask for their feedback and listen to their voices.  Along with communicating with your co-workers and students, it would also be helpful to include the parents of your students.  Generally, parents know their children better than anyone and can offer great advice for ways to reach them.  A blog can be a great tool for collaboration. It will enable teachers to make posts about their class and others to provide feedback.  Another great resource is a symbaloo.  A symbaloo will allow teachers to post their resources and websites in one place and share them others.  With technology as advanced as it is, there is an incredible amount of tools available for teachers to utilize. So, it's important to have fun with it.  Create, explore, and collaborate! It will definitely be worth your time :)

Don't Get Left Behind

The world is constantly changing.  Technology is rapidly advancing.  It effects almost every aspect of our lives.  Because of this, teachers need to make sure they are keeping up with the changing world so that they will be able to offer their students the best education possible.

In every education course I've taken, it has been emphasized that teachers need to be life-long learners.  Teachers can't expect to stop learning when they finish school and rely on what they have learned up to that point.  If they do so, they are posing a huge disadvantage for themselves and their students. They will all get left behind.  However, if teachers continuously keep up to date with the changes that are taking place, they will be able to share with students an education that is relevant and rewarding.

In order for teachers to be life-long learners, they must do their research.  Reading professional journals, searching the web, and attending classes and seminars will be great ways to stay informed.  Also, collaborating with other teachers can be helpful in learning about new resources, tools, etc.  When teachers take the necessary steps to be life-long learners, they will be able to add a whole new dimension to their classroom.  They will be able to better engage their students when they implement the newest gizmos and gadgets.  They will be able to better connect with the students when they relate their lessons to current interests and ideas.

As a soon-to-be English teacher, I have been considering ways to implement the latest technology and the current interests into my own classroom.  Here are a few ideas I've had:

- Have students go to storybird.com to create their own their own books
- Use Skype to chat with an author and allow students to ask any questions they might have
- Allow students to set up their own blog accounts and post daily journal entries
- Have students act out a modern day version of a Shakespeare play and record it using iMovie, Photostory, or a video camera

These were just a few of my ideas to implement the latest technologies into my lessons to make learning more enjoyable for my students.  But, of course, by the time I actually have my own classroom, technology will probably have significantly advanced and I will have to modify my ideas and use the newest and best information and tools out there.

So to my readers (teachers or not), I'd like to encourage you all to become life-long learners and explore this constantly changing world. Have fun with it and think of ways you can use it to improve in your own field :)

Safe and Sound: Using Technology in the Classroom

While technology certainly has many benefits and can significantly boost a classroom's environment, it can also have adverse effects if teachers do not pay close attention to how it is used.  Students could use their computer time unwisely and learn nothing other than celebrity gossip or how to win an online game. They could accidentally or intentionally place themselves in unsafe situations by wandering into dangerous chat rooms or browsing through inappropriate online information. Technology can do a lot of good, but it can also do a lot of harm.  It all depends on how it used.  Because of this, it is absolutely essential that teachers find ways to minimize the risks of technology and create a safe environment for students to maximize the benefits.  

While most schools have firewalls set up to protect their students, teachers still need to take steps to keep their students safe.  The most important thing for teachers to do is monitor.  Whenever a student is using a computer, the teacher should keep an eye on the screen. This will not only help keep students on task, but it will also ensure the well-being of the student.  Some other tips for teachers include informing students of the risks, informing them of safety precautions, making sure students have a purpose when technology is used, and asking students to show their work when they are finished.  

Creating a safe and sound learning environment should be a teacher's top priority.  Can you think of any other tips to help teachers achieve this?

Assistive Technology Project

Technology In The Classroom: A Great Balancing Act

In every arena of life we have some balancing to do, and technology in education is no exception.  Incorporating technology into the classroom can be very beneficial for learning; however, if a teacher relies too much on technology and loses personal connection with students, everyone suffers: the teacher misses out on the joy of teaching, the class as a whole misses out on meaningful discussions and collaborative learning, and the individual students miss out on the motivation and support that a teacher can provide.  

As I was thinking about balancing technology and face-to-face interaction, Dr. Seuss' rhyme slipped right into my mind :) 

So, I decided to write my own little rhyme to help with our balancing act as instructors. It's just a simple little poem to sum up how we should strive to incorporate both technology and personal interaction in our classroom.

Teacher & Technology 

Technology is a lot of fun.

It can also help you get things done.

Teachers should use it in their room,

But technology alone won't help kids bloom.

Just as flowers need both water and sun,

Students need your help a ton.

So give them a project on the computer,

But don't forget to be their tutor.

Lecture a little and discuss a lot,

Then let technology have its shot.

Just mix it up and change it around,

Make sure to let them both abound.

If you balance real well you'll see good things.

And my oh my, what learning it brings!

Technology can certainly be a wonderful tool in the classroom, just as lectures, discussions, and activities can.  The important thing to remember is that balance is what makes a classroom function most effectively.  Too much of a good thing can turn into a bad thing.  However, if teachers incorporate instructional diversity, more students will be reached and learning can be taken to a whole new level.  

Okie Dokie, Here's My Voki :)

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=6939648&height=267&width=200

http://www.voki.com/pickup.php?scid=6942192&height=267&width=200


Last week, our class was introduced to Vokis.  We had never heard of these Vokis before, but it was a fun little assignment to play around with. I think using Vokis will be a neat way to add a little dimension and creativity to announcements, assignments, and such. Just follow the links to see what I mean, and feel free to let me know what you think or even create your own! 

There are still a few kinks in the ones I've created, such as their mechanical voices.  I wanted to record my own voice, but I had a little difficulty getting it to save.  However, I think you'll still enjoy it.  Those mechanical voices will probably give you a few laughs :)

The Child-Driven Education

As seen in the above video, Sugata Mitra lead a remarkable study concerning children's desire and capacity to learn.  In his experiment, he placed computers in some of the world's poorest slums and made them accessible to the children living in these areas.  The results of his experiment were exceptionally noteworthy, and there is much to be drawn from the video; however, there were two findings that particularly stood out to me.

First, the children were immediately intrigued and began to explore and learn in response to their own natural curiosities.  These children were not forced to learn; they desired to learn.  Yet in American schools today, it is quite the opposite.  Teachers often have a difficult time trying to keep students engaged in their lessons and even have to push them to participate.  It makes one wonder where that natural curiosity has gone.  Richard F. Bowman Jr. addresses this issue in an article he wrote entitled, "How Can Students Be Motivated: A Misplaced Question?" Bowman (2007) states that children are  innately inquisitive, but the dry environment of our classrooms tend to diminish that curiosity.  He suggests that students need more collaborative learning and discovery learning to truly make their education enjoyable and meaningful (Bowman, 2007).  This concept can also be seen in Mitra's video.  The children thrived on searching for answers, solving problems, and sharing information with each other.  It is my belief that this type of environment is what drove them to be self-learners, and I also believe that the use of technology is what really makes this type of environment possible.

Secondly, the children in the video were living in very poor conditions, yet they were still able to learn.  This clearly demonstrates a belief that every good educator should hold: all children are capable of learning.  As addressed in each educational course I've taken, there will be students in the classroom who come from poverty; there will be students with disabilities; there will be students with all sorts of diversity.  Yet no matter what the students in the classroom face, each and every one of them can learn.  They all have remarkable potential.  Many of the students even have potential that far exceeds our expectations, as seen in the video.  If we simply invest in them and give them the right resources, they can grow and flourish.  And again, technology is one of those resources that so evidently enhances children's education and further increases their ability to succeed.

These are just a couple of my thoughts on the video, but there is so much to learn from it.  I hope you all watched and enjoyed it as well, drawing your own ideas and conclusions.  Feel free to comment and let me know what you think about the items I addressed and also share your own thoughts.  As the video shows, collaborative learning is a such a great method of education.  So, please, jump right in! :)


Reference:

Bowman, R. F. (2007). How Can Students Be Motivated: A Misplaced Question?. Clearing House, 81(2), 81-86.