Day 3 Reflection

                                       Reflection- Day 3

PLN time - what new resources did you find and what new strategies will you use to enhance your technology infusion for the upcoming year?

For my PLN time I was looking into more about the flipped classroom. I am interested in how this would work for me and my students. I have begun to follow a number of people on twitter to help give me more ideas such as @flippedclassrm . I found a great article talking about a flipped classroom and how it is just much more then videos. This helped me to gain more insight on how I can implement a flipped environment that works for me and my kids. 

http://blog.educanon.com/flipped-classroom/in-class

Flipped Classrooms - what app did you use to create your video and describe how the recording process was for you?

I used the app Educreations and Powerpoint with voice recorder to help with my flipped video. The recording process was fairly easy once I knew what to say. The hard part was making sure to say everything I wanted to say in a clear concise manner for my students to understand. I also needed to slow down when talking which as hard to remember. Overall it was fairly easy and a tool that I now know how to use at a later date.

Your lesson and student sample - what level of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy does this lesson and activity target?

My lesson and activity goes under the create side of Bloom's Digital Taxonomy because my students are creating a product showing the sequence of events in a story. 

Day 2 Reflection

Day 2 Reflection

PLN time - what new resources did you find and what new strategies will you use to enhance your technology infusion for the upcoming year?

I found a variety of twitter groups/people to follow that helped me to look into what technology works in the classroom. Through reading a few articles on teachers and what they have implemented I am excited to start and Instagram account with my students to share their day with their parents. I also have looked into how to better use Google Docs to enhance my students reflection on pieces they have written or are starting to write.

Flipped Classrooms - what did you learn from the webinar?

I learned that a flipped classroom can be what you make of it. It is not something that can be intimidating if you take in one step at a time. It was refreshing to see an educator with such passion for doing what is best for his students. I liked his high expectations for his students and takes a no excuses attitude when it comes to responsibility for watching the flipped videos. I hope to gain more knowledge and resources of this great tool for getting all kids excited and prepared to be successful.

Your lesson and student sample - what is the lesson that you are using for this course and what web tool will your students use in this lesson?

My lesson will be based on sequencing the order of events in a fiction story. I will guide the students in a whole class creation of a sequence of events of a common story we have read together. We will use the web app educreation to create these videos. Once students have seen a model  they will create one on their own. After all students have created one they will present these to their peers and it will be graded based on a peer and teacher rubric.

Crushing Barriers

                            Crushing Barriers

To solve the problem of making sure my TEK aligns with my technology I have learned varied techniques to break down what the TEK is really asking of my students. Through looking at the verb and seeing what vocabulary goes along with what the student should be doing I am able to see what skill needs to be mastered. 

The Castleberry ISD website offers a great tool to the Kilgo verb which helps to breakdown the TEK and have a clear understanding of it. 

www.castleberryisd.net 

I have also researched certain technology apps that go with that verb. I found a great pin on Pinterest that helps me to see what really works for my students and the TEK they need to master.

http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs/post/2014/08/09/60-apps-for-teaching-steam

When looking at when it comes to keeping myself updated on the latest and greatest on technology I have begun to organize my twitter. I have begun to access groups or people that give valid information on technology that is useful to me. Some people I love to follow are @Teachinginthe21 , @theIMblog and @eduTecher . They give great real life ideas that keep me on the cusp of what's going on in education and technology.

When it comes to overcoming the barrier of flexibility and change I have learned to just take it one day at a time. The people I follow on twitter help me to take a new spin on a concept or subject I have taught before. On my lessons plans I have tried to each month have at least one new app that my students will use or have access to in multiple subject areas so as to not overwhelm myself or my students.

The mindset that I have as a teacher is largely influenced by the colleagues that work alongside you and the resources given or found. I am very lucky to be in a school that has many colleagues that are willing to share and give me information about what technology works for them and what doesn't. My district shares in that passion which helps the transition and gathering of resources easier. I have also recently discovered a great website that tells great blogs to help teachers in their classroom. It has been great to have all this wonderful resources at my fingertips to engage and learn from.

http://www.edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2015/04/50-must-read-it-blogs-2015

Four Barriers

              The Four Barriers of Infused Technology In The                                                  Classroom 

Ensuring that my technology tool that I am using is helping my students to master that TEK is a barrier. I have so many ideas about what app or technology piece to use but struggle to see how that can be connected to a standard. The wow factor that so many apps have can sometimes make me loose focus of the real reason I am infusing this technology into my class. 

Another barrier I face is how quick technology changes. I am pretty up to date when it comes to technology and thrive on finding the latest and greatest app or program for my students to use but it can still be scary. 

The unknown that comes along with technology can also be a barrier. A lot of times you have taught something over and over again and it is very familiar to you. The minute you put something new or different mixed with it it can be challenging to overcome that. 

My last barrier deals with change in the mindset of a teacher and how they teach. Everything seems to change in education on a daily basis and that can be scary with everything that goes on daily in a classroom. Adding another changing element to teaching can become scary, overwhelming and exciting all at the same time.