Weekend 2 Reflection

This past weekend wrapped up another great technology class! As I reflect on the past month, here are some things I have learned.

1. Student Blogs: I've continued reading Amplify! Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom and loved the section about student blogs. This is a great way for students to write for an authentic audience and connect globally with others. The authors of the book give great ideas about how to introduce blogs to students, how to use a class blog, and then ideas for posting blog comments. This is something I can't wait to begin next school year with my students.

2. Seesaw: This is an app I discovered last month and have spent time learning more about and playing with. I've watched a few of the webinars and have gotten some great information from them such as how to implement it in a middle school classroom, how to use it on a Chromebook, and how to use the class blog feature. I'm going to continue exploring this more and figuring out how students can record their IEP goal/objective progress using it.

3. Goose Chase: This is something I learned about during our Speed Geeking session. It is an online scavenger hunt that you can create and then have others do. I think this would be great to do next year with our incoming fifth graders who are new to the middle school. The only problem will be figuring out the technology piece. It can also be used in the classroom for learning activities, and I plan to do some more exploration about this.

4. Plickers: This was another cool program/app that was shared at our class that can be used for formative assessment. The nice thing is that the students don't need to have any technology devices--only the teacher. I am going to do a bit more research on this and find out more ways it can be used in the classroom.

5. Twitter Exploration: This past month I spent time exploring Twitter. I discovered several organizations that I enjoy following such as EdTech, Edutopia, and Growth Mindset. You really can get some great ideas and resources from Twitter! One thing I learned about through Twitter was Storybird which seems pretty cool. Last year I did a reading project as part of my technology class and think this would be another great tool to use to help students with both their reading and writing.

Show Me App

If you are looking for a screencasting app that is easy to use and has some nice features, then Show Me is the app for you. Click on the link below to check out my video and learn more about it!

Show Me Video

Maker Movement Reflection

I have always enjoyed making things whether it be baking, drawing, painting, building, knitting, or sewing. I have never made a 3D creation on a computer though. That is until today! Here is my Valentine's Day decoration that I made using Tinkercad, an online 3D design and 3D printing app.

Learning about the Maker Movement and getting to try it out myself was an enjoyable experience. I see the value of incorporating this in the classroom. By having students become creators, they can use their imaginations and their problem solving skills in authentic ways. It also connects very nicely to growth mindset and gives students an opportunity to practice learning from failure. Also, students are in control of their learning and what/how they make their creation. This leads to more motivated students who are more interesting in learning. There are so many benefits!