Putting It All Together!

As I reflect on all the activities and projects I have done for this class, I can't stop thinking about how much I have learned in these past weeks! I thought I knew a little bit about incorporating technology into classroom but, in reality, what I knew was close to nothing! I am glad to have had the opportunity to explore different free resources available to teachers. Also, I am happy to have created a Twitter account and be part of an online social network! I feel confident that, once in the classroom, I will be ready to evaluate, use and re-evaluate the many educational software out there. My hope is that I am able to make the best use of the technological devices to motivate and engage my student by providing authentic and meaningful experiences inside the classroom. My thoughts and ideas have been forever changed! Today, I leave this class with a clear understanding of the value of integrating technology into all aspects of the classroom. Erica

My Storytelling Sample

Hi again,
Here I present to you my sample project.  Please offer any suggestions or comments.  I am not sure the content is age appropriate for third grade in Reading and Writing.
Direct Link: http://ericagaadams.edu.glogster.com/meet-my-favorite-author/

Digital Storytelling One Of The Best Tools To Use In Your Classroom

This is my prezi

A Word of Caution

As many of us already know technology is a wonderful tool that helps students feel motivated and engaged in their learning.  I have read so many articles about the benefits of having these devices in your classroom.    Over and over I hear of the incredible changes in the attitude of the students when they are allowed to bring them to the classroom.   Recently, I read  the article "Inappropriate Use of Technology" and began to worry about my own abilities to keep the use of such devices under control.

The article told the story of a student who had smuggled in an electronic device inside the hallway and began to use it inappropriately.  The principal of the school banned all electronics devices from the school since the incident.  This immediately made think that perhaps the principal was taking a harsh approach but necessary for maintaining the security of the students and control of the situation.  I agreed with what the principal did  since it seemed the most obvious solution. 

As I kept reading, I noticed the author was against the principal's decision.  While she understood the pressure her principal had to maintain order inside the school, she argued that the solution ought to be different.  She explains that with a strict BYOD (bring your own device) policy she has kept any incident to a minimum.  She states that explicit teaching and modeling are the best ways to combat any unwanted use of electronic devices. Another strategy she uses is to point out the importance of teaching her students to be responsible digital citizens.

As I reflect on the thoughts and ideas of the author, I think the positives outweighs the negatives effects of using technology in the classroom.  Sometimes is easy to get confused about the best approach to use in your own classroom, especially when it's about important topics, but reading about the experiences of other educators sure helps you learn and make better choices. 

Cellphones in the Classroom?

Growing up in Ecuador, I wasn't fortunate enough to have the latest technological gadgets available.   I haven't even heard of them until I decided to move to America. Actually,  I don't remember even seeing one until I got to Orlando.
So when the topic of having them as tools of learning came up, I Immediately felt uninterested.  Cellphones? Not my classroom! What a liability, I thought! I have never been too fond of the idea anyway.  But something changed.  This week's readings pointed out some creative ways of incorporating them into our classroom.  Ways that are simple and easy to do and it guarantees' students engagement. 
In  " 40 Quick Ways To Use Mobile Phones In The Classroom", I was shown how I could potentially use all the tools the phone offers and integrate them into my teaching. Aside from the obvious like texting and the internet , grading was one of the best ways for me to utilize the cellphone.  I can't imagine being paper-free and having a software that can compute my students grades. For my students, there were a variety of ways they can use them in the class.  Some are: blogging, recording podcast, discussing and field research to name a few.  
I believe I am now ready to give cellphones a fair chance.  I can't wait to integrate this device to my learning environment and become part of the 21st Century Technology integrated Classroom. 

To access the article just click on the website - http://emergingtech.tbr.edu/40-quick-ways-use-mobile-phones-classrooms

Erica 

Using Technology to Improve Communications with Parents

I can remember back when I was in school, how my parent/teacher conferences used to be.  My teachers would speak to my parents about my grades and participation in class.  My parents would attentively listen and hold sacred every word they said. Not anymore! Parents and teachers communicate very differently these days. 

After reading an article titled "5 Tech Tools To Boost Teacher-to-Parent Communication" , I realize the different and innovative ways technology can be incorporated into every aspect of teaching.  I have been used to speaking to parents directly or emailing them if I necessary.  However,  this article suggests alternative ways we can use technology to make our parent communication more personable and immediate. 

Some of the suggestions were to use texts as a reminder tool, creating classroom websites to keep parents informed of any event happening in the class and having a blog where teachers, students and parents can have platform for healthy discussions.

I am sure parents enjoy feeling part of their child's classroom life so why not integrate them into the  school routine by using these  alternative tools. As a parent myself, I appreciate when my daughters' teachers go out of their way to make me  feel part of their classroom life!

 

Personal Mind Map to illustrate ideas used from  MindMeister 

 

 

 

Obsolete?

Hi everyone,
My name is Erica Guzman-Adams and I am  taking a class called Fundamentals of Technology.  One of my assignments was to create a blog to write about the importance of technology in education.  Recently, I was assigned to read and reflect on a blog that was written by Ingvi Hrannar Ómarsson. The title is "14 Things That Are Obsolete In 21st Century Schools".
I was truly excited to read this blog.  The blog talks about the things that need to change in our schools in order to create more engaged and creative students.  It also provides examples of what schools should do instead. 
My favorite one is "Unhealthy cafeteria food is obsolete". I couldn't agree more.  We have made a lot of progress inside our schools' cafeterias.  I believe there are more healthy choices available for students and teachers.  Fresh fruits and some food made from scratch have made a significant progress towards a more balanced diet.   But more can be done!  Ómarsson points out the importance of creating healthy eating habits that our students can incorporate into their lives.   I like the idea of having students grow their own "window farm".
Another idea that he brings up is that "cellphones and tablets shouldn't be banned in school".  I have mixed emotions about this one.  While I can understand why he believes these devices could be very useful inside a school setting I am worried that they may not be used appropriately by the students and may be hard to monitor for the faculty. Personal devices should be away from the classroom. 
I enjoyed reading and learning from this blog.  I recommend you read it and come up with your own conclusions ( http://ingvihrannar.com/14-things-that-are-obsolete-in-21st-century-schools/).
Erica