To Summerize is to Learn!

To Summarize is to Learn, Google Slides Presentation

To complete my Summary of Learning I used Google Slides. I am a huge fan of google slides because it is both easy and useful. I am not a big tech person and often times I do not know how to use many different forms of technology, but Google Slides is simple!  This presentations lays out the things I found most important over the course of the semester. 

My biggest takeaway from EdTech is that technology can be used in MANY useful ways. Technology isn't just something that we use to keep someone busy or to distract them, we can use it to better educate our students on a particular content area. I also learned that you can use blended learning when incorporating technology. By using blended learning you are allowing the students to learn in an environment that best suits them as learners. 

I plan to incorporate technology into my classroom in many different forms. I will use technology as a means of communication by using things like Twitter and Blogger. I think social media is important to use in our classroom because it has become a way of life for students. If we are able to effectively communicate to our students on social media it can be beneficial to both the teachers and students. I will also use technology in different ways such as making graphs or charts to better explain content. I hope to use technology to give my students a better appreciation of it!

Teaching Philosophy!

Teaching is not just about what I can teach my students, it is also what my students can teach me! 

As an Intervention Specialist major my goal is to be that constant for my students. I feel that students need someone that believes in their success no matter what highs or lows they encounter during learning. As an Intervention Specialist often times I will help students in areas they may struggle in while they are in a normal classroom setting. This could mean I follow them to their classes and give them extra help as needed. Although I will be there for my students while they are in class, I do not want my students to use me as a crutch to get them through school. I want my students to learn that they can believe in themselves and succeed in life without having to lean on someone for everything. 

It is important to set goals that are achievable. Often times we set such high goals for ourselves that we often don't achieve them because they are unrealistic. I think that it is crucial to set goals that are not low, but achievable. If my students have a goal in mind, they may have a greater desire to achieve such goals for the satisfaction they will receive in the end. I will know my students are learning by evaluating and reevaluating their goals as the year goes on. Goals can be as simple as coming to school everyday or achieving a B in a class they may be struggling in. If myself and the student see that they are achieving their goals we can set new, higher goals, for achievement. 

As stated previously I believe that teaching is not teacher centered anymore. It is important to let students have an active voice in their education. By allowing students to have an active voice in their education they become more excited about school and the material they are learning. I also believe that we as teachers, can learn just as much from our students as they learn from us. This can be as simple as learning to listen before speaking when it comes to our students. If we allow ourselves to learn from out students we can learn how to better teach and prepare our students for success. 

21st century learners love technology! I, as a teacher and learner love technology! In the future I will incorporate technology into my classroom as much as possible. I feel that students for more attentive and focused when they see something that is catching their attention and often times that is in the form of technology.  If we learn how our students learn best, we can teach in such a way that allows them to have a voice and desire to learn! 

Final major project submission!

Learning to paint is a skill that I have always wanted to learn. Through this process I have learned that it is not as difficult of a task as I anticipated. It is actually extremely relaxing. The first week I consulted an art instructor that I had when I was in elementary school. Through this art teacher I learned that with painting, like any other skill, you will make many mistakes but you cannot give up. Throughout the week I documented my progress through weekly updates using many different cool tools. But as the Major Project concluded I made a YouTube video explaining in detail how to paint Cattails and Sunsets! I hope you like it!

Major Project!

I also wanted to document my learning through a google Slides presentation to show what I have learned from week 1 until now! Enjoy!

Progression! Google Slides Presentation

 

Last update before submitting!

This collage was created using PicMonkey. 

For the last and final steps you want to add the cattails! 

First you want to put your brush in both black and brown. For this step you can use any size brush depending on how large you want the cattails. You want to use a simple tear shape to make the cattail and fill in the middle creating a black and brown cattail. 

Finally you want to add yellow to one side of the cattail making it seem as if sun was shining on the cattail! To finish the project you will do the best part, signing your name! 

Major project update

Update!

Before posting my major project submission I wanted to update the progress I have made! This week I added the tall grass which will then become the cattails. This project has been pretty easy to learn and I think anyone can learn and paint this beautifully! 

I updated this project using Google Slides

Major Project

This week I continued the painting process. I could not get the college I made to load to Blogger so I created a Google Docs page to share with everyone!Major Project Update

This week was exciting because I feel like I have come a long way in the painting process! I am happy to share pictures of my progress but I am even more excited to make a video of myself painting Cattails and Sunsets! I hope you enjoy my progress so far!

Teacher Productivity

Professional Learning Network!

As a future educator and student I am absolutely HORRIBLE at staying organize and on top of my work. I get all of my work done but I am usually cramming to complete assignments or plan for the next lesson I have to teach. Teaching full time while going to school full time has been the biggest challenge of my life. But this is a challenge I am willing to undertake because I know my future will directly benefit from it. 5 Tolls for Increasing Teacher Productivity is an article that speaks directly to me! This article lays out 5 different apps that can help teachers to stay organized. I know that as a future and current educator I am going to take great advantage of such apps.

I believe that technology can solve many problems in the classroom, but you have to watch because we can rely too heavily on technology. I personally think Audio boom is such a great resource that can be used in the classroom (10 Tools for Teachers and Students). This app allows teachers to record voice messages and share them for free. It is so ironic because I was just thinking that I need an app to reach out to parents in a quick and easy way without having to type a newsletter on a daily basis. This app is great for that! This can help me to become a productive teacher because it allows me to be transparent with my parents and students on a more often basis.

I also think that Google Forms is a great tool to use in the classroom! (10 Tools) This app allows for all resources to be available in one place such as worksheets and quizzes. If i use this app in the correct way students can really find great success in my classroom. I believe that students thrive  in an  environment   they are comfortable in and the use of technology is something that todays children are very comfortable with.

As stated previously I believe that technology can help to solve many problems, but we cannot use this as the main focus of the classroom. We have access to resources at the tips of our fingers if we know how to appropriately use the internet. But  I think that sometimes we rely to heavily on technology and not the old school way of doing things, textbooks. I think that with a good combination of the two you can have a very successful classroom!

Week 11: Blended Learning

"Learning strategies and teaching strategies work best when they're aligned to the needs of the individual student"- When Does Blended Learning Work Best?

This by far is my favorite topic of the semester! I think blended learning is something that will really take off in the coming years. This provides students a means of engagement and a different type of learning they have no seen before.

As said in What is Blended Learning? , "courses can be blended in many ways and for many reasons." In this particular class we use blended learning in different ways. For example at the beginning of the semester we met face to face to go over the basics of this course. This helped students to meet the professors and ask any questions they may have about the class. After we met face to face for 3 weeks the class then became online. But the class is not just online, we have the option of meeting the professors face to face in the lab if we need any extra help. This gives students the opportunity to ask any questions or get things cleared up that they may be confused about. The online aspect of this class has changed my outlook completely on online learning. The professors do a great job of giving you multiple resources to learn about the information being presented. The only thing that I do not like about this class are the quizzes. For some reason I have always struggled with online test taking.

My philosophy on blended learning is that it is a great tactic to use in the classroom. It gives the students motivation to learn in a personalized way. 21st century learners love to use technology in any way possible. I think that if we teach our students an effective way to use technology they will thrive. Although I love blended learning we have to do it in the right way. If we use the technology as a means keep the students busy we are using it in the wrong way. We need to use technology in a way that is blended with traditional instruction. Overall I think blended learning is awesome!

Weekly Update on Major Project continued:

After blending the three colors together you want to start on the yellow. For this color you will just simply apply it under the purple without combining the two colors too much. If you get purple in your brush DO NOT whip it off! You want some of the other colors to bleed into the yellow so it looks like a seamless sunset.








To finish painting the base coat of the canvas you will paint about an inch of blue following about a half inch of black. After finishing this step the canvas will look like this:

This week I will be working on adding the river along with finishing up by adding the cattails!

This week i started the painting process! I actually ended up painting two different canvas' because I forgot to document my progress on the first one! But I have to say its been a fun start to the project! I am going to go step by step (with pictures) in regards to what I have done this week:

First these are the supplies you will need to start:
I bought everything from Wal-mart for SUPER cheap! The paint was all .50 and I got a pack of 25 brushes for $5

To start getting painted you will start with the biggest brush you have. You will paint about an inch to a half inch at the top of the canvas. You want to get blue paint on both sides of the brush while dipping the corners in black. Glide the brush from side to side in the same direction.




You will repeat this step for blue (without black on the corners) and purple. You want about an inch to an inch and a half for each color. It will look like this when you are done:




At this point you want to blend the 3 colors together. To do this you will take a paper towel and dab the colors to remove any access paint so one color does not overwhelm the other. After dabbing the paint you will take a flat brush and gently glide the brush from side to side to blend the colors:

Assessments!

"Of all the tools teachers have, one of the most important tools to use is assessments - Scott Kinkoph

As a current and future educator I have a strong philosophy on assessments. I think assessments are the backbone of our teaching and learning. "It’s not a stretch to say that assessment is a hot button issue in education; however, you’d be hard pressed to find an educator who doesn’t see the value in measuring student progress." Every Teachers Guide to Assessments I see great value in assessments but there is also a downfall to giving these assessments. 

I think that it is important to CONTINUALLY assess and measure students learning. Continually is the key word because if we do not measure it frequently we will not have accurate and up to date data. Students are learning more and more every time we teach on a certain subject. If we are measuring their understanding or lack of understanding, we will better be able to reinforce or reteach the information they have no yet grasped.  

I really like the article Every Teachers Guide to Assessments because it tells the good bad and the ugly of assessments. "The information gleaned from assessments is extremely valuable. Besides a score, which gives quantitative data about how much of the material tested a students has mastered, information about student misconceptions can be determined by analyzing which distractors they chose and why." Every Teacher The information that is obtained by these assessments are important because we are able to either expand on a certain topic or move on because students have concrete knowledge about the content area. Although these assessments give us crucial information, we have to use them appropriately in order for them to fulfill their purpose for us as educators. 

After we acquire the results from the assessment we must use the information in a certain and useful 
way. If we find that students are struggling in a certain area we need to find other interesting ways to teach this information. If we as educators are able to take the information and reteach it in a different way , students may be able to grasp the information if we approach it differently. I believe that assessments are just as important to teachers as they are to the students. They allow us to evaluate our teaching skills along with evaluating the students learning.  Overall I think that assessments are very important for both learning and educating our students!

Wordle

Just like the previous apps I have tried this app is wonderful! The app that I worked with this week is called Wordle. This app makes word maps and possibly posters that are appealing to the eye for a classroom. With this app you type in words that correspond with each other and the app generates a word cluster. 

I would use this app for posters in my classroom. If I were to use this app I would have to learn how to use it more to make it appealing to the eye, but overall it's a fairly easy app. I would use this because it can give the students motivations to learn. It app also shows the students the type of technology that is out there. 

Students could use this app but it doesn't do much that is very educational.  If I were to have a student use this, they would have to find the words that went together to complete the graphic. I could give the students the task of finding 20 words that correspond to make an appealing poster.

Overall I love this app! 

http://www.wordle.net/

Learning Environments

"A school’s perimeters are no longer the only place students learn. Kids are learning about the world from their homes, from the community, and anywhere it’s available to them."Learning Environments

       Learning space can encourage students to engage and learn in a new way because these spaces can be innovative, interesting and encouraging for learning. In this day and age the learning environment looks different for every student. For some students their ideal learning environment is a classroom filled with electronics and technology that can help keep them engaged. For other students their ideal learning environment is a room with entirely white walls that helps them to focus on the information that is put in front of them. Either way learning is encouraged in these environments because it helps the students to remain on task according to their needs. Also comfortable and inviting learning environments help the students to keep engaged because it feels like a second home.

      Google apps for education are a good tool for both teachers and students. These apps can merge physical spaces together and they allow students to choose their own tools for education. Students can use something that they are really good at to help and promote the education of other students. There are tons of apps out there that help students and teachers to promote physical spaces for students. Dr. Bruek explains it in great detail that is very helpful to future and current students!

"Who says the 21st Century classroom has to be a single room?" Designing the 21St Century Classroom

      Designing the 21St Century Classroom is much different than the classrooms of earlier years. Students are needing more and more to keep them engaged and we must keep up with those ever changing needs. In the modern classroom you need to choose desks that support the students every need. Whether it be working in groups or taking a test, students desk need to be able to change according to the current task. Having plenty of charging outlets is also very important. Not all students will have their electronics charged which means we must provide a means to do so. We must also have teachers that are willing to teach using the newest technology along with schools that are willing to purchase these things.

      As stated by Dr. Brueck in Digital Learning Spaces The University of Akron has many informal learning spaces that are innovative, collaborative and useful for its students. One thing he brought up that I thought was important is that the library is essentially open 24/7 365. With the use of online technology we are able to log on to the library at any hour to use its resources. Also, he said that the desks and tables in the conference rooms are very innovative and useful. You are able to move the desks to use them in many ways. The University of Akron also has many informal learning spaces in almost all of the buildings. You can usually find somewhere quiet and calm to study or just take a break. these spaces for very beneficial to students.

     These informal learning areas at the University of Akron are very helpful to me because I love a calm, quiet area to study or just simply take a break. Also, in the library there are rooms that you can meet with others and use for a study group or a place to work on a group project. I use these different areas often and they are very beneficial.

Ebooks

Today's tech savvy learners are often equipped with a variety of technological tools used as easy as pencil and paper - eBooks

      I see the use and integration of eBooks impacting the writing process in a great way. I was encouraged by how excited the children became when they started to write their eBook in their special ed course in the video The World is the Audience. I think the integration of these eBooks was so crucial for these students. Before starting and writing the eBooks the students did not feel as if they had an audience but with this book it gave them a massive audience. 

     I also think that it will impact the writing process by encouraging other students to write with the possibility of publishing a book. This makes them more goal originated because they know that they will have an audience that will view their book. Also, collaboration with other student in their classroom will encourage the students to come up with good quality ideas. This gives the students a sense of satisfaction. I think that eBooks can have a positive impact on all students writing abilities if the teacher encourages it the right way.

      I think that using student created books in the classroom is such a good idea. Using their own books allows the students to use constructive criticism to improve their writing. Before and after the book is published you can ask the students to change and implement new ideas into the stories that can improve the story. I also think using books that were published by other classrooms or schools can also have a positive effect on students. The students reading the book can see what the other classrooms or students their age are learning compared to what they are learning.
    
      I see eBooks fitting into my future classroom in a big way. I also want to teach special education so I think that eBooks will be such a positive thing for my students to do. Even if the student publishes a book all by themselves I think that they can learn a lot from them. The considerations that I will have to make is that I will have to make sure that their learning isn't only about eBooks.

     The thing that stood out most to be in Jon's presentation is how honest he was with his students. In this day and age we always say "do to others what you want done to yourself." But i think that people take that statement a little too far because they won't be honest about something that needs to be said. But Jon was very honest with his students when he said that their writing sucked.  I think that this creates a classroom of honesty and trust because the student learn to trust in their teacher, whether it is good or bad. 

Cool tool week 8

Video Star

This week I used Video Star. I used this app to make a funny video so I hope you enjoy it! :) This app was fun and useful if you are willing to make videos to share with others. This app makes videos that you are able to put to a song, but you also have the option of not adding a song. I could use this tool to share information in a fun and useful way with my students and other teachers. It is quick and almost anyone can use this app. It is very self explanatory and you are able to upload videos to pretty much an source. In the classroom you could use this tool to do daily reminders or maybe a recap of the week because it is used in such a fun way and students will truly enjoy it.

Students could use this app for their own use and for digital artifacts. This could be used as a study tool or to share information with others or your teachers. The only downfall is that some students are too shy to use this type of media. 

Video Star

Week 7

"Our world is exploding with digital opportunities"

Copyright

       As a teacher and professional we have a job and responsibility to protect the rights of the people who have published things for us to use. We have a responsibility to protect those right for the owners because they have taken the time to put their knowledge together in a useful way.  To teach the students these things teachers must be aware of the copyright laws. If we make the students aware of these standards they will not make copyright infringement mistakes. We also have to teach students that they have legal rights and responsibility themselves while they are using and sharing others information in the classroom setting. We also need to teach students that their work is automatically protected by copyright as stated in the video Understand Copyright " When something is created it is automatically protected by copyright."

      When selecting images, technology and other forms of media we have the responsibility of making sure that information is for public use. If an image is not labeled for public use it will come back on us as a copyright infringement because we did not take the time to check or review the image. Copyright infringement can cost thousands of dollars and that is not something you want to happen. After checking to make sure the image is available for public use we must also make sure we give fair and appropriate credit to the original source. Whether it be a business, cooperation or individual, we need to give credit where credit is due. 

      The ethical issues surrounding downloading movies and music are not something people typically take into account. When you download and movie or music for free the owner of that piece does not receive credit or money for that download. Ethically we should not download music or movies if we are not paying for it, but that is not what happens. Free movies and music are available at our fingertips and people take advantage of that. 

      Everyone, including our students, need to know that this is a major issue in the world of music and movies. Artists are losing thousands of dollars to people that are downloading their music for free. We as teachers need to make our students aware of this. It is also a huge lawsuit if they catch you downloading something illegally. 

     There are many reasons why we need to educate our students on copyright laws and policies. If we learn to protect ourselves we can teach our students to do the same!

Week 7 Cool Tool

(I apologize for taking a picture of it, it would not save to my computer)

      The tool I have chosen is Popplet. This tool enables you to make and create word maps for various things. I chose this tool because word maps are something that can be used at every grade level throughout the education process. I could use this tool to do the exact thing I did with it or use it for actual education purposes. I used this tool to describe myself because I think that will be a great icebreaker for the kids on the first day. This will be an icebreaker for introducing themselves and the use of technology.

     I would use this tool in my classroom to promote the use of visual aides in the classroom. I think visual aides are a crucial tool to use in the classroom because it helps the kids to apply what they know, visually. The students could absolutely use this tool for their own use. They could use this as a tool for the classroom or a study tool. I think that showing students tools like this and other varios types of visual aides is very important. As the technology age progresses I think aide like this will be very helpful! 

Popplet

Weekly Update; Major Project

     This week I met with a teacher and researched thoroughly about painting on canvas. After meeting with the teacher I learned that I will make many mistakes and have to erase almost everything. But she made sure that I knew that I have to be patient when learning this new technique. I told her that I have painted very ordinary things, but nothing with depth.
   While talking to her, I learned that I should start by trying to duplicate a piece of art that I research and do it step by step until I am comfortable doing my own. After talking to her I am so excited to start this project. I have purchased 4 canvas' to make sure if I make a mistake I am able to have another canvas as a backup.
      After meeting with her I began to look up videos on you tube. After looking at close to a dozen videos I fell in love with the Sunset and Cattails video because I love warm summer nights at the lake.  Sunsets and Cattails
     I am going to start with this video and hopefully learn from their technique and make it my own. I also love sharks so I may have to complete two projects for this! Sharks!
I am so beyond excited to see the end result and I hope people can learn from what I have learned!

I have purchased my supplies and I am going to start painting this week!

Collage created using BeFunky! 

"Once I create a different environment in the classroom you will be amazed at how much they pay attention" - Garth Holman 

      Digital citizenship means a lot to me for my personal and professional life. By definition digital citizenship "prepares you to navigate the superhighway confidently and safely" -  Digital Citizenship 

If you know how to navigate the internet safely you will not have to worry about the possible reprocutions that come if you do not navigate it safely. Both my personal and professional life through digital citzenship run together. I am a teacher in a small school so all of the teachers, coworkers and parents are all friends on social media. Most of the parents that I see daily add me on social media so I must watch everything I say and do. 

     I work at a Christian school so things like drinking, haunted houses and going out is not something I will post to social media. At times it can be frustrating becuase I am a young college student and I must also be aware of what I post and what others post of me. But it is also very wise to watch what happens on my social media. It will be there forever and if I do not watch, it can come back to haunt me later in life.

"Few young people actually engage in ethical thinking online" - Digital Citizenship

    In high school I was labeled as one of the "mean girls" because I thought I was hot stuff. I never posted anything online about anyone, but I was always running my mouth. As I look back I am both embarrassed and thankful for my behavior. I am embarrassed because of the way I acted in high school. I was no better than the person sitting next to me and I had no right to say anything to them. But on the other hand I am thankful because I never posted anything on social media. Although i was a mean girl, I was very aware of others feelings. 

    Although I never posted anything about anyone, people sure did post about me. There was one girl that hated my guts and she constantly tried to turn everyone against me. Posting about my boyfriend, friends and family was something that she did on a weekly basis. In high school, it hurt, and it hurt bad. But looking back at it now, it doesnt matter what her or anyone else thought of me. Those things she said will stay there forever. But my digital footprint will remain clean. 

    As the internet expands and threats continue, parents have every reason to be concerned. I recently watched a movie where the kids of the movie convinced a girl to commit suicide. This is a very deadly, but popular thing on social media. As someone that wants to have children in the future i fear for my future kids. I couldn't imagine watcing this happen to someone, or finding out in the end that this happened. But I think if we educate our children we will be able to make sure they do not fall into the trap of social media. 

BeFunky

       The Cool Tool I have chosen is BeFunky and I absolutely love it! You can do so many cool and different things with this app. At first I was editing a picture but I realized that wouldn't have anything to do with a future classroom. Then I saw the option to make an invitation and I got an idea. You can do tons of things with this app in different sections. You are able to edit pictures, you can apply makeup to a picture, and also add backgrounds or stickers. You can also make invitations or save the dates.
      I can use this in my classroom as a reward or goal to works towards. A lot of times if a student has something to look forward to, it motivates them to do better or to work harder. I made this invitation as an example of something I can do for my students. If they know at the end of the year they will get cake and ice cream they may want to try harder to succeed.
      Students could also use this app. This app could get their creative juices flowing. I could give them an assignment to make a visually appealing poster and they could make it with this app. I think students will love this app because it is challenging to get the words, pictures and symbols to fit just right.
      The website can be accessed here https://www.befunky.com/create/designer/. I highly recommend it :)

TPack

"When teachers integrate technology in the classroom, their approaches seem to be more student-centered. Students tend to work together more while using technology to write stories, search the web, and create multimedia presentations." 

The Benefits of Integrating Technology

         I think there are huge benefits to integrating technology in the classroom. It opens up an entire world of discovery and knowledge for both educators and learners. When implementing technology in the classroom there are many questions you must consider. With one being, is this technology relevant to the content area? For example if I am teaching about the geography of Ohio I would introduce Google Maps to the students as a resource tool. "You must know the content and pedagogical knowledge which will make you a good teacher." - Dr. Gary Holliday in TPACK. 

If the teacher does not know the content area they can not expect the student to learn from the information. Teachers must also know how to use the technology. As stated by Dr. Holliday, teachers can know the content area back and forth but they must be able to teach it in an effective way. TPACK. This is a very true statement and I have encountered it multiple times. A professor can be incredibly knowledgeable in an area, but if they do not have teaching ability you do not learn any of the bottled up knowledge they have.  

       There are both negative and positive things that come with integrating technology. "Students are more motivated and have a greater sense of control over what they can access and read; their comprehension and ability to create text are improved." Benefits This statement couldn't be more true! I remember when teachers first started using any kind of technology in the classroom I was so excited for that day because I was always interested in that particular information that was presented in a different way.  It helps the student to remain focused on the information being presented. Students also being to start thinking on a higher level because of the depth of information being presented to them. 

       Although there are tons of benefits of integrating technology, there are also many disadvantages. "Teachers most often lack the training they need to incorporate technology in the classroom. Taking one technology workshop or even a class here and there is definitely not enough for them to really learn how to incorporate technology and appreciate its use and value" Challenges The older the teacher the more they are stuck in their ways with teaching. It is hard to get an older teacher to integrate technology in their classroom because blackboards have worked for so long. But if we are able to show these teachers how effective technology is, they may change their ways to benefit the students. 

       I will choose technologies that pertains directly to the information I am teaching. I am currently teaching a technology class at the school I work at. Every week the students want to type or do something on the laptops but I do not always use the same technology. I think that it is important for students to understand and appreciate how far technology has come, so we are currently learning how to use a typewriter. I think that this is so beneficial to the students because they are able to appreciate the technologies that they have now. The students have learned a ton by just integrating both new and old ways of teaching. 

      This is my first time being introduced to TPACK so rightfully one will have questions. I think that the best way to get these questions answered is to talk to other professionals about their experience. They will be able to tell you the things they love and also the things they hate. This can save a lot of time and effort during your first couple years of teaching. 

Week 5, Tools

  

A.The tool I chose is Creaza. I picked this tool because I thought it was interesting because of the many things it does. With this tool you can create visual aides and pictures to help with lessons. I chose to do this because I was recently discussing the types of edible eggs with a friend. I think visual aides like this show the many different types of  things that stem from the main topic. 

B. I can use this tool in many different ways. I could use it to have students make presentations to present to the class. I can also use it to make things for my own personal classroom. You can also use this tool for entertainment as it has many funny aspects to it.

C. I would use this tool in my classroom to help the students to understand the topic more in depth. If I was to actually use in this in my classroom I would explain the eggs in detail.Many people learn through visual representations so I think that the more interesting way you present the topic, the better the student will understand.

D. Students could absolutely use this in their own way. It was by far one of the easiest presentations to make. The directions were simple and self explanatory.

E. http://www.creazaeducation.com/editor/54429294?exerciseId=54434748

Professional Learning Network

"We shape our tools and then our tools shape us" - Marshal McMluhan
Open Thinking, Open Learning

This statement couldn't be more true for the society that we live in. We are living in a device  controlled world that is always connected, plugged in and searching. Shaping your tools is important because that determines which manor in which you will use them.  Most people either use their tools in a negative or positive way. By using them in a positive way we are able to share our resources and knowledge in an "Open Educational Resource" environment. With this type of environment we are able to connect with people that may not have the resources for furthering their education.

To capture the Spirit of open networking we must be willing to share our work. By sharing our work with others we are transforming the way people learn by giving them access to things they may not have had access to previously. With is type of sharing and learning we are able to get ideas from people all over the world. Participatory cultures are becoming a widely used resource by people all over the world. In a participatory culture anyone and everyone is able to connect and participate. "21st century learning networks have tons of tools and a number of people that you can connect to, with tons of ideas from all over the world." - David Wiley (Open Education and The Future) With this type of open network an educator is able to get ideas and tools that they can then expand further for the education of their students.

Open access in a classroom is having the resources and tools available to you at any time.  With the information that is available on the Internet expanding by the minute, students have access to just about anything at the tips of their fingers. Open access in the classroom is not just having access to the information that you are teaching, but having access to others information. I thought this video was very interesting; Open Education Matters . Is showed how quickly and effectively information spread throughout the world on one simple subject that is taught daily. I didn't realize just how easy it is to access things like that until I watched that video. It is so interesting to me that climate change was taught all over the world because this one guy shared his video. I hope to have this kind of open connectivity in my future classroom!

I am so excited for the future learners that will have access to things everywhere and anywhere! David Wiley said this in his video Open Education in the Future, "Successful Educators are those who share most thoroughly with the most students." This statement stood out the most to me because it isn't just about the students in your class anymore. It is about the number of people that you can reach with the information you are teaching. Not all kids have access to education like we do in America. But by sharing and making it available anytime, anywhere and to anyone it makes education available to those who previously did not have access. 

I live by the motto "you learn something new everyday." That is exactly what happened to me while watching these videos. These have been my favorite set of videos so far because I am all about reaching out to those that do not have the resources to reach out to us. In the video Open Education Matters, I learned that with Open Education Resources students can save over $900 on textbooks! That may not seem like a ton of money, but for a struggling college student that is tremendous! Having access to books and resources online can change the way students learn by completely getting rid of all textbooks. This will save students money and they will have access to tons of resources online that they may not have had access to previously.

At the end of the day sharing truly is caring. But it is important to remember to do it in a safe, conscious way and to always make sure you are aware of what you are posting and the audience in which you are posting it to! Remember, there are people in the world that do not have access to the things we take for granted, so by sharing our knowledge and resources they can become the educated citizens they have dreamed of becoming.

Week 3 Prompt:

Professional Learning Network

       Coming from a small community school sharing is not something that is natural to me. Being a college forces me to share and I must admit, I like it! Watching the video "The Moral Imperative by Dean Shareski" really opened by eyes to the world of sharing.

        Teachers and leaders should share their work in a professional manor. It is critical for professionals to communicate to their students professionally. Communicating in this manor opens up a world of professionalism to both students and other educators. Teachers should also communicate their work openly, in a form that is view able to everyone. This ensures that the teacher is protected and cannot be accused of saying something inappropriate. Lastly, teachers should communicate their work truthfully and reference any sources that they are including in their work. Along with using professional speech, this will teach the students to always reference their sources.

          I absolutely love the thought of the glass classroom! Having transparency in the classroom is such a crucial thing to have. While having transparency it is important to be mindful and safe with your words. Everything you share must be helpful to others. Hurtful words last forever, especially on the internet so it is important that you watch what you say. It is also OK to share entertaining things. But most importantly, make sure what you say is something that you would say to your mother. I good rule of thumb is; if you wouldn't say it to your mom, don't say it online. 

        Sharing face to face is also very effective. Some students learn best through face to face interaction. For me it is a challenge to have an online class because i do not have something in front of me on a weekly basis telling me what i should be doing. Helping students is your number one priority so it is important to share both face to face and electronically. 

       There is HUGE value in sharing! As Dean said in the video a lot of teachers didn't know exactly what you were teaching in the classroom. But by sharing that you can help other teachers and students. Those teachers and students can view your work, which can help  them learn from you. Also if others are sharing their knowledge and resources online it can help you to improve your teaching. 

       As a teacher I will cultivate the community I need for helpful and constructive criticism by communicating and sharing with knowledgeable and reputable teachers. This can help me to recieve that criticism but also to grow as a teacher. I believe that criticism, both good and bad is extremely helpful in all aspects of life. 

      I believe that public writing should not be error free and should be formal. This is crucial for helping teach other students to learn how to share in that manor. If we as teachers or educators set the example then students will want to replicate our work. 

      We can create a culture that encourage transparency by encouraging it ourselves. The more educators make their work and lives transparent, the more others will. It is a very effective way to reach out to others. Transparency is also important for other people that may not have resources such as great teachers. By making our work transparent, other students are able to learn from it.

Week 2 blog topic

1. Who are you?
        I am a energetic, fun, loving elementary school teacher. I currently teach Art, Physical Education, Health and Technology, along with running an after school program at Akron First Academy.  I have been teaching for the last 5 years and it has truly opened my eyes to the world of education. My hobbies include jet skiing, hanging out with friends, sports photography and football.

2. What type of social media do you currently use?
        I currently use Facebook, Instagram and snap chat. I am trying to get the hang of using Twitter for this class.

3. Do you agree or disagree with what the writer said about social media?
       I agree with what the writer said about social media. I think that it is used in both a negative and positive way. It is a great way to communicate with others especially in a school setting. I think it is a great tool for teachers to incorporate in their classroom.

4. How do you represent yourself in the world of social media?
       I represent myself in a very professional manor on social media. I work at a Christian school so I am expected to honor their standards in regards to posts. Also, I have a very close relationship to some of the parents so remaining professional is a must as they are my Facebook friends. But in the same sense I do not do things that would represent myself in an unprofessional manor. I love the fact that I can stay connected to my students and their families through social media.

5. What are your initial thoughts on technology, specifically social media, in the classroom?
        I think that social media in the classroom could be a world changer. Students are always plugged into the world of social media so it could potentially help them to remain focused and on top of their assignments. But a downfall to social media in the classroom is that not all students have access to social media outside of school.

6. Anything else that you would like to add to introduce yourself:
       I am super excited about this class because I myself am a technology teacher. Logging on to this class has already given me tons of ideas to do with my students. The idea of an ongoing blog is a wonderful idea to have with my students!