{Philosophy of Technology in Education}

         My Philosophy of Technology in Education

Technology is advancing constantly and simultaneously weaving its way into every person’s life, whether it is a grandmother’s lock system on her house or the business man’s work presentation and daily schedule on his iPad. Regarding my profession in education, I think at the depth with which technology is becoming part of everyday life,  my students will largely embrace technology no matter if it is in the classroom or not.  My job as a teacher requires that I devote time and create new ways to effectively teach what I need to teach to my audience of students.  If my students are “tech-savvy,” I believe that it is my responsibility to  instigate within the students personal integrity towards their digital footprint and include ways to keep them interested in learning, which widely includes technology in the classroom.

                

   However, to be completely one-sided would not be wise in this case. 

Technology has its place in education; which, in my opinion, is to enhance students’ abilities to comprehend subject matter and to open up opportunities for social development. 

Through testimonies of other teachers, I have learned that some kids connect very well by using technology, where other methods of teaching are not getting through.  Also, like in any other media, it comes more easily for some and as a hassle for others.  The fact that students will have to support and encourage each other in these areas gives them a chance to develop social skills with their peers. 

        
  When I teach, I plan on using technology to enhance each subject using whatever materials and resources are available.  If every student has access to a notebook or tablet of some sort, I would utilize one or two apps that the students could look forward to using two or three times a week in every subject.  Also, I would assign four or five large group and single projects a school year where students would have to collaborate and create something, be it a short movie, website, song, or anything else that the students could work hard on and be proud of and share easily to the rest of the world. 

{Three Thrilling Free Apps}

Technology can be used in various ways regarding education. I researched three more apps that I found not only helpful and fun for students, but also for teachers.

The THREE apps I found are:

• Socrative 
• Groovy Grader
• Duolingo

All of these apps are free, made for any Apple product with iOS4+, and can be found in the Apple App Store!

Socrative:  This app is excellent at student/teacher engagement.  Both the student and the teacher download the app and set up an account. The teacher is given a pretend "room number" on her version of the app which the students would type into their versions of the app.  From there, the students can take quizzes that the teacher has composed herself.  The teacher can see who she is waiting on to finish the quiz, what grade each student made on the quiz, and their incorrect answers.  The thing I like most about this app is that every quiz is saved (optional) with a special number so that other teachers can grab that quiz if they want to use it for their own class.

                                           

Groovy Grader:  Goodbye, old flimsy EZ grader. Hello, easier grader!  That's exactly what this app does.  Type in the number of questions on your test, quiz, etc. and it gives you the final grade depending on how many questions were answered incorrectly.

Duolingo:  I had fun playing with this app.  Duolingo is a super easy language learning app.  Players start at one level of their choice of 6 languages (I chose French) and make their way to the top.  Matching, vocabulary, and even audio exercises are played to unlock adorable awards and levels.  The thing I liked most about this app was that kids can "test out" of a level and move onto the next if they are learning quickly and getting bored.

{Technology in Education Article}

Today I found this really great article about technology in the classroom! 

This lovely article is somewhat of a collaboration of teachers' opinions of how technology has effected their classrooms. Some major positive effects are:

• Change in student and teacher roles.
• Increased motivation and self esteem.
• Accomplishment of more complex tasks.

For the most part, teachers have found that technology does a tremendous job at enhancing their students' overall skills when used properly. This article is worth the time to read and easy to read because of the variety of testimonies included.  If we can cause students to become more interested and care about school, it is worth devoting time and embracing new experiences for.

{Communication Log}

One of the most overlooked aspect of teaching, in my opinion, is parent communication.

Research shows that students who have academically involved caretakers are excelling in school.  Teachers have to communicate to parents and caretakers!

Sometimes parents do not have 3 minutes to spare before or after class to talk about their child's improvements or areas they need to work on.  One effective way of communicating is through a communication log.
An example that I created is here.

I have used my classmates as example students and my college professor as the contact for each of my students.  

It is important to note that Andrea is not a parent to all of the students.  She is a neighbor, a grandmother, and also an aunt.  Today, people who provide and love and raise and care for our students are not always parents, and often, not even related to the student. How beautiful is it that someone takes on the "parent" role when one is lacking in a student's life? Since we as teachers care for our students just as much, it is vital that the person who is taking care of the student knows how they are doing, what areas they have improved on and what areas they need to improve on.

A relationship with the parents/caretakers is a window into who your student is and why they are the way they are. The communication log documents your conversations with parents, giving the dates, topics, and tool of communication preferred by the parent.  This is great for your personal achievement as a teacher to record how you have assessed improvement, it is a proactive way to avoid specific legal disagreements, and it enhances your parent/teacher relationship tremendously. 

{I AM A MOVIE MAKER!!!}

So, I made a movie. Yes, I did! BIG DEAL ALERT!

Digital Storytelling is something I have never done, so my new experience was pretty interesting. Read all about it.

I love to think of stories and write stories and tell stories.  I love to draw and create.  You'd think mixing all of that together, throwing in a dash of technology, and putting it in the School Project oven would be easy as pie;)

BUT

I underestimated the detail and time you need to devote in order to come out with a presentable digital storytelling piece.  First, we had to create a story map.  This is like the guideline basically every story has: an introduction to characters and their normal lives, a challenge or enemy that the character must defeat or overcome, and the conclusion and resolution to normal life or better life.  All, of course, revolving around the moral.  In writing any story I had every written previously, I never once had to write a story map first.  So, I thought: "I'll just write the story map after I write my story!" 

NO. NO. NO.

I ended up writing a small library of stories, unsatisfied with all of them! So, I finally decided to write the story map first. Take a look at my story map!

Part 2 was to write the story, or "narrative."  This part came pretty easily aside from having to stay within the time limit, which I ended up going way over anyways. HERE is the final draft of my story, The Rattle Slayers.

This story was SO much fun to write because I felt like I had no limitations! I could be as creative and off-the-wall as I wanted to, but I later found out it would not only make the "digital" part of the "digital storytelling" very difficult, but also steal away a lot of the underlying moral I wish could have been more clearly seen.

Putting together all of the pictures became difficult as I was EX-hausting Google search high and low for free pictures that fit the story of a little boy with a very active, involved imagination. I did not expect the fight and time it took, but I think it ended up...presentable. With a few hundred re-takes of narrating the story and adding on the pictures, my final project is now on YOUTUBE for all the world to see! Or HERE ;)

Here is Billy getting defeated by Galactic Toad.  This is what Billy was imagining throughout his evenings by the pond.

Here is the actual Galactic Toad. What an enemy!

Billy is astonished at the change in Galactic Toad. How could this be? Does he change too and save Galactic Toad?