Should Teachers Use Social Media in the Classroom?

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Here is our GoAnimate video about Social Media in the classroom.

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Casey and Amanda's GoAnime!

GoAnime Ed Chat

Paperless Textbooks?

   

When you are driving home from work or school, do you notice students walking hunched over and holding their backpacks up? Or the classic dragging of the backpack on the ground? Textbooks are the main culprit for these students struggling to carry the heavy load from a long day of learning at school. Many schools are lightening the load in backpacks and not allowing books to be taken home, or better yet, the use of digital textbooks; light as a feather that you can access anywhere in the world.

 Some people think that digital textbooks are good, while others believe they are bad. According to education world digital textbooks can be beneficial because the book will always be up to date. But can be bad because it can cause problems with server problems at the school. For example, at the schools in Fairfax County, school servers could not handle the massive digital load that the online books were bringing. But once fixed, the digital textbooks worked well and helped improve the student’s education experience.

Worldwide Center of Mathematics brings up another pro and con of digital textbooks. Because digital textbooks do not require paper, the cost is less to purchase the digital book compared to a regular textbook. Many students are turning to digital books because of the cost and also the accessibility to finding information quicker. But on the other hand, because of digital textbooks, paper textbooks have decreased in cost. Paper textbooks also give students the feeling and satisfaction of turning a paper, jotting notes, and putting a ‘dog ear’ fold on important pages.

According to the Facultyenlight, one of the most beneficial features of digital textbooks are the add-ons such as quizzes, practice tests, study guides, etc. These features help students better understand the content and prepares them for tests. On the other hand, students can be tempted to wander from the digital textbook and go to Facebook, Twitter, or any other internet game or social media website. This is very hard to control in the classroom because students can switch screens in less than one second.

Lastly, the Chicago Tribune points out a major issue with digital textbooks. They agree that digital textbooks can be good, but points out the effects that it can have on the eyes. According to a study by Indiana State University, students who use digital textbooks will more likely suffer from computer vision syndrome, or eye strain caused by looking at the technology for long periods of time. Some symptoms are eye strain, headaches, migraines, and nausea. In the study, half the participants used digital textbooks, and the other half used paper textbooks. Most of the students who used the digital textbook experienced one or more of the symptoms.

In my opinion, I am split. I take full advantage of the add-ons digital textbooks offer, but paper textbooks sometimes have supplementary websites that go with the book. So whether I’m using a digital or paper textbook, I will use what is offered. If I read too long, I will experience the computer vision syndrome with any source of textbook, so I am also split on that. But one of my favorite things about paper textbooks is feeling the book in my hands, even if it is heavy. The satisfaction of seeing how much I have read gives me confidence that I can read just as much in my next textbook. I was raised on paper textbooks, but have been introduced to digital textbooks within the past few years. I am learning and adapting to the new and improving technology we have today, but I will still use a paper textbook every now and then.

·         Chicago Tribune- http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-08-07/features/ct-x-0807-college-kids-eyes-20130807_1_print-textbooks-digital-textbooks-computer-vision-syndrome

·         Education world- http://www.educationworld.com/a_news/educators-explore-pros-and-cons-digital-textbooks-918163934

·         Facultyenlight- https://www.facultyenlight.com/content/digital-textbooks-pros-vs-cons

·         Worldwide Center of Mathematics-  http://bostinno.streetwise.co/channels/digital-vs-print-textbooks-a-pros-and-cons-list/

      

Online Schooling

Online schooling is becoming more prevalent with the digital age that we are living in. According to iNACOL, thirty one states currently have statewide full-time online schools. In 2009-2010, there was an estimated 1,816,400 enrollments in distance-education courses in K-12 school districts (Fast Facts About Online Learning, 2013). As we continue to increase technology into our classrooms, we must ask ourselves if online schooling is the best option for our students.

There are both advantages to online schooling, as well as disadvantages. Online schooling can be a great tool for students because it enables them the opportunity to do the school work at their own convenience (Online High School, 2003). This can be especially important for students who are sick with a long term illness and are not able to be at school. It is also a great tool for students who have to have a part time job or have other commitments they have to oblige to. Online schooling can give students freedom to do the work and schooling with a time that works best for them and a time where they feel they can best succeed.

Another advantage to online schooling is the ability for students to work at their own pace and potentially finish high school early. By offering classes online for students, they can choose to accelerate their education and get into the work force or attend college earlier than what a traditional school offers. On the other hand, if a student cannot keep up with the expectations of traditional school’s learning pace, they have the opportunity to spend time on areas where they need more practice on (Top 7 Benefits of Online Learning, 2014). Instead of getting “left behind” in the classroom, they can take as much time as they need so they really understand the material before moving on to the next.

Students who partake in online schooling have an opportunity to study a variety of subjects. While students do have to take the required courses to obtain their high school diploma, they also get the opportunity to take a variety of courses that interest them (Advantages and Disadvantages, 2015). They can take courses that they want to learn more about, or they have the opportunity to take courses that will help them towards their desired career. They have the opportunity to take classes that will give them a head start in working toward their college degree. At traditional schools, classes are typically pretty limited; however, online the choices are endless.

While the advantages to online schooling are appealing, there are some disadvantages that come with it as well. One of the biggest downfalls of online schooling is the social isolation. High school is an important period for social and emotional development for students and if a student chooses to do online schooling, they miss out on that experience (Online High School, 2003). If a student is sitting behind a computer all day doing their school work, they are missing out on important social interactions like group work within the classroom. While learning the curriculum material is very important in high school, the social learning is also an important aspect that is going to help students in the future as well.

Another disadvantage is that there is not a lot of guidance and motivation with online schooling. If a student is not self-motivated, they will often fall behind on coursework and exams (online vs. traditional). Students also lose out on that teacher interaction, as well as instruction. Many students will struggle to grasp the material when there is not a teacher present (Online High School, 2003). Although often there is video instruction that comes with online classes, it cannot offer the same personal level of instruction that teachers can provide (Online High School, 2003). They also lose out on peer assistance as well when they are isolated behind a computer.

My opinion is that while I think there are some great advantages to online schooling, I think it really does a disservice to students to miss out on the social interactions that traditional schools offer. I think learning content is important, but personally I think that social and emotional development is more important. High school is an important time where students go through changes and I think it is important that they learn how to interact and relate to peers. I think the social interactions as well as social problem solving will greatly assist in their day to day life in the future. I also think students have a better opportunity to succeed when they receive face to face instruction from a teacher, rather than from a computer. I can see the advantages, but I truly believe that if possible, students should spend at least part of their day in the traditional school, where they are forced to interact with both peers, as well as their teachers.

http://study.com/articles/An_Online_High_School_vs_a_Traditional_High_School_Diploma_Some_Pros_and_Cons.html

https://www.inacol.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/iNACOL_FastFacts_Feb2013.pdf

http://vlacs.org/top-7-benefits-choosing-online-virtual-high-school/

http://learningpath.org/articles/Online_High_School_Advantages_and_Disadvantages.html

To Use, or Not, Use Social Media in the Classroom?

"To Use, or Not, Use Social Media in the Classroom?" is the essential question that is boiled down from the various viewpoints of teachers in a 21st Century world filled with Social Media outside the classroom. The question ponders whether or not Social Media should have a place inside the classroom. I shall provide examples and ideas from my research about both sides and then from that information, I will determine which side of this new, great, hounding question I am currently on as an educator.

To begin, why are teachers saying that we should use Social Media in the classroom? According to an article on Faculty Focus, a reason to like Social Media use in the classroom is because "gone are the days when “turning in” work meant waiting until Monday morning, as students and teachers can now discuss assignments at every step of the process. Teachers can create hashtags that allow students to tag their academic posts, and subsequently view submissions to see what the collective has creatively produced. (2)." This is something that's done in our TechLab classroom. As students in this classroom, we had to create our own professional Twitter Handle and use a hashtag for our class. 

Another reason teachers should use Social Media in their classrooms is stated in an article on Mashable. The article lists 7 was to use Social Media: to share work socially by using Social Media accounts to communicate information between fellow classmates and students from around the world, to use a hashtag to communicate to guest speakers and seek their input, to become a blogger to develop one's voice as a writer and keep up with like-bloggers, to use expert sources by knowing where to find them like on LinkedIn, to use Google Hangouts for class and/or peer-to-peer meetings to engage in work, make use of Emodo to create a digital classroom for students to see assignments and communicate, and even encourage a class meetings through Second Life, which is a 3D virtual world (1). All of these ideas are intended to connect students in more ways than just sitting in the same classroom. According to these first two sites, classes shouldn't be limited by a physical space. Social Media gives teachers and students an ever present medium to work in. 

Another Mashable article that gives the case for Social Media in the classroom quotes why teachers should simply roll with the idea of social media in the classroom. The quote says, 

"“Don’t fight a losing battle,” says Delmatoff. “We’re going to get there anyway, so it’s better to be on the cutting edge, and be moving with the kids, rather than moving against them…Should they be texting their friends during a lecture? Of course not. They shouldn’t be playing cards in a lecture, they shouldn’t be taking a nap during a lecture. But should they learn how to use media for good? Absolutely.” (3)"

The writer of the article's point is that Social Media isn't going away. Noted in the same article that most students in 7th grade through 12th grade have at least one social media account. The author states that if Social Media isn't going away, then it should be used in the classroom. The author also believes that Social Media should be taught in a way that explains how it can be used properly to engage learners in safe, online environments that encourage collaboration amongst a variety of students. According to the author, bringing Social Media into the classroom will encourage Social Media to be used as an educational tool instead of being used for procrastination purposes.

After that view on the issue, let's hear from the other side. Why are teachers saying that we should NOT use Social Media in the classroom? One teacher who was an avid promoter of students using their laptops, cellphones, and other devices in class, went to a totally opposite view and banned all usage of these devices unless they were required. He chose to do this because he believes that "humans are incapable of ignoring surprising new information in our visual field, an effect that is strongest when the visual cue is slightly above and beside the area we’re focusing on (10)." The author doesn't believe that the multitasking that's required to focus on social media is beneficial to student learning. He believes it can be too distracting.

Andrew Campbell makes a case against social media in education. He notes that, "currently, social media is a ‘wild west’ where the landscape changes daily and the rules are poorly defined,  misunderstood or non-existent. This isn’t the kind of environment parents want their children using (9)." In addition to Campbell dislike toward how Social Media is filled with cyberbullying, predators, and distractions for young students, he states 4 other reasons why he's against Social Media in Education. One of those reasons is that students use Social Media as the primary avenue for self definition. If parents and schools are getting too involved in a child's social media, then it will interrupt a child's area to express and define themselves. The next reason is that schools can't implement Social Media into the classrooms until schools are properly equipped with the resources it needs. Campbell also thinks that not every student will be comfortable communicating in a setting that is primarily through online communication. Lastly, Campbell believe Social Media is too much of a distraction. Some students, Campbell believes, will not be able to ignore the temptations and sitractions that come with having mass amount of data and people at one's fingertips. To properly use Social Media in the classroom, there needs to be more information how to accommodate the needs of many different children in relation to Social Media.

A last point on why Social Media should not be used in the classroom comes from US News. They report that, "although many teachers agree using social media in the classroom would be beneficial for students' academic engagement, most avoid using those tools for a fear of conflicts that could arise in confrontations with parents and students (5)." The article talk about how many teachers believed that they haven't been taught how to use Social Media for professional use. They fear that it would be harder to separate personal use of Social Media with their professional use. The main reason Social Media shouldn't be used is because of the unfamiliarity of its use for the classroom. The guidelines aren't clear enough and, until they are, the integration of Social Media in the classroom will not happen easily and without troubles.

I believe that there's a difference between being in constant use of social media and using it as an additional resources that enhances content as well as its relevance to students. Those who disagree with the use of Social Media in the classroom believe that students would be too distracted. I agree with this. However, I don't agree that it means that teachers should try to integrate Social Media into the classroom for educational enhancements. I think that Mashable's seven ways to use Social Media in the classroom really show how students can use an online setting for educational purposes. An educator that I've followed on Twitter for at least 2 years or so, Krissy Venosdale, is an inspiration in the use of technology in the classroom with her students. She does at least one of Mashable's seven ways. She uses skype to communicate with classroom across the world. It's like the classrooms are pen pals, but in real-life time.

In the end I think the real issue of having Social Media in the classroom is how can teachers utilize both online and offline times for educational purposes? I believe that finding was to enjoy and learn from being online, like what Krissy Venosdale does, and offline, what we're used to, is important. It's like a book we just discussed in Elem. Ed. Practicum. It was the book without pictures. A book without pictures doesn't have to be boring. A classroom without social media doesn't have to be boring. However, there are times and places where books with pictures have their place and can be just as exciting. A classroom with social media is just a new way to enhance learning just like a picture book. Finding the right place for a classroom to have social media and other technologies is a balance. When teachers have found that balance, it will benefit students in their learning both online and offline.

My only concern with using Social Media in the classroom is knowing what age is best to use these tools. Most of these websites assume that this issue is for older students like those in high school and college. As an eventual Elementary Education teacher, I want to know the use of social media for Elementary aged students especially if these students may not be on social media because they're under 13 years old. Edutopia has a great list of ways to use Social Media for the Elementary school setting (11). As long as it's being used as an educational enhancement, Social Media will benefit student's learning and slowly out weigh the unwilling views.

Sources:

(1) 7 ways to use social media and what it does: http://mashable.com/2013/08/18/social-media-teachers/

(2) Things to like about using Social Media in the classroom: http://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/teaching-with-technology-articles/using-social-media-classroom/

(3) A case for the use of Social Media in the Classroom: http://mashable.com/2010/09/29/social-media-in-school/

(4) Two Teacher's views on Social Media in the classroom: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/

(5) The gray area for using social media in the classroom: http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2014/01/17/check-out-that-selfie-how-to-use-social-media-in-the-classroom

(6) Using Social Media in the classroom opinions: http://www.cio.com/article/2604686/social-media/is-social-media-reviving-or-killing-our-classrooms.html

(7) Pros & Cons of Social Media: http://campustechnology.com/articles/2012/01/19/pros-and-cons-of-social-media-in-the-classroom.aspx

(8) More Pros & Cons: http://www.teachthought.com/social-media/6-pros-cons-social-media-classroom/

(9) A case against Social Media in the Classroom: http://andrewscampbell.com/2013/04/27/the-case-against-social-media-in-education-2/

(10) A "‘banned unless required’" approach: https://medium.com/@cshirky/why-i-just-asked-my-students-to-put-their-laptops-away-7f5f7c50f368

(11) A view of using Social Media in the Elementary School setting: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/introducing-social-media-lower-elementary-beth-holland

Cell Phones in School: Should Kids be Allowed to Use Them?

With technology growing more and more advanced, kids both old and young are seen everywhere carrying a fancy smartphone. New apps are constantly being invented or created for these phones. In a sense each child is carrying around their own mini computer. I am not an owner of a smartphone, but I see great potential in what they can do and aspire to be the owner of one someday. However, with the rise of these phones, should teachers allow kids to take advantage of their uses in the world of education? Or will these phones cause too much of a distraction with social media, texting, and games? Let's take a look at both sides of the situation.

According to Family Education, there are many pros to kids having cellphones in school. These include parents having the ability to monitor their child's whereabouts, kids being able to contact somebody instantly in the case of an emergency, using them as a means of research without having to use a computer, and they can be turned on or off depending on if the situation calls for them. The website also mentions a few cons which include ringtones disrupting the class, distractions from learning, cyberbullying, and especially cheating.

An online article taken from a Scholastic magazine talked briefly about this topic as well. It gave a few concerns about having cellphones and then described the benefits. The biggest point about the benefits is the idea that kids can use them when necessary. "You can't schedule for surprises. School violence, terrorist attacks, and medical emergencies can happen at any time." On the flip side though, the article also talks about how schools already have phones provided for such a case. "All schools have telephones in the classroom or main office. Children are allowed access to those phones as long as they are not distracting the class. Everyday details and emergencies can be handles through the school."

An article on Kwikboost discussed seven reasons why kids should definitely be allowed to carry cellphones at schools. Their argument explained how cellphones can help prepare kids for the real world once their adults. Having them teaches the kids how to use them responsibly. They make detention more bearable and also just keeps the kids happy. They are also seen as a great learning tool since smartphones have access to the internet. It also makes the claim that some teachers like to take notes on their phones in class, so letting kids have them too eliminates that double standard.

In a teen edition of the New York Times, both sides of the argument are presented yet again--this time by other educators. The one who said phones should be banned claimed that "A student with a cell phone is an uninterested student, one with a short attention span who cares more about socializing than education." She says this from her own experiences teaching; many students would fail her classes or drop out of school because they were always seen playing on the phones. The teacher who said that they should be allowed agreed with the previous teacher about them being a distraction. She does want them to stay though as a safety precaution. She doesn't support them so much in the classroom as she does outside the classroom when the students are traveling to and from school or participating in extracurricular activities.

My view on the matter is this: I believe that cellphones should be allowed in schools but only under certain conditions. I'm fine with kids using them in between classes, before school, and after school. The only time I would let kids use them in class would be when internet research is required for the lesson and we're unable to get into a room with computers. Or, if there are more students than computers, I would allow the remaining students to use them. I do believe that they're a distraction, but I as a future educator think that when necessary we can teach these kids to use this everyday object as a tool for educational growth. Again, when necessary. As someone going into music, I probably will not be needing students to use them in my music classroom.

Sources:

http://life.familyeducation.com/cellular-telephones/school/51264.html
http://district.auburn.cnyric.org/departments/science/g6e4.pdf
http://www.kwikboost.com/7-reasons-students-allowed-use-cell-phones-school/
http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/upfront/debate/index.asp?article=d1211

Fractions Mind Map

Used WiseMapping.com

Casey's WWI Mind Map

Amanda's Mind Map

In Tech Lab I made a mind map of basic rhythms!

Five Senses Mind Map

The United States of America Concept Map

Blog Challenge

I was nominated to complete the Blog Challenge by Lisa!

11 Random Facts About Me:
1.)  I am originally from a small town called Petersburg, where the population is less than 1,000.
2.)  My favorite color is purple.
3.)  My favorite food is pizza.
4.)  I listen to music all the time, especially when I am getting ready for the day.
5.)  I love to sing, but I am terrible at it.
6.)  I have a brother that is 5 years younger than me, and he is my best friend.
7.)  A few months ago, I got a puppy named Jax!  He is so small and furry.
8.)  The first book I ever learned to read was Green Eggs and Ham.
9.)  My favorite year in school was in third grade.
10.)  My favorite teachers over my schooling career are Sara Roling (6th grade teacher) and Brian Kuhle (high school Composition teacher).
11.)  One day I hope to teach first grade!

My Reponses to Lisa's Questions:
1.)  When I was young, my mom always read me the book Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.  It is a classic book that I recommend everyone read-- especially to your children if you have any.
2.)  I am currently working at Van Buren Elementary and spend a lot of time with a little boy that struggles to speak English as well as Spanish.  Working with him one-on-one has been an amazing experience and I consider it to be one of the best of my educational career thus far.
3.)  I would say one of the most frustrating things educationally this far was trying to transfer all of my University of Dubuque class credits to Coe.  Though it was an exhausting process, it was well worth it.
4.)  If I was not working towards an Education degree, I would be pursuing a Psychology degree in hopes of being a youth counselor some day.
5.)  Netflix is my guilty pleasure.  So odds are if I had no homework or work obligations, I would indulge in binge watching one of my favorite Netflix series... probably One Tree Hill.
6.)  As mentioned in my #10, my favorite teachers over my schooling career are Sara Roling (6th grade teacher) and Brian Kuhle (high school Composition teacher).
7.) I have two quotes that I absolutely love.  One of which is, "Everything happens for a reason."  The other is from Proverbs 31:25-- "She is clothed in strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future."
8.)   I am very fascinated by the functions of the human body.  My roommate is a nursing major and always enlightens me with random facts about the body.  If I had more time in my schedule, I would love to explore this content area.
9.)  I wish schools would work more closely with ELL families in helping them understand the American school system and helping them establish ways to help their child(ren) succeed in our system.  There are so many grey areas with ELL students.  I wish more was done to help them truly succeed rather than just help them "skate by".
10.)  Working out is my biggest stress reliever.  Often times when I'm very overwhelmed and stressed, I get tense and bottle up all negative thoughts and emotions.  Reading a good book on the treadmill and lifting weights has been a really beneficial stress reliever for me.
11.)  Though I did not personally participate in any Coe Homecoming activities, I was a spectator for all of them!  Being that it is my first year as a Kohawk, I knew I had to show my Kohawk Pride!

Blog Challenge!

I was nominated by Lisa Strochine on her Tech Lab Blog! Here are 11 random facts about me, 11 answers to Lisa's questions, and then 11 questions that I would ask any educator.

11 Random Facts About Me

1) I have lived in three different states before coming to Coe: Washington, Idaho, and Wisconsin!
2) I have an orange cat named Oskar. He has a K in his name because my dad wants him to be German.
3) I have a very good long-term memory, but a horrible short-term one. For example, I can remember a phone conversation I had on December 5th, 2009, but I can't remember what I did earlier this morning.
4) I have multiple types of synesthesia. I see letters, numbers, words, days of the week, etc. as having a certain color. The strongest type I have though is chromesthesia, which means that I see/perceive colors whenever I hear sounds. My voice is a dark green.
5) I graduated from a tiny, private high school with about 34 or so other people in my class. 
6) I love exploring. Camping, hiking, biking, and just going on walks are some of my favorite outdoor activities.
7) I really like office supplies and I don't know why.
8) Cheesy broccoli soup is food sent straight from heaven. 
9) I am currently the treasurer of Coe's Mu Phi Epsilon-Mu Psi chapter!
10) I have been playing the piano for at least 13 years. It's like I practically live in Marquis Hall.
11) If I were to live anywhere else in the country, I would either move back to Washington or move to Maine.

Lisa's Questions

1) Q: What's one book you've read that you think everyone should read? (it can be from any age level) 
A: I would say that everyone should read To Kill a Mockingbird. Even though I had to read it multiple times for different middle and high school classes, it really tells a powerful story. 

2) Q: What has been your best educational experience? 
A: My best educational experience was when my high school Spanish teacher took a group of us to Costa Rica my junior year. We were able to experience so much in 11 days, and we ended up making a difference in that community by helping the people down there.

3) Q: What was your worst educational experience? 
A: Anything that involved gym class.

4) Q: If you were not pursuing a degree in education, what career field would you be heading toward? 
A: Piano/Keyboard performance for sure. Or I would choose something on the biology side of life.

5) Q: Favorite thing to do in a free hour?
 A: Play piano, play video games, watch Netflix, or take a nap.

6) Q: Favorite teacher?
 A: My piano teacher from middle school through the end of high school

7) Q: Favorite quote? 
A: "Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all." -The Princess Diaries

8) Q: What's something you've heard about that you want to know more about? 
A: I want to know more about the world and how I can fully experience it.

9) Q: What's one thing you'd like to change about our current educational system? 
A: More appreciation for teachers. They do so much in the world and get little recognition for it.

10) Q: What is your stress reliever? 
A: Deep breaths and a warm cup of tea.

11) Q: Did you participate in any Coe Homecoming activities? If so, what was your favorite part?
A: I participated in the parade by marching with Mu Phi Epsilon, which was probably my favorite part. After that I was on RA duty for the entire night of the dance. I was able to see how nice everyone looked as they were leaving. 


11 Questions for Educators
1) What is your favorite part about being an educator?
2) Why did you want to become an educator?
3) What do you do when you have a student that likes to constantly push your buttons?
4) How do you manage your time off the clock?
5) How do you prepare for classes over the summer?
6) What is your favorite school subject?
7) What age/grade of students do you enjoy teaching the most?
8) What would you like to change in our educational system?
9) When do you consider a student to be "gifted"?
10) What is your favorite educational moment you had growing up?
11) What is the most important thing you would tell to future educators?

Blog Challenge

I was nominated by Lisa over at EDU 219

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I am the youngest of 4 girls.
2. I was scared to spend the night at friends houses until I was in junior high.
3. I grew up Catholic but now I am Baptist. My faith is very important to me.
4.  I played softball at Coe for 4 years, I was a pitcher.
5. I got a cornstalk sliver stuck in my knee when I was 3 years old.
6. I went to a school that had about 250 kids in grades 9-12.
7. Online shopping is an addiction of mine.
8. I have a nephew, Brady who just turned 1 and has quite the personality already!
9. I love spending time with my family, including extended family.
10. I am a very competitive person from sports to board games, I am always out for blood :)
11. I grew up on a farm.

Questions:

1. What's one book you've read that you think everyone should read? The Best Yes by Lisa Terkeurst. It's easy to get caught up in our world and to want to say yes to everyone and everything...this is a great book that puts things into perspective.

2. What has been your best educational experience? The past 2 semesters at Coe College in the education department!

3. What was your worst educational experience? Any science class in high school. I hated science and didn't have the greatest teacher for those courses, which made it even tougher to be successful in that subject area.

4. If you were not pursuing a degree in education, what career field would you be heading toward? If I wasn't heading into education, I would be a stay at home mom. I'm not sure if that is considered a career, but that is my ultimate dream job.

5. What is your favorite thing to do with a free hour? Read!

6. Who was your favorite teacher? Mr. Hebrink

7. What's your favorite quote? "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7

8. What's something you've heard about (or read about) that you'd like to know more about? I would like to know more about projects-based schools.

9. What's one thing you'd like to change about our current educational system? I would like to see a better way to gather information about kids and their learning rather than just using standardized tests.

10. What is your stress reliever? Exercise.

11. Did you participate in any Coe Homecoming activities? If so, what was your favorite part? I did participate in powderpuff football and the 5k back when I went here the first go-round. My favorite part about homecoming was probably doing the 5k and then going to tailgate with friends for the game. I made some great memories with some awesome friends during all four years of homecoming here at Coe College.

Blog Challenge Reply

Blog Challenge:

I was nominate by Lisa Stroschine on her Tech Lab blog. I will answer the eleven random facts about me, Lisa's questions, and then pose eleven questions for any educator.

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I've lived in 6 states.
2. My favorite color is blue. It used to be purple but after watching PowerPuff Girls when I was little it changed to blue since I liked Bubbles.
3. I've traveled to Aruba multiple times via my grandparents.
4. My favorite thing to cook for my husband is Chicken Paprikas. It's a Hungarian dish that my nana brought my sister's and I up on. 
5. I hate dishes but I'm OCD about anyone else cleaning them.
6. I'm a twin.
7. I was homeschooled in 6th grade and up.
8. My family evacuated 2 days early from New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.
9. Computer Science is one of my current courses that I didn't expect to get so much out of.
10. I have a little sister and she's a second (maybe third) degree black belt in Taekwondo.
11. My favorite season is fall.

Lisa's Questions:

1. What’s one book you’ve read that you think everyone should read? (it can be from any age level).
The Freedom Writers.

2. What has been your best educational experience?
Being an active participant in my previous college's Phi Theta Kappa chapter.

3. What was your worst educational experience?
Switching to a completely new school after Hurricane Katrina.

4. If you were not pursuing a degree in education, what career field would you be heading toward?
Too hard to choose. I'd say either some sort of Computer Science/Mathematics nerd, an Optometrist, or a theatre person.

5. What is your favorite thing to do with a free hour? (assuming you had no homework or pending projects)

Read, watch a Tv episode with my Husband, or call someone.

6. Who was your favorite teacher?

Judy Major. She was a math "witch" at my Community College for Basic Algebra. She had so many tricks up her sleeve and was never afraid to pull out a new idea to help students understand things better.

7. What’s your favorite quote?

"The way you overcome shyness is to become so wrapped up in something that you forget to be afraid. " -- Lady Bird Johnson

8. What’s something you’ve heard about (or read about) that you’d like to know more about?

What "whole language" is and why phonics is not being taught as much in schools.

9. What’s one thing you’d like to change about our current educational system(s)?
Pay and collaboration time for teachers. If they were given more of these resources they could be more successful at their jobs and become active learners.

10. What is your stress reliever?

Taking deep breaths.

11. Did you participate in any Coe Homecoming activities? If so, what was your favorite part? (if not, what’s one interesting thing you did this past weekend?)

I did not. I chilled at home and worked on homework.

My questions to any Educator:

1. What is your favorite thing about being an educator?
2. What is your morning and/or afternoon routine when you get to school?
3. What is the best book that relates to being an educator?
4. Who or what was your inspiration for becoming an educator?
5. Do you have a favorite tech tool that you use to stay organized? If so, what is it? If not, what do you do?
6. What student-age do you enjoy working with the most and why?
7. What's a situation you've been in as an educator that you think other educators can learn from?
8. What story in your educational experience always makes you laugh when you think or talk about it?
9. What is your favorite thing to teach and why?
10. What is at least one thing you wish you knew before you became an educator?
11. What is your advice to future educators?

Blogger Challenge!

11 Random facts about me

1) I have one older brother
2) I am the shortest person in my family; everyone else is 5'8 or taller. I'm 5'3.
3) I have worked at Dairy Queen since I turned 16. So almost 9 years!
4) When I was little I fed my two goldfish blue jello-blocks. I thought they looked hungry. Needless to say they got flushed.
5) I was a gymnast for 11 years. I was number one in the state for 3 years, then had to stop because I injured my knee, back, and hip.
6) Played 4 years of collegiate volleyball.
7) Have been coaching club volleyball since I was a junior in high school.
8) I went to Ireland on St. Patrick's Day in 2013 and was able to walk in the parade in Dublin.
9) I have had pneumonia twice. The first time I got to see an x-ray of my lungs and the doctor pointed out an air bubble or a burp in my picture.
10) I can't go anywhere without an old lady talking about my hair or even trying to touch it.
11) I go to Half Price Bookstore about once a week, buy a book, and never read it. I also buy the old VHS movies, especially Disney movies. My goal this summer is to read all the books I've purchased.

Lisa's Questions
1) Favorite book to recommend:  Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak. It is my all-time favorite book and I read it once a year.
2) Best educational experience:  Coe College- I love the staff, students, and environment. It is a great fit for me.
3) Worst educational experience:  Another college (unnamed)- I loved one department but not the other. I did meet my friends there and played volleyball there. But it wasn't the right fit for me.
4) My other dream job:  If I wasn't going for teaching, I would be going for physical therapy, because I can relate to a lot of the injuries that I would be presented with.
5) Free time:  Play sand volleyball. Could do it everyday.
6) Favorite teacher:  My favorite teacher is Kathryn Woerner. She was my 7th grade history teacher. I was able to be with her in the fall during methods.
7) Favorite quote:  "Continuous effort- not strength or intelligence- is the key to unlocking our potential"~ Winston Churchill.
8) Something I want to learn:  I would like to learn more about tools. My boyfriend teaches PLTW and he talks about all the tools he and the students use and I don't talk "tools" so I'm clueless to half of everything he says.
9) Educational change:  How students are labeled. There is no such thing as a "good" or "bad" student. They have either figured out who they are educationally or they haven't. It's our job to help them find it.
10) Stress reliever:  Listening to music or venting to someone I trust. And if those don't help, play volleyball.
11) My weekend:  I helped my boyfriend make rocket fuel and engines for his Aerospace class. It was a blast :)

My Questions
1) What is something unexpected that has happened while in the classroom?
2) If you could plan a perfect day in the classroom, how would it go?
3) What got you interested in teaching?
4) What are some struggles you had while teaching or pursuing teaching?
5) What is one skill that makes your job easier?
6) What is one object/app that makes your job easier?
7) What would you change about the education system today?
8) If you could teach a lesson about anything, what would it be?
9) What advice do you have for future teachers?
10) What's the perfect set up for a classroom?
11) What's one way you incorporate technology into your classroom?

Scratch

My group visited the website Scratch. There were various different things you could do on this site from creating games to slideshows to other various visual activities. I have to be honest...I was a little lost. I wouldn't consider myself a technologically savvy person, so I was just clicking on various things throughout the class period. I did make a video of a cat, but I had to follow a tutorial to complete this. I think this would be a great tool to use in the classroom because it teaches about computer programming. In the classroom I am observing in now, they use a different website to teach kids about computer programming. It's a great program because kids are assigned a task and they have to continue to work at the specific task until they get it right. This is great because not only does it show the students what really is going behind the scenes with this technology, but also gives them opportunities to fail and to work towards success. I think by using Scratch, you could create an interactive visual for your students when teaching a lesson. Sarah did a presentation on plants and it had pictures and various other features. For me, I would have to play around a lot more with this site and visit more tutorials, but I think once I got comfortable with it I could use it in my classroom!

Here is a screenshot of the tutorial I was playing around with!

A Piano...Made out of Bananas?!

Hello! This past week I was placed into a group with the other music education majors and were given tools to create a lesson plan. These tools included a Makey Makey Kit and a bunch of bananas. What could we possibly do with these?

After going on the official Makey Makey website, we learned that we could connect the bananas to the kit and then connect the kit's control panel onto the computer. We found programs that allowed us to literally play sounds just by tapping on the bananas. We messed a lot with the piano and bongo sounds and had a blast playing with them.

Using these would be great for a lesson with upper elementary and middle school kids. While each kit is expensive, having multiple ones can help create a fun experience for kids when they want to learn basic notes and rhythms without using actual instruments. We also discovered that connecting the kit's wires to thick pencil lines also creates an electrical current. Bananas don't even have to be necessary! There are so many lesson possibilities that music teachers can use with this kit, and I will definitely try to get one for my future classroom as well.

Future Elementary Education Teachers Explore More Tech Tools!

My group chose: Scratch as our exploration-o-the-day last week in tech lab.

Here is what I created with the support of my group (Ashley, Sarah, and Ashlee):



Here is a screen shot of what the program looks like:

In the Elementary Ed. side of class, we were supposed to explore new avenues to engage students in problem solving in the classroom. The music ed. students figured out how to play the piano with real bananas. I created this to make an online version of what they did and I wanted to explore how to create a Scratch. Enjoy, even if it's weird and the notes aren't right...

My group brainstormed the educational possibilities and enhancements that this program could bring to our future classrooms:

• It's very challenging. Through my exploration, I believe that this site is well designed to practice problem solving skills. Students can follow the tutorial to learn how to use the program and then created their own!
• It teaches patience, which is definitely part of problem solving and learning in general. The student must realize that their "failures" or set backs towards the creation of their projects are simply ways that they can learn from and navigate towards their desired goal however long it takes. 
• It can have content application base, too. There are already programs created that are geared towards specific topics that others have created. I know our group looked at potential math lesson and science lesson enhancements.
• It even has the potential to enhance student's content area by having them create stories or games that they and their peers can play based on a lesson the students are learning.

I'm sure there are many more application and skill gaining ways to use this website in the classroom. For more information, they have an educators section that is designed to bring those ideas of using problem solving into the classroom.

Good luck as you explore this program so your students can explore it to!

Flipped Classrooms

Flipped classrooms are a great way to get students to learn both in and out of the classroom. They can be presented different ways. Teachers can make their own videos/PowerPoint or can use a pre-existing form of information. This could be used to introduce students to a subject that will be talked about the next day, or it could be used for review, or something little that can help the students with their understanding.

Here is my idea for a flipped lesson: US history, civil rights movement unit

In class we will be discussing the major events of the civil rights movement. For homework, I would have the students watch a short clip on the court case Plessy vs. Ferguson and answer a few short questions. When they get into class the next day, we will discuss the Brown vs. Board court case and then compare and contrast the two cases.

OR

The students would watch a teacher-made video discussing the statistics involved with the civil rights movement and then in class asked to discuss and explain why the numbers were so important during the civil rights movement.

There are many things that can be done with a flipped classroom. I think I would use video/media that was made by me or by others. But I would be consistent and maybe ask the students what they prefer. From Megan's presentation, I learned that when doing a flipped classroom you have to be organized and that they students may rely more on each other than on the teacher. But that is ok since they are working cooperatively and taking charge of their own education.

Squishy Circuits

On Thursday, some of my Elementary Education peers and I decided to get some hands-on experience with squishy circuits.  We explored the two different types of Play-Doh provided, as well as the lights and other materials provided.  Through some trial-and-error, we decided this would be a great lesson to adapt to our future classrooms through teaching students about conductors and insulators (Play-Doh) and the sort of "electricity" so to speak that they create when mixed with circuits and wires.  I personally think this would be a valuable and fun lesson because I was honestly intrigued by the whole experience.  I remember learning about insulators and conductors in elementary school; however, I have no idea how I learned about it or what the relevance of those two things are.  A lesson like this would instantly grasp the students' attention and could even create some fun competition among the class pertaining to who could build a better structure with the Play-Doh, as well as cause all of the lights to turn on.
This activity would also serve as a solid basis for understanding of those particular terms.  Because something so hands-on like this would keep students interested, you could expand off of this and elaborate on other certain aspects of circuits (depending on the age of the kids).  This is just something to consider when choosing whether or not to adapt this lesson to your future classroom.  For me personally, I see this as an awesome way to get students interested in science and have fun doing it!

Amanda's Dream School

When I think about the perfect school, I think of one that can be accommodating to any and every student. Through the different observations that I've gone to, I've run into both high-leveled and low-leveled schools. They all have students that are willing to learn, but the types of schools will be huge factors in determining their learning level when they graduate. I want a school that is all about helping students achieve a high standard of learning.

If I were to think about the size of my dream school, the most ideal would be one that isn't overcrowded. I would go for about 400-600 students for a high school, 200-300 for a middle school, and 175-275 for an elementary school. There would be enough rooms for both academics and extra-curricular activities. In terms of a music classroom, I would like a room that has plenty of space and great acoustics. The ceiling would be custom-shaped so that sound can bounce around freely. The extra space would be for bands (middle school/high school) or for when the students are moving around (elementary school). There would also be one or two practice rooms with a piano in each of them. The walls in the school would have the school's achievements displayed as well as information about the school, a map of the school if it's large enough, works of art made by the the students, and sign which talk about the school's policies. The floors and hallways will be well-kept and clean, so students will be taught right away to throw trash away/recycle. There will also be a good-quality janitorial staff to make sure that everything is as it should be.

One rule I would implement in the school would be no talking in the hallways until school is over. This has been proven to make classroom settling much easier for both the teachers and the students. They will be more focused and the teacher wouldn't have to put as much effort into calming the kids down. The students are also expected to have a respectful attitude both towards their peers and towards the teachers and staff. The staff themselves would be well trained to handle all different kinds of kids. They would implement a set of rules at the beginning of the year and will have a system of discipline if they were to break them.

The school should be fairly up-to-date on technology. There would be one or two computer labs, smart boards in most of the academic classrooms, and multiple printers throughout the building. Cellphones and laptops would not be allowed unless it's for a computer science course. This is to prevent distraction.

What I want students to get out of this school is a rich learning curriculum that prepares them to take on their future once their education is complete. If it's for a younger grade, it would be to prepare them for the higher standards of secondary education.

Ashlee's Dream School

If I could create my own school and make up my own rules there are many things that I would do to enhance children’s learning, as well as autonomy. 

First of all, the atmosphere would be very laid back. Each student would have their own computer device to work on throughout the day. The students would have the opportunity to work at their own pace. I would give each of them guidelines and potential paths they were to follow throughout each subject, but each would end up at the same standard, they would just get to choose how they got there. I would allow the students to walk around freely. There would be no “Mrs. Rush can I go to the bathroom,” every 5 minutes. They would have free rein. I would have a ratio of 5 students to 1 teacher. Teachers would be in charge of teaching content and then students would go off on their own and work through their own programs, designed to meet their needs.

I would also have a class that focused solely on future careers. Each day, as a class, we would explore a different career. We would talk about the disadvantages and advantages of the job. We would do job shadows and have individuals with those careers come in and talk to the class. We would talk about personality traits that are associated with each career. I think often kids are focused on the money aspects of careers and aren’t really aware of the extra time and effort that these careers require.

I love the idea of a micro society. I would do a unit on a micro society. Kids would build or create something that they think would sell, or that they would like to have. They would create an advertisement for it, which would hit the art standard. They would create a label which would use require their writing skills. Then they would try and sell it at the school store and figure out profit margins. I think this project could be elaborated and taken in many directions and it would be up to the students where they wanted to go. 

I think autonomy is huge for kids and if they know that they are working at their own pace and they are calling the shots, they will be more motivated to grow and challenge themselves.