Tough day. I spent time, again, trying to evolve my PLN. There really is some great ideas and other stuff out there. I'm just struggling with filtering and finding material that I need now. Of course I could spend hours searching...Pinterest has proven that true!
WHEW...
Really struggling with my first video for the flipped classroom. As of now, I do not have anything ready or even started. I hope that some last minute efforts will come through and that I am prepared for tomorrow's presentation.
YAY!!!
Of everything that I have actually accomplished is my lesson plan and my student sample for a technology infused lesson! I somehow managed to compile several components necessary for this activity: lesson plan, a project sample, peer review form, and even a form in Google drive to have the kiddos submit their final projects into! I'm quite pleased with this section of work!
Throughout the day, I have found a few helpful and creditable resources including websites, youTube subscriptions, and following/created a new circle in Google+
alternantiveTo.net (a plethora of web apps that are similar. So if you know of an app, but either use it all the
time or maybe want something a little better or different, this is the place to go!)
In youTube i have subscribed to a few different channels. For interactive math journals, I have subscribed to Jessica Smith Sloane. For brain breaks or Fun Friday options, I subscribed to list25.
In Google+ i created a math circle and am following Maria Gonzalez for her amazing interactive math journals.
Flipped Classrooms Webinar
The webinar presented by Todd Nelsoney was amazing and inspiring! It is comforting to see teachers from similar teaching backgrounds be innovative and a leading force behind flipping the classroom. I am most impressed with the student responses and achievements. As teachers, we all want our students to have a deeper understanding for the material that we teach, a love for learning, and not be confined to teaching "The Test" AKA the STAAR Test. My eyes were opened to a new (and probably better) way of teaching!
Your Lesson and Student Sample
I will be using a lesson on lateral and total surface area and the students will be crating a PowToon to show how to solve for either surface area for one shape. Once they have created their PowToon, they will use peer review to edit and check for errors. The students will then share their presentation with another student that chose a different shape. Upon completion, I will have the students share their presentation with me through Google drive. I will choose one of each to post to my blog to share how amazing my students are!
Yesterday, I posted four potential barriers to infusing technology in the classroom: time, network issues, felling inadequate, and students being responsible. I have always been told, "Don't mention problems unless you have a solution!" Since I am the teacher, the one responsible for the each person that enters my classroom, my job is to identify solutions to these barriers so that all the students are able to go on a learning journey.
Problem #1: TIME
Solution: Everything takes time; however, the more you perform a task, the more proficient you become. I stumbled upon an article that talks about Gradual Release of Responsibility or GRR. Through implementation of classroom management, students will gradually know what to expect and has the potential for becoming second nature.
Problem #1: Network Issues
Solution: If it is an entire network issue, there is not much to do about that. Make sure that there is a Plan B and postpone the current lesson for another day. If it is an individual network issue, I know there are a few Technology Technicians that are just a phone call away! (Do not forget these co-workers: they are probably the best people to build relationships with and always ask with a smile :D)
Problem #1: Personal Inadequacy
Solution: The best cure for this is to grow and utilize my Personal Learning Network (PLN). By seeing how others have taught particular lessons, I can slowly but surely become more comfortable with new ways to enhance and transform the math experience for all my students.
Problem #1: Student Responsibility
Solution: I will let it be know that technology will be a reoccurring tool in the classroom. I will set and be consistent with the standards, expectations, and consequences for all the students at the beginning of the year. I will also include a new section under classroom management about "Netbook/BYOD Etiquette."
Here is a short video that incorporates just about all these barriers into one space. Although they are promoting an app, ExitTicket, the information is a starting point and valuable.
I learned quite a bit today that I really hope will be beneficial to me and hopefully for my students. I feel that I have learned a lot about Google docs, but based on the video we watched, there is so, so, so, very much more that is available and ready to be learned and utilized. Of course we were introduced to some web applications like GoSoapBox.com and awwapp.com that will enhance future lessons. I was reminded that I am also responsible for integrating the Technology TEKS into my core lessons. I was also introduced to a newer way of teaching called SAMR.
How to use it with students: I can use SAMR in the classroom by evaluating how lessons are being delivered: am I "giving" all the answers or are the students "seeking" the answers. Self discovery leads to a bigger and better transformations within the students. The web apps (mentioned above) can be utilized in the classroom for instant, anonymous feedback from students to check for understanding and to help students analyze and apply information.
What Lessons for this week: Some lessons that I have been considering are in our Geometry and Measurement unit: classifying 3-D shapes, calculating volume of prisms and pyramids, and scaling. Another unit: Computations and Algebraic Relationships which involves unit rate, equations and inequalities, constant of proportionality.
As a 21st century teacher, technology is an imperative aspect in daily lessons. So much is available for both teachers and students. Many great ideas and concepts that have the potential to enhance and transform our classrooms. Unfortunately. with the good comes the not so good. The good is clearly the technology and the ability to infuse it into seemingly "boring" or "uninteresting" topics and reactivate the minds of our students. The bad: well this takes the form of many barriers. Difficulties can begin with time consumption, network issues, inadequacies, and dealing with student responsibilities.
The barrier of time is a huge and common aspect while considering infusing technology in the classroom. Planning time. Teaching time. Student time. Time. Time. Time. All these times may have different origins, but in the end it takes precious time to prepare and even more time to make sure that ALL the students are ALL on the same site and are ALL experienced and equipped well enough to perform the task at hand.
Oh boy! The things that we are unable to control! The network...oh the network can occasionally be a barrier when trying to infuse a little technology from time to time. It can be like a temperamental two year old! You may never know when the tantrum is coming, but you know it's been too long and it is bound to be right around the corner. Networking issues can be potential barriers simply for the fact of the bandwidth being too small or limited due to the amount of usage.
A personal barrier that I struggle with is feeling inadequate to put together a meaningful technology infused lesson. I am a thinker. Most of the time I over analyze a concept to the point where I make mountains out of molehills. Many times, we can create a seemingly fantastic lesson infused with technology that is fluent and works great at home and with fellow teachers, but completely bombs in the classroom.
Student responsibilities are quite possibly the largest barrier that I could face. Our students are required to sign RUP's (responsible use policy) annually; however, this does not always ensure that pre-teens and teenagers are being responsible. Other student responsibility barriers can include not bringing their netbooks, forgetting the charger at home, or simply letting their netbooks loose all its battery. This is a huge deal since technology is becoming such an immensely intrinsic aspect of the 21st century teacher and students will face the chance of not being as prepared as they could be.
