Infographics

I think that this is a great visual representations of student learning! Of course they would be useful in the classroom especially for our visual learners!

I think that that creating an infograph would be an engaging assignment for my students.  This is an excellent way to present the knowledge the students have gathered throughout a unit. I could see students using this to present their knowledge on a certain Asian country (this is what I am doing for my final placement).  This could also be used for assignments where the students are asked to create awareness about a certain topic such as the effects of obesity, or child-labor in different countries.  This is a very effective way to get people's attention!   This is also an excellent time to talk to your students about synthesizing information.  It is often challenging for students to take a large amount of information and transform it into a visual diagram. The students learn how to filter data, distill data, and how to select visual tools to represent the information.
Jordana and I worked together to create an infograph about the importance of blogging in the classroom... check it out!!

This infograph describes WW11.  The students did an excellent job!

Organizing Myself Online

It is so important to organize ourselves online.  There are so many amazing tools, blogs, websites, networking sites, apps available online that we need to find a way to remember them all!! 

Digital Curation is a necessary skill to have today.  There are so many digital curation tools available we need to find a way to familiarize ourselves with them.  These tools allow us to organize ourselves online.  
Some of things I do to organize myself online: 
 Feedly: I use feedly to keep track of blogs I wish to follow
Symbaloo: I use symbaloo to organize all of the websites, blogs, videos, ect that I use regularly
What types of things do you think you will have your students use in the classroom?
Dropbox: I use dropbok in order to organize and share files.

What types of things do I think I will have my students use in the classroom?
  Kiersten T shared how she used Symbaloo in her classroom and I thought this was an excellent idea.  She color coded different websites, videoes, resources that are helpful for different subject areas.  This is great because the students can access these resources at home.  I would definitely use this in my classroom.  I also like the idea or using dropbox in my classroom.  Dropbox allows students to store their work online.  This is helpful because they can have access to their work at home and at school without having to physically carry a flash drive or a binder that could potentially get lost or left at home or school.  

Twitter

I created a twitter acount for this class.  Previously I felt that I did not want twitter thinking it was a waste of my time and that I wouldn't use it.  I WAS WRONG!! There is so many things we can do with twitter inside and outside of the classroom.  Students can tweet about new knowlege they have aquired, join forums, or read others tweets.  As a teacher twitter is a great resource expanding my netwroking capabilities to teachers and professionals all over the world. I think it is so neat that a little sign (#) can connect so many people who are talking about the same topic.
If you are someone who doesn't think they have time for twitter like I was please give it a try you may change your mind!
Follow me @carawedderburn!

App Show and Tell

Popplet!
I found an awesome app called Popplet that I will be using in my future classroom.  This app allows you to put images and videos and share your ideas, questions, and comments with others.  Teachers could use this in their class in order to generate discussion.
Check it out: http://popplet.com/

Check it out: http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/
Comix
"Make Beliefs Comix" this app was really neat!  I have created comics with my students in grade 3/4 social studies last year and I think that this would have been a more engaging way to get the students involved in this process!

I will be honest I used my colleagues blogs from last year to help me to find interactive apps to use in my classroom.  As I have learned over and over "work smarter not harder".  I played with these two apps and could definitely find a place for them in my classroom!

Video's in the Classroom

I discovered this video on youtube.  This video depicts the horrific happenings of the Philippines disaster.  My students will be learning about this and I would use this video as an activating strategy in order for them to understand the magnitude of the storm.

I was lucky to find a Bill Nye video on structures.  I am teaching forces and structure in my final placement and everyone loves Bill Nye!  These videos are excellent to use during the activating or acquiring phase of your lessons.  He demonstrates information in such an engaging way!

Using video in the classroom is an excellent way to engage students.  It is great to present information in a different way.  Not only are videos a fun way to present a new idea to the students they are also a wonderful way for students to share their new knowledge.  Creating videos could be used in almost every classroom and subject area some ideas that come to mind are: creating awareness about a certain topic such as: bullying, social issues, or digital citizenship.  In English you could create a movie based on a book that your students read in class.  

Putting student made videos on Youtube??? If I was granted permission from my school division, principal, parents, and students I would put my class made videos on Youtube.  I think that students are bound to do a better job on assignments and become more passionate about assignments if their audience is expanded from just the teacher and their classmates.  Youtube gives the students an opportunity to share their work with the world.  I know I work a lot harder on an assignment if I am sharing it with a larger audience and I am sure it will be the same for my students.  I also can see myself using video making as a way for my students to create awareness about a topic they are passionate about.  If my students know that their information will be shared with the world their assignment gains a purpose as they can make a larger audience aware of their cause.  

Podcast

Podcast time!! I looked up a whole bunch of Podcasts and found some interesting ones.  The one that grabbed my attention was from the NPR website.  I listened to a Podcast entitled "Flipping the Classroom".  "Flipping the Classroom" discussed the idea of using Podcasts in the senior years classroom.  The school sent the lectures home with the students as homework. They claimed that this created more time for one on one instruction with the students as the teacher did not have to lecture during class time.  This took place in Colorado and they saw success with struggling students.  The parents also appreciated this technique because the Podcast lectures were also available for the parents to look at.  This gave the parents an opportunity to help their children learn the material as they could familiarize themselves with the information.  

I think that this technique would be beneficial for students who have missed class or need to see the lecture again at home.  I think that we are moving away from the common lecture and adding engaging activities and hand-on experiences to our lessons.  I think that this should be included in the Podcast and the students should have the opportunity to view this at home.  I don't think that the Podcast should replace the explanation of a new idea but should be available with the explanation of a idea.  Students can review the Podcast at home and parents have an opportunity to help their children at home with because they also have an opportunity to view the Podcast. I would consider doing this for my students.

I created a unit on Asia for my final placement.  I think it would be fun for students to create their own Podcast as a way for students to apply their new knowledge.  During one activity students are asked to consult websites of organizations supporting war-affected children in order to find ways in which they may become involved in combating the impact of armed conflict on children.  As a class we will discuss a variety of possible actions and a podcast could be a way for students to take action and provide awareness.  

My PLN

PLN's:  This made me think about the differences between my Personal Learning Environment and my students Personal Learning Environment.  My students will know the same or more technology tools than I know.  This means that I need to be prepared for the students coming into my classroom.  I need to be prepared to use some of these tools in order to further engage my students. 
The Typical Teacher and the Connected Teacher: Typical Teacher: Curricular Documents, Colleges, Popular Media, Print and Digital Resources, Family and Local Community.  Hmmmmm.... Not really thinking outside of the box! 
Connected Teacher: So much more!! This teacher looks at the same as the typical teacher plus wiki's, blogs, chats, social networking, digital fora, social bookmarking,and digital photo sharing.  I feel that I am well on my way to being a connected teacher.  I understand why it is important to be a connected teacher!  Why not make your classroom an engaging environment using resources from more than the typical sources! 

The Panel Discussion

On Tuesday, February 18 we had the opportunity to listen to R. Norris from Dakota Colligate, A. McKiel & D. Kuropatwa from SJSD, and M. Ingenmey from RRSD (Minnedosa).   They all explained why they think implementing BYOD into the classroom is a good thing.  BYOD is excellent because it gives students the opportunity to experience technology at school and at home.  Students who can take their device home gives them extra time to "play" and get familiar with their device.  The students also have a device they can call their own that they always have access too.    
I was surprised to learn that BYOD was also cost efficient.  My first thought was that providing a piece of technology for each student in the school would be extremely costly and; therefore, difficult to gain divisional support.  Although, its not cheap the school divisions are saving money because they no longer have to create computer labs and continue to keep up with the latest computers.
Computer labs will become obsolete.  I truly believe that getting rid of computer labs is excellent!  Now the students are not only learning and using technology in one class a day or sometimes a cycle but rather they are using their device everyday for every class!
Every great idea has some negative consequences.  One con was the amount of breakage happening.  RRSD discussed the idea of giving student choice in the device they select.  The had little breakage incidents and believe that the students were more careful with the devices because they had a chance to select what they wanted.  Other school divisions created an insurance option where the students pay a certain amount at the beginning of the year and offered 1 new device if their device breaks.  I learned a lot about BYOD and truly believe that this is an excellent direction that school divisions are taking.  I predict that in the next five-10 years BYOD will be a program taking place in almost every classroom!  

The Presentation by Sophia Palachicky

Last week we had a presentation from Sophia Palachicky about Web Based Courses in Manitoba.  I was not familiar with this process due to the fact that I have never taken an online course or been involved in teaching a web based course.  I was amazed at how accessible these courses are to teachers.  This is an excellent resource to teachers as they provide an entire unit for their use.   I think that this resources is more useful in senior years than middle or early years.  Students are unable to self-motivate at this age so therefore I would not use web based courses for this age group.  I can see this being useful for senior years students who are able to self-motivate and do not have an opportunity to take a course due to the inability to offer a specific course at their school.  
 Do I think that my students should sit in front a computer and teach themselves.  I don't think I am convinced! 
I honestly struggle with the idea of web based course delivery as an alternative to classroom learning.  This form of learning does not coexist with some things that I firmly believe in such as: collaboration in the classroom (this in turn helps students to develop social skills), different learning styles, student and teacher collaboration.

Digital Footprint

Your digital footprint is your online identity.  I think that digital identity and digital citizenship go hand in hand.  Although the internet is an excellent resource our students need to be aware that there may be consequences to what they put online.
 I have put a lot of thought into this especially due to my career choice.  Teachers rightly, are supposed to be role models for their students.  I do not want future employers to see a picture of me during my early university adventures!  I want my employers to see me as a mature, qualified, eager individual.  This is why I have a blog, twitter, website, about me page ect.  I want to be perceived as a professional on and offline.
Are we different online than we are offline,some people are.  I think the real question is: should we be different online than we are offline?  My answer is no!  I think that we should be perceived as the professional we are online and offline.  
It is extremely important to inform students of the consequences of a digital footprint.  Students need to be aware that what we put online can be seen by the world.  Students need to ask themselves... do I want the world to read this tweet or see this photo?  Will this picture, comment, ect change the way people perceive me?
I would incorporate this conversation into my digital citizenship discussion.  There are a bunch of great lesson ideas on the website: http://www.commonsensemedia.org/videos/lesson-in-action-private-today-public-tomorrow

Digital Team Teaching

I just started following Devon Caldwell's blog "Kindergarten Diva".  Devon teaches junior and senior kindergarten at Oak Lake Community School.  She has received the Prime Minister's Award for teaching excellence.  The way Devon incorporates technology into the classroom is amazing!  Devon and her colleague Leah Obach team teach.  The twist is that Devon teaches in Oak Lake and Leah teaches in Hamiota.  The students participate in Skype lessons.  Digital team teaching is their goal! How neat is this!

Digital Citizenship 
We are so used to seeing teachers that fear their students will abuse technology by using it for things like cyber bullying, inappropriate uses of social media, or sex-ting.  The things we can do with technology are amazing!  Look at Martha, at only 9 years old she changed what children were eating in schools. Through her blog and twitter she gathered many followers including her idol Jamie Oliver.   Her platform gave her the opportunity to be on talk shows and cooking shows.  Here they had conversations about the quality of school lunches.  She managed to change what students ate in schools making sure there was enough food and that the food was healthy.
There are many many Martha's in the world. These students are curious, confident, disciplined, self-directed, enthusiastic, passionate, critical thinkers, and problem- solvers is this not what we want to see from our students in our classrooms?  If we want to see these characteristics in our classrooms we need to allow our students to use technology productively.  My favorite question from this video is: how do we take the extra curricular and make it the curricular.  This is an excellent question and one that can be answered in numerous ways; from tweeting Chris Hatfield to ask him your questions, or skyping a country in Asia to learn more about it!  We need to focus less on controlling our students use of technology and more on empowering our students to become passionate about technology.  We need to teach students how to use technology properly rather than not using it because we are scared they will abuse it!

Google Hang Out
We have had two presentations in class using "Google hang out".  First of all, how cool is it that we can talk to people hundreds of miles away face to face?!  I am going to be doing a grade 7 unit on Asia.  I want my students to have an opportunity to ask their questions about the continent to people who actually live there.  This will be an excellent use for Google hang out in the classroom.  My grade 7 students will chat with a grade 7 class in Asia about their culture and society.