21st Century Teaching

I know for a fact that teaching has drastically changed in the last 5 years, let alone the past 50. Technology in classrooms has really become so prevalent and visible that it's amazing, and yet at the same time, daunting. How do I incorporate all of it in one go? The answer is - you don't. In my classroom, I might use something different because it works better for my students. For example, I love using Classroom Dojo, and have tablets/laptops for all the students to use and follow along on lessons with, or play kahoot, or even have my older students teach younger students. But I personally do not like the idea of using VR. I think for certain things it might work, but I also can see it being a problem and distracting students. 

I think the biggest piece of technology that I want to incorporate is a class page of some sort where I can have all the students access it, and even have some interactive aspects, sort of like quizlet. I also think have weekly Kahoot tournaments would be fun for 2nd and 3rd grade, and would give them a way to use technology- one person in the group finds the answers, one inputs the answer on the screen. You could use smartphones, you could use tablets - it mostly depends on the grade. There are loads of different ways to incorporate it, and I'm excited to try them all. 

https://www.edutopia.org/video/tech-buddies-building-technology-skills-through-peer-teaching

https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/15-characteristics-21st-century-teacher

The Many Issues of Educational Technology

In today's day and age, we often walk into a classroom and spot several uses of technology. Computers, laptops, smartboards, TV's, tablets, phones, etc. But what we don't see, unless we stay for an extended period of time (i.e. longer than one class), is how often these are used, and what are the requirements to use them. I've been in classes where just like Robert Slavin says, teachers use them as a reward for good work, so the only students that get to go on there are students who know the content. I've also seen them where students who do poorly are required to do work on there. And I've even seen classes that just ignore them. What is the reason for all of this being important?

Well, we often use computer information to form evaluations and testing. The issue arises when the above information isn't taken into account when we select schools and classes to evaluate - we may pick a class because, on the programs, there is low content knowledge. However, when we evaluate the whole class, we see that it was used as a remedial course for a small percentage of students. This often skews the data, and quite frankly makes it impossible to use. The easiest way to fix this? Randomly assigning schools, just like Slavin says. "Randomly assign half to receive the computer-based program, and half to a business-as-usual control group". This is the perfect way to have an unbiased study - and anybody who took at least one Psych class would know that random assignments are always the best types of studies when you want the least biased results.

https://robertslavinsblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/how-computers-can-help-do-bad-research/

Slavin, R. (2018, December 13). How Computers Can Help Do Bad Research. Retrieved from https://robertslavinsblog.wordpress.com/2018/12/13/how-computers-can-help-do-bad-research/.

To be a Champion

Every child has a champion, a hero, that they look up to. For some, it's Batman, Superman, Queen Elsa, Barbie, etc. For others, it's a police officer, the president, maybe even a parent. But everybody, every person in the world, has at least one teacher that they think about in a way they don't any other. The teacher that made you a better person, that left that positive lasting impression. For me, I have two teachers that made me who I am. Mr. D'Lucia, my seventh grade Social Studies teacher. He was eccentric, fun, and looked out for everybody. I remember when I wanted to pair up with someone I thought was a friend, but they laughed and went to somebody else. He came over and told me jokes and stories about how his older sister and he had the same friends, but they would do the same thing to him and that it'd be okay. He let me work by myself - my preferred method of work anyway. The second teacher was Mr. Libby. He was the art teacher in middle school, and I still keep in contact with him. He knew that I was being bullied by my "friends" and defended me as much as he could. He let me hang out in his room and make art, he would kick them out when other teachers turned away. He showed me that there was a way to make a difference - to call people out on things instead of ignoring them.

To me, without these teachers, I wouldn't have made it through middle school. They reached out and made that connection that no other teacher had before. And so, it is my goal as a teacher to do exactly as Ms. Rita Pierson says - understand the value of human connection and utilize it. If a child has a good relationship with me, they will want to learn. If I can be that hero, that champion, and guide kids to understanding and learning by being a support system, then I have done my job. It is never to late to learn and understand things, especially human connection. Seek first to understand, instead of to be understood.

https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion/up-next#t-137951

Every Kid Needs a Champion. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/rita_pierson_every_kid_needs_a_champion/up-next#t-137951

What it takes to be a teacher

After reading a few of the articles about what it means to be a great teacher, I quickly realized that it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows. Mrs. Begay in her article “A ‘Wisdom Keeper’ Draws From A Deep Well Of Navajo Culture”, she mentions several times a little boy who is struggling with home life and school and that she wishes to help more, but can see him dropping out in a few years. It’s a real eye-opener, to hear first-hand accounts on how not every child can be saved, no matter how hard we try. I particularly liked how she talked about how just being there for one child is enough, and that makes it worth it because I do agree. As long as we’re there for one kid and make them leave happier then they came in with, I did my job. I do think the most surprising thing about this article was the fact that she went back to teaching even though she never thought she would – but it makes me think of several professors that I have had. Out of all the articles, Conrad Cooper’s is probably my favorite – because trust is one of the most important things. Relationships of any kind are built upon trust, and it’s so important for a child to trust a teacher – even if the teaching method isn’t always the best suited for that child. I think what surprises me most is how calm and rational Cooper seems, even though he teaches something so important and potentially life-endangering, and he can teach kids a vital skill in five days.

 Lastly, the final article that really resonated with me was Principal Ali Shalalha’s, and how he used something that for so long and to so many is a way to hurt kids and turned it into a way to help is so inspiring. It really brought to my attention how even if we, as teachers, are told to “teach the test”, we can still make something interesting enough, or teach it enough to be learned and not just taught.  It really adds to the important of teaching and being there for kids in more than just a way of a teacher – if you believe in a child and truly show them, those kids can do amazing things. His article ends with him saying that being “a man of education, you can make a good community and be better than what we have” and I believe in that more than anything.

Bates, K. G. (2015, July 28). The 'Swim Whisperer' Teaches Kids To Be Water-Safe. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/07/28/425617386/the-swim-whisperer-teaches-kids-to-be-water-safe

Harris, E. (2015, July 7). How One Israeli Educator Turned His School Around. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2015/07/07/419146910/how-one-israeli-educator-turned-his-school-around

Sanchez, C. (2016, January 12). A 'Wisdom Keeper' Draws From A Deep Well Of Navajo Culture. Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/01/12/462141655/a-wisdom-keeper-draws-from-a-deep-well-of-navajo-culture

VR

In Graeme Lawrie's article about VR in schools ("How our school is using Virtual Reality to prepare pupils or a future dominated by technology" see footnote for link), he explains the several different VR models as well as how they can benefit the children and the school. I personally agree with many of his findings, that the concept and idea behind VR in classrooms is a wonderful and beneficial experience for content development, the price is far too much for most schools to obtain, and the space needed for most of them (including wall sensors and whatnot) is larger than most classrooms have. However, I believe that the whole concept of immersing a child in the lesson, by virtually placing a child in what you need them to do, will produce a greater learning outcome. I can see the benefits of VR tech far outweigh the downsides of it - but again the cost of multiple VR headsets and wires is an expense most schools cannot afford. I know that several content areas, such as art and science can be used in VR.

The concept of using 360 Videos on youtube and Google cardboard is my favorite one, specifically because there's such a wide range to choose from. While I've never used VR in the classroom, I have used it for recreational purposes, and I do see the benefits of using it. I think that with enough planning and support, I can definitely see it becoming a staple in learning - we require students to have access to computers, TV's, even smartphones for things like Kahoot!, so what is the difference in using VR and the kids smartphones?

How our school is using Virtual Reality to prepare pupils for a future dominated by technology