Middle is Mighty

It's Complicated Source Social media, or the internet, sometimes seems like a bad word. Thinking back to when I was in school, we would get yelled at and given a detention if we were doing anything with tech other than using it for Microsoft Word. Even at school as a teacher, we put down the use of phones and caution kids about the horrors social media can cause. However, tech and social media can be used to educate students and further their learning. It should be used as a means for engagement and a way to prepare them for the jobs of the future. Tech is here to stay, along with social media, so we need to be prepared for its use more often at school. A Microsoft researcher, named danah boyd, traveled to interview kids about social media in education. She interviewed students from all backgrounds and to hear what they had to say. She created a presentation, which I found quite interesting and commented on below. Surprising Finds One statistic I found interesting wa...

One Course Down Wow! It is crazy to think I am already in the last week of my first course towards a technology endorsement. I feel as though it flew by! I have learned so much about myself as a teacher and as a personal user of technology. I cannot wait to begin the next course to push my knowledge even further. Looking Back, Looking Ahead Source In late October, I began the journey towards furthering my knowledge as an educator. I was excited as I posted my first blog post and paired it with the Gif above. I wrote that I was excited to start and wanted to have a better understanding of how to implement technology in the classroom. I knew that it was important because kids today learn much differently than many teachers did when they were in school. I coupled that with this Gif to show my excitement in beginning the course. I felt I already knew a lot about technology because I had used it starting in elementary school. I still feel the same excitement as I think back...

Digital Tattoos A digital tattoo is similar to getting a real one on one's body: it is permanent and provides meaning or insight about that individual. When we go online and post on social media, we don't always think about how the post will affect us. However, digital tattoos provide others with wanted AND unwanted information about us. It is important to know what your digital tattoo looks like to be aware of what others can see. This week, I ended up researching my own digital tattoo, in something called a data mine. Being someone in education, I am a very public figure. Students, parents, and employees can all have access to information about me online. I used several different websites in search for my digital tattoo, which are highlighted below: The first website I used was Google. I ever so often hear about people "googling" themselves to see what is out there. I put my full name in, but I was surprised to find out that nothing was coming up in ter...

Professional Learning Networks (PLNs) Source Over the past few weeks, I have been learning the value of professional learning networks, or PLNs , to the profession of education. A PLN is a virtual space where people can chat and share resources/ideas. As teachers, the field of education in constantly changing. New problems arise, new resources become introduced, and sometimes we struggle to keep up. However, by staying connected with other teachers/coaches, we can get ahead of the times and be better prepared to teach our kids. Source I created a Twitter account, @DowneyC16 , in hopes of gaining new insight from others. As a third year teacher, I know there is so much I need to improve on and learn. At the same time, I know I have strengths that can be shared with others as well. As I became acclimated with Twitter, I began to follow several accounts that were of interest to me, including: @MindshiftKQED , @edutopia , @MonicaGentaED , @NASASTEM , @PhETsims , and others....

Digital Tools Source Digital tools are online resources that can be used to enhance teaching. I have used several different digital tools, but the ones I use most often are Kahoot , Quizlet , ClassDojo , and AdobeSpark . They provide more engagement in the classroom, can be used as formative assessments, and they collect critical data for understanding students. Without the use of digital tools, technology usage would lack purpose and meaning. Now that schools have technology for student use, it is important that we as teachers learn about how we can best implement these tools to educate the newer generation. What is ScreenCastify? One digital tool that I have heard about, but never looked into, is ScreenCastify . It is a website, that can be added as an extension on Google, that allows users to take a video of their screen, tabs, or of themselves. I know of a few teachers in my school who use it to create sub lessons, but I wanted to take a look for myself. I decid...

Project Tomorrow: Speak Up Technology use in schools is in evitable and critical. Teachers, administrators, and parents all agree about the importance of using technology in education. Project Tomorrow  is an organization that provides data on the topic of technology. The have a program called Speak Up , in which they survey all those involved about their view on technology use in education and publish a report. The reports are helpful to see trends on views and/or gaps. I found many of the reports, info-graphs, and videos interesting as I looked on the website, but the report and info-graph that really stuck with me were  Digital Learning: Peril or Promise for Our K-12 Students and  " Preparing Student for the World of Work Speak Up 2018-19 Findings November 2019."    The information received  can help educators better understand how students today are learning so they can be better taught. Source Stakeholder Views I thought the info-graph...

Augmented Reality What It Is: Gif Source Technology for increased engagement Layered on reality for enhancement Use in various fields  Allows for interactions that are not normally possible What It Isn't:  Gif Source Virtual Reality, or the creation and immersion of a whole new setting  Just a game or toy Fields of Use: Augmented reality is used in several fields, such as business, healthcare, military defense, industrial maintenance, etc. It allows companies to train employees using hands on technology, such as applications on tablets, goggles, etc. These materials give them a chance to train in a safer environment, as well as lower costs of specialized tools that would be needed otherwise. Uses in Education: Augmented reality can be used throughout grade levels and content areas. Some examples of applications/websites are CoSpaces Edu , and Merge Cube . Both of these require purchase in order to use them to their full potenti...

Active Learning Using Cougar Code Image Source This week, I created a Padlet about an active learning experience, which in turn, was an active learning experience for me (inception?). The picture of my Padlet is shown above, but it is a bit hard to see. Below I will break it down into chunks to address all the important information. The link to my Padlet is sourced above as well.  Gif Source

A Digital Map I mage Source: Google Images ]This week, I had a chance to reflect on my use of different applications and internet sites. I created a chart to display what I use professionally, personally, frequently, or seldom. Applications I use for work would be towards the top of the chart, where as applications used at home/for personal use would be towards the bottom of the chart. There are several in which I do not use often or interact with, so this means I am a visitor and those applications are towards the left of the chart. On the other hand, there are others that I visit frequently and interact with, meaning post on and data would be collected by doing so. These applications are going to be closer to the right.  Digital Analysis Looking at the applications that I am considered a resident with, the closer they are to the left would indicate that I use them daily, post, and leave a trail of data for others to see. There are several that I use for persona...