Online Learning

Today's student is: tech savvy and most like to learn at their own pace.  A great option for these students in online courses.  I was one of the few students in my class to experience a web-based course.  Although I believe it is a good option for students, it was not a good option for me.  I am the kind of student who needs to be in a classroom, surrounded by my classmates, with a teacher leading the lessons.  Learning at your own pace is great, but thats if you are able to make sense of the information you are learning.  This was my issue, I struggled with the material I was learning.  Let's keep in mind this was more than a few years ago.

This week Donald Girouard and Shannon Horne, from Manitoba Education, came to talk to our class about online education.  They talked about the advantages of online education:

• Those living in remote or small communities who want to take a course that is not otherwise offered to them. (This was me)
• Single parents who need to be home with their kids.
• Students who are not able to be on campus.

Online education allows these individuals to continue on with their education.  This also allows them to work at their own pace.

It was great to learn how schools in rural areas are using these tools to bring more classes to their students.  In some small town schools, they have a blended system.  This means that sometimes the teacher will be directing the lesson via teleconference, lab work (where all the schools meet at one for a whole afternoon of instruction/lab experiments),  printed packages, online tools such as Blackboard, and synchronous lessons.

As a teacher about to graduate, it is great to know that the province is doing what they can to make sure that everyone has access to education. 

TT#5: Digital Footprint

So after the first week in my class Internet for Educators I decided to Google myself to see what came up.  I was very thankful to find out that the only thing on the first page of Google results was my Pinterest page.  When I looked through the pictures, I did not find any of myself.  This was a relief.  I have been told numerous times how employers will Google you before they meet with you to see what they can learn.  This got me thinking: if all they find is my Pinterest page is that a good or bad thing?  With this thought in mind I created my AboutMe page.  On this page I can direct what sites they can be linked to, as well as provide them with information that will be beneficial to hiring me. Here is the link to my AboutMe page if you would like to check it out: http://about.me/m3laingmk

Creative Commons: http://pixabay.com/en/footprints-feet-walking-toes-human-149398/

So how do I control my digital footprint?  I try my best to lock down my privacy settings on my Social Media sites.  As an upcoming teacher, I do not want my students to have access to my person life.  I would like to keep my Professional and Personal lives separate.  With younger sisters, it is hard to keep my online identity private.  Although I have changed my name online or my online addresses, my students are able to go through my sisters contacts to find me.  In most cases, my students have to request permission to follow or be friends with me online.

The article Digital Habitus gives a great definition of habitus:

"the process through which the activities of our everyday life shape and order our values and expectations."

It is so important to teach our students at a young age the importance of their online identity.  They need to be aware of their use of the digital world.  They need to know how to protect themselves. Students need to learn that every site they visit can be traced back to them, it becomes part of their history.  Many people hide behind the screen, creating a second identity.  What students need to realize is that they have one identity both on and offline.  It is possible if we start teaching students at a young age the impact of the internet and the consequences of misusing the internet, we can help keep our students safe and help limit cyber-bullying.

~ Miss Laing

TT#10: Commenting on a Kids Blog

As a teacher it is so great to see, hear, or read how kids express their learning.  Having a class blog is a great way for other teachers and parents to see what the students are learning each week.  This is especially great for the parents who ask their kids what they are learning and all they get the answer "nothing".  I decided to check out a few different class blogs.  I found it interesting to see the ways that teachers set theirs up.  The one that stood out the most to me was Ms. Cassidy's Classroom Blog. I loved how on the home page of the blog Ms. Cassidy posts what her class was working on and how to see more, check out the students individual blogs.  I checked out a few and loved that it was more than just writing a blog post but rather incorporating technology with writing.  Each student creates a video that they upload as their blog post explaining what they have learned.  One of my favourites was a young Hailey put together a video on Lady Bugs.  I loved how she included music to help catch the viewers attention.  Here is a picture of the post I left for Hailey:

In my future classroom I would love to set up a blog similar to Ms. Cassidy's classroom blog.  I really like how the students are able to create their own posts, on their own pages that are linked to the classroom blog.  By posting what the students have learned allows them to feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.  It is also a great way for parents to know what is going on in the classroom!

~ Miss Laing

TT#9: Online Videos in the Classroom

I don't remember a time in school where I was not excited to watch a video.  Watching a video meant you did not have to take notes, read the textbook, or listen to the teacher talk.  Most of the time there was an assignment that went along with the video, but hey it was still the best option.

I support online videos in the classroom.  In my past teaching placements, I have found online videos to help solidify my students learning.  I have found videos on YouTube and TEDx talks.  Here are two examples of how of I used online video's in my classroom:

1. In my first placement I was teaching grade eight Social Studies.  To help my students create a study guide, I had them create their own rap songs.  The raps were to include everything part of Ancient Egypt we had studied.  They were allowed to choose their own music.  The example I showed was from YouTube.  Here is the link to this video: Walk Like an Egyptian.

2.  In my third placement we were looking at photo editing in English.  To help my students see and understand photo editing we looked at many videos.  Some were found on YouTube and there was a TEDx Talk.  What I loved about the YouTube videos was how the clip showed the process of editing a photo from the beginning to the final product.  I was able to find videos for both a female and male photo edit.  Here is the link to the female photo editing video: Dove - Evolution Commercial.  Having more males than females in that class I wanted to make find a male version of a photo being edited. Both the genders were taken by surprise about how a male photo could be edited.



These videos provided my class with a visual to the information we were talking about in class.  They were able to provide more insightful answers and contribute to conversation.

So it must be obvious that I like finding videos on YouTube.  One other site I mentioned I liked was TEDx Talks.  I was able to find a model talking about her career.  What stuck with me the most was how she talked about her life, her job, and how they are separate.  She showed some powerful images of her before a shoot and her after the photo had been edited.  She was so honest in her answers.  I would suggest this TEDx Talk for teachers who need to address body image and photo editing with their students: Cameron Russell: Looks aren't everything. Believe me I'm a model.

 Ok, so now you must be wondering, would I consider having my students create their own videos/multimedia.  My answer: Absolutely!  Most students learn best when they are able to learn by doing.  Creating videos would allow students with all different strengths to work collaboratively in groups.  Each student would be able to contribute their own strengths.  I like the idea of creating a video or a project to demonstrate their learning, rather than having the students sit in the desks and answer questions.  Questions limit how they can demonstrate their knowledge.  If my school allowed it, yes I would post my students work.  Posting their work would give them a sense of pride in what they have accomplished.  It also provides other students a chance to learn from my students.

If anyone knows of good video/multimedia sites to share, please let me know!!!

~ Miss Laing

TT #2: Organizing yourself online

When I first read about TT#2 I had no idea what to write about.  It got me thinking, how am I organized online?  Truth be told, how am I organize period?  I will admit, I am the person that will put important papers and items in a "safe place" but then when I need those papers or items I could not tell you where I had kept them so safely.  Thats how safe they are, they are so safe even I cannot find them.  So you must be wondering how does she stay organized online?  This is a good question. As probably predicted I forget what username I have created or which password I used, which username goes with which site, and yes the list goes on.  I remember Mike talking to us last year about this issue.  He told us about an app he uses to keep all his passwords and usernames safe.  My problem = I am a broke student and the app coast $10, my other problem I don't remember what the app was called (probably because it cost $10).

What helps me stay organized are sites like Pinterest, Google Docs, Google Community, and Feedly.

I love Pinterest.  I am able to create my own boards to categorize all my pins.  I have boards for:

• Healthy Options
• Workouts
• Fashion
• Specific subjects (Math, ELA, etc,)

I have yet to learn the maximum amount of boards one person can have.  So far and counting one friend has over 100 Pinterest Boards.  

The site is easy to use and allows you to narrow down your search.  I have seen many teachers use this site to help develop their units.  I really like the feature of sending pins to your friends that you follow.  I have come across recipes, workouts, and activities that I have shared with friends and family.  My one caution is make sure to really look and see if the option is worth pinning or still exists.

Google Docs is one of my new favourite sites.  I love that I can create and collaborate with friends, family, and classmates on this site.  My one example I will share is how I was able to help edit my sisters paper with her even though I was in Brandon and she was back home.  I was able to leave comments and suggestions for her as she worked on her paper.  One other feature, you can access your Google Doc account from any computer, just sign in with your username and password.  This came in handy when my computer crashed and I lost everything.  This is a site I would love to use in my classroom someday; as long as the division does not have it blocked to students.  This would help students be able to collaborate on assignments after schools hours.  I, the teacher, would be able to see how is contributing as well and leave comments for my students as they work.  

These two sites are the ones I use the most to stay organized online and ones I plan to continue using when I have my own classroom.

~ Miss Laing

What tools will you use to reach your Success?

I find that in presentations there is so much information provided.  It is hard to absorb everything. This week Joe Evans provided us with information overload.  What I appreciated was that he admitted to "information overload".  Joe told us to explore just one or two sites that he showed us, learn about them, and consider how we can use these sites in our classrooms.  So pick two, I can do that but with so many options how do I choose?

One I have looked at is a site called AutoMotivator.  This site allows you to make motivational posters, and get this "For Free!!!"  As a broke student and future first year teacher, free is very appealing.  Browsing the site, I found it is pretty easy to figure out.  You can:

• choose a picture from their gallery
• upload a picture from your computer, or
• open a picture from the web

From this point, once your picture is chosen you choose your title and the text you want included on your poster.  I always previewed my poster before saving to make sure I was satisfied with the final product.  If you like it, save your poster and you are finished, it is as simple as that.  This is the one I created:

The quote I chose is one of my favourite quotes. Our success is up to us.  Believing in ourselves and our capabilities is the first set to succeeding. This is something I would like to introduce or revisit with my students.  I want to help them believe in themselves so that they can work towards achieving their goals and dreams.  Sometimes just knowing that someone else believes in you helps you to believe in yourself.  If I can help any of my students believe in themselves, I know they are one step closure to their goals.
I chose a waterfall for the picture because personally someday I would love to climb or descend a waterfall.

So how do I use this site in my classroom?  Do I create posters to hang in my classroom?  Do I have the students create their own posters?  If so, for what purpose?  All of these questions are possibilities.  Creating posters for my classroom would be great.  These posters would help surround my students with positive and inspirational quotes.  Having my students create their own, why not. Why not surround the students with quotes that they have a connection to.  Why not have them contribute to the atmosphere of the classroom!  Depending on what we are learning, creating these kinds of posters could be part of an assignment.  Students could take a theme from novel they are reading and use it as part of their "Book Review".  There are so many possibilities, these are just a few ideas.

John talked about Maple, Diigo, and Twitter.  I must admit I have not spend much time looking at Maple or Diigo, even though I have heard John talk about both of these sites prior to this week. There is so much to learn about these sites, I just need to set time aside to learn more about the benefits of both sites.  Twitter is a great form of communication, and slowly over time I am learning more and more about its benefits.

If you take away at least one thing from todays post, let it be:

In order to succeed, we must first believe we can! 
The first step to reaching your goal is to believe you can!!!

~ Miss Laing

Digital Identity, Who Are You Online?

This week we talked a lot about Digital Dualism. When I think of Digital Dualism I think of Digital Identity.  Who are you online?  Are you yourself? Or are you hiding behind a different identity?  The TEDx video "10 reasons to Stop Apologizing for Your Online Life" makes you stop and think about who you are online.  With graduation nearing I find I am being more cautious about what I do online than I ever have in the past.  I like to think I am myself, that I do not hide behind a username.  The caution is more geared towards who I allow to follow my Social Media sites or what I post on my sites.  Although I have changed my name and my settings, my students have been able to find me because they are friends with my younger siblings.  I changed my name to protect my privacy, I do not see it as hiding.  Yet with these precautions, it has not been enough from preventing my students from finding me.  I would never post anything that could jeopardize my career in Education but that does not mean I need my students to have easy access to my personal life.

Ok back to the video.  As I was watching, I found myself thinking about what I could use from this video to teach my future classrooms about the internet.

• Your Real Self:  This point lead me to think about the effects of bullying.  I recently watch a video about bullying through the web.  A group of students posted a picture with the intent that feelings would be hurt.  Some find it easier to say things that they cannot say in person.  They hide behind a new identity.  It is important for students to realize that everything they do online can be traced back to them, creating their Digital Identity.
• These are Real Friends:  Victoria talked about how people need to stop and think before they hit confirm.  The people we add to our online should be those we actually know and like.  We do not need to add everyone just to increase the number of followers or friends we have on our Social Media sites.

These were the two main points that made me think about my future students.  Students should be able to be themselves whether in person or in front of a screen.  Our Digital Identity should mirror our "Real Life", not be two separate identities.

 ~ Miss Laing

Twitter for Teachers?

I have had Twitter for at least a year now, but if I am being truthfully honest I really do not know much about Twitter.  The only reason I signed up for Twitter was due to my siblings, 4 out of the 5 of them were always on their Twitter accounts.  After I signed up, I started following:

• my siblings
• celebrities (ie: Ellen)
• and the few friends I knew had an account

And so my Twitter journey began.  I would go on maybe once a week to read new posts I had not seen yet but maybe, for that account, posted a whole 5 times.  I never new what to post or thought of anything worth while posting.

Last year in my ICT course the idea of having a professional and a personal account for Twitter.  This got me to thinking, why not?  Having younger siblings, who follow me or tag me in a post, I find that their friends, my students, are trying to follow or add me on social media.  So, as you can guess, I created two accounts; one personal and one professional.  

I am still trying to figure out how I can use Twitter in my classroom?  There was one classroom I saw that had a daily Twitter wall.  The teacher would have students post, on a piece of paper, their favourite thing, or interesting that they learned this week.  This I can see myself trying in my classroom.  It would be a great way to see what my students learned and are interested in.  

Another option for a classroom Twitter account I have heard of was where the teacher would create an account and have students post about their learning, again once a week, online.  This would be a great way for parents to see, on a weekly basis, what their children learned that week.  IF I were to try this with my class, I would make sure to check with my admin team if this was allowed.  From there I would send home a permission letter for the parents to sign, giving their child permission to post on behalf of the class.

The other possibility of Twitter in the classroom is the endless possibilities of people/groups you can follow.  I believe it would be great to follow another class that lives in another country.  It would be a great a great way to learn about another culture.

If anyone has more ideas about how to use Twitter in the classroom I would love to hear them.

~ Miss Laing

An Important Read for all Teachers!!!

Day 2

Today we had another guest speaker.  We had the pleasure of talking with John Finch.  This was not your typical presentation but rather a chance to sit down and ask any questions about technology or about anything we may encounter out in the field.  This lead to a very interesting conversation.  Two topics really caught my attention.

1. Rights to Music and Movies

• It was very frustrating to learn how teachers are unable to: play the radio in their classroom, music they have bought on iTunes, or any option that requires you to sign into an account, such as Netflix.  I still do not clearly understand why teachers are not able to play music or videos they have personally purchased in their classroom.  Teachers are only legally allowed to play music or videos when they have been purchased for an educational purpose.  This makes me wonder, how so many schools play movies for students on days like the last day before Christmas Break or Spring Break? Are they legally allowed to? If so, what is different about those days? Why only those days? I realize (Mike) that these questions should have been asked when I had the chance but I was still in the initial shock of learning how teachers are not legally allowed to play music or movies when they have to sign into an account.

2. Investing time into learning how to use technology properly.

• John talked a lot about how schools are investing money into technology, technology that       a) teachers do not learn how to use properly, and/or b) never actually is set up.  It was upsetting to learn that many teachers still do not know how to use the technology their division has bought them.  I will admit I do not know many features the SmartBoard offers.  Sadly, this is the technology I have most often found in today's classroom.  
• In my last placement, the only modern technology the classroom had was a Document Camera. There were no computers, no laptops, or SmartBoard.  When I asked my Cooperating Teacher how the Document Camera worked, she answered that she did not know how to use it but that I would be welcomed to figure it out and then teach her.  This is one example I have come across that proves John's point about school's purchasing technology that teachers do not take the time to learn how to use.
• This leads me to the question...                                                                                                                       Why aren't more teachers learning to use the technology provided for them?

Until next time...

~ Miss Laing

The Beginnings of Internet for Educators

It's the beginning of 2015 and I'm beginning my second adventure into the world of ICT.  This course is the sequel to the course I took last year, Intro to ICT.  I am excited to learn more about different ways I can incorporate technology into my lessons, making my lessons more engaging for my students.

To start off this semester, my final one I may add, our class had a virtual presentation by Dean Shareski.  Some of the questions he asked us really made you think.

• How is learning different in 2014?
• Why is learning different in 2014?

These questions are important for future teachers, as well as current teachers, to think about while planning their lessons.  Learning is about more than just teaching the facts.  With tools like the internet, students can look up the facts for themselves.  Dean asked us to discuss in groups these questions.  One topic my group discussed was how teachers need to teach how to look up reliable sources, rather than just the facts.  Students need to be aware of how anyone can post anything they want on the internet.  Here is a link to a video I made with my classmates last semester.  This video is about the importance of finding credible and reliable sources.

 

Another part of the presentation that caught my attention was when Dean was talking about what needs to change for the better.

• Content: just teaching your students to read and write will not make them literate
• Assessment: tests do only show you part of what the students know, and only one way to assess their knowledge
• Community: it is important for students to know that it is important that they not only learn from the teacher, but also learn from each other. 
• Students should reflect on their learning.  Ask them: "What did they learn from others?" and "How did they contribute to the learning of others?"

I am excited to see what this semester has in store for my learning in the subject of ICT!!!

Stay tuned for more...

~ Miss Laing