Professional Development
Here I talk about how I want to better myself as a teacher and in my technology skills.
August 2018
Technology Skills Assesment
Areas of Strength:
I have a general understanding of how to use programs like Microsoft 2016. I can also quickly navigate mobile devices, like Ipads.
Areas of Weakness:
I need to improve is using technology to inspire students to learn, and create. I also have to learn to how efficiently implement technology into lessons.
Professional Development Goals:
I would like to see all areas improve as I learn new skills and programs to teach my future students.
December 2018
Technology Skills Assesment
Areas of Strength:
Over the course of the semester, I have improved the technology skills I already had. I also have strengthened my overall ability to implement technology into learning experiences and facilitating student learning and creativity.
Areas of Weakness:
My chart shows that my ability to promote digital citizenship and responsibility is weak, as well as a substantial gap in my general technology skills.
Professional Development Goals:
As I continue my education I hope to improve my areas of weakness, as described above, as well as continue to improve upon my strengths.
Badges
In my EDUC W-200 class at IU, I earned badges to show what I learned about technology resources.
By clicking on the image of each badge you will be taken to examples of the different works I have created.
Twitter Chat
In the twitter chat I participated in, I was able to communicate with teachers across the country about integrating technology into classrooms. Twitter provides a great platform to meet other teachers and administrators to expand your personal learning network. Using twitter in the classroom would be engaging for the kids to be able to experience what is happening outside of the classroom.
Symbaloo
Symbaloo allows teachers and students to create a page where they can store all of their favorite websites and resources. This allows students to be more effective on the computers because they won't have to type in the URLs, instead, they can click on the symbaloo icon.
Hour of Code
Hour of Code is an online resource that introduces kids to coding. It is a great way to enhance student's abstract thinking and problem solving. Most students enjoy the little challenge Hour of Code presents them.
Production
I produced an example of an online book students could create as a project. The one I created lines up with a second grade science standard. Having students produce their own work, more than just a worksheet or something similar, can enhance how the students engage themselves in their own learning. Producing something they can show others can create a sense of pride in their work.
Pinterest allows teachers to gather resources, like lesson plans, activities, worksheets, etc. into "boards" where you can easily sort them, and find them at a later date. It has a wide variety of grade level and subject matter that can be searched through. Pinterest can help keep activities that you love or want to try organized and help you be those most efficient you.
Nearpod
Nearpod allows Teachers and students to create interactive and engaging slideshow presentations that can incorporate videos, external links, and allows the viewers of the lesson to have it on their personal screen. This interactive feature allows students to answer questions anonymously. Nearpod also have a feature that allows quizzes to be added into the lesson, which increases the efficiency of how you can asses student learning.
ChatterPix
ChatterPix allows pictures to be uploaded and voiced-over. I used it with a picture of myself as a fun way to create a welcome message to future students and parents. ChatterPix could be a nice way to ease students of their anxieties about presenting their work/projects, as well as being engaging for the other students to view.
Jeopardy
Through playfactile.com users can create Jeopardy games on any subject or grade level. Students work in teams to come up with the right answer and earn points. I used it as a way to review second grade math concepts. This resource could increase the efficiency of reviewing past material.
Kahoot!
Kahoot! allows educators to create engaging quizzes where students compete against each other to answer questions as quickly and accurately as possible. It is a great tool for reviewing lessons and evaluating what your students know. I used it to create a review for older students about state capitals.
Plagarism
Having students learn about plagiarism can really make students' learning more effective because it helps them know that they can't just copy and paste information off of the internet. This also enhances their learning because they have to understand what they are learning so that they can put it into their own words.
QR Codes
QR Codes are a great way to make students' use of the internet more efficient. It allows the teacher to give students quick access to links without the need to type in any long web addresses. I used QR codes in a digital citizenship lesson plan.
SeeSaw
SeeSaw is a great place to keep students and parents updated on what’s going on in the classroom. It allows teachers to give students assignments online, and then create an archive or each student's work. Having this archive available online could create a more effective way to see the child's growth throughout the year.