Scratch

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, edtech, UncategorizedLeave a comment

https://beta.scratch.mit.edu/?tutorial=getStarted

“Scratch is a free programming language and online community where you can create your own interactive stories, games, and animations.”

scratch

Examples of when Scratch could be used:

Programming games

Story Telling

Math and geometry

Physics: Ballistic arcs

What I could use Scratch for in my classroom?

Scratch is a useful coding tool for students as it can have them engaged in creating while learning.  I can see myself using this with my students maybe as a final assignment after learning a unit, social studies for example.

Where would Scratch not be helpful in my classroom?

I wouldn’t want this to become a distraction to my students.  As long as it is being used as a tool at appropriate times, I would be okay with it.

How could Scratch help differentiate learning for my students?

This may be a useful tool for students that have difficulties creating a poster board for example for a project.  Because it is so engaging, students that have difficulty staying on task with regular pen to paper assignments and may find this more intriguing.

 

 

Technology in my Past and Future

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, tech inquiryLeave a comment

Over the length of this semester I was able to interview many different individuals that work at schools and how they incorporate technology into their teaching.  I met with classroom teachers, a band teacher, an inclusive facilitator, and an E.A.  I spoke with multiple districts within British Columbia, as well as one in Melbourne, Australia.

I feel as though I have learned a lot from this process, and will incorporate some of the tech I have learned about in my future classroom.

I know that technology is always changing, and I am sure by the time I graduate there will be some serious advances.  At this point, I have my top devices and top programs/apps that I will be looking to use some day.

people coffee meeting team
Photo by Startup Stock Photos on Pexels.com

Rosie’s Top Programs/Apps:

  • Google Classroom It seems as though most teachers I spoke with use google classroom.  I believe this will be a great way to keep students on track, and keep things clear with parents as well if they are unsure of when an assignment is due or with any upcoming dates etc.
  • Fresh Grade Again, this is great for keeping parents updated, but I think the most valuable part of Fresh Grade is the communication between student and teacher.  I like the self-reflection part of this as well, which makes students accountable and really think back about the work they have done.
  • Calm.com I have observed this being used in a classroom and it is immediately calming.  I would love to start my days with this on in the classroom while students are putting their bags away and make their way to their desks.  I would also like to use the mindfulness feature with my students.

Rosie’s Top Devices:

  • iPads/Chromebooks I know that many teachers have both of these devices readily available for their students, as many (fortunate) schools have enough for teachers to share them between classes.  There are many wonderful educational apps and programs out there that can be used for a variety of subjects.  It would be great to be able to integrate these programs and engage the students along with assist them with their educational needs.
  • Projector Being able to display images that are featured on the main classroom computer to the whole class would be very helpful.  This may be a youtube video or even just a photo that has been uploaded or searched online.  Even having them for the occasional body break dance parties would be amazing!

Painting Card with Water Colour and Black Ink

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, open inquiryLeave a comment

This weekend I was making a card for a soon-to-be mom and thought I would try out the black ink and water colour technique I have been using.  I know I am not the greatest at drawing but I googled a bear and managed to sketch it out the way I wanted.  Once I did some details around it with black ink (leaves and lettering…lettering is something I love!), I added in the water colour.

Learning the techniques for water colour like wet brush and dry brush, along with what brushes work best allowed me to get exactly what I desired onto this card.  I am super happy with the results and the mama to be loved it too!

Future water colour cards to come!

Blog #4 Teaching Reflection and Incorporating FPPL into Lesson Plan

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 306A, Journal BlogsLeave a comment

The blog has two sections.  Part one is my teaching reflection and part two is on incorporating FPPL into my lesson plan.

Part one:

Today my group of five presented our lesson plan.   Our group worked collaboratively together to come up with the lesson plan with ideas from everyone.  It was nice to have so many ideas flowing, but five people is a lot when you have to get all those ideas down into one lesson.  I feel as though the most challenging part of our lesson was deciding on single ideas.  At the same time, I truly appreciated all of the input that everyone in our group had.  Personally, I felt confident in my teaching with the class.  I love public speaking and I had a lot of fun with it (including writing on the chalk board!).  I can’t believe how quickly 15 minutes goes by.  I am happy with our lesson on music notes relating to fractions and may use this very lesson one day to combine both music and math.  I believe one of our classmates said their “star” was that using money as a way to represent musical notes actually made it click for them.  This was great feedback to hear.  I would love to do something like this again in music, as I found it challenging but in a good way.  When I think of all the lesson plans I had to create this semester, this was the hardest one to tackle.  Having the two requirements being that the lesson had to be cross-curricular and feature the FPPL was tricky at first.  This leads me to part two of my blog, incorporating the FPPL into our lesson plan.

person holding coins
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

Part two:

At first, the idea of incorporating the FPPL seemed very daunting.  We were going through many ideas and weren’t sure which way to tackle this.  At one point we thought we might have the class clap the beat of a local indigenous song, but had trouble locating a gifted song from a local band.  The last thing we wanted to do was get it wrong and feel inappropriate.  After continuously going over the First Peoples Principles of Learning chart on course spaces, we felt like we had it.  We found two principles that we felt we wanted to incorporate into our lesson plan:

  • Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
  • Learning involves patience and time.

Both of these principles are found throughout our lesson, as our lesson has the students learning, sharing, and reflecting.  Because we are working with fractions and notes that may be new to some students, we put emphasis on the fact that learning takes patience.  We asked the students to think of their daily life and when they would use fractions and that is what led us into our lesson on music notes and fractions.

nature forest trees park
Photo by veeterzy on Pexels.com

Overall, I cannot believe that our music class is nearly done for the semester. It has been such a wonderful journey and everything I have learned will be applied in the future.

Definitions: Multimedia Learning Theory, PLN, & QR Codes

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, multimedia learning theory, PLN, QR codesLeave a comment

Multimedia Learning Theory:

This theory happens when words and pictures are used to create mental representations.

For more information, check out the link below:

PLN:

PLN stands for Personal Learning Network.  It’s used as a tool to collaborate and create with others that are connected at anytime.

QR (Quick Response) Codes:

QR Codes are a black and white series of squares that when scanned, direct your device to a new location with information about the code.  They can be scanned with a camera on a smart phone.  They are a 2D bar code and they make it possible to easily access information about the item the QR code is referencing.

Minecraft

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, edtechLeave a comment

Today’s class, we went over Minecraft and how it has developed into more than just an online game.

As a class, we individually logged into the MinecraftEdu Launcher on the UVIC computers using the mac option.  Below is a photo I took while playing the game.

How can it be used in education?

  • Students can create worlds/living environments
  • Great option for art
  • Can be used for social studies
  • Used for exploring extreme environments

The classroom teacher is able to manage players.  They can freeze the whole game and take control of it.  Each individual player can be managed. AS a teacher, you can control the mode.  You can have the children work individually or in groups.

Competencies:

  • The communication competency is hit when children work in groups and connect to one another.  Critical and creative thinking are both used throughout the game when interacting and building new environments.

Definitions: Network Literacy & Distributed Learning

On By rosiereynolds30In distributed learning, EDCI 336, edtech, network literacyLeave a comment

The definition of network literacy:

Digital literacy that is met with knowledgable computer skills.  In order to get by in the world of tech, network literacy is a must.  Because our society is becoming a network society, it is important to stay on top of network literacy.

The definition of distributed learning:

Distributed learning is a way of students being taught by a teacher that isn’t all done in the classroom the standard way, with the instructor at the front of the room.  It is a blend of students learning, with a mix of online instruction through video chat, conference calling, and some in class lessons.

Experiences with distributed learning:

After visiting PSII, I learned a lot more about distributed learning.  One of the instructors mentioned how sometimes they have conference calls or video chat sessions with students that are off campus (studying a subject out of school).

How do you feel about the role of distributed learning?

I think that it is a great resource for students that are either unable to make it to certain classes or are interested in classes that are a distance away.  This makes learning more accessible for all.  Online distributed learning supports students with anxiety or may have gone through surgery.

What is the role of modality (f to f/online) and presence in k – 12 learning?

This depends on the class entirely.  Some courses that may attract people from all over, this is where an online course may be most needed.  There are some courses that need hands on experience, and in this case, should be offered as face to face.

How does a teachers design around modality impact learner?

When the teacher has their distributed learning set up in an appropriate way, it makes it more accessible for all learners.  Having face to face, online, or a blend of them are all different options that distributed learning offer.  A hands on learner would most likely want to be in class where they can approach the teacher directly, where as others may feel more comfortable doing it on there own at a distance.  A student with a disease for example would only be able to take the course online and in this case the class should be offered as distance online.

portrait of young woman against white background
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Augmented Reality

On By rosiereynolds30In augmented reality, EDCI 336Leave a comment
photography of a woman wearing virtual reality headset
Photo by Tim Savage on Pexels.com

The definition of augmented reality is: a composite view of the user’s real world, that features a superimposed computer-generated image.

The real world environment features images that have been computer generated and added.
A popular example of augmented reality would be the game, Pokemon Go.
A device is needed to view augmented reality.  The tech device must have a camera, typically a smart phone or iPad and can be viewed by holding up and looking at the screen. Augmented reality headsets are used as well.
See photos below for more examples of augmented reality:

Tech Tool Review, Fresh Grade

On By rosiereynolds30In EDCI 336, tech toolsLeave a comment

Fresh Grade:

Fresh Grade is an online portfolio program that allows teachers to upload photos of students assignments for both the student and their parents to view.  This is private viewing between the teacher, student, and parents.  It is a great way for students to show their parents what they have been working on at school, along with the progress they have made in class, without having to bring paper copies home.

How it is used in schools:

The teacher takes a photograph of the students work and uploads it online.  Each student has their own online portfolio.  The teacher can then add their mark to the assignment and comment on the work.   When logged on,  students are able to reflect on that mark. They can say whether they agree or disagree, and why.  It is a great way to start a conversation on improvement or accomplishments.

Pros:

  • When it comes to creating report cards, teachers have a quick reference guide online they can look at for each students work.
  • Parents are able to see the progress their child makes at school.
  • During parent/teacher interviews, the teacher is able to quickly pull up the students work and share how they have been doing in each subject.
  • Promotes parent engagement.

Cons:

  • Can be added work for a teacher if technology doesn’t come naturally to them.
  • Teachers have to stay on top of it, checking reflections and any other comments, as well as choosing the right balance of pieces of work throughout the course of the year.
  • Students must have access to computer and internet (usually made possible in the classroom).
  • Parents must have access to computer and internet to view from home.

Opinion on if I’d use it and when/how:

  • The idea of taking photos of students work and uploading them onto the computer and then into each individual portfolio sounds like a lot of extra work to me.  That said, I have spoken to a few teachers about Fresh Grade, and they say it actually ends up being less work in the end because everything is all organized and in one spot.  I like the idea of being able to quickly access students work for both assessment and parents/teacher interviews.  The conversations that can happen regarding assignments between students, parents, and the teacher are made easily accessible by this program, which is a bonus.

For more information on Fresh Grade, check out the link below: