Connected for Life

My seven week journey through the Connected Educator course has been extremely valuable.  I have reaffirmed that being a connected educator is a continually growing process.  But, more importantly, I have realized that I am not on this journey alone.  There will always be a new technology that needs to be explored.  Through blogs, personal learning networks and social media, I have connections that will take me beyond this course and keep me connected with the newest options available. 

I feel good about moving forward.  I had a strong technology skill set coming in and it has only grown stronger.  Every topic we covered has enhanced my abilities as an educator, sponsor and coach.  I can't wait to continually grow and share these technology tools with my students and fellow staff members. 

Google Search: What can't it do?

I am continually amazed, on this journey toward becoming a connected educator, about what Google is capable of doing.  My most recent growth in love for Google began with the discovery of the following Google Drive tools:

• Google Drive
• Word Processing
• Spreadsheets
• Presentations
• Templates
• Research/Citation Assistance 
• REFER to my previous post for videos outlining Google Drive

Then, I spent this week exploring Google's search capabilities.  I didn't realize how unaware I truly was about my search options.  Here are just a few that I really like for my classroom.

• Google Search
• Unit:  Converts units.
• Calculator:  Simply type the math problem into the search bar an it will calculate the answer.
• Dictionary: Type "Define:" and then the word.

If you would like to see them in action, here is a playlist of 15 second Google Search videos that show 17 special search options.

Pinterest IS Professional Development

Who knew my new found love for Pinterest would turn out to be so beneficial for my role as an educator. For those that are not familiar with Pinterest, this social network allows anyone to "pin" a website, similarly how we would have earmarked a favorite page in a magazine.  You are pinning topics of interest onto a virtual corkboard and then organizing them by topic.

With Pinterest, teacher collaboration has become more visual.  I can search for bulletin board ideas, for lesson ideas specific to my content area, for good technology resources, etc. based on a picture from the original source's web page.  It is much easier for me to sort through pins that pertain to my needs then to scroll through the results of a web search.  While I do not use Pinterest as my only outlet for collaborating with other educators, the large population of users makes it a valuable tool.  I have found myself using ideas from my Pinterest board more frequently over the last year and a half and I see that continuing to be a trend as its popularity continues to grow.

Through my Connected Educator course, I have also discovered that Pinterest can be used in the classroom by the students.  They could search for a specific topic to help them brainstorm for a project or paper and they could work on a project together by sharing pins/resources that group members could benefit from while researching.  When the students aren't using it for the classroom, they can also explore their own interests, books, organizational tools, sports, colleges, etc.  The extensive span of resources and options make this a valuable social media tool.

Facebook: Does it have a place in schools?

As with all pedagogical knowledge that teachers choose to explore, there exist pros and cons. The factors that best determines the success of the pedagogy is implementation and use. Like any new skill, students need to be guided in their development. Social media is not exempt. The pros that Facebook provides make it totally worth the risks involved. We can't shield students from social media forever, so why not take advantage of the opportunity to explore its capabilities in an educational setting.
With that said, my biggest concern with Facebook in schools leads into classroom management. I have heard complaints about how much students are on Facebook and would admit that I have also struggled with its presence. Classroom management is a continually developing machine that has taken on a drastic remodel. If teachers try to take on Facebook head-to-head, they will lose. We need to learn how to embrace its powers for good and find a balance that strengthens our teaching.

For more on my view of its Pros and Cons, follow this link: Facebook in Schools

Google Drive = Endless Possibilities

Google Drive is a collaborative program that allows anyone with a Google account to take their files anywhere.  It would be impossible to cover everything it offers, but I can give you the highlights.  While many of my generation have grown up on Microsoft Office, which would include Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, etc.., it is difficult to venture out into the unfamiliar.  While the documents, spreadsheets and presentation programs tucked into Google Drive are are not an exact replacement, they are user friendly and offer the basics that anyone would need.  The greatest benefit, however, of Google Drive falls into its collaboration capabilities.  Teachers and students can share documents.  This sharing ability allows other collaborators to edit and leave comments. 

While my initial introduction to Drive was through school, I am discovering that it has a multitude of possibilities for me and my household through templates.  Refer to the picture to help with accessing the templates.  Some of the templates that I plan on using for home and school are the recipe cards, lesson plan outlines, jeopardy review games, line up cards for sports teams and resume outlines. 

In addition to document creation, users can load PDFs, images, videos and word documents into drive so that these files can be accessed from any computer. 

Following this link for videos that can offer a greater insight into what Google Drive has to offer.

iPads: First Hand Experience (Part 2)

Baldwin High School continues on the journey to a successful integration of 1 to 1 iPads.  We are over a month in and the iPads are slowly becoming part of the daily routine.  The building techs are still working on maximizing the wifi connection and pushing out apps that they purchased at the district level.  While teachers wait for these upgrades, the students have started to become familiar with My Big Campus and Notability.
My Big Campus, like Facebook or Edmodo, is a social networking program where the students can continually connect with their teachers.  Students can turn in homework, participate in class discussions, link to videos and receive reminders.  Teachers have been working with this program since May and it is exciting to finally get to see our hard work in action.  One of the biggest strengths of My Big Campus is their technology support.  As I explore the opportunities available to me, I can ask the online tech support, called Bob Campus, any question I have and he responds within 24 hours.  There are still days of frustration that is typical with new technology, but I always keep this Earl Nightingale quote in mind.  "You can measure opportunity with the same yardstick that measures the risk involved. They go together." 
Notability is the app that we have been using, as a building, for note taking.  In my attempt to reduce the amount of paper I use, this app has been perfect for my classroom.  For my Freshman Algebra 1 students,  I provide note taking guides that I have saved as PDFs.  Students can upload them into their notability and take notes right over the top.  The students have really adapted to these notes by using different colors, highlighting important content and recording audio of the teacher. 
For me, the most exciting part has been seeing the students explore the capabilities of the iPad beyond what the teachers demonstrate in the classroom.  While they do enjoy an occasional game, the students are spending a large majority of their iPad time in educational apps.

Organization is my middle name!

For as long as I can remember, my ability to function on a daily basis has been strongly connected to my continuous organization.  With the growth of technology, it makes since that other type A personalities would create programs to help people stay organized.  This week I was introduced to Diigo and reviewed Google Calendar.

Diigo is a social bookmarking site.  It is an online bookmark system that you can access from any device connected to the internet.  You can organize your bookmarks based on their content, making searches quick.  Advanced tools include a Diigo toolbar that gives you the ability to highlight the information you want and leave sticky notes.  With all the work I have done building my PLN, Diigo is a perfect addition.  It allows me to organize my PLN into one place and explore the information by topic.




Google calendar continues to be a favorite of
mine.  My husband and I use it to keep our schedules straight and I just recently started using it at school.  The best part of this calendar is how easy it is to share with others.  You can share with a small group or make your calendar public so that anyone can view it.  The calendar for my school district is a Google calendar and our special education department at my school uses Google calendar to invite teachers to IEP meetings.  The best part is it automatically adds meeting to your personal calendar when you accept the invite and you can setup reminders. 

Another great benefit to Google calendar is its accessibility.  I can add something to the calendar on my iPad and it updates the calendar on my other electronic devices.  I don't have to spend time writing down my events over and over.  This access saves time and keeps my calendar up to date so that if I am scheduling a meeting or event, no matter which device I have on me, I won't accidentally overbook myself.

I am truly enjoying my journey toward becoming a connected educator. 

Edmodo: Collaboration at its finest!

This week I was introduced to Edmodo.  The best way to explain it is the educational version of Facebook.  You can follow different groups, share files, links and videos and post about your day.  It also offers interactive tools through polls, quizzes and assignments.
While exploring the different communities and groups that Edmodo had to offer, finding content that interested me, I felt inspired.  Just in my few visits to the math community, I had already added several resources to my library that I can easily adjust to use in my classroom.  Edmodo is going to become a great extension of my already growing PLN.  It offers the ability to connect with thousands of educator's as well as providing a user friendly environment for collaboration with the teachers in my own school.  Why wait until the next professional development day to share and give ideas with the educators in my immediate environment.  My fellow teachers can offer building specific problem solving support.
Many teachers on Edmodo use it as a classroom tool.  It is like an interactive website.  Students can work on group projects, access current assignments, share opinions and communicate with their teacher.  Since my school is already using My Big Campus (MBC), a similar program, I had not thought to use this in my classroom.  But, if ever my school shifted away from MBC, Edmodo would be a fabulous alternative for my classes.

The Connected Educator: Week 1 and 2

Have you ever worked on improving a lesson to increase its effectiveness?  My default attempt would often start with a Google search.  While sometimes getting lucky and finding a usable resource, it is rare and extremely time consuming.  If only there were a network of teachers where we could get some fresh ideas as well as communicate concerns and receive feedback.  Well we are in luck. Networks such as these really do exist.

In an effort to become a connected educator, I began to explore and form my own PLN (personal learning network).  There were several PLNs that I found extremely useful:  Classroom 2.0 and The Educator's PLN.  These are both Ning networks that provide easy navigation within the different features that they provide.  With these networks, teachers have the ability to participate in forums, join groups of educators in their subject area or grade level, search for posts related to a specific concept and subscribe to an RSS feed for easy access to recent posts.  If you are looking for an easy to use RSS feed reader, I would recommend Feedly.  It offers tutorials to get you started and makes checking in on blogs as easy as reading your emails.

Another important piece in my network is Twitter.  I have created a professional account that is specific to my teaching needs.  With this social network, I can follow education based users that will keep me up to date on educational resources, provide me with information on current events and share links to more resources.  I can also use education specific hashtags to connect with other educators.

The most exciting part about starting my own PLN is the chance to access information in a timely manner.  As with most educators, time is of the essence and every second we have is valuable.  These networks are offering me a window into resources I never knew were available to me.  They give me the opportunity to become a more effective teacher through connections with educators all over the globe.  These resources are now at my fingertips and my PLN has organized this wealth of knowledge into one place.

iPads: First Hand Experience (Part 1)

My school started a one-to-one iPad initiative this fall.  Luckily, the teachers received their iPads before Christmas break last year, so that they could get a head start on planning.  Even though we would have six months to navigate and plan before our students would walk in armed with this new education tool, fear took over for a large majority of the staff, including me.  Now I consider myself to be pretty tech savvy teacher, having grown up with computers and internet. But the endless possibilities that the iPad possessed was a little overwhelming.