Thing #21: Emerging Technologies

First Steps

We are truly fortunate to live in an age when technology is so prevalent in our lives. Being able to access most resources online is amazing, especially when physical distance might be a limiting factor. However, this connectedness can also be viewed as a curse. Oftentimes, I feel overwhelmed when I begin researching a topic or reading articles and blogs. I’ll log on simply to read one article, and before I know it, I’ve spent two hours reading related articles, but still haven’t found the information I originally looking for.

With that being said, there are a number of extremely high quality and useful resources at our disposal. Blogging and vlogging have become essential in the field of education. Even things like podcasts are becoming more common in many classroom. Throughout this course, I’ve read many articles and blogs related to education. While there are many resources that I have discovered and fallen in love with, recently I have found podcasts to be very helpful, as I can listen while I’m walking around my town or commuting to Screen Shot 2019-03-06 at 19.17.06.png and from work. One great resource to find audio files related to education is Bam! Radio Network. I really like how organized this website is, and how easy it is to find interviews or presentations on a wide-range of topics. Since I’ve been very interested in flipped classrooms, I decided to visit the Flipped Learning Radio part of their page, where I found an interview about cultural differences in the flipped classroom. The title of the program I listened to was “The Cultural Factors that Impact Flipped Learning.” One of the main reasons I was intrigued by this recording was the fact that one of the speakers was an ESL teacher.

There were many ideas that jumped out at me while I was listening to this episode. Being and ESL teacher in France, I am constantly thinking about diversity and multi-multiculturalism in my classroom. I appreciated that culture responsiveness was addressed, as well as finding ways of being inclusive. One best strategy that I learned about from listening to this episode was thinking about the cultural factors, specifically with flipping, based on culture and physical location. Once you buy into that, they’ll buy into you. Not only buying into different cultures, but finding ways of honoring it.

In thinking about ways of being culturally responsive and appropriate when flipping classrooms, we are finding ways of both transforming and enhancing learning. When thinking about the SAMR model, I think that being culturally responsive when flipping addresses ways of augmenting learning with technology (enhancing learning) as well as modifying various tasks (transforming learning).

Emerging Technologies

There are so many amazing things happening in both education and technology, and especially educational technology. I don’t think that we could have imagined all of the different ways of implementing technology into our daily instruction. It seems like each time we blink, there are changes or advancements being made in technology. So many great articles have been written discussing the role of technology in education, as well as thinking ahead. One such article was published by SpeakUp’s Project Tomorrow. The article is titled Digital Learning 24/7: Understanding Technology–Enhanced Learning in the Lives of Today’s Students.

Within this article are some key ideas that we as educators need to be considering. Among the most interesting, even surprising to me were:

Blended learning environments hold great promise for the future: While I know that blended learning has been being used at institutions of higher education for quite some time, I was slightly surprised to see the impact that it could have at lower levels. This got me to thinking about ways that I could create a blended learning environment in my current role.
Every student should be able to use a mobile device during the school day for learning: For me, this was both shocking and not shocking. It makes sense that we should be meeting students where they are, and today we are living in a technologically connected society. However, in France, where I am currently teaching, cell phones and personal electronic devices have actually been banned from schools and institutions of education.
Students connect the use of technology tools within learning to the development of college, career, and citizenship skills that will empower future capabilities: Students recognize the connection between technology and their futures, so it is only appropriate that schools and teachers do the same. In order to prepare students for the future, we must be incorporating technology into our best practices.

Now, thinking about the future of technology, it is not a science to determine what the future is going to look like. Rather, we must look at trends and use data to help us make informed decisions. One tool that we as educators can use is the NMC Horizon Report 2015 K-12 Education. This report is extremely thoughtful and detailed in how it presents information. They not only introduce new technologies, but provide a projected timeline for implementation in the classroom. There is essentially a 5-year plan outlined regarding advancements in technology. One thing that I had to keep in mind while reading this report is that it is based on data from the United States, and therefore might not be a relevant to me in my current role and situation. I know that many of the devices outlined for the future already exist (at least to a certain level). For example, Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD), Makerspaces, 3D Printing, and Wearable Technology.

In thinking about my students and their futures, I believe that technology will continue to play en extremely important role in their lives and their success. I know that my students are becoming more and more connected with technology, but it seems that some students are beginning to lose the ability to interact in face-to-face situations. I believe that we are going to continue seeing technology becoming more and more integrated in our daily lives.

In thinking about which of these emerging technologies I would love to implement with my students, I would first choose BYOD, because I think that it is the most feasible at this time. Of course, I need to overcome many obstacles with administration, but I believe that this is a battle worth fighting for the sake of my students.

Hour of Code

Coding is something that has always intrigued me, unfortunately, I have never found the opportunity to try it myself. I had no idea that there were resources available for both teacher and students to try coding. Hour of Code activities through Code.org is an excellent way to dabble with coding. For my hands-on experience I decided to try a coding activity related to a unit I use with my students: The Civil Rights Movement. One of the activities that is linked to the social studies standards is to design a flag based on what you know about the March on Washington. At its base, I found this activity to be intriguing. However, once I began doing it, I realized that the activity was more about coding and less about demonstrating an understanding of the March on Washington. If I were working in a school which had technology standards, I would not see any problem doing this activity with my students. However, in my current capacity, I do not think that I would be able to justify dedicating class time to this activity. In the end, it was a fun activity, but I do not believe that my understanding of the March on Washington is represented in my flag (see below).

Screen Shot 2019-03-06 at 18.15.33.png

While I found it interesting to learn about coding, I did not understand why I needed to add multiple shapes (rectangles and circles) to my flag. I think that it would have been more beneficial to use images from the March on Washington and perhaps a text box with key words or phrases.

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards:

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: Being able to integrate and essential skill like coding into a lesson is an excellent way of teaching students valuable, real life skills. I believe that coding activities will truly engage tech-savvy students, as well as opening their eyes about future opportunities.
Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Again, coding is a very practical skill. I like that website like code.org provide students with the opportunity to try this skill in a variety of contexts, as coding continues to be an essential skill.
Assigning Homework and Practice: Providing students with the opportunity to demonstrate understanding or mastery of a concept or skill using coding is an excellent way to encourage creative thinking and expression.
Model Digital Age Work and Learning: Thinking about how to integrate the newest technologies into our classrooms and lessons is essential in preparing students who are ready to enter the real world.

Thing #20: Blended or Flipped Classrooms

I’m very new to this idea of a blended or flipped classroom. I’ve heard about both for many years, but never really took the time to investigate what they meant or how I could implement them in my classroom.

Recently, I discovered a tool called Loom. I’ve used Loom a number of times and have found it to be incredibly useful for my teaching and my students. Some of the features that I especially like about Loom is that you can just record a video, just record audio, screen share with audio, or screen share with audio and video. Personally, I do not like looking at myself on camera, so I rarely use the video feature, but have uploaded a picture of myself so that viewers can see who I am. However, I find that the video or photo icon is a bit large and can block some of the information on the screen.

Loom and similar programs have multiple uses in today’s classroom. I’ve used it to create a short message for my students when I was going to be out of the building (either for an inservice or because I was ill). I’ve used it to reteach a confusing concept to students, and then posted the video on my website or sent the link via email. I’ve used it to create an audio newsletter for families. I’ve also used it to upload lessons or reviews, especially when many students were absent. The possibilities are virtually limitless!

I also like that you are able to edit the video once you have finished recording. Another use of this tool is having students use it to ask you questions or even upload assignments/responses when appropriate. I attempted to create a recap of my lesson on The Civil Rights Movement. It was very easy to do, but I found it extremely difficult to remain within the time constraints. I did go over by about 15 seconds, but it was almost only my conclusion of saying see you next week, so I decided not to re-record my summary.

Screen Shot 2019-03-05 at 22.29.03.png — Click here to check out my Loom recording

I’ve also uploaded to recording to my class website, which you can view by clicking here.

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards:

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: In providing students with the opportunity to review class content outside of the classroom, we are promoting deeper thinking and understanding. Tools like Loom give students the ability to create their own recordings as they see fit, thus encouraging individuality and creativity.
Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: I remember when I was a student and felt so behind and lost after missing one day of class. With digital recordings like this, we practically eliminate this possibility. In meeting students where they are, we are able to provide the best education possible to all students.
Model Digital Age Work and Learning: In using these tools to help students learn, we are enabling them to use these tools themselves.
Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility: In demonstrating how to behave in an online environment, we are helping students become responsible, virtual citizens.
Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback: We could easily review expectations and homework with a tool like Loom. We could also record individualized feedback to share with students, as well as celebrate accomplishments with families.
Assigning Homework and Practice: An audio and/or video recording is an excellent way to ensure that everything is clear and eliminates the possibility of ‘I forgot to write it down.’

Thing #19: Digital Storytelling

typewriter-2306479_960_720 The first time I tried Digital Storytelling was when I was an undergraduate at Michigan State University. At the time, Digital Storytelling was still very new and not a lot of people were using it. I immediately loved the end result and could see how using them in instruction would be a great tool. I also saw the value in having students create their own digital stories.

Since I first heard about Digital Storytelling, there have been a lot of advancements and improvements to technology. Today, you have many different tools at your disposal to create digital stories. Some of them are free, while others have a small membership fee. After trying a number of the resources, I decided to use Animoto to create my digital story, as it seemed the easiest for me to use.

Preparing to Make My Digital Story

Since I am currently teaching a program which is not aligned to any specific standards, I chose to use standards with which I am quite comfortable using–the Michigan World Language Standards. I taught lessons aligned to these standards for almost 5 years, and noticed that they haven’t changed since I last used them.

As the standards address the different domains of language learning, I decided that it would be quite easy to apply these standards for English Language Learners. I chose to focus on some of the Communication Standards. Specifically, this lesson is designed for:

1.3.M.W.a: Illustrate and present materials in the target language such as an information brochure or instructions for accomplishing a task
1.3.M.W.c: Present brief written reports about personal experiences, school and community happenings in the target language

I chose to slightly modify these standards and also include spoken language.

Once I had selected the standards to teach, I had to think of an example I could share with students. As one of the most common reasons my students are learning English is for travel, I decided to use travel as our topic. I shared my experience traveling in Poland, and addressed a lot of the main things we think about when learning about a new culture: food, clothing, monuments, language, and transportation.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 16.50.30 — Click here to see my Digital Story!

Reflections

As much as I love the idea of using Digital Storytelling in my practice, it is not currently feasible. We simply do not have the time or the resources in my current capacity. However, I love the idea of at least creating and sharing my own digital stories with students in order to enhance our lessons. I imagine that digital stories are something that most of my students have not seen before.

I know that many of my students currently use programs like Microsoft PowerPoint or Google Slides to create presentations, so why not share another option with them–the Digital Story. I think that this is an excellent way to give students some freedom of choice with their learning, as well as learning new technological skills. For a more detailed reflection, click on the SoundCloud file below.

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards:

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: Using Digital Stories is an excellent way to engage students and really get them invested in their own learning. As there is not a right and a wrong way of doing something, students are able to express themselves in a variety of ways.
Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: The look of presentations and reports has changed significantly over time, specifically with the advancements of technology. Digital Stories are the next step for sharing information or giving a presentation.
Model Digital Age Work and Learning: Again, the freedom of choice is key. Both the freedom to choose what and how. Providing students with various opportunities to use these new technologies will help them be better prepared for the future.
Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility: In giving students the freedom to choose, we are also saying that we trust them. Having reviewed how to be a good digital citizen, students will be expected to demonstrate those traits when creating digital stories.

Thing #18: Dig the Data

I hate spreadsheets. Ever since I was in middle school, I could not stand creating spreadsheets. It’s not that I couldn’t do it, but that I found the task daunting and frustrating. I used to use Microsoft Excel, but found it to be very confusing, even overwhelming. However, with Google Sheets, creating and manipulating spreadsheets does not seems nearly as awful as I remember.

I found the overall design and layout of Google Sheets to be extremely clean and clear. I was able to easily find what I needed in order to sort the document in a number of ways.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 13.06.39 — Here’s the original spreadsheet, sorted by School Year.

Practice Your Skills: Manipulate Data, Part 1

I absolutely love every Google product that I have used so far, and Google Sheets is no different. For me, Google Sheets is much more intuitive than Microsoft Excel. Immediately, I felt more comfortable and at ease using Google Sheets than with my previous experiences using other programs.

As I was making changes to the spreadsheet, I felt confident and comfortable with my skills and ability to do so. Below are some examples of the different ways that I sorted the data.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 13.07.03.png — I loved the overall appearance of Google Sheets and the fact that options opened in new windows.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 13.07.17.png — Now the data is sorted by the number of students who Met or Exceeded expectations.

Practice Your Skills: Formatting and Applying Formulas, Part 2

In the past, I’ve succeeded in figuring out how to use formulas in spreadsheets. Honestly, I think it was pure luck most of the time. After watching the tutorial video and practicing the skill myself, I feel much more confident formatting and applying formulas in spreadsheets. I think part of my problem was that I was never given a formal explanation or hands-on opportunity to apply formulas. Thinking about myself as a learner, this makes sense, as I know that I am a very kinesthetic learner.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 13.35.18.png — Here’s the same spreadsheet, but with some formulas applied. I liked that I could see the formula that I used in the bar at the top of the screen.

Practice Your Skills: Graphs and Charts, Part 3

After all of my positive experiences with Google platforms, I was bound to find one that I did not like. Let me express my complete frustration with trying to insert a chart into Google Sheets. My Google Sheets looked nothing like the one being used in the tutorial. Perhaps it has been updated, I’m not sure, but I hated this activity. While I was able to create a chart using data from the spreadsheet, I never figured out how to add titles to the x-axis/y-axis.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 14.07.24.png — Here’s my chart. I think I still need more time and practice for this skill.

Applying the Skills I Learned

I compiled the data from a Google Form that I used to assess student understanding of some of the key concepts that we have learned so far. Here’s my original spreadsheet:

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 14.44.41.png — This is my original spreadsheet, sorted by Name.

Then, I tried to sort the data based on number of Questions Answered Correctly:

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 14.46.46.png

Then, I applied some formulas to find the averages for number of questions answered, number of questions answered correctly, and number of questions answered incorrectly.

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Finally, I created a chart showing the results of the Grammar Review:

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Future Applications

Based on what I have learned (and done) in this Thing, I believe that using spreadsheets and charts would be an excellent way of representing student growth and learning. I think that gathering data regularly is an important part of teaching, but then doing something with that data is something I think often gets overlooked. Using tools like Google Forms and Google Sheets makes it really easy to create data for any kind of information that you can imagine. When I’m back in a position where I will be able to do this with my students, I plan on using this data to celebrate our learning together, as well as to identify more challenging areas.

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards:

Setting Objectives/Providing Feedback: This is an extremely easy way to check student understanding and learning, as well as to provide almost immediate feedback.
Reinforcing Effort/Providing Recognition: Being able to sort data in a number of ways allows us to find different types of successes to celebrate.
Assigning Homework/Providing Feedback: Creating a quick Google Form is a great way to provide students with some extra practice (as well as to check their understanding).
Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Utilizing the digital resources currently available to us is an excellent way of providing students with authentic learning opportunities.

Thing #17: Evaluation and Assessment

While there are many things that I love about being a teacher, the importance of evaluating and assessing student learning has become something I dread. While I understand assessment is necessary, I believe that it has been taken to an extreme. When I reflect upon my experience teaching in both America and France, I notice stark differences. The first thing that really jumped out at me was the frequency with which testing occurs in France–not even once per year! And not until middle school! It is also the final year of school that matters the most in France, as you are taking you content area exams for your baccalaureate (bac), which is extremely important in France.

It’s true that I believe we over test our students in America. However, I feel that assessments do not happen frequently enough in France. In my opinion, finding a good balance between the frequency in America and in France would be ideal. Keeping all of this in mind, I’ve tried to keep an open mind about the role and value of assessment in schools.

FERPA/HIPAA

While I am familiar with bother FERPA and HIPAA, neither of these things exist in France. However, I do remember the strict laws and guidelines I was expected to follow when I worked in Michigan. Having been removed from teaching in America for nearly five years, it was an interesting experience for me to test my memory regarding student and family rights.

It was really interesting and insightful to complete the pre and post assessment quizzes about FERPA and HIPAA. There were a number of things that I found surprising.

When a student transfers to a new school, the former school is required to send the student’s education records to the new school. To me, this seems completely logical. However, I learned that this is not the case. It is the school’s responsibility to request the student’s education record.
Schools are required by FERPA to maintain a student’s transcript for 5 years. I remember when I was a student being convinced that my permanent record was going to follow me around and haunt me for literally the rest of my life. Now, I know that this is not at all the case. In fact, there is no minimum amount of time to keep student records.
Schools must individually notify parents of their FERPA rights by mail. Again, this one seemed pretty straightforward and logical to me. All parents should be notified of their FERPA rights, and to me, the most logical means of doing so is by mail. However, this is not the case. The school may notify families by a variety of different means.

Types of Data and T3PD

There are four different types of data that can be collected in education:

Demographic
Achievement
Process
Perception

Unfortunately, at this time, I am not teaching in what would be considered a traditional classroom, and I am not teaching a standard curriculum. I only work with very small groups of students (maximum 5), once per week for two hours. Because of this unique situation, I have been given very strict guidelines and expectations regarding what I am and am not able to do in terms of deviating from the curriculum or given guidelines/expectations.

As an American trained educator, I definitely see, value, and understand the importance of gathering data and using to to guide and inform instruction. After viewing and reflecting upon the list of tools for classroom data collection, I can imagine how I would implement these tools and use them to inform my instruction.

Demographic Data

In my current capacity, this is something which is never discussed or considered.

Achievement Data

While I often use summative assessments to gauge student learning and guide my teaching, the only form of achievement data the my establishment cares about is student success rate on the official Cambridge English Exam. When I’ve tried to share my summative assessment results, no one seems interested.

Process Data

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 12.03.39.png Again, I have used many tools in the past to assess student progress. My former school district invested in Clickers, which were nice, but never seemed to be available when I needed them. With advancements in technology, the need for specific tools no longer exists. Today, websites like Plickers exists to make gathering data even easier. We are able to quickly assess student understanding and identify any ideas that need to be retaught.

Perception Data

In the past, I have used surveys and polls to gather this type of data. My former school district loved using SurveyMonkey. While I appreciated many features on this tool, I did not think that it was the best to use with students. For example, at the end of the survey when you received an image with a message, that often generated what the distracting reaction from students.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 12.03.58.png I have many teacher friends who love using Google Forms with their students. I think that Google is going to be the direction that many schools take, as more and more schools are using Google products in their schools. Again, I would love to use this type of tool with my students, but we simply do not have the resources (time or technological) to do so.

Plan for Implementation

As I mentioned, I will not be able to implement any of these into my current position. However, I can imagine the positive results that I would find if I were able to do so. Implementing something like Plickers is an excellent way to keep students engaged and to verify student understanding. It also enables me to identify struggling learners so that I can reach out to them as necessary.

I also love the idea of using Google Forms with my students in order to gather more specific information about students learning and topics for future lessons. I think this is also something that would be extremely interesting and engaging for my students.

At this time in France, I am unaware of any online tests (or even computer based tests) that students take. France remains very traditional in their delivery of content to students. Things that I once took for granted (for example, visiting a store’s website), have become significant challenges. France has been slow to embrace technology, but I am hopeful that in the next couple of years, there will be considerable growth and acceptance regarding the importance of technology in our lives.

Example of Tool for Gathering Perception Data

Using Google Forms, I created a survey that I would like to administer that the beginning of the year, in order to learn a little bit about the learning history of my students, as well as to gather data to guide my instruction. More often than not, I assume that students have been taught (and understood) a concept in a previous course, only to discover that was a misconception. I am finding that, at least with English learning, students are given the most basic and incomplete explanations, and often taught the same content year after year, regardless of previous experience.

In taking the time to gather this data early on, I believe that I will be better equipped to truly help my students learn and grow and speakers of English. Here’s a link to the survey that I am going to begin using (hopefully) starting next year.

Screen Shot 2019-03-03 at 12.12.06.png

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards

Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: Using various technology based tools to gather data on student learning is a great way to get all students invested in the content.
Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences: In giving students the opportunity to provide data electronically, we are better preparing them to enter the real world. It seems like every website that you visit asks you to complete a survey or provide feedback before closing the browser, so providing students with authentic opportunities to learn how to do this is an excellent way of preparing citizens for the future.
Model Digital Age Work and Learning: As the world changes, technology changes. Our world continues to become more advanced, so it only makes sense that our teaching must evolve with it. Staying current and using varied resources is important in providing students with authentic learning opportunities.
Setting Objectives/Providing Feedback: Using digital tools to gather information about perceptions and progress would be invaluable. I think it is important that teachers receive feedback from students, just as it is important for students to receive feedback from teachers. This feedback is how we grow. Using technology makes it much easier to gather and assess data.

Thing #16: DI and UDL

Since my first year of studies as a university student I remember constantly hearing about differentiated instruction (DI) and how it was going to be the new norm in education. However, there have been many changes since I finished my studies. A new idea that we’re hearing more and more about is Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Honestly, prior to this course, I was unfamiliar with this acronym.

Differentiated Instruction

Recently, I’ve participated in a number of professional learning opportunities focused on differentiated instruction. I think my big take away right now is that differentiation is a process and it is not something that we will do for 100% of our students 100% of the time. After reading a few more articles and reflecting upon my own practice as an educator and differentiating my instruction. After reading the article What is Differentiated Instruction? by Laura Robb, I made a list of some of the steps that I am already taking in order to differentiate my instruction.

Ongoing, Formative Assessment: At least one per month I assess what my students have learned and what we need to review
Recognition of Diverse Learners: I recognize that my students do not all learn in the same ways and are not equally strong in all areas of language learning. For that reason, I am sure to regularly include activities that appeal to different styles of learning.
Group Work: Every single class there is at least one activity where students are expected to work collaboratively, whether that be with a partner or in small groups.
Choice: Depending on the skill being taught, students always have a certain amount of choice regarding how they apply the skills and what types of articles they read.

I also spent time reading articles on ReadingRockets about differentiated instruction. I learned that there are four elements which we can differentiate in our instruction:

Content: the learning goals
Process: what students do (the activity)
Products: what students make/create
Learning Environment: how the classroom works and feels

Thinking about these four elements, I would say that I am already differentiating my instruction in two of the four areas. I have always differentiated my process and products, even without realizing that I was differentiating!

Universal Design for Learning

The idea of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is something new for me. Prior to this course, I had not heard this acronym. After visiting the UDL: The UDL Guidelines website, I was able to better grasp exactly what UDL was and how to best implement it in my practice.

I especially found the chart representing the guidelines on the UDL website to be helpful. It made it easy for me to not only understand the guidelines, but also how they are connected to one another. I think in my current capacity, I can easily address the three main goals of UDL:

Provide multiple means of engagement
Provide multiple means of representation
Provide multiple means of action and expression

I found it very helpful that the website not only identified the goals, but also the intermediary steps that must be taken when working toward achieving these goals.

Access
Build
Internalize

At this point in my practice, rather than trying to implement all three goals at the same time, I think that it would be more beneficial for me to focus on them one at a time (and when appropriate, introduce another goal). I would begin by focusing on providing multiple means of engagement. I really like the idea of providing students with the power to make individual choices, as well as fostering community and collaboration. It seems only natural to pair up students who have chosen to complete a task in a similar manner, thus promoting collaboration. Being able to implement this in my practice will allow me to better meet all of my students where they are, as well as providing them with a thoughtful and personalized learning experience. Also, this is a great way of getting students engaged and invested in the activity.

Text-to-Audio Conversion

While I understand the value and importance of text-to-audio for many students, I am not convinced that it is an appropriate resource for English language learners, unless it is a recording made by an actual human being. When I was still teaching in Michigan, I have many non-verbal students in my classroom, so being able to use text-to-audio was an extremely important resource. I also had a few dyslexic students who truly benefited from listening to the text, rather than struggling and becoming frustrated when reading just text.

For this activity, I chose to try a tool with which I was unfamiliar: Natural Readers. I was intrigued by the name and really hoping that the audio was going to sound more natural than most computer generated recordings I have heard. While the audio was better than many others that I have heard, it was not the greatest. One of the most challenging parts of learning English for language learners is getting annunciation, intonation, and emphasis correct. The audio that I heard did not follow the natural flow of English, and my fear is that my students would begin mimicking what they are hearing. We spend a lot of time practicing these three skills, and I think it would be better if I could find a way of recording myself reading the text so that students could listen to it with proper intonation, annunciation, and emphasis.

While this tool would not be very helpful for my students in my particular situation, I am in no way saying that it is not a useful tool. On the contrary! I definitely see many situations where this text-to-audio application would be extremely useful, especially with native English speakers. One feature I really liked with this program was that it highlighted the line that was being read, and then put smaller parts of the sentences at the bottom of the screen so that students could easily follow along.

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards

1. Summarizing and Notetaking: Using resources like the text-to-audio programs is a great way to expose students to the same material, but in a different way.

2. Model Digital Age Work and Learning: In using technology to help differentiate instruction, we are ensuring that students are being provided with the most current tools, as well as learning how to learn in a digital age. I especially like the fact that students would be able to use the text-to-audio resources for any sort of text they like.

Thing #15: Digital Classroom Management

When I was a teacher back in Michigan, I used and loved using Class Dojo. I found it to be extremely effective and didn’t feel like I was simply adding another thing to do to my list. I also noticed that my students seemed more motivated and open to receiving feedback via Class Dojo than in more traditional fashions. Here’s an example of what my Class Dojo currently looks like:

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 15.18.33.png

I love how easy it is to give students feedback and to personalize the types of feedback you can give:

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 15.18.47.png

1:1 or Devices in the Classroom

Unfortunately, in my current school environment, all electronics have been banned for use by students (including computers during class time). Therefore, I am definitely not going to be able to utilize devices in the classroom, even though I know and understand how beneficial it would be for all of my students. In talking with friends who have implemented BYOD or have the resources to have 1:1 in the classroom, they’ve shared mostly positive experiences. I am hopeful that one day, I will be able to do the same with my students in France.

I know that most of my students are very technologically advanced and with the language learning resources available, we would be able to make more progress using devices. I will continue to try and persuade current leadership to change their stance.

Positive Behavior and Communication Tools

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 15.26.05.png My students are very driven by competitions, so I think that introducing the Positive Behavior tools on Class Dojo will have a very positive impact on student motivation and learning. As I am primarily teaching adult learners, I will not be communicating with parents. Rather, I will be using the communication tools, such as Remind, to communicate important information and reminders to my students. I like that it is still a very professional, but almost casual way, of communicating.

ISTE and CITW 9 Standards:

Setting Objectives and Providing Feedback: I love how easy it is to share feedback with both students and parents using Class Dojo. It is a clear and easy means of communication.
Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity: I love how easy it is to communicate with students using things like Remind. Sending reminders to students ensures that everyone knows exactly what they are expected to do, as well as the deadline for that task.
Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments: Again, both Class Dojo and Remind are excellent tools for incorporating technology into classroom practices.

Thing #14: Powerful Presentations

I remember when I was a student and had to spend hundreds of dollars each year to keep my resources up-to-date. Luckily, students no longer have to do that, as we have so many digital resources at our disposal. What I like about many of the options I just explored was how easy the were to use and how they could be used virtually anywhere. Some of the most common free resources to create powerful presentations are:

Of course, I am now a huge fan of Google Slides. This is not the first Google tool that I am just now discovering, but I absolutely love it. It is so easy and clear to use. Something that I absolutely loved about Google Slides was being able to embed YouTube videos directly into the presentation. This eliminates the possibility of inappropriate ads being displayed and just gives the video an overall cleaner presentation.

For my first time using Google Slides I chose to modify an old PowerPoint Presentation that I had made for my unit on the Civil Rights Movement. In my opinion, the overall appearance of the presentation was so much better in Google Slides. Check it out for yourself by clicking here.

Reflection

I loved my experience with Google Slides and look forward to using it in the future to both update and create new lessons. Thinking about how I am going to use this lesson with my students, I always spend a few weeks each year discussing the Civil Rights Movement with my students, being sure to add as much information as I can about the role of Detroit, both then and now. This presentation really brings this topic to life, especially when talking about Motown. I think that it is imperative that all students have access to appropriate digital media resources to really be able to understand what they are learning.

If I think about the SAMR levels that we talked about in previous Things, I think that this lesson is a great example of how a lesson can Augment student learning. Talking about music is one thing. Being able to experience it — see, feel, hear — is another. Most students think that they have never heard Motown music before, but once we start listening, they realize that they do know many of the songs! I think that the activities that would follow as a result of this lesson would allow learning to be redefined. Asking students to think about the role of civil rights in their country. Does discrimination still exist today? If so, is it the same or has it changed? Being able to use digital resources enables students to take their learning to the next level.

Thing #13: Digital Images

Using authentic and relatable images is a great way to connect with students and their families. There are a wide-range of tools and resources available to create slideshows, videos, and to edit digital images. What is great about many of these resources is that they are free and very easy to use.

I’m quite interested in photography, so I have used a number of programs to edit my photos. I do not think that there is a best program, but rather the program that is best for you. I recommend that you try a wide-range of editing programs before deciding which you like best. Once you have edited your photos, your possibilities are virtually unlimited.

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 12.18.51.png One great way to use your photos is by making an animated slide show. PhotoPeach is one popular tool to do exactly that! This program is extremely easy to use, very straightforward, and has many options available.

https://photopeach.com/embed/4vgquw” target=”_blank” rel=”noopener noreferrer”>Click here to see an example of what an animated slideshow might look like when using PhotoPeach. The purpose of this slideshow is to engage students and families to talk about their happy places. I was happy to be able to share some of my own photos with my students, as I think it makes the lesson and learning experience more personal.

Voki

This is one great site where you are able to create avatars. It’s a unique way of Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 12.43.19.png introducing yourself in the virtual world or even sharing content with students in a new and innovative way. While I had fun designing my Voki, I found that it took longer than I expected. Also, the intonation of the recording is not the best, so I am not sure that using this resource would actually be helpful for English language learners. If you want to see what my Voki looks like, click here!

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 12.44.55.png — A snapshot of what my Voki looks like.

Thing #12: Interactives

Seriously, what did we do before the Internet?! There are so many great resources available for students and teachers. Interactives are one example of how to truly integrate and technological experience into a lesson. Of course, some interactives are better than others, so it is critical to verify the quality and appropriateness before having your students use them.

I learned that interactives can be divided into five main categories:

Study/Practice Websites and Apps
Lessons with Multimedia
Simulations
Mapping and Timeline Interactives
Virtual Worlds

I chose to focus on intercatives from the categories: Mapping and Timeline Interactives and Study/Practice Websites and Apps.

Remember, when thinking about how to use technology in the classroom, we as educators must ask and be able to answer a number of questions. One way to verify that we are using a resource appropriately is the SAMR Model.

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 11.29.07.png — Image from Schoology.com

National Geographic MapMaker

My first reaction to this interactive is that it is very similar to Google Earth. However, as I began trying to manipulate the map, I discovered some features that were pleasantly surprising. I could imagine asking students to explore countries based on languages spoken, agricultural products produced, or personal interest. Of course, they would be expected to create a product in the target language–English. They could also use this program to help them better understand distances between countries or cities (using the “Draw a Polyline” Tool). My one complaint is that I was unable to find a way to learn more about each individual state in the United States. As we focus on American culture, I think that this would have been a great feature for my students to use.

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 11.15.31.png — On this map, students can see Language Diversity in all countries, as well as learn about different countries by clicking on them.

Thinking about how this resource addresses the SAMR Levels, I would say that this resource could be used to Redefine the Task (learning about agricultural production with a visual representation that is also interactive) and to Augment student learning (rather than using paper maps, students are able to use interactive maps).

Grammarly

I have always loved the Grammarly website. As a teacher, I often reference it when preparing my own lessons (to verify that I have an accurate understanding of what I am going to teach my students, as well as a clear and concise way of explaining it). Unlike other study websites that I have found, Grammarly is very clear and gives examples of both what to do and what not to do. This would be a great way to extend the learning of a topic discussed in class. Sometimes, students need to learn the content in a number of ways before they are able to remember and apply it. I think that the topics included on this website are topics that are commonly challenging for English language learners. I think that using these resources would allow students to check their own understanding, as well as fill in any gaps in learning.

Screen Shot 2019-03-02 at 11.39.45.png

I think this resource addresses the SAMR Level of Augmenting the Lesson. By using technology, students will be able to verify their understanding, as well as interact with the information in a different way. I like that students are able to choose what they study, and the information is not too long or detailed.