More Christmas cheer via JibJab :)

One of the teachers at school was creating these super funny video clips using the kids from her class. i thought they were so funny I decided to create some of my own using my family :) This first one is my husband and I with three of our kids :) Such FUN!

Feliz Navidad

And this one is the Arredondo Christmas elves (all of our five kids) they make a mother proud!

Arredondo elves

MERRY CHRISTMAS Everyone!!!

I LOVE animoto! One of our last class sessions our professor shared this site with us and right there during class we created an account and made a 30 sec. video using pics we had on our laptop. it took less than 10 minutes ;) Like I said...I LOVE animoto. So user friendly! Because of our Belfast trip in late Nov. we ran out of time to take pics and create our "traditional" Christmas photo card that we do and send out every year so instead I decided to apply some of my new learning and created our very first digital Christmas card ;) ENJOY!

3, 2, 1... I'm NOT done, I've just begun :)

WHAT A RIDE this class has been! Because I am probably the one who started with the least amount of techno-knowledge, I would dare say that I am possibly the one who learned the most and I am happy with that. This class has been BY FAR the most challenging, time-consuming, frustrating, mind/idea expanding, hands-on, how to, action researching, techno-informing class I have ever taken in my entire life! If no one else even noticed at all, the fact of the matter is that I am soooooooo proud of myself for all I have done and am able to do as a result of what I have learned in this class regarding the use of technology and almost EVERYTHING that goes along with that in relation to teaching and leading. For that reason alone i just want to say, "THANK YOU! for 'making' us learn and do so much, for setting high expectations and covering so much ground in such a short time. I'm pretty sure that my thoughts on this are not very popular but I have to say i was a little sad when I thought about titling this post the 'last' or 'final' or 'I'm done' because I am not even close to being done. I plan to continue with my techno blog as a means to share GREAT and EXCITING stuff that I continue to learn and use. I don't want to ever be done learning and sharing especially where technology is concerned because it is so fluid!

So, for now I will share...3 things I learned (this is difficult to limit it to three) but here goes...
1) How to create and maintain a blog, and a wiki, and a Symbaloo, and a live binder....(See what I mean)
2) How to embed and share various media
3) How to use Prezi with Jing to create a presentation :)

2 things in more depth...
1) Symbaloo - when I first created my Symbaloo I questioned it's purpose and how it was different than "My Favorites" other than being more esthetically pleasing but now that i know how AWESOME it is and how I can pull it up on ANY computer I am using to access ALL of my favorites without having to start with a google search and am adding other AWESOME mixes that I come across like a Kindergarten mix and a 2nd & 3rd grade mix and a Janet Slaughter mix and... need I say more :)
2) Embedding and sharing - before this class not only did I not have any of these social media accounts but had no idea about all the little "buttons" that are attached to almost everything I look at and read online that i can just click and share to just about anyone at anytime from anywhere. I LOVE it! It is so easy to share stuff WITHOUT even using email :) just like posting video clips, articles, pins...on my blog.

1 thing I plan to to implement...
1) The web 2.0 tool that I shared with the class (Storybird) I have already implemented as a teacher which I plan to continue to use but as an administrator i think that I would really like to focus on Digital Citizenship (using the common sense media curriculum) school-wide as well as the practices/implementation of the flipped classroom making sure to provide and facilitate individualized, relevant, and on-going PD for interested staff and teachers.

3, 2, 1...I'm not done! There's more to come! Stay tuned...

Transforming Classroom Practice

I watched this today and it is FULL of resources and guidelines for iPad Content Integration. It is kind of long but well worth your time if this topic is of interest to you. The audio/video does go through some technical issues about 30 minutes in but then does get resolved for the question/answer session. GOOD STUFF if your interested :)

<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fsoQI-rMzpA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

BYOD/BYOT...IT’S INEVITABLE!

Whether we're talking about BYOD (bring your own device) or BYOT (bring your own technology) to school that is...It is apparent that it's inevitable. It's only a matter of time. The biggest difference that I can see is the approach that is being taken from district to district and/or state to state. Some are "jumping right in"  (21 schools in Charlotte, NC) as where others are more cautious, such as our own system here in Madison County :) According to Tech & Learning with Aruba networks published an eBook entitled Network Planning for BYOD and 1:1 Learning Initiatives http://newbay.ebookhost.net/tl/aruba/1/ebook/1/index.php?e=61&user_id=64212&flash=11.402  which is pretty technical as far as discussions regarding networking infrastructure components and Wi-Fi architecture considerations and such...but it also includes some good points about considerations when deciding when and how to make such a giant transition. I think that Madison County is clearly "beginning with the end in mind" in regards to such an initiative. It seems that they are preparing and planning for such such a transition before "diving right in" which is clearly justified in the aforementioned ebook. In regards to scalability the ebook states, "Once you let students BYOD, the amount of devices can quadruple. Ultimately, you'll want your wireless network to be able to support thousands of concurrent devices with minimal IT involvement."

So whether it's "dive right in" or prepare then implement...IT IS INEVITABLE! BYOD is coming to schools everywhere! "Digital learning is essential in transforming our schools."

Digital Citizenship

The best site that I have come across in regards to digital citizenship is Common Sense Media http://www.commonsensemedia.org/educators/curriculum  who have developed an entire K-12 curriculum around Digital Literacy and Citizenship. There are eight components of the curriculum including the following:
1) Privacy and Security
2) Digital Footprint & Reputation
3) Self-Image and Identity
4) Creative Credit and Copyright
5) Relationships & Communication
6) Information Literacy
7) Cyberbulling
8) Internet Safety

All of these resources are FREE! and we teachers LOVE free! It would be worth your time to take a look at what is available here :)

Be Cyber-safe!

ipad apps in SpEd

so i know the next topic has to do with the use of ipad apps in SpEd, i just don't have any resorces to refer to here in Starbucks in downtown Belfast so i will have to go on want i already know and can remember :-) Deanna & Sarah did a fabulous presentation in Dr. Finn's class about ipad apps and their use with autistic students. They shared a clip from 60 Minutes relating to this topic as well. I think there is a place for the use of this type of tech especially with non-verbal students. There is so many different apps to use to communicate and create visual schedules and such. It gives opportunitis that at one time did not exist. so yes, i believe that pad apps do have a place within the field of SpEd.

blogging from Belfast :-)

so here we are in northern Ireland and the only place i have found to blog is Starbucks :-) so i guess i won't be posting my assignments until i return :'( i will post pics then as well. catch you back in the states 11/29.

Belfast here we come :)

Today is the day we set off on our adventure! I am so excited! We will be visiting with my niece and her husband who are living in Belfast and have been for a couple of years now. I am hoping that I will be able to visit a school or two while we are there to see what they are doing in northern ireland as far as the use of technology and didgital learning. I'll keep you posted! The link below is a school that my niece worked at last year. Maybe we will stop in for a visit while we are in Dublin at Blarney castle :) More to come... http://www.shimnacollege.org.uk/

Have you flipped?

I think that there are a lot of misconceptions about the flipped classroom concept. I have heard comments about the use of technology to 'flip' a classroom but it is really much more than that. Think of what you know about traditional roles of the teacher, "old school" where the teacher stands in front of the class and lectures for 45-50 minutes (trying to teach for mastery) and then when the lecture is over the students "practice" the concept(s) that the teacher just "taught" and those who don't finish do it for homework...right? Well, now take that picture you have in your mind and FLIP it! The students got the "lecture/teaching" via podcast (or similar) the night before as "homework" and now during class have the opportunity to "practice" what they have learned in a small group setting in the classroom while the teacher circulates and discusses, clarifies, explains, and elaborates on the student learning while the students work through the actual homework during classtime with the assitance of their teacher. The teacher is there to facilitate the student's learning. REVOLUTIONARY if you ask me! I believe that this could actually change the whole educational system as far as the way instruction is delivered and new skills are practiced. The students are actually doing thier own inquiry and leaning and the teacher is guiding that learning :) Here are a couple of GREAT clips that explain it much better than me, i'm sure :) Happy flipping!

Daylight Saving...much more than an extra hour to sleep (or not)

Check out this video clip to learn more about Daylight Saving. Not exactly what I thought...

Show me the $$$

Barriers of technology in education? Isn't it ALWAYS about money? I guess that would be the first and foremost "excuse" or barrier when it comes to the use of technology in education but i can think of a couple more...Actually, I would list the following three things as the most ubiquitous barriers of technology in education:
1) the aforementioned all mighty dollar
2) lack of understanding and/or close mindedness
3) appropriate and meaningful ONGOING professional development (lack thereof)

With these three things in mind I would like to propose some recommendations as possible solutions to alleviate the presumed obstacles as such. First, the money issue. I have read recently several different articles that discussed the number crunching dealing with the cost of the 1:1 initiatives  in school systems vs. the use of text books and/or consumables. Just imagine the money we would save if we could get to the place where the majority of our teaching, classwork, homework, school work in general were ALL done electronically , not to mention the whole "going green" and "save the earth" campaigns. Yes, initially the cost of purchasing laptops/ipads whatever is decided on would be a significant expense but cumulatively after years of NOT purchasing text books and/or consumables, and NOT making copies for every student everything that they work on in every class everyday! WOW!!! just thinking about it!

The lack of understanding and/or close mindedness can be resolved through awareness and openness between colleagues. The ones that know and use the latest and greatest can share what they know and how is can be used in the process of education to increase student achievement. Which in turn would lead right in to the third barrier PD. I heard a teacher at my school talking about a weekly twitter chat that she participates in every week with other educators from the same grade level with the same interests. they share ideas and knowledge and expertise on various technologies that they heard about, use, and explore with students in the classroom, things that they are doing RIGHT NOW, not things that were developed and researched decades ago in some university learning lab some where by educators who are 10 or more years removed from the classroom! This teacher made the comment that when she participates in these chats that "it is the BEST professional development I have ever gotten" isn't that just what we are trying to impart to the students we teach? Inquiry, collaboration, communication...sound familiar? Why don't we MODEL what we expect? Without having to spend ANY $$$!!!

Literacy: out with the old, in with the new?

The question is posed: Does technology help or harm literacy? First, we have to define literacy. Is it still simply the ability to read and write? According to Merriam-Webster, yes it is. Although this would be considered the most standard and simplistic definition of literacy I would have to say that this definition is continually evolving as new technologies are introduced. I liked this expanded definition of literacy that I read on Wikipedia that says: 

Literacy refers to the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently, and think critically about the written word. Visual literacy includes in addition the ability to understand all forms of communication, be it body language, pictures, maps, or video. Evolving definitions of literacy often include all the symbol systems relevant to a particular community. Literacy encompasses a complex set of abilities to understand and use the dominant symbol systems of a culture for personal and community development. In a technological society, the concept of literacy is expanding to include the media and electronic text, in addition to alphabetic and number systems. These abilities vary in different social and cultural contexts according to need and demand.

So then, is it out with the old, in with the new? I think not! It is the old combined with the new that creates the foundation on which to build the 21^st century skills for ALL students. Yes, teacher facilitated basic phonics instruction along with modeling and practice is still best practice but why not add a web 2.0 tool and/or an ipad app to engage the student in the practice of newly acquired phonics skills? From my own personal experience with a group of 3^rd grade struggling readers using Storybird (an online digital story telling tool) technology proves to be a beneficial and yes, helpful tool for the development of literacy. Technology provides limitless opportunities to investigate and learn, explore and create, reflect and communicate in ways that the paper and pencil never will.

NYT Article vs. HASTAC "pointed response"

In the process of searching and reading for my research paper focused on the use of ipads in the instruction of reading, I came across a somewhat “heated” discourse between a published New York Times article http://hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/pointed-response-nyt-article-ipads-schools that apperently celebrated a Long Island High School’s distribution of ipads to a group of humanities students and teachers in January of 2011 and a “pointed response” to that article by HASTAC (Humanities, Arts, Science, and Technology Advanced Collaboratory http://hastac.org/blogs/cathy-davidson/pointed-response-nyt-article-ipads-schools ). Cathy Davidson of HASTAC stated, “If you change the technology but not the method of learning, then you are throwing bad money after bad practice.” WHAT??? Is what I asked myself. She also made some comment about ipads as “babysitters” and I just think that this is WAY too extreme. I think that there is much more good than bad to come out of students’ access to digital learning such as the use of ipads in the classroom. What Davidson failed to consider is that the mere presence of the technology in the classroom will inevitably change the method of learning, just by being there. Talk about collaboration, when facilitated effectively teachers and students will learn from each other. Shame on you HASTAC for being so unjustly critical of a school’s efforts to “bridge the gap” between the students who were “born to be wired” and the teachers who are trying to make connections with them.

LiveBinder "ipads in schools"

Check out this LiveBinder I found on the Cybraryman's website! It is phenomenal! Completely LOADED with resources...EVERYTHING ipad! Thanks Vicki for sharing the Cybraryman's website :)

iPads in Schools

No longer teaching as we know it

The use of technology in the process of teaching is a scary thing especially when the students we are "teaching" know more about the tools than we do. I am covinced that WE HAVE TO CHANGE in order to reach the students in our classrooms. It is a completely different way of doing things. It is no longer teaching as we know/knew it...

Old Technology "Dump"

Is there such a thing as a "dump" for old technology? What do you do with your old technology? When I can, I get $ for old technology like cell phone trade ins :) T-Mobile has given me $200. for old cell phones on two separate occasions when I have gotten an upgrade. I noticed a box at Best Buy where you can "dump" small stuff inside the store but I don't really know where to take desktop computers when they are no longer any good to anyone. Last summer we took one to the landfill where they did have a special pile for electronics but I was thinking that there must be a better more earth friendly way to dispose of old technology. Another time we gave old monitors and a desktop to the Salvation Army. I think they have people that can restore them and then sell them but I'm not sure about that but that is what I've have done with things that we no longer want/need. If there are better ways to "dump" old technology, I think that they really should be better advertised.

Techno Lingo

What exactly does Web 2.0 mean? Was there a Web 1.0 before there was a Web 2.0? Is there a Web 3.0? Then I thought of YouTube because YouTube ROCKS! And I found this explanation of Web 1.0 vs. Web 2.0: So basically it’s about collaboration; interactive connecting and sharing online. Don’t you just LOVE YouTube! Anything and everything simplified.

Class Dojo

http://www.classdojo.com/ I haven’t actually used it myself but I have seen this web tool in action in a 4th & 5th grade classroom so far. I think it is a GREAT classroom management tool for teachers! When the teacher is meeting with small groups or one-on-one with students and the rest of the class is working in groups or individually on some kind of connected practice activity and they get to loud, “out of hand,” or just off task the teacher can signal the students without saying a word or disrupting the flow of instruction that is taking place at the small group table. The teacher can send alerts/signals/"points" to the class from a desktop, laptop, or ipad to let the students know that they are off task or that they are doing well. There are other features like behavior reports you can print out or email to parents and other “stuff” too. Check out the tutorial below for more info…

Time well spent.

I realize that this whole “head first” emersion into technology along with additional course work and requirements and all the new "stuff" I am leaning takes up A LOT of time, time that most days I don’t really have. But in reflecting and weighing the pros and cons of it all I have to say that although it can be extremely frustrating (sometimes to the point of tears) the countless hours I have spent sitting at my dining room table in front of a laptop, I have learned so much about a lot of different resources that I otherwise would have NEVER sought out on my own. Although I may not be super good at any one thing I now have a repertoire of many different resources that I know something about and can share with others when the topic and/or opportunity arises. If I am going to be an administrator who models what I expect, I think that I will have to do this kind of learning. I will need to know about the things that I want teachers and students to use and if I don’t try to learn it on my own, whether it’s a course requirement or a personal inquiry, I may never learn it at all and that would make me a hypocrite. I know that I will have to make time to learn the things that I need to know to make my school a better place and those things I am sure will have a lot to do with advancements in technology and how they are best utilized in my building. Therefore, I have to admit that although this is all very time consuming, it is without a doubt, time well spent.