Digital Blog Post #F

   In Chapter 6, Fostering Online Learning with Educational Websites and Apps I learned about ‘Virtual Field trips’. Although my students’ go on one amazing school field trip a year they have an opportunity to go on an adventure without ever having to leave the classroom. “A virtual field trip take students to places without ever leaving their classroom or school computer lab” as referenced by Platoni (Platoni, 2008). Can you imagine coming to school and your teacher saying ok boys and girls we’re going to take a magical adventure and it will happen right here in this classroom? As a child I would be so excited! My students’ have taken virtual field trips before and enjoyed it. The web offers so many websites that teachers can use so students’ are able to expand their horizon on education. Virtual field trips can take students’ to a completely new world. FieldTripZoom is an online service that allows users to access zoos, museums and historical sites with amazing interactive programs. This website is free for teachers to sign-up and are able to browse the field trips that are available. I think using virtual field trip is a great idea to use and keeps students’ entertained and focused while not having to leave the classroom. Many schools sometimes don’t even take field trips because of the cost, so this would be a great interactive software that is less costly. Another website that has an impressive collection of virtual tours is Google Earth. They provide a wide range that are available online such as Baseball Hall of Fame, United States Capitol Building, Sistine Chapel and so much more.

By naasportillo | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

    I would have never thought that I would be taking online classes. I always thought it was so much better to learn while in the classroom. Over the decades things have changed dramatically with all the new technology advancements that are available for both teachers and students’. So fast forward to now. I’m doing what I thought I could never do and that is take online classes. I love it because I don’t have to go and waste gas money to drive to school, it’s on my own time even though I still have deadlines and it’s convenient. “Virtual schools are educational organizations that teach students mainly through online learning” as referenced by Maloy (2013, pg. 142). Virtual Schools are not the same as home schooling. Virtual schooling is done through a company that is acting as the school. There have been debates over virtual schooling because of the isolation experience and the lack of full-time teachers. The pros of having a virtual school is flexibility, time and cost. The cons would be school interaction, home all the time and being in front of the computer screen all day. I think the best pro out of this debate is that it helps students’ that have a disability. They are able to learn while at home at be in a comfortable setting that they are familiar with.


 There are a lot of educational websites available for students’ and teachers. In the classroom the students’ are familiar with Math Facts Pro. Math Facts Pro is a free online computer game to memorize the basic math facts. “Educational websites is a source of Internet-based digital content specifically designed with K-12 learning goals in mind” as referenced by Maloy (2013, pg. 144). Ask a Historian is an educational website that I found to be insightful and could benefit my students’. This site allows students’ to virtually explore historical buildings, meet famous historical figures, play games and participate in a number of learning activities. I love finding great educational websites for my students’. The web offers so many learning educational websites that is available with just a few key strokes on your computer. When I become a teacher these websites will be what I use to educate my students’. I love these different creative tools because students’ don’t have to sit in the classroom and open their books. They are able to explore the many technological advancements that software’s have to offer and many of them are either free or not costly.


   In Chapter 6, I learned about Virtual Field Trips, Virtual Schools and Educational websites. These are all great information that will help me to become a better teacher. Technology has changed so much from when I was young. Technology has helped teachers and students’ with so many different resources. Out of the three different concepts I learned from I loved the topic on educational websites because I feel that will educate my students’ academically and they love being on the computer and learning new websites that will teach them new things they never knew they could do and accomplish.




 Resources: 

Ask A Historian. (2016, April 21). Retrieved from http://teachinghistory.org/history-content/ask-a-historian 

Field Trip Zoom. (2016, April 21). Retrieved from http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/

Google Earth. (2016, April 21). Retrieved from https://www.google.com/earth/

Maloy, Robert, O’Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Ed. Boston MA: Pearson Education Inc.

Math Facts Pro. (2016, April 21). Retrieved from http://www.mathfactspro.com/#/home

Platoni, K. (2008, October). Internet explorers: Virtual field trips are more than just money savers. Edutopia. Retrieved from www.edutopia.org/virtual-field trips

Portillo, N (2016, April 22). Virtual Trip. Created with ToonDoo http://www.toondoo.com/MyToondoo.toon

Digital Blog Post #E

   Tech Tool 4.1 suggests different web resources and apps for lesson planning. One of the web resources I found to be helpful is Annenberg Learner. "This curriculum resource center includes lesson plans, interactive activities and videos for classroom use or for teacher professional development" as referenced by Maloy (2013, pg.80). This looks like a great multimedia curriculum that teaches different learning strategies while keeping the students' engaged and focused. This web resource helps teachers by improving their teaching method and students' learning many educational activities, focusing and developing on their thinking process. Many teachers at my school use Planboard by Chalk.com. Planboard is an online tool designed to help educators simplify their planning. This app allows teachers to save and share calendars and schedules, making it easy to re-use these plans in the future. One teacher uses this app and says "it is very simple and intuitive." It can be used on a mobile device and a great organizational tool that also helps teachers store and keep track of their schedule. Planboard also organizes your lessons, subjects and semesters in a beautiful timetable that is everywhere you go such as on your mobile device, computer and tablet. Also did I mention it's a free app as well. Check out this great tutorial on Planboard!

    In Chapter 4, I learned more about standards-based assessments and what the goal of having it is for. A standards-based assessment is an assessment that relies on the evaluation of student understanding with respect to agreed-upon standards, also known as "outcomes." The standards set the criteria for the successful demonstration of the understanding of a concept or skill. On March 28-31,2016 the third grade students' at my school too the Florida Standards Assessment also known as FSA. The assessment was on reading, writing and mathematics. The FSA is designed to measure student performance and is tied to Florida's Common-Core Standards. It outlines what students' should know at the end of each grade. As I saw the nervousness and excitement on the students' faces, I kept on thinking what could they be thinking in their head? I know this assessment will make an impact some how in the students' life. Even though my second graders don't have to worry about the FSA until another year I hope they can get through it. Every child that I encountered on those four days I wished them good luck, asked if they had a good breakfast and not to give up.


    Technology has changed so much from when I was in elementary, middle and high school. When I was in elementary school I remember the teacher using an overhead projector, marker, water bottle and sometimes just using her finger to erase a mistake. Tech Tool 9.1 talks about digital projectors "displaying material from a single computer onto a large screen or whiteboard for everyone to see" as referenced by Maloy (2013 pg. 222). A digital projector is a shared portal to engaging media where students' can be focused and actively involved.With all these great digital learning technologies, makes me think. What would we do if we didn't have them? What would we do if us(teachers) are teaching a lesson and the internet crashes, what would we do? I ask these questions because most of these technologies in the classroom work off of internet access. There has been times in my classroom that it has happened. Teaching a lesson and all of a sudden the internet is down. I guess as a teacher that's when you should always be prepared and have a backup system. Having an interactive whiteboard, digital projector, computers, iPAD's, digital camera and much more are all so great computer technology to have. It helps to keep students' engaged, have fun and learn all at the same time but when I think about it all these technologies all work through internet access and sometimes the internet doesn't always work. Having a digital projector is a great necessity for a learning environment. As a teacher I will try and use the best technological advancement there is out there for my students' but know I should always have a plan B just in case something was to happen. This is what a digital projector looks like. It reminds me of a camera.


                                                                     

Photo credit to AV Hire London on  Flickr

    I love all the great learning technologies from Chapter 4 and 9. Learning about standards-based assessment, digital projectors and web resources and apps for lesson planning are all beneficial to me for when I become a teacher and for the classroom I am in. All the technological programs out there for students' are programs that keeps the students' focused and engaged. Keeping students' engaged I think is the most important lesson on teaching. Keeping them engaged and focused, keeps them learning and wanting to learn. All though I did have a concern about technology in the classroom and how internet access could destroy a teachers' lesson plan it's always important to stay two-steps ahead and have a plan B. I find it easy to identify with Tech Tool because it allows me to find educational outlets for my students' in the classroom. I have learned alot from these two chapters and hope one day I can incorporate them into my lessons. 


Resources:

Annenberg Learner (2016, March 31,). https://www.learner.org

Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA:Pearson Education Inc.

Planboard (2016, March 31,). https://www.planboardapp.com/

[Zoras, Brandon]. (2010, June 10). EdTech Review: Chalk.com Planboard. [Video File] Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=929N9U_JahU