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