Week #5: Online Assessment Tools

Online Assessment Tools

Being a teacher in today’s world means keeping up with the latest technology. The children of today’s world are blossoming and catching onto technological advances faster than kids of any generation. Keeping up, means reaching children where they “live.” Most children have access to electronic devices, reaching them to asses them while in the comfort of their own homes, helps to build academic skills outside of their classrooms. Interactive websites such as Kahoot, Quizz, and QuizSocket, enable educators to reach students from wherever they maybe. Education no longer needs to be confined to the classroom setting. 

The website Kahoot! (www.create.kahoot.it) has quizzes and trivia that allow for students to play “single” (student against computer), or as “team vs team” (multiple students/[players). One cool trivia game I came across quizzes the student(s) knowledge about the infinitely cool number known as: PI. Questions like: National Pi Day falls on? And gives various incorrect options and the correct answer.  There is another creative quiz that titled: “Celebrate Diversity.” Quizzes like these helps to open up students minds about the diverse world around them. 

How would these tools help me as a future educator? I feel that online resources such as these will help me not only connect, and develop an understanding of my students, but also help me encourage the students to know that learning is fun and can be addictive. Giving them opportunities to expand their minds and knowledge at the click of a button. This would also give me, as an educator, the chance to answer questions that the students may have after taking the quizzes. I can see websites like these creating “rich” discussion within the classroom. 

Week #4 The FLIPPED Classroom

The Flipped Classroom:

The “flipped classroom” is a concept that is relatively new to classrooms at the elementary level. This type of classroom is seen mostly at the college level. The flipped classroom is a forum for open discussion-dialogue and learning, What I liked best for the article titled: How the Flipped Classroom Is Radically Transforming Learning, the author makes note of the “usual” dialogue between parents and teachers at conferences. The parent will ask how their child is behaving, the author of this article points out that “behavior” isn’t an issue in a flipped classroom. No one is expected to sit still and hear a lecture for a period of time. Group discussion is the key factor in the flipped classroom. With group discussion, students are able to create dialogue that helps them learn from each other and retain information more successfully. This concept promotes self-learning, a big concept in higher education. By having classrooms like this, we promote self-learning, and college readiness. By giving the students the opportunity to learn this way, we also promote social skills in children early on.

The concept of the flipped classroom is “radical,” but it makes the most sense. I myself, have found that classroom with group discussion helps me to retain information more easily, it also helps me to develop my own understanding of the topic. I think that classrooms like this should not be limited to the college classroom, I believe group discussion should be encouraged right away. As a child, I was super “shy”—introverted, I believe if group discussion was promoted in my early education, I could have built those needed social skills faster, and more efficiently.

As a future educator, this is definitely the type of concept I will infuse into my own teaching styles. I will definitely make sure that the right supports are in place for children who struggle with social skills, giving them opportunities to be part of the group, in ways that are comfortable to them.

Week #3: The Art of Storytelling

              "A story can take you anywhere in your imagination--places a movie never can." My mother told me this from an early age. She explained to me that, movies limit the imagination of the viewer. While watching a movie, the viewer is watching another persons "take" on a story. But a written story does not have limits, the reader is free to interpret and "go" wherever the mind takes them.
            When I was a child, my mother was an avid reader. She was "famous" for reading novels within a day, or two. She also loved to read to my brother and I. It was a great bonding experience. As I grew older, I developed a love for reading and writing. I really understood what she meant by, "a book can take you places a movie can't." This has proven true each time I hear someone exclaim: "I liked the book better than the movie."
            This week in class we read a resource titled: "The Science of Storytelling." This resource states that telling/writing/reading a story "fires" up the brain better and faster than just stated facts bullet pointed in a text.
                  Pre-schoolers love nothing more than to sit at "circle time" and hear stories. This is also true when it comes to families at home. Reading to kids makes them smarter, while giving them a model and encouragement to become avid readers themselves.
                 There is definitely an "art" to the tradition of storytelling. School age children deserve to be read too, regardless of age.

Week #2: Advantages of Using Assistive Tech in Special Education

Technology in Education is expanding and users of ALL abilities need/deserve access to “user-friendly” applications. In the Education field, students have varying abilities—it is up to us, as educators, to direct students to technology that will help them not only in their education, but also when developing much needed life-skills.

              A great source for user friendly applications online are found through Google Chrome. Applications such as:

*Speech-to-text, the user is able to talk into a device (tablet, phone, computer, etc.) and the application produces the written words into sentences.

*Text-to-speech, this application allows the user to hear the words on the screen (of any website) through the speakers of their device.

*Dyslexia Friendly Chrome Extension Link, this application is for learners who have difficulties reading, or interpreting words/letters/symbols. The font is written in what’s called: “Open Dyslexic font.” This font is believed to help learners with Dyslexia read.

*Vimium, this application provides shortcuts on the keyboard for users who have difficulties navigating a mouse.

              The above assistive tech applications are important to learners of ALL abilities. I have worked predominately with Special Education Students; during my time working with students in the education setting. These students have shown not only interest, but success when using technology. It is incredible what students can do with technology when they are able to explore devices on their own. When educators incorporate learning technology into their daily lessons, it strengthens and increases the odds that the assistive tech is working.

              It is not uncommon for a child with reading deficits to show difficulty in their writing skills. When an educator gives that child access to assistive tech such as, “speech-to-text,” they give that child a tool for creating written assignments. The child’s creativity comes to life—it isn’t hindered by their reading difficulties.

              It is important for every child to know that they can succeed, and master a skill. Teaching/utilizing assistive tech gives children the tools they need for an advancing technological society.

             

Why I Want To Become A Teacher

Becoming a teacher has always been a dream of mine. As a child, my friends and I would play school. We would use my friend Crystal's garage as a school; we would set up chalk boards and "do/grade" assignments. It was always such a fun experience.
The sound of chalk on a chalk board has always caught my attention in a positive way. (Yes, I am "dating" myself. I grew up in the 90's and was able to experience the sound of chalk running across a chalk board, communicating the teacher's information.
My first "real" job was at a preschool/daycare; I worked my way up from teacher's assistant to lead teacher. I spent seven years at that preschool, but it was time for me to move onto to better pay/hours. I moved on to become a Para Educator. It was at Proviso Area For Exceptional Children that I learned that I had a passion for working/teaching students in Special Education.

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