{Fin}

HAYYYOOOOO!!!! MA PEACHEEEESSS!!! 
(Random fact: reading back over this I reminded 
myself of a Shinee song lol! oooh, kpop. And i'm 
in a random mood to call everyone and everything
a peach haha!)

Guess what?!

THIS SEMESTER IS OVAAAAAA!

WHAT, WHAT?!

Okay, I admit, I got a little too excited there, but, hey, can you blame a girl?

Although I'm extremely stoked that this semester is coming to a close, I am grateful for the many things that I have learned from this class

I learned that technology should be available to EVERY student

When I was in elementary school, the students that got to play around on the computer were the ones who finished their work first. I was very meticulous about my work and I did it slowly; consequently, I didn't get a chance to play on the computer much. We didn't even have a computer in my house until I was in about fifth grade (HECK YES DIAL UP! haha!). I just kind of thought that is how technology in the classroom worked. Either the teacher used it in a demonstration, you didn't use it until high school, or if you did your work really quickly, you got the opportunity to experience some fun with the technology. Through this class, I learned that it doesn't have to be that way and that it SHOULD NOT be that way. Every student needs the opportunity to have their learning enhanced, and technology does that. When I have a classroom, I want each of my students to have the opportunity to use technology to enhance their learning and make it enjoyable. 

I learned of the MANY resources like, apps, that are available to me as a educator and as a student

With technology advancing and becoming more accessible and research proving the benefits of technology in the classroom, there is a whole new world of resources to explore. I found out that there are so many cool and fun apps for students and teachers to use. They aren't just cool and fun, but they are very beneficial too!

I learned how to edit videos with Movie Maker

I have tried to play around with Movie Maker before when I would try to make a funny video or makeup tutorial, but I didn't know how to use it properly, so I never posted the videos unless I did it on my Webcam (which I can't edit). It is a very useful skill to have! I can use this in my future classroom and as a student by using it for projects.

I learned that technology SHOULD NEVER BE the main way to teach

Students need that interaction from teachers and from each other. Technology is meant to enhance education and lessons, not teach them...THAT'S WHAT TEACHERS ARE FOR! 

Paper and pencils still have their place, and technology just adds a little something extra special to the plate of education!

and.......

I learned how fun blogging can be! :)

Here's to you my readers I may never meet or I already know (like my class teehee)!

You guys are the BEST!

Well I'm signing off, 

but I have a feeling that this 

won't be my last blog post on here 

because I have benefited so much

from reading other blogger's post

and blogging my own :)

"You Stay Classy!"

-Morgan :*
{Touch someone's life today to change their tomorrow.}

Article Response: "Education Technology Catching on at Last"

I. Your Info

            Name: Morgan Webb

            Article Title: “Education Technology Catching on at Last” by The Economist

II. Overview

            This article was about how technology in classrooms is becoming the norm. Classrooms from big cities to rural communities are integrating technology in their lessons. The classrooms/schools that are utilizing technology are resulting in students with higher test scores and better grades overall. There were some concerns discussed in the article. One concern is that teachers will eventually be replaced and the other concern was that the benefits of using the technology will be one-sided. The wealthy kids or intelligent kids will see more benefits because they are exposed more to it than are lower class students. The article assured that all can benefit from using technology in the classroom; and that technology will make the teacher’s job easier but not take it away.

III. Bulleted Reference Points

1.      “Teaching programs that monitor children’s progress can change that [impersonalized lessons], performing a role more like that of the private tutors and governesses employed long ago in wealthier households.”

2.      “Data also allow continual assessment of his abilities and shortcomings, letting schools, teachers and parents understand both the pupil himself and the way human beings learn.”

3.      “America’s teaching unions fear a hidden agenda of replacing properly trained humans with some combination of technology and less qualified manpower, or possibly just technology.”

4.      “The promise in all this for teachers is less drudgery, since some of their duller tasks can be automated, and interesting new challenges as they work out how to reorganise their classes. If the technology can be used as an extra pair of hands in the classroom, teachers will find it possible to do more.”

5.      “’We know more about our users than any company has ever known about anyone.’ As with any enterprise involving big data, it is possible to imagine such stores of information being misused.”

6.      “The second worry is that the benefits of all this change may end up disproportionately with the rich, the bright and the highly motivated, who already make most use of online resources.”

7.      “Used properly, edtech offers both the struggling and the brilliant a route to higher achievement. The point is to maximize the potential of every child.”

8.      “America continues to slip down the international rankings in education, falling during the past three decades from first to tenth in the educational level of those leaving high school, and from third to 13th for college students. Education technology could reverse this trend—if it is not jinxed by politics, bureaucracy and outdated institutional structures. Countries where it is not now have the chance to race ahead.”

IV. Reflection and significance to you

            This article was thought provoking as it presented the pros and cons of technology in the classroom. I understand the fear of teachers that they will be replaced by machines; however, technology can be helpful in doing work as well as helping students understand. During this course, we focus a lot on how technology can benefit our students, but I realize that technology is just as beneficial to me as a future educator. It can make grading and assessments so much easier and can be done in a more efficient and organized way. The point they brought up about the information they have on students really caused me to think. It’s true that so much information of our students will be on some kind of technology. It’s how our world works now. All kinds of records are documented on technology. I think that schools and teachers be sure that they install a very good protection software for their computers to protect the information of the children. This article was a bit one-sided, but I appreciated that they addressed the concerns. Technology can be beneficial to each student and can personalize their learning. I think technology is a necessity in the classroom because it can offer so much to enhance learning experiences. 

Love is the Difference

Hayo!

I made a digital story, peeps! For my Technology in Education class, we were assigned to make a digital story. We had to...
1. Draw a "story map"
This assignment caused me to reflect on things that have happened in my life, and it taught me to keep a strong, clear moral throughout of story instead of getting distracted by the words themselves. 2. Write a narrative (read it here!)
3. Make a digital story
4. Present it to our class
5. Post it on YouTube (click to watch!)


This would be a great assignment to use in a classroom! It teaches students how to tell stories, gives them a chance to present work they can be proud of, and lets them express their creativity.

This story is very special to my heart; it is part of my personal testimony of how God lead me back to Him. I went through some hard times, but God brought me out of it stronger than I was before! Like a sand in the mouth of a clam, the hard times irritated me and hurt me, but the result was more beautiful than the most expensive pearl. 






{I hope you all were encouraged and inspired by this story. Remember: Love is the difference}

Love someone today

To change their tomorrow

Take care!

-Morgan

"Philosophy for Technology in Education" Now playing on a computer near you!!

In my previous blog, I posted my Philosophy for Technology in Education. It is now in a...

[[MOVIE FORM!!! Wooooo!!!]]

and is up on YouTube which you can check out here!

(especially if you are not much of a reader like me! haha!) 

{This was a great exercise for me to really look inside myself and reflect on what I believe a 

quality education program should include. It made my future career as an educator more real for me by putting focus on what my classroom will be like.}

Take care!

Make a Difference!

-Morgan

Philosophy of Technology in Education

PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

        When used WISELY and EFFECTIVELY, technology is a GIFT and useful TOOL to teachers and students. 

~Using technology to enhance learning was once a dream, but it is now becoming more and more a reality as advancements in technology continues to increase. Increase in technological advancement and production causes devices and programs to be more accessible than ever.~

 As an educator, I believe that teachers have a great range of tools to now use to enhance learning for students and to meet the needs of each and every learner.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

        I will effectively use the technology accessible to me in my classroom to make learning come alive and fun while fulfilling the greater purpose of meeting the needs of every unique learner in my class. 

• I will integrate a form of technology into every subject and will make times for every student to utilize the technology to complete assignments and to further instill the concepts that are being taught. 
• I will integrate apps to enhance my lessons and to increase comprehension and retention.
• I will assign students to complete a variety of assignments using technology such as: digital story-telling, blogging, and research papers. 
• I will create a website where the students can safely blog and where parents can interact with me, see classroom news, and view their children’s work.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^         Technology is very useful; however, it must be used wisely. 

  ~I will teach my students to be responsible digital citizens in being careful what they put online about themselves and others. I will teach them that what they post online is on there forever; consequently, they need to be careful with what they say and how they treat others. In teaching them how to be respectful digital citizens, will teach them how to deal with cyber-bullying and to be respectful of others.~

           

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
When used WISELY and EFFECTIVELY, technology is a GIFT and useful TOOL to teachers and students.  

~I will use whatever resources are provided to me to enhance the learning of my students in order to prepare them for other grades and for their adult life. Creating a good learning environment does more than instill concepts and give students a fun learning experience; it sets them up to be good learners and to be successful in the future.~

    {It is in my hands to help set my students up for success, and I will do whatever I can with the resources I have at my disposal to launch them to success for a better future.}

            

~Importance of Having a Parent Contact Log~

Hi Everyone!

For my Technology in Education class, I was assigned to make a mock parent/guardian-teacher contact log. We learned the importance of keeping such a log. It is important for many reasons. 

One reason for keeping a contact log is so you know what you have discussed with parents and what solution was agreed upon. This will keep conversations with parents progressing instead of always going back over and over the same thing with no real solution. You will have a reference point and notes of what was discussed and what will be done. 

It is important because it shows the parents and the school and the students that you are actively involved and that you do care and that you do want great communication between you and the parents. Keeping a log will help you track the improvement of students. 

Most importantly, it is your job as a teacher to keep in contact with parents. 

{It is a document that shows proof that you are doing your job as a teacher in helping a student succeed in school and setting them up to succeed in life!}

~Click HERE to view my example of a parent/guardian contact log!~

Take Care Everyone!

-Morgan

~Three Useful Classroom Apps~

Hello Everyone!
I would like to share 3 free apps that are useful to use in the classroom!

1. Gtimer Free
                           
Gtimer free is a great app to use when timing younger children. It could be used during free play time when children need to take turns playing with something. It would be useful for them to see during a timed assignment so they know how much time they have. Gtimer has a digital stop watch in the middle of a circle. As the time begins the circle turns white in sections (similar to a pie chart). You can have a ringer go off when time is up.


2. Teacher Assist
Teacher Assist is an app that can help you randomly select students for activities. For example, if you have a physical education class, you can put the kids into groups for activities. You can enter in how many groups you have and press "go." It will randomly pic numbers. You can enter in the names of your students and it will select names at random as well. Another feature this app has is that you can get quiz or homework comprehension questions if you are stumped on questions to ask students.

3. EvoBooks: Bio Anatomy Demo
This app is super awesome! I love it! Unfortunately, the full version is $20; however, it is really useful when teaching anatomy. The free version offers a 3D experience with the circulatory system and the digestive system. You can write notes on certain things, circle an area you want to discuss or demonstrate how something flows. It also will demonstrate the function (i.e. how the heart beats). You can go all around the body as well. Like I said before, IT IS SUPER COOL!

BUT WAIT! THAT'S NOT ALL!!!

[I'm just going to throw in a freebee ;)]

4. American TESOL
This app is a really useful resource for teachers who teach English as a second language. It has all kinds of helpful articles and videos to inspire and challenge you as a teacher. We all should take an opportunity to grow and learn and this app offers people those opportunities.

I hope you all found this useful! Happy Teaching!

Until next time! Take Care!

-Morgan

Using Technology to Enrich the Classroom Article Response

Hey Everybody!!


For my Technology in Education class, we had to read an article called "Tell Me About … / How Technology Enriched Your Students' Learning." Several teachers/instructors wrote short summaries about how they use technology in their classrooms/lessons and the benefits of doing so.


This is a great article to find inspiration and ideas for using technology in the classroom. I particularly liked the submission from Mr. James di Carlo who wrote "Using a Killer App for World Languages." Apps are awesome tools to use in teaching different languages. Instead of the same boring book with the lame pictures, why not use an app with some good graphics, audible features, and games and tests? When learning another language, it's extremely helpful to have pictures of the words one is learning, hear the word spoken, and seeing it written; it will stimulate better recognition of the words, memorization, and context. 


Just an thought...
Students can also have the app downloaded on their personal devices to play the games and to practice more than just the hour they had in class. Using language apps could also be a very useful tool for ESL classrooms.

~Here is the link to check out the article!~

{Make a difference in the life of a student!

Take Care Everyone!}

{My Experiences Being a Member of TESOL}

{Hello Everyone! I joined TESOL International Association 

about a month and a half ago, and I would like to tell you 

my experience with this great association.} 

~TESOL is a professional organization for people who are interested in teaching English as a second language. They offer many resources for whatever you may need in teaching English as a second language. They have tools for teachers from elementary school teachers all the way to adult programs. ~                                                             

                                                                                                                         

                                                                                                                          (picture from tesol.org) 

 ~I read some of the blogs on TESOL, and they were very insightful and helpful. I particularly liked the blog titled "Getting Ahead in English Outside of Class" by Alexandra Lowe. It talked about her method of getting her students to realize the importance of practicing English outside of class even with peers that have the same first language as they do. Although the blog comments/interactions are not that active, I highly recommend reading their blogs if you are interested in teaching English as a second language or you already do teach it; you can learn a lot from them. ~

~The other thing I really like about TESOL is that they offer great resources for teachers. They have lesson plans, articles, and tips. I read a lesson plan for elementary students on using music to teach English. It was easily adaptable and could easily be edited and tweaked to fit the needs of your class. 

TESOL is a great organization to join and an excellent resource for teachers who teach English as a second language. ~

{Here is a link to their website! Go check it out!}

~Unit of Study for Multiplication~

{Hello all!}

~I created a unit of study outline for multiplication for my Technology in Education course. This unit of study is geared to 3rd and 4th graders to help students quicken their recollection and sharpen their memorization of multiplication tables.~

~ I have integrated an art project, some charts, a book, homework assignments, games (which is from Lily Mae from ehow.com. I will post a link below), and a method of assessment. I also integrated a really fun app called Math Heroes which I had written a review on in my previous blog post which you can check out (I will post a link at the end of this post). I designed this unit of study to meet the needs of visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners.~

{To view my hard copy of my outline, click HERE! You can also view my powerpoint for a general idea of this unit of study by clicking on the word "powerpoint".}

~Here are some more links that will be beneficial to check out!~

 

Click Math Heroes to check out the app!

Check out my previous blog post for my review on Math Heroes by clicking here!

Here is the link to Lily Mae's post on ehow to some really fun multiplication games

~Good luck and make a difference in the life of a child today!~ 

 

Five Apps to Integrate (or not integrate) Into the Classroom

Hello Everyone!
This past week I have tested out several educational apps. Here is my review on my findings.

{Math Heroes}

The first app I tested was "Math Heroes 1" by Yogome. This app challenges and strengthens basic math operations knowledge. This would be appropriate second graders  for You get to pick your own avatar-a girl or boy ninja. Each challenge is timed for about one minute. If you get all three stars during a challenge, the Sensei does a pretty awesome dance that I found quite humorous. As you advance to each level, the challenges get more challenging. As you beat a level, you will earn a card that's also pretty cute. I think this app is really great; it is very similar to a speed drill but more fun.

{Ocean}

The second app I tried out was "Ocean" by Tribal Nova. This app teaches sentences formation, vocabulary, and prepositions.  This game is extremely cute and fun. It is geared toward preschoolers. The stories you can make in the app are very silly which I think kids would enjoy making them. For example, "The fork hides the potato." They then have animation to demonstrate the story. The theme was ocean; however they have a random alien in it as the main character. After beating a level, they have you play with your prizes which is making the alien look silly. Unfortunately, you have to buy a full version to enjoy the game, and it has ads in the place where they have their prizes. The calibration needs to be improved as well.

{Macrocosm}

The third app I tested was Macrocosm. This app is really really cool to use when teaching astronomy. They show things in a type of 3D effect. For example, the moon rotates and it has a fact about it. They give other facts about constellations and planets and super novas. Unfortunately, you have to buy the full version, but I think it would be worth the money. The lite version was so cool, so I think it would be a good investment. I would suggest this be used in fifth and sixth grades. 

{Geography Quiz 3D}

Geography Quiz 3D is an app that challenges knowledge of maps, flags, capitals, and landmarks around the world.  This was really cute and fun; however, it's constantly encouraging you to post your progress on facebook or twitter. They encourage you to buy coins and you are playing against others. This app challenges knowledge on countries, where they are and their flags and capitals. I would not recommend this because it's like online gaming. 

{World Citizen}

World Citizen is a great app that challenges knowledge of flags, capitals, and countries around the world. It is a little boring for younger ones, but it would be good for fifth and sixth grade students. At the end of the app, it gives you an accuracy of how many you got correct. It is a good app to use after a unit of geography lessons. 

~Introduction to MY BLOG!!~

~Introduction to MY BLOG!!~

{Who I Am}

Hello to all my readers! I would like to introduce myself as my first blog post. My name is Morgan (obviously), and I'm going into one of the MOST rewarding fields out there -- TEACHING!!!! I am currently in training to become a teacher. I'm getting plenty of practice teaching at my job as a teacher at a local daycare. I mostly work with three year-olds -- WHAT A CHALLENGE!!--however, it is worth it! God has put a very specific people group on my heart to teach. My heart is to teach in South Korea. It has been on my heart to teach in Korea since I was in high school. I want to teach kids English as a second language; most importantly, I want to teach them about the Love of Christ. The age group I prefer is first and second grade. I'm excited as to what God is going to do in my life and the lives of those he touches through His ministry in my life.

{Why I Do What I Do}

I felt the call of God for me to go into the education field. God has put children and young people on my heart not to just teach them concepts of different subjects; but to teach them something so much more and deeper than anyone can comprehend--the love of God. When I hug a child or teach them something, I don't want them to feel my love for them, but the love of the Christ that is in me because His love can make them whole and is deeper than my love can ever go. Nothing gives me more joy than seeing a child's eyes light up when they understand something new or when they feel  that unconditional love of the Father. Working at a daycare and in a school, you will meet many children who have disabilities, behavioral issues, and troubled home lives. When I am at work, my goal is to show all the kids the love of Christ by me loving them and caring for them and teaching them about God's love for us all. I want them to be able to look back on their lives in the future and remember that time when they felt the love of Christ when maybe they felt no love anywhere else and have a sense of hope and  of purpose from that love. Loving them with Christ's love is not just temporary, it is planting seeds than can last until someone else comes along to water it, and they come to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord of their lives.

 

{What This Blog Is About}

This blog will primarily center around technology in the classroom and how it can enhance learning and the teaching of Christ in the classroom. I hope you all find it a helpful tool and resource for your teaching and parenting.

God bless and Remember...

"To the world you may be one person, 

but to one person you may be the world." 

-Dr. Seuss