Blogfolio

I.CONCEPT MAP

I believe this assignment links well with standard number 2a.
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

The concept map was created electronically on a computer program that allows you to design your own thoughts into a creative diagram.  Many different digital tools were used and it definitely promotes student learning throughout the process of creating it.  This activity could definitely be used in my classroom for the higher functioning students.  I love the idea of creating the concept map electronically because it opens so many doors of creativity.

II.INTRO VIDEO

The introduction video assignment links well with standard number 3a and number 4c.
3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning
a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility
c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information.

The introduction video demonstrates fluency in the use of a video recorder and transferring data from the video device to the computer and uploading it to the media of your choice.  This relates to standard 3a.  Throughout this assignment, the students would also have to demonstrate digital etiquette and responsibility by making sure they are polite in their video and keeping their video clean and respectful to others.  This relates to standard 4c.  This is something that could be used at the beginning of the school year to allow the students to introduce themselves and get to know each other.  They would love being able to record themselves then going back and watching their own video as well as others.  I really like this assignment as well.

III.MOVIE

The movie assignment links well with standard number 3c.
3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.

The production of this video relates to standard number 3c in the since that students will be communicating relevant information in the format of a movie that they create.  The students must do this effectively in order to get their point across and be understood by others.  This assignment is yet another that could be used in my classroom.  It is somewhat of a more complex format of power point presentations and displays an advance in technology.  I like this assignment as well and really enjoyed creating my own movie.

IV.VOKI

The voki relates well with standard number 2c.
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies and abilities using digital tools and resources.

Creating a voki allows the students to be creative and broaden their imagination with the use of today’s technology.  They are able to personalize their own voki however they would like and use the voki as a spokesperson for their assignments.  I love the voki idea and think the students in my classroom would really like it as well.  This is something that students of all ages, no matter how young or how old, would really enjoy becoming involved with.

V.WEB 2.0 SITES

The web 2.0 sites link well with standard number 5c.
5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership
c. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.

Browsing the web 2.0 sites allowed me to view current sites that can be used in the classroom to help engage the students by using the newest digital tools and technology.  I was able to look through a list of today’s most popular sites used by educators and professionals.  These sites could be really helpful to me as a teacher and I will definitely be saving the link for future reference.  I enjoyed browsing through the sites and becoming involved in learning how to benefit from the use of a few of them.

Video: Children Are Our Future

Web 2.0 Websites

I like the Penzu website and the Quizlet website.

Penzu is a site that allows you to make your own journal. This journal can be used in the classroom for daily bell work when the students are given journal writing assignments. There is an option once they finish their journal entry to print and this would be an option if the teacher wants the assignment turned in that morning. If the assignment doesn't need to be turned in right then, it will be saved in the students journal and can be pulled up at a later date. All journal assignments for the whole year can be kept in this online journal. I think this is a wonderful way to keep the students interested and it also helps to organize their work.

The other site I like is the Quizlet website. This site allows you to make your own flashcards for study purposes. This can be used in the classroom, as well as at home. The teacher can have pre-made cards ready on the site and use this as an incentive for the students once they finish their work. The students would enjoy making their own flashcards as well. This is a great way to keep students interested and also keep up with technology. These can also be printed to be kept as a paper form and used in the classroom.

"Gaming to Reengage Boys"

Three reasons why boys are out of sync with school today:
1) Zero Tolerance
2) Fewer Male Teachers
3) Kindergarten is the Old Second Grade

This speakers expresses the reasons why boys are so out of touch with school today. She explains certain factors that relate to this problem and then goes on to explain a way to help! Boys love video games. Therefore, why not use gaming to reengage boys? Design better educational games for these kids to play, uncompress some of the curriculum so that they become comfortable in their surroundings, find more money for game design, and look at teacher attitudes. We need to become more aware of finding ways to better the environment for boys in our schools today. They need to feel as if they have a purpose and if they belong in school.

I agree with this speaker. She makes a very valid point about the attitude of boys in school today and how they interact based on their surroundings. Finding a way to reengage boys through gaming that interests them is a great idea.

Post Fifteen: "World Peace Game" Ted.com

The World Peace Game is a wonderful idea that a gifted teacher from Virginia name John Hunter came up with. It started out when he was planning a lesson in 1978 for students in Africa with all the problems of the world. He came up with an interactive game for the students to play. It consists of many layers of the world and thousands of game pieces, four countries that students make up and each country has a cabin with a prime minister. There is a world bank, a weather goddess and a 13 page crisis document. The bond that this teacher has with his students helps a lot throughout this lesson/game. The students are given a crisis and they have to figure out what to do to save the world from this crisis.

I LOVE this idea! It gives students so much responsibility at such a young age and makes them think critically and make life changing decisions. It allows them to learn so much from each other by working together and coming up with so many different scenarios and ideas. This teacher has made such a big difference in the world of teaching and the students enjoy this! I wish that every gifted class would engage in this game so that my son would have the chance to experience this.

Post Fourteen: "Educator's Guide to Cyberbullying and Cyberthreats"

This article is a guide for teachers to have a better understanding of cyber bullying and cyber threats. This notifies the educators of warning signs and what to look for when the students are actively using the internet. This article also expresses the legal issues associated with cyber bullying and cyber threats. There are certain privacy laws that must be followed and different ways of handling situations when it comes to the Internet.

This is a very important article for all educators to be made aware of. It has some very informative items and can help educators know what to look for when their students are using the Internet and know how to handle certain situations.

Post Thirteen: "Why Flipped Classrooms Are Here To Stay"

This article describes flipped classrooms. A flipped classroom is when the student are given the classroom lecture to view as a recording for homework and the class time is used to discuss the lecture and answer any questions the students may have about the information. The article expresses details of how to conduct a flipped classroom and the benefits from it as well.

I love the idea of a flipped classroom. This allows class time to be used more wisely. Letting the students view the lecture on their own time allows them to engage more and pay attention because they are doing it when they want to and they don't have the distraction of a classroom full of students. I love this idea!

Post Twelve: "Philanthropy"

This article discusses technology and how far we have come with gaming systems over the past decade. The writer expresses the importance of keeping all old material and information for use in the future. It is important to archive this information. The virtual world of video games is rapidly progressing day by day and the use of archived information helps to better this technology for the future.

I found it amusing when the children were introduced to the first video game and the reaction they had when they saw how basic the graphics were. It amazes me how far we have come with technology and the things that have developed over the past decade.