"Educators are preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist."
I chose this quote because I never thought about educating someone for jobs that don't currently exist. After giving it some thought, I now realize that every educator has prepared the next generation for the forever changing job market. I plan to teach my future students critical thinking skills, problem solving skills, effective communication and listening skills because these are skills that will always be crucial to have, no matter what career they choose to go into. Although I can't prepare them for specific jobs, they'll be able to think, solve, and communicate their way into the many opportunities that will be available for them.
"Effective communication is the key to success."
Communication is necessary in order to relay correct information or messages from one person to another. Without proper communication skills, frustration, mistakes, and confusion will most likely be experienced and this will pose a challenge no matter where you are. Good communication skills also entail active listening skills. You can't communicate effectively if you haven't been listening to what is being said. This will be put into place in my future classrooms because I'll be communicating information with them and they'll be listening to it as well as communicating back. Hopefully, I'll be a good model of communication and listening skills with my students!
"Technology should be at the point of instruction and be as accessible as in learning as a pencil; it shouldn't be an event. How many pencil labs do you have in your school?"
This quote is one to keep in mind because we will be teaching during a time where technology will be thriving and readily accessible to many students. Our students will be raised with technology which is even more of a reason to incorporate it into daily lessons and allow students to learn with what they know how to use. Technology will be just as necessary as a pencil, so I plan to offer choices to my students as to how they would like to complete an assigned task.
After reading this post, I realize that it is okay to not be great at something because most people don't think they are, perfect example being the techie that was mentioned in the article. I was able to think back on how I've helped older people use technology, but I am in no means tech savvy, which is something I'm okay with because there will always be room for growth. I plan to teach my future students what I know when it comes to technology, but I will also be learning new information alongside them which will be just as exciting. It is important to keep up with the ever-changing technology that surrounds us, and I don't mean that we have to be perfect at using it, we just have to be aware that it exists and is out there.
A Google Assistant in the Classroom-- Podcast Number 31
The podcast that I listened to was number 31, "A Google Assistant in the Classroom". This one caught my eye because I love using Siri on my IPhone and how smart to take advantage of this in a classroom! Artificial intelligence/voice assistant is able to gather data, therefore becoming smarter. They then use this data to make predictions and respond to you when you ask them a question. All you have to do is speak to your device, such as "Hey Google" and it will respond to your question. There are many options for this such as Siri on IPhones, Google Assistant, and Amazon Echo's Alexa. This would be a great way for students to look up information since the answer will be given to them right away. You could incorporate it into different subjects such as getting the weather on a daily basis, what is the capital of a certain state, or what is 23 times 64. I think that these AI/voice assistants are a good way to engage the students because they'll be excited to have a device that speaks back to them. As always, you'll have to set rules and boundaries when it comes to the use of a voice assistant and remind students that it's not just for telling jokes (try asking Siri "Can you beatbox?).
Thoughts on Cellphones in the Classroom
I agreed with the fact that kids should have access to cell phones and laptops while at school. There are many ways that a cell phone can be used efficiently in a classroom, including looking up information and creating projects through applications. I also agree that with this access comes a lot of distractions and wasted class time. I think that by teaching them responsible cell phone/laptop usage, like Jose Luis Vilson who is a middle school teacher, kids will have a clear understanding of what is expected of them when it comes to being on cell phones. Vilson gave a good example of how not to make a big deal when his cell phone goes off in the classroom, he will just turn it off and move on and made it clear that that is what he expects his students to do as well. By setting clear boundaries of when it's appropriate to use your cell phone, teachers can avoid the wasted class time because everyone will be on the same page and know what is expected of them. I think it's okay for an instructor to take away said device if the student has taken advantage of the time given to be on their cell phone, they have to deal with the consequences of their actions. As I mentioned, I agree with cell phones in the classroom as long as there is a clear understanding between teacher and student of what is expected of them, and this may change from classroom to classroom.
Thoughts on Texting and Student Writing Skills
I can see both sides of this controversial topic but I would have to agree that texting does lead to dependent but not necessarily poor writers. Students have everything at their fingertips, including spellcheck. Spellcheck eliminates room for error because it will pick up on a misspelled word and automatically correct it, without even allowing the student to process that they have made a mistake because it has been fixed immediately! By depending on spellcheck, students may not have a need to know how to spell something because it's already in their phones dictionary. This may be a problem when a student has to write an essay and they can't spell a word because they don't have access to their phones to Google it. Shortening and abbreviating words for times sake is also a sad habit that students, including myself, participate in. Although I think it is sad, I don't think that it is a negative thing to do as long as the student knows that there is a time and place (and audience) to use it with. It makes sense to use it with your sibling or a friend, but keep in mind that it is not appropriate to shorten or abbreviate words when you're addressing your teacher or writing an essay. I think that because of texting/tweeting/emailing students are writing and reading much more than we give them credit for. It might not be proper english language or challenging words but they are still reading and writing all day long. We have to give them some credit because they aren't completely giving up on reading and writing skills.
I found this article super helpful in letting me see the differences between rude, mean, and bullying. I like how it gave a small definition of each type and provided differences between the three of them. I would have to agree with the author when they say that it is important to differentiate between the three otherwise the word bullying becomes overused and takes away from the TRUE issue of bullying. Nowadays, if something happens to a student it is almost immediately classified as bullying, which it might be, but it could also be rudeness or meanness. By having educators and parents know that there is a difference between all three of them they then can move forward and deal with the issue appropriately.
The hour of coding that we did in class was interesting for me because I had never worked with coding before. I found it to be engaging at the beginning but soon lost interest and this could’ve very well have been because I wasn’t introduced to coding sooner. I think that it would be beneficial for the upcoming generations because they are being raised with smart devices in their hands and know how to use technology like no other. So, they would probably pick up on coding right away. I understand the importance and agree with the article when it says that coding/computer science should be taught in every public school but there would be a lot of barriers to get through first. Not every student has access to a computer/tablet while at school, or they have a 2:1, which would make it difficult to have students participate in coding. I think that a lot of explanations would have to be given prior to introducing coding because some may find it very confusing and frustrating. I do like that code.org has provided free online coding lessons which offer many different types to choose from and they have easy to follow steps. These lessons are a great way for students to get a sense for coding. Like I said, I agree with coding being taught in public schools but I think it will be hard to make coding a requirement in every public school.
While in high school, I believe I was partially academically engaged because I knew that grades were important, and I learned how to work smarter, not harder. I didn’t attend any extra tutorials or anything, because most (not math) of the topics clicked for me. I was also socially engaged, enjoying school because that’s where my friends were. I would choose my classes around the schedules of my friends, in hopes of being in the same class or lunch period. My parents emphasized the importance of education, which is why I think I tried at school, but I never pushed myself more than what I had to in order to complete an assignment.
Now that I’m a college student, I realize how important it is to be present and engaged in the material that is being taught. It would be so nice to just skip a three-hour class but I’m paying too much money to do so, and I actually enjoy the classes that I’m in, which leads me to think that I’m being challenged enough making me be engaged. If a class isn’t challenging enough, then I won’t put nearly as much effort as I would with a class that challenges me. I’m also more involved now than what I was in high school because I think I’ve matured and have a better understanding of the choices I’ve made for myself (ex. what career I’ve chosen, how much I’m paying for my classes, so I better be present $$$, that my future depends on my choices now).
In order for students to be engaged, as a future educator I think that choices have to be offered. What makes one student feel engaged and successful could make another feel bored out of their mind. I think that student engagement depends a lot on the teacher. If the teacher acts like the students are a burden, the students will see that and will not be motivated to do well on assignments. Positive teacher attitude might just be that extra push that students need to be successful.
I chose this podcast because I found it fitting for our class as we just covered Genius Hour and our Genius Hour projects are almost due. Angela Watson shared what the most effective teachers are doing with Genius Hour and howthey’re doing. Angela and AJ clarified that Genius Hour is switching up how we traditionally learn in schools, it gives students the choice of what they want to learn about all while meeting the standards and requirements needed in K-12. They mentioned that Genius Hour can be held as early as the elementary level all the way through high school, the topics of Genius Hour vary depending on what levels they’re at. They also mentioned that the length of Genius Hour doesn’t have to last the whole school year or a whole semester because this may be a bit much. They can do projects for a certain amount of time, about 2 weeks, and then bring them back up later in the year. Angela and AJ described that students should “Look, Listen, and Learn” when coming up with their Genius Hour project, then present their idea by answering a couple questions: What you’re going to learn? Why you’re going to learn about it? How are you going to learn about it? And What is successful? This is similar to what we had to do for our Genius Hour project, which I thought was great because it made all of us think a little more deeply about the topic we chose. Overall, this podcast was very informative, a little lengthy, but informative. Podcasts in the classroom would be a great way to give students a different platform when it came to presenting a project or something they researched, allowing them to teach their other classmates through audio. I think children would love this because it would be hands on for them all while integrating technology!
Genius Hour: Flexible Seating
As a future educator, I am interested in anything that creates an efficient learning environment. I stumbled upon flexible seating and created a Powtoon on it!
After watching the video, I turned my thoughts on it into a podcast!
"My Best Friend" on Storybird
Children's books are my favorite! Flip through the pages of my own children's book on Storybird, titled "My Best Friend".
Teaching and Learning in Today's Classroom Powtoon
Watch my Powtoon to see how you can be an effective teacher in today's classroom.
Kahoot Game
I first heard about Kahoot in this class and I fell in love with how interactive it is all while testing what students know! Check out my own Kahoot game, All About Angles!
Book Burp using DoInk Green Screen
Watch my Book Burp on "Mother Bruce" by Ryan T. Higgins here.
Google has so much to offer! I checked out three of Google's products that I was unfamiliar with and evaluated them. You can find my evaluation here!