Response #5 21st Century Learning and Math

As a new owner of a classroom set of Ipads in a math classroom, I feel that the opportunities with technology are endless and almost overwhelming at times. I chose this webinar to gather ideas of how I can integrate technology into my math classroom and to pick and choose ones that I really wanted to focus on in the next year. With standardized assessments now being taken on the computer, I know that it is very important that I start to allow my students to practice their math in the same format in which they will receive those assessments. I believe that exposing the students to technology throughout their learning is the primary way that I can prepare them and set them up for success on those assessments.

One of the tools mentioned in the webinar was called mathsnacks.com. This was one of my favorites because it is directed and focused towards middle schoolers. In exploring the site, I found fun interactive videos and games that students could explore to better understand the meaning behind some of the 7th grade standards. There were also lessons to accompany the videos.

Another site that I enjoyed learning about from this webinar was "Interactivate." This site has a ton of tools related to math and science concepts and gathering data. Some examples include graphs, spinners, clocks, stopwatches, etc., that are all interactive and great practice items for working through a computer adaptive test like the SBAC. This would be a good link to have on my own classroom website and I want to explore it further to find tools that I could infuse into my own lessons. Another similar tool to this would be PHET interactive simulations which particularly stood out to me in the webinar because of the demonstration of a slope intercept form graphing tool! This pertains exactly to what I am teaching now. Some of these great technology pieces, I know, would contribute to more effective teaching on my part and increased students success!

The most important information that I gathered from this webinar were some of the awesome Ipad apps that I can now start to allow my students to use to better their learning. A few in particular that I will focus on in setting up my Ipad station are math graph, myscriptcalc, and number line. All of these apps are amazing tools that can help students further conceptualize numbers and patterns and make their learning more fun and exciting overall.

Response #4 Creating a Classroom Website 2016

With my recent thoughts and nerves about integrating technology into my class, and as I mentioned in my latest post, I have wanted to create my own classroom website for a while now. A classroom website has always seemed to be a good idea, in theory, to me, but I was excited to see a webinar available on the topic. Through this webinar, I was able to gather some practical ideas on how to actually construct and use my website as a valuable tool.

In her webinar, Holland persuaded me to create my own classroom website simply by listing all of the benefits that come along with it. Students are becoming more and more tech savvy and many grow up with computers available to them 24/7. Because of this, having a website acts as an easier and more efficient manner of sending students URL's and links to resources that they can use for assessments, tools, homework, make-up assignments for absences, etc. Having a classroom website established at the beginning of the school year also lets the students know that I trust them to be responsible with technology, and reinforces the fact that I am accessible for questions and math content at all times, not just during school hours. For many students, having a reliable source to go to for help can make the difference in their efforts and success.

I think creating a classroom website will help a lot with my personal growth as a teacher in that I will be more able to regularly connect with parents. Holland gives some great tips on website design and the importance of keeping it simple and to the point. Parents want convenient and easy ways to help their children, and having access to a website with unit, homework, and classroom policy information would be valuable and save time. Another good tip from the webinar was to make sure to update the page regularly so that it becomes an interactive and useful tool, rather than a stagnant type of online syllabus. With Holland's design examples and tips for creating a useful webpage, I feel more confident in my ability to implement this teaching tool next year in my own classroom and I am looking forward to giving it a shot!

Response #3 Webinar: Flipped Classroom

A flipped classroom is a great learning strategy, especially in math, that changes the way instruction is delivered and allows for maximum practice time in the classroom. I believe the idea of a "flipped classroom" is becoming more largely popular as more students have technology readily available to them in their own homes and outside of school. Flipped classroom is a practical and efficient teaching strategy when students make use of/have access to the technology at home, come to class prepared with questions, and when teachers have a way of delivering the content at home in a way that is engaging and clear.

As a newer teacher, I have considered using this strategy in my classroom before, but I have not had the opportunity due to limited access at families' homes, and my desire to instruct my students in a more authentic and personal manner. Although this is true, there are definite advantages to a flipped classroom, such as students being able to work at their own pace, maximizing classroom activity time, and being able to spend more one-on-one time with each student. The flipped classroom strategy emphasizes the 21st century competencies of skilled communication and self-regulation. I can see students taking more control over their learning by focusing on the lessons and independent learning at home with the majority of communication, collaboration, and practice taking place in class.

Currently there are a multitude of obstacles in my own teaching situation that make implementing a true flipped classroom very difficult. That is not to say I won't be able to try it in the future. At the moment, I hope to expose students to the resources that they CAN use at home to help them with their more traditional homework. My first step in doing this is learning more about the technology myself in addition to making it a part of my daily classroom culture. I look forward to creating my own classroom website in which parents and students can gather information about these resources and have a consistent way of getting their questions answered!

Response #2 Webinar: Digital Citizenship

As I mentioned in my last post, digital citizenship seems to be one of the most important components to address with students before they ever handle technology. In her webinar, Terra Graves addresses the concept of digital citizenship and defines it as something that "helps teachers, technology leaders and parents understand what students should know to use technology appropriately." By establishing this culture in my classroom, I know will help my students to be prepared to use technology both inside and outside of the classroom. With the continuing rise of technology and its prevalence in our society, elements such as cyberbullying, privacy and security, and copyright laws are just a few examples of topics that students must be aware of before handling their devices so that they can be responsible tech users.

Students not only are able to learn the content when using technology, but having daily access to the internet in the classroom is also an opportunity to teach students about online safety and how important it is to limit the amount of personal information that they put on social media websites, etc. Graves provides links to videos that demonstrate those risks, which would be valuable to show to the students themselves. Internet privacy, passwords, and personal online connections are all important to mention when discussing digital citizenship. In my class, students will primarily be working on math apps and taking assessments on my new set of iPads for now, but in the future I would like to incorporate a class math blog into my curriculum. An online math blog would allow students to share ideas and methods over the internet, making internet safety and cyberbullying even more crucial topics to go over. Graves emphasizes how students need be aware of the fact that what they are posting online creates an image for themselves. Students need to know what respectful online posting looks like and how to encourage and help their peers through the media. It is clear that digital citizenship supports many dimensions of 21st century learning such as collaboration, skilled communication, and use of technology for learning.

This webinar gave a great overview of the components to include in my own behavior contract and expectations when using my classroom technology. It had many resources I could use to help my students understand safety concerns. I am confident my students will be able to gain the skills they need to be successful with technology and grow in their math skills, if they have a solid understanding of what appropriate use looks like!

Response #1 Webinar: Managing Your Classroom Technology

As a new owner of a set of iPads, I am excited and hopeful for the future of integrating different and new learning opportunities in my math classroom. Through this technology, I hope to enhance my own teaching abilities and engage my students in a way that makes them excited to do math and be problem solvers. With my excitement, also comes some reservations about all of the important details to consider when providing students access to technology. This first webinar provided great insight, tips, and tricks to preventing issues that arise with the technology itself, in addition to managing student's behavior. There were components of this webinar that had not crossed my mind whatsoever, such as having a "golden ticket" or master device that holds all of your apps. Simple ideas like this, I can already tell, are going to save me a lot of time and make incorporating tech into my classroom run as smooth as possible. 

Tina Holland made it clear in her webinar, that managing the technology is necessary in order for it to be successful in the classroom. Some major takeaways include: the need of having headphones for certain activities, numbering devices to hold students accountable, protecting the technology with cases and covers, updating the devices with the newest software, and having a means of tracking student data, activities, usernames, and passwords. When there are solid routines in place for the iPads and students can efficiently use them to learn, it makes the use of the technology much more enjoyable for everyone involved. 

My next step in towards introducing this new element to my classroom will be to create a technology contract. I believe that this was one of the most valuable tips from the webinar, because it is a written reminder and agreement that is in place to create a safe environment in which the devices are used to learn and grow in mathematics. I will hold my students responsible by having them and their parents sign a copy of the behavior contract, outlining their "digital citizenship" duties as students with technology and the rules and guidelines for using it in the classroom!

Hey there!

This your friendly Sparks Middle School math teacher speaking. I am creating this blog as a part of learning about 21st Century Practices and how I can use technology in my classroom! I hope to enhance student learning and engagement in the world of math and give more students opportunities for success by adding new tools and strategies to my lessons. I definitely want to embrace more technology in my classroom and integrate it into my student's daily lives. :)