• Three main takeaways from this course: 1. Technology has advanced to the point that it is not only useful but nearly essential in the classroom. I think this year’s Coronavirus epidemic has proven that beyond a shadow of a doubt. What happens when we have the next school closure or global pandemic? We will undoubtedly need technology then too. I think a lot of educators may have been woefully unprepared for this event, while still others were already using technology to enhance student learning. For those that were already incorporating technology the transition to distance learning was likely far easier. This makes it ever more important to have at least a basic understanding of technology use in the classroom, as well as in the distance learning situation. 2. This course has taught me that I have neglected the use of technology somewhat in my own teaching experience at the college level as an adjunct. I will need to take a good long look at how I teach and reevaluate my teaching philosophy to help overcome my reticence when it comes to using technology in the classroom. I honestly came into the class with a somewhat static view of technology use. I always thought more traditional methods were the best. I found my thinking to be incorrect. Technology has advanced greatly and, like it or not, we too must learn to advance and make use of it. 3. I will need to rely on technology in the classroom not just as a functional replacement for my own teaching, but as an integrated new form of teaching combined with tried and true “old fashioned” approaches. There is nothing about this class that has made me fear a changing of the times, a loss of my own involvement in the teaching process, or made me think that current technologies are confusing and hard to learn and therefore not worth my time to pursue and use. On the contrary, I have found the technologies we have used to be both exceedingly simple, of great potential use in my future classroom, and certainly not in any way a replacement for my current teaching mode, but rather as an enhancement. I admit that I struggled at times in this class, but I feel my main struggle was the feeling of insecurity based on not having really delved into technology use before. I felt somewhat that my pedagogical approaches were becoming at least a little anachronistic. But as I chose to engage more in the class, to “care” as I ask my students also to do, I began to see the efficacy of using technology to expand my teaching style, rather than merely replace it. More than anything, discovering how many students in grade school in my own life actually USE a lot of the technology that we worked with was very eye-opening. It gave me encouragement to see it being used by actual people that I know personally. It brought the experience home as I was seeing how the lessons were coming to life in my own experiences.
• My favorite assignment was probably the screencast assignment. I liked it because it was amazingly simple and yet I can see how awesomely effective it will be. I tested it on some friends and family before posting it and they loved it. I asked specific questions based on our lessons to gauge what they felt they learned from my screencast. I was impressed at how much they had to say and how the word “involvement” came up so much in our discussions about it. Just the simple ability to focus in on a screen, with live commentary, that you can display for everyone in a class evolves the audio/visual learning aspect of the classroom.
• I have already used things like YouTube, Powerpoint, a smart board, Ted Talks via YouTube, and a projector, but I plan on using assessment and learning tools like Socratic and Quizlet quite a bit more. I also want to incorporate more apps that facilitate more multimedia approaches that allow students to interact with the content in new and more meaningful ways. Of the different presentation software that we discussed I’m sure things like Presi or Canva will help in that regard. I definitely will want to have more lessons that utilize things like screencasting and videos that my students can watch to help enhance a particular lesson.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ph7IbnWHFZUfsMQvbk9yLiiZLw5H7-8W/view?usp=sharing

Once I realized I could do a quicktime screen recording it was super easy. I just had to set up the things I wanted to display ahead of time. Quicktime has always been in my computer this entire time (something like 10 years) and I NEVER thought to use it in this way. The simplicity of it makes it an invaluable tool for me. I can definitely see it being used again for plenty of lessons. I did have a little trouble trying to upload it to this blog. Dr. Gaston helped by reminding me that I could upload it to my Google drive and then share the link. Easy peasy.

<iframe src=”https://quizlet.com/497721187/match/embed?i=2qmxmv&x=1jj1&#8243; height=”500″ width=”100%” style=”border:0″></iframe>

I found both Quizlet and Socrative to be extremely useful.

Quizlet, based on how I used it, creates flashcards and includes multiple tools such as “learn, write, spell, test, and match”. I chose both Quizlet and Socrative somewhat at random from the list just to get exposure. I had worked a little with Quizlet before when I was studying for the Praxis. I definitely think it helped me then and now that I’m using it for myself I found it to be SUPER easy and streamlined in creating quick content that is easy to engage. One of the awesome features I found about Quizlet is by typing in terms that are commonly used I was able to utilize Quizlet’s auto-generate function to display the appropriate meanings for those terms. I was quickly able to organize and match terms to meanings so I can see this being a HUGE time-saver. Quizlet was so easy to use that I didn’t really find any challenge at all. Socrative was also so easy that it just didn’t pose any real issue. I did fiddle around with a couple of the other options on the list such as Kahoot! and Quizizz. I didn’t find them personally easy to use. Kahoot! I had a very hard time even getting around to signing up for it.

Socrative was built for quickly creating three option question quizzes with the three options being “multiple choice”, “true-false”, and “short answer”. The tools available enabled, like other assessment tools on the list, to include media, descriptions or instructions for the content and generally made for a good variety that regular testing would be hard-pressed to compete with. I’m finding, as I utilize more online tools, that what used to be so difficult to amalgamate is now a streamlined process that brings together multi-media resources at my fingertips. I actually really enjoyed using both of these programs. The main difficulty I had was brainstorming subject matter to use for the assessments. Once that was done it was a breeze. I found myself wanting to continue the work, but the urge to nap took over!

I chose Nearpod to create a lesson about Antiheroes. It was pretty functional in terms of the multimedia aspect and how easy it was to plug in different elements. I was able to convert the lesson to a pdf which I’m sure is pretty standard stuff, but to me that was still nice. I liked how easy it was to pull in website material, pictures, videos, and just run with it. Plus, nearpod comes equipped with a lot of interesting resources such as BBC links built directly in the app. It’s super easy to make a quick, functional lesson out of it. I did include some of my own writing, but I think the main strength of Nearpod is in its ability to quickly gather and present media. Another feature I found really interesting and useful was the ability to take the lesson “live” with real time interaction with individuals who have the session code and are at their computers. This take interaction with the students to a good level as far as I’m concerned: Because you can direct them from your computer but also work through each of the slides together as a class.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1f6CN7qQ66rkqon9w3gi_1AfYJ-cO7R7f/view?usp=sharing

At first I admit that this assignment didn’t really make a lot of sense to me. I didn’t feel it was that necessary, I didn’t see the point. But, I encountered something while doing this video project about myself that I want to admit here: I resist change. I specifically resist technological change. At some point in my nearly 39 years on this planet I became this way. It may be slightly below my consciousness, but it’s there. It’s been growing as I have grown. When I was younger it was SO much easier to adapt and easily include changes in technology to my daily life. As I have gotten older I have found it more difficult. This reminded me of a lesson in a Psychology class concerning fluid and crystalized intelligence/learning. In essence, these concepts refer to the way we learn and formulate, incorporate, and utilize our intellectual schemata. Fluid intelligence tends to be more flexible and deals with novel concepts more easily, but lacks long-term experience and the building of knowledge over time somewhat. Crystalized intelligence refers to the build up of knowledge and experience over time, the accumulation of what a person knows and is able to access as they gain a foundational understanding of things, though its weakness is found in it’s gradual rigidness and lack of adaptability. It’s no surprise that younger people tend to be higher on the fluid end and as we age we tend to gain more crystalized while also losing more fluid. I feel this right now especially. However, while doing this video project I discovered the link to make this assignment have efficacy for me. Not only do I see now how useful a simple video presentation can be, it’s mind-blowingly simple to do now! I think I had it in my head that making a video had to be something professional, it had to be edited thoroughly, it had to be somehow perfect. What I discovered was that there was a personal element to the video-making, a HUMAN element, an EMOTIONAL element. I am an emotional person, and I found myself CARING about this video, in spite of my initial misgivings. This clearly is one of those assignments that had to be done in order for me to “get” it and I think I did finally get it.

• I used Biteable for my presentation software. It is a pre-packaged slide show presentation app, complete with color palettes, background music, optional timing for slides, and built for quick, easy, editing.
• https://biteable.com/watch/the-internet-2456793
• Editing the pre-packaged slides was extremely easy. No challenges came up. I learned that there were plenty of (most pay for use) options for presentation apps on the internet. The frustration was in finding one that was easy enough to use, to get the basic idea of the assignment across, without having to pull my hair out or drink a few shots to maintain.
• Apps, like Biteable, are quick and easy to use. The presentation I made only took about 30 minutes total to make. I’m sure, with more use, I could make presentations with greater detail, in less time.

• I already feel as though each of the learning theories we have been looking at are already being utilized in my classes now. The trick is knowing when and how to use them effectively. Different situations call for different approaches. Each theory has strengths and weaknesses.
• In order to complete the learning matrix I simply used Word and the information gathered from the links provided, along with a few old text books I had laying about my house.  
• My main challenge in creating the matrix was probably just re-familiarizing myself with the tools provided in Word and trying to work around my own mediocre tech knowledge.

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

• Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
• Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

• Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
• What topics do you think you’ll write about?
• Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
• If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.