I just had a conversation with a bunch of different people, learned a lot of valuable information, interacted, multitasked, and never left my living room. In fact I never actually saw any of these people. we were discussing the 1 to 1 initiative and it was a valuable experience, nothing new to me, but valuable nonetheless. With the combined forces of organization, social networking, and enthusiasm the conversation became beauty in a matter of seconds.
I logged onto my twitter account at 8:00pm, saw one of the people I am following hash-tagged 1to1techat, I clicked the hashtag, and was transported into a full out conversation among people all across the state and potentially nation. This is a wonderful thing and everyone should be using this. Social Networking has turned into something so great. It's not just to meet people anymore. No, social networking takes it a step further. It's simply amazing. Not really a lot more to say about this besides try it out, and if you don't a have a twitter account yet, get out from under that rock and join the 21st century. If you would like to follow me on twitter my username is @schmiaah
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Folder Addict
OCD is a condition I don't have, so when you read this post don't be accusatory of my habits. Take what I am saying and apply to your life and maybe, just maybe you can start to understand why I have a lot of extra time on my hands (yes, even as a 2nd year teacher, 1st year coach, husband, and soon to be father).
People, as a whole, like paper. We like to hold something, read it, and have control. We like to file things and know where something is located at all times. People often ask me why my desk is so clean, and honestly the simple answer is "I'm organized." It's not a criticism to the askers of the question, as they often reply with, "so am I." I agree, organization is a skill but it's different for everyone. I have a file cabinet in my room, but it's empty, I have folders and binders, but, once again, they are empty. Where's all the paper? Simple, I don't use it. I use technology to stay organized.
It takes time to get used to new technologies, and some find it an inconvenience when in fact it's the complete opposite. How to go from this:
People, as a whole, like paper. We like to hold something, read it, and have control. We like to file things and know where something is located at all times. People often ask me why my desk is so clean, and honestly the simple answer is "I'm organized." It's not a criticism to the askers of the question, as they often reply with, "so am I." I agree, organization is a skill but it's different for everyone. I have a file cabinet in my room, but it's empty, I have folders and binders, but, once again, they are empty. Where's all the paper? Simple, I don't use it. I use technology to stay organized.
It takes time to get used to new technologies, and some find it an inconvenience when in fact it's the complete opposite. How to go from this:
To this:
Organize using technology. This is tough and just takes some getting used to but often times I see cluttered desktops, unorganized inboxes, and horrible navigation techniques. Simple solution, be efficient, create folders, and constantly check things. Creating folders is nice because it gives you a trail to follow, you can do this with your files, email, bookmarks, google docs, etc. When I create something new I put it into an appropriate folder, when I receive an email I evaluate it, if I need it I drop it into a specific folder, if I don't need it I delete it. I go through my email at least twice a week, using this evaluation method and it saves me a lot of time in the future.
Clutter creates stress, and organization is the key to eliminating that stress. When my students create documents and share them with me, I have folders already made for each project, and then each class period. As soon as they send me documents via google drive, I immediately drop it into the specified folder. I wont lose the document, and I will know exactly where it is. It does not take that much time to do it, and think about how much stress it can alleviate later on. I have a clean and clear desktop on the computer in fact here's a picture:
I only print when I need it and to be honest with you I rely on the students to do most of the printing. I send them a document and they can either edit it online or print it off themselves. It saves me time, keeps me organized, and it's efficient. If I don't need something I delete it. Why keep something I will never use? Apply this and make your life easier. Stay organized, technology is a great tool and can help you stay organized.
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Can't Deny It
I am about to be a father for the first time. This news is exciting and wonderful and I often times think back to my childhood and how different the world will be for my son. I'm 23 years old, and the way technology has grown is amazing even since I was a young kid. I grew with a box television, VHS tapes, the walkman, cd's, AIM, dial-up internet, Super Nintendo (and Nintendo 64), and the list goes on. When I hear people talk about how technology is a major distraction and a major deterrent, though this can be true considering the context, I often shake my head.
I was walking down the toy isle at Target I had this strong realization that technology will have such a huge impact on my kid's life. Toys that look like smartphones with dial tones designed for babies, toys that require smartphone or iPad apps, tablets designed for toddlers, even Monopoly games that you control with an iPad. It's impossible to deny that technology has taken over, which implies impending doom, but I don't mean for it to. My son will grow up quickly learning how to use these devices and it will become second nature. He will expect speed, convenience, and new technologies constantly. I have grown up at the ideal time to adapt to this lifestyle, but I still appreciate the technology and the capabilities of the technology before me (mainly because I still remember getting kicked off the internet because someone picked up the phone). He will take technology for granted and always expect more, not because he is spoiled, but because of the day and age he will grow up in.
On top of all that my son will have the ability to communicate in a different light with people all over the world. He will be able to find information instantly at the push of the button, and this wont be spectacular it will be expected. He will learn in a whole new way, he will communicate in a whole new way. It will be amazing to watch him grow up with a world of possibilites at his fingertips. To deny the technology is ridiculous, it's here and the impact it will have on future generations will be great and immense.
On top of all that my son will have the ability to communicate in a different light with people all over the world. He will be able to find information instantly at the push of the button, and this wont be spectacular it will be expected. He will learn in a whole new way, he will communicate in a whole new way. It will be amazing to watch him grow up with a world of possibilites at his fingertips. To deny the technology is ridiculous, it's here and the impact it will have on future generations will be great and immense.
It's not (so much) about the Technology as it is about Teaching
Overwhelmed, exhausted, overloaded. These all adjectives that can be associated with new implementations in a school building. Whether it's text books, curriculum, behavior plans, policies, or technology, educators often become unenthusiastic because of how we view these implementations. Some are strict where teachers don't have a lot of leeway as to how they take on the new plan, but others are a little more lenient. Technology happens to be an intimidating tool. We try so hard to use it, but some of us just don't know how. Some of us feel we don't have the time, and some of us just feel we have to use it all the time to be successful implementers. I am here to alleviate that stress with this simple post about how we need to start viewing technology in education.
Technology is a tool not a replacement. Have you ever tried to fix something, pick up a tool only to find that it's working but the task could be completed faster with a different tool? Same thing with technology, only use it if it works. Odd statement, because honestly technology doesn't always work but think about this way: If you seriously can't use technology for an activity then don't. We don't use textbooks for everything we do, we use them as a tool and supplement to help us, same thing with computers, smart boards, iPads, etc.
Build your lessons without technology and then think of ways to use it in your lesson. I like my students to journal, and sure I could have them take out a notebook and pen and do this the traditional way, but how boring does that get. So I say to myself, "I want my students to journal, how can I include technology?" So I brainstorm and think about what I want the kids to understand and I think of ways to build and foster enjoyment, why not use twitter, pinterest, linoit, blogger, or any other online outlet. I created my lesson and added in technology later. Practice this with anything, and don't be disappointed if you can't think of anything sometimes "old-fashioned" works just fine. I still have my students create poster boards, and handwrite it doesn't make me a bad teacher or make it a bad lesson, it makes me flexible.
Don't become reliant on technology. As stated above, sometimes it just doesn't work and the faster you come to terms with this the better off you will be. Sometimes websites crash, go through strange updates, or anything that prevents your students from working. Sometimes our lessons don't go as planned either. Don't give up on technology because of this. Remember when your first lesson crashed, did you give up on yourself? No you didn't (hopefully).
Embrace the change. Technology is advancing way faster than you can imagine. Futuristic technologies are already here. Suck it up and deal with it. Better yet be excited to be living in an era where this change is transforming how we teach our students. It's an awesome (excuse my overused adjective) time to be a teacher or in education in general. The students use it and we need to stop pretending it's a fad. Teach how to use it, set expectations, and the students will rise to those expectations. Don't fear change, don't hide from change, take it full force and become and agent of change.
Technology is a tool not a replacement. Have you ever tried to fix something, pick up a tool only to find that it's working but the task could be completed faster with a different tool? Same thing with technology, only use it if it works. Odd statement, because honestly technology doesn't always work but think about this way: If you seriously can't use technology for an activity then don't. We don't use textbooks for everything we do, we use them as a tool and supplement to help us, same thing with computers, smart boards, iPads, etc.
Build your lessons without technology and then think of ways to use it in your lesson. I like my students to journal, and sure I could have them take out a notebook and pen and do this the traditional way, but how boring does that get. So I say to myself, "I want my students to journal, how can I include technology?" So I brainstorm and think about what I want the kids to understand and I think of ways to build and foster enjoyment, why not use twitter, pinterest, linoit, blogger, or any other online outlet. I created my lesson and added in technology later. Practice this with anything, and don't be disappointed if you can't think of anything sometimes "old-fashioned" works just fine. I still have my students create poster boards, and handwrite it doesn't make me a bad teacher or make it a bad lesson, it makes me flexible.
Don't become reliant on technology. As stated above, sometimes it just doesn't work and the faster you come to terms with this the better off you will be. Sometimes websites crash, go through strange updates, or anything that prevents your students from working. Sometimes our lessons don't go as planned either. Don't give up on technology because of this. Remember when your first lesson crashed, did you give up on yourself? No you didn't (hopefully).
Embrace the change. Technology is advancing way faster than you can imagine. Futuristic technologies are already here. Suck it up and deal with it. Better yet be excited to be living in an era where this change is transforming how we teach our students. It's an awesome (excuse my overused adjective) time to be a teacher or in education in general. The students use it and we need to stop pretending it's a fad. Teach how to use it, set expectations, and the students will rise to those expectations. Don't fear change, don't hide from change, take it full force and become and agent of change.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Search and Find
I often find myself running into information overload, but I am as some would say a nerd and love technology. I don't just use it, I live it and breath it. My students dont use pencils, pens, or paper we use computers, google docs, and all sorts of techy things. How did I get here? I played a little game of search and find. I say played as I am speaking in the past tense, but this is a continuous game. I find myself up late at night (as I am now) exploring, and hopefully by the time I go to bed I have a plethora of new ideas to someday implement into my classroom. How do I find my information? I have it mapped out below just for you. I am not going to give you a formal training on any of these resources, just click around and figure it out, unless you want formal training I can probably come up with some sort of youtube video, like the ones on this document I created for the staff I work with.
1. Google
Do I really need to explain (or link) this one? We don't search for information anymore we Google it. Have a question? Google it. Need an answer? Google probably has it. Youtube is also a valuable resource but because Google owns it I didn't make it a separate number. I can't tell you how many times I have needed to figure something out and YouTube or Google has the answer waiting for me in the form of a "how to" video, blogs, websites. The information is out there and Google is always a great place to start.
2. Twitter/Facebook/Google+
Social networking...the possibilities are endless. Connect with educators and you will have a flood of information before you. Need help finding people, Google+ has communities you can join specific to certain topics, like this on EdTech. Connect with people from all over the world and see what they have to offer. People post interesting information and links that just might help you take that leap.
3. Pinterest
Whoa Pinterest is not just a site meant to waste time and focus on how great my house doesn't look, or great my baking isn't? Pinterest has a huge amount of resources for educators out there. Just click on the drop down tab for "categories" and find where it says "education" and there you have it, people just like you sharing information. Theres a lot more to Pinterest than DIY activities, cooking, and fashion.
4. Stumbleupon
Another time waster, but can be valuable as long as you know what your looking for or at least narrow your search down to a few topics rather than 40. This site directs to websites dealing with topics you predesignate that you probably would never find otherwise. Google is great, yes, but realistically how many times do you ever click on the second or third page of results? This site does it for you, without the inconvenience You can like or dislike certain sites that Stumbleupon directs you to and it will learn what you like and dislike. This one can be time consuming but can be addicting.
5. Scoop.it
Kind of like a pinterest, kind of like a blog, kind of pretty awesome. I just started this one a few weeks ago and I have a great time with it. You type in things you are interested in and the website brings up websites for you to sort through. If you like one, you can scoop.it or delete it. You can also scoop any website out there via the URL or Chrome extension (Using the Google Chrome Webstore). Heres a link to my scoop.it page: Education: Mainly Technology Related Stuff
It's all about exploration and time. This is just a start, and by no means a restriction. There is so much out there for you to explore, just go out and find it. As always if you have questions leave a comment or follow me on Google+.
The Inaugural Post
And Boom goes the dynamite! We are off and running with my new blog devoted to education. Ok, that's a broad topic, so here are the specifics. This blog will focus a lot on technology in the classroom (how to use it, why to use it, etc.). I will focus on some methodology from time to time. Last but not least, I will focus a chunk of time on the teaching profession in general (my insight and enthusiasm). If I occasionally fall off topic, sorry I will try not to do it often. This blog can be for realistically anyone. If I bring up a topic about Google apps for my classroom and you are not in education you can do one of two things, close out and ignore that you ever stumbled across my blog, or continue reading and try to find inspiration to apply what I say to your individual life.
For my blog posts I will attempt at least one a week, hopefully more. If you have suggestions for topics please comment on posts or leave me a message. Off to the right side I have my Google+ account linked so you can choose to follow me. Happy Reading.
For my blog posts I will attempt at least one a week, hopefully more. If you have suggestions for topics please comment on posts or leave me a message. Off to the right side I have my Google+ account linked so you can choose to follow me. Happy Reading.
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