Digital Footprint

A Digital Footprint is the traces of what you've done on-line. Search histories, websites you've visited, etc. The information of what we do on-line creates our mark in the digital world. 

My digital footprint is pretty basic. I use the Internet for school-related research, information and assignments. I also go on-line to use social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube. Like almost everyone, I use email on a daily basis. I use on-line searches to look up recipes and information about fitness. Lately I have searched a lot on travel, flight information, hotels and hostels, and trail tickets. I think using on-line services appropriately is important to protect your digital identity and ensure that it represents who you are. 

As I stated in my previous post about digital identity and digital dualism, I think the ideal scenario is to have your digital identity reflect your everyday personality. (Feel free to check out that post for a more in-depth discussion!)

I think it's very important to teach students about digital footprints so they understand how it can affect their lives. Students need to know how to protect themselves so they don't suffer repercussions later on. The best way to teach this is to use real-life examples of digital footprints gone wrong. I really like the idea that was brought up in class about a teacher searching their students on-line and reading information in class. It shows students how easy it is for information to stick to their name, and how extremely hard (sometimes impossible) it is to get rid of.    

https://prezi.com/_5gmx9d1lwo-/your-digital-footprint/

     

Edublogger

I have recently started to follow the blog of April Waters, an Aboriginal Education teacher at the St. James-Assiniboia School Division. The blog is that of the Aboriginal Education Department, not April specifically. I really like this blog, their About Me section is very welcoming. It has a section for important dates, their twitter tweets, information, and of course their blog posts. 

I chose to follow this blog because I wanted to see how a blog could be used for either a teacher or department at a school, and to see how they integrated the Aboriginal perspective into the blog. They accomplished this by posting links and information about relative Aboriginal ideas and events. For instance, there was a post about the very popular book by Jordin Tootoo, a great way to connect to the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students. I also liked how they included events going on at the school or in the community. They also posted work being done in the school by students, which is a great way to build rapport with students, as well as create a strong bond between the students and the school. I will definitely take this into consideration when doing this for my own classroom. The main aspect I will take away from this blog is the positivity and enthusiasm it expresses. Great blog, definitely worth taking a look at!    

Stepping Out of the Box and Into the Circle

The Future of Education - TT #12

The Horizon Report shares a glimpse of what the future relationship between education and technology might look like. The document discusses a creative classroom, one with innovative pedagogical practices including infrastructure, content and curriculum, assessment, learning practices, teaching practices, organization, leadership and values, and connectedness. It explains a variety of ways in which technology will influence future education and how we, as teachers, can make the process of integrating technology into the classroom more productive and beneficial for students. 

The document shares an ideal of a new hybrid learning model, one of both virtual and physical learning. This idea is supposed to encourage an active approach to learning. I think this idea is great for a classroom environment. Learning should be engaging, fun, active, student-driven, and interactive. Students need to gain skills that will help them succeed in their future years in the education system, as well as in their adult life. Isn't that the reason we have schools? To prepare the next generation for successful lives? Kids are not going to retain all of the information that they copied word for word off of a PowerPoint, but they will remember that time when they had to go into the community and take part in an inquiry-based research project of a business of their choice.

Students need to be engaged in education. To do this they need to understand how the information can be applicable to their personal lives. They need to connect to the learning on a personal level and make it their own. This is where technology and creativity can greatly benefit education. 

Today's student has grown up in a world where technology is everywhere you look. They know it inside and out, how to use the latest devices, what iPhone is coming out next, etc. They are comfortable with technology, it's something that they all use daily. What better way to create a bond between personal and school life than to connect it with technology! 

The future of education is undeniably going to be largely influenced by technology. I believe that as long as teachers can find appropriate ways to integrate technology into the classroom that is the most beneficial for students, we should welcome the future of education with open arms! 

http://www.oln.org/broadband-future-education/

Show & Tell

http://appcrawlr.com/ios/itube-youtube-playlist-manager

iTube is an app that I'm sure EVERYONE knows about, or they should. It's very easy to use, just search for music and play! It works very similarly to YouTube. I use this app constantly, rather than downloading music onto my iPhone or iPod. It's fast and can be used to look up any song in seconds. Very useful in a classroom!

Videos in the Classroom - TT #9

Video is something that I really like to use in my classroom lessons. I have taught health, social studies and history, all of which I have used video. I think it's very important to mention that videos need to be beneficial to student learning, as opposed to a crutch for the teacher. Many teachers abuse the unlimited video options and try to let the videos teach students. Teachers can use video to engage students, activate them at the beginning of a lesson, wrap up a lesson, just to name a few. I 

I have a few playlists on YouTube that are prepped for a few units. These include: Grade 10 Health: Drugs and Alcohol, Grade 7/8 Social Studies: Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt, Grade 11 History: Canadian History.

After a presentation about Copyright, I am unsure about how I will use these videos in the future.. However, there is no harm in showing an example of what I had put together. 

I also have a playlist that is strictly for activating students, called Kid Snippets. I highly recommend that all teachers should check them out! Students LOVE them!

Podcast Review

Out of the couple of podcasts that I listened to, Chris Lehmann's input on education and technology stood out to me. He had some very good opinions about how technology should be used in education. He emphasized the importance of integrating technology into a classroom, and educating teachers on how to do so. He voices his opinion on the importance of "bringing the world into the classroom" with technology, such as Google Docs. Resources and tools such as Google Docs allow for a new way of learning and collaborative writing.  

The most influential thing that Chris mentioned was that teachers need to interact more with students because today's parents are so busy (a two-income household is now the norm), that kids lack adult interaction. This is why it's important to get teachers away from the typical front-of-the-room teaching and into more one-on-one learning with the student. I really like this idea for a few reasons. First of all, as teachers we cannot control the environment in which our students are brought up in. There is a reason teachers refer to their students as their kids, because we care about them and develop such a close bond. For some students, school may be the only place they get one-on-one interaction with a caring adult. That is both a very sad and very intimidating thought. I think it's crucial for teachers to take advantage of these opportunities and teach students material that is not only in the curriculum, but also life-long skills that they can take beyond the classroom.

I must admit that this is the first time I have ever listened to a podcast. I think they definitely have a place in a classroom and could be utilized by students in many ways. I believe the best thing a teacher can do it give students choice in how they present their material. A podcast is just another option for students to have to express themselves. 

Feel free to check out the podcast for yourself at the link below:

Chris Lehmann, on teachers and technology

Infographics

An infographic is a quick way to get information across to a reader. The most effective ones are eye-catching, colorful and easy to follow. They can highlight basic facts, present an argument, compare events or products, and many more. I think they are a great way for students to learn the important parts of a lesson, or to be used as a study guide! The possibilities of using infographics in education are endless! I used a website called Piktochart.com to create my own infographic on basic information about World War I and World War II. 

When searching for infographics, I focused on a social studies or history classroom. The following infographics are ones that I find appealing because of the layout, color theme, appearance, information, etc. They could easily be used in a classroom. Please enjoy!

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/230253

http://imgur.com/gallery/SCVWkFx

http://www.findingdutchland.com/declaration-of-human-rights/