Mmmmmmm, Delicious

http://www.interactiveinsightsgroup.com

Delicious is an amazing resource for teachers and students to collaborate, share, and to make sure important links and webpages are always kept safe. Specifically with older students who are familiar with sites such a twitter, this tool will be very simple to use and navigate through. “Tagging” works the same way it does on twitter (with or without the hashtag), if your link is for example about technology you can tag technology and when you’ve gathered multiples which fall under the same category they will appear in your “bundle” for technology. Sharing this with students is quit simple, for example; let students know they have to create a response around the bundle of information under “Full Moon.” Students will find the bundle and be linked to multiple other resources and websites where they can continue their research. This resource is also very compatible with twitter, Google+ and Facebook. I can be found on delicious as Holly Linklater, and have started a bundle under technology that is also tagged with #9f61brocktech . 

Follow Delicious on Twitter 

and if you're not full yet

Follow Me on Twitter for some more Delicious Tweets  

Google Drive Vs. Open Office

https://lh4.ggpht.com

After downloading Google Drive and the first thing that pooped up was “sync files from computer now” at that moment I was a little hesitant. Having your research, work and documents flying around somewhere in the digital universe is a little scary to accept, but the convenience might overcome the anxiety. Having your documents at the tip of your finger from any location is an amazing capability, they’re easy to share, alter, collaborate and access. Being a recent graduate of teachers college, its easy to see the benefits of using Google Drive; we consistently used Google Doc’s to share and collaborate and witnessed the expansion of Google+ into what now seems like the “Facebook” for the digital working world. On the downside, when doing research about Google Drive it was sad to see that it was not IPhone compatible. Coming from someone who uses her IPhone and IPad quit frequently, this is something that is going to need to change!

http://ferociasolutions.com/

I’ve experienced using Open Office previously in any DSBN School, and all I found was frustration.

Growing up in the 90s Microsoft Word Processing Programs were pretty much second nature to all of us, and still are… Open Office seems to have the same capabilities but I’m not convinced it’s half as user friendly as Word is. Yes it’s free to download and that alone can be seem as a large plus to school boards, and comes with multiple word processing tools such as spell check, grammar check, word art tools, and many more. It’s somewhat easy to navigate, and I’d say is more of a personal and professional work source as opposed to a collaborative tool.

Ultimately, they both have much in common when it comes to their capabilities of word processing.  That being said, I believe Open Office is great for younger students and children’s work and is a great tool to be used in school. I believe that Google Drive is better suited for young adults and professional use, the convenience and ability to so easily collaborate with others is a very important tool in this day and age. 

Did you know that ...

Did you know that… as a teacher in the District School Board of Niagara you have a great opportunity to learn and be educated about new software and technological advancements within your classroom? The DSBN IT4Learning Team is made up of DSBN support and technical staff who are available to come into schools and assist students, teachers, and administrative staff with effectively using technology in the educational setting.

“ Technology, as a classroom tool, hardwareor software-based, is used to engage our 21st Century learners throughdifferentiated instruction. The IT4Learning Team can provide the propertraining to enable DSBN staff and students to utilize a variety oftechnology-based skills to create connections between curriculum expectationsin a positive and collaborative classroom environment.”

The services provided through the IT4Learning Team cover a wide variety of information and support. They rang from Web 2.0 tools and assistive technology to SMART board training, Web Publishing, How to get the most use out of an IPhone or Blackberry, Office Suits and Word Processing training and a variety of others. Although the school board itself provides a wide variety of software and resource training, there are many independent companies or universities that also provide similar training for students and teachers. Should this training be necessary? Should teachers be pushed into implementing 21^st Century technology into their classrooms?

 http://badbooksgoodtimes.files.wordpress.com

Blended Learning, the 21st Century Style

In this 21^st century of technological learning and teaching, blended learning plays a large role in the ways in which we educate our students. The combination of learning through direct face-to-face instruction as well as independent more self-directed online learning is very important in this day.  Blended learning differs from E-Learning in regards to the face-to-face or brick and monitor instruction; E-Learning is still supervisor guided but in an all-online basis (i.e. this course). For a course to be considered blended learning, there would have to be one in class portion and one online or more self-directed portion.

http://www.innosightinstitute.org/innosight/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Classifying-K-12-blended-learning2.pdf

For example, in a primary classroom blended learning might be shown though the combination of a read-a-loud and online participation. Having students listen attentively during class, have a class discussion and than when students are given the opportunity either within class or at home have them feel out an online survey about the story. In primary grades I believe it’s more difficult to incorporate blended learning techniques, but this becomes more commonly used within older classrooms. In a junior grade level, students could be asked to take part in-group discussion in class (for example regarding a novel study) than be asked to comment on the questions posted on the teacher’s classroom blog in their own time. While in intermediate classrooms students could be asked to create individually or as a group their own blog revolving around a novel that have been discussing and analyzing in class. I think the self-directed aspected of bended learning enhances the teaching and learning aspect of 21st century education in a very unique and contrasting way compared to that of the past. 

Should blended learning be utilized in all grade levels? Or does the cognitive ability of younger students need to be focused on in-class learning specifically? 

Overall, I believe blended learning is important and should be used by more teachers more frequently. In regards to students with special needs, learning disabilities or ELL; blended learning gives them the tools that and resources that they would not necessarily be able to option in a classroom setting. There are many applications available for IPads and computers to support the needs to students with learning disabilities as well as translation software that could support the needs of an ELL student. With the combination of face-to-face in class support and the online resources available, blended learning will best support the needs of these individuals. 

http://3.bp.blogspot.com

Educate, Empower, Advocate, Share & Protect

As important as it is for our students to personally stay safe on the Internet, it’s just as important for them to keep their work safe. After browsing through the creative commons website, I think that the purpose behind their license and company is brilliant; “Our tools give everyone from individual creators to large companies and institutions a simple, standardized way to keep their copyright while allowing certain uses of their work — a “some rights reserved” approach to copyright — which makes their creative, educational, and scientific content instantly more compatible with the full potential of the internet.”

Creative commons allows students to share their work on the Internet and receive the credit deserved, and allows students to use other individual’s work while giving them the credit they deserve. The license allows individuals to choose the purpose behind sharing their work (i.e. commercial or non-commercial) and restricts others from doing “anything they want” to their work. There might be restrictions put in place about changing or altering a piece of work, adding onto it or sharing it with others. It’s important for students to understand the importance or protecting their work, and being cautious before posting any work on the Internet.

As educators I believe this is where we come in! As a young student in elementary school I would have not thought twice about posting my work on the internet, I would not have worried about “copyright infringement” or anyone steeling my work…but times have changed.  As a teacher it’s very important for us to understand the consequences our students might face for posting their work online or better yet using someone else’s work online. I found a great article online entitle, “Privacy, Identity, And Protecting Yourself (And Your Students) Online,” that discusses how to educate, empower and advocate students through the development of their digital footprint. The article states that, “More education and understanding on the growing complexity of our relationship with technology is needed,” and stressed that we as teachers and, “as members of an informed online and offline society we should encourage, educate, and provide opportunities for other individuals to be literate online as well." What are some ways that us as educators can educate, empower, and advocate for our student online safety within our classrooms? Is there a way to incorporate these three terms into daily online safety? 

http://wiobyrne.com

Digitally Literate ... continue reading