Digital Blog Post #L- Chapter 12

In this chapter, I learned about different technological tools such as digital pens and notepads. A digital pen records words that somebody has written or spoken so they can be accessed on a computer. A digital notepad allows users to write and draw, then convert those images to digital text. I believe these two tools could be very beneficial to a teacher when trying to manage notes. I also believe that a digital pen would be very beneficial to students who like to keep their notes both written and typed. The video below displays people using digital pens and notepads for the first time.

This chapter also introduced the idea of BYOD, which stands for Bring Your Own Device. Many schools allow this policy, where students are allowed to have a device at school and use it, with teacher permission, to better their learning. Many people dislike the idea of BYOD because they feel that a device would cause a distraction in a students learning experience. I agree that a device could very easily distract a student in class, however I believe that it could equally aid a student in his or her learning. I believe that students should be allowed to bring their own devices to school, but only use those devices when the teacher gives permission to the class. An article entitled BYOD pros and cons: Spend less on devices, more on support, gives examples of many pros and cons of using BYOD in schools.


I also learned that there is a national Digital Learning Day, which first took place on February 1, 2012. On this day, may classrooms celebrated the use of technology. I think dedicating a day to recognize how far our technology has come and what great benefits it brings would be a great idea. This day could be seen as a "fun day" in classrooms, where students incorporate technology in their learning a little more than usual. For example, the class can use an online game called Kahoot. This game can require the entire class to participate in answering questions in a fun and completive way, while also staying focused on the academic material being taught in the classroom.


Chapter 12 brings many helpful ideas to better teaching. I'm very interested in the digital pen and notepad that was introduced in this chapter, as well as the concept of BYOD. BYOD did better my learning as a high school student, and I believe that, as long as the device is used during appropriate times with the permission of the teacher, it could better other student's learning as well. I learned that there is a Digital Learning Day, which is a great opportunity to incorporate fun technological ideas in classroom learning.


Resources:


B. (2015, March 28). People Use An Electronic Smartpen For The First Time. Retrieved November 27, 2016.
Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.

R., Sheldon. (2013, March). BYOD pros and cons: Spend less on devices, more on support. Retrieved November 27, 2016.

Digital Blog Post #J- Chapter 11

Throughout reading this text book, I have come upon many great ideas that I could incorporate in my future teaching. One great idea that is suggested in Chapter 11 is the use of a website called SurveyMonkey. This website allows people to use up to ten questions to ask others, and no more than one hundred responses per survey. This could be used in my language arts classroom to help students gather support when writing an essay.

This chapter also introduces the use of clickers. Clickers are small handheld devices in which students use to enter their responses. I think clickers are a great tool to use in the classroom; they can not only make learning fun, but they can also be used as a form of assessing the students. A teacher can see what material he or she has to spend more time on, simply by using clickers. The video below introduces and explains the use of clickers.

In this chapter I also learned about civic engagement and service learning. Civic engagement refers to experiences that students have outside of the classroom working for the improvement of the community. Service learning refers to outside-the-classroom experiences by students that feature both service and learning. This Link talks about the differences in civic engagement and service learning. Not only did I learn about these two terms for the first time, but I also learned about the different ways to enhance and extend civic and service projects. The five different ways that the book suggests are:

1. Through personal self-reflection
2. Project documentation
3. Service projects in schools and communities
4. Social media projects
5. Apps for social change

I believe that social media projects would be the most beneficial in the classroom, as it would keep students interested and engaged in their learning.


Chapter 11 brings many ideas that I could use in my future teaching. Three of which include using a website called SurveyMonkey, using clikcers, and incorporating civic engagement and service learning.

References:




Garcia, V. (2016, November 11). Survey your classmates. Retrieved November 11, 2016.




James, R. (2010, April 7). Using Clickers in the Classroom. Retrieved November 11, 2016.




Maloy, R., O'Loughlin, R., Edwards, S., & Woolf, B. (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.


Service Learning and Civic Engagement. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/lisav/service-learning-civic-engagement