Digital Literacy & Citizenship Survey Results

Digital Literacy & Citizenship | Infographics

Copyright & Fair Use Video

Copyright and Fair Use by mrsantonioplus on GoAnimate

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Digital Citizenship... Here I Come!

Wow, so much to do!  I will be back for week 1's journey...

My first creation on Go!Animate for Digital Citizenship in Commerce:

Digital Citizenship - Commerce by mrsantonioplus on GoAnimate

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My 2nd creation on Quiz Revolution for Digital Citizenship in Commerce:

My 3rd Creation on MakeBeliefComix for Digital Citizenship in Commerce:

My 4th Creation on MakeBeliefComix for Digital Citizenship in Commerce:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OJVWuW1JoF7JoPtiXYibqLIb8otPrgDSEQ5A3J1hegE/edit?usp=sharing

Tools, Tools, and More Tools!

How exciting it is to have learned so much!

I feel like I am running out of tools... ha, well, not really.

AT SCHOOL

The first tool highlighted in our reading was the one tool I have most recently introduced to my co-teacher and sped teacher...

While it is such a simple tool, Audacity's value is immeasurable! In order to have quantitative data for our readers, we had students record a cold read of text to take measurable data from. We used a passage of grade level reading and had targeted students read aloud the text. We could then go back and listen through the passage (more than once when needed) and mark the text for various pauses, mispronunciations, letter sound concerns, inflection, vocabulary and more. This process is very easy for both students and teachers. Students can record themselves without the distraction or stress of a teacher making notes next to them, and teachers are able to go back through and mark up the text as needed to measure correct and incorrect words per minute.

Other tools that we use frequently at school include Moodle, Google Earth, photostory, and schooltube. I have tried introducing Voki to some of our students, but because the free version has a limit on words/time, it makes it more difficult to do some of the work we need to accomplish in class.

PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL

The tools I have already utilized prior to my master's courses include Skype, Picasa, Clkr, and Photobucket. After just discovering iGoogle, I am sad that they are discontinuing this tool in November because I love it! I was introduced to Club Penguin, Webkinz and Kerpoof as my children worked on them throughout elementary school.

Because I have chosen MoBap for my MET, I have been blessed with so many tools and ways to practice new tools like Voki, Wordle, Blogger, bubbl.us, classroom20, Google+, GoogleDocs, Twitter, Tweetdeck, Edmodo, Photostory, animoto, prezi, glogster, makebeliefscomix, pbworks and tinyurl.


The very next tool highlighted in our "web 2.0" is one that I started using this year, especially since I am unable to access my Symbaloo account at school...

I love the ease of Delicious and the button on the tool bar is the icing on the cake. When I am searching and researching, I love simply hitting the button to add the site to my account. I can access it anywhere and find anything I need by hitting the tags I have created for each site. I have yet to use it as a part of my PLN, but I can imagine it becoming a wonderful resource with sharing and communicating.

A new one I have been learning is...

Not because I use it, but because the student I tutor uses it. It has been amazing for her to be able to email her notes to me for review or to plan for our sessions. It is also a blessing for organization. This type of tool is a must for every student, but especially for those who have organizational struggles and difficulty with paper. It has a speech-to-text function, recorder for lectures, it saves as you go, and you can share your notes with peers or colleagues. And, the app is available for smartphone users as well as those in ipad world. I just love it when I can use my Droid and iPad for the same tools! I think because of the versatility and crossover of this app, it is an awesome way to have a community of resources for students in which there can be lessons recorded and notes shared!

Here are some sites that I have found helpful in exploring Evernote's capabilities and use for the classroom:

• http://laddriggers.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Use-Evernote-to-Keep-Superbly-Organized-Class-Notes
• http://blog.cloudhq.net/post/40124750965/how-to-use-evernote-and-google-drive-in-schools
• http://blog.evernote.com/blog/2010/12/15/10-evernote-tips-for-school-education-series/

Study smarter, not harder!

Twitter Chat

So, I have officially participated in a non-course-related chat.  Well, I guess I should back up a little.  Two weeks ago I stumbled upon the #moedchat and found myself intrigued by the amount of posts that were streaming on my deck.  I took some time to peer in from the outside without participating to actually see if the chat was worth attending depending on the input and resources shared.  And, of course, I loved what I was reading.  Then came our class chat.  Certainly not rapid-fire, which was more my speed.  I am so thankful to have been able to practice together in an environment where others were in the same boat.

And, tonight, was my first official Tweet chat with the community on #moedchat.  It was wonderful!  I even felt bold enough to reflect, respond and retweet!  Our topics were about Professional Development and Social Media:

Q1: What does traditional PD in schools look like and how does it affect teacher motivation, morale, open-mindedness, and LEARNING?

• Why is it educators in a trad'l PD session at a school are bored and lifeless while educators at edcamps are full of smiles, energy, and enthusiasm on a SAT. no less?

• How to help tchrs start and 'Get' Twitter

Q2L Share prof learning programs/structures/ideas that engage educators and make them feel connected, passionate, motivated.

Q3. What role do social media tools play in active professional learning?

Q4: Since it’s Valentine’s Day, which social media tool for PD do you LOVE? Why?

Q5: Should schools/districts give educators credit for the time spent in informal pd? What would that look like?

This conversation was something that was already on my mind.  I have seen and experienced frustration with professional development that I could speak to.  With the changes expected to come with 21st Century Teachers, our development needs to follow the same route.  As I said in my Tweet, "Traditional PD Makes for crabby teachers that are tired of meeting for something they can get in an email."  While I understand the importance of us sharing common information, the idea of having to "sit and get," as was so well said in the chat, is in the past.  If schools want to have driven teachers with a desire to learn, then they need opportunities to to do just that - be a part of engaging experiences that motivate, educate and elevate each and every person.  Teachers have a lot of great ideas, experiences and passions to share!  (That is probably why my blog will continue even after the Master's courses are complete).

It was challenging keeping up with the dialogue, even with a slower refresh rate.  We trended a couple of times - I guess that's big deal?  I was also challenged with TweetChat, as it wasn't showing as many posts as my deck did when I went back to it.  I definitely am now going back through the conversations and clicking that follow button for many of the moderators, educators and administrators that participated that I felt articulated throughout well.  Many shared their blog address (that I am still visiting and sorting through), but was really struck by Greg Miller's input and blog.  It has been great hearing from an administrator and seeing how he is leading his school with social media.

All-in-all, I am going to keep on chatting.  It's more PD than I have ever imagined!

Adding to the PLN

Alright, so I am already connected to...

, , , , ,, , , ,, 

I haven't really dug into edWeb.  And after logging in again, I have to say I am a little disappointed that there are very few people from my school district connected to engage with.  But, after my "acceptance" into the Ning world, we will see what connections I will make as I join up with...

 

& 

After reading Chapter 5 of the Web 2.0 text, two things stuck out to me, and both were about the characteristics of educators.  "Teachers are known to do whatever will help their students learn," (85) and "Teachers are very happy to share their favorite websites and their reasons for joining together through social networks and electronic learning communities." (87)  I think more than anything, a teacher who has these characteristics is more likely to influence their students to become collaborative, self-motivated learners than anyone else.  Passion and learning are caught more than they are taught.  We are social creatures.  There needs to be modeling and conversations to deepen learning.  Social networking is a way to energize and take our classroom beyond the concrete walls.  I believe that social networking can build on the inquisitive nature of children to seek out knowledge when shaped in an educational setting.  Perhaps when I revisit this post, I will have even more to share from my Ning experiences...

Diverse Learners & Networked Classrooms

I can't say that students are the only ones who benefit from a networked classroom, but here are some examples of how a technology rich classroom can encourage and engage all learners...

• For students who "can't draw"," tools like MakeBeliefComix allow students to choose from premade graphics to create their own comics.
• For interest level, tools like Glogster allow for personal creation and expressions when working on tasks.
• Auditory learners can create podcasts that can be embedded in other projects.
• For students who have difficulties taking notes, teachers can use Audacity to record lessons for students to listen to at their own pace.
• For students who need more think time, tools like Wallwisher and Linoit make for "anytime" opportunities to participate and collaborate with the class.
• For students who do not like to participate in front of others in the class, tools like Twitter allow them to contribute to classroom dialogue.
• For teachers, a social networking site like Twitter can give additional opportunities for communication with peers, students and families.

In the end, in a networked classroom, educators can enrich the learning experience (of both students and teachers) through multidimensional opportunities.

Here are some sites I found helpful and that I was able to share some of the ideas above:

Differentiating Instruction Using Web 2.0
Technology Tools for Differentiation

20 Ways High Schools are Using Twitter

Networked Classrooms... "I'm a physicist, not a hippie"

It's hard not to think of what happened in Missouri in 2011 when talking about social media and networked classrooms.  I think the legislature has placed a negative view on what can be positive online learning experiences.  If you didn't already know, the state attempted to ban school employees from using social media because of the few teachers that have misused social networking tools to create inappropriate relationships with students.  In the end, the state legislature repealed ban and had schools create their own social media guidelines that respect and value both the students, teachers and technology.

With what we have experienced in our state, I have to say the information provided about Safety and Ethical Use resonated with me.  "All too often, we've seen districts equate keeping students safe with filtering any online access to people and to content that hasn't been created in traditional ways (blogs, wikipedia, YouTube, and so on.  Even worse, many districts do not give teachers the ability to override the filter at their desktops or laptops if they find blocked sites that they deign either appropriate or relevant to the curriculum." (76)  I am fortunate to have a good relationship with our "tech guy," but I feel like I have to jump through a lot of hoops just to have educational downloads or certain websites available.  I agree with the text that the strategy of strictly blocking at school puts students in a less safe place considering they generally go home to an unrestricted, unfiltered access to media and technology (and, yes, I do realize that we have to have some level of filtering as mandated by law).  I also agree that higher levels of restriction gives the idea that we are not respected professionally as adults and teachers.  If my level of integrity was appropriate to be a part of influencing the lives of our students, then I can say my ability to make and model appropriate choices with technology will reflect my level of ethics and integrity that made me a part of the community.

When it comes to technology, it is hard not to equate acceptable use with our character development in schools.  Character education is an important aspect of our school culture.  We even have a weekly meeting with our assigned small group to discuss and perform activities, but above all we try to embed character training in all we do.  We take opportunities to show through examples and experiences what quality character is, and what is not. This should be true of our technology integration, but when there are not learning opportunities available for learning appropriate use, it makes the embedding process of safety and proper use more challenging.  Don't get me wrong, I do believe in restrictions - or restraint, and proximity and expectation are a big part of that.  When we are not connecting to the social media that students are already using, we are ignoring learning opportunities.

For example, I asked my principal if we had a Twitter feed.  He didn't know and had to check around.  It turns out we don't have one specific to our school.  When I replied that I thought we were missing out on an opportunity to stay connected to our students and families, the hot topic question he asked was what happens when those utilizing Twitter would retweet our information with negative language or pictures?  Honestly, that could already be happening and we don't know it.  I think we have to change our perspective... and change the question.  How do we stay connected to our community and have a positive influence, and what are the consequences for inappropriate use that disrupts or disrespects our students, staff and school?

Strangely, I couldn't help but think Big Bang Theory when reading through chapter 3 this week in our PLN text.  When Sheldon is confronted with sharing his emotions, he exclaims, "I'm a physicist, not a hippie."   I guess it's a bad analogy, but our idea of open access to information isn't the same as an all-access free-love movement.  Limiting our access doesn't solve the problem of cyber-bullying and inappropriate or disrespectful posts, nor does it make us 'anything goes' hippies in the world wide web.  We all need to model good choices and provide strategies to deal with the online character development of our students, and ourselves.  And, learning how to become better cyber-citizens not only affects our classrooms, but the world that our students are a part of.  So, for now, the next step to networking our classroom and school is through conversations with administration about the benefits of using Twitter.

I am a teacher, not a hippie.

Building my PLN - Fun!

@mrsantonioplus Newbie to the Twittersphere

@mrsantonioplus

I think my head is spinning!  Joining Twitter is quite an experience.  It's like first joining the txt world, way back when, and figuring out formatting and abbreviations.  I have found to be very helpful with Twitter talk.  I think it will take me a while to get some of it, but with everything finally set up on my computer and phone, I am hoping it will get easier.  I was very excited that creating a widget for my blog was extremely easy using the widget function under settings.

TBH, I really didn't want to Twitter.  I have been dreading this.  I didn't want to add one more thing to keep track of, but with the Deck I can see what's going on pretty easily.  I think the reading this week convinced me that having an account was worth it.  I didn't realize how many ways Twitter was effectively being used as an education tool.  From reminders to gathering information to finding places to sharing answers to storytelling; it's amazing.

I am in the gathering stage of Twitter.  I have been able to find many resources and people to connect with.  As I watch and read what is happening, I look forward to finding my niche in interacting and collaborating.  I feel like I have spent a lot of time, maybe too much time, trying to figure out as much as possible before I go back to work tomorrow...

__________________________________________________________

David Letterman's Top Ten Signs You Spend Too Much Time On Twitter 

10. You miss son's soccer game waiting for Lady Gaga to post what she had for lunch
9.   You answer the phone: "Twello?"
8.   You've spent millions developing iPhone waterproofing technology so you can tweet in the shower
7.   You haven't touched your CB radio in months
6.   You ask yourself, "What would Jesus tweet?"
5.   You sleep-tweet
4.   No No. 4 — writer on Twitter
3.   You stopped paying attention to this list after the first 140 characters
2.   Even Ashton Kutcher thinks you tweet too much
1.   Walked in on the landscaper "retweeting" your wife.

Teachers With Apps

Teachers With Apps25 Signs You Might Be A 21st Century Teacher - Teachers With Apps

To Cheat or Not To Cheat

Ok, so this will be my first personal blogging experience.  I have been diligent with my school posts, but after watching 2 hours of Lance Armstrong's interview with Oprah, well, I guess I have words floating around in my head that need to get out.

Ironically, just this week I was reading an article in the NEA Today Express about cheating.  You can view the story at .   There is a white paper that is a great read called Cheat or Be Cheated? What We Know About Academic Integrity in Middle & High Schools & What We Can Do About It that is highlighted in the article.  In light of listening to Lance Armstrong's confessions, all I can think of is how his story affects our culture, especially our children.

We now have a shift in ethics when it comes to cheating, and the lines continue to stretch because of ideas of "win at all costs," or expecting the best grades instead of the most comprehensive learning strategies.  In the white paper, what I think hurts by brain and heart the most is that "knowing that cheating is wrong does not deter the behavior."  And, "students may think differently about cheating depending on the motive."

I tutor students, and they have shared with me that they have cheated and most of their friends cheat.  They know it's wrong, but they continue doing it because they are looking for a grade.  They don't feel that their learning is valued, all they want is the best grade to get to the next best class.

So, in light of the many celebrities and heroes in our world that are looked up to for their successes, what does it say to our children that their success was because they cheated.  I am not saying that Lance wasn't a good athlete, but as I posted on Facebook, I am not surprised, nor should anyone else be, otherwise you would be lying to yourself. This man accomplished the impossible; the operative word is impossible.  The culture of racing was doping.  This wasn't a secret, and so many people were willing to sacrifice their integrity for a win. 

How many times do we need to cheat ourselves and the world around us?  From presidents, to baseball players, to Olympians, to cyclists... their cheating makes an impression on our world.  And, not a good one.

My hope is that I can continue to share with my children and students that what they know and who they are is more important than any grade at school or win on the field.  We are all uniquely made and have gifts we have to develop through responsible, respectful, compassionate, ethical, hard work.  It is only through overcoming struggle that we are able to learn.  I fear for those who don't get that message, and I fear for the future of our world if we have cheating students growing into adults who are responsible for the care of each other and our world.

As for Mr. Armstrong, he cheated.  He ruined his career and reputation, yet you can't take away the hope he has provided to those with cancer.  No one is perfect or invincible.  My hope for him is that he can heal and be the man God intends him to be.

Starting Up Again...

Alright, so I have revisited and revamped this glorious world of blogging.  I truly do feel as though I just jumped into a river with a strong undertow now that I have joined, what feels like, every social media or PLN out there, including Google Reader and Google+ which seem gather up a few of those in one place.

  Just when I thought I was making a big splash getting on  and joining up with  I have to go do "the twitter" and more Google.  I feel like my head is going to explode with all the resources out there!  Thank goodness for ; I have been able to quickly mark so many sites that I have been using for work and school.

In my late night deliriousness, one line from  has begun to slow my mind down...  "The point isn't the number of tools or where they exist now, but that in the future, students (with teacher guidance) will be able to find and use the kinds of tools that fit their learning styles." (15)

Wow, I keep gathering tools, but I know the ones I like and go to require few steps.  I like apps and sites that don't require logging in, have a button I can put on my toolbar, have another button to track it, like it or pin it so that I can have a "library" of resources to go back to when I need specific ideas.  I don't know that I care for the blogging so much, except for it has been a good way to present ideas and work that we do in class.  Well, let me rephrase.  I don't care much for my own blogging, but I do enjoy looking at others' sites for inspiration.

So, I guess having said that, I should share that I have been inspired by a couple of blogs.  Of course, one led me to the other.  I first found  on Pinterest.  She has a fabulous blog about integrating technology into the classroom with their ipad 1-1 initiative.  This is where I was introduced to , a site for creating QR codes - you know, those little square dotty things that are similar to UPC codes but have a lot more function.  You can use your phone or ipad to snap a picture of the QR code and you are linked to pretty much any digital resource.  This blog led me to TechChef4U.  If you need ipad app ideas, this is a MUST to visit!


As it is repeatedly said in , I am "Jumping In!"  I am also drawn to the idea that I am "creating your (my) own learning path here, and little about this has a decidedly linear, step-by-step feel." (55)  Maybe it's my analytical side that is screaming for a less messy route to learning.  But, ultimately I know I am on a journey of discovery, not only for resources but for ways to share the joy of learning new things!  I have already found many tools that have taken me "to a whole new level of thinking about your (my) field." (57)

Happy blogging!