Nearpod

Nearpod is an app that is an engaging and interactive for students, it is a platform that presents material from the teacher. Nearpod is a free app, however, some of the features are lost the longer that it is used. It allows for teachers to sync to student devices so that students will see exactly what the teacher wants them to. The app allows for there to be live lessons or for lessons to be student paced. Teachers can create their own lessons or use one of the thousands of ready to teach lessons that are already provided. Nearpod has lessons from Kindergarten to Twelfth grade. Lessons can be made to suit individual student needs, which is a huge help to the teacher and student. Nearpod is compatible with Google Slides or PowerPoint; a teacher can create their own Google Slide or PowerPoint and drop it into Nearpod. Teachers are also able to add web content to Nearpod by simply copying and pasting the URL. Nearpod also allows for teachers to add activities to lessons so that they will be interactive. An awesome feature of Nearpod is the Collaborate Board. The Collaborate Board allows for students to comment, and what makes this feature even better is that the teacher approves the comments. This will allow teachers to see if the comment is relevant and appropriate. Another cool feature of Nearpod is Draw Its. Draw Its allows students to draw pictures, create and use graphic organizers, etc. The Draw Its feature tends to work better when using an iPad rather than a computer, because students can use their fingers instead of a mouse. In addition to those features there is also the feature where teachers can create assessments. The types of assessments that Nearpod has are: open-ended questions, fill in the blank questions, and quizzes. A neat thing about the quizzes on Nearpod is that they can be put directly into the slides and the students can complete them throughout the presentation. Nearpod is a great tool to have in the classroom. The teachers and students are both involved with the use of Nearpod. I will be using Nearpod in my future classroom to allow students to work at their on pace with a lesson. 

 

 

Virtual Field Trips

Virtual Field Trips are a wonderful asset to have in the classroom. Students and teachers are able to travel the world from the inside of the classroom walls. Students are completely engaged when involved in virtual field trips. Going on virtual field trips allows for students to visit places that they may not be able to otherwise. There are many virtual field trips that can be found on Google with lessons that are attached to them. A variety of virtual field trips have standards that are aligned to them, which is a bonus for teachers. Most of them can be found online for free. A benefit of going on a virtual field trip is that students can complete them at their own pace. They are a safe alternative to going on an actual field trip. Students can experience many different cultures when involved with virtual field trips, which allows them to see the world in a different light. They do not replace a real life field trip, because the students would not be able to use their senses to fully experience the place. However, they have been proven to improve student learning and understanding. Many students tend to talk and worry about what their friends are doing when they are on an actual field trip, so going on a virtual one allows for them to really see the content side of things. Virtual field trips can also be used for social/emotional development, because students can see things from a different perspective. Students can visit places that historic people lived in/what they experienced which will help them to see things from that persons point of view. ClassFlow is a website that can be used to create a virtual field trip for students to experience. Skype is another great way for students to go on a virtual field trip. Students can talk to someone through Skype and see what they see from anywhere around the world. Google Sites has over 100 virtual field trips that can be used in the classroom, including national parks that students can visit. I will definitely use virtual field trips in my classroom one day to enhance student learning. 

  

All Things Digital Literacy with Podcasting

A podcast is a series of digital audio files that can be used to benefit a classroom. Podacasts are considered language arts but they have technology integrated. They are similar to talk radio, but they are available on demand. They are offered through many different platforms including Soundcloud, anchor.fm, Podiant, Buzzsprout, etc. Podcasts can be used to support students in the classroom that have various needs. Students could listen to the podcast at their own pace which would be so beneficial to student learning. There are multiple different student uses for podcasts. They can be used to guide, supplement, review, have an augmented lessons, and required listening.  Podcasts can be used to guide students through various activities, supplement a video or lesson that has been previously taught, and they can be used as a review and/or study tool. Teachers could prompt students to demonstrate their learning by allowing them to create their own podcast. I think that a neat way that I would integrate podcasts into my future classroom would be to have students do an interview type podcast where one student asks an essential question and the other students talk about the topic and state their opinions to answer the question. This would be an excellent way for teachers to assess what students have learned, and the students would be able to hear multiple responses to questions to broaden their thoughts and deepen their understanding. I also think that having students listen to podcasts that relate to what they are learning will increase their understanding of the topic. Pinna is a website that has multiple podcast that are available to students. It is a very kid friendly resource that would allow students to have various choices in what they wanted to listen to.  There are also many podcasts out there that are available to teachers. Teachers can listen to podcasts to deepen their understanding of the many different things that come with education. Teachers could learn about content, students, classroom management, etc. through the use of podcasts. I will definitely be listening to more podcasts in the future so that I can learn more about education.  

  

Building a Professional Learning Network

A professional learning network is a group of people that someone connects with to learn their ideas, questions, reflections, etc. Being a part of a professional learning network gets us as teachers outside of the four walls of our classrooms, and it allows us to connect with other educators. Some of the tools that can be used to build a professional learning network are: YouTube, Pinterest, Twitter, and Google Plus. As educators, we realize that education is constantly changing. One way that we can see how to roll with the changes is by having a professional learning network. Nineteen to thirty percent of teachers quit within their first five years of teaching. Three percent of first-year teachers believe that they receive appropriate supports. If a teacher receives mentoring, collaboration, and extra resources, then the first-year turnover is cut by more than half. When a teacher has a professional learning network, they can grow as professionals with the support from a diverse network of people and resources. Teachers can expand their connections, seek help, find an emotional support group, and gain a large amount of professional knowledge anywhere and at any time when they are using their professional learning network. To build a professional learning network there are a few simple steps that can be taken. Creating a Twitter page that is focused on following educators, building a circle of connected educators on Google Plus, following education blogs and chats, and joining education groups on Facebook are just a few that will get someone started. Most teachers use social media for their professional learning networks, they use them to get themselves out there and learn from others. I will be using a professional learning network in the future. I will use it to share my own ideas to help others in there classrooms. I will also be using a professional learning network gain expertise and knowledge from other educators in order to better my own teaching and classroom. I think that following education groups on Twitter and Facebook will most likely be the way that I will learn from others professional learning networks. 

Whole Brain Teaching

Whole brain teaching, also known as power teaching, is a form of teaching that uses the whole brain. The founder of whole brain teaching is Chris Biffle, and the co-founders are Chris Rekstad and Andrea Schindler. Whole brain teaching uses the visual cortex, Wernicke’s area, Broca’s area, motor cortex, and the limbic system. The goal of whole brain teaching is “to create peaceful classrooms full of orderly fun.”  The benefits of using whole brain teaching in the classroom are that it: stimulates and motivates struggling learners, helps teach English Language Learners, uses the whole brain, helps students with behavior, and it promotes physical health. The hand movements that are used for whole brain teaching help students to retain information. This method of teaching also helps students because when students are engaged they are less likely to have disruptive behaviors. Whole brain teaching helps meet basic needs, reduces stress, and increases learning. One strategy that whole brain teaching uses is the scoreboard strategy. The way that a scoreboard works is that when the students do something that makes the teacher happy, they get a smiley face. If the students do something that does not make the teacher happy, they receive a frowny face. If the students win then they receive a reward for that day, such as, an extra minute of free play. If the teacher wins then the students receive a consequence, such as, losing a minute of free play. Another strategy that whole brain teaching uses is “Teach, Okay”. For “Teach, Okay”, the teacher in the classroom has students to mirror him/her and then says, “Teach, Okay”. The students then face each other and one student teaches their friend while the other student mirrors, after the one teaching finishes the students switch places. There are also rules that are associated with whole brain teaching. The rules are as follows:

1.     Follow directions quickly

2.     Raise your hand for permission to speak

3.     Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat

4.     Make smart choices

5.     Keep your dear teacher happy

I think that I will probably use the rules of whole brain teaching in my future classroom. I think that students want to make their teacher happy, so the last rule would be great to use in a classroom. 

Flipped Classroom Model

Two chemistry teachers started the flipped classroom when some their students were at home sick. The way that a flipped classroom works is, the teacher shares a video with content that they would normally be teaching, and the students in the class watch the video prior coming to class so that they can be familiar with the content. While students are learning they can rewind, pause, etc. which allows them to learn at their own pace. The teacher serves as more of a guide with the flipped classroom model. Students can come into class with questions about the video. Higher-level students can come in and know exactly what to do, and lower-level students can watch the video again and come in with questions.  Teachers can go around and lead learning activities while the students are learning. The acronym F.L.I.P. stands for F- Flexible learning environment, L- Learning Culture, I-intentional learning content, and P- Professional Educator. There are eight different types of flipped classrooms: standard inverted classroom, micro flipped classroom, discussion oriented, demonstration based, faux flipped, group-based, virtual flipped, and role reversal. The lessons in a flipped classroom can be presented as one lesson or a module of lessons. Some of the benefits of the flipped classroom model are that it helps students that are struggling, increases student-teacher interactions, works with all ability levels, changes classroom management, educates parents and why we talk to them, is a great tool for absent students and teachers, and is compatible with all learning styles. A few strategies of a flipped classroom are: active learning, peer instruction, collaboration, problem-based learning, class discussions, and inverted classroom (regular flipped classroom). Parents love the flipped classroom model because they can see exactly what their child is learning and where they should be in their learning. One great thing about the flipped classroom model is that the teacher can spend extra time with the students that need more assistance. This is how I would use the flipped classroom model in my future classroom. I would use it to be able to help the students that needed extra help with particular content.  

 

Conscious Discipline

Conscious Discipline helps students and adults to respond from the higher parts of the brain instead of react from the lower parts of the brain. It is a relationship-based model of discipline. The students have to communicate their emotions to one another to resolve any issues rather than the teacher solving the problems for them. An example of using conscious discipline would be, if a student hits another student and the student that was hit comes to tell the teacher, the teacher would tell the student that was hit to tell the student that hit them that they did not like being hit because it hurt them. This form of discipline encourages students to communicate their emotions instead of reacting in a negative way. Conscious Discipline also shows students how to deal with confrontation instead of avoiding it. When people are not shown how to deal with confrontation, they will either avoid it all together or confront others in unconstructive manner. Another benefit of conscious discipline is that it promotes respect among students in the classroom and in the real world. When using conscious discipline in the classroom it is important that the students feel safe. One strategy of conscious discipline is the “safe place”. The “safe place” is a place where students can go to calm down and choose how they are feeling. Students can use the “safe place” to read books about the emotion that they are feeling and see how they want to deal with that emotion. Another strategy that Conscious Discipline uses is deep breathing. Students can do this when they are upset to calm themselves down, but teachers can also use it when students are getting out of hand and he or she wants to make them refocus. One strategy from Conscious Discipline that I will be implementing in my future classroom is the Choice Board. The Choice Board is a board that has different ways for students to choose how they want to be greeted when entering the classroom. Some of the choices on the Choice Board include: handshake, hug, high-five, wave, fist bump, and smile. I will be using the Choice Board in my future classroom because it builds relationships between the students and the teacher. It also starts the day with a positive attitude, and can be a do over from the day before. We never know what a student could be dealing with at home, and starting their day with a positive interaction and showing them that they are loved is so important.