Blogfolio

1. Intro Video - Our first class assignment was to create a thirty minute video about ourselves while only using a cellular device (mostly iPhones).  This assignment matches NETS-T standard 1 which is to "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments" and standard 2 which is to "design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments...to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S."  It matches standard 1 because the class had the opportunity to make a creative and personal video of ourselves (henceforth the virtual environment) and use the latest technical devices.  This assignment matches standard 2 also because it taught us how to use our phones to upload videos to our blog.  Therefore, we gained more technical skills because it maximized what we already knew.  I will use this assignment in my classroom so my students will also learn how to record and upload videos to the internet.
2. TED Videos - The TED videos that we watched in class matches NETS-S standard 5 which is to "continuously improve professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources."  I personally enjoyed watching the videos because it deepened my concern about education even more.  In other words, I was inspired to do more than just impact my students.  I want to do all that I can for education over all.  If I teach high school English, TED videos will definitely be incorporated into my lesson plans.  I want my students to be aware of how important education is.  TED videos matches this standard because promotes professional growth and motivates educators of all kind to become academic innovators.
3. Concept Map - This assignment matches NETS-S standard 2 which is to  "design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments...to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S."   At first I had a little bit of difficulty, but I soon got the hang of it.  I learned that as much as I want my students to be actively engaged, they still have to 'pencil and paper' work (the boring part of class time).  I had plenty of activities for them, but not enough work that I could actually assess.  I'm glad that I had the opportunity to complete this assignment because I seen a personal flaw and was able to work on it.  The concept map really correlates with standard 2 because I literally "design[ed], develop[ed], and evaluate[d] authentic learning experiences and assessments.  I will use the concept map during classwork because it gives students the opportunity to put their thoughts on paper and make connections to what they already know and what they are learning.
4. Do Not Track Me - DNTM is a downloadable extension that prevents others from tracking your computer.  This extension is a great add-on and I really feel like my laptop is a lot safer.  It's active right now as we speak.  It even tells you who is trying to track you.  DNTM matches NETS-S standard 4 which is to "understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices."  I think this is a good correlation because DNTM makes one aware of the harm that other sites can do to devices.  I will use this in my classroom because it will inform students on the precautionary measures that need to be taken for online safety.
5. Augumented Reality - This is a downloadable app that matches NETS-S standard 1 which is to  "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments."  I personally did not like this app.  It provided only a limited amount of information and it became difficult to use.  It also had a numerous amount of glitches.  Augumented Reality matches standard 1 because it provides information, it does aid with technological experiences, and students can get creative with the virtual environments that the app has to offer.  If I use this in my class, I will be sure to find a better program for my students because the initial purpose of the app really does provide a great technological experience.
6. Voki - I absolutely love Voki.  It is very creative and fun for me and the students.  Voki matches NETS-S standard 1 which is to  "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments."  I can use Voki to give instructions and even make virtual announcements for parents instead of sending letters home.  I think that Voki will really catch my students' attention.  It matches standard 1 because it is innovative, it is a virtual environment, and parents, students, and teachers can use it as a means of communicating.
7. Web 2.0 - I really enjoyed the website I shared with the class.  I created an account with Socrative.  It is a website that allows teachers to create their tests, quizzes, and games for their students.  It's very easy to use.  Students only have to use their classroom number to log in and the teacher is in complete control.  Socrative will definitely be used in my classroom.  Web 2.0 matches NETS-S standard 3 which is to "exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society."  Because of this, teaches are able to engage their students with technology no mater the grade level while being professional in a "global and digital society."
8. Website - This assignment was the most fun and most tiring to make.  I had much difficulty with it because for some odd reason, my account always tapped into other people's personal websites.  I am now 'part-owner' of three websites (not including my personal website).  My website matches NETS-S standard 1 which is to   "use knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments" and standard 2 which is to  "design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments...to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S."  I will use the creation of personal websites in my classroom so my students can make positive changes in their school, community, and world.  Their voices can be heard all over the world and the possibilities are limitless.  After all, we are teaching future CEO's and business owners/leaders of America.  Creating websites matches standards 1 and 2 because it allows one to be creative while developing new skills and it advances student learning by providing them with the tools needed to be innovative and create virtual environments. 
9. Movie - Sadly, this was our last assignment.  I made a four minute movie about my senior year of high school as a cheerleader.  It was the last time I ever cheered.   My movie brought back a lot of memories.  It was nice to reminisce on good times.  My movie matches NETS-S standards 1, 2, and 3.  It matches all three standards because it is creative, innovative, facilitates student learning, provides authentic learning experiences, and exhibits professional behavior through a global society.  I think it will be fun to have my older students create movies.  My class read To Kill A Mockingbird and created a movie trailer for it.  I was the mean, old woman sitting in her rocking chair on her porch.  This is a great way to incorporate other subjects as well; like how my class incorporated 9th grade Accelerated English.

REFLECTION: IT 365 Fall 2013

          I can't believe the semester has flew by already.  I don't think I am quite ready to go just yet.  I really enjoyed this class.  I learned so much from the semester and I am really getting a feel of who I am as an educator.  I loved every moment of this class and will definitely not forget what I have learned.  I still feel that this generation will get too dependent on technology.  IT 365 has taught me that technology represents the potential we have as human beings and it is up to me to me provide ways that for my students to find their own potentials, talents, gifts, etc..  This class has also showed me different ways to incorporate technology into different subjects (I use this notion for other classes as well).  Each assignment we had was fun too.  So I know that my students will have just as much as I did.  I am a very hands on person so I'm excited about teaching technology and creating new ways to engage my students.  With that being said, this class was great while it lasted.

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

WITH LOVE,

          Jacqueline M. McMillian

From Advisees

The advisees had several useful tools that could be used in the classroom that would benefit teachers and students. Working a LMS was the first tool. LMS ensures that students are both college and career ready. Smartboards are another form of technology that should be used in the classroom. Teachers should also know how to incorporate BYOD as well. And lastly, familiarizing oneself with the SAMR model is important for teachers so that they know how to integrate technology into the classroom. Educators are expected to use these tools to teach their students in a variety of different ways. Therefore, it is vital that one learn how to use these tools for different grade levels. 

MyMovie

Kids Can't Compute/ A Conversation With A 'Bad' Teacher

        Mike Elgan talks about how people think that this generation is considered to be "tech savvy" simply because they are born into the technological boom.  This certainly isn't so.  We say that adults aren't aware of how to use technological devices, but they actually do.  When computers were first released, a lot of memorization went into doing the smallest task.  Whatever a person wanted the computer to do, it had to manually be done with the keyboard.  Now, technological devices do all of the memorizing and all of the work.  Everything is as easy a click of a button or the swipe of a finger.  This generation depends solely on the device all while benefiting nothing at all.  To be "tech savvy" in today's time means to actually know how technical devices are working and how they are being operated.  This generation must know how to work technical devices in order to get jobs and be part of the working force.  They will no longer be able to depend on technology doing all of the work if they are unaware of how to it computes.  This will continue to grow into an even greater problem because kids will become dependent on technology.  The only solution is to technically educate our children.
        Hana Maruyama interviewed John Owens on his experience as a writing teacher at "Latinate Institute".  Owens had been an author for three decades, but his education career had ended in less than one year.  He was considered a 'bad' teacher by his principal "Ms. P" because he refused to attend an all expense paid conference trip.  Instead, he wanted to stay with his students and continue teaching on those days, but "Ms. P" considered that to be "noncompliance."  Owens expressed how the school was not beneficial to the students because the administration focused on passing them instead of making sure they were learning.  Students were not taken serious and Owens was deeply heart broken.  Owens' book, "Confessions of a Bad Teacher:  The Shocking Truth From the Front Lines of American Public Education," was wrote in hopes of parents and communities standing up and demanding that the carelessness of the administration be stopped.

Cyberbullying Website

To view my personal website about standing up to cyberbullying, click here.

Web 2.0 Slide

Madison: 
MindMeister is used to create concept maps. It even allows you see your concept map in a slideshow. This website provides a 30 day free trial. It's worth using in the classroom, but the demo is a very limited version. 
Spider Scribe.net is a free concept map website. It's like the Inspiration app. You insert images and your location. This website is centered more for the business world. May not be beneficial for students but it makes organizing simple for teachers. 
Erica:
Bubbl.us is also a site for making concept maps.
Lino.com is an organizational tool for posting notes, calenders, due dates, posting videos, and creating work documents.  There is an app for easier access.  Can be used for both teachers and their students.
 Madison: 
Photobucket is a site for uploading and personalizing pictures. It can be thought of as Pininterst because you can tag and share pictures with others. 
Quintura Kids is a search engine that is kid-friendly. However, it doesn't do too much of anything or provide a good amount of information. 
Callie:
DuckDuckGo is also a search engine for children. It has a filter for the internet and provides a great amount of information.
GoGooligans.com is another search engine for kids with the addition of teens. Sadly, this site doesn't do too much of anything either.
Rebecca:
Padlet is a website where teachers can build a wall and let students post information.  Teachers can ask questions and the entire class can watch as their responses post on the wall.
Text2MindMap did not really work but it is supposed to be a website that creates a mind map using text.
Brittany:
Stormboard is a website where teachers can post questions and students will post their votes.  Students must have a code to be able to log in.
Ally:
Kidtopia.info is a search engine for children.  It was developed by a school library and contains a large amount of academic information.  The bad thing about the website is that it has a lot of random ads.
InstaGrok is a search engine that provides factual information in concept map form.
Victoria:
SlimeKids is a website that contains a lot of different kid friendly search engines.
WikiSummarizer branches off of the Wiki website.  It searches information in concept map form, allows one to edit, create keyword clouds, etc.
Tommi: 
PearlTrees is a combination of Pininterest and a concept map.  You can use the search box and pin information to your tree.
NetVibes is place where you can collect out of thoughts and place them on a dashboard.  It is also a search engine.
Katherine 
GloggsterEDU is a website to build timelines. It is used best for groups.
Audacity is a website for recording.
Lauren
Vimeo is a website that is kind of like Youtube.  This is probably not a good site to use for kids because it contains vulgar content and may not have a filter.
Wordpress.com is a social blog site where you can find friends and explore topics

Common Core in Action: How Two Science Teachers are Implementing Common Core

Teaching Science makes me uneasy.  I am not at all 100% confident about that or Mathematics.  However, I am good at English, Reading, and Writing and that is what these two Science teachers implemented into their instruction.  Katie Abole, Science teacher at Bronx Leadership Academy in New York, said "science literacy is different and requires different skills."  So in order to implement the Reading Standards into her Biofuel vs. Fossil Fuels lesson, she scaffolded literacy skills from reading and writing standards in different ways.  She used drafts and outlines, graphic organizers, direct instruction, and revision.  Through this, her students gained college level skills.  Next, she balanced literacy instruction with Science activities.  Christopher King, teacher at West Bronx Academy in New York, used a similar unit to Katie Abole.  He targeted Reading and Writing Standards by scaffolding strategies such as including a Socratic Seminar that supported argumentation and evidence skills.  This made his students willingly engage in academic conversations.