Wednesday, March 16, 2016
EasyCBM
I had so much fun navigating this website! I love the measures section that offers tons of resources for math and reading. As a teacher, it is nice to know that these measurement tools are available to us and even have the potential to be administered online. By simply checking the "take online" box next to the measure, the teacher can determine the type of feedback the student receives and is also able to preview the measure from a student view. EasyCBM also makes progress monitoring a very convenient and simple task for teachers! Teachers are able to group or individualize their students as needed and all of the data that is collected is organized in one spot. This is something that is very appealing to me because I have always been worried about how to keep all of the data we collect organized. As we all know, teachers are responsible for making data-based decisions. Therefore, we need data, data, and more data. This website makes collecting and monitoring progress data so EASY. I guess that's why they call it EasyCBM! I can definitely see myself using this website as I begin my student teaching.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Interactive Whiteboards and Flipped Classrooms
Interactive Whiteboards
In recent years, the use of interactive whiteboards has definitely been growing, especially in higher education. I think that the majority of us are more familiar with (or at lest have heard of) Smart Boards. These are the most popular brand/type of interactive whiteboards. I think that interactive whiteboards have the potential to be great resources in the classroom, if they are being used effectively. I know that the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom is still fairly new and not many educators have mastered using them. Many of my own professors do not take advantage of the Smart Boards in our classrooms because they are unsure of how to use them. I am very interested in learning more about how to use interactive whiteboards in the classroom because they have so much more to offer than a traditional whiteboard. Interactive whiteboards can be used to facilitate multi-sensory learning and can accommodate visual, kinesthetic, tactile, and auditory learners.
As a special educator, I am very excited about the rising trend of interactive whiteboard use in the classroom. I think that this tool is beneficial for all learners, but could be especially helpful in a special education setting. Many children receiving special education need interactive, hands-on activities and instruction. Interactive whiteboards are the perfect tool for this!
Flipped Classrooms
Another rising trend in education is the implementation of flipped classrooms (again, especially in higher education institutions). I am interested in the concept of the flipped classroom but I do not know if it is something I would ever implement myself. I took a math class here at GVSU that was a flipped classroom and at first I really liked it, but as the semester went on it became harder to motivate myself to do the work outside of class. I liked having time to do homework in class, but learning the content at home was difficult at times. I became frustrated when I did not understand the lesson and had to wait for my professor to reply to my email before I could continue on with the material. This classroom set-up is great for students who are independent and motivated and will actually put time into the class. This is a terrible set-up for students who are more dependent on teacher instruction and have difficulty motivating themselves to stay on task. As a special educator, I don't think I would ever consider doing a flipped classroom with my students. Many children in special education require accommodations and support that are not available with flipped classrooms.
In recent years, the use of interactive whiteboards has definitely been growing, especially in higher education. I think that the majority of us are more familiar with (or at lest have heard of) Smart Boards. These are the most popular brand/type of interactive whiteboards. I think that interactive whiteboards have the potential to be great resources in the classroom, if they are being used effectively. I know that the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom is still fairly new and not many educators have mastered using them. Many of my own professors do not take advantage of the Smart Boards in our classrooms because they are unsure of how to use them. I am very interested in learning more about how to use interactive whiteboards in the classroom because they have so much more to offer than a traditional whiteboard. Interactive whiteboards can be used to facilitate multi-sensory learning and can accommodate visual, kinesthetic, tactile, and auditory learners.
As a special educator, I am very excited about the rising trend of interactive whiteboard use in the classroom. I think that this tool is beneficial for all learners, but could be especially helpful in a special education setting. Many children receiving special education need interactive, hands-on activities and instruction. Interactive whiteboards are the perfect tool for this!
Flipped Classrooms
Another rising trend in education is the implementation of flipped classrooms (again, especially in higher education institutions). I am interested in the concept of the flipped classroom but I do not know if it is something I would ever implement myself. I took a math class here at GVSU that was a flipped classroom and at first I really liked it, but as the semester went on it became harder to motivate myself to do the work outside of class. I liked having time to do homework in class, but learning the content at home was difficult at times. I became frustrated when I did not understand the lesson and had to wait for my professor to reply to my email before I could continue on with the material. This classroom set-up is great for students who are independent and motivated and will actually put time into the class. This is a terrible set-up for students who are more dependent on teacher instruction and have difficulty motivating themselves to stay on task. As a special educator, I don't think I would ever consider doing a flipped classroom with my students. Many children in special education require accommodations and support that are not available with flipped classrooms.
Friday, February 12, 2016
Fair Use
Copyright law provides copyright holders with exclusive rights to the works that they have created for a limited period of time. When the copyright term expires, the work moves into "the pubic domain" and the public has unlimited access to the material. But what if individuals want to use copyrighted material before it moves into the public domain? This is where fair use comes into play. Fair use can be viewed as a sort of "loophole" when it comes to using copyrighted material. It is a doctrine that permits limited use of copyrighted material without obtaining permission from the author or rights holder.
So, what's the point of all these laws? Copyright laws give rights holders exclusive rights, which provides incentive for them to contribute creative works to society. Fair use laws are in tact to help minimize the tension between copyright law and freedom of expression. Below is a list of types of uses that have been recognized as "fair".
STAT: Experts estimate that industries reliant on fair use contributed $2.4 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2008–2009, or approximately 17 percent of the US GDP.1 In comparison.
Retreived from: http://fairuseweek.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ARL-FUW-Infographic-r4.pdf
The Library of Congress (LOC) provides teachers with materials and tools that they need in order to effectively use primary sources in their classrooms. The LOC assesses all of their materials for legal considerations before placing them online. As an educator, I would feel very comfortable using this site to find primary resources for my classroom, without having to worry about copyright laws.
LOC website: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/
FAQs: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/copyright.html
Additional Sites Used
https://www.teachingcopyright.org/handout/fair-use-faq
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use/
So, what's the point of all these laws? Copyright laws give rights holders exclusive rights, which provides incentive for them to contribute creative works to society. Fair use laws are in tact to help minimize the tension between copyright law and freedom of expression. Below is a list of types of uses that have been recognized as "fair".
- Commentary & Criticism
- Parody
- News Reporting
- Art
- Scholarship &Research
- Time-Sharing
- Search Engines
STAT: Experts estimate that industries reliant on fair use contributed $2.4 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2008–2009, or approximately 17 percent of the US GDP.1 In comparison.
Retreived from: http://fairuseweek.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ARL-FUW-Infographic-r4.pdf
The Library of Congress (LOC) provides teachers with materials and tools that they need in order to effectively use primary sources in their classrooms. The LOC assesses all of their materials for legal considerations before placing them online. As an educator, I would feel very comfortable using this site to find primary resources for my classroom, without having to worry about copyright laws.
LOC website: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/
FAQs: http://www.loc.gov/teachers/usingprimarysources/copyright.html
Additional Sites Used
https://www.teachingcopyright.org/handout/fair-use-faq
http://fairuse.stanford.edu/overview/fair-use/what-is-fair-use/
Thursday, February 4, 2016
Friday, January 29, 2016
Time Management
My new student teaching placement is significantly different than my last placement. Last semester I was a teacher assistant in a resource room for students K-4 and it seemed as if there was never a dull moment throughout the day! My new placement is in a MoCI (moderate cognitively impaired) classroom and I am working with students whose disabilities are much more intervening, which was something that I had obviously expected. Although I went into the classroom knowing that my new students would be working at a much slower rate, it has still been difficult for me to adjust to this new pace.
I love my new cooperating teacher and know that I will learn so many valuable teaching skills from working by her side. However, I cannot help but feel that there is a significant amount of time throughout the day that is not being utilized as effectively as it could be. I do not have any experience working with students with moderate-severe disabilities, so perhaps the pace that we are working at and the amount of content we are covering is what is appropriate for my students. I just find myself constantly thinking that we could be doing something more valuable throughout certain points of the day.
When I asked my cooperating teacher about things that take more time than she would like them to. She told me that there is always so much paperwork and documentation that needs to be completed and organized. IEPs alone take up so much time because of all of the testing and meetings that are associated with them. She also spends a lot of time finding and pulling material for her students because they do not have a set curriculum that they are working out of. Often times she creates her own informal assessments and charts to monitor their progress. Despite all of the time and attention that she is giving to these things, she still manages to establish strong, constructive relationships with each of her students!
I love my new cooperating teacher and know that I will learn so many valuable teaching skills from working by her side. However, I cannot help but feel that there is a significant amount of time throughout the day that is not being utilized as effectively as it could be. I do not have any experience working with students with moderate-severe disabilities, so perhaps the pace that we are working at and the amount of content we are covering is what is appropriate for my students. I just find myself constantly thinking that we could be doing something more valuable throughout certain points of the day.
When I asked my cooperating teacher about things that take more time than she would like them to. She told me that there is always so much paperwork and documentation that needs to be completed and organized. IEPs alone take up so much time because of all of the testing and meetings that are associated with them. She also spends a lot of time finding and pulling material for her students because they do not have a set curriculum that they are working out of. Often times she creates her own informal assessments and charts to monitor their progress. Despite all of the time and attention that she is giving to these things, she still manages to establish strong, constructive relationships with each of her students!
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Blogging in the Classroom
Blogging has the potential to be an incredibly positive and effective tool in the classroom. Blogs can be run by the class as a whole or individually by each student. Students can personalize their own blogs, allowing their creativity and personality to shine through their work! Blogs are meant to help individuals share their ideas and opinions in their own voice. The great thing about blogging is that it is an expressive and receptive tool. Students are free to express themselves through their writing while receiving feedback and new ideas from their peers. There is really no limitation on communication through blogging!
I love the idea of using blogging in my classroom because the product is something that my students will be able to hold onto. My students will forever be able to edit and add to their blogs as they see fit. I also love the fact that communication is open among peers and the public and can continue for any desired amount of time. This is something that google and word documents do not offer. I hated writing anything in high school because I knew that all I needed to do was write up something that my teacher would like, get the grade stamped on the top, and then I could throw my work in the recycling bin. Blogging allows students to write to a broader audience and receive feedback from multiple points of views. The conversation pertaining to a particular piece can go in many different directions.
Blogs are a great tool for students, but they can also be great for teachers! Let's be honest; there is never enough time in the school day to cover EVERYTHING that we want to. Blogs allow teachers to expand their lessons and go into greater detail than they are able to in the classroom! The students in your classroom could use the blog as a resource for further information, or perhaps to even study for an exam. Teachers can use blogs to communicate with students, parents, and fellow teachers. They are a great way to post updates on what is being done in the classroom, display students' work, and give reminders of due dates, exams, parent-teacher conferences, etc.
Blogs can be utilized in many more ways than a simple Google/Word document. They have a place in any classroom, regardless of subject. I definitely plan on taking advantage of this tool in my classroom someday!
I love the idea of using blogging in my classroom because the product is something that my students will be able to hold onto. My students will forever be able to edit and add to their blogs as they see fit. I also love the fact that communication is open among peers and the public and can continue for any desired amount of time. This is something that google and word documents do not offer. I hated writing anything in high school because I knew that all I needed to do was write up something that my teacher would like, get the grade stamped on the top, and then I could throw my work in the recycling bin. Blogging allows students to write to a broader audience and receive feedback from multiple points of views. The conversation pertaining to a particular piece can go in many different directions.
Blogs are a great tool for students, but they can also be great for teachers! Let's be honest; there is never enough time in the school day to cover EVERYTHING that we want to. Blogs allow teachers to expand their lessons and go into greater detail than they are able to in the classroom! The students in your classroom could use the blog as a resource for further information, or perhaps to even study for an exam. Teachers can use blogs to communicate with students, parents, and fellow teachers. They are a great way to post updates on what is being done in the classroom, display students' work, and give reminders of due dates, exams, parent-teacher conferences, etc.
Blogs can be utilized in many more ways than a simple Google/Word document. They have a place in any classroom, regardless of subject. I definitely plan on taking advantage of this tool in my classroom someday!
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Blogs from Educators
The Tattooed Teacher: Rachel is an elementary school teacher who LOVES to craft pull ideas from Pinterest. She offers free teacher resources on her blog and also shares fun tutorials of creative/crafty things to do in your classroom.
4 The Love of Teaching: Lana is a 5th grade teacher who teaches at a private Christian school. She shares about her classroom in a very interactive way and encourages feedback and advice from anyone who reads her blog.
Ms. Cassidy's Classroom Blog: Kathy is a 1st grade teacher who uses her blog to tell the world about what her students are doing in their classroom. She posts videos and pictures of their work so that people can read and comment on it. Her students love this because they literally have a world-wide audience.
ScienceFix: Darren Fix is a middle school science teacher who shares various science lessons and experiments on his blog. He posts entertaining videos of all the fun activities that take place in his classroom.
A Year of Reading: A couple of teachers created this blog to help fellow teachers discover and use new children's books in the classroom. Their blog includes reviews and suggestions of how a certain book may be used in the classroom.
Learning Is Messy: Brian Crosby shares his experiences blogging and using technology in the classroom. Conducting broadcasts in the classroom using Skype is just one of the creative ways that he uses technology.
Reality 101: The bloggers are members of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) who have been selected to share about their experiences teaching students with special needs. This is a great way for special educators to connect, share stories, and offer advice to one another.
Teacher Sol: Maria Angala is an Exceptional Needs Specialist who shares about her efforts to improve special education. She also shares her lesson plans and teacher-made resources.
Special Education Strategies and More: Michelle has been a teacher at the preschool and elementary level for nearly 20 years. She strives to help teachers and parents of children with special needs find positive and effective strategies that promote academic, social, and emotional growth.
Teachers at Risk: Elona Hartjes is a special educator who shares insights and strategies to teaching students with special needs. She has developed an online professional learning community where people can share ideas and support one another.
4 The Love of Teaching: Lana is a 5th grade teacher who teaches at a private Christian school. She shares about her classroom in a very interactive way and encourages feedback and advice from anyone who reads her blog.
Ms. Cassidy's Classroom Blog: Kathy is a 1st grade teacher who uses her blog to tell the world about what her students are doing in their classroom. She posts videos and pictures of their work so that people can read and comment on it. Her students love this because they literally have a world-wide audience.
ScienceFix: Darren Fix is a middle school science teacher who shares various science lessons and experiments on his blog. He posts entertaining videos of all the fun activities that take place in his classroom.
A Year of Reading: A couple of teachers created this blog to help fellow teachers discover and use new children's books in the classroom. Their blog includes reviews and suggestions of how a certain book may be used in the classroom.
Learning Is Messy: Brian Crosby shares his experiences blogging and using technology in the classroom. Conducting broadcasts in the classroom using Skype is just one of the creative ways that he uses technology.
Reality 101: The bloggers are members of Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) who have been selected to share about their experiences teaching students with special needs. This is a great way for special educators to connect, share stories, and offer advice to one another.
Teacher Sol: Maria Angala is an Exceptional Needs Specialist who shares about her efforts to improve special education. She also shares her lesson plans and teacher-made resources.
Special Education Strategies and More: Michelle has been a teacher at the preschool and elementary level for nearly 20 years. She strives to help teachers and parents of children with special needs find positive and effective strategies that promote academic, social, and emotional growth.
Teachers at Risk: Elona Hartjes is a special educator who shares insights and strategies to teaching students with special needs. She has developed an online professional learning community where people can share ideas and support one another.
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