Digital Blog Post G-Chapter 10

Chapter 10 discusses a topic I had never heard of before.  Universal design for learning states that the design of the curriculum should be based on accomodating all students' needs.  This includes having multiple means of representation, multiple means of expression, and multiple means of engagement.  I found this idea to be interesting because I feel like it would be hard to find a way to engage all students.  Yet, this will be a task that I must complete when I become a teacher.

The next topic was accomodations and modifications.  These topics are ones that I am familiar with as my students have both modifications and accomodations throughout school each day.  My students have modifications when they test or complete work in class.  My students have accomodations such as preferred seating in class, having two times the amount on a test, and being able to ask for directions read to them on an assignment.  

The last topic that I found interesting was the interactive electronic stroybooks.  I wish I could read every single book that I own and be able to have graphic animations, sound effects, and user interactions to make the book come to life.  For my students, I would absolutely love this to let my kids enjoy reading and have fun with it.  They would enjoy reading stories so much more if they could have the interaction necessary to keep their brains engaged in what they were reading.

Below is a Prezi that I created to go along with the topics discussed in this blog.  I absolutely love Prezi!  It is fantastic and so engaging.


http://prezi.com/kcw3aagdkeus/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share


Resources

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pepitone, Morgan (2015).  Copy of Chapter Ten.  Found on: http://prezi.com/kcw3aagdkeus/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share

Digital Blog Post F- Chapter 8

Created by Me on Wordle

After reading Chapter 8, much of the chapter talked about using electronic communication between teachers and students.  One of the first ideas I liked reading about was textspeak or digitalk.  This was interesting as I am an avid texter, but I do not know many of the collection of symbols and letters that are used during texting.  My reason being is that the phone I have spell checks what I text, and it also is hard to go between letters and numbers, preventing me from using the shorthand version of certain words.

In the book it also discussed Wikis, which wouldn't you know it is what we created as a group this week!  I liked some of the ideas that book suggested to use a Wiki for, and as a teacher I would like to use them in my classroom.  Literature circles would be a fun way for students to read a book and then post about it.  It would get them discussing different components of the content they are reading.  

The last topic I found was an interesting term to use for when teachers create websites, and that was homegrown.  It was a great word to use for what great teachers like to do, and that is make something from scratch and let it become something that is familiar and understandable.  Homegrown is an old term that refers to the integration of new with old.  I absolutely loved this term from this chapter.

References

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post E-Chapter 7

Chapter 7 talked about visual thinking and concept mapping software, something I absolutely love to do!  I do it with all of my projects and papers, as a way to organize myself and for others to see my thinking process.  Below I created a organization map that is colorful, fun and gives information, the most important part!  I created it on Piktochart.  I found this to be an awesome tool to create these visual-thinking concepts with software that is free, or you can upgrade to make even more visual concepts!

Mapping visual created by Morgan Pepitone on Piktochart

Computer games was the next concept that I enjoyed that the book discussed.  My students use many games at school to help enhance the material they are learning, and it has become a way for them to find different subjects in school fun.  Computer games allow for students to use at school and at home.  My students even get free-time in their math class, with their math skills still being tested with their choice of either coolmath.com or hoodamath.com.  Both of these give you the standards the students are using when playing the game and also allow for it be engaging.  That is something I enjoy about these games.  They look so fun I want to play with them!!!

Simulation games are a topic that I wish schools were able to use more often, as they do not seem to integrate this into classroom instruction as much as I think students need.  Students I believe need real-world experience to apply the information they learn, and I think it would also allow for students to remember the information more often if the information was presented in a simulation.  Only one of my students plays a simulation game, and that is while at home.  It is called Sim City (the book also discusses this).  One out of thirty students I know uses a simulation game of some type.  I think if more students used this they would hold onto information longer.

Resources

Coolmath (2015).  Coolmath. http://coolmath.com/aboutus.htm

Hoodamath (2015).  Hoodamath.  http://www.hoodamath.com/

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Pepitone, Morgan (2015).  Visual Thinking/ Concept-Mapping.  Created on PiktoChart.

Digital Blog Post D-Chapter 5

This chapter, Chapter 5, was the most fun for me thus far!  First, there was what is called the "Google A Day", and I had never heard of this until now.  I decided to try it out.  It was quite fun and unfortunately the clock beat me before I could find the correct answer.  This would be awesome to use in class to help students learn how to use a search engine.  It is a way for it to be fun and yet also interactive and giving them the real-life skill of doing research.  Here is a cool video by Google that explains how to use it in the classroom, which was awesome for people like me!!!

The next topic that I liked was e-books or the use of reading on-line or on a tablet.  Right now my students use for their language arts class a program called Achieve3000.  They use Teenbiz on this program, and it lets them read a passage (non-fiction) that relates to something they are discussing in class.  The student can assign which passages he/she wants read.  Then they are asked questions at the end of the passage for comprehension.  I find that this relates to my students and all students because many have access to tablets to be able to read e-books or different news articles.  Schools have been gaining more access to technology such as buying tablets for students to use in the classroom.  I think this could be beneficial in adding text that can only be found as a book, and creating assignments from those books.  I even think students might read more if they give them books they are interested in or can relate to.

The last topic that the book discussed that was something I often use, is Wikipedia.  I think all students should know how to use this properly.  No, it should not be used in any academic writing, but yes, it can be used as a starting point for further research.  I use Wikipedia as my starting point whenever I start a paper.  With every paper I do, I start at Wikipedia to find general information, and based on what I find, I do more critical research based on possible facts that I found on Wikipedia.  For me, Wikipedia is a small reference that expands to more thorough research.  

I loved this chapter, specifically the point about "Google A Day." That was so much fun!!!

References

Google. (2012, May 2).  A Google A Day in the classroom. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9X2iFKn01c

Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Digital Blog Post C-Chapter 3

Now feeling like a pro doing these blogs, I found three interesting topics that were discussed in Chapter Three that were also really fun to make with all of the programs we have at our disposal.  

My first topic is media literacy.  I found this topic very interesting, for the reason that I use media literacy in this course and my other courses, too!  It is a way of making the material that you have around you and using social media and entertainment as a way to express what you have learned.  I absolutely love this way of literacy, as it not only expands what you can do with technology, but also allows you to develop and engage more in what you are learning.  Here is my link to Haiku Deck that I created, my first one ever!

The next topic that I really enjoyed reading about was active learning.  I love the idea of active learning for everything.  Science is a great example of active learning, because experiments can be used to engage the students and keep the students learning.  I also find that using games for other subjects allows students to have active learning in other subjects.  For example, active learning is learning by doing.  If you create a game for your students to help remember the spelling words, it will allow them to keep using that game for all of their vocabulary.  One of my teachers created a musical chairs with our spelling words that was interactive and funny.  Here is my link to my creation on Padlet for active learning, which I can later add on to.

Lastly, there is information literacy.  I think this is the hardest one for students to fully grasp and it takes stages for them to fully excel at information literacy.  Students I think struggle the most with the last two steps, because of the fact that younger students do not know what is exactly good information.  While they might be able to find it, evaluating it to see if is what they need for what they are doing does not necessarily click with them.  I know that this is what I struggled with most when I started having to do research of find articles that are true.  Below is a video that discusses all of the ideas that come with information literacy.

Citations

1. Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

2. Armstrong Atlantic State University (2013, January 25).  Information Literacy. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSLdkUDc-Yg

Digital Blog Post #B-Chapter Two

In Chapter Two, there was a significant amount of information that I found both valuable and interesting.  First, the student-centered teaching was exactly how I want to be as a teacher.  I am very constructive to my students, making sure to tell my students what they could work better on in a more meaningful and elaborate matter.  I also try to be progressive and take a more meaningful approach to my students by allowing them more access to technology and giving them the ability to conduct their own research.  I ask so many questions during the day my students are sometimes nauseated.  Yet, it helps them to think for themselves and be more creative.  

Photo Credit to Tagxedo

I also found digital natives to be interesting.  I for one, am considered a 'digital native', yet I feel that I did not use technology as frequently as the digital native is defined.  I believe I grew up slightly differently, as my mother was a teacher and used very old-fashioned ways of teaching.  No technology was used.  Then, when I went to elementary school, I didn't have the access to technology due to my school's low funding.  I didn't really get to use computers until my fourth or fifth grade year and even then it was limited.  I like CNN's term that they call the digital native-immigrant.  I believe I fall into this category because I eventually grew into the technological stages but not right away in my life.  I did not grow up using technology as others did.

Lastly, the digital immigrants are a breed of people that are far and few in between in regards to teaching.  Many teachers have had training throughout their years of teaching and are able to keep up with the students in the capacity they need to.  Many can create Powerpoints and make other projects that use technology for their students.  Overall, I feel teachers have adapted to the digital age and now need to look for ways to keep students engaged in the learning.  

Overall, these aspects of the chapter were very interesting and upon more research, I find that people can agree that teachers and students are adapting to this new digital age, and become frequent users of technology in and out of the classroom.

Citations

1. Joy, Oliver. (2012, December 8). What does it mean to be a digital native? CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2012/12/04/business/digital-native-prensky/

2.  Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

3. National Association of Independent Schools (2012, June 1).  Teaching in the Digital Age-Stephen Carter Part One. [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpdVTKDHIZg

4. Pepitone, Morgan. (2015, January 18). Student-Centered Teaching.  [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.tagxedo.com/app.html.

Digital Blog Post A-Chapter 1

As I was reading the first chapter, I felt very old-fashioned as far as who I am as a person and using technology.  I did not grow up using cell phones, Ipads, or music players for that matter.  I did not even get a cellphone until I was 16 and it was used only for me to contact my parents when I was leaving home and coming back.  The first concept that stuck out to me was 'digital childhood.'  First off, the text stated that more than half of the children under five were using technology at some point during their day was astonishing to me (Maloy, 2013).  I myself don't want my children being able to use an Ipad or phone better than me by the time they are three, even five!  This article, "Screens, Screens, Screens", was an article that I found doing some more research on the topic of digital childhood.  I found that I completely agreed with the idea of limiting a child's access to technology and getting more hands-on with a child of a younger age.

Digital identity as a teacher is critical, and I find that I will have a hard time with this.  For me, I repulse technology and yet as a teacher have to embrace it.  As a twenty-year old, I feel as though I am not as technically inclined as those around me.  I do not find technology interesting nor do I enjoy using it to teach with my students.  Yet, in the world we live in, I must learn to find ways to enjoy using it and incorporate it into my daily life.  Below is a video that shows the basis of what we as people do, but as a teacher I will have to learn to find my digital identity by using technology more often and doing research on what will be best to use with students.  

Finally, using social media in a digital identity was the most confusing, yet what I find would be beneficial for me during my time as a teacher.  For example, I am an avid Pinterester, and many of my friends of this social site are other teachers.  I have already pinned some of my favorite ideas from them and vice versa.  In this sense, I am making an identity for myself by using social media as a way to find new and collaborative ideas to use in the classroom later on.

Photo Credit to Sean Macentee from Flickr

Citations

1. Fitzpatrick, Jacob (2014, October 28). My Digital Identity.  [Video File].  Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoX0hOb2foE
2. Macentee, Sean (2010, November 26). social media.  [Photograph].  Retrieved from https://www.flickr.com/photos/smemon/5209796269/
3. Maloy, Robert, Verock-O’Loughlin,Ruth-Ellen, Edwards, Sharon A., and Woolf, Beverly Park (2013). Transforming Learning with New Technologies. 2nd Edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.