Day 3 reflection

During my PLN time, I was able to organize my Pinterest account, which is now user friendly.  I was also able to play around with the Sock Puppet App.  It is very easy to use and will fit perfectly with my boys.  I completed my Flip video today.  It was a little more difficult than I expected it to be.  I ended up creating a PowerPoint and then using screencastomatic.  During my lesson for tomorrow, my students will be creating a comic strip using ToonDoo and if they do not want to use that app then they can use Sock Puppet.  I find it easier to give my boys at least two choices on how they want to turn in their work.  It causes less drama and more willingness to get the work done.  I find both of the choices fun and they will be able to show their creative side as well.  The blooms that the activity targets is applying, the student will be applying their knowledge on the subject.   

Day 2 Reflection

Today during my PLN time, I found some amazing social skills YouTube videos that I will love to use this year in my classroom.  I also was able to look around on Blooms Symbaloo and try out some new apps that I could use next year.  I thought the webinar was very useful.  He was very open on how easy flipping classrooms can be and gave his audience great pointers and suggestions on how to get started.  I will be trying to flip my classroom this year by starting with social skills.  I will create a flip video that corresponds to the social skill of the week and have the students create a WSQ.  I am actually very excited to get started, and after watching the webinar I feel pretty confident.  The lesson I will be using for this course is Giving Criticism.  We will go over the proper steps to take when giving positive criticism and then have the students go on ToonDoo to create a comic strips of someone giving someone else positive criticism.  This will be a lesson that I will be able to use in my class next year and I am very excited to get started. J

Crushing Barriers

There are many ways I can overcome the barriers that I face that will make the infusion of technology less difficult. The first barrier was the different levels of learning in my classroom.  I do have a small class size and with just spending a little more time preparing lessons, I can figure a way to differentiate my lessons and help bring technology into the learning environment.  Another barrier I face is the behaviors in my classroom.  Boys Town Social Skills is a great program for any teacher trying to manage behavior in the classroom.  I have been researching and trying new techniques to help minimize negative behavior.  I can also create a behavior chart that correlates with technology and technology assignments.  Another barrier I face is the lack of knowledge on my part.  I need to set a goal and set aside time that I can spend researching new apps and becoming familiar, almost like a pro, with the apps.  And I know there are many YouTube videos that can help me achieve that goal.  The last barrier I face is finding apps that appeal to my students.  I can ask my colleagues what apps are popular in their class and also use a trial and error system.  Test new apps out and if they don’t like them, then keep looking until we find the right ones.   I am determined to be more tech savvy this school year!

Four Barriers

When creating infused technology lessons for my classroom, there are four barriers that I face that make the infusion of the technology difficult.  The first barrier that I face is the variety of levels of learning within each student.  My classroom has students who are below grade level, on grade level, and ones that are GT.  It becomes difficult to find apps and programs that not only meets the needs of all my students, but also challenges them to think at a higher level of learning.  The next barrier that makes the infusion of technology more difficult is the behavior challenges that we face on a day to day basis.  Some days are more challenging than others which can make it impossible to have any technology in the classroom due to over excitement or frustration from the students.  Another barrier that I face is to find the time to sit down and learn all the new apps and programs.  I am not very tech savvy to begin with and find it difficult to teach myself new programs.  The last barrier that I face when infusing technology into my lesson plans, is making sure that it will appeal to all my students.  My students struggle with being creative and having enough stamina to publish a finished product.  If it doesn’t appeal to them, then they will refuse to even try it.