Inspiration

The first teaching idea that I found was the cause and effects lesson plan. The idea behind this lesson is that students will analyze the causes and effects of historical events. Cause and effect is a concept that is very prevalent in history, but I feel it is often looked over because most students are just interested in the different battles. I believe that being able to break it down this way will help students organize it and understand it better in a fun way. This is definitely a lesson that I would use in my classroom because I believe that it would be effective, fun, and target multiple intelligences.

The second teaching idea that I found was the analyzing primary sources lesson plan. The idea behind this lesson is that students will be able to break down and analyze primary sources to understand different perspectives. In high school primary sources were something I struggled with a lot, and my teacher never really developed a way to present it to us, or get us to apply it differently that could help us. This is definitely a lesson that I would use in my classroom because primary sources are really hard to decipher sometimes, and I think that breaking down the information like this will benefit students a lot. It will also tap into a lot of different intelligences such as, verbal, logical, and spatial. I feel that both of the plans that I looked at would fall under the modification level on the SAMR model, especially if all of the features of inspiration are put to use in each lesson. What is special about those features is that you can transfer from one to the other with ease, and before you know you don’t just have a graphic organizer, but an entire presentation on that information. You could not do that without this technology.

Wes Fryer Chapter 6

Chapter 6 provided some really helpful examples, and advice for video usage in the classroom. One of the links that I explored was the link that explained the guidelines of downloading Youtube videos. This took me to the appendix of Fryer’s book where he himself explains the guidelines. I learned that it is prohibited to download any videos off of Youtube without prior permission. However, in some situations for teachers downloading Youtube videos to show to their students, it may be covered under the fair usage provisions. This could be helpful in my unit to bring the technology usage to a redefinition level. Students could embed videos into their Prezi, or iBooks that they will create. The next link that I clicked on was Kahn Academy link. I have heard of Kahn Academy, and have used it a few times, but I was unaware that it covered subjects other than math. I started to watch one of the history screencasts, and it was great. It had visuals, it was auditory, and it even had captions. This could be a great tailor for students who need it, and it could also be used by a student when they are absent if the video covers what we covered in class. Another link that I looked at was SchoolTube which is a site like Youtube, but for educational purposes only. I think that websites like these are a great idea, they filter out unwanted videos, and allow students to view other students work. It would also allow them to share their own work with other students’, which I feel is really powerful. In my unit students could be asked to upload their video project to this website so that they can get feedback from students all over the country. This would bring the usage of technology in that lesson to a redefinition level on the SAMR model. The last link that I clicked on was the using Storykit, Storyrobe, and Sonic Pics on your iOS device link. This was a video of Wes Fryer giving a brief overview of how each app works. I think these apps would be useful in the classroom because they are easy to use, and it would give me an excuse to let students use their phones in class for an educational reason. Students could use these apps to make their newscast for my unit instead of using podcast. That way they would get a chance to incorporate pictures like an actual newscast.

Copyright and Fair Use

I chose to read The Educator’s Guide to Copyright and Fair Use, and take the quiz from the Illinois Community College Board. This article explained copyright and fair use in the classroom, and gave a corresponding quiz at the end to test your understanding based on what you had just read.

The first two quiz items I want to talk about are quiz numbers two and three. Two states it is a violation of copyright law for a technology coordinator to distribute a program through the school’s server. This is false that it is legal for the technology coordinator to do this, however quiz item number three says it is not okay to install a newer version of a program on all computers in the school when they only bought five copies. My question would be is what is the difference here? How come it is okay for the coordinator to distribute a program through the server, but not okay for the teacher in question three to distribute it one computer at a time? Similar to these two quiz item is quiz item number 5, the item states that it is fair use for the teacher to make several copies of a software so that all students may have access to it. The correct answer to this would be False, because “the number of students who can use a software program simultaneously is restricted to the number of copies the school owns.” If we look back to number two, the technology coordinator only had one copy, but he was able to distribute it through the school’s server. The first question that comes to mind is, how does the guy with one copy get to distribute it to more people than the guy with what sounds like more than one copy?

The next two questions I found to be a little bit contradictory were quiz items six and seven. Item six states that it is fair use for a teacher to download pictures and info on marine bio and place them in a folder for her students to look at. The answer to this is true, however you cannot repost it back to the internet without the source's permission. Item seven states it is okay for teachers to post student work on a private website, even if they used copyrighted material without permission. The answer to this is true, because the website would be private. However, I feel that nothing is truly private on the internet anymore. What if somebody cracks your password and it becomes public because they share your password online? You are then responsible for sharing copyrighted material without permission on the web. The last item that I would like to talk about is quiz item number eleven. It stated that it is fair use for a teacher to video tape an old TV show so that students may edit themselves in to make a parody of it. I answered false to this question because in my opinion it didn’t sound right that students should be able to take original clips of a show, add themselves into it, and then pass it off as their own creation. I felt this way because you would still technically have parts from the original show in your product. However, it turns out I was wrong and the correct answer was true, and I still don’t completely understand why. Overall, I found that some of the answers were contradictory, which was frustrating. It seemed like it was the slightest differences that were taking a fair use situation to a non fair use situation.

As I’ve come to find out this is a very complex thing, I feel as though one little thing could influence whether it is fair use or not. For me as a teacher it will mean that I will just have to be that much more careful when it comes to using copyrighted materials. If I get caught using sources that are not sited correctly I could end up in big trouble with my school, and I wouldn’t be setting a very good example for my students.

Wes Fryer Chapter 4

In chapter four of Wes Fryer’s Playing With Media: simple ideas for powerful sharing, he introduces four major types of media. He used the acronym Harry Potter Can Fly, and the H stands for homegrown, P stands for public domain, C stands for creative commons, and F stands for fair use.

Essentially what I gained from this chapter are ways of legally using media and other information I find. I learned that when using my own “homegrown media” I can decide how I want to use it, and if I want to allow others to use it. I now understand that anything in the public domain can be used in any way without permission. Fair use was something new to me as well, and I actually found it to be a confusing concept for some reason. Lastly, before reading this chapter I was unaware that wikipedia actually tells you the copyright a photograph on their page is under. I feel that this makes wikipedia very helpful, and an excellent source for photos.

I hope that by the time I actually have my own classroom I will have a much better understanding of these rules. I feel that this was a really quick overview of a rather intricate concept. Having a better understanding of these concepts will allow me to help my student when it comes determining useable sources. Most of all, like I said in my other fair use entry, I feel that it is important for me to be aware of copyright and fair use regulations, so that I can set a good example for my students when it comes to appropriately using sources. If I fail to do so I could end up getting in trouble myself, and my students may think that it is okay to use any source without permission.

Wes Fryer Chapter 1

I found this chapter a little bit hard to follow, because it was hard for me at times to follow his thought process, especially in the beginning. However, I was able to gain some insight from this chapter. I totally agree that some teachers use the excuse of being a “digital immigrant” to not use technology in their classroom. They aren’t comfortable with it, so they avoid it at all costs. I also think that many teachers don’t like technology, and are scared of how fast it is rapidly growing, and they use that as an excuse to not use it. However, what I think these teachers don’t understand, or don’t want to accept is that technology can help students do some amazing things. It is such a powerful learning tool, and it’s okay if you’re not comfortable with it, you will learn along with your students. I agree with Fryer’s argument that visual literacy is important, I believe that giving our students this skill will help them learn better. In my personal experience I have never been one that is able to read too much into photos, and I wish I could. So I think that teaching our students visual literacy through technology will be important. Two other things I really like about this chapter and agreed with were the sections about cell phones as a useful tool, and creativity being a product of technology use. In this day and age almost every high school student has a cell phone, and most often it’s looked at as a distraction in the classroom. However, I believe that we could really make it a useful tool. Taking a student’s cell phone away is just going to make them not want to listen to what you’re trying to teach them. So why not find a way that you can incorporate cellphones in your classroom every once and awhile? I also agreed with Fryer on the fact that we need to play with different types of technology, because with technology and all of its possibilities we could create some great things. Lastly, out of this entire chapter there was only one thing that I did not agree with, and that was the idea of a digital portfolio. I think this would be a great idea if you had all of your students doing all of their work using technology. It’s not such a great idea, however, when it comes to including items that were not done using technology. I have heard of experiences with digital portfolios and it did not work well for the students at all.

MSL Results

Style Scores

Visual	3
Social	15
Physical	7
Aural	17
Verbal	6
Solitary	3
Logical	6

My two highest results were social and aural, which were also my two highest for the multiple intelligences test. I think the social result was accurate, because I consider myself a very social person. I enjoying being around people, especially when doing projects or homework. I find it helpful to bounce my ideas off of other people, and hear other people's ideas. I also found the aural result to be accurate because I have found that I learn better when somebody is speaking information to me, rather than me reading it in a textbook. The lower scores, visual, physical, verbal, solitary, and logical also seem accurate.I do not find that I learn best through any of those styles especially visually, or solitary. 

Results from learning-styles-online.com

My MEL Experiences

• Student/Teacher relationships: In my high school experience I had a couple of teachers who really developed good relationships with me. One teacher in particular had a great sense of humor, made class fun, and had a positive attitude. One thing that I still remember about him is that he pulled me aside one day in class to ask me about a condition that was listed on my file, and if there was anything that he could do to help me in class. My condition is not a severe one, but this was actually the first time that a teacher had asked me about it. I instantly felt comfortable in his classroom, and felt he cared about me and was willing to be flexible.

• Helping students succeed: I have had many experiences with teachers who were very willing to help students succeed, however I have also had a lot experiences with teachers who weren’t as willing to help. Specifically, I had a math teacher my junior year, who was quoted as saying he was proud of his failure rate. I’m sure you could guess how well this class went for me. He taught in one way, and one way only, and was not available to stay after school at all. It was clear that he was not willing to help students, and that he frankly did not care whether students passed or failed.

• Hands-on: My favorite class in high school was my sophomore Honors U.S. History class. Now that I look back at it my teacher had many different activities when it came to delivering info, review, and projects. When delivering info he would give us the printed out version of the powerpoint so that we could write on it and highlight it. He always did a jeopardy game to review at the end of each unit, and he always did a variety of different projects with us. For example, he had us make a World War I propaganda poster that we had to draw all on our own. He did not score this on artist ability, but rather on whether or not you understood the concept of propaganda, and if what you were trying to promote was clear. There was always a variety of hands on activities for us to do, which made learning a lot easier.

• Learning Styles: Another bad experience I had in high school was in my junior year Chemistry class. This teacher did not in anyway take learning styles into account. She was one of those teachers that presented the information to you through presentations, and then would leave you to do whatever worksheet she had assigned that day. This is how it went day after day, we did the same thing and in the same sequence. This was very difficult for students who didn’t learn this way, and it actually created a bad teacher/student relationship because we were afraid to ask her questions about what she had just gone over. However, we created a much stronger student/student relationship because we relied on each other for help/

• Context: Once again I’m going to go revert back to my Honors U.S. History class in high school. My teacher did a great job when it came to using metaphors and creating mental frameworks. He would incorporate people in the class into what he was teaching. For example, if talking about a conflict between two countries he would say if Hannah was x country, and Johnny was y country, how do you think Hannah would respond to Johnny doing x. He would incorporate humor into this so it made it enjoyable, and helped simplify the information in a way. He would also compare issues of today with issues in history, and really emphasize that this is why it is important to learn history, so hopefully we don’t repeat it.

Google Earth

I have used google earth before, but they have added some new features since I last used it that I got to learn how to use this time around. The first was the time lapse, which I tried with the Education Center, and my own home. I learned how to use the feature that allows you to look at the moon, mars, and the stars. I also played around with the feature that shows you what a location looks like a different times of the day. However, as far as the other features go, such as the zoom in, zoom out, orientation, and street view, I was quite familiar with them already. 

I could use the app for a lesson in a few of ways. Since I am a social studies concentration I could use it if I was doing a lesson on geography for students who might learn better through working with a visual. Another way would be to show my students different historical landmarks, and I could even show them the landmark through time using the time lapse feature. Lastly, I could use the moon feature if I’m talking about different historical space expeditions, especially in the Cold War era. What’s really awesome about that feature is that you can click on different flagged areas where different shuttles have landed, and then it will give you a historical background on that expedition. Overall, this is a great program will allow students to work with visuals, but also allow them manipulate them in different ways.

Maine Memory Network

On the Maine Memory Network I explored a lot of historical artifacts from my hometown, the area that my camp is in, and Farmington. I found a lot of pictures of buildings and scenery that I recognized, and it was really interesting to see the changes in them over time. I explored some of the lesson plans that teachers are making based on this website, and I think that it’s awesome that they are trying to bring history a little bit closer to home. Another thing I found on this website that I thought was cool was a History of Maine page. It gives a historical background of Maine as a whole, and it is then broken down into time periods.

I found this website really fun to play around with, and I think that is because I was looking up things in history that I could actually be connected to. As I said above I feel that this is a great tool to help bring history a little bit closer to home. I could have my students use the artifacts on here as primary sources for a certain lesson. I could have them look at Maine during a particular time period, or look at a particular group of people that resided in Maine during a certain time period. It does not necessarily have to be used strictly for a history lesson either, there are plenty of maps that could be useful for a geography lesson. What is great is that all of the artifacts provided on here are photos, which makes it very visually oriented. This is just an outstanding source for Maine social studies teachers, and I’m really glad it was brought to my attention now.

• TPCK- How technology, content, and pedagogy interact in a classroom.
• SAMR- Four degrees of use of technology in the classroom, which will modify the way students interact with information, and as a result, will improve student performance.
• Google Docs- Google Docs is something I used in high school and continue to use in college. It is a website where you can create power points, spreadsheets, and other forms using this as well. However, I use it mostly as a word processor. What makes this technology different is that it saves all of your work under a single account, and it allows you to share the document so that multiple people can work on it at one time. It also automatically saves your work every so often, so even if your computer dies, your work will still be there. Because of these specific features I would put this under the category of modification.
• Constitution App- A friend of mine had to use a Constitution app on an iPad when she was in high school. This app allowed her to interactively look into specific articles of the constitution. I would classify this app under substitution, because the app was essentially an electronic version of the constitution, which you could get from a text book.
• Owl App- Another friend of mine currently has to use this app in his chemistry class. This app is an online homework app, which allows him to complete his homework through the app, and immediately see the grade. It also allows his teacher to view when the work was submitted. I would put this app under the category of substitution. This app is convenient for both student and teacher in many ways, however it does not do anything that a teacher could not do by hand.
• Graphing Calculator- In high school, in higher level math courses, I was able to use a graphing calculator. This was a device that could do what any regular calculator could do, but what made it special was that you could pug linear equations into it. After you did that it would display a graph on the screen using those linear equations. This is a very helpful tool, and is able to graph, find certain points on the graph, and store certain data. I would consider this piece of technology to be under Augmentation, because it has some functions that regular calculators have, and can do things that a person could do by hand, but it also has features that technology before it did not have.
• Google Sites- Google sites is another website I’ve had to use for a class in college. This is a site where you can create your own website, and design and organize it however you would like. I used my site to post homework, and projects for the class. However, not only could my teacher view my website, but so could all my classmates. Because of these features I would classify this website under modification.

Apps for a Personal Passion

I chose to focus on apps geared toward music, and the apps that I came across were pretty interesting. They ranged from apps where you can create your own playlist to apps where you are actually using the songs on your own iPad to make your own remix. The first four apps I found were more geared toward creating your own playlist, however they did so in different ways. Beats music actually asks you to take a survey when you begin on your favorite genres and artists and creates playlists from there. Songza is along the same line, but creates a playlist by what mood you are feeling that day. Soundhound allowed you to search for your intended song either by singing it, or humming it. I thought this was a really cool feature for somebody like me who loves to sing, and who often remembers melodies better than song titles. The last of the first four was was 8tracks, which had a setting that allowed you to pick a playlist based on what you were doing. For example, I went on and picked a playlist for productive, homework, and study. The fifth app that I came across was a little bit different than the first four. The app called Pacemaker actually allowed you to pull songs from your own playlist on your iPad and mix them together. Overall, the characteristics that I look for in an app are how personalized they are or can be, how easy they are to use, and if they are really effective. I would say that all of these apps have what I am looking for in an app, and I would rate them all within the 4 or 5 star range.

iPad Personalization

Having owned an iPad for quite some time, I have had experience with them for quite awhile. That being said, while playing around with some of the features I was reminded of some things that really frustrate me about the iPad in general, and I did find some features I was not familiar with.  While personalizing my iPad a little more is when I was reminded of some things about the iPad that really frustrate me. For one, I refuse to use iCloud, because it is so difficult to use. I think that iCloud is definitely a good idea in theory, and that it is generally straight forward. However, it becomes increasingly difficult to use when you are trying to delete music, or data that iCloud has so kindly automatically downloaded to your device without your permission. Secondly, trying to find a picture that is going to perfectly fit the background, especially with apple’s nice new zoom feature, is nearly impossible. As little as these two things may seem, they are so very frustrating to me, and as negative as this response may seem, I really do love this device. While looking at some of the features, I played around with the multi-tasking settings, and discovered that it is possible to move from one app to the other by simply swiping across the screen with four fingers. I also figured out how to get the iPad to read to you by highlighting a passage and simply pressing the speak option. I think this could be incredibly helpful in a classroom setting for students who struggle with reading, who are more audio learners, or who are English language learners. I think that iPads could potentially be very helpful tools in the classroom, but my one fear is that they can be distracting with all of the games and apps that are out there these days. However, I do think that in the right environment, and for an appropriate assignment they could be not only helpful, but would be a good way to engage students with multiple different learning styles.

Fires Chapter 2

In chapter two there were two things that really stood out to me, the first one being a quote from one student saying, “When you have a question, it’s better if the teacher comes and stands by your desk instead of saying 'What do you need?' from across the room (page 27).” The second was two quotes from students, one said, “In the very beginning of the class, our teacher had us write for homework one night about how we would teach a history class if we were teachers (page 33).” The other quote from another student was also along the same line, but her teacher made her class write up lesson plans, and then each day a student would teach the class.

The first quote stood out to me, because this is how I always felt in high school. I would be secretly wishing in my head for the teacher to come to me instead of having to ask my, probably stupid, question in front of the entire class. Going to my students when they raise their hand, rather than making them come to me, is something I will definitely do as a teacher. The other two comments from students stood out to me, because I think that it is a great idea to have students do this. It clearly gave those students a perspective they never really had before, and on top of it you’re helping them gain or straighten some of their skills. I think that could be a really cool activity to use in my classroom.

Fires Chapter 1

There were three big things that jumped out at me from chapter one, and the first was a section on how teachers can get to know students, and one of the students stated, “If you pay attention, you can see it (page 4).” The second was a list created by students, who were still in the process of learning English, of skills and abilities they already had. The third was a section that suggested the idea that students should keep a journal as a way for the teacher to learn about their students and also as a way to get feedback.

The quote really jumped out at me, because I found it interesting a student wanted the teacher to get to know them by being observant over any other method. It was just very surprising to me that they would prefer such an indirect method. The list that the English language learner students made also stood out to me, because I was shocked at how these students had experienced teachers who focused more on their appearance and the stereotypes that come along with that. I thought the journal idea was great, and it was something that immediately stood out to me as something I would really like to use in my classroom. Not only will it help me as a teacher to learn more about my students, but it will also help me improve my instruction based on student feedback.