Posts

End of the Semester Entry

-
Image
  What did you learn or take away from this course and the integration of technology?  I learned that the integration of technology in an elementary setting has many benefits but also takes knowledge about safety and usage before being able to properly implement it into your lessons. I used the Smartboard for basically all of my lessons to give my students visual and written instruction. I found that having slides for students to refer to was essential and helpful. Furthermore, I found that implementing technology (for research) into my living systems unit was a great way to keep students engaged in the content!  How was your burning question answered? My burning question was "At what age should we introduce technology to students?" I believe that my question was answered when I started my research project with my grade 2/3 class. Getting students exposed to the use of technology for educational purposes as early as possible is essential. It is important to first discuss ...
1 comment
Read more

Digital Story

-
Image
See Digital Story Here: Click this link  (Do not watch in present mode - audio is weird) This week I got the pleasure of creating a digital story on the Tsuut'ina Treaty and learning about the land we live on. In my digital story, you will learn about the history and schooling of the Tsuut'ina treaty and see my reflection for my future teaching practice!  
1 comment
Read more

Scratch - Geometry Dash

-
Image
  Geometry Dash Activity - 2D Shapes Review  Link to Lesson Plan  ( Click Link )  Getting to work with this software really opened my eyes to all the different technologies that students are/can be exposed to. I would use this lesson as an engaging way to get students involved with the concept of 2D shapes at a basic level. This could be used for grade 1 review or as a hook for grade 2 students. Because I am teaching 2D and 3D shapes in my practicum this year, I will definitely work to implement this Scratch game into my mid-range plans.  Using this hands-on activity encourages students to think critically and allows them to become more engaged in the content rather than just doing worksheets. Using technology is something that all teachers should strive towards! 
2 comments
Read more

Engaging Apps for the Classroom - Flip

-
Image
    Link to Flip:  Flip Link to Lesson Plan:  Grade 5 Review on Context Reflection and How We Will Incorporate Apps into Our Future Classrooms    This week, we collaborated with another teacher candidate on developing a lesson incorporating technology-based apps. I had the privilege of working with my critical friend, Morgan, and we were both eager to see how we could make a standard lesson more engaging with the program Flip. We struggled to choose just one activity for this lesson because there are many ways to use the app to meet curricular outcomes and standards.      We opted to work with the curricular outcome of context in our lesson and have students construct a flip video addressing the following context-related questions: Think of a time when the main character was faced with a decision. Why did they make the decision they did? What background knowledge or experiences helped you infer why they made the decision? Becau...
1 comment
Read more

Using Twitter As A Teacher

-
Image
  Link To My Teacher Twitter Page            I believe that Twitter is an effective resource for teachers for a variety of reasons, whether it be for personal growth, resource sharing/finding or professional development. It is also a way to connect with colleagues and is a means of collaboration, sharing and learning.       For us aspiring teachers, having a platform like Twitter helps me and other teacher candidates around me to collaborate on sharing resources, research, and articles that may be useful. You can exchange not only articles and resources but also classroom management strategies and lesson plans.   Because Twitter allows you to connect with teachers around the world, it offers a way for teachers to be involved in current trends, new practices and emerging research, allowing everyone to grow professionally. An example of using Twitter in the classroom is if you have an older group of students, then you can create ...
1 comment
Read more

Beginning of the Semester Blog

-
Image
     As a student and now as an aspiring teacher, I've had a variety of experiences dealing with technology, such as former teachers using smartboards (which aren't all that smart), working with Chromebooks, and playing Kahoots. As I have grown as a student from elementary to university, the use of technology has gone from slim to none to now becoming part of our everyday life. I grew up in a neighbourhood that allowed me to be lucky enough to learn about these new technologies as they were introduced and see the benefits they have for the classroom. The use of technology in past classrooms exposed me to a variety of ways of learning and hands-on experiences that have shaped me as an individual.       Because my placement is in a wealthier neighbourhood,  we have access to a wide range of technology and media. Similarly to my last two placements, there is a computer-controlled smartboard in the room, as well as the teacher's PC/laptop. I...
2 comments
Read more