21st Century Tools

Nearpod is an app that can be used on many platforms.  It will work with Android, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, Nook HD, Chrome, Apps for Windows.  With a device in their hands, students are able to move through teacher-directed or self-directed interactive presentations. Immediate feedback on assessments and polls increases buy-in.  Interactive features make it possible to deepen the learning during direct instruction; assigning presentations as self-paced assignments empowers students.  The site provides real-time results and reports to monitor student progress and modify instruction. Nearpod support is extensive for all users. The company wants teacher feedback and offers regular webinars and updates on new features.  The presentations provide opportunities for skill development across the curriculum and multiple ways to improve student learning. Students can see immediate results when they draw on a map, respond to a poll question, or take a multiple-choice quiz. In addition, students can review key concepts when they watch videos or read over notes. Whether students draw key locations on a map of China, respond to a poll question on tropical forests, watch a video on how to solve a quadratic equation, review notes on the different parts of speech, or submit an open-ended response analyzing a primary document, they're interacting with the content in a meaningful way. For situations where direct instruction is a necessity, Nearpod offers a fantastic way to increase student involvement. It would be nice to see some collaborative features like a backchannel or group annotation capabilities. Also, it would be great if students could make presentations as well (the tool is only set up for teacher creation).


Write About This is an app that can be used only on IPads, this might be a downfall in some schools.  You can use this app for a substitution to their daily journals. It provides the students with a wide variety of topics to write about and they love the pictures that go along with each prompt. The app provides many different categories such as food, family, animals, places, hobbies, seasonal, careers, culture, etc. all which include numerous prompts with full-color pictures. There is also a choice to select a random prompt each day, create a prompt, and a helpful search bar to see if a prompt is already created. They create a prompt feature is easy to use and allows you to add your own picture, text, and voice recording. Students can listen to recordings if the prompt is difficult for them to read. The prompts you create are easily accessible and saved in a custom folder in the categories tab. Once the student is done responding to their prompt they can record audio, share it by email (you must select this choice in settings), or publish it. The app also has a web page to provide further support using app features, videos, and blogs with lesson ideas.

Write About This

Fun pictures and prompts are great for getting kids to start writing

Nearpod

Interactive, multimedia slideshows engage students and provide feedback

"How does instructional design impact P-12 student learning?"

My experience with instructional design is put in play daily.  Me being a physical education teacher, I demonstrate new skills while giving them precise knowledge and background.  One any particular day I will show my students skills, have them tell me if they have experienced this, and then send the students off in groups to practice.  I would then go around and assess them for their understanding of the new skill taught.  I did my PP on direct instruction and I promote this often in my classes.  As we have all gone over a lot of different instructions in this assignment, we have been exposed to many different ways of teaching.  There is not a cookie-cutter way of teaching.  Being a teacher has taught me that you have to give details or things could be missed.  I make sure my students are being taught accurately and understanding what is also being taught to them.  When you see the lightbulb go off you know you have done your job and it's so rewarding.

Direct Instruction Model

Here is the link to my presentation:

http://www.slideshare.net/secret/tAgqGXv6KHrEoN

Tool Review

In the TPACK model, you have three main domains the CK, PK and PCK and all other four are these that include technology. It is important to understand what each of these mean. In order to be a successful teacher, you have to have all these qualities about you that are represented in the TPACK model. Quizziz is a new tool I have just become acquainted with and it's super cool for the students and makes it easier on the teachers for assessments. This is a website that you can have up on your SmartBoard in your classroom. You can create different types of assessments for students. This would be a good website to use for elementary students. Each student would have their own iPad or Chromebook and be able to take the assessment and have the results in front of them after each question. Look into this, super cool. Another great tool for the classroom is SMART Boards. These combine multimedia functions with internet access and offer educational, interactive programs for teachers and students.

What is 21st Century teaching and learning?

I think 21st Century teaching is all about being very versatile when teaching the young minds of today. Our schools this day and time are multicultural and multilingual. We as teachers have to teach on an individual basis because there isn’t just one way of teaching. All teachers teach differently and some students learn differently. There’s not a cookie-cutter way of teaching. In the majority of elementary classes you, will encounter students who speak English as their second language. It’s important for you to learn about their culture so you can get to know all of your students. You must have a close relationship with all of your students so you will be able to distinguish their strengths and weaknesses. For teachers today, you have to be very technical savvy because that’s all this generation is used to. You as a teacher no longer tell the students to get their books out and answer the chapter questions. This technique should be history. In every subject today, there should be multiple ways of teaching it. It’s very important to have your students relate to the subject matter so their understanding is enhanced. Teachers today have to be very passionate about what they do because it isn’t an easy job. There are tons of responsibilities for teachers to uphold throughout every school year. Some students will have IEPs and 504s with benchmarks that you as a teacher have to make sure you are meeting these criteria. 

Essential Question

Part I - Essential Question

What is 21st Century teaching and learning?

I think 21st Century teaching is all about being very versatile when teaching the young minds of today. Our schools this day and time are multicultural and multilingual. We as teachers have to teach on an individual basis because there isn’t just one way of teaching. All teachers teach differently and some students learn differently. There’s not a cookie-cutter way of teaching. In a majority of elementary classes, you will encounter students who speak English as their second language. It’s important for you to learn about their culture so you can get to know all of your students. You must have a close relationship with all of your students so you will be able to distinguish their strengths and weaknesses. For teachers today, you have to be very technical savvy because that’s all this generation is used to. You as a teacher no longer tell the students to get their books out and answer the chapter questions. This technique should be history. In every subject today, there should be multiple ways of teaching it. It’s very important to have your students relate to the subject matter so their understanding is enhanced. Teachers today have to be very passionate about what they do because it isn’t an easy job. There are tons of responsibilities for teachers to uphold throughout every school year. Some students will have IEPs and 504s with benchmarks that you as a teacher have to make sure they are meeting.

Evernote Strategy

Part II - Evernote Strategy

Evernote impacted my learning because it shows teachers and students and easier way of taking notes.  This app. gave me a new way of getting notes together swiftly for class on a daily basis.  It’s also a very interesting way to show your students how to take quality notes during class.  If you teach at a middle or high school they might even let you use your phone and it will automatically be on your laptop when you get home too.  This helps you share notes with other teachers too.  This is to ensure that all teachers are teaching the most important and crucial information to their students.  The website and app. are very user-friendly.  It gives you options to take notes or take a photo of the text that you want to save in your notebook on Evernote.

Evernote was very interesting.  This was the first time using the app. and I found it very useful.  You are able to have all of your important notes at your fingertips instead of writing and typing what information is important for you to use on a response.  For your classroom, you are able to share important information through Evernote easily.  Just snap a photo of important information and you will have it in a specific notebook readily available at your fingertips.  It is so much quicker to go through the text and choose only the most imperative things to go over with your class.  I’m glad we were introduced to the new app. because I had never heard of it.  This will save teachers a lot of time getting notes together for class every day.