My technology course has been one of the most valuable courses that I have taken at OISE. With the shift towards modern learning and instilling students about 21st century competencies, it is important for me to further educate myself on the resources and materials that I could use with students. I have been introduced to many new resources in this course that I hope to use in my future.
Green Screen
In class we were asked to reflect on local businesses - coffee shops in particular and create sleeves for our own coffee shop. We then used the green screen app, Do Ink as a way to market our sleeves. Our instructor introduced this activity as a media literacy unit on advertisements, however green screens can be used with any subject or topic. I have seen green screen used in my practicums before, as one of my associate teacher's used it on Halloween, and connected it to a writing piece. The possibilities are endless and I can't wait to try this out myself!
VR Codes
Our class went on a scavenger hunt in OISE using VR codes. In small groups, students chose an inanimate object in OISE, and recorded themselves using Vocaroo, talking from that objects point of view. My partner and myself chose a bulletin board - you can listen to our recording using the QR code at the bottom. This activity was a fun way to incorporate technology in the classroom!
Virtual Reality (VR)
Using virtual reality in the classroom brings a whole new learning experience for students. Educators can use the headsets with a variety of apps or websites to give their students a VR experience. One app that we used was the New York Times Virtual Reality app, which allows users to watch videos while using the headset. Another great resource is CoSpaces , where students can create anything virtually. It's goal is to empower students, while still connecting to their learning in a completely different way.
In my technology course my instructor introduced us to blogging. Now this is whole world of blogging is very new to me, and the thought of using it in my classroom never crossed my mind.
At the start of our course, we planted a variety of herbs and discussed the importance of planting with children. Each week we observed and documented any changes that we saw with our plants and near the end of the course our instructor had us write blog posts about our plant journey. We used KidBlog to document our learning and share it with our peers. KidBlog is a great tool, as it allows educators to monitor their students, and decide whether or not a blog post is going to be public.
Blogging can be a powerful learning experience for students and this is something that I definitely want to implement in my own classroom one day. Blogging provides students with a voice, as they are able to share their ideas and opinions with others, teaches them about digital citizenship, and allows them to create global connections. I believe that blogging is the perfect way to engage students in their learning and keep them motivated. With the use of blogging, educators can also reduce the amount of paper and handouts used and move towards a paperless classroom. Blogging is also the a great tool to create a home and school connection for students.
I would love to hear about how you use blogging in your classroom! Leave a comment down below sharing your blogging stories.
"We are educating a generation of children and youth who have no memory of a world without the Internet, without instant access to information, without an array of media at their fingertips" (Ontario Public School Boards' Association).
In a world where technology is constantly changing, I believe that as an educator it is important to be innovative and infuse a variety of instructional strategies and technologies within my teaching practice. Through the use of technology, students are able to gain valuable lifelong skills. When reflecting on learning gained through 21st century learning, some important skills that come to mind are: critical thinking,
problem solving, innovation, creativity, collaboration and global citizenship. Educators are able to transform a learning experience and provide students with multiple entry points and opportunities to learn in ways that is conducive for them.
My teaching colleague and myself collaborated and created an infographic to illustrate what 21st century learning means to us. We used Piktochart, which is a great resource for software design that educators and students can use in their classrooms to create presentations, posters and infographics.
I also want to mention Peel District School Board's Empowering Modern Learners: Inspire, Innovate, Ignite document. This resource has really inspired me and has allowed me to reflect on my teaching practice and what modern learning and 21st century competencies really mean. I think every educator should try to embed these elements and values into their classroom and teaching practice.
