RSS in Education

I have learned so much in the past two weeks completing my RSS assignment.  Learning about RSS was exciting, but also I was a little frustrated.  Exciting because RSS has greatly changed the way I access information on the internet, but also frustrated because I have wasted so many hours surfing the web without it!  Like many of my students, I can easily get distracted by pictures and headings that pique my interest when I should be focusing on the task at hand.  Having the articles organized and displayed in one location is wonderful.  The ability to control the content and organize it by category allows me to create a news feed that makes sense to me. Another aspect I appreciate about RSS is being able to preview the articles, reading only those that interest me.  Searching for new content is so easy and I have already found new blogs and websites that I wish I had known about before.

Prior to this assignment I had played with screencasting programs, but had no idea of the features that were available.  I used Screencast-o-matic and began by narrating my video as I recorded my screen.  I used powerpoint to create the slides for my video.  The second recording I made was using a script, recording all of the audio, then adding in the slides separately.  I really liked how the final product came together using that method.  I can tell a difference in my voice and I like the more animated sound I heard when reading a script.  I will definitely be using screencasting and creating more tutorial type lessons for my classroom.  If I move to flipped teaching lessons, making videos for my class will be required.

Finally, in this assignment I had to allow myself to make mistakes and live with them.  I have played with the captions on my video for several hours now.  I had two separate tracks of captions and can't seem to figure out how to merge them together.  I finally just made a new track and disabled the other two.  I didn't realize how much I strive for perfection and the frustration I feel when I can't get it right.  Good life lessons.

Elements of Educational Technology

As I reflect on this week's assignment, I have not only learned about Educational Technology, but also about myself as a learner.  I was amazed as I read a definition of a constantly changing subject, written ten years prior, that still accurately addresses the use of technology in education today.   I chose study, facilitating and learning as my elements of discussion.  Study appeals to my journey through educational changes in the teaching profession.  Facilitating and learning are intertwined as is the relationship of teachers and learners.   Although my discussion was limited to only three elements, I had strong connections to each element in the definition.  I could easily see how they are closely tied to our current day practices.

One point mentioned often that I didn't address in my paper was how the importance of professionalism in the field of educational technology applies to so many of the elements.  Numerous references were made to the level of professionalism that is expected to be maintained.  It's the professionalism that separates those in the field of educational technology from others because they seek to be better, to stay knowledgeable and up-to-date on current events, and to evolve as quickly as the technology itself.  I believe that is true of the teaching profession as well.  Once the drive to be better, stronger, more knowledgeable is gone, so is your value as a professional.

On a personal note, I realize as education and the technology used for learning changes, some practices are etched into our lives as learners.  Even the creation of newer technology may not meet the needs of our learning styles.  To complete this assignment I found it necessary to print the assigned reading.  Although I could read and annotate on the computer, I needed to see and manipulate the text in printed form, to use my blazing orange highlighter, to draw light bulbs for ah-ha moments, stars for big ideas and arrows to represent connections between text and thoughts.  These annotation skills I have repeatedly taught my students were too ingrained in my learning style to adapt to available technology.  The satisfaction of a well marked document was more powerful than the use of a computer to complete the assignment. This leaves me to wonder... What will be the essential element that will have our modern day technology-centered learners leaving their computers behind to accomplish?

Element of Educational Technology Assignment

Welcome!

Welcome everyone to my Edtech Learning Log.  I am a fifth grade teacher at Mitchell K-6 Elementary School in Atwater located in the central valley of California.  Living in the central valley I can travel 2 hours either direction to the mountains or ocean.  Of the two places, I head to the ocean as often as I'm able.  

In my classroom we have just received 16 Chromebooks, which allows my 33 students to share the computer for learning.  We also have access to a mobile Chromebook cart for an hour a day for one to one Chromebook use.  I have watched the excitement increase with the use of technology and look forward to implementing the skills from my coursework at Boise State into my classroom.

I am also the site technology mentor for my school.   This is a new position created in my district this year as they create their technology plan.  I work with mentors from other sites along with our district technology coordinator to help teachers become familiar with the Chromebooks and technology available to enhance their curriculum.  I enjoy working with teachers and love the reward of excited students as they learn through technology.

This learning log will serve as a way to share the artifacts of my journey through the MET program at Boise State.  I believe this log will document my learning along the way and maybe allow me to discover where the road of technology will lead me in the future.