Beyond the Books

 Research on EdTech Understanding Generational Differences     "You're such a Boomer!"     This is a common thing my students shout at my coworkers, and even me, when we don't understand the slang they use or the trends they are introduced to on social media. As out-of-the-loop as I may be, I am nowhere near being in the generation of Baby Boomers, but this generation--Gen Z and Generation Alpha--don't seem to comprehend that just because I don't fall under Gen Z, it doesn't make me a Boomer.     Although I, as a Millennial, fall under a technological age in schools/education, I still do not have as much exposure to technology as my students do. Gen Z and Generation Alpha are the two generations that have been brought up around technology since birth, and therefore have the most experience with it. I may consider myself tech-savvy, but I also find myself asking my students many questions about the Chromebooks they use in school and the apps/social medi...

 Activate Active Learning! What is Active Learning? Image Source: Good Sensory Learning, Dr. Erica Warren       From my own experience in school, we were mainly taught to sit in our desks, stay quiet, and follow directions. Although my teachers incorporated hands-on learning from time-to-time for science, math, and art, we rarely had those experiences in reading, writing, and social studies. Active learning allows students to actively (mentally and physically) participate in the lesson's activities and be consciously aware of what is being taught. Students can engage with their classmates and teacher, rather than sit in their designated spots and listen to another lecture.     Active learning can be done in multiple formats--it doesn't always  involve using trinkets to count, blocks to build, or chemicals to mix. Dr. Erica Warren mentions a few of the ways we can include active learning in our classrooms in her blog: How To Help Students Be Active Lear...

  My Digital Space Map: Digital Past, Present, & Future Digital Past & Beginning Knowledge     As an individual who somewhat grew up with technology, I quickly learned of all the trending websites and applications, as well as which ones I wanted to partake in to stay connected with my friends and family. At first, no one truly paid attention to what was being posted on their social media or sent in their emails. We did not have much knowledge on what was able to be viewed, what could be found through a simple Google search, and what actually stuck around--even after you deleted it.     As a junior high student, I had no perception of how much of an impact social media made on my life and on the lives of those around me. Although I never posted anything troublesome (something that could come back to haunt me), I posted status' and shared my photos freely without ever truly thinking of possible consequences. Where I Am & What I Know     I am...

Building an Online "Classroom"   Image Source: Helpful Engineering The Online Struggle     We've all been there--teaching and learning online--whether it was by choice in school or for work, or you were forced into figuring out how to navigate the online world when we were placed into quarantine. Although we have experience with technology, those of us who haven't worked through online web-meets and online platforms, were given minimal time to figure out a way to communicate with our students and provide them with the information and resources they would have needed to continue their education during that time.     Zoom was introduced to me by an old friend who was in her second year of teaching. She was aware of the platform since she ended up switching schools in the middle of the school year and was required to Zoom her class throughout her move (while having a substitute physically watch the students during that time). I picked up on how the site work...

Integrating Technology in the Classroom                                                                                  Image Source: Clip Art Craft A Self Evaluation...     Unfamiliar with the frameworks listed in this week's module, I eagerly dove into the resources for to see which of them applied to my teaching and integration of technology in the classroom. Being a millennial, I was introduced to technology early on in school, which is why it has become convenient in my day-to-day life (in and outside of the classroom), as well as why I tend to rely on it so much to execute my daily lessons to my students.    My personal reliance on technology--weekly lesson plans (submitted online to ...