Monthly Archives: February 2019

Feb 23 2019
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The Tweeting Teacher

MySpace. Facebook. Instagram. Snapchat. Twitter. The list of social media outlets continues to expand, as those are only a few in which many individuals nationwide are using today. With the majority of our worlds individuals having access to smartphones, it is no longer difficult to be connected to the world around you. All of these applications are simply in your pocket. This allows global learning to be an attainable form of education throughout classrooms. This is a concept in which I have recently begin exploring myself. I have taken to twitter which, I’ll admit, I had never considered to use as an educator. I instead understood it to be used as a personal outlet rather than a professional outlet. Well, I stand corrected. Twitter is overflowing with professional educators not only nationwide, but worldwide. The abundance of information you can begin to grasp astounded me.

My viewpoints have shifted now that I have joined the professional twitter community. I have participated in two different Twitter chats. These are chats scheduled throughout the week, focusing on a narrowed topic, in which anybody is allowed to join and contribute their opinions to different questions. It is a quick paced environment, however, since each chat has a hashtag it becomes easy to follow, as well as, refer back to at a later time to re-grasp the information. As I read other individuals responses, I was shocked. How had I never thought about that? Where has this information been? It instantly reminded me of one of my favorite quotes in life, “Everybody you will ever meet, knows something you do not”. The internet is filled with information. It is also filled with people who have different perspectives, attitudes and knowledge of this information. Since every classroom is different and every educator instructs different lesson plans, connecting with them is bound to leave you full of new ideas.

It is simply incredible to walk away with new lesson plans, viewpoints and thoughts on different categories. However, the part that I found most inspiring is how uplifting these other educators are. I leave the chats feeling as if I have made new partnerships, as if somebody appreciates my own personal thoughts and, most importantly, that somebody is rooting for me. They provide insight which leaves you feeling confident about the career path you have chosen. In my eyes, they are making a difference in lives and it excites me to interact with them knowing one day I will do the same. Here are just two examples from my twitter chats of how encouraging other educators can be:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Names have been withheld for individuals privacy.

Technology was intended to build the world up – to connect people, to expand past our own horizons and to make information easily accessible. Twitter is doing just that. It is allowing teachers who may otherwise never have met, be able to motivate one another. I find it empowering to have others who hold you accountable for the way you run your classroom while giving you feedback on how you may improve it. Our students deserve the best education in which we can give them and these resources are helping to do just that. Global learning is taking ordinary youth and guiding them to become leaders.

Feb 15 2019
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Write our World

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go” (Suess, 1978). Dr. Suess books continue to be a stepping stone for young readers nationwide. Although these stories teach basic sight words and spark a curiosity for reading in children, where do they turn as they grow older? Children will not continue to expand their library unless they are interested in the books surrounding them. The classroom setting can be a difficult place to encourage a passion for reading. Every student is different. With each student having a different level of enthusiasm, how as educators do we steer them towards a story in which they will connect with?

The answer: Write Our World. With our students pushing away from flat learning and diving deeper into global learning, it is important as educators we provide the appropriate resources for them to do so. Write Our World is an online e-book website in which stories are written for children, by children. The organization founder, Julie Carey, believed the world needed to fix the educational gap. This includes communities that lack access to printed books, communities which are unfamiliar with the cultural world around them, as well as, community engagement. By granting children of different cultures and different nationalities access to this website, it allows them to share their own beliefs, as well as, inform themselves of others.

The website currently has 180 published books written by 457 different students worldwide – from Guatemala to Cambodia. Due to the diversity this organization aims to offer to aspiring readers, e-books are offered in 27 different languages in order to reach a broadened audience. These stories help allow youth to obtain a more global understanding of the cultures surrounding them. The catalog categories range from the non-fiction details of becoming a refugee family to views on war, food and culture. Classrooms are diverse environments in which children should be exposed to different beliefs in order to form new perspectives. By inspiring students to read stories they may have never considered before; many which they most likely do not even know are out there, we are introducing them to a world outside of what they are accustomed. This organization is also allowing these youth to feel empowered by proving that their words matter and are educating others. By instilling this sense of confidence and embedded education in students, Write Our World is helping to mold our future educators. You may find more education at their website, which can be found here: https://writeourworld.org/ .

Feb 11 2019
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Google in the Classroom

“Google it!”

This has become a common phrase used today throughout the nation. When in doubt, individuals are searching on Google to find out the response to all the information in which they don’t already know. The generation flowing through the school system today has always been exposed to social media. Their parents have smart phones, they have tablets at their tables in a restaurant, and now it is common that they have laptops inside their classrooms. They have always had answers directly at their fingertips.

One way it may be integrated into the classroom is by having the students do group projects on Google Docs. This is an easy way to complete assignments at any age range and in any subject. Google Docs allows multiple people to have access and editing privileges at the same time. This allows them to split up portions of the assignments in order to all contribute – learning communication skills as well as the topic of interest. While students work, the teacher also has access to these documents in order to monitor and access what students are supplying. An example of a classroom that uses this tool specifically for this purpose may be viewed here:

Google Docs in the Classroom

Google Apps may also be used in the classroom in order to keep the students organized with their own online portfolio. By using Google Classroom, the teacher puts their assignment directions online, including links to any outside sources the students may need for it and detailed instructions. This allows the students to continuously refer back to the assignment without the teacher constantly needing to repeat it, as well as allows the student to quickly proceed to any website being used for that lesson. Once the assignment is complete, it may also be submitted through Google Classroom to be graded.

Although Google Docs and Google Classroom are the two major uses in which I have witnessed in a classroom setting, teachers may also chose to use Google Slides to make presentations and Google Hangout for students to becoming global learners and connect with those outside of their class. If the teachers would like to assess students progress directly through them they can also use Google Forms in order for the students to answer questions on the topic being covered. This will allow a better understanding of which sections students are having difficulty with in order for further review. Since the questions may be open ended, students may even write comments or questions. The power behind this can change the way certain students learn, especially those too shy to ask questions in front of the class. An example of how one teacher used Google Forms in her lesson plans are shown below.

The students are surrounded by technology – in their hands, in their homes and now in their classrooms. As teachers we need to make sure these resources are implemented inside the classroom in order to provide the learning environment in which our students are becoming accustomed. By using different aspects of Google, rather then just searching for unanswered questions, we are accessing that tool to the best of our ability. Behind us are the days of stunted growth. If you don’t know something, simply Google it!