This blog will be about the personal awareness of being global.

By definition the word global means relating to the whole world or worldwide. and relating to or embracing the whole of something, or a group of things and is what many educators wanna strive to become. A major part in becoming global is the enhancement of the personal awareness of what is and what is possible globally, this awareness is shown by three examples and these examples will be listed below. The examples come from my readings of the book “The Global Educator” by Julie Lindsay.

A first example of this from the book is a teacher named Stephanie from the USA no last name is mentioned but Stephanie states that becoming a global educator is inspiring but takes work. she says that before becoming global the teacher must be deeply engaged, in which this process takes time and effort to identify resources in order to prepare and execute lessons. Summing it up if the teacher is fully and deeply engaged and takes the time and correct steps they can fully maximize the global learning for their students.

A second example from the book is Stephanie Wujcik Edna also from the USA. Stephanie W.E. says the biggest impact on teachers learning to be global is the conversations, training, and support that have given teachers the permission to dream big and take risks when creating assignments for their students. “The kids love having the opportunity to get to know others around the world. They get so excited!” (Pg. 49 “The Global Educator”)

A third example from the book is from Matt Harris from the USA but now works in indonesia. Matt is influenced by the word cosmopolitanism since the word relates to being a global citizen and being able to use global perspective and work and live beyond his home country.

In a recap all these examples show that becoming global is the enhancement of the personal awareness of being global.

This video is a TED talk on what it means to be a citizen of the world!

P.S – Want to follow a beginning tech blogger well than follow me on Twitter: @Cody__Grace

Today I will discuss digital tools in the Global educators toolbox and how these tools are successful in the classroom but more specifically and for this blog I will only talk about one tool which is Google docs in the classroom.

Google docs is a word processor included as part of a free, web-based software office suite offered by Google within its Google Drive service. It is labeled under the Global educators toolbox as a workflow and scheduling tool which are the tools most needed as a Global educator. Google docs has many good uses in the classroom but its known for being a tool which allows students to complete assignments that involves writing in an organized and neat matter and teachers allows teachers to create these assignments using templates that google offer or by creating the assignment by scratch. Overall Google docs is a great tool for students and teachers to use and can help keep you organized while allowing you to easily send and find files needed for classes or jobs.

Watch the video linked below for an example of how this tool is used in the classroom.

This next link is to a lesson plan that is a intro scavenger hunt assignment into google docs created by Catlin Tucker.

https://catlintucker.com/2017/08/google-docs-scavenger-hunt/

P.S – Want to follow a beginning tech blogger well than follow me on Twitter: @Cody__Grace

Technology and how to get fired for using it.

Technology is an everyday tool in our lives, but what if by using this same technology we could end up hurting our employment. in this blog I will discuss three reasons how and why technology can end up costing more than wasted time. Social Media, Knowing policy, and communication using technology.

Reason 1: Social media.

Yes the fan favorite of many people that these days think of these platforms as a getaway to help vent about their job or make their job go by faster but if misused it has the potential to cost you your job or the chance at getting a job. According to data found by Careerbuilder 18% have dismissed employees because of social media posts and activity. An example of this for most companies is that they do not want their employees to rant and vent about their job on social media since it reflects poorly on the company, same goes for people looking at getting a job the company you applied at does not want to see that you used your social media inappropriately to their standards. Rosemary Haefner, a chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. stated to CNBC that “having clear policies about social media is the best practice for employers, because employees have their own mobile devices in the workplace, blocking access to social sites via your company networks won’t stop employees from engaging in the same behavior that blocks were designed to prevent,” So next time you want to comment on a post or like a post think if your employer would agree with you.

Reason 2: Know the policy of your company.

As stated in reason 1 by Rosemary Haefner having clear policies towards technology is the best practice. and knowing all these rules and regulations at your job is important if not the most important thing to know and remember while being employed. Many companies have strict policies on technology in the workplace and will take swift action if you end up being guilty of tech use. in fact 28 percent of employers report that they’ve fired people for using the Internet for non-work-related activity in the data found by CareerBuilder. So always be looking and becoming familiar with the policy and updates to the policy that your company enforces since you may be using technology when your not supposed to and are running the risk of termination.

Reason 3: Using technology as a tool of communication

Communication is a big part of businesses but more firings happen due to communication in the education field than all others most causes are inappropriate in nature and are morally wrong and will end up costing you your job and if you are a teacher it will most definitely cost you your teaching license. You can almost always find these types of situations by going to Google and searching but for this post I will give an example. In 2016 a teacher at Oak Park High School was no longer employed after he was accused of sending inappropriate communications to a former student. “Former” so in this case the student was not even a student of the teacher and could have graduated or changed schools. After the firing the school district stated “North Kansas City Schools has always identified the safety and security of its students as its highest priority. To that end, the district has board policies and procedures in place that prohibit inappropriate communications between staff and students.” These policies are almost standard in all schools across the country. and can still affect teachers even if students become former students. So please when communicating use be proper and be careful what you send and who you send it to.

Links to Articles:

https://www.cnbc.com/2016/02/05/how-using-social-media-can-get-you-fired.html

https://www.kansascity.com/news/local/article97466222.html

A quick video? Click down below!

“5 ways tech can truly improve learning”

Welcome to the first educational blog post for GraceTech!

Using the hashtag #edtech I came across this article written by a guy named Matt Miller and in this article he identifies 5 ways technology can improve learning. These fives ways I have taken the liberty to include them in this post and elaborate more on the topics and give my opinion in the end.

Link to article – http://ditchthattextbook.com/2016/10/17/5-ways-tech-can-truly-improve-learning-with-examples/

1. Technology can shorten the feedback loop.

• In this step he addresses the issue of “homework” he brings up that must paper assignments handed to students end up either in the trash, on the floor, or lastly in a locker. All of this is a negative feedback loop. And Miller believes that Technology such as google classroom, and goformative both allow assignments to be created digitally instead of on paper creating a positive feedback loop

2. Technology can make great connections.

• In this he takes about how connections create great memories and allow people no matter how far apart to be able to face to face communicate he brings up technology like skype and remind.com which allow teachers and students to connect with one another even if the are not sitting in a typical classroom setting.

3. Technology can help kids make a difference.

• Miller in this section discusses how today’s kids are so connected with technology that if you begin to use technology and the kids feel that they are improving and connecting their lives to others that they will begin to be more invested in the learning process. he again brings up the technology like skype and remind which empower students to connect with each other. He also uses the site Freerice.com where students answer questions online and as they get questions right they are basically donating rice to the hungry for FREE and is a good empowerment tool.

4. Technology can take students there. 

• In this section Miller uses the example of field trips and how its very time consuming and expensive for schools. But with  Google maps, Google Earth he says let students explore and use the technology to explore they won’t get the same feeling as if they were actually standing there but not everyone has the money to go see the great wall, eiffel tower, or an old cathedral.

5. Technology can help us find ideas.

• Lastly he brings up the point that tech can help us find ideas and he says “The single most important move I’ve ever made to improve my practice as an educator was to start using Twitter professionally.” which he uses to follow and find educators and bounce ideas off them and learn neat tricks and tips from the people he meets by using technology.

Is Matt Miller right in his article? Does technology really effect us that much in how we learn and express information?

Writers Opinion – As I write this the year is 2019 and technology is a huge discussion topic, we have tech in our homes, vehicles, shopping centers, and businesses almost all known information from the beginning of time to the present has be processed and digitized and almost anyone can find information on what they need to know or want to know. so to offer students this much power in knowledge to ask questions and find answers. I agree in the fact that technology does have an effect on us, because without it we would know so very little and be afraid to ask BIG questions.

P.S – Want to see technology in learning throughout history? Watch this youtube video for some quick and fun knowledge – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFwWWsz_X9s

P.P.S – Want to follow a beginning tech blogger well than follow me on Twitter: @Cody__Grace