In this brief review, I talk about a recent podcast I listened to by Carol Nelson! I highly recommend this podcast for anyone interested in integrating the use of mobile devices into their classroom.
Engaging Students Using QR Codes Podcast
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Recently I watched a webinar from Education Elements on the changing landscape of education. Throughout the webinar a plethora of education issues were addressed from the teacher shortage, to the live-streamed classrooms during the pandemic, and even challenges district’s are facing in writing new curriculum. While many “band-aid” solutions have been put in place, this webinar examines how long-term sustainable solutions can be found. Watching this webinar provided me with insight on how to make my classroom equitable, fair, and dynamic. Moreover, it helps put district issues into perspective on a large. This webinar is perfect for those who wish to find answers to the complex issues presented in education today.
The average class uses 833 pieces of paper per student per year. If a school was to have 100 teachers, this would almost to 250,000 sheets of paper. The result of this? Thousands of dollars spent on just paper, not including the cost of printers, ink, toner and everything that comes along with the cost of handing out paper. If the sheer amount of paper being used isn’t enough to make you think in a more eco-friendly way, the electricity saved, CO2 emissions not given off might help you think otherwise. Educators that have taught through the pandemic know this is completely possible. If nothing else, the children we teach will be in an almost completely paperless and tech-driven world when they enter the work force. It is our responsibility to have them prepared for the future as best possible. In this video review, youtube and educator joyceclp breaks down how she has created a paperless classroom from scratch.
In 2022, there is almost no way of escaping the technological changes that are shaping our classrooms. One of the best tools to help embrace this is Google Classroom. This google app is essentially an online classroom that allows students and teachers to communicate instantly from the comfort of their home, among many other things. Using this app, students can communicate on homework, watch lecture slides, view the day’s powerpoint and work on projects. Not only does it help student’s communicate with each other, but it allows educators the ability to post in-class topics and save them to the app, so the material can be used whenever (it also features some automatic grading! In this video Michelle Ferrè gives an overview of some of the ways in which Google Classroom can be used. She is her school’s E-coach, and a 4th grade teacher. Having an E-coach is a great way for schools to have a leader in integrating technology into their curriculum. This video will be of great help to those who don’t have experience using Google Classroom!
On May 19th, Dr. Eric Carbaugh held a webinar on differentiated instruction. Throughout the hour long webinar, Dr. Carbaugh showcased a variety of strategies, techniques and approaches, all of which allow educators to integrate differentiated instruction seamlessly into their practice. One of the most memorable quotes from Dr. Carbaugh’s webinar centered around differentiated instruction as way to reach all students, not simply targeting learners with special needs. Dr. Carbaugh stated that “Instead of teaching to the ‘hypothetical average’ within the class, focus designing your classroom around the edges”. In order to accomplish this educators must first recognize that all students are different, and then respond to these differences in a thoughtful way. Participating in Dr. Carbaugh’s webinar was a treat, as it allowed me to reflect on my own instruction and how differentiation needs to be a crucial part of it.
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In this week’s readings from The Global Educator, I got the chance to read about multiple case studies that involved global collaborative efforts, and the many forms they come in. I chose two that stuck out to me to do a little write up about because they really highlighted just how global learning is. The case studies helped show that sometimes global collaborative learning does not always go exactly how you would think and that it can come in many forms.
The two I chose to write about seemed perfect in my opinion, simply because they were so different. The first I wrote about was a man navigating through Asia, trying to make it to a face-to-face event. Here, he runs into many trials and tribulations before finally making it to his event. He was honored to have met many of the great educational professionals in his field of education technology. This really highlights the GLOBAL in Global Collaboration. On the flip side, the second case study is more about the impact a global educator can make locally. Larisa uses educational technology to bridge the gap between STEM degrees and STEM jobs. Coming out of college can be extremely tough. Most students do not know where to turn to find work. Larisa’s program aims to help students find jobs in their field. These two case studies show how global collaborative efforts can affect anyone, and how these efforts can be USEFUL for all. From a businessman traveling the world to a college student just starting out in their field.
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As a child in elementary school, I can remember my teacher rolling in a huge television from the hallway into the classroom. We would watch VHS videos on the old screen. We looked forward to those days so much. This integration of technology into the classroom may seem primitive, but at the time it was cutting edge. The existence of facetime, video-conferencing, and virtual reality seemed like something that was so far out of reach.
At the time, I could not imagine technology better than this old clunky TV. Something like virtual reality seemed like technology out of a science fiction movie. However, these scientific advances are now very real. Many market researchers predict that the number of virtual reality related items will explode in the coming years. Some even predict that virtual reality in the classroom is something so imminent that it will be integrated into most classrooms within the next five years (Pell and Parisi, 2017). This growing desire to educate through virtual reality experience is on the rise and for good reason.
An interesting lesson I found in my research is the story of Mellinda Lohan’s high school history class. Melinda ensures that students know about immigration and it’s history in the United States. This study of immigration does a number of things. First, it shows students just how connected every single person in this country really is. By studying immigration and migration in a historical sense, students can get a better understanding of what it means to be a Global Citizen. Students learn that people from every lineage were once immigrants to this country, which highlights the interconnectedness of all learners.
Mellinda has students go on a “virtual field trip”, where they visit Ellis Island and Angel Island. Using virtual reality, the students in the class are able to get the true experience of what it is like to come to America during the early 20th century. They can walk through the lines of immigrants coming to this country and hear the voices and cries of others as they pass-through lines of doctors and inspectors. In the current political climate, this experience is so important. By having children experience what it is like to be an immigrant, they can grow towards becoming a more compassionate global citizen.
The idea of virtual reality in the classroom may seem a far reach because of the technology it requires, and concerns about the affordability and availability of equipment. However, things like Google Cardboard are making this type of technological integration into the classroom seamless. This equipment turns a cell phone into a VR headset for less than $10! It is truly incredible what technology provides us today! I cannot begin to imagine how much interest this concept will spark in the mind of the student. Getting out of the textbook, and into an experience, they will never forget. Above is a video that overviews the idea of the virtual reality experience and it’s implementation into the classroom.
Thanks for reading my blog post! If you would like more insight into science, education, or technology please follow me on twitter: @Treen9765724
Pell, M., & Parisi, T. (2017). Envisioning holograms: design breakthrough experiences for mixed reality. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Envisioning-Holograms-Breakthrough-Experiences-Reality/dp/1484227484.
Thompson, M. (2018). Making Virtual Reality a Reality in Today’s Classrooms. Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/01/11/making-virtual-reality-a-reality-in-todays-classrooms.aspx.
Over the course of the past week, I have compiled pictures from a cross country trip I had taken about a year ago. Looking through thousands of pictures was not easy, however the product I produced through this hard work is very rewarding. I was able to manage this huge project using an application called “Exposure”.
Across the COUNTRY by Joseph Treen on Exposure
Exposure was exactly what I was seeking. It allowed me to use pictures to tell my story, while the subtle use of words were there to help guide readers along. A large part of this story is the sense of wonder, and wander. I wanted readers to search their own minds for what it was like on the day to day journey. I hoped readers would be filled with a sense of adventure, so that they knew the emotions I felt on lonely nights, and days spent with many friends. Exposure allowed me to perfectly set the scene for the readers mind to examine the pictures I was presenting, and fill in the details themselves.
With so many different storytelling apps to choose from, Exposure really stood out to me because of its ease of use. It helped me organize my pictures in a timely manner, so that the reader could progress through my story while really soaking up whatever they wished.
Thanks for reading by blog post! If you would like more insight into science, education, or technology please follow me on twitter: @Treen9765724
21,000 miles. Many would see this number and think of the miles that are put on a car in two years. Some would see it and think of the distance it takes to circumnavigate the globe. But for Paul Salopek, it is the distance he plans to walk as he comes out of Africa and into the new world. On his journey, Paul presents the world as no one has seen it before. Here, from the eyes of the everyday person living in this world, Paul shows the humanity that is sometimes forgotten.
While all of Paul’s journey compelled me to go out and experience the world and true human connection, one that stuck with me the most is Chapter 2: Holy Lands. While I am not a deeply religious person, the Holy Lands are something I feel that almost every human knows about or has heard. A story from the excerpt tells how Paul is naïve. It shows his human side, it shows how different things are compared to what he knows. Paul details the encounter he has with a camel rancher. After a few days of negotiation, and with the help of a few friends Paul is able to purchase the camels. To celebrate, he goes on a gyrocopter ride with a local pilot. The pilot and Paul begin talking, and quickly begin on the subject of the camels. The pilot points out to Paul that it is funny seeing a foreigner need camels like this, being as that camels are so different and really not a mode of transport Paul would be accustomed to. Pointing out that Paul and the locals have almost no connection. While Paul thinks this, he remembers an old science lesson. He learned that camels are actually animals that are from North America, that migrated 40 million years ago to the Middle East. In his head, Paul thinks of just how connected Paul is to these animals, his home in North America, and to the pilot who seems to think otherwise. By the end of the conversation and plane ride with the local pilot, he is asked what he will name the camels. He chooses Fares, and Seema. The names of the women who helped Paul acquire the camels in the first place.
In Chapter “Autumn Wars” Paul is met with many challenges. One of the most interesting is comes from the story “No Reply”, where Paul has an intimate experience in what it is like to be a refugee. I cannot think of anything more powerful than to view this world through their eyes. The struggle everyday to just be treated decently, while the whole world watches you suffer. Paul paints images of refugee women and children sitting around malnourished in front of schools. Paul talks about the struggles homeless Syrians face. But more remarkable than all of this, is the 100,000 refugees who crossed int Turkey from Syria during the time Paul was there. In the most intimate fashion, Paul describes the experience of a man who he seems to befriend name Ismail. Ismail and his family are camping out in an abandoned grocery store. Ismail calls and calls and calls his brother, who had been taken captive in a stand Ismail had organized against their oppressors. After a final call, with no reply, Ismail gives up and says “Whats the use?”. This gut wrenching story seen through Paul’s eyes makes me grateful for the country I live in, but at the same time it inspires me to make the most of what I have and give back in every opportunity I can.
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/out-of-eden-walk/articles/2014-09-no-reply
During Milestone 69, I play the ambient sound on Paul’s journey. I hear a busy market. I hear people bustling. I hear walking and people talking. During his time in Bengal, Paul has a powerful encounter. Mona Sharkar is a lottery ticket salesman. His age is unknown. Yes, his age is unknown. How would I feel if I was “about 25″… It makes me really question our existence, and our way of life, when compared to other cultures and customs. When asked Who he is, Mona replies “I am who I am.” Paul says he hit the “jackpot” by hiding under the shade of a market, and finding some cool drinks. How much have we taken for granted, where some are praying for a cool drink or some shade. Paul’s experience really puts things into perspective on so many levels.
As I scroll through Paul’s journey online, I am left with a sense of existential crisis. Am I doing everything I can to be a globally connected person? Am I really experiencing everything this world has to offer? When faced with these types of questions, it sometimes feels best to just put the thoughts out of your head, and focus on what is in front of you. However, Paul’s odyssey leaves me wondering how much of this world I have yet to explore. More importantly, it highlights just how connected people are to each other, even if they are unaware of their crossing paths.
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As global education becomes the focus of my current Web Tools class, I find myself wondering how I can ever be a successful educator with so much still to learn. The Norms of Global Education are a great guideline for new education professionals to get an understanding of behaviors, practices, and actions to guarantee global collaborative success. While The Norms of Online Global Collaboration give great insight into just how to be an effective global educator, perhaps the two most important are: Be Prepared, and Have a Purpose.
Preparation can seem obvious to ensure global collaborative success. Preparation tries to remove the risk of error, shorten activity length and make sure there is no re-work. Global Collaborative efforts incorporate preparation through synchronous and asynchronous communication. Asynchronous communication is where collaborative efforts do not take place in real time. In this type of collaboration, it can take 24-48 hours to have an email responded to, or a project worked on. Google Docs is a tool used in asynchronous collaboration. An ongoing editing of a document takes place over time. Using this, educators must be prepared for students days off, differences in time zones, ensuring all technology tools are set in place and running. Being prepared for an asynchronous communication may seem difficult, but preparing for synchronous communication can be even more challenging. Synchronous communication involves real time communication through video calls, or messaging. Educators must let all parties know details on how participants will communicates, how to join the chat, what time zone the chat will be held in, and what tools will be needed beforehand. With so many factors in play, it is easy to see how one could slip up in the moment, which is why being prepared may be the most important part of an online collaborative effort. Most importantly, for online collaboration to work everyone must have access to the tools needed to complete the project.
Have a purpose… From the point of view of an educator, it seems intuitive that everything we do has a purpose. From lesson plans, to homework and tests, there is a reason why we have students complete these tasks. Global Collaborative efforts must be view the same way, more for the people involved that the educator. There must be thought put into every project. When assigning or working on a project, the purpose has to be clear. A clear purpose is direct result of communication between all parties. Without a clear purpose, confusion can arise and partners can become irritated and uninterested in the project. Every lesson put forth by an educator should have a purpose. When an educator works on a collaborative project, they should understand the purpose of it too. Below I have posted a video on global education, as a reminder of just why it is so important in today’s age!
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