Technology Analysis

As I have pondered adding social media to my class, I had a discussion with some of my students in summer school.  I found that, just as I predicted, they use social media on a daily basis.  They seemed open to the idea of using it in class.  I expressed my fears about abuse, and they understood my position.  I do like the fact that they seemed genuinely excited about the idea.  If I could get that excitement all the time, then my job would be easy  :)  .  That being said, I mentioned to them I thought about a class Facebook page.  I know I would have to get approval from the county to access Facebook on our computers.  I'm not sure how easy that would be, but I could get around that by doing it at my house.  Is it worth the risk?  Perhaps, but only time will tell how successful it will be.  I really strive to get engagement and excitement from my students. Will this be the answer to solve all my teaching problems?  Probably not, but if it can work then I'll give it a try.  I'll keep you updated and thanks for reading my blog.

Facebook

As aggravating as Facebook is during class, I can see some benefits to using it to help students.  For example, if a student is absent, you could create a chat group to help them catch what they missed.  If students are using it already, why not try it?  The biggest issue about missing class it the make up work.  Students NEVER seem to get it to me in a timely manner.  I might be stretching that, but it sure seems that way.  If there was a Facebook group for students, it might help them get the work done.  Setting my fears aside (cyber bullying, slanderous posts by students, and cheating) it might be good to adapt Facebook into my classroom.  Thoughts??

Understanding Technology

As I learn more and more about technology, I have a better understanding (I hope) of how to utilize it in my classroom.  One big thing I look for is engagement.  Will the kids pay attention or use the software?  If they do not learn or use the technology, then it is nothing but a waste of their time.  Classroom management is so much easier when kids are engaged with no idle time.  The reality is technology in our world is evolving almost daily. 
Software must also be relevant.  If I cannot get the kids to relate to what I'm teaching, it is an uphill battle to get quality work.  The issue can be what kids consider relevant compared to my definition.  My students LOVE their social media.  Snapchat and Instagram seem to be their favorites.  I have a working understanding of those sites, but I am by no means an expert.  Keeping kids off those sites during class has proven to be difficult at times.  Technology helps a lot in that regard because we have real-time software that monitors what sites the students visit.  I also have the ability to kick them off sites.  So far, my luck with this technology (when it works) has been great.  Nothing makes my day more than hearing "Coach Knight, you kicked me off Instagram!"  Like I mentioned earlier, I am no expert in this area.  I expect to learn more and more as I gain valuable teaching experience.  I'm excited for the technology futire and hope that is will rub off on my students!

Classroom Technology

As I have finished another year of teaching, I have found some amazing technology to utilize in my classroom.  Edmodo is a particular piece of technology that I have found to me simple and amazing.  There are so many options, from a teacher perspective, to assess and remediate.  The fact that students can use the netbook computers keeps them engaged during the class.  I believe that since they are familiar with the netbooks, they feel more at ease to complete the work.  I also feel social issues are addressed with my shy students.  I really like how the feedback I get is instant, and it allows the kids to turn assignments in at school or home.  This program eliminates a lot of excuses from my students, such as:  "I have no paper or pencil"...etc.  I really liked this program from the beginning, and I can't wait to use it more and more.