A Connected Educator

The End of My Journey

Today marks the final day in my journey to become a Connected Educator. Wow - I have learned so much about integrating technology into my science classroom in just 7 weeks. From using Diigo to Symbaloo; the amount of Web 2.0 educational tools is vast. There are so many different tricks and hidden tools that some very familiar programs have to offer. In my final week I explored even more tools that Google offers; it is crazy!

The many faces of Google:

Ñ     A dictionary -- Simply type “Define: [insert word]” and Google will define the word for you as well as provide you with resources/websites related to that word!

Ñ     A flight tracker -- Type in the airline name and flight number that you want to track. Google will show you the status of this flight!

Ñ     A calculator -- Simply type in a problem into the Google search bar and press “enter”. Google will solve your problem!

Ñ     A translator -- In the Google search bar type “Google Translator”. Type in the word(s) you want translated and Google will automatically detect the language. Then select the language you want the word(s) translated into. Then press “enter” and it will translate! You can also have Google pronounce the word(s). WAY COOL!

Ñ     AND SO MUCH MORE!

Final thoughts….

The Internet has an abundance of tools that can easily be integrated into any classroom. For any educator who is tentative about trying them out, it will take some time to learn the ins and outs of each tool. However, it will get easier over time! http://www.YouTube.com has excellent tutorials on almost any tool and any problem you might encounter. Check out this video about “Becoming A Connected Educator.”

Although my Baker course has come to an end. My journey as a Connected Educator will continue on. I look forward to sharing more tips/tricks/tools with you!

-        Mrs. Adkins

Social Media and Social Networking: Pros and Cons

What’s all the BUZZ about Social Media in the Classroom?

This week I explored Pinterest, SymbalooEDU, and the PROS and CONS of using social media and social networking sites in education.

Pinterest is definitely an old friend of mine - this week gave me an excuse to make a new board and “pin”. If you haven’t ever been on Pinterest, my advice would be to proceed with caution. Not because it is bad, but because it can be addicting (which is an understatement). There are SO many fantastic educational tools that can be found on Pinterest. Simply search for anything you want (ex: classroom organization, science foldables, annotating books, group work, etc.) Create a board and all you have to do is search and pin away. Like I said, proceed with caution. Using Pinterest may cause obsessive “pinning.”

SymbalooEDU was a new tool that I was introduced to this week. Essentially it allows you to create Webmixes that compile a variety of different media and websites into one place. This tool would be fantastic to use for an Internet scavenger hunt or a research project. You add icons on the Webmixes and you insert links to the different resources you want your students to access. I created a Webmix that would help my students learn about the Nervous System - check it out! http://edu.symbaloo.com/shared/AAAAA3OmJYUAA41_WCZAow==

Lasty, my Connected Educator class explored the pros and cons of using social media in the classroom. To enlighten you on how social media can be used in the classroom, check out these videos.

Social media gets a lot of negative coverage in the news. We hear often of teachers inappropriately contacting students and students using social media for cyberbullying. Viewers see this and panic when they hear that social media is used in schools. Their minds are drawn back to what they heard on the news, yet the poor choices of some do not represent the majority of educators who properly use this technology! Like always - education is the key to acceptance and understanding. People need to be educated on how teachers are using technology appropriately and positively to enhance the learning of their students. In my opinion, social media/networking offers a wide variety of benefits: making learning relevant and exciting, providing students more access to resources, collaborating for learning, and so much more. Teachers and students also need to be educated on social media. Teachers especially need to make sure they know how to use the sites and monitor student work and conversations. Students need to know social media and Internet etiquette. With all of these in place - learning will have no limits!

Hopefully this gave you some food for thought! Don't be so quick to judge social media. It has the potential to boost learning exponentially. 

Mrs. Adkins

Tools for Saving Time and Keeping Organized

Keep Track of Time and Stay Organized: Digitally

Time Management and Organization are two, very important qualities of successful classrooms. Some of the traditional tools work, but are quickly becoming out-dated. This week in my Connected Educator class, our focus was finding digital tools for time management and organization. Each of these tools will help bring the out-dated methods into the 21st Century. Check them out!

Remind

Remind (formerly known as Remind101) is one of my "go-to" digital organizational tools. I love the fact that it connects me to my students and parents through text message. The entire application is run online, so I don't have to worry about sharing my personal phone number with anyone. The website generates a special code for each class that I create and I can provide the code to students and parents in each group. This helps me keep track of everything and make sure I am sending the right message to the right group of people. The application allows me to send simple messages, files (I prefer sending PDF's), and pictures. You can create your reminder and schedule it to send out a specific time. I like to do this in the morning and set the reminder to send out at the end of the school day. This feature is extra convenient because I don't have to be sitting at my computer the moment school is over, it just sends it out at the time I selected. All-in-all, this a fantastic, easy tool that can be used for a wide-variety of purposes. Teachers, coaches, parents, study-groups and many more use this to help them stay organized, digitally! PLUS IT'S FREE!

Check out this tutorial on how to use Remind.

SignUp Genius

SignUp Genius is exactly what it sounds like: a Genius way to SignUp for various events. This website allows you to create a group/event and times for participants to sign-up for. This organizational tool keeps everything in one place and makes it easy for you to keep track of multiple events, see who is helping out, and times that you need more support. There are so many different ways you could use this: fundraisers, community service projects, concessions stands, carpools, parent volunteers in elementary classrooms, field trip volunteers, and so much more. 

Check out this Tutorial to see how you could use this digital organizational tool!

Timers from SmartExchange

If you have a SmartBoard and you haven't explored SmartExchange yet, this is the place to go! There are so many tools for both organization and time management. One of my favorite ways to use my SmartBoard is for the various timers it has. The SmartExchange offers a variety of different timers that you can download and use in the classroom. I love the traffic light because it not only keeps time, it provides my students with an easily recognizable visual for how much time remains. I use the timers when I have my students working in stations, centers, or small groups. It can also be used to keep track of time for OTB activities. There are so many different uses for the timers. Follow the link above to check out the variety of timers and other tools SmartExchange has to offer!

As always, I hope you continue to join me on my journey to become a Connected Educator. Stay tuned for more updates, tools, and information about using technology in the classroom and beyond!

-Mrs. Adkins

All Things Google

All Things GOOGLE

Google. Where do I begin? In my opinion, Google has transformed the way we use the Internet. It has transformed the way our schools operate. It will transform the way I teach. You ask why I say "will" in reference to teaching? I am admittedly no expert in Google, yet I am not a novice. I am merely proficient working towards mastery. I can easily maneuver my way around Google Drive like most can. I want to use it in my classroom more; I will continue to learn more about it as I continue my journey to become a Connected Educator.

This week I focused on Google and all it has to offer. From Drive, to Docs, to Slides, and beyond, this digital collaboration tool has SO many totally awesome features that I could go on and on and on about each of them for days! Lucky for you, I will only share a few of the tools that I dabbled in for week 4 of my journey.

TOOL #1: Google Forms

This tool is an easy way for you to create questionnaires, surveys, or polls. There are different question formats that you can choose from such as: multiple choice, true/false, amount of time, fill in the blank, short answer, rating scales, and longer responses. Google Forms offers different, attractive templates or themes that you can choose from. These templates/themes enhance the overall appearance of your Form.

This week I created my own survey. My survey topic was the Interactive Science Notebook that I use in my classroom. My plan is to use this survey with my students at the end of the school year. Take a look at my Google Form by following this link. ---> ISN Survey

TOOL #2: Google Drawings

As a collaborative project, my Connected Educator peers and I were assigned to explore one of the features of Google. I was assigned to investigate Google Drawings. This feature is fairly comparable to the classic Paint application. Users can create drawings and insert text, images, and links. One of the BEST features of any of the Google tools is the fact that work can be completed collaboratively. There are so many ways that Drawings can be integrated into the 21st Century classroom. I love that it is easy to use, save, and edit!

Check out this quick video to learn more about Google Drawings.

TOOL #3: Google Drive

Drive is the heart and soul of the collection of features that Google has to offer. What is so absolutely amazing about it is the fact that all of your work can be completed and saved digitally. There is no need to worry about hard drive issues, lack of memory space, or purchasing expensive software. Everything is in one place! I love the fact that you can share your work with others, collaborate on the work with peers, and organize your items into folders. Being the somewhat creative person that I am, it bugs me beyond belief when online tools do not have fonts, themes, backgrounds, etc. Google Drive exceeds my expectations in this area. 

If I were to rate Google on a scale of 1 - 10 (1=Not worth my time; 10=Amazing; Mind Blown) I would emphatically give it a 10+. If you haven't joined in on the Google bandwagon, you must do that immediately. No joke; do it now! It will change your life. I can't wait until it transforms my classroom. I used to be nervous about it, but I am slowly getting the hang of it. 

-Mrs. Adkins

p.s. During this week I was introduced to a website called Tinyurl.com. This is also an awesome tool because it allows you to take insanely long URL's and make them tiny. Literally!

You could go from trying to type this ---> https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1sui26TV2HqyYyaYfa_w4a--Z9ojWHJ9gR_qjYF4VcEE/viewform 

...to easily typing this ---> tinyurl.com/ISNsurvey

Again, MIND BLOWN!

Learning Management Systems

"A Tale of Two Systems"

This week was focused on getting to know a new learning management system: Schoology. Being a long-time user of Edmodo, I never thought twice about finding a different site. Over the past 5 years I have grown to become a master of using Edmodo in my classroom. It has helped me, my students, and my professional peers tremendously. Edmodo has been my "go-to" for assessment, polls, providing access to classroom resources, and small-group discussions. My students have been very receptive of using this system in my classroom. 

As you know, I am working on adding more tools to my teaching toolbox. My Connected Educator course had me exploring Schoology and Edmodo this week. I was tasked with evaluating both LMS'. 

The question became: Edmodo or Schoology? Immediately, my response was to remain with Edmodo. After further examining, I was really attracted to all that Schoology has to offer. Here are some thoughts I had about both learning management systems:

EDMODO:

Pros - Edmodo has an extremely user-friendly interface. The website is easy to navigate from chats, groups, small-groups, assessments, grades, etc. As an educator, it is very simple to post messages with links or assignments and send the message to more than one group. There are a lot of resources that can be accessed from the Spotlight section. It is very simple to access the different courses that I teach and professional groups that I belong to. Making quizzes/tests are simple. The ability to moderate posts is also a great way to make sure that students are posting academically relevant content.

Cons - Although this LMS has been fully adopted by the school district, there are a few drawbacks. Edmodo has a great tool called "Snapshot", which allows educators to connect assignments/content with Common Core standards. This seems great, but unfortunately Edmodo does not have any connections to science or social studies standards. Another con about Edmodo is that I have run into many issues with students trying to complete the quizzes or tests. Oftentimes I will have a student say that the quiz will "freeze" or it won't record any of the questions as being answered. This can be very frustrating and worrisome for my students. This isn't an isolated issue - I've had these same issues occur on multiple occasions. At this point, you would think that these kinks would have been reported and fixed. 

SCHOOLOGY:

Pros - All-in-all, Edmodo and Schoology have a lot of similarities. They offer many of the same features such as assessments, media, links, resources, etc. One of the BIGGEST pros about Schoology (this is what actually made me second guess using Edmodo) was the fact that I have the ability to connect assignments and assessments to Next Generation Science Standards! Edmodo ONLY has ELA and math correlations. I think this was a fantastic advantage that Schoology has and it would be the main reason I would switch from Edmodo.

Cons - After looking through this LMS for a while, I found that the homepage wasn't quite as user-friendly as Edmodo. There are a lot of different icons to represent the different types of media/resources. It would definitely take some getting used to! I also ran into some loading errors -- also known as the swirling ring of death. In an effort to try and start a discussion, I clicked "done" and Schoology had one of the "loading circles" just twirl and twirl and twirl and twirl...you get the picture. I had to restart my browser a few times before it would appear on my classroom's homepage. One of the biggest drawbacks is the fact that this website is not adopted by my district. The Blue Valley School District is well established with Edmodo and it wouldn't be easy to switch to Schoology. Parents and students are very familiar with the ins-and-outs of Edmodo and I think it would be a bit frustrating for all if I suddenly abandoned Edmodo for Schoology. 

After a lot of thought and reflection I will remain with Edmodo. If my district ever makes the switch to Schoology, I will most definitely join in! This week was a great learning experience for me. For now, I think that it is a draw between Edmodo and Schoology. 

Like always - keep checking in with me as I continue on my journey to become a Connected Educator!

-Mrs. Adkins

Out with the old and in with the new!

"Out with the old and in with the new!"

This week was filled with experiences that upgraded my tech tools from past to present. It can be hard to give up on tried and true for brand new. It is the unknown that can be a bit scary. Since I can remember, I have always used my Internet browser to bookmark important websites. I have a hard enough time remembering my own home phone number, let alone multiple websites. Well, this week I "ditched" my browser bookmarks and upgraded to using Diigo. Diigo is a super convenient tool that helps you organize all of your favorite websites or articles into ONE place. These can be accessed from any computer at any time! That is so much easier than relying on using the same computer each time I need to go to a bookmarked website. What is also a benefit for this tool is that it can help us share what we like, annotate articles, and create outlines for important information. How cool is that?

Never used Diigo? Check out this video below for a tutorial.

Another tool that I upgraded to was Twitter. This might surprise you, but I have actually had Twitter for quite some time now. I've just never used it to actually Tweet (share information or pictures). This week I explored Twitter from an educators perspective so that I can justify using it on a more regular basis. I checked out different chats (#hashtags) and different Twitter users (@___). I really liked #biology for the science content and resources. #byondthetextbook was a great chat that included conversations about moving beyond the traditional "teach to the textbook" model. Maybe one day I could start a #CougarScience for all the exciting activities we do in our classroom. There are definitely some things about Twitter that I have reservations about. I believe that with time and practice, I will become a more comfortable Twitter user. For now, I will stick to following @usavolleyball for all of my coaching needs and @BrainScience for great articles and updates in the world of science! It is so exciting to see my Twitter feed update constantly. This is such a great to tool to help me stay "in the loop."

I am excited for what the future will bring. It is amazing to think that there are so many tools out there that I don't even know exist. I hope you continue to join me on my journey to become a Connected Educator!

Let's Go Royals!

-Mrs. Adkins

Back to Blogging

Back to Blogging

::Yawn and stretch::

Phew! It has been a LONG time since I've blogged. Now I am up and ready to get back at it again. This week I've been slowly getting into the groove of things. One of my newest tech tools is called Feedly and it seems like it is going to be an extremely easy way for me to keep up with the blogging world. Goodness knows I need to make it as easy as possible during my time of awakening. In fact, here is a link to Feedly - perhaps you will find it as useful as I will. 

As you know, I am working on completing my master's degree at Baker University. My current course is The Connected Educator. I look forward to learning the "ins and outs" of being a tech-savvy teacher so that I can truly enrich the learning process for each and every one of my students. Don't worry, I will keep you posted throughout this process. I am definitely not a technology novice - I am certainly no expert either. RSS, what? Anyway, stay tuned and you will hopefully see my blog blossom!

-Mrs. Adkins

p.s. Just in case you're interested - here is a video on getting started with Feedly! Enjoy.