NETS

NETS stands for National Education Technology Standards. According to their website  NETS "are the standards for evaluating the skills and knowledge educators need to teach, work, and learn in an increasingly connected global and digital society." The website also lists NETS for students, coaches, and administrators.
  Technology in the classroom is being taken very seriously and these standards are what many schools are following when hiring or deciding which teachers possess the skills to continue educating.

To learn more about NETS click on the link:

http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers

Doc cam/Smartboard Reflection

The Doc cam and Smart-board both have their place in the history of technological advancement in schools. Both are still useful if they are all you have in your classroom. However, tablet technology, especially the Ipad, have taken the technology of the Doc cam and Smart-board and taken it to the next level. Using an Ipad you can now have the functionality of a Doc cam and Smart-board without being tethered to the front of the classroom. You can freely walk around having students annotate on the Ipad and making certain everyone is paying attention. Also, with the nearly endless number of apps for tablets the technology will not quickly be replaced.

Apple in Education

Schools systems are increasing the amount of technology in classrooms every day, and one way this is happening is by including Apple devices.
  Students can read textbooks that come alive on their Apple device. This includes interactive diagrams as well as videos. Creating a more hands on learning environment than a textbook could ever be able to provide. Apple books appear much more interesting to the learner and keep them on task. Students can still highlight text as they would in a normal textbook and the Apple device is much lighter than carrying around several textbooks in their backpack.
  Apple also allows you to create your own textbooks. You can include pictures, Microsoft word documents, diagrams, backgrounds, tables, charts, animations and so much more. You can read more about this by clicking on the iBooks Author Website on the homepage of the website.

For more information and a free download visit:
http://www.apple.com/education/resources/#pages-epub

Ipads in the Classroom

Ipads are a wonderful resources to have available in the classroom!  Students can collaborate to do research, play games, and even use them to connect to the projector.
Here are just a few great programs designed for the classroom:
Socrative - A site that allows the teacher to quiz or poll the class using Ipads, Ipods, laptops or smartphones.
Teacher Pal - Allows the teacher to take attendance and make notes.
Screen Chomp - Acts as a whiteboard and allows what is written to be recorded.
Keynote - Acts like powerpoint, but works for the Ipad.

These are only a few examples for teachers.  There are also seemingly endless apps for student activities. 

Paperless Educator

Paperless education is a very positive practice. It encourages the use of technology and is good for the environment. However, there are still some situations that require paper. Art and handwriting are just two subjects that come to mind.That being said, there are many ways teachers can cut down on the use of paper in the classroom to be more environmentally friendly. The following is a list of ideas that teachers could try:
For writing journals introduce students to blogging.

•     Use Google Docs or email as a way for students to turn in assignments
•     Use Microsoft word or applications like Evernote to take notes in class
•     Give tests or quizzes online. Zoho or google forms offer easy ways to do this.
•     Create presentations online by using a website like Prezi

Favorite Teacher Website

Currently my favorite teacher/teaching website is Khan Academy. Salman Khan is the creator of this web resource. He initially started the website to help teach his daughter mathematics but it has branched out into so much more since then. He does not profit from the website. I think this is amazing because in a world where money and greed often seem like the driving force, there is at least one person who cares enough about learning to spread education for free.
  Khan Academy is a fantastic resource for teachers as well. The website is a wonderful tool to supplement teaching.  I would highly recommend it as a resource to refresh memories and to help those who may be struggling with a concept, especially mathematics concepts. This website could also be used for gifted students to be challenged. The site could be used to teach higher lessons to some while the rest of the class is learning a bit behind.
  Regardless of how it is used, Khan Academy could be implemented into every classroom. To see more click on the link:

http://www.khanacademy.org/    

Special Project

In educational technology we created a special project called an Exploding Box.  This box functions as a regular box. However, it also could creatively display different photos, etc. within the different layers of the box.  When you take the top off the box, the box opens up into what seems like three different boxes (images below).

   Some ways to use this box:

• Holiday presents
• Mystery Box (student brings an object for the day and the rest of the class guesses)
• Etc. 

  This project is really easy to make - 3 large pieces of cardstock, scissors, and double-sided tape are all you need..

Student vs. Teacher Reflection

Currently, I have a unique perspective. I am not only a student but have through my practicum taken the first steps as a teacher. One of the largest differences I have found thus far is in the planning stage. As a student you only have to think about yourself and how you are affected. However, as a teacher you need to think about your entire class individually. For example, in my practicum I have a student who is colorblind so when making lesson plans I must make sure to remember and adjust for the learner, or frustration could quickly take over and learning would stop.
  Another interesting difference between being a student vs. a teacher is how you affect those around you. As a student you have friends and eventually those friends may look up to you in some aspects. However, as a teacher you are thrust into a role-model position almost instantly. The learners look up to you and you affect them positively or negatively every minute of the day! 

VCSU's How's it going reflection

I am enrolled in the NDSU/VCSU Elementary Education program with a kindergarten endorsement. It has been wonderful thus far. The teachers are awesome. I feel that I personally know each and every one of my teachers. Personally knowing your students is very important to me. It helps motivate and eliminates a wall that is sometimes put up between professor and student.
  There are a few kinks in the program that are a little hard to follow like having two blackboard sites, two e mails, and two computers. Also, registering for classes can be challenging. However, these issues are minor in comparison to the quality of the entire program.
  Another benefit of the program is having larger practicum hour requirements. Due to this I have been making a lot of connections in my practicum in my Kindergarten classroom with what we are learning in our intro to education, and math classes.
  In order to be an effective teacher, I still have a lot to learn. As a teacher, it is important to remember to NEVER STOP LEARNING! Each day is an opportunity not only to teach, but to learn something new.

SchoolTechnology.org

Brad Flickinger makes many valid suggestions in his blog post “Educational Technology Bill of Rights.” In education, people seem to look at certain technology as a distraction for students. Brad Flickinger, on the other hand, advises that teachers take advantage of certain technologies and give students basic rights when using them. I agree with Flickinger when he states that students are not going to stop using technologies like cell phones, Facebook, and Twitter. I think it is smart to reach students through these means and as technology grows we as teachers must too. However, It also is important to ensure that students are taught appropriate ways to use these technologies and do not abuse certain privileges.
    I believe that the right to learn 21st century technology. It is important to implement these technologies that are as modern as possible so that students can keep up with the demand in their future careers. We are teaching children for a job they will have 10+ years down the road not for today. I also think it is important for teachers to continue learning and finding new and creative ways to use technology in the classroom. In most cases, it is true that students know more about different programs than teachers do, so teachers should be open to feedback and exploring new options. Other points that I fully agree with are that students have the right to be fully protected from things like cyberbullying, and that teachers should use technology to be efficient in planning and evaluating.
    The individuals that commented on this article also made many valid points. Due to financial constraints, not all schools have the opportunity to use the latest technologies. I do disagree with a lot of the comments that state that students do not have rights. Although they may not be legal rights, and teachers should have authority and set guidelines, students should still have choices and be treated with respect. Overall, I think that this article is very helpful in understanding the importance of technology and helped get me thinking about how I should implement the use of technology in my own classroom.

To read the article click on this link: 
 http://www.schooltechnology.org/2011/12/29/educational-technology-bill-of-rights-for-students/

Marc Prensky

Marc Prensky is a very intelligent man and has many ideas about technology and how it should be used in schools. His published books, essays, and workshops have inspired many people. However, to some his ideas are very controversial. Two of his articles, one in 2010 and one in 2011 really stuck out to me. My goal in life is to have my career be a teacher and I plan to teach k-3. Therefore, what he learned in a classroom when he went to New York struck my attention.Also, I am still in college and reading an article about how to save money on books and what the future of ebooks could be interested me.
   The first article I read was called, “In the 21st-Century University, Let’s Ban (Paper) Books” which was written November 13, 2011. This was only about a year ago and what he was saying I can see actually starting to happen in Universities. Money is always going to be a factor in life. Most people in this world want to save money and preserve resources instead of wasting them. For example, many trees are used to make textbooks that are only used for up to one or two years before another edition comes out. However, there could be another reason for multiple editions. One I could think of is that we are constantly evolving and having multiple editions give authors the chance to revise and change what has either gone out of date or is not true anymore. According to Marc Prensky, he learned from Amazon that there have been more e-readers being used and they also are selling for lower costs. At NDSU I know there is an option for e-readers, however you only license the book for a certain number of days not getting to keep it or see updates. However, even this is better than at some universities.
  Prensky wonders like many others when universities are going to become completely book-less. I know not having to carry numerous books to and from class would do wonders for my back. Only worrying about a laptop or computer would make things easier. I think it would also be less expensive to have books online  in the long term.
  Also,I like the idea that if the books are online that they can be linked to other notes on the subject that are out there. Not just the teachers notes and comments, but authors, other students and many others. The internet is full of educational tools different websites can be connected as well. For example, Marc mentions Youtube which is a very effective tool. For the most part I agree with all the things he has mentioned and thought of to better our community. Saving money, resources, and making education easier and more educational are all positives to me.
  There are some drawbacks to going paperless. When becoming a teacher we learn that not every child learns the same way. Some may be able to learn, read, focus or much more with an actual book to look at, highlight, and study from. This is one disagreement with what Marc was saying. I do not believe that all paper books should be confiscated, forcing a student to learn from a computer.
   The second article I read called “What I Learned Recently In New York City Classrooms” is all about class sizes and making sure that the students are staying engaged and being educated to the best of their ability. Prensky added a quote “Class size matters only if the teacher does everything”. This got me thinking about my previous elementary classes. All of my classes were about 20 students. Smaller class sizes are supposed to be better because you are able to get more hands on activity time and you are able to learn with more ease compared to bigger classroom sizes where you may not even be able to connect with your teacher.
   The reason why Marc Prensky decided to sit in on a classroom is because his readers were questioning his opinions due to not teaching students day to day. He realized that classrooms are still overcrowded and many schools are still very old and not much has changed since he has been there, 40 years ago. A grant called Title 2D allowed Prensky to help the teachers in Manhattan to add technology to their curriculum and see how it can benefit learning in the classroom. However, many problems came out of this along with some positives.
   Along with the first article, money had a lot of influence with being able to carry out his idea and plan. One major problem I see with this is that it took them a grant to experiment with technology. Not all schools are going to have the time or money. Also, There are going to have to be many guinea pig classroom and schools before the benefits of Prensky’s ideas can be seen. Many classrooms are also overcrowded. 
Finally, there is no point to get new technology when the schools old age prevent the new technology from working correctly. Prensky says there would be bad internet connection. This problem can kill a technology program before it starts I do believe adding technology to curriculum is a good idea but the infrastructure needs to be there too. 
To read the articles I read click on the links:
What_I_Learned_in_NYC_Classrooms
In-the-21st-Century
marcprensky.com

Practicum!

My 40 hour practicum is at Lodoen Kindergarten Center in West Fargo. I am very excited to be able to start with a kindergarten class. I have been there a while now and it has been very gratifying. Young learners love to ask questions (sometimes a little personal) and I love that about them. The learners don't just take things at face value at this age and "because I said so" isn't a good enough answer. Also, when a learner struggles and then gets an answer the look on their face is priceless.
  I have gotten to spend a lot of time around other teachers as well. I have had many questions and they are willing to give me the best answer they have. I have gotten to see a lot of planning elements both in the classroom and between teachers and am glad that teaching is no longer seen with an "Island classroom" mentality. Overall, my practicum has been a great experience thus far.

Google Apps

On the Google Apps website, there is a list of the “Top 10 reasons to use Google Apps.”  The number one reason listed was that students love it, and I am totally in agreement. Google has become a huge part of today’s technological culture. Learners know how to use Google, and they like using it. Google gives them a sense of power and independence. Using Google Apps will make them excited to use their computer and extend this power and independence to learn. 
  The next reason to use Google Apps in the school is that it will “free up your IT.” Now this doesn't mean they won't completely be needed. However, instead of the IT employees having to keep the school’s web system up and running, the job is passed off to Google which provides them more time to learn technology and integrate it into classrooms. Google also has a safe and reliable email system to give to students, and as was said previously, they often already know how to use it or have their own account.
  The final reason is very important to me as a future educator. Google says that they use their apps to run their own company, so they are confident in the fact that your information will be safe online, and privacy will be protected. This is incredibly important when children are going to be online. The safety and privacy of the learner is the biggest priority.

Copyright

Copyright can be hard to understand and even harder in real life practice. The first huge fact that I learned was that even a particular object does not have the copyright symbol, it is still copyrighted. As long as you are taking someone else idea or work you are stealing. Also, there are two specific time periods to watch within copyright. They are when public domain starts. Copyright can protect the creator for their entire life and then 70 years after that. However, anything before 1963 is public domain or falls under another category. After 1963 you can follow the life rule plus 70. Anything from the government is also in public domain. None of materials form there are protected by copyright.
  One big disappointment  I learned about copyright is that you can only "sample" DVDs and show only a small clip. Growing up, I can remember is how excited we all got for movie day and seeing movies that go along with our lesson. This is actually breaking copyright laws unless the school has purchased the rights. Showing the whole movie to that many people is illegal and in reality you can only watch it by yourself or family.
  There are other rules for using other pieces of work. It is only fair use if you use 250 words or less in written work. In a book or magazine you can only have one picture.
  Finally, we have to remember the internet is not a public domain and we cant just take what we see. I invite you to look further into copyright by clicking on the links I read about below:


Taking the Mystery Out Of Copyright

15 Copyright Rules Every Student Should Know

About Me!

Hello! My name is James Hoff. I am currently a junior at North Dakota State University majoring in Human Development and Family Science, as well as Elementary Education through Valley City State University. I plan on getting my kindergarten endorsement so I can work with young learners!
  I am older than most of my fellow classmates at age 31. I returned to college after a 5 year break. It was a little weird at first, however, now it is great. I am married and have three great children ages 7,4(almost 5 as he tells me almost everyday, and 3.
  In my little free time I enjoy playing video games, reading to my children, and watching sports. I also have a soft spot for nearly anything science or science-fiction.

Snagit - Classroom Organizer

As part of a multimedia project in Educational Technology, we were required to use the software Snagit to create a video about a specific classroom resource.  In my group, we chose to use Snagit to explain how to create your own classroom library using the Classroom Organizer website and app.  This is a simple and easy way to create and maintain a classroom library.  To learn how to use it, watch our video.

My Wild Self!

A few days ago, in Technology class, we learned how to create our "Wildselves". You create an avatar of yourself and then add some of your favorite animal parts. This website could be used as a resource for students during freetime, to practice their compter and internet skills or as a small science unit about adaptations. It could also be used in an art clasroom, where students create their "wildselves" on the website and then take that idea and turn it into an art project.   Overall, is it a fun and creative website.

http://www.buildyourwildself.com/

QR Code Lesson

• QR Codes are becoming more and more popular in today's technological world as well as in schools. 
• Teachers use them for different activities and lessons during classtime. 
• In my Educational Technology class we created our own lesson using QR Codes. 
• Mine is is to the left:
• I tied my audio book lesson to the QR code lesson.
• You could integrate this in the classroom by having a book on tape library that can travel anywhere you have an available scanner.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is today and it is going to be a great day. I plan on watching 3 football games, eating most of my favorite foods, and hanging out with my family.  It is a little extra special thanksgiving this year because my newest cousin, Nora,was born a week ago Monday and this will be the first time I get to see her.

We have already taken part in one of our family traditions watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this morning. We are currently perusing ads for Black-Friday. If we are going to out shopping is yet to be determined. Lunch which is our big meal will be soon. Like I said in the beginning, it is going to be a great day.

IPad Rules

IPads are becoming more and more prevalent in student's lives and in school classroom settings.  More classrooms every day have access to IPads so teachers are starting to need to create  guidelines for this technology.  I have created some guidelines of my own and designed a poster  using PowerPoint.

If you really like this poster click on it and it will take you to a printable version.