Reflection: Overall I had a lot of fun learning how to use Instagram as an educational tool. I learned how students can use pictures to express ideas or document their experiences. I learned that instagram can be used to reflect on student's learning experiences. Instagram just makes student work fun and its a useful tool for engaging students in the classroom.
For this blog I downloaded an app named Screencastify to record the video. It was a little buggy. I couldn't find the record button because the extension did not fully display the options but then I learned the keyboard shortcut and I was able to use it. The website I used to create a Jeopardy review game is https://www.superteachertools.net/# . You can do a lot on this website but I've only used the review game. Its pretty use to use and you create something different for your students to play with. Click on video to get a quick tutorial on how to create a game.
I really wanted to have a chat with other language teachers. I tried searching the hashtag #langchat, #spanishteach, #spanishteachers and others that I found on twitter and didn't a lot of conversations per se going on. This was happening Sunday night on April 5th which I was told was a great night for twitter chats. Anyway, I chatted with a few people online that had interesting thing to share. The first post I responded was about quick activities to engage students. The second post I responded to shared some really interesting; that students can use Spanish television and films to learn the various linguistic differences in the spanish-speaking world. The rest of the tweets were some tweets I found very interesting relating to foreign language teaching.
In this twitter chat I tried to chat with educators tweeting about technology. I followed #edchat and tweeting my opinions with people tweeting about technology. I tried a different Storify template (slideshow) but I ended up not liking it because it seems to cut off part of the tweet. Anyway, the first post was about having 1 to 1 ratio of computer to student. I commented that I wish I had that at my school because I feel like I can use technology in the classroom every day. The second post was about the argument over chromebooks vs ipads in the classroom. I tweeted that I liked chromebooks so much more because they are easier to use with Google products and those are much easier to use in education. The rest of the posts I collected in the Storify were other interesting posts regarding the use of technology in education.
Chapter 7: Quote: "Far more important, however, the students referenced each other. For them, classroom time had become the least significant part of the whole experience." p.25 Question: How can I create a new culture in my class where students learn from each other? Connection: In my classroom I found that some students are very good in some areas and weak in others. Some are very good at understanding grammatical concepts, others are good leaders, and others are good with technology. Epiphany/aha: I hope to use the knowledge of various students and leverage it to re-teach the Spanish accents in my class. I will group students and then have each teach a different part of the accent rules. Chapter 8: Quote: "In the new culture of learning, the classroom as is replaced by learning environments in which digital media provides access to rich sources of information and play, and the processes that occur within those environments are integral to the results." p.37 Question: How can teachers create learning environments with digital media where there is no computers? Connection: In my classroom I try to check out Chrome carts at least once a week in order to use a different learning environment where they have access to many resources online. Epiphany/aha: Recently, I had my students create a resume for a job they will apply to 10 yrs into the future. I noticed the students talking among themselves about various occupations. These are the processes that the author was talking about that are so valuable in the learning process. Chapter 9: Quote: "Many approaches to learning in the twentieth century, did, in fact work, but largely because of the glacial rate of change that characterized that era" p.43 Question: Is the school system having a difficult time adapting to the rate of change in technology? Connection: In some schools I've worked in I see some resistance to adapting to technology. I continue to see students simply working with text, paper, and pencil. Epiphany: So much work can be produced online. Teachers need to adapt to the rapid pace of changing technology. Source: Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: [CreateSpace?]. Chapter 4: Quote: "a collective...is a collection of people, skills, and talent that produces a result that is greater than the sum of its parts." p.52 Question: How do I make sure that when students work in groups, the work is equally distributed? Connection: In my classroom I found that when working in groups you can never assign work that is truly fair. Epiphany/aha: The point in group work is to create work that is greater than the sum of its parts. As a group students can produce better work than they can individually. Chapter 5: Quote: "In the new culture of learning, the bad news is that we rarely find any final answers. But the good news is that we get to play again and we may find even more satisfactions in continuing the search." p.73 Question: How do I get my students to enjoy the search just as much as finding the answer? Connection: In my classroom I recently had students do a search on a career. I gave them one website they could search but I told them that they could use the internet to search from multiple sources. Epiphany/aha: In order for the search to be enjoyable, the assignment and the tools given to them have to be fun too. Chapter 6: Quote: "Students learn best when they are able to follow their passion and operate within the constraints of a bounded environment". p.79 Question: How can I find out what students are truly passionate about? Connection: In my class I give out a survey at the beginning of the semester to find out about my students. I ask them about their likes and dislikes but I have never asked them about their passions. Epiphany: I need to allow my students an opportunity to learn about something they are truly passionate about. I think I am going to do this in my Spanish class and give them extra credit for this. Source: Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: [CreateSpace?]. Chapter 1: Quote: "Far more important, however, the students referenced each other. For them, classroom time had become the least significant part of the whole experience." p.25 Question: How can I create a new culture in my class where students learn from each other? Connection: In my classroom I found that some students are very good in some areas and weak in others. Some are very good at understanding grammatical concepts, others are good leaders, and others are good with technology. Epiphany/aha: I hope to use the knowledge of various students and leverage it to re-teach the Spanish accents in my class. I will group students and then have each teach a different part of the accent rules. Chapter 2: Quote: "In the new culture of learning, the classroom as is replaced by learning environments in which digital media provides access to rich sources of information and play, and the processes that occur within those environments are integral to the results." p.37 Question: How can teachers create learning environments with digital media where there is no computers? Connection: In my classroom I try to check out Chrome carts at least once a week in order to use a different learning environment where they have access to many resources online. Epiphany/aha: Recently, I had my students create a resume for a job they will apply to 10 yrs into the future. I noticed the students talking among themselves about various occupations. These are the processes that the author was talking about that are so valuable in the learning process. Chapter 3: Quote: "Many approaches to learning in the twentieth century, did, in fact work, but largely because of the glacial rate of change that characterized that era" p.43 Question: Is the school system having a difficult time adapting to the rate of change in technology? Connection: In some schools I've worked in I see some resistance to adapting to technology. I continue to see students simply working with text, paper, and pencil. Epiphany: So much work can be produced online. Teachers need to adapt to the rapid pace of changing technology. Source: Thomas, D., & Brown, J. (2011). A new culture of learning: Cultivating the imagination for a world of constant change. Lexington, Ky.: [CreateSpace?]. On week 5 I went back to the batting cages feeling very excited. This day my friend and also a hitting coach came with me to the cages. I regressed a ton this day. I could not hit a single ball. The video above shows me swinging but missing on every attempt. I honestly was not expecting to fail this miserable. I think I may have been too worried on my mechanics that I lost track of the ball. I was not seeing the ball correctly and was missing with every swing.
Overall, I am happy with my project because I found many sources to help me continue to develop my swing and start hitting. I think I also need to go to the cages with athletic wear. This may have contributed to my failure on this day. I also learned that I need to stretch or I could get injured. I learned good form techniques. I know now what I was doing and continue to do wrong. I know what I need to correct to get better at this. I found several affordable places where I can continue to practice my swing. So even though I failed in this project I do feel like I learned a lot and that is my accomplishment. I will continue to go to the batting cages and look forward to getting better. This week I went back to the batting cages at Boomers in Vista feeling good. A friend of mine from Los Angeles was visiting so I invited him to come with me. I was dressed the part and I was feeling good that day. I went to the 70 mile an hour batting cages and I started off very poorly. I was swinging late and not making contact. Eventually I started making contanct and then hitting some line drives. I was very excited. One time I hit the ball perfectly. I hit it hard and high and was pretty sure it would have been a home run. I honestly couldn't believe how well I was doing. Unfortunately, I got tired quickly because I am a little out of shape. I noticed I kept hurting my hands and I did not like that part of the experience.
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AuthorI care about our children's future so I decided to become an educator. Archives
May 2015
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