Gives plenty of resources for TESOL teachers including lesson plans, activities, assessments, teaching tips, etc. You can also contribute your own resources for other teachers. Almost like social media for teachers!
Engagement:
Social Learning:
Use time outside of class better, so you can use in-class time better
It provides opportunities for writing and writing assessment:
Encourage dialogue, reach more students
Help students get ahead of the professional curve:
Build connections
I agree that I could efficiently use this resource in my future classroom to an extent. Because the article only outlines reasons why social media should be used in a classroom, there are no specific ways mentioned on how to integrate social media... there are only a list of benefits to using it. I believe this article could be intended for teacher or student use because it allows both teachers and students to understand the benefits and purposes of using social media in the classroom. One similar resource that could also be considered is "How to use Social Media as a Learning Tool": http://www.edudemic.com/how-to-use-social-media-as-a-learning-tool-in-the-classroom/. This site seems more beneficial to me because it specifically offers ways for teachers to implement social media in the classroom (rather than just stating advantages), such as a class Facebook group, Twitter feed, blog post, YouTube videos, and Instagram.
Are you aware of any similar resources that should be considered? If so, what are those resources?
I just used Poll Everywhere in a presentation on campus with pre-service teachers! It was a hit!! I've never seen a class so quiet and so focused with that many cellphones out!
Austin, I love classes that use Poll Everywhere! I think this is a great resource for my future classroom and would love to use it but I think I would need to adapt it depending on the grade level I teach. I believe Poll Everywhere is beneficial for student and teacher use because it promotes a safe classroom environment and student engagement. Teachers can use this resource as a formative assessment and feedback tool. On the flip side students will be able to use Poll Everywhere as a way to speak up in class when they may be too shy to do so in other ways.
I also love using Poll Everywhere in classes. I agree 100% with everything Nichol said in her comment. I think that it is a great resource to use in any class setting and is a safe, fun way to boost student engagement. It keeps learners participating and provides the instructor with feedback.
Austin - This is a great app for teachers to use in their classroom to get everyone involved. It could also be used by students in upper elementary and above to gather information from classmates or involve them in presentations. This is such an easy tool to utilize in the classroom setting. Thanks for highlighting this resource!
I loved using Poll Everywhere! I think this a great interactive tool for teachers to get students involved into the classroom activity! It's very easy and is very fun for students to use in the classroom!
I used Poll Everywhere for the first time last semester and it was a great idea. It was a really fun time interacting with the teacher in that way. It was very easy to set up and even if you don't have a smart phone you can still text in your response. We answered questions ranging from single answers all the way to little short sentences. I would definitely use this tool if I ever became a teacher because it allows students to be on their phone and contribute at the same time, instead of just being on their phones.
I feel like this would be a great tool if it's used in the right context. I don't necessarily think elementary would be the right place for it. For the students that actually have phones you don't know if the students have texting included in their plans. You might get them in trouble with their parents, hence you get in trouble for telling them to send a text. In older grades I could see this going over very well and I've seen it used in a college class before. It's a nice change of pace in that context.
I actually used Poll Everywhere in my Level 1 Teaching Experience and loved it! The students got to see some results of our lessons, I got a quick formative assessment, and the data was nicely organized for graphing or applying to spreadsheets!
Wikispaces Classroom is a social writing platform for education. It will make it incredibly easy to create a classroom workspace where me and my students can communicate and work on writing projects alone or in teams. Rich assessment tools will give me the power to measure student contribution and engagement in real-time.
We need to have students that are able to ask questions and challenge what they see, but always in a respectful way.
it is not beneficial to give students problems that aren’t real.
Let’s start asking kids to really look into finding what the problems are and giving them some purpose in solving something real.
we spend too much time focusing on being able to tell others what our students can do and know, and not enough time helping students understand those things themselves.
With most people that having a computer also having a Skype account, there are many that are willing to share their expertise in different areas. This does not only have to be via technology, but we should also be bring in experts from our community to talk to students.
Treat others with kindness and consideration. Always.
have students not only learn, but teach each other.
This article discusses eight things we should be looking for in a learner-focused classroom: voice, choice, time for reflection, opportunities for innovation, critical thinkers, problem finders and solvers, self-assessment, and connections.
Online Tools for Student-Centered Learning - Web 2.0 tools to engage students in discussions, analyze information and solve problems. Collaborative learning tools for the classroom
Kim this is a great Web 2.0 tool. This would be a great resource for teachers and students in promoting self-directed learning. I think self-directed learning is crucial in education, and gets us away from the "spoon feeding" phenomenon that so many students have grown accustomed to.
Schoology is a relatively new free learning management system for educators. Similar in nature to Edmodo, it currently allows the educator a few more abilities, resources, and customization that isn't offered in Edmodo.
o Do agree or disagree that the resource can be used efficiently in your own future classroom? Explain why or why not.
Yes, this feature CAN and HAS been used in my classroom to much success. Students really seem to prefer it over other LMS websites like Edmodo or Moodle because of the ease of use, different resources, mobile app, and the App Store. I use it for distributing and collecting assignments, taking polls and surveys, and for taking assessments such as quizzes and tests.
o Do you believe the resource is mostly for teacher use, student use, or both? Explain your perceptions constructively.
This resource is used by both the teacher and the students in order to be effective. The teacher is the one who sets up the page, creates the assignments, links, quizzes, polls, etc and the students use the site to effectively manage their learning process. It has really helped to take away the complaints and excuses that I typically get from students not knowing what they are supposed to do and where everything is located. I think one of the major advantages to Schoology is the ease of being able to find Files/Links and Assignments.
o Are you aware of any similar resources that should be considered? If so, what are those resources.
This task is similar to our threaded discussions. You want your comments to be constructive. Repeat this step for the remaining three bookmarks you are required to comment on.
Other possible LMS websites that I have used are: Moodle, Edmodo, and Blackboard. There are many, many others as this is a highly innovative arena right now and out of all of them, Schoology seems to really impress most educators who have tried using it.
I really like the looks of schoolology, Jeremy! I can see how this would be very useful in a junior high or high school classroom. Especially in a school that has gone 1:1! If fifth grade students had their own computers, I would definitely use this as a classroom management tool! I think this is a great way for educators, students, and parents to all be on the same page regarding assignments and class expectations. I really like the Text/SMS feature! As you had stated in your description. This is very similar to Edmodo, which I'm familiar with. Thank you for sharing!
Some very good points for the teacher to consider when implementing and blended learning environment. I am still researching the idea of blended learning in my higher education classes, but have saved this with some of the other articles I have. I shared an article called "7 Things You Should Know About the Flipped Classroom" It too has some good ideas.
This website has great points on blended learning. Blended learning, when done effectively, is very beneficial for the teacher and student. Teachers are able to differentiate their teaching and students are able to pause/review videos and receive extra help during the class period. Another similar resource I found was also on Edutopia. This website provides a video of how to make blended learning work in your classroom and also provides resource links. http://www.edutopia.org/practice/blended-learning-making-it-work-your-classroom
every teacher already has the tools to differentiate in powerful ways for all learners
The core of differentiation is a relationship between teachers and students. The teacher's responsibility is connecting content, process, and product. Students respond to learning based on readiness, interests, and learning profile.
Content is comprised of the knowledge, concepts, and skills that students need to learn based on the curriculum.
If we provide a variety of ways to explore the content outcomes, learners find different ways to connect.
Process is how students make sense of the content. They need time to reflect and digest the learning activities before moving on to the next segment of a lesson.
Processing helps students assess what they do and don't understand.
Reflection is a powerful skill that is developed during processing experiences
Product differentiation is probably the most common form of differentiation.
Teachers give choices where students pick from formats.
Students propose their own designs.
The key to product options is having clear academic criteria that students understand.
When considering your students' needs, reach even higher in your practice -- that extra stretch is inside us all -- and students will benefit.
This article describes the teacher's role for effective planning of differentiated instruction. I hope that I can use the three points in this article (differentiating content, process, and product) in order to create the best learning experiences for my students.