SmartBoard Workshop

On Saturday, I had the privilege of attending a SmartBoard training workshop at Brock University's Hamilton Campus. We were taught the basics of the SmartBoard program SmartNotebook, as well as how to use a SmartBoard. We all downloaded the SmartNotebook program on our laptops so that we could follow along with the instructor, exploring the many tools associated with a SmartBoard. I selected this Professional Development workshop to attend because I think it is a crucial skill necessary in a classroom. If a teacher has the technology in her classroom, why not make use of it? My associate teacher has a SmartBoard and I have seen how she has utilized it for the benefit of her students. I see the benefit of students interacting with their lesson, and therefore thought it was important I receive such training. I already hinted towards it, but I will definitely use SmartBoard technology in my classroom if I am privileged with it in my room. I see such a benefit to it, and am not afraid to try something new and be creative. Students love getting to participate in the lesson or demonstrate what they know, and a SmartBoard provides them with that opportunity. In my classroom, I will use the SmartBoard as often as I can. Through this workshop, I discovered the extended amount of opportunity that is available with this program and I am excited to explore it further and implement it for many years to come.

Here is a picture of my SmartBoard instructor Kyle, my friend Katie, and I at the SmartBoard training workshop on Saturday!

Hunter, L. (2014). Smartboard Training [Online Image.

VoiceThread

A VoiceThread is a slideshow of a variety of media forms such as pictures and videos. It allows for discussion and feedback to be conducted right in the slideshow. This makes VoiceThread a beneficial classroom learning tool! As a teacher, I would definitely incorporate VoiceThread in my classroom in many different ways. In my grade 1/2 class right now, I think VoiceThread would be a beneficial way to present student's work. So often students do not get a chance to show off their hard work other than the select art projects that get a place on the classroom wall. By uploading students work onto VoiceThread, all students get an opportunity to view their peers work, as well as make comments on what they like about the work. In the primary grades, often peers do not get a chance to provide their classmates with feedback on their work and I believe this would be a beneficial learning experience.

Crystal (2014). Crystal Productions [Online Image]. Retrieved from http://www.crystalproductions.com/WebsiteInfo.aspx?fc=359

My Philosophy of Tech‐Enhanced Teaching

Tech-enhanced teaching is a necessity in today's society in order to reach the digital learners. Although it may not be easy or natural for most teachers because they did not grow up in such a technological word, it is crucial to the growth and well-being of our students. Here is a little Animoto video to describe my philosophy of tech-enhanced teaching.

The Mathematics Problem

Schools today are facing a serious problem when it comes to Mathematics. Students are not effectively learning and understanding the knowledge they need in order to complete math problems. Many students do not feel comfortable with math and feel that they are not good at it. This is a problem because basic math is crucial for any job in the future. Therefore, it is important that the skills are fostered from a very early age. These skills must start at the basics with knowledge and memorization of adding and subtracting or the times tables. Math can often be viewed as scary and difficult, however there are many resources and ways to make it fun! Parents and students, check out this website IXL for games and activities that are linked with the Ontario Curriculum. Students, we have been working on patterns in class. If you would like to get some extra practice at recognizing patterns, check this activity out! Grade 1: Recognizing Patterns. It meets Grade 1 Math expectations 1.1. & 2.1. apply developing reasoning skills (e.g., pattern recognition, classification) to make and investigate conjectures. Learning can be fun and exciting and all students should have the opportunity to succeed.

Making Use of Screen Time

I nanny three children, the twins are in full-day kindergarten and the girl is in grade 2. I pick them up from school and the first thing they do when they get home is grab the Ipad or go on the computer. It is a complete and utter struggle to drag them away from a screen. I have come to realize that this society is one in which technology must be embraced, and therefore we must utilize the screen time for educational benefit. Parents, If you are finding a similar situation with your children, I would encourage you to find a few websites that have educational games and activities for your children to enjoy. Kiz Phonics is one of my favourite sites to explore with the children I nanny. Activities are broken up based on grade and level, allowing students to work at the appropriate pace and find areas where they are challenged. It meets the Language Ontario Curriculum expectation 1.3 which states the following: use knowledge of words and cueing systems to read fluently. Students can practice the letter sounds that we are currently working on in class in order to strengthen their reading fluency. Students, click on the link for your grade level and try out one of the games. Listen to the sounds and look at the picture and drag the appropriate letter or letter sounds to create the word. Parents, let's face it, our children are growing up in a much different world than we did. Let us encourage educational learning activities for our children to play online. 

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

I hope you find the information and resources posted here helpful and informative.

Students, I am excited to depart on this educational journey with you to discover the many technological resources available for our learning!

Parents, I trust that the information here will keep you connected with what we are up to in class this year.

I love to try new things and explore unique ways to learn and grow!