7-4 Blog: Google Apps

Google Apps can be a wonderful piece of technology to use with students and on a professional development level. The difficulty that many schools face is having access to computers and reliable internet to support the use of these apps. Google has created a presentation that outlines 32 ways to use Google apps in a classroom and professional setting, some student examples include translations, sign-up sheets, flash cards, analysis for labs, and much more (Stiglitz).   There are a variety of ways that apply to the professional development aspect as well including curriculum sharing, parent communication/translation, discipline, and calendar planning (Stiglitz).  By using any of these examples you would be expanding your knowledge along with students about positive technology use for learning.

Google Apps has a lot of positive outcomes with its use in schools. One major positive point is that it is free; this helps all schools to have the opportunity to use this source for student learning. Also because the accounts are created through the school they can deny access to certain websites or apps that are inappropriate. Students will also be able to access it from school and home as long as they have a computer and internet access. As I stated above there are so many ways that Google Apps can be used that it allows creativity and innovation to engage students in learning opportunities that can directly develop future skills.

There are also some drawbacks to using Google Apps the user must be 13 years or older this limits 6^th grade and lower using this resource. There must be a reliable internet source and computer, which some schools may not have in their budget. Also teachers that expect students to use Google Apps at home may have an issue due to their economic status and access to technology tools. When using Docs sometimes people or students that you share with don’t realize they need to “make a copy” and they directly edit or delete material that is needed.

My experience with Google Apps personally and professionally has been really successful in organizing and simplifying my everyday life. I mainly use Google Classrooms, Docs, Slides, Calendar, Gmail, and Drive. I use these Apps for my students in the classroom and also for professional collaboration and communication. Through my coursework at SNHU I have used Google Forms for survey creation multiple times. I have also used it for blogging and commenting on classmates’ blogs. In this module we worked in Google Slides to create a slide on a personal inspirational quote and image. And finally my most common use I do is using it as a search engine when finding information on a topic.

I created my survey to gain a better understanding of how and why people use technology the way that they do. When I read that we could create this survey on any topic we wanted, I found myself thinking about how I use technology and wondering how others use it. I think I have a good idea why and how, but am interested in reading and analyzing the responses.

Survey Results: 

Summary

What technology do you use in your professional (work) setting?

Laptop computer	6	75%
Desktop computer	6	75%
Projector	7	87.5%
Document Projector	3	37.5%
Interactive Whiteboard (Mimio, SMART board, etc.)	7	87.5%
Tablets (iPad, Microsoft Surface, etc.)	5	62.5%
Readers (Nook, Kindle, etc.)	2	25%
Other	1	12.5%

Which professional technology tool do you use the most?

Laptop computer	4	50%
Desktop computer	1	12.5%
Projector	0	0%
Document Projector	1	12.5%
Interactive Whiteboard (Mimio, SMART board, etc.)	2	25%
Tablets (iPad, Microsoft Surface, etc.)	0	0%
Readers (Nook, Kindle, etc.)	0	0%
Other	0	0%

What do you use that tool for?

Lesson Plans

Lesson development & research

Teaching

day to day processing

To provide feedback, to grade, to construct lessons and videos, etc.

Aiding my instruction

Lesson planning and email

Teaching Lessons

What do you like about using technology in the professional setting?

I like how technology, when used effectively, can engage students in learning experiences that build on collaboration, problem solving, and higher order thinking skills.

It makes life easier!

Although it takes time to use it and create learning tools with it, it ultimately saves time because I have the tools created and I can now use them when I need them versus having to start from scratch.

Students can follow along with the instruction

The ability to access needed information quickly.

It is a great tool to help instruct and get the ideas across.

The ease of accessing information quickly, as well as the ability to connect and share what I have found with others

It helps make efforts and time more efficient.

What technology do you use in your personal (outside of work) setting?

Laptop computer	6	75%
Desktop computer	4	50%
Projector	0	0%
Document Projector	0	0%
Interactive Whiteboard (Mimio, SMART board, etc.)	0	0%
Tablets (iPad, Microsoft Surface, etc.)	7	87.5%
Readers (Nook, Kindle, etc.)	2	25%
Other	2	25%

Which personal technology tool do you use the most?

Laptop computer	4	50%
Desktop computer	1	12.5%
Projector	0	0%
Document Projector	0	0%
Interactive Whiteboard (Mimio, SMART board, etc.)	0	0%
Tablets (iPad, Microsoft Surface, etc.)	1	12.5%
Readers (Nook, Kindle, etc.)	0	0%
Other	2	25%

What do you use that tool for?

calls, social media, GPS, scheduling, podcasts, music player

School and social thing

School work.

Email, Lesson Plan Research

Grade papers, watch TV

Gaming and streaming

Designing custom graphics/artwork, editing photographs

organization and entertainment

What do you like about using technology in the personal setting?

The ability to communicate easily.

It's a great way to unwind and relax.

It helps me communicate with others and my family that do not live close by. Helps me keep in touch with the world.

It provides me with yet another tool to express my creativity.

It keeps me connected to my interests.

I like how technology connects with the world in real time experiences.

Accessability

It can be relaxing.

Number of daily responses

https://docs.google.com/a/framingham.k12.ma.us/forms/d/1XVM3gBnwi1kv8G_XSI996WSOSXgT607pZ1kIeHghY9o/viewanalytics

Resources:

Google. (n.d.). Integrating Google Tools 4 Teachers. Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/site/colettecassinelli/proscons

Stiglitz, J. (n.d.). Google Apps in Classrooms and Schools. Retrieved from https://docs.google.com/a/framingham.k12.ma.us/presentation/d/1_6fh7wXkugHQbbA2ILrjsFqysvclJCbul2I3Oc912D8/present?slide=id.i148

5-4 Blog: Social Networking

“Social networking is the use of dedicated websites and applications to interact with other users, or to find people with similar interests,” (Google, 2015). The important information to realize is that social networking is mostly about communicating with others and the way chosen to use it in the classroom is up to the teacher. Some of the ways that social networking sites are being used in the classroom are “blog posts, status updates, connecting with other classrooms in the state, country or world, to give feedback on an assignment, to create videos or podcasts and special interest projects,” (Edutopia, 2015). These types of classroom assessments could also be used for professional development or for administration to contact staff. Whatever source is used it is essential that the educator using it must have a large amount of knowledge of that program. That way he or she is aware of possible issues that could occur and then create a plan to prevent them from happening.

There are many advantages to using social networking sites in the classroom, such as increasing student engagement, by creating value and interest for the student. Also teachers are able to get valuable data to track student’s progress (Pandolfo, 2012). The systems that are being created “will be able to analyze that student's work and their understanding and be able to give the right kind of feedback at the right time to help them deepen their understanding,” (Pandolfo, 2012). Profile based websites, like LinkedIn, have “enhanced profiles to include organizations, projects, awards, test scores and courses to make that first job out of college more attainable,”(Goble, & Leicht, 2014). Many college campuses are using social networking sites to promote “professional networking, outreach to current and potential students and school pride,” (Glenn, 2012). Using these types of websites in the classroom allows students to feel like what they are producing can go beyond the classroom.

Although the advantages are significant, there are disadvantages as well. Many educators feel that it could lead to too much computer time; school should be a place where students can shut off their technology (Pandolfo, 2012). Another disadvantage is that many of our students are becoming “deficient in the face-to-face social skills needed in the workplace,” (Pandolfo, 2012). “Students want to use social media for socializing, not as an extended classroom,” (Glenn, 2012). In addition some believe that “Social media is not expanding their social circle or worldview, it’s limiting it,” (Pandolfo, 2012).

I personally believe that social networking websites used in the classroom could be successful, although there does need to be guidelines. Educators should not be using these sources just to use them, there needs to be an educational purpose. The educator needs to have strict expectations and instructions when using networking sites. Also I believe that certain age groups may be more successful than others, for example college level learners should be able to maintain a blog or twitter account, where as an elementary student may struggle at this task and need more guidance. From my experience I think that middle school students may take advantage of the assignment and use it for social not educational purposes. “The digital environment is offering us some of the greatest learning opportunities that young learners have ever had,” how we use them is important (Edutopia, 2015).

Resources:

Edutopia. (2015). A Guidebook for Social Media in the Classroom. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/guidebook-social-media-in-classroom-vicki-davis

Glenn, D. (2012). How Well are Schools Using Social Media? Retrieved from http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/how-well-are-schools-using-social-media-infographic/90209?red=st

Goble, D. & Leicht, G. (2014). Should Teachers be Using Social Media in the Classroom? Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/social-media-valuable-tool-teachers/

Google. (2015). Social Networking. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=definition+of+social+networking

Pandolfo, N. (2012). Social Media and Video Games in Classrooms Can Yield Valuable Data For Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/30/social-media-and-video-ga_n_1465082.html

Blog 2-2 Reflection

Your digital footprint or dossier is every online interaction that you have ever had accounts, posts, emails, and much more. Some of this information is protected by security programs, but not all and the security is limited based on who is trying to access your digital footprint. With my personal digital footprint I try to limit what I place online and make sure that what I do is appropriate. There have been so many scandals with teachers and what they have posted online; this made me not want to be extra careful. It’s important to “remember that what you share with your friends may also be viewed by people you don’t know. And once it’s online, it could be there forever, so think before you post,” (Commonwealth of Australia, 2015).  Students also need to be aware of their personal digital footprint and what is in the online world with their name attached to it.

Digital citizenship is “the norms of appropriate, responsible technology use,” (Ribble, 2015). For me this was really not talked about until I went to college, and I took a criminal justice course that informed me on the amount of crime that is given evidence through online posts. When I was going through middle and high school technology started to be used more frequently in school, but not in the way that it is used today. Social media websites have drastically increased in usage in the past decade (Pew Research Center, 2015). Also, from my experience, when Facebook first came out many people were unaware of accessibility to the posts or pictures they were putting online. This resulted in career and legal problems for many young people who were naive of the appropriate digital citizenship. Having appropriate use of technology is important for all who use it, not just students

Throughout the years, the importance for digital citizenship has been essential to teach in schools. Often times many schools offer an introductory lesson at the beginning of each school year about expectations, rules and regulations that go along with technology in and out of school. “With the growth of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) and 1:1 initiatives in schools there is much more of a need to talk about responsible use of technology,” (Ribble, 2015). By doing this it will prepare out students to be more informed on how to act and what the consequences could be if they have poor digital citizenship. I think that the appropriate age to teach about digital citizenship is when someone uses technology independently, and this age is becoming younger and younger each year. If a student is going to have the ability to work alone on an assignment involving technology they need to be made aware of expected appropriate behaviors.  As they become more independent the student will continue to learn more digital citizenship as it applies to social and personal uses.

Technology has made a positive impact in education, but there is risk in the use of it. Therefore it is necessary that teachers prepare their students for the effective use of the equipment especially in their classroom and at home as well. Making sure that our students are learning skills to appropriately use technology will help them now and in their future. Some of these skills will include digital security (self-protection), law, responsibilities, etiquette, literacy, communication, and rights (Ribble, 2015). Technology provides new ways to learn and exciting opportunities for all, making smart choices allows for success.

Resources:

Commonwealth of Australia. (2015). Digital Footprint. Retrieved from http://www.cybersmart.gov.au/Kids/Get%20the%20facts/Digital%20footprint.aspx

Davis, V. & Lindsay, J. (2010) Navigate. Retrieved from http://www.flatclassroomproject.org/file/view/DigitalCitizenship_Mar2010.pdf

Pew Research Center. (2015). Social Networking Fact Sheet.  Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/

Ribble, M. (2015). Digital Citizenship. Retrieved from http://www.digitalcitizenship.net/

Blog 1-4 Reflection

Technology integration specialists are an essential position in today’s educational world. There are so many responsibilities and understandings that they need to know and inform other educators on. Through my previous coursework at SNHU I have learned a lot about the expectations of what goes into the position of a technology integration specialist. Some of those expectations include, writing policy, professional development on technology resources, creating ideas for teachers using technology in the classroom, maintenance, troubleshooting, the distribution of equipment, budgeting, and so much more. This role is ever changing with the constant update of technology and the new creations occurring every day. “With all of the new technology available to educators and its implementation into schools, it is even more important for schools to utilize a technology integration specialist,” (SNHU, 2015).

Technology is being used constantly in the world today, especially for students outside of school. Many of my students don’t know what to do when they don’t have their phones or internet. “Technology is students’ connection to the world,” (SNHU, 2015). People are frequently posting on social media websites, texting, taking photos so much that most conversations occur in an online written format rather than using their voices. It is so easy to quickly look something up on Google and answer a question or disagreement you may be having on a topic; when 10 years ago you just continued to argue over the answer, not being able to show proof until later. Technology has altered the way students think and learn, they are able to take control of the learning and take action in “relearning the content and becoming the creator and the producer of their work,” (MacArthur Foundation, 2010). Students expectations in life and school are changing drastically from previous decades.

Education today is incorporating technology much more into the classroom setting, not just in word processing but through lessons that allow students to complete assignments through their own creation, giving them choice and freedom to express the knowledge learned. This allows teachers to instruct on expectations and then stand back and facilitate. It’s not that educators are “abandoning formal learning, but getting the two to work in a much more coordinated way,” (MacArthur Foundation, 2010). Standards are being put in place to ready students for future expectations in the work place, such as Common Core State Standards, ISTE NETS Standards, and adjustments to state standardized testing. By these expectations occurring at the state level each district is bringing in new initiatives to teachers on how to incorporate this into the everyday classroom to better prepare the students. Many districts are integrating one-to-one laptops, so that students are using technology on a daily basis.

Technology is a positive learning tool for students today, it gives them choice in the learning process. Although too much of anything is not good, and at times I fear that the expectations may be excessive. Giving our students the skills and knowledge to use technology is important, but that is not all that is out there in the world. Having a balance of technology time and technology free time is important in all of our lives, don’t forget to take breaks.

Resources:

Common Core State Standards Initiative. (2015). About. Retrieved from http://www.corestandards.org/

International Society for Technology Education. (2009). ISTE Standards Administrators. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-A_PDF.pdf

International Society for Technology Education. (2008). ISTE Standards Teachers. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/20-14_ISTE_Standards-T_PDF.pdf

MacArthur Foundation. (2010). Rethinking Learning. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=c0xa98cy-Rw

Southern New Hampshire University. (2015). Module One: Reviewing the Role of the Technology Integration Specialist. Retrieved from https://bb.snhu.edu/bbcswebdav/pid-5505202-dt-content-rid-11313205_1/courses/EDU-642-15TW3-MASTER/EDU-642-14TW2-MASTER_ImportedContent_20131105031557/EDU-642-13TW1-MASTER_ImportedContent_20130725042753/EDU-642-13TW4-MASTER_ImportedContent_20130514031222/Learning%20Modules/Module%20One%20Module%20Lecture/EDU642_Module1_Lecture.pdf