Journal 4: "Join the Flock" and "Enhance your Twitter Experience"

NETS-T: 2,4, 5

Ferguson, H. (2010). Join the Flock!. Learning and leading with Technology , 37(8), 12-15. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/issues/Join_the_Flock.aspx

Summary: In the article, “Join the Flock,” author Hadley Ferguson discusses how to build your PLN through the social media website Twitter. Twitter really has brought together her PLN.  Twitter can help make strangers become a community, “PLN is a community of individuals around the world who are learning together.” According to Ferguson, building a PLN community does take some time. She explains that with twitter you necessarily don’t have to make yourself visible. You can follow people and not say a word. When you are ready to make yourself visible you can simply start retweeting some of the people you are following tweets. This will help develop your PLN community and people will start following you.

Q1: Can I see myself developing a PLN using Twitter?
Answer: I have been a little resistant using twitter. I have had one for a couple of years now, but have never really been able to get into it. After reading this article, I have learned a lot how to slowly develop my PLN.  I believe for my future profession this is a great tool that I need to learn to use.  


McClintock, S. (2010). Enhance your twitter experience. Learning and Leading with Technology , 37(8), 14-17. Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Libraries/Leading_and_Learning_Docs/June_July_2010_Join_the_Flock.sflb.ashx.

Summary: In the article, “Enhance your Twitter Experience,” author Shannon McClintock talks about tools and tips that once can use to enhance their twitter experiences. There are many different twitter organizers that can be used to organize your tweetstream. The tweet organizers such as Tweetdeck and Hootsuite, organize your tweets into separate columns. You can organize your tweets into columns like: all friends, direct messages, mentions, or any special list or searches that you’re following. This article also demonstrates the importance of using hash tags on twitter. It is a great way to share and connect and follow people who have the same interests as you. After reading this article, Twitter seems like a great tool to build your PLN and make relationships with others all over the world.

Q2: Will these tools really help enhance my twitter experience?
Answer: I think the reason why I haven't really been involved in the whole Twitter fad is because I really haven't been able to understand it. It has seemed a bit unorganized to me and chaotic. I think with these tools it will make it easier to use.
    

Journal 3: Flipping the Classroom!

NETS-T: 2,3

Fulton, K. (2012). Upside down and inside out: Flip your classroom to improve student learning. Learning & leading with technology, 39(8), 12-14. Retrieved from http://www.learningandleading-digital.com/learning_leading/20120607?pg=14&pm=2&fs=1

A group of dedicated educators decided to use a new educational innovation in their classrooms. These teachers all teamed up to "flip" their classroom. They recorded math lessons at home for their students to watch, and then in class the students would do their homework. Students are then able to ask questions in class and get the help they need when their doing homework. Students math scores have gone up tremendously and many of the students are really enjoying this method of flipped classrooms.

The students seem to have a lot of freedom using this method. During each class, students start rearranging furniture. They are able to pick a place where they would like to sit and do their work. They can also work with a group of students or work on their own. Some students even review last nights lesson during this time. It gives the students the opportunity to work at their own pace. If a student is ahead they can move on to the next lesson. If the student is struggling they can get the help they need in class. This give the teachers more time to answer the students’ questions rather then just moving on to the next lecture.  

Q1. How could use a flipped classroom in a special education class?

This method really seems to work for math. I’m not sure I would incorporate this with other subjects. I think it would work if I recorded my lessons during class time and posted them online for the students to look over if they had any questions or needed to better clarify something that was taught in class. I would definitely use this method for math and science though!

Q2. How would students be able to use this method if they had no access to technology?

The article does talk about giving the students a CD for those who do not have internet, but what if the student didn’t have a computer at all. I would give students the option of coming into class early or after school if they needed to watch the recordings.

Journal 2: School 2.0 Reflection Tool

After taking the reflection 2.0 teacher assessment, I decide to investigate NETS-T1, “Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity.” I believe it is really important to enable students to use technology to demonstrate critical thinking and construct knowledge. I wish that my teachers had used more technology. I feel that my classes growing up used just standard power point and mostly just lecturing. I really don’t remember doing any assignments or research with the Internet. I think that if I grew up with more of these tools that it would of brought out a more creative side in me.

Teachers today, now more then ever need to use technology. Most of the students today in the K-12 system have been brought up using computers, iPhones, and other technical devices. Teachers really need to keep their students engaged. Technology really advances the students’ learning.  Virtual environments keep the students connected and informed. Technology really helps inspire the students more then I would of ever thought. It is really interesting to see how much technology affects the students learning in todays day and age, because I feel that I had little technology in my learning process. Students can solve real world issues and problems with digital tools and resources. They become more independent solving things by themselves.  It is all very interesting!


Nets for teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/nets-for-teachers.aspx 

Journal 1

100 Things that Make Me Happy:
1. My family
2. Friends
3. Evan (boyfriend)
4. Gus (My dog)
5. Pizza
6. Mexican food
7. The beach
8. Music
9. Concerts
10. Shopping
11. Ice cream
12. Popcicles
13. Shoes
14. Country music
15. Stagecoach
16. Movies
17. Soccer
18. Baseball
19. Football
20. Baking
21. Cookies
22. Cake
23. Dounuts
24. Laughy taffy 
25. Air heads
26. Tootsie rolls
27. Avocados
28.  Traveling
29. Hiking
30. Working out (Kinda)
31. Working
32. Jacuzzi
33. Swimming
34. Laying out
35. Fro yo
36. True Blood
37. Pretty Little Liars
38. Revenge
39. Magazines
40. Hunger games
41. Twilight
42. 50 Shades of Gray
43. Reading
44. French fries
45. Molten chocolate cake
46. Getting paid
47. Coffee
48. Iphone
49. Bowling
50. Walking
51. Cats
52. Urbanoutfitters
53. Target
54. Costco
55. Oreo balls
56. Mac n cheese
57. Las Vegas
58. Road trips
59. Pools
60. Snickers
61. Twix
62. Rootbeer
63. Water
64. Comedians
65. Christmas
66. Easter
67. My birthday
68. Halloween
69. Ireland
70. Sweden
71. Bahamas
72. Palm Springs
73. Dancing
74. Karoke
75. Jello
76.  Disneyland
77. Six flags
78. In & out
79. Chick-fil-a
80.  Nail polish
81. Arkansas
82. Bonfires
83. Fishing
84. Luke Bryan
85. Card games
86. Apples to Apples
87. Escondido
88. Padres
89. Chargers
90.  My niece Ali
91. My nephews Trevor and Daniel
92. Bingo
93. Slot machines
94. Olympics
95. Pedicures
96. Tailgating
97. DVR
98. Braides
99. Fruit
100.  Sushi