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Assistive Technology

 https://youtu.be/AUWUOHeoKw8 Assistive Technology      Equality verses equity is a hot topic in all levels of education. Equal experiences and opportunities do not necessarily meet the needs of unique learners. Safir (2016) highlights the important difference between these buzz words by saying “If  equality  means giving everyone the same resources,  equity  means giving each student access to the resources they need to learn and thrive” ( Equality vs. Equity).      I always try to teach my students that each person will be given the tools that they need to be successful, and that these tools may be different for everyone. I model this for them through an activity where an “injury” card is dispersed to each student. Examples are things like a paper cut, broken leg, bruised knee, etc. Then students are all given a Band aid to heal their injury. Students that have serious injuries often get very upset, they explain that a Band a...

Web-Based Assessment Project

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Gaming in the Classroom

  https://youtu.be/ECFRcFkymNo Gaming in the Classroom Gamification and gaming in the classroom are relatively novel topics in education. Many believe that gaming in the classroom engages and motivates learners, leading to student enjoyment and learning. However, many are cautious about the content, context, and connection to standards and curriculum. With little research and evidence in this area, teachers must be thorough when investigating the use of games in the classroom. In my opinion, when done right, gaming in the classroom benefits all relevant stakeholders. Students are engaged and motivated, teachers have the opportunity to collect data on student responses and performance, and parents hear and see the excitement that their children have for school. In addition, students may be able to use these games/websites at home for further reinforcement. Roblyer & Hughes (2019) highlight some of the challenges associated with gaming in the classroom to be: focus on learn...

Professional Development Presentation

Please follow this link to view my presentation on the importance of professional development and why educators should be a part of professional organizations:     https://youtu.be/hu9oAunEGXw

Data Collection & Analysis

As highlighted by Roblyer & Hughes (2019) in chapter 4, data collection and analysis tools are beneficial to both teachers and students in their ability to collect, analyze, and visualize data. Primarily, it greatly benefits the teacher in reducing the time it would take to collect, analyze, and provide feedback to students. This is also beneficial to students when they understand the process that is taken to create this data. I collect data from my students every day. For starters, I record their homework/test/quiz/and project grades in the online program Gradelink. In addition, I incorporate virtual activities that are assigned online such as google forms, Kahoot!, and teachers pay teachers digital activities. I love how easy it is to collect and analyze students individually, and comparatively. I agree with Burns (2015) when she states, “Locating the right tool, building data collection into your routine, and making a plan based on student understanding are important steps to fo...

Personal Philosophy Paper

  Technology in Education Summary and Purpose             In the everchanging twenty first century that we live in, skills and knowledge surrounding technology are imperative. Not only for ourselves as educators, but even more so for the students we are preparing for the “real world”. To me, the purpose of technology in education is twofold. First, it engages and motivates students of all ages to interact with learning in many different subjects. Second, technology is a means of expression that allows students to connect with others, demonstrate their knowledge, and present their unique ideas. As Roblyer & Hughes (2019) state “educational technology is viewed as both processes and resources” (p. 3).             Although technology in education is not a novel concept, the technology we interact with on a day-to-day basis gives us much more versatility and accessibi...

Discussion Board 1

  Standards v. Individual Needs The thought of covering all state standards each year along with differentiating content, process, and product for students’ unique individual needs is a large task. While students need the foundational skills that they learn in school, they also need adults who know and care about them as people and learners. The greatest tool that we have at our disposal is each other. I have learned so much from mentor teachers and brilliant teachers on the internet. My student teaching mentor always reminded me that half the job of being innovative and exciting is copying from teachers that have had success with new or different methods than your own. There is so much room for differentiation when teachers share ideas and experiences with one another. As Roblyer & Hughes (2019) highlight under the Social conditions and implications for educators section, it is important that teachers “create ‘live’ technology plans to share accomplishments and needs withi...