Final Reflection Blog

Technology integration is very important. Technology integration has many different benefits, for both students and teachers. For students, technology integration is very useful for them to learn new things and ideas. Technology is where the world is right now. Young students need to learn technology now so they are aware and prepared for the future. Technology is useful for teachers because there are so many resources out there to help teachers do their best teaching. The technology available really helps teachers integrate and help students understand different material in different ways. 

I will integrate technology in many ways in my future classroom. I know I will use google classroom. Google classroom is such a great tool to use, there are so many benefits that will make teaching easier. Google classroom will help the students as well. There are so many other resources I will use as well like, YouTube, PowToon, iMovie, Symbaloo, Google sites, WebQuests, Kahoot, Finch Robots, Hummingbird Robots, and PowerPoint just to name a few. There were so many useful resources we learned about in this class that I know I will use in my future class. 

Blog # 8 UDL Engagement

I think WebQuests are important because they help students become and stay motivated. WebQuests are very engaging and exciting for students. If students are engaged they will learn and retain more information. It is a great way to get students to want to learn. Students can learn a lot of information in a short period of time doing WebQuests. Webquests are a great way for students to learn content and technology skills at the same time. Many different aspects of doing WebQuests will benefit students.

In regards to this topic I hope to become good at writing WebQuests. I hope to write them so they are useful, engaging, and effectively fit content and standards. I want my students to get the most out of their education and learning experiences, so it is important they are able to learn a lot from this type of activity. WebQuests will help students become confident in different skills they have and subject areas. They will become empowered learners by becoming proficient in technology and specific areas of content.

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Blog #7 Why Coding?

Coding can be effectively integrated into my teaching in a lot of fun and exciting ways. I really liked what we did in class with the finch robots and the humming birds. When you integrate robots and coding many different subjects are integrated into one lesson. Coding allows you to teach many different things at once. To effectively integrate coding you need to be specific and clear on your expectations about what needs to be done. As a teacher you need to be informed and ready to answer questions students may have. It is a great way for students to become engaged and excited about learning.

There are so many new and exciting technological advances in the world today. Coding will help your students be prepared for the present and future. Coding can help your students become familiar with technology that is useful for them. Coding can help in other areas as well. If students code in groups they will learn skills on team work and communication. Team work and communication are important skills students should develop to help them in different areas of their lives. My biggest goal regarding coding is to become more familiar with it. I want to be able to know what I am doing and really help my students understand coding as well. 

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Blog #6 Action & Expression (Summative)

Students find so much joy and excitement in the Finch Robots so it is important to integrate them into teaching. It is a great learning tool for students. Since students know they are using a robot to create something it makes what they are learning more memorable. In every grade the robots can be integrated too, because the program used online is simple enough for kindergartners, but can be complex enough for sixth graders to use as well. There are many different ways Finch Robots can be integrated. I think it would be fun to do a math activity where students have to show their knowledge of transformations, like reflection or rotation through the Finch Robot. Students could also use the Finch Robots to tell a story they made up. To completely integrate them they should be used a few times a month, or at least once a month.

I hope to learn more about Finch Robots and different ways for them to be integrated into my class. A goal I have is to learn more about them and understand them better. If I am able to understand them it will be very beneficial to my students. If students have questions I want to be able to answer them. Learning about the Finch Robots will really help my future students become empowered learners. They will develop excitement, curiosity, and their learning can be self-directed if they want to learn more about coding and robots. Students will develop a natural drive to learn and find information that excites them. I think all students can become empowered learners. Finch Robots will definitely help some students become empowered learners. 

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Blog #5 UDL Action & Expression (Formative)

Formative assessments can be effectively integrated in the class many different ways. I first need to remember formative assessments are part of students learning. Formative assessments will assess students learning along the way of teaching certain things. To integrate this I can always formatively assess what we are learning in different units. I think it is a good idea for students to use online tools to create what they've learned. They are applying what they know and at the same time learning and becoming familiar with technology tools. I can also remember that the assessments can be simple and easy for both students to understand and for teachers to see where the students are.

I think if you effectively integrate formative assessments in your class it will really help students. It can help students better understand and retain information. Through formative assessments I can see where I as a teacher need to improve and re-teach. I can also see where students are struggling and where they need more teaching. My goals for this topic are to always use it to help both me and my future students. 

Blog #4 UDL Representation

1.How can Principle 1: Multiple Means of Representation be effectively integrated into your teaching?

In my future class to effectively provide mulitple means of representation, I can provide options for perception. I can provide many alternative options for audio and visual information. For audio alternatives I can provide closed captions as well as the sound. I can write out instructions and goals for everyone to see not just say the directions. For visual alternatives I can provide descriptions for videos and images shown in class. I can also play books on tape instead of follow along reading for those who have a hard time seeing text in a book. Language and symbol meanings should be provided in class everyday. I can be sure students understand sentence structure and syntax, math notations, and promote options for cross-linguistic understanding. In my class I need to provide options for comprehension. I can provide/activate background knowledge. I can help students by highlighting big ideas and critical points. I can provide options that support memory and transfer. These examples I will use everyday in my class to integrate multiple means of representation in my teaching. 


How will this help your students?
What are your goals with regard to this topic?
If I integrate mulitple means of representation into my future class it will help all students. Since all students comprehend and receive information differently, it can help everyone learn the best they can. It will help my students get the most out of their education and make it meaningful to them. I want to make sure I integrate UDL everyday in my class. I want UDL to be useful and help all of my students succeed and do their best.

Works Cited
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Blog #3 Digital Citizenship

Why is it important to teach digital citizenship?
I think it is important to teach digital citizenship to students to keep them safe on the internet. If we teach students the right steps to making good choices on the internet it will lead to them being respectful of themselves and others while on their devices. Students will also be able to make safe and appropriate choices. It is also important to teach students about online bullying and how to prevent it and report it. If we teach digital citizenship students will be able to know the impact they have on the internet and what their own digital footprint is.

How might you teach digital citizenship in an elementary classroom?
There are several ways to teach digital citizenship in an elementary classroom. One way would be to have a poster of the seven rules hanging in the classroom. Every time we are going to be doing an activity online point out the poster and remind all students to follow those rules. I also think to teach this I could find some sort of video for elementary aged students about digital citizenship. A video would be useful to show how people are impacted by others digital footprints and online bullying. Another way to teach digital citizenship would be as a teacher model the rules of digital citizenship on a regular basis.

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@slyviaduckworth

Blog #2 Standards and PLNs

Twitter: @misssamisclass
Symbaloo: Link

1. The UEN page has dictionary.com and thesaurus.com right when you log in, so you can look up words right when you log on if needed.
2. It has a canvas link, that would be useful if you are going to use canvas in your class.
3. You can save documents or bookmarks to your page. That would be helpful to have all of your school websites linked and in one place. 

Blog #1: Equity and UDL

From the image shared in class I learned not all students are equal when they first start school. The reality is some students know way too much starting kindergarten, some students are right where they should be, and some students know almost nothing at all. Equity is when all of the students starting school are at the same level. Equity is ideal and is the where students hopefully are when they start school.
Universal design for learning is universal curriculum that can be used and understood by everyone. UDL is an approach to learning that minimizes barriers and helps all students learn. Research says that everyone learns differently and learning is as unique as your finger print. UDL can easily be integrated into my teaching. The first thing I can do is always remember the goal of what I want my students to learn by the end of the lessons. I can also use the three ways mentioned in the video. The first way is to offer information in multiple ways. The second way is to give students plenty of options to express what they know. The last way mentioned is to provide means that will motivate and challenge all learners. When I use UDL in my future class my students will be able to learn in a way that will help them get the most out of what is being taught. With this topic I hope to use the three ways in every lesson I possibly can. UDL really helps shape my vision for empowered learning for my future students. If my students are able to learn at their best rate, and get the most out of learning they will become stronger, and more confident in their skills and abilities. Through UDL my students can become empowered learners.

Initial Blog Post (EDEL 3250)

My names Samantha Sutherland, but I prefer to go by Sami. I love to do anything outdoors like hiking or camping. I also really enjoy playing tennis. I like to read and love Harry Potter. I am usually hanging out with my family or friends in my free time. 
In this class I hope to learn useful ways to implement technology in my future class. I also hope to learn how I can teach students that technology is an important part of the world we live in, and the it will be a life long skill. I want to leave this class with an A. So my goal will be to get my assignments done on time and correctly so I can achieve my goal of getting an A.