New Tech Standards and Requirements

After becoming educated on the newest tech standards for the state of Oregon, one of my biggest realizations was just how intertwined technology and education have become. When I was in grade school during the early 1990’s, technology and computers were almost viewed as “toys” or “novelties.” Students could write papers on them and play computer games – that was essentially it. At that time, computers were not yet viewed as an essential technology piece or a training tool that would allow students to flourish in the job market. The real world applications just weren’t there yet. Twenty years later, technology has changed the entire scope of teaching and education. It’s changed the way students study, write, read, work together, plan, and train for the real world outside of class. As teachers, we are so lucky to be teaching in a time like this. Never have there been more tools to aid in the learning process right at one’s fingertips.


I have chosen to focus my attention on three of the tech standards below and have provided some ideas regarding implementation in the classroom:


Creativity and innovation – When I was in school, a teacher may have read a description about an animal out of a book and showed the class a photo of that animal from the book. Today, there are many more options available. By using the internet, and Google Presentation, a teacher could quickly put together a short display for students that featured photographs, videos, and audio of an animal that would bring the representation to life. Students could see how fast a Cheetah can run, rather than just imagining it. They could hear what it sounds like and see how it moves. The teacher could then post the presentation to a class blog so excited learners could share their excitement and show their parents what they learned at school that day. Teachers have the ability to bring books to life by utilizing audio, video, and presentation quality materials.

Communication and collaboration- When I was in school, we had a “sister school” in Japan. There was a display case in the hallway that featured letters, drawings, and correspondence that the schools would send back and forth to each other. Imagine sitting in a classroom, looking at a computer screen, and seeing people from your “sister school” looking right back at you. The internet has undoubtedly made the world a smaller place. By utilizing Screenr or a number of free streaming video programs, correspondence between schools could take place live over the internet. Personally, I would utilize these types of features to create virtual reading and writing communities with other schools. I would partner with another school or classroom to read the same book at the same time, and to have the classes collaborate with each other to reflect upon the material. Students from different schools could present their class’s reflections and thoughts back and forth via the internet in a live collaboration.

Research and information fluency- I would utilize GoogleDocs or Google Presentation to allow students the opportunity to share their research and work with other students in the class. An example of an assignment might be to have each students select a decade from the last century and submit a short presentation or document to myself and their classmates. The assignment would entail locating a certain amount of information, photos, audio, and video of events that took place during that decade and a short synopsis of their cultural significance. Essentially, the assignment would be to submit a virtual scrapbook to their fellow students and teacher that would teach them something important about that decade. By presenting their work to the class, the class would be able to learn about events from every decade in the last century in an upbeat and lively format. This assignment would combine technology, research, and collaboration into one short assignment and allow students to be exposed to other viewpoints.

Overall, I can’t help but reflect upon what a wonderful time this is to be a student and a teacher. The world has never been smaller and information and tools have never been more readily available than they are right now. By exposing our students to the many useful components of technological literacy at a young age, we are preparing them for the future challenges that lie ahead of them in the real world. Although, there are challenges with limited budgets and constantly evolving technology, we can take comfort knowing that most if not all the tools I described are free online. If teachers look hard enough, they can find the tools that can help make their classrooms successful technologically. Staying ahead of the curve with technology will enable them to reach their students more effectively and connect with them in ways that weren't possible, until recently. Students who graduate today, with these tech standards will be the most technologically trained and prepared workers we’ve seen to this point. I’m excited to help train and prepare them for successful lives and careers in the fields of their choosing.

Analyzing Student Data in a Spreadsheet

This was an interesting exercise as it gave me a different perspective than I've had thus far in the program - charting and monitoring development. I was intrigued by the possibilities Google's spreadsheet programs present in my future classroom. The program is very user friendly and allows for quick and efficient date transfer - making grading easy and convenient. Plus, the compatibility within Google Docs and our blogs is another big "plus." I was challenged by the "% growth" portion of the exercise, but eventually I think I figured it out (I hope). I will surely utilize these tools in the classroom and will encourage others to do so, as well.

  Here is a link to my project and an embedded version for better viewing:



When analyzing the class results between the pre-test and post- test, I would be pleased with the progress the class showed. Collectively, the class improved their scores by an average of 239% and many showed marked improvement in comprehension and ability to apply the material. In a short period of time, the students covered a lot of material and displayed excellent comprehension as only two students scored below standards and they both showed great improvement over the course of the exercises. With a little more private instruction, they should be able to make up the gap with their classmates.

One student displayed a slight decrease in scores. Although it wasn't a major decrease, it could still be cause for concern. The student missed more days during the period than anyone else in the class which could be a contributing factor. The student is also several grades older than anyone else in the class and could potentially be considered "behind" for their age group. However, the student also had the highest pre-test score in the class so an argument could be made that the student didn't have nearly as much room for improvement as some some of the other students in the class. This student had already displayed an ability to comprehend the material at a high level during the pre-test period. My recommendation would be to approach the student privately to inquire as to how things are going in their personal life and to see if I could gather any information as to why they may have been unfocused during the testing period. The student scored an 88% on the combined pre-test and post-test average so I would not be too worried unless the trend of regression continued.

One student I would have had concerns about entering the instruction period scored only a 3% on the pre-test. However, with extra instruction and attention throughout the period, he raise his score up to a 73% by the post - test. The student was drastically behind his peers entering the unit, however, he demonstrated a great ability to learn quickly once the lessons began. He improved more than any student in the class. He is still behind the rest of his peers in the class but with more individual instruction and attention, he should be able to catch up as he is clearly very capable. Many factors could have contributed to his lack of previous knowledge entering the lesson, but he picked things up rapidly. He will continue to need extra instruction, but he seems very capable of "catching up" with some of his other peers with more exposure to the material which is clearly new to him.

Screenr-Dropbox

This is my tutorial of a Cloud based file sharing program called "Dropbox" using the Screenr video tool.

Personal Productivity Tools

TinyURL is a useful tool as it allows people to compress long and extensive links into much shorter ones to share with others. Anyone could find this tool helpful, even if it's as simple as emailing a link to a friend. I think at some point, everyone has probably received an email with a long and nasty link that causes them to questions it's validity. TinyURL can fix that problem. This tool could come in particularly useful between mobile devices as copying and pasting massive links can be problematic, at times. This tool also can make it easier for quick notation of a link - like students taking notes during a lecture.

Dropbox is a Cloud based technology that allows for file sharing and backup between two or more computers/devices at any location. Users simply need to establish an account, install the software, and choose what files they want to share. The rest is simple. Doing so allows users to access those files on any computer by logging into the email address they created their account under. For instant connectivity, users might choose to install the software on a second computer under the same account. By linking the computers, users can instantly transport files between computers simply by dragging the files and placing them in their Dropbox folder. I'm already excited about potentially using this tool to access my school files when I travel to a conference in a few weeks.

Teamviewer is a tool that allows users to remotely access the desktop of another computer via the internet. It is pretty amazing as it allows for full access and use of the secondary desktop on another computer. As Barry pointed out, this could be used for technical support, instruction, or to have full access to one's own computer from a remote location. This could be very useful in a classroom setting as teachers could offer remote support to students on technologically based assignments or to have full connectivity of multiple devices within a classroom at their disposal.

What is Cloud computing and web 2.0?

Cloud computing and web 2.0 are a web based technology allowing programs and applications to be accessed from any location (typically) via the internet. It is a phenomenal technology that allows ordinary people and businesses to access their data at any location at any time. I first became familiar with this concept last year when Apple introduced an update for I-Phone users surrounding the launch of their new I-Phone. The "I-Cloud" allowed customers to share photos, calenders, music, and other applications and data between all of their devices by using Cloud based technology to backup and transmit their data back and forth. I have found it to be very useful as it allows for shared access of databases within our household. After recently learning about GoogleDocs and other Cloud based technologies, it is no secret why more and more people are turning to this type of connectivity. My fiance and I have already started using GoogleDocs to plan our wedding as it allows us to share and edit lists together. There are no more duplications as we have been working off of the same lists thanks to this technology!

Google Bookmarks Project

As a member of group 1, our task was to develop a presentation introducing the class to Google bookmarks. We were to develop slides detailing many key features of bookmarks, potential applications for teachers in the classroom, resources for more information, and our own personal reflections about the product.

I think this tool can help teachers become more organized and maintain better records. Also, it could potentially allow for easier access to documents, assignments, readings, and ongoing projects for students. Essentially, Bookmarks would allow students to login from any location and access their class assignments instantly. Having the ability to display projects and documents for students regardless of location, operating system, computer, etc. is a very interesting capability for teachers to have. Students are sure to love it too. They wouldn't have to worry about losing or converting files anymore as that's all taken care of for you with Google Bookmarks.

Overall, I found this tool fairly easy to use. It took me roughly 20-25 minutes to get acclimated and feel comfortable using it. I think that would be about average and would expect most others to feel the same way about it.

I contributed to several slides on the group project by providing a few useful possibilities to increase productivity, providing a link to a Bookmarks FAQ, and by adding a slide and posting a reflection regarding the product.

Click here to view our Google Bookmarks Project!

Welcome Activity Reflection

More video was uploaded to Youtube in the last 2 months than if ABC, NBC, CBS had been airing content 24/7 since 1948. The way kids growing up today experience and consume media has changed. "They no longer search for news, news finds them via social media." This puts innovation at a premium. As the way we consume media and information continues to change, we need to adapt and continue to bring content to students in different ways. We have an obligation to become better learners ourselves so we can bring relatable content to students and make it easier for them to learn.