Cloud-based Tools

Google drive and docs are amazing tools every classroom should be using. I see them more beneficial than the regular Microsoft operating tools I have grown up with. Having the ability to go back to a previous version of the document is one of my favorite features. Other beneficial features are the ability to do collaborate work, save the document in a cloud where it can be accessed anywhere in the world. The use of cloud-based tools in a classroom can be extremely beneficial for the teacher and student. Homework, projects and even classroom time can benefit from having this in place. For example if you set a group of 3 students to do a project base learning assignment the initial time that was provided in the classroom could be used to discuss an outline of the responsibilities for each of the parties involved.   
Some of the draw backs that I see in using cloud-based tools are the liberty of the student has, the ability to monitor their input and who is who’s part is hard to verify. Asking for questions for the students understand can be time consuming, email is a great way to communicate with the teacher or the other team. A great way to minimize any of these concerns can be by discussing with other teachers and ask about their experiences with cloud-based tools and students reactions. Another would be to set up some rules before allowing the students to start on a project using these tools. 

 Overall cloud-based tools are a benefit to enhance the students learning and ease the teachers load. 

Snag it

Video casting was awesome and nerve raking. This tool can give all sorts of directions covering a visual, audio learners and it can be replayed over and over again catching any instructions that were missed. What i really enjoyed about this new tool is that many people specially adults are intimidated by the new technology, using Snag-it can offer them a piece of mind.

Some of the ways a teacher can incorporate Snag-it in the classroom are endless.

Here are 5 ways this can be incorporated.

• In a third grade classroom, teaching a lesson on multiplications can be done on a power point. This can incorporate how addition and multiplication are similar using visual animation. This can help the student get introduced to the new concept being taught, they can write out any questions for homework and use the same video to help out with homework.
• In a 5th grade classroom, teaching a lesson on the earth water system can incorporate a lesson on the water cycle and the process of it. have them digest the new concept, then add a project with 3-5 students using google docs as a sharing document tool. The students can separate the project work and develop a video where they can in detail display the individual stages water goes thru.
• In a 7th grade classroom, teaching a lesson on geometry can be easier to show a video on a relative activity for the students. For example a video on pool and how angles can be made. Going thru all the type of angles using the concept of a pool table game. This video can be viewed for homework, then when the lesson is done and all the questions are answered a game of pool can be played on the iPad or computer incorporating a worksheet to assist with the comprehension.
• In a 10th grade wood shop class, teaching a new project can be done on a video where an introduction can incorporate all the procedures beginning to end. giving the students a visualization of what they can expect to do. Also another way would be teaching the students how to use the machines also answering common questions at the end of the video and inviting any other questions that were not answered in the video in to the classroom.
• In a 12th grade english classroom, teaching a sonnet can be easier with a Snag It video on what is a sonnet and the composition of it. The students can get into groups of 4 and make a video on youtube where they can play out a Shakespeare poem.

The video i made on Snag it is on defragmenting a PC. This was nerve raking but very empowering. A lesson can be made around this tool and be used over and over again. not only in the same school year but for more to come. Eventually i would have to run in to updating the video, but then that video will preserve its importance. I hope you enjoy the video. Happy Snagging!!

Digital Citizenship

When surfing or posting something online we allow the rest of the world inside our life. This is hard to understand by the individual, community, state, country and world. Of course we see all these headlines in the news that this person got identity theft and on this or this business hacked. We sometimes come to think that this can never happen to us.

What are your personal boundaries?

How would you explain them to another adult? How about a child?

I believe that it starts by noticing what you put out there. This can be on all layers, individually, thru the community, and etc. how you can fix something if you don’t know it’s a problem. Then there needs to be some type of responsibility, ultimately this is your decision what you put out there and what you don’t. In the article “how to hackle digital citizenship during the first 5 days of school” by Holly Clark it incorporates the nine themes of digital citizenship. Teaching about REPs (Respect, Educate, and Protect). We have known for many years now that educating our future generations is the best way for a long result, they love to talk about what they learned to their friends, family, teammates and etc.

The good, bad and the ugly. The internet has given us, humans the ability to have all types of information at the tip of our hands. We can find everything and anything on the internet now and having the option of not using it is close to impossible in the 21^st century. The internet was develop on a system that inter connected us using a net analogy. Every string of information is going to effect the rest of the net. Now how do we separate this concept and divide the territory of being interconnected? This is a question that may result in a bigger issue. There needs to be a balance between the global nature of the web and digital citizenship. Becoming aware of this problem is the first step now we should own up and take the responsibility having so much information at the tip of fingers. If we become aware of what we want out to the rest of the world for us individually. The understanding of what others have out there should align and balance by itself.