Social Media in Schools

Social media can be an important teaching tool if used and implemented in the correct way. There are many apps out there labeled and marketed as social media; some that entice our students more than adults! Ultimately social media in education should be used to promote and communicate the learning process, activities, and products that students create to demonstrate their growth and learning.

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I use Twitter infrequently to communicate about my classroom and professional development as a teacher. I share my likes and passions as a teacher by tweeting and retweeting science-related things that I feel more people should know about. Twitter is beneficial in the way it conveys information succinctly by limiting characters in a tweet and getting right to the point. Twitter is also beneficial because it separates my personal life on Facebook from my professional life on Twitter. Students, parents, teachers, and administrators can follow me to see what’s happening in my class. In turn, other stakeholders outside my school community can learn about things in my class, just as I would seek out new ways of learning and doing from others.

Although I don’t seek out feedback on my Twitter feed, “likes” and retweets would be the best form of feedback. I have teacher friends, colleagues and administrators who follow my Twitter account but not as many students and parents follow me. At the beginning of last school year, I made an effort to communicate the fact I had a Twitter account to students and likewise to parents at open house and parent-teacher conferences. I think we’re on the cusp of parents using this as a means to glimpse their child’s school day.

Using technology with students in school has been a game-changer for me as an educator, but with it comes certain problems that I’ve learned to predict, model and reinforce with students over time. At our school, we use a program called Gaggle that informs the local police and administrators of any serious situations, suspicious pictures or words being communicated by our students while using school-issued Chromebooks or over the school’s network. Within our classrooms, teachers have the right to determine and interpret the “rights and wrongs” of technology use. In my opinion, it’s important for teachers to talk with students about the appropriate use of technology in their respective classrooms and determine fair and equitable consequences when expectations are not met. All students are expected to follow the general AUP guidelines, but teachers and students should have the autonomy to interpret those rules for their classroom.

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I can clearly remember who the bullies and mean girls were growing up. Back then hurtful words were written on notes and passed around in class or spoken in open areas at recess. Bullies have been around forever, but technology now gives them a whole new platform for their actions. Cyberbullying in the 21st century cannot be ignored. As a parent of two middle school children and a teacher of high school students, I’m fearfully aware of what potentially takes place online when students interact and communicate. Most teens have devices that keep them constantly connected to the Internet. Because having a phone usually means 24 hour access to the internet, those being bullied may find themselves unable to escape or avoid the negative attention that bullies give. Any kid that has access to a digital device (phone, computer, tablet, etc), is at risk. So although my youth experiences are much different than those of my two children and the students I teach, the use of technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person is still unacceptable.

Here are some signs I think might indicate cyberbullying based on what I’ve witnessed with students and their devices (their school-issued Chromebook and their personal phone) in my school:

• a student seems distracted by their phone or upset after glancing at their phone screen
• a student hides tabs on their Chromebook or acts secretive when I approach their desk/table
• students who avoid class discussion and seem reserved or checked-out
• skipping lunch or eating lunch with a smaller (trusted) group of students in a teacher’s room
• student’s grades start to slide
• feeling easily overwhelmed or angered

Just like trying to identify students with mental health issues like stress, anxiety and/or depression, however long-term or infrequent a teacher might see changes in a student, we should always take the precaution to check in with the student, their parent/guardian and notify a counselor immediately.

678 Course Reflection

And just like that, I am one class away from completing this Technology Specialist endorsement program through the University of St. Francis. In the last 18 months, I have grown as an individual and educator, meeting the demands and challenges of this program with an open mind and a willing spirit. This course required a bit more work on my part in comparison to other USF courses, but the outcomes were beneficial and will definitely move me forward in my career.

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There are two takeaways from this course that I'd like to reflect on. The first relates to the importance of essential questions in driving course objectives. Essential questions are necessary and integral components of a unit's daily lessons. The students need to observe and understand the relatedness of each essential question as a unit progress from beginning to end. The essential questions also help to formulate assessment criteria when a unit wraps up. Good essential questions can drive the learning and be linked to quality instructional materials.

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The second takeaway relates to the first. Essential questions are the bones of a good project/problem-based learning (PBL) unit. With the aid of technology in the classroom, students have an opportunity to solve problems and generate educational materials that support their wonderings. PBL units also use the 4 Cs - creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking - to enhance a student's learning experience and develop the 21st-century skills needed to be a responsible digital consumer and citizen. This course has provided a wealth of research to support the use of PBL in education. As technology continues to advance, I'm certain PBL will be a common way of learning in classrooms, including mine.

676 Artifact Reflection #1

About a year ago, I added a post to this blog about academic integrity that you can read about here. In the time since that blog post, I've significantly increased my awareness and responsible use of digital material. I've also made a more conscious effort to teach my students about using other people's ideas and material in the hope of developing more responsible digital citizens.

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Module 5 was a stepping stone that furthered my understanding of fair use, copyright, and a person's digital footprint. Things you share online are permanent, just like a tattoo! Digital footprints are unimaginably long trails of information that follow a digital consumer everywhere. As a teacher of a Gen-Y society, it's increasingly frustrating to witness a student's careless approach to using digital media and images without permission from the owner. Students (and many adults) go straight to Google and search for whatever they need, copy it, insert it, forget to cite it, and move on.

Terms like public domain, creative commons, fair use, copyright, and plagiarism need to be regularly used in context, no matter what the age, grade level, course or discipline. Far too many students and adults are irresponsibly using digital media and risking hefty penalties and fines for their poor choices. Why take that chance?

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The artifact I'm providing for this blog post includes the copyright scenarios I analyzed. Although educators have a little more wiggle room when it comes to fair use of digital material, a teacher must always ask - is the use of this material TRANSFORMATIVE? If the answer is YES, then in small quantities, digital material may be used for educational purposes. In large chunks, a teacher should seek the permission of the owner before using it in class.

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Here are a few important facts that summarize Module 5:

• Copyright applies for any creation. A teacher or student should generally assume that everything is copyrighted. Using copyrighted material without the owner's permission is illegal. Fine can cost $250 to $150,000.
• If digital material is part of the public domain then copyright law doesn’t apply because it includes lots of creative works that are freely available for anyone to use.
• When people want their work used by others we call these open educational resources (OER); a growing hub of FREE materials.
• Showing a full-length feature film in class is often a violation of the movie’s copyright!
• Just because you bought a song or album doesn’t mean you can use it however you want. Only use small chunks of the media for personal use. 

The copyright scenarios were a unique way to question my use of digital material and challenges me to regularly address these fair use and copyright situations with my students. Everyone has digital rights that promise to protect privacy, property, and speech, but more importantly, every digital consumer is responsible for respecting the rights of others and abiding by the law.

676 Artifact Reflection #2

The artifact created in Module 7, was a collaborative project on sustainable farming that I have used in my high school Earth Science class for the last several years. Before our school was 1:1, everything for this project was written out or done as a (boring) PowerPoint presentation. Since the introduction of student Chromebooks, my students have been able to collaboratively create and manage virtual farms that avoid the destructive pitfalls of weathering and erosion, employ sustainable practices for maintaining fertile soil, and encourage the use of alternative forms of energy.

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Not only do my students manage a "farm", but they also get to practice their digital skills using Padlet, Google Drawings and a screencast platform of their choice (Screencastomatic, Screencastify, or WeVideo usually) to organize and present their entire project. Each web tool has collaborative capabilities and is easy for students to learn and use. I have been pleased with the final products each student group has produced and have been grateful to use technology to make my students look and sound tech savvy. Once the project is complete, students are responsible for adding their project to their digital portfolios for all to see and enjoy!

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The task for Module 7 included a rubric that assesses a student's ability to work collaboratively. The project already included a grading rubric that detailed the project components. I liked how the addition of a student collaboration rubric came together using the resources provided in the module and was pleased with the overall product.

For those teachers new to creating rubrics - my advice is to ask an expert in your building. Don't feel afraid to ask for help generating a rubric for a performance task or project. They are not easy to create, but there are plenty of good resources you can access to help you along. One that was recommended in Module 7 came from the Buck Institute for Education, providing a number of rubrics for presentations, projects, project design, creativity, and innovation. It's definitely a good starting point with plenty of vetted rubrics.

I'm looking forward to using this new-and-improved project at the beginning of the second semester and will ask my students for feedback to improve the rubric if necessary.

676 Course Reflection

With the completion of this course, I'm officially half-way to finishing the endorsement program through the University of St. Francis. It has certainly been a learning process as I incorporate what I already know about technology and learn from the expertise of other classmates and my instructor about collaborative web tools.

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Bill Nye said, “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” Words for anyone to live by! To work collaboratively means to interact with, communicate, and learn from each other to reach a common goal. This course has given me a better perspective on collaborative student work and methods to fine tune collaborative student discussion using a variety of web tools.

The article 5 Useful Ways to Kickstart Student Collaboration in the Classroom by Tricia Whenham suggested that teachers embrace a little chaos in the classroom. I've always been a supporter of this statement, not only because I'm a science teacher and we "do" collaborative science every day, but also because students think and work their best when allowed to problem solve with each other out loud! As the teacher, I shouldn't have all the answers. It took me several years after my rookie teaching season to realize it's okay to "not know"; to help students arrive at an answer without just giving it to them. Their confidence as learners grows when you let them do the thinking together. A loud and messy classroom is oftentimes where problems are best solved!

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My school has been 1:1 the past four years, and the level of collaboration since that time has skyrocketed in my classes. Not only are they doing collaborative science together, but they are using the resources at their fingertips through digital devices to enhance their learning experience. The Google Suite (including docs, sheets, slides, drawings, keep, classroom, forms, calendar), digital portfolios, student blogs, and open educational resources (OER) have all increased collaboration among students, both in and out of the classroom.

Another article I read for this course that I found useful for teaching collaboration and digital citizenship skills was 8 Digital Skills We Must Teach Our Children by Yuhyun Park. In the article, it specifies eight skills that make up a person's digital intelligence: digital identity, digital use, digital safety, digital security, digital emotional intelligence, digital communication, digital literacy, and digital rights. As I reflected on each skill and the description the author provided, I felt comfortable knowing that I was making a valid attempt to teach and model these skills, especially the communication and literacy ones. It's important to be the best models for our students to demonstrate how to be responsible consumers and learners.

EEND 676 is my fourth course in the sequence of courses for the Teaching with Technology Endorsement. I didn't learn any new tech tools per se, but it was a rewarding eight-week experience using my curriculum to develop and modify materials to be more collaborative for my students.

#ISTE2018 - Things I Learned, Things I Love, Things You Should Know About...

The International Society for Technology in Education held a massive conference this summer in Chicago, bringing together teachers, administrators, and tech specialists to learn about the most effective and innovative ways to integrate technology in the classroom. The ISTE conference offered sessions on a wide range of topics, where presenters shared ideas, strategies, and tools for using technology to enhance learning.

Apart from the scheduled sessions, the conference brought together 18,500 people from all across the U.S. and 87 other countries. Connecting with other like-minded educators had a whole host of benefits:

• strengthened my resolve to keep getting better with teaching and technology
• established connections that will last well beyond the conference
• provided effective and exciting teaching practices

So how did I, a science teacher from a small high school west of Chicago, find out about this conference and burst onto the scene? TWITTER. Twitter has really been a turning point in my 16-year teaching career. It has become a go-to resource to connect to awesome people who broaden my horizons and inspire me to take risks and be innovative.

I attended the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) conference when it was in Chicago three years ago. Same location, same setup, lots of walking and LOTS of sessions. My experience three years ago definitely prepared me for ISTE’s conference. Except maybe for the walking tech zombie part...many of us were walking around with our devices, hoping to avoid others who were also looking at their device getting to or from somewhere in our quest to get in line for a session, show up on time for an amazing raffle prize in expo hall, or just find a bathroom!

#ISTE2018 took it to the next level when it came to useful (but sometimes overwhelming) amounts of information. I did my best to stay organized and pull together resources from my sessions that I could use and could also share with my colleagues. My experience was stimulating, productive, and engaging. This graphic (created using one of my new tech tools, Adobe Spark!) offers some buzzwords that summarize my 4-day experience.

Based on this list, an outsider might think I didn’t actually attend a technology conference! But it wasn’t really about technology - it was about how to use technology tools to enhance what teachers are already doing in their classrooms! Sure, the big guys...Google, Microsoft and LEGO, were in attendance but it wasn’t about them. It was about teachers helping teachers be better teachers as they use technology to educate their students.

Innovation, creation, and curiosity were mentioned in the bulleted list above. These words were echoed over and over throughout the four days. Young students traveling from all parts of the nation and even internationally were in attendance to share with attendees their passion for learning. They were excited to share how they were using technology in their classroom to any stranger who approached their table. Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, referred to the problem-solving main character, Mark Watney, in his keynote speech. Kids need to tinker and figure things out (with or without technology). And @TheTechRabbi, Michael Cohen, shared a moving and powerful message to all who sat before him, reminding the audience that “innovation is not achieved by knowledge and skill alone. It’s through having belief in yourself, belief in others and belief in something bigger than us. We need to give our students the courage to believe that they can create incredible things in the world.” The ability to challenge and engage students was a common theme throughout the conference and renewed my spirit in preparation for the coming school year.

When #TeachersBecomeStudents, amazing things happen in our quest to be lifelong learners. A little professional development goes a long way in rekindling our passion and love of learning.

713 Course Reflection

As my coursework in EEND 713 comes to an end, it's time to reflect on my learning. Each of the last eight weeks I learned something new that pushed me to step outside my box and try new ideas in my classroom. Through my work with the Next Generation Science Standards and my department's quest to redevelop units that align to these standards, I found the evolution of an e-learning unit moderately easy to create and manage for an Anatomy & Physiology unit of the muscular system.

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In modules 1 & 2, my group developed the initial phases of our muscular system unit. Identifying outcomes for learning and finding important resources to support weekly lessons was valuable time spent with my group. It was important for us to find a variety of online tools and resources for the students because, unfortunately, high school students lose interest quickly if it's not new and/or engaging. In module 3, we began developing our assessments and rubrics. This unit has two assessments: a cat dissection practical and a summative exam.

In the weeks that followed, we learned about open educational resources (OERs) and multimedia resources. I was introduced to multimedia resources in EEND 675 but had never understood the value of OERs until this course. My classmates provided some great resources as they worked on their e-learning units and I look forward to using OERs regularly as I continually develop and improve my units.

The remainder of the work on our muscular system unit centered upon our creation of a roadmap - a hyperdoc that laid out the specifics of our unit and communicated how students could get from point A to point B. Hyperdocs are a great tool for sharing information with students, parents, teachers, and administrators because it organizes everything in one spot. The development of our hyperdoc was time intensive, but the final product was ready to roll out to our students immediately.

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I'd like to thank my classmates for offering great feedback and resources. Our weekly discussions were enriching and enlightening. The discussion I found most rewarding was week 2's discussion about technology tools for engagement. Classmates suggested some great tech resources, and as I progress through this endorsement program, I continue to add to my educational technology toolbox.

I've really worked hard at becoming a connected educator. My participation on Twitter has increased, as I've followed many people that I think will suggest ways to be a better educator and individual. The more my PLN grows, the more tuned in I feel as an educator. To think that I could reach out globally to other educators was not something I envisioned when I first became a teacher 16 years ago. I'm glad for the technology and will continually strive to use it regularly in my classes.

EEND 713 is my second course in the sequence of courses for the Teaching with Technology Endorsement. I've enjoyed this course and the information it provided. I'm continually looking to improve my curriculum and my educational philosophy as it pertains to science and technology, so I look forward to continuing my work in this program.

675 Course Reflection

As my coursework in EEND 675 comes to an end, it's time to reflect on my learning the last eight weeks. Each week I learned something new that engaged me and improved my level of understanding in educational technology. Being introduced to the ISTE standards was one of the bigger takeaways from this course. Not only am I responsible for my content standards, but I should also take an active role in teaching my students and modeling the technology standards in order to make them "future ready".

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The collegial discussions that took place each week were interesting. Gaining new insight and understanding people's perspectives definitely enriched my learning experience. The discussion I most enjoyed was the 5th C. Every "C" that was suggested made me consider how it would impact my teaching and my student's learning.

My favorite assignment was the Multimedia Project from Module 4. I enjoyed creating the activity because it incorporated many resources in one location and it's ready to be used in my Earth Science curriculum for next school year! The project made me reflect on how important it is to have a variety of lessons that incorporate technology and make them engaging enough to draw students in day after day.

As I mentioned in a previous blog post, I've really worked hard at becoming a connected educator. My participation on Twitter has increased, as I've followed many people that I think will suggest ways to be a better educator and individual. Twitter is there when you need it; you shouldn't feel compelled to check it every day like other social media platforms. A quick 10-minute stream scroll or search is all it takes to make sure I'm plugged into my PLN.

Path to Success

Professional development in educational technology can sometimes be absent within a district or building, yet it's a necessary form of education that all teachers should regularly participate in. This course is my first in the USF Educational Technology Endorsement program and I look forward to continuing my journey of understanding and incorporating technology as it relates to me both personally and professionally.

675 Artifact Reflection

As I reflect on the class, Foundations of Educational Technology, I am compelled to consider how this introductory class has impacted my teaching and learning. When first introduced to the ISTE standards, it resonated with me how important the technology standards were. If ISTE standards are not taught in conjunction with content standards (for me its NGSS), there is a gap in understanding! That gap hinders my students from practicing, refining, and mastering the 21st-century skills needed to be successful. In recognizing this gap, I shifted my perspective and hope to implement more ISTE standards that correlate with the current science standards I address throughout the school year.

The two artifacts I'm choosing to highlight in my reflection post include my Collaborative Assignment from Module 3 and my Multimedia Project from Module 4.

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In Module 3, I learned to create a collaborative assignment that included student perspectives on a topic related to glaciers. After watching the movie trailer for Chasing Ice, the assignment asked each student to respond to the question "How are portraits of people’s faces and portraits of ice the same thing?" Students were directed to a collaborative tech tool called Lino where they posted their responses and were asked to share their favorite glacier portrait. In posting to Lino, students could see each other's posts and compare pictures. In creating this assignment I had to be aware of the ethical use of other's pictures and plan to use this lesson with my high school Earth Science students to demonstrate fair use, copyright, and plagiarism.

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In Module 4, I added to my collaborative assignment by creating a multimedia project that incorporated a variety of media to enhance my lesson on glaciers in the United States. Within Google Slides, I was able to embed a topographic relief map of Alaska, add a YouTube video of Glacier Bay National Park, and hyperlink text and photos to various website links to create a multi-day activity that studied glacier formation and movement. In creating this project, I again had to be aware of the fair use of media in education. I liked how this project turned out because of the variety of multimedia tools I incorporated to engage my science students.

In looking ahead at future courses within this endorsement program, I'd like to continue to explore and implement the TPACK framework, and SAMR and RAT models to create, develop and enhance my units and lessons. In order to cross the threshold between substitution/augmentation and modification/redefinition, I need to study my science lessons closely to see how they tie to the ISTE standards and carve out some time to reflect and make changes to those lessons when necessary.

Trends in Technology #1: Academic Integrity

Does your school have an academic integrity code? Do students and teachers at your school sign an AUP (acceptable usage policy)? As I read through some resources related to ethical technology dilemmas it triggered some thoughts about my own school's academic integrity code and the AUP form students are expected to sign before being issued their Chromebooks at the beginning of each school year.

What kinds of measures are put in place by other schools and districts to ensure a safe social learning environment for all while also teaching students and teachers how to properly use information found on the web? It seems few students and teachers realize what "borrowing" information entails and the potential legal consequences it could bring to the district, the school, and the individual.

Our school's academic integrity code describes copyright infringement as "unauthorized use of any work fixed in tangible media such as books, articles, websites, art, music, photography and video" and plagiarism as "presenting the distinctive ideas, facts, or words of another (in part or in whole), or imagery without appropriate acknowledgement of the source as one's own."

Students and teachers need to engage in training courses to review acceptable expectations in regards to plagiarism and copyright infringement. A regular routine review is essential to promote and support learning. This is something my school lacks but clearly needs.

What kind of training modules are out there? Well, I came across some information provided by Common Sense Education. On their website, they succinctly organize training modules that are leveled by grade. The modules can be taught by teachers and serve to develop digital citizenship skills in all students. What impressed was how easy and intuitive the lessons were. The lessons were easy to understand and aligned by topic:

• Self-image and Identify
• Relationships and Communication
• Digital Footprint and Reputation
• Cyberbullying and Digital Drama
• Information Literacy
• Internet Safety
• Privacy and Security
• Creative Credit and Copyright

Common Sense Education is my starting point. I hope I can convince administrators in my building that training modules similar to what Common Sense Education provides are necessary to educate, support, and protect students and teachers in the Age of the Internet.

What kinds of measures are put in place by your school/district to ensure a safe social learning environment for all while also teaching students and teachers how to properly use information found on the web? I welcome any comments about your experiences below.