Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre using video for teaching and learning

Time is one of the major challenges educators face. As important as trainings are teachers feel overwhelmed to find the time. For this reason I feel that we have to utilize technology to our benefits. Videos are a great tool to provide professional development. For this reason I have selected to use a video tutorial for teachers to watch and learn about Google Drive. The first thing I did was to insert a YouTube video about using Google Drive. The tutorial takes you step by step on how to create a Google account and create a document to share it. For the purpose of this lesson my students will be my teachers. 1) I am planning to use the video and have teachers watch the tutorial. This self-pace tutorial will allow them to go over the material as often as they need. This will specially provide support for those teachers that struggle with technology. It will also provide a solid foundation to start introducing them to a new phase of learning. Once teachers have become familiar with this platform it will become easier for them to receive training in this form. The fact that time is the number one challenge for educators this program will be readily accessible without the need to meet face-to-face. This is a great tool for me as a technology teacher to send trainings for them to watch and set the appropriate questions, feedback and discussion to grow from there. 2) Teachers will also learn all the features of this program with a purpose of collaborating among each other. Once teachers have become familiar with this platform they themselves can use it to share with their colleagues. Teachers can utilize this program to share information and material prior to meeting for their Pod Planning. This is a great way to provide feedback to one another and to insert videos and information related to the theme they are planning. This will be a great opportunity to use technology to maximize the time of face-to-face planning. 3) Another great way to use this platform is to share with parents. Our students are too little to use this great platform, however parents can use it to support students at home. Teachers can create lesson plans so that parents can follow and do at home. For instance my science teacher can create a science club for students to do experiments at home. My math and science teacher can create the lesson for a particular science experiment and parents can access it and participate in doing those activities. Overall this is a great platform for everyone to take advantage of it. As technology continues to advance we have to make our best effort to keep up with it. TEDEd is a great tool to use it in many ways. For our purposes of preschool I will be using it more for teachers and parents to take advantage of it. As far as the elementary and higher grades there are endless possibilities of incorporating it in the everyday teaching.

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre using video for teaching and learning

The following is the link to my lesson plan about Google Drive. https://ed.ted.com/on/kwquBuWT

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre Teaching with Google Photos

Velia Alvidez-Aguirre TED 5374 Google Photos is another great extension of Google. I had recently discovered Google Photos in a Professional Development that I attended. However the tutorials and information that I found in the under the resources tab offered a more understanding of this tool. Technology has advance at an unbelievable dimension to the point where Google Drive has the capability of storing, organizing, backing up videos and photos. This is a magnificent tool for everyone to use. As I navigated thru many blogs, sites and videos about Google Photos I started formulating another training for my staff. For Google Photos I particularly will focus in my teachers and teacher assistants. Like any other school, there are many activities in the classroom and school wide activities and there is an urgent need to modify old ways of taking pictures and videos. 1) Google Photos will be the topic of our next monthly training. One of the main reasons teacher’s laptops are currently running slow is due to the amount of pictures that teachers have in iPhoto. IPhoto is a great tool, however does not offer the storage capability as Google Photo does. Google Photos will offer teachers the unlimited storage they need to keep as many photos as they need to. Another aspect is that Google Photos are not lost because they are in the cloud. This is an aspect that teachers will love because at the moment some laptops are giving up and if teachers do not have a back up are loosing all their information including their photos. 2) Another great contribution of Google Photos is that teachers can create beautiful newsletters utilizing the many features that the extension has. They can also create a collage from field trips, classroom activities and school activities such as perfect attendance ceremonies, awards and graduations. 3) Google Photos is also a great tool to be utilized by teachers to create an end of year project. For instance teachers can compile the most important highlights of the school year and create a movie. In our pre-kindergarten level there are so many activities, field trips and awards and it would be a great memory to create a video and burn it in a cd to provide each student at pre-k graduation. All the great memories that will be treasured through this amazing tool are priceless. During this training teacher will learn how to download the application and how to make the best use of it. I know for sure that teachers have tons of pictures in their laptops that can be organized by albums in Google Photos. Another cool feature that I am positive that teachers are going to like is the accessibility to search albums by name. Google Photos will simplify the issue of devices running slow due to everything being stored in the hard drive.

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre Google Photos Link

https://goo.gl/photos/8WWdkLm58rPqhPzo7

The album I created in Google Photos is in reference to introducing coding for pre-k students. I am putting together my lesson to achieve a successful outcome. Considering that our students are little and some do require a lot of support, I am intended to make it as clear and concise as possible. I am rolling out the training to teachers firs so that they provide reinforcement in the classroom as well. This way when students visit the technology lab their knowledge will be stronger.

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre Final Blog Educational Technology Blogs

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre

Educational Technology Blogs

            As a technology teacher I am constantly looking for educational websites in an effort to keep up to date.  Another reason of my constant search is to offer quality trainings to staff.  This course has facilitated so much my job of searching because the bogs offer a wealth of information.  One of the educational bogs I choose is Free Technology for Teachers http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2016/11/a-few-tips-on-using-tables-in-google.html#.WCUrPSMrLZs this website provides video tutorials about google docs and google slides.  I personally feel that videos are the best tool to introduce trainings.  For example when I roll out the monthly training at my campus I always like to offer websites or video tutorials for staff to refer to later in case of questions.  The tutorials can be watch as many times as needed, it reaches to all different learning styles, and can be saved for future reference.  I have recently provided training to staff in google drive, docs, slides and forms.  When I came across these videos I will use them to give extra tutorial to my teachers.

            Another website thru the educational blogs I liked is Edutopia RSS.  In this blog I found a lot of information on building vocabulary through fun and games. This website provided great https://www.edutopia.org/article/buliding-vocabulary-through-fun-and-games-rebecca-givens-rolland I became very engaged in this site because at pre-k level it is important to expose students to increase their vocabulary and to understand the meaning of those words.  It is important however to incorporate the learning of vocabulary in a playful manner.  I feel that this applies not only to pre-k but in higher grades as well.  Even as adults we internalize the learning when it is thru play and fun.  This website presents with ideas that can students in higher grades.  Especially in STAAR test students are required to write in a coherent manner and to use high terminology.  The website had an embedded link to Wordle.  This is a game for generating “word clouds” meaning it gives greater prominence to frequent words in a text you have written.  This will be an engaging way for students to writhe their mock practice for STAAR.  The readings from one link to the other within the blog continued to engaged me more and more.  There is another page of literature that makes us educators reflect on our daily teaching and practices.  It made me evaluate how effective are some daily practices imparted in the classroom.  For example calendar time, the time spent doing it and how much are students really learning and more important are thy understanding the concepts.  This website urges to assess our practices as educators: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/literacy-practices-we-should-abandon-nell-k-duke

I truly feel that we need to follow state guidelines without also reflecting on student’s needs.  How effective are our practices and to modify according to those needs in order to ensure students understand the meaning of words and of any other content for that matter.

Live Binders ideas for Teaching

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre

Live Binders

            As an educator it is crucial that we keep advancing with technology.  This is a platform that I had never heard about.  The tutorials were necessary and served as guide for me to use and learn about Live Binders.  I was totally amazed of all the many ways that teachers can use Live Binders.   As a pre-kindergarten teacher I can think of different ways to introduce this program to my teachers.  Teachers are always saving their documentation on Microsoft word and pictures in iPhoto.  This really creates a problem because they saturate the hard drive resulting in their devices running very slow. 

            As I saw the tutorials it made me reflect and try to provide more trainings on platforms that are not only free but also can provide the space and features that they need.  On my next professional development I will deliver this program to teachers.  Especially in today’s 21^st century where students do most of the work online, teachers need to move away from the paper pencil method.  This digital binder will provide all the necessary tools for teachers to save and collect material and the best part they can share it.

            My training and teaching will be targeting the teachers.  I would like to target three different objectives to use it in our campus.  The following are my ideas on how to train teachers: 1)  The first one is for teachers to create Live Binders and learn about these digital binders.  I will introduce how to create an account and provide an overview of the platform.  Teachers will learn how to use the binders and save educational material.  This will allow them to organize their material and resources.  2) The collaboration that Live Binder offers is a valuable tool.  Teachers will learn how to compile their resources to facilitate finding and searching when they share these resources with peers.  It will allow teachers not only to share in one platform but it offers more options such as twitter, Facebook and Google.  3) The platform is also great for teachers to learn how to involve parents and share the student’s work.  Teachers will learn how to create a tab on a binder specifically design for parent to access their child’s work.  This aspect of teacher sharing with parent serves many purposes.  One the parent will be involved in their child’s education, teacher will validate student’s work and students will be motivated to create quality work.

            This is a great tool for teachers to minimize the use of paper.  It is also a great opportunity for teachers to create more online projects and integrate technology.  It also allows students to engage in online projects.  All stakeholders will benefit from these digital binders.

Live binder

This is the link for my live binder.  I elected material in my grade level.  I wanted to get more ideas and tips about incorporating technology in pre-k as well as setting up blended learning in a 21st century classroom.

http://www.livebinders.com/play/play?id=2110947

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre

Final Lesson

I am a Pre-Kindergarten teacher and this has been the only grade level I have taught.  I will for the purpose of this assignment challenge my self to develop my lesson plan and activities using web 2.0 tools I would like to do my lesson plan in technology in the 4^th grade.  I would like to stay within my area of technology.  In todays global economy it is imperative that students are up to date and prepare for 21^st century. 

The following platforms are the ones that I would like to concentrate for the lesson plan Google Classroom, Google Drive, Google Slides and Evernote.  These platforms allows for all stakeholders to be active participants.  Evernote  will even allow parents to be informed about student’s achievements and challenges.  Students in fourth grade will become familiar using a numerous educational tools.

I am planning to introduce Google Classroom to students at the beginning of the year in order for them to use it throughout the year.  Assignments, quizzes and discussions can be done using Google Classroom.  In the same manner I would alternate using Google Slides.

The objective is for students to become confident about technology and the how to use it in the classroom.  Students would be able to create and collaborate with their peers.  The assignments that students will have to carry will allow them to demonstrate computer skills as well as to apply content areas.

Although I lack the experience in the upper grades I will follow the TEKS to guide me in creating the lesson plan.  The lesson plan will allow students to collaborate online.  The online will lend to engagement as students like social media.  I am planning to have students work in groups.   It is important for students to learn to collaborate and Google is an excellent way of participating by editing and polishing a product as a team.

I am still working on the topic that students would be researching.  I would like to focus in a topic that allows them to make connection to real world events.  One idea that I have in mind is to do it about culture and diversity.  I feel it is important that students learn to respect diversity and it can only happen if they learn and know more about culture and differences. 

Helping Jane with research assignment

Velia Alvidrez-Aguirre

Jane’s objective to have students work collaboratively in a blended environment, conducting a research, and creating a document on wikkispaces is great idea.  However during the process of this assignment there is more than one thing that went wrong.   Generally speaking issues will arise from group work.  In some instances the main problem is the lack of participation of all members of a group.  This for sure is the case in Jane’s circumstance where it is evident that some groups are having a difficult time collaborating in a fair manner. This is leading from some group members to be disengage and not contributing to the project.  Another problem Jane is facing is the fact that students are struggling to collaborate in a positive manner in an online project.  The lack of guidance contributed to students deleting and disrespecting their peer’s work.  The lack of objectivity from some groups is also another issue that needs to be addressed.  These groups are solely focusing on the aesthetic component however how can they refocus in researching their topic and gathering the pertinent information.  Jane could have guided students by providing a clear goal and objectivity of the research paper to prevent this issue.

The main issue is that some groups deviated from the objective.  Students should always be clear on what the objective and goal is.  The student’s creativity should be acknowledged and praised, however as teachers we have to be vigilant that we provide the necessary information to them to say on target.   This is the time for Jane to bring the class together and share strategies for students to analyze the assignment and the expectations of it.  This to me is the main issue because time is valuable and students should use it wisely to accomplish the learning objective or goal.  In this part Jane has to be very assertive in not only introducing the topic of research but also to provide examples or some modeling for students to have a clear understanding.  Jane can provide support to those students by ensuring that the example reaches to all students with different learning styles.  Have an open discussion to assess if students understood the instructions of their assignment.  Jane can ask questions to verify that students are in fact clear of the expectations and the material they will have to cover in the research paper.  The following are links that can help Jane.

http://www.crlt.umich.edu/gsis/p2_5

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/making-lesson-objectives-clear

            I feel the lack of guidance is for sure one of the main issues in Jane’s situation.  It is imperative that as educators we provide students with an objective and the clearest expectations of an assignment or project.  Students have the right to understand exactly the expectations and their roll and participation in it.  Jane could have helped her students by explaining how the project was going to be conducted and what was expected of every member of the group.  By informing students that they were going to be not only working in groups but also collaborating online and setting rules for on online collaboration would have eliminated some issues.  For most people working in a group presents a challenge, collaborating online makes it even more challenging.  Due to the collaboration being in a social platform it is especially important to explain to students the importance of respecting their peer’s work as well as embracing ideas and modifications that leads to a high quality piece of work.  The following link provides excellent tips and strategies for us teachers to make online collaboration more successful.

https://onlinelearninginsights.wordpress.com/2012/10/09/5-tools-and-strategies-that-support-group-collaboration-online/

            Another issue to address is the fact that in a group assignment every member should have rights and responsibilities.   All members should take ownership and be able to contribute fairly in order to receive credit or a grade.  Jane could have worked on a rubric and this would have set the expectations of every member.  It is beneficial to students to begin learning about collaboration, accountability and responsibility.  Teaching students how important it is to be an active participant of any group assignment will prepare them for assignments at college and university level.  Many of the times we fail as educators to engage students to feel positive about group work.  It has to start at the elementary level to change the negative perspective about group assignments.  We should share the many of the benefits it offers to everyone as individuals.  This is a great opportunity to get the student buying so that in their college years they are ready and active participants of any challenge that presents their way.  By motivating students to go as a team and hold each other’s hand to create or do an assignment leads to a community of learners.  It also lends to build the positive social component needed in today’s society.  The following links provide assistance for teachers to create a rubric designed for group assignments.

http://edtechteacher.org/assessment/

            The responsibility of the teacher is to serve as a facilitator.  As a good facilitator you have to create a positive atmosphere in the classroom.  If this is created everything else falls in place smoothly.  Students have respect for one another, communication exist and the trust for one another.  As a teacher getting to know your students facilitates the process of leading them and orchestrating any assignment.  It is good to be observant of the things that are working and the things we need to modify in any given lesson.  Every child is different and what works with a class this year might not work with a class the following year.  This is the reason it is important to set a goal, expectations, rubrics and any strategy that will make student’s learning and academic journey a successful one.