Bernie the St. Benard's Techy World

Incorporating graphic design into the classroom is important regardless of the grade being taught. I currently teach 10th grade English for both general education students and in a special education instructional setting. In these classes, students are often involved in creating presentations and delivering speeches with visual aids. Prior to this module, I was aware of the statistic that 93% of communication is nonverbal, but I was unaware of some of the other statistics mentioned in The Power of Visual Communication Infographic, specifically that 80% of what we see and do is retained versus only 20% of what we read and only 10% of what we hear (2017). Considering this information, in order to maximize student engagement and retention of meaningful information. The use of infographics, images, slide presentations and other visual media is key to providing the best educational learning environment possible. By incorporating as much visual media/learning as possible, I will better ...

Artifact 2 The second artifact I chose was my collaborative Google Sites project. I am a big fan of Google Sites and using the resource in a manner that incorporates collaboration, creativity and higher-order thinking skills. For this project, students are placed into reading groups for the graphic novel Fahrenheit 451 . I spend a small amount of time reviewing how to use the technology because by the time I get to this unit students have used Google Sites for several assignments and are fairly skilled with the tool. Below is the assignment task analysis: Assignment Task Analysis 10th Grade : In the groups you have been placed in by Mr. Riddle, create a collaborative Google site. 1. Page 1 include a picture and all group members’ names. 2. Page 2 include definition/explanation of theme and include at least one picture. 3. Page 3 include an embedded or linked Google Doc that has the three themes your group identified, page number, quotation and explanation. Include at least...

Artifact 1 The first artifact I chose was the rubric created to determine whether or not an online resource, application or tool is effective and worth using in the classroom. Before creating this rubric I approached all digital resources the same way; I just gave the resource the 'eye' test. You know the one where you look at it exceedingly quick and either immediately start incorporating it into a lesson or looking for another tool, because, well, who has the time right? After I created this rubric I realized that what I specifically find important in an online resource cannot be evaluated with the 'eye' test; rather, it needs to be given some serious consideration. I had to think and rethink and then think some more about the aspects of an online resource that I found most important. I had a general idea of things I liked to see in a resource, but I never fully considered which components were most important. I finally narrowed my categories down to include: ...

Is Online Learning Worth It??? It appears that the trend in education is technology, technology, and more technology. This shift, at first, seemed to be gradual and then all of the sudden, the shift went into hyper-speed with the advent of Chromebooks, applications, software and the ability to be in a constant state of connection thanks to the internet. I have always wondered about the benefits of technology in somewhat of a practical way. Is technology just another way of doing more of the same? Are we actually learning more or making learning easier? My opinion is that if technology is used appropriately in a balanced classroom with collaborative work, independent work in addition to high rigor and expectations, technology enables students to learn more at a more efficient rate with individual learner needs being met. I decided to do a bit of research to compare online learning versus traditional learning. I came across a study from the University of Potomac. The study was comple...

I enjoyed this class and feel like I've learned about lots of new tools and resources available. I don't feel that there were any specific articles that stuck out to me, but the copyright infringement issue was a big takeaway for me. I never thought much about using articles, pictures and videos in my presentations before, but now that I know I am an internet stealing stuff criminal, I know to look for content that I can use in class worry-free. Participating in discussion groups during our class sessions was a good experience. I think sometimes we teachers as a whole feel like we are behind what everyone else is doing. Having the discussions in class alleviated some of these feelings. I'm not saying that the people in class are behind the tech-curve, but I do feel like we are all in at about the same place. Connected learner. I have grown insomuch as I know what a connected learner is, but I would say that I still have a way to go to be a truly connected learner. I typical...

Considering technology integration models, I am most familiar with SAMR. Up until this week I had never heard of the RAT model nor the TPACK framework. After reading the article Teaching Effectively with Technology from Micool Online, I became more familiar with the RAT model and how in my opinion it is quite similar to the SAMR model. Both models are excellent, but I like the simplified version of the RAT model. In terms of the SAMR model it took me considerable time to move beyond the substitution level. At this point I feel confident that I am instructing mainly within the Modification level and at times reaching the Redefinition level. With the advent of so many great technologies including G Suites, Verso, Newsela and many more, it is easier for teachers to instruct within and maintain at the Redfinition level. In comparing the SAMR model to the RAT model, the Redefinition level (SAMR) appears to correspond to the Transformation level (RAT). I like the description of the Transfor...

This is my Second Artifact. My second artifact was the multimedia project. This project was created with Google slides. I have used this resource many times before, but I had never used the hyperlink feature; for some reason I find this feature to be very appealing and professional looking. I connected the multimedia project to my Shakespeare Macbeth Google site (collaborative project). Both of the artifacts focus on the play Macbeth, but the Google slides has an emphasis on Shakespeare's 5 act story arc. I would use the Google slide presentation first to develop some basic background knowledge of William Shakespeare and then the rest of the presentation would be a lesson in the 5 act story arc Shakespeare uses in his plays. The story arc consists of the basic components of exposition, rising action, climax, falling action and resolution so most of this should be review (hopefully). The purpose would be for students to be aware of each of these arcs and how Shakespeare cra...