After a miserably (in my own mind) failed application to the Google Teacher Academy and prod from a colleague to get a professional blog up and going....here I am. WOW! That sounded super negative, but not at all how I meant to come off. Rather, this is probably one of the most positive steps I've taken in recent years to grow as a professional and teacher.
I have come to realize that part being a teacher who "uses" technology to teach children includes sharing the wealth of amazing (and not so amazing) lessons I've learned along the way. Earning degrees and certifications really helps only about 20ish kids a year....but sharing what I know with others can create an infinite impact. And, my friends, this is the reason I'm writing today. (seriously...did I just begin a sentence with "and??" I should fire myself. No, better, I should let one of my 8 year old students fire me!) Anyway, back to my point.
I'm not sure exactly where to begin, but the present seems like the most relevant. For lack of another starting point, I'd like to share the journey I'm in the midst of as I strive to master the ISTE-T Standard to: "Develop and model cultural understanding and
global awareness by engaging with colleagues
and students of other cultures using digital age
communication and collaboration tools."
This puppy was the #1 blemish on my graduate portfolio since I had absolutely NOTHING to include as an artifact once submission time came. While I was able to pull a couple of lame efforts together at the end, it really irked me that I'd neglected such an important aspect of the capabilities that technology holds for my students and me: BREAKING DOWN THE CLASSROOM WALLS and realizing the world and its people.
I want to begin only with a snapshot of where we stand now....and in later posts will share the reflections, problem solving and ugly hiccups we've muddled through along the way as we grow to truly use the Internet to our own advantage. I'm hoping this boring bulleted (albeit full of hyperlinks) list will at least wet your whistle to come back later to read more! Teachers, especially, I'll help you avoid the obvious pitfalls that are evident in our current works. Fingers crossed that you enjoy and are inspired by the highlight reel of my 2014-15 3rd grade class:
Sincerely,
Eleanna
from the Midwest USA
I have come to realize that part being a teacher who "uses" technology to teach children includes sharing the wealth of amazing (and not so amazing) lessons I've learned along the way. Earning degrees and certifications really helps only about 20ish kids a year....but sharing what I know with others can create an infinite impact. And, my friends, this is the reason I'm writing today. (seriously...did I just begin a sentence with "and??" I should fire myself. No, better, I should let one of my 8 year old students fire me!) Anyway, back to my point.
I'm not sure exactly where to begin, but the present seems like the most relevant. For lack of another starting point, I'd like to share the journey I'm in the midst of as I strive to master the ISTE-T Standard to: "Develop and model cultural understanding and
global awareness by engaging with colleagues
and students of other cultures using digital age
communication and collaboration tools."
This puppy was the #1 blemish on my graduate portfolio since I had absolutely NOTHING to include as an artifact once submission time came. While I was able to pull a couple of lame efforts together at the end, it really irked me that I'd neglected such an important aspect of the capabilities that technology holds for my students and me: BREAKING DOWN THE CLASSROOM WALLS and realizing the world and its people.
I want to begin only with a snapshot of where we stand now....and in later posts will share the reflections, problem solving and ugly hiccups we've muddled through along the way as we grow to truly use the Internet to our own advantage. I'm hoping this boring bulleted (albeit full of hyperlinks) list will at least wet your whistle to come back later to read more! Teachers, especially, I'll help you avoid the obvious pitfalls that are evident in our current works. Fingers crossed that you enjoy and are inspired by the highlight reel of my 2014-15 3rd grade class:
- I'm on a first name basis with teachers from India, Ukraine, Mexico, Ghana and Italy. We "speak" via Google Hangouts or Skype at least once a week on both personal and professional levels. Thank you Dhanam, Viktoriia, Jose Luis, Christopher and Antonio for opening up the world to my students and me!
- My students have begun to blog with students in the aforementioned countries. While our foreign friends are much older, English is their second language. In some instances their language skills and maturity are far superior, but the experience continues to push my students (many of whom are underserved) to become better writers in authentic contexts.
- We've used VoiceThread to teach about our own and learn about the ecosystem and currency of our Indian and Ukrainian friends.
- We have a shared Google Drive folder where we share videos and photos about daily school life and special events like holiday parties. Sorry, though, these contain personal info so I can't share!
- We are looking forward to exchanging videos and physical letters with our friends in Ghana who cannot use the Internet at school. We learn how different life is there and will explain to each other how the African slave trade is understood from both of our points of view via our Martin Luther King, Jr. unit of study. Our Indian friends will provide perspective on Ghandi, whom MLK modeled his protests after.
- We are working on a community project to raise money to provide Internet access to our friends in Ghana. Please enjoy this video that shows their school and computer lab (at 1:01.) Just under $1000 is needed to get them online.
Sincerely,
Eleanna
from the Midwest USA