SAMR, what's that?

My first webinar
There are so many things I'm not familiar with in technology.  Grasping the technology of today, comprehending its various educational uses and implementing them in the classroom are often times quite overwhelming for me.  Recently, my understanding of the digital tools available and their applications were made clearer at the SAMR webinar I attended, which was hosted by ICE (Illinois Computing Educators) and facilitated by Nicole Zumpano.  Susan Oxnevad, an Instructional Technology Facilitator, Ed. Tech Consultant, Blogger and webinar host, was the presenter.

SAMR explained

Source: http://images.search.yahoo.com

Ms. Oxnevad explained that SAMR, a Model of Technology Integration, was designed to define the levels of educational instructions and digital tools educators use in the classroom.  The SAMR model consist of four phases (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification and Redefinition), which are divided into two stages (enhancement and transformation).  The enhancement stage is comprised of digital tools that merely substitute (word pad vs. paper and pen) or augment (word pad with spell check) the traditional tools used for a specific task.  This stage is considered "teaching below the line", meaning that there is no learning gained within the process.  With the transformation stage the educator is able to introduce digital tools that modify (www.wikispaces.com) and redefine (www.Thinglink.com and Google Docs) how students represent and display their knowledge of the learning task.  Within this stage, multimedia plays an important role, the teacher is able to design lessons (guided by questions, transitions and rubrics) based on the capabilities of the technology available and the students are able to design, invent, and create projects based on their individual interests and learning styles.  Through digital tools, such as Wikispaces and Thinglink, students are able to discuss and collaborate on projects, allowing them to extend their learning beyond the classroom 24/7.

Digital Tools in Education

Source: http://images.search.yahoo.com

Wikispaces, a free website, allows educators to easily add, remove and edit content, serves as an effective tool for collaborative tasks and provides a variety of features to support all levels of technology integration.  Thinglink (also free) allows users to turn any image into a multimedia launcher by creating "hot spots" on the image that links them to any location on the web.  These digital tools are able to significantly redesign the learning task being presented.

My overall webinar experience
My overall experience with the SAMR webinar was excellent.  I found the information to be invaluable, easy to comprehend, and definitely helpful.  The format (listening and following along) was perfect due to the volume of information presented within an hour.  As Ms. Oxnevad stated, as educators our goal should be to move up the SAMR ladder of educational instruction from one level to the next, striving to teach above the line.  I look forward to exploring her instructional sites and implementing the tools supplied to enhance not only the students learning by my own.

Social Media, is it really social?

Source: http://www.bing.com/images/

The Horizon Report states in their 2013 findings that, "Social media is changing the way people interact, present ideas and information, and communicate.  This caused me to contemplate, what impact this may be having on our children?  As teachers, what affects are we witnessing in the classroom?  Social media has definitely expand our ability to interact with people and present ideas and information.  I believe interaction is different from communication.  One important factor of  communication is how we emotionally respond to what is being said to us.  With the demand for higher test scores, removal of recess and the excessive use of  technology to interact, our children have become unplugged from the human factor of communicating with each other.  Everywhere you turn you observe them, head down, ears plugged and walking blindly around.   We appear to be plugged into media and yet unplugged socially.  I've witnessed time after time situations where our children our gathered together, a perfect time to talk, share ideas and thoughts, and just enjoy each others company and yet each of them are mindlessly staring into their phones, computers or iPads.  I do realize there are other factors that contribute to this emotional void our children appear to be experiencing.  And yes, I agree that emerging technology allows us to network, exchange our thoughts, information and ideas but is it really social.

Source: http://www.bing.com/images/
 

The internet does allow us to reach far beyond our immediate environment but I feel it has removed the human factor from actually communicating.  Without having opportunities to experience the feelings involved in emotionally connecting with each other, our children do not comprehend the consequences involved with posting personal revealing photos or making derogatory statements about their peers with merely a click of a key.  They need opportunities to talk, debate, and laugh face to face with each other.  Social media can't give them that. 

It removes the personal emotional element from social communication, people become just a site, a place to jot down our mental ramblings, not a person with feelings.  They are not able to see the hurt in someone's eyes when a mean statement is made or the infectious response true laughter (LOL) can have.  As teachers it is our responsibility in partnership with parents to bring some balance back into this equation.  Our society definitely benefits from social media but we must use these type of findings to consistently evaluate the impact that new technologies are having on our children.

Source: http://www.bing.com/images/

Let me introduce myself!

Personal Photo: Me!

Hi everyone, let me introduce myself, my name is Carla. I am in the ECP (Early Childhood Practice) program at National Louis University; this is my third year here.  For the last seventeen years I have owned and operated my own licensed home-based childcare (Angels in Training Child care) business.  Being a child care provider has allowed me to do what I love (teaching and caring for children).  Being the eldest daughter of 5 siblings (3 brothers and 1 sister), mother of 2 beautiful boys (Greg and Garrett) and working in various early childhood positions (infant/toddler teacher, summer camp asst. director, and teacher’s aide) provided me a great deal of experience in this field.   

Over the last seventeen years I have acquired my CDA certification (Child Development Associates), NAFCC (National Association for Family Child Care) accreditation and was awarded a Star Level Three from Illinois Action for Children.   I have served as a mentor for license-exempt providers for Illinois Action for Children and have been the vice president for Caring Providers Association for the last ten+ years.  By obtaining my CDA, accreditation, and star level three I have acquired the knowledge necessary to provide the highest quality of child care for the children I serve.   As a member and officer of a child care association, I am able to network with my peers, provide and receive training, and exchange resources pertaining to the field of child care.  My desire to be one of the best in my field (besides my own self-gratification) is what has led me to return to college (after 20+ years) to complete my degree.

Personal Photo: Me & Children at Universoul Circus.

Most of my days our filled with planning lesson plans, activities and field trips, preparing and serving meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner and 2 snacks), and interacting with the children (reading, singing, dancing and arts and crafts).  My evenings consist of completing the required paperwork, attending my own college courses and completing homework.  Most of all, my days are filled with smiles and laughter and this definitely outweighs the workload.

Personal Photo: Me trucking.

Child care has fulfilled my professional aspirations but even an old girl like myself (50+ years old) has other loves and interests.  I love talking on the phone to my boys (both live in Florida), spending time on the open road with my truck driving man (Ralph), and entertaining friends and family.  I enjoy reading a good crime novel (especially any book by John Sandford), watching all the TV crime shows (CSI, Criminal Mind, and anything on ID), crocheting, and sewing.   Spending time with my church family (Maple Park U.M.C.) gives me great joy and fills my soul and spirit.

Personal Photo: Me & ATL. family.

Personal Photo: Me trucking 2.

                                                
     

Personal Photo: Me cutting a rug.

 Being a novice in the area of technology, I am intimidated but excited about all the information and knowledge that I hope to acquire from my TIE 300 course.  I expect my final years at National Louis University to be quite beneficial, educationally fulfilling and extremely busy.

Personal Photo: Family reunion.

Personal Photo: My baby, Ralph!