Name: Cardboard Box Tools Publisher: Beth Holland
This article focuses on the need to implement technology tools that are universal and can be used to complete projects across multiple grade levels and subjects. A cardboard box, as the title points to, can be used in so many ways and can be transformed based on the user’s creativity and thinking. In the same way that a cardboard box can be used in many ways, teachers should focus on finding “cardboard box tools” (Holland, 2014) to instruct with, rather than single-use tools.
In my teaching, I have often tried to implement the fun, exciting, new apps and activities that I know would be engaging for the students. When the latest and greatest tool comes out, it is easy to want to jump in and use what is popular in the moment. What I have noticed is that, while students are initially engaged, their technological growth year after year is not impacted. Instead of building on their knowledge and their abilities, they learn one method or tool and then we move on, never to revisit it again. As the author states, “We need universal tools that accomplish a desired set of objectives, regardless of the device. And more important, we need them to be empty and timeless.” (Holland, 2014). The tools mentioned that are empty and timeless, up for many sorts of creations and iterations, are Explain Everything, ThingLink, and Padlet.
Through reading this article and exploring the universal tools mentioned, I have a better grasp of what types of tools may be more helpful to implement in my classroom, and what types of one-hit-wonder tools to avoid. I look forward to researching them even further and finding ways to incorporate them in the future school years.
Holland, B. (2014, June 30). Cardboard Box Tools. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/cardboard-box-tools-beth-holland
Name: How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students Publisher: Mary Beth Hertz
I have spent two years teaching K-6th students about Digital Citizenship. The most difficult grades to teach this subject to are the younger grades, specifically Kindergarten and 1st. At that age, and in the culture we live in, students are surrounded by technology so much that they are not even aware of it. The first difficulty is teaching students what it means to be “online” and “offline”. Past that, trying to teach them about how to be safe and how to recognize when something is wrong is even more challenging. This article focuses on ways to make an internet safety lesson for younger grades, how to ask age-appropriate prompts, and what types of videos and resources can be used. After reading this article, I plan to reevaluate how I structure my Digital Citizenship lessons for my Kindergarten and 1st grade students based on the recommendations, and how I can incorporate some of these reminders into daily lessons. Some of the resources that seem helpful are the BrainPOP videos on internet safety, iSafe, and Wired Safety. By referencing this article, I hope to reinforce my lessons and make them even more engaging and impactful for my littlest learners.
Hertz, M. (2017, September 28). How to Teach Internet Safety to Younger Elementary Students. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/internet-safety-younger-elementary-mary-beth-hertz
Name: Classroom Management Tips for the Technology Rich Classroom Publisher: Julie Davis
The purpose of this article is to give helpful tips for navigating the difficulties of using technology devices in the classroom. As a 1-1 school, I start the year off with a lesson that discusses how to take care of an iPad, what is and is not acceptable use (per our school policy), and the fair consequences if the rules are broken. Despite my yearly lesson, and reminders, I can get frustrated with students who continuously mistreat their iPads or forget the rules, whether intentionally or accidentally. What I have realized is that what is expected in my Lab is not what is being reinforced in the classroom, so students are not being reminded or held accountable to the expectations. This article suggests many great tips for how to proactively avoid misbehavior in regard to device use. Suggestions range from continuously moving throughout the classroom during device use in order to hold students accountable, to having rules about “no devices on laps”, as it is known to be where students keep their device when they are trying to hide something from the teacher. I plan to save this article to reference when I start the year out, and also share it with the homeroom teachers as well. With their help, students can be set up for a more successful year with their devices.
Davis, J. (2015, February 19). Classroom Management Tips for the Technology Rich Classroom. https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/classroom-management-tips-technology-rich-classroom