Blog Post #1: Mid-Course Reflection
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1. What is something new or interesting that you have learned from this course?
Besides some new cool tools to use, which is something I am always looking for to add in my teacher tech box, one other aspect of this course really stands out to me. The most interesting take away thus far in this course is how I now have a better understanding of how not only my students, but how I read digital material differently compared printed text. It is not like I am oblivious that there was a difference, but now my understanding of why we do that is my ah-ha moment in this class. I still prefer printed text when I am engrossed in a novel and so do my students because scrolling while reading a good novel is not enjoyable. When my students and I read informational text, we prefer digital because scanning for information seems to be more user friendly. We can click Ctrl + F and search for words, which can be a time saver. On the other side of the coin, I do not think my students and I read as carefully, when the device seeks out the word.
As teachers we need to teach our kids how to approach text. Just like when I teach writing, I discuss with my kids that we write for different purposes, whether writing a shopping list, a text to a friend, an email to a teacher, poetry, and essays. The same goes with reading printed text and digital text. The reading series my students use has a plethora of digital content, but my students prefer to bring home the reading book. Maybe during these last few days of school I can show my students how to approach the different types of text formats to help them become stronger readers. At the start of next school year, I am definitely going to teach my students the difference and strategies for reading printed and digital text.
2. How can you apply what you have been learning to what you do daily? ( in the classroom, library, etc)
I somewhat stated what I was going to do in the first question, so I will try to be more specific in this one. Adding an extension like Just Read and practicing the tool with my students. I will also look into Google Keep as a way of keeping notes. Thank you Kent D. for telling me about Insert Learning! I pulled up a tutorial and found that I can connect Edpuzzles, which makes this tool a double winner for me. Google products also work well with Insert Learning. Now I can and use both tools at the same time! If my students were studying the Boston Tea Party, I could find an article and insert questions, highlight text, pose a discussion and more. Plus, I can embed an Edpuzzle video lesson within the article. Now my lessons will have digital text with critical thinking questions for my students, vocabulary, and a video lesson, all on one screen. But wait! That is not all! I can also connect the Insert Learning lesson into Google Classroom. What a great way to get my kids reading deeper using digital text. Unfortunately, the free version means you only get five lessons
What can I do during these last remaining days of school? I can teach my students Google Keep. I can also spend some time reviewing how to evaluate content on a web site.
3.What would you like added to the course?
Next year I will have several students who are in Title I and a couple who have IEP's. I would like to learn more ways to help them with strategies and tools, such as extensions to help those who struggle with learning, especially when it comes to reading printed text vs. digital text.
