Emaze and BrainPOP Jr in the Classroom

        In education, new softwares, web tools, and web pages are being used by educators and students of all over the world. Likewise, students feel more motivated and eager to participate in new activities that involve the use of technology during the class. Therefore, teachers are now using technology to make a classroom more alive and free. In fact, it seems wonderful to use technology with learners of any age. In this article, I will be sharing my next implementations I made with two digital tools for students of different ages. For my implementations, I decided to use Emaze and BrainPOP Jr. They are excellent web tools for learners of all ages to start practicing their skills (reading, grammar, writing, and speaking) by using them appropriately.

   

        To begin, my first implementation was with my brother since he had to study for his final English exam. So I decided to help him anyway. In this website, BrainPOP creates animated, curricular content that engages students, supports educators, and bolsters achievement. Inside each link, I chose BrainPOP Jr. (K-3). Likewise, for English language learners, there is BrainPOP ESL, which also works for elementary school children. BrainPOP is also home to GameUp, an educational games portal for the classroom. I used an online game from this website with my 13 year-old brother and he enjoyed learning English in a different way. I decided to teach adverbs and adjectives with him because it is very difficult for him to understand what an adverb or an adjective is in order to apply it in a sentence. Therefore, my goal was to use a wonderful and meaningful tool to enhance the learner's creativity and critical thinking because if he deeply thinks about identifying an adverb, then he will definitely know how to find it in a sentence or a question as well. At the end, my brother's reaction was very positive because he had fun playing with the tool and it turned out well.

        On the other hand, my other implementation was with Emaze. I asked my 19 year-old sister to create a dynamic and creative presentation for me in order to see her reaction and whether it was difficult for her to use it or not. After creating her presentation, she showed it to me and I was really amazed by the slides, texts, and images she used to make her presentation as well. It was made for a course in her career of Advertising because she has a great source of inspiration to design banners, online presentations, logos, and so on. 

         Emaze is a free online software tool that includes presentation software in an easy to use format. For instance, students from a year 5 science class are required to create a presentation with Emaze based on the key features of the solar system. It will encourage students to be creative and build good social skills whilst utilising Emaze software in group work. By creating a presentation, teachers are able to determine the student's understanding of the content.

       Consequently, Emaze is an excellent presentation software and there are many benefits that the users can gain from this software. First, it is very user-friendly because it allows people to register without any problem. Second, it provides spectacular presentations that can be made simply and fast. Third, it provides better results and more visualization. Fourth, users can choose from the varieties of templates ranging from 2-dimensional to 3-dimensional patterns provided by Emaze to prepare their presentations. One last thing is that templates are free to use and users can view the presentation online or download it as an HTML file to display to the target audience. In other words, Emaze is a friendly web tool for students of all ages that allow them to share their presentations with the audience they want to approach.

         In conclusion, Emaze and BrainPOP are excellent tools for teachers and learners to use them to keep practicing their English as well as other subjects such as math, science, or social studies. Creating a presentation and learning English through games can encourage students to go beyond their goals such as making a video, solving a math problem, or creating a real representation of the solar system with digital tools that will allow them to improve their creativity and be original in all ways. 

Technology and Classroom Management

      In education, technology has let students take advantage of their time to start working on their tasks and create wonderful projects for a class. Nevertheless, teachers must be aware of the effects of technology in their classrooms, which is to manage each activity in one class with their students. Therefore, classroom management is very important in educational technology because it can have advantages and disadvantages as well. We will be exploring only the positive aspects about classroom management as well as its solution and how teachers can improve their classes constantly.

   
    When technology evolves, learning evolves as well (Everston and Weinstein, 2006). Students are now using web tools, web pages, and online softwares to create presentations for class. Likewise, there are computers in every school. In fact, attending an online school, rather than a traditional classroom, may become the new habit for students to start being original, creative, and motivated to perform activites on the Internet. Conversely, teachers still have very present students to manage and guide as they integrate technology into their classrooms. Education technology has the flexibility to accommodate a variety of learning styles and abilities. However, with the learning benefits of technology, new challenges arise for managing the classroom. The greatest of these is allowing students to take advantage of the exploratory mode of learning technology encourages while keeping the class productively on-task.

     

        Firstly, beyond ensuring that our students are actively learning or creating to meet certain goals or objectives, the key with technology is making sure that our technology use is organized, and that we are ready and prepared to use it (Marcinek, 2014). Likewise, as we all know too well, technology will sometimes present a minor glitch. That is why it is always important to have Plan B ready to go, possibly an analog version of our scheduled activity, in order to keep the pace of the class and keep the lesson on task (Doyle, 2006). That is one of the first steps in successfully integrating technology into our classroom: have a backup plan ready.

        On the other hand, bringing technology up into classroom management can be very beneficial for our students and ourselves as well. For instance, Face Time and Skype are becoming very popular to educate learners because it allows teachers and students to connect with one another to share ideas and collaborate on projects. Additionally, they have the opportunity to interact with students around the world in many significant ways. Therefore, connecting with students in foreign countries is a great way to learn about other cultures. In fact, we can have students take time before the call to think up their own questions or conversation topics. 

        Secondly, when students are working on small group technology projects on classroom computers, we should divide the tasks so some students are working on the computers while others are working at their desks on another part of the project. Likewise, we have to provide a sign-up sheet for the computers. When one group is finished using the computers, they must notify the next group that it is their turn. Having each student keep an electronic portfolio is another way of managing a class effectively because they can use it for storing ongoing technology projects, ideas for future projects, worksheets, and other tasks. It is a real time saver when students are heading for the tech lab.

      Thirdly, another aspect I consider in a tech-class is to set up teams of computer helpers, and assign each team a different room in an institution. Each week, students must clean their assigned rooms, keeping the computers dust free and the monitors clean. Additionally, we can have students turn on each computers before class. We as teachers have a very needy special education student who presses the Enter key on all lab computers so the computers go on the network.

       Lastly, effective classroom management must be aligned with instructional goals and activities. Brophy (2006) noted that when teachers identify what good student behavior looks like, they can work backwards from desired outcomes to determine which management systems will be most effective. Examples of these behavioral outcomes include arriving in class and being in one’s seat on time, being prepared for a lesson, paying attention, volunteering information and responding to questions, as well as completing assignments. Accepted behaviors may vary for different classroom organizational systems. Therefore, classroom management strategies need to be adapted for unique contexts and environments that emerge in typical classrooms.

       In conclusion, the key to quality classroom management is to have a plan to ensure that technology integration is consistent, clear, and supports the learning objectives and goals. According to Martinek (2014), we should make sure that our class time includes an active learning and creating moment that will increase and empower student engagement. In that way, educators can put steps in place to improve a digital class activity. If we are aware of the rules we must follow in order to create a peaceful classroom environment, managing a classroom with technological equipment should be a great experience.


References

Brophy, J. (2006).  History of research on classroom management.  In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management:  Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 17-43).  Mahwah, NJ:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Doyle, W. (2006). Ecological approaches to classroom management.  In C. Evertson and C. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 97-125).  New York: Erlbaum.

Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S.  (2006).  Classroom management as a field of inquiry.  In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 3-16).  Mahwah, NJ:  Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Marcinek, A. (2014). Classroom Management in the Tech-Equipped Classroom. Retrieved November 19, 2014, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/classroom-management-tech-equipped-classroom-andrew-marcinek

VoiceThread in The Interactive Classroom

       In education, teachers and students have incorporated the extensive use of technology for their own purposes. Likewise, many learners and instructors are satisfied with their learning process after applying technology in the classroom. There are many web tools that we find interesting and helpful for teaching a class. One example is VoiceThread, a resourceful web tool that allows students to create videos using pictures, home videos from their laptops, and audio tracks. Therefore, I will be explaining about this incredible web tool, VoiceThread, including my reflections on this tool as well.

     To begin, educators use VoiceThread for many different reasons, from extending and documenting classroom conversations, online tutoring, virtual class spaces, professional development training, and a thousand things in between. In fact, they might be described as interactive media albums. They are essentially online slide shows of images, documents, or videos that enable viewers to comment on any slide, or at any point in the video by typing, recording an audio or video comment, or drawing on the image itself. 

         Firstly, tutorials on the site help newbies get started or explain more advanced features, such as video doodling, pausing a video, and drawing on the frozen image like a sportscaster commenting on a play. For educators like me that are new to VoiceThread, it is a good idea to experiment a bit before starting with students. This web tool offers free educator accounts on its public site. Teachers can begin there, commenting on others' threads and creating their own practice threads. For my first video, I decided to share an important topic that teachers need to know perfectly clear in order to understand students' behavior in a classroom. I decided to discuss about Asperger Syndrome and its importance in the educational setting.

        Secondly, students are intrinsically drawn to interesting conversations with peers, so structuring opportunities for collaborative dialogue around classroom content is a logical decision. To make the most of our VoiceThread experiences, we must allow students to draft comments in groups of two or three. Likewise, it is always helpful to give students time to work in small groups to brainstorm and draft initial comments together. This ensures that the first comments added to your discussions will be well thought out and aligned with the directions you have given for the assignment. This ensures that all students will have a comment in your conversation to follow, increasing their interest. From my first experience, I decided to let people give their opinion on my first video about Asperger Syndrome and they were completely interested in it. Therefore, I allowed my classmates to post their comments on my video.

     Thirdly, in the early stages of your work with VoiceThread, it is important to join in the conversations with your students because you will be able to create the kinds of comments that are productive and valuable. Be sure to use proper grammar and spelling as well as to elaborate on your thinking. Also, be sure to find ways to respond to other students and to ask lots of questions. Those are the skills that make for high quality VoiceThread presentations. Nevertheless, seeing examples from you will help your classes to learn more about quality additions to digital conversations. As a student, I engaged with my classmates' comments and replied to them appropriately so that the conversation flows effectively. Most importantly, my discussion was very helpful and meaningful for the teacher and students.

     Lastly, after starting a VoiceThread presentation, it is important to revisit the conversation occasionally in class in order to keep the project at the forefront of your students’ minds. Browsing and selecting “Spotlight Comments” a few times a week will provide students with examples of high quality work to model their own contributions after. Be sure to spotlight different kinds of comments to your students, especially those where students are reading and responding to one another. By having students interact with one another, you will begin to see more cross-conversations in your digital presentations. One last thing, be sure to spotlight comments that do not add any real value to your conversation. It is important for classes to begin to recognize that useless comments only serve as distractions in meaningful discussions.

       In conclusion, VoiceThread is a helpful tool that enables learning, creativity, and originality. Students can use it to make videos of any topic they would like to discuss. Likewise, they can invite an audience to post their comments on them in different ways such as texting, voicing or through a video response. Moreover, it allows students to start using this tool for their digital presentations in the classroom. Honestly, this web tool has given me the gift of doing better every day using a wide variety of tools that will improve my creativity, grammar, spelling, and speaking skills. Commenting on videos is another thing that I mostly like because it makes you learn more about a certain topic that you might want to research about.

Let Ignite the Spirit of Christmas

Hello everyone:

This is the first time I used PowToon. I decided to speak about my favorite holiday, Christmas. This year, let's celebrate a wonderful Christmas with our families and friends.

My Reflections and Experience on Using Zunal and ReadWriteThink

       It has been a good way for me to explore new web tools that will enhance my computer skills and improve my vocabulary on the go. Every day, I use new tools and start incorporating them into my ongoing learning process and my family since they have to start using digital tools as their own aid. These days, I used two web tools that my teacher introduced them to the class. They are Zunal and ReadWriteThink. Therefore, my essay aims to summarize my experience on using both tools during the class as well as highlighting the most important aspects and benefits of using these two web tools that are quite unique and helpful for educational technology.
   
        To begin, educational technology allows teachers and students to incorporate a wide series of tools to enhance creativity, motivation, and personal criteria as well. The first web tool I used during the class was Zunal, a web site where students and teachers can create their own WebQuest and start posting important topics of their interest on the Internet. For the class, I decided to create my own WebQuest about Asperger Syndrome, a very interesting topic that is highly important for future educators as well as students and families. Likewise, I added a video to make people think how Aspies behave in a real-life environment and how they would react to people. Thus, Zunal is a helpful website for students and educators to share their ideas on a topic they want to discuss.

   
      In a WebQuest, learners search for information based on the "quest" of the course content objective. For example, the quest or question for Technology in Education is, "How do I infuse technology into the teaching and learning process?" WebQuests require students to approach their task with advanced thinking, specifically in terms of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. A learner analyzes a body of knowledge deeply, transforms it in some way, and demonstrates an understanding of the material by creating something that others can respond to, online or offline. In our case, students analyzed current uses of technology, and transformed this information into how technology is used in teaching and learning today. From there, they created instructional material for training public school teachers in the use of technology in an educational setting (Dodge, 1995).

        On the other hand, when I started using ReadWriteThink, an interactive and helpful web page that provides a whole series of activities, lesson plans, and warmups already prepared to incorporate with our 21st century learners. With these activities, educators can see themselves as writers for life and leaders in teaching writing to learners who really need it to improve their grammar and vocabulary. Likewise, students can also feel highly motivated by creating comic strips with the comic creator. This digital tool allows students to create their own short stories by selecting their characters they want to add to their comic strip, and then start thinking about what each character wants to say. In that way, their grammar and vocabulary increase effectively. Furthermore, students can also design conceptual maps by highlighting important aspects and key words of an interesting topic or a story. Additionally, students who enjoy writing poems, they can do it using different activities that will enhance their creativity as well. Other activities that I found useful were crossword puzzles, acrostic words, and so on. There are a bunch of activities to explore anyway.

         Technology has become part of the learning process in our knowledge. When educators incorporate web tools where students of all ages can keep practicing their English, reinforcing their math skills, or any other subject they want to work on, they become more confident, proficient, and thoughtful teachers of writing. At the same time, they are also seeking for grammar improvements of their students so they can keep creating stories that are interesting, thoughtful, and sometimes magical using correct grammar,  punctuation, and spelling. However, if a new student uses a web tool to write a story using comic strips, the teacher should only focus on his or her creativity and originality so he can provide positive feedback on the student.

          Using ReadWriteThink has made me look forward to doing more activities on this web page. As a future instructor, it becomes a part of a diverse professional network devoted to the continuous improvement and support of the practices of writing, teaching, and professional growth as well. In addition, teachers aim to help students across grade levels and disciplines to use writing as a tool for learning, reflection, expression, and communication.

          In conclusion, Zunal and ReadWriteThink are two useful and helpful websites for teachers and students to keep track of new activities to implement in a classroom. Likewise, these web tools enhance student creativity and motivation by providing a wide variety of tasks where students can practice their writing and reading skills to be creative. Furthermore, instructors can teach writing and reading with these tools to their students so they can start thinking about what to write. It can be a story, an interesting topic, or their personal opinion. In that way, both teachers and students are contributing to create a good learning environment with the use of technology. Moreover, teachers become members of school and classroom writing communities.

References

Dodge, B. (1995). Some thoughts about WebQuests. San Diego: Educational Technology Department, San Diego State University. Retrieved January 16, 1998, from San Diego State University, Educational Technology. 

Educational Technology: Online Learning in the Classroom

          In today's education, many teachers and instructors have changed their teaching styles in their classrooms by incorporating online learning with students of different ages whether they are children, teenagers, or adults. This essay aims to describe the importance of online learning in education as well as its benefits and enrichment for students and the community to improve their English every day.

          To begin, we must know and understand the main concept of what online learning means. It is defined as learning that takes place partially or entirely over the Internet. This definition excludes purely print-based correspondence education, broadcast television or radio, videoconferencing, videocassettes, and stand-alone educational software programs that do not have a significant Internet-based instructional component.

       Firstly, online learning offerings are being designed to enhance the quality of learning experiences and outcomes. One common conjecture is that learning a complex body of knowledge effectively requires a community of learners (Bransford, Brown and Cocking 1999; Riel and Polin 2004; Schwen and Hara 2004; Vrasidas and Glass 2004) and that online technologies can be used to expand and support such communities. Another conjecture is that asynchronous discourse is inherently self-reflective and therefore more conducive to deep learning than is synchronous discourse (Harlen and Doubler 2004; Hiltz and Goldman 2005; Jaffee et al. 2006).

         Secondly, online learning can accommodate different learning styles. An instructor can also present these materials in many formats to adjust different types of learning styles. For example, if an instructor puts both lecture notes and slides online, both visual and auditory learners benefit. Additionally, students who prefer to focus on "listening" and "watching" during lecture do not have to worry that they are missing important concepts while scrambling to take copious notes. They can focus on understanding the material and concepts as they are presented. Likewise, students with attention difficulties or those who get overwhelmed by organizational tasks also benefit, because materials provided show how the instructor has grouped and prepared materials in the handouts, and indicate what items are most important.

      According to researchers from Cornell University, “the web provides significant new functionality in transmitting information to the student and providing forums for exchange. The web is revolutionizing some areas of study through increased opportunities for learning and alternative formats for information.” (Dwyer, Barbieri, and Doerr, 1995). Therefore, the advantages of online education make a significant impact in higher education today and, as technology evolves, promise to deliver even greater benefits in the future.

         Thirdly, online learning can facilitate accessibility to students to complete their assignments without hurrying. For instance, Courseware can be accessible for students when they need it. Students can review lectures, discussions, explanations, and comments, and then reply them to their classmates. Likewise, individuals can also share notes with each other to help facilitate community learning.

    Fourthly, online learning saves money for students and encourages to perform online communication with their teachers. Educational instructors can be more approachable in the online setting. In addition, students may feel more comfortable talking openly with their teachers through online chats, emails, and newsgroup discussions rather than face-to-face. Hence, online correspondence also cuts out having to wait for office hours that may not be convenient for either party. Students may be able to save money by not having to physically attend classes. Therefore, online courses may help individuals cut down  costs of transportation, babysitting, and other expenses incurred by attending classes in a traditional setting.

        Lastly, online learning offers a wide variety of online courses that fits in the learner's educational background. They could help to increase student interaction by allowing everyone to have a voice, share their ideas, and grow diverse as well. Students can also think longer about what they want to say and add their comments when ready. In a traditional classroom, the conversation could have moved past the point where the student may be willing to comment.

        In conclusion, online learning allows students to strengthen their knowledge as they increase their motivation and interest on what they learn. Likewise, the advantages of online education make a significant impact in higher education today and, as technology evolves, promise to deliver even greater benefits in the future.

References

Dwyer, D., Barbieri, K., and Doerr, H. (1995). Creating a Virtual Classroom for Interactive Education on the Web. The Third International World Wide Web Conference. 

Riel, M., and Polin, J. (2004). Online communities: Common ground and critical differences in designing technical environments. In Designing for virtual communities in the service of learning, ed. S. A. Barab, R. Kling, and J. H. Gray, 16–50. Cambridge, Mass.: Cambridge University Press.

Bransford, J., Brown, A., and Cocking, R. (1999). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.

Schwen, T. M., and Hara, N. (2004). Community of practice: A metaphor for online design. In Designing for virtual communities in the service of learning, ed. S. A. Barab, R. Kling, and J. H. Gray, 154–78. Cambridge, U.K.: Cambridge University Press.

Vrasidas, C., and Glass, G. (2004). Teacher professional development: Issues and trends. In Online professional development for teachers, ed. C. Vrasidas and G. V. Glass, 1–12). Greenwich, Conn.: Information Age.

Note: If the video does not open, please click on the link below to see it completely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhzIYo2e5kY 

The Importance of Blogging in the Classroom

        As future teachers, we used to have our students write their own reflections on a piece of paper and share them with the classroom as well. Today, twenty-first century educators have the chance of incorporating blogging into our classes since it is a good way to change our activities in order to make them more interesting, insightful, funny, engaging, and dynamic so students can easily share their thoughts, reflections, and opinions with others as well as the teacher. Therefore, in this essay, I will be emphasizing on the benefits of using blogs or blogging in the classroom with twenty-first century learners.

         To begin, we must know that the Internet in these days is constantly updating its web sources to provide a better service with the community around the world. Many families and friends are now using blogs to write their personal experiences, stories, or anecdotes to share them with their beloved ones. It is the same thing that educators are trying to do. They want students to start using this collaborative web tool that will enhance their writing skills and will improve their vocabulary as well. Obviously, you will not expect students to write perfectly crystal clear with no grammar mistakes, misspellings, or punctuation. In fact, you must let them be creative using this tool for their special needs.

        Firstly, student writing is improving by leaps and bounds. When a teacher read their blogs, he does not find himself pulling his hair out over the careless mistakes that they make in formal papers. As I said before, not every post is perfect, but the majority are well written and free of grammar and usage issues that I am so familiar with seeing in their other work. If they become sloppy, all you need to do is politely comment about it on their blog in order to give appropriate feedback and suggestions. Additionally, their improved skills transfer to formal work. Integrating quotations in literary papers has become simple now that we have so much practice with smoothly embedding hyperlinks. Additionally, student response to texts has improved. Some of the posts they must write are based on stimulus texts of their choice. 

        Secondly, students have the opportunity to practice writing and analytical skills in their own blogs that will transfer into essays and other writing endeavors. Likewise, they are able to see their own writing as something “real” with a practical application. Indeed, creating a blog can be a bridge for students between the familiar digital world and what is being asked of them in academic essays, projects and other assignments. Thus, blogging can be seen as a gateway experience for students who will be using digital technologies and media in their future endeavors despite their discipline.

           Thirdly, blogs can serve for collaborative participation between students and the teacher.  They provide a space where teachers and students can work to further develop writing or other skills with the advantage of an instant audience. Furthermore, teachers can offer instructional tips, and students can practice and benefit from peer review. They also make online mentoring possible. For example, a class of older students can help a class of younger students develop more confidence in their writing skills. At the same time, students can also participate in cooperative learning activities that require them to relay research findings, ideas, or suggestions. Creating a class blog requires teamwork and collaboration. Students and teachers learn and share together. A real sense of classroom community can be developed through blogging and establishing a class identity.

          Lastly, blogging can used as students portfolios so that they can write their own reflections after learning new stuff or having the experience to create a story, an anecdote, or even a short article about their favorite topic they would like to discuss. Blogs present, organize, and protect student work as digital portfolios. Additionally, as students realize their efforts will be published, they are typically more motivated to produce better writing. 

        In conclusion, blogging can improve students’ writing skills and build their confidence as writers. By blogging, students can take ownership of their writing, become better observers of others’ writing, and develop a more immediate and powerful understanding of audience. Blogs encourage experimenting and risk-taking, seriousness and play, and they foster an increased awareness of private and public writing. Therefore, a class blog can help foster a feeling of community among the members of a class, especially if learners are sharing information about themselves and their interests, and are responding to what other learners are writing. In that way, they will contribute to a better educational environment that is completely modern and updated to the latest technology that anyone can use it for good purposes.