John's Online Extravaganza!

Apps for Outdoor Ed

– Can provide students with amazing information they would otherwise not have available.

• They require tech not all students may have.
• Unfortunately students spend more time looking at screens.

Cool apps:

• inaturalist
• seek
  • identify species, user friendly, hold up device to anything you’d like to identify and it will tell you what it is.

-itrack wildlife

• • Looks for foot prints to identify animal. Costs money unfortunately.
  • Merlin: bird identifying app.
  • Seaweed sorter: good for identifying seaweed which are difficult to differentiate.
  • Peak finder: can be used for interest when hiking/ traveling. Also good for navigation.
  • Glob observer: tracks weather, mosquitos, tree height.
  • Nasa app: live stream from ISS
  • Skype a scientist: call a scientist from your class. Hundreds you can choose from.

Most of these do not require data but do require pre-downloading of information.

Language and communication Technology

• In the UN they use tech to communicate with each other.

• Google translate is the main resource some educators are using to communicate with students who are learning english.

  • Download the app for the best features.

• • may want a device specifically for this purpose so that emails, texts are not coming in while working with a student.

  • Touch chat: an excellent tool to communicate with non verbal people.

  • Best practices and tips: visuals, new tech always, keep tech separate from devices that have fun.

Today we listened to a presentation about introducing open learning design intervention. Speaker Verena R. Spoke to us via web conference from Calgary. Bellow are some interesting take aways from the conference.

• Learning is learning: it doesn’t matter how you got access to the learning.
• Older students were very interested in power point.
• When doing video conferencing, or using technology of any sort in the class it is important to have back up plans incase the primary technology does not work.

Notes from our immediate class.

• We have to be flexible in supporting learners. They have preferences and we can use technology to accommodate those preferences.

How we can use Open Ed resources:

• very accessible
• context is timely
• overcomes a variety of barriers
• Issues such as lack of access to tech can arise.
• Tech difficulties can hinder lessons
• Teaches digital citizenship.

  -Common sense education has lesson plans to teach specifically about digital citizenship

How does Tech Integration affect students?

• when it is seamless students become more engaged.
• Maintain a balance between the physical and virtual world.
• Slender man documentary
• Talk about safe use of the internet
• Use the settings available to you to protect students
• To integrate tech you need routine and transparency. If you only use it once then students will spend the whole time exploring it.
• 4h40m a day of screen time can impact a students psycho- social functioning.

3D printing

• video about printing prosthetic. A man named Easton created a print design and released the rights to it so now anyone can access it they just need to pay fro the printing.
• 3D printed homes are becoming a reality.

Learning how to play Minecraft from grade 8 students was an awesome experience. I learned about Minecraft about 7 years ago while watching my friend play it in Montreal. I didn’t understand the appeal but he really enjoyed it. Then more recently I found out it was huge amongst gamers.

The way in which this teacher was using Minecraft as a means of building community in the classroom and teaching the curriculum was so creative and inspiring. I am excited to practice listening and learning from students when I become a teacher.  I know that my technological skills require a lot of development so I will surely be asking students for assistance when it comes to using computer programs and apps they are more comfortable  with.

My main take away from this class was the amazing confidence the students had while interacting with us adults. I feel although they must have been quite proud of themselves to be able to blow future teachers away with their skills and knowledge of this game. Furthermore they were able to facilitate our fun and education. This demonstrates the value of putting students in the position of the expert. It benefits the lesson and their confidence.

I very much enjoyed learning how to edit and photo shop images. When asked to explore this technology many of my classmates began creating an interesting looking version of their name, or they created a logo for themselves. I started out trying to combine images in powerpoint when Michael told me that the website Pixlr was much better for what I was aiming to do. So in the end I created a billboard for a pretend film. It was a blast. I really enjoy the freedom we have to explore the new forms of technology we are introduced to in this class. I made some other notes of suggested website and online tools bellow.

Mac screenshot is shift- command- 4

Prisma is a great for photos.

Comica takes photos and makes them look like they are from comic books.