Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the Standards•S.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Model digital age work and learning
Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society.
a. Demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
d. Model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning
Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices.
a. Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources
b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
c. Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information
d. Develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital age communication and collaboration tools
Engage in professional growth and leadership
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources.
a. Participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning
b. Exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others
c. Evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning
d. Contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community
Evidence 2: In order to promote creativity while using technology, my students created their own story using Story Bird E- Book. This tool allowed students to create an engaging presentation that they could do completely on their own, since the tool is easy to manage. For our project, the students had to make their own story that reflected their favorite place. This tool also allowed me to view the students creative thinking process and their individuality.
Evidence 2: By creating an instructional video that was interactive for my students, I was able to give them a resource that would allow them to manage their own learning. Through the use of this video, the students are responsible for watching the video and answering the questions that check for understanding. This interactive video is also a form of formative assessments because I am able to see the results from the questions. Having this information tells me who watched the video and is understanding the content or is not comprehending the content.
Having students create a Concept Map in my classroom met the standard of facilitating student learning and creativity by allowing them time to create their own project. Kidspiration concept maps are great technological tools that allow students to make visually engaging resources that organize their information. These concept maps allow me as the teacher to view the students thought process and plans for their project. This tool has helped to keep my classroom running effectively and efficiently, while promoting creativity.
The use of Plickers in my classroom has been very beneficial for formative assessment and meeting this standard. In order to understand where my students were at within our math lesson, I designed a plickers assessment that would give me feedback. This tool makes formative assessments effective and efficient because I am able to quickly receive accurate feedback.
I use Symbaloo in my classroom in order to effectively communicate with my students, parents, and colleagues. This tool enables me to share any important resources that are pertinent to my class. This tool is very efficient and effective because anyone can access the symbaloo from my website. Once they access the Symbaloo, they can click on any website link and be redirected to the website. This is an easy way to communicate important tools with anyone who needs it!
In order to effectively communicate important news in our classroom, I created a S'more Newsletter that details our field trips. This tool is visually engaging and effectively displays all of the important information. Since this is a technology tool, anyone can access the newsletter through my website. This creates an efficient communication process because students don't have to take a paper letter home.
In order to teach my students about their responsibility that comes with technology, I created a Piktochart that would display the classroom guidelines and expectations for the use of technology. This infographic creates an engaging presentation of the expectations that can be displayed in the classroom. Displaying guidelines in the classroom promotes digital citizenship because the students are held accountable for how they use technology.
The use of a Meme Generator to address classroom expectations has created a positive way to encourage digital citizenship. I created memes to display a positive message about effectively using technology. This serves as a great reminder to students that technology is an awesome resource when you use it correctly!
In order to model the effective use of digital tools, I created a screencast of a website called ICIVICS that I use in my classroom! This screencast explains how to use the technology, as well how and why it is an effective tool. By creating a screencast of the tool, I hope that my colleagues will find helpful information that will allow them to broaden their knowledge of technological resources.
One way that I like to stay involved in the education community and continue to be a life long learner is to engage in educational twitter hashtags! By participating in these hashtag conversations, or just reading the posts, I am able to see many different perspectives on current educational issues, as well as get ideas for how to better my teaching. Furthermore, I am able to transfer my new found knowledge back into my school community in order to advance our school as a whole.
To allow my students to engage in real-world issues and problem solving, I created a lesson that would have my students participate in a culminating activity that addresses a real world issue. The lesson that I created enabled my students to do research on the topic of how sleep effects students. With the information they found, the students created their very own infographic using Piktochart. The infographic created shared the information found in a visually appealing way. The final products were hung around the school in order to circulate all of the knowledge the students found!
In order to allow my students to use digital tools to collaboratively analyze data, I had my students use google spreadsheets and google documents to collect and analyze data. Using a collaboration tool during this process allowed each student to contribute in the best way they could and when they could. The students were able to manage their own learning and work as a group to analyze the data. The students were very engaged in the lesson because the data that was being collected was based off of themselves! The students took measurements of themselves and put it into the google spreadsheets for further analyzing. They then published their findings in a google doc. The students took control of the project because they felt ownership for the data.
In order to model appropriate use of technology and to communicate information about digital tools, I created a Thinglink for my students! This tool allows my students to access an interactive poster that provides them with descriptions and links to the awesome resources I have found. For this particular Thinglink, I created a poster that gives links to great collaboration tools. This benefits my students when they are doing group projects in class and need to collaborate with their peers! The Thinglink also provides my colleagues with resources that they know have been effective in my classroom.
In efforts to advocate and model the appropriate use of technology, I created an infographic using Piktochart! This infographic aimed to give students and parents guidelines and ideas on how to address internet safety specifically pertaining to relationships and communication through the internet. By making an infographic, I hope to clearly display helpful tips and statistics that allow parents to address internet safety at home.
In order to be an active member of the educational community, I like to share my lessons on OER Commons! This is a great way to share ideas and get awesome lesson plans. One of the lesson plans that I have shared on OER Commons is my Project Based Learning lesson plan. By sharing this lesson, I hope that more teachers begin to incorporate PBL lessons into their plans! OER Commons provides a great place for teachers to communicate and share ideas that will ultimately benefit all of us as teachers.