COVA…a Look into the Future of Learning

Beginning my journey in the Digital Learning and Leading (DLL) program at Lamar University was not an easy decision and definitely kept me up at night more than once. Although, when I started my first course and was introduced to the growth mindset (#1 below); everything changed. I began to realize that many of my fears were my fixed mindset trying to peek out from behind the corner, but I soon learned how to deal with those struggles the right way. The next idea that got my mind spinning in circles was when I was introduced to the COVA (#4 … Continue reading COVA…a Look into the Future of Learning

Using Video in the Classroom and Beyond

What do you think the future of education will look like? Will students finally be given the opportunities they deserve to show what they know and grow into lifelong learners? Video is one excellent way to engage students in more meaningful learning and opens doors most teachers never knew existed. Allowing students to find their voices using video can help them take ownership of their own learning. Showing teachers how video can be used in their classroom and how it will benefit student learning is necessary. Having this modeled for them in the form of professional learning using video can … Continue reading Using Video in the Classroom and Beyond

Cyberbullying…it is always personal

Many students have been affected by bullying, maybe even ourselves when we were in school as well. Bullying has been an issue for decades, and it makes you wonder why we can’t find a solution or ways to curb this behavior. Personally, I never really realized that I was bullied when I was in school until after I finished up eighth grade and moved on to a new school. Then it hit home when I heard and saw others bullied; I made it my mission to stand up for those that were and that has continued as a teacher. When … Continue reading Cyberbullying…it is always personal

Copyright or wrong?

Copyright in education has become a hot topic since computers and the internet began the era of the copy and paste. This phenomenon continues to be an issue even though teachers check students work with plagiarism checkers constantly. Students seem to be okay with taking someone else’s work and saying it is their own. The ease of the copy and paste has created an issue that never used to exist. While I was a teacher, I felt that students did not have a very good understanding of the correct process of citing sources for copyright reasons. This lack of understanding … Continue reading Copyright or wrong?

Do you know the details of your digital footprint?

Learning is so different now compared to when I was in school. The teacher is no longer the base of knowledge, but just a conduit and facilitator along the route. The teacher no longer must be in a classroom or in a school. Students can learn without the teacher as well by using the internet, Alexa or Siri. The acquiring of information no longer relies on another person to be able to learn but can be acquired in so many innovative ways. While learning has evolved; it has also opened up many other dangerous paths for students and adults. The … Continue reading Do you know the details of your digital footprint?

What is Digital Citizenship?

I used to think that I knew what digital citizenship was, and I did have a partial understanding of it; but there is so much more. First of all, digital citizenship is not just a teacher-student interaction; it should be a student-parent-teacher-administrator learning collaboration. Without this collaboration, we will continue to have the same issues we have now and it will probably get worse. Cyber-bullying, plagiarism, and so many other areas of concern when it comes to students and the digital citizens they need to be for a safe online experience. Ribble (2015) states that digital citizenship is about creating … Continue reading What is Digital Citizenship?

A Course for Teacher Professional Learning

As I finish creating my personalized course for teachers; I am very excited to see all of the learning that that takes place. On the other hand, I wonder how many teachers will truly venture out into the universe of taking an online course during the school year. As I start my new position as an Elementary Innovation Leader (Technology Coach) for my district; I have found many teachers that have a very different expectation for their students learning compared to their own. Many teachers tend to think that doing things the same way all the time will improve student … Continue reading A Course for Teacher Professional Learning

Continuing to Build…

Over the last week, I have continued to look for ways to vary my course activities and provide different opportunities for the teachers that will be taking this course. As teachers we like to provide differentiated instruction to our students; so I am looking to build my course with the same idea in mind. I continue to use the OSCQR website for guidance and came across standard #29 that talks about variety of resources. It opened my eyes about some of the ways to incorporate other activities that I may have dismissed or not thought of before. I ended up … Continue reading Continuing to Build…

An Update on my Online Course

While building my online course on Google Classroom; I find myself in a continual reflection mode of what is needed and what is not. Learning in the same online environment through Lamar University for the last fourteen months has been helpful to focus on the detailed aspects of my course. Another quality tool that has helped me shape my course has been the Open SUNY Course Quality Review (OSCQR) site. Following the fifty standards on the site has allowed me to find more clarity in how to make my course more learner centered (OSCQR, n.d.). Most of my experience when … Continue reading An Update on my Online Course

Creating an Online Learning Course

While teaching in a traditional classroom has become not so traditional lately; teaching a completely online distance learning course is easier said than done. I am beginning the journey of creating an online learning course and have had to really put on my brainstorming cap on to come up with the content and path for this course. After a lot of contemplating and reflecting, I have decided to create a course that is connected to my Action Research Plan; personalized professional learning for teachers. I believe that creating this course will be the beginning of many possibilities in my district … Continue reading Creating an Online Learning Course