Applying Advanced Technology

So much like scholarships for college, you hear it all of the time, there are so many you just have to go out an get them. Well guess what? There are many grants out there for educational technology you just have to go out and get them. How do you do that? You write the best proposal ever so these Grants become yours...You need to write a good proposal, maybe you should get a professional grant writer. Yes they exist!!

https://www.grantwriterteam.com/?stp=true&t=468801801s

Did you think I was joking? These are professional writers that will write you a great proposal so you can get that educational grant. Of course you would have to pay them, but it may be worth it.

How to Write a Grant!!

You’ll need a TITLE PAGE that allows your project to have a great title that is both eye-catching and informative.

Write a one-page PROJECT ABSTRACT that includes goals and purposes.

How about a STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM that gives the grant donors the intent of the money. Specific statistics and other information that states a strong case on why you should get the money is essential.

Well a PROJECT DESCRIPTION is important talking about the goals and outcomes, target population, methods, project staff, and timeline.

What available RESOURCES will be used to help support the project?

You must include an EVALUATION PLAN that looks at how your project goal is met.

In APPENDICES other information such as professional development models and examples of student work are included as more ammo.

Take a look at some sample proposals:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/grants/sampropo.htm

About 7 years ago the Bethlehem Area School District received a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Skills 21 Initiative gave classrooms computer carts full of laptops. The idea was to prepare students for the future with 21st century learning via technological use. It was a great kickstart and as the grant would run out in a few years the district had enough time transition the program to become self sufficient. Then the Great Recession occurred in 2009, and the Skills 21 Initiative folded. The grant, however, did its job and those laptop carts started a technological revolution. While the technological revolution in classrooms was slowed, it indeed began with the Skills 21 Initiative. 

The amount of resources available for teachers and educational institutions is immense. So many parts of society want to help students, it is finding where that money is located that is difficult. 

Government Grants 

www.ed.gov/fund/grants-apply.html

Go for it with a government grant. You may have to write a lengthy proposal, but the amount of funding available is extensive since the government is interested in well-educated, modern day citizens. Unlike organizational grants, government grants tend to be given to districts opposed to individual schools or teachers. 

Organizational Grants

Often times teachers can create proposals in order to get grants that are specific to their classrooms. Many organizations exist to better enhance student learning. Many organizations offer lists of many different grants that are offered. Take a look:

Schoolgrants: http://k12grants.org

Top Teaching Resources: www.topteachingresources.com

The Fund $ Raiser Cyberzone: www.fundraiser.com

The local Bethlehem Education Association offers up to a $1,000.00 grant to individual teachers in hopes of bringing technology into the classroom. Each year teachers send in proposals that hopefully can give them resources to enhance technology in the classroom. After taking EDAM 5034 a colleague and I will be submitted a grant proposal that would give us enough money to by a classroom set of Virtual Reality Goggles. I’m excited to perhaps take the next step into technology teaching and learning.

List of Technology Grant Web Sites Anyone???

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s631/sh/4d1eb80f-2f2f-422b-ba7d-a7b9ff27a9ad/ced2eb39e3ba243dbc0cb70012f7c4e3

Works Cited

Last year I wanted to turn the tables on my students and have them create an authentic learning tool along with a Public Service Announcement that states an opinion about something. The result was a combination of planning the PSA using storyboarding and recording the PSA using iPadio. I never realized the exact impact of the planning process, but I do think the students embraced the visual compilation portion of each film “shot”.

This is the example storyboard I showed my students when assigning the activity! I then showed the class the actual PSA...

You see the process of storyboarding allows students to create each frame and plan out the information accordingly. Usually students can use index cards for each part of the story so they can rearrange and/or delete certain scenes. Sometimes providing students with a template will help them organize each piece of the storyboard.

Works Cited

Mims, C., Lowther, D.L., Russell, J. D., Smaldino, S.E. (11th). (2015). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education

It’s mundane, boring, and what most traditional high school and college teachers/professors do during a lecture/discussion lesson....they use outline notes! Some teachers take it a step further and use PowerPoint to create a presentation filled with words and no graphics. With the onset of PowerPoint, Prezi, Inspiration, and many other Web 2.0 tools and software using visuals to correspond with text will transform learning. 

If your creating a PowerPoint presentation try and move away from just using bulleted words and phrases without graphics. The graphics make the connections for the students and visualize the material. Here are some tips:

- Believe it or now selecting proper font sizes for titles, subtitles, and text is important to keep the presentation flowing.

- Choose a neutral background that will not drown out the importance of the text.

- Do not type paragraphs in presentation, keep the information short and concise.

- Most importantly use appropriate graphics and even embedded videos that relate to the content.

- Use animations to make transitions more appealing.

Check out the example slide from a Political Party PowerPoint. More specifically note the different use of fonts, the placement of text, and the placement and appropriateness of visuals.

Works Cited

You walk into class, the teacher tells you he/she is going to show a film today that pertains to the content area. Your elated, thinking, there is nothing better than watching a movie in school...Well this is how I used to react when I was a student. Using videos in class has transformed from films to a plethora of different things. From video clips, to animation clips, to full videos, to compilations on YouTube, teachers can use video to enhance student learning. Besides we all know that students spend a large amount of time using entertainment media in the classroom. Why not have teachers use this student passion for entertainment media to improve the quality of education?

ADVANTAGES OF USING VIDEOS IN CLASS

(1) Motion: Having a moving picture compared to a still picture is both pleasing to the eye and better for learning.

(2) Risk-Free Observation: It is easier to view a film about World War II than to actually view war.

(3) Dramatizations: Video dramatizations can bring history alive.

(4) Effective Learning: Video can shape personal and social attitudes.

(5) Problem Solving: Video and dramatizations make students think about events and situations hopefully sparking some questions.

**I was going to write about the disadvantages, but let’s keep it positive**

I always start every unit with a video from PBS called Crash Course. These relatively short videos, 7 to 10 minutes, give a quick, but informative synopsis of certain topics. They are an excellent introduction to spark my students interest. Take a look at one of the videos I use in my Government class (Craig always knocks the eagle off the desk).

Did you notice the graphics, the animation, the witty banter by the host all intertwined in between the information. Here, the information is not lost in translation, rather, it is at the centerpiece of the video aided by all of the visual, animations, etc...

Works Cited

Mims, C., Lowther, D.L., Russell, J. D., Smaldino, S.E. (11th). (2015). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education

With the onset of technology and more specifically social media students are getting most of their information via audio and video outlets. Platforms like YouTube, Google Video, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat any many more are replacing both television and textbooks in giving students information. In being part of the 21st century progressive teaching movement, educators should embrace using audio and video outlets to improve student learning in the 21st century. 

Let’s concentrate on the simplest yet most important aspect of education...communication!! Communicating with parents, students, and the community is a main piece of advancing 21st century teaching and learning. Years ago the best method of communication by teachers to parents and the community was to send home a letter or even make a phone call. By using social media teachers can now directly speak to parents via Audio recordings. Creating and sending out podcasts or even public service announcements are more affective than sending a letter that may or may not actually get to the parents.

Take a listen to this Public Service Announcement I created in trying to get parents more involved:

http://media.ipadio.com/12521936_20160404011939.mp3

Using iPadio allowed me to create an authentic communication for parents to listen too about truly getting involved. Parents appreciated the time I spent and the personal touch that it exuded.

Much like students parents need not only hear the PSA, but listen carefully to its contents. Students and parents alike must make the psychological effort of listening with being aware or and keeping attention to sounds and or speech patterns. I hope they recognize and comprehend the meaning behind my message.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/83661-difference-between-hearing-listening/

The difference between hearing and listening is a key component in having students completely comprehend information. While everyone hears, not all students listen  to voluntarily focus in an intentional manner. It may seem little mundane, but this is a very important piece of educational success. =)

Works Cited

Hellesvig-Gaskill, K. (2015). The Difference Between Hearing & Listening Skills. Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/83661-difference-between-hearing-listening/

Technology has allowed for the advancement of education in unthinkable ways. Distance Education has allowed the classroom to extend beyond the school building. But with all good things there exists the bad. Online learning can be a great resources for educators, but it can also lead to many other problems. Unfortunately with every action there is a reaction and sometimes the reaction is not a good one. Take a look at the advantages and disadvantages of Distance Education!

THE GOOD

(1) Get the information out by using a variety of multimedia outlets. Students will not be bored with the plethora of Web 2.0 Tools available.

(2) Old, outdated textbooks will be a thing of the past. The Internet and instant informational access will give students the most up-to-date information.

(3) Collaboration and communication will reach well beyond the classroom in students exchanging ideas.

(4) Students will receive the same interaction with the teacher and perhaps have the ability to review material multipole times.

(5) Extra materials and resources may be available to make school more challenging.

(6) Much like in the BASD, recovery courses can be taken via online outlets so students go at their own pace and the regular school day is not interrupted.

THE BAD

(1) The openness of the Internet may yield inappropriate or distractive material for students.

(2) So much information is accessible that having students appropriately cite information to avoid plagarism may be difficult.

(3) Checking reliability, credibility of information may be difficult given the vast amount of websites available.

(4) Face to face support will be cut due to the online working environment. Students will need to time manage and be proactive in getting clarification. Proper IT support is important in an online learning environment.

(5) Students will have to learn to be good online learners including becoming familiar with the interactive learning system.

THE UGLY

Distance Education is a type of education that fits each student differently. While a majority of students who use Distance Education are post-secondary students the same qualities and questions still arise.

So in the video the students talked about when they like to study, the relative freedom they have in studying, and the myriad of resources available to them online. Can this really work for students in high school? Do they have the motivation to be online learners? That is the ugly part, it will be based on each students individual motivation and ability to do so.

Works Cited

Mims, C., Lowther, D.L., Russell, J. D., Smaldino, S.E. (11th). (2015). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education

Education is changing and the way we educate our youth is changing. The old “brick and mortar” institutions are slowly becoming either obsolete or simply a piece of the entire education picture. In terms of higher education full degrees are being completed via Distance Education. In secondary educational institutions students are taking Distance Education classes, but more importantly teachers are finding ways to implement ways to extend learning beyond the classroom by using Distance Education. Let’s explore how teachers are pushing the envelope and education beyond the traditional classroom.

Flipping the Classroom

In embracing 21st Century Teaching and Learning teachers are utilizing more projects and problem-based assignments. At the same time getting the content to the students is still important, but it can be done differently than in the past. Traditionally teachers would lecture, give notes, and have students compile the content. A new initiative called Flipping the Classroom allows students to receive content through teacher created videos, screencasts, and other multimedia outlets. Students would view the content at home and in class they will apply the content via a project-based assignment. This allows 21st Century skills to be focused on primarily in class as the teacher plays the role of facilitator in the classroom. Flipping the classroom is an ideal way to implement Distance Education that will extend the classroom beyond the physical school building. Through the use of online learning outlets like Edmodo.com, Google Classroom, Wiki Pages, and Tumblr teachers can make content available and accessible.

While having a full course online has not become the norm in education, using the concept of Flipping the Classroom is a viable way to bring Distance Education into the classroom. Of course in order to effectively Flip the Classroom certain tools are necessary. The article Tech Tools of the Flipped Classroom goes through a very detailed description of the appropriate tools needed to be successful in a flipped classroom.

http://flippedclass.com/tools/

Works Cited

Flipping the Classroom: Explained. (2012). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQWvc6qhTds

FlippedClass.com. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://flippedclass.com/tools/

The use of social media in education has expanding the communicative capabilities of all entities of education. The facilitation of online connections and communication allows students and educators to expand the classroom beyond “brick and mortar” institutions. Bringing the world and its different perspectives into the classroom gives students not only a glimpse of reality, but expands multiculturalism beyond the local community. Sharing ideas, messages, and multimedia information using a variety of outlets based on shared interests is great way to facilitate innovative thought and creativity. With every good thing, however, lurks negative externalities. While students are becoming professionals using social media, the threat of cyberbulling has become a real problem. Schools need to recognize this problem and try to limits its reach, while still promoting the use of social media in the classroom.

Using Twitter in the Classroom

“Twitter, on the small chance that you don’t know, is the free micro-blogging service that enables users to post short messages, or Tweets, that are delivered to friends, enemies, family, colleagues -- anyone who has subscribed” -- NEA Today

(1) Communicate with students on assignments, topics, and other classroom agenda issues.

(2) Follow colleagues and other educators to keep up with trends in educational pedagogy.

(3) Use it to receive instant information from news outlets and other educational outlets.

(4) Keep students thinking after class by posting review questions or educational tidbits.

(5) Complete online assignments such as a piece-mail collaborative writing assignment where students write a story on Twitter line by line.

http://www.nea.org/home/32641.htm

Create a Classroom Facebook Page

So Facebook has been around since around 2004 and it was first meant as a social networking tool for college students. It soon expanded to other demographics and is now the largest social networking forum in the world. It’s ironic that students today do not use Facebook very much, instead they use Instagram, Snapchat, and Vine. “Facebook is for old people” they say. What if we used Facebook and created a class Facebook page? This will further collaboration and online networking to expand student learning. Check out this slideshow on how to create a class Facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.171939742861067.56325.160213990700309

Cyberbulling

With the ability of students to virtually harass and bother others via online social media tools, the idea of cyberbullying has become a very serious thing schools must deal with. Educators have an opportunity to educate students about cyberbullying by perhaps conducting lessons and instituting digital citizenship in the classroom. Creating a positive school climate that has open conversations centered around restorative practices can protect students from cyberbullying. Educators are at the forefront of preventing cyberbullying!

http://cyberbullying.org/resources/educators/

Works Cited

Can Tweeting Help Your Teaching? (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://www.nea.org/home/32641.htm

Cyber Bullying Cartoon by North Chicago SAVE. (2011, April 27). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUzfmKkCSXQ

Educators - Cyberbullying Research Center. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://cyberbullying.org/resources/educators/

How To: Create a Classroom Facebook Page. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.171939742861067.56325.160213990700309

Technology in the classroom today has moved beyond using computers for research and into using Web 2.0 software for students to create, collaborate, and integrate. Many educators are still stuck in the past and use computers for students to research, review, and then regurgitate. It’s time to get past that and start integrating Web 2.0 Tools into the classroom.

Online Productivity Tools

Teachers and students will always need some sort of word processing tool that allows them to create word documents. Moving past the traditional word processing tools, many new Web 2.0 tools offers the same word processing avenue in conjunction with online application. What’s great about these tools is it allows students to create and edit documents online in real time with other others. This makes collaboration instant and very authentic. Web 2.0 tools such as Google Docs is changing the way students are collaborating online.

Google Docs in Plain English

Ideas for Using Google Docs in the Classroom

(1) Collaborative Writing: In instant time students and teachers can create, share, edit, and comment on student writings in real time.

(2) The Inbox: Having students submit documents via Google Docs allows the teacher to have the work in one place and can make those documents shareable.

(3) Collaborative Brainstorming: Use the Google Drawing component to create a brainstorming web all collaboratively with multiple students.

(4) Self-Grading Quiz: Create a self-grading quiz to give students instant feedback by using Google Form to create a quiz.

(5) A Virtual Copy Machine: Make templates, rubrics, directions, and other documents instantly available for students.

Emaze

In keeping with the online productivity tool and moving beyond just documents, the Prezi Presentation tool is used to create online presentations and digital storytelling. Since I profiled the Prezi presentation tool another presentation tool has emerged. Using the Emaze presentation tool takes presentations to another level. It allows students to not only work collaboratively but to authentically create presentations using numerous templates that fit the content. It even allows users to create 3D presentations that brings learning alive. Why Emaze?

Works Cited

Emaze - next generation of online presentation software. (n.d.). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.emaze.com/

Google Docs in Plain English. (2007). Retrieved April 02, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA

Mims, C., Lowther, D.L., Russell, J. D., Smaldino, S.E. (11th). (2015). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education

Do you remember 10 to 15 years ago when cell phones were only used for calling and if you wanted to text “they” charged you $.50 to $1.00 per text....EACH WAY!!! Well cellphones have come a long way, so far that cell phones are now mini computers that people cannot live without. The smartphone has revolutionized society, so why shouldn’t smartphones revolutionize the classroom. As I mentioned in my previous post, doing a simple survey I deduced that nearly 75% of my students have smartphones. It is logical, therefore, to use smartphones in the classroom.

The Evolution of the Smartphone -- http://pocketnow.com/2014/07/28/the-evolution-of-the-smartphone

One technology pedagogical method of using smartphones is actually using the iPadio tool for students to create podcasts. Podcasts are new ways for students to express their opinions in a short and concise method. I have my students create a script, then record the podcast using the iPadio resource. With the iPadio resource students create an account, then dial the phone number on their smartphone, type in a personal code and begin recording like a phone call. Once complete the saved podcast will come up on the account homepage. From their students can share them, play them for the class, and even edit the podcast. In my experience, this method of presentation is both different and enjoyable for the students.

http://www.ipadio.com/default.aspx?

More than just research the smartphone can be used to create. One very simple way to use a smartphone is on a scavenger hunt within the school and beyond. On one occasion I taught a lesson on the history of the City of Bethlehem, my hometown and where the Bethlehem Area School District is. The assignment was to create a Prezi presentation detailing the many local historical landmarks around Bethlehem. Authentic pictures using a smartphone was a requirement. Students had a blast touring the city they lived in on the weekend and snapping pictures of things they past on a daily basis. Once they had the pictures, they uploaded them into the Prezi and added content. Some students even completed the presentation on their smartphone.

These are just two suggestions on how to use smartphones in the classroom, I’m sure you didn’t forget about Virtual Reality Headsets where you insert your smartphone....There is a limitless amount of educational opportunities to implement smartphones in the classrooms. They sky truly is the limit!!!!

Works Cited

Broadcast live to the web from a phone call. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2016, from http://www.ipadio.com/default.aspx

How students learn today is vastly different from how students learned twenty years ago. The resources and opportunity to use digital devices in the classroom are expanding every year. One particular digital devices that is relatively new and has not become a mainstay in classrooms is the use of Virtual Reality Headsets. A previous post of mine mentioned this new type of technology, because I am so fascinated in perhaps implementing this in the classroom. In most History classes the world is the learning environment, but there are only so many field trips and videos a teacher can show. I’m thinking, with Virtual Reality Headsets, the world can be brought into the classroom in a very real way.

The Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Headset

By far the technology that I am most interested in is the Google Cardboard Virtual Reality Headset. With a decent smartphone students can download education apps onto their mobile device, insert the phone in the very practical Cardboard Headset and set off on a 360 degree virtual field trip pertaining to the class content. Here is the best part, the Google Cardboard only costs $20.00, which fits perfectly into the strict budget of many school districts. The question will arise about those students whom do not have smartphones. Well, my answer would be for the school district to invest in a classroom set that can be shared amongst departments for those students whom do not have a smartphone. In my own experience, more than 75% of students in my class have smartphones, so the investment for the district will be minimal. Students just need to download certain educational APPS...I profiled some below!!

Discovery VR

https://unimersiv.com/vr-experience/discovery-vr-41/

Being a Social Studies teacher I’m a little impartial to the Discovery Channel since it offers so much for my class. Discovery VR offers many virtual field trips and adventures. 

InMind VR Gameplay

InMind VR Gameplay allows users to go on an adventurous journey in game mode through the human brain. Studies have shown that students learn best by playing games. By combining Virtual Reality, Education, and Games this app will do wonders for the learning experience. Above is a video detailing what InMind has to offer. I can imagine Science teachers using this VR App to perhaps review the brain or use it to check for prior knowledge. Any different way of learning that brings in technology can only improve the learning experience.

Egyptian Mysteries VR Game

My middle school colleagues should go crazy for this VR app since they concentrate on the ancient world. The Egyptian Mysteries VR Game sets students on a quest through ancient Egypt.

https://unimersiv.com/vr-experience/egyptian-mysteries-57/

We all know we can’t go to Ancient Egypt, but this app brings Ancient Egypt into the classroom. Placing yourself in history is the best way to feel empathy for those unique cultures that do not exist any more. 

Have you ever been on one of those 4D rides in Disney World, like “A Bugs Life”? Next to that kind of classroom experience, the Virtual Reality Revolution is the next best thing in bringing history alive. By using the very affordable Google Cardboard and a simple smartphone, teachers can introduce content in a totally different way.

Works Cited

Egyptian Mysteries. (n.d.). Retrieved March 27, 2016, from https://unimersiv.com/vr-experience/egyptian-mysteries-57/

[HD] InMind VR Gameplay. (2015). Retrieved March 27, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRjpWpZlXA4

Kerr, J. (n.d.). The best educational VR apps for the Google Cardboard. Retrieved March 27, 2016, from https://unimersiv.com/post/the-best-educational-vr-apps-for-the-google-cardboard-36/

What is Collaborative learning? --> a successful teaching strategy in which small teams, each with students of different levels of ability, use a variety of learning activities to improve their understanding of a subject.

Isn’t the above graphic something us teachers try and battle everyday when we are implementing some sort of collaborative group work? Full participation by all students equally is how problems can be solved effectively. Perhaps using technology in collaborative assignments can assure that all students equally participate in performing the task at hand. Collaborate using technology.

While group work has always been around the essential factors in collaborative learning, the introduction of technology can make the process more efficient and more widespread. Check out this web site to see the benefits of cooperative learning.

http://www.dailyteachingtools.com/cooperative-learning.html#2

How would collaborative or cooperative learning look in the classroom? Watch the video below to get an example:

Introducing new technologies in the classroom to promote collaborative learning will make the process of learning even more efficient. Communication and finding out information are key to successfully working together. In the first criteria of communication using Google Docs  can extend collaboration beyond the traditional classroom setting. At the same time making a Wiki page can organize group information, strategies, and work onto one cohesive online platform. Let’s take a look at these crucial technological programs that will help the collaboration process.

Google Docs

Imagine being able to work on the same document and communicate constantly even though you may not be together. Each student editing, adding, creating, etc...This extends the learning beyond the classroom and allows each student to contribute.

A Wiki Space provides the users to create an online platform to show learning has taken place or even to place all of their resources. It is a collaborative way to keep information together about a certain content. Check out the Wiki Space web site to learn more.

https://www.wikispaces.com/

Works Cited

Cooperative Learning: An Overview and Analysis. (2012). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from http://www.dailyteachingtools.com/cooperative-learning.html#2

Estrada, L. (2009, April 10). Cooperative Learning. Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztVTsEX60wU  

Google Docs - Tutorial 01 - Basics. (2015, March 5). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6V_h43-BIY

Oh the PowerPoint presentation...most likely the most used presentation software in education. Have you ever wondered where the PowerPoint software came from? Check out WikiPedia for a little history lesson.

---> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PowerPoint

How about the Prezi presentation software, slowly overtaking the Powerpoint presentation software. Check out an example of a Prezi below;

---> https://prezi.com/zs2wafrefdot/the-1st-amendment/

What’s great about the Prezi presentation tool is it makes the presentation more animated for the audience. It paints a more clear visual of the topic at hand. Check out this “How To...” video if you are interested in Prezi’s.

Of course with all things comes advantages and disadvantages.

What other presentation tools can be use with technology that go beyond just the PowerPoint and the Prezi?

On the cusp of cutting end technology are virtual reality technology that brings the real world into the classroom. How about the 3-D Virtual Reality Headset that can bring any concept or idea directly into your classroom. By simply downloading an educational app that corresponds with your content, students can place their smartphone into the headset and go on a virtual fieldtrip or view virtual presentations. 

How about bringing other classrooms or even presenters into the classroom from around the U.S. and around the world with Skype. By simply having a visual phone call other presenters can come alive in your classroom. For instance, I have a friend that teaches in Germany. I constantly Skype with him and we talk about cultural differences and perspectives. Students love the technology and the interaction.

www.skype.com

You see presentations can be more than PowerPoints and Prezi presentations. There is a whole new group of technological innovations that can present material to students.

Works Cited

Dickenson, M. (2013, December 8). The 1st Amendment. Retrieved March 19, 2016, from https://prezi.com/zs2wafrefdot/the-1st-amendment/

Lee, M. (2015, January 24). Gear S Review - The Best Smartwatch? Retrieved March 19, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zILI0fyXoK0

Microsoft PowerPoint. (n.d.). Retrieved March 19, 2016, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_PowerPoint

Mims, C., Lowther, D.L., Russell, J. D., Smaldino, S.E. (11th). (2015). Instructional Technology and Media for Learning. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education

For every component of the ASSURE Learning Model there exists many examples from the classroom and beyond. Below you will find recommendations and examples of what components may fit into the steps of the ASSURE Learning Model. [This] procedural model is intended to assure effective instruction (Mims, pg 38).

Analyze Learners

In analyzing your learners consider the general characteristics of learners, specific level prior and current knowledge of the content, and most importantly the diverse learning styles of each student.

A good example of diverse general characteristics of learners could be age, gender and race. The first indication of diverse learning styles could be if students have IEPs, 504s or other special learning plans. Below find an example of a class roster (without student names).

Diverse learning styles may not be easy to determine upon the onset of class, but an ongoing method of assessing student learning styles is the use of differentiated instruction. Giving students an opportunity to show how they learn through a wide variety of assessments is a great way to determine student learning styles. Differentiated instruction fits perfectly into the goal of the progressive movement of 21st century learning. The article below summarizes the impact of differentiated instruction in the classroom.

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/article/what-differentiated-instruction

State Standards and Objectives

Having both state-mandated objectives and classroom learning objectives allows students to work towards a goal. While the state-mandated standards are more of a curriculum guide for the teacher the learning objectives paints a perfect picture for what is expected of the students.

In Pennsylvania using the Standard Aligned System allows teachers to pick and choose what standards apply to the lesson.

https://www.pdesas.org/

Great examples of learning objectives from one of my Economics lessons;

Select Strategies and Resources

Choosing the appropriate instructional strategies and resources is vital in making the connection between learning objectives and the specific learning characteristics of your students. Here, a combination pedagogy infused with technology should point the arrow of success for each student. In keeping with the progressive 21st Century learning push, project-based pedagogy is the best strategy to use. The resources can be diverse, allowing the use of technology to seamlessly be part of the lesson. 

Milton Chen educational media and author puts it well. Watch the video...

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/about-pbl-ntn

Utilize Resources

This is the vital part of the process where teacher planning is crucial in utilizing the appropriate resource(s). Mims suggests using the 5 Ps process: Preview the resources, Prepare the resources; Prepare the environment; Prepare the learners; and Provide the learning experience.

Now you must decide how the media, materials and technology must be used to carry out your method/s. For example, if you planning on using a WebQuest be sure to check all the links so each component works. At the same time check the technology you are using so students can progress through the lesson easily. A weak internet signal or unreliable technology confounds students and soon they lose motivation to proceed. If all is not well, (equipment malfunctions) ensure that you have a plan B, like printed material for the WebQuest. It is also important to practice the lesson itself before it is implemented. Next, prepare the room and make ready the necessary equipment and facilities. Learners should be prepared for the learning experience.

Require Learner Participation

Participate and practice should be the mantra for all students during this lesson. Through self-checks like Agree/Disagree questionnaires to computer based activities like kahoot.com, students should be actively engaged throughout the entire lesson. Since the class is diverse and students have diverse learning styles requiring learner participation could come in a variety of ways depending on each individual student.

Evaluate and Revise

As a teacher how do you evaluation and revise lessons? Observe the lesson and see where students struggled or perhaps they did not understand the objective. Talk to colleagues about the lesson during professional learning communities, taking advice and suggestions. Remember multiple brains is better than way. Really dive into self-reflecting to improve your lesson.

Perhaps use this great Teacher Reflection Guide to evaluate your lesson and teaching;

In years past teachers planned their curriculum without the use of technology. When teachers had access to technology they used it sparingly and as a supporting resource. The traditional classroom viewed technology as just a tool and not the main focus of the lesson. The ASSURE model is here to change that perception!!!

Technology could alleviate this archaic form of public humiliation!!

So what’s the purpose of the ASSURE Model and how will it integrate technology and media more affectively into the classroom? Sara Klein, an Instructional Design student at the University of Memphis does a great job explaining the ASSURE Model. Check it out.........

Sara mentioned a relatively new learning theory called Constructivism. In goes hand-in-hand with what 21st century teaching and learning is all about. “What is meant by constructivism? The term refers to the idea that learners construct knowledge for themselves---each learner individually (and socially) constructs meaning---as he or she learns” (Hein 2001). Here’s a little literature from the Institute of Inquiry for you to get an idea.

http://www.exploratorium.edu/education/ifi/constructivist-learning

Below is an example using the ASSURE Model Instructional Plan that I created using the First Amendment Content. 

Just remember this acronym and you will be well on your way to infusing technology into your classroom:

NEWS FLASH: Next post will dive deeper into each specific ASSURE piece.

Works Cited

ASSURE: Instructional Design Model [Stages of the ASSURE Model Explained].  (2015, November 23). Retrieved March 9, 2016, from  http://educationaltechnology.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/ASSURE-  model-stages.jpg

Hein, G. E. (1991). Constructivist Learning Theoary. The Museum and the Needs  of People, 15-21. Retrieved March 9, 2016, from      http://www.exploratorium.edu/education/ifi/constructivist-learning