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Can I integrate mobile technology into my professional setting?

I’ll be honest and say that when I began this class, I still had reservations about integrating technology into my classroom. I understood the benefits, but lacked the knowledge of what to use and how best to use it. I was intimidated by technology, feared it would become a distraction from learning, and believed that traditional educational methods had not lost their effectiveness. Why fix something that isn’t broken? I am happy to say that thanks to this class, my eyes are now open and my mind is changed. I see technology not as a means for replacing traditional methods, but rather, a way to reinforce or enhance learning. Through exploration, I have discovered and tested numerous mobile education apps that could benefit my classes. Everything covered in ED 610 has been extremely useful and the overall setup of the course has been very helpful in easing me out of my comfort zone. Thanks to this class, I am more confident and prepared to integrate mobile technology into my professional setting.

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Are there educational apps for my learners?

Absolutely! There’s no shortage of educational apps that could benefit learners. The challenge is knowing how and when to use them. My experience with mobile tools for learners is very limited. My students occasionally use laptops and chrome books to assist in their learning,but due to district policy, cell phone use is strictly prohibited. As I imagine is the case with many schools around the country, my school has a very serious bullying problem. More specifically, cyber-bullying which in one case this year, resulted in a student committing suicide. This tragedy sparked concern and outrage throughout the district and lead to the implementation of very strict policies concerning technology use. I believe that mobile devices can be extremely useful in the classroom but there is also a risk for very serious consequences when students choose to misuse the technology. I believe that if students are using mobile devices in class then the teacher must be responsible for closely monitoring their activity.

Can I use mobile devices to be more productive?

The simple answer to this question is of course, yes! The challenge however, is finding which productivity apps work best for you. For this assignment, I was tasked with exploring and testing various productivity apps to see how they might increase my productivity and effectiveness as an educator.

My experience with productivity apps began when I was a freshman undergrad student. I had just purchased my first computer and as part of a promotion through Apple, was given a free iPod Touch. While exploring the App Store, I came across a productivity app called “Tasks.” Intrigued, I downloaded it and began using it. The app allowed me to keep tabs and reminders for assignments, projects, tests, everything. And when I took the time to input all the information, color code, and prioritize each task, the app was clean and beautiful and perfect. But therein lies the problem. Time. The purpose of a productivity app is to save time or at least to help budget time more effectively. I began to realize I was spending too much time focusing on the aesthetics of the “Tasks” app. Time that would have been better spent actually completing my tasks. “Tasks” was not the right app for me personally. And I regretfully admit this experience soured my opinion of productivity apps for some time.

Thanks to this class, I have a renewed openness and curiosity about productivity apps. Through exploration, I now realize there are productivity apps that offer more than just task organization. Apps such as Remind, Voice To Text Pro, Google Drive, and my new favorite, CLZ Comics, all provide services that could effectively increase productivity, benefiting students and educators in and out of the classroom.

Can I use mobile images and present them on a mobile device?

MOBILE CAMERA APPS:

Until recently, the only experience I’ve had with mobile camera apps is using Adobe Photoshop. I continue to use Photoshop frequently as a tool for editing photos, graphic design work, and creating references for more traditional artworks. That said, in the last week, I have discovered a new photo app which I believe could be very useful in my classes. The app is called Prisma Photo Editor and it allows you to apply various art filters to your photos and videos.

IMAGE HOSTING SITES:

I will admit that I have very little experience with image hosting sites. Ignorance and fear of file size constraints or losing my work has lead me to opt for hard copies or back-ups on external hard drives.

MOBILE PRESENTATION APPS:

In the past, almost all of the electronic presentations that I have given were done using PowerPoint. I’ve used PowerPoint mainly because it’s clean, simple, and readily available. It’s also for those reasons that I never explored what else is out there. This class has provided me the opportunity and motivation to explore new methods for presenting information to students. I’m exploring Prezi, something I’ve been hearing about for years but until now, never thought to try. I used HaikuDeck on my phone to create a presentation introducing myself to the class. And I have also started using Google Slides, a tool very similar to PowerPoint that allows you to share your presentations with students and colleagues through Google Drive.

MOBILE TOOLS IN EDUCATION:

I’m realizing that it might finally be time for me to pack up my carousel slide projector and overhead projector. Education has changed, students have changed, and the presentation tools I learned from as a child are woefully obsolete. And though it pains me to say goodbye to the “old ways,” for the first time in recent memory, I am excited by the thought of using technology in the classroom. As I’m exploring these new tools, I find myself piecing together ideas for how I could implement them into my lessons and how they could benefit the education of my students. I no longer see technology as something to be feared and avoided, but rather an opportunity to be more creative in my teaching practices.

Who am I?

Glad you asked... My name is Garret and I am a High School/Middle School Art Educator for the Lakeview School District. I am currently living in Grove City, but spent most of my life living in Clarion, PA. After graduating from Clarion High School, I went on to earn my Bachelors Degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania in Art Education with minors in Art History and Studio Art. I have always had a passion for art and sharing what I know with anyone who will listen, therefor, becoming an art educator always seemed the best course.

In the three years I have been teaching at the Lakeview School District, I have witnessed a strong push for using technology in the classroom. I will admit, as someone who teaches mostly through demonstration and one-on-one instruction, I have had some difficulty adjusting. I recognize the benefits technology can provide in education, but I have struggled to find effective ways to incorporate technology into my daily lessons.

Recognizing my deficient knowledge of technology, I decided to begin working toward a Masters of Education Degree in Technology. My hope is that by taking classes in a field I am weakest, I will discover new tools and methods that will help me to be a more effective educator.