ArtPrize Field Trip Inspiration

Walking around downtown Grand Rapids and looking at the ArtPrize exhibits is something I look forward to every year, but this year especially, looking at the exhibits from the point of view of a teacher, I felt that I benefited from looking at the works of art in a new way. It seems very apparent to me that technology can enhance the way that students experience a field trip, which is very exciting for me as a future educator. There were a couple of specific works at ArtPrize this year that I found intriguing and which did an excellent job of bringing technology into the relationship between the artist and the audience. I was fortunate enough to get to spend several hours today (Saturday the 26th) walking around the city and viewing the exhibits as well.

In DeVos Place, there is an exhibit called Mystic that showed me how shocking and informative art can be as a reminder of how relying on technology can be a way of forfeiting our privacy if we are not careful. I think it is important as a teacher for me to educate my students on internet safety and on safe practices for using technology in any capacity. Here is a video that can be found on the artist's website that does a great job of explaining how his piece works and why it matters. The fact that the artist has an updated website and uses technology to make his work more accessible is another bonus for being able to view and discuss the work even after the class has left the site. 

My other favorite exhibit that shows how technology can enhance a field trip is called #WhatLiftsYou and is located outside of the Grand Rapids Public Museum. This artist, who I discovered also has a website and a YouTube video to explain what she does, connects street art and social media to show how anyone can be a part of the exhibit. I know that many of my students, if not all of them, will use social media of some form, and so this is a great way to get them to connect what they see on a field trip to their outside life and get them sharing what they experienced with others.

Feedly Account Blog Posts

My Feedly account with my unit 1 blog posts from Blogger

District Technology

Official Plan & Real Applications

I have noticed so far in my placement  technology does not appear to be a priority, which I am assuming is mostly due to a lack of funding. The teacher has a computer and an overhead projector, but it terms of classroom technology, that is almost all she has. There are also 14 classroom laptops that my CT keeps in her room at all times, but her average class size is 30 students, so using them is not often very practical. The only thing they are used for is her reading intervention class, during which the students use a program on the laptops called Read 180. They use the laptops for reading assignments and to record and write responses to questions. The software is intended to get these students up to speed in terms of literacy skills. Fortunately, the intervention class only has 10 to 12 students on any given day, so there are enough laptops for every child for that class period when they are needed. 

The students are discouraged from using phones or other personal technology devices by my CT unless it is absolutely necessary to use them, partly because many students cannot afford them and because the school does not provide them in order for such devices to be distributed equally. Officially, however, the policy detailed in the technology plan permits the use of cell phones by students in school, as long as the students have teacher approval. 

The library is also a "media center," and it has a set of about 30 computer work stations. There are also 5 computer labs (according to the technology plan for the district) in the building that are equipped with enough computers for the standard class size. Whenever the students need to use computers for testing or other purposes, we have to reserve a lab or the media center for the period as a class in advance. Competition for lab time can be pretty fierce, so it is important to plan ahead when requesting to book lab time. 

From looking over the technology plan for the school district for 2012-2015, it seems obvious that although there is a "goal" and an emphasis being placed on teachers learning to use and integrate technology, this almost always happens through the students using and accessing the technology from home. That is, teachers can use Google Classroom to post assignments and have students turn things in, but because students do not have personal devices or computers at school, this essentially is reserved for when they are at home. My CT personally doesn't use online resources extremely frequently, mostly because she knows that some of her students don't have access to a computer at home. Our district is situated a low-socioeconomic-status community, and many of our kids come from low-income homes. 

Indirectly, the technology plan actually kind of seems to admit that there is a lack of technology in the school: "In the area of technology, [ ________ ] Public Schools is in the process of moving from responding to its own technology needs and issues toward connecting and aligning with other movements in the technology field at the state and federal levels." The main mission right now is focused on finding ways to make technology more mainstream in the school, but first, the technology needs to be purchased and available to the teachers and students. 

My CT and I found that most of the statements in the plan are accurate to the current state of technology in the school, but there is one bullet point that is pretty far from the truth, regarding "objectives accomplished": It states that "[e]very learner will have access to software during the school day to interact at any time with video, audio, and textual materials to prepare their own presentations, research, and products." Clearly this is a bit of a stretch, because students only have access to any kind of software during English class when we have managed to reserve lab time. According to the plan, there is space in the budget for $8,000 allocated for buying computers for the middle school each year, or 10 computers. All other technology costs are listed generally for the entire district and budgeted somewhat vaguely (and poorly) from the annual budget. 

Interestingly, I also found a page in the technology plan that lists some technology-oriented classes that some students are able to take, but in order to be eligible they have to obtain approval from a counselor and have passed a "Tech Proficiency" test and have strong "keyboarding skills." This leads me to believe that students who are falling behind on credits are probably not allowed to take these kinds of classes, which are likely reserved for students who can afford technology at home and who have enough space in their schedules. 


 

 

Blogging & Me

A reflection on how blogging can be a beneficial resource for me in my future classroom

 

One of the unique things that blogs offer teachers (that resources like Google Docs or Word cannot) is the ability to let their students be heard. I have looked through a variety of blogs written by educators who use the blogs to share their ideas with others, to post about upcoming events and conferences, or to simply vent about the common, frustrating experiences that often accompany being a teacher. My favorite use of the blogs, however, is when teachers show off their students' work, and use their blog to give their kids a limitless platform where their work can be viewed and praised by parents, teachers, and other students. Rather than just devoting a wall in my physical classroom to posting well-written papers, I think this would be a great way to take advatange of blogging as a tool for positive feedback and reinforcement. I could use the blog to post pictures and descriptions of any assignment that my students create. 

Educational Blogs to Know About

Here are 10 blogs from educators that I have found on the web that I want to share with you:

1.  http://mscassidysclass.edublogs.org/ - Kathy Cassidy is a first grade teacher from Canada who uses her blog to document her experiences teaching through the school year. Her posts include pictures of her students completing various activities and show how her classroom is set up and organized, which is a great source of inspiration for other elementary teachers.

2. http://www.sciencefix.com/ - Darren Fix is a 7th and 8th grade science teacher who has been teaching for 17 years, and is currently working at Spring View Middle School in California. His blog is a hotspot of lesson ideas for how science teachers can demonstrate scientific occurrences to their students in interesting and captivating ways.

3. http://www.principalspage.com/theblog/ - Mike Smith is a former principal, now a superintendent, who created his blog as a resource specifically for principals and administrators. Much of what his blog offers is humor and stress relief that readers can relate to, but he also posts about upcoming conferences and other more practical information.

4. http://readingyear.blogspot.com/ - This blog is written by two teachers, Franki Sibberson and Mary Lee Hahn, both of whom teach at the elementary level. The main purpose of their blog is to read and review books that other teachers might want to consider using in their lessons.

5. http://regurgitatedalphabits.blogspot.com/ - Written by an anonymous teacher, who goes by Edna on her blog profile, this blog is her way of simultaneously discussing how much she loves working with her students and lamenting how much she hates the job itself. This blog offers teachers some comedic relief and a few laughs before starting the day
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6. http://blog.cathyjonelson.com/ - Cathy Jo Nelson is a media specialist who blogs out of South Carolina. The goal of her posts is to offer helpful advice for teachers who are hoping to integrate technology into their lessons in meaningful and ethical ways.

7. http://kauaimark.blogspot.com/ - This blog is written by a substitute teacher who goes by the name of "Mr. Homework." He shares actual experiences of being a substitute teacher, many of which are humorous, but he also discusses the nitty gritty of subbing and when policy changes come into play that affect his pay, job security, or health insurance.

8. http://www.learningismessy.com/ - Brian Crosby, a teacher with over 30 years of experience, is the creator of this hands-on instructional blog. This blog offers step-by-step how-to instructions for science related activities that teachers can try, and also includes the necessary materials.

9. http://thejosevilson.com/ - Jose Vilson is a math teacher, writer, web designer and activist. This blog, which sports a variety of links to different articles and videos created and promoted by the author, tackles controversial topics and some of the major issues within education.

10. http://www.angelamaiers.com/blog/ - Angela Maiers is an accomplished speaker who has taught in schools and universities and has written and spoken about her passion for spreading literacy. She blogs about some of the topics that she speaks on, and also shares events that she will be participating in.

 

Professional Bio

I am an English major in secondary education at Grand Valley State University with an education-focused Spanish minor, and I am currently teacher assisting. I have spent the past four years learning to be an effective teacher, but I am looking forward to a lifetime of continuing to do so. 

Social Media Leaders in Education

After doing some research, I've encountered a number of individuals in the field of education whose social media accounts are great resources for teachers looking for inspiration. Here are my top 20.

1. @heikephilp is from Brussels, Belgium and considers herself an expert in webinars and web conferences on language learning technology.

2. Kelli Holmes shares seasonal classroom ideas and organizational help for teachers on her Pinterest account.

3. @joedale is a modern languages and technology consultant from the U.K.who tweets relatively frequently about training webinars for technology related apps and education-related questions. 

4. Darcy Leech is another educator on YouTube who posts a variety of videos related to not only teaching language but also implementing technology. 

5. @ejulez is a Google Sites designer and Google Apps instructor from North Carolina who uses her page to tweet about resources for teachers such as Skimm, clippingmagic.com, and aspects of Google Drive.

6. Vsauce is a YouTube channel run by a man who researches and investigates questions about humans and the world we live in in kid-friendly videos. 

7. @dianadell is based in Missouri and shares articles on her page and discusses other topics such as the usefulness of Moodle in the classroom. 

8. Charity Preston has an active Pinterest account which with she shares inspiration for teachers on teacher shopping networks, free newsletters, classroom decorating and more.

9. @sabridv is an English teacher from Buenos Aires who uses her account to share lesson plan ideas and interactive technologies that teachers can use with their students. 

10. Suzy Brooks shares engaging teaching videos, as well as creative inspiration for the classroom, through her Pinterest account.

11. @BillNye is a popular scientist known for his kid-friendly educational videos, but he is also active on Twitter to share his recent work and activities. 

Sir Ken Robinson's Facebook Page

12. Sir Ken Robinson, an author and speaker, is an advocate for creativity in education with a prolific Facebook page. 

13. Nicole Rios also uses her Pinterest page to share a myriad of ideas for teachers to draw inspiration from, all of which are organized into different category boards.

14. @tributm is an educational technology specialist based in Kalamazoo, MI who tweets about useful apps and shares links to relevant  news to teachers.

15. Jennifer Jones uses Pinterest to organize and share ideas related to classroom design and Montessori-inspired techniques for teachers.

16. @thelopezeffect is a successful principal and inspirational speaker in the world of education whose school, Mott Hall Bridges Academy, recently gained popularity on Facebook and raised funds to send students on annual field trips to Harvard.

17. Brene Brown is a research professor at the University of Houston who is currently promoting her latest book through her Facebook page.

18. Donald Morton has a YouTube page with videos about figurative language that teachers can share with their students, such as metaphor, simile, and personification.

 

19. @mcopp tweets about teacher tools in technology, and also retweets popular posts from other leading figures in education.

20. Courtney Bertsch Martin's Pinterest account is largely devoted to sharing ideas for teachers of younger learners, but her page is full of ideas for couponing and planning field trips. 

Educational Organizations

A State-Level Organization

The purpose of the Michigan Council of Teachers of English is to disseminate resources and information that allow English teachers in our state to improve their craft. This is very relevant to me as a future English teacher. The MCTE's website is rather simple, but it offers many readily-available critical resources for Michigan educators. 

The only social media site that the MCTE offers is a Facebook page, on which teachers share encouragement and advice with one another, as well as information about upcoming books and informational events and conferences. 

MCTE membership costs is $40 per year. It is not immediately clear from the website what the benefits are of being a member, because there is a publication and there is also an eMet newsletter, but they can be accessed for free on the MCTE website without membership. The MCTE provides information for viewing the secondary focused Language Arts Journal of Michigan. 

There are a couple of events advertised on the MCTE site, including the MCTE fall conference (which I am coincidentally planning to attend in East Lansing on October 30). This event is hosted annually. 

As I was exploring this website, I was surprised to find the name of one of my GVSU professors on the site. He is a co-editor for the Language Arts Journal of Michigan. It reminded me that I am connected to a great community of educators just by being a part of the university that I call home. 

The website for the MCTE can be found at: http://mcte.info/calendar/

A National Organization

The National Council of Teachers of English, or NCTE, offers great resources specifically for English teachers. According to the website, their mission statement is to "promot[e] the development of literacy, the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language."  Because English is my major content area, I find this site to be specialized for my educational interests. 
The social media sites on the NCTE's website include Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Instagram. These accounts offer creative ideas for teachers to share, as well as encouraging words and announcements from ELA-related educational journals.

The standard membership fee for joining the NCTE is $50 per year, but there is also a discounted rate for students of $25 annually. One of the member resources offered is "community discussion," which essentially refers to sharing book proposals, lesson ideas, views on educational issues and forum discussion threads between ELA teachers. 

The NCTE offers an e-newsletter, as well as a publication for members. There are also several different scholarly journals offered through the NCTE which are divided by age relevancy. There are two journals devoted to high school English education, called English Journal and English Leadership Quarterly. 

There is an annual convention hosted by the NCTE, but the organization also offersinformation on other events that educators may want to attend. For example, the website offers a link for information on the CCCC Convention or the National African American Read-In. 

I was intrigued to find that the NCTE's website also has an online store, where teachers can purchase literature related to their age level or specific content area, such as grammar, writing, or poetry. I think that the communicative resources available on the NCTE's website are a great resource. 

Their website can be found at: http://www.ncte.org/

About Me

My name is Hailie Roblyer, and I am planning to teach English at the secondary level. I also have a minor in Spanish, which is sort of my "other love." I have a little bit of experience teaching ESOL as a volunteer, and I immensely enjoyed my time working with Spanish-speaking adults who wanted to learn English, so that is sort of on my long-term-life-goal radar.  

I am passionate about spreading literacy and teaching kids to love reading to enhance their critical thinking skills (and, ultimately, to help them succeed in life), but when I'm not collecting young adult novels for my future classroom library, working, or studying through my finals semesters at GVSU, I partake in several other hobbies to help myself de-stress. 
I come from a very musical family. My mother and two of my brothers are music teachers, and while the rest of my family members haven't made a career of music, we all have bonded over playing instruments and singing together.  

I've also made such a hobby (read: obsession) of painting my nails that my husband decided to get me a UV light for Christmas last year. This allows me to get the shellac manicure at home without the shellac price! I also have a pet hedgehog named Spike (very original, I know, but it was my husband's idea) and a hamster named Millie. When we adopted Millie as a baby, we thought she was a male hamster due to some incorrect signage at the pet shop. After she grew up a little bit and it became obvious to us that she is indeed a female, my husband exclaimed, "We've been raising her as a boy all this time!" Here's a photo of my husband, Austin. He is pretty important to me - mostly because he provides the comic relief to my hectic schedule.

I have primarily used technology as a means to plan lessons, as opposed to using the technology itself in my lessons. I have used databases to search for topical ideas that previous teachers had that were similar to what I planned to tackle. I've also used Pinterest for decorating bulletin boards to become inspired, since I am not very skilled in the art of making crafts. 

I tutored at Hudsonville High School in Hudsonville, Michigan for a short time in preparation for my application to the College of Education at Grand Valley. My primary responsibility there was to help students use a credit recovery software program on computers, but the process was very simple for the kids; in fact, by the time I began volunteering at the school, the students had already been using the program for about a month and were far more knowledgeable about how to use it than I was.
  
My greatest and most in-depth teaching experience so far has been my volunteer ESOL position at an organization called Roosevelt Park Ministries in downtown Grand Rapids, and my resources there consisted of: 1 classroom, 1 whiteboard, 2 tables and sets of chairs, and a functioning light fixture in the ceiling. I had to get creative to still plan and execute lessons that incorporated the concepts I wanted to teach, but I did almost everything with no technology whatsoever. I did, however, bring my laptop into the room. For lack of a projector or way to make my little screen any bigger, I used my body as a makeshift TV stand; whenever I wanted to show a video, I held the computer in the air and stood at the front of the room. For this reason, and because the high school I graduated from did not have a lot of it, I have very little experience using technology as a teacher.