Easy CBM

When trying out the EasyCBM website I really liked the measures sections, I thought it would be very easy to use and would make it easy to see students progress. I was surprised to see how many resources the site had for different measures, grades K-8. Even though it only offered measures and not benchmarks, there were still a lot of resources. I also like that the site will take the information the teacher enters in and make reports that can be printed out. There is also a detailed percentile table to help a teacher analysis data. This site offers a place for teachers to keep well documented and well organized information on students. This site is easy to use and navigate, I think most teachers would benefit from using the site. In the future I could definitely see myself using this free resource to progress monitor. The free individual use version offers may valuable resources.

Virtual Schooling and Mobile Devices

Virtual Schooling

The idea of virtual schooling is to help students get access to classes they might not have in their current school systems. A part of virtual schooling is online learning, with online learning students have better access to the curriculum and can learn at their own pace. The virtual experience can range from self pacing to being teacher lead. I am interested in this topic because I have a student who left traditional schooling for virtual schooling. I think this could potentially hurt special education, a part of special education is having more specialized learning, to help students who need modifications and accommodations. How will virtual school be able to reach all kids who need those modifications? How can virtual schooling cater to all kids? I am skeptical of virtual schooling, I think it will hurt young peoples' social skills. We cannot learn to be social if we do not interact with people one on one. Students want a chance at moving quickly through their courses or need to move at a slower pace would benefit from this but I think overall it would hurt students who potentially need modifications to their learning. 

Mobile Devices

Students now are living in a world full of technology, it seems almost rare to come across a student who  does not have a cell phone. Teachers are now trying to take hold of mobile devices and use them as a part of everyday learning. This is also changing the way teachers teacher their lessons, now teachers are trying to ensure the technology is being used for classroom activities and not for social media or texting.  Right now I am in a High School and I see mobile devices as a distraction more than a tool for learning. I think teachers will need to make a shift to be more aware of technology and learn new ways to teach if they want to use technology in the classroom. On this debate I am in between, I think it is exciting if teachers can find affective ways to use mobile devices. However so far I have seen it being a problem in classrooms. I also think it would help students to get away from their mobile devices for a while, we cannot be plugged in all the time. We need to make sure students are still interacting with each other. 

What is Catfishing and Sexting?

What is Sexting?

Using a phone or electronic device to send explicit messages, photos and videos. 

Dangers of sexting:

• The sender has no control over the message once it is sent
• Could cause the sender to get unwanted attention or sexual harassment
• Could have negative effects on the senders relationships with friends and family
• Could result in embarrassment and humiliation

Of teens that sext, 17% share the 

message they receive with others 

and of that 17%, 55% share the 

message with more than one person 

For more information on sexting and online bullying check out the website before you text, modules 5, 6, and 7 would be helpful in the classroom.

What is Catfishing?

Using a fake online profile to lure another person in or using a fake profile to ruin another person's reputation. 

Dangers of Catfishing:

• The person being conned could be abducted or assaulted 
• Emotional harm from being conned
• Reputations could be destroyed 

A study conducted showed one 

out of ten online dating profiles are fake

For more information on cat fishing check out teengagement, this site has resources for parents and teachers to help teacher kids about catfishing and staying safe online. 

Feedly Screenshot

Classroom Observations

In the High School I am in we have 6 periods and there are 3 lunch periods throughout the day. My cooperating teacher has all 3 lunch periods off. This gives him plenty of time to work on emails and lesson planning. However I have noticed that time can be wasted when students first come into class. My cooperating teacher lets students have free time to unwind on their laptops but when it is time to start a lesson students do not want to put their laptops down.
Another thing that takes more time in the classroom is trying to figure out all the students' schedules. My cooperating teacher spends a lot of his time trying to make a list of all the assignments students are working on outside of his classroom. This means everyone in his classroom is working on something different and it can take awhile to get all students working on something productive. In every directed studies class he must check to see what each student should be working on then walks around to set each student up. By the time he gets students rolling he might have used half the period. Instead he would like to use the time for useful and meaningful instruction where the students can be ready right when they come into class. The problem is getting the students on the same page.
When I asked about building level operations nothing really came up. My cooperating teacher does not feel those activities or meetings are unnecessary or waste his time.

Blogs in the Classroom

Blogs give teachers the ability to collaborate with their students; create a level playing field where teacher and students can express ideas about topics and information. A classroom blog can help make students more comfortable about tough topics or information because a blog is informal. Along with that students may have experience with blogs and may prefer it to traditional papers. A blog could be used to reach students who struggle with hard copy papers and have a hard time sharing their thoughts with the class. I think a blog can be used as a tool to hear students who do not participate in instruction and struggle with forming ideas on the spot.  

Blogs to Follow

Science Fix: Science teacher Darren Fix has created this blog to share science lessons with students and fellow teachers. His goal is to show teachers going through the learning process and showing it is okay to make mistakes, that is what learning is about.

The Principal's Page: Michael Smith is a superintendent who blogs about his life as a superintendent and issues that arise in the education system. He says he likes to blog because it gives a small town superintendent the opportunity to be involved in national education issues.

A Year of Reading: Franki Sibberson and Mary Lee Hahn are both teacher who have created a blog where they give reviews on recent children's books. This blog is great because the reviews come from teachers' point of view, these reviews ways books could be used in the classroom.

Youth Voices: This is a site created by teachers to put teachers and students on an equal playing field to discuss worldwide issues. Students and youth from around the world are encouraged to join the discussion.

Learning is Messy: Brian Crosby is an upper elementary teacher who uses technology as a way to reach his students. He has used technology in creative ways to bring in guest speakers and teach students who cannot come to school.

Teach 1,2,3: Michelle is an elementary teacher who has experience in many different school settings. Her blog uses her experience to share lessons and materials she has used to teach elementary students.

Mrs. Yollis' Classroom: Mrs. Yollis is a third grade teacher who created this blog to share what is going on in her classroom and what she is currently teaching.

Creative, Innovate, Explore: Rachel Jones is a teacher who is trying new classroom methods and sharing her experience. This is a good site to find lesson plans to try something new.

Leading Learner: This blog helps readers to keep up with current education debates, created by Stephen Tierney. The site is full of information on what is happening now in education.

Hunting English: This site was created by Alex Quigley, an English teacher who blogs about strategies and resources for English.  He is also discussing educational debates and talking about evidence for what works best in the classroom.