Intro to Educational Technology

Click  here  to watch my first screencast on how to use Google Docs!

I stumbled upon this cool digital storytelling website called "Storybird" while exploring different technology tools. As an ELA teacher for middle schoolers, I could certainly see myself implementing this tool in real time. Storybird offers a few different opportunities to enhance reading and writing skills, falling under the main categories of "Challenge," "Read" and "Write." The Challenge tab offers writing prompts, quizzes, video tutorials, expert writing advice, and even Storybird-authored, featured writing. The Read tab displays hundreds of animated written works appearing as longform stories, comics, flash fiction, poetry, etc. in various genres. And the Write tab is used as an entry point to compose one's own picture book, longform story, flash fiction, poetry, or comic using the Storybird search tool to browse the artwork of more than 1,000 global artists to get the storyboard underway. Once stories are created, they can be embedded ...

I found the first source about The 7 Challenges Communication Skills Workbook to be insightful not just in the classroom, but in any environment that relies on communication. As I say that, I realize just how silly it sounds -- everyone needs to know how to communicate properly, regardless of whether your field or preferred track directly involves dealing and coordinating with other people. My favorite benefits were "more respect, "more comfortable with conflict" and "more peace of mind." For starters, the second benefit about more respect speaks to the way that we model for others how we would like to see them behave. It's essentially 'treat someone the way you would like to be treated' in practice. Per my thoughts on the first group discussion in this class, modeling is both a subtle and powerful way to influence others, particularly as an adult to a child. So, if we want our students to be compassionate and respectful communicators, we must wal...