Future Technology

Future technologies emerge faster than we can keep up with them, yet teachers feel pressure to incorporate ever-changing resources into their classroom practice. It's important to match learning tools to teaching strategies and content necessary to meet both academic and technology standards. Emerging technologies will support teacher efforts to accomplish BOTH.

One emerging technology which will assist teachers is the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) movement becoming popular in middle and high schools. BYOD increases the technology available in the classroom and allows tech tools to be strategically incorporated into academics. Schools pioneering this technology are also launching new protocols of support with information sessions, video "commericals" for use policies, and permissions forms. Organizations like the NEA support the new BYOD movement and encourage schools to prepare teachers, students, and parents for this emerging technology.

Although critics of the BYOD movement say it will expose inequalities between students, the benefits outweigh the potential challenges. As younger students have access to the internet on their personal devices, options for teaching strategies expand for teachers. Most schools do not enjoy a one-to-one technology environment, even in high socioeconomic settings. The BYOD movement, if carefully unpacked in classrooms, will give students learning opportunities that even their districts may not make possible.

Digital Citizenship

Presentation tools change as media and technology develop over time. Prezi, as an online presentation tool, creates movement not possible in Powerpoint presentations. Prezi is cloud based, which means presentations can be accessed, edited, shared, and presented from anywhere, even remotely. Because of its visual tracking ability, called a "path," Prezi can help teachers or students show the relationships between things or ideas. Prezi can be used as an alternative to Powerpoint or any time learning will take place remotely. Unfortunately, our district blocks Prezi for student use, so for now, its use will be limited.

This Prezi presentation shares information about academic dishonesty in the digital age. Following the path will lead you into specific tips and resources for responding to digital dishonesty. It also outlines ideas for avoiding plagiarism and embeds kid-friendly media for teaching about citation. View this Prezi for an overview of proper digital citizenship as it applies to digital content.

Assistive Technology

Students have unique personalities, skills, challenges, and educational needs. As teachers work to meet the needs of a variety of students, it's helpful to have technology resources. According to the CDC, one million more children were diagnosed with ADHD than 10 years ago. This impacts classroom instruction. Thankfully, the increase in personal devices and technology helps teachers respond to this growing need.

Many students with ADHD struggle to follow their own train of thoughts and organize their ideas. They become frustrated to the point of shutting down and struggle to write in class, bombarded with stimulation, or unable to follow directions. Graphic organizers help students chunk the information from a lecture, video, or text, but also help students collect their thoughts before writing. Apps like Popplet, Inspiration Lite, and SimpleMind provide a variety of simple graphic organizers for students. The ability to use color, reorganize the ideas, and limit what is on the screen add to the customization for ADHD students.

Inspiration Lite is a powerful mapping tool which is simple, yet intuitive. The free version offers enough support for students to organize text from reading or for writing purposes. Students can brainstorm ideas, organize ideas, add images, and rearrange text to make connections. Visual diagrams can turn into written outlines with the touch of a button, and completed graphic organizers can easily be shared or stored. View the tutorial below for an introduction to this assistive technology for ADHD students.

YouTube Playlist

A video playlist is a media rich tool for engaging students and delivering important content or directions. It is a compilation of videos from sites like YouTube, TeacherTube, TED, or any other sites that have content appropriate for students. It is easily created in YouTube by beginning a new playlist and adding videos to the file. It's important to preview the videos first. The playlist will be more effective if you select videos which are void of advertisement. In my teaching context, this would be useful for introducing or reviewing new material. Because playlists can be linked to teacher websites, they are also useful tools for students who miss classroom instruction.

My video playlist is based on the skills for writing summaries, including finding main ideas and details in non-fiction text. We will use this playlist in class for previewing and reviewing content, but it will also be used as an example of the project I want students to complete as a culminating project.

Digital Posters

Digital posters can be used in the classroom for both instruction and assessment. Digital posters like Glogster create a dynamic, multi-media interface to engage students with learning. Video, images, websites or other interactive sites can be linked to one theme-based poster for teaching content or process in the classroom. Students can use digital posters to make their learning visible. Tools like Glogster can be used for review, synthesis, or assessment.

My Glogster poster is a review activity for students on the concept of "Writing a Summary." Links include songs, practice activities, and visual reminders for how Main Ideas and Details create a Summary. I would use this in the classroom as an engaging review activity before a summative assessment. I might also ask students to make a digital poster as an assessment of learning.

Click HERE to view my Glogster poster.

Professional Development Resources

Teachers seldom have time to embark on self-directed professional development, but it's important for teachers to follow their own interests and needs as they grow as learners. The sites below are some of my favorite, dynamic places to browse and learn about middle school students and how teaching English Language Arts is relevant to their lives.

Click here to view my professional development resources. 

Screencast Video

Screencasts can be used to easily record any event happening on a computer screen, and include a descriptive narrative which is recorded at the same time. Most computers with microphone capabilities can create screencasts, depending on successfully running Java. Several popular options include screenr.com, screencastomatic, and Jing. Screencasts are essential tools for online learning, since an instructor can demonstrate and explain features of a website, document, or video. Recording explanations can be uploaded and linked to a teacher's website for absent students, or between colleagues who work in different building or locations.

My screencast shows you how to access important information about my computer. I have demonstrated where to find the operating system and memory features of the MacBook Pro, OSX.
Click PLAY to view.

Educational Websites

Sometimes it's overwhelming to consider all the internet options available to educators. Curating sites that are helpful in the classroom takes time, but is important before sharing with students, colleagues, and parents. To assist you, here are some great educational websites that are useful for students, parents, and teachers.

Click here to view my websites.

Internet Search Tools

Although students become highly engaged when asked to "surf" the internet, dangers and distractions can interrupt the education process. Finding search tools which guide students toward learning saves time, protects students from unwanted information, and leverages a positive use of technology for education's stakeholders. Below, please find five sites which will fit the needs of teachers, students, and parents.

Google Scholar

This website is simple and clean, with a few nice education features. After selecting a topic to search, the selections are left justified, which makes them easy to read. The summary on the page is extended, allowing students to decide if the link will be relevant before taking the time to follow it. There is also a feature for students to save citations and save links into their own library, which is helpful when working through a long project, or when students need to access information from other classes. My only complaint is that it doesn't appear to filter information or images for younger learners. When I typed in "holocaust" and viewed "images," the images were not different from the regular Google site. This tool would be best for secondary students.

WoolframAlpha

This powerful site has features most easily used in the math or science contexts. The graphics feature makes learning visible, including step by step directions to solve a problem or follow a process. I like how it gives a snapshot of statistics, and chunks the information by categories. This is an easy format for students to follow, and allows them to easily compare and contrast information in parallel categories. The features allow for classroom problem solving at a higher level of analysis and evaluation, and propels students through the need to generate information to discuss. This would be a helpful way to model problem solving, since the facts and numbers can be accessed for immediate analysis.

Boolify

Boolify changes the structure of a search itself, and captures the idea of a Boolean phrase, simplifying it for student use. For example, students can type in a phrase, a combination of words, or ask Boolify to find the synonym or antonym. Powerful combinations of ideas can be searched this way. For example, I typed in "holocaust" and "literature." Boolify found resources that were fiction. Students can save their search results, which would be helpful for cross-content classes. Boolify also features lesson plans by grade level and content which are aligned to the NETS and Idaho Core Standards. It is simple to use and follow. I see this as the perfect first step for students learning how to use internet tools; it also promotes critical and creative thinking through its Boolean-styled search box.

Cybersleuth Kids

Geared for younger children, this website organizes topics and types of information into boxes, including videos, games, and coloring printables. The categories include words and pictures, so the youngest student, or an English Language Learner, could easily use it. It provides an already-curated list of resources that are appropriate for young children. In my context, it would be perfect for ELL students or those students who need modified resources for attention issues. Advertisement pop-ups provide a minimum distraction.

Kidrex

Kidrex's opening page made me smile. It is simple, cute, visually appealing, and features larger type. Its opening page is designed for kids and parents, with an entire section devoted to helping parents help their children. This page includes strong content filters, and when I searched for "holocaust," it provided only age-appropriate links for younger children. This site would be perfect for teaching search strategies, netiquette, and empowering young learners while keeping them safe.

Photo Story Video

Photo story is an engaging way to tell a story through images or video. Users can take new images for a particular project, or embed photos and videos from other applications like iPhoto, Facebook, or other photo and video files. In addition to selecting themes or colors which enhance the images, users can add transitions and music to increase the story's understanding.

My story includes digital photos made from old family slides. I've selected pictures from my middle school years, which is the same age that I teach. The purpose of this photo story is to show students an example of a product I will ask them to create. As we study narrative writing, we begin with students' own story, and focus on CHARACTERS and SETTING of their own lives. This photo story is both a model and the directions for a formative assessment.

About Me

Welcome to Miz Hicks’ House! (notice the correct use of possessive with an “s”!)

This blog is a one way street to my house—a place where I can communicate with my family of students. In this classroom, we are a family: we work together, do chores together, learn together, love, share, talk, disagree, forgive, clean, and practice life together. On your schedule, the class may be called English Language Arts, but together we will learn to communicate, write, read, speak, film, critique, and debate.

When we read, write, speak, and listen at Miz Hicks’ House, our experiences come with us. We carry backpacks full of memories, knowledge, and scars into the house we share together. We’ll use what we know to help each other learn. Here’s something about me that has shaped how I learn: I have two biological daughters, a stepson, a stepdaughter, and an adopted stepdaughter. Can you believe how different we all look?! I never expected to play this role in my life; the way that I learn is shaped by looking at life through their eyes. I hope you’ll share a story with me that impacts the way in which you learn.

I have been teaching since I could line up my stuffed animals, give them paper and pencil on a tv dinner tray, and pretend I was the spelling test teacher. Although I now teach English Language Arts, I have taught other adventurous subjects. I owned a music studio for 10 years and taught all ages of piano lessons. I travelled the United States teaching teachers about how to use digital technology to reach young musicians. Once I even worked as an interpreter for a deaf man, since I grew up learning American Sign Language. I teach my kids to cook, my friends to run, and my cat how to Stay Off The COUCH! No matter where I am or what I am doing—I am a teacher!