In class today we had multiple presentations.
The first one was on the impact of social media on students and their mental health. They highlighted many pros and cons of children’s social media use both in and out of the classroom, to which there are many.
The second presentation was about the connection between math and technology for students, and how technology has a place in this type of learning. Educational games such as MinecraftEDU, ParkMath, and DragonBox were named as good resources for facilitating technology and math practice.
The 3rd presentation was about the connection between technology and early childhood literacy. The presenters talks about accessible learning, and how there are many means of making reading accessible to all different kinds of learners. They used the example of Epic.com, which allows for books to be read to students who perhaps have visual or hearing impairments. It’s important to make reading universal to young learners, regardless of disabilities. There are so many methods that can be used to adapt reading.
The 4th presentation was about technology and apps that are useful for French Immersion students. One of the methods suggested was Quizlet, which allows for students to make flashcards for use in studying and memorizing terms. Another similar is FlipGrid, which lets students track their learning and allows for parents and teachers to help their child/student if they need help, as well as being able to follow along with what they’re learning. It’s a great way for all people involved in the students’ learning career to stay connected and up to date. The third resource is Khan Academy, which offers different methods and activities for students to learn different subjects.
After all the presentations, we had a lesson from Rich McCue about coding, and why coding is useful to implement in classrooms for students. There are many different reasons that both students and teachers might want to learn how to code. A big one is being able to design things yourself, such as websites and different aspects of digital design. There are a bunch of introduction to coding resources for students, such as Scratch.mit.edu. and Grasshopper.
One of the possible problems with using Grasshopper is the fact that one must have a google account to use this game, which can pose prospective security issues regarding data collection & storage. It’s always important to get informed consent when using such resources in a classroom with students.