Final Thoughts

*Summer, summer, summer, summer*
This mantra has been circling through my head for a few days now, and as finals week begins it's hard to think about much else. However, I do want to take some time to reflect on this last semester. There is a lot of truth to the saying "sophomore slump" but that doesn't mean I haven't learned a lot.
I have to admit, at the start of the semester I was not exactly excited to be taking TEAC 259. It was just another class to cross off the list on the way to getting my education minor. "Instructional technology" seemed like a very specific topic that might not apply to me in my future speech pathology career. I am glad to say that I was wrong. I think the most valuable thing I have learned is what kind of attitude I should have when approaching using technology in my future practice. This attitude should include having an open mind and not getting too stuck in my ways. It should include analyzing what technology so I can use it with a purpose and understand what affordances it can give me, not just using technology for the sake of using it. This also means I should keep up to date on the latest advancements so I can advocate for what may be best for my clients. Previously, I had not thought much about technology as something that a teacher or practitioner needs to give critical thought to, but it really is something that when use correctly can offer amazing affordances.

Me teaching my final lesson for Guided Learning 2.0.
I was much less nervous this time around!

This class has also given me opportunities to try some unique projects, like writing this blog or teaching my very first lesson (see picture)! I also enjoyed the very collaborative feel of the classroom, where we were all in it together, trying to figure out new technology.
This class got me thinking a lot, and while I don't have all the answers, I appreciate the start of the thought process. I enjoyed reading articles about Universal Design for Learning and the prevalence of mobile technologies being used for AAC devices. These are the kind of topics that I would love to explore more and utilize this knowledge as I continue on with my education.

This may be all for my TEAC 259 blog, but I'm just getting started on my educational journey. With four more years of college ahead of me (thanks, grad school...) I have a lot of learning left to do. This has been a great stop in my path to becoming the best SLP I can be possibly be. Thanks to anyone who's taken the time to read my thoughts... xoxo Madison

An SLP in a Teacher's World

"Your assignment is to teach a 20 minute lesson."

Those were my feeling after hearing about our Guided Learning 1.0 assignment. First, I have to admit I was not excited about the assignment, to say the least. I want to be a speech pathologist, why in the world would I need to know how to teach? Add to that the fact that teaching my very own lesson was kind of intimidating, and you can get the feeling that my motivation to do this assignment was very low.
For me, the hardest part of developing the lesson was actually choosing what to teach about. Once I chose my topic, the flow of the lesson came much easier. It is a topic I knew well and thought was important to teach, so that made the lecture part of the lesson go pretty smoothly.

Overall, I think my quiz on socrative.com was the most effective element of my lesson. I think it helped put what I was lecturing about into a real-life perspective for the learners, and it also gave me a really good idea of whether the learners actually understood what I was talking about and could apply the information. While I thought my technology was the more effective part of my lesson, for another group member I thought their ability to lecture was most effective. This group member had great explanations of a pretty complicated topic that I found I was able to (mostly) follow, despite having little to no geology background.
In the future when preparing, I would try to have less fear at the beginning of the planning process. My avoidance of the assignment paralyzed me and prevented me from having adequate time to practice actually giving the lesson. It would have been better to start a bit earlier so I didn't feel so crunched for time at the end. My fear of this project was mostly unfounded, so I feel like now I have more confidence to get started in the future.
I found the overall layout and structure of my lesson to be pretty effective. I also felt like my small bit of technology worked really well. For GLE 2.0, I do not plan on changing any of the major structures of the lesson. There are some smaller elements that I want to try to improve. I think the wording on my PowerPoint could be better, because as I was talking I realized ways I could simplify how I word things. I also want to work on engaging the learners even more. I might come up with a couple more questions to ask during the lecture and make sure I check if they are understanding things. Now that I know the structure of the lesson is solid, I can really concentrate on how I'm speaking and making sure the learners are very engaged.

Basically, after completing this assignment, I'm ready to go out and be a teacher.

Not really, but I do feel more confident in my ability to teach a lesson. And even if that is not exactly what I'll be doing in the future, it is a skill that is good to have, especially if I will be working in a school setting (SLPs co-teaching lessons is becoming more and more popular!)
Stay tuned for how GLE 2.0 goes...

It's Like Going to Class, But I'm in My Bed...

Last week, we did not meet for class. Instead, we had a couple of online discussion boards that we needed to post on before class time was up. I thought this was a good alternative to canceling class altogether since our instructor couldn't be there. It would be a shame to lose out on an entire class period, since we only meet once a week. Posting on the discussions boards caused us to still interact a bit with our classmates while learning new material. And it allowed me to do this without having to leave the comfort of my bed...
The article and video that we viewed were about the concept of universal design for learning (UDL). I think this is a great idea that I want to explore more. It is all about planning learning to make it accessible for ALL students. The article talked about the importance of speech pathologists in this process, so it's definitely something I might encounter in my future career.

March Course Journal

If you haven't heard me talk enough about Maker March, here is a video of me discussing my favorite activity of the month!

As an additional update, last week in class we presented our maker projects. I thought our presentation went really well, and I was proud of my group for coming together and cohesively sharing our idea. Public speaking and class presentations are one of my least favorite things, but it definitely helps to have a group of people up there with you. Now we just need to invent the technology to make the kind of virtual reality world we talked about possible...... but don't hold your breath.

Makey Makey (And Other Fun Technology)

It's the end of March, which means the end of a great 3 weeks in class experiencing the excitement of Makerspaces. Last week we got to play (excuse me, learn) with 3 new technologies: Makey Makey, Little Bits, and Leap Motion. I loved the experience because we weren't told explicitly how they work or what to do with them, it was up to us to figure it out for ourselves. All 3 stations were interesting, but my favorite was definitely the Makey Makeys. My group used them to make a piano out of various fruits. We also created a way to play Tetris by using other people's hands as the directional keys. This was something I had never seen or heard of before, and it was fascinating to learn about what this technology could do.

The time we spent experimenting with and learning about these technologies was, in my opinion, definitely valuable; however, I'm not sure exactly how I could use them in my future practice. One connection my group thought of was using Makey Makeys for people with limitations in their fine motor skills. It may be impossible for people with certain disabilities to press the small button on a laptop, but maybe instead they could instead tap on a fun object connected to a Makey Makey. In this way, more people could have an experience of playing a certain game on the computer or other applications that they might not have been able to do otherwise.

This week has inspired me to give more thought to how the idea of Makerspaces could be applied to my future field of speech pathology. It is a question I will hopefully have more answers to as I continue my education!

Lights and Tape and Circuits, Oh My!

Maker March continues, and last week in class we got to experiment with a variety of Maker space supplies with a guest speaker. The focus was on circuits, and we had several different ways to make them, including alligator clips and copper tape. This was an entirely new experience for me. My extremely limited previous knowledge of circuits (read: I had no idea what I was doing) didn't stop me from experimenting and having a good time, which is the sort of spirit maker spaces are all about.
The experience in class last week was awesome, but it also made me feel kind of stupid. I felt frustrated that I had no idea how any of these things worked, and that some elementary school students can do. Part of this is that I was more interested in how exactly things worked and more afraid of making mistakes when experimenting than a 5 year old might be.

The result of my experimenting in class...  a copper tape circuit

that lights up 2 LED lights. It's definitely not much, but even this 

small start to a project gave me a sense of accomplishment.

I really wish that I had had Makerspace-like experiences before now. I never got to experiment with making things, or building circuits, or some of the other things we have looked at, and I'm jealous of students now who get those opportunities. Looking back on it now, I think it would have been a worthwhile opportunity. at any stage of my education. My high school has a STEM lab with robotics equipment and other interesting new technology, but it was built after I had already finished my science classes. I'm glad that other girls will have the opportunity to have some of the experiences I am now wishing I had had.

Science is by no means my first love (hence why my major is speech pathology), but I had fun learning a little bit about circuits and getting the chance to build my own. And if I, a 20 year old college student who generally dislikes science, enjoyed this activity, then I think there would definitely be a lot of younger students who would enjoy the same activities. This week has convinced me on the value of Makerspaces in schools and classrooms!

Kahoot

Our tech of the week is Kahoot, an online quiz creation website. The site has a multitude of uses in the classroom, including to create quizzes to test students on what they know, to start off a class with an fun, competitive activity, or to assign as a group project for students to create their own quiz.
To test how the site works, I created a quick "About Me" quiz. Go to kahoot.it and use the game pin 262085 to try out my quiz!

Update: If anyone tries to take the quiz, let me know if it worked in the comments! It's a public quiz, but I've been having trouble trying to play it by putting in the game code without going through my account.

Maker March

This month in class is "Maker March."
Our motto: We are all makers. Our goal: create a maker project with our content-area groups.

Not sure what I'm talking about when I refer to "makers"? (Don't worry, I had no idea what this meant before arriving to class last Thursday.) These two articles from Time and Forbes give some background on maker culture and the maker movement.

On Thursday each group started brainstorming to think of what project they would work towards creating during this month. Working on this project in groups definitely has its pros and cons. When we first started our brainstorming session, everyone in my group was pretty confused. It took a while to start the flow of any ideas, especially since we weren't sure if we wanted to take the project in a SLP direction or not. I think that was one of the cons about being in a group, that it took longer to get any ideas going. It can be difficult to share ideas in their earliest stages to a group, when they might sound stupid or not be fully formed. But once we had some ideas out there, it was beneficial to have a group to bounce these ideas around in. We could build off of the creativity of other group members. Our combined efforts and thoughts had the potential to spark more creativity than if it was just one person. It was definitely helpful to have four minds working together. However, that could also be detrimental when we were not all on the same page. Even though we all on the same page with the basic idea of what we would be making (a board game), we all had different visions of what exactly that would look like. We had to narrow down ideas and get specific to get on the same page. Everyone believes in their mental image of what the game should look like, so it can be frustrating when that does not end up in the final group image. The project could start to turn in a different way than what you originally anticipated, and that is what I struggled with most on Thursday.
I really like the idea that my group came up with, which is to create a virtual world game that is accessible to everyone, especially people with different physical impairments that would normally exclude them from playing this type of game. Even if it were an individual assignment, I would probably want to pursue the idea of a game that is accessible to all students with a wide range of disabilities, like the students I will be working with in therapy. However, I would have been interested in a more simple version of what we are creating. The virtual world is great, but not something we have the knowledge to actually come anywhere near creating a working version of. I would pursue the less high-tech route of adapting a classic board game to be controlled by a child's switch that they already use (if they do not have good fine motor skills). I think this would be really interesting because while I have no knowledge of how to actually create this, I think it is something I could realistically figure out (with a lot of help). It would feel really cool to have a semi-working creation at the end of the month.

These are my thoughts after week 1 of Maker March. We've done a lot of exploring already, but my group still has a long way to go and a lot more to discover. I'll keep you posted on our progress and discoveries as the month goes on!

Evernote

Our tech of the week is the note taking website, Evernote. Ideally, I could have tested the site out in an actual class, but unfortunately the classes I take notes in this semester do not allow computers for note-taking (which is an argument for another blog post).
So instead, I used Evernote to make a list of all of my upcoming homework for the week. Click to view my To-do list!
Evernote has some features that were great for this objective. First, I love that they have checkmarks that you can click and check. There's nothing more satisfying than seeing a checkmark next to a completed assignment. I also liked that it has a feature to make lines for easy separating of concepts, in my case to separate my different classes. Another great feature of the site in general is that it is accessible anywhere, so I'll always have my notes or lists with me, especially because there is a mobile version.
Evernote is a great option for note-taking that is easy to access and easy to share! While I probably won't be rushing to switch all my note-taking to Evernote, I can see how it would be an awesome option for many students.

In Like a Lion...

It's March 1st, which means we've made it through one of the worst months of the year. I typically spend most of the month of February wishing winter would just leave us alone already, thanks.
But in terms of TEAC 259, February was a great, information-packed month. From our various techs of the week to our discussions about TPACK, gaming, and other topics, I already feel much more knowledgable about the world of instructional technology.
One of our ongoing assignments is to create video journals about what we are learning in class and how it connects to our future careers. In my journal for February, I talk about one specific project, the Annotated Standards Infographic, and how I feel it encouraged the use of skills that I will need in the future. I think my journal does a good job of summing up some of the most valuable skills I've picked up in this class so far, so I'll leave it here for you to watch.

 

Is It Spring Yet?

Life gets crazy.

We're six weeks into the semester, and it's the time when assignments and tests and projects are out in full force. It's all too easy to get caught up in everything that's going on, so if you're feeling a little too stressed...

Find your happy place.

For me, that's taking advantage of the warm weather we have been having to sit outside and read. I'm already counting down the days to when we can officially say that cold weather is behind us, and spring weather is here to stay. 

A lot of the reading and discussions in class have been focused around the need for balance, and that's a topic that I covered in my post about TPACK. Balance is vital in the classroom, but it's also important to remember to have balance in your personal life.

So take a deep breath.

School, work, and other responsibilities may have you running every which way, but remember: the sun is shining. The sky is blue. Take 5 minutes to sit and enjoy that before you get back to what needs to be done. 

Pinterest

My previous experiences with Pinterest have consisted solely of searches along the lines of "Sorority Big/Little Crafts" and "Prom hairstyles", so I was excited to see how I could use the website in a way that will help me with my future professional career. So far I love what I've found! Pinterest contains a treasure trove of tips and tricks that I can use as a SLP.

Follow Madison's board Speech Therapy Ideas on Pinterest. Follow Madison's board Inspiration on Pinterest.


So far I have started two boards, one with specific ideas for games and activities to use in speech therapy, and one that can serve as a source of inspiration as I work toward my goal of becoming a speech-language pathologist.
I'm excited to explore Pinterest more and use it as a source of ideas and inspiration now and in the future!

iMovie #TBT

Last Thursday in TEAC 259, we were tasked with making an iMovie as a group. The point was to practice using the technology with our groups so we were at least familiar with the program so we can use it for our video journals later in the semester. For me, the task took me back to the past, to the time in high school where iMovie was first introduced to me. I remember feeling as if a world of possibility had been unlocked; I could make my VERY OWN movies, chock full of cheesy transitions and special effects. As a junior in the journalism class, I had to make two editions of our weekly podcast. This was always a very stressful experience, so naturally are most of my memories of iMovie. And high school was about where my experiences with iMovie ended... I hadn't opened up the program since making the video for my graduation party almost two years ago. Because of this, last week's brief experiment was a welcome refresher.
It's interesting how using a technology you haven't for a while can really bring you back, reminding you of the times when you might have used it often. For me, iMovie is definitely intertwined with my memories of junior and senior year of high school. I'm excited to get to use the program again and become more proficient with it.

Teaching Channel: Academic Conversations + ELLs

Our Tech of the Week this week is Teaching Channel, a website where teachers can watch videos to share their knowledge and techniques. Although the website is not designed specifically for SLPs, I found a great series of videos, "Academic Conversations with ELLs."


This series of six videos highlights three middle and high school teachers whose students are primarily English Language Learners. They use different techniques to engage their students in academic discussions in class. This is a skill that is very important for any student to learn, but it can be especially challenging for ELLs. It typically takes about 7 years after the start of learning a language to become proficient enough to use that language in academic and abstract contexts. This means that these middle school and even high school ELLs still need a lot of support and guidance to be successful in academic discussions, even if they are more proficient in conversational English. I think these teachers have done a great job coming up with structures that scaffold students' ability to participate in class discussions. I think this series offers helpful, concrete ways to support ELLs, a population of students I may be working with as an SLP in the school system. It is important to keep in mind the additional struggles students may experience if English is not their first language, while also challenging them to meet Common Core standards.

Click here  to check out all six videos!
And click here to read the accompanying articles offering more information about the content of the videos.

Mobile Learning

Last week in TEAC 259, we tried an experiment in mobile learning. On our walk from the classroom to the new library Learning Commons, we engaged in mobile blogging as groups. During travel time and while at the library, we chronicled what was happening through the use of pictures and text on a group Google Doc. This was my first time editing a Google Doc on a mobile device. It was definitely an interesting experience. It was a bit disconcerting at first to have everyone editing one document at one time on a screen as small as your cell phone screen is. It felt like we were virtually tripping over each other to input information. However, as time went on it got easier. It helped that each person was signed in with their name so you could see who was typing where. Some things we were able to do were add text and images, change font color and size, use different devices among the group, and install apps on the go. For example, while at the library, we realized we would also need the app for Google Slides to add a link to our doc to the class's Chaos Dump. One thing we could not do was add videos directly to the Google Doc. Later we learned that there were a couple different workarounds to this problem we could have tried. 

Check our efforts by clicking on this link: 

Thursday February 4th TEAC 259

While at the library, we were shown a demo on the One Button Studio. The room allows students to easily record themselves. I think the studio is a great resource for students. I especially like that you can record yourself giving a presentation or doing a speech so you can go back and critique yourself. It's a chance to step back and look at what you are doing while presenting (and a step up from practicing in a mirror). When we were given our demo, the equipment was having technical difficulties. Brad had to troubleshoot, and it turned out that a wire had come unplugged. Even though this delayed our demo, it was a good lesson in how to troubleshoot when problems come up. Video recorded in the studio is downloaded directly to a flash drive for you to take with you. It also has cool features you can utilize like a green screen. The studio seems pretty straightforward to use and has many opportunities to be creative with its use. I'm glad we got to take the trip to see it, because it was a resource I didn't know we had!

Mobile learning definitely has its advantages, such as allowing learning to happen anywhere and on-the-go, and allowing people not physically in class to participate in what's going on. However, one limitation I noticed is that I felt slightly disconnected from what I was doing. I was very focused on updating our mobile blog and felt awkward being glued to my phone throughout the trip to the library and especially during Brad's demo. This activity took me slightly out of my comfort zone and forced me to do some quick thinking on the go. Mobile learning is something I would want to explore more before using it in a classroom. 

Balance is Key

As a dancer, I'd like to think balance is something I'm sort of an expert at. It's what, literally, keeps me from falling flat on my face. Bringing this same sense of balance into other areas of my life, however, is a whole different question.
This week we read an interesting article about the importance of implementing technology in a way that is specifically relevant to your classroom. It introduced the TPACK framework, which stresses the need for balance between knowledge of content, pedagogy, and technology. All three areas need to be taken into consideration to successfully use technology.
For a quick overview on TPACK, you can watch this 2 minute explanation and check out the way the idea looks visually represented on a scale.

What good is knowing what the latest, greatest technology out there is, if you can't utilize it in a way that actually facilitates the learning of your students? I know this sense of balance is something I'm going to try to work on in my future practice as an SLP.

For my Parks and Rec fans out there, here's your daily reminder to be the Leslie Knope of whatever you do. xoxo

Flip Yeah

Before attending my TEAC 259 class last week, this F icon held no meaning to me. In fact, I might have had trouble even guessing that this symbol is supposed to represent an F. However, I discovered that this is the icon for Flipboard, a website/app that advertises itself as "your personal magazine." You can subscribe to topics that interest you, then Flipboard will highlight current event articles from major publications about the topics you have chosen.
We had to create a Flipboard account as an assignment for class, so I figured I would find the required number of articles, share them, and never log back in again. However, I was pleasantly surprised to discover this is a website I could see myself coming back to visit regularly. There are several reasons why Flipboard is worth checking out- here's what drew me in:

1. It plays into one of my favorite things: mindlessly scrolling.
Whether through Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter, I enjoy devoting large quantities of time each day to scrolling. Flipboard is no different, as you scroll through the many different articles pulled to find one you want to read. The difference is, here I'm much more likely to read a meaningful article than on other sites.

2. Keeping up on current events is on my New Year's Resolutions list- every. year.
"I'm going to stay more informed about what's going on in the world." How many times have I told myself that? But frankly, it's usually just not convenient enough to fit into my daily life. This is a fun way to counter that mindset.

3. It's personalized to you.
What makes Flipboard unique is that you get to make it your own. I don't have to scroll through a hundred articles to find the two that actually interest me; Flipboard does some of the hard work for me.

4. I get to view content specific to my field.
Flipboard is a great starting place to keep up-to-date on the current happenings in the education and speech pathology fields. Staying current on what's going on elsewhere in my field will be important to my career, and I can see myself perusing Flipboard to get a sense of what's up.

I loved getting this chance to learn about one site that's out there to keep us more connected to the world. If anyone has any similar websites they like to use, feel free to let me know!

Staying Sane at the Start of the Semester

New year.
New classes.
New stress.
The start of a new semester can be overwhelming, to say the least. Syllabus week consists of learning what is due when and who allows what, for all of your classes, all at once. It's enough to confuse even the best of us. And if we're not careful, things will start to slip through the cracks. That's not the way anyone wants to start off the semester!
In my first Instructional Technology (TEAC 259) class, we talked about the technology we encounter every day, and what affordances these technologies allow us. That got me thinking about the technology I take advantage of every day to keep myself organized, aka what keeps me from becoming an overwhelmed, assignment-forgetting blob.

Planner: My motto: Write down EVERYTHING. Even the simple things that I'm sure I'll remember to do a couple hours from now. Because I won't remember to do them. I would be lost without this guide to my assignments.

iPhone Calendar: My iCalendar is my life. Literally... everything I do is written here. It helps me keep track of when things are happening and sends me a reminder an hour before events. And since it's on my phone, I have access to it wherever I go. Plus, I can sync it with my family's calendar, so I always know what their schedule is like, even when I'm away at school.

Sticky notes: Even with these other methods to remember things, I'm still apt to forget. A well-placed sticky note at my desk can serve as the perfect reminder at the end of the day.


What would I do if I didn't have these simple technologies to keep me organized? Honestly, I would probably forget over half of what I'm supposed to be doing on any given day. Being organized is the key to keeping your sanity as a new semester begins.

I'm excited to see where my adventure into blogging takes me as I learn more about instructional technology and how it applies to my field of speech-language pathology!