Here We Go...

I have never been much for blogging. I think sharing your personal life on the internet is risky and who really wants to read about my life? No one. BUT... I was challenged by one of my master's classes to create professional goals and carry them through. So... here we go.

This week, I have spent a lot of time looking through blogs on the internet, social media, Pinterest, etc. It has been quite informing and overwhelming at the same time. I tried something new with my students on Thursday and it went well. There were, of course, many hiccups along the way and things that I want to differently the next time, but, all in all, it was quite successful!

Let's Recap: This is the name of the new technology I incorporated into my classroom. It allows students to answer teacher created questions by recording their answers and submitting them via the platform. Most of my students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and I received some excellent answers.

Pros:
-It was fun to watch them get embarrassed at first as they watched themselves answer the question.
-Their answers were complete and thorough.
-They were engaged academically.
-It allowed grading to be done quickly and easily.

Cons:
-It was a lot of work to begin with. I'm hoping the next time I do it, it will be easier.
- It was hard to hear sometimes because everyone was recording at the same time
-Students were sometimes more interested in being in the background of their classmates videos than focusing on their own recordings.

Changes:
-Next time, I would like to prep my students more about exactly what I expect. Again, this was my first time using the software as well. Now that we've been through this once, I can better assess what my expectations really need to be.
- I would like to set a time limit so they know they only have a certain number of minutes to complete the assignment. I hope this will limit the amount of distractions and goofing off.

If you want to know more about Let's Recap or want to try it out yourself, visit letsrecap.com!

There are so many great resources out there and I can't wait to utilize more of them in my teaching on a regular basis. If you are going to make a concerted effort, the best thing to do is share it with the world. So, this is my plan...

The Plan 

(I'm sure this will change the more I do this but for right now this sounds like what I can handle)

1. Subscribe to Educational Technology Blogs
2. Commit to trying a new technology platform or idea in the classroom at least once a month.
3. Blog about the Pros/ Cons/ Changes that I had and would make based on my classroom experience.
4. Share a technology with my colleagues, in a staff meeting, at least once a month. (I've shown my principal some of the cool technology things I've done in my classroom already so she has dubbed me the classroom tech person)
5. Ask colleagues to share great technological resources they've found so I can implement them into my own classroom, as well.
6. Participate (not just follow) in twitter conversations with hashtags of #edtech, #ELA, #socialstudies, #6thgrade and more as I find them.

This blog and twitter will be my avenue for sharing what I learn and discover along the way!

Twitter: @kilee_kilee

If you follow me, you will see that I've already started on these goals! 👍🏼😊 💁🏻 I can already tell I'm going to thoroughly enjoy discovering everything @CarrieGelson has to offer!
 She is a Canadian Elementary teacher and book blogger. If you want to explore with me, check out her twitter or peruse her blog at your leisure. Enjoy!