ESL 509 ~ Brittany Horst

It was hard to find an alert this week that wasn't about the coronavirus, but I was able to find one that interested me.  I stumbled upon an article called, "How to Bring Classroom Observations into the Digital Age" by Ralph Krauss.  This was sent to my inbox from my "classroom technology" alert created in Google Alerts.  This article is mainly about how observations done by principals should be done in the least distracting and most discreet way possible.  The idea is to have principals use videoconferencing software on laptops while the teachers wear headsets.  The principal is able to watch the teacher while he/she is teaching a lesson from his office.  He is also able to give immediate, live feedback to the teacher as he/she is teaching.  In theory, this should be less distracting for students. As I was reading this article, I was quite honestly offended.  I think it is an insulting idea personally.  Without the principal in the classro...

While I had many alerts sent to my email this week with interesting articles, this one immediately caught my attention.  While I have generally been keeping my distance with anything talking about the coronavirus, I couldn't help but read this article.  The title of the article being "Italian Schools Go Digital As Coronavirus Shuts Classrooms."  I have adopted the idea of not panicking until there is reason to panic.  I know there are many who are extremely concerned that this virus will spread to their area.  I know my sister who has plans to study abroad next month will no longer get that opportunity as Penn State University doesn't want to take any risks.  They are even sending students home from studying abroad early if their country has any reported cases of the coronavirus. This article really had me thinking how amazing technology is, especially during a situation such as potential illness.  Even just a few years ago, if school needed to shut ...

I really enjoy reading various up-to-date articles each week in regards to technology in education.  I often read a few, maybe 6 or 7, and then choose the one I feel I've gained the most insight from to share in my blog.  I came across a very interesting article called, "A Model for the Digital Classroom."  This article shares that digital learning has been shown to boost achievement.  It begins by reminding the reader that technology in classrooms used to mean a few desktop computers in the back of a classroom.  Technology you see in classrooms now typically could involve some or all of the following: iPads, tablets, laptops, desktops, SMARTboards, clickers, projectors, etc.  The edtech space has only gotten more exciting and expansive each and every year.  Stated directly from the article, " Digital learning has been shown to boost student achievement and is vital to the modernisation of school curriculums, helping teachers deliver better results for...

In searching through my Google Alerts for the week, I came across an article talking specifically about the e-learning and the options we have because it exists.  It was an interesting article right off the bat for me, because the first sentence states "The recent bad weather didn't seem to bother both teachers and students at Lincoln Community High School thanks to a new program called e-learning."  The first thing I thought of were snow days.  Snow days are very bittersweet for most teachers and students.  Loving the fact that we get an unexpected day off of school only lasts so long after pulling out the school calendar to see which snow make up day we will lose.  I absolutely love the idea of e-learning days rather than snow days that need to be made up.  Teachers can simply send students work online and they complete it while at home.  The state board of education made the decision that because the majority students have access to the internet at ...

After reading a few articles I found in my inbox after setting up the Google alerts, I came across a very interesting one regarding how to create a value-driving eLearning app.  This article posted today, February 7th, by Ilya Kislenka, stood out to me.  She found a study stating that the online learning market is projected to reach $238 billion by 2024.  That number is absolutely insane to me.  I can definitely see the appeal, as these learning apps are extremely convenient and easily accessible.  Using these eLearning apps to keep track of student growth and learning is truly an individualistic approach to education.  Some challenges with creating the apps are keeping the students engaged, making it visually appealing, and staying within budget, as the creating of the apps can become pretty pricey.  Kislenka makes some good points when discussing the importance of keeping learners engaged and motivated.  He states the idea of making sure the stu...