The Beginning of the End

For those of you who have journeyed with me over these past few months, you'll know that my Genius Hour project has been looking into outdoor recreation and the impact it can have on wellbeing. Throughout this term, I have really allowed myself to be challenged to use various technology resources that can enhance both engagement and learning in classroom lessons as well as assignments. By integrating these resources into my Genius Hour project, I have really stretched my own learning and understanding. Yes, some of these task have taken more time than I would have expected, however I  have found that I have grown both as a student as well as an educator. 

The use of technology in the classroom may not be a strength of mine, but I am learning the value it can add to the environment of my learners. Some may need more visual (digital) components to hold their attention and engagement. Some my find it a more relevant way of learning, rather than just from a handout or textbook. Just like technology is always evolving, so is the education system, the student, and the teacher. This digital technology course and this Genius Hour assignment have really pushed me out of my comfort zone and have helped me recognize that good things can come from challenging or unknown tasks. 

In the next week or so, I will be revealing my final product of this Genius Hour project. Check back soon!

Collaborative Lesson Plan

Collaborative lesson planning can open open up so many possibilities! Here is a lesson that includes three digital learning objects; Google Forms, Powtoon, and Plickers. Special thanks to Claire, Danni, and Kathleen for working on this with me. Feel free to check it out:

Making Some Serious Progress

IMPORTANT - I would be lying to you, if I said that I am almost finished my research for my Genius Hour project. I have done some research, but I am not finished yet.

Well, now that I got that out of the way, I will say that I have made some serious headway within my realm of digital knowledge and skills. Over the past few weeks, this has been evident in my reflective blog posts as well as the posts that actually show the product of my learning. Something important that I have been learning is that since there are so many digital tools and resources available, you've got to take it one step at a time. At times I feel like I am being flooded with resources, articles, and trial accounts that I quickly become overwhelmed. This then results in shutting down and not retaining any information. However, when I space out the resources I've been given I am able to really appreciate and understand the benefits of the digital tool, how to use them, and visualize ways in which it would benefit my students. 

A challenge that I am facing with incorporating digital tools, such as apps, digital student profiles and digital assignments into the classroom is that not all classrooms have regular access to iPads, computers and SmartBoards. With some of these resources I think they are most effective when they are used consistently. I am still in the process of finding a way around this...when I do, you all will be the first to know!

My hope coming out of this Genius Hour assignment as well as the Teachers College program itself would be that I hang on to some of the resources and tools I've been learning about. In this program there is so much to learn, and for myself I think most of this learning will take root once I get to use it in the classroom. I'm going to start small, likely by using Plickers which are simple yet super efficient! They are a great tool for assessing student learning after a lesson, can be used as an exit card, and can even be extended into collecting results for graphing and patterning.

This learning will certainly continue, but until next time...

Now I'm Vlogging!!!

So bear with me, as this is my first ever vlog! This is just a quick update for where I am at with my Genius Hour project.

And so it continues!

This has certainly been an interesting week of research and discovery! As I have been sifting through copious amounts of information about outdoor recreational activities and sports, I am quickly realizing there is much more to be learned than I would have initially thought. I don't want to give away all my findings yet, but I will give you one shocking fact that I found.

Around the world, there are THOUSANDS of different outdoor sports and recreational activities that are enjoyed world-wide! Who would have thought!?

Kerns, L. (2014, June 15). Hike [Online Image], no changes made. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/1MZocKF

As I continue through this Genius Hour project as well as this Teaching & Learning with Technology course, I am reminded that I am far from having all the answers. Even when I think I have a general grasp on a topic - outdoor recreation and sports, for example - I am reminded that I still have so much to learn.

Since I have had this realization, I need to figure out where to take my research from here. If I were to go in depth into every possible outdoor activity, this project would take a lifetime to complete. What I am going to do is to focus more on testimonials of myself and others (through blogs and possible published studies) to learn the impact that outdoor recreation has had on overall wellbeing. This will require some exploring of other peoples' experiences as well as some deep personal reflection into my own experiences. As you journey with me through this project, feel free to share some of your experiences or opinions with me!

Genius Hour Update!

A lot of exciting progress has been made in my Genius Hour project! I have started to make some headway in my research. I am starting to collect what I like to call 'surface level' research - or the basic/starter information of the topic. The first of the information I have been gathering includes definitions of outdoor recreation as well as different recreational activities. From there I hope to find blogs and websites of outdoor recreation enthusiasts to learn about the activities they love and discover where they get their inspiration. 

In addition to reading about outdoor recreation and finding online resources, I am also starting to dabble in other ways of collecting information. The first strategy I am using is surveying. I have created a survey through Survey Monkey to ask people (like you!) about their opinions and involvement in outdoor activities. So, here's my shameless plug - if you'd like to complete my survey, click here! From there, I hope to start collecting various opinions around outdoor recreation. Hopefully I will learn about different activities that you enjoy and see what has inspired others who, like me, enjoy being outdoors. Thanks for your support and I look forward to providing another update soon!

So here's where I'm at...

By the looks of things, my Genius Hour project and blog are coming along nicely. What's interesting to me, is that at this point I seem to be overcoming more challenges and learning curves with the digital side of this project rather than the content itself. I find this to be really exciting since I braced myself to learn about the benefits of outdoor recreation, which I will, but seem to be learning even more about how to creatively incorporate digital effects.

As I move forward with this Genius Hour project, I am excited to for my learning to be a blend of research findings as well as how to digitally enhance an assignment. The techniques I learn here will certainly benefit me and I go into the classroom. Today's students have been born into a digit age, so being able to use digital tools to enhance my teaching will certainly be an asset.