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!