Troubleshooting Guide for Educators

Hello, again!

Today I'm going to talk about something we hear in the classroom that gives a lot of us teachers nightmares...

"Teacher, my computer isn't working!"

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However, you can sleep easy and shudder no more as I have put together a quick troubleshooting guide for some common hiccups I have come across. It won't solve all, but it may get you through the next ten minutes before you have to tackle the next fire that needs putting out.

Problem #1
The pictures on the monitor are stretched and do not look right.

1. Right-click the desktop and click "Display settings" on the context menu.
2. Click "Advanced display settings"
3. Be sure the resolution is set at the recommended level. If not, change it to the recommended solution.
4. Reboot your PC and check to see if the problem is resolved. 
5. If the problem persists, speak to your technology specialist, as they may need to update the graphics card driver.

Problem #2

iPad without home button screen is frozen.

1. Press and quickly release the volume button closest to the top button.
2. Press and quickly release the volume button farthest from the top button.
3. Press and hold the top button until the device begins to restart.

iPad with home button screen is frozen.

1. Press and hold both the Home button and the top button until you see the Apple logo.
2. An iPad with arrows pointing to the Home button and the top button.

If your iPad doesn't turn on, check your hardware and charge your device. 

1. Use a different power adapter or a different charging cable. 
2. Make sure that your iPad isn't too hot or too cold.

Problem #3

iPad's home button won't work anymore.

1. Restart iPad.
2. If that doesn't work, try taking off the iPad case.
3. Check if there is anything sticky that may have dripped on the button.
4. If that doesn't work, you can temporarily use a virtual button until it can be repaired. 
• Go to "Settings" 
• Choose the "General" option
• Click "Accessibility" 
• Turn on "AssistiveTouch"

Problem #4

When I project, the sound comes out of my computer.

1. Click the sound icon
2. Select the text at the top of the pop-up that appears. 
3. You should then see a list of all the audio devices connected to your computer. 
4. Select the one you want, or—if you aren't sure which listing corresponds to what set of speakers or headphones—try different options until the right one works. 

Problem #5

On my Chromebook, I got the message "Chrome OS is missing or damaged."

1. This issue can be resolved temporarily by turning your device on and off with the power button.
• Select 'Power Off' item from the recovery screen menu (if present) or press the power button until the device turns off.
• When your Chromebook powers down, press the power button to turn it back on again.
2. If that didn't work try a hard reset.
• Press and hold Refresh and tap Power.
• When your Chromebook starts up, release Refresh.

Reflection on the Gamification Process Thus Far

Hey, everyone!

The last time I spoke to you, I talked about how I was challenged to review my curriculum to incorporate educational technology while keeping the constructivism learning theory in mind. I chose to lean into gamification after learning more about the school, Quest2Learn. If you have not had a chance to check it out, give it a look! 

The Process and the Potential

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Planning this was really fun and generally a positive experience. I mean, how can you go wrong with game-making? I really enjoyed thinking of ways my students can go further with the technology they know to make an engaging game. I feel teachers, including myself, use so much amazing technology, and sometimes, we don't have the time to really take a deep dive to learn about all the awesome features and applications for them. Additionally, when the kids are working through the process, they, too, will be learning how to utilize technology at a deeper level. I also loved thinking about how not only would they be mastering the material to be the game maker, but they also have to really consider their peers' capabilities and learning as well to ensure they can play their game.

Challenges and Reflections  

The biggest challenge I have faced is figuring out the right time to get a detailed plan and try it out. Isn't that always the never-ending teacher struggle? For me, it can't take a ton of time as the other English Language Arts (ELA) teacher would be doing something else while I try it out, and eventually, we will have to move on to the next unit of study around the same time. Additionally, kids may get bored if it takes too long to see their work in action. However, I can only go so fast if I want quality work and to set my kids up for success in their first experience with it. However, a pacing calendar would help a lot with the curriculum timing. Kids could see the steps, and I would have an idea of a timeframe. The kids are familiar with creating and using calendars from other projects we have done, so it wouldn't be too difficult for them. In all, I will just have to try it and stay flexible with what pops up, but I feel that it is definitely worth it.

Image property of Giphy

Conclusion

To wrap it up, I feel that all educators should really take a risk, put their technology specialist hats on, and dig a little deeper. Not only will you create some engaging learning opportunities and meet the needs of your diverse learners, you will probably have a little bit of fun yourself!

Gamification in the Classroom

 Hey, Everyone!

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I have recently been challenged to look at my curriculum and develop an instructional design proposal incorporating educational technology and constructivism. According to “Behaviorism, Cognitivism, Constructivism: Comparing Critical Features From an Instructional Design Perspective” by Peggy A. Ertmer and Timothy J. Newby, constructivism is “creat[ing] meaning as opposed to acquiring it” and “involvement in authentic tasks anchored in meaningful contexts (55-56). With this in mind, I thought about what my students find meaningful regarding technology, and my first thought was gaming. Gamification in the classroom is nothing new, but I wanted to take it further by allowing the students to construct something that matters to them and can be a valuable skill in our world of technology. 

The Idea
I initially wanted my kiddos to get into building their own game using literary skills such as narration to create their own world, conflict, and characters. However, some of these programs can be pricey or require more time than I have right now, as students would need to know the basics of coding. Although many kid-friendly game creation programs break down the coding, I would still have to build that knowledge over time, and it may be better for next school year when I can do more planning. Instead, I have figured out how to take different programs the kids already know to create a digital escape room using those same literary skills. 

The Plan

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As of right now, I am planning on making a menu of sorts with some ideas of how students could piece together a digital escape room game. For instance, I saw how students could use a Google Slides template from Genial.ly that gives a great structure for escape rooms. This can be combined with video creation (Flip, CapCut, Brush Ninja, etc.), where they can create narrations, video recordings, and drawn animations. There are also programs such as online crosswords, mazes, and unlock the picture that can be added. If they wanted to add locked aspects, they could add a link to Google Forms where they have to enter the correct code to get the next hint.

The Challenges
Some challenges I may encounter are whether the kids can synthesize so many pieces and ensure that their game can be played smoothly. The option menu will allow students to use the technology they are comfortable with, and if this is a project that continues into other units, they can branch out to trying new tech once they see how their peers utilize it. In addition to the menu, I will have to create some sort of organizer so they understand what academic materials need to be included and how to make it all flow nicely. Lastly, a final checklist may need to be included so students can review their games and troubleshoot issues before publishing it to the class. I’m also a bit concerned about timing, as I do have a teacher I work with and share a curriculum. He isn’t in a place where he is comfortable making such a significant change, but of course, he always supports all my ideas. As a result of us doing something entirely different, I do have to be careful managing my time and staying as aligned as possible with his ELA classes. 

The Excitement!

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However, I am super excited about this project and look forward to giving my kiddos different ways to synthesize what they have learned in a way that is not just writing a paragraph or essay. It shows them how what we are learning in ELA can be fun and applied to areas they are interested in. I have always been a massive fan of gamification but haven’t had the time or the ability to sit down and work out all the components. I’m very excited to see this come together, and I think the students will love working on this. I love looking at my curriculum and figuring out ways to utilize technology to enhance learning for my students. Their world is all about technology, and we need to teach them how to be technologically literate and give them the skills necessary for success in their futures. 

My biggest concern right now is getting all the pieces together in a well-organized and easy-to-understand way in a short amount of time. However, nothing extraordinary ever happens until you try, fail, and try some more. I shall keep you posted!

Educational Technology Reflection

Hello, Everyone!

I have officially written 10 blog posts based on my recent educational technology studies, so what better time than now for a little reflection! First off, I'm not going to lie. This journey was definitely some work and, at times, a bit overwhelming; however, I knew this going in. I mean, what else is to be expected when you consistently push yourself out of your comfort zone? But, boy, was it worth it! 

Image Property of Tenor

Okay, I may be exaggerating with the hacker bit a little. Okay, or maybe a lot. But I do feel so much more techy! 

While the research didn't blow me away, as I already was pretty familiar with the digital world and its tools, taking the time to actually use the knowledge was priceless. After e-learning, so many educators better understand classroom technology, but we often need more time to sit down and thoroughly try out new tools. We browse, read descriptions, perhaps save it for later, or even try it with the kids without diving into all the useful features. I mean, blogging has been around most of my life, and I have read plenty of them, but until now, I never tried it. My stubborn self also avoided Twitter like the plague. I had a basic understanding of it, but there was so much more to it. It ended up being one of my favorite explorations! Participating in a TwitterChat, which I didn't know was a feature, really changed my mind on how I felt about it. It's something I will continue to use to gather ideas from other educators. Side note: If you didn't get a chance to read Professional Learning Networks on Twitter, go check it out! It walks you through how to get started! 

The main takeaway for me is that you have to push yourself and find the time to not just research but try all the amazing new digital tools that are popping up every day to be the most effective teacher you can be. It has definitely made me want to dedicate more time to staying up to date with new tech that I can integrate into my learning space. 

The Effects of Social Media on Teens

Hey, Everyone!

Growing up, I never understood how adults could become so out of touch with current culture. My angsty teenage self would think, how don't they know this? Or why is it so hard to figure it out? As an adult, this thinking has come back to bite me hard. I now understand it more than I care to. The answer is that it's a lot of work to decipher what my students are talking about - no cap!

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 As an adult, my priorities, concerns, and interests focus on other things. However, I'm probably more "with it" than others my age because, as a teacher, I spend most of my time surrounded by kids. Also, professionally, I have to dedicate time to deliberately stay up to date on current culture to make what I teach relevant, practical, and interesting. With that being said, this week, I have chosen to do some summer research on social media's effect on education and teens. Here are two great articles that I have read. 

The Teenage Perspective

Title: "We asked teenagers what adults are missing about technology. This was the best response." 

Author: Taylor Fang 

Favorite Quote: "To grow up with technology, as my generation has, is to constantly question the self, to split into multiplicities, to try to contain our own contradictions."

Image Property of iStock

This article had me highlighting interesting viewpoints throughout the entire read. It was written by a senior at Logan High School in Logan, Utah. While many of us "old folk" often feel that our youth are mindlessly wasting time on social media and have lost the ability to socialize in real life, teens are doing so much more with these platforms. They are using them to create and shape their sense of self. Teenagers posting about their lives is not the problem. The problem is that we continue to change how we want to be represented as time goes on, whether as a teenager or an adult, and the permanency of the internet makes that transition difficult. 

Often, teens' use of technology is dismissed, but in reality, they celebrate achievements, curate biographies, make close connections, and find niche communities to join. While social media is known for creating insecurities, it also validates and makes teens feel seen. Taylor also mentions that she grew tired of a cycle of "presenting a polished version" of herself and began using social media less and less. She also said she saw her friends go through this same shift. It makes me wonder if teenagers use social media differently than adults because it's an important part of their generation or if they use it because it is an important part of growing up. Does the importance of social media change as people get older? I personally loved it when I was in high school. I dedicated a lot of time to creating a MySpace profile that would represent me and constantly updating it. Now, I only use social media if I need to professionally. After reading this, I would love to give my students the same prompt that encouraged this article: What are adults missing about technology

Digital Self-Harm

Title: "Digital self-harm: What to do when kids cyberbully themselves" 
Author: Juli Fraga
Favorite Quote: "“In her mind, saying similar [negative] things about herself was one way to control the narrative.”

Image Property of Getty Images

Up until this point, I have never heard of digital self-harm; however, it apparently is a topic that has been around for a while now and has a lot of research behind it. This is definitely a topic I will be asking co-workers about. Aside from being interesting, I need to know if I have just been out of the loop. The author, Juli Fraga, is a psychologist and has not just included her perspective but the viewpoints of several other professionals in her analysis. She describes self-cyberbullying, or digital self-harm, as when users set up fake social media accounts to post negative comments about themselves. Ryan Meldrum, an associate professor of criminology at Florida International University, completed a study based on the data of 10,000 students. He found that 10% of kids had admitted to bullying themselves in the past year. As this topic is new to me, my first question was why.

A TikTokker admitted to digital self-harm as a teen and explained that some teens do this to gain control of a negative narrative about themselves. Another reason is that some are seeking sympathy responses. They will send out anonymous negative messages in the hopes that others will defend or compliment them. This TikTok post received 1,658 comments and 136,000 likes, with people stating they thought they were the only ones to have done this as a kid. Jack Turban, a fellow in adolescent and child psychiatry at Stanford University, suggests having an open and judgment-free dialogue with your children regarding the topic. He states that self-harm, in general, often creates feelings of shame when others discover it. This shame can often make the self-harm worse. Digital self-harm is very hard to discover and monitor as it can be hidden online so easily with fake accounts no one knows exists. Due to the fact that it is so easily undetected, he suggests asking for input from your child, also known as cognitive empathy, versus trying to separate your child from technology. He states, “An open, nonjudgmental approach makes kids feel more comfortable asking for help if they get in trouble online.” Interesting, right?

Have you read any interesting articles on the effects of social media on teens? 
If so, please leave a comment to share!

What's your digital tattoo look like?

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All my life, my friends and family have joked with me about how paranoid I am about the internet invading my privacy. I always checked what access I was giving on apps, triple-checked privacy settings on social media, and covered all my cameras. But is it possible to fully escape this invasion? 

While I still take many precautions, I use websites and apps that I know are gathering my information more and more. Why? For one, you can't avoid sharing your basic data if you want to function in today's society. Good luck explaining to your employer that you can't use email because it tracks you. And two, it just makes life so much easier. Doctor's appointments, customer support, turning my lights off with my voice, shopping, staying up to date with family and friends, I can go on and on. Our society is now built upon the internet, and like many, I'm not willing to give all that up. As a result, I have to accept that there will be information about me online that anyone can access. 

Digital Footprint vs. Digital Tattoo
Since we can't really avoid it, let's learn more about it. When referring to the personal information left behind from interacting with the internet, the term "digital footprint" has often been used. It was discussed a lot when I was finishing my studies to become an educator. In 2015, during my final classes, we were encouraged to Google ourselves and erase anything we may not want to be seen by employers, parents, and students. I have never been much for social media, and apps weren't as prominent, but this led me to dive into the few social media sites I frequented and posted on. I was embarrassed by what 15-year-old me put out there, even though it was posted around 2005. What was I thinking? The fact was that I wasn't. My teenage brain was too busy to stop to consider adult me. Lucky for me, it was pretty simple to delete this information. While my generation was big on using social media at the time, it wasn't the massive beast it is today. As a result, trying to erase one's online presence today is more complex.

Image property of Lee Araoz

Instead of leaving behind a "digital footprint," we  are now creating a "digital tattoo." The digital footprint I created as a teenager was easier to erase. While small traces of that footprint may still exist, anything embarrassing or negative is gone. However, if I was to share something today and later found that I wanted to remove it, it would not be anywhere near as easy. There is a permanence now, similar to a tattoo. No matter how hard you try to remove it or cover it, there will always be some trace of it left. When posting and sharing information about ourselves or our family, we need to constantly ask ourselves, am I creating a digital tattoo that I like and want others to see?

My Digital Tattoo

I have periodically Googled myself to see what will show up. I have even requested certain data collection sites to remove private information that I didn't want easily accessed, such as my phone number and where I live. While removing all that information is impossible, I tried to make it a little more difficult to find. I've watched that Lifetime movie and have no interest in being the next star (eep!) - where's that foil hat of mine? Despite these concerns, I have never done a deep dive into my digital tattoo, so let's see what we find. 

Basic Browse
The first step of my data dig was to ensure my browser wasn't filtering out the information I may want to see. I chose to browse using Google Chrome but used the "incognito mode" to make sure it was a clean search. I then started with the basics. I just entered my name, making sure to put quotation marks around it so it showed results for my full name. After browsing through pages and pages of other people with my name, I only found two results connected to me. The first result was from my school district, but they didn't post anything I didn't expect. I saw my name, my school email address, the grade and subject I teach, and my salary. While many people wouldn't want their salaries posted for all to see, it is something that just comes with teaching at a public school. I knew this before I was ever hired. I also saw a couple positive shout outs that my past and current districts have posted about my classroom. The second post was from PeekYou, but the information was two decades old, and the posted age was way off. I then went through the same process with all the usernames and emails I use, but nothing really showed up.

Image property of author

CheckPeople did have my name and listed that I lived in a nearby town, so I clicked that to see what was there. The site made me wait a while as it "searched all its databases." Then it gave me a warning before I proceed, saying that what I saw may change my perception of this individual. I never knew I was so interesting! It later said I had numerous criminal records, and I could see these details if I just entered my email address. It's a bit funny that the site is mining my data as I'm trying to view mined data. 

Digging Deeper
As I didn't turn up a lot by just searching my name and usernames, I chose some other websites to explore further. If you are interested in doing your own deep dive, take a look at Missy Kellor's article, "How to search and find your digital footprint." Here is what I found.

• BlockShopper - This site allows you to search addresses, but also for homeowners. I am a homeowner, but the search results for my name returned nothing. This is a bit odd because I know there are a ton of people with my name from my basic search, but even they didn't show up. 
• Intelius - This site allowed me to type in my first and last name to search. It also gave me the option to search by city and state. As I didn't want to input too many personal details, I included my state but not my city. Despite this, I only received two results with my name, but they were for people who lived in another state.
• UnMask - When I searched for Spezify, it redirected me to the site, UnMask. Now this site actually had a few of my family members' names and the last few cities I have lived in, but the age was incorrect again. When I clicked to see the report, it redirected me to CheckPeople. Like before, I received the warnings before proceeding to only land on a page that required me to enter my information to get the results. Under the submit button, it even stated by entering this information, I was accepting emails from them and their marketing partners. No, thank you!
• Spokeo - I didn't get too far with Spokeo. Like the others, I had to wait a while for it to finish "creating my report," and it immediately required an account to access it. When I looked at the submit button, it said the information provided to sign up would remain private. Still, the privacy agreement had some slippery language that made it clear that third parties would receive that information. 
•  Facebook - I hadn't found a whole lot at this point, so I decided to search for myself there. I know I have an account. Although I don't use it much, I was sure something was there. I have been careful with my privacy settings and used the "public view" and "friend view" feature periodically to see what others can see. I created a new Facebook account with an old email address, as I could only search Facebook if I was logged in. When I searched under people, I easily found myself, but there wasn't a ton of information available. There was one old profile picture, my birth month and day, and a couple of fundraisers I donated to and shared. When I clicked the fundraisers, nothing there was about me. My mom did tag me as her daughter, so that showed up. 

  

  Image Property of Gifer

Reflection

After doing my data dig, I was pleasantly surprised that there wasn't much private information about me floating around. People should not be scared, but they need to be diligent about what information is easily available. Aside from people being able to find you physically, many of the details provided answer our everyday security questions. Scammers can see your mother's maiden name, where you went to school, and what towns you have lived in. I feel my attentiveness to privacy on social media and opting out of some of these searches a few months ago helped me, though. David Nield has a great article on how to opt out of sites that sell your personal information, although it may take some work. That does not mean there is some magical switch on social media that makes all your posts and pictures private, though. Aside from paying attention to privacy settings, I also think hard about what I post and if there is anyone I care about seeing it. I have chosen what my digital tattoo looks like. 

This also made me think a lot about my students and their digital tattoos. Last school year, two of my students were looking at TikTok during lunch. I heard one scold the other, saying, "Girl! Put your videos on private! You don't know what old, creepy guys are watching you!" Half of me was happy that there are students aware of the dangers, but the other half was surprised there are students who do not use the privacy settings. I'm usually more concerned that students ignore that their peers can copy anything they post, and then there is no deleting it because it has spread beyond them. To hear that they aren't taking simple privacy measures makes me wonder about other decisions they are making online. Who is responsible for teaching them internet safety? While I, as an educator, share the dangers and the skills needed to be safe, that's about all I can do. It is not appropriate, nor do I have the desire, to search and browse my students' social media accounts. I cannot check over the apps on their personal devices to see if they are safe or not. Only so much can be done in school, especially since almost all kids already have a digital tattoo before they even enter school.

Image Property of DigitalMomBlog

Parents are in the best position to monitor what is shared online from day one. In a 2010 study, mothers were surveyed about their children's digital footprint. Proud parents share images and details about their pregnancies, newborns, toddlers, kids, teens, and adult children all the time; however, the infographic put together by the Digital Mom Blog frames this in a way that reminds us of the digital effects. The study concluded that 92% of U.S. toddlers already had an online presence! 

So whether professionally or personally, I encourage you to check out your own digital tattoo and even your children's, to see if you like what you see!

Professional Learning Networks on Twitter

I have never been one for social media, not personally or professionally, but I was recently challenged to join a Professional Learning Network by creating my own Twitter account. A Professional Learning Network, or PLN, is a community of people in the same profession who connect to share resources, experiences, advice, and support. Although most people would like this type of community, I honestly wasn't too thrilled with the idea of joining. While I gather a ton of information from others through various online sources, the social aspect of social media never sounded appealing. I have to admit, though, once I tried it, I actually kind of liked it. 

Image Property of Tenor

My experience with joining Twitter

Joining Twitter was super simple. All I had to do was sign up using my email address. You then can choose your Twitter handle and profile image. Once you join, you can create your own post (a tweet) or repost (a retweet) something you saw on someone else's Twitter. Retweeting is great for curating interesting posts you would like to return to, similar to Wakelet or Pinterest, but that is not the same as joining a PLN where you actually connect with people.

In order to take Twitter to the networking level, the first step would be to start following people on Twitter. I didn't know where to start, so I took it to Google. I went to my browser and simply typed in "educators to follow on Twitter" and found sites that gave me some names/organizations and also a little blurb on what their Twitter accounts focused on. I then took a browse of the ones that interested me and "followed" them. This allowed great ideas to show up right in my feed, and it also allowed Twitter to suggest similar accounts that I may want to follow as well. I immediately found this cute little digital citizenship game called Interland from a post by GoogleForEdu that I admittedly played longer than I probably should have, but how great would that be for our kiddos learning how to use the internet responsibly!

Twitter Chat
I pushed myself even further out of my networking comfort zone by participating in a Twitter chat. I learned there is a difference between replying to comments and actually partaking in a "live" chat. In a Twitter chat, a moderator posts questions for participants to answer. People worldwide are signed on at the same time, ready to actively respond to messages, share resources, and reply to you. I, again, didn't think I would like this but was pleasantly surprised and came away with a resource I will definitely be using next school year. I was a bit stressed at the beginning because I did not know how to partake in one, and I wasn't that familiar with Twitter either, but it was fairly simple once I had the basics. Here is a broken-down list of the steps I took:

1. Find a Twitter chat you want to join by locating a group's hashtag. Example: #LearnLAP

Jennifer Snelling from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) posted a great article called "44 Education Twitter Chats Worth Your Time." It contains a list of Twitter chat hashtags that are all focused on education and explains the group's general topics and the times these chats will take place. Just a word of warning, pay attention to the time zones. I sat around for a while wondering, why no one was participating in the chat, and I realized no one was participating because I didn't pay attention to the time zone. It wasn't starting for another hour - oops.

2.  Create a TweetDeck so you can see and respond to everyone easier.

My TweetDeck. Image Property of Author.

This tool that was mentioned a lot during my research, I am so glad I used it. It allowed me to open more than one Twitter page on one screen. This allowed me to see my notifications, who was tagging me (responding to me), the live stream automatically refreshing with people's responses, a slower stream that I was manually scrolling, and I still had access to quickly tweet my answers to questions. Alice Keeler's Youtube tutorial was the most helpful resource I used when finding my footing. She walks you through slowly with great visuals. 

 

4.   The moderator will first ask you to introduce yourself. You simply tweet (post) a response with the chat hashtag at the end.

I missed this part, as these chats go by pretty fast. They

How to post a response. Image property of the author.

were already going into the first question when I realized I needed to respond by actually making a post versus just replying. But that's okay because everyone is very welcoming, and these last about an hour. Just make sure to ALWAYS include the chat hashtag after everything you write; otherwise, it won't attach itself to the chat, and no one will see it. You can see in the image to the right, the button to use to repond.

 

5. The moderator will then ask you a question that you can jump in and answer, but you have to label it.

The question will start with the letter Q and a number. For example, Q1 means question 1. When you answer, you respond with A and the same number. For example, A1 means answer 1. Once you have labeled what question you're answering, you then write your response. Remember the biggest rule, end with the chat's hashtag. I used two very helpful Youtube tutorials to help me fully understand how it worked, "Twitter Chat Basics" and "How to Participate in a Twitter Chat." It seems really difficult, but it actually was effortless once you give it a try. You can check out my images below to see how the question looked and how I formatted my answer to appear in the chat.  

 

The first question asked (Q1). Image property of the author.

Response to first question (A1) with hashtag. Image property of author.

5. Once people start answering, you can also respond to them by clicking the reply button. 

While you want to label your direct answers to the moderator's questions, you do not have to label your direct replies to others. You will, of course, still need that chat hashtag at the end. You can see below that Paul Solarz responded to one of my answers, and I replied to him by using the "reply" button and making sure I had #LearnLAP at the end of my response. You can see in the right image how that hashtag made it show up in the chat feed. 

 

My reply to a response. Image property of author.

How that response looks in the chat. Image property of author.

Twitter Chat Takeaway!

Image property of Stephanie Check.

I have to say that despite this chat lasting an hour, it went by quite fast. I walked away with more people to "follow" and now have quite a few people "following" me! What I liked best is the assessment tool that Paul Solarz introduced me to in the chat pictured above. I learned about Single-Point Rubrics and how they can help students assess their own areas of strength and areas needing more practice. You can read about them on Edutopia.

Image property of Paul Solarz.

 

 

Accessibility in Education

Image Property of VeryWellFamily

I remember looking at the clock as it finally blinked over to 2:00 A.M. I was exhausted and had read the assigned social studies chapter at least five times, trying to find the answer to three measly questions that were for homework. As hard as I tried, I just couldn't find what I knew was there. Barely holding it together, I had to wake my mom up to help me so I could finally go to sleep. It took her a few minutes skimming the book to find what I had desperately sought for the last several hours. With a look of concern, she showed me it was right in front of my face the whole time. This experience was just one of many during my grade school years that wrecked my confidence as a learner. It wasn't until high school that I was able to teach myself strategies that helped me. Strategies that I still use today without even thinking about it. I accepted that I might have to work a little bit harder than my friends to organize my thoughts, structure my writing, and comprehend what I read, but I could do it. Did I receive an equal education to my peers growing up? Yes. Was it equitable? Absolutely not.

Diverse Learners

Equality in education would seem to be a positive thing, right? But it assumes that students are all the same and learn the same. It does not account for diversity and student needs. All of my classmates received the same notes, the same text, and the same questions. So why were they succeeding and not me? It wasn't from a lack of effort but a lack of accessibility. I could not access the text like my peers.

As an English language arts (ELA) teacher, this experience is what influences me most when creating lessons and assessments for my own students. I start the year by just asking my students some simple questions. 

• What are you really good at in ELA? 
• What do you struggle with in ELA? 
• Are there things you or your teachers do that help you? 
• Are there things that you or your teachers do that make learning harder? 
• What was your favorite assignment or project you have done in any of your classes? 

All of these questions help me gain an understanding of my students before I have a chance to get to know them. I also conduct periodic checks similar to this throughout the year, as we are forever changing as educators. Once you are able to understand your learners, you can better plan out what accommodations and modifications they may need. But what about accessing digital resources?

Accessibility for Digital and Media Literacy

Image Property of Author

Despite my passion for helping all of my students see their full potential, accessibility in digital and media literacy is something that I am still learning. Oftentimes, my students are the ones who teach me new accessibility tools that I can use with others. As a result, it has been my goal this year to introduce myself to some new tools to help my students in this ever-evolving technological world. 

I'm going to start with the basics. Chromebooks. My current school district has provided all students with their own Chromebook. We are a Google school, so starting there makes sense. In my research, I found quite a few accessibility tools for the device. Google Chrome created a wonderful playlist on YouTube that gives tutorial videos on all the accessibility options offered on Google Chrome and Chromebooks. As a quick guide, I picked five of the accessibility tools that I have seen my students utilize most and posted them to the right.

The "Select-to-Speak" function has been incredibly beneficial for my students who are auditory learners or have difficulties focusing. This function helps with comprehension and gives them independence when working on their assignments. While some may argue that it hinders them from becoming stronger readers, there are two things to consider: 

1. They should be reading the text along with the audio.  

 

2. What is the purpose of the text? Is its purpose to build reading fluency, or are they being assessed on a different skill they can't demonstrate because of this hurdle?

 

The "Dictation" feature is probably utilized the most by my students with specialized learning plans. While you have to be careful, as students still need to learn how to organize their writing, it is advantageous depending on the assignment. For instance, I always give my students graphic organizers. The level of support these organizers provide varies depending on student needs, but this allows them the opportunity to practice organizing their thoughts. This feature is a handy tool when they are required to type out their organizers like the rest of the class. Dictation doesn't take away from what they are learning, but it allows them to type up their work at the same speed their peers can without taking away any learning. However, I still have to remind them that dication still needs to be checked for errors as it is not perfect. 

If you like the abovementioned tools, please dig a little deeper. If you're not in the mood to watch all the tutorials linked above, try looking at Google for Education's "Devices Designed for All Learners."

Access to Technology Education

Lately, I have done a lot of reflecting on best practices of technology in the classroom. However, I have yet to really dig into the nitty gritty of whether all these strategies are equitable in all classrooms. Despite all the strategies I have spoken about, I have not touched on whether these are equitable and how technology affects students of diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.

Screen Time for Entertainment: A privilege or distraction

In "The Common Sense Census: Media Use by Tweens and Teens - 2021," Common Sense Media (2022) takes a closer look at media usage by our youth and breaks it down by ethnicity and income levels. When looking at this infographic, I was surprised that they found that students of color and students from lower-income households actually had a higher-than-average use of screen time for entertainment, as shown in the table below. 

Image Property of Common Sense Media

But what is the cause of this? Could it be that there are more options for entertainment in white households of higher incomes? I know that recreational activities do vary a ton from my working in a Title I school that was primarily Hispanic, then moving to a higher-income area that was more ethnically diverse. Aside from limited school and church activities, my previous students didn't talk much about plans over breaks or activities they were participating in outside of school. In my current school, that's all they talk about. What countries will they be visiting during their breaks, what play or sport are they involved in outside of school, the fantastic gymnastics summer camp they will partake in, or how they are going to Six Flags with their cousins again. Socio-economics would significantly impact these results as there are more opportunities for entertainment for certain people.

Screen Time Entertainment vs. Screen Time Learning

Image Property of Common Sense Media

So you would think these lower-income households would have equitable access to technology in their schools since they clocked more screen time than others, but that isn't the case. While all the students seemed to have comparable access to a phone, despite different usage, Common Sense Media shows lower-income students have more limited access to technology tools that would assist them in their education. While 67% of lower-income students having a laptop or desktop in 2021 doesn't seem too bad, that still means that 33% percent of those students are not receiving a fair chance of securing the same jobs as those in a higher income bracket. Technology is vital in the workforce today, and those students are not getting those skills. It's even crazier when one realizes these statistics were gathered during the pandemic when e-learning was essential, meaning 33% of students received very little education, widening the gap even further. Then throw in having access to both a computer and the internet. For some, this is impossible. It is something I personally saw when teaching at a Title I school. Some students waited weeks, sometimes months, to receive a government-funded hotspot from the school. I had students who would gather at the houses of friends and family to do their school work, but all that internet usage slowed down their connections. I even had a student who would sit outside a McDonald's every day to take part in class. How is that equitable?

Image Property of Project Tomorrow

However, this goes even further than kids needing access to a computer at home in the 21st century. Many need quality access at school, too. According to "Beyond the Homework Gap: Leveraging Technology to Support Equity of Learning Experiences in School" by Project Tomorrow (2022), even though many schools have embraced educational technology to "help students understand not only the mechanics of using workplace tools effectively but also [enable] them to have meaningful collaborative learning experiences while developing teamwork skills" (p. 8), there is still a discrepancy in equity. Project Tomorrow continues to state that while 55% of high schoolers in primarily white areas reported utilizing tech tools frequently to create a collaborative learning environment, only 45% of high schoolers in areas with more people of color have the same level of access and usage of these tools.

Additionally, schools serving students of color are less likely than their white counterparts to participate in online research, take tests online, and use email to get help (p. 8). This not only impacts their quality of learning but their ability to have the same opportunities to secure future careers. But why? When asked about this, teachers and students said the core of the problem was the inability to secure reliable internet connectivity. Despite this concern being voiced since 2014, more must be done to support these areas in digital learning (p. 9). It is, without a doubt, important for educators to stay up to date with all aspects of research related to teaching and our students. While we can research all the technology-based instruction we want, we also need to ensure that ALL of our students have the basics to access this. Even if you are not located in a predominately low-income area, our students are diverse and many are not comfortable sharing that they may not have access to things that we may see as essential. Something I have to think more about as an educator is that even if a child has access to a nice phone and social media, it doesn't mean they have the access they need for school work, and that is not their fault.