Wolken's World

I once heard a statistic that stated 80 percent of the jobs in the future don't even exist yet. That is a shockingly high number. New professions are being created because of how rapidly technology is changing and shaping our lives. I can’t imagine my elementary school grandparents saying they want to work at Amazon or Google or code for TikTok or Snapchat. I also can’t imagine what they would say if they were in my classroom: students interacting with a smart board, educators looking at AI for help, or the 1:1 student-to-chromebook ratio. Technology is everywhere in education and is growing at an exponential rate. After reading research on the topic of education technology and its future use, I was pulled in several directions. I worry that our current students may struggle to succeed without the use of technology and I also fear what will happen if there is too much. image source: projecttomorrow.com  The first research I browsed through was called Speak Up. The Speak Up sur...

What is a PLN: A Personal Learning Network, or PLN, is a network that one uses to learn. This network can consist of people, including friends, family and professionals, devices and services. Just like one’s own learning style, a PLN is unique to each person. PLNs can also be used in different contexts, such as at work, in school, or at home. Watch this video to learn how to develop your personal learning network: Video Source: NRC CILT form YouTube I recently took 3 online personality tests. After looking at my results, I have a few notes for myself about my strengths, what I contribute to a PLN, and also a few things I can work on. My Personality Tests Results:  Personality Test #1: 16 Personalities Image source: 16personalities.com My thoughts: I 100% agree with this. I have taken this kind of test before, and I get the same results. I am definitely an organized person, and I flourish in structured environments. I would not do well in spaces that are open to “work as you w...

As a mom and educator, I hear, "This is boring" so often I think it is my life’s mantra. As a mom, I give my kids ideas of what to do. Most of the time these activities are ready to go like playing with toys, building with Legos or Magna-Tiles, playing the piano, or going outside on the swing set. Sometimes there are activities that take a few minutes for me to set up and possibly monitor, but a majority are there, ready to go. As an educator, and former classroom teacher, it is a little more than point and go. Planning lessons can take hours, gathering (and most of the time paying for) materials, making copies and setting things up can be overwhelming. And sometimes, even with all the planning and excitement, the students are still uninterested. Getting students excited about school and learning can be challenging. Image source: Goodsensorylearning.com Active Learning is, “When students take responsibility for their learning and engage the material through reading, writing, ...

I remember that, in middle school, my family got a Word Processor. It was very exciting. No Internet, no games, no mouse. Just simple typing and printing. We had a typewriter, but this new fancy machine had a screen! I was amazed that I could type something, see it all at once, then print it out on paper. Boy did I waste a lot of ink those first few weeks. My family didn’t get the Internet until I was in High School and it was dial-up so we had to either use the phone or the computer. I remember downloading a Tim McGraw song and it took 90+ minutes. How times have changed! Image source: www.vecteezy.com As a teen and young adult with free-range access to the Internet, I never thought about how I interacted with others while on the web. I never really cared about it. I created accounts, uploaded pictures and filled out forms using all my information. I was a veteran resident. Resident : Someone who openly interacts and displays their social life on the Web. One who posts pictures, comm...

image source: https://logos-world.net           Trends in Education Technology change like the leaves in fall. Each new school year brings new updates, new apps, and new online tools available for teachers to learn. However, while everything is geared toward student achievement, it’s the educators who are often the ones being held responsible for that achievement. The educational technology pool is deep, it is also daunting for teachers looking for the right fit for their classroom. Unfortunately, many school technology decisions are made without teacher input and therefore change often. The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) holds a conference each year in Philly for educators around the country to sign up to speak about what’s trending, what’s working, and what’s not, in their own classrooms.           ISTE published Edtech’s Hottest Topics for 2023 , and of the eight hottest topics, Artificial Intelli...

image source: t2i2.weebly.com/samr-model Technology use in the classroom has come a long way, but it has made leaps and bounds in the past four years. I am very comfortable using and learning new technology in my classroom, whether in-person, blended, or online-distance teaching. However, I’ve never looked at how I use the technology and how it affects my students' outcomes. All of these online platforms produce data however, it is data about what the students know, not how the tech they use affects them. As I read through the Frameworks for Technology Integration, I instantly connected with the SAMR model. Developed by Dr. Ruben Puentedura, the SAMR model stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition. This model represents a spectrum of technology integration from simple enhancement to meaningful transformation of classroom activities. The SAMR model serves as a guide for educators to enhance learning experiences, encourage deeper student engagement, and p...