My Personality

I, along with my Digital Solutions students, took a personality test recently to discover my/our personality strengths and weaknesses. For the most part, I agree with the results. Not sure I agree with the graphic of a woman wearing a yellow dress for the "Entertainer," but I do agree that my personality is assertive, more feeling than thinking and observant. Ok, so why take a personality test in a Digital Solutions class? A major part of my job, and that of DS students and interns, is providing solid customer service with respect to our interactions with students, teachers, administrators. Being aware of personality strengths and weaknesses will help me when I support others with their technology needs.

How much is too much?

Screen Time! It is different for every child based on several factors. Age, access to technology at school and at home, teacher and parent perspective on screen time and communication between all parties. Finally, the American Academy of Pediatrics has not only published recommendations, but developed a tool to guide parents and their children with Screen Time.

My Math Reflection

Student Reflection Example: What is it that I learned about myself as a mathematician? I need to carefully line up my numbers in columns when multiplying. My calculations and notes need to be neater and better organized. How can I use the information about what I learned from this mistake? I can turn my paper sideways and use the lines to keep me organized. Why is this important? I have to multiply and add individual numbers when multiplying double digits (or more) numbers. Being organized will increase the likelihood that my answer will be correct. My math will involve more complex calculations and thinking in the future. Being organized will help me be successful.

Marshmallows, Technology and Self Control

What do marshmallows and Chromebooks have in common? Self Control! Students (and many adults;) struggle with self control on a regular basis. As a teacher, I've seen the challenge first hand in classrooms where teachers struggle with students as they use technology. Whether it's students sending digital notes to one another or watching youtube videos while they should be learning and creating content in their class, self control is present and a challenge to all from arrival to dismissal. I've used this topic of Marshmallows to identify students with self control, dissect the features of self control and support students with strengthening their self control with respect to technology use and the decisions they are faced with on a daily basis. View the below clip to learn more about Dr. Mischel and his longitudinal study or experiment on self control.

Padlet and thinglink

So my colleagues have been slowly turning me onto new digital presentation tools. Really, I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed with the amount of tools out there. The speed with which new tools are being created, shared and then modified, requiring new information to be synched with the previous, is dizzying at times. thinglink is a great multimedia tool, that I believe teachers and students will find very useful. While there is a cost to the thinglink tool, you can create thinglinks with basic "free" tools. Padlet provides a shared format to post/host content.

Created with Padlet

thinglink

So previously I posted a thinglink I created with the wife. While entertaining, it was primarily used to share with Digital Solutions students on what NOT to do in a thinglink;) Below is a thinglink I created for/with my friend and colleague Lisa Tilly, Librarian at WOIS. Hover over the image to view the links to text and video that provides you with information about Lisa and her work at WOIS as the librarian.

Social Studies and Technology

As part of the RCSD Digital Transformation, my colleague Liza Steffen and I were asked to coordinate classroom visits and discussions between students, teachers and the Social Studies and African American studies directors with respect to the use of technology within Social Studies teaching and learning. Audra Schmitt, Director of Social Studies and Djinga St. Louis, Director of African American Studies, joined Liza and I as we met with Davin Reddington, WOIS #58 and Demetria Lawton and Charles Hall of MLK School #9.

Click here to access information from the experience!