CDM

While furthering my understanding of Curriculum-Based Measurement, I found the teacher trainings to be insightful. The trainings were found on the Easy CBM website, and offered training session videos along with a simple test to assess what you have learned. Though none of the the assessments were challenging, it raised awareness to common mistakes made when performing curriculum-based measurements. It also provided a concrete video with examples to see and interpret. I think they do have their use for the classroom, and would potentially use them in my classroom. However, as a special education teacher, I think it would have to be with the right classroom and with the right student to be effective. The main goal that I would have if I chose to use this in my future classroom, would be for consistent data. This data could be used to help write and assess a students achievement in regards to their IEP. 

Virtual Schooling

Virtual Schooling

Virtual Schooling is a trend that is increasing to meet the needs of many students who can benefit from the advantages that virtual schooling can bring. Whether it is credit recovery, dual enrollment to take classes that are not offered at their present school, or advanced placement, virtual schooling can provide opportunities that were not previously available. I have a personal connection to this subject because my mother spent time working for Michigan Virtual High School when the ideas of virtual schooling were just beginning. My mom often discussed many difficulties that she faced while working as an instructor. She also discussed the abundance of opportunities that the virtual schooling offered for students in certain circumstances. For example, students who attended school in Grand Marais, were able to engage in curriculum they were not experience at their school that only had a total of about twenty students throughout the whole school. This could have a major impact in special education with an extended opportunity to reach students who previously have not been able to receive the needed support. I am skeptical with how virtual schooling would play out with certain students with disabilities. I think it could work with any student, however I am having a difficult time picturing how it would play out with certain students who need an extended amount of support that might not be able to be met without having the instructor there in person. I think the major beneficiary for virtual schooling would be the student in remote areas such as Grand Marais, MI who need more curriculum opportunities than what their school is currently providing for them.

Mobile Devices

Mobile devices are becoming more and more popular to be incorporated into the classroom. Just from being placed at a high school last semester, I was able to personally whiteness the change from when I was a high school student to now with regards to mobile devices. As a student, we were discouraged from the use of our mobile devices at our school, and would receive punishment for any use of our mobile devices. Turning to my placement, our students were encouraged to use any mobile devices that had, but only for academic purposes. It became common for students to turn to their phones to google something as it pertained to our classroom topic. As imagined it became difficult to monitor the appropriate use of the student's use of their mobile device. I found that it varied greatly on how the classroom management was established. In one class with one teacher, the inappropriate use of mobile devices became a huge issue. In a different class with a different teacher, there were no issues at all with the mobile devices. As a special education teacher, mobile devices have an immense impact on the classroom. IPads have become a saving grace for every special education classroom. Between being used as a communication platform, to an educational instructional activity, and even used to limit behavior outbreaks within the classroom, iPads being considered as a mobile device have a tremendous impact on the special education classroom. 

Identity Theft

Identity Theft is defined as a fraudulent acquisition and use of a person's private identifying information, usually for financial gain.

Identity theft is an issue that many adults face in their lives. A growing issue is the identity theft of children, and a big cause of this issue comes from the information schools have about their students. School districts in 26 different states ask for students' Social Security numbers. The collection of the Social Security numbers is a result of a campaign to more precisely track their progress. There have been multiple reports for that information getting into the wrong hands leading to identity theft of these children. Identity protection scans of more than 40,000 children in the United States show that 10.2 percent of those children had their Social Security number used by someone else, a Carnegie Mellon CyLab report states. The adult percent rate is only .2 percent. The value of the children's identity compared to adults is due to a low discovery rate because the child will not use their number for a long period of time and parents don't usually monitor their child's identities for fraud. Additionally, the children will have unflawed credit scores which are appealing to anyone who personally has poor credit. The Social Security numbers paired with a name and birth date can be useful for illegal immigration, organized crime, and friends and family attempting to circumvent bad credit ratings. The impact on the child's future is immense. With a stolen identity, it may become difficult securing a student loan approval, a job, or a place to live. North Dakota seems to be leading the way with a structure in place to prevent this identity theft. They assign their students a 10-digit ID number when they enroll that tracks their performance, leaving no need for Social Security numbers.

Additional Information can be found through these websites:

- Oklahoma Money Matters ID Theft
- NBCDFW ID Theft
-USGovInfo ID Theft at School
- SecruityMagazine ID Theft Victims
- Huffingtonpost Student Identity Theft

This issue should be addressed in the classroom setting. Including this topic in a unit on health and safety with other topics such as internet safety, cyberbullying, etc. could be immensely beneficial to the students and even the parents of the students. I would potentially assign a project where my students research different health and safety topics, including identity theft, then have them present the information in a format of a flyer that I could pass out during parent teacher conferences. This would increase awareness among students and parents.

Prezi

            Prezi can take multiple forms with its use in the classroom. The clearest explanation is that it can supplement a form of lecture from the teacher to their students. Though it is newer, and has a more appealing look than PowerPoint or similar tool, it ultimately accomplishes the same task. One way that I have used Prezi that the other similar software devices are not capable of doing is with interactive map making. I was able to make a personal map of an area, though it was not exactly to scale, it allowed me to personally research and develop my own map. Using this technology for creative assignments that can allow students to research, create, and analyze a topic.

Feedly

Time Management

Observe your classroom teachers this week.  Where are some areas where time is wasted?  Ask them:  what are several things that take more time than they'd like?  What do they wish they could be doing instead?  Conversely, what are some building level operations that occupy their time unnecessarily (reports, meetings, etc.)?

In talking with my classroom teacher this week, I was made aware of some of her biggest concerns for time management in her classroom. She explains how time is wasted in miscommunication within the classroom as a whole. She also wishes for a more wording/ transition piece that allowed booth staff and students to be aware of what they are doing next and who is in charge of watching who. That would cut down on frustrations and also increase safety in the classroom. She also thinks that she wastes a lot of time in not having everything fully prepped for the day, everything pulled up on her compute, and everything ready to roll when the day gets started. In just the few minutes it takes to turn her back and pull things up, that is when she feels like she loses both the students and the staff (paraprofessional) in that transitional piece. She enjoys the school wide trainings and finds them to be very helpful in having everyone on the same page. She also felt as if this was not the general consensus feel about these trainings among the staff. Most people find them time consuming and frustrating. Finally a frustrating thing that takes extra time is trading to coordinate schedules with all the support services to make sure all of the students are being serviced in the best way with growing caseloads.

Blogging in the Classroom

            Creating a blog in an academic setting can take on the role of a variety of shapes and sizes. One form of a blog could be used as a classroom website page. If updated frequently, the teacher could inform the viewers of assignments, activities, and a variety of other information through the blog. This would allow an extended form of communication to the students’ parents, and potentially help limit the excessive amounts of emails a teacher receives. Another angle a blog could be presented in a classroom could be for an assignment for the students to complete. The blog could be an on-going assignment, where the students consistently post about what they are learning/doing in the classroom. This could be used as a review for each of the students as well as help keep their parents informed about what they are learning within the classroom. Also a blog could be paired with a theme. This would provide the opportunity for each student to choose a topic that they are independently passionate about, and then complete a variety of assignments that apply to that theme. For example, as a younger student I personally always enjoyed sports. I could create a sports blog where I showcase different mediums of work that could all talk about the Detroit Pistons. This would allow the students to complete work that the teacher could align with State standards as well as keep the students interest about doing something they are each personally passionate about. Regardless of its use, blogs do have a place in an academic setting. With a definite purpose and focus, a blog could have a major contribution to a students’ education.