1. What do you feel you have accomplished in this course, in particular, with your Technology Integration Activity?
   1. I feel through this course I’ve become more confident in stepping out and trying new technologies with my students. I’ve also realized the importance of making my students digitally literate. I never understood what that meant until this course and so far this year I’ve found myself teaching little mini lessons on things that have come up during random discussions. I am a firm believer in teaching my students how to navigate this crazy technology driven world as it’s what they’ve grown up in and will need to understand when furthering their education or getting a job. 
2. Where do you see your strengths with the integration of digital technologies in education now, at the end of this course?
   1. I’ve enjoyed learning about the wide range of apps, websites, and philosophies. I feel my strength lie in being able to pick up on new technologies quickly. Although it’s one thing to pick up on them and another to guide your Grade 3/4 students through them! If I ever teach upper grades in the future there are so many different things I’d like to try and explore with them! I’m keeping it super simple with my little ones! Technology has always been a passion and interest of mine, so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed learning what’s out there!
3. What skills and tools would you like to continue to explore and develop now that the course is wrapping up?
   1. I’d like to explore more virtual reality. I want to discover how to use this technology in a Grade ¾ classroom. I think this age would benefit from this way of learning so much, it’s unfortunate so many games or activities are out of individual teachers, or school districts’ budgets. I’ll still have fun seeing what’s out there and if I can bring it in for my students. 
   2. I’d also like to continue my learning on making my students digital citizens in a more meaningful way. It’s often just been in one lesson, or in passing when we come across something I remembered from this course. But it’d like to be more intentional with this learning.

Thanks for a fantastic semester everyone!

Sarah

I have very limited experience with AR, VR, and wearable tech. I’ve use Fitbits for years and enjoyed the training aspects of it when I would go trail running.

I see the benefits of AR and VR being used in an educational setting. But what’s holding it back from becoming an everyday option is the price tag of this technology, as well as a teachers ability to use that technology. I see benefits all the way from elementary up to high school aged students.

I would love to research more educational options I could potentially use in my class in the future. My first step will be to buy a Google cardboard for my phone to try out the VR for myself and see if that could be an avenue for my students to explore.

My goal was to find a way to give my students formative feedback on their inquiry projects. After searching for an easily accessible technology for my Grade ¾ level I chose to use Google Classroom and Google Sites. 

Google Classroom is a digital way for students to submit their assignments online. The teacher can access them online, anytime they’d like and give feedback or assign marks. Then the teacher can send the assignment back to the students Google account once they’ve assessed it/given feedback. 

Google Sites is an easy way to lay out information students can refer back to again and again. It has an easy drag and drop system for creating the website, so teachers of all technology abilities can easily use it. As it’s a Google App, I appreciate the ease of use for including documents in my Google drive onto the site. 

This activity is designed for students’ collaborative natural resources inquiry project at the end of term 2. Students would have been exploring different natural resources in class lessons for the past 2 months. They already have prior knowledge on using Google Doc and Google slides for various other projects. 

My learning objective for students is: Students will be able to independently submit their natural resources inquiry project digitally for formative feedback through Google Classroom.

The objectives embedded into this activity are taken out of the BC curriculum:

• Students will have an understanding of how the pursuit of valuable natural resources has played a key role in changing the land, people, and communities of Canada.
• Students will use inquiry research processes and skills to ask questions; gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and decisions.
• Students will represent and communicate ideas and findings in a variety of ways.

Visit my Google Site by clicking HERE.

As the app Google Classroom can only be accessed by students with their school district account you will not be able to access it. I’ve recorded a video showing you around the app and how I’ll be using it. I’ve included the video below. All other videos and links on my Google Site you will be able to access. 

References:

CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. Retrieved from http://udlguidelines.cast.org

Epic. https://www.getepic.com/ 

Green Ivy School . (2019, November 15). Schooled by Kids: Presentation Skills, Part 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IbheB2-ixM&t=10s 

Google Classroom. https://classroom.google.com/u/0/h 

Google Slides. https://www.google.ca/slides/

Google Sites. https://sites.google.com 

Kiddle. https://www.kiddle.co/ 

Social Studies 4. BC’s Curriculum. https://curriculum.gov.bc.ca/curriculum/social-studies/4/core