EED 509 Introduction
Hello!
My name is Taylor Morrison and I graduated in December with my undergraduate degree in early childhood and elementary education (*insert heavenly choir singing*). I am currently pursuing a graduate degree to become a reading specialist. Outside of these classes, I am working as a long-term substitute for a third-grade class at Saks Elementary School as well as frantically chasing around my two-year-old son Jack who thinks he is invincible and my three-year-old nephew Braxton who is afraid of his own shadow (I know what you're thinking and yes, that does make for a fantastic pair of hooligans). With my graduation, December 2018 also brought my engagement to my high school sweetheart Ryan and after almost seven years and a kid together later, I couldn't be more excited. Last summer my closest friend in the world got married and we're both ready to dive into all the work, reservation making, and good-anxiety for my wedding.
For my collage, I chose two different apps. Initially, I used the Pic Collage app to arrange my pictures but it does not have graphic or text options. I like Pic Collage because it is simple to use and does not offer an overwhelming amount of options that some of the other apps do. This has proven effective for me when using it with my younger students because they need just enough options for them to feel creative but not so many that it becomes complicated. I then downloaded the Phonto app to add my graphics and text. It did not take me long to figure out how to use the Phonto app and since my third-graders figure out new technology at twice the processing speed I do, I would consider this a win. However, I did notice that a lot of the more aesthetically pleasing options are locked unless you purchase them. I think both of these apps would be useful in an elementary classroom for projects such as designing an add for your peers for a book you read recently or as a way to show a sequence, such as an insect's life cycle or the steps to a game.
Technology has always been an area that I can "geek out" in. I am fascinated by the advancements mankind has made and am always searching for new tech to investigate. I actually had to purchase a new laptop before this semester's courses began because my ol' faithful finally kicked the bucket. This means I have been spending a good bit of time testing the processing speed of my new Dell with an i7 Core processor. While I am a PC person by rearing, I also find myself surrounded by Apple products including my phone, watch, and iPad. All of these have been such a blessing not only for necessary communication but also to document the events of my life and so much more. In my current classroom, my main uses of technology are for the presentation of data and events to my students, communication with our educational community, and documentation of my students' work. We do a lot of air playing from our Apple Tv and this has allowed myself and the students to further share our ideas and findings with the class. The students have access to class sets of Chromebooks and iPads. I would estimate that our classroom activities are split at 50% pen and paper and 50% technology based. I think there is an important balance you have to find with each group of students in using technology and not using it. While my class does a lot with their technology and is fluent in various applications such as Science360, CODE.org, Kahoot, and educreations (just to name a few), they can just as easily manipulate their interactive notebooks and physical manipulatives in the room. I am very interested in coding and robotics as it is something my students have shown an insatiable interest in. I would like to know how to better integrate it into our weekly routines so that it becomes more of a literacy to them and not just an activity.
My name is Taylor Morrison and I graduated in December with my undergraduate degree in early childhood and elementary education (*insert heavenly choir singing*). I am currently pursuing a graduate degree to become a reading specialist. Outside of these classes, I am working as a long-term substitute for a third-grade class at Saks Elementary School as well as frantically chasing around my two-year-old son Jack who thinks he is invincible and my three-year-old nephew Braxton who is afraid of his own shadow (I know what you're thinking and yes, that does make for a fantastic pair of hooligans). With my graduation, December 2018 also brought my engagement to my high school sweetheart Ryan and after almost seven years and a kid together later, I couldn't be more excited. Last summer my closest friend in the world got married and we're both ready to dive into all the work, reservation making, and good-anxiety for my wedding.
For my collage, I chose two different apps. Initially, I used the Pic Collage app to arrange my pictures but it does not have graphic or text options. I like Pic Collage because it is simple to use and does not offer an overwhelming amount of options that some of the other apps do. This has proven effective for me when using it with my younger students because they need just enough options for them to feel creative but not so many that it becomes complicated. I then downloaded the Phonto app to add my graphics and text. It did not take me long to figure out how to use the Phonto app and since my third-graders figure out new technology at twice the processing speed I do, I would consider this a win. However, I did notice that a lot of the more aesthetically pleasing options are locked unless you purchase them. I think both of these apps would be useful in an elementary classroom for projects such as designing an add for your peers for a book you read recently or as a way to show a sequence, such as an insect's life cycle or the steps to a game.
Technology has always been an area that I can "geek out" in. I am fascinated by the advancements mankind has made and am always searching for new tech to investigate. I actually had to purchase a new laptop before this semester's courses began because my ol' faithful finally kicked the bucket. This means I have been spending a good bit of time testing the processing speed of my new Dell with an i7 Core processor. While I am a PC person by rearing, I also find myself surrounded by Apple products including my phone, watch, and iPad. All of these have been such a blessing not only for necessary communication but also to document the events of my life and so much more. In my current classroom, my main uses of technology are for the presentation of data and events to my students, communication with our educational community, and documentation of my students' work. We do a lot of air playing from our Apple Tv and this has allowed myself and the students to further share our ideas and findings with the class. The students have access to class sets of Chromebooks and iPads. I would estimate that our classroom activities are split at 50% pen and paper and 50% technology based. I think there is an important balance you have to find with each group of students in using technology and not using it. While my class does a lot with their technology and is fluent in various applications such as Science360, CODE.org, Kahoot, and educreations (just to name a few), they can just as easily manipulate their interactive notebooks and physical manipulatives in the room. I am very interested in coding and robotics as it is something my students have shown an insatiable interest in. I would like to know how to better integrate it into our weekly routines so that it becomes more of a literacy to them and not just an activity.
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