Blog Post Three

I created a Twitter account to use for professional purposes.  I have used Twitter in the past but deleted my personal account a few years ago.  I have a good bit of experience using the platform and certainly know how much of the market share it consumes.  I followed several of the educational technology companies that I use in my classroom, as well as some others that I have heard about while in the program here at KSU.  I also followed Dr. Jim Knight and Eric Sheninger because I loved both of their books.  I would rather have a smaller, yet stronger group to follow and branch out from there.  I can certainly see the power of learning about features, tools, and personalities related to educational technology and digital leadership by using Twitter.  What I really don’t like is all the unsolicited information that is forced on me by the algorithms of the app itself.  I use social media as a part of my curriculum, especially when teaching about digital citizenship.  My students and I discuss their responsibilities regarding what they view and post online, as well as their digital footprint.  I also use digital compass, which is a game-based activity created by Common Sense Media, that weaves in the activities as they relate to different lessons regarding digital citizenship.  I will also use Twitter to promote my students during our First Lego League season next year to the community and other stakeholders.  My school also has a Twitter account, so we can help promote each other.

​I previewed the TedTalks and looked over the NPR podcast directory.  I have listened to podcasts by both organizations numerous times over the years and find them extremely useful and educational.  I use TedTalks (videos) in the classroom to showcase various topics and love them!  I love how Edpuzzle integrates TedTalks right into the website, and plan on utilizing that aspect in the future.  Some of the TedTalks videos can get lengthy, and I like the idea of cutting videos, as well as annotating in Edpuzzle.  Most of my students respond better to shorter videos.  Also, the ability to share and post in an LMS is also very appealing.  That level of personalized learning is something that helps me focus my time in the classroom on things that matter, like conferencing one-to-one with students and answering questions, as opposed to being their technical support representative.  My colleagues in the county and I have discussed the concept of teaching podcasting to our students and I feel it plays right into the type of experience students of today enjoy and appreciate.  The collaborative aspect can certainly be incorporated into lessons regarding podcasting about many different subjects and assignments.  I am currently developing lesson plans for podcasts, as well as videocasts, or vlogs.  I feel its important to scaffold lessons like podcasts over time by teaching them smaller supporting tasks, which eventually culminate into a larger project like a podcast.

Reference:
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Common Sense. (n.d.) Common Sense Digital Compass™ | Educational games for kids to help teach 
     digital citizenship and digital literacy skills.
     https://www.digitalcompass.org